(While this terrific interview by Mike Abadi doesn’t pay more than passing attention to GMD, it does feature our own kestrel9000 in one of his rare sightings! 😉  (Now I know what face to look for!)  It also provides a handy primer to those of us who are uninitiated, on the comings and goings on Daily Kos. – promoted by Sue Prent)

DK4. DK4? What is this DK4 of which you speak? DK4 is the latest incarnation of Dailykos, the country’s premiere Democratic blog. To explain the changes, I could think of no one better to turn to than kestrel9000, Eddie Garcia, GMD front pager and frequently recommended diarist on Dailykos.  

Eddie gives a very comprehensive recap of the features and challenges of the New Kos flavor.  Since this interview, New Kos has not settled down. Long standing heart and soul community moderator Meteor Blades has bid the site farewell.

This resulted in a season of acrimony, followed by Markos himself emerging to institute The Great Purge of 2011. Kos stepped in to admittedly arbitrarily remove ratings abilities and even outright ban registered users. Kos also continues to tweak features on DK4, such as moving the “Community Spotlight” (a kind of preemptive diary rescue that often influences the recommended diary list) from just below the banner to the sidebar. So with all the changes and bumps since the DK4 rollout, I’m guessing we may be up to DK4.7 or so.

The Great Purge of recent times caused a week long boycott in September, led by Robinswing. It appears that kos’ purge disproportionately affected already poorly represented black bloggers and created a bit of a divisive firestorm.

Kestrel9000 reflected on the matter and issued a statement.

DK4 has apparently settled down in the past couple weeks, with the recommended list dominated by OccupyWallStreet. Personally, I haven’t really availed myself of the new social networking features of the New Kos, and thankfully, one can still use the site in the same manner as before. I truly miss only one feature of the old kos: in DK3, if you had started a diary and saved it as a draft, its title would stare at you on the front page, reminding you to finish the damn thing. Now, drafts go into a “Drafts” folder, which for me has become the place where diary ideas go to die.

Incidentally, the beginning of 2011 also heralded another product improvement rollout: GMD 2.0

plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose

{Updated: just tried again and it now lets you leave a message, explaining heavy call volume. Someone will call back within 2 hours is what it also says. Better already}

just got email from vt democratic party titled “Hurricane Recovery Update.” Our hill to the brook is now a cliff so I have some property damage, grateful it’s not more and people upstream are stranded. No time for the details, but I was glad to learn I could report property damage:

Reporting Damages

Vermonters who have property affected by the storm should report it to the state. There are several phone lines in addition to the 211 number now in operation. Please note that it is critical to acquiring recovery aid that a statewide inventory of the damage is taken. Also, if repairs are made by a property owner, it is important to take pictures of the damage, document the repairs and keep receipts for potential assistance.

Individuals: Individuals reporting property damage should call 211

If you call the number the mailbox is full and there’s no option to leave information. Just writing this quick in hopes someone can get this line functional.

Hint: before you send out a mass email with a phone number to call, make sure the number works.

( – promoted by odum)

Sure it’s summer and the news is pretty quiet. But one of these Fridays, the Vermont State Supreme Court will issue its opinion on the Wal-Mart permit appeal in St. Albans. Wal-Mart? St. Albans? Wasn’t that denied like a decade ago? Permit Appeal? That sounds confusing. How could anyone possibly get up to speed on the convoluted and sketchy attempted resuscitation of the proposed Wal-mart in St. Albans during the Douglas years? Sue Prent to the rescue! In this interview, She gives just the right level of detail to explain the 18 year saga.

Coincidentally, the US Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of Wal-Mart in a gender discrimination case. You might remember Antonin Scalia issued this instant classic legal eagle opinon:

Certainly the Constitution does not require discrimination on the basis of sex. The only issue is whether it prohibits it. It doesn’t. Nobody ever thought that that’s what it meant. Nobody ever voted for that.

So let’s hope Wal-Mart does not fare as well in VT’s highest court as we await their Supreme Judgment.

Sue lives in St. Albans, runs Pink House Studios with her husband Mark, and is an active member of Northwest Citizens for Responsible Growth, the local grassroots organization that has seen this Wal-Mart fight through from the beginning.

We also discussed her piece An Even More Inconvenient Truth which considers the whole logic of using economic growth as the measure of our economic health. And from her eleven years living in Canada, she can testify to the quality and equity of a universal single-payer health care system. Finally, Sue offered her support to women who want to run for office in Franklin County, which is a great idea especially given that

the Constitution does not require discrimination on the basis of sex

.

So as we wait for the VT Supreme Court to decide, we can be thankful that people like Sue are willing to stick their necks out and fight these protracted battles against behemoths for the sake of our future.  

( – promoted by Jack McCullough)

I found this interview to be intense.  Charity Tensel exudes the kind of charged courage necessary when making major personal, political, and spiritual shifts. That she has made these changes in the public world of the blogosphere, where people tend to engage in identity reinforcing behaviors, gives a sense of the honesty you will find at Tenselblog and Shatter Nicely.

Charity left the comfort and certainty of Christianity as well as the popularity and notoriety of She’s Right. She did something all too rare in online discourse; she stopped and said “Wait a minute, maybe I am not right.” And she didn’t just momentarily think those heretical thoughts; she allowed herself to actively challenge the “all questions are answered” combination of conservative Christianity and right-wing ideology.  

I have had difficulty writing up this blurb to go with the interview. I am making a change in my life right now, losing a habit, and MAN is it difficult. Seeing just how automatic the mind works to bring one back to the known and the comfortable, discovering how seemingly separate areas of belief interact and reinforce each other, finding out just how much renegotiating of identity must happen; it’s real work. And that’s about as close as I can get to sharing about it, because I guess guardedness guarantees an illusion of control.

Charity has taken on much larger transformations, and has done so with candor and clarity. I don’t know how she does it and I’m biting my nails here just thinking about it. Oddly, the word “faith” comes to mind. When making identity-shaking change, there needs to be a faith that the losses one feels almost immediately will be replaced by better things in the long run. But that’s the rub; change is a proposition that tends to dole out its challenges on the front end and saves its rewards for the long term.  

I never knew that Charity began She’s Right as a public access TV show and migrated it to the blogosphere. Shortly after her interview with me, she coincidentally returned to public access TV to guest host a show on Channel 17. Amazingly, this full-circle return to her PEG roots resulted in more self-reflection and a decision to take a blogging break at Tenselblog, while she continues to post fresh at Shatter Nicely. Check out her latest post there on the connotations of the label “atheist.” Great stuff.  

The rhetoric of personal transformation generally has a formulaic New Age taint to it that makes it easy to scoff and cynically dismiss the notion. I think because Charity’s background is in the Christian Right, her conception of identity evolution has none of that flavor; she is incredibly direct, clear-eyed, and uncliched. She is perfectly suited for her next endeavor, helping others successfully make transitions as a personal coach. She just took her CharityTensel.com  site online, so think of her next time you look in the mirror and realize it’s time for a change.  

Philip Baruth’s Vermont Daily Briefing has been an indispensable destination in the VT blogosphere since its inception. Now that Senator Baruth represents Chittenden County, his blog has entered uncharted territory.

Though chided in the Free Press’ blog for not writing as frequently, Baruth has eloquently documented the progress of the Pre-K bill, advised Governor Shumlin to Beware the Deal on health care, and captured the pace of the Senate’s endgame. As explained in the interview, Philip has solid reasons for not writing BREAKING insider accounts on the machinations of the Legislature. So he is sticking with the wit, the writing, and the insight that have defined the blog.  

Philip first visited an embryonic VTblogosphereTV for the pivotal third episode, proving himself both a risk taker and a trailblazer. Then we focused on the relationship between blogging and journalism. This time the discussion covered the ritual involved in becoming a Senator, netizen activism surrounding the Citizens United ruling, Vermont Yankee pre- and post-Fukushima, his Ed and Ag committee work, expansion of Pre-K public education, and the difficult decisions surrounding the budget.

One of Philip’s many gifts is his sense of balance. He almost immediately found the proper relationship between blogging and legislating. He still sounds off on issues close to his heart, but thankfully Vt’s first bloggin’ State Senator is not predisposed to fulfill any stereotypes about bloggers as grandstanding blowhards. His is a calm, centered, sane voice and he knows the job is about service and work. The people of Chittenden County were wise to send him to represent their interests and the interests of all Vermonters.  

Before this interview, I must testify I knew almost nothing about the Supreme Court of Vermont (SCOV). I did not know how many Justices there are, what their names are, or which Governors appointed which Justices. Within moments of watching this clip with Andrew Delaney and Daniel Richardson of SCOV Law blog, you will have the answers to all of these questions. I am amazed by my level of previous ignorance about Vermont’s highest judicial body and grateful to these cultured barristers for dispensing their erudition with such levity.

Beyond a general outline of the make up of the court, we got to discuss recent SCOV cases like Andrew’s piece Sex, drugs, and ‘Rock’ & Roll. The combination of extreme behavior and serious legal issues make for compelling reading and generate discussion about the use of humor in reporting such a case.

Daniel’s piece Do You Dare Enter . . . The Judgment Zone? likewise is operating on multiple levels. The specifics of the case document a man’s unravelling as he tries to collect an award, but generally the lesson for the public is that when some one wins a monetary judgment, that is often where the battles begins, not ends as is often portrayed in Hollywood narratives. SCOV Law is really in the business of demystifying the law, and presenting that mission with enough humor so that a non-lawyer may actually want to read summary and analysis of legal proceedings.

SCOV Law started last fall but has already hit its milestone 100th post, and with a stable of eight attorney/writers, the range of style and expertise is vast. They have summarized every SCOV case since July 2010 and have recently signed on VT Legal Historian Paul Gillies to present significant cases in SCOV history. Also they recently rolled out Project Bierce, a page of legal definitions that might make one chuckle. So check out the SCOV Law blog, already!

ACTION ITEM: February 3 is the last day of Public Comment on the Hsiao report on Health care reform in Vermont. The email address you can send your thoughts and concerns to is:

comments@vermontact128study.com

It seems fitting open with an action item to introduce this interview with NTodd Pritsky of Dohiyi Mir. Whether it’s on the West Bank or right back home running for State Representative, NTodd’s blogging is representative of action. Here he gives a great recap of Dr. Hsiao’s report to the State Legislature.

If you haven’t checked out NTodd’s writing, I think this interview captures the enthused hopeful wit you will find in his posts. He is also on top of things in a way that I greatly appreciate. Right after I mailed him the DVD of our interview, he had the whole thing up on Youtube, so a complete conversation is available online.

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: the Middle East

Part 3: Tuscon

Part 4: The Campaign

Part 5: Healthcare Reform

NTodd’s recent post assessing his campaign for Franklin-2’s Vermont House seat is a great example of his open approach to politics and writing. His announced candidacy for that Franklin-2 seat in 2012, this time as a Democrat, holds much promise.  The people of Franklin-2 are lucky to have the opportunity to send him to the State House, and the Legislature will be enriched by his contributions.

And don’t forget to spend some time with the report and respond to:

comments@vermontact128study.com

(I tried to figure out how to embed the player directly on GMD, but didn’t have any luck, but this is well worth keeping an eye on. – promoted by JulieWaters)

Big week at the State House. This morning Senators Patrick Leahy, Bernie Sanders, and Rep. Peter Welch are going to join with our new Governor Peter Shumin to discuss health care reform. Specifically, they will discuss how to get the necessary federal waivers in order to move Vermont to a single payer health care system. Then tomorrow, Harvard School of Public Health Economics Professor William Hsiao will unveil the three models our legislature commissioned.

Sorry for the short diary but I want to get this up quickly as ORCA public access TV is live streaming this morning’s conference and plans on livestreaming tomorrow’s report by Dr. Hsiao.

LIVESTREAM HERE!

As is the tradition at VTblogosphereTV, our year-end holiday special features John Odum of Green Mountain Daily.  Last Yuletide season, John described how the pivotal bloggers’ summit set the goals of opening up the process in the VT Gov’s race, ratcheting up the enthusiasm, and increasing participation in order to strengthen our chances in November. His ghost-of-xmas-past assessment is eerily prescient, given how the 2010 election cvcle played out in Vermont. It is largely because of this kind of thinking from the netroots that the 2010 “enthusiasm gap” turned on its head in VT.

We were reading everywhere how the Republicans were amped while we in our own state got involved in a strong five candidate Dem primary for governor, which ended in a squeaker close recount that was played so right that it resulted in unified and energized Democratic base. And in November, our pick, Peter Shumlin beat Brian Dubie by running on a platform of single payer and retiring VT Yankee, our failing nuclear power plan down on the MA and NH border.

So it may be no surprise that this year’s “progressive psychological lifeline” (as Odum calls it) came from Vermont in the form of Bernie Sanders’ 8  1/2 Hour Tour De Force. We’ve been pumped in 2010  and we are happy to spread the energy to the rest of our battered and beleagured nation.

Not only did one of our three federal representatives provide the tonic after a defeating election cycle, our incoming governor looks serious about moving us towards a statewide single payer system. This is exciting stuff and it is exactly how the states have to approach the federal reform law. The best thing about the health care changes at the federal level is it gives states the room to build a complete system.

Peter Shumlin’s last job was Pesident Pro Tem of our state Senate and he had a large part in overriding the marriage equality veto. He knows how our little state legislature works. We might just get it done here; it might take a decade but we just might show the way for the whole nation to get there. Remember even in as regressive a year as 2010, we still made progress. Elections are over, let’s get some policy victories in 2011.

Happy New Year GMDers! looks like we done some good in 2010 and I just had to brag to the kos crowd. crossposted there

Caoimhin Laochdha is by far the tallest guest ever to grace VTblogosphereTV. He matches this stature with excellent analysis and careful choice of words. If you have had it up to here with the vapid and repetitive noise that passes for commentary among the corporate punditry, this clip may be just the tonic.  

This clip begins with Caoimhin explicating assumptions embedded in much analysis of the gubernatorial recount. From there, he points out that VT’s now “early” primary is hardly early at all, and advocates for a shorter primary season.  He suggests that a good way to understand criticisms of Shumlin is to examine the ’04 Presidential race. And nationally, he finds 1982 to be the better analogy to understand this upcoming election, and not the oversold 1994 comparison.

This clip ends with matters both more local and more global with a discussion of his family’s Wandering Boar Farm and CSA. Small scale food production of course has a political element, but encompasses economics, culture, our relationship to the land and our basic biology.  The blog chronicling the farm is just two months old, so definitely check it out. You’ll find, along with farm/food resources, some gorgeous photography of happy pigs and sheep.

The ideas continued after the interview, with further consideration of the 1982 thesis, and a mock-heady discussion of how fragmented identity manifests itself in bloggers’ screen names. Or something like that.