A daily series, Connect! Unite! Act! seeks to create face-to-face networks in each congressional district. Groups regularly socialize but also get out the vote, support candidates and engage in other local political actions that help our progressive movement grow and exert influence on the powers-that-be. Visit us at Daily Kos every morning at 7:30 A.M. Pacific Time to see how you can get involved. The comment thread is fun and light-hearted, but we're serious about moving the progressive political agenda forward.
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The orange pinpoints are the location of each organized group of Daily Kos readers.
If you'd like to join a group, click on a point and a box will pop up showing contact links.
If you'd like to start a group, contact navajo for instructions.
View Interactive Map of Daily Kos Regional Communities in a full screen version.
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The Straight Up Santa Truth
So Christmas is coming up and Christians and heathens alike struggle with one challenging question: do you tell your children the truth about Santa Claus or not?
There are some folks who believe you should never lie to your children. Others, like myself, believe Santa is a rite of passage...
Santa is an object lesson in critical, independent thinking in the face vast conspiracy. As usual, even TELEVISION and the media and the government are involved. NORAD's Santa tracker has been a favorite of my household for years as we track Santa's path around the world.
The truth about Santa is....he's not magical. He's got a thyroid disorder. Santa Claus and his two Claus brothers Gunther Claus and
Krampus Claus both have the same thyroid disorder in which they all have conscious control over their own metabolisms, allowing them to move at super-human speeds or to slow themselves down to a near suspended animation state. All three brothers realized this early on, when they discovered the could accrue wealth while in suspended animation. All of them are unimaginably wealthy as a result of investments made while they went into suspended animation for 50 years at a time.
Santa is the one who has made the greatest name for himself attempting to do good in this world with his vast wealth and his deep connections and contracts with major toy manufacturers such as Lego and Mattel.
Santa lives in a subterranean compound high in arctic circle where he spends most of his time in a cold room in suspended animation while the rest of the compound dwellers enjoy a prosperous utopian existence while they prepare each year for the annual waking of Santa, who is awake for about one month per year and so appears to age quite slowly.
His helpers, known as elves, in connection with the NSA and other security agencies keep track of the children who are naughty and who are nice and they produce toys as well as manage promotional toy agreements with major toy manufacturers and distributes them according to the contracts.
Santa controls his metabolism to move at unimaginable speeds which is why children need to put cookies and milk and other high calorie content foods out for Santa since he burns over 1 trillion (with a T) calories in a night.
Of course with the boom in population Santa can't be in all places at once nor can he keep tabs on all kids which is why in recent years there has been the Elf on the Shelf program wherein some households are, by random lottery, assigned elves which assist Santa in various tasks. My household has no elf on the shelf and my six year old asked why and I had to explain to him that we weren't selected as a recipient which means we're still under the direct purview of Santa himself...which is very lucky.
Then of course there's Gunther Claus...Santa's messed up brother (who has a substance abuse problem) who often shows up impersonating Santa at malls ant other establishments. He means well, but sometimes he's just not up to Santa standards. He does enjoy holidays at Santa's subterranean compound where Santa tries to set him right but Gunther after centuries is set in his ways and prefers the company of whisky and a lady of the night. He's a good guy, though....
...but then there's Krampus Claus who has some weird overzealous and warped sense of justice who likes to punish kids for perceived wrongdoings or just because Krampus is an asshole who really has no moral compass but thinks he has a great moral compass...and of course on Christmas he goes around un-doing lots of the stuff Santa does. It's just a mess.
Krampus comes to punish children while riding his tasty Yule Goat BUT....sometimes the elf on the shelf, if he's able, will defend the child's honor by challenging krampus to a yule goat joust duel, and the winner drinks the yule duel blood, which tastes of cardamom and cinnamon, from the losing yule goat thus claiming the house child's soul for the next four months while Gunther Claus dances about in a half barrel of crushed wine grapes.
Anyway. The truth is complicated, is what I'm driving at here.
That's why we simplify it for children.
Or at least that's what I tell my kids.
What were you told about Santa when you were a child?
What did you tell your kids?
Latest Updates on Regional Meet-Up News Can Be Found Below the Orange Group Hug.
Let's Build Communities!
Our team is here to provide support and guidance to new and existing volunteer leaders of each regional and state group, helping them with recruiting, organizing and executing social and action events.
We invite you to join in this effort to build our community. There are many ways to pitch in.
If there isn't a group to join near you, please start one.
Instructions on HOW TO FORM A NEW DAILY KOS GROUP
List of All Existing Meatspace Groups
Where the Kogs Are: Index/Directory of the 130+ Localized Daily Kos Groups
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
by Thinking Fella ♥ for Four Corners Kossacks
On Saturday, November 8th, 2014, the Four Corners Kossacks met to have a beverage or two, lament our electoral losses, cheer our wins, get updates on races still ongoing, listen to past local election history, learn more about each other, and plot our future strategies.
L-R: Thinking Fella, Matt S., (McLachlan campaign manager) red moon dog, nzanne, Gary Norton, Wally White, (termed-out former La Plata County Commissioner & long-time Dailykos lurker) and Jeff H.
Please visit Thinking Fella's diary for more photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Four Corners Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to Thinking Fella.
by John Crapper ♥ for Seattle and Puget Sound Kossacks
Four days after the mid-term elections Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks had lunch with Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, WA 34th, Chair of the Environment Committee and serving on the Finance, Transportation and Local Government Committees.
Special thanks goes to bleeding blue for making this all possible!
Invited attendees: Marcee Stone-Vegich - Chair of the 34th LD & Ted Barker Vice Chair, Robin Everett - Washington State's Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Coordinator and Mary Manous with Weldon DeBusk both on the development team creating the Cascadia Climate Action Calendar which compiles monthly the events and actions of all major environmental groups in the Puget Sound Area.
My take-away as leader of Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks from this meeting. Political reality can't be changed. We must deal with it as best we can. We must also support those fighting for climate sanity as best we can. But when it comes to climate change we cannot afford to wait on politics to be "right" to get something done. We can't afford to just chip away at the edges. We need to pursue the most effective path possible to make climate sanity a reality. Under current circumstances politics may not be that path in the next two years in Washington State.
Instead it will be the Climate Action Hub. And in my neck of the woods it will be promoting the Cascadia Climate Calendar and urging people to get involved.
Please visit
John Crapper's diary for more photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join
Seattle and Puget Sound Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to
John Crapper.
by cooper888 ♥ for Sacramento Kossacks
We heard from navajo and Meteor Blades about the initiative by Daily Kos to have active Kossack groups in each of the state capitals. DK is looking for engaged Kossack's ready to roll up their sleeves and participate in many different types of activism/advocacy. For example, delivering petitions to the state capitol, participating in various protests, marches, rally's at the capitol, etc. As Meteor Blades pointed out this won't happen over night and is a long term strategy but I think if we all take the lead in our respective states we can make this dream happen sooner than DK leadership expects.
L-R: Front row: Sychotic1, tgypsy, tb92, trevizolga, Mrs. side pocket. Second row: Arundsdel (sp?), Laurel in CA, Kestrel, Meteor Blades. Third row: Kestrel's two friends, smileycreek, paradise50, Dave. Back row: Clif, Mr. Arundsdel, Neil, cooper888, side pocket, Left foot forward, got mooned & Nate
Please visit cooper888's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Sacramento Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to cooper888.
Event Organizers! Please contact wink from Netrootsradio.com by KosMail to schedule airtime with them to live broadcast the date of your Event. Wink & Justice will then promote it on The After Show radio program!
Wednesday, December 10th
Colorado COmmunity Meet-up with Drinking Liberally
TIME: 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Three Dogs Tavern
32nd & Julian • Denver
ORGANIZER: Send Leftcandid a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Leftcandid
2.
3.
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Maybees:
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Latest diary: DENVER: Caffeinating & Drinking Liberally, December Editions COming Right Up!
Wednesday, December 10th
Kansas Kossacks Meet-up Focused on Johnton County, What's Next?
TIME: 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Overland Park Doubletree Hotel
10100 College Boulevard • Overland Park
ORGANIZER: Send tmservo433 a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. tmservo433
2. glitterscale
3.
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Maybees:
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Latest diary: Overland Park, KS Kossack Meetup December 10
Thursday, December 11th
Kansas Kossacks Meet-up Focused on McPherson County, What's Next?
TIME: 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Deerfield Estates Clubhouse
816 Clubhouse Dr • McPherson
ORGANIZER: Send tmservo433 a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. tmservo433
2. CWinebrenner
3. sandzen
4.
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Maybees:
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Latest diary: Connect! Unite! Act! Event, December 11 McPherson County Kansas
Saturday, December 13th
SF Kossacks Holiday Party at Daily Kos HQ
The usual Pot Luck drill
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Daily Kos HQ
Address given privately by kosmail • Berkeley
Near Ashby BART
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
- POTLUCK SIGNUP -
HQ will be providing the main course of our buffet:
• White bean sausage cassoulet
• Marinated chicken skewers
Vegetarian options:
• Butternut squash with farro, parmesan, spinach and onion
• Ratatouille with polenta squares
Please volunteer for beverages, side dishes & desserts needed below.
Beverages:
20 bottles of wine [20 complete (navajo, smileycreek, enhydra lutris, glescagal, side pocket, skywriter, cooper888, maggiejean)]
16 six-packs of beer [11 complete (paradise50, 714day, side pocket, jotter, skywriter, Steven Payne)]
8 six-packs soft drinks [8 complete (linkage)]
4 six-packs non-corn syrup soft drinks [0 complete]
4 six-packs diet drinks [0 complete]
6 six-packs bottles of water [2 complete (sfbob, maggiejean)]
Appetizers:
8 appetizers, anything goes here. Whatcha' got? [4 complete (jforests, boatsie, side pocket, Steven Payne)]
Side Dishes:
6 green salads needed, each to feed 10 [6 complete (jforests, Lorikeet, ceebee7, remembrance, simplify, cooper888)]
4 (10-12 pcs) dinner roll sets, plus butter cubes [1 complete (kimoconnor)]
Desserts:
6 hand-held desserts (dozen each) [4 complete (syd, norm, gmats, jpmassar)]
70 paper plates [jakedog42 & susans]
70 dessert plates [jakedog42 & susans]
70 appetizer plates [jakedog42 & susans]
140 cocktail napkins [jakedog42 & susans]
70 dinner napkins [jakedog42 & susans]
100 plastic forks [jakedog42 & susans]
70 plastic knives [jakedog42 & susans]
100 clear plastic beverage cups [jakedog42 & susans]
RSVPs:
1. Markos
2. Will Rockafellow
3. Susan Gardner
4. Meteor Blades
5. Faith Gardner & Roxie!
6. navajo - 4 bottles red wine
7. side pocket* - 2 six-pks beer, 2 bottles of wine, pesto-stuffed mushrooms
8. Mrs. side pocket*
9. smileycreek - 1 bottle red, 1 white wine
10. paradise50 - 1 six-pks beer
11. remembrance* - gobi aloo, vegetarian
12. Glen The Plumber* - apparently, nothing...
13. TLO*
14. jakedog42* - plates, cups, napkins & utensils
15. edrie
16. dharmasyd* - brownies
17. catilinus
18. boatsie - Cowgirl Creamery cheeses & crackers
19. liberated spaces
20. citisven
21. kimoconnor* - dinner rolls & butter
22. susans* - plates, cups, napkins & utensils
23. maggiejean* - biblical water & wine
24. 714day* - 3 six-pks of beer
25. Steven Payne - 2 six-pks of beer
26. scaboni - appetizer
27. skywriter* - 1 six-pk of beer, 1 bottle of wine
28. jpmassar - dessert
29. jotter* - case of IPA
30. aha aha*
31. jeremybloom
32. norm* - sugar-free cake
33. Lorikeet* - vege salad
34. cooper888* - 2 bottles of wine + cooler of ice
35. got mooned* - Mixed Greens w/ Grapes, Pears, Prosciutto, Honey ToastedWalnuts & Gorgonzola w/ Raspberry vinaigrette
36. Hunter*
37. elfling*
38. Cassia
39. Friend of elfling
40. Friend of elfling
41. Friend of elfling
42. Friend of elfling
43. tmservo433
44. Simplify* - kale salad
45. jforests* - greek salad, cheese ball appetizer/crackers
46. jforests SO and baby girl
47. Brian82
48. ceebee7* - green salad
49. Elisa +Ari & Eli
50. jglass
51. jglass's wife + 2 sons (6,9)
52. Walter + toddler
53. Denise
54. Denise's teen
55. Michaela
56. enhydra lutris* - 3 bottles wine
57. enhydra lutris's SO
58. Bonnie
59. gmats* - brownies/cookies
60. linkage - soft drinks
61. sfbob - bottled water
62. Kerry
63. Kerry's partner
Maybees:
Thinking Fella
LaughingPlanet*
Mark
LinSea
*address given
Sunday, December 28th
Koscadia Meet-up with navajo & Pipe Ceremony with Ojibwa to Bless Quilts
TIME: 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Private home
[Kosmail Sara R for the address] • Portland
ORGANIZER: Send Sara R to attend
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2. Ojibwa
3. Sara R
4. winglion
5. Angie in WA State
6. loggersbrat
7. llbear
8. Drewid
9. also mom of 5
10. watercarrier4diogenes
11. ozsea1
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Maybees:
exlrrp
quill
pdxteacher
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Latest diary: Koscadia Meet Up 12/28 -- special guests navajo and Ojibwa
Saturday & Sunday, January 17-18, 2015
Dkos Asheville 24-hour Meet-up
This is what community is about; sharing, giving, creating together. And this is what being a progressive is about; working for social, economic, and environmental justice.
Each day we start from where we are now; and we move forward from here. -davehouck
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...we have built ourselves a network of like minded brothers and sisters who are in this fight for life. A place we can come to find inspiration, power, solace and community.
-randallt |
TIME: 1:00 pm Saturday till 1:00 pm Sunday
LOCATION: Crown Plaza Resort Asheville
One Resort Drive • Asheville
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. randallt
2. davehouck
3. Joieau
4. Gordon20024
5. SteelerGrrl
6. SteelerGuy
7. LamontCranston
8. Otteray Scribe
9.
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Maybees:
Joy of Fishes
IamGumby
smiley7
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Latest diary: DKos Asheville: Open Thread
navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries
about your event or if you have changes or additions.
EVERYONE is welcome, tell us what you're working on,
share your show and tell, vent, whatever you want.
This is an open thread. Nothing is off topic.