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 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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Good morning Kogs and Kossacks in Dailykosland!
Let's start the working week with a Moral Monday.
What is your favorite profanity substitute?
When I am around new people and I am out of uniform, they tend to interact in a pretty easygoing way with me, and these days that pretty much always includes profanity. Especially when the conversation turns to politics, as it almost always does, and emotions are running high about the latest RWNJ lunacy.
Then when they find out I am clergy, they inevitably say oh no, and I was cursing around you! To which I respond, well, I've heard it all before, and said most of it, so it ain't no biggie. I spent many years in the music business and in the world of professional sports, two areas where cursing is practically a job requirement. I really have heard almost everything.
But I was raised in a household where the adults never cursed around us kids. I never heard my mom use profanity until I was well into adulthood. I never heard my grandfather say anything worse than hell or damn, and even that was rare. He did not even use the substitutes that were standard at the time like darn or goldarn or dagnabbit. My grandmother, oddly enough, was the one who let salty language slip out more often. But the bottom line is that I didn't grow up with casual profanity and naturally tended to avoid it, even though I didn't mind when other people cursed.
Speaking of dagnabbit, "Dag" was popular among us kids, which I guess was meant to substitute for damn, although I never gave it much thought. It was just a handy thing to say when you hit your thumb with a hammer. And at the "hippie school" I went to, we referred to ourselves as Fubar Farms and used Fubar as a substitute curse.
In my 30s when I was doing sports broadcasting, some of my friends and I used Kirby Puckett's name as a substitute curse word. It has all those great fricatives—oh Kirby PUCKett! But I liked Kirbybear and the Minnesota Twins and after he became ill I started to feel bad about turning his name into an expletive, so I reluctantly let that one go.
Famous movies that were full of cursing were an endless source of comedy as we laughed at the edited for TV versions. From The Godfather: "I don't want my brother coming out of that restroom with just a stick in his hand" to The Usual Suspects: "hand me the keys you fairy godmother's brother" to The Big Lebowski "you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps" to Jackie Brown where they really got creative with strange references to melon feelers, melon farmers and "just so long as at the end of that story she hands me my mutual funded money".
are there monkey fighting snakes on this Monday to Friday plane?
Then I came to Daily Kos where profanity is part of the air we breathe. I wanted to fit in, but cursing did not come naturally to me. I tried to make use of various substitutes but it seemed lame to refer to the F word and the S word and the like when everyone else including kos was spelling words out. Last Week Tonight had a funny piece showing clips of news anchors saying in turn "the A word" "the B word" "the C word" etc. all the way through the alphabet. I wasn't even sure what some of those letters were supposed to stand for!
FRAK was Battlestar Galactica's best gift to the world. Frakking as a substitute curse is so much more satisfying to say than fricking or freaking or effing. WTF and whiskey tango foxtrot and those variations also seem easiest to use on the blog, as well as alternative spellings such as fcuk and shyt. The sci-fi series Defiance has a great word "shtako", which might have become the new frak if the show had been more popular.
But the hazard of getting accustomed to blog profanity is that it now takes more effort in real life to keep my language clean, a bit more effort than it used to, and in certain company I need to be careful. In my line of work a person can lose a lot of professional respect for using certain words too freely, or for even "taking the name of the Lord in vain". Workarounds like "Jesus Mary and Joseph" don't even fly because people know what you really mean!
Do you have a favorite alternative to a standard curse word? One of the choices I mentioned, or a word you made up with your friends, or maybe something only your family used to say?
What is your favorite substitute word when you can't use profanity?
start up soundtrack
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 Sara R ♥ for Koscadia
Koscadians got together one more time to Stamp Money Out of Politics
L-R: also mom of 5, loggersbrat, Quill, pdxteacher, J Orygun, KitRMP, HRM & Arenosa
Please visit Sara R's diary for more photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Koscadia by sending a Kosmail to Sara R.
by mimi ♥ for New York City
Here's a great photo recap of all the Kossacks marching in NYC at the People's Climate March on September 21, 2014.
L-R: Raines and Tool holding the banner
L-R: ?, mole jr., Mrs. Mole333, boatsie, The Poet Deploreate, WarrenS, ? mole333 and kathny
Please visit mimi's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join New York City by sending a Kosmail to kathny.
Coachella Kossacks MeetUp and How to add a link to your signature
by Susan Grigsby ♥ for Coachella Kossacks
Susan Grisby put out the call for other readers of Daily Kos near Palm Desert and now we have the beginning of organizing there.
Here's the charter group! Go Susan! Special thanks to susans for driving down from L.A. to lend support.
L-R: ruscle, ruscle+one, Susan Grisby & blue drop
Look at all that orange! Shirt, tops and a hat! Sweet.
Please visit Susan Grigsby's diary for MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Coachella Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to Susan Grigsby.
by tmservo433 ♥ for Kansas & Missouri Kossacks
tmservo433 organized a registering-to-vote event for Ford County, Kansas in Dodge City to reach out to Latino voters there. He partnered with League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Ford County Democratic Party. 150 people attended to listen to John Thomas (KS House District 119 Candidate), Jean Schodorf (Secretary of State Candidate), Jim Sherow (US House, KS District 1 Candidate), Mark Low (Kansas House Candidate, District 115).
"LULAC volunteers sat at their table and handled registration after registration as people came to the event to listen to how they could change their state. We knew that not only were we helping to register new and first time voters, we were helping to bring a message into a community that has been ignored - and to help them take that message back to their friends and families."
This is a great example of reaching out to disenfranchised communities and helping them vote. Because If Democratic base voters turn out, we win. Can't be said enough. More regions need to do this.
Please visit tmservo433's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Kansas & Missouri Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to tmservo433.
Meetup Success! C+J/NE Kossacks Sept 6th
by nhox42 ♥ for New England Kossacks
The New England Kossacks got together at the home brillig and mik north of Boston. Kossacks drove from all over New England to attend. Looks like a great time was had by all.
Folks in attendance were: brillig, mik, K1, K2, Simple, nhox42, Ed Tracey, GreyHawk, Kathy, TrueBlueMajority, theKgirls, Bill in Portland Maine, Common Sense Mainer, mayim, dtheo, RubDMC, AnotherMassachusettsLiberal, Debbie in ME, ialonelady, CwV, sardonyx, Noor B, Andy, James and Alex.
New England Kossacks
Please visit nhox42's diary for MORE photos! Including yummy food pr0n. Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join New England Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to nhox42.
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, October 8th
Koscadia Attends Vice President Joe Biden's support of Jeff Merkley!
This event is free and open to the public. RSVPs are required. We recommend arriving early.
There will be street closures on the day of the event, and parking may be very difficult. We highly recommend taking public transportation to get there (get public transportation directions from Google Maps or TriMet).
Be prepared for airport-like security. Do not bring umbrellas, pocket knives, signs or banners. Bags are not permitted unless necessary for medical needs. No food and beverage permitted inside the premise (unless for medical needs). No metal or glass containers allowed inside.
No cameras, but cell phones are permitted.
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Oregon Convention Center
777 NE MLK, Jr. Blvd • Portland
ORGANIZER: Send Sara R a kosmail to keep track of RSVPs
RSVPs:
1. Llbear
2. Kit RMP
3. Drewid
4.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Koscadia Meet Ups, October 8 and 12
Saturday, October 11th
Silicon Valley Kossacks' Day of Action Canvassing and BBQ with the Mike Honda Campaign (CA-17)
TIME: 11:30 AM
LOCATION: Mike Honda for Congress
SEIU Bldg. 2302 Zanker Road • San Jose
ORGANIZER: Send Glen The Plumber a KosMail or tweet to attend
RSVPs:
1. Rep. Mike Honda
2. Glen The Plumber
3. remembrance
4. TheLittleOne
5. Lusty
6. slowbutsure
7. madhaus
8. Jan D.
9. Joe D.
10. navajo (2:30)
11. Meteor Blades (2:30)
12. DancinMan
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Maybees:
shanikka (2:30)
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Latest diary: Silicon Valley Kossack’s Day of Action with the Mike Honda campaign 10/11
Sunday, October 12th
Koscadians Lunch at Siri Thai
TIME: 12:30 PM
LOCATION: Siri Thai
5234 SE Powell • Portland
ORGANIZER: Send Sara R a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Sara R
2. Kit RMP
3. llbear
4. Drewid
5. Sapere aude
6. MikePhoenix
7. Joe Jackson
8. loggersbrat
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Koscadia Meet Ups, October 8 and 12
Saturday, October 18th
DC Kossacks Potluck Picnicking on the National Mall
DC Kossacks is a regional group intended to organize meet-ups, discuss issues, strategize participation in pertinent activism, and build community for those of us who live in and around Washington DC.
TIME: NOON
LOCATION: National Mall
Take the Blue/Orange line to Smithsonian Metro Station. Exit the escalators and walk straight ahead across the first small lawn to the trees and grassy areas directly ahead. Look for a large plain orange cloth. That'll be us. It will help us recognize each other if you bring something GOS orange! • DC
ORGANIZER: Send NinthElegy a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. NinthElegy
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest entry: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Sunday, October 19th
NYC Kossacks Meet-up with navajo
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: Spitzer's Corner
101 Rivington Street (Ludlow) • NYC
ORGANIZER: Send kathny a kosmail to RSVP
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2. ericlewis0
3. belinda ridgewood
4. kathny
5. sidnora
6. rubyr
7. joanbrooker
8. blue jersey mom
9. Nancy
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Maybees:
mconvente
mole333 and family
Son of Broccoli
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Latest diary: NYC Meetup Sunday 10/19 w Special Guest - NAVAJO
Saturday, October 25th
SFKossacks Attends Daily Kos Day at MoveOn.org's GOTV Offices
TIME: 10:00 AM
MoveOn's Voters Rising Office Location
Berkeley
2177 Bancroft Way (map)
Berkeley, CA
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2. Meteor Blades
3. kimoconnor
4. skywriter
5. jotter
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Maybees:
Glen The Plumber
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Latest diary: Connect! Unite! Act! Daily Kos Teams With MoveOn.org's GOTV Events — Do You Cold Call Well?
Saturday, November 8th
Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurant
1201 First Avenue South • Seattle
ORGANIZER: Send John Crapper a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. John Crapper
2. Kitsap River
3. Charles Curtis Stanley
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Seattle Meet Up - Dog Day Activities
Saturday, December 13th
SF Kossacks Holiday Party at Daily Kos HQ
The usual Pot Luck drill - sign-up list posted soon
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Daily Kos HQ
Address given privately by kosmail • Berkeley
Near Ashby BART
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Markos
2. Will Rockafellow
3. Susan Gardner
4. Meteor Blades
5. Faith Gardner & Roxie!
6. navajo
7. side pocket
8. Mrs. side pocket
9. smileycreek
10. paradise50
11. remembrance
12. Glen The Plumber
13. TLO
14. jakedog42
15. edrie
16. dharmasyd
17. catilinus
18. boatsie
19. liberated spaces
20. citisven
21. kimoconnor
22. susans
23. maggiejean
24. 714day
25. Steven Payne
26. scaboni
27. skywriter
28. jpmassar
29. jotter
30. aha aha
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Maybees:
Thinking Fella
high uintas
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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.