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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What kind of friends do you have?
Strange question, right? I've been thinking a lot about this lately because in the past four months a number of people I've had various types of friendships with have passed away or have suddenly shown up in my life again. This got me thinking about what does it mean to have a friend or to be a friend.
I got a call last week from a friend I've known for 31 years. We were best buddies during the years we were in Acupuncture college. We did everything together. We were in all the same classes so we studied together constantly. We were young and active. We took hikes, played beach volleyball (I lived in Santa Cruz then) and played tennis on a regular basis. Then we graduated.
When it came time to studying for our licensing exams, I had a more intense attitude about it which caused us to no longer study together. I went to the library at the University of California at Santa Cruz so as to be serious and not have any distractions. He stayed home and studied some then futzed around for extended periods of time. Due to this difference in study styles for the licensing exam, we kinda went our separate ways. He married and had children. I married and didn't have kids, so our lives had decidedly different trajectories for some years.
Well he called me last week and then just a couple days ago. We talked for a good 20 minutes each time. Things in his life have changed quite a lot in the past two years and he mostly wanted to talk about that but we also caught up on years of stuff as well.
You might wonder if he is my friend since there was such a long time since we last spoke until now? Yep, he's my friend alright.
I have a few other friends who I've known for decades that have the same pattern. I don't hear from them for years then they contact me again. In most cases they have something going on in their lives that causes them to want to get back in touch with me. Sometimes it's relationship issues. Other times it's health issues. A few times it's been due to career issues.
These friends feel like they can always contact me and know I'll be there to listen to them and talk about whatever happens to be going on in their lives. They know that no matter how much time has passed since our last contact, I'm still there for them. And we always pick right up from where we left off. It's interesting because we still have the same connection we originally developed so many year ago.
When they come back into my life it's most often because they want contact with someone they know still cares about them...and I'm that guy. Isn't that what friendship is about? Some might wonder if these people are really my friends because they disappear for such long periods of time and get in touch again when they are in some kind of need. They are.
I'm one of those strange people who, once I've had a connection and friendship with someone, basically always feel the same way about them as I did when we were tight. I'm naturally giving and generous and yet don't expect the same in return necessarily because there are no strings attached. I have my friends back when they are in need and hope they would do the same for me. It doesn't always work out that way.
In recent years I haven't had a close friend that I hang with regularly, but those types of friendships do come and go. Will I have another friendship like that? Who the heck knows. I hope so. I've been feeling pretty darn grateful for friends I've had and still have. I know it's partly due to getting older and also due to feeling the loss of some I've really loved.
I miss Tim Delaney and Cedwyn maybe too much. I still think about them everyday.
What's true friendship? What's it feel like? Do you stop feeling it?
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 joanbrooker ♥ for New York City
New York City Kos gathered to remember and toast Cedwyn with her favorite icons, sippy cups and butterflies. "She touched so many lives and the loss to all of her friends at DK has been profound."
Here's one group photo:
From left clockwise: ericlewis0, DaveG, MBNYC, thirty three and a third, Mets102, sidnora, blue jersey mom, janosnation, Stacey, and joanbrooker.
Please visit joanbrooker's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join New York City Kos by sending a Kosmail to kathny.
by Sara R ♥ for Koscadia
Koscadia, at it again.
We had a lovely meal together yesterday. The mood was a bit somber as we thought of our absent [Koscadia] friend, Cedwyn. The news of Cedwyn's death did not come until afterwards.
At our lunch, I received a special gift from ericlewis0 intended for both me and Ann, wrapped and framed by llbear. It was the original artwork for the Animal Nuz cartoon of Catwyn receiving her quilt. [Photo can be seen in Sara R's diary]
Here's one photo:
L-R: War4Sale (back of head), Sheila, slampros, watercarrier4diogenes, llbear, ozsea1, loggersbrat, quill, pdxteacher
Please visit Sara R's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join
Koscadia by sending a Kosmail to
Sara R.
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!
Saturday, February 28th
Four Corners Kossacks International Diplomatic Outreach Junket
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Irish Embassy Pub
900 Main Ave • Durango
ORGANIZER: Send Thinking Fella a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Thinking Fella
2. Hero Machine
3. red moon dog
4. ERRN
5. Mr. ERRN
6. Gary Norton
7. nzanne
8. msaztec
9. relleno
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Maybees:
LucyTooners
Mr. LucyTooners
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Latest diary: Four Corners Kossacks Meet-up: International Diplomatic Outreach
Saturday, February 28th
DC Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Busboys and Poets
5th and K Streets • DC
If you can't make this one, we will resume the 3rd Saturday of the month in March and that meetup will be held at 1 pm.
ORGANIZER: Send NinthElegy a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. NinthElegy
2. patbahn
3. mimi
4. OllieGarkey
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Maybees:
Rachel Colyer
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Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Saturday, February 28th
Texas All-State Meet-up with:
• nomandates: Texas, Then and Now
• Kath Haenschen: Legislative Preview: The Good, The Bad, And The Really Really Ugly
• Meteor Blades: The Power of Year-Round Precinct Organizing
• Denise Oliver-Velez: Motivating Young People to Vote and Run for Office
• Neeta Lind aka navajo: Maximizing the Daily Kos Forum
• Egberto Willies: How to Attract the Most Readers to Your Message
• Chrislove: Organizing Houston and Supporting Local Activism
An afternoon of camaraderie and progressive strategizing with Big Orange flavor!
RSVPs closed, event capacity of 175 seats has been reached.
Wednesday, March 4th
NOTE DATE CHANGE ^^^^^^^^^^
San Francisco Kos Welcomes joanbrooker to Town
TIME: 6:15 PM
LOCATION: Triptych, near Civic Center BART
1155 Folsom Street • San Francisco
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. joanbrooker
2. navajo
3. norm
4. side pocket
5. Richard F.
6. jpmassar
7. citisven
8. Meteor Blades
9. Lorikeet
10. dsb
11. boatsie
12.
13.
14.
15.
Reservation has been made for 15 people only.
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Maybees:
dharmasyd
KC208
Plumbers, party of 3
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Saturday, March 21st?
Motor City Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 7:00 PM or TBD
LOCATION: Taqueria Mi Pueblo
7278 Dix • Detroit (Corktown-ish)
ORGANIZER: Send peregrine kate a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. DoReMI
2. mideedah
3. BFSkinner
4. peregrine kate
5.
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Maybees:
ProvokingMeaning
ChemBob
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Latest diary: Michigan/Motor City Kossacks Weekly Open Thread: Meet-Up, Sat 2/14, 7:00 PM, Corktown(ish) Detroit
Saturday, April 18th
San Francisco Kos Welcomes blue jersey mom to Town
Potluck style BBQ
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: kimoconnor's garden
[Address given privately to RSVPs] • San Francisco
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. blue jersey mom
2. navajo - [2 bottles of wine]
3. side pocket
4. Mrs. side pocket
5. maggiejean
6. kimoconnor
7. dharmasyd
8. norm
9. remembrance
10. Glen The Plumber
11. TLO
12. Lorikeet
13. dsb
14. FogCityJohn
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Maybees: |
Saturday, April 25th
DAILY KOS CONNECTS KANSAS CITY
Our first regional Daily Kos gathering.
Join us for a day of camaraderie and progressive strategizing with Big Orange flavor. In a day-long seminar, learn how our Connect! Unite! Act! team maximized the Daily Kos forum to effect change in Kansas state politics. We are going to duplicate that effort across the nation. Participants will focus on organizing from the ground up.
You'll also get a chance to meet the blog's founder, Markos Moulitsas and some Daily Kos writers, such as Joan McCarter, Meteor Blades, David Nir, Jen Hayden and others.
TIME: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Alamo Drafthouse
1400 Main Street • Kansas City
SCHEDULE:
8:00 AM - Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00 AM - Presentations, panels and Q&A's begin
Noon - Lunch served
1:30 PM - More presentations, panels and Q&A's
6:00 PM - After Party
REGISTER HERE: $30 registration fee at Eventbrite
Benefactor level is also available if you plan to attend and buy a scholarship for someone, you and your attendee can have a front row seat. Angel level is also available if you can't attend but want to help someone else attend.
We have five scholarships available thanks to our Benefactors and Angels. Please kosmail navajo if you need a scholarship to attend. |
Grow our network, unite our progressive communities, help win elections!
RSVPs:
1. Markos Moulitsas
2. tmservo433
3. Meteor Blades
5. Joan McCarter
6. David Nir
7. Jen Hayden
8. Monique Teal
9. Neeta Lind aka navajo
10. Cindy Kelly from Women4KS
11. Peter Gogol
12. Jeffrey Zamrzla
13. Brian82
14. C.M.
15. Sandzen
16. kj in missouri
17. artguy4life
18. Chris
19. pyoung
20. Madge Montgomery
21. cdtribble
22. Mrs. cdtribble
23. kd4dean
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Maybees:
ColoTim
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Saturday and Sunday, April 25-26, 2015
DKos Asheville's Roadtrip and Two-Day Retreat to Roanoke, Virginia
From randallt:
After seven successful and engaging meet ups, DKos Asheville's core members decided to take our next gathering on the road. The first reason was that our chef and benefactor for all our meet ups has been Gordon20024 and we wanted say thanks by traveling to be with him instead of having him drive to be with us. We asked and he was thrilled and so the idea was born. Another reason is that it offers us the opportunity to meet more Kossacks from around the region including Virginia and parts of North Carolina to the north and east of us.
Grow our network, grow our community, help win elections.
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TIME: 1:00 pm Saturday till 1:00 pm Sunday
LOCATION: Hotel Roanoke, Conference Center
110 Shenandoah Avenue • Roanoke
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. gordon20024
2. davehouck
3. randallt
4. Joieau
5. LamontCranston
6. Steerler Grrl
7. Steeler Guy
8. Otteray Scribe
9. DawnN
10. emmasnacker
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Maybees: |
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.