Welcome to Connect! Unite! Act!
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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I don’t know about you. I do know I’m trying to figure out just where we’re going as the Trump turns. The bottom line is there is no bottom line yet. It’s all up in the air. I’m doing my best to read the tea leaves so as to at least have some strategy as to how to adapt to whatever the hell will happen. With each passing day, as we find out who Trump plans on being in his cabinet, the confusion gets stronger. Of course, that’s the point. It’s the Shock Doctrine on full display. Now there are no fewer than four in his proposed administration who are die-hard Ayn Rand worshippers. Of course, the heroes in all her books were 100% out for themselves viewing anyone who wasn’t the same as free-loaders. Well, ain’t that just hunky dory?
How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.
Wayne Dyer
I do get into conversations with people a lot. This election is still the major topic along with sickness. It’s truly unbelievable how many people are very sick with respiratory illness around here now. Much more than normal and the virulence of what’s going around is very strong. People who “never get sick” have been coughing for weeks with this crap. Personally, I believe a lot of it has to do with the psychological fallout many are feeling.
Don’t argue your path with other people. Walk it.
The Lazy Yogi
I always tell people their bodies are like pets. That gets a strange look. Then I tell them what I mean. Our bodies just hum along doing what needs doing, but our thoughts and feelings have a controlling effect in time. If you feel an emotion, even if it’s strong, it’s no big deal. Your body just hums along. But, if you stay stuck in an emotional state long enough, you’re body goes, “oh, so we’re doing that now,” and complies...joins right in. Feeling grief and depression is a normal response for a whole host of reasons. You acknowledge it. You feel it and don’t deny it. You identify why you came to feel that way. Then you accept it and let it go. That’s the healthy way. And don’t kid yourselves, denial doesn’t work. Stuffing emotions in and pretending you don’t have them will cause worse trouble down the road.
Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got.
Robert Brault
Now, if you stay stuck in grief and depression, it will eventually cause your immune system to crater and you’ll get sickness in your lungs. I’m not kidding about this. It’s the being stuck for too long in an emotional state that does the deed. Your body will eventually agree and join in with wherever your psyche is stuck. There is a buffer of time before this happens, but finally, your body (your pet) will do as you wish. If you’re bummed for a long time, your body will become bummed too and it will show it’s all in by getting sick. Your physical body will reflect your stuck emotional state.
The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.
Being stuck in grief hurts the lungs. Being stuck in worry (which also means constantly dwelling on something) hurts your digestive system. Being stuck in anger and frustration hurts your liver and causes rigidity...both mentally and physically. Now, there is nothing wrong with feeling any emotion. It’s actually quite healthy to do so. It’s the getting totally stuck and mired in an emotional state that does the damage. Good thing it can all be reversed once you let go.
Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.
Mark Twain
I have a bit of a strange life (really? yes). I spend my time with dozens of different people each week at my office. What I do for a living entails not only treating people to help them, but also talking with them...a lot. It’s kind of a combo of psychology (being a good listener who’s also quite tuned in and caring) and treating the person physically. Then I come home and it’s smileycreek, four dogs and a cat. I live a yin-yang life.
You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.
Winston Churchill
Boy, are people talking about the election. I have folks who are in misery over it, others who are as giddy as a five-year-old in a candy store. I listen. Then I console those that I can and engage the others when possible. My tactic right now is to say the truth. It’s actually something people, even the Trump supporters I know, are kinda into right now. Everyone now realizes the Russians were totally involved with this election. Everyone knows that disinformation completely swamped the truth. With this background, I’m finding people are actually more willing to listen to “facts” than attack them as “propaganda by the elite.”
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt
So I tell the Trump supporters in my practice that things are really unknown right now. Lots of talk about how everything will change come January 20th, but it’s all talk right now. Then I talk about what’s being said by those who will be in Trump’s cabinat. They are open to that because they are hearing the same stuff too. Frankly, most people really don’t know much when it comes to politics. That’s true for those on both sides of the fence. People who gravitate to DailyKos and other political sites are really in the minority. Most people aren’t that invested in knowing what politicians are doing.
Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on.
Criss Jami
Two days ago I was talking with a strong Trump supporter. She’s a very good person with a great personality. I like her. I was telling her some things that are being bantered about. She didn’t know that Trump plans on lowering the tax rate on the middle class by 2% BUT will take away their standard deductions for dependents after they reach the age of 13 and the head of household deduction.
As an example, I let her know that means a single mother making $55,000 per year working full-time with three kids ( 8, 12 and 14 years old), will lose two deductions and will pay more each year in taxes. She didn’t know that. (The actual number under Trump’s plan is she’ll pay $1,324 more each year in Federal income taxes, even though her income tax rate will fall by 2%).
She’s quite well off and has two grown children. I continued on to make my point. I told her a single parent earning $75,000 per year with two kids (12 and 15) will lose current standard deductions and thus will pay $1,924 more each year in Federal taxes. She didn’t know that.
I went with more examples. I told her a married couple making $100,000 per year with four kids (5, 7, 11 and 14 years old) will pay $328 less under Trump’s plan (the tax rate for this income earner drops from 28% down to 25%). She didn’t know that. I told her that when people make even more money than that, their Federal taxes will continue to go down at an escalating rate. I also told her that people making only $9,000 per year will have their tax rate increased from 10% up to 12%. She didn’t know that.
My strategy is to really get the point across that middle-class people with children are going to get screwed by Trump. She had previously believed everyone at every income level was going to get big tax breaks. NO!
Drip, drip, drip. That’s my strategy. During this time when people are actually shell-shocked (and most Trump supporters are kinda feeling the same way right now. It’s so confusing. No one knows what will happen and people all seem to realize they will likely be impacted in some way)...I’m stating truths and facts of the real consequences that may occur if Trump and his group actually do all they claim they want. I know they are receptive right now because they feel concern too. Even if they are rich and won’t be harmed by what may happen, they know many folks who will be. I know that what I’m telling them right now is getting in and they are talking with those they know about what I tell them. It’s brilliant because it’s not me and my opinion or political bent, it’s what’s out there and they know it. It’s all talk right now.
The best way to show that a stick is crooked is not to argue about it or to spend time denouncing it, but to lay a straight stick alongside it.
D.L. Moody
How do you wage the yin war?
As always, this is Open Thread Time!
LET'S BUILD IN-REAL-LIFE 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.
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.
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
Colorado: Sunday Mornings
Michigan: Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Eastern
North Carolina: Sundays, 1:00 PM Eastern
Missouri: Wednesday Evenings
Kansas: Monday Evenings
Let us know if you’ve got any events that would be of interest to other readers of Daily Kos IN-YOUR-REAL-LIFE space.
Saturday, December 17th, 1:00 PM
Private residence in Pasadena
Please RSVP to 714day or gmats get an address and let them know what you’re bringing for potluck.
Details here: 12/17/16, 1 p.m. Meet in Pasadena Change in Venue
RSVPS
1. 714day — pasta & salad
2. gmats — paper plates, cups, etc.
3. jakedog42
4. ursulafaw
5. Dretutz
6. J Graham
7. Joe Bacon
8. murphy
9. susans — macaroni & cheese
10. otoelbc — coke & diet coke
11. just sayin — pita fixin’s/greek salad/pita
12. band choir mom — salvadoran tamales (possibly +1)
13. alguien
14. ZackfromtheSFV — cold drinks & an hors d’ouevre
MAYBEES:
little brown girl
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Leftcandid and ColoTim, leaders of Daily Kos’ endorsed Colorado Community, would like to invite you to our Caffeinating Liberally meet-up on December 17th. We meet at the Common Grounds Coffee House, 44th and Vallejo, in Denver from 9:00 AM to noonish at the table by the piano. Come meet fellow Daily Kos readers and other like-minded folk, enjoy wake-up coffee to start your weekend off and discuss how we take back America. For questions and RSVP's, you can contact Leftcandid or ColoTim.
Nationwide: January 21, 2017
Find your march here and start a group effort to march together, it will be listed here in CUA.
Women’s March on America, inspired by the Women’s March on Washington, calls on all Americans across the political spectrum to hold marches on the same day, at the same times, in communities across the country.
Together, we will send a message to our leaders and the world that the United States of America stands for values of human decency, equal rights and freedom from discrimination.
Our vision is that on January 21, 2017, the day after the Inauguration, Americans will unite in towns, cities, and schools across the nation to march in solidarity with communities affected by hate, intolerance, and acts of violence.
Many of us will not be able to make it to the march in Washington, DC. But we can come together in our local communities to march for our shared values.
The New York City & New Jersey Kos groups are joining in on the already massive Women’s March on NYC on Saturday, January 21, 2017 and marching together with the Daily Kos banner, shown just above. They’ll likely meet afterward for food & drink, stay tuned for those details. NYC March details here.
RSVPS
1. joanbrooker and film students
2. kathny
3. belinda ridgewood
4. gchaucer2
5. ericlewis0
6. FreeBeer
7. grannycarol
8. kishik
MAYBEES:
sidnora
karma5230
Alastriona
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The SFKossacks are meeting to march together with our Daily Kos banner on Saturday, January 21, 2017, at 4 PM. There’s a chance we’ll meet for lunch before and definitely drinks afterward. Stay tuned for times and locations.
RSVPS
1. navajo
2. Meteor Blades
3. citisven
4. liberating spaces
5. Lorikeet
6. kimoconnor
7. dsb
8. sfpcnik
9. sfpcnik’s husband
MAYBEES:
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RSVPS
1. no way lack of brain
2.
3.
MAYBEES :
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NEW GROUPS FORMING:
Leftcandid and ColoTim, organizers for the Denver area met at Caffeinating Liberally which meets every 4th Saturday morning, except next month when it will be Dec. 17th.
Leftcandid deserves special recognition for taking supplies to Standing Rock, his thoughtful account is here: Colorado State Open Thread: North Dakota. You can still recommend it. He did a lot in his short time there. Thanks, Joe!
About 35 readers of Daily Kos in the San Francisco Bay Area met for a salmon grill and pot luck in the Wine Country north of Santa Rosa, CA. It was a wonderful group hug after the election. Numerous photos here.
navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries about your event or if you have changes or additions.