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.
If you are new to the site or have been lurking, we invite you to join in the friendly banter here. Don’t be shy, say anything, it will be well received.
I was glad to see 2016 come to an end. What a horrible year. It looks like 2017 could be even worse!
So here we are a day away from the autumnal equinox. What’s up? I’ll delve just a bit into some of the recent things that have taken place before I get into the actual topic of today’s CUA diary. Mind you the hits just keep on coming.
1) The House GOP gave Jeff Sessions the green light last week to go after medical cannabis across the land by refusing to reauthorize the Rorahbacher- Farr Bill which prohibits the Justice Department from spending money to interfere with states’ medical marijuana laws. This is just what Jeff Session asked for...and he got it.
2) We are on the verge of the Senate possibly passing the worst version of a TrumpCare bill yet. It’s just a repeal...no replace.
3) Tump is firmly under Putin’s control by doing exactly what Putin wants. Putin’s plan has always been to divide and conquer. He want's to peel off countries one by one. He knows he’ll have huge leverage over the world that way. That’s absolutely fine by more Americans than I can believe.
4) Oh, and are we going to annihilate North Korea potentially as well which will cause the annihilation of South Korea and the death of up to 200,000 Americans living there?
5) It’s now pretty well accepted that WikiLeaks and Julian Assange are actually working for the Kremlin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gaa! Time for a break from all of it. Let’s talk about beer. How would you like to know about the eight states considered to have the worst craft beer scene and the eight states with the best craft beer scene? There were over 5300 craft beer companies at the end of 2016 which was double the number at the end of 2012. So how did they come up with the best and worst craft beer states?
This is based on an average of the Brewers Association’s rankings for total number of breweries, the number of breweries per capita (100,000 people age 21 or older), and the number of gallons per person age 21 or older, here are the eight worst and eight best states (including Washington, D.C.) for those looking to sample a craft beer in the United States. www.cheatsheet.com/...
8th worst: Kentucky...8th best: North Carolina (North Carolina has had a big bump up as several companies from California, including Sierra Nevada Brewery and Colorado, including New Belgium Brewery opened operations in that state).
7th worst: Hawai’i...7th best: tie between Michigan and Wisconsin
6th worst: North Dakota...6th best: Pennsylvania
5th worst: Arkansas...5th best: tie between Montana and Maine
4th worst: Alabama...4th best: Vermont
3rd worst: Oklahoma...3rd best: Washington
2nd worst: West Virginia...2nd best: Oregon
The worst: Mississippi (why am I not surprised?)...The best: Colorado (why am I not surprised?)
Elk lounging near Estes Park, Colorado. You know, just chillin’ on a spring day.
Oh, and there is another thing Colorado is currently known for being The best in a category. Since I want to just have a good laugh this morning, I hope you do too. Enjoy!
What do you want to talk about today?
Our CUA 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.
View Interactive Map of Daily Kos Communities in a full screen mode. 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, kosmail navajo for instructions.
Comment if you have events that would be of interest to the readers of Daily Kos in your city or state?
navajo maintains this event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries about your event or if you have changes or additions to events listed below.
Data & Democracy for 2018 - a southeastern strategy conference for voting rights activists + progressive technologists
Conference web site: https://DataDemocracyConference.org
Date: Saturday, September 23, 2017; 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Venue: The PSI Theatre at the Durham Arts Council, 120 Morris St., Durham NC
Tickets: $30 by advance online registration only
Theme and Goal: To provide an opportunity for southeastern (and particularly North Carolina) progressive activists + volunteer professional technologists to connect and to think through, together, what are the opportunities and the needs for "data-driven activism" (activists and technologists working together) in preparation for the 2018 election, with an emphasis on voting rights and get-out-the-vote (GOTV).
Program Format: Keynote speech, followed by a combination of mini-presentations (15-20 min + Q&A) highlighting activists' use of data, plus panel discussions on the broad topics of Coalition Building, Data and Activism for GOTV, and Strategy. Panel discussions will be unscripted conversations, seeded as necessary by a facilitator's questions and audience input. Weather permitting, an extended lunch break at a close-by urban mini-park will provide audience members and speakers the opportunity for freewheeling discussions.
Kosmail DocDawg (organizer) for more information.
Data & Democracy for 2018 conference:
18 speakers (including DKos’s own peregrine kate, navajo, Denise Oliver Velez, Chris Reeves, and myself)
Over 100 attendees
8 very kind volunteers helping out (including DKos’s MsSpentYouth and gordon20024)
Private post-conference dinner for speakers and volunteers at Durham’s wonderful Dos Perros
Bloggers/journos attending include Digby’s Hullabaloo and the Institute for Southern Studies’ indispensable Facing South
Affiliations of attendees include:
- NC Progressive Democratic Caucus
- Progressive Democrats of Orange County
- Institute For Southern Studies
- WCDP Tech Corps
- People's Alliance
- North Carolina State University
- League of Women Voters
- Neighbors On Call
- Washtenaw County (MI) Democratic Party
- CivicRise
- Durham Democratic Women
- Democracy North Carolina
- You Can Vote
- Orange County Democratic Party
- Rise Together NC
- Democratic Women of Guilford County
- Kill The Bill
- Wake Democratic Mens Club
- Southern Coalition for Social Justice
- NAACP
- Everyone's North Carolina
- Now Or Never NC
- Citizens In Action
- Our Shot NC
- Insightus
- Together We Will NC
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Daily Kos
Online registration will close soon, so if you’re coming now’s the time to register. No tickets will be available at the door.
Triangle Kosmopolitans are invited to attend
We are pleased to announce that Daily Kos Staff member, peregrine kate, will be visiting the DKos Ashevillians on Sunday, September 24th from 1:00 PM — 8:00 PM.
Kate is the Co-chair of the Precinct Organizing Committee for her county Democratic Party and founder of Motor City Kossacks. RSVP to randallt for details. His diary about it is here.
RSVPS
1. peregrine kate
2. randallt
3. joieau
4. Gordon20024
5. Lamont Cranston
6. Otteray Scribe
7.
MAYBEES :
|
This Saturday, September 23rd, Caffeinating Liberally will again be at the Common Grounds coffeeshop, 44th and Vallejo, in NW Denver. We meet from 9AM to about noon, depending upon what may be going on (sometimes we break up for canvassing or other good reason). We meet the 4th Saturday of the month.
Saturday, September 30th, a meet-up for Smileycreek and Paradise50 who are going to be in town visiting. Location: TBD, likely a restaurant. Time: TBD. Kosmail ColoTim to RSVP.
DKos Asheville at top of Mount Mitchell, NC on August 12th in an attempt to challenge the EPIC Glacier Park Event. L-R: SteelerGrrl, SteelerGuy, Connie Norton, Gary Norton, randallt, Joieau, Otteray Scribe, Gordon20024 and Lamont Cranston
Rescue Rangers Dinner
Standing L-R: Neeta, Besame, dopper, Susan Grigsby, Thinking Fella & mommyof3
Kneeling L-R: grog & watercarrier4diogenes
Partners & Mentors Dinner
Back row L-R: Meteor Blades, side pocket, Jon Sitzman, Chrislove, BeninSC
Front row L-R: Neeta, peregrine kate, paradise50, smileycreek, TrueBlueMajority and Wee Mama
Daily Kos Cheers & Jeers Party!
VIRGINIA KOSSACKS!
L-R: Standing, Cindy from CodeBlue, Clio2, Linda, Elizabeth, Squireforyou, Andy, AnacharsisClootz
Kneeling: DrLori, Barkley and Gordon20024
State Senator Dr. Irene Aguilar (in orange) chatting with Kossacks and neighbors. Jenn (next to Senator Aguilar) and Leftcandid (on the right in blue shirt) started the Caffeinating Liberally group.
L-R: Some Fella, Mr. Maudlin, Ojibwa, state of confusion,
Mrs. Mhosz, Mhosz, Mother Mags,
(photographer; Maudlin)
E P I C - E P I C - E P I C ! ! !
L-R: navajo, side pocket, Dartagnan, Glen The Plumber, TLO, kimoconnor and Jakedog42 met at the Beach Chalet on June 20th in San Francisco to welcome Dartagnan on his visit to the Bay Area. Wunnerful time!
Colorado: Monday Evenings, Michigan: Thursday evenings, North Carolina: Sundays, 1:00 PM Eastern, Missouri: Wednesday Evenings, Kansas: Monday Evenings