Blogging 101: A Workshop for the Media Frustrated

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Saturday March 26, 2005 · 3:27 PM PST

2005/03/26 · 15:27

Today my twelve year old son, several local bloggers, and I did a workshop in Ithaca for people interested in liberating themselves from the mainstream media, learning how to use blogs, making their own blogs or just getting a bit more familiar with how to use blogs as a source of news. We all brought our laptops to a space with wireless access and had little stations for people to rotate through. We had great snacks and handouts. It was a great success. We had people from the ages of 14 to 82 come in. Several people got help with their existing blogs. Some people didn't know what a blog was. We helped a few people set up blogs. One woman, working on opposing CAFTA was stunned to see how she could use blogs to get information and build community. We walked everyone around Dailykos. I am attaching here the handout I gave out and am asking members of the KOS community to critique it for me. I would also like suggestions on how to make these mini-workshops a success in the future. Please keep in mind I am a good teacher but not a computer wiz. Read More

Report from the Counter Inaugural Demonstrations in Washington

Percheronwoman

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Sunday January 23, 2005 · 12:56 PM PST

2005/01/23 · 12:56

While I realize that the news is all of a few days old at this point, and people have moved on to new topics, I have finally had a chance to sit and write a report on the Thursday demonstrations in D.C., which I attended with my twelve-year-old son. I want to make three points: 1) The anti-protester behavior of the police is escalating and we need to address this so that we can keep demonstrations safe places where the vast number of us on the progressive side of politics can still come together; 2) the protests ARE making a difference, and we must not squander that and 3) we need to have an on-going discussion about how to best use these mass rallies as a force for change.

There's more below the fold
Read More

Reclaiming Our Party and the Local: A Modest but Heartfelt Proposal

Percheronwoman

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Wednesday December 22, 2004 · 5:31 PM PST

2004/12/22 · 17:31

Dear Folks,

A few weeks ago, while sitting in a hot tub in San Antonio, Texas, I had a moment of reckoning. It was this: I do not want to be an angry activist. An activist, yes, but an angry one, no. This is my life. This is my community. Bush and Co are not going to take away my peace of mind. It became a moment of great resolve for me. Out of this moment, there evolved an idea that I think has merit. I ask you to hear it out, to the end. Better yet, help me refine it.

I have an idea that I am mulling over in my head about how we proceed to take back all the things we seem to have lost as a party: the moral high ground, labor, standing for principles, language, rhetoric, and the list goes on (and can be debated ad nauseum). I have an idea, and a modest proposal about how we take the first step. It is a "no losers" proposal, so I ask your patience in reading it. This idea was born of my inner pain in seeing what has happened and realizing I have no alternative. I really do have a "how to" list at the end of this e-mail, so please indulge me and read it in its entirety. Read More

Reid's "War Room" Echoes Our Concerns

Percheronwoman

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday November 30, 2004 · 5:48 PM PST

2004/11/30 · 17:48

Here on Daily Kos a number of us have been encouraging the establishment of a "shadow government" similar to the way the UK system works. It seems that the Democratic Party is getting the message.

More below the fold. Read More

Making Darkness Visible: Focusing Legislative Attention on Ohio Recount and Election Reform

Percheronwoman

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday November 29, 2004 · 7:26 AM PST

2004/11/29 · 07:26

I have followed the discussion on the Ohio recount and alleged election fraud very carefully here on Kos. I have appreciated the concern with fact over conspiracy theory, verifiable evidence, and a level head. By and large, the main disquiet people have had with the posting about election fraud and the recounts has been based on the premise that taking this up as an issue is unlikely to change the outcome of the election. Here, I would like to take another angle on this matter; one mentioned in other Kos postings, namely, that we have a reality (a suspicious election at the best) unable to get traction in either the legislature or the media, precisely because it does not have a subject heading on the Internet legislative or media websites. (Katerina took this up vis a vis the media.) This post is not about presenting any new material or evidence, but rather about starting to transform two FACTS OF PERCEPTION that, right or wrong, have an enormous impact on our democracy and the future of the Democratic party. These two facts are: Read More

I AM THROWING A PARTY: AND YOU SHOULD TOO!

Percheronwoman

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Saturday November 06, 2004 · 8:53 AM PST

2004/11/06 · 08:53

If you are like most of us in the great blue state of New York, each morning this week has been hard. We are feeling stunned, scared, powerless, and kind of like we woke up in our worst nightmare. (At least we voted morally in New York as a whole.) So today I said to myself, WWCCD? What would the Christian Coalition do? (I was a stealth spy on their organization as they were forming in the early 1980's in Colorado. They took all their good lessons from the left in the 1960's and 1970's and put them to work.) They would call a huddle, eat some comfort food, and regroup. (I am skipping the prayer part. I am not doing that. You can if you want.) Read More

GOP (via third group) Solicits Funds for "Stolen Honor"

Percheronwoman

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday October 25, 2004 · 3:05 PM PDT

2004/10/25 · 15:05

I signed up for GOP alerts in August before the GOP convention because I wanted to see what they were telling "the base" about the demonstrations in which I took part. NOw, I get all of them (so I know what they are up to) and today received this e-mail about "Stolen Honor." I am not a veteran, and the only way these people could have gotten my e-mail was either by the GOP list or the Christian Coalition list (for the truly brave, I recommend signing up for their action alerts -- it is a good thing to do on Halloween -- it will scare the shit out of you). Here is the e-mail I received. Where else did they get my name but from the GOP headquarters? Read More

From Lithuania: Views on the Crises

Percheronwoman

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday October 19, 2004 · 2:28 AM PDT

2004/10/19 · 02:28

I am writing this post from Lithuania, where I am lecturing for a week at Vilnius University before heading home to work with election protection on November second. (I already voted before leaving.) From here, I have a few remarks that I hope will be helpful to KOS readers (and I realize that this post will appear at about six AM and may never make it onto anyone's screen) though I don't think this will be anything new, but just another take from the Baltics.

First, I think it is impossible to overestimate how much Europeans resent the fact that Americans would ever consider ever electing a man like Bush. I have spoken with NO ONE who has anything good to say about Bush. They resent him immensely. Many people have better thoughts about Bush Sr., but everyone is unequivocal in their view that the tolerance of someone like W as the leader of the most powerful country on the planet is utterly unacceptable. They hold us responsible for this. They feel we need to oust him at any cost, as he is destroying more than the US. (Many here feel his foreign policy regards the Baltics as the new slaves of a new Europe.) Cab drivers, the woman cleaning the apartment, the professors and students here, the guy at the post office. Lithuanians often remark that for years, America was a symbol of hope. They now jokingly tell me that we will learn first hand how much fun fascism is. I heard similar comments from people on the plane, people in Amsterdam. (We managed to get the daily kos site displayed on a huge screen in the Schiphol airport, and people crowded around to read it.) We know this fact that Bush is regarded as an idiot, but it still comes as a shock to me to learn just how strong this is. When Kerry talks about "respected in the world," this is not rhetoric. We need to get this back.

TWO) It became clear to me in the night that perhaps the Sinclair plan is in fact not going to work in changing people's minds, but it will be used to cover up the theft of an election which by that time will not be close at all. People on this post are repeating again and again that the numbers are lining up for a heavy revolt at the polls against Bush. This is starting to show in the polls. I doubt the film will change minds. But it can be used by Rove et al to explain why what could be a huge lead by Kerry evaporates (through election theft) on the day of the election.

THREE) People here are used to using non-violent resistance. They all suggested we consider large scale acts of non-violent resistance in the event that the election is stolen (and to my mind, Nevada already is being stolen). Does anyone remember the Baltic Chain? The advice from people here is this: stop the fascists while they still seem kind of normal. Stop them in their tracks. One year and Bush would ahve accomplished what he needs: a new supreme court and just about anything her wants. I hear this again and again: Stop them November second, and if they take it, fight back RIGHT AWAY. Fascists always look nice at the beginning, they say.

No one I have spoken with in Europe has any trouble seeing what is coming in the US, and no one hesitates to call it fascism. (And I am not feeding people the lines, either.)

I hope we are all wide awake in the weeks ahead and don't kid outselves that perhaps they won't be as bad as we fear. They will be.

We need to ensure a real election, and get the right man in the white house. I am counting on John Kerry to not let us down.

(I apologize for errors in format. This computer is klunky.)

The Democratic Compromise

Percheronwoman

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday October 13, 2004 · 5:47 PM PDT

2004/10/13 · 17:47

The Democratic Compromise in Favor of the Common Good:
A Premise about Stable Democracy and Four Points

If you have a TV or read the news, you see these horrible images around the world of angry mobs taking to the streets when things don't go their way in an election or legislative assembly.

there's more... Read More

TIAA-CREF and Sinclair: What to do

Percheronwoman

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday October 12, 2004 · 9:48 AM PDT

2004/10/12 · 09:48

Since most all academics have their retirement holdings with TIAA-CREF, I called their office and asked them where the Sinclair stocks are and how to know if I have holdings including Sinclair stocks. They are in both the Equity Index and also in CREF Stocks. The gentleman I spoke with said that although they are a small part of the equity index, their Participant Relations people would be interested in hearing that we do not want them to include Sinclair. I called the TIAA CREF number on my holdings sheet 1-800-842-2776. The person I got through to was most helpful. He also was not aware of what was going on, and it gave me a chance to educate him. He was pretty outraged that a public holding company was doing this.

The man said that the best way to take action is to write to their Participant Relations Division. Here is the address:

Participant Relations
TIAA-CREF
8500 Andrew Carnegie Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28262

Write them and tell them we don't want Sinclair in our funds.

Also, a direct line for Sinclair given by a station in Syracuse was 410-568-1780. The people answering the phones at these TV stations are very upset about this and are vocally on our side!

TIAA CREF and Sinclair

Percheronwoman

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday October 11, 2004 · 8:05 PM PDT

2004/10/11 · 20:05

A lot of academics have their retirement in mutuals through TIAA-CREF. Can someone who is savvy on how these things work report if TIAA-CREF has any portfolios with Sinclair in them? If so, I think this is a good way to motivate a very articulate bunch of folks with a whole lot of cash and a big (captive) audience (i.e., our students).

Please enlighten us here, if you can. Then I will start to get the academics thinking about this.

Military service records of players in Congress and the Election Fray

Percheronwoman

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday October 11, 2004 · 7:34 AM PDT

2004/10/11 · 07:34

My apologies if this has been seen here before (or came from here). Since things slide down the page so fast, perhaps we could keep this up for awhile:

> Do You See A Pattern Here? This is interesting when you think of who's making decisions to send our soldiers into harms way. . .
>
> Democrats
> * Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71.
> * David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72.
> * Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72.
> * Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam Jan. 1971 as an army
> journalist in 20th Engineer Brigade.
> * Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam.
> * Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-47; Medal of Honor, WWII.
> * John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat
> V, Purple Hearts.
> * Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea.
> * Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star,
> Vietnam.
> * Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-53.
> * Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74.
> * Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91.
> * Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII; Bronze Star and seven
> campaign ribbons.
> * Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, Bronze
> Stars, and Soldier's Medal.
> * Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver Star
> and Legion of Merit.
> * Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne, Purple Heart.
> * Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. Marine in Vietnam; Bronze
> Star with Combat V.
> * Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star.
> * Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57
> * Chuck Robb: Vietnam
> * Howell Heflin: Silver Star
> * George McGovern: Silver Star & DFC during WWII.
> * Bill Clinton: Did not serve. Student deferments. Entered draft but
> received #311.
> * Jimmy Carter: Seven years in the Navy.
> * Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953
> * John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs and Air Medal with 18 Clusters.
> * Tom Lantos: Served in Hungarian underground in WWII. Saved by Raoul
> Wallenberg.
>
> Republicans
> * Dick Cheney: did not serve. Several deferments, the last by marriage.

> * Dennis Hastert: did not serve.
> * Tom Delay: did not serve.
> * Roy Blunt: did not serve.
> * Bill Frist: did not serve.
> * Mitch McConnell: did not serve.
> * Rick Santorum: did not serve.
> * Trent Lott: did not serve.
> * John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to teach business.
> * Jeb Bush: did not serve.
> * Karl Rove: did not serve.
> * Saxby Chambliss: did not serve. "Bad knee." The man who
> attacked Max Cleland's patriotism.
> * Paul Wolfowitz: did not serve.
> * Vin Weber: did not serve.
> * Richard Perle: did not serve.
> * Douglas Feith: did not serve.
> * Eliot Abrams: did not serve.
> * Richard Shelby: did not serve.
> * Jon! Kyl: did not serve.
> * Tim Hutchison: did not serve.
> * Christopher Cox: did not serve.
> * Newt Gingrich: did not serve.
> * Don Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as flight instructor.
> * George W. Bush: failed to complete his six-year National Guard; got
> assigned to Alabama so he could campaign for family friend running
> for U.S. Senate;
> failed to show up for required medical exam, disappeared from duty.
> * Ronald Reagan: due to poor eyesight, served in a non-combat role
> making movies.
> * B-1 Bob Dornan: Consciously enlisted after fighting was over in
> Korea.
> * Phil Gramm: did not serve.
> * John McCain: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart
> and Distinguished Flying Cross.
> * Dana Rohrabacher: did not serve.
> * John M. McHugh: did not serve.
> * JC Watts: did not serve.
> * Jack Kemp: did not serve. "Knee problem," although continued in
> NFL for 8 years.
> * Dan Quayle: Journalism unit of the Indiana National Guard.
> * Rudy Giuliani: did not serve.
> * George Pataki: did not serve.
> * Spencer Abraham: did not serve.
> * John Engler: did not serve.
> * Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.
> * Arnold Schwarzenegger: AWOL from Austrian army base.
>
> Pundits & Preachers
> * Sean Hannity: did not serve.
> * Rush Limbaugh: did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst.')
> * Bill O'Reilly: did not serve.

> * Michael Savage: did not serve.
> * George Will: did not serve.
> * Chris Matthews: did not serve.
> * Paul Gigot: did not serve.
> * Bill Bennett: did not serve.
> * Pat Buchanan: did not serve.
> * John Wayne: did not serve.
> * Bill Kristol: did not serve.
> * Kenneth Starr: did not serve.
> * Antonin Scalia: did not serve.
> * Clarence Thomas: did not serve.
> * Ralph Reed: did not serve.
> * Michael Medved: did not serve.
> * Charlie Daniels: did not serve.
> * Ted Nugent: did not serve. (He only shoots at things that don't
> shoot back.)

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