ALERT!
FRAMESHOP ADVISORY
LOCATION: LAS VEGAS, NEVEDA
DATE: JUNE 8-11
CAUTION: GOP STRANGLEHOLD ON U.S. POLITICAL DEBATE IN DANGER!!
ADVISORY: A Frameshop advisory will be in effect June 8-11, Las Vegas, Nevada, during the entire YearlKos 2006 Convention. All GOP propaganda pushers should exercise EXTREME CAUTION. The assembled force of powerful and engaged progressives will set in motion a train of events that will lead to the collapse of the current Republican culture of corruption, victories for Progressive candidates in 2006 and 2008, and an explosion nationwide of a new, powerful positive Progressive movement.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: All Republicans receiving this warning should immediately put their tray tables up, their seat backs forward, and their heads between their knees in crash position.
This Place, These People
About a month before the 2004 Presidential election, I stumbled upon The Daily Kos after writing 10 LTEs in one week. I opened an account and became user 21805.
20 Months, 200,000 comments, and a diary series later, I communicate daily with Americans around the world about ways to drive this country towards a Progressive future.
Anyone who tells me The Daily Kos is `just a blog' gets an earful that begins like this, "Just a blog my ass. My local newspaper can barely compete with the readership and buzz of The Daily Kos. And my local paper is the New York Times!"
In two years, I have listened, contributed to, and watched this place--this amazing place filled with the best minds and best hearts in America.
In two years, I have watched The Daily Kos--this place, these people--charge into the mainstream media and demand to be heard.
In two years, I have watched The Daily Kos--this place, these people--knock on the doors of the Democratic party and take charge.
In two years, I have watched The Daily Kos--this place, these people--ignite the passions and imaginations of a great country suffocating under fear and frustration.
And in two years, I will watch The Daily Kos--this place, these people--send to Washington, DC not only the next Democratic President of the United States, but a brand new Democratic Party to lead this country forward.
We have changed this country--this place, these people. It has been an amazing ride. And we are barely at the beginning.
Take Back the Talk: YearlyKos, Las Vegas
Three weeks from today, the first YearlKos Conference will kick off in the great state of Las Vegas, Neveda--and I look forward to meeting everyone.
I am beside myself with framing glee to be moderating the framing panel of the century for a discussion on COMMUNICATING THE PROGRESSIVE VISION to be held Saturday June 10, 8:30-9:30am.
Participants on the panel will include:
Jim Derych: Jim Derych is the author of "Confessions of a Former Dittohead," a book based on his diary posts on Daily Kos. Describing himself as a guy who used to be a dittohead, Derych was a Limbaugh supporter who read both of his books, regularly read the Limbaugh Letter, subscribed to the Rush 24/7 website, and listened to Limbaugh for three hours a day, every day. In February of 2004, Derych came to the realization that Rush was wrong about virtually everything, and he quit being a dittohead. Derych blogs on Huffington Post and lives with his wife in Germantown, Tennessee where he is a Certified Financial Planner TM in private practice.
Jeffrey Feldman (moderator): Jeffrey Feldman is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of Frameshop. Dr. Feldman has a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology which he applies broadly to the analysis of politics and communication. He lives and teaches in New York City, and is a regular guest on the nationally syndicated radio show ''The Thom Hartmann Radio Program'' which can be heard locally and online via Air America Radio.
John Javna: John Javna started as a pop culture writer and became well-known as the creator of the acclaimed 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth , back in 1990, which was on the NYTimes list for 39 weeks, having sold more than 10 million copies. For years, Javna wrote a syndicated environmental column for Universal Press that appeared in 165 newspapers. After the last presidential election John asked himself "What can I do to make a difference?" He quickly realized there was no one to advise him on clear, effective progressive activism and set out to create the same kind of easy-to-read handbook he had before and to add a good dose of strategy and inspiration. The result, after a year's work, is 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Fight the Right.
Justin Krebs: Justin Krebs is a founder and director of Cosmopolity, an organization which promotes progressive action through social interaction. In 2003, he co-founded Drinking Liberally, which has grown into a national network of democratic drinking clubs, and has spawned other initiatives to mix socializing with politics, including Laughing Liberally. He is also a founder and Artistic Director of The Tank, a space for emerging artists and activists. He has authored a history of New York City's playgrounds, produced a documentary on youth civic engagement in New York State, performed a 100-show improv comedy run and worked in the office of U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. He is a Hell's Kitchen resident & a New Jersey native.
George Lakoff: George P. Lakoff is a professor of linguistics (in particular, cognitive linguistics) at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1972. Although some of his research involves questions traditionally pursued by linguists, such as the conditions under which a certain linguistic construction is grammatically viable, he is most famous for his ideas about the centrality of metaphor to human thinking, political behavior and society. He is particularly famous for his concept of the "embodied mind" which he has written about in relation to mathematics. In recent years he has applied his work to the realm of politics, and founded a progressive think tank, the Rockridge Institute. http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/
We are thrilled to be have Prof. Lakoff participate, along with all of our distinguished--and smart as heck--panelists.
It will be a great conversation with some of the smartest, most creative and most successful progressive communicators. Our focus will be clear:
What can we do now to take back the talk in this country?
The YearlyKos executive committee deserves a medal of honor for assembling this amazing panel.
So, what are you waiting for? Head over to the YearlKos website, register for the conference, block off Saturday morning for our panel, and start thinking up questions for the participants to answer.
And I almost forgot...
What are the 3 words to beat the GOP and take back America?
YEARLYKOS LAS VEGAS!!!
(See you there...)