First priority is dough. Moolah, simoleons, scratch, bread, coin, dollars...
Cold Hard Cash.
Tired of being on the fringes? Has the sheen of being the latest source of fundraising for the politicos worn off? Then be your OWN source. We really DO have potential, you know. We are ALREADY a force with which to be reckoned. Anyone who says differently is really kidding himself. Now consider what we can do when the "netroots" begin to flower. And it can begin with this convention. I truly, honestly believe that.
SO, whether or not you're considering attending this shindig (and how could you not even consider it), if you think of yourself as a Kossack, as a member of this community, then cough up a few bucks, dude. This thing ain't payin' for itself, you know. WE are. It's our thing.
Next up on the list: The YearlyKos Survey. Why? Why this freakin' survey? I've seen some sceptical comments and snarkitude, OBVIOUSLY from people who didn't bother to read the entire diaries.
Lemme spell it out: Our money alone will NOT pay for this event. (And this event will ideally be accessible not only to those of us actually IN Vegas, but also remotely to those who can't make it. We're talking state of the art live blogging, etc.) We need sponsorship. But not just ANY sponsorship. We want GOOD PEOPLE. So we need, first, your input on the subjects covered in the survey. With the information we get, we will be better able to determine which companies are appropriate to approach - and which companies are acceptable to US.
Suffice to say, fuckin' Wal-Mart is NOT in the running.
(Oh, and if you run a business or know of a business that might be willing to be a Yearly Kos sponsor, drop us a line.)
And TAKE the motherfuckin' survey, people.
And while you're at it, register for the convention.
Couple more things:
We need volunteers. Grant writers, fundraisers, programmers, statisticians, public relations, data analysts. You know the drill. And Las Vegas locals -- Volunteer for the LAB.
Another thing: Participate, period. If you don't know by now there's a Yearly Kos website (and that your participation in discussions is encouraged), you gotta be blind. So what the fuck are you doing on the Internet?
One more thing. I bought it. Everyone I know who's bought it has been blown away. Fabooj is on bedrest and she now has a project: putting it into a beautiful binder, giving it the outside it deserves.
What, pray tell, is it? It's the Trollhouse Cookbook, man - and it is spectacular. (And I'm NOT just saying that because 4 of my recipes are included.) It's $15 bucks for the PDF and worth every freaking penny. Read the story of how recipes became a traditional response to trolls at DKos... and order one. It's a great way to contribute AND get something useful. Kind of like an NPR deal, only with about a millionth of the GUILT.
Any questions? WAIT. Let me stop you right there, yes, you, there, the one with the cynical gleam in your eye. I know what you're about to say - maybe not exactly, but I've seen variations of it all week. And I have only one thing to say to you with regard to your doubts and trepidations and outright suspicions:
You have every right to your scepticism, but this discussion and this event are for people who are NOT sceptical about it, for people who wish the very best for Yearly Kos and their own participation in it.
So fuck off. Go write a diary about how muddied you think the DKos waters are becoming, blah blah blah. But honestly puddin', nobody needs or wants to deal with it here.
Sure, you may turn out to be right, those of us behind the Yearly Kos curtain may simply be RAKING in the cash and planning to BAIL with it, leaving you all behind in a cloud of liberal naïve dust.
HIGHLY doubtful, but yes, it's possible.
Then again, it's POSSIBLE that monkeys may fly out Scott McClellan's ASS the next time Helen insists on a straight answer.
Doubtful... but possible.
Still... I'm not sceptical about this. And I was BORN sceptical. (And YES, it IS spelled with a "k" as well, but I prefer the "c.")
So. Doubters, sceptics and cynics, feel free to write your OWN diary about this whole affair - I promise, if you let me know about its existence, I will RECOMMEND it and even stick around to debate you about it in the discussion area. But not here. No, here, I will respond with...
Recipes. And so will everyone else.
To sum up:
Donate.
Register.
Take the survey.
Volunteer.
Participate.
Buy the cookbook.