We have so many insightful and powerful diaries written here at Daily Kos. Our diaries inform, inflame, impassion, and even entertain. We Kossacks have strong voices and an even stronger will to be the change we wish to see in this country.
One of the richest, and perhaps most under-appreciated, areas of thought come in the form of comments attached to these diaries. Here at Top Comments we strive to recognize and promote the talent of this community by highlighting outstanding comments found throughout the day by the diarist, and through nominations sent to TopComments at gmail dot com by your fellow Kossacks.
These nominations are subjective, and certainly not complete (as no one can read the complete site on a daily basis!). But hopefully they will serve to shine a light where deserved, and to give the reader a good starting point in finding conversation on the site. Please come in and make yourself at home!
Last night here at TC, I wrote about a new film titled Coal Country which, despite genuine determination to show every facet of coal mining controveries, had unexpectedly found itself without a theater site for its premiere.
July 8, 2009
'Coal Country' movie canceled
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The South Charleston Museum board of directors has canceled the world premiere of the documentary "Coal Country" this Saturday at the LaBelle Theater because of "a potential security problem," according to an e-mail sent to executive producer Mari-Lynn Evans....
Evans ... said she is negotiating for another theater and will announce
details as soon as they are available.
Tonight I am pleased to report that a new venue has been found:
‘Coal Country’ premiere rescheduled for Cultural Center
by Ken Ward Jr.
This just in from Mari-Lynn Evans and the crew who made the new film "Coal Country" –
The premier of their movie has been rescheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday at the Cultural Center at the state Capitol Complex ... The showing is free, but seating is limited.
This comes after a showing planned for the LaBelle Theater in South Charleston was nixed by the theater’s board because of a "potential security concern," following blog and newspaper reports that miners planned to picket the event.
My buddy here at the Gazette, Doug Imbrogno, tells me that Gov. Joe Manchin’s Secretary of Education and the Arts, Kay Goodwin, played a role in helping work out the new venue. Doug’s reporting in the Gazette:
After calling "every university, church or organization who could possibly have a theater large enough to hold us," Evans telephoned Kay Goodwin, Secretary for the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts.
"I’ve known Mari-Lynn for a long time and certainly her work with ‘The Appalachians’ is quite laudable," said Goodwin.
"She called and I referred her to the folks over at Culture and History to help her.
More info at these links:
The film's original website - Coal Country and an awesome new test site. (Check out the CD to be released in Nov. with a never-released song by Jerry Garcia!)
The film's trailer:
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Biggest news story in my In-Box today is
the announcement of the slate of candidates for AFL-CIO leadership:
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka this morning announced his candidacy for president of the AFL-CIO to succeed the retiring John Sweeney. Trumka has served as AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer since 1995.
At a rally that drew several hundred supporters at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C., Trumka also introduced his running mates. Joining Trumka on the ticket are Liz Shuler, executive assistant to the Electrical Workers (IBEW) President Edwin Hill, for secretary-treasurer and incumbent AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker for re-election. This marks the first time two women have run for the AFL-CIO’s top offices.
No other presidential candidate has announced. Earlier this year, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney announced he was retiring when his fourth term as president expires in September. Gregory Junemann, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) also is running for secretary-treasurer. ...
Delegates to the AFL-CIO’s 26th Constitutional Convention meeting in Pittsburgh Sept. 13-17 will elect the AFL-CIO’s new officers.
You can read more at the trio's website Together We Can, Together We Will, including this joint message.
A Message from Rich, Liz, and Arlene
Sisters and Brothers,
We announce our candidacy for the top offices of the AFL-CIO with great hope for the future, based on our determination to reunify labor and restore worker bargaining power. Together we can, and will.
Our movement today is faced with enormous challenges. We have an unregulated global economy that devalues hard work and destabilizes communities. We’re stymied by a legal system that favors employers at the expense of working people. And too often our efforts for change are undermined by a political system that is dominated by wealthy contributors.
At the same time, we have historic opportunity, with a President and Congress we elected, to overcome these challenges. Our most important task is to make sure our economy creates jobs. And we are keenly aware that we must look within our movement for answers about how we can create full employment, organize workers and make sure workers prosper in the 21st century.
We are committed to bringing new ideas and new energy to the helm of the AFL-CIO. At the same time, the AFL-CIO must be more transparent and more responsive to the needs of our affiliates. Under our leadership, the AFL-CIO will be vigorous, and it will be accountable!
As always, much of the impetus to restore workers’ clout will come from rank-and-file union members and their unions. We need to pull together as a true labor movement. That’s why we are taking our campaign directly to the grassroots.
We pledge to listen to union members, and to those who do not yet have the advantage of union membership – especially young people who may not see unions as relevant to them in their work lives. We plan to engage Americans in a conversation about the critical role that unions play in creating jobs and improving our standards of living and quality of life.
To be effective, we need a strong labor center that is organized to advance the interests of working families. That is our goal in our leadership campaign – to listen, to learn and to build a bottom-up movement organized to succeed in the political and legislative arenas, as well as in the workplace.
Please join us. Together, we can and will build a new day for working America.
I've been a big Trumka fan since the Pittston Strike in the late 1980s. He's innovative and bold, like a reincarnation of John L. Lewis without the eyebrows. Stay tuned for more news about this very important election.
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NOTABLE STUFF FROM 'TODAY IN HISTORY':
On July 9, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to Gen. George Washington's troops in New York.
On July 9, 1877, the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club begins its first lawn tennis tournament at Wimbledon
On July 9, 1896, William Jennings Bryan caused a sensation at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with his "cross of gold" speech denouncing supporters of the gold standard. Bryan went on to win the party's nomination.
1995 The Grateful Dead played their last concert, at Soldier Field in Chicago. Lead guitarist Jerry Garcia died the following month.
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ON TO TOP COMMENTS!
From indycam:
Not quite the distinction... by Guinho.
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From shpilk:
Not everything is peaches and cream... I think this comment encapsulates the honest frustrations many of us have: The laws already exist. by nottoosureanymore.
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From briefer:
(On hiding 'hush money' payouts) Just fill out by seesmithrun.
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Suggested by Julie Gulden:
Following this Sarah Palin stuff by TwoSocks.
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A few I found:
On health care in France, Ah, a topic on which I actually can comment... by MrMichaelMT and this by DallasDoc: If Americans had a system like this.
Interesting question: Is it me or are people by NorthLandLiberal.
Funny Follow-up to 'This Day in History': And on July 10, 1776 by PBen.
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TOP MOJO - thanks again to BeninSC!
Top Mojo, excluding the tip jars and usual high mojo comments:
- It Ain't Over in Iran by JekyllnHyde - 154
- She enables Dick Cheney by FishOutofWater - 153
- I fear Americans have learned nothing from WWII by FishOutofWater - 147
- but this diary attacks a straw man by FishOutofWater - 123
- I was checking out FoxNatin's comments by God loves goats - 114
- Sadly, this is something I and other by majii - 113
- Recommended by Yoshimi - 103
- Great story! (n/t) by Inventor - 97
- I have a feeling the bigots who by Something the Dog Said - 95
- Your experience is my experience. by mofembot - 88
- GHETTO TRASH by TheHalfrican - 87
- i think they should call it by Turkana - 83
- i hope these jackasses by Cedwyn - 83
- She is a spoiled by bebacker - 82
- I know. I was so embarrassed but also impressed by MsSpentyouth - 82
- When do we get our money back? by MinistryOfTruth - 79
- unfuckingbelievable by lizard people - 76
- Ah, a topic on which I actually can comment... by MrMichaelMT - 76
- Wow...no offense, but go Al! by OutOfManyOne - 70
- I Mean It by Dana Houle - 69
- i'm reporting tonight in OND from reuters by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse - 69
- It's not the term of the thinking ... by Yellow Canary - 66
- This Dog Won't Hunt by JekyllnHyde - 65
- Happy Thorsday by Debbie in ME - 63
- Seems as though NPR continues to evolve by Dallasdoc - 63
- I hope like hell I didn't let anyone down by nyceve - 61
- You could not prove the diarist's point by tomjones - 60
- "...right off the bat." by david78209 - 60
- I never agonized over the certainty of the right by FishOutofWater - 58
- In addition, people need a bit by TomP - 57
Top Mojo, everything included (of 24404 comments in the past 24 hours)
- Tip Jar by MsSpentyouth - 739
- Tip Jar by RaulVB - 579
- Tip Jar by AZDem - 386
- w00t for my Klein Branch JCC by Adam B - 360
- 1 by Al Rodgers - 342
- Tip Jar by AdamGreen - 333
- Tips for Blue Dog Removal. by waiting for lefty - 318
- Tip Jar by TheHalfrican - 307
- Tip Jar by Lupin - 272
- Tip jar by newyorknewyork - 262
- Tip Jar by bobswern - 249
- Tip Jar by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse - 226
- Tip Jar by Dana Houle - 186
- Tip Jar by Plubius - 181
- Tip Jar by LarisaW - 172
- Tip jar by litho - 170
- It Ain't Over in Iran by JekyllnHyde - 154
- Tip Jar by slinkerwink - 153
- She enables Dick Cheney by FishOutofWater - 153
- I fear Americans have learned nothing from WWII by FishOutofWater - 147
- Tip Jar by Gavin Newsom - 130
- Tip Jar by nyceve - 126
- but this diary attacks a straw man by FishOutofWater - 123
- I was checking out FoxNatin's comments by God loves goats - 114
- Sadly, this is something I and other by majii - 113
- Recommended by Yoshimi - 103
- Great story! (n/t) by Inventor - 97
- I have a feeling the bigots who by Something the Dog Said - 95
- Your experience is my experience. by mofembot - 88
- GHETTO TRASH by TheHalfrican - 87
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Don't forget to visit tonight's IGTNT: He wouldnt want us to be sad.
Always the mountains,
va dare