Every day is a new day and with that, a new opportunity.
EVERYONE is welcome and please join us each morning at 7:30 AM PACIFIC
to tell us what you're working on, share your show & tell, vent, whatever you want...
...this is an open thread. Nothing is off topic.
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Note: I know many of you are depressed and upset over the verdict announced last night. I am too. The comments are a good place to air out some of our feelings and discuss them. I prepared today's diary before I knew the verdict and I understand if you are not interested in philosophical musings this morning.
Good morning, Newdies! Today, I'd like to share an idea that I got many years ago from one of my favorite books, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. In it, the author, Robert Pirsig, explores the nature of education, among other things. One phrase he uses in the book is "The Church of Reason." I have always thought of it as a great way to describe a public school or university.
Join me below the double gnocchi to look at a short passage from the book.
The Church of Reason
Pirsig begins his discussion of The Church of Reason with a story about an old church building that had an electric beer sign hanging over the door. When some people objected, a priest explained that the former Catholic Church had been sold and was now a bar. The building had been desanctified before being sold. But what bothered the priest was that the people thought "the church" was a building. It was materialism posing as piety.
In the book, Phaedrus, the alter ego of Pirsig's speaker, finds a similar confusion regarding public schools and universities. The state university where Phaedrus teaches is being censored by right-wing legislators and may lose its accreditation as a result of that censorship. The students do not understand what losing accreditation means. He compares it to the old church building being "desanctified." The university would no longer be "holy ground" if it lost its accreditation. Next, Phaedrus describes the real University:
The real University, he said, has no specific location. It owns no property, pays no salaries and receives no material dues. The real University is a state of mind. It is that great heritage of rational thought that has been brought down to us through the centuries and which does not exist at any specific location. It's a state of mind which is regenerated throughout the centuries by a body of people who traditionally carry the title of professor, but even that title is not part of the real University. The real University is nothing less than the continuing body of reason itself.
In addition to this state of mind, "reason," there's a legal entity which is unfortunately called by the same name but which is quite another thing.
(snip)
But this second university, the legal corporation, cannot teach, does not generate new knowledge or evaluate ideas. It is not the real University at all. It is just a church building....
Confusion continually occurs in people who...see professors as employees of the second university who should abandon reason when told to and take orders with no backtalk, the same way employees do in other corporations.
Phaedrus then continues the church analogy. The citizens who build the church probably think they are doing it for the community. But the minister knows that the church is there to serve God first and the community second. If there is a conflict, the minister has to side with God.
Similarly, in the Church of Reason, the professor (or any other "believer") owes allegiance to
Socrates' old goal of truth, in its ever-changing forms, as it's revealed by the process of rationality.
Well, we all know what happened to Socrates. Nevertheless, teachers and professors must act as though they are not threatened.
Their primary goal is to serve, through reason, the goal of truth.
It's hard to be a teacher or professor in some states these days because right-wing legislatures want to replace the truth with their beliefs. They dismantle teacher unions and destroy tenure and require creationism in the science curriculum so they can accomplish this goal by threatening teachers and professors with termination or even prosecution if they deviate from the Tea Party line.
Teachers, professors, students, and administrators, as well as the general public, should all be allied in the goal to maintain public education as The Church of Reason. Anything less and those institutions become nothing more than political and/or religious indoctrination facilities. They might still have "school" or "college" or "university" in their names, but they will really be just old church buildings with electric beer signs hanging over the door.
Latest Updates on Kossack Regional Meet-Up News Below the New Day sunrise cloud
:: COMMUNITY BUILDING UPDATES ::
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Let's build communities!
Every region needs a meatspace community like SFKossacks.
We take care of each other in real life.
I urge YOU to take the lead and organize one in your region.
Please tell us about it if you do and we're here for advice.
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THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
>>>Instructions on HOW TO FORM A NEW DAILY KOS GROUP
NEW GROUPS IN THE PROCESS OF ORGANIZING:
Send a Kosmail to the organizers and ask for an invitation to the group.
• Northern Indiana Area: Kosmail Tim Delaney
• Long Island: Kosmail grannycarol
• Northern Michigan: Kosmail JillS
• Nebraska: Kosmail Nebraska68847Dem
• Westburbia Chicago Kossacks: Kosmail Majordomo
• New York Hudson Valley Kossacks: Kosmail boran2
• North Carolina Triangle Kossacks: Kosmail highacidity
• Caprock Kossacks (Panhandle/Caprock/Lubbock/Amarillo area) : Kosmail shesaid
• West Texas Kossacks (including Big Bend Region and El Paso) : Kosmail Yo Bubba
Note to the above new leaders: Feel free to leave a comment any day reminding readers about your new group. Also, tell us about your progress in gathering members. Kosmail me when you've chosen a good name for your group and have created a the group. Then I'll move you to the NEW GROUPS LIST. When you've planned a date for your first event I'll make a banner for you to highlight your event in our diaries and your diaries.
These are the groups that have started since * NEW DAY * began. Please Kosmail navajo if you have started a group before that.
NEW GROUPS LIST:
• California Central Valley Kossacks - Formed: Jul 29, 2012, Organizer: tgypsy
• New England Kossacks - Formed: Aug 6, 2012, Organizers:
Clytemnestra for Lower New England (Conneticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island)
nhox42 for Upper New England (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont)
• Houston Area Kossacks - Formed: Aug 7, 2012, Organizer: Chrislove
• Kossacks in India - Formed: Aug 14, 2012, Organizer: chandu
• CenTex Kossacks - Formed: Sep 9, 2012, Organizer: papa monzano
• Central Ohio Kossacks - Formed: Sep 26, 2012, Organizer: VetGrl
• Kansas City Kossacks - Formed Oct 15, 2012, Organizer: [Founder stepped down]
• Phoenix Kossacks - Formed Oct 16, 2012, Organizer: arizonablue
• Chicago Kossacks - Formed: Oct 31, 2012, Organizer: figbash
• Koscadia the Pacific Northwest coast from Northern California to Alaska
- Formed Oct 17, 2012, Oganizer: Horace Boothroyd III based in Portland, OR
• Boston Kossacks - Formed: Nov 7, 2012, Organizer: GreyHawk
• Motor City Kossacks South East Michigan (Detroit) Area - Formed: Nov 10, 2012, Organizer: peregrine kate
• Pittsburgh Area Kossacks - Formed: Nov 12, 2012, Organizer: dweb8231
• Salt Lake City Kossacks - Formed: Nov 17, 2012, Organizer: War on Error
• Twin Cities Kossacks - Formed: Nov 17, 2012, Organizer: imonlylurking
• Dallas Kossacks North Texas - Formed: Nov 21, 2012, Admins: Catte Nappe and dalfireplug. Please contact them to join the group. An Event Organizer needed.
• The Southern California Inland Empire Kossacks - Formed: Dec 3, 2012, Organizer: SoCaliana
• Los Angeles Kossacks - Formed: Dec 17, 2012, Organizer: Dave in Northridge
• Northeast Ohio Kossacks - Formed: Jan 16, 2013, Organizer: GenXangster
• Kansas & Missouri Kossacks - Formed: Jan 17, 2013, Organizer: tmservo433
• I-77 Carolina Kossacks who live from Columbia, SC to north of Winston-Salem, NC. - Formed: Jan 30, 2013, Organizers: gulfgal98 and eeff
• Indianapolis Kossacks - Formed: Feb 6, 2013, Organizer: CityLightsLover
• Southwest Ohio Kossacks - Formed: May 10, 2013, Organizer: Dr Erich Bloodaxe RN
• Northern Arizona Kossacks - Formed: Jul 5, 2013, Organizer: Sam Sara
ESTABLISHED GROUPS LIST: (List will grow as we discover them)
• SFKossacks Founded by navajo, Formed: May 2, 2005
• Maryland Kos Founded by timmyc, Formed: Feb 23, 2011. Contact: JamieG from Md for a group invite.
• New York City Founded by Eddie C - Contact the group organizer for meet-up events: sidnora
• Baja Arizona Kossacks, Event Organizer: Azazello
• Three Star Kossacks Tennessee, Founded by maryKK, Formed: Apr 8, 2011
• Nashville KosKats, Founded by ZenTrainer Formed: Jan 30, 2012
• Virginia Kos Founded by JamieG from Md, Formed: May 3, 2011
• Kos Georgia Founded by pat208, Formed: Feb 13, 2011
• Colorado COmmunity Founded by Leftcandid, Formed: Feb 13, 2011
• New Mexico Kossaks Founded by claude
• Philly Kos Founded by mconvente Formed: Aug 29, 2011
• DKos Florida Founded by ThirstyGator, Formed: Feb 14, 2011, Currently organizing: Kosmail Vetwife to be included in next event.
• Oklahoma Roundup Founded by BigOkie, Formed: Feb 13, 2011, Currently organizing: Kosmail peacearena to be included.
• DKos Asheville Founded by davehouck, Formed: Feb 13, 2011 - Organizing Assist by: randallt
Chicago Kossacks Go to a Ballgame!
L-R, Front row: Mr. luvs, luvsathoroughbred, NormAl1792, a couple of lurker friends of NormAl1792, and Never Forget.
L-R, Second row: figbash, JamesE's girlfriend, JamesE (edwardssl's son), edwardssl, & edwardssl's daughter.
-Photo Courtesy of figbash
:: Events Currently on the Books for ALL Kossacks ::
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Thursday, July 18th
Phoenix Kossacks Meet-up for navajo
TIME: 6:15 PM Reservation name is Daily Kos
LOCATION: Rancho de Tia Rosa
3129 E. McKellips • Mesa
ORGANIZER: Send arizonablue a kosmail to attend.
navajo's in town one day, even though it's a Thursday we hope you can make it.
RSVPs:
1. arizonablue
2. Mr. arizonablue
3. navajo
4. Azazello
5. Mrs. Azazello
6. ninothemindboggler
7. Mrs. ninothemindboggler
8. thomask
9. mrs. thomask
10. BluejayRN
11. Late Again
12. Mother Mags
13. Kane in CA
14. puzzled
15. mexchewy
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Maybees:
cosmic debris
PSzymeczek
Mr PSzymeczek
Mr. Late Again
dewey in the desert
nellgwen
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Latest diary: ATTN PHOENIX KOSSACKS! One week from today we welcome navajo to The Valley of the Sun!
Saturday, July 20th
Los Angeles Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 1:30 PM
LOCATION: Rush Street
9546 Washington/Culver Boulevard • Culver City
ORGANIZER: Send Dave in Northridge a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Dave in Northridge
2. Shockwave
3. jakedog42
4. joemarkowitz
5. susans
6. otoelbc
7. 714day
8.
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Maybees:
pico
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Latest diary: LA Kossacks, July 20 Meetup: Culver City, Here We Come
Saturday, July 20th
Houston Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Pasha Restaurant
2325 University Boulevard • Houston
ORGANIZER: Send Chrislove a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Chrislove
2. doraphasia
3. mister mustardhead
4. suesue
5. Mr. suesue
6. Bree Davis
7. jmbar2
8. MarciaJ720
9. Libby Shaw
10. Mary
11. Alan
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Maybees:
Mr. Libby Shaw
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Latest diary: Houston Area Kossacks: Meet-Up Scheduled for Saturday, July 20!
Saturday, July 20th
Motor City Kossacks Consider Meeting-up in Hell to welcome tgypsy
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: TBD
15 miles northwest of Ann Arbor • Hell
ORGANIZER: Send peregrine kate a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. peregrine kate
2. tgypsy
3. mideedah
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Maybees:
dkmich
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Latest diary: Motor City Kossacks: Meet-up Sat. 7/20, 12-3 PM. Could it be in Hell?
Saturday, July 20th
Southern California Inland Empire
Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 11:00 AM (Tour museum then lunch there)
LOCATION: Palm Springs Air Museum
745 North Gene Autry Trail • Palm Springs
ORGANIZER: Send SoCaliana a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. SoCaliana
2.
3.
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Maybees:
Susan from 29
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Latest diary: SCIEK: Summer Meetup Location
Saturday, July 20th
SFKossacks Welcome angelajean & Family to Elkhorn Slough, there will be otters!
TIME: 10 a.m.
LOCATION: Elkhorn Slough Visitor Center
[map] • Moss Landing
ORGANIZER: Send lineatus a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. lineatus
2. angelajean
3. Glen The Plumber
4. remembrance
5. TLO™
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Maybees:
Laughing Planet
D Bunn
D Bunn's friend
KenBee
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Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Saturday, July 20th
Dkos Asheville, North Carolina Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: The Bywater
796 Riverside Dr. • Asheville
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Randallt
2. Gordon20024
3. davehouck
4. Joieau
5. SteelerGrrl
6. SteelerGuy
7. Captain Sham
8. Smiley7
9. DawnN
10. Phil S 33
11. LamontCranston
12. Christian Dem in NC
13.
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Maybees:
eeff
Audri
gulfgal98
PearlJamSteelworker
Amy
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Latest diary: DKos Asheville Open Thread 5/18/13: Frogs and tomatoes and snakes, oh my!
Sunday, July, 21st
Northern Arizona Kossacks Meet-up with navajo
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: El Rincon Restaurante Mexicano
Tlaquepaque Village
336 State Route 179 • Sedona
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2. Sam Sara
3. savano66
4. MissLove (navajo's daughter)
5. sed (navajo's SIL)
6. Nick (navajo's grandguy)
7. Sequoia (navajo's grandguy)
8. mangolind (navajo's daughter)
9. Shaun (mangolind's BF)
10.
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Maybees: |
Sunday, August 4th
NYC Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: Spitzer's Corner
101 Rivington Street (Ludlow) • NYC
ORGANIZER: Send Sidnora a kosmail to RSVP.
RSVPs:
1. joanbrooker
2. mconvente
3. belinda ridgewood
4. Yasuragi
5. sidnora
6. Its the Supreme Court Stupid
7. blue jersey mom
8. kathny
9. ask
10. rubyr
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11. plf515
12. thankgodforairamerica
13. No Exit
14. gchaucer2
Maybees:
Ollie Garkey
Ian Reifowitz
andgarden
wader
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Latest diary: New York City Meetup - August - Choose your date
Saturday, November 2nd
SFKossacks BBQ in the Wine Country
TIME: TBD
LOCATION: Andrew McGuire's home in the Wine Country
Address to be given privately to RSVPs • Windsor
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend.
Andrew McGuire is Executive Director of California One Care
RSVPs:
1. Andrew McGuire
2. navajo
3. Shockwave
4. Hunter
5. elfing
6. Hunter/elfling offspring
7. smileycreek
8. paradise50
9. dharmasyd
10. maggiejean
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11. norm
12. Lusty
13. dksbook
14. Mr. dksbook
15. kimoconnor
16. jpmassar
17. side pocket
18. Mrs. side pocket
Maybees:
Glen The Plumber
remembrance
TLO™
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Send navajo a kosmail if you post a diary about an event so we can update our round-up.
Okay. Floor's open.
Tell us what you are doing on this NEW DAY?