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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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Good morning kogs and kossacks in Dailykosland!
Merry Monday and welcome to the working week!
Yes, it's VERY uncool to admit to watching reality TV. But here I am, openly admitting to it.
I've been through phases with reality TV, going from despising it to watching way too much of it, and now finding what I think it a happy medium of enjoying this guilty pleasure in moderation.
The first season of Survivor was fresh and new. But it quickly turned into too much "reality", showcasing the worst aspects of human nature. I was disheartened to see people drawing parallels from Survivor and Big Brother and The Mole and similar shows in their real lives, believing that lies, backbiting and dishonest alliances were "the way to play the game" or "the way to win" even in day to day life where no cameras were running.
I saw the final two episodes of American Idol season 3, avidly watched all of seasons 4 (predicted Carrie Underwood as the winner from her audition) and 5 (I voted for Taylor Hicks 100 times), but started losing interest in season 6. Too many voices indistinguishable from one another, too many singers who had obviously all worked with the same cliché-bound performance coaches, too many trills and frills and exaggerated "showmanship" and not enough actual singing. I've never seen any of the other singing shows like The Voice or X Factor or Sing-Off or America's Got Talent.
Apparently I've drawn a line in my mind between "acceptable" reality TV and "trashy" reality TV, which basically is the line between shows I watch and shows I don't watch! I despise the wife swapping shows, kids being browbeaten by the stage mom/dance instructor/pageant director, people being shamed into physical fitness, Real Housewives of Wherever the Frak, and celebrity shows where they follow around people I've never heard of (Kimora Simmons?) and don't care about (pick a Kardashian, any Kardashian). Worst of all is Honey Boo Boo and the whole genre of "let's laugh at these ignorant people". It breaks my heart that families will let themselves be gawked at and laughed at like zoo animals because a dolla makes them holla.
But I confess I have a lot of shows I do enjoy.
My favorite reality show is Project Runway. Although I don't wear fashion, I do like to look at fashion, and feel I have an eye for it (when other people are wearing it). I wanted to be a fashion designer when I was little—in elementary school I carried around spiral notebooks of dress and evening gown designs. When I was punished for talking in class (that happened a LOT) I would just sit at my desk in the corner designing clothes. I learned how to sew but never very well, and I never learned how to make my own patterns, so I am in awe of people who can go from idea to design to finished product in one 24 hour day. I have seen every single episode of Project Runway. (Damn, it hurt to watch Korto lose a second time...)
I have also seen every episode of Top Shot, which is weird because I don't think of myself as a gun person, certainly don't fit any of the stereotypes of a gun person, and some of the testosterone display is kind of laughable. But I enjoy learning about the different weapons and watching them be fired. It is a lot better show since it became purely talent based with no alliances and no ganging up to vote people off the show. Bottom line: it helps to know it is target practice—only shotglasses, gumballs, Q tips, clay disks, golf tees, beer bottles, corncob pipes, bowling pins, metal plates, cans of soda, bales of hay, ceramic plates, panes of glass, and exploding circle targets are being fired at. Not people.
Recently I discovered Best Ink, a tattoo competition, which I find fascinating for reasons I can't even explain. I enjoy seeing the different styles and designs. When I first started watching it, I had no idea why one person would win and another lose, but I am getting to the point now where I agree with the judges a lot of the time about which tattoos are good and which are not.
In a similar vein, there was a special effects makeup competition called Face Off that I watched a lot last year. In the linked episode, teams had three days to design, mold and paint prosthetic appliances, inspired by a picture of a castle, for a "beauty and the beast" challenge. I am also looking forward to the premiere of Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge next month.
I also really like what I call my "engineering shows": How It's Made, How Do they Do It, Build it Bigger, Big Brain Theory, Modern Marvels, and other shows that focus on how things are produced and constructed. I can watch those for hours. Does C-Span count as a reality show? I can amuse myself for many, many hours with that!
Some shows aren't on any more and I miss them. I really miss my robot destruction shows. What ever happened to Robot Wars and Robot Combat League? And when mom was alive I never missed an episode of Iron Chef (the Japanese subtitled and overdubbed one).
I don't watch them all, I don't watch them every week—I don't have time! It's amazing that in 25 years I have gone from being someone who did not even own a TV to someone who wastes many hours a week on a whole bunch of mindless television. Except maybe that is the lure of it. My profession is stressful and watching Cake Boss lets me turn off my critical thinking skills for a while. The very mindlessness of it is what makes it relaxing. I can't operate in left brain intellect mode ALL the time!
So there is my confession. I'm not proud, just honest. Will anyone else here admit to the same guilty pleasure?
Do you watch reality TV?
Start up soundtrack
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
• Caprock Kossacks (Panhandle/Caprock/Lubbock/Amarillo area) : Kosmail shesaid
• West Texas Kossacks (including Big Bend Region and El Paso) : Kosmail Yo Bubba
• Vermont Kossacks: Kosmail 4Freedom
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
• Mexican Kossacks - Formed: Apr 14, 2013, Organizer: roberb7
• New York Hudson Valley Kossacks - Formed: Oct 27, 2012, Organizer: boran2
• North Carolina Triangle Kosmopolitans - Formed: Aug 2, 2013, Organizer: highacidity
• Silicon Valley Kossacks - Formed: Oct 31, 2013, Organizer: Glen The Plumber
• Seattle and Puget Sound Kossacks - Formed: Dec 17, 2013, Organizer: EagleOfFreedom
• Las Vegas NV Kossacks - Formed: Oct 22, 2013, Organizer: miracle11
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
• San Diego Kossacks Founded by La Gitane, Formed: Nov 18, 2011
• Massachusetts Kosmopolitans Founded by mem from somerville, Formed: Feb 13, 2011
SFKossacks Welcome Matching Mole and bwren
with a Birding Event Plus Dinner
by navajo ♥ for SFKossacks
Last Sunday, matching mole, who flew in from the East Coast, and bwren, who flew in from Seattle, were picked up and chaffeured by the founder of Dawn Chorus, lineatus. She drove them to meet with other SFKossacks and Central Valley Kossacks to do some bird watching in the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area on San Francisco Bay. I'll leave the telling of that story up to lineatus in her Sunday morning series.
I'll be covering the dinner we had that evening to welcome our out-of-towners.
Please visit navajo's diary for descriptions of above photos and access to MORE photos! Enjoy! You can join SFKossacks by sending a Kosmail to navajo.
by randallt ♥ for DKos Asheville
Wow, the standard setters for Daily Kos group organizing just one-upped the bar again! Not only do they meet for socializing, they get themselves on radio shows to advertise the event, they invite local candidates and progressive causes to speak to our Kossacks and then fully cater an event to reward all attendees. Wow. Just wow.
More than 30 Kossacks got together amping up and organizing the Asheville atmosphere for getting out the vote. Here's one photo:
L-R: DKos Asheville Kossacks
Please visit randallt's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can join DKos Asheville by sending a Kosmail to randallt.
by Dave in Northridge ♥ for Los Angeles Kossacks
LAKossacks at it again, please see diary for food pr0n details.
L-R: DuckTape, Dave in Northridge, joemarkowitz, Shockwave and SanFernandoValleyMom
L-R: susans, Kathy, otoelbc, Jerico, Joe Bacon, mr. gmats and gmats
Please visit Dave in Northridge's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can join Los Angeles Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to Dave in Northridge.
by ericlewis0 ♥ for New York City
Wow. Boom! ericlewis0 blew us all away on Sunday. He provided a LIVE BLOG of the NYC event complete with photos and bonafide commentary from the attendees. Amazing!
Photo 1 L-R: In the orange, thankgodforairamerica, ghchaucer2, sidnora, joanbrooker, dave g & kathny Photo 2 L-R: Plf515, Laura Clawson, mets102, son of broccoli, Communitygis, no exit, designthefuture & mattc129
Please visit ericlewis0's diary for the live blog commentary from the attendees! Enjoy! You can join NYC Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to sidnora.
sidnora promises her faithful follow-up diary and she could likely have food pr0n. I hope so. I live for explicit photos of the fries at Spitzer's Corner.
:: Events Currently on the Books for Kossacks ::
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Sunday, February 2nd
Motor City Kossacks NN14 Panel Submission Prep Meeting II
TIME: 1:00–3:00 PM
LOCATION: Available on request
Available on request • East Lansing
ORGANIZER: Send peregrine kate a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. peregrine kate
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Netroots Nations 14 is Coming to Detroit: Two NN14 Panel Prep Meetings Scheduled for This Weekend!
Saturday, February 8th
Baja Arizona Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Cushing Street Bar and Restaurant
198 W. Cushing Street • Tucson, Barrio Historico
ORGANIZER: Send Azazello a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Azazello
2. ItsaMathJoke
3. rasbobbo
4. DaNang65
5. sneakers563
6. itzadryheat
7. LunarEclipse
8.
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Maybees:
ramara
pwoodford
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Latest diary: BAK Open Thread: Barrio Historico
Saturday, February 15th
Boston Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: Midday, TBD
LOCATION: The Barking Crab at Fort Point Landing
88 Sleeper Street • Boston
ORGANIZER: Send GreyHawk a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. GreyHawk
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Afterward, a walking trip to the Design Museum Boston to see the free exhibit Green Patriot Posters.
Latest diary: Boston (and New England) Kossacks - Feb Meetup? And latest comment with updates.
February 15-17th
Mexican Kossacks & Democrats Abroad Annual Meeting in Puerto Vallarta
SCHEDULE
Saturday, Feb. 15, 6:00 PM-7:30 PM: Welcome Reception with Tom Hayden at private home.
Sunday, Feb. 16, 1:00 PM-4:30 PM: Annual Meeting at International Friendship Club - (to include business meeting, address by Tom Hayden, and presentations on Fundraising, Web-Ex training (replaces Calliflower), Get Out the Vote (GOTV), and Communications including Social Media
Monday, Feb. 17, 4:00 PM-6:00 PM: Presentation by Tom Hayden supporting the importance of voting in the 2014 election. Hosted at chapel across from Hacienda San Angel.
TICKET INFORMATION
Advanced Full Registration: $35 USD (450 pesos) Includes all events if you register before Feb 1st.
Tom Hayden Presentation (Monday only): $12 USD (150 pesos)
To Buy: Email GOTVfromAbroad AT yahoo DOT com with the quantity of tickets needed for either “Full Registration” or “Tom Hayden (Monday only)”. You will receive a PayPal bill and a written notification once your payment has been processed.
ORGANIZER: Send roberb7 kosmail to connect at the event.
KOSSACK RSVPs:
1. roberb7
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Saturday, April 5th
Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: Noon - 3:00 PM
LOCATION: Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurant
1201 First Avenue South • Seattle
ORGANIZER: Send EagleOfFreedom a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. EagleOfFreedom
2. Reetz
3.
4.
5.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks Arrive
Saturday, May 3rd
DKos Asheville Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: TBD
LOCATION: TBD
[Address] • [City]
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. randallt
2. davehouck
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
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?