A daily series, Connect! Unite! Act! seeks to create face-to-face networks in each congressional district. Groups regularly socialize but also get out the vote, support candidates and engage in other local political actions that help our progressive movement grow and exert influence on the powers-that-be. Visit us every morning at 7:30 A.M. Pacific Time to see how you can get involved. The comment thread is fun and light-hearted, but we're serious about moving the progressive political agenda forward.
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The orange pinpoints are the location of each organized group of Daily Kos readers.
If you'd like to join a group, click on a point and a box will pop up showing contact links.
If you'd like to start a group, contact navajo for instructions.
View Interactive Map of Daily Kos Regional Communities in a full screen version.
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Ever Have Fun Using Google Maps to Look Up Previous Places You've Lived?
Last weekend I was goofing around on google maps, using street view to check out someone's house for sale, when it occurred to me to look up the house I lived in until I was 6 way down in San Berdoo.
That first home I remembered from the early 60's was an old run-down white two-story wooden house that our large family rode hard and thoroughly trashed. It held up to 7 kids at any given time along with a mother not exactly known for her housekeeping and a father utterly unaware of home repair or maintenace. The one "utility drawer" held a single claw hammer, a screwdriver, and a tangled assortment of rubber-bands and nails. I remember rotting wood floors and windowsills, a leaking roof, unpleasant smells, peeling linoleum, swarms of tiny livestock, rusty water from the pipes and packed dirt instead of a lawn. We undoubtedly accelerated its rate of decline.
Given the severe economic downturn in San Bernardino over the past two decades I fully expected to find that the old dump had been razed and replaced with an apartment complex.
Once I located the address on google I discovered that street views also shows previous views of the same property, so I'll show them to you in order.
The old family home, November 2007
Astonishly, the old heap hadn't been condemned after we decamped. I'm reasonably certain there was rot throughout it. The old back yard had held an ancient tree, a rusty incinerator, and a massive desert tortoise that periodically wandered in through a hole in the fence. This house with its white paint and dead lawn is the closest to my memories, but it's clearly had some major renovations and upgrades, including transforming the upstairs open "sun deck" with it's roof-shingled floor where we slept outside on hot summer nights into a covered room. I sent the link to my sister asking if I was exaggerating the old house's state of advanced disrepair but she confirmed my impression, adding that a week after we moved a fumigation tent was thrown over the entire place.
My search led to an entire afternoon looking up the history of the house through county records. Built in 1914, its only renovation before we moved in was in 1930. The modern upgrades have been extensive, including air conditioning, hardwood floors, and now the back yard is entirely taken up by a swimming pool and spa.
Google's slightly skewed street view, April 2012
I like this exterior best, but then I'm partial to the blue it was painted in 2008. Curious about the guy outside, painting an already recently painted house, I started looking through real estate web sites and realized the house had been foreclosed on after the 2008 crash, dropping from a value well over $400,00 down to $158,000, and here in 2012 it was being painted and renovated for another sale, this time to an LLC.
October 2012, looking all grown-up and stodgy now.
This incarnation sold in October 2012 for $248,000 after being re-painted a more drab olive beige. It was just sold again just this past October for $299,900. Because of this recent listing I was able to take a look at the remodeled inside which was entirely unrecognizable, as was the Realtor's hyperbolic description:
Charming turn of the century craftsman style home!
You MUST SEE to appreciate one of the nicest homes in San Bernardino.
Um, no, all the "nicest homes in San Bernardino" are by the golf course. This also led me to a explore the term "Craftsman Homes" which this emphatically is not, though it shares one or two mild exterior features of one.
This is not the house of squalor I grew up in.
I can't even begin to imagine the money that's been poured into repair and restoration, along with all the hopes and dreams and three foreclosures along the way. Happy 100th birthday, old house.
What do you remember about the earliest home you grew up in? Have you ever been back to see it, or googled to see what it looks like now? Has it improved or gone downhill?
Latest Updates on Regional Meet-Up News Can Be Found Below the Orange Group Hug.
Let's Build Communities!
Our team is here to provide support and guidance to new and existing volunteer leaders of each regional and state group, helping them with recruiting, organizing and executing social and action events.
We invite you to join in this effort to build our community. There are many ways to pitch in.
If there isn't a group to join near you, please start one.
Instructions on HOW TO FORM A NEW DAILY KOS GROUP
List of All Existing Meatspace Groups
Where the Kogs Are: Index/Directory of the 130+ Localized Daily Kos Groups
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
by cooper888 ♥ for Sacramento Kossacks
We heard from navajo and Meteor Blades about the initiative by Daily Kos to have active Kossack groups in each of the state capitals. DK is looking for engaged Kossack's ready to roll up their sleeves and participate in many different types of activism/advocacy. For example, delivering petitions to the state capitol, participating in various protests, marches, rally's at the capitol, etc. As Meteor Blades pointed out this won't happen over night and is a long term strategy but I think if we all take the lead in our respective states we can make this dream happen sooner than DK leadership expects.
L-R: Front row: Sychotic1, tgypsy, tb92, trevizolga, Mrs. side pocket. Second row: Arundsdel (sp?), Laurel in CA, Kestrel, Meteor Blades. Third row: Kestrel's two friends, smileycreek, paradise50, Dave. Back row: Clif, Mr. Arundsdel, Neil, cooper888, side pocket, Left foot forward, got mooned & Nate
Please visit cooper888's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Sacramento Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to cooper888.
by John Crapper ♥ for Seattle and Puget Sound Kossacks
On Saturday 10/4/14, the Seattle and Puget Sound Kossacks had the chance to have lunch with Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant.
...In 2012, Kshama ran as a Socialist Alternative candidate for WA State Legislature and surprised everyone by winning 29% of the vote. The momentum continued in her campaign for Seattle City Council where she boldly ran on a platform of fighting for a $15/hr minimum wage, rent control and taxing the super-rich to fund mass transit and education. In November she defeated a 16-year incumbent Democrat to become the first socialist elected in a major US city in decades.
Kshama Sawant now chairs Seattle City Council's Energy Committee which covers Seattle City Light, alternative energy sources, energy policies and air pollution regulations.
bleeding blue videotaped the address and the Q&A session that followed:
Please visit John Crapper's diary for more details and photos of the event. You can still REC it. You can join Seattle and Puget Sound Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to John Crapper.
by randallt ♥ for DKos Asheville
The Dkos Ashevillites got together again to take a break from registering people to vote. A special thanks to Gordon20024, who drove in from Roanke, for providing all the food!
All the attendees went around the table and talked about what they're involved in at Daily Kos. Details about this on each attendee can be read at randallt's diary. Out-of-state special guests were Land of Enchantment and jnhobbs from Nashville! Love that kind of support!
Dkos Asheville is setting a great example of how to Connect, Unite and Act! Kudos to the whole group that is making this team strong!
Please visit randallt's diary for photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join DKos Asheville by sending a Kosmail to randallt.
by susans ♥ for Los Angeles Kossacks
At the monthly meeting of the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, SEIU, airport workers and Daily Kos (represented by susans and Joshua Bloxom) presented them with a 48,000 signature petition demanding safer working conditions. Also present were representatives of CLUE, Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice, who submitted a letter of support to the board.
[...]
The SEIU organizers led a short rally outside of the building at One World Way after the meeting. SEIU represents people who do a lot of different jobs at LAX: they work in the terminals as wheelchair pushers, door openers, janitors, various other positions and on the ramp (outside). Some of them spoke at the rally, again in English and Spanish. They asked me to speak, something I was totally unprepared for. I briefly told them about DK and that I would be writing about the event and posting it online.
A special thank you to Josh, who took multiple trains up from Orange County to support airport workers and represent Daily Kos. It was great talking to you and I look forward to another opportunity to spend some time together.
Please visit
susans's diary for more details. You can still REC it. You can join
Los Angeles Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to
susans.
by Sara R ♥ for Koscadia
Koscadians got together one more time to Stamp Money Out of Politics
L-R: also mom of 5, loggersbrat, Quill, pdxteacher, J Orygun, KitRMP, HRM & Arenosa
Please visit Sara R's diary for more photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Koscadia by sending a Kosmail to Sara R.
by mimi ♥ for New York City
Here's a great photo recap of all the Kossacks marching in NYC at the People's Climate March on September 21, 2014.
L-R: Raines and Tool holding the banner
L-R: ?, mole jr., Mrs. Mole333, boatsie, The Poet Deploreate, WarrenS, ? mole333 and kathny
Please visit mimi's diary for many MORE photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join New York City by sending a Kosmail to kathny.
Event Organizers! Please contact wink from Netrootsradio.com by KosMail to schedule airtime with them to live broadcast the date of your Event. Wink & Justice will then promote it on The After Show radio program!
Saturday, November 8th
Four Corners Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 3:00 PM
LOCATION: Carver's Brewing Company
1022 Main Ave • Durango
ORGANIZER: Send Thinking Fella a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Thinking Fella
2. nzanne
3. Gary Norton
4. W. White
5. Laura G.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Spiking the Ball or Crying in our Beer: Time will Tell. Announcing a Four Corners Kossacks Meet-up!
Saturday, November 8th
Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks - Meet Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon
Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, 34th Legislative District, Deputy Majority Whip and Chair of the Washington State House of Representatives Environment Committee will be our next guest speaker sharing his thoughts and plans for Washington State and the Seattle Puget Sound Area.
Cost with Set Menu: $25.00 per person (includes non-alcoholic beverage, gratuity, tax and your choice of food from a limited-choice menu)
TIME: 12:30 PM - No seating after 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurant
1201 First Avenue South • Seattle
ORGANIZER: Send John Crapper a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. John Crapper
2. John Crapper's SO
3. Cinnamon68
4. bleeding blue
5. momomia
6. Larissa W.
7. Ted
8. Heather
9. Marcee
10. Robin - Sierra Club
11. Mary - Seattle Environmental Activists
12. Weldon
13. Penny GC
14. TBoneAbollo
15. Piren
16. Eagle Keeper
17. Lefty Coaster
18. doingbusinessas
19. Nelson
20. Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon
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Latest diary: Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks - Meet Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon - Nov. 8th
Sunday, November 23rd
SFKossacks & Silicon Valley Kossacks Support Native American Netroots Protesting the Washington R*dsk*ns Mascot Use
TIME: 10:00 AM
LOCATION: Levi's Stadium
4900 Marie P DeBartolo Way • Santa Clara
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. bahesmama
2. navajo
3. Meteor Blades
4.
5.
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Maybees: |
Saturday, December 13th
SF Kossacks Holiday Party at Daily Kos HQ
The usual Pot Luck drill - sign-up list posted soon
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Daily Kos HQ
Address given privately by kosmail • Berkeley
Near Ashby BART
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Markos
2. Will Rockafellow
3. Susan Gardner
4. Meteor Blades
5. Faith Gardner & Roxie!
6. navajo
7. side pocket
8. Mrs. side pocket
9. smileycreek
10. paradise50
11. remembrance
12. Glen The Plumber
13. TLO
14. jakedog42
15. edrie
16. dharmasyd
17. catilinus
18. boatsie
19. liberated spaces
20. citisven
21. kimoconnor
22. susans
23. maggiejean
24. 714day
25. Steven Payne
26. scaboni
27. skywriter
28. jpmassar
29. jotter
30. aha aha
31. jeremybloom
32. norm
33. Lorikeet
34. cooper888
35. got mooned
36. Hunter
37. elfling
38. Cassia
39. Friend of elfling
40. Friend of elfling
41. Friend of elfling
42. Friend of elfling
43. tmservo433
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Maybees:
Thinking Fella |
navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries
about your event or if you have changes or additions.
EVERYONE is welcome, tell us what you're working on,
share your show and tell, vent, whatever you want.
This is an open thread. Nothing is off topic.