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 at Daily Kos 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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Remember the Cold War ?
I guess that should be, do you remember the first Cold War, since we seem to be entering a new one, Cold War 2.0. I mean, just check out the headlines: NATO Jets Intercept Soviet Russian Fighter Plane Over Baltic Sea (Bloomberg, 11-17-'14), Soviet Russian Bomber Patrols to Reach Gulf of Mexico (ABC News, 11-12-'14), Russia, Poland Expel Diplomats in Tit-for-Tat Moves (NBC News, 11-17-'14) and Hagel reassures troops of US commitment to nuclear arms mission (Reuters, 11-15-'14). It looks to me like some folks are nostalgic for Cold War 1.0, when an anxious nation looked to its leaders for protection.
What got me thinking about this was a feature in my newspaper Thursday morning. It was a photo feature, AZ Daily Star: SAC Bombers in Tucson, about B-47s being based here starting in 1953. That was right around the time I was born. The B-47 Stratojet was a seminal aircraft, (Wikipedia HERE), a intercontinental nuclear bomber that was as fast as contemporary fighters and nearly as maneuverable. Manufactured by Boeing, it pioneered the use of swept wings and wing-mounted, underslung engine nacelles that we see in virtually every modern airliner. But it was a nuclear bomber, designed to fly over Russia the Soviet Union and drop atomic bombs. If you go to the Star's photo feature, you'll read this: "In 1953, the Strategic Air Command brought the jet age to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson with dozens of Boeing B-47 Stratojet bombers as part of U.S. efforts to counter the Soviet threat of invasion." Invasion ? No, no, no. The threat was never that the Soviets would invade. I was there. The threat was nuclear annihilation, bombing. The B-47 was going to bomb Russia right back if they bombed us. It was Mutually Assured Destruction. The person who wrote that sentence probably studied journalism instead of history and is probably too young to remember this:
The real threat wasn't the bomb itself. The blast effect would flatten the center of your city, of course, and people within a certain radius would die of radiation sickness, but the real threat was fallout. The nuclear blast would throw up clouds of dust and debris which would become radioactive and come back down as fallout. Here's a short, 1955 film, from the Civil Defense Department that explains it a little better, in case you've forgotten. ➡ YouTube. So Fallout Shelters became a thing. In cities they were located in the basements of certain buildings which were identified with a yellow CD sign. Small towns would sometimes have one in the local High School. Out in the suburbs people built their own fallout shelters. You could get plans from Civil Defense publications and in magazines like Popular Mechanics. Some were simple, walls of sandbags in the basement or a short length of 4' metal culvert, but if you had the money, and were scared enough, you could build the really cool kind, an underground shelter in your backyard. These could also be simple dugouts, but there were contractors who could build you a little underground apartment where you could live comfortably until the fallout stopped falling.
Yeah baby, that's what I'm talkin' about. Doesn't that look cozy ? So how 'bout it CUA-ers, did you ever go in a fallout shelter, did you know anybody who had one in their backyard and ...
Do you remember the Cold War ?
Latest Updates on Regional Meet-Up News Can Be Found Below the Orange Group Hug.
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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.
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THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
by Thinking Fella ♥ for Four Corners Kossacks
On Saturday, November 8th, 2014, the Four Corners Kossacks met to have a beverage or two, lament our electoral losses, cheer our wins, get updates on races still ongoing, listen to past local election history, learn more about each other, and plot our future strategies.
L-R: Thinking Fella, Matt S., (McLachlan campaign manager) red moon dog, nzanne, Gary Norton, Wally White, (termed-out former La Plata County Commissioner & long-time Dailykos lurker) and Jeff H.
Please visit Thinking Fella's diary for more photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Four Corners Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to Thinking Fella.
by John Crapper ♥ for Seattle and Puget Sound Kossacks
Four days after the mid-term elections Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks had lunch with Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, WA 34th, Chair of the Environment Committee and serving on the Finance, Transportation and Local Government Committees.
Special thanks goes to bleeding blue for making this all possible!
Invited attendees: Marcee Stone-Vegich - Chair of the 34th LD & Ted Barker Vice Chair, Robin Everett - Washington State's Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Coordinator and Mary Manous with Weldon DeBusk both on the development team creating the Cascadia Climate Action Calendar which compiles monthly the events and actions of all major environmental groups in the Puget Sound Area.
My take-away as leader of Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks from this meeting. Political reality can't be changed. We must deal with it as best we can. We must also support those fighting for climate sanity as best we can. But when it comes to climate change we cannot afford to wait on politics to be "right" to get something done. We can't afford to just chip away at the edges. We need to pursue the most effective path possible to make climate sanity a reality. Under current circumstances politics may not be that path in the next two years in Washington State.
Instead it will be the Climate Action Hub. And in my neck of the woods it will be promoting the Cascadia Climate Calendar and urging people to get involved.
Please visit
John Crapper's diary for more photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join
Seattle and Puget Sound Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to
John Crapper.
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.
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 22nd
LA Kossacks Post-election Meet-up
TIME: 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Luggage Room Pizzeria
260 S. Raymond Ave • Pasadena
ORGANIZER: Send susans a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. susans
2. otoelbc
3. Chiwere
4. Shockwave
5. 714day
6. jeremybloom
7. Zwenkau
8. philipmerrill
9. Flowingone
10. Joshua Bloxom
11. benamery21
12. gmats
13. Joe Bacon
14. SanFernandoValleyMom
15. peace voter |
Maybees: |
Latest diary: Los Angeles November Meetup
Saturday, November 22nd
Baja Arizona Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Kon Tiki Lounge
Broadway, just west of Swan • Tucson
You're not a real Tucsonan until you've puked in the bathroom at Kon Tiki.
ORGANIZER: Send Azazello a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Azazello
2. rasbobbo
3. ramara
4. DaNang65
5. sneakers563
6. itzadryheat
7. pwoodford
8. dobleremolque
9. Sierrareal1
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Maybees:
renbear
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Latest diary: Baja Arizona Open Thread
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:
Glen The Plumber
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Tuesday, December 2nd
Maryland Kos Post-election Meet-up
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: Sabatino's
901 Fawn Street • Baltimore
ORGANIZER: Send Navy Vet Terp a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Navy Vet Terp
2. vschultzvidal
3. mimi
4. rb608
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Maryland Kos Meetup - Baltimore Subgroup
Saturday, December 6th
Four Corner Kossacks Ride the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
This train is extra special. Not only are the cars over 100 years old, the coal-fired steam locomotive pulling us up the mountain was built in the early 1920's. We'll be riding in the "Cinco Animas" car (built in 1883), which, as would be expected for Kossacks--is a Presidential Class car. See diary for many more details.
TIME: 9:15 AM
LOCATION: Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
479 Main Ave • Durango
ORGANIZER: Send Thinking Fella a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Thinking Fella
2. HeroMachine
3. LucyTooners
4. Mr. LucyTooners
5. unfangus
6. Mrs. unfangus
7. Darcy
8. Kim
9. Nan
10. Allison M.
11. Tom M.
12. Boiseblue
13. Mrs. Boiseblue
14. ⇐Cinco Animas car filled
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Maybees:
Gary Norton
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Latest diary: EPIC Four Corners Kossacks Meet-up: Gonna Ride the D&SNGR Presidential Car to 9000' Elevation!
Wednesday, December 10th
Colorado COmmunity Meet-up with Drinking Liberally
TIME: TBD
LOCATION: TBD
[address] • [City]
ORGANIZER: Send Leftcandid a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. Leftcandid
2.
3.
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Maybees:
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Latest diary: DENVER: Drinking & Caffeinating Liberally "Well, F***" Editions Next Week
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
44. Simplify
45. jforests
46. jforests SO and baby girl
47. Brian82
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Maybees:
Thinking Fella
LaughingPlanet |
Sunday, December 28th
Koscadia Meet-up with navajo & Pipe Ceremony with Ojibwa to Bless Quilts
TIME: 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Private home
[Kosmail Sara R for the address] • Portland
ORGANIZER: Send Sara R to attend
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2. Ojibwa
3. Sara R
4. winglion
5. Angie in WA State
6. loggersbrat
7. llbear
8. Drewid
9. also mom of 5
10. watercarrier4diogenes
11. ozsea1
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Maybees:
exlrrp
quill
pdxteacher
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Latest diary: Koscadia Meet Up 12/28 -- special guests navajo and Ojibwa
Saturday & Sunday, January 17-18, 2015
Dkos Asheville 24-hour Meet-up
This is what community is about; sharing, giving, creating together. And this is what being a progressive is about; working for social, economic, and environmental justice.
Each day we start from where we are now; and we move forward from here. -davehouck
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...we have built ourselves a network of like minded brothers and sisters who are in this fight for life. A place we can come to find inspiration, power, solace and community.
-randallt |
TIME: 1:00 pm Saturday till 1:00 pm Sunday
LOCATION: Crown Plaza Resort Asheville
One Resort Drive • Asheville
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend
RSVPs:
1. randallt
2. davehouck
3. Joieau
4. Gordon20024
5. SteelerGrrl
6. SteelerGuy
7. LamontCranston
8. Otteray Scribe
9.
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Maybees:
Joy of Fishes
IamGumby
smiley7
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Latest diary: DKos Asheville: Open Thread
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.