I know it's only been five months since our last get-together, but it feels like ten years, so head on out Sunday July 22nd and catch up with your fellow progressives in the Austin area.  Details after the jump.

It's been too long since we've had a meetup for Daily Kos and Texas Kaos users.  Time to come in for some socializing, with a liberal dose of long-overdue gloating.

Check it out on the flip.

(cross-posted at Texas Kaos) This is where the rubber meets the road, folks.  It's time for another get-together of Central Texas Kos members.  This Sunday will be a critical meeting as we'll have Bruce Elfant in attendance to train and swear-in all those wishing to become deputy voter registrars for Travis County.  We've promised him 10-15 new deputies, based on our average turnout these last few meetings, so bring us your bodies and get into this fight.  Sccs and I already got deputized and it didn't hurt a bit!

(cross-posted at Texas Kaos)

Last Sunday another big group of us got together to drink, gab, and plot with our fellow Democrats in Austin.

This was more of a working meeting than last time, with better acoustics and seating.  I was joined by roses, mistercpf and his three guests, walkshills all the way from Burnet County, boadicea, refinish69, sciguy, Texas Tiger and Khereva, Sandia Blanca, and Andy30tx and his wife.  We've come up with a project we can all participate in for the next meeting.  Jump over and see what we're up to.

(cross-posted at Texas Kaos)

It's already that time again.  Get together with your Central Texas neighbors this Sunday July 16th for pub grub and polidish.

The Central Texas crowd got together this past Sunday for chili and politics and, boy, was it good!

Weren't able to make it?  No worries--it was such a big crowd we'll be doing it again in a few weeks.

(cross-posted at Texas Kos)

It's time again for Central Texas Kos members to get together for some chili and brew in meatspace.

Head on down to the Texas Chili Parlor this Sunday June 25th at 1pm and see what all the commotion's about.

This hasn't been much discussed lately, what with all the political scandals emerging, so I thought I'd start the topic off again since hurricane season is right around the corner.

I'm not by any stretch an expert on emergency preparedness and I offer only some common sense suggestions for getting your family ready to face any natural or (heaven forbid) man-made disaster that may unfold.  There are a lot of Kos users who are experts and their input is most welcome in the comments.

It's that time again, time to speak your liberal mind among friends without fear of getting the stinkeye from those still drunk on the Kool-Aid.

It's been far too long since the granola-eatin', Birkenstock-wearin', latte-sippin', long-haired pinko commie librul hippy-types in the People's Republic of Austin got together for an actual pie fight.  Frito pie fight, that is.

I'm throwing down the gauntlet below the fold.

I cannot believe I missed out on yet another flame war.  What does a girl have to do around here to get flamed?

Oh well, I'm coming out of self-imposed diary exile to issue a Friday morning apology to the Power That, um, Is for ever doubting His/Her/Its Celestial Foresight.  She/He/It was so right about Bush.

George W. Bush doesn't deserve this country.  Nor do any of his associates or anyone in his family.

That's what it all boils down to.  I've pored over the stories, as you all have, like I did after Sept. 11.  The outpouring of concern, offers of shelter and money, the helpless frustration expressed by all the kind-hearted people of this land have been the only consolation here.  To feel the sense of common interest and compassion is overwhelming.

Right now my gratitude at being able to live in such a miraculous place overrides my anger at our political system.

Wow.  Is it cold here in hell, or is it just me?

I visited my unrepentant RNC-donating Bush calendar-displaying mom this week and got a shock.  Don't want to get my hopes up, but if this could happen in my family, then the Republicans are screwed in 2006 (assuming we can control their congenital need to tamper with voting).

Before I lose my happy buzz owing to some assholish move on the administration's part, I thought I'd share the details of what's got me up.

I just participated in two weddings in two weekends.  They were miles apart in geography and demography, but both proved what we've been saying around here all along-it's all good.

how about Rehnquist and O'Connor, with O'Connor out of there this summer before Rehnquist?

Just ran across this http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/758akmdq.asp
(sorry, I still don't know how to do a thingy-hyperlink?) and now I'm a little more worried.  Yes, I know the publication is rightwing Gopoganda, but Kristol does have very good sources in the nooks and crevices of this administration.  If he's on to something we need to prepare.

CNN's homepage headline:  CIA chief has 'excellent idea' where bin Laden is
http://www.cnn.com/

It looks like some serious groundwork is being laid for another Bush fraternity road trip.  Crazy talk, you say?  I sure hope so, but bear with me.

I just read Renee in Ohio's excellent diary and thought I'd present a contrast to it.

I've always felt the Republican party is the party of people like Renee, only scared.  Scared White Folk.  It comes to mind every time I see one and I don't even need to look to see the "R" behind the name to know it.  The fear oozes out of their pores and forms a diaphanous film around them, shielding them from the inevitable acknowledgement that their days of domination in this country are coming to an end.  They know it because of faces like mine and it scares them witless.

Earlier this year I experienced what is becoming a rite of passage for American workers of all stripes-I got laid off.

Now, it's not that bad because a)it gave me the opportunity to start doing what I really want to do and to do it for myself b)it gave me a greater appreciation for all the wonderful things I still have and c)it gave me insight into the world of joblessness that I hadn't had since the last time some guy named Bush was in office.

Here's an interesting insight into my state and its attitude towards those of us trying to "pull ourselves up by the bootstraps," or at least us uppity females anyway: