A thank you, a tasty treat, and a two rants.
In 24 hours on Wednesday, dKos readers contributed over $7,000 from a pair of diaries about tight races in Pennsylvania. The first diary was up for a few minutes. The follow-up got recommended.
Thank you to all who donated as well as those who took a minute to read and recommend said diary. Together we raised a staggering $5,053 for Joe Hoeffel. Plus $998 for Ginny Schrader (House, PA-08), $760 for Lois Murphy (PA-06) and $560 for Joe Driscoll (PA-15).
I discovered late that night that Joe Hoeffel and his campaign were following our progress, and they were thrilled. And Thursday evening the next United State Senator from Pennsylvania called me up to personally express his gratitude. He told me that what we did really helped.
Now the treat.
No, I think I'll save it for the end. You have to read the rest to get there, but it will be worth it.
Rant number one.
Chrispadem commented yesterday that I gave because I don't want to wake up Nov 3rd and find that I didn't do enough to help take back my country. I gave to Hoeffel, Schrader and Murphy and it really feels good to "ca-jing" [insert sound of old cash register]!
There is NO FOURTH QUARTER. THIS IS IT. Hoeffel, Schrader, and the rest need our support right now more than ever. Every dollar goes straight to fending off the last minute attacks ads of the GOP. Thousands of us are working frantically on GOTV, yet Joe and the other candidates still have to spend time even now making fund raising calls.
Maybe we all push at the end of the quarter because the Dean campaign trained us to, but we should never have stopped this time. If I could pull in another $7,000 from a diary, just think what we could do with serious last minute drive, maybe during the world series.
RNinNC put it beautifully, $20.01 into the pot, and this after I SWORE to myself I was through contributing money. Someone wrote above, I dont wanna wake up Nov 3 wondering if my last little donation might've made a difference, but I was too stingy to give it up.
RNinNC and Chrispadem went the extra innings. Have you done all you can? Really? Because this is game seven right now.
Rant number two.
The $7,000 almost didn't happen. The follow-up diary had almost fallen off the page when Kos -- bless his sweet soul for all he does for us -- deleted a bunch of repetitive and one line diaries that morning. That was just enough time for the plea on behalf of Hoeffel to get enough noticed and make it to the promised land of the "Recommended Diaries," where it stayed for most of the day.
There is so much good stuff in the diaries. I love them, but they still go by so darn fast. We seem to be doing better right now. Still before you post ask yourself, if posting the diary were to cost Democratic candidates $7,000 would it be worth it? Because that is what those diaries would have cost Joe Hoeffel, Ginny Schrader and rest if Kos hadn't stepped in that morning.
There are always Open Threads going, which stay up for hours and get comments which everyone reads. Or if you have a lot to say, like me, start your own blog. People will find your articles through google and yahoo searches on Keywords like "Poland troops" or "Need some wood." Those both got me over 1,000 hits each. And I wasn't not just preaching to the choir, although this is one great choir.
Also doing your own blog, even if your articles are just links to breaking stories, increases the number of sites linking to those important stories. Doing your own blog is easy and free. To increase traffic, try to title your own blog articles with words that would turn up in a google search. Instead of "bush's pants are burning up" try "new terror threat."
Please don't stop writing dKos diaries. Just realize that by over-posting we are not only hurting ourselves by guaranteeing that no one will read them, we are hurting the community, and, and, and we are "hurting America. Please stop....stop hurting America."
Enough Rants.
Time for Treats
Inspired by the evil NPR pledge drive, I decided to offer my own "Thank you gift" to anyone who donated through my diary.
As I watched the contribution rolling in for Hoeffel and my PA Congressional candidates, I realized that the people who recommended it deserved goodies, too.
And the tech people, they deserve goodies.
And Kos, he especially deserves goodies.
And all the people who cared enough to comments, goodies for them.
And how about all the people who contributed anonymously or through Atrios, they need goodies.
Everyone working so hard to depose George II deserves goodies.
So I decided that if the total contributions broke $5,000 I would post the goodies. They did.
So without further ado.
Best Ever Brownies, perfect, foolproof, totally addictive
4 oz. (1 stick) salted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa, sifted after measuring
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup walnuts, in small pieces
Use 8 inch square baking pan. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put rack in center of oven
In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat butter for half a minute or so, then add the sugar and beat until well mixed.
Beat in eggs.
Add sifted cocoa and mix until smooth.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, then and to bowl and mixing bowl and beat at medium speed for 2 Minutes. This is the critical step.
Add water and vanilla and mix in.
Gently blend in Walnuts. Dough will be stiff and sticky. Spread the dough evenly in the baking pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until top is set and toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before trying to frost or serve. They are delicious plain, too.
I wonder how many people will read this before it disappears?
Can you tell I'm a mom?
