We have so many insightful and powerful diaries written here at Daily Kos. Our diaries inform, inflame, impassion, and even entertain. We Kossacks have strong voices and an even stronger will to be the change we wish to see in this country.
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We have so many insightful and powerful diaries written here at Daily Kos. Our diaries inform, inflame, impassion, and even entertain. We Kossacks have strong voices and an even stronger will to be the change we wish to see in this country.Welcome to the midnight swim!
Not much to report this week, my friends; I've been a bit wrapped up in meat-space life.
Thursday was an eventful day in the gloriana household. Two separate events came close on the heels of the other:
In the morning, I found out a co-worker's daughter had been diagnosed with cancer. It's a rare form, settling on the brain stem. It's inoperable. She may only have 12-16 months left, but only if she goes through daily rounds of chemo. They started that on Wednesday. Our co-worker has brought her to work a few times, and she's an angel. She's only 4 1/2 years old.
While I and the rest of the office were dealing with our grief and trying to figure out ways we could help the family, I received a call from my stepmother. She never calls me at work. We are very close; in many ways she raised me after my bio-Mom abdicated the responsibility. She moved across the country and remarried a few years after my father died, to a nice man who helped her come out of her extreme grief at Dad's passing. She called to tell me that the marriage was ending and that she was alone. She didn't want to tell me it was in trouble before (she didn't want to worry me), but had he left her, finally. And so she felt it was time.
I'm struck very profoundly with the ephemeral nature of our existence.
And also that state of grace which appears in times of catastrophe, and how the community builds itself up to sustain us.
After the initial email about our co-worker's daughter was sent, a reply to the group filtered back with this suggestion: apparently federal and state workers can donate sick and vacation time to other people in times of need. The question was raised: could we do that? Extremely senior management is now looking in to that possibility with HR. And since my department, to a person, only takes vacation time when federally mandated by law, there's a lot to donate. We may be able to give our friend the only grace he needs right now: time with his daughter.
My stepmother is no longer in isolation in her adopted state and is instead home, through the grace of donated frequent flyer miles. She's badly wounded, but she's with her family, who can help her start the healing process.
And for me, too distraught that day to stay at work, went home; stopping for a bottle of wine on the way only to be given the grace of a phone call from a friend, who stayed with me for 2 1/2 hours and had me laughing at the end of the call, and out of pain.
We see it in this community too: How we helped ct when the truck went through his home during last year's yKos. The joy and well-wishes in the comments to Kos' post this morning, announcing the impending birth of mini-Kos, 2nd edition - UPDATE:Elisandra Elexy! WELCOME! How we've rallied around Station Wagon and Dreaming of Better Days, and when Carnacki started the Cancer series. It's a good one; please visit and see the action items he's suggested. It's important.
I love being a part of this place, I truly do. We've done excellent work on the national front and just as importantly, amongst ourselves. We have a lot to be proud of.
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If you're new (either to the site or to TC), post a comment and say hi! This is a good, welcoming place to get your feet wet.
If you've found comments you'd like to share, please do so!
And tell us of your actions, efforts, or share recipes, flirt, talk... whatever suits your fancy. We are a community, and strive to build that, here.
Enjoy.
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Take a look at some of the great work being done on the site today:
Contributions:
From MissLaura:
Fabooj is The Ultimate Huntress.
Elise's pick up lines diary yielded a bunch of hilarity: Elise, fabooj, fabooj again, dyrrachium, Orange County Liberal, dyrrachium again, begone, and GOTV.
LithiumCola is bewildered - and who can blame him?
Meteor Blades and turnover on threats from abroad
You just have to read Elwood Dowd'snew title for Giuliani.
From Major Danby:
These three entries taken from my diary for "Fibonacci poetry" all struck me as deserving special note in Top Comments; and if you visit the diary you'll discover something cool about Chris Bowers
maryb2004's, CalifSherry's, and cskendrick's. {the editor would like to add DawnG's poem to the list!}
From begone and bronte17:
JUST in case no one sent in the name-Kos'-baby thread begun by Georgia 10, here you go! Dave the Rave and others were on a roll.
From carolita:
ryeland goes strict deconstructionists one better in varro'sWingnut Alert! (First Amendment edition).
rlharry writes a brilliant SAT question in lone star liberal's Chris Matthews: Dick Cheney Reasonable, Middle-of-the-Road.
athena has a brilliant idea in myshkin's Afterthought: Russert's Responsibility.
revbludge does an excellent re-make of "In the Jailhouse Now" in Mr Populist's awesome diary Nominate a Theme Song for Bush's Autumn Years.
From Elise:
Hilarity ensues in this diary by Lady Kestrel. Too many great comments in that diary to have to handpick and nominate. I just recommend reading for the fun.
And a few from my diary last night: dov12348has a great response to a bad pick-up line. Cali Techiehas a funny pick up line exchange. dyrrachium likes to sing along to Pat Benatar...
From noweasels:
I am now ducking calls from my accountant -- but even THAT hasn't gotten me to the box o' taxcrap I have to sort through. Oh, well.
Dallasdoc on why McCain no longer deserves sympathy
FishOutofWater on truth
citizenx on the down-side of atheism
Dallasdoc on adding injustice to torture.
From wiscmass:
From my contribution for this weekend's blogswarm, Blog Against Theocracy:
sberel provides some useful resources for fighting theocracy.
Eryk eloquently describes the paradox of being religious and a secular progressive.
And a few from me:
hestal wonders about the connections between free speech, charisma, and money
From sfluke's Letter from a Soldier in Iraq, fumie has this to say about bringing democracy to the world. Would that Bush and Co. understood this.
LithiumCola, regarding McCain "misspeaking" about his stroll in the Iraqi marketplace
FoundingFatherDAR believes America should start consolidating its debt, starting with this long-overdue bill
Joyful news: Kos and Elise's child (as of this this writing) will be born shortly! Naming suggestions from the announcement thread from turnover.
I usually don't select tip jars, but Turkana'ssays it all
Dump Terry McAuliffe had a great diary today, Did America Over-React to 9/11, that generated these two conflicting responses; neither incorrect: from calipygian and rhetoricus
cskendrick has this nice mini-rant on the state of modern-day journalism and blogging
FishOutofWater has this to say about truth
dday wants to know if we've made the White House safe for children
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Top Comments by Mojo, brought to you by the incomparable BeninSC (who is also full of grace! Please give him some love in the comments!)
Top Mojo - excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first diary comments and C&J comments:
1 yeah, I was going to leave some thoughts... by sfluke - 116 2 I have to admit I've got a problem with this part by renaissance grrrl - 81 3 Uh, flames? n/t by operculum - 81 4 Gee. by inclusiveheart - 80 5 Yeah. Not being able to edit... by Meteor Blades - 79 6 Yeah by Karelian - 78 7 My son had 2 weeks leave from Iraq, by sherlyle - 72 8 Reaction by fabooj - 63 9 God made extra? by melvin - 63 10 Mr Finn and I by Finn - 62 11 Yeah by heathlander - 61 12 "He who controls the present controls the past by Kimball Cross - 57 13 The truth never dies by FishOutofWater - 57 14 the chicken-killing dog cure by Chun Yang - 54 15 sixth reaction: by peaceloveandkucinich - 54 16 UPDATED HERE by blklikeme - 52 17 To be fair... by wiscmass - 52 18 My Marine son returns from Iraq any day now... by demetroula - 50 19 Wat was creepy was the ceremony she devised by perro amarillo - 50 20 To quote Orwell: by heathlander - 50 21 jesus by pissedpatriot - 50 22 Indict Hastert first by Red Bean - 49 23 A Great Man said... by justiceputnam - 48 24 There is nothing like a good Rock Show by Eddie C - 47 25 I left my hometown by MrSandman - 46 26 Thumbnails and great news by blue jersey mom - 44 27 please by TeresaInPa - 44 28 You're probably too young by Bernie68 - 44 29 Because... by Buzzer - 43 30 Total misinterpretation by Karen Wehrstein - 43
Top Mojo - everything included:
1 Tip Jar by heathlander - 362 2 So I am totally crazy. I thought you knew that. by teacherken - 278 3 tips/deleted paragraphs n/t by seesdifferent - 227 4 Tips/Flames n/t by VolvoDrivingLiberal - 194 5 Tips/mojo/thoughts/comments by CTLiberal - 177 6 Tips for religious freedom... by wiscmass - 173 7 And no, 9/11 didn't "change everything" by Dump Terry McAuliffe - 146 8 Tip Jar by Jesselyn Radack - 143 9 the story appears to be an exclusive by smintheus - 130 10 Please stop by if you have a chance, or at least by possum - 128 11 here i am! by buhdydharma - 121 12 yeah, I was going to leave some thoughts... by sfluke - 116 13 the damage done by this adminstration by clammyc - 91 14 Or put another way . . . by nyceve - 83 15 I have to admit I've got a problem with this part by renaissance grrrl - 81 16 Uh, flames? n/t by operculum - 81 17 Gee. by inclusiveheart - 80 18 Yeah. Not being able to edit... by Meteor Blades - 79 19 Yeah by Karelian - 78 20 I am by melvin - 77 21 Best of luck by emeraldmaiden - 73 22 My son had 2 weeks leave from Iraq, by sherlyle - 72 23 your diary is absolutely heartbreaking... by edrie - 72 24 What Else Is There to Say? by Unique Material - 66 25 Denver has it ass-backwards by Frankenoid - 65 26 Reaction by fabooj - 63 27 God made extra? by melvin - 63 28 Mr Finn and I by Finn - 62 29 Tip Jar - April 7 by Jerome a Paris - 62 30 Tip Jar - April 7 by Jerome a Paris - 62
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