Progressive Democrat Issue 142: THOUGHTS

I have been immersed in work this week, so the newsletter is thin. But I am still trying to deliver some local information for those areas where I have the most readers.

Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

FEEDING THE WORLD THROUGH VOCABULARY: FreeRice.com

GLOBAL WARMING: Bad News, Energy and Actions

NYC FOCUS: Some Events

VIRGINIA FOCUS: Meetings and Events


CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Meetings and Events

NEW JERSEY FOCUS: Meetings and Events

PENNSYLVANIA FOCUS: Meetings and Events

MARYLAND FOCUS: Progressive Maryland Action Alerts

Free Rice: Feeding the World Through Vocabulary

I came across a site mentioned on BBC News website called "Free Rice." It is a slightly silly but addictive little thing that actually adds up to helping the UN feed people. Joy and I are obsessing on it yesterday and today.

Basically, they get money from advertisers. They have vocabulary words and you pick the correct defination...for each one you get right, they donate money for 10 grains of rice to feed people through the UN. So far Joy and I made it to Vocab Level 50 four times (though we always drop back down to 48 or so as we get some wrong) and have gotten more than 20,000 grains of rice....which feeds just one person for one day, but what the hell. It's fun in a nerdy way and if enough of us do it, it can have a real effect.

Here is what they have to say for themselves:

FreeRice is a sister site of the world poverty site, Poverty.com.

FreeRice has two goals:

   1. Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.

   2. Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

This is made possible by the sponsors who advertise on this site.

Whether you are CEO of a large corporation or a street child in a poor country, improving your vocabulary can improve your life. It is a great investment in yourself.

Perhaps even greater is the investment your donated rice makes in hungry human beings, enabling them to function and be productive. Somewhere in the world, a person is eating rice that you helped provide. Thank you.

They began this October 7th, 2007 and already have 1 billion grains of rice donated. That adds up to enough rice to feed 50,000 people for one day. All that is scarcely more than a month.

Sponsors include Mac, Time/Life, iTunes, Radisson, and American Express, just to name a few.

Give it a try...it's addictive, you might learn something, and someone somewhere might get fed a bowl of rice.

Global Warming: Bad News, Energy and Actions

Global Warming remains the biggest threat to our children. Here is a round up of climate related articles from Daily Kos:

First off, a front page article describes the up coming IPCC Report...which apparently is not good news. Not surprisingly, inaction hasn't been working. A quote from the NY Times sums it up:

Even though the synthesis report is more alarming than its predecessors, some researchers believe that it still understates the trajectory of global warming and its impact. The I.P.C.C.’s scientific process, which takes five years of study and writing from start to finish, cannot take into account the very latest data on climate change or economic trends, which show larger than predicted development and energy use in China.

"The world is already at or above the worst case scenarios in terms of emissions," said Gernot Klepper, of the Kiel Institute for World Economy in Kiel, Germany. "In terms of emissions, we are moving past the most pessimistic estimates of the I.P.C.C., and by some estimates we are above that red line."

And here is an article on which nations have the most carbon emissions and discusses the Carbon Monitoring for Action (CARMA) website. Needless to say, as we all know, the US emits the most, which is why we need to act. but the worst power plants are NOT American power plants. The power plants with the worst emissions are in Taiwan, South Korea, China and Russia. The diary also has a link to an action page where you can do to reduce your carbon emissions. For the record, we have managed to make our family not only carbon neutral this year, but we are also making up for other people's emissions as well.

I recently have written about how I am making lots of money investing in solar and wind energy. Well stocks have taken a hit in the last week, alternative energy stocks as well, but I am still making lots of money on solar and wind energy stocks. You can read about the peak of my profits on this Daily Kos diary, though these stocks have backed off a tad in the last week. And for some other ideas, and some great background, on solar energy, read this Daily Kos diary. And from the same author, here is a piece on wind and landfill methane.

We have to keep working hard to preserve a reasonable standard of living for our children and grandchildren. The path the world has been taking quite honestly condemns our children and grandchildren to a much lower standard of living than what we have experienced.

NYC FOCUS: A Few Events

HERE ARE SOME LOCAL EVENTS DESERVING OF YOUR ATTENTION:

Join Jim Dean to Support DFNYC Endorsed Candidate Jimmy Dahroug
Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Democracy for NYC cordially invites you to attend a cocktail reception to benefit New York State Senate candidate Jimmy Dahroug, who's running in Suffolk County's 3rd District.

The event will take place at the home of Barbara and Morris Pearl, 1075 Park Avenue (corner of 85th Street) on Tuesday evening November 27 from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM. The contribution levels will range from $50 to $2,300. Jim Dean, the chairman of Democracy for America, will be the evening's keynote speaker.

DFNYC members voted unanimously to endorse Jimmy Dahroug for New York's 3rd State Senate District. He was also endorsed by Democracy for America in 2004 and 2006 in his previous attempts to take back this important State Senate seat for the Democratic party. Jimmy ran in 2004 against incumbent Republican Ceasar Trunzo in Suffolk County on Long Island. After earning an impressive 40% of the vote with a grassroots campaign, he went to work for the Administration of Steve Levy, the Suffolk County Executive, as a County Executive Assistant for community affairs and intergovernmental relations. He ran again in 2006, gaining a higher percentage, even after a contested Democratic primary. Jimmy was endorsed by Democracy for America in both races and many DFNYCers joined Long Island volunteers to canvas and phonebank. For more information about Jimmy, visit his campaign website, http://www.jimmyforsenate.com/

Please save the date and help us put Jimmy Dahroug in the New York State Senate - in addition to bringing us one seat closer to having a Democratic majority in the State Senate.


Defeating NYC's Only Republican Congressman: Two Fundraisers for Steve Harrison for Congress

NYC has just one Republican Congressman, Vito Fossella, representing part of Brooklyn and Staten Island, the NY-13 Congressional district...and he is commonly considered one of Bush's tamest lapdogs, voting lockstep with Bush and against America about 90% of the time. Whether it is his flip flopping on Iraq, or his solid and consistent support of Bush's Iraq Quagmire or his refusal to support efforts to secure New York's port from terrorists, Vito Fossella is out of touch with Brooklyn and Staten Island.

Steve Harrison was the underdog Democrat running against Vito in 2006. And, even though he was outspent 13:1, he got more than 43% of the vote. This was more than enough to finally get the DCCC to pay attention to this race. And they are poised to target NY-13 big time. If they do, this becomes a real contest. The DCCC likes to support people who start out with their own respectable fundraising numbers. So it is particularly important for us to show our support of Harrison and our opposition to Vito with some donations.

Two fundraisers are coming up, one on Staten Island and one on Manhattan:

STATEN ISLAND FUNDRAISER:
Wine and Cheese with Steve Harrison
At the Home of Catherine “Mac” O’Callaghan

Sunday, November 25, 2007
4:00 to 6:00 PM

351 St. Paul’s Ave – Staten Island, NY

Donation - $40.00 (or as much more as you can give!)

RSVP (718) 720-0095


MANHATTAN FUNDRAISER:
Thursday, November 29th
Time: 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Home of Betsy Malcolm: 300 Central Park West (El Dorado)
Bet. 90th & 91st Streets, Apt. 7B

Refreshments and Beverages will be served.

Contact & RSVP: hbzall_at_aol.com or betsymalc2_at_aol.com

Suggested Contribution $100

Bring a friend.

Let's review Vito's record:
High Rating from the Christian Coalition: 81%;
American Conservative Union: 78%;

Vito Fossella voted NO to help provide affordable housing to low-income Americans still affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Vito Fossella voted AGAINST help for American senior citizens (PDF) eight times out of nine (with one no vote) in 2006!

Vito Fossella voted AGAINST a minimum wage increase every chance he could.

Vito Fossella also voted AGAINST cracking down on the oil and gas industries price gouging, voted AGAINST giving healthcare to American military Reservists and National Guard members, and voted to CUT student aid by $12.7 billion.

Why does Vito Fossella hate Americans seniors, veterans, students, workers and victims of Katrina?

Who DOES Vito actually help? Well he votes to give Halliburton very profitable contracts every chance he can despite the fact that Halliburton fraudulently overchared the US more than $100 million. Of course Halliburton does donate money to Fossella...

For those who can't make the Manhattan fundraiser, you can donated to Steve Harrison or to the general Democratic NY-13 Fund (as well as to other important NY State races) at the Daily Gotham Act Blue Site.


December 2007 Big Linkup / Mock Caucus
WEDNESDAY, December 5, 7PM

Join DFNYC for our annual Big Linkup

Featuring the first ever DFNYC Mock Caucus

Where: Proof, 239 3rd Avenue (btwn. 19th & 20th)

As the candidates get ready to take on the Iowa Caucus, we'll gather to learn more about the caucus process and see who DFNYCers would support in a caucus atmosphere. Join us for an evening of civics, entertainment, and yummy goodness as bribes of cookies and other sweets are encouraged! Stephen Colbert may not be on the ballot in South Carolina, but the ballot is open to all in the DFNYC Mock Caucus.

The results of the caucus will not be counted toward a DFNYC endorsement. However, voting for the official DFNYC Presidential Primary Endorsement will open after the caucus. Come by and cast your secret paper ballot. You will also be able to download a mail in ballot beginning on December 6.

VIRGINIA FOCUS: Meetings and Events

Virginia is still one of the states where I have the most readers. So perhaps it is time to remind people of the local opportunities you have to be involved with your local community. My wife and I have made many friends and met many elected officials (and told them our opinions!) through joining local groups and attending local meetings like this. It is probably the most effective way you have available to you to change things. (Note: there is also the Virginia Organizing Project whose events I have been highlighting weekly)


Democracy for Virginia:
Here are the local Democracy for America chapters in Virginia. Click on the link for more info:

* Arlington for Democracy (may be dormant...you can go here to contact the organizers and get more up to date info)

* Roanoke DFA

* Tidewater for Democracy

* Virginia Grassroots Coalition (may be dormant...you can contact them here for more info: info@vagrassroots.org)


Drinking Liberally:
For the more social and fun-oriented (and booze oriented), there's Drinking Liberally. Here are the Virginia Drinking Liberally Chapters:

Alexandria/Springfield, Virginia
* Second Thursday of each month, 7:00-9:00 pm
* King Street Blues, 5810 Kingstowne Center Drive, Alexandria (Corner of Kingstowne Blvd and Van Dorn Street)
* Hosted by Brian Murray and Mike Sizemore, alexandria (at) drinkingliberally.org

Arlington, Virginia
* Every Thursday, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
* Capitol City Brewing Company, 2700 S Quincy St
* We're usually in the back room at Cap City; check with the host station if you don't see us there!
* "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world" - Margaret Mead
* Hosted by David Swim, Quinn Jones, Michelle Elliott and Bev Wright, arlington (at) drinkingliberally.org

Charlottesville, Virginia
* Every Thursday, 6:00 pm onward
* South Street Brewery, 106 W South St
* Hosted by Chris Dumler and Clare Wuerker, charlottesville (at) drinkingliberally.org

Lorton, Virginia
* First and third Friday of each month, 6pm to 8 or 9
* Glory Days Grill, 9459 Lorton Market St
* First hour of the gathering is part of happy hour
* Hosted by Alan Salisbury and Chris Ambrose, lorton (at) drinkingliberally.org

Norfolk, Virginia
* Third Thursday of each month, 5:00-7:00 pm
* The New Belmont, 2117 Colonial Ave (upstairs at the bar)
* Hosted by Tom Mitchell and Vivian Paige, norfolk (at) drinkingliberally.org

Richmond, Virginia
* Every other Wednesday, 7:00 pm onward
* Chiocca's Downstairs, 425 N Belmont Ave (Museum District - corner of Kensington & Belmont)
* Come join us for brews & news!
* Hosted by Morgan Bailey and John Manall, richmond (at) drinkingliberally.org

Virginia Beach, Virginia
* First Friday of each month, 7:00 PM
* Studio For The Healing Arts, 1611 Colley Ave # D, Norfolk, VA, Norfolk (One block from the Naro theater)
* Zeitgeist the Movie, DVD Door Prize
* http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Virginia9-11Truth/ http://vbdems.org
* One block from the Naro theater in Ghent
* Hosted by Chris Jaramillo and Eileen Levandoski, vabeach (at) drinkingliberally.org

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Meetings and Events

California is another state where I have lots of readers. So I want to remind people of the resources they have for getting involved and affecting their community.


California for Democracy:
Here are some local Democracy for America groups (click on the link for more info)

DFA Marin

Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley

Democratic Club of Coarsegold

DFA - Central Coast

DFA-CFD of Fresno & Madera Counties

DFA-CFD of Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties

Democracy for Monterey County

DFA-Orange County

East Bay for Democracy

Sacramento for Democracy

San Diego for Democracy

(San Fernando) Valley Grassroots for Democracy

San Francisco for Democracy

San Mateo County Democracy for America

Santa Barbara Progressive Coalition

Sonoma County DFA

Temecula Valley Democracy for America


Democratic Club of LA HABRA: Since La Habra is one of my current top spots for readership, here is a Democratic Club I tracked down just for you:

Democrats of North Orange County
Bill Daly, President
714-990-6767
Bruce Sandercock, Vice-President
714-871-5244
P. O. Box 6597
Fullerton, CA 92834
Monthly meeting: First Thursday, Sizzler Restaurant,
1401 N. Harbor, Fullerton; 6 p.m. dinner, 7 p.m. meeting


And Since San Jose was one of my top readershop spots for a few weeks, here is info on a local San Jose Democratic Club:

Santa Clara County (San Jose) Democratic Party November Meetup

We meet at 7:30pm on the second Tuesday of each month at the Dem Party Office, 2102 Almaden Road, Suite 114, San Jose, 95125. Feel free to bring snacks to share.

Brought to you by the Santa Clara County Democratic Party (http://www.sccdp.org).... Please join us to learn ways to help elect Democrats in Santa Clara County and beyond.

~~Together, America Can Do Better!~~

On Almaden ROAD (not Expwy), between Curtner and Canoas Garden. It's OK to park in the big lot, despite posted warnings.

Internet directions usually suggest taking Almaden Expressway, which is sometimes backed up. A lower stress route is to take Bird Avenue west from 280 and follow it all the way until it dead-ends at Malone. Left on Malone, Right on Almaden Road and 2102 is on the first corner on your left.

We meet in Suite 114, first door on your left as you enter the glass doors marked Main Entrance.


Drinking Liberally:

For those who like a more social, and beer focused, environment, there's Drinking Liberally. Here are the Drinking Liberally groups in California:

Let me highlight San Jose...because for some reason San Jose is where most of my California readership is located!

San Jose
* Second Thursday of each month, 6:30 and on
* Trials Pub in downtown San Jose, 265 N 1st St (main cross streets: W St James and W Julian)
* September is our first meeting with our new host! I'm looking for a co-host, so let me know if you are interested
* Hosted by Mia White, sanjose (at) drinkingliberally.org


And here are the other California groups:

Downtown Los Angeles
* Third Wednesday of each month, 6:00-8:00 pm
* The Edison, 108 West 2nd St
* We'll be in the area past the bar, known as the "Generator Lounge" (the entrance to the bar is through the alley off of 2nd street)
* Hosted by Vincent Jones, Cecilia Cabello, Becca Doten, Roxi Reeves and Jim Kennedy, downtownla (at) drinkingliberally.org

Hollywood
* Second Wednesday of each month, 7:00-9:00 PM
* Molly Malone's Irish Pub, 575 South Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles 90036 (near corner of 6th avenue)
* http://www.mollymalonesla.com/
* Hosted by Vincent Jones, Jim Kennedy and Mary Jack, la (at) drinkingliberally.org

Pasadena
* Every Tuesday, 7:30-10:00 pm
* Madeleine's Wine Bistro, 1030 E Green St (between Wilson and Catalina)
* We'll start out in the wine bar, then move out to the front patio.
* Hosted by Asa Hopkins, pasadena (at) drinkingliberally.org

San Fernando Valley
* First and third Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* The White Harte Pub, 22456 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills (Two blocks west of Shoup Ave.)
* Hosted by Andy Beaton and Jon Hytowitz, sfv (at) drinkingliberally.org

Westside
* Fourth Wednesday of each month, 7:00-9:00 pm
* Cock and Bull Pub, 2947 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica
* Hosted by Vincent Jones, Mary Jack, Robert Coyner, Gisele Perez, Jeremy Bloom, Tami Reiss, Marc Saltzberg and Jim Kennedy, westsidela (at) drinkingliberally.org

Monterey, California
* First Wednesday of each month, 6:30 pm onward
* Ol' Factory Cafe, 1725 Contra Costa St (In Sand City, off of Del Monte Blvd)
* http://www.olfactorycafe.com/
* Please note that The Ol' Factory Cafe currently only takes cash and local checks.
* Hosted by Annie Ho, monterey (at) drinkingliberally.org

Santa Ana
* Every Thursday, 8:30 pm onward
* Memphis Bar, 201 N Broadway (Artists Village)
* Hosted by Mike Lawson, orangecounty (at) drinkingliberally.org

Rancho Santa Margarita
* Every Thursday, 7:00 pm onward
* Canyon Fireside Grille, 22312 El Paseo
* Hosted by Gary Kephart, rsm (at) drinkingliberally.org

Huntington Beach
* First and third Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* Oggi's Pizza & Brewing Co. - Out Back On The Patio, 19461 Main St
* Next Meeting will be on Thursday November 15th
* Hosted by Scott McKown and Louise Stewardson, huntingtonbeach (at) drinkingliberally.org

Sacramento, California
* Second Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* BJs Restaurant and Brewery, 3531 N Freeway Blvd (Natomas)
* Come check out our new venue and meet some new people!
* Hosted by Leslie Simmons, sacramento (at) drinkingliberally.org

San Diego, California
* Every other Tuesday, 7:30 pm onward
* Nunu's Cocktail Lounge, 3537 5th Ave (Between Brookes and Ivy Ln)
* We will also be meeting periodically at Firehouse in Pacific Beach for special editions of Drinking Liberally. 722 Grand Avenue Pacific Beach, CA 92109
* Hosted by Jesse Rubin and Jason Miller, sandiego (at) drinkingliberally.org

San Francisco
* Every Monday, 7:00-9:00 pm
* Nickie's, 466 Haight Street (between Fillmore & Webster) (Look for our red, white and blue striped bottle!)
* Hosted by Susan Harrison, sf (at) drinkingliberally.org

Oakland
* Second and fourth Wednesday of each month, 6:00 - 9:00 PM
* Luka's Taproom & Lounge, 2221 Broadway
* Join us for the Eating Liberally Oakland Brunch at Luka's
* Hosted by Cyril Allen and Philip Combs, oakland (at) drinkingliberally.org

Napa
* First and third Monday of each month, 5:00-6:30 pm
* Compadre's, 505 Lincoln Ave
* Hosted by Mick Winter and Lauren Coodley, napa (at) drinkingliberally.org


San Luis Obispo, California
* First and third Wednesday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* The Graduate, 990 Industrial Way
* Hosted by Lorrie Toles and Sergio Monge, slo (at) drinkingliberally.org

Santa Barbara, California
* Every Wednesday, 8 pm - 10 pm
* Elsie's Bar, 117 W de la Guerra St (behind Paseo Nuveo Mall)
* Elsie's is 21+ and cash only
* Hosted by Daryl Chrisman and Bart Woolery, santabarbara (at) drinkingliberally.org

Santa Clarita, California
* Second Wednesday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* Mulligans, 25848 Tournament Rd (Near Cal Arts)
* Hosted by Michael Cruz, Bill Bailey and Minerva Williams, santaclarita (at) drinkingliberally.org

Santa Cruz, California
* First Tuesday of each month, 8:00 pm onward
* Cafe Pergolesi, 418 Cedar St (In the orange room to the right and back)
* Hosted by Brandon Smith and Natalie Rojas, santacruz (at) drinkingliberally.org

Stockton, California
* Third Friday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* Stockton Grand Hotel, 2323 Grand Canal Blvd (Front of Bar)
* Grand Hotel tel. 209-957-9090
* Joel's Cell: 209-351-3397
* Hosted by Joel Carignan, stockton (at) drinkingliberally.org

Ventura, California
* Second and fourth Wednesday of each month, 8:00 pm
* JJ Brewsky's, now and forever, 2344 Ventura Blvd, Camarillo (in the heart of Old Town Camarillo)
* Join us every second and fourth Wednesdays at 8:00 PM for a pint and some politics!
* Heather, Marie, Mark and Brian
* Hosted by Heather Schmidt, Marie Davis, Mark Eggertsen and Brian Mack, ventura (at) drinkingliberally.org

NEW JERSEY FOCUS: Meetings and Events

New Jersey remains one of the places outside NYC where I have the most readers. So perhaps it is time to remind people of the local opportunities you have to be involved with your local community. My wife and I have made many friends and met many elected officials (and told them our opinions!) through joining local groups and attending local meetings like this. It is probably the most effective way you have available to you to change things.

New Jersey for Democracy:

Here are the local Democracy for America groups in New Jersey:

North Jersey -

Bergen County
Ethical Culture Society
687 Larch Ave
Teaneck, NJ 07666
RSVP at www.dfalink.com/bergen

Essex County
Cryan's Beef & Ale House
24 First Street
South Orange, NJ 07079
RSVP at www.dfalink.com/essex

Hudson County
The Hard Grove Cafe
319 Grove St.
Jersey City, NJ 07302
201-451-1853
RSVP at www.dfalink.com/hudson
(First Wednesday of the Month, 7:30pm)

Morris County
Morris County Democratic Headquarters
11 Washington St
Morristown, NJ 07960
RSVP at www.dfalink.com/morris

Passaic County
Puzo's Restaurant (Upstairs)
4 Garfield Ave.
Hawthorne, NJ 07506
RSVP at www.dfalink.com/passaic
(First Thursday of the Month)

Union County
Rockin Joe Cafe
20 Prospect Street
Westfield, NJ 07090
908-232-1660
RSVP at Union Meetup

Warren County
MS Health Software Corp
605 Grand Ave.
Hackettstown, NJ
RSVP at www.dfalink.com/nwnj

Central Jersey -

Hunterdon County
Friendly Grounds Coffee
36 Mine St.
Flemington, NJ
908-788-8983
RSVP at www.dfalink.com/hunterdon

Mercer County
Carl A Fields Center
86 Olden Street
(Corner of Olden St and Prospect Ave on Princeton Univ campus)
Princeton, NJ
RSVP at www.dfalink.com/mercercounty
(please check DFA-Link for schedule)

Middlesex County
Panera Bread
1551 Route 1 South
Edison, NJ 08837
(732) 516-1611
RSVP at www.dfalink.com/middlesexNJ

Monmouth County
Racioppi's Kitchen
107 Oakland St. (at the train station at Bridge Ave.)
Red Bank, NJ
(917) 863-2408
RSVP at www.dfalink.com/monmouth

Somerset County
Somerset County Complex
40 North Bridge St. (off of High)
Somerville, NJ
RSVP at Somerset Meetup
(Second or Third Tuesday of the Month)

South Jersey -

Camden County
Haddon Township Library
15 MacArthur Blvd
Westmont, NJ 08108
856-854-2752
RSVP at Progressive Democracy South Jersey
4th Tues. of month

Gloucester County
RSVP at Democracy for Gloucester County
(Please check DFA-Link for date & location)

Ocean County
Joshua Huddy Brew Pub and Grill
1250 Hooper Ave.
Toms River
RSVP at www.dfalink.com/oceancounty
(First Tuesday of the Month)


Drinking Liberally:

For the more social and fun-oriented (and booze oriented), there's Drinking Liberally. Here are the New Jersey Drinking Liberally Chapters:

Hillsborough, New Jersey
* Second and fourth Wednesday of each month, 8:00 pm onward
* Petrock's Bar and Grill, 419 Amwell Rd (at Amwell and 206)
* Hosted by Matthew Dawson, hillsborough (at) drinkingliberally.org

Montclair, New Jersey
* Second Thursday of each month, 7:30 pm onward
* Just Jake's, 30 Park Street (b/t Bloomfield & Claremont)
* We meet in the REAR DINING ROOM. Turn left after entering, go past the juke box, bar and W.C.
* Ample parking in municipal lot next to Just Jake's (free after 7 pm)
* ** Mtclair DL ON THE ROAD, TUES, NOV 13, from 8PM at PAUL'S BAR & BOWLING, 377 CROOKS AVE, PATERSON, NJ (973) 278-1982 http://local.yahoo.com/details?id=10780514 **THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL MEETING, WE STILL HAVE OUR USUAL 2nd THURSDAY
* Hosted by Kevin Kelly and Dan Evans Farkas, montclair (at) drinkingliberally.org

Morristown
* Third Thursday of each month, 8:00 pm onwards
* Hennessey's Tavern, 140 Morris St (Corner of Elm & Morris, next to the train station)
* There's plenty of public parking behind train station or on Elm Street.
* Come on by & raise a pint with other fun loving local progressive's! Hope to see you there...
* Hosted by Jim Long, Chip Robinson, David Cochran and Linda Humphries, morristown (at) drinkingliberally.org


Dover
* First Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* The Hop, 14 N Morris St
* Hosted by Jim Long, Chip Robinson, Dave Cochran and Linda Humphries, dovernj (at) drinkingliberally.org

New Brunswick, New Jersey
* Second and fourth Wednesday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* Doll's Place, 101 Paterson St (corner of Paterson & Joyce Kilmer)
* Hosted by Bob Scardapane and Chris Swasey, newbrunswick (at) drinkingliberally.org

Pennsauken, New Jersey
* First and third Wednesday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* Kings Row Sports Bar and Billiards, 6030 S Crescent Blvd (Route 130 N)
* Hosted by Art Williams and Denise Williams, pennsauken (at) drinkingliberally.org

Toms River, New Jersey
* First Tuesday of each month, 8:00 pm onward
* Joshua Huddy Brew Pub, 1250 Hooper Ave (across from Ocean County Mall)
* Hosted by Robin Kinlin and Ian Valentine, tomsriver (at) drinkingliberally.org

PENNSYLVANIA FOCUS: Some Events

Here are some important progressive events in Pennsylvania:

Critical Mass
Friday, November 23, 5:30

Dinosaur, Carnegie Library, 4400 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Critical Mass is a celebration of bicycling as a pollution-free mode of transportation. Critical Mass is not an organization nor it is affiliated with any organization, it's an unorganized coincidence. It's a movement ... of bicycles, in the streets.


Steel-City Stonewall Democrats Happy Hour
Tue Nov 27 5:15pm (Monthly at 5:15pm on the fourth Tuesday)
Images 965 Liberty Avenue downtown


Making Schools Safe: A Discussion About School Safety and Discipline
Tue Nov 27 5:30pm
The Pittsburgh Project - 2801 Charles Street - North Side
RSVP by November 20th at www.aplusschools.org


Seminar on Socially Responsible Investing
November 29, 2007 from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

Hosted by James Cox and Scott Hall of Apollo Financial Services, a seminar will be presented on socially and environmentally responsible investing. Learn how to financially benefit from the coming "Green Revolution".

Jim and Scott are Registered Representatives who specialize in socially and environmentally responsible investing. The presentation will consist of a power point demonstration on the benefits of SRI strategies for individuals and business owners. Apollo is in the process of setting up several environmentally responsible 401k plans for local businesses. There will be a discussion afterwards.

Bucks County Coffee House
22 N Main Street
Doylestown, PA

jcox_at_fwg.com


Western PA DFA December Meetup
Wednesday, December 5, 2007, 7:00 PM

at Beecher's Gelato & Gormet Coffee at 204 South Main St in Zelienople, PA 16063. We will be making plans for our Training Academy Weekend and reviewing the State DFA Conference at State College.

Western PA Democracy for America Link group meets for the purpose of helping people get into politics to build an effective grassroots political organization for positive change.

The primary objective is to win back our country through electing progressive candidates to State, Local and National offices.

For more info, go here.

Lou Hancherick
Host Organizer

MARYLAND FOCUS: Progressive Maryland Action Alerts

Here are some action alerts from Progressive Maryland. And to keep up to date on Maryland politics, read the Progressive Maryland Newsletter.


Demand Tax Fairness to Solve Maryland Fiscal Crisis

Maryland taxes corporate income and income of wealthy individuals at some of the lowest effective levels in the country, yet we have many unmet needs in funding education, health care, and protecting the environment. According to a June 2007 poll, Marylanders by more than a 3:1 margin want lawmakers to go beyond plugging the hole in the budget and create a fairer tax system that asks big corporations and wealthy individuals to invest in Maryland's future. Gov. O'Malley's proposed revenue package is a good vehicle to move Maryland in this direction.
Tell your lawmakers you want "Tax Fairness" now!


Election Reform

Power to voters, not special-interest campaign contributors! Public funding of campaigns makes it possible to pass laws that focus on the needs of all voters, not just BGE, Comcast, and other special interests that fund politicians’ campaigns.


Find and Contact Your Elected Officials