This is an open thread, but with some updates.
If you’re not interested in the fundraising efforts, skip the updates and jump right to the comments.
Update on Worker Power Leadership School
We’re not matching in the usual way in the final push to fund a student at the Worker Power Leadership School, but we are matching!
At the end of the last Angel match, we needed $1,524 to get to $13,500 in the thermometer, And as soon as the thermometer hits $13,500, the “$500 bonus Angel” from last week will add the final $1,500 – taking us to the $15k goal.
So we are effectively matching the donations, and we’re matching any amount – until the thermometer shows $13,500 – but we’re not tracking individual donations so you don’t need to tell us about your donation in the comments unless you want to help inspire other folks to donate, too.
All matching stops the second the thermometer hits $13,500. (Then our “$1,500 bonus Angel” will add the final $1,500!
As I write this, $1,349 will get us to $13,500.
Update on NC Black Alliance
Had a great meeting with the NC folks on Friday! Truly kindred spirits.
We are focused on targeted and strategic fundraising; they are equally focused on strategy and data as they choose where to put their efforts with youth engagement in North Carolina. So excited to have found this group and to be able to support them.
I would venture a guess that they are equally excited about partnering with us, and are very happy that we knocked on their (virtual) door.
Open thread.
rikyrah
You rock, WG.
You absolutely rock 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
WaterGirl
@rikyrah: What a nice thing to say, rikyrah! Thank you.
RaflW
I’m doing some heavy duty travel planning this morning, so my silly brain briefly read the title as Getting Over the Finnish Line.
We’ll be in Sweden a few days, but alas not making that border crossing. Need more coffee, clearly.
Oh, and for those in the many cities and towns like mine with parades or festivals today/this weekend: Happy Pride! 🏳️🌈 BF & I will be out at the Twin Cities pageantry and packed pride park today. The weather is ideal!!
WaterGirl
@RaflW: That’s very funny about Finnish in the title!
Safe travels, and take the weather with you.
lowtechcyclist
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful
NotMax
@RaflW
But enough about Lapp dancing.
:)
Trivia:
Per capita, Finns consume the most coffee of any nationality.
(For those keeping score at home, the same holds true for Germans and bananas.)
WaterGirl
@lowtechcyclist: That’s one of my favorites!
Another Scott
I won $2 on the lottery recently, so I’m feeling flush.
+$100.
Thanks WG, angels, Jackals, and everyone doing the work.
Eyes on the prizes.
Cheers,
Scott.
Villago Delenda Est
From the last post:
Political media is absolute garbage in this country. Epitomized by the mewling infant that is A.G. Sulzberger, who is throwing conniption fits because OHJB ignores Sulzberger’s rag. Of course they’re also going to discount VP Harris. Her role helps to undermine the horse race narrative, the only one the lazy dickweeds have.
NotMax
Watching The Smoking Room on Kanopy.
Not necessarily any kind of rock solid recommendation, however wondering how much was adlibbed.
lowtechcyclist
@WaterGirl:
After the first time I heard it on the radio (1987 I think), I ran out and bought the album just for that one song. Ever since my family and I started going to Anna Maria Island every year, it’s been the song I play as we get ready to go.
As us olds know, the title is an old and not very brilliant parody of the old standby postcard line “the weather is beautiful, wish you were here” from the days when we sent postcards from vacation because nobody had email yet. I would have loved to ask Jimmy Buffett just how he got the idea of turning that really dumb joke into one of his best songs.
Trivia Man
Good news for boots on ground –
yesterday WIDEM opened a new field office in Madison. (Getting 95% instead of 85% helps statewide!) Gov Evers and Gov More (MD) gave inspirational and passionate speeches. Very impressive man, i see great things in his future.
Randal Sexton
In for 25
WaterGirl
@lowtechcyclist: Jimmy Buffett was a poet, a songwriter, a musician, and an overall great guy. I would love to have been able to talk with him. I am still sad that he’s gone.
WaterGirl
@Trivia Man: Very glad to hear it!
We are trying to find a way to support Wisconsin boots on the ground, beyond Four Directions, of course.
Wis*Dems have plenty of money without us. I would like to be able to hit the populations that they don’t, so if anyone has political connections in Wisconsin, please get in touch with me.
WaterGirl
I changed the thermometer goal to $13,500 – and then I’ll change it back to $15,000 once our “bonus” Angel adds his $15,000.
Kayla Rudbek
Another $25 to Worker Power
TBone
@lowtechcyclist: ah, the old missing comma gambit!
😆
Glidwrith
In for $25 more
JeanneT
and another $25 from me.
BlueGuitarist
This is great WaterGirl
caphilldcne
@NotMax: geez, how many Germans and bananas do the Finns consume? Seems rude to Germans for that matter.
caphilldcne
In for $25. I think I’m going to start telling the idiots on Reddit to stop fantasizing about replacing candidates with the generic democrat who doesn’t exist and start financing organizing/GOTV efforts. Thank you all for doing the work.
Quadrillipede
@caphilldcne: I was walking past a fast food restaurant the other day, and I saw a man eating chicken!
StringOnAStick
I sent this link to a friend that I’m trying to turn into a BJ follower, and she donated $25.
H.E.Wolf
Worker Power (the current fundraiser) and the NC Black Alliance (up again soon) have Black leadership and staff, and are doing GOTV with Black voters in crucial states.
It’s a smart tactic to support these 2 groups financially, so that they can help prove the political media wrong on election day.
H.E.Wolf
She is awesome and so are you. :-)
WaterGirl
@caphilldcne: Thank you!
You can always post the links to our thermometer (not the thermometer itself) on reddit and on other social media.
All our campaigns are linked in the sidebar, under Fundraising.
caphilldcne
@Quadrillipede: I feel we are ready for standup in the borscht belt!
WaterGirl
@StringOnAStick: Nice! That’s exactly what I’m hoping people will do.
I wrote my comment at #28 before seeing this from you.
something something Stronger Together!
BlueGuitarist
Haven’t been able to keep up, so don’t know if people have discussed this Fluffya Inkwire (Philadelphia Inquirer) editorial emphasizing the main lesson of the debate as trump should drop out.
https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/first-presidential-debate-joe-biden-donald-trump-withdraw-20240629.html
in any case, supporting boots on the ground/downballot candidates seems a good way to deal with debate/campaign/scotus related stress.
caphilldcne
@WaterGirl: sounds good. Way more productive than having my entire day derailed by people being wrong on the internet.
WaterGirl
@BlueGuitarist: Yes, I keep thinking I should front-page that, and then I get distracted.
It can’t be posted enough. They are modeling what should be happening everywhere.
caphilldcne
@Quadrillipede: PS True story, in 6th grade (late 70s) we did a class show and my friend had to walk across the stage with a sign “help I’m being pursued by a man eating chicken.” And yes, followed by a kid in a trench coat eating chicken. Brought down the house.
Armadillo
Earlier today I put in $100 for NC Black Alliance and a few other thermometers that were not yet at the goal. WaterGirl helpfully put the links in the upper right of the homepage.
Also donated to Run For Something https://runforsomething.net/
Also donated to the House and Senate through Charles Gabas’s Blue24.Org which has lists of competitive House, Senate, and State races. And more. https://blue24.org/
I guess I felt like I had to do something. Hopefully you all
WaterGirl
@Armadillo: Thank you. Everything helps!
We have reached the goal for NC Black Alliance – it’s just that $2,500 of that was a paper check that was mailed to their office, so it doesn’t show in the thermometer.
And we’ll be funding NC Black Alliance again soon for Phase II.
lowtechcyclist
@TBone: There was never a comma there in the first place!
The weather is beautiful, wish you were here
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful
Just swapping those two words. Yes, the joke really was that dumb.
WaterGirl
@lowtechcyclist: That wasn’t dumb, that was simple and elegant! :-)
Dean g fitzgerald
@WaterGirl: Gave $10 to leadership school
Quadrillipede
Tengrain has some reasonable advice this morning:
https://mockpaperscissors.com/2024/06/30/the-sunday-sermonette-our-failed-political-press/
WaterGirl
@Dean g fitzgerald: Thank you!
Quadrillipede
@caphilldcne: *drags out a snare, a hi-hat, a stool and a few drumsticks 🥁
Quadrillipede
@BlueGuitarist: that Philadelphia Inquirer article is astounding! I think the FTFTFTFTFTFTFTNYT needs to sit in the corner and think about what it did…
Quadrillipede
@caphilldcne: 😂👍
Wolvesvalley
Here’s another $50.
Getting close to that goal!
sempronia
In for $25.
WaterGirl
@Wolvesvalley: I know! Just $345 left.
Thanks to everyone who is donating.
WaterGirl
Just $51 left on the Worker Power Leadership School effort!
sixthdoctor
in for 26. 13,500. :-)
WaterGirl
We did it! The Balloon Juice Angel will be adding his $1,500 shortly.
Thank you to everyone!
WaterGirl
@sixthdoctor: Thank you!!!!
Right on the nose. :-)
TBone
@lowtechcyclist: I know, I lived in Galveston for a year and am very familiar with Jimmy Buffet.
My sense of humor is now wearing thin, today and yesterday I’ve been explained to way too many times here. Someone explained birds. Birds!?!?