Email Problems

Courtney, okay this is the scond time I have receive this message when trying to email you from Yahoo. I used the second email address you provided and I received the following message:

Hi. This is the qmail-send program at yahoo.com.
I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following
addresses.
This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out.

[courtney I blanked out your email. I did copy and paste it from your original email, so there's no problem in that regard]:
70.87.3.163 does not like recipient.
Remote host said: 550-DNSBL listed at bl.theplanet.com
550 Blocked - see http://www.spamcop.net/bl.shtml?206.190.58.221
Giving up on 70.87.3.163.
----------------
PS This is the same message I got when I tried to email you yesterday.

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Things To Do

• Develop a logo that people can put on their websites and which links to this blog.


• Develop a generic letter to the editor that people can use to send to their local newspapers.


• Following up on the preceding point: Develop a web tool that can 1) have people sign a petition to Congress about the Day Without a Patriot and 2) simultaneously provide a template letter to the editor which is signed by epople and then sent to their local newspapers.
  
  I've seen these tools on several websites, and I'll try to post a link to one so everyone can see what I mean.


• Develop a press release that can be sent to national news media outlets. This must be done four weeks before the action begins.

Things Done

• Added sitemeter to this blog. This will help us track the number of visitors to the site, thereby providing some gauge of public interest in the action.

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Helena Cobban's Questions

Helena Cobban from Just World Newsreplied to an email I sent requesting her sugegstions. She replied:

I am intrigued but a bit mystified by your proposal. Partly, perhaps, because I am somewhat ambivalent about the whole discourse of "patriotism" (and especially its misuses), but also because I am not entirely clear that the way you propose to use the discourse in this project is clear and compelling. "A day without a patriot"-- does this imply that on that day the participants are abstaining from patriotism? I think not....

I also wonder whether it might make more sense to synergize your efforts with those of bigger existing projects? No particular one or ones in mind-- but there is a lot going on nationwide with CodePink, UFPJ etc etc...

I do think the idea of a day of action is a good one... i have no great constructive suggestions to make right now, but let me think on't some more.

Ideas, anyone?

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Rolling Patriot Flu

cfaller writes:

I recommend a rolling "Patriot Flu" to be accomplished in the fall, to precede the mid-terms. I live in a Red State (SC), and I can tell you I'm going to need a lot of time to convince people to take part in this.

Also, I suggest a geographic flow: West Coast to East Coast, or vice versa. If (hopefully) attention is paid to the "Patriot Flu" as it sweeps across the nation, that will have a positive impact on the number of "afflicted" in upcoming cities. Again, since I live on the East Coast, I would recommend that we go from West to East.

Organizing efforts should be really, really focused on the top 30 metro areas of the country (the pro sports cities), and dedicate 1 city for each day. Other, smaller regional cities can join in on the same day as the major metro area.

To respond to your request, and keeping all of the above in mind, here is what I suggest:

Seattle 9/20
Portland 9/21
San Francisco 9/22
Los Angeles 9/25
Las Vegas 9/26
Salt Lake City 9/27
Phoenix 9/28
Denver 9/29
Dallas 10/2
Houston 10/3
San Antonio 10/4
Kansas City 10/5
Minneapolis 10/6
Chicago 10/9
Detroit 10/10
Indianapolis 10/11
Cleveland 10/12
Cincinnatti 10/13
Nashville 10/16
Miami 10/17
Tampa 10/18
Jacksonville 10/19
Atlanta 10/20
Charlotte 10/23
Pittsburgh 10/24
Philadelphia 10/25
Baltimore 10/26
Boston 10/27
New York 10/30
Washington, DC 11/1

We are going to need an organizer for each city, responsible for building pre-event commitments, generating pre-event publicity, organizing event day activities and public relations, etc. Reaching out to the rest of the net is probably the best bet, but perhaps this is something that local Democratic Party chairs would be interested in.

Comments?

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What We Need Now

• A date must be fixed as soon as possible.


• If there is to be a rolling "Patriot Flu" over several days, the geographical regions and their sequence must be determined.


• This site must be emailed/forwarded to as many people as possible.

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Day Without a Patriot

Issues

• Stop the War in Iraq
  
• Find and Arrest bin-Laden
  
• Stop Spying Illegally on Americans
  
• Close the torture houses

Rationale

The big aspect of this civil action is the economic impact that such an event would cause. Imagine the fear and trembling of those Repub and Dem politicians were the economy to come to a halt for one day.

Action [In Process]

People supporting these issues will simply stay away from work. This might occur on a rolling regional basis. Excluded--for now--are people who provide vital services.

For those willing to do so, silent mass march on the Capitol, the White House, and the Pentagon.

For others, possible actions while taking the day off could include:

• Writing a letter to the editor in opposition to one of the issues.


• Inviting friends and acquaintances into your home to discuss the issue.
  
• Running an advertisement in the newspaper that notes the issues and why people should endorse them.
  
• Reading a book that covers one of these issues.
  
• Engaging in on-line discussion groups to discuss these issues.
  
• Monitoring the national news and send emails to correct misstatements of facts or refusal to adequately cover the event.
  
• Putting a US flag out. If you don’t have one buy it and fly it from a window.
  
• Publishing photos of the Iraq carnage at your blog. If you don’t have blog create one and publish the photos.

(Suggestions for further actions requested)

Operational Guidelines

Do not be provoked into countering negativity with negativity. While anger and indignation might be warranted, this is a day for education. Be informed to inform; be educated to educate; be Socratically open to questions to Socratically ask questions.

Counter-Attack

Companies that threaten or take action against employees who opt out of working on this day are to be published on a national web page and people encouraged to boycott the company and its services/products.

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