The holidays are over, time to get back to work! I hope your holidays (or vacation days, for those who don't celebrate) were fun and/or restful, and that you are ready for new challenges, because ready or not, they're here!

We will be meeting Thursday, Mellow Mushroom. For the new year, we will be meeting on the second and fourth Thursdays for the foreseeable future.

If anyone has info about local inauguration celebrations pass it on and I will send it to the list.

Reading Liberally: Next book is 'The Big Con' by J. Chait. We'll be meeting Tuesday, January 20th, at 6:00 PM, at the Mustard Seed on Maybank Highway. For more information contact either pennybtravis@yahoo.com or luscrib@bellsouth.net.

What: Drinking Liberally
When: second and fourth Thursdays, 5:30-7:30
Where: Mellow Mushroom (Look for us upstairs
309 King Street (between George and Liberty)

Announcements of interest below.

Shelby

New Bike Ride - Fridays at 9:30, November to May: Comfortable, class 2 (15-18 mph) James Island to Folly Beach ride, 20-25 mi., starting in parking lot at the shopping center with Buffalo South, on the right, just past the corner of Folly and Ft. Johnson. Lunch and interesting conversation afterwards at Buffalo South or Applebees. Hope you can join us. Ride Leader: Astrid LeNoir, 795-2191.

Join a winning team! FBDL plays trivia at Buffalo South on Thursday nights at 8:00 and at the Crab Shack on Folly on Tuesdays at 7:00pm.

The Charleston Women's Medical Center needs volunteers on Saturday mornings to assist patients as they arrive. Generally we help them find parking and act as a buffer between them and the many protesters who shout at them. You can volunteer every week or just when you can. We especially need volunteers on the 3rd Saturday of each month. If you would like to help, please contact Sue Edward at bflosue@earthlink.net or 763-7304

CHARLESTON DEMOCRATIC WOMEN JANUARY DINNER MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

When: Thursday January 15th
Where: The Stern Student Center Atrium Ballroom at the
College Of Charleston located at 71 George Street
downtown Charleston
Time: Registration begins at 6:00 PM
Dinner is served at 6:30-7:00 PM
Speaker and business meeting to follow at 7:30

Speaker: Paul Stoney- Executive Director of the Charleston YMCA and founder of Camp Hope of Charleston, a project of the Diversity Leaders Initiative.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A DINNER YOU MUST SELECT FROM THE FOLLOWING MENU:

Meat: COST: $15
Stuffed Pork Loin, Greek Style
Baked Tomato with Feta Cheese
Couscous with Roasted Red Peppers
Carrot Cake

Vegetarian COST: $12
Fried Eggplant with Spinach, Goat Cheese, Spicy marinara
Asparagus
Risotto
Carrot Cake

*****PAYMENT FOR DINNER MUST BE MADE AT REGISTRATION******
***** PLEASE NOTE*****
YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT
OF YOUR DINNER RESERVATION IF YOU DO NOT ATTEND!

PLEASE RSVP YOUR DINNER RESERVATION TO BONNIEMATTHEWS1@AOL.COM OR CALL 843-513-2624

So it's Thursday again, and I am reminding you about our little meeting. I want also to remind you that even though we have just finished an election, 2010 is not that far away, and our little state is far from blue, so don't forget to pay attention to what is happening.
Check out the South Carolina New Democrats (http://www.scnewdemocrats.org/) and other progressive groups for ideas to take you through to the next campaign season. Political parties still need money, and websites like mediamatters.org and truthout.org are still putting out good info and looking for donations. Also don't forget the local arts scene, there are a lot of shows this holiday season and they need our support.
Okay, enough preaching. I hope to see some of you at Mellow Mushroom. Parking is available in a pay lot on George Street, between Meeting and King, if you can't find any on the street, and the place is pretty kid friendly. I don't mind them if you don't.
See below for some announcements.

What: Drinking Liberally
When: every Thursday, 5:30-7:30
Where: Mellow Mushroom (Look for us upstairs)
309 King Street (between George and Liberty)

Reading Liberally: Next book is 'The Fair Tax Book' by N. Boortz. We'll be meeting Tuesday, December 16th, at 6:00 PM, at the Mustard Seed on Maybank Highway. For more information contact either pennybtravis@yahoo.com or luscrib@bellsouth.net.

Shelby

from Jeff Knighton, former Charleston DL cityleader:
All of us have been talking about not losing the momentum we had going as democrats and I know at the New Dems we are in some serious need of help. I got so much going on to keep getting dems elected. I already have a monster plan to start sweeping up local election across the state. But Phil, our president is busy and I am alone in doing this and could really really use any help I could get. If you could maybe help spread the word that I am looking for Volunteers to come in and help out on projects and to get a hold of me that would be wonderful!

PS an interesting fact I found out and am having Bakari Sellers write an Op-Ed about is how the only three Dems that took over republican seats were all three New Democrats, two of them on the leadership board., Anton Gunn, Floyd Nicholson, and of Course ANN!! New Democrats are the way to a blue SC! vcuknighton@yahoo.com

Thursday Night Folly Bike Ride: We start the ride at 6pm in front of the Holiday Inn on Arctic Avenue, Folly Beach. Easy ride, good friends, good fun, good food. Contact Paul with questions: paulghedden@yahoo.com

FBDL plays trivia at Buffalo South on Thursday nights at 7:00 and at the Crab Shack on Folly on Tuesdays at 7:30pm.

The Charleston Women's Medical Center needs volunteers on Saturday mornings to assist patients as they arrive. Generally we help them find parking and act as a buffer between them and the many protesters who shout at them. You can volunteer every week or just when you can. We especially need volunteers on the 3rd Saturday of each month. If you would like to help, please contact Sue Edward at bflosue@earthlink.net or 763-7304.

CHARLESTON DEMOCRATIC WOMEN!!

HOLIDAY VICTORY PARTY!!!

JOIN US FOR A BUFFET DINNER, MUSIC AND DANCING TO CELEBRATE THE SEASON AND OUR DEMOCRATIC VICTORY!!!

WHEN: DECEMBER 11TH
WHERE: COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
STERN CENTER BALLROOM
TIME: 6:30-9:30 PM
DRESS: FESTIVE / CASUAL
COST: $25 PER PERSON & CASH BAR
Please RSVP by Monday December 8th to:
bonniematthews1@aol.com

http://www.lulu.com/content/4934519

A Charlestonian has put together this free ebook and offered us the link; here is the author's description:
"From the Front Porches of Charleston:" The Election of Barack Obama as President, a special edition commemorative free e-book, celebrating Barack Obama's election as President has been published by lulu.com The book's essay features campaign e-mails from Texas, Kentucky, and Alaska, insights from Charleston civil war diaries, and stories and reactions from around the nation.

"From the Front Porches of Charleston" also contains an 80 page historic collection of photographs, many from Barack Obama's own photostream. The high quality photographs, preserved in digital format, capture the intimate excitement of the campaign, the devotion of Barack to his family, and his open love for his wife Michelle. SC photographs are included and show Barack with John Kerry at the College of Charleston.

Next Thursday is Thanksgiving, and we as liberals have so much for which we can be thankful this year! We will meet this week as usual, but no meeting on Thanksgiving, and no meeting on Christmas (as it is also on a Thursday). We will, however, meet on the other Thursdays, to talk about current issues and ways to continue the good work that has begun. Check below the sig for announcements of interest. Also, go to livingliberally.org and check out the daily blogs there, as well as the Charleston page.
As an aside, of sorts, because this isn't truly a liberal issue, with the economy being so bad, local theatre, music and dance are suffering, so if you can see your way to attend a performance (maybe take those out of town friends who always find their way here over the holidays), try to do it; it's the progressive thing to do!

What: Drinking Liberally
When: every Thursday, 5:30-7:30
Where: Mellow Mushroom (Look for us upstairs)
309 King Street (between George and Liberty)

Reading Liberally: Next book is 'The Fair Tax Book' by N. Boortz. We'll be meeting Tuesday, December 16th, at 6:00 PM, at the Mustard Seed on Maybank Highway. For more information contact either pennybtravis@yahoo.com or luscrib@bellsouth.net.

Shelby

from Jeff Knighton, former Charleston DL cityleader:
All of us have been talking about not losing the momentum we had going as democrats and I know at the New Dems we are in some serious need of help. I got so much going on to keep getting dems elected. I already have a monster plan to start sweeping up local election across the state. But Phil, our president is busy and I am alone in doing this and could really really use any help I could get. If you could maybe help spread the word that I am looking for Volunteers to come in and help out on projects and to get a hold of me that would be wonderful!

PS an interesting fact I found out and am having Bakari Sellers write an Op-Ed about is how the only three Dems that took over republican seats were all three New Democrats, two of them on the leadership board., Anton Gunn, Floyd Nicholson, and of Course ANN!! New Democrats are the way to a blue SC! vcuknighton@yahoo.com

Thursday Night Folly Bike Ride: We start the ride at 6pm in front of the Holiday Inn on Arctic Avenue, Folly Beach. Easy ride, good friends, good fun, good food. Contact Paul with questions: paulghedden@yahoo.com

FBDL plays trivia at Buffalo South on Thursday nights at 7:00 and at the Crab Shack on Folly on Tuesdays at 7:30pm.

The Charleston Women's Medical Center needs volunteers on Saturday mornings to assist patients as they arrive. Generally we help them find parking and act as a buffer between them and the many protesters who shout at them. You can volunteer every week or just when you can. We especially need volunteers on the 3rd Saturday of each month. If you would like to help, please contact Sue Edward at bflosue@earthlink.net or 763-7304.

For a week now we have been able to say "President-elect Barack Obama". Still sounds pretty good, but "President Obama" can't come too soon to suit most of us. I hope you celebrated and cried and laughed all last week, because now is the time we will need to roll up our sleeves and go back to work, to get our country straightened out.
I spoke with a Virginia friend tonight; he of course is very excited that Virginia voted blue, and he said that people seemed friendlier, that they were smiling more. I feel it too, people seem more hopeful, even in this, our very red state (which is getting more blue). A Republican friend, a McCain voter, even said that she hoped the Obama health care proposal passed, because it would help her stepdaughter-to-be, who doesn't have health insurance now. So there is hope that we can all work together to make this a truly "United States" of America.
Let's get together and talk about how to continue to turn this red state blue (or at least purple)-2010 isn't that far away!

What: Drinking Liberally
When: every Thursday, 5:30-7:30
Where: Mellow Mushroom (Look for us upstairs)
309 King Street (between George and Liberty)

Reading Liberally: Next book is 'Age of American Unreason'' by Susan Jacoby. Next meeting will be on Tuesday, November 18th, 6:00 PM, at the Mustard Seed on Maybank Highway. For more information contact either pennybtravis@yahoo.com or luscrib@bellsouth.net.

Shelby

Thursday Night Folly Bike Ride: We start the ride at 6pm in front of the Holiday Inn on Arctic Avenue, Folly Beach. Easy ride, good friends, good fun, good food. Contact Paul with questions: paulghedden@yahoo.com

FBDL plays trivia at Buffalo South on Thursday nights at 7:00 and at the Crab Shack on Folly on Tuesdays at 7:30pm.

The Charleston Women's Medical Center needs volunteers on Saturday mornings to assist patients as they arrive. Generally we help them find parking and act as a buffer between them and the many protesters who shout at them. You can volunteer every week or just when you can. We especially need volunteers on the 3rd Saturday of each month. If you would like to help, please contact Sue Edward at bflosue@earthlink.net or 763-7304.