Screening Liberally Created by Bec Zajac Yes folks, it's time for the biggest political event of the season.... More controversial than the presidential elections, a damn sight sexier than the Democratic National Convention, wackier than the Conservative Political Action Conference, and more talked about than the National Tea Party Convention... It's the 82nd Annual Academy Awards!!! And this year, to spice it up a little for all you lefties out there, we've put together a “Who Am I?” about all your favorite pinko Oscar nominees. 1) I drive a Toyota Prius? A – Meryl Streep B – Maggie Gyllenhaal C – Penelope Cruz D – Sandra Bullock 2) A former Canadian Prime Minister is my great grandfather. A – Anna Kendrick B – Christopher Plummer C – Jeremy Renner D – Stanley Tucci 3) Despite dropping out of high school, I have an IQ of 160. A – Quentin Tarantino B – Lee Daniels C – Vera Farmiga D – Ethan Coen 4) I said, “"There is a need, especially right now in America, to be a bit provocative."
Republicans turn their back on the Enlightenment Decline of the political species: Charles Darwin and Rick Santorum From today's paper: Over in the US, the Republican party is choosing its presidential nominee to face Barack Obama in November. But whoever wins, science may lose. The Grand Ol’ Party (GOP), as the Republicans are known, has an uncomfortable relationship with scientific fact. It’s not just the candidates. “Is the GOP anti-science?” To some extent, the cause is obvious. But it hasn’t always been like this in the party of Eisenhower and Lincoln. This Nixonian strategy actually changed conservative psychology, according to Mooney. Worse, it’s become a vicious circle. And to appeal to this anti-intellectual base, the Republican elite now have to pretend to be stupider than they are. Do they mean it, or is it pandering to their anti-intellectual base? Perhaps.
Laughing Liberally by Ben Lust This past Wednesday, I went to my first event as an intern for Living Liberally. "Stand Up for Freedom!" presented by the PEN American Center and featuring Laughing Liberally, was a huge hit. In a quick summation before I begin, the night was highlighted by many wonderful first-time experiences. I was not sure what to expect when I walked in those doors of the Galapagos Arts Center at 6pm, two hours before the show started. Following this water-revelation, I began to chat with Beth, one of the event planners from PEN. When I returned to Galapagos, I took my position of selling tickets at the front door. Katie Halper, the MC, started the show off right with a great set, warming us up to see her several times through the night as she performed before introducing each comedian. Next was Negin Farsad. Next up was Baratunde Thurston. Once Baratunde exited, Katie took the stage once more. Next up, John Fugelsang. As I was saying before, this night was filled with firsts for me.
Rise of the Religious Right in the Republican Party Reading Liberally Tonight, as the President takes to the podium in the Capitol, members of Drinking Liberally take to bars across America. This is the 9th year running that Drinking Liberally is hosting State of the Union Watch Parties, and you're invited to join. Find your local chapter on our DL map and see if they've promoted a special watch party for tonight. And whether you're a host or a guest, bring some games to your local event. Here's a link to SOTU Bingo Cards created by Kathleen Thompson, our host in Mid-Cities Texas. Check them out and print them out here. And our Baltimore host, Robyn Henry, took it a different route: she supplied the words and you can fill in your own Bingo cards. Her instructions: "Before the speech, fill in each space on a 5x5 grid from the choices below.
Eating Liberally Americans may be deeply divided about what ails our country, but there's no denying we're a nation of unhappy campers. Danes, on the other hand, consistently rank as some of the happiest people in the world, a fact attributed at least in part to Denmark's legendary income equality and strong social safety net. Forbes recently cited another possible factor; the Danes' "high levels of trust." In fact, as Richard Wilkinson, a British professor of social epidemiology, recently stated on PBS NewsHour , "if you want to live the American dream, you should move to Finland or Denmark, which have much higher social mobility." While we debate whether climate change is real and a tax on unhealthy foods is nanny state social engineering, the Danish are actually trying to address these problems head on. Could Danish-style democracy catch on here at home? One of the pioneers of this movement is the dynamic Danish chef and climate change activist Trine Hahnemann, whose latest book is The Nordic Diet.
Living Liberally Drinking Liberally Trump’s national security chief resigns, the White House can’t get its story straight on who knew what and when they knew, and Flynn kept getting briefings even after the DOJ warned he could be blackmailed. Executive orders are stopped by courts, but Trump advisers say they can ignore judges, as they try to appoint a Supreme Court justice, and as ICE detains DACA recipients and other folks just for not having ID. Israel and China policy change on the fly, legions of civil servants resign en masse while others go rogue within departments that are being led by a Swamp Cabinet of kleptocrats, oligarchs, and autocrats. Puzder is sunk, Conway is scolded, campaign aides were emailing with Russia, Trump handles North Korea in public over dinner, and finds time to tweet against critics and companies to divert attention from his team’s impeachable offenses. If you’re feeling nervous, you’re not alone as this is all a matter of National Insecurity.
Progressive Voices The Political Compass How To Win a Fight with a Conservative: Revised and Updated Edition