Due to the first presidential debate, we decided to push back our bar crawl event back one week to THIS FRIDAY – OCTOBER 3RD.

Bar Crawl

Drinking Liberally SLC is teaming up with the Young Democrats of Utah for a Park City bar crawl. You don’t have to be young – and you don’t have to be a democrat – to enjoy great company and political conversation during this event.

We will be meeting in Park City outside Mulligans Bar (800 Main Street) at 8:00 pm ** correction we are meeting at 9:00. Bring a friend and bring a driver. See you there!

Endearing at first, then annoying, then mean.

McCain Sings Streisand!

It is with increasing frequency I hear people saying “I am so sick of politics!” or “this election needs to be over” or even “I am ready to just tune it all out”. The sad thing is I am feeling it too! But the frustrating part for me is the lies and distortions that are being spread. Discuss facts! Build plans for progress! Leave the lies and attacks out, please!

Friends – keep spreading the truth. Stay focused. Don’t let people give up on democracy.

An instant classic if you ask me.

I just recently began reading “Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong” by James W Loewen. It has been on our shelf for quite sometime, however it was pulled off when Laughing Liberally comedian Lee Camp was visiting SLCDL and recommended it. I am not too far into the book, but I just read something that gives me hope.

The author is discussing President Woodrow Wilson. Most textbooks portray Wilson as a hero to women’s suffrage, reluctant to go to war, and for having established the League of Nations. What the textbooks do not portray is his incredibly racist beliefs, his unnecessary invasion of foreign countries, and his complete disregard for human rights. The parallels to today’s president are creepy. Helen Keller even called Wilson “the greatest individual disappointment the world has ever known!” yet it is Bush who has the lowest approval rating.

Wilson wanted to strengthen the Espionage Act, for example, and give the president broader censorship powers. Wilson also allowed the postmaster general to use his powers to suppress mail delivery if it was “socialist, anti-British, pro-Irish, or in any other way might, in his view, have threatened the war effort”. On top of all this, once the war was long over, Wilson vetoed a bill that would have abolished the Espionage and Sedition Acts.

As I read this portion of the Chapter, I can’t help but think of times today. The President as the “decider”, the Patriot Act, FISA, Homeland Security, etc. At what point does the fear tactics stop and human rights become of value again?

After Wilson’s term, during the election of 1920, Warren G Harding “crushed” James Cox, who should have been Wilson’s successor. Harding had never campaigned before yet the people were tired and wanted to “return to normalcy”. Possibly wanting Change? Hope?

I’ve mentioned the Department of Energy’s Alaska report to many DL’ers, but I often forget just how much we’ll save if we were to drill for oil off the Alaskan North Slope.

In 10 years time we will shave off $0.75 per barrel of crude oil, assuming current oil prices (nearly $100.00 as of this writing).

This also assumes a number of other very optimistic conditions. This bears repeating over and over, folks.  It’s not just about keeping Alaskan habitat from being destroyed and wildlife displaced, but also about helping people understand that a vote for McCain is not a vote for saving money at the pump or making us safer. Our dependence on foreign oil can only be remedied by reducing our dependence on oil period.

Here’s the Anchorage Daily News’ take on it, if you don’t want to sift through the massive amounts of information in the link above.

When I set up this blog I wanted it to be open to anyone who had something to say, so I left registration open and didn’t require moderation. Well that changes today after some jackass posted a number of porn spam posts. New and current users will need to have their posts approved first, with the exception of users I know are real.

Sorry if you were exposed to that crap unwittingly – and especially to the RSS readers because I know deleted posts have a tendency to stay in your feed.

UPDATE: I wanted to thank Misty of Saintless for pointing it out to us.

Palin’s RNC speech was entertaining if nothing else.  McCain’s, not so much.  At least not without the drinks. This would have really made the night:

This is our second year attending the Drinking Liberally National Conference. Last year, we were welcomed by the Des Moines, Iowa chapter and this year we are in Charlotte, North Carolina. We met Marcus, one of the Charlotte hosts, at the Des Moines event last year and found out that at one point, he lived in good old Sandy, Utah. He hated it. Oh, what a small world it is.

Last night, we spent the evening at a welcome reception in the NoDa District, an up and coming “transitional” area, meeting new hosts and reconnecting with others. The weather has been great with minimal traces of Hurricane Hanna. I was quite surprised by all the new faces who were not at last year’s meeting and now feel like Salt Lake is quite the established chapter. One of the advantages to meeting here in Charlotte is the nice location to other neighboring chapters. South Carolina has 8 chapters! Why can’t Utah get more than one? John, from the Denver chapter, was here as was Amanda, our Des Moines host from last year. There were a few others returning from last year including, of course, all the national organizers, but overall, it was nice to see so many new faces.

So far all the Charlotte hosts have been fabulous! I have been impressed by the hospitality of them, as well as all the other Charlottens (is that what they are called?). I am going to wait until tomorrow to write about the “real” DL stuff that happened today – it probably isn’t safe to write while under the influence. Let me just tell you that this conference is just as exciting as I remember from last year. The politics across the country – including Utah – are changing and it is exciting to see how Drinking Liberally can have an impact. The social connections/networking has been amazing and someday – oh yes, someday – I KNOW Utah will no longer be the reddest state in the nation

Jeremiah and I made it safe and sound to the Drinking Liberally National Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. Expected attendance is 50 or so folks from across the county. We have been drinking and socializing for the past 5 hours so I may be embarrassed if I try to write too much, but expect more during tomorrow’s sessions.

Cheers! Heather