It all started just one year ago… less than a dozen strangers gathered at Mo’s Tavern with hopes of finding “others” like them. With no agenda, and no idea what the future would bring, Drinking Liberally of Salt Lake City was born.

One year later, 250 strong and growing, it is time to celebrate! Join us for a night of “guiltless pleasure” as we attend Saturday’s Voyeur 2006 – Bendover: The Tale of Two Cities on Friday, August 11.

For those who have never been exposed to Saturday’s Voyeur, it is Salt Lake Acting Company’s 2½ hour jab at living in Utah. It is also a place where liberals are the majority. Cabaret table seating is available.

Recently reviewed by Jeremiah, he says, “It is funny as hell!” Heather and Beckie gave it a thumbs up and said “Definitely much better than last year!”
Bring a picnic basket (food and drinks of all types are allowed) and join the fun.

To order tickets: Call 363-7522 and say you are with Heather Culligan and Drinking Liberally.
HURRY!! SLAC will only hold our Drinking Liberally seats until July 10th at which time they will be released to the general public.

Already bought your tickets? Simply call and change nights. Or better yet – go again!

From the Utah Democratic News Network:

“On Saturday, July 29 Utah Democrats will be gathering at Washington Park in Parleys Canyon east of Salt Lake for a Democratic Family Reunion. Democrats in all 50 states will be participating in similar gatherings around the country that day as well.

Democrats from all over Utah are invited to bring the whole family to this event. If you can’t make it, plan a reunion of your own for Democrats in your precinct, legislative district or county to participate in and let us know where your event will be taking place.

The Washington Park event will feature games, great food and an excellent opportunity to get to know one another better. At the event we will launch a voter contact effort asking Democrats to contact 100 voters over the course of the 100 days following July 29th to help us build on the momentum we have already established this year.

Please mark your calendars now to attend the Utah Democratic Family Reunion on July 29. Washington Park is located just east of the Mountain Dell Golf Course. Take Exit 134 on I-80 eastbound. Activities will begin at noon. We will let you know as more details become available. “

Our first Ironweed showing is going to be next Monday, July 10th at Heather and Jeremiah’s residence. If you are interested in attending, send an e-mail to saltlakecity[ at ]drinkingliberally.org and we can send you our address and directions.

We will start at 6:30 with shorter clips playing as people trickle in. The feature film will begin at 7:00. The topic for the first screening liberally is “Conflicted”, with each of the selected clips focusing on the Israeli/Palestinian struggle.

If you are not familiar with Ironweed films, it’s a “monthly progressive film festival on DVD”. Go to http://www.ironweedfilms.com/films for more information.

Our last Reading Liberally facilitated by Jed will be Thursday, July 27th on the back patio of the Fiddler’s Elbow. It should be a good time with book discussion and a farewell celebration as Jed leaves us for graduate school.

The book for discussion is Edward Abbey’s “The Monkey Wrench Gang.” There are plenty of copies at the county library if your liberal drinking has left you strapped for cash this summer. Having read it or not, you are sure to have a good time. Contact Jed for more details: jedelison[ at ]hotmail.com

It seems KRCL is trying out their own version of Drinking Liberally, called “Spirited Conversation”. ‘Cept they’ve got the big names: Doug Fabrizio, Greta Dejong and the host, Ryan Tronier.

From KRCL.org:

“Before the Internet. Before Telephones. Before Television. And before radio…people would learn and discuss important issues surrounding their community through conversation at local pubs. In the spirit of fine traditions, KRCL presents “Spirited Conversation”, an ongoing series of conversations about our community. The series will debut on July 13 with “The Importance of Conversation”. Why we talk, listen, when we do it, and why is it important? Come enjoy spirited conversation and community.”

Where: Squatters Pub / 147 W. 300 S. / Salt Lake City
When: Thursday, July 13; 5-7pm

Reading Liberally will be meeting next Thursday, June 29 at Jed’s humble abode. The book for discussion is Matthew Stewart’s “The Courtier and the Heretic: Leibiniz, Spinoza, and the fate of God in the Modern World.” Having read it or not, you are sure to have a good time. Contact Jed for more details: jedelison[ at ]hotmail.com

Friday, May 19th Drinking Liberally will be taking a stroll- an art Gallery Stroll.
More information can be found by checking here: http://ourcommunityconnection.com/stroll.html

Check back for more details.

We will be discussing Sam Harris’ The End of Faith – Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason on Thursday May 18th, the day before the Gallery Stroll. As a preface to the discussion, I think that we will watch a short clip from an Ingmar Bergman film.

From the book jacket: “In The End of Faith, Sam Harris delivers a startling analysis of the clash between reason and religion in the modern world. He offers a vivid, historical tour of our willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs – even when these beliefs inspire the worst in human atrocities. Harris argues that in the presence of weapons of mass destruction we cannot expect to survive our religious differences indefinitely. Most controversially, he argues that “moderation” in religion poses considerable dangers of its own, as the accommodation we have made to religious faith in our society now blinds us to the role that faith plays in perpetuating human conflict.
While warning against the encroachment of organized religion into world politics, Harris draws on insights from neuroscience, philosophy, and Eastern mysticism to deliver a call for a truly modern foundation for ethics and spirituality that is both secular and humanistic.”

You can still come out and discuss the topics, even if you haven’t read the book. For more information, contact Jed at jedelison [at]hotmail.com .

Please Join Leaders and Representatives from

The Sierra Club
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Utah Open Lands
Save Our Canyons
The Young Democrats of Utah
And More!

And learn about Environmental Issues in Utah!

Cup of Joe’s
(353 W 200 S)
Just Kiddy Corner to the Gateway

Wednesday, April 19th
6 to 8pm