Drinking Liberally Pasadena Chapter Blog

Good morning liberals/democrats/progressives and other free-thinkers and smart people!

We had a great turnout for our presentation from Donovan from FreeElections. He shared a good amount of interesting information about the Free Elections process and this was followed by a great Q and A session. Our thanks to Frank M. for his work and support.

Funny week:

Sarah Palin: God Wrote Notes On His Hand, Too!

Fashion: The Gods Must Be Crazy
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/08/kristen-mcmenamy-stripped_n_489...

Bayh and Graham, Concern trolls...hilarious:
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/bffs-bayh-and-graham-propose...

Too much fun this week. Join us on Tuesday night and we can make fun of stuff, and drink good wine while doing it.

Here is the best moment of zen, ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKjDacPq2Ig

Gary

Good morning, keepers of the Flame, Socially responsible citizens, and Defenders of Liberty:

Last week I posted the following and will repost again.

Learn about Fair Elections and how it fundamentally and successfully transforms the environment of campaigns to allow candidates to run and win on the basis of leadership and competence -- not on the basis of fund raising ability or personal wealth. Fair Elections is a voluntary system of full public financing of election campaigns. Prop 15 on this June's ballot will create a pilot program of Fair Elections in California for the 2014 & 2018 campaigns for Secretary of State. Fair Elections has a decade-long track record of bipartisan success in 6 states. Let's bring this much needed idea to California! Learn more on March 2nd from Fair Elections volunteer Donovan Steutel or visit www.yesfairelections.org .

We will be starting with Mr. Steutel at 8pm, so if you are interested, please be there before then.
Date: March 2nd.
Place: our normal meeting place at Madeline's.

Please let me know by email if you will be interested and coming to listen to our speaker. I need to know how many people will be coming at least a week ahead of time so I will be able to get the space we'll need for his presentation.

We will be meeting in the big meeting room in the back LEFT of the building. Walk in, turn left, and walk all the way to the back, turn right and you'll see us. Please be on time as we should get started with the presentation about 8pm.

See you Tuesday.

Here is some impressive sidewalk art: Remember...this is art, on a sidewalk, its not three dimensions...cool stuff.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/01/3d-sidwalk-art-that-will_n_4786...

Spaceship Earth:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/4392965590/

Gary

Hi Libs:

Forgive the late posting, lots of patients, crazy day.

I have invited a guest speaker to present a discussion about the following topic:

Learn about Fair Elections and how it fundamentally and successfully transforms the environment of campaigns to allow candidates to run and win on the basis of leadership and competence -- not on the basis of fund raising ability or personal wealth. Fair Elections is a voluntary system of full public financing of election campaigns. Prop 15 on this June's ballot will create a pilot program of Fair Elections in California for the 2014 & 2018 campaigns for Secretary of State. Fair Elections has a decade-long track record of bipartisan success in 6 states. Let's bring this much needed idea to California! Learn more on March 2nd from Fair Elections volunteer Donovan Steutel or visit www.yesfairelections.org .

We will be starting with Mr. Steutel at 8pm, so if you are interested, please be there before then.
Date: March 2nd.
Place: our normal meeting place at Madeline's.

Please let me know by email if you will be interested and coming to listen to our speaker. I need to know how many people will be coming at least a week ahead of time so I will be able to get the space we'll need for his presentation.

We will be having our regular meeting tomorrow night, Tuesday at Madeline's at 7:30.
Hope to see you there.

Here is your Moment of Soupy: (if you don't remember this, then you didn't do what I did on Saturday mornings when I was a kid):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNv3rVV1mfs

Gary

Gary R Vitullo February 19 at 7:09pm

so I'm at Nona's Pizza on Fair Oaks in South Pasadena....the two ladies that run it are from New Jersey and make italian food like its fresh outta the Garden State...
So...I'm sitting there enjoying my secret food passion.....one that I won't put in my food diary for my Crossfit trainer to see...you know, the Queen of Darkness....
and I pick up a copy of the Pasadena Weekly...a wonderful newspaper that I've been involved closely with since I moved here in '82...
I even dated the woman that wrote the Dating Column in it...
well..that was some time ago....
and I read Jim Laris' " Cigar Smoke" opinion piece....and it catches me just the wrong way...
I go back to the office and hammer out a response and amazingly...Kevin....the new editor in chief ...seems to really like it...and publishes it....
Here is Jim's piece, then mine. I haven't had anything published since college...lol...

Jim Laris' piece:
http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/?id=8360

My response in "Letters to the Editor":
http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/letters/8431/

Pasadena Weekly - Right cross
www.pasadenaweekly.com
Pasadena Weekly is the definitive news, culture and entertainment resource for the greater Pasadena area. Award-winning journalism, lifestyle features and entertainment choices free in print and online. Celebrating its' 25th anniversary!
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Democrats and Republicans announcing they will not run again (they must have a nice, cushy lobby job waiting)...

Republicans attacking the Dems with every conceivable and a few non-conceivable ways, trying to win more power in the next election.

Poor Canada, struggling to hold a successful Olympics, and global climate change working against them. (Who knew Washington, DC would be a snowy-er venue?).

Anthem Blue Cross raising rates 39%.
Anthem Blue Cross putting a hold on 39% as they are criticized by both the State and Federal government, and its on TV.

There are all topics we might well be discussing at our Tues. night meeting. Pretty soon it will be warm enough again to take our place out on the patio. Until then we'll meet our special room in the Wine Bar....

See you there!

Here is your Moment of Comedy (not for work listening):
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/bill-maher-tea-baggers-pinin...

Gary

Is President Obama playing a complex game of chicken with both parties on health care? Is he the Jedi Master of Presidents or a disappointing newcomer? The Obama administration on Monday proposed a new agency to study and report on the changing climate. And.....don't lose hope:

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin didn't cage her answer when pressed Sunday morning as to whether she would consider a run for president in 2012.

"I would, I would if I believe that is the right thing to do for our country and the Palin family. Certainly I would do so,"

Oh please....please.....please let this moron run for President.

Come join us for topics such as these and others on Tuesday evening.

Here is your moment of Zen:
http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/open-thread-46

Gary

I thought this in keeping with the Moment of Zen I sent out an hour ago. This....is funny stuff. Click on some of the cakes in the list on the right.

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Have fun:
Gary

Good Monday morning:

This is a post I made to a Conservative doctor on my Newsgroup last week who suggested President Obama hasn't done anything since he has been elected....

To date Barack Obama has delivered on 96 of the campaign promises he made during the campaign. I can list them for you if you'd like.
He has brought the country back from the Republican recession, stabilized the economy, calmed the population, restored the banks and financial services we must have to run as a country, restored our relationships with our allies and because of his personality and profound intellect, made the US a world leader again , instead of a hated, laughing stock that George Bush produced. He reversed all the extra- constitutional 'signing statements' George Bush tried to foist on the American public. He prosecuted two wars and unlike the coward the preceded him, he is bringing them both to a close in a responsible way. Obama then attempted to take on one of the biggest and most important problems that the US has had in a century, health care reform, something every President has tried since WWII and failed. The Republican party, in support of its corporate masters, and the Blue Dog and DLC democrats have watered that down to the point to where its a shell of what it could have been. Like Medicare, health care reform WILL be passed by this President and Congress IN SPITE of everything thrown at it by Corporations, the Republican Party and the Blue Dog democrats. Then in the future, like Medicare, it will be improved to the point where it should have been, if it wasn't for Congresspeople more interested in their ambitions than the American people they were elected to serve. This intelligent and artful President, well-versed in the infighting in the Beltway, accomplished all this and more IN HIS FIRST YEAR.
There has been no President since FDR that has accomplished so much for the country in so little time.

I'm as confused and disappointed as many Liberals about how this President is going about his job, but lets remember we elected a centrist, who is acting like a centrist, and projecting our own desires onto him won't change a thing.

Lets give him his four years, then judge him.

Here is your moment of Zenski: (warning, there is one F-bomb in here):
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/01/the-meanest-cakes-of-all_n_4443...

Good Morning Liberals of all types:

A quick scan of the blogs yields the following headlines...

Obama's First Year Most Polarized Of Any President, Gallup Says (this is news?).

Congressional Dems Grow Frustrated With Obama Over Health Care Impasse (In particular, aides working on reform in both chambers are disappointed that President Obama has failed to push House lawmakers to get on board a strategy to pass the Senate's bill on the condition that it would be revised at a later date). .......has anyone told these dems that the Senate bill is terrible?

Haggis Allowed In The U.S. After 21-Year Ban

Woman Tears Rare Picasso Painting At Metropolitan Museum

Hmmmm...lots of stuff going on.

The people of Haiti are still living in Hell, and its turning into a Freakshow Of Politics down there, as the present ruler has largely disappeared and people are calling for Jean-Bertrand Aristide to return. You remember him, hes the guy that George Bush had removed from office through our CIA.

So...lots going on, lots to discuss. I hope you will come and bring a friend.

Here is your MOMENT (warning, lots of F words in this):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAOLOGGftTY

Gary

Today is the day we celebrate an American martyr, Martin Luther King. Its interesting to reflect how one person, can make such a difference. In the history of America, he stands out as a shining example for all of us to remember how just one person can influence so many others as a force of Justice and Equality.

With that said...

The Massachusetts race seems to have turned into a nightmare for the Democrats.

The Dem leadership is making plans to push health care through any way they can at this point. If Brown wins in MA, as Yoda says "Dark things look".

The people of Haiti are still suffering.

White House Will Make Major Regulatory Reform Push After Health Care.

I know we are all disappointed with how things have turned out since the election of Barak Obama. Some are very disappointed, some just a little. Here is a good article from John Amato of CrooksandLiars.com that sums up his feelings on the matter. I think it will touch a note for many of us:

http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/tough-times

Here, from my Physicist son's favorite humor site, is your Moment of Zen: http://xkcd.com/676/

See you Tuesday night. Bundle up, bring an umbrella, and bring a friend.

Gary