The Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally is still “on tour,” searching for a new permanent home. We’ve received a number of excellent suggestions, and will be following them up and voting on new locations to check out in the coming weeks.

This evening is, of course, the Presidential State of the Union Address. And that will be followed by a “response” from the highest ranking Republican woman in the House, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R WA-5).

We’ll watch those while checking out the state of the Union Bar, 5609 Rainier Ave S Seattle. Our normal starting time is 8:00pm, but this week we’ll start at 5:30pm for the 6:00pm start of the SOTU address.

The Union Bar assures us they will have the SOTU on the TV. But I am not sure what the acoustics are like. Bring a radio and ear buds if you must hear every word.

Can’t make it to Seattle to watch the SOTU? The Northwest Progressive Institute will host a SOTU watching party at the Bellevue Regional Library, Room 1, 1111 110th Avenue NE, Bellevue.

Besides the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally, the Tri-Cities chapter meets tonight and every Tuesday night. And next Monday, the Yakima, South Bellevue and Olympia chapters meet.

With 213 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, four in Oregon, and three more in Idaho, chances are excellent there’s a chapter meeting somewhere near you.

David Pakman: WI Republicans propose 7 day work week bill.

N-S-Ay What?

• Mark Fiore: Translating Obama.
• Five movies that predicted U.S. surveillance.
• Sam Seder: Why Obama’s “trust me” isn’t enough
• Liberal Viewer: Justin Bieber beats NSA spying on MSNBC this week.

Stephen discovers a Chinese knockoff.

White House: West Wing Week.

Because Freedom!

• Ann Telnaes: Take your chances WV.
• Roy Zimmerman: “Freedom Industries”:
• Thom: The WV Water poisoning show the trouble with Libertarianism
• Maddow: West Virginia Governor tells residents they have to decide for themselves if water is safe or not

Stephen: Net neutrality.

Thom: Could a Rand Paul candidacy be the best thing ever for liberals?.

Absurdity Today : The end of democracy, justice, AND cat videos.

Fighting World Poverty:

• Bill Gates’ Viral video.
• John Green: Are poor countries doomed.
• Pap: Time for a new war on poverty
• Dennis Trainor, Jr.: Open letter to the 85 richest people on the planet

David Pakman: SF’s $10.74 minimum wage has not hurt the economy.

ONN: Onion Week in Review.

This Week in the Wingnut War on Women™:

• Young Turks: “Birth control is how Dems control horny women” says prominent caveman.
• Sam Seder: FAUX and Fiends—Feminism is a national security threat?!?
• Sarah Silverman is visited by Jesus:
• Young Turks: A “Huck You” to American women.
• WaPo: How one man blew the the McDonnell corruption case wide open.
• Thom: Republicans have a bizarre view of morality.
• Huckabee: The New G.O.P.
• David Pakman: Republican Dick Black, “Raping your wife can’t be a crime”
• Sharpton: When it comes to talking about women, will the GOP ever learn?
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Autopsy update—GOP re-affirms anti-abortion goonery
• Alex Wagner with Sarah Silverman and Lizz Winstead: Failed Pres. candidate, “Uncle Sugar” Huckabee, wants women to control their libido!
• Ana Kasparian: Is Antonin Scalia ignorant, biased or just plain lying about abortion clinics?
• Sam Seder with Janet Reitman: The stealth war on Abortion
• Dennis Trainor, Jr.: Reproductive rights in a state of emergency

Young Turks: Dinesh D’Louza.

Mental Floss: 33 fun facts about Colleges.

Republican Voter Fraud Fraud:

• Sharpton: Jim Crow vote-rigging and poll taxes—50 years later.
• Lawrence O’Donnell: The “Ginsburg” Report: Republicans rebuked for sinster vote-rigging tactics.
• Chris Hayes: Southern white Republicans say that Voting Rights Act is racist.
• Sam Seder and Cliff Schecter: House tries fixing Voting Rights Act.
• Sharpton: It’s time to fix Republican vote-rigging

Maddow: Does fracking cause earth quakes.

Stephen: Mars has doughnuts.

G.O.P. Corrupt Governor’s Club:

• Jon: Why are so many GOP governors under fire right now
• Pap: Chris Christie’s “boardwalk empire” crumbles.
• Christie Creamed: 11 weeks later.
• Thom: The Christie–Koch connection
• Sam Seder: Christie’s Lt. Gov or Hoboken Mayor…Who could possibly be lying?
• Maddow: Gov. Bob ‘Blagojevich’ McDonnell…Will ‘Mr. Ultrasound’ go to jail?
• Young Turks: Was the bribe legal?
• Chris Hayes: Gov. Bob McDonnell & the perils of being powerful, but not rich
• Ed: McDonnell & Christie—A tale of two corrupt GOP Governors
• Truth teller: The time Chris Christie lied to voters.
• David Pakman: Republican party collapses in Virginia.
• Sam Seder: Republican Bob McDonnell is a world class moocher…and felon!

Chris Hayes: ‘President Obama is black’ is the latest FAUX, right-wing racial freakout.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

The Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally is “on tour,” searching for a new meeting location. The folks who showed up last week agreed to a list of places to try for the next month. We’ll visit a new place each week.

This week we meet at the Madrona Eatery and Ale House. Starting time is 8:00pm. I hope you can join us.

Can’t make it tonight? Check out another Washington state DL over the next week. The Tri-Cities and Shelton chapters also meet on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, the Bellingham and Burien chapters meet. And on Thursday, the Woodinville chapter meets.

With 213 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, four in Oregon, and three more in Idaho, chances are excellent there’s a chapter meeting near you.

Sacred Catch: Preview of a series coming to KUOW.

Daily Show on on FAUX’s ‘The Five’.

Dennis Trainor, Jr.: Four reasons George W. Bush should be held accountable for war crimes.

Mental Floss: 33 fascinating songwriter stories.

Barbara Bush on Jeb Bush running and political dynasties

Ana Kasparian and friends: FAUX commentator calls for execution of religious minority.

Young Turks: Bizarre political ad.

WaPo: How the NSA can track Americans.

Ann Telnaes: Boehner thinks there are enough regulations.

ONN: Swift Boat Veterans for Truth clear Kerry after nine year investigation:

Jon on Iran sanctions.

Young Turks: Best and worst response to the chemical leak.

Thom: Seattle swears in a Socialist.

Roy Zimmerman: Norwedish Hate Anthem.

Stephen: Invade everything.

American Minute: 800,000 users per day.

Alex Wagner and Ezra Klein: What do new ACA numbers mean for the law?

BullyGate:

• Maddow: “Mafia like” corruption in Gov. Christie’s regime.
• Liberal Viewer: Is Gov. Christie like a mob boss?
• Sharpton: Examples of Christie being a bully
• Fallon and Springsteen: Ode to Gov. Christie (R-NJ)
• Sam Seder and Cliff Schecter: Poor Chris Christie—The Boss doesn’t like him.
• As long as you do what he says.
• Ann TelnaesChristie swimming the the fishes
• Christie miscellania
• O’Donnell: How the GOP will kneecap Christie in 2016
• Jay Rockefeller finds “Zero evidence” Christie’s bridge closings were part of a traffic study
• Alex Wagner: Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ), this is your life.
• Tweety and Bill Maher: bully
• Sharpton: How Gov. Christie lied about the GWB sabotage
• The Very Last Word: Chris Hayes: Gov. investigated.
• Matt Binder: Did Christie misuse Sandy relief?

Thoughts, rants and cold coffee.

Young Turks: What was really in the Benghazi report.

Stephen: Ridiculous French sex scandal.

Thom: America’s real welfare queens.

Red State Update: Joe Biden Day.

Obama’s NSA Reforms:

• Obama’s NSA speech.
• Young Turks: Obama’s NSA speech.
• Sam Seder and Cliff Schecter: Obama’s NSA reforms are light on reforms.

White House: West Wing Week.

Dennis Trainor, Jr.: We need a democracy to fix this shit.

Dave Pakman: Just 0.01% of climate scientists reject climate change.

Jon gets sexually harassed.

This Week in the Republican War on Women™:

• Sam Seder: Is this Republican the next Todd Akin?
• Thom with Lizz Winstead: “I have a politician in my pussy”.
• Sam Seder: GOP candidate is big on spousal rape
• Sam Seder: Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R) wants to force births to “create jobs”

Ed: Obama’s marriage is on El Rushbo’s scandal wish list.

Mark Fiore: The Climateers.

Young Turks: The IRS “scandal” is “officially” over.

Lee Camp: Moment of clarity.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

Last week we had a DL surprise. We showed up at the Montlake Ale House only to find that the pub was closed! The business had been sold and a new restaurant is planned to open in its place.

For us, this marks the end of a nine year run at the Montlake Ale House. But this is an opportunity to try someplace new. Therefore, we will have a “traveling DL” for a month or two, trying a different location each week until we find someplace new (or, perhaps, even return to whatever the Ale House becomes).

This Tuesday we will meet to discuss new places to try. So, please join us for some pub punditry over a pint at the the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally. Starting time is 8:00pm.

This week only, DL will be held at the College Inn Pub at 4006 University Way NE, Seattle, in the heart of the University District.

Can’t make it tonight? Check out another Washington state DL over the next week. The Tri-Cities and Vancouver, WA chapters also meet this Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Bellingham chapter meets. For Thursday, the Spokane and Tacoma chapters meet. And next Monday, the Aberdeen, Yakima and Olympia chapters meet.

With 214 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, four in Oregon, and three more in Idaho, chances are excellent there’s a chapter meeting near you.

Mark Fiore: One minute Middle East update.

Polar Vortex Politics:

• Alyona: Limbaugh’s conspiracy theory.
• White House Science adviser explains the polar vortex.
• Polar vortices and global warming
• Young Turks: Did the Liberal media create the Polar Vortex?
• We the Geeks: Extreme weather events.

Whose side are they on?

Thom: The Good, The Bad, and The Very, Very Ugly.

David Pakman: Pat Robertson’s 2014 predictions.

Zina Saunders: Paul Ryan Koch toy:

Ed: Rep. Gov. Scott Walker thinks only kids are affected by minimum wage!

ANOTHER 60 Minutes Failure:

• Thom: 60 Minutes, are you watching news or infomercials?
• Ana Kasparian: Why Does 60 Minutes Keep Screwing Up?

Young Turks: Dumbest talking point ever.

Thom chats with Kshama Sawant.

Maddow: Lt. Governor problems.

White House: West Wing Week.

Pap: GOP sociopaths learn empathy.

The Pot-Texting-Industrial Complex:

• Jon mocks Bill-O the Clown over Chinese texting and pot smoking
• Young Turks: Bill-O is embarrassed by Jon.

David Pakman: Mitt criticizes Obama for doing exactly what he did.

Thom: Who are the real ObamaCare hypocrites?

Chris Hayes: Extreme cruelty is the Republican “war on poverty.” Part I.
Chris Hayes: Extreme cruelty is the Republican “war on poverty.” Part II.

Young Turks: Republican pollster Frank Luntz gets depressed and hides in his mansion:

Chris Christie’s Own Bridgegate to Nowhere:

• Sam Seder: Christie aid is BUSTED.
• Absurdity Today: Chris Christie’s Top 5 Alibis
• Scandal grade: incomplete.
• Pap and Thom: Christie’s Nixon moment.
• Young Turks: Chris Christie bully mash-up.
• Lawrence O’Donnell and David Corn: How the bridge scandal will affect Christie’s presidential prospects
• Christie on the bridge closures
• David Pakman: Chris Christie bridge scandal leads to woman’s death.
• The Guardian: Gov. Christie’s apology in 2:40
• Young Turks: Bridgegate Lawsuit.
• About “Callous”
• Chris Hayes: Christie’s political future?
• Ed: Christie says he is not a bully!
• Sharpton: Did Christie lie?
• Five clips of Gov. Christie being a bully
• O’Donnell: The Christie gang takes the fifth.
• Ann Telnaes: Gov. Christie Insists he is not a bully .
• Christie politics: See how it’s done
• Sam Seder and Cliff Schecter Nevermind Prez in 2016, will he still be gov in 2015?
• Maddow: An alternative theory of the Christie scandal.
• Maddow chats with Mayor Mark Sokolich, Part I
• Maddow chats with Mayor Mark Sokolich, Part II
• Lawrence O’Donnell: “I am no bully”
• Ed, Pap, and Fugelsang: Christie better lawyer up!
• Christie croney repeatedly pleads the fifth
• Thom: Chris Christie is a bully
• Chris Hayes: Jersey city Mayor calls out “petty Christie-Crats”

Can your booze predict your politics?

Richard Fowler: Paul Ryan lectures the Pope on Capitalism.

Thom: Boeing goes to pieces…screws the U.S..

Mental Floss: 30 (more) life hacks debunked.

We Aren’t Going To Have Liz to Kick Around Anymore:

• Liz Cheney quitting means nothing to the Republicans
• Sam Seder: Liz Cheney has no heart for a crushing defeat.

Young Turks: Someone who really shouldn’t criticize free lunches, does.

Sam Seder: FAUX News chief is a slimy asshole.

Thom: The Republican sabotage of America.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

“I did not have selective lane closures with that Bridge…Mr. Washington.”

Oh, the humanity!

**Update: I just got a call from a DL regular. Apparently the Montlake Ale House is closed this evening. Good thing I posted the announcement really late tonight!

Update II: Goldy, N in Seattle and I are heading for The College Inn, 4000 University Way NE
Seattle, WA. Please join us!

Start out the new year right by joining us tonight for an evening of post-holiday politics over a pint at the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally.

We meet tonight and every Tuesday evening at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. Our normal starting time is 8:00pm.

Can’t make it tonight? Check out another Washington state DL over the next week. Tonight the Tri-Cities chapter also meets. On Wednesday, the Bellingham chapter meets. On Thursday the Bremerton chapter meets. And on Friday, the Centralia chapter meets.

With 212 chapters of Living Liberally, including eighteen in Washington state, four in Oregon, and three more in Idaho, chances are excellent there’s a chapter meeting near you.

Young Turks: Recreational pot causes long lines in CO .

The Horrors of Affordable Health Care for All:

• Ann Telnaes: Healthcare and freedom from religion.
• Kliff Notes: Obamacare dates to watch in 2014
• Chris Hayes: 9 Million Plus Served!
• Ed: ObamaCare marks a new era of security for Americans:
• Sam Seder: Debunking the right wing’s ObamaCare claims.
• Liberal Viewer: Really? Lie of the Year?
• Thom: Time to close the Red State doughnut hole:

Sam Seder: Did Chris Christie create massive traffic jams because of political feud?

Young Turks: Belief in evolution—Republicans versus Democrats.

Benghaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzziiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!1!!11!

• David Pakman: Investigation finds no al Qaeda link in Benghazi.
• Chris Hayes: The New York Times Exposes GOP Benghazi lies.
• Joy Reid: New York Times punches holes in GOP’s Benghazi lies.

Pap and Thom: Oil industry wants to privatize profits, socialize risks.

Zina Saunders: The animated life and times of Ronald Reagan.

Young Turks: Billionaire warns the Pope.

Invasion of Privacy, Florida Style:

• Young Turks: Drug testing for welfare recipients is ruled unconstitutional.
• Sharpton: Judge strikes down Florida Gov. Rick Scotts’s racist drug testing plan.

David Pakman: Scott Walker makes WI #1…in jobless claims.

WaPo: How unemployment benefits could make a comeback.

Sam Seder: Is David Brooks high?!?

Young Turks: Charlie Christ “evolves” on gay marriage.

New Year:

• Mark Fiore: Little Suzie Newsykins remembers to forget for the new year.
• Lee Camp: The Most Jaw-Dropping Underreported Stories Of 2013
• Alex Wagner: America’s most colorful political characters in 2013:
• Young Turks: Was 2013 a good year?
• Joy Reid: Will 2014 be the year for liberals?
• David Pakman: 5 worst FAUX News moments of 2013
• Sen. Sherrod Brown’s New Year Resolution.
• Sen. Joe Manchin’s New Year’s Resolution.
• Sen. Tim Kaine’s New Year’s Resolution.
• Sen. Tom Harkin’s New Year’s Resolution.
• One minute news: Fun new laws for 2014.
• Mental Floss: 38 Bizarre items dropped on New Years.
• Ed: Ted Cruz is the 2013 “Pretender of The Year”
• White House: West Wing Week year in review.
• Young Turks: Best stories of 2013.

Maddow: Epic Koch brothers smackdown (via Crooks and Liars).

Sam Seder: Democrats will win with minimum wage in 2014.

David Pakman: Same-sex couples breaking records in Utah.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

At 9:30 today, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray will hold a live web cast to “discuss next steps to raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour for all Seattle City employees”.

Watch it here:

Here are my blogging resolutions for 2014:

• I’ll post more content than just “Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza” and “Drinking Liberally” this year.
• I’ll make every effort to avoid posts about Fibonacci sequences or Taylor series expansions.
• I’ll only blog professions of love to genuine offspring.
• I will not use the term “cephalonomancy” in a blog post this year. Period.
• I’ll scrap the draft about wetbacks with body parts the size of cantaloupes.
• I won’t blog about degrees of legitimacy regarding rape or about fecundability following rape.
• I’ll ALMOST shut down HorsesAss until Goldy agrees to getting lower internet connectivity, more limited resources, and crappier response time. Because FREEDOM!
• I’ll avoid uncomfortable sexual posts referring to unlubricated ass-fucking or the extra-plentiful quantity of pussy I have to eat at home.
• Oh…and I’ll avoid smoking anything while in a drunken stupor. Not even for the free munchies.
• I won’t write about a certain co-blogger’s pteronophobia
• I’ll refrain from commentary about dynasties, Dynasty, ducks, ducts of any sort, or even about about how to “die nasty.” Nuh-uh. Not gonna do it. Wouldn’t be prudent!
• I’ll eschew hackneyed clichés like “hackneyed clichés” and “Happy New Year!”

(Yup…it’s another open thread.)

Young Turks: Edward Snowden declares, “Mission Accomplished”.

White House: Favorite GIFs of 2013.

Top ten things FAUX decided will lead to the “Wussification of America” in 2013 (via Media Matters).

Newsy: Poll finds 113th is the worst Congress ever.

Maddow: The Koch brothers now funding & “polluting” Florida State University:

Michael Brooks and Michelle Goldberg: The Right’s war on “White trash” the the poor.

Holiday Residual:

• Mark Fiore: Saint Ayn Rand visits the day after Christmas.
• Ann Telnaes: The real war on Christmas.
• Red State Update: Episode 58, A Duck Dynasty Butthole Christmas.

David Pakman: Obamacare signups soar.

The GOP’s most terrible Christmas gift.

Sam Seder: Why don’t we have universal health care?

Young Turks: Alan Turing is pardoned.

How the conservative media treated women in 2013 (via Media Matters).

Newsy: NSA phone metadata collection ruled unconstitutional and then ruled constitutional.

Women to watch for 2014.

Sharpton: Cartoon combatant Sarah Palin defends racist ‘Duck Dynasty’ star.

The Jibjab 2013 Year in Review.

Pontificating on the Pope:

• Young Turks: The Pope’s approval ratings, and why it matters.
• Sam Seder and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.: Republicans fear progressive Pope.
• Sam Seder: Why Pope Francis’ rhetoric is encouraging.

Sam Seder: The Tea Party is just the Republican base.

Why a “do nothing” congress? Republican nutjobbers blame Obama.

Photos found from photographer killed in Mt. St. Helens blast.

Lawrence O’Donnell: The “teaching moment” in Duck-Dynasty racism and homophobia.

Matt Binder: After children die in tornado, GOP still blocks tornado shelters by cutting taxes.

David Pakman: Congress ends least productive year in recent history.

Sharpton: The “bully bridge politics” of N.J. Gov. Chris Christie.

Climate Change Chump Change:

• Young Turks: Who funds climate change deniers?
• David Pakman: $1 Billion against climate change?

Lawrence O’Donnell: Debate about opting out of health insurance:

Sam Seder and Cliff Schecter: A trip to the Creation Museum.

Young Turks: Tea Party happily uses poster mocking them in popular video game.

Newsy: Obama looks ahead for 2014.

David Pakman: 13 states raising minimum wage in 2014.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

Here’s wishing everyone a joyous Christmas.^*

^*And/or year-end holiday of your choice.

Judge lets Utah don it’s gay wedding apparel. Weddings ensue.

Seattle area holiday transit info.

The 9 worst states for reproductive rights in 2013.

Dave Ross reads his poem about Teh War on Christmas.

UK pardons Alan Turing.

Ten last minute political gifts.

And some last minute Christmas gifts that the NSA will hate.

Happy holidays: More Americans are lining up in food banks.

In recent Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganzas, I’ve posted a couple of videos discussing the growing scandal for G.O.P. “pretty boy”, Gov. Chris Christie. The scandal is about alleged political retribution that resulted in delays for, perhaps, hundreds of thousands of drivers by jamming up the George Washington Bridge.

The scandal that started out looking like “meh” (to me) seems to be getting worse by the day, and recently took another serious turn.

The question is whether this is Gov. Christie’s Katrina or merely Christie’s Benghazi. Either way, popcorn stocks should be trending upward for the foreseeable future.