Best of the Left Podcast

Ch. 8: Act 4: Deranged Right-Wing Conspiracy Theory: Obama Intentionally Wants "To Infect The Nation With Ebola" - Media Matters Minute (@mmfa) - Air Date: 10-15-14

Ch. 9: Song 4: Comptine D'un Autre Été: L'après Midi - Yann Tiersen

Ch. 10: Act 5: Liberals Believe Americans Should Die from Ebola - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 10-22-14

Ch. 11: Song 5: Mountain Sound - Of Monsters and Men

Ch. 12: Act 6: GOP forgets anti-czar nonsense, calls for Ebola czar - Rachel @maddow Show - Air Date 10-17-14

Ch. 13: Song 6: 007 (From "From Russia With Love") - The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra

Ch. 14: Act 7: There aren't two sides on how to manage Ebola - @jimmy_dore Show - Air Date: 10-18-14

Ch. 15: Song 7: Call it even - Scott Simons

Ch. 16: Act 8: Washington is broken or functional depending on your perspective - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date: 10-24-14

Ch. 17: Song 8: Go do - Jónsi

Ch. 18: Act 9: Breaking News Consumer’s Handbook Infectious Disease Edition - @onthemedia - Air Date: 10-24-14

Voicemails:

Ch. 19: Reviewing health care systems - Mike in Michigan

Ch. 20: 5 points toward progress - Daniel from Albany, NY

Leave a message at 202-999-3991

Voicemail Music:

Loud Pipes - Ratatat

Ch. 21: Final comments on the unbreakability of the conservative fever

Closing Music:

Here We Are - Patrick Park

Produced by:

Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

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Direct download: 872_Hard_to_believe_that_this_got_political_Ebola.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00pm EST

Fri, 24 October 2014

(2014/10/24) Your child is a widget (Education)

Edition #871

Today we take a look at some of the larger forces at play that change the way we think about and structure our education system

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: Anat Shenker Osorio (@anatosaurus) | IGNITE at @Netroots_Nation #NN14 - Air Date: 09-12-14

Ch. 3: Song 1: Electrified (Live) - Live At The Grocery On Home

Ch. 4: Act 2: How Corporations Are Taking Over Education - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 10-04-14

Ch. 5: Song 2: What's Going On - Number 1's: Marvin Gaye

Ch. 6: Act 3: Karen Ho's Markets, Efficiency and Choice Pt. 2 - @Dis_Con - Air Date 6-25-14

Ch. 7: Song 3: Blame Me! Blame Me! - New Surrender

Ch. 8: Act 4: Educating the next generation of docile worker drones - @Radio_Dispatch - Air Date: 9-30-14

Ch. 9: Song 4: All Over Now - Paracosm (Bonus Track Version)

Ch. 10: Act 5: TX Textbooks: Taxes Are Bad, Segregation Was Good, Moses Inspired Democracy - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 09-19-14

Ch. 11: Song 5: Sickening - Stand

Ch. 12: Act 6: Teaching The Memorized Points Or Teaching Critical Thinking - @jimmy_dore Show - Air Date 10-3-14

Ch. 13: Song 6: Ignore the Ignorant - Ignore the Ignorant

Ch. 14: Act 7: Assessment Reform via @FairTestOffice - Best of the Left Activism

Ch. 15: Song 7: Time for Action - Time for Action - the Very Best Of

Ch. 16: Act 8: The American Dream - @GeorgeCarlinWay

Voicemails

Ch. 17: Inspired by Maureen from Mass - Coming out of Los Angeles

Ch. 18: Responding to episode on Democrats - Gavin from Richmond, VA

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

Ch. 19: Final comments complicating the issue of charter school disciplinary structures and suggesting episode #538 of This American Life

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

Activism: Assessment Reform via @FairTestOffice

Take Action:

Get involved with FairTest: Assessment Reform Network Project to resist unnecessary standardized testing

Additional Activism/Resources:

Sign AFT’s petition: "TIME: Apologize to teachers”

Sign the "Don't Delete History” petition from Texas Freedom Network

Sources/further reading:

The awful Time article for those who want to read it: "War on Teacher Tenure: How Silicon Valley Wants to Fire Bad Teachers”

"Florida schools rail against explosion of new tests” via Orlando Sentinel

"Scrap the MAP! | Solidarity with Seattle teachers boycotting the MAP test”

"Test Opposition Surges Across the Nation” via FairTest

Written by BOTL social media/activism director Katie Klabusich

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

Direct download: 871_Your_child_is_a_widget_Education.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00pm EST

Tue, 21 October 2014

(2014/10/21) Don't police me, bro! (Feminism)

Edition #870

Today we take a look at a variety of ways that (mostly) men attempt to police the actions and choices of (mostly) women, causing nothing but damage as a result

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: The List of Rules for Women - @jsmooth995 - Air Date: 9-2-14

Ch. 3: Song 1: Follow the Rule - Johnny Ace - The Complete Duke Recordings

Ch. 4: Act 2: Victimhood Provides Privleges - @jimmy_dore Show - Air Date 6-13-14

Ch. 5: Song 2: Bad Behavior - Bad Behavior

Ch. 6: Act 3: SHE ASKED FOR IT - @lacigreen - Air Date: 09-06-14

Ch. 7: Song 3: Deserve Better - Swings and Roundabouts

Ch. 8: Act 4: Shut Your Mouth And Take It, 'Fox & Friends' Advises Women - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 07-08-14

Ch. 9: Song 4: Good Old Days - Even Worse

Ch. 10: Act 5: Radical Religion and Male Privilege - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date: 08-22-14

Ch. 11: Song 5: Second Class Citizen - Out of the Ordinary Songs, Vol. 2

Ch. 12: Act 6: Study Explains Why Hobby Lobby Supporters Are Opposed to Birth Control - @davidpakmanshow - Air Date: 07-25-14

Ch. 13: Song 6: Me and God and Jesus - Crooked Roads Band

Ch. 14: Act 7: The Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act via @healthyteen & @nwlc - Best of the Left Activism

Ch. 15: Song 7: Time for Action - Time for Action - the Very Best Of

Ch. 16: Act 8: Pondering Gender In 1620 - @radio_dispatch - Air Date: 3-20-14

Ch. 17: Song 8: N/A

Ch. 18: Act 9: Get Your Creak On - @lexiconvalley - Air Date: 12-31-12

Ch. 23: Final comments on my discovery of the oppression of policing

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

Activism: The Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act

Take Action:

Sign to support the The Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act legislation backed by the National Women’s Law Center and Healthy Teen Network

Additional Activism/Resources:

Follow #NoTeenShameon Twitter and on Tumblr

Submit your story to #NoTeenShame

Sources/further reading:

"New Mexico Parental-Leave Law Helps Teen Moms Stay in School” via NBC News

"Where’s the ’16, Parenting, and OK’ Reality Show?” by Gloria Malone at RH Reality Check

"#NoTeenShame: A Social Media Movement Pushes Us To Respect Young Mothers & We’re All For It” via Hello Beautiful

Graphic by Repeal Hyde Art Project and available for purchase at RHAP’s Zazzle StoreWritten by BOTL social media/activism director Katie Klabusich

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

Direct download: 870_Dont_police_me_bro_Feminism.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 8:11pm EST

Fri, 17 October 2014

(2014/10/17) Democrats will not save you until the system is fixed (Elections)

Edition #869

Democrats will not save you until the system is fixed

Today we take a look at why no faith should be put in the Democratic Party to fight for progressive goals and how we can go about reforming the system to make all politicians responsive to their constituents

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Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: Why Dems Are Not Doing Better Running Up To 2014 - @RalphNader Radio Hour - Air Date 9-20-14

Ch. 3: Song 1: The Masochism Tango - More of Tom Lehrer

Ch. 4: Act 2: .@jeremyscahill on our painfully consistent foreign policy through the administrations - @Radio_Dispatch - Air Date: 9-29-14

Ch. 5: Song 2: The Game Is Rigged - Badly Stuffed Animals

Ch. 6: Act 3: President Obama Plays Three Dimensional Appeasement - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 07-01-14

Ch. 7: Song 3: Sad But True - Change In the Weather

Ch. 8: Act 4: No Such Thing as a Political Savior - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date: 05-29-14

Ch. 9: Song 4: Save Ourselves - Bright Stars and Battle Scars

Ch. 8: Act 5: Progressives won't frame the debate - @RalphNader Radio Hour - Air Date: 10-11-14

Ch. 9: Song 5: In the Beginning - The Dusty Foot Philosopher

Ch. 10: Act 6: Frustration in the White House press corps - @onthemedia - Air Date: 5-9-14

Ch. 11: Song 6: Tiny Wings Theme - Tiny Wings Theme - Single

Ch. 12: Act 7: Kickstarting the revolution - @dccommonsense with Dan Carlin - Air Date: 10-13-14

Voicemails

Ch. 13: Oil is the source of our middle-east troubles - Andon from Charlottesville, VA

Ch. 14: Republican hypocrisy on health care - Shawn from Portland, OR

Ch. 15: Political donation demands keep increasing - Maureen from Mass

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

Ch. 16: Act 8: .@MAYDAYUS is Underway - Best of the Left Activism

Ch. 17: Final comments on why we need to be bold and try something new

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

Activism Update: MayDay is Underway!

MayDay PAC closes initial fundraising!

Follow-up/new Action!

Support the MayDayPac candidates: ”Candidate Fact Sheet

Sources/additional glimmers of hope:

MayDay in the News round-up

"SCOTUS 'McCutcheon' Ruling to Help Super Rich Purchase Even MORE of American ‘Democracy' (And a reminder why elections still matter.)” via The Brad Blog

"Florida Governor Almost Calls Off Debate Over Fan” h/t Satiristas

"In Wisconsin, Dark Money Got a Mining Company What It Wanted: An accidentally released court filing reveals how one company secretly gave money to a nonprofit that helped get favorable mining legislation passed.” by Theodoric Meyer at ProPublica

Find out more about Dark Money: Money in Politics -- See Who's Giving & Who's Getting at OpenSecrets.org

Listen to the original activism segment: "MayDay PAC - via @MayOneUS - Best of the Left Activism” from BotL episode 839 (06/24/14): "Disinfecting the rot on American democracy (Money in Politics)”

Written by BOTL social media/activism director Katie Klabusich

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

Direct download: 869_Democrats_will_not_save_you_until_the_system_is_fixed_Elections.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00pm EST

Tue, 14 October 2014

(2014/10/14) Questioning capitalism (Economics)

Edition #868

Questioning capitalism

Today we take a look at the big picture of the paradigm we live in and the priorities we take for granted, then question them all

Be part of the show! Leave a message at 202-999-3991

Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: We Stopped Dreaming - @neiltyson - Air Date: 03-09-12

Ch. 3: Song 1: N/A

Ch. 4: Act 2: Sacred Economics with @ceisenstein - Fierce Love Films - Air Date: 12-15-13

Ch. 5: Song 2: N/A

Ch. 6: Act 3: Who Killed Economic Growth? - @postcarbon Institute - Air Date: 02-21-14

Ch. 7: Song 3: All Caps - Madvillainy

Ch. 8: Act 4: How to buy happiness - Michael Norton - @TEDTalks - Air Date: 04-24-12

Ch. 9: Song 4: Who Benefits? - In Black and White

Ch. 10: Act 5: Prosecution Of Working Poor Vs. Entitlement Of Gun Culture - @fakedansavage - Air Date 9-2-14

Ch. 11: Song 5: Let's Eat the Poor - Let's Eat the Poor

Ch. 12: Act 6: Economics of climate change - Economic Update with @profwolff - Air Date: 9-28-14

Ch. 13: Song 6: Join Forces - Stand Up

Ch. 14: Act 7: New Economy Week - @NewEconomics - Best of the Left Activism

Ch. 15: Song 7: Time for Action - Time for Action - the Very Best Of

Ch. 16: Act 8: Is This The Main Obstacle In The Way Of Change? - @LeeCamp - Air Date: 10-28-13

Voicemails

Ch. 17: The motivations of the DA to get convictions - Jake(?) from Sierra Nevada foothills

Ch. 18: Not having government health care takes over your life - Kat from Berlin, Germany

Ch. 19: Germany fights to insure every last citizen - Kat from Berlin, Germany

Ch. 20: Suggesting Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA.com) - Eric from Greenville, SC

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

Ch. 21: Final comments about the kickstarter campaign for Hooke: Wireless 3D Audio Headphones

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

Activism: New Economy Week via @NewEconomics

TAKE ACTION:

Participate one/many of the New Economy Week events in person or online and/or plan your own!

Additional Activism/Resources:

Follow the New Economy Coalition on Twitter and Facebook

Sources/further reading:

Listen to the Best of the Left Activism segment from February on The New Economy Coalition as featured in episode 803: "Resistance is the only hope (Capitalism)”

"New Economy Week: Topics of Conversation” at Yes! Magazine

"#MapJam 2.0 to Put the New Economy on the Map!” at Resilience.org

Written by BOTL social media/activism director Katie Klabusich

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

Direct download: 868_Questioning_capitalism_Economics.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00pm EST

Fri, 10 October 2014

(2014/10/10) Mind the coverage gap (Health Care)

Edition #867

Mind the coverage gap

Today we take a look at the progress of the states adopting the medicaid expansion option created by the Affordable Care Act, what’s happening to those who continue to reject it and, as always, we get a reminder of what we really need to do to fix the system

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