Episode 10: Mein Trumph

Rob, Jon and David discuss The Donald as he veers deeper into fascism. Jon also pours forth the verbal tryptophan of Lochner Vs. New York.

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11-24-15: Rob's Book of the Week!

The Localist: Think Independent, Buy Local, and Reclaim the American Dream by Carrie Rollwagen

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The Localist: Think Independent, Buy Local, and Reclaim the American Dream is the story of one girl's journey from buy-local blogger to woman entrepreneur and indie-shop advocate. When Carrie Rollwagen decided to give up corporate shopping for a year and instead shop local-only, she knew that she'd have to learn how to shop local, that she'd discover new indie businesses, and that she'd need to makeover her shopping habits. What she didn't know is that she'd save money, discover how to connect with her community, and learn to love indie business more than the big box stores she'd bought from all her life. She also didn't know that, before her buy-local year was over, she'd be the owner of her own independent business, a community coffee shop and indie bookstore in Birmingham, Alabama. In The Localist, we follow Carrie on her localist adventure as she embraces slow food, small business, the locavore movement, and many quirky indie shopkeepers and unique independent shops along the way. She tells the story of her year of blogging about buying local in Birmingham, Alabama, and she gives us an inside look at her experience as a new female entrepreneur opening a new neighborhood business: Church Street Coffee & Books, an independent bookshop and locally owned coffee shop. Part memoir, part manual on how to shop local, The Localist is pro-community, but it's not necessarily anti-corporate. Carrie doesn't attack all big business, but rather shows us what we create with our shopping dollars and helps us see new ways of making positive impact on our communities with our spending. Big box stores are convenient, but corporations are not people, and it's important that we shop local and support indie business to keep the scales balanced between Main Street and Corporate America. Carrie Rollwagen is a copywriter and independent business owner based in Birmingham, Alabama. The Localist: Think Independent, Buy Local, and Reclaim the American Dream, based on her year-long blog about choosing independent shops over big box stores, is her first book.

Episode 9: The Refugee Issue, Cowardice and Islamaphobia since Paris

Jon, Rob and Dave get a little deep here. In discussing turning our backs on a people in need, Dave gets a little angry... and the studio audience pipes up! "Ask a Real Marginalized Group" returns and Rob hates Dave. You'll see why.
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11-17-15: Rob's Book of the Week!

Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler

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We will soon be able to meet and exceed the basic needs of every man, woman and child on the planet. Abundance for all is within our grasp. This bold, contrarian view, backed up by exhaustive research, introduces our near-term future, where exponentially growing technologies and three other powerful forces are conspiring to better the lives of billions. An antidote to pessimism by tech entrepreneur turned philanthropist, Peter H. Diamandis and award-winning science writer Steven Kotler.

Since the dawn of humanity, a privileged few have lived in stark contrast to the hardscrabble majority. Conventional wisdom says this gap cannot be closed. But it is closing—fast. The authors document how four forces—exponential technologies, the DIY innovator, the Technophilanthropist, and the Rising Billion—are conspiring to solve our biggest problems. Abundance establishes hard targets for change and lays out a strategic roadmap for governments, industry and entrepreneurs, giving us plenty of reason for optimism.

Examining human need by category—water, food, energy, healthcare, education, freedom—Diamandis and Kotler introduce dozens of innovators making great strides in each area: Larry Page, Steven Hawking, Dean Kamen, Daniel Kahneman, Elon Musk, Bill Joy, Stewart Brand, Jeff Skoll, Ray Kurzweil, Ratan Tata, Craig Venter, among many, many others.

Episode 8: Did Rob Say Citizen's United?

Jon, Rob and Dave discuss the Presidential race, of course, but get into an extended discussion on media and truth. Who is responsible for educating the populace on what the truth is and where the media stands? Join us!

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11-10-15: Rob's Book of the Week!

How Not To Be a Dick: An Everyday Etiquette Guide by Meghan Dougherty

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On the one hand, nobody wants to be a dick. On the other hand, dicks are everywhere They cut in line, talk behind our backs, recline into our seats, and even have the power to morph into trolls online. Their powers are impressive, but with a little foresight and thoughtfulness, we can take a stand against dickishness today. "How Not to Be a Dick" is packed with honest and straightforward advice, but it also includes playful illustrations showing two well-meaning (but not always well behaved) young people as they confront moments of potential dickishness in their everyday lives. Sometimes they falter, sometimes they triumph, but they always seek to find a better way. And with their help, you can too.

For further research...

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Episode 7: GOP, Diagnosis: Crazy

Jon, Rob and Dave look at different aspects of the candidates and try and figure out why people vote against their own self interest (oh, and how gerrymandering helps). Carson in 2016? Craaaaazy...

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11-03-15: Rob's Book of the Week!

The Essential Bernie Sanders and his Vision for America by Jonathan Tasini

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Meet the essential Bernie Sanders an authentic and uncompromising champion of the people.

Independent United States Senator Bernie Sanders with a thirty-five-year career in public service, first as Burlington, Vermont's mayor, then as Vermont's sole representative to Congress, and currently as a United States senator is now campaigning to become president of the United States. His goal is to build a movement to take back our country from the rich and powerful, and return it to its rightful owners we, the American people.

Sanders common sense, populist message is resonating with Democrats, Republicans, independents, as well as ordinary working- and middle-class Americans from all walks of life, including millennials, seniors, veterans, immigrants, environmentalists, union workers, and more.

In this short, accessible book, author Jonathan Tasini draws heavily from Sanders ample public record of speeches, statements, and interviews, and couples his working-class spirit with specific legislation he has championed on a number of core proposals that comprise a broader people's agenda for America, including:

• A national, single-payer health care system;
• Free public higher education;
• Taking on wealth and income inequality;
• Preserving Social Security;
• Caring for our veterans;
• Ensuring civil rights for all;
• Combatting climate change;
• Reforming Wall Street, and much more.

The Essential Bernie Sanders and His Vision for America is a must-read for anyone who shares a vision for a forward-looking, sustainable, and more just United States of America, and is eager to change the course of history.

SUPPLEMENTAL READING THIS WEEK:

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