On Saturday, February 11th from 1:30-6:30pm, Liberty on the Rocks will team up with the Charles Koch Institute to present an exclusive hands-on, discussion and activity-driven economics session. During this half-day course, attendees will learn and/or better understand:

• The role economics plays in the advancement of liberty
• How to make the case for freedom from an economic and philosophical perspective
• How prices work in a market place
• Different ways of looking at public policy from an economic perspective
• The essential arguments for why socialism can’t work

RSVP today by purchasing tickets here!

Seating is Limited!

***Special thanks to American Majority, who provided funding for this event!***

Who Are the Facilitators?

In addition to the main facilitator, Jeff Proctor from the Charles Koch Institute, we will also be joined by Jessica Peck, Diana Hsieh, Justin Longo, Mike Krause, David K. Williams, and Ari Armstrong.

Cocktail Reception to Follow!

The seminar will be immediately followed by a cocktail reception with complimentary drinks and appetizers for attendees, instructors and individuals on the panel. Light snacks and drinks will be available throughout the day.

The cost to attend is $10 and spaces are limited. Reserve your spot today by purchasing your ticket(s) here.

Location: Independence Institute | 727 E. 16th Avenue, Denver, CO
Date/Time: Saturday, February 11th from 1:30-6:30 pm (cocktail reception from 6:30-8pm)

We’ll also have information as to how you can get involved with helping build the grassroots liberty movement. Please contact Orin at Orin @ libertyontherocks.org if you have any questions or concerns.

Where: Chinook Tavern | 6380 S Fiddlers Green Circle in Greenwood Village
When: Tuesday, January 31 from 5:30-8:30 pm

Disclaimer: Speakers/Guests/Articles do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Liberty On The Rocks (Denver Tech Center).

We will be joined by special guest Brian Ochsner, a political activist with an extensive financial background. He will provide a short presentation on the topic: “What Caused The Financial/Economic Crisis… What We Can Do to Get Out of It… and How Liberty Activists Can Protect Themselves From an Economic Downturn.”

During this brief discussion, Brian will reveal the causes of the financial recession, and share his insights on the only two options currently available to the federal government to fix our economic problems; explaining which option is the best, and which one is the most dangerous (guess which option our government has taken?!). Finally, he will provide tips and strategies for what liberty-minded people can do to protect their wealth and weather this ‘perfect financial storm.’

When: Wednesday, February 1st from 6-9pm
Where: Choppers Sports Grill | 80 S. Madison Street in Denver

• The Alliance for School Choice has released the latest version of the School Choice Yearbook… The big news? More than 210,000 students nationwide are enrolled in publicly-funded private educational choice programs, a 25 percent increase in just four years!
• Remember Education Savings Accounts, the cutting-edge school choice program with a superior design? Well, today a Maricopa County judge ruled that Arizona’s first-of-its-kind ESA program for special needs student was constitutional!
• Finally, speaking of special needs students, the Columbus Dispatch reports that Ohio is about to launch its fourth voucher program, the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship!

Good news on all three fronts. Before my hyperactivity takes over and my short attention span fades away, here’s one last call to invite you to this evening’s Kids Aren’t Cars movie night at the Independence Institute in Denver. Hope to see you there!

Across the pond, its football players, shadows ministers, and drunk Windsors, but the same theory applies.  The recent kerfuffle over widespread phone hacking has focused keen eyes on British tabloid and their excesses.  Which has led to the Levenson Inquiry on Press Standards (why start now, say I).  Editors of ‘celebrity magazines’ have apparently been receptive, coldly as that may be, to the Inquiry’s idea that a ‘Privacy List’ be established, on which the famous who do not wish to be photographed might enroll.

Hmmmm.

It seems that the U.K.’s motley crew of sensationalist papers have their own  board, and they (sometimes) abide by the rules of something called the Press Complaints Commission (PCC).  The PCC is itself a nascent creation, brought about last summer in the wake of the News of the World scandal.  Now, to my American mind, the British (nay, the European) attitude toward celebrity privacy is, at times, goofy.  If you don’t want to be famous, you don’t need to be.  Wash your soiled linen in private, keep your own counsel, and behave yourself in public.  If those of us with personal entourages can manage it, so can you, darling.

Be that as it may, I will also admit journalists are, not infrequently, vicious.  But what is noteworthy here is that the action that so incensed people involved hacking into the phone of a dead girl and, by showing activity on her voicemail, leading police and her family to falsely believe she was alive.  Why is it that fallout of such horrific intrusion on private citizens is being met with chatter about how better to suit the whims of celebrities?

Overall, the U.S., in law and in culture, gives a lower expectation of privacy to the famous; the reasoning being that people can hardly expect to selectively refute the trappings of a life they chose.  Americans see the major threat to privacy as the government and tend to give shorter shrift to starlets who willingly live in public and then attempt to take back the past only as it becomes inconvenient.  Perhaps this is a noble expression of our expectation that you ought to have some dignity in public and that you are the first person responsible for your reputation.  Or perhaps it is a justification of our deep appetite to bathe in reflected starlight and see our demigods brutally knocked to earth.

Contrarily, Europe sees government as a protector of privacy, privacy that is at gravest threat from the people around you.  Accordingly, those with a higher likelihood of coming under media attention have a higher expectation of privacy.  Sensible application of theory or still-extant vestige of Ancien Regime reverence for the cultural elite?

Back to something that might be addressed at less than book-length:-what will happen if celebrity magazines agree to abide by a ‘Privacy List’?

We might spend the entire day with questions of the state creating a privileged class and effectively legislating what citizens might be interested in.  Let’s not.  The British state does not consider truth as a defense against slander or libel – giving rise to ‘libel tourism’ –  and still censors films.  We may assume for the current article that there is an appetite to restrict press freedoms.  However, it does bear pointing out that the only reason tabloids are at all willing to discuss self-regulation is a bid to head off that very threat of government oversight.

First, tabloids sell because human nature is voyeuristic and often prurient.  A so-called ‘Privacy List’ is more apt to trigger black market broadsheets full of uncredited photos and scoops than to achieve its stated aim.  The truly gossip obsessed are not going to pay with their dollars or their eyes for a publicist-vetted puff piece about whatever that happened three days ago.  Also, given how many celebrities do conduct themselves, only publishing verifiable misbehavior is not going to do anyone’s reputation any favors.

On the other side, huge swathes of material in the glitzier publications is already done in close agreement with the celebrities featured.  Might this proposed List really only be formalizing a tacit agreement?  Then again, if the beautiful people are already hand-in-hand with the tabloids and are still getting bad press, they’re bad businessmen, pure and simple.  The solution to unfavorable news ought to be a better publicist before seeking new law.

Heck, is the proposal anything other than a flimsy way for both journalists and politicians to be seen to be doing something?  If this itself a choreographed media ploy being played out for the benefit of credulous citizens?

Second, how sound an idea is it to sponsor a culture where a blind eye is turned to poor conduct, provided those involved enjoy sufficient fame?  What on earth will this do to a generation of celebrity-addled kiddies looking to these ill-bred people as roll models?  Be that as it may, why is it the media’s task to provide positive roll models?  Might we expect at least some children to understand that intoxicated, indolent, and indicted is no way to go through life?

Ultimately, do we not punish the tacky and the gauche with shunning and shaming?  Do we not hold the right to refuse to interact with people we find ill-mannered?  Dare we still hope for policy makers who are wise enough not to legislate what is best left to culture?

Similarly, is  this something that would effectively allow a certain set of people to seek out and revel in attention when it suited them and to forbid anyone from looking when it did not?  Is it right to allow the fame hungry to play that game?  How complicit are celebrities in having fostered a tabloid culture that has utterly no boundaries?

This is, perhaps, hinging on the difference between respect, the simple decision not to intrude upon another’s private life, and deference, allowing another person to command your attention one moment and send you scurrying away the next.

Too, we are right in asking how it comes to be that existing laws were insufficient.  Between trespassing, harassment, stalking, tortious privacy claims, interfering in police investigations, and so on, it’s staggering that the state lacks the means to deal with actions that do represent actionable irresponsibility on the part of the press.

This trend is, in my opinion, unlikely to wash up on American shores.  Here, the press enjoys broader freedoms.  Nor has our Fourth Estate, yet, plumbed the tawdry depths of British tabloids.  The American worry, I would caution, is a government that withholds, censors, and denies the existence of information regarding its own activities.  That, sadly, presents a much tougher fight.

Stay Tuned for February!
We are already organizing events for February 7 to Occupy the Colorado Caucus and February 29 to show solidarity with Occupy Portland’s Shut Down the Corporations action. More details will be available soon.

Lacking details, it is unclear whether this will be a coordinated state-wide effort, of if small groups will pick and choose from publicly announced locations to drop in and, well, do whatever sort of “occupying” they see fit.

Screen-cap for posterity:

We will be showing the 9-part short film series Kids Aren’t Cars, which takes a deeper look into the state of public education in America, and the reasons why we are falling behind the rest of the world. The film highlights examples from Midwestern states and shows the impact organized labor and the assembly-line system has had on educating our children.

When: Thursday, January 26th from 6-8 pm
Where: Independence Institute | 727 E. 16th Avenue in Denver
What: ‘Kids Aren’t Cars’ movie night to celebrate School Choice Week

Reception starts at 6 pm, with the movie starting at 6:30 pm. The film will be followed by a brief discussion with the Independence Institute’s education scholars Ben DeGrow and Pam Benigno. There will also be light snacks available.

This event is FREE and open to the public – so please invite family and friends to help us celebrate school choice week!

To learn more about the movie and watch a trailer, check out the Kids Aren’t Cars website

Are you ready for 2012, digitally speaking? People’s Press Collective announces “Digital Fundamentals” classes and seminars. ***Detailed Registration Information below***

What: PPC Digital Fundamentals training course
Where: New offices of Independence Institute
When: January 21 and January 28, 2012 from 9am-12noon (and more to come)
Cost: FREE
MUST RSVP by email to: services-at-peoplespresscollective-dot-org (Facebook RSVP does not count)

PPC is kicking off the year with an entirely new set of training classes and seminars–we’ve updated and retooled our presentations to bring you up-to-speed on the latest online tactics for liberty-minded digital activists.

Incorporating the latest developments in new and social media, while relying on our firm grasp of proven online strategies, we’ve rebuilt the digital curriculum to target both beginners just exploring the world of digital activism and those—like our own PPC alumni—who are ready to click their way to the next step online. We strongly encourage our PPC camp alumni to attend again–things have changed since 2009 (heck, they changed on us in the past couple weeks with Facebook’s new ‘Timeline’ feature!).

Partnering with the Independence Institute and American Majority, we are able to offer the trainings at no cost to you through our “digital scholarships”!

Our first two dates for the “Digital Fundamentals” classes have been announced: Saturday, January 21 and Saturday, January 28, both from 9am – 12pm, at the new offices of the Independence Institute in Denver. In this class we’ll take a look at the basics of blogging/citizen journalism, and focus on the biggest tools in the social media arsenal, Facebook and Twitter. The class will be the same each day; sign up for the date convenient to you!

Registration/check-in begins at 8:30. Please arrive promptly. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided prior to the beginning of each session.

In addition to these initial sessions, we will also be adding topic-specific seminars designed to go beyond the digital basics in several key areas, including video blogging, online legal considerations, research and writing methods, digital strategy, and more. We will announce those shorter one-hour weeknight sessions as we are able to schedule them. Stay tuned in the next few weeks for more details.

There’s more.

If you are located outside the Denver area, we may be able to bring the training to you and your group! Please email Michael at services-at-gmail-dot-com for more details. Travel/locations, class size, and availability are negotiable, and certain restrictions may apply.

***MUST READ–FINE PRINT***:
Though the Digital Fundamentals courses and topical seminars are free, we REQUIRE advanced RSVPs for each class, in order to provide for materials and refreshments.
Please RSVP with your name, date of session, preferred email address, and links to your website or Twitter feeds where applicable, no later than 24 hours prior to the start of each session. Campaign staff are welcome, but disclosure of affiliation is also required (thank you campaign finance). Late RSVPs will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Should you wish to bring friends–all are welcome–we do need the same information for all attendees in advance.

RSVP to: services-at-peoplespresscollective-dot-org

Space is limited–we like to keep the class size manageable to ensure quality contact between our students and ourselves and maximize available time for question and answer periods.

***DETAILS–DIRECTIONS AND WHAT TO BRING***:

DIRECTIONS: We are proud to welcome our students to the brand new Independence Institute offices located “Uptown” in Denver, at the corner of Clarkson and 16th Avenue, just a few blocks east of the Capitol. There is a small amount of free, on-site parking next to the building. We do not recommend parking on the street due to class length; there is, however, inexpensive paid parking available just two blocks west on Pearl Street.

727 E. 16th Ave.
Denver, CO 80218

INTERACTIVE MAP: http://www.i2i.org/contact.php

WHAT TO BRING: The Independence Institute has WiFi, so we strongly encourage you to bring your laptop, iPad, or Internet-enabled phone. Be prepared to generate story ideas or present an area of interest that you would like to pursue with your digital activism.

If you want to RSVP for Founders Night online, you can go to our event page here. If you’d like to RSVP over the phone, please call Mary MacFarlane at 303-279-6536, ext 102.

This year we are holding the event on Thursday, February 16th at Infinity Park in Glendale. You can click here to buy tickets online. Or call Mary MacFarlane at 303-279-6536, ext 102 or email her at Mary@i2i.org.

In addition to featuring Nick Gillespie and Ann Coulter that night, we’ll be honoring Colorado’s most famous businessman Jake Jabs – President and CEO of American Furniture Warehouse!

QUICK – tickets are selling fast!