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LUCKY EP #13 MIGHT BE OUR LAST!

Here's your chance to hear from Steven Peterson, former real estate developer and father of SEVEN—and that's before all the furry babies! It's a family affair, as Martha (wife) and Chase (step-son) get in on the action a little, and Sandy tries not to bungle Anh's EQFAAPC—you know, the rapid-fire questions! [If you want One. More. Episode. to complete the ballot, let Amy Jackson know how much you love the pod!]

• Say hi to Martha, who is off mic, but you can hear a little!
• He means Bugsy's!
• Ain't that America karaoke god
• Trinity by Leon Uris
• Former real estate developer, Peterson Companies
• Modern Family: Phil needs to read up on skibbidy
• What's a Sagittarius mayor like, anyway?
• Astronomy vs. Astrology
• Abraham Lincoln, not to be confused with...Baberham Lincoln
• Favorite figure is the solar panels right on the cover! Take a look!
• What keeps up at night: Dying too soon: New report reveals deep and persistent health disparities in Northern Virginia
• [Branches of government are not school system, fire department, and police department:)]
• petersonformayor.com

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ARE YOU READY TO GET MAYORAL?! OF COURSE YOU ARE! Alyia Gaskins is up first! We've had two mayoral eps in the can since April, but we've been holdin' 'em back, hoping to complete the trifecta for you! But it's gettin' late in the cycle, so we're giving the people what they want—just in time to get smart before Election Day! Listen up, and tell all your friends!

• The Quinta Brunson Program!
• AG is a Gemini! What does that mean?
• Nugget & Fang
• DRP after Music Together!
• Bathroom decor? No thanks, function over form for this lady!
• Alexandria's Birthday AGAIIIINNNN.
• But finally, someone said Baby Got Back!
• Shirley Chisholm—"took nothing from no one!"
• What's YOUR Meyers Briggs type?
• As promised, Anh: ENFP, Sandy: ENTP, Kristen: INFJ, Marta: no idea, but we're betting it starts with an E!, Rashmi: ISFP, Joy: ESFP
• Fig 28, page 101: how our climate plans and programs work together
• If Alyia and Sarah both win, they're getting TANDEM BIKE!
• Alexandria eviction courts are packed, y'all. Not good.
• What keeps up at night: Dying too soon: New report reveals deep and persistent health disparities in Northern Virginia
• Binders full of budget!
• Add: funding for construction of Cora Kelly + George Mason, and $4 million for teacher compensation
• Add: expanding senior tax relief (with McPike)
• Add: Youth, Safety + Resilience Effort, with youth ambassadors!
• Alyia's Shemar Moore-heavy 2021 LibSoc ep!
• alyiaforalexandria.com

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In the LAST CITY COUNCIL EP OF 2024, Jacinta—Miss Greene if you're nasty—reveals shocking information about her unabashed pizza preferences. She repays our acceptance by not leaving the chat as we...have a little fun...with ACPS's little rebranding experiment a few months ago! LISTEN UP, Social Butterflies! You're almost done! ACPS's Maritime Christmas Police Badge Visit Alexandria's Minimalist Peepee Sunset Domino's?????????????? Pineapple, mushroom, and pepperoni?! Omg this is too much! Cover your ears, Diane! Jacinta's bathroom decor of choice: Olden Days Waterfront Park Art! Sweet Caroline karaoke! And this one, obv. Say hi to Daddy Greene! Shirley Chisholm: us, too! ECCAP figure of choice: 17! Demographics affected most by flooding What keeps up at night: Dying too soon: New report reveals deep and persistent health disparities in Northern Virginia Difference between equity and equality The kids are calling ACHS "The City"!!! We like! JacintaGreene.com

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In this ep, Anh does her best to make this our first NSFW interview—and by that we mean that it's probably fiiiiine for younger listeners in that they'll learn how to pronounce 'clitoris' correctly. Poor Night Mayor! He's deep in the comments of the washingtondc subreddit, BUT WHAT NON-CONSPIRACY THEORY ISN'T? Restaraunts should put bathroom pics on their websites! The World’s Greatest Cheese Pizza Is in DC? Apparently So. (It's Andy's) John likes the "AUTO" Did Theismann's get new bathrooms? Are breakup dogs a thing? Rorschach test: is it a donut with a pea? Eggs in space? Clitoris? Art is subjective. All about Cancers! City Birthday Party! (July 13th, y'all!) Glory Days for dinner! Your next read is...Black Futures! Emotional surprise IG videos ftw! Lesbian sheep shearing is the content you need. You've gotta see The Night Cap: check insta Ad Hoc Stormwater Utility and Mitigation Committee Germany has rolling gardens for moving shade around in public spaces! (scroll down halfway!) Germany has tech that pulls CO2 out of the air in public spaces! ECCAP figure of choice: FEMA flood zone map! chapman4council.com

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Y'all, in this episode Jimmy Lewis and the LibSoc team pop a can of ice cold, bubbly facts having to do with code we identify by number, salacious gossip about aluminum can production, and other nerdy, super hot, but totally SFW topics. You won't want to miss this one!

• Nerdiest nerd fact: 76% of aluminum ever manufactured is still in use today
• Canned wine is cool.
• Best Pizza in ALX is Benny's bc it's GIANT
• Bathroom aesthetic: Jula's! (Jimmy and his mom get it!)
• If you didn't want to be Indiana Jones, were you even a Millennial?
• Friends in Low Places is quality 1990s karaoke. (Not you, Chris Gaines.)
• That one Waterfront installation that could hear you!
• Boat Parade at Christmas
• Joss's Buffy is an acceptable answer
• Barbara Lee worked for Shirley Chisholm and used to hang out w Black Panthers
• Is Rent Trap a thing? It's Googleable, but there's no Wikipedia entry, so we cry Mandela Effect.
• We have old pipes.
• ECCAP Pg 9 of the , tracking greenhouse gas
• ECCAP Figures 17 and 22 show the effects of flooding and heat on most vulnerable communities
• JamesLewisVA.com

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In this episode, we are pretty sure Canek opens a beer with a club of some kind, it turns out he's running against Joe Biden, City Council loses count of our birthday cupcakes, and it's inexplicably time to start the Census all over again—OR ARE WE HAVING AN ANXIETY DREAM?! Are any of us getting enough sleep? Only one way to find out: listen to the most chill episode ever!

• Having a bottle opener/club is so normal, it's ungoogleable.
• Canek says La Casa (in Foxchase) has the best pizza...
• We're too busy for everything but Rick and Morty, too.
• No pets, not even dust bunnies
• Learn about Edward Roybal!
• Write a letter of complaint to Canek's mean childhood science teacher
• TWU mural, the one on Edsall, and DASH Bus Welcome to the West End wrap
• Scooter - most fun!
• We are reclaiming Canek's time from Lulu
• Cupcakes at ALX birthday party
• For the record, elevator pitch was almost exactly 30 seconds!
• Hazel is a "BAD MAMAJAMA"! We agree!
• Nerd fun fact: Hazel was named after Hazel Johnson
• Page 92 - heat map and vulnerability indexes
• Let's all go to the Puebla Historic District in Mexico!
• The Vulcan site , not to be confused with a salute of the same name. (LLAP)
• What keeps up at night: Dying too soon: New report reveals deep and persistent health disparities in Northern Virginia
• ALX had 100% participation in the 2020 Census!
• Democrats love librarians—we book hoarders/dragons approve!
• CanekforCouncil.com

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Prayin' man Kevin Harris forgives our dog poop opening, but has no room for pets (who don't even pay rent) himself, gets the BFF question right, tells us about a great youth training program, aaaand gives us an excuse to put a Simpson's monorail gif in the show notes! We barely even talked basketball—this must be serious! Listen!

• It counts as local if it's from Preeti's 7-Eleven
• Del Ray Pizza
• Butterfly Effect mural wins again!
• Sponsor us, Jeni's!
• Most relatable karaoke choice
• Philly Cheesesteak is Philadelphia Cheesesteak Factory
• Alexandria Birthday Celebration's gonna be BIG this year!
• Shogun, let's go!
• Check out Howard County Eco Works!
• Big fan of a tree, that Kevin Harris!
• Supreme Court overturned Affirmative Action—BIDEN OR BUST IN 2024!
• ALX was sued by a White defense contractor for "discrimination"
• What keeps up at night: Dying too soon: New report reveals deep and persistent health disparities in Northern Virginia
• My Hoop Life!
• $175k x 30 = $5,250,000 We're just proud that we did the maths, so look at it.
• Did someone say MONORAIL?!
• https://www.voteforkevinharris.com/

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Listen in as we chat with Metro engineer, SB member, and double Alexandrian, Abdel Elnoubi and (from afar) his—are you ready?—BUNNY! The important thing for you to know about this episode is that Diane may have some feelings about Abdel's choice of pizza joint—WHO CAN KNOW?!

• Shirley Temples are coming back! Sometimes with ginger ale!
• Catch up on House of Cards
• Lost Dog Pizza
• Small little white bunny called Fuzzy
• Butterfly mural—shout out to EBP!
• We forgot to ask this WMATA engineer if time travel is possible
• Get this man to karaoke!
• Abdel admires Bernie Sanders
• ACPS's MLK Arts Display!
• More 100-year storms now!
• ECCAP Figure: Figure 25, heat disparities, along with figures 24 and 26, which show climate inequities!
• Overcrowding in our schools, esp on West End
• What keeps up at night: Dying too soon: New report reveals deep and persistent health disparities in Northern Virginia
• Info on that biiiiiig budget increase School Board sent to Council
• Rashmi QUIT engineering to enter what we're sure is a more lucrative profession, art.

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This episode has it all: detailed pizza descriptors, middle school "lingo" that'll make your kid pretend they don't know you on the street, JewBu philosophy, and a lottttt of nerd talk. Give Charlotte-branded Charlotte Scherer a listen now!

• Middle school boy translator, @mr_phlindsay_sped
• Monterey's Pizza
• Sing along with Charlotte!: Walk of Life by Dire Straits
• King Street Cats!
• Poetry enters the chat: WH Auden
• Appalachian Trail: the Rollercoaster!
• Ed note: for the record, Sandy was a baby when the mean cowboy from City Clickers did Ripley's Believe It of Not
• ALX has Gold LEED certification
• More EV stations
• ECCAP Figure: Heat Index
• Ron "The Worst" DeSantis ruined New College
• Hitchhiker's Guide reference incoming!
• Sanse and Naja
• What keeps up at night: Dying too soon: New report reveals deep and persistent health disparities in Northern Virginia
• Nope! Not the only renter running for Council! But we get the point!
• CharlotteforALX.com

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Anti-arena candidate Jonathan Huskey's comin' in HOTTT! Listen as this changiest change agent gives a Diane-approved pizza answer, demonstrates empathy for opponent Jesse O'Connell's hair, shows great flexibility toward root vegetables, and shows off his Labor chops!

• You're gonna wanna listen to Ep 0: Arena Explainer with WaPo's Teo Armus to get ready for this one!
• Where is Warwick Village?
• Stracci Pizza Wins the 2023 NoVA Wars Pizza Madness
• Jets Pizza (Diane approves!)
• Bathroom question gets the answer it deserves...
• Someone send us a Josephine bathroom selfie!
• DC Animal Shelter where Butter's from!
• I Think You Should Leave
• Become a National Park Ranger
• Two Degrees by Alan Gratz
• Figure ES-2. Relative summer land surface temperatures in Alexandria
• What keeps up at night: Dying too soon: New report reveals deep and persistent health disparities in Northern Virginia
• Was Council really in Richmond lobbying for the arena? Huskey contradicts our Arena Explainer...check it out!
• Zoning for Housing passed unanimously, but Jackson and Chapman voted to consider single family zoning separately, which failed 5-2.
• www.huskeyforcouncil.com

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Fan of the show, Kirk McPike, validates our existence, solidifies his sci-fi chops with a Dune deep cut, and is the first one to make clear to us that our bathroom question is...weird. FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAM!

• Last season, on Liberally Social...
• Frank Pepe's!
• Robinson's Landing has a public bathroom on the waterfront, but that's not exactly what Marta's looking for.
• Asteroid hits waterfront!
• Kirk correctly pluralizes poets laureate
• Ice Ice Baby
• Leo McGarry is the GOAT
• Congressman Takano!
• mmm...Los Tios.
• mmm...Spice Kraft.
• 58 boards and commissions! Get on one!
• Stormwater Advisory Committee
• We're planting more trees than our neighbors! 275 more this year!
• What's the gift for 275-iversary?
• Induction stoves, Marta approved!
• What keeps up at night: Dying too soon: New report reveals deep and persistent health disparities in Northern Virginia
• MORE PIE! Everyone loves pie!
• ALX has an AAA credit rating!
• KirkMcPike.com

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Climate! Equity! Budget! Change! Smartypants guest Jesse O'Connell joins us with his smartypants Zoom background and gives smartypants answers we like on erudite topics such as pizza and vacation reads!

(FYI: this is where The Bathroom Question starts to go off the rails, folks. Listen as Jesse tells us "it's a great question" out of pity and concern.)

• Jesse's hair looks like Captain Pike's IYKYK
• Stracci Pizza—correct!
• The Diplomat is def not a guilty pleasure!
• The Simpson dog park bathroom—that's been closed for 14mo. (That's a long time to hold it, Jesse.)
• Jesse's Girl
• Your Love by the Outfield
• Jesse was a track star!
• Art on the Ave
• Learn about Pisceseseses
• I Love You at the Waterfront
• This is How You Win the Time War
• Jesse is apparently an eyebrow man
• Day job: American Council on Education
• ECCAP Figure 2: Trends in Alexandria’s GHG emissions by sector from 2005 through 2020
• Greenhouse gas emissions from buildings are predicted to DOUBLE by 2050!
• ...mmmm...grow the pie...sounds delicious.
• "Things" Jesse has written
• JesseforALX.com

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Welcome to the first full episode of Liberally Social! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll hear us flex our rusty interviewing joints and Sarah Bagley patiently answer such hard-hitting questions as, "Who's your best friend?" PRESS PLAY, FELLOW NERDS!

• Hi, Diane!
• Anchovies!
• Call Your Mother's bathroom
• Bachelor recaps online
• Adopt a Buster!
• Sarah on an e-bike!
• I Wish I was a Little Bit Taller
• Spoken word, aka Baby Got Back
• Oasis foreverrrrrrrrrr
• It's Taurus Season
• Article about parades?
• I'm just Ken
• Where is Noosa Heads, Australia?
• Alexandria Democratic Committee
• Moms Demand Action in Alexandria
• ALX gun violence prevention policies
• 2 biggest physical climate risks in ALX
• Grant programs
• Figures 9 + 7 in the ALX Energy and Climate Change ActionPlan
• Harvard Business Review article on DEI burnout
• What keeps up at night— Dying too soon: New report reveals deep and persistent health disparities in Northern Virginia
• Sarah's proposed e-bike rebate pilot in ALX
• sarahforcitycouncil.com
• Donate to Sarah's campaign!
• Rashmi Pappu Photography

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Before we jump into this Season 3 with FOURTEEN local candidate interviews, let's take a minute, take a breath, and talk about the arena with a neutral party—a journalist, who brings the facts, can give us a gut check, and level set so we’re all on the same page as we start the season!

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FOURTEEN CANDIDATES! SEVEN SEATS! Find out what happens when people stop being polite, and start getting real. Welcome to the Real World—wait, no. Welcome to Liberally Social: your political infotainment, wrapped in a pod party, wrapped in nerd fun, recorded from the best city in the world, Alexandria, VA!

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A Special Election! In January! In School Board District A!

In this ep, we learn a) what makes Gina Baum tick, b) how to get booted from the GWMS Facebook group, and c) that she's willing to go the extra mile for good takeout! This boards and commissions vet has a ton to tell you about her campaign—so join us!

Gina's website is here

Send her some moolah here (via Donorbox?)

This is your chance to become one of a handful of people who even know about this race, let alone will vote in it! So listen up, and tell your friends!

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A Special Election! In January! In School Board District A!

We're talking to Tim Beaty, aka "Mr. Tim from School," about his experience subbing in ACPS, sharing some big love for Quinta Brunson and another special teacher, and getting schooled on collective bargaining for teachers by a real live Teamster—partially in Spanish!

Tim's website is here

Throw him a donation here (via ActBlue)

This is your chance to become one of a handful of people who even know about this race, let alone will vote in it! So listen up, and tell your friends!

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Y'all! It's our last episode in District B—and, man, it's entertaining! (At least weeee were entertained!) In this ep, School Board candidate Tammy Ignacio surprises us with answers that have us laughin' out loud and wishin' we'd had a few less sips before we started! She covers her decades in ACPS and what she gets from overzealous private Facebook groups that hate bike lanes—and we discover that OMG! we've met Tammy's favorite teacher, AND SHE'S A TRIP! Join us! AND THEN GO VOTE!

Ignacio4SchoolBoard.com Donate to Tammy! Are you sure you vote in District B? Check the map! Yellowstone The Color of Water, by James McBride La Casa Fairlington Pizza Tammy really, really—and she cannot stress this enough—loves Councilwoman Amy Jackson!

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If you’re shoppin’ for a candidate who has superior Betta fish-naming skillz, then getta load of what Bridget Shea Westfall, candidate for School Board in District B, is sellin’! We cover binge-worthy TV, what the heck is up with OpenACPS, and the weirdness of running for office as a federal employee—with our bubbles in fancy crystal because we’re klassy. Well, at least Bridget is! Join us!

• BridgetforACPS.org
• Donate to Bridget
• Impeachment—the Monica Lewinsky thing on FX
• Money Heist
• Succession
• Real Housewives on Bravo
• Elmo’s fish, Dorothy!
• RT’s on Mt. Vernon Ave.
• OpenACPS private Facebook group
• Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

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Are you lookin' for a megaboost of positive energy to get your day goin'? THEN PRESS PLAY! Retiring Principal PreeAnn Johnson, School Board candidate in District B, has it in spades. And is it just us, or does her description of her childhood self sound suspiciously like Blind Melon Bumblebee Girl? Pop those AirPods in and hear PreeAnn's vision for the whole child, practical solutions to our schools' challenges, and why all this talk of Critical Race Theory is making her head implode! Your faithful hosts couldn't hold back their...uproarious...reaction!

• PreePreeontheBoard.com
• Donate to PreeAnn’s campaign!
• Are you sure you're in District B? Check the map!
• Wait—was PreeAnn the Blind Melon Bumblebee Girl?
• Return SRO’s [sic] to ACPS private Facebook group
• White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin J. DiAngelo
• Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students, by Zaretta L. Hammond
• Education Association of Alexandria

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"That was the most succinct answer we've ever had and we don't know what to do now." Dr. Ashley Simpson Baird, candidate for School Board in District B, shocks and amazes us with her ability to articulate a full, clear thought—with an ending—in English AND Spanish! Teach us the secret to organizing our brains like this, Doc! You'll want to eavesdrop on this convo about deep, critical thinking, getting back to the basics of teaching our kids, and...Michelle Pfeiffer? Yes! Michelle Pfeiffer! By the end, maybe you'll be roaming Beverley Hills, lookin' for an ASB yard sign!

• AshleySimpsonBaird.com
• Donate to her campaign!
• Are you sure you're in District B? Check the map!
• Dangerous Minds
• Spicekraft on Mt. Vernon Ave.
• Brandi Carlile's You and Me on the Rock
• Building the Federal Schoolhouse, by Douglas S. Reid
• Alexandria Community Alliance
• Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

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“Guess what? CHICKEN BUTT!” Come for the civic education, stay for the dad jokes and iphone app recs! Former School Board member and current School Board candidate Kelly Carmichael Booz, of District B is back, baby! Only this time with fewer babies and more big kids! Listen with us to Kelly’s thoughts on school safety, online advocacy, and die-hard support of teachers and the labor movement! This episode’s got it all!

• KellyCarmichaelBooz.com
• Donate to her campaign!
• Are you sure you're in District B? Check the map!
• American Federation of Teachers
• Clue for iphone!
• A review of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off entitled “Fun with Swear Words”!
• Doooo doo doo! DOO doo doo!
• Education Association of Alexandria
• Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

• VOTEPROCHOICE

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You know the little Ruby Tucker Readers are friends of the pod—now their fearless leader makes her LibSoc debut! Are the kids really alright? How 'bout the teachers? In between laugh/snorts, the team tackles some serious issues with Jacinta Greene, incumbent candidate for School Board in District A—including going to the mat for ACPS teachers, keeping electeds accessible to parents, and acknowledging the fact that we're goooorrrgeous!

• JacintaGreene.com
• Donate to Jacinta's campaign!
• Are you sure you're in District A? Check the map!
• Homeland on Showtime
• Building the Federal Schoolhouse, by Douglas S. Reid
• ACPS Equity for All Strategic Plan
• Ruby Tucker Readers!
• Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
• Education Association of Alexandria

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In Alexandria, our electeds READ BOOKS! Listen in as incumbent school Board member Michelle Rief (District A) shares her reading list, her own academic journey, and a great local take-out spot! We also go deep on ACPS's work toward academic achievement and meeting our kids' and families' basic needs—like keeping everyone fed and connected to the Internet during the shutdown. Y'all, this has been an intense couple of years—learn why Michelle is back for more! 

• MichelleforAlexandria.com
• Donate to Michelle!
• Are you sure you're in District A? Check the map!
• Thai Peppers
• Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It, by Chris Voss
• FLORIDA STATE, FLORIDA STATE, FLORIDA STATE—WOOOOOO!
• Building the Federal Schoolhouse, by Douglas S. Reid ADC
• Labor Caucus
• Education Association of Alexandria NOVA Labor Federation, AFL-CIO

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While we're over here with our noses to our phones, sippin' pumpkin spiced whatevers, former City Councilman Willie Bailey miiiight be personally hand-stitching winter coats for 7,000 kids whiiile running for School Board in District A—you'll just have to listen to find out! There's no small talk with this firefightin' philanthropist—join us for real talk on race and equity, early childhood education, and where to find the best egg rolls on Planet Earth!

• WillforALXSchoolBoard.com
• Donate to Will's campaign!
• Are you sure you're in District A? Check the map!
• Northern Virginia Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
• Check out Firefighters & Friends to the Rescue...and then give them all your money! One coat costs about $18! Will and Operation Warm are bringing TONS OF COATS to all ACPS campuses on Monday, 10/25—and at Charles Houston and Sam Tucker on Saturday, 10/30!
• Education Association of Alexandria

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Who's got a one-letter name, is fully fluent in Outlander, and is running for School Board in District A? It's D Ohlandt, one of the 4 Democrats running to fill 3 seats on Alexandria's School Board! Join us as we cover eeeeverything from equity in categories of difference to RV camping—and see if D is for Darngoodcandidate!

DOhlandtForAlexandriaSchools.com Donate to D Are you sure you're in District A? Check the map! Building the Federal Schoolhouse

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OH FRAK! Now that you're an expert on the Mayoral and City Council races, all of your friends are texting you about who to vote for for School Board! Don't worry—we've got you! In this Very Special Episode, your favorite Social Butterflies learn from special guests Jay Falk and Ewan Thompson, former student representatives to the Alexandria School Board. We'll explain the wacko ballot, which district is which, how to tell who's a Democrat (and who's definitely not!), and get tips on what to look for in a candidate, and what really matters in Real Life! JOIN US!

Find your house on this map to figure out which district you vote in—and which candidates you can vote for (or against)!

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Listen up all quick-like as we speeeeeeed through our LAST INTERVIEW OF THE SEASON with mayoral candidate Allison Silberberg! She's only got 30 minutes and we've got final ballot decisions to make! Join us for quickie convos on tree canopy, climate (of course!), whether or not co-location of housing on school grounds is really even A Thing, missing Atlantis Restaurant, and what the heck Republican yard sign placements mean! Check the show notes for details!

* Fact check updates will be asterisked!

• We're drinking Hi-Fi Margaritas from Neighborhood Provisions
• The Crown
• Ozark
• Bloodline
• Atlantis restaurant closed!
• Tempo
• Cooking with Picasso
• To Kill A Mockingbird
• • STAAAHP! Lots of reporting says the housing-on-school-property "controversy" ain't A Thing:

AlexTimes reports

Washingtonian reports

AlexNow reports

AlexNow reports * Climate Corner: ALX Environmental Action Plan * Key Indicator Dashboard reports 3% increase in tree canopy from FY18-19 * The Internet doesn't have a clear answer for why Atlantis closed. Owners weren't public about the full situation (and we respect that). * ALL Alexandria Resolution on Race + Equity * Is Republican Darryl Nirenberg's platform only familiar? * * Reginald Brown donated $5,000 to Justin Wilson and $5,000 to Allison Silberberg * AllisonforAlexandria.com * Donate to Allison

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We've gone MAYORAL! We're on the hunt for Mayor Justin Wilson's gooey center—and we found it! Y'all this is a long one, but STUFFED with good intel, like Justin's lightweight drink preferences, his work on racial/economic/environmental justice through policy (like free DASH starting in September!), a lot of absolute, giddy excitement about solid waste, why we've gotta be "courageous" enough to tackle affordable housing, and everything you want to know about comin' out of The Covidtimes! Join us—and a mouse interloper—you'll be smarter for it, we promise!

• We're drinkin': Statehood Negroni from Neighborhood Provisions
• 1/2 fist bump + 1/2 high five = turkey
• Watch House of Cards like it's 2014
• Justin is not a train conductor, but he does work at Amtrak.
• The Color of Law, by Richard Rothstein—at Old Town Books!
• That Loving Day Proclaimation he's so moved by
• Climate Corner: ALX Environmental Action Plan
• Master Gardener Program
• Pomegranate plant!
• Justin hearts solid waste!
• Free DASH starting in September!
• ALL Alexandria Resolution on Race + Equity
• Building the Federal Schoolhouse—gonna have to Amazon this one
• Anh recommends green papaya salad at Padaek in Seven Corners and Mai Thai on the waterfront—spicy! + tres leches cake from Tiffany's Bakery next door to Padaek!
• Justin.net
• Donate to Justin
• Justin's endorsements—scroll down!

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And Amy Jackson completes the set! In our 13th of 13 City Council candidate episodes, we drink margaritas and address burning questions like—What's your favorite chapter of the ALX Environmental Action Plan? Who doesn't know the Dallas theme song (there is singing)?...and are moms allowed to read for pleasure? Listen to this last episode and consider your Council candidate research COMPLETE! Details in show notes!

• Who is even running for City Council?
• Classical 90.0FM
• We're drinking Hi-Fi Margaritas from Neighborhood Provisions
• Northam says we open back up on June 15th
• The Crown
• The Dallas theme song!
• The Red Tent
• John Travolta in Grease
• Tony Geary/Luke spencer on General Hospital
• Pop's for Ice Cream
• Baskin Robbins is a great kiddo bribe!
• Climate Corner: ALX Environmental Action Plan
• Ft. Ward Park + Windmill Park on the waterfront + Lake Cook on Eisenhower
• ALL Alexandria Resolution on Race + Equity
• Farewell to Manzanar
• Butcher block pizza from Del Ray Pizza (DERRRRPPP)
• amyjacksonva.com
• Donate to Amy

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In this episode, the gang peer pressures candidate Mark Shiffer into pretending to love Scarlett Johansson, further proving that torture yields unreliable intel! The Louisiana native schools us on "real" hurricanes (the drink, not the storm)—and we try to talk about development and affordable housing, but can't leave him alone about Taco Bell Cantina. Listen in! More details in the show notes!

• Revamping Waterfront Park wasn't unanimous
• True Hurricanes from Neighborhood Provisions
• Barca
• Public art!
• Water Glass Guy
• All of the Marvel movies!
• Ichiban Sushi House
• Second Foundation book by Isaac Asimov
• Scarlett Johansson
• New Jersey pizza
• Recipe for The Best Raspberry Iced Tea with spearmint!
• Eugene Simpson Park
• Swings Coffee
• African American Heritage Park
• Net metering
• Chevy Leaf + Volt electric cars
• Ft. Ward
• A beneficial/benefit corporation vs a B-corp
• Shrimp and grits with spicy andouille from DRP
• Jacinta Greene's Ruby Tucker Readers have an Amazon Wishlist!
• www.MarkShiffer.info
• http://markshiffer.info/donate

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In this episode, techie candidate for City Council Meronne Teklu tries to prove to Anh that she is not, in fact, AI. Listen in to find out if she succeeds, why she should never be on Jeopardy, where to get the best Ethiopian food in town, and what posters Rashmi would never let pre-teen Sandy and Marta hang on their bedroom walls! Check the show notes for more!

• Kamala visited Fibre Space!
• Tonight we're drinking: The Ridin' with Biden, from Neighborhood Provisions
• Marie Kondo
• Selling Sunset
• Makeda (in Van Dorn Station) get their signature tibs and lentil dishes!
• Level Up by Ciara
• Why do people hate Geminis?
• Joey McIntire
• 98 Degrees
• Climate Corner: ALX Environmental Action Plan
• Waterfront Park
• Solarize NOVA program - get solar on your roof!
• ALL Alexandria Resolution on Race + Equity
• African American Heritage Trail + Story Map
• Anh's eating: Spicy Seafood Noodle Special + Thai iced tea from Mai Thai on the water
• Berbere is spicy as hell!
• Evening Star Cafe

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Speak Geek with our guest, Kirk McPike! Did you relish Wesley Crusher in his ensign uniform? Ever watched a 16 hour School Board meeting online? Do you BELIEVE like Ted Lasso? Are you appropriately excited for Accessory Dwelling Units? Do you buy Sandy's theory that the hat shop in Del Ray is a CIA drop site? Then this episode is for you! Join us! Check the show notes for more!

• Kirk's Parks & Rec pod, Icetown Clowns
• Blade Runner questions!
• Ted Lasso on Apple
• Kill Switch, by Adam Jentleson—about how much the Senate filibuster sucks
• Dune, by Frank Herbert
• Los Tios in Del Ray and Van Dorn
• Dairy Godmother
• Baskin Robbins mint chocolate chip next to Great Harvest
• Wesley Crusher in his red ensign's uniform
• Climate Corner: ALX Environmental Action Plan
• Orchids
• Want to know what a cantor is?
• Four Mile Run Park
• Duke Street Dog Park
• Marta in the NY Times!
• ALL Alexandria Resolution on Race + Equity
• Hidden History of Alexandria DC, by Michael Lee Pope
• Economic Opportunities Commission
• Again, co-location of housing on school grounds was never A Thing.
• ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) for students and retiring in place
• Budget Advisory Committee
• ACPS was AWESOME at turning services outward!
• Cheesetique
• Rob Krupika's Sugar Shack is now Elizabeth's Counter! Still has donuts! And a bar!
• Taqueria Pablano
• New gelato + empanada place in Del Ray next to the hat store/CIA drop point
• Jacinta Greene's Ruby Tucker Readers need books! Amazon Wishlist!
• KirkMcPike.com
• Give to Kirk's campaign

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In this Earth Day recording with Alyia Gaskins, we accidentally stumble onto a theme: motttthhheeerrrs. Mother Earth, Alyia's hero mom, mother-ing—just in time for Mother's Day week! We answer questions about how we Alexandrians can take care of each other, what can we do to reduce carbon emissions in our city, and whether or not it's reasonable to forgo flossing when you have an infant. Plus, Alyia graciously endures/participates in a several minute-long side conversation about Wooboi Chicken. We'd edit it out, but you get it. Check show notes for all of the details!

• Generous George's Positive Pizza + Pasta
• Lost Boy Cider's Little Prince stovepipe
• Oh the Places You'll Go
• Hello, Baby Animals
• Shemar Moore from Criminal Minds
• Alyia is a Hebrew word!
• Jeni's Ice Cream - rose flavor
• ENFJGeminiCity Kitchen
• Climate Corner: ALX Environmental Action Plan
• Cast Iron plant
• Ben Brenman Park near Cameron Station
• ALL Alexandria Resolution on Race + Equity
• Masters in Public Health AND Urban Planning
• Anh's eating: homemade lamb shepherd's pie with duck fat hashbrowns in the mashed potato crust, but grabbing Dolce and Bean gelato for dessert!
• Rashmi's eating: Wooboi Chicken

PS Marta encourages her fellow midwesterners get the level 1!

PPS The secret menu item is fried okra!

PPPS Also shout out to the chicken tenders! * AlyiaforAlexandria.com * Donate to Alyia!

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A Chihuahua named Michael Jackson is candidate Bill Campbell's +1 to our brunchtime shenanigans and equity-positive policy conversation! Listen in to find out which other candidate Bill definitely wants you to vote for, too—and hear the first? only? cuss word to make it into your earbuds! (Don't worry, y'all, it's a family program!) Check the show notes for more details from the episode!

The Queen's Gambit Laporta's Pasta Laporta Memoirs of Chief Justice Earl Warren  Dr. King Earl Campbell of the Oilers Euonymous! Helen Miller pocket park  Oronoco is a type of tobacco Climate Corner: ALX Environmental Action Plan Bill's 59, not 60! ALL Alexandria Resolution on Race + Equity Derek Bell's Critical Race Theory Kristen's rec: Douglas Reed's Building the Federal Schoolhouse Reparations' is not a dirty word! The Color of Law, by Richard Rothstein NYTimes 1619 Project 1776 Report [P.S. LOL it's Trump propaganda] FOX News Colocation on school sites is fake news Bill says vote for Canek Aguirre! Anh's eating: Del Ray Cafe Campbell4Council21.com Donate to Bill

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We try hard—and fail—to be cool and not to go all fangirl on incumbent City Council candidate Canek Aguirre. In our defense, YOU spend an hour with him talking pragmatically about affordable housing, our true taco deficit, and the work of social and racial justice—all from under his covid-grown lion's mane—and see if YOU can resist! Check the show notes for details from tonight's episode!

• Lafaytte's watering hole
• Paul Manafort's jail
• Lost Boy Cider's Goldsmith stovepipe
• The Beavertons!
• Dos Amigos
• Los Teltecos
• Drive to Gum Springs (or Rashmi's) for tacos?
• Makeda in Van Dorn Station for Ethiopian
• Climate Corner: ALX Environmental Action Plan
• 4 Mile Run Park
• Dora Kelly/Buddy Ford Park
• Hot tip: the cool kids recycle their glass here!
• Don't put plastic bags in the recycling!
• ALL Alexandria Resolution on Race + Equity
• Office of Historical ALX oral history project
• Spanish text line
• Michigander Marta gives a strong rec for Peace Out's Detroit-style slices on BOGO Tuesdays!
• Jacinta Greene
• Ruby Tucker Readers' Amazon wishlist of books!
• canekforcouncil.com
• Donate to Canek!

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History buff Bill Rossello (and his Siamese cat, Mookie) joins us for drinks to discuss electric vehicles, past political contributions, affection for The Al Pacino, and Talenti sea salt caramel gelato! We give him a run for his money on where to build schools and get some intel on this Seminary Road/Bring Integrity Back private Facebook group. Oh—and we share our first big fact check! Join us! Details in the show notes—

• Tonight we're drinking: The Ridin' with Biden, from Neighborhood Provisions
• Some lipstick smells good enough to eat
• Siamese cats (Hi, Mookie!)
• The CrownFrasier? Ok, sure.
• Aldo's on Eisenhower for chicken a la Aldo
• Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman
• Talenti from the grocery store? Alright, fine.
• Bill's donation to Barbara Comstock + Deloitte's PAC
• Deloitte's campaign contributions
• The ADC doesn't recruit, but def get your friends to join!
• Chinquapin Park, Lee St Park, Founder's Park
• Climate Corner: ALX Environmental Action Plan
• Bill's favorite chapter of the EAP
• National Renewable Energy LaboratoryALX Mobility Plan Advisory Committee
• Bill's reading: a dissertation on Ft. Ward neighborhood displacement
• Seminary Hill Association
• TC Williams was a screaming racist
• affordablehousingonline.com ain't an authority
• US Census: Quickfacts on ALX
• Alexandria Soccer Association (ASA)
• Bring Integrity Back to ALX Private Facebook Group
• Reporting on Bill + The Facebook group (Oy, the comments on local news sites are to be avoided forever!)
• billforalexandria.com
• Donate to Bill

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In this late-night interview, we make incumbent John Chapman answer inappropriate questions in front of his mom, gently shame him for his public pandemic "farming" fail, get serious about how to both live up to our values on affordable housing and develop wisely, and talk best friendsies with a 6 year old named Max. Check the show notes for details!

• Tonight we're drinking: Lost Boy Cider's Sweet Child stovepipe -
• Manumission Tours -
• Michele "Mama" Chapman -
• The Last Dance on Netflix -
• Theismann's -
• Sweet Fire Donna's -
• FCPS Community Use -
• Color of Law, by Richard Rothstein—at Old Town Books! -
• Busta's Woo-Ha! Got You All In Check [parental advisory from Mama Chapman!] -
• Tamia -
• Regal was Hoyt's, but now it's nothing -
• Climate Corner: ALX Environmental Action Plan -
• JTC's collard greens fail #nightfarmer -
• Angel Park -
• ALL Alexandria Resolution on Race + Equity -
• Taco Bell in Old Town -
• What Anh would be eating, if she weren't having vaccine side effects: Ramen from Sunday in Saigon -
• Spitfire Club
• Chapman4Council.com -
• Donate to John's campaign -

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In this episode, we get serious about domestic violence, consider eating cicadas to save the world, and Patrick challenges local journalist and debate moderator Michael Lee Pope to a duel! Will we even be able to hear Patrick through all the amazing plants in his office? Only one way to find out! Check the show notes for more details!

• Tonight we're drinking: The Ridin' with Biden, from Neighborhood Provisions

• Cicadas are coming

• They're edible!

• ftr, Rashmi ate crickets on vacation in Mexico, not at home!

• Tactical Land Care

• WaPo article on the arrest

• WaPo article about the Project Veritas incident PM references

• ADC Debates drop May 4th on AlexDems.org

• 2018 ADC Debate

• Michael Lee Pope

• Between Two Ferns

• Climate Corner: ALX Environmental Action Plan

• Ft. Ward Park

• Windmill Hill Park

• Fact check: Building ops = 28% of global emissions, building construction/materials = 11%. Architecture2030 expects to add 2.48 trillion sqft of floor area globally—like adding an entire NYC every month for 40yrs

• ALL Alexandria Resolution on Race + Equity

• Renaming Matthew Maury & TC Williams Schools

• Yale football

• Yale course on Civil War

• 63.7% of ACPS students are eligible for free + reduced lunch

• Maslow's hierarchy of needs

• ALX Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)

• Anh is eating: Jeni's ice cream (without us!)

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Guess who's comin' to brunch! We talk tacos, a lot of pop culture—and plenty of serious policy—over mimosas with traffic and parking nerd James Lewis! His food recs will have you hollerin' "BINGO!" Check the show notes for details mentioned in this episode!

• Sound of Music -
• ACPS Superintendent + his sweet bowtie -
• Rege-Jean isn't in Season 2! -
• Tiger King + The 100 -
• The Last Kingdom -
• Los Toltecos on Duke -
• TJ Stones Taco Tuesdays! -
• Find Me by André Aciman -
• The Duke -
• 1998 Brad Pitt -
• One More Angel in Heaven
• Rep. Barbara Lee -
• Virginia Charitable Gaming Board -
• Creamery + Pops -
• Cloud City -
• Climate Corner: ALX Environmental Action Plan -
• Alx Traffic + Parking Board - Oronoco Bay Park - ALL Alexandria Resolution on Race + Equity -
• ALX Black History Museum -
• Architechture Boat Tour of Chicago -
• National Grilled Cheese Month -
• Anh's eating: Cheesetique's brie/proscutto/pear grilled cheese -
• Heathers
• JamesLewisVA.com -
• Donate to Jim's campaign

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Rashmi's neck is sore from nodding in agreement, as first-time candidate Kevin Harris charms us first—and then takes us to church on moral budgeting, building power in minority communities, and obviously basketball! Check show notes for details from the episode!

• Tonight we're drinking: The Ridin' with Biden from Neighborhood Provisions -
• Myron Mixon's BBQ on Lee Street -
• Love of Christ Church -
• Hoop Life, Jump Shots for Tots -
• Just for Me, by Kirk Franklin -
• Baskin Robbins -
• Climate Corner: ALX Environmental Action Plan -
• Potomac Yard Park (with the big person + little person playgrounds) -
• ALL Alexandria Resolution on Race + Equity -
• Alexandria Redevelopment & Housing Authority -
• ALX Economic Opportunities Commission -
• Juvenile Justice Detention Center Board -
• Detention Center Board Safety Committee -
• ALX Police Review Board -
• Join the Minority-owned Businesses Roundtable -
• Alexandria Minority-owned Small Business Association -
• What Anh's eating: Sticky rice with mango from Spill the Tea—we very young tastemakers enjoy their bubble tea and lychee popping boba as much as the actually young middle schoolers do -
• VoteforKevinHarris.com -
• Donate to Kevin's campaign

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In our inaugural episode, dedicated flosser Sarah Bagley goes deep on housing affordability, gun violence prevention, internal anti-racist work, and that hot old guy from Jurassic Park. Check these show notes for details from the episode!

• Tonight we're drinking: The Ridin' with Biden, from Neighborhood Provisions
• The New Girl
• Nick from The New Girl (Jake Johnson)
• Desmond the hyper-dramatic hound dog
• Ichiban Sushi House on King Street
• Rustico! Sarah loves the fried cauliflower—Anh says bring back the duck pizza with arulgula!
• I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual, by Luvvie Ajayi
• Awesomely Luvvie on FB
• Sam Neill from Jurassic Park is actually 73
• Joshua Jackson
• McDonald's used to have birthday parties!
• Climate Corner: ALX Environmental Action Plan
• Jones Point Park
• Ruby Tucker Park
• Rashmi Pappu Photography
• ALL Alexandria Resolution on Race + Equity
• Manumission Tours
• Moms Demand Action
• Me & White Supremacy Workbook
• Postcards4VA in Alexandria: While Sarah is on campaign hiatus, email Jennifer.Runkle@gmail.com to join the postcarding movement!
• Lulu Phan-Swanner
• What is AMI? This doc is from St. Paul, MN, but it's a good explainer!
• What Anh's eating: dumplings from Kung Fu Kitchen
• Michelle Millben's Explanation Kids
• SarahforCityCouncil.com
• Donate to Sarah Bagley