Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Eh, that’s media spin. biden’s health is fine and he’s doing a good job.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

You cannot shame the shameless.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Infrastructure week. at last.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

The words do not have to be perfect.

You are here: Home / Notes from the first Balloon Juice get together

Notes from the first Balloon Juice get together

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I don’t have a lot of time to blog this morning, but the first Balloon Juice get together last night was a smashing success. My iPhone camera didn’t work in the relative dark but commenter Raven took some great pictures with a real camera and I’ll have those up later when I get them.

Great to meet everyone last night! (I’m not sure if I should mention commenters’ names since there will be pictures of everybody later.)

Reader Interactions

58Comments

  3. 3.

    DonBelacquaDelPurgatorio

    I heard a rumor that you were moving to SF, is this true?

    If so, I will expect you to put me up whenever I come to town. I used to live in San Bruno and then I had siblings in SF but now I have nowhere to crash up there.

  4. 4.

    ellaesther

    Can I make one quick suggestion?

    I wouldn’t mind having my picture up (indeed, I only wish I could have been there…!), but some might.

    Could you give people a chance to say “Hey, please don’t post my picture,” just in case some of the folks who were there last night might be uneasy about it?

    /Debbie Do-Gooder.

  7. 7.

    Mrs. Peel

    @ellaesther: Um, don’t you think that subject just might have been brought up at the time there was a camera flashing in everyone’s face?

    Eeeesh. There’s one in every crowd.

  8. 8.

    Rathskeller

    Did you like Thirsty Bear? I am very fond of that place. Sometimes mediocre food, but I’ve had some very exciting dishes there over the years.

  9. 9.

    Hob

    Pictures are OK with me, even though I probably look like a zombie. A hungry zombie too– I was looking forward to having some food there, and then I got distracted with a beer and then their kitchen closed, so I had to just have some chocolate cake.

  11. 11.

    West of the Cascades

    Do one in Portland!! Do one in Portland!!

    Either Portland, but definitely the Oregon one!

  12. 12.

    SGEW

    Hey DougJ – any chance you’ll stop by NYC sometime? There are quite a few B-J regulars (and all y’all lurkers) here, methinks.

    First drink’s on me.

  13. 13.

    ellaesther

    @Mrs. Peel: Eeeesh, no I don’t. I think that people are not always 100% aware of what is going on around them all the time, and that it is common courtesy to ask people if they would mind having their pictures posted in a public forum seen by God knows how many people all around the world.

    I even mocked myself for my polite suggestion, that wasn’t good enough for you?

  16. 16.

    SGEW

    @ellaesther:

    I think that people are not always 100% aware of what is going on around them all the time . . .

    You can say that again. Especially when th’ booze it be flowin’.

    [I, myself, am particularly sensitive about such things, however; there are quite a few Facebook pictures of me with a hand in front of my face.]

  19. 19.

    Colette

    @jeffreyw: Damn, now I’m really hungry. Sammich looks awesome.

    That was indeed a great time last night. I’m looking forward to the pix – and no worries, we were all asked if we minded being photographed and displayed online before the cameras came out.

  20. 20.

    ellaesther

    @Colette: Excellent! Sorry to be careful (this is apparently an issue for some…), but I know people who have been horrified to find themselves posted, not even realizing they were being photographed.

    On the other hand, I didn’t necessarily need to leap into the fray of an event that I didn’t attend so I have no idea what was said or not. Hmm.

    Dearie me, I’m becoming a pain in the ass. I will stop by switching topic, to:

    @John PM: There was talk yesterday about getting some folks together in the fall, when SiubhanDuinne will be coming this way for a high school reunion (read the comments in this post), but I have the sense that if someone wanted to organize something sooner, folks would be happy about it.

  25. 25.

    Lit3Bolt

    Pictures of people and not pets? Has the whole world gone mad? What does Philosopher-King Tunch think of this?

  30. 30.

    geg6

    I think since John Cole is often in Pittsburgh and Tim F. lives here, we should have one of these shindigs in the ‘Burgh.

    Yes, I am jellus.

  35. 35.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    @jeffreyw: Oh man, that looks good. I haven’t eaten in two days (quite under the weather – ugh) and that made me hungry. Must be on the mend.

  36. 36.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    Post all pictures! The innocent have nothing to hide! just kidding. Wish I could have been there.

  41. 41.

    Tsulagi

    Great to meet everyone last night!

    You sure it wasn’t just you there meeting all your spoof identities? Reason you don’t have pictures because you were shaking hands with yourself? Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

  43. 43.

    Paul in KY

    If any of y’all would like to hit Louisville (maybe for Derby, say), it would be great to have a meet-up. I’m in the infield each year (tarps, chairs, awnings, liquor) and any of y’all would be more than welcome to party at our spot (which is right in front of the giant TV screen on the right).

    Sounds like a great time was had by all.

  44. 44.

    geg6

    @Paul in KY:

    I’m in the infield each year (tarps, chairs, awnings, liquor)

    OMG, that’s a crazy place and time. In the 80s, a group of friends and I would rent a Winnebago and go to the Derby every year (we did it for about 10 years). The infield is just nuts, but in a good way. Best.party.ever. Too bad I’m too old to do that now. :-(

  45. 45.

    Annie

    @chrome agnomen:

    Count me in. Then everyone can come to DC…my home.

    For the march, we can wear our Tunch t-shirts (and thongs as someone else proposed), Tunch baseball caps, and carry our Tunch coffee mugs and signs. Lily and Charlie can lead, with Smudge, Raven, Shadow, Chompers, and all the other BJ darlings following close behind.

  47. 47.

    williamc

    @Third Eye Open:

    I love the Brick Store Pub! I used to live in Decatur (an ATL suburb) and wasted many a night spending too much money on all the BEER they have in stock there.

    ummmm beer…its Friday and sunny here in Atlanta, I’m going drinking, meet up or not…

  48. 48.

    Third Eye Open

    @williamc: I am always amazed at the rare selections in there, and their perogies are some of the best I have ever had. If it weren’t for case law briefs and some research design homework, I would be up there drinking this weekend myself. Oh well, soon…

  51. 51.

    Paul in KY

    geg6, glad you had a great time. The spot we stay at is well away from the college debauchery that goes on (so I’ve uh been told..) in the 3rd turn area.

    Since 9/11, they cracked down on some of the stuff you could bring in & it seems to have driven off some of the wildest partiers. You would probably think it was a bit tame, compared to the times you went.

  53. 53.

    Something Fabulous

    @Col. Klink: Ooooh! The land of my people! Always wanted to check it out! Roots and a mass-BJ [erm, what are you calling this phenom, Dougj?]; what could be better?

  54. 54.

    Tax Analyst

    @ #13 ellaesther said:

    @Mrs. Peel: Eeeesh, no I don’t. I think that people are not always 100% aware of what is going on around them all the time, and that it is common courtesy to ask people if they would mind having their pictures posted in a public forum seen by God knows how many people all around the world.

    Besides, they might be “Wanted” by Federal, State or Local Authorities as well. This IS Balloon Juice, after all.

  55. 55.

    Tax Analyst

    @ #38 Dreggas

    Let me know who wants to have one in the L.A./Orange county area.

    Well, I answered to that last night, but I might not have sounded all that enthusiastic, so let me rephrase:

    Although my hours are horrendous for the next month or so, I would still be glad to show up at an L.A. area meet, if it was at all feasible time & location-wise.

    However, I see there has been a notable lack of LA-area responses to this both last night and now today. Is it something I said? Or are most L.A. Balloon-Juicers just too laid back for this kind of soiree?

    Geezus, I still ask too many damned questions, don’t I?

  56. 56.

    asiangrrlMN

    Fuck yeah, the Twin Cities, Bitchez. I can think of half a dozen people off-hand who are from around here. Hell, you don’t even have to come in the winter if you don’t want.

    P.S. I did not think ellaesther’s request was unreasonable. I hate having my picture taken, and I would appreciate being asked before someone else put it on the web.

  57. 57.

    Steeplejack

    @Third Eye Open:

    Memories! I was on a consulting gig in 2000-01 for a small telecom company that had its offices on the second floor above a store just one or two down from the Brick Store. Great place to suck down beer replenish those vital electrolytes while hashing out gnarly technical problems after work. Good times.

  58. 58.

    Col. Klink

    @ Something Fabulous

    Yo! Where are your people from in our great Vatra?

    I’d guess Iasi or Moldova if you’re posting on this blog, with a 20 percent chance of being from Bucharest.

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