Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

The willow is too close to the house.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

T R E 4 5 O N

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

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

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

“Why isn’t this Snickers bar only a nickle?”

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

Republicans don’t trust women.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

American History and Black History Cannot Be Separated

In short, I come down firmly on all sides of the issue.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Book club and get together

Book club and get together

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I decided to do the book “The Reactionary Mind: Conservatism from Edmund Burke to Sarah Palin” for our next book club. I’ve spoken with the author and he said he said he’d be happy to stop by and answer questions once we get this going. It will probably be a little while before I start reading it seriously, at least two weeks to a month.

Also too, if anyone’s interested, I was thinking of doing a mini-Balloon-Juice get together in New York next weekend. It was a lot of fun meeting Hob, Raven, mc mcc, and Collette in San Francisco. I was thinking of something in Manhattan on Saturday or Sunday afternoon (I’ll be down for the weekend). Maybe down near OWS, though I don’t know that area very well. Let me know if anyone is up for it.

Also too as well, open thread.

Reader Interactions

146Comments

  2. 2.

    Maude

    Good idea on the book. Gives us plenty of time to find it and read it.
    I hope you drop by and say hi to OWS. They are standing firm.

  6. 6.

    Ron

    Doug, what about a Rochester get together for BJ-ers? (I seem to get the impression there are a fair number of us in central/western NY)

  7. 7.

    JenJen

    Also too, isn’t it weird the way “also too” has become so useful among our circles, considering its origin? I employ it pretty much every day. #deepthought

    That being said, also too, who are you on the Twitter, DougJ?

  13. 13.

    Hawes

    Next weekend is really busy. Plus, the people I know from the Internet might discover I am not a lithesome 19 year old girl.

  15. 15.

    The Dangerman

    @efgoldman:

    Maybe because, deep down, I’ve hated ‘Bama since Bear Bryant, and I’m pretty sure they’re going to win.

    I’m not sure I’ve ever rooted for Bama…

    …but LSU pisses me off. Shit, when you’re dirtier than Bama … ;-)

    I think Bama wins, too.

  16. 16.

    piratedan

    pretty sad indeed if we’re moving from Edmund Burke to Snowflake Snooki as a standard-bearer of Conservative thought. Maybe she’s an object lesson….

  22. 22.

    Mark S.

    From the book description:

    Capitalism is “boring,” said the founding father of the American right. “Devoting your life to it,” as conservatives do, “is horrifying if only because it’s so repetitious. It’s like sex.”

    God Mrs. Buckley must have been a very frustrated woman.

    Just bought the book on the nook.

  25. 25.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    Helmet to helmet and then a celebration? Got the kid from Arkansas tossed last week.

  26. 26.

    JenJen

    @DougJ: “Also too, I hope to see you at the grad student mixer on the 10th.”

    It just slips in too easily. I’m starting to think it’s a plot, a la, ACORN and NBP.

    Also too, tweet me with your twitter.

  28. 28.

    Dee Loralei

    @efgoldman: Some guy on twitter said “Not gonna lie, my entire happiness is defined by the next three hours over what 86 18-22 year old kids do in an extracurricular game.”

    I said, after observing he was an Alabama Alumn, “so, you’re rooting for an asteroid, too?”

    Needless to say, he didn’t reply. But it made me cackle! LOL! and BoomerSooner!

  31. 31.

    Nicole

    I would be game for a get-together in NYC! I don’t know the Wall Street area well, so I can’t be useful and offer suggestions of anything in that area, but I’ll totally come to wherever the BJers end up.

  32. 32.

    lamh35

    it may have been the hurricane/margarita mix I had tonight, but I bought an IPad! Happy Birthday to me!

    Thx to everyone who wished me a happy birthday. I gotta say, thx to some friends from work and some family members it was one of the better birth-days I ever had.

  34. 34.

    lamh34

    posted as lamh34 just in case lamh35 doesn’t work.

    it may have been the hurricane/margarita mix I had tonight, but I bought an IPad! Happy Birthday to me!

    Thx to everyone who wished me a happy birthday. I gotta say, thx to some friends from work and some family members it was one of the better birth-days I ever had.

  36. 36.

    RareSanity

    I heard a guy on the radio say this, earlier this week, and it fits the LSU/Alabama game perfectly.

    “People say they like defense, and defensive battles, they’re lying. They like their defense, they don’t give a flip about the other team’s defense. Low scoring, defensive battles are boring. People want to see points scored.”

  38. 38.

    Dee Loralei

    @lamh34: Well happy birthday to you ma’am. But you let me down last night, I was looking for twitter commentary on Fringe and Grimm, and I saw no output from you,miss ma’am. I was otherwise occupado and was counting on my tv buddy to keep me informed. Now granted, I only checked every once and awhile and may have missed you fullfilling your obligation to our relationship. LOL I’m teasing. Seriously Happy Bday! And enjoy the iPad!

  39. 39.

    RareSanity

    @Raven (formerly stuckinred):

    The atmosphere downtown is going to be awesome!

    Unfortunately, I can’t attend. I’ll be recovering from sinus surgery scheduled for Monday. I’ll be glued to the boob tube though…

    Make a sign that says, “Also, too!”, so everyone will know it’s you on TV. LOL

  40. 40.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    @RareSanity: We’re in the 1st row of the upper deck in the Hokie section.

    eta I’m just hoping the Ga-Auburn game is in the afternoon, I don’t think my old bones can take 2 night games in three days.

  41. 41.

    geg6

    Damn, can’t get to my favorite city ever for a meetup, DougJ, but if you ever do one in Buffalo, that’s not too far to drive up for a night. I’d be there.

    Just finished BBQ ribs, garlic smashed potatoes, and baby peas with some Fess Parker reisling and am making my shopping list for Portugese mussels and pasta for dinner tomorrow.

    As for the book club, sounds good. I’m currently in the midst of The Autobiography of Mark Twain Vol. I, so I’ll have to finish that first. Was gonna read the recent history of the Great Migration next, but I can put that off for a while.

  42. 42.

    Yutsano

    @lamh34: Happy Birfday Fellow Scorpion! May you get to avoid the birf certificate jokes I was submitted to!

    /born in Honolulu

  43. 43.

    RareSanity

    @Raven (formerly stuckinred):

    One thing about those Hokies, they travel deep…If I lived in Blacksburg, I’d look for any excuse to get out too. :-)

    There will a lot of maroon and orange around you.

    ETA: As wild an environment as Samford Stadium is, there is something magical about Bobby Dodd, at night, with the downtown skyline in the background.

    I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it.

  46. 46.

    srv

    Maybe down near OWS, though I don’t know that area very well. Let me know if anyone is up for it.

    Fucking upstaters who look as lost in NYC as the Vegas crowd.

  47. 47.

    Comrade Mary

    All this talk about normals has me flashing back to freaking the mundanes. Ah, for the days when everyone camped in dresses.

  49. 49.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    @RareSanity: My wife’s family are deep Hokies from Appomattox. She, her grandfather, father, brother, sister (on the faculty as well) all went there. I rally like their program and had a ball in the easy for the National Championship even though they lost.

  50. 50.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    @RareSanity: My wife’s family are deep Hokies from Appomattox. She, her grandfather, father, brother, sister (on the faculty as well) all went there. I really like their program and had a ball in the easy for the National Championship even though they lost.

  57. 57.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    @RareSanity: We’ll see. The option is a sight when it works but Bud is a fairly decent DQ.

    eta Truth be told my wife goes in honor of her pop’s memory. The man loved the Hokies as much as anyone I have ever seen love their school.

  63. 63.

    RareSanity

    @Raven (formerly stuckinred):

    Bud is good, one of the best in the country, been that way for a long time.

    I must admit, that I have always been rather “iffy” on the option attack. But, what I saw it do to Clemson last week…definitely has me reconsidering my position on it.

  64. 64.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    @RareSanity: That was incredible and the way Clemson throttled the Hokies makes it even more interesting. Ya never know, if Northwestern can beat the Huskers in Lincoln anything can happen.

  67. 67.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @DougJ: I haven’t been on that end of Manhattan since the 70s. Of course, the last time I was in NYC was for the closing performance of Hedwig at the Jane Street Theatre, so it’s been a while.

  68. 68.

    Steve

    O’Hara’s is a good get-together spot right around the corner from OWS. Not sure if I will be able to make it, but Saturday is better than Sunday for me.

  70. 70.

    RareSanity

    @Raven (formerly stuckinred):

    That’s the thing about GT, if the quarterback can complete just a few passes down the field, they are almost unstoppable.

    The problem with that is, our quarterbacks will never be confused with young Dan Marinos…

  71. 71.

    DougJ

    @Steve:

    I will check it out, as I think more, I am pretty sure that I will go down and check out OWS while I am there. And I will probably want a drink afterwards.

  73. 73.

    celiadexter

    NYC next weekend? I’m in, and if it’s Sunday, so is my better half. I know downtown, uptown, Bronx, whatever.

  76. 76.

    ChrisNYC

    I’ll go next weekend if I’m not working, which is a moving target.

    Places to go are hard in that neighborhood. Nancy Whiskey is a good dive bar with food. Haven’t been there for like ten years, though. And it’s a walk from OWS.

    Also, for OWS visiting, DougJ, good thing to know is the W Hotel down the street, overlooking Ground Zero has a lounge on the 5th or 6th floor which is free and they let a person use their bathrooms — surprisingly nice of them. And they have huge windows so you can see into the construction pit and, personally, I love seeing that stuff.

  77. 77.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Nicole: A friend got tix to the last show after donating to a charity. The package included invites to the cast party at some place on Houston that is gone now. My friend gf was unable to go at the last minute so I got to snag her ticket. It was awesome we sat up front; Hedwig conversed with me and gyrated his/her crotch an inch in front of my friend’s face. JCM was there for the performance and did an a cappella version of You Light Up My Life in German. Then there was drinking and a near fight. Great night.

  79. 79.

    sfinny

    If a mostly lurker is welcome, a NYC meet sound good. Don’t know downtown well for locations. Last time I was there was for jury duty and was pretty much clueless on where to get lunch.

  83. 83.

    sfinny

    Thanks! I must agree that the area around the federal courthouse was a bit different from the Chelsea and Midtown areas that I’m more familiar with. And screw it I am ending a sentence with a preposition.

  88. 88.

    schrodinger's cat

    @DougJ: That’s what I thought, I remember going there for lunch when I was interviewing on Wall Street a few years back.

  89. 89.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    Since few have mentioned the book here in the comments much I just want to say though I’ve read it, and enjoyed it, I’m sorry you didn’t go with that Graeber book AL and others were proposing. I can’t think of anything more timely and it really is one of the best things I’ve ever read, just as a work of history/anthropology. I’ve thought and talked about it pretty much daily since reading it.

    Having said that, Corey Robin’s book will be an excellent read and discussion, especially if you can have the author here. I like the idea in general, I’ve enjoyed the book salons at FDL very much (yes, I read both sites, sorry, just bi that way ;) and the exchanges with the authors are fascinating.

    Both of them are available to read seconds from now on Kindle for the PC also, BTW.

  93. 93.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    @DougJ: I have to admit, I don’t know shit about the city. I was there once in August of 72 when about 20 of us drove there for a wedding in Patterson. We stayed at some maniacs apartment in the Village. Hot, rain, dogs, high as the cost of living and broke. It was swell, never went back and never wanted to.

    eta. oops, hitched out there in the summer of 71. Stayed with a friend in Bayside, saw the Allman’s in the city and then hitched up to Boston and saw them free on the Commons.

  105. 105.

    RareSanity

    The LSU/Alabama game reinforces my befuddlement about how soccer fans can be okay with games ending in ties.

    I need closure…this also why I can’t get into hockey.

  106. 106.

    handsmile

    @DougJ: et al

    Very glad to have turned on the Balloon Juice machine upon returning home tonight!

    It would be delightful to get together next weekend here in the urban hellhole with regulars and irregulars alike. Great idea to come down early for the holiday shopping, DougJ, before all the crowds!

    I’m pretty familiar with most neighborhoods in Manhattan and would be happy to make suggestions/reservations if desired and preferences expressed. Tribeca offers many options and is close by to the west and northwest of Zuccotti Park. Also (too), Chinatown is less than a mile away to the northeast. Let me know if I can be of any help.

    I’m pleased that I’ll be able to rescue “The Reactionary Mind” from one of the tottering piles in my study. But I wanted to thank the several commenters who have recently been recommending the Graeber book on debt. From those remarks, I’ve been reading some of his online essays and will be purchasing that book soon. Kindles and their demonic ilk are not welcome in the handsmile household.

  110. 110.

    suzanne

    @Omnes Omnibus: I have lots of Mormon friends, some of whom are Romney relatives. None of them are polygamists, but some of them don’t think it’s the worst idea in the world.

  111. 111.

    MikeJ

    @suzanne: That article scratches the surface on Mitchell’s weirdness. Really need to read Under the Banner of Heaven to understand all the allusions.

  112. 112.

    suzanne

    @MikeJ: I’ve read it. The article doesn’t really focus on Mitchell’s weirdness, in my view, as discuss the sociocultural forces that would both give rise to his weirdness and cause Elizabeth to be so susceptible to his particular brand of crazy.

    I really with Julian Assange would publish a whole bunch of internal LDS stuff to prove how BS that entire organization really is.

  114. 114.

    RareSanity

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Closure is the thing that allows me to flaunt my superiority to others, based on the actions of people I don’t even know, and how they performed in a sporting contest.

  119. 119.

    suzanne

    @Omnes Omnibus: Oh, I’m truly sorry. She’s unpleasant. Not funny anymore.

    @MikeJ: Publish it. I’ve seen so many of my friends suffer because of that organization that I am straightforward in my desire to see it crumble under the weight of its own hatred and lies.

  120. 120.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Omnes Omnibus: I did get her to admit that I might be right that Bakunin was a non-capitalist libertarian and, therefore, such a thing must exist. She will denying it thrice before the cock crows, but still…

  121. 121.

    suzanne

    @Omnes Omnibus: Well, that’s not surprising. She accused me of some belief on a thread once, and I replied, “Provide a link to a statement I made in which I said I believe in XXXX.” So she copied and pasted the end part of my sentence, which read, “I believe in XXXX.” And never provided the link. Making shit up as she goes along: that’s how she rolls.

  122. 122.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @suzanne: We probably have better things to do than discuss “the child” (h/t Yutsano). For example, checking to see if our toenails require clipping.

  123. 123.

    suzanne

    @Omnes Omnibus: I still prefer calling her “FourLoko”. Reading her shit makes one equally wild-eyed and incapable of linear, rational discourse.

    I’m still dreading the inevitable Mormon whining about their victimization. THis is gonna SUCK. “They hate us and we’re Christians and we’re not WEIRD and everyone who doesn’t like our church JUST DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT IT!!!” Vomit.

  124. 124.

    Diana

    hey, I live in the East Village, NYC. I would totally be up for any kind of NYC meetup. Post the time and the place, and I’ll be there — complete with iphone pictures of my two cats for anyone who thinks Tunch rules…;-)

  130. 130.

    suzanne

    @Yutsano: Only problem with “the child” is that I have the feeling she’s of an embarrassingly advanced age to behave as childishly as she does.

  132. 132.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Yutsano: I once had a senior officer give me this advice on my birthday: You are only young once, but you can be immature for ever.

  133. 133.

    handsmile

    @DougJ: (#133)

    Re O’Hara’s: Don’t know it, so did a “Yelp New York” search and this is what I found, posted by Allison T. on 10/22/11:

    O’Hara’s is refusing entry to Occupy Wall Street supporters. My friends and I joined the folks in Zuccoti Park. We peacefully held signs. When we showed up to O’hara’s they refused us entry because one of us had a sign folded under our arm. We went back to the park and made sure the hundreds of folks gathered knew about it.

    O’Hara’s told us: “Our clients are Wall Street employees and they don’t like this trouble. So no one who is a supporter of OWS can come here.”

    Maybe another place should be chosen. (FYI it’s an Irish pub replica, located on Cedar Street, a block or two from Zuccotti Park.)

    Is your idea for this get-together to have drinks mid-to-late afternoon on Saturday or Sunday or drinks/dinner in late afternoon/early evening. If it’s helpful, I’d have recommendations for either but let me know what you have in mind or how such things usually work.

    I’m going to sign off for the night, but will check back in the morning. (I believe you also have my email address if that’s preferable.) Thanks very much for proposing this occasion; I’m looking forward to putting faces to words.

  134. 134.

    JGabriel

    DougJ:

    I was thinking of doing a mini-Balloon-Juice get together in New York next weekend. It was a lot of fun meeting Hob, Raven, mc mcc, and Collette in San Francisco. I was thinking of something in Manhattan on Saturday or Sunday afternoon …

    I’m up for it. Let us know the details when you’re ready.

    .

  135. 135.

    JGabriel

    @DougJ:

    No real New Yorker would be proud to know the area around Wall Street. That area sucks.

    Bingo. I live in the city, used to work in the Wall Street area in the 90s, and even when I worked there I didn’t know it well. Because there was nothing to know — the whole place used to shut down by 8 or 9 pm.

    I hear it’s a little more happening after a bunch o’ fresh young blood took advantage of cheap post-9/11 real estate deals, but that doesn’t mean much more than that most of the Wall St. area bars stay open a little later now.

    .

  136. 136.

    JGabriel

    @handsmile:

    Is your idea for this get-together to have drinks mid-to-late afternoon on Saturday or Sunday or drinks/dinner in late afternoon/early evening.

    If we’re taking votes, I prefer that latter (and the later) of the two.

    .

  137. 137.

    PurpleGirl

    Haven’t read the thread through yet.. Was anything decided? I’d love to attend a meet-up of BJers.

  140. 140.

    PurpleGirl

    @DougJ: Thanks for the reply. Sunday works better for me, but Saturday could work too. Looking forward to the further details.

  141. 141.

    Hob

    I’m going to try to do the book club this time, although I was more interested in Nixonland than in this one.

    Have fun in NY! I lived there for a long time but rarely did anything fun, so I have no advice about meeting places etc.

  142. 142.

    MaximusNYC

    I’ll certainly try to make it out to a BJ gathering next weekend in NYC if I can!

    I work very near Zuccotti Park. The Irish American is a serviceable pub-type place in the vicinity (it’s not the OWS-hating one referenced above):

    http://www.irishamericanpub.com/

    Before its recent renovation, it was known as the John Street Bar and Grill, and you’ll still find various reviews of it under that name:

    http://nymag.com/listings/bar/john_street_bar_and_grill/

    It’s a decent bar/restaurant combo in a neighborhood that doesn’t have very many of those. And for the record, I went in there with a friend right after doing a rally and video shoot at OWS. We were carrying (folded) signs, and nobody said a bad word about it.

  143. 143.

    celiadexter

    Here’s a place I’m sure BJers would like. It’s walking distance from Zuccotti (if you like a long walk), has an excellent and motley group of regulars (I used to be one when I lived downtown) and not-regulars, good wine, Guinness etc. on tap, better than decent food, great hang: http://earinn.com/

  145. 145.

    handsmile

    @celiadexter: (#151)

    Checking in for meet-up updates:

    Indeed, the Ear Inn is magnificent, one of the deplorably dwindling glories of what once made this city so distinctive, so idiosyncratic, so imaginatively robust.

    Not on my regular pathways, but I do stop by a couple of times each year, if for no other reason than to marvel that it’s still there.

    But to my mind and legs, it’s a long, long walk from Zuccotti Park and convenient subway stations are not close by. (No small part of its charm is its off-the-beaten-track location.) All that said, it would be a welcome spot for NYC tribe members to get together.

  146. 146.

    birthmarker

    @lamh34: In November (birthday month) the Birthmarker shopping starts (for myself) and continues through Christmas. All the best stuff is in the stores now!

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