Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re gonna use it.”

Decision time: keep arguing about the last election, or try to win the next one?

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

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

Welcome to day five of every-bit-as-bad-as-you-thought-it-would-be.

“In this country American means white. everybody else has to hyphenate.”

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

The fight for our country is always worth it. ~Kamala Harris

When they say they are pro-life, they do not mean yours.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

I did not have this on my fuck 2025 bingo card.

Donald Trump found guilty as fuck – May 30, 2024!

I would gladly pay you tuesday for a hamburger today.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

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

A fool as well as an oath-breaker.

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, hurry up and indict this prick.

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

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

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

We do not need to pander to people who do not like what we stand for.

Fear and negativity are contagious, but so is courage!

You are here: Home / Balloon Juice / Readership Capture / Take a look at me now

Take a look at me now

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Thanks to everyone who came to yesterday’s Balloon-Juice meet-up. Here’s some pics (that’s me in the back in first one with the trapper hat, as promised). That was a lot of fun, we should do another one soon.

Thanks especially to the people who emailed me to thank me for setting it up, especially the person whose email included a link to her fabulous McArdle-length review of Against All Odds.

Reader Interactions

52Comments

  4. 4.

    Joeyess

    I would love to have a Balloon Juice meet up in kcmo, but I fear it would just be myself without a designated driver.

  8. 8.

    schrodinger's cat

    DougJ@top

    (that’s me in the back in first one with the trapper hat, as promised).

    Bigger photo plz? We has a curious.

  9. 9.

    MikeJ

    Yutsy around? He was talking about pushing back a week or two for the Seattle meet.

    Any fp’ers (other than John(only because I know he hates us)) who come out here have a standing invite for a meetup.

  11. 11.

    Spaghetti Lee

    If you’re up for a meetup (does some calculations) anywhere between Vandiver Drive and Stadium Blvd. in Columbia Missouri, I’m so there!

  18. 18.

    PurpleGirl

    That is indeed DougJ in the first picture. I was there and I talked to him a bit. (I’m in the second picture…)

  21. 21.

    Anya

    DougJ, you are older than I thought. Also, my dad wears that hideous hat in the winter. He’s mortally afraid of the cold (I guess you can take the man out of Africa…), what was your excuse?

  22. 22.

    Citizen_X

    Anyone else besides DougJ want to out themselves? C’mon, Cole did it!

    I wasfeeling jealous that New York-area people were able to do this. But now that I find out there was Phil Collins involved, well…

  23. 23.

    CaseyL

    Looks like fun, and you had a great turn-out! Did everyone stay at the one place, or did y’all go bar- and/or restaurant hopping later on? And any chance of name-tagging the photos so we know who is who?

    @MikeJ: IIRC, Annie was saying this next weekend was one of the few she was available, but maybe she can make it 2 or 3 weeks from then. I won’t be available the first weekend in March: Whidbey Island is having its Artist Studio Tour, which is one of my favorite things. What dates did Yutsano have in mind?

  25. 25.

    eemom

    feh. 1st pic is too far away, and 2nd pic has too many backs to the camera and no id’s.

    Sheeyit. If there’s ever a meetup here in DeeCee — and I’ll gladly help organize one if anyone ELSE wants to — there shall be proper pictures and FULL disclosure.

    I mean if fucking COLE could finally come out of hiding….

  29. 29.

    Steve

    That’s me in the second picture leaning on the mantel. It was great to meet everyone – good times, good conversation. Hope for another nice turnout when we do this again in a few months!

  30. 30.

    pragmatism

    Kerners are go?

    You can’t tell but there are two full sleeves of tats under the coat. Plus he has bobo tatted on the knuckles of his right hand.

  31. 31.

    Nicole

    What a fun afternoon! You all are terrific conversationalists. Very much looking forward to the next one. (Note to self: sit up straight next time. And remove 2-year-old signature links on email.)

  32. 32.

    Anya

    @DougJarvus Green-Ellis: @shortstop: It’s really hard to tell from that picture. But you all look like a really nice people. If you continue with this meat up business, you’ll be ruining BJ’s reputation. It’s supposed to be a refuge for a snarling mass of vitriolic vicious jackals, no?

  36. 36.

    MikeJ

    @CaseyL:

    What dates did Yutsano have in mind?

    I’m not sure, but he was talking about going over the mountains to the folks’ place.

  37. 37.

    jharp

    Pretty interesting photos. Thanks for posting.

    To be honest I had all of you pictured being way way younger. I wonder what that is all about as I’m about your ages.

  40. 40.

    handsmile

    It wasn’t the trapper hat that was the issue. It was the pelts that DougJ G-E brought along as well. Animal skins haven’t been legal tender in the City for many years now.

    Another terrific occasion among bright, witty, and engaged people who only pretend to be a “snarling mass of vicious jackals” while online. It was a true pleasure to meet or renew acquaintance with the actual personages of annette, celiadexter, chopper, Gary, JGabriel, KJBrooklyn, LiteralReddy, Nicole, Richard S, RitaR, sfinny, and UpperWest. One interesting feature of both meet-ups was the number of attendees who comment here only rarely. With the quality of conversation, it would be great to hear from them more often.

    Warm thanks to you, Doug-of-many-nyms for proposing these NYC gatherings. (Happy to learn as well that the Book Club will be re-convening soon.) As you’re the one who’s travelling the furthest to attend, I’m glad that you’ve enjoyed them.

    And for those reading in the hinterlands (I’m thinking here about that famous New Yorker cover of how the rest of the country appears from New York City), I suspect you’ll be very happy to have arranged a similar meeting of local tribe-members.

  42. 42.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    There were no pictures of the Netroots Nation/Minneapolis meet-up last year, unfortunately. I Guess someone objected, though I have no idea who.

    I’d be interested in a SF Peninsula/South Bay meet-up.

  43. 43.

    Rita R.

    Had a great time meeting everyone, and Doug did a bangup job as organizer, host and keeper of the trapper hat. He was alo near perfect at guessing who the Balloon Juicers were as they walked into the bar. Guess we have a look.

    JGabriel won for line of the night — spoken loudly, leaning over the table soon after he walked in: “Doug, everybody likes to have sex!” Room was cleared for him to get a seat at the table after that.

    FYI, I’m the one in pink with the dark hair in the second photo agreeing with Nicole that I should’ve listened to my mother when she said to sit up straight.

  44. 44.

    Anne Laurie

    @Crashman:

    I vote for a Boston meetup some day; there are enough of us around here.

    I’d probably show up if someone else arranged such a thing, but be warned: Unless you’re a Gytha Ogg fan, you’ll be bitterly disappointed. And, since I don’t actually drink much (although I can trencher with the best), if you’re a Nanny Ogg fan you’ll still be disappointed.

  52. 52.

    Gary

    DougJ deserves a big thanks for organizing a stimulating meeting. (Besides the drinks, the conversations were good too.)

    I’m the distinguished gray-haired guy to the right of DougJ in the top photo.

    And, no, I don’t look like Dick Cheney in real life.

    Do I? ! ! !

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