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Radicalized white males who support Trump are pitching a tent in the abyss.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

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

Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.

If you don’t believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love isn’t freedom, it is privilege.

Do we throw up our hands or do we roll up our sleeves? (hint, door #2)

Celebrate the fucking wins.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

My right to basic bodily autonomy is not on the table. that’s the new deal.

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

Cancel the cowardly Times and Post and set up an equivalent monthly donation to ProPublica.

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” was supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

Disagreements are healthy; personal attacks are not.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

A norm that restrains only one side really is not a norm – it is a trap.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

Let’s bury these fuckers at the polls 2 years from now.

White supremacy is terrorism.

We will not go back.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

You are here: Home / We can make a secret rendezvous

We can make a secret rendezvous

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We may have a reasonably sizable BJ contingent at Netroots Nation this summer in Providence. I plan to be there and a couple of the front-page crew may be as well…though no J-to-the-C malheureusement.

If we’re looking at a reasonable BJ turn-out, maybe we can have a Balloon-Juice event of some kind, maybe at the Dorrance, near the convention center.

I know a lot of you are DKos haters, but I’m not.

Reader Interactions

50Comments

  1. 1.

    Yutsano

    I of course cannot attend, but I will just heavily suggest if you can attend the meet-up GO!! The two we’ve had so far in Seattle have been great fun! You don’t even need to involve anything with the GOS.

  2. 2.

    BGinCHI

    I suggest a raffle, where everyone puts their name in and the lucky winner(s) get expenses paid to the convention.

    Cole could take it out of his Lowes budget. This is more important than home improvement.

  3. 3.

    Clime Acts

    Hey I’m less than an hour away in Boston!

    I’ll be sure to be there so we can try to choke each other to death!

  8. 8.

    BGinCHI

    @cathyx: He’s always bragging about his baking skills.

    Bake sale!

    Or he could charge those crazy people who show up at his house for drinks. Actually, he could just rob them. Like they’d remember….

  9. 9.

    PurpleGirl

    Hmmm, sounds tempting.

    (But I’m thinking of going to Manchester (NH) for the Chain Link conference (crochet and knitting people).

  10. 10.

    Martin

    Just to head the inevitable Greenwald poutrage: Obama orders sanctions against foreign parties using technology in human rights abuses

    When WalMart spams your text message or Google uses your location against your desires or even the local police use your phone location data as evidence without a warrant – these are not human rights abuses. That’s not to suggest that they are good things or that there shouldn’t be laws against them, but it’s not nearly the same as Iran using your Twitter information to arrest, torture, and execute you, or Syria using that kind of information to target you for shelling.

    So, can we at least establish before the freakout that other people dying is worse than you being annoyed. Further, can we establish that Obama cannot write and pass domestic laws all by himself, but he can issue executive orders that provide directives to the State Department.

    Just watching that swell washing across the tech sites, and figured it’d eventually crest here too.

  12. 12.

    Martin

    @BGinCHI:

    This is more important than home improvement.

    According to my wife, nothing is more important than home improvement. And no, nobody need remind me of the situation I’m in. I’m well aware.

  13. 13.

    cathyx

    @BGinCHI: You have several very good suggestions. He could do them all and then he really could spring for that luxury suite.

  15. 15.

    arguingwithsignposts

    I think you’ll need two suites: one for the Obots and one for the Firebaggers. And a septic tank for the trolls.

  17. 17.

    DougJ, Head of Infidelity

    @Baud:

    I used to, back in the day, under a different name.

    EDIT: I can’t remember the name I used, it was something predictable, given me, Exile on something or Big JIm Dwyer or something like that.

  19. 19.

    DougJ, Head of Infidelity

    @daveNYC:

    Providence is more fun that you would think, too. A lot of great places to hang out and some good food too.

  20. 20.

    geg6

    If you get the chance to go to Netroots Nation, you should go. I went when it was here in Pittsburgh. Had a great time. Learned some stuff. Met some cool people and even some fairly famous people. I had a good time.

  28. 28.

    David Koch

    I know a lot of you are DKos haters

    They earn it.

    Last year’s Netroots was a complete wanker-thon. The complete juvenile way they treated the white house spokesperson. Then dan choi set his hair of fire. Lastly, hamsher held a presser declaring herself the voice of the blogosphere and saying everyone hates Obama.

    Back in 2007 they actually held a candidate debate. It was one moronic question after another. They always (and rightfully) complain about the inane questions asked at MSM debates, and here was their big chance, and it had all the probity of a 7th grade summer camp.

  29. 29.

    David Koch

    I remember Kay posting reports last year on how the workshops on taking back Wisconsin were sparsely populated, but the choi clown show, were he ripped up obama flyers, was SRO.

    ETA: it’s like they’re trying to prove every stereotype about lefty activists. People paid to infiltrate and ratfuck couldn’t have done a better job.

  32. 32.

    Mike R.

    Providence is home for 358 days a year but for the remaining 7 days I relocate to the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee which just happens to coincide with Netroots Nation this year. For all of its financial woes, Providence has a pretty awesome downtown with a lot to see and do but another great thing is that you’re only about 45 minutes from Newport and between Providence and Newport is some fine dining and drinking. For those who make the trip I hope you enjoy our hospitality.

  33. 33.

    hitchhiker

    I go to Kos for the updates about what’s happening in Wisconsin. Been very reliable for that. Otherwise, meh.

    They seemed good when there was no alternative (I got there from the DFA site way, way back when), but somewhere along the line it started to feel like a perfect mirror of freeperville.

    Oh, wait. I remember when that happened. It was during the 08 primary season, a full-on angst fest for more than a year. Blech.

  34. 34.

    devtob

    You all should go, especially if you’re within driving distance.

    You’ll learn a lot, meet many simpaticos, and have a great time.

    The best way to start, and meet up, would be at the Wednesday night dinner/drinks party organized by Bill in Portland Maine and attended by about 40 Cheers and Jeers fans from all over the country.

    No details yet, but Bill posts about NN every Thursday on the front page and he’ll post the details soon.

    Or you can look for a large motley crew in the lobby of the main convention hotel at about 6:30.

    Of course, you can have a more exclusive BJ get-together at another time, but you will make a bunch of new friends at the Cheers and Jeers kick-off Wednesday night.

    Guaranteed.

  35. 35.

    Beeb

    I missed last year’s — sick cat, couldn’t leave him — but I’ve been to all the others and will be in Providence. Redshift, it will be nice to see you again. And I look forward to a BJ meetup. I’ll be the one dressed as a lurker. :>)

  36. 36.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    I had a good time last year in Minneapolis, it was great to meet a bunch of other Balloon Juice readers/posters, and some WoW guild members. Won’t be going this year, though, Providence is a bit too far away and expensive for me.

  37. 37.

    Dr. Dave

    @ Doug J at top:

    Foreigner? I wouldn’t have pegged you as a “hot blooded” type.

    This (mostly) lurker and Providence resident for coming up on 20 years will keep an eye out for Providence plans–lots of fun places within walking distance of downtown, especially if you factor in Federal Hill and the college student joints for Brown and RISD students up on College Hill.

  38. 38.

    foggy f follansbye

    I know I’m dating myself, but “Providence” to me always means a voice mail from Mike Watt to Thurston Moore. Daydream Nation forever. “Did you find your s**t?”

  39. 39.

    foggy follansbye

    A post on Providence RI and no shout out to Mike Watt’s VM to Thurston Moore on Daydream Nation? I feel so old.

  40. 40.

    Dr. Dave

    @efgoldman:

    I missed the news about Buddy’s daughter (solo parenting for the last few days has kept me away from the news). Though he was a corrupt operator, Buddy was also a delightfully colorful character–I met him at a party once and, like most successful politicians, he was wonderfully charming in person, as he flew in and out of the event with his entourage of Providence cops. My department at school gives a prize that he endowed in honor of his dad, and I always tell the kids to look beyond the infamous name and think of what Buddy was saying about his father by making that donation. It’s always especially sad when the parent has to mourn the child.

  43. 43.

    Valdivia

    Maybe too late but DougJ if this is an 80s song reference I just might have to kiss you!

    ETA–probably won’t be able to join though from DC taking Amtrak is totally possible. but it sounds so fun. I am still hoping for a DC get together.

  44. 44.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    @Dr. Dave: I had never heard of him until some years ago I saw an episode of the old A&E show “City Confidential” about Providence. He’s quite an interesting figure.

    Plus, he has a school named after him in Quahog.

  45. 45.

    DougJ, Head of Infidelity

    @Valdivia:

    Of course it is! Is that really 80s? I thought it was 70s.

    EDIT: Not the same song, mine was the Foreigner classic.

  47. 47.

    Valdivia

    @DougJ, Head of Infidelity:

    trying not to pout.

    See your song reference was all class (I love Foreigner and I haven’t thought of them in years) Hot Blooded for the win! (Cold as Ice, also too) Mine was trashy 80s pop, a guilty pleasure

    But now you have given me some new photo naming ideas for instagram :)

  48. 48.

    karen marie

    @DougJ, Head of Infidelity: Atwells Avenue is where the Italian snacks are. There’s a great bakery on the small street behind Atwells that has a most delicious chocolate torte with raspberry sauce and whipped cream …

  49. 49.

    Suezboo

    Why not have a BJ meetup an hour before the Bill in Portland, Maine meetup and sort of segue into all being together?
    A totally disinterested (like 10 000 km away disinterested)lurker inquires.

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