Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

Within six months Twitter will be fully self-driving.

I’m sure you banged some questionable people yourself.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

Let there be snark.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

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

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

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

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

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

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

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

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

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread: Seattle Meet-Up Accomplished!

Open Thread: Seattle Meet-Up Accomplished!

by | 109 Comments

This post is in: ,

seattle-31-jan-2016-meetup
From one of the participants, ThalarctosMaritimus:

Here we are–lots of good food, good company, good discussion. And Watershed’s hair of the dog Bloody Mary came with pepperoni and olives in it–tasty *and* nutritious!

Clockwise from bottom left: Beth (opiejeanne jr.), Dave (mr. opiejeanne), Mike J, CaseyL, Yutsano, chopper, thalarctosMaritimus, and opiejeanne.

We missed you, Major Major Major Major!

**********
Should this inspire other readers, if you want to get together in the meatspace, send me an email and I’ll be happy to front-page your suggestion, okay?

Reader Interactions

109Comments

  4. 4.

    wmd

    I’m supposed to meet up with a juicer at Monty’s in Felton at some point. I think it’s been a couple of years now.

  5. 5.

    Roger Moore

    @gogol’s wife:

    Where are the green balloons?

    Good question. I brought some to the So. Cal meetups as a recognition signal, and they worked nicely. Speaking of which, we should have another So. Cal meetup sometime soon.

  6. 6.

    hitchhiker

    Bummed that I missed it. :( Please, FSM, let this house-prep-for-renting be done next week!

    How was the Watershed?

  7. 7.

    Baud

    Sounds like a productive meeting. Can’t wait to hear the group’s strategy to GOTV for Baud! 2016! in Washington.

  13. 13.

    Suzanne

    You all are adorable.

    So SiubhanDuinne reached out to me to let me know that she will be ’round these parts in May for a relative’s graduation and would like to meet up. I would be happy to plan one! Anyone else willing to come to a Phoenix/desert southwest meetup? I’m nicer in person than I am online, I swear.

  14. 14.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @Roger Moore: We should, I had a lot of fun at the one at Golden Road(plus I could walk there?).

    ETA: We also shouldn’t need to wait until someone visits from out of town. I’ve proposed a hike to Amir’s Garden(like Amir would show up), but haven’t had any takers.

  18. 18.

    Suzanne

    @Baud: Not MUCH nicer. Never you fear.

    @JPL: Let’s do it! George and Dragon?
    Casey Moore’s? Four Peaks? Old Tortilla Factory?

  19. 19.

    JPL

    For 8 hours today there was a picture of Liz Cheney on the front page. Any one of the above, is better than Liz. She just creeped me out.

  21. 21.

    Mike J

    I never know what to do in that time period in between when somebody says, “we’re taking a picture” and the time the button is pressed.

  24. 24.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @Mike J: It was worse here after Thanksgiving dinner, I can take selfies with my new camera, but thought I had to press the button and then had two seconds to take the pic; so none of the pics turned out well and the wife grumbled about my new camera. I later read the manual and found out that you can activate the shutter via a wink or a smile.

  26. 26.

    Scamp Dog

    How about a Denver get together? I had been in touch with Tamara about that a couple of years ago, but that was just before we got hit with the flooding and I think she had some issues related to that.

  29. 29.

    Keith G

    @Mike J:

    I never know what to do in that time period in between when somebody says, “we’re taking a picture” and the time the button is pressed.

    Well, if you are Anthony Weiner….

  31. 31.

    SiubhanDuinne, Annoying Scoundrel

    @Suzanne:

    Thanks for mentioning that, Suzanne. I’m hoping to do a fair amount of traveling this spring, though I don’t have firm dates for most of my travels yet. But I’ll be in Memphis for a couple of days the last weekend in February; Canada (Ontario) sometime in March, via I-75 on the way up and Buffalo-Erie-WV-VA-NC on the way back; Boston for Passover, late April, probably via DC-NoVa; and, as you mentioned, Phoenix (with calls in Tucson and Santa Fe) toward the end of May.

    All of these are driving trips, so I have a bit of flexibility as to itinerary and dates. Memphis and Phoenix are the only ones really set in stone. Assuming they all take place, would really love to meet up with whatever Juicers happen to be in or near any of these routes.

  35. 35.

    Central Planning

    @SiubhanDuinne, Annoying Scoundrel:

    But I’ll be in Memphis for a couple of days the last weekend in February; Canada (Ontario) sometime in March, via I-75 on the way up and Buffalo-Erie-WV-VA-NC on the way back;

    Hey, Rochester is only about an hour away… DougJ, Mistermix, and I am here. I’m pretty sure there are others from the Rochester area too.

  37. 37.

    Mike J

    @Baud:

    Can’t wait to hear the group’s strategy to GOTV for Baud! 2016! in Washington.

    We did talk about delegate stacking at the caucuses. I just assume everyone is working to be a Baud! delegate to the county convention.

  39. 39.

    SiubhanDuinne, Annoying Scoundrel

    @Central Planning:

    That would be wonderful! Let’s discuss in a few weeks when I have a better sense of dates. (This is a long-deferred trip to visit my cousins, who live on the Georgian Bay [Owen Sound, ON], and if the weather is dicey I would put it off until summer.) I would love to meet all of you.

  46. 46.

    JPL

    @Suzanne: My mom retired to the Phoenix area and although it’s been decades since she died, I still remember the food. The tortillas were wonderful. She had several fruit trees in her yard and my favorite was the fig tree. There are some things you just can’t buy in a supermarket.

  48. 48.

    hitchhiker

    @Baud:

    Why are you depriving the Balloon Juice community of fart jokes?

    Are you aware of the awesome plug in that converts every mention of The Donald into a synonym for “fart?” It changes the world. In a good way.

  56. 56.

    JPL

    So according to the newsy folks, tomorrow is the real election. If only it were true, then we wouldn’t have 24/7 of this speculation.

  58. 58.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @JPL:

    Speaking of soulless ghouls, there’s an amazingly creepy vid posted on twitter today by a BBC reporter of Ted Cruz trying to hug his daughter for the cameras in Iowa and she’s yelling OW OW OW.

    Looking good there in Seattle – you BJers are my tribe.

    Meetups are a total hoot. It would be fun if Anne Laurie could post all of the meet up pics so far, so we can find ourselves, and encourage anyone else on the fence to go to one, or arrange one. There’s no arguing about politics and it’s so fun.

  64. 64.

    Suzanne

    @JPL: There’s some great Mexican food here. Damn. So good. If you’re ever back here, I recommend Carolina’s and Los Dos Molinos.

  68. 68.

    Cacti

    @Suzanne:

    There’s some great Mexican food here. Damn. So good. If you’re ever back here, I recommend Carolina’s and Los Dos Molinos.

    Lived in the Phx area for 8-years and I second both of the above selections.

    Also, if you’re looking for good tamales, check out Old El Paso Tamales in Mesa. If you want Navajo fare, check out Fry Bread House in Phoenix.

  69. 69.

    SiubhanDuinne, Annoying Scoundrel

    @efgoldman:

    Do you mean, because of Passover fasting laws? My hosts are not at all observant, but their Seder, from all I’ve heard, is a triumph of tradition. Anyhow, if enough potential BJ meeter-uppers are fasting and not drinking, I could look at arranging my travels to arrive a day or two earlier than planned. Have to square everything with the MET HD schedule. I need to get through Memphis first.

    @eclare:

    Would be delighted to meet you. Afternoon/evening of Saturday 27 February would be best. I’m getting in sometime Friday afternoon, but have a speaking gig fairly early Saturday morning and don’t want to be tired or hung over. By noon or so Saturday, though, I should be free as a bird.

  70. 70.

    SiubhanDuinne, Annoying Scoundrel

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    Also up on FB (can’t recall original source) is a photo of Donald Trump with his arm around his pubescent daughter, his hand on her hip; she is caressing his face; and off to the side foreground is a statue of a couple of parrots who appear to be fucking. The entire thing is just creepy and marginally vomit-inducing.

  71. 71.

    Schlemazel

    @ThresherK:
    I’m OK with British Columbia also. Although moving to around Toronto would be going South for me so I’m flexible on destination. I think our first job shgould be to man the border to stop any potential invasion of Americans.

  75. 75.

    CaseyL

    @NotMax: One of the waitstaff was sweet enough to get way up on a table and take the group shot. Terrific meetup! I’d love to do these more often, actually…

  79. 79.

    Ohio Mom

    @SiubhanDuinne, Annoying Scoundrel: I’m going to guess ef was referring to the ever increasing self-induced dietary restrictions people create for themselves, e.g. this one avoids soy, that one avoids gluten, he doesn’t eat meat, she won’t touch milk or cheese… Passover is a feast, with the requirement to drink four glasses of wine.

  80. 80.

    Anne Laurie

    @Mustang Bobby:

    How about a Florida meetup somewhere central like Sebring?

    If nothing else, y’all will have to throw a meetup for Satby when she gets down there!

  83. 83.

    SiubhanDuinne, Annoying Scoundrel

    @efgoldman:

    I hope you had a chance to see some of them, especially Macbeth. Netrebko was stunning. I doubt I’ll ever forget her riveting performance. Just amazing.

  84. 84.

    Ohio Mom

    @efgoldman: Oh that! I myself am in a mixed marriage: my husband leans conservodox and I am far past Reform so I certainly know both sides of *that.*

    I always think people should keep in mind the mid rash about when you arrive in the hereafter, and Hashem him/herself asks you to account for all the earthly pleasures you turned down.

  86. 86.

    srv

    I don’t understand how so many can be in Seattle when there is so much palpable excitement here in Iowa

  88. 88.

    Ruckus

    @Ohio Mom:
    I could imagine (if I believed) arriving at the gates and being asked “Why the hell didn’t you enjoy all the things that were enjoyable? What were you saving them for, you thought you could do them here?”

  90. 90.

    BAtFFP

    Am superfricking annoyed I had to miss a BJ meetup at Watershed. It is all of 3 miles from my flat. But, just like for the previous meetup at the Indonesian place, I was sick with something my darling baby gave me. At this rate I won’t be healthy again until 2029.

  91. 91.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @SiubhanDuinne, Annoying Scoundrel:

    Compare and contrast to all of the hundreds of pictures of President Obama with countless children and holding babies who stop crying, and in every single picture the kids are all smiling, happy and wide eyed looking at him, and he at them. The babies know.

  93. 93.

    SiubhanDuinne, Annoying Scoundrel

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    They do indeed. I have never seen a photo of PBO + a kid that hasn’t melted my heart. We have been so lucky to have him. We (well, I, anyhow) will not see his like again.

  94. 94.

    Central Planning

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    The babies know.

    Yes, they do.

    I love kids (I have 5) and they love me. Recently I was waiting to get blood drawn. Some grandfather had a crying ~2 year old in the waiting room. He was just rocking her back and forth in her stroller trying hard to ignore her. She wanted nothing to do with him. She was miserable. I sat down diagonal from them, maybe 4 seats away, and gave the kid my million dollar smile. She stopped crying immediately and we had a nice smile/wink/grin exchange for a while. Her grandfather looked at me weird, so I only gave him the one hundred thousand dollar smile, and went back to entertaining the kid.

    Grandma finally came out, they turned the kid away and started to leave and she started screaming again. Good times.

  95. 95.

    SiubhanDuinne, Annoying Scoundrel

    @PurpleGirl:

    That’s a thought. I normally try either to avoid NYC altogether, or to zip through as quickly as traffic flow permits — but if there were a BJ meet up planned, I would definitely consider spending a night on the way to or from Boston. Let’s look at this possibility when the date gets a little closer.

  97. 97.

    SiubhanDuinne, Annoying Scoundrel

    @Central Planning:

    A year or two ago, I was at the supermarket and some little kid was screaming at the top of its voice. You could hear it all through the store. Without actually planning to do so, I ended up in the same aisle. Poor baby was scarlet in the face and shrieking like a banshee, and the mother was ineffectually screaming at it to shut up. I walked over, knelt down, whispered something innocuous in the baby’s ear, and he (or she, I never know) was so surprised and curious, it stopped bawling immediately. The mother looked at me with the kind of reverential yet suspicious awe the multitudes must have given Jesus when he did the thing with the loaves and fishes.

    I don’t even have kids, so I don’t know where that came from.

  99. 99.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @efgoldman:

    I have the touch, too. I got it from my mother. There’s a place at the back of the neck of fussy babies that I can find, and when I do it’s like the Vulcan nerve pinch, in a good way. It’s a touch thing, and PBO has the touch, in a good way. It’s a remarkable, authentic undeniable thing that he has, that just simply can’t be faked.

  100. 100.

    PurpleGirl

    @Central Planning: I was a baby whisperer once on the train coming back to NYC from Princeton. A woman got on with 2 small ones, one about a year old who was fiddigty and she was having trouble with the baby. I turned to her and as I was sitting at the window offered to hold the baby so he could look outside. She was so thankful because she was then able to handle the other child. IIRC, she got off at Newark, but at least for part of the ride she could pay attention to one child. The baby I had loved looking out the window.

  102. 102.

    Ruckus

    @PurpleGirl:
    You are also someone new and different, who isn’t filled to the brim with enough kid stuff for one (or more!) day(s). It may also be attending to the kid more on the kid’s terms. Lots of adults never do that.

  103. 103.

    Prescott Cactus

    @Suzanne:

    Anyone else willing to come to a Phoenix/desert southwest meetup? I’m nicer in person than I am online, I swear.

    Phoenix meet-up sounds wonderful , anytime other than tonight. Thunderboomers w/ sideways rain.

  104. 104.

    Grace

    @Suzanne: Just a lurker, only 1 or 2 comments, but here a lot. Would definitely try to make a Phoenix meet-up and the places you suggested would work fine. Would like to meet you even if you’re just the same cranky person as here :)

  105. 105.

    Petorado

    @Scamp Dog: I’m in! It seems there are quite a few of us on the Front Range, as well as a few others spread throughout the state. It would be a fun group to meet.

    I recollect some time back Cole was going to visit a buddy in the Foothills area, which never came to pass, but folks were coming out of the woodwork about a get-together.

Comments are closed.