Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

The words do not have to be perfect.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

Let me file that under fuck it.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

I have other things to bitch about but those will have to wait.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

President Musk and Trump are both poorly raised, coddled 8 year old boys.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

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

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.

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

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

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

We’re watching the self-immolation of the leading world power on a level unprecedented in human history.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Celebrate the fucking wins.

“Perhaps I should have considered other options.” (head-desk)

You are here: Home / Balloon Juice / Meetups / July Denver Meet-Up: UPDATED

July Denver Meet-Up: UPDATED

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Bonus dog pics -Scout thinks she’s Nala. It was cute when she was a puppy. Now, I work to discourage it. And yes, that’s her handy-work on the windowsill, but luckily I’m in the middle of painting.

Lots of interest in the meet-up. I’ll post again the night before as a reminder. Here’s what we need today:

You guys to agree on a venue. A volunteer to set-up the restaurant choice. It should really be as close to the hotel as possible, keeping in mind our out-of-town guest, Mnemosyne.

Someone to bring the green balloons.

A general head count.

Anything I’m missing? We can get a final head count the night before.

Original Post:

Mnemosyne will be in Denver in July and suggested a meet-up on Tuesday 7/17. It would need to be early evening/evening, as she flies in that afternoon. We’ll need to meet near the Sheraton Denver Downtown, which I believe is right near the 16th Street Mall.

Who is up for a meet-up? We’ll need suggestions for a place to meet near the hotel and a volunteer to coordinate with the location.

I’ll repost this the first week of July with an update of numbers. I’ll be out of town from July 1 to just before the meet-up, so I’ll have limited availability for more than that, but I think as long as someone secures the venue, we should good.

I had hoped that our next meet-up I’d bring Bixby and Scout, but even as friendly as most locations are to dogs on the patio, the 16th Street Mall might be a bit too much for me to wrangle them. We will see how that goes. I would very much like for you guys to meet them sometime.

Hit the comments with your availability and location ideas.

 

 

Reader Interactions

101Comments

  1. 1.

    Mnemosyne

    As the guest, I should say that I’m not a terribly picky eater, except that I don’t like fish. Usually places with pub-style food that let you hang out for as long as you like work out best for meetups.

  3. 3.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    Don’t want to be spammy or anything, but I’m reposting this.

    I’m in an argument with a person on a podcast comment section for Ben Shapiro’s crappy podcast and I need a little help.

    I claimed that the administration was closing legal ports of entry for asylum seekers.

    I provided a Vox article to support what I was saying. Here it is: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/6/5/17428640/border-families-asylum-illegal

    They replied that Vox is “known for getting information wrong.” The article referenced an NPR article that claimed a family from Central America was repeatedly turned away by CBP agents. Three family members were accepted because the agents only had room for “one family” which did not “quantify” to nine people.

    The person went on to say that the Vox article only reference that claims are made that CBP agents are lying about being overcrowded and do not provide hard evidence that this is an actual policy, practice, or fact. CBP agents asking families to wait because they are at capacity is not illegal. And that the actions of individual CBP agents who do act deceptively do not actually reflect a policy of closing legal ports of entry.

    Finally, they said that this isn’t to say that the situation of an understaffed and overwhelmed CBP isn’t contributing to problems with people seeking legal entry but to claim this is some administration wide effort to legal ports of entry is naive and biased.

  5. 5.

    Mnemosyne

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    I bought a new rolling tote bag for myself since my bad shoulder still hasn’t recovered from being on crutches for all of those months. I need to start putting the stuff I rarely use but want to bring into it so I don’t forget it.

  6. 6.

    Mnemosyne

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?:

    Along the lines of what Bill said, There are none so blind as those who refuse to see is also a viable answer at this point. S/he will never be convinced by any evidence because they’re making excuses, not arguments.

  7. 7.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:
    I’m more worried that they’re right on this and I’m living in a bubble. I’d reply that they’re giving ICE and the president a benefit of the doubt they don’t deserve, but it would be a waste of time. Some people can’t read between the lines and can’t believe something is happening unless undeniable proof exists.

    A lot of less concrete evidence existing that suggests a “preponderance of evidence” that the President and his administration are evil, brown immigrant hating assholes isn’t enough.

    I should have known better than to try to debate a fan of Ben Shapiro anyway, the guy who thinks it’s funny to give a fake evil laugh at what’s going on at the border or thinks that SHS not getting a dinner is the beginnings of a “mobocracy”.

  8. 8.

    Quaker in a Basement

    Lots of choices in downtown Denver, plus the light rail is fast and easy, broadening the possibilities. Union Station isn’t far away from central downtown. Just north is the very hip River North (RiNo) district. On July 17, the Colorado Rockies MLB team is on the road, so there won’t be a ballgame crowd jamming up the restaurants.

  9. 9.

    Mary G

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?: Yes, I’m with Bill and Mnem. We could give you all kinds of facts, but it wouldn’t convince them. Of course there’s no official policy closing the ports of entry, but the people camped out near them for weeks tell the tale. Here’s a FTFNYT story, if you want to push it, but I’d bet you’re wasting your valuable time as they’ll reject that source too.

  10. 10.

    jnfr

    I won’t be able to get in that evening, but the Rockbottom Brewery is right on the Mall Ride and has good pub food and great beers.

  14. 14.

    Psych1

    I defer to no one in terms of Democratic party bone fides. I am a third generation straight ticket voter. I grew up in Democratic party politics.
    In November 2016 I voted for Hillary. I didn’t like it but I did it without hesitation.

    Having said that, I strongly believe that the Bernie-haters, including the guest and many others here, are a destructive force within the country and definitely within the Democratic Party. They are partly responsible for our current horror. I put them in the same basket of deplorables as gun-nuts and Trump-supporters. Fortunately, I have the luxury of not having to directly associate with any of them.

    So, although I have a home in Denver, and spend part of the year here, and follow some of the BJ threads, and support many of the same things you do, I decline this meet-up.

  15. 15.

    Mnemosyne

    @Quaker in a Basement:

    I still have a torn ACL and have to wear a knee brace, so I don’t want to go too far afield from the Sheraton if possible. ?

    I might lean towards Rockbottom Brewery if only because we have the Yard House chain in CA and it would be nice to go somewhere local.

  16. 16.

    sukabi

    @? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?: you’re wasting your time trying to convince anyone that hangs out on those comment threads. Better to spend your time on something constructive, instead of trying to win “internet arguments”.

    Doesn’t matter if you’re right and have all the facts to back you up, if you’ve entered a comment section or board with the intention of contradicting the “shared wisdom” of the site you’re fighting a pointless losing battle.

  23. 23.

    ? ?? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ? ?

    @Psych1:

    Having said that, I strongly believe that the Bernie-haters, including the guest and many others here, are a destructive force within the country and definitely within the Democratic Party.

    Not according to the Boston DSA, at least, his natural constituency. A lot of people who liked him are finding out what a fraud he was all along and all it took was some foolish comments on the Family Separation policy.

    Finally, why even bother to comment on how your not going to come to a Denver get together at all? You could have just remained silent and not gone. Nobody would have likely cared.

  26. 26.

    hedgehog mobile

    Earl’s is good. There is also a place called Blue Agave at 16th and Lawrence that had good apps and margaritas. Yes, I am in. ?

  27. 27.

    Quaker in a Basement

    If you want a genuinely Denver experience, the Wynkoop Brewery (founded years go by our current governor, John Hickenlooper) is at the other end of the mall shuttle. Lots of pool tables!

  29. 29.

    Quaker in a Basement

    @Mnemosyne: Rockbottom is directly on the shuttle route. You’ll walk from the curb to the door. Earl’s should be just off of 16th–maybe half a block. I haven’t heard anything about them, but their website looks good.

  30. 30.

    Mnemosyne

    @Quaker in a Basement:

    See, Wynkoop Brewery sounds pretty good if I can catch the shuttle there. I would definitely rather go to a local place than the same chains I can go to in California. Otherwise, what’s the point of traveling? ?

    The other on-map place I saw is the 5280 Burger Bar. I’m not sure what Denver Pavilions is, but it looks like it’s only a block away from the Sheraton.

    http://www.5280burgerbar.com/locations/

  31. 31.

    jnfr

    Wynkoop is a good spot and just a block over is the LoDo Tattered Cover if you can walk that far. Nice spot to visit.

    Thinking about it I realize the Mall Ride stops at the TC so the Wynkoop is the short walk away :)

  32. 32.

    rikyrah

    you STEAL the child.
    you take the child to another state.
    AND, YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO CHARGE THE PARENTS THAT YOU STOLE THE CHILDREN FROM?

    DA PHUQ?

    …………

    The New York Times
    ‏Verified account @nytimes

    Immigrant families are being charged thousands of dollars in airfare to get children out of federally contracted migrant shelters. One family was asked to pay $4,000.

    https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1013520154871951360

  33. 33.

    Mnemosyne

    @jnfr:

    Local bewery + nearby bookstore sounds like a winning combination to me since I’m coming in for a writing conference. I vote for Wynkoop!

  35. 35.

    Quaker in a Basement

    Denver Pavillions is a shopping complex–mixed between chains and local. I’ve heard very good things about 5280. Wynkoop will require a short walk from the shuttle–2 blocks. On the plus side, you’ll get off the shuttle at the Tattered Cover Book Store.

  36. 36.

    sukabi

    @rikyrah: that’s extortion plain and simple. Kidnapping (snatching kids from parents), blackmail (you can have your kids back if you self deport) and extortion (but only if you pay 3x what it would cost to fly them back…pretty sure they aren’t sending them back first class).

    Just when you think the bottom has been reached they dig deeper.

  38. 38.

    Mnemosyne

    @sukabi:

    The high price is probably to cover the cost of the adult who will have to escort the child and then fly back to the US. Of course, that cost would not have been necessary if the Trumpistas had DONE THEIR FUCKING JOBS CORRECTLY IN THE FIRST PLACE. ?

  40. 40.

    MJS

    @Psych1: Two things – 1) if you “didn’t like” voting for Hillary, then you’re nowhere near the Democrat you claim to be; 2) repeat after me – Bernie’s not a fucking Democrat!

  41. 41.

    sukabi

    @Mnemosyne: the article says the airlines are tacking “unaccompanied minor” fees on to the cost of transporting the kids WITH AN ESCORT. And all travel is within the US not in and out of country.

  42. 42.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    @Mnemosyne: It’s a de facto Debtor’s Prison

    Since the late 20th century, the term debtors’ prison has also sometimes been applied by critics to criminal justice systems in which a court can sentence someone to prison over willfully unpaid criminal fees, usually following the order of a judge.[2] For example, in some jurisdictions within the United States, people can be held in contempt of court and jailed after willful non-payment of child support, garnishments, confiscations, fines, or back taxes. Additionally, though properly served civil duties over private debts in nations such as the United States will merely result in a default judgement being rendered in absentia if the defendant willfully declines to appear by law,[3] a substantial number of indigent debtors are legally incarcerated for the crime of failing to appear at civil debt proceedings as ordered by a judge. In this case, the crime is not indigence, but disobeying the judge’s order to appear before the court.[4][5][6][7][8] Critics argue that the “willful” terminology is subject to individual mens rea determination by a judge, rather than statute, and that since this presents the potential for judges to incarcerate legitimately indigent individuals, it amounts to a de facto “debtors’ prison” system.

  43. 43.

    Mnemosyne

    Anyway, it sounds like Wynkoop Brewing is the winner. So:

    What time?
    How many of us? (it looks like 6 so far, but always account for a couple of lurkers)
    Who can make the reservation?
    Who can bring the green balloons?

    I will plan to wear my “Hamilton Los Angeles” t-shirt so I will be readily identifiable. ?

  44. 44.

    Wag

    @Mnemosyne:

    Unfortunately the Rock Bottom is another chain of brew pubs. Denver is blessed with a plethora of fantastic local breweries. I would recommend the original brew pub in downtown Denver, the Wyncoop Brewery, at 18th and Wyncoop. Excellent beer and great food. And from a local history perspective, a very cool place. Founded 30 years ago by a visionary entrepreneur named John Hickenlooper, the Wyncoop was the first business to attract locals back to what was at the time a pretty tough skid row. Hickenlooper was instrumental in attracting the Rockies and their stadium to LoDo, and the area has blossomed in the intervening 30 years. Hick has done pretty well for himself as well, with a successful couple of terms as Mayor of Denver, and another couple of successful terms as Governor of Colorado. He is definitely Democratic VP material in 2020.

  48. 48.

    Mnemosyne

    @EBT:

    Yay! Hopefully you’ll have time to stop by despite the moving.

    I have Miss Bianca’s email addy, so I’ll let her know that a place has been decided on if she doesn’t stop by the thread tonight.

  50. 50.

    EBT

    @Mnemosyne: Yeah, Mistress and several other folks are coming to get me, so it’ll be a straight drive. Should be there by the 14th by the latest. Possibly in the new house too. If there isn’t Total House Move going on I should be able to convince *someone* to either drive me or explain whatever transit options may exist.

  51. 51.

    Suzanne

    @EBT: After Spawn the Elder finishes high school and I no longer have a custody order in place with my ex-husband, Mr. Suzanne and I plan to move to Denver. We are SO OVER Phoenix.

    I wish I could join y’all at the meetup! Have a great time!

  52. 52.

    EBT

    @Suzanne: California is nice, but my Dream has always been a gender divergent household and my heart lead me to my dream so I am reaching for it while it’s there.

  55. 55.

    Ruckus

    I just had to take a short walk and came by a bus bench and they had a public announcement poster. From fatherhood.gov. We have this asswipe and his bullshit crew running the place and still have a fatherhood.gov, which posts public announcement posters that say Take Time to be a Dad Today. I saw this and was gobsmacked.

  57. 57.

    Brachiator

    Breaking news. LeBron James is going to the Lakers.

    Thank you, Jesus.

    Now, if you could just do something about Donald Trump.

    The Decision 3.0 has been made and LeBron James is taking his talents to the Los Angeles Lakers. James reportedly agreed to a four-year, $154 million deal with the team Sunday, according to Klutch Sports and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

  58. 58.

    MobileForkbeard

    @Psych1: I haven’t seen you around here too much, but taking your ball and going home is precisely the sort of message you shouldn’t send if you’re serious about this.

  60. 60.

    Mnemosyne

    @Suzanne:

    It turns put that there are actually two bookstores within a couple of blocks of this Wyncoop Brewing place, so that’s making me feel fondly towards Denver already.

    @EBT:

    I hope it works out — the people you live with are just as important as the place where you live, if not more so.

  61. 61.

    EBT

    @A Ghost To Most: Thanks, Mistress has found the house we are going to rent for the next year at least. I am the only non local so really it’s just a van full of cheap shit coming in.

  63. 63.

    Patricia Kayden

    @Psych1: Who are you again? What a sanctimonious post. I hope Democrats don’t allow non-Democrats to run on their ticket ever again. That should eliminate the Bernie problem which plagued us in 2016 and which persists to this day.

  65. 65.

    dmsilev

    @Brachiator:

    Breaking news. LeBron James is going to the Lakers.

    Thank you, Jesus.

    Now, if you could just do something about Donald Trump

    I’m pretty sure Trump doesn’t have the ball-handling skills for even the worst NBA teams.

  68. 68.

    efgoldman

    @Psych1:

    I strongly believe that the Bernie-haters, including the guest and many others here, are a destructive force within the country and definitely within the Democratic Party.

    Bull. Also shit.
    Wilmer is not a Democrat.
    I repeat: Wilmer is not a Democrat.
    He spends most of his time slagging Dem candidates, policies, and the party.
    How are those who oppose him “a destructive force within the country and definitely within the Democratic Party.”?
    We are trying to build the party and actually win elections, something which Wilmer’s supporters don’t know how to do, and largely don’t care about.

  69. 69.

    Mnemosyne

    @Wag:

    It turns out that my flight is getting in even earlier than I realized, so if my room isn’t ready by the time I get to the hotel, I may be dropping off my bags and then heading over there first. We’ll see how it goes. But I definitely want to get all checked in and settled at the hotel before I start meeting up with people.

  70. 70.

    raven

    @efgoldman: There was another person (maybe this dude) that pulled the same bullshit during a meet-up proposal not too long ago. You wanna go, go. If you don’t who gives a rats ass?

  71. 71.

    Amir Khalid

    If you guys are having a meet-up on 17 July, don’t forget to drink a birthday toast to David Hasselhoff and me.

  73. 73.

    debbie

    @Wag:

    How nice to see that bookstore’s name again! I worked with them eons ago. The buyer was great!

  76. 76.

    Aleta

    @rikyrah: Extortion pure and greedy. Would not be surprised if a big piece of that money goes to a for-profit contractor who is already making a billion $ off of contracts for detention/prisons and prisoner transport. And they probably charge for the ‘stay’ and every aspirin and for the court fees. If that money gets delivered I hope the contractor is then immediately sued for breaking laws.

  81. 81.

    Ohio Mom

    @jnfr: We were there, at the downtown Tattered Cover, about ten years ago. It is a great bookstore.

    As I recall, there was a western/cowboy wear shop just around the corner. Don’t remember the name of the place but I remember it fondly. We certainly don’t have any place like that in southwest Ohio.

  82. 82.

    cain

    I come back from Spain on the 17th. I mean I could make it but I come in at 10:40pm. By the time I hit downtown it will be 11:45pm. So I probably can’t make the 17th. If you could do it the next day that would work for me!

  83. 83.

    Ohio Mom

    I have a comment in moderation because there’s a typo in my email address which wouldn’t be there if the nyms were fixed.

  85. 85.

    thruppence

    I’ll be at the meetup if I can get the day off. Hope to see you all there.

  91. 91.

    Mnemosyne

    @cain:

    Sadly, the 17th is the only day that will work for me because I have evening events the rest of the week. ?

  94. 94.

    The Lodger

    @Amir Khalid: I thought you were kidding about July 17, but the list at FamousBirthdays.com has nothing but YouTube “stars” and Musical.ly “stars”. Oy gevalt.
    On the other hand, it’s also the feast day of St. Hedwig, Queen of Poland and a host of others, even more obscure.

  95. 95.

    Brickley Paiste

    @Psych1: One must put principal (the disciplinarian) before party.

    I was never a Bernie supporter, never said a thing in praise of him, before I was accused of so doing by one of these meet-up gladiolas.

  96. 96.

    Brickley Paiste

    Is this whole fix the nyms!!! just crusadery admitting that they can’t type 20 characters correctly???

  97. 97.

    Ruckus

    The names/info not being there are a pain.
    The pie filter not working is far, far worse. Don’t have too many names in it, but the ones that are really, really deserve to be there.

  98. 98.

    StringOnAStick

    I’ll be there, easy walk from light rail in case anyone needs to know that.

  99. 99.

    Scamp Dog

    I’ll be there as well! I’ll check to see if I still have the package of green balloons.

Comments are closed.