Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

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

Trump’s cabinet: like a magic 8 ball that only gives wrong answers.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

Giving up is unforgivable.

Fear or fury? The choice is ours.

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

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

Celebrate the fucking wins.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

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

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Weird. Rome has an American Pope and America has a Russian President.

In after Baud. Damn.

The snowflake in chief appeared visibly frustrated when questioned by a reporter about egg prices.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

GOP baffled that ‘we don’t care if you die’ is not a winning slogan.

They punch you in the face and then start crying because their fist hurts.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

If you voted for Trump, you don’t get to speak about ethics, morals, or rule of law.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

You are here: Home / Balloon Juice / Meetups / Meet-Up Proof Of Life and Cute Toddler-Puppeh Playing

Meet-Up Proof Of Life and Cute Toddler-Puppeh Playing

by | 68 Comments

This post is in: ,

I think we need a non-political thread to give us a break.

The Denver meet-up was a great success. I don’t know about everyone else, but I love meeting everyone. Jackals are the best. I had to head out early, because…work. But when I left, everyone was cheerfully chatting away. If you ever get the chance, meetups are great fun. Proof of life below the fold.

I’ll let everyone identify themselves as they would like (although I suspect the Hamilton t-shirt is a giveaway for one of us).

Meetup photo 1 (by accident this is actually everyone – see the reflection in the window)

Meetup photo 2

Meetup photo 3

Meetup photo 4

Meetup photo 5

I’ve numbered the photos to make it easier for everyone to identify themselves.

And because I didn’t think to hand the camera over and let someone snap me – here’s a photo of me and the kids:

Open non-politics thread.

Reader Interactions

68Comments

  4. 4.

    SiubhanDuinne

    I love everything about this thread. Can’t wait to find out who the various jackals are!

  9. 9.

    Miss Bianca

    That’s me, (or “that is I”, for fellow grammar pedants out there) looking uncharacteristically earnest while trying to ignore the camera, (hi, TaMara!) at Mnem’s elbow in photo #1.

    It was a really fun meet-up – well worth dodging rockslides, torrential rain, and to-me-bewildering downtown Denver’s traffic to attend! Thanks to TaMara and the other organizers!

  15. 15.

    Miss Bianca

    @Baud: This is Colorado, Baud – where even middle-aged and elder jackals are in tip-top form! ; )

    ETA: Consider us “Mt Woebegon” in that regard. ; )

  16. 16.

    thruppence

    That’s me (sorry pedants) directly under the green balloons in photo 4. Downtown Denver is bewildering to most. I remember reading a novel years ago in which the protagonist gets repeatedly lost in Denver, driving key elements of the plot.

  17. 17.

    Miss Bianca

    @thruppence: Ha ha! That’s a novel I want to read – you should have heard me cursing like a sailor as I ran into *yet another* maze of streets and construction blocking me from pursuing the most logical-seeming path between points A & B!

    Nice to meet you, btw! Comment more often! : )

  18. 18.

    EBT

    My 17 hour van trip turned into a 29 hour one, so I was pretty much not gonna be able to make this one. I am just now feeling alive again a week later. Next time!

  20. 20.

    RedDirtGirl

    So nice to be able to put faces to nyms! Wasn’t there some talk of a meet up in NYC late in the month? I think the date being floated was July 30th, although I have it on good authority that LAO won’t be available that day!

  22. 22.

    JanieM

    @MomSense: I was going to say the same thing about the kid’s arm. Wow!

    Also — is there one woman who goes around playing the mother in all the cute kid and cute pet videos? They all sound the same to me, same jollyl wheedling, same laugh……. ;-)

  23. 23.

    Old Dan and Little Anne

    After a year without a dog, my sister knows a guy who is hooking us up with a Lab puppy in September. I think I am going to have a panic attack. I have not had a puppy since 1999. Holy shit.

  28. 28.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    Guess I need to get myself in gear and get the pics from the meetup in SacTown ready, I’m sort of still recovering(my feet still hurt from all the walking I did) from the long day up there.

  29. 29.

    hedgehog mobile

    That’s me in the green shirt, next to thruppence, in photo 4. Loved meeting everyone.

  31. 31.

    Miss Bianca

    @Alain the site fixer: Yeah, it’s cool, tho’ I wasn’t too psyched about the Gadsden flag displays on their truck in the Fourth of July parade. : ( Still, they are neighbors and they come thru’ for neighbors when it’s really needed. A lesson for all of us there.

  32. 32.

    petorado

    I’m the one in the blue shirt watching Mnem’s video on her iPhone.

    Being around positive, intelligent, charismatic, well-read, adventurous, and caring people is a great way to spend an evening! My outlook on this nation’s future brightened considerably being around such good folks. Thank you all for coming out!

    If only the FTFNYT would send a reporter to a Balloon Juice meet up and ask us what we think of the current administration, maybe they would get some lucid and informed opinions to report about rather than the foolish drivel they get finding wayward Trump supporters in some dive bar in a deep red county.

  33. 33.

    ruemara

    Now, that’s a handsome group over there. I have to make it to Denver one of these days so I can hug your dogs meet the Juicers of CO.
    In the interests of starting your day right, here is a loving floof loving, floofing and managing to get into things because she is mommy’s little multi-tasker!
    Quick question for donors – thank you all once again – are you getting my updates? If so, would you like another recipe with the next one? Cat pic? Dance video?

    @petorado: We say fuck too much and they will revert back to the vapors that spawned them.

  34. 34.

    Miss Bianca

    @petorado: “We caught up with some Hillary Clinton supporters at the Wynkoop Brewery in Denver, and you wouldn’t BELIEVE what they told us! They still hate Trump! They still think Hillary was not only robbed, but that she actually was right about everything *and* would have made a better President!” ; )

  35. 35.

    Patricia Kayden

    What lovely photos of great people. Yay Progressives!! I always enjoy the threads about the meet ups. It’s fun to put faces with commenters.

  37. 37.

    laura

    @ruemara: Ruemara – ALL THANKS TO YOU! That you’re willing to become a citizen and “help do what must be done” ie., participatory democracy is a gift of great value. Cats dancing while cooking videos would be a nice bonus.

  39. 39.

    zhena gogolia

    When I see these pictures, I think, it can’t be that Putin will dominate all these kind, intelligent people. Then I remember all my kind, intelligent friends in Moscow.

  40. 40.

    Orchid Moon

    Loved the toddler and dog playing ball! Meet up was great! The BJ group is very fine, and not at all old. Hubby and I in photo 3 at the end of the table. Thanks to Patrick and all for organizing it. We are looking forward to the next one.

  41. 41.

    California Stars

    Fun meetup! Did the Petaluma one ever happen? I kind of lost the trail on that one.

  43. 43.

    stinger

    [[waves]] Hi, everybody in Denver! I’d like to read that book, too!

    (As mentioned by thruppence in #16.)

  44. 44.

    Snarlymon

    I’m on the right in picture 3. Great to meet fellow jackals and spend an evening in interesting conversation. I might even have to comment more often.

  45. 45.

    Miss Bianca

    @raven: The People’s Bi-Centennial? (I know, I know, I could look it up, but I’m lazy). Out here the Gadsden Flag represents libertarianism. But since libertarians out here (I speak from the experience of living with one) actually *do* believe in banding together to take care of their neighbors when there’s a crisis like wildfire, I guess I can’t kick about it too much.

  48. 48.

    Brachiator

    Cool looking group. Glad that everyone had a good time.

    ETA: The kid, the dog, the ball, Fun!

  50. 50.

    NotMax

    @LAO

    Tentatively set for the 29th, from 5 p.m. until ??. As it’s a Sunday, feeling was that a wee bit early start time would be better. 5 ought to be after the worst of the daytime heat.

    Place:
    Tír na Nóg
    254 W. 31 St. (near 8th Av.)

    Their web site.

    E-mailing Adam as the date draws nearer to post a reminder is on the ol’ to-do list , especially to gauge how many in order to make a reservation.

  51. 51.

    A Ghost To Most

    So it turns out, I am currently afflicted with shingles, and according to my RN wife, contagious. Not coming was a positive for you folks, in more ways than one.

  59. 59.

    Manyakitty

    Also, too, I’m in for an Ohio meetup. I live in Akron, and would probably drag my butt up to 2 hours away to see some jackals IRL.

  61. 61.

    Mnemosyne

    Still at my conference. Getting ready for the afternoon sessions of day 2. Tuesday night was super fun and Denver seems like a very cool city.

  62. 62.

    Shana

    @thruppence: Sounds like something Connie Willis would write. Although I think she’s from Boulder, but still Colorado so who knows.

  65. 65.

    satby

    @NotMax: I’m in! I get there on the 28th, and my old co-worker buddies and former exchange student visits are Sunday earlier and Monday. I have time for a wee bit of sightseeing before heading home Tuesday late afternoon.
    So looking forward to all of it!

  67. 67.

    debbie

    @Manyakitty:

    My doctor says the new vaccine will be far superior to the current one, plus it’s dead, not live, virus. She wants me to hold off until she gets some in stock. It’s a 2-shot series.

Comments are closed.