Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I was promised a recession.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

Biden: Oh no. We’ve upset Big Pharma again.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

Another missed opportunity for Jamie Dimon to just shut the fuck up.

I’m sure you banged some questionable people yourself. We’re allowed to grow past that.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

with the Kraken taking a plea, the Cheese stands alone.

Never forget that he train is barreling down on Trump, even as he dances on the tracks.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

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

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

Everything is totally normal and fine!!!

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

In my day, never was longer.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

In after Baud. Damn.

You are here: Home / Balloon Juice / Meetups and social events / Balloon Juice Meet-up in Lancaster, PA on Saturday Afternoon!

Balloon Juice Meet-up in Lancaster, PA on Saturday Afternoon!

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JAFD suggested an impromptu meetup at the Fall In convention in Lancaster, PA.  You do not have to be attending the convention itself in order to join the meetup!  Bring your own beverages!

If you want to go, send me an email and I’ll share JAFD’s contact information with you.

JAFD, did you mention a time?  Or a time range?

From JAFD:

Salutations,

Back in July I mentioned on Balloon Juice that I’d been to
Historicon, “the grand gathering of grown-ups who still play with toy
soldiers” the previous weekend. And got a couple of responses “Hey, I
was there too”.

So thought that we could pick a time and place at Fall In, meet up, say
hello. And since I’d be in the Close Action game in the Strasburg Room,
Saturday afternoon, seemed logical place. So put a blog post up “Here’s
where I’ll be Saturday afternoon, drop by”

Well, a couple of other people, not ‘toy soldier fans’, said “I’d like
to drop by, meet you.” and “sounds interesting, can I visit this?”

I checked with the convention director, and if you are going to join us for the impromptu meetup, this is what you’ll need to know (from the convention director):

The hotel is open to anyone who wishes to enter it so we cannot prevent anyone that is interested in seeing the convention from coming in and walking around the hotel spaces. We have only 2 requests: 1. A visitor cannot enter the Vendor area or the Flea Market without a badge (these are the only 2 areas we try to enforce the badge rule). 2. We would prefer to not have Visitors play in games without a badge (this last part is tricky as a GM may allow unregistered guests to play in his or her game, we cannot stop that, it is just that we prefer for folks to have badges so the GMs can see their names.). If your online friends are interested in staying and seeing more of the convention you can bring them up to Registration in the Wheatland Room and we can set them up with a badge based on whatever admission (weekend or Day only) they want. I hope this helps. See you at the show.

Convention Director, Fall In! 2023

TOTALLY OPEN THREAD

Update from JAFD.  Promoting from the comments.

Greetings, fellow jackals !

1 – This is at the Wyndham ‘Lancaster Host’, 2300 Lincoln Highway East (Business US 30) – ie, across the road from the Dutch Wonderland amusement park.  It’s big 1950’s-style place, added to and rebuilt over past 65 years.  Lot of added ramps and short elevators.

2 – You may want to download the ‘Guidebook’ smartfone app, and the ‘HMGS Fall In 2023′ guidebook, which’ll give you more info about the event and should have a floor plan of hotel.

3 – My friends’ miniature Napoleonic- era naval battle is scheduled from 1 to 6 PM on Saturday afternoon in the Strasburg Room.  To get there, go in front door of hotel, up half-flight of stairs to main lobby.  There’s a staircase going down to left of hotel’s front desk, go down it.  Turn left at bottom, then left again, Strasburg Room is on right at end of corridor

4 – Most of the people invoved in the games will be either (a) plotting or making their moves, or,

(b) ready to tolk your ears off about their figures, the history, etc.  Hope you want to listen.

 

Reader Interactions

34Comments

  1. 1.

    Suzanne

    Sounds super-fun; wish I could attend.

    In PA news, David McCormick, who apparently didn’t feel like he got enough of an ass-beatdown in the last election, is running for Senate this time. He said that he could fight a bear (and win, presumably). I would like to suggest that we find a bear and take him up on his suggestion.

    The jackals of Balloon Juice: making dreams come true!

  6. 6.

    Ben Cisco

    Some news from my neighborhood – looks like Chuck has (FINALLY!!) had enough of Sen. Potatohead’s BS:

    BY MARY CLARE JALONICK AND LOLITA BALDOR
    Updated 12:14 PM CDT, November 1, 2023
    Share
    WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats are trying a new workaround to confirm hundreds of military officers blocked by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, ten months after the Alabama Republican first said he would object to the nominations over a Pentagon abortion policy.

    Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor Wednesday that the Senate will consider a resolution in the near future that would allow the quick confirmation of the nearly 400 officers up for promotion or nominated for another senior job. The Senate is currently at a stalemate on the nominations because Tuberville is objecting to the routine process of confirming the nominations all at once by unanimous consent, and voting on them individually could monopolize weeks or months of the Senate’s time.

    Schumer separately moved to hold votes as soon as this week on three top Pentagon officers affected by the holds — Adm. Lisa Franchetti to be the chief of naval operations, Gen. David Allvin to be chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force and Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney to serve as assistant commandant for the U.S. Marine Corps.

    The Senate maneuvers come amid a new war in Israel and as members of both parties are growing increasingly frustrated with Tuberville’s holds. Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican, had gathered enough signatures to force a vote on Franchetti and Allvin and spoke out in frustration about the issue at the weekly GOP lunch on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with Sullivan’s comments who requested anonymity to discuss the closed-door meeting.

    CAN’T WAIT

  8. 8.

    Leto

    @frosty: as I’ve had the chance to meet him, can confirm that fighting a bear might be the easier option. Plus if you remember his appearance on Colbert recently, I’m fairly certain you could fit 4 Colbert’s in his hoodie. So, yeah, he’s…. Large.

  9. 9.

    Brachiator

    Federal Reserve news.

    The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged Wednesday as it continues to track inflation and the health of the economy.
    The central bank voted unanimously to leave its primary interest rate in the range of 5.25% to 5.50%. U.S. interest rates are the highest they’ve been in 23 years. That means interest rates on loans such as mortgages have gone up sharply, and so have payments on Treasury bonds and interest-bearing accounts.

    There may be a news conference shortly.

  11. 11.

    trollhattan

    @Ben Cisco: Wish somebody had the stones to ask Sen Potototown, “How many of your players had to pay for abortions for girls they knocked up while playing for you?”

    Maybe there are enough Rs to ankle-tackle the moron and get this done.

  15. 15.

    Cameron

    If anybody’s planning a bit longer stay in Lancaster, I’d like to suggest a side trip to Ephrata to visit the Cloisters.  If you’re into American history, you’ll dig it.  Even if you’re not, it’s pretty cool (sez this nerdy Old).

  16. 16.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Appeals court swats down Ashcroft arguments on Missouri abortion rights petitions

    Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft wrote ballot titles for six proposals to restore abortion rights that were “replete with politically partisan language,” a Missouri appeals court unanimously ruled Tuesday.

    In an expedited decision issued a day after hearing arguments, a three-judge panel of the Western District Court of Appeals upheld, with only minor revisions, the revised ballot titles written by Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem.

    In a decision by a separate panel, the court upheld the fiscal note summary written by State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick. Rejecting arguments from two lawmakers and an anti-abortion activist, the court said Fitzpatrick’s summary was “fair and sufficient.”

    Ashcroft issued a statement that he would appeal the decision to the Missouri Supreme Court, a process likely to take several weeks. The ongoing court battle narrows the time for gathering signatures to put the proposal on the 2024. Backers must secure more than 170,000 signatures from registered voters by early May.

    A key error in Ashcroft’s ballot titles, states the opinion signed by Judge Thomas Chapman, was its single-minded focus on how it would impact the legality of abortion. The proposed constitutional amendments, he wrote, cover all aspects of reproductive health care.

    “The absence of any reference to a right to reproductive health care beyond abortion in the summary statements is misleading,” Chapman wrote.

    There was little to be saved from Ashcroft’s summaries, he wrote.

    One step closer but they will never give up. Assuming this ruling gets upheld by the state Supreme Court, they will just sue on different grounds.

  18. 18.

    trollhattan

    @OzarkHillbilly: Ashcroft, something about that name….

    Lotsa luck, state of MO

    ETA, what, specifically, was the complaint about his, “Aborty abortion bill that requires abortions for all” title?

  23. 23.

    trollhattan

    @OzarkHillbilly: Have a passel of inlaws there; luckily they seldom feel the need to travel here, so all good! They comprise a peculiar limb on my spouse’s family tree.

    Got interesting when my FIL and MIL bought a hunk o’ land on a lake (“So cheap!”) and threatened to build a place and move there themselves. The feeling passed and it was an interesting project selling the land after my FIL also passed.

  24. 24.

    Marleedog

    Fetterman won the seat of retiring Pat Towmey. He is up for reelection in 2028.

    If he gets the R nomination, McCormick would run against Bob Casey, who has a very high approval rate from Pennsylvanians.

  25. 25.

    Suzanne

    @OzarkHillbilly: Mr. Suzanne’s mom and one of his brothers live in Fayetteville. I will note that I have been going to Fayetteville since 2008, and it has gotten much better since then…. but it’s still Arkansas.

    My MIL loves it. Recently bought a bigger farm out there. The landscape is beautiful. The built environment is terrible.

  26. 26.

    JAFD

    Greetings, fellow jackals !

    1 – This is at the Wyndham ‘Lancaster Host’, 2300 Lincoln Highway East (Business US 30) – ie, across the road from the Dutch Wonderland amusement park.  It’s big 1950’s-style place, added to and rebuilt over past 65 years.  Lot of added ramps and short elevators.

    2 – You may want to download the ‘Guidebook’ smartfone app, and the ‘HMGS Fall In 2023′ guidebook, which’ll give you more info about the event and should have a floor plan of hotel.

    3 – My friends’ miniature Napoleonic- era naval battle is scheduled from 1 to 6 PM on Saturday afternoon in the Strasburg Room.  To get there, go in front door of hotel, up half-flight of stairs to main lobby.  There’s a staircase going down to left of hotel’s front desk, go down it.  Turn left at bottom, then left again, Strasburg Room is on right at end of corridor

    4 – Most of the people invoved in the games will be either (a) plotting or making their moves, or,

    (b) ready to tolk your ears off about their figures, the history, etc.  Hope you want to listen.

  27. 27.

    JAFD

    @JAFD: Apologies for being late to the thread.  My after-breakfast nap lasted from 8:45 to 2:45.  Feeling lots better now.  Sun is out!

    If you have any questions, ask !  ( My father said often “The only dumb questions are the ones you don’t ask.” )

    Hope to see you Saturday.

  30. 30.

    Gary K

    Well darn — I just returned from two weeks near Lancaster, and would have enjoyed meeting some Jackals (even though I’m mostly a lurker here).

  31. 31.

    NotMax

    Enjoy the chow chow and shoo fly pie, y’all.

    Anyone who has ever seen The Boys from Brazil will recognize the area around Lancaster.

    Director Franklin J. Schaffne was a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College there so was very familiar with the countryside.

  32. 32.

    Shantanu Saha

    So thought that we could pick a time and place at Fall In, meet up, say
    hello. And since I’d be in the Close Action game in the Strasburg Room,

    Say hi to Mark Campbell (or it may be his kid Miles) for me!

  34. 34.

    WaterGirl

    Don’t forget to contact me by email if you want contact info for JAFD.

    I am closing this tab now, so I won’t see any further comments.

Comments are closed.