Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

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

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

Giving up is unforgivable.

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

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

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

If you can’t control your emotions, someone else will.

I like political parties that aren’t owned by foreign adversaries.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

The only way through is to slog through the muck one step at at time.

Giving in to doom is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.

You’re just a puppy masquerading as an old coot.

No Kings: Americans standing in the way of bad history saying “Oh, Fuck No!”

The “burn-it-down” people are good with that until they become part of the kindling.

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

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Meetups

Proof of Live – Ohio Meetup

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Proof of Life!

This was apparently so much fun that columbusqueen is already planning for next year’s meet-up, and I am told that you’ll all be invited.

Pics from Ohio Mom

Left to right: Ohio Mom, Ohio Dad and Manyakitty

 

From back wall to front: columbusqueen, Ohio Dad, Manyakitty, Mrs. Professor Bigfoot and Professor Bigfoot

 

Left to right: Goku, Ohio Farmer and Shaun/Temp Decloaked Lurker (all the way from Michigan!)

 

Left to right: Sab, two lurkers whose names I didn’t catch (it was noisy at Planks) so they will have to come out of hiding and identify themselves, and columbusqueen with a big wave

Camera shy: Suzanne (all the way from Pittsburgh!) and Mr. Sab

 

Starting with the red Indycar P1 hat: Ohio Farmer, lurker Shawn, lurker, Suzanne, sab, I think i see hair by the chalkboard next to sab – is that Josie? -, then columbusqueen, Ohio Mom, Ohio Dad, Manyakitty, Mrs. Professor, Professor Bigfoot, and then Goku at the head of the table.

Pic from manyakitty (taken by Mr. Sab?)

If someone wants to supply names for the bottom pic, in order, starting with the (surely not MAGA hat) red Indycar P1 hat I can add to the caption list!

Clues on names:

Take 1: Goku is at the head of the table. Ohio Farmer is wearing the red hat, Prof. Bigfoot is on the other side of Goku, Ohio Mom is next to Ohio Dad, I can’t remember nym for the woman next to Ohio Mom, or the man to her right. I think Josie is next to the man, Suzanne is next to her, then sab. The man next to Ohio Farmer is a lurker but I can’t remember his exact nym.

Take 2: Nice lurker 1 and 2, Suzanne, sab, temporarily decloaked lurker S., Ohio Farmer, Goku, Prof. B. and his lovely bride, Manyakitty, Ohio Dad, Ohio Mom, and columbusqueen!

Is this our biggest meetup ever?

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Speaking of Meetups, Proof of Life from Pescadero!

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Left to right: HinTN, Sister Golden Bear, Mr Bemused Senior and exbarrowboy

Reporting from Pescadero is HinTN.

The Pescadero meet-up at Duarte’s Tavern was a wonderful opportunity to make personal connection with virtual friends.

Jackals exbarrowboy, Mr Bemused Senior and Sister Golden Bear watched HinTN eat too much cioppino (after a very satisfying bowl of green chili – artichoke soup) while they had nicely restrained meals of soup or salad. All had beer and a good time. Participants may out themselves. HinTN is wearing the blue cap.

Additional photographs from the drive up the Stage Road include roadside poppies and a view of the Pacific. The Stage Road is about a mile inland from the coast.

Looks like a good time was had by all!

Speaking of Meetups, Proof of Life from Pescadero!Post + Comments (29)

Save the Date: Ohio Meetup on Saturday, May 17 (tentative date)

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Update:  I linked to this post in the sidebar under Meetups.

There’s an Ohio Meet-up in the works!

Planning for the long-awaited all-Ohio meet-up is underway. Columbus Queen and Ohio Mom are planning at a midday meeting in Columbus on Saturday, May 17.  (Midday can be loosely thought of as lunchtime-ish)

Columbus Queen is looking at Plank’s Bier Garden at the corner of Whittier & South High Streets in German Village south of downtown.

It’s easy to find, offers drinks as well as food, and has a covered patio and decent-sized parking lot.

Ohio Jackals, please let us know if you’ll be able to join us. If too many of you have prior commitments for that day, we can consider an alternate date.

Hope to see our fellow Buckeyes there!

Please RSVP in the comments.

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Interest In a Silicon Valley Meetup on April 6?

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Looks like Mr. Bemused Senior and HinTN are up to no good are tentatively planning a meetup inn Pescadero!

Hey, Silicon Valley B-J peeps (from Santa Cruz to San Francisco and points east). Mr Bemused Senior and HinTN are contemplating a meet-up at Duarte’s Tavern in Pescadero on Sunday, 6 April, at 3 P.M.

Looks like my kind of place!  Alas, 2000 miles is too far for me for a meetup

Who’s up for this meetup?  It’s coming up fast.  Chime in below!

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Denver Meetup

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Balloon-Juice Denver Meetup Jan 2025

Courtesy of Comrade Scott’s Agenda of Rage, here are pics from the meetup. For the group photo, we have, L-R:

Mvr
Dr Fungus
GloriaDryGarden
Scamp Dog
Madame Bupkis
Baquist
Mr Baquist
Cupcake (in front of Mr Baquist)
Bokonon
Starfish (she/her)
Sure Lurkalot
Snarlymon
MisterMix
Comrade Scott
Mountain Boy (kneeling)

Scott’s comment about the meetup:

I’m still heartened at the turnout despite three last minute cancellations (sick) and a 4th who didn’t get back into town in time.

My wife thoroughly enjoyed herself because of all the stimulating conversational topics, this wasn’t just a bunch of white Democrats of a certain demographic kvetching about politics. Highlights for me were decidedly different, namely talking Nick Tahou’s with you and Todd (Mountain Boy), talking about the neighborhood 30 years back with Charlie (Snarlymon) and me discovering that Mike (Bokonon) is on the Denver FUGLY Facebook group and familiar with my copious work there.

We had three additional people, my wife, Baquist’s husband and a friend of Madame Bupkis who’s apparently already signed up on BJ with the handle Cupcake.

Everybody agreed this was the way to host one of these as opposed to meeting somewhere public. Even in our very modest “City Cottage”, we had plenty of room thus could mill about smartly which greatly contributes to stimulating conversation, no overwhelming noise from others and everybody could eat and drink to their heart’s content.

To quote Lisa (Sure Lurkalot) from an email she sent afterwards:

“…it was a sight to behold a bunch of virtual strangers laughing and talking about all manner of things.”

Scott’s thinking about another meetup when the weather is a little better and it can be hosted outside. Thanks again to Scott and his wife for hosting, and to all who attended.

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