While chatting with Matthew last night, the subject of another Blogger Bash came up. I know that some of you have been doing a semi-regular Tuesday night gathering, but we wanted to push for a larger gathering, beyond just IP.com bloggers and readers, while the weather was nice.
So how about Tuesday, July 31 at 5:30-ish at Esquire? We'll sit outside, space and weather permitting.
Cool. A bigger bash would be fun! Count me in.
Queen dusts off tiara in anticipation of new introductions
I will come only if it is in Urbana, which we need to "take back"
Cannot come on Tuesdays until a week or two after Labor Day
Michael Fuerst
We did one this Winter in Urbana, and I'm sure we'll do another one there at some point.
But this one's going to be at Esquire, and I hope to see you all there.
Would love to come, but still can't frequent the Esquire until Jan 1.
Sounds like a good time to see the faces associated with the names, flap my lips and toss down a few.
If I can, I will, got it on my calendar.
To that end, I am, and shall always remain;
Rex Bradfield
Arvid,
Go to the 7/26 open post, I have a couple of comments, but this thread is not the proper place.
Thanks.
To that end, I am, and shall always remain;
Rex Bradfield
I'm in....
I'll try and show up as well.
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j
Part-Time Pundit
I'll try, though I'm also going to be moving that day. A good reason to try to be done by 5:30, I guess.
Isn't it a little early for the annual week of homelessness?
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j
Part-Time Pundit
I'll try to come. Does the bus go past Esquire?
Isn't it a little early for the annual week of homelessness?
Haha, if I were a little further along, as in having actual outdoor furniture, I'd invite bloggers to just come over.
I'll be there. Just not with the love that will shelter you.
Would love to come, but still can't frequent the Esquire until Jan 1.
We won't be inside with the smoke, we'll be outside with the traffic fumes, Arvid. sheesh
It's not just that, I'm speaking with my dollars. After seeing the positive difference in my health and that of those around me, I can't in good faith go back to a place that now allows smoking until the ban is back in place. On top of that, I will also never again frequent establishments that were loud in their opposition to the smoking ban, heavily involved in getting it rescinded and in at least one particular case, incredibly rude to me when I told them how much I appreciated a smoke-free environment (because they were complaining about how no non-smokers were coming out). They have proven to me that they do not deserve my business or the business of my associates. In the case of the bar owner who was a complete dick to me when I said "Hey, I know you probably don't hear it enough, but I appreciate the smoke-free air and will be coming here more often", it will be a very cold day in a very hot place before I ever give any of his businesses a dime of my money.
Which is too bad for all of them because when I drink, I do so heavily and expensively.
Aside from my moral isse with going to the Esquire, being outside does very little to assuage my issues with being around smoking, especially when several people around me are smoking. I'll wait until you have to go 15ft away from the doorway to smoke before I go out to the patio/beer garden. Side note, I find it mildy humorous that for all your bellyaching about free market, people voting with their wallets and what not, when someone vocalizes that they won't go some place that allows smoking, you opt to mock that choice.
Well I for one support your choice to not frequent establishments that allow smoking or support smoking. But as far as not criticizing you for the choice you can freely make... well, I don't know about that one. I'd be far more inclined to support freedom of choice and freedom of criticism of our choices. If I choose to go to a smoking establishment, so be it. But to expect people to not criticize me for the choices I make seems unrealistic in a free society. You seem to be against both the choice and the criticism of the choices we make and that just seems against supporting liberty on both counts.
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Glock21 Op/Ed
Don't take it personally. We mock most of Glock's choices too. I mean seriously, what kind of goober wears sunglasses inside a dark bar? Maybe Dunn thought he was cool, but he'd be the only one.
Maybe if he sparked one up ....
are you talking about me being cool, or thinking Glock looks cool? I know im cool, so is Wendy, i dunno about Glock though, im kind of spooked about the whole carrying of thermonuclear devices.
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Robert Dunn
Ex-Leftist, Born-Again Conservative American
Nah, I'm not against his right to criticize. I'm fully in support of an individual's right to have opinions contrary to mine. I just found the remark interesting in relation to his staunch support of the free market.
"After seeing the positive difference in my health and that of those around me, I can't in good faith go back to a place that now allows smoking until the ban is back in place. On top of that, I will also never again frequent establishments that were loud in their opposition to the smoking ban, heavily involved in getting it rescinded and in at least one particular case, incredibly rude to me when I told them how much I appreciated a smoke-free environment (because they were complaining about how no non-smokers were coming out). They have proven to me that they do not deserve my business or the business of my associates."
This reminded me of a quote from Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders. I could not find it, but I found two that, together, add up to about the same.
"I’ve got other things to get on with so I don’t like to associate with meat-eaters and their excuses more than I have to because that’s very valuable time to me."
"When I was a kid and I was getting in a band and I was a little hippie at the end of the sixties it was so obvious to show compassion to animals and to be vegetarian and I'm so disappointed. And that's another reason why I don't associate with too many people in the music business. Actually I don't respect many of the because I can't respect a meat eater. I just can't do it."
I can respect smokers and bar owners, and even bar owners who are smokers, so that quote isn't quite accurate to my line of thinking. I'm not going to give my money to a place that:
1) Actively participates in politics I don't agree with and pushes those politics on their customers (how many of you right-wingers would regularly patronize a store that was actively promoting a leftist social issue you wholeheartedly disagree with?)
and/or
2) Have given me a horrible customer service (if you were told to f--- off by a store owner, would you shop there again?)
I've been gong to the Esquire for twenty-three years. Sometimes they are jerks, and sometimes they are cool beyond belief, but they have always, always, always treated me much better than I deserved. After nearly a quarter-century, they are family. I don't always agree with my family, but I will always have their back.
I will be happy as a clam to be there Tuesday, even if it's only to stop by and say hi...
"Maybe if he sparked one up ...."
Now we're talkin'...
"Don't take it personally. We mock most of Glock's choices too. I mean seriously, what kind of goober wears sunglasses inside a dark bar? Maybe Dunn thought he was cool, but he'd be the only one."
I'm photosensitive. But the girls don't seem to mind. :-)
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Glock21 Op/Ed
I've been gong to the Esquire for twenty-three years. Sometimes they are jerks, and sometimes they are cool beyond belief, but they have always, always, always treated me much better than I deserved. After nearly a quarter-century, they are family. I don't always agree with my family, but I will always have their back.
The bar I was referring to when I said it would be a cold day in a very hot place before I went back to was certainly not the Esquire (one can ask me in person who the bar in question is, I don't feel it appropriate to list here). I haven't been going there for as long as you have, but it's certainly high on my list of preferred bars. I've known Bob for years...his step-daughter dated one of my best friends for a long time. I'm always treated well (as is just about everybody who walks in the door), and I'm looking forward to when I can go back there.
If you want cooler shades, try Dandelion--they have a great selection of shades for about $10 I think.
If there's anything I've learned about "coolness" is that if you try to be cool you've already failed at actually being cool. I'd rather just be me and risk being uncool. I always come out happier.
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Glock21 Op/Ed
In the case of the bar owner who was a complete dick to me when I said "Hey, I know you probably don't hear it enough, but I appreciate the smoke-free air and will be coming here more often", it will be a very cold day in a very hot place before I ever give any of his businesses a dime of my money. Which is too bad for all of them because when I drink, I do so heavily and expensively.
Did you make your comment before or after you had been drinking heavily? ;-)
I vote we go to a Nieto bar just we can meet Arvid. I won't spend any money there, though. Moral issue, don't ya know. ;-) ;-)
Did you make your comment before or after you had been drinking heavily? ;-)
No, I was actually nursing a hangover from the night before, so it was a light evening, and my comment was made as I was getting my first scotch of the evening.
I vote we go to a Nieto bar just we can meet Arvid. I won't spend any money there, though. Moral issue, don't ya know. ;-) ;-)
And I would respect/understand your choice to not purchase anything, no matter how drunk I got :). Make sure you let Nieto know, though :)