I make a living working on concerts and conventions but it had been years since I’ve been on the other side of the curtain. I walked up to the Holiday Inn apprehensively. There were almost no cars in the parking lot, which didn’t bode well. I spotted a station wagon, completely filled with eccentric junk and covered with quirky bumper stickers.
Apparently it was done up like a fighter plane, because it says FLYING TIGERS P-40 WARHAWK on the back window. Yeah, there’s a flagpole on the back. I didn’t look too closely inside because I was intimidated by how weird it was but the car was chock full of what appeared to be survival gear. Like to the point you couldn’t fit a passenger in anywhere. I think he slept in it, and during the weekend he made a love connection with a pretty attractive lady with the air of a former groupie who told me that she used to be Julian Assange’s girlfriend. She made some fairly emotional statements about his heroism when one of the speakers mentioned Assange. She also was sleeping in the parking lot in a van.
Yep, I thought, I’m in the right place. I was expecting a weekend of autism-fueled awkwardness. Stepping inside, I immediately ran into Joshua Smith, the host of the Break the Cycle podcast. He was friendly and a brief chat put me at ease.
Inside the building the vendors had already set up shop with a row of folding tables. There were only a few. The entire event took up a large-ish conference room, two very small breakout rooms, and the hallway that connected them, and a few stragglers who mostly sat out by the pool. People were selling tshirts, trinkets, survival food, buttons, and bumper stickers. I used bitcoin to buy a shirt, the first time I’ve actually transacted with the currency. Some of the vendors lived out of vans or buses and said they moved around like gypsies.
The Conference Room. Caryn Ann Harlos (on stage), taking care of business.
The actual business of the convention was a dull affair. They stuck to Roberts’ Rules of Order, which comes across as the nerdiest thing imaginable, but is objectively very orderly.
There were a bunch of colorful characters, as expected. Gun nuts, cowboy hats, hipsters, skateboarders, dweebs in suits, Republicans, and people running for office. There was short man dressed like Crocodile Dundee with his surname tattooed on his forearm, accompanied by a young woman with a giant domesticated rabbit on a leash. He didn’t say a word all weekend. The city of Jacksonville sent a group of local candidates, who were a menagerie of incredibly Southern caricatures, specifically a stoutly-built redneck in a ball cap, an older Doc Holliday type, and a young, fast-talking black man with the build of a prize fighter but the delivery of a sleazy preacher.
Dave Smith (file photo).
On my phone I had the Discord app, by which I am plugged into the Mises Caucus group. I was there at their behest to vote for a candidate who was the opposite of the Bill Weld Raytheon-lobbyist type. Late in the first day, I saw Dave Smith sitting quietly in the back row. I gave him a look that said “oh shit, look who’s here” and he just looked back apprehensively. I realized later that many of the longtime LP people were hostile to him and he didn’t know which camp I fell into. I said nothing because I hate to come across as a fanboy. In retrospect I should have signaled my support to clarify the matter before moving on.
There was a special meetup that night at a local bar for Mises Caucus people only. Angela McArdle and Dave Smith spoke. The atmosphere was excited but weird. I don’t like the feel of being around a cult of personality. I noticed a very attractive well-dressed (like high fashion stuff) blonde woman in her mid-20s and as I was trying to figure out why she was at a nerd convention, Clint Russell of the Liberty Lockdown podcast stepped toward her, pulled her to him with an open hand on her asscheek, and deeply tongue-kissed her, all surrounded by buzzing Mises Caucus folk. Later I realized that was minor internet celebrity and libertarian OnlyFans performer Ashton Birdie.
Angela McArdle (file photo).
I had a strange feeling the whole weekend. The even was very cliquey. Clearly for many of these people the LP is a social club like the Moose Lodge. Officially I was part of the Mises Caucus clique, but I was clearly not one of the cool ones by the way they acted toward me. However I understand why people would be slow to trust those who are unknown to them and I don’t resent that. Hector Roos, now the LP candidate for governor, was kind enough to explain what I needed to do. I mostly sat by myself and at one point overheard someone (obviously a LP regular resentful of the Mises Caucus) say at one point “well, this is their party now”. There were, I should add, some libertarian women attending, and some even in the LPMC. Stereotype skewered.
At some point one evening a weird, excited guy came up to each person to invite them to his DJ gig in the main conference room. “Ain’t nobody got time fo’ dat”, I thought to myself, and hid in one of the empty breakout rooms until it was over. Apparently the Pho-losopher (who is surprisingly diminutive and strikingly pretty in person) did some rap thing too. Sounds like a cringefest.
There was a Dave Smith standup comedy gig in the main conference room on the last night. Somehow a bunch of good-looking young women who were not present for any of the other shenanigans came out of the woodwork for it. They were sitting by Clint Russell and Ashton Birdie. I am a big fan of Dave’s but I drank too much (I bribed the bartendress with a wad of cash and got a tall glass of straight whiskey) and blacked out and can’t remember anything but the first few minutes, which was about the importance of starting a family.
Caryn Ann Harlos (file photo).
Overall the event was very sparsely attended. One of the scheduled talks in a breakout room was just me and the GOA rep, so we chatted for a few minutes and called it off. When it came time to nominate region reps, it turned out I was literally the only person from my region (which is a large grouping of a half dozen counties), and this was the case for another region too. I had the weighty power of deciding who would fill the role, and could even nominate myself. But I heard some guy who wasn’t present wanted it (and I definitely didn’t) so I gave it to him.
The last order of business was a motion to add to the state charter the intent for Florida to secede from the Union (again). I had no idea this was happening, but instinct was “fuck it, why not.” The establishment LP types gave mealy-mouthed speeches against. The Mises Caucus types gave passionate, inspiring, Thomas Paine-style speeches in the affirmative. I posted in the MC Discord the joke “libertarians who are afraid to say the word ‘secession’ wear Covid masks when they have sex” and got a bunch of upvotes, including from Angela McArdle. It passed. I felt great about voting for it. The Mises Caucus did well and our delegates are going to the national convention in Reno. Immediately we took the group photo by the swimming pool.
Wild stuff. Who the fuck are all these fringe weirdos? Why do so few people care about liberty?
Now wait just a cotton-pickin’ minute. There are girls in that photo.
I thought there were no libertarian chicks?
Way to assume their gender.
A true libertarian wouldn’t force other people to think a particular way, even about their identity.
Glad I’m not one. *Holds up ID* Inquisition, I’d like a word with you, heretic.
Titties = chicks. No assumptions required.
And I am a biologist.
Chuck Schumer would like a word…
I share the whole clip, but relevant info is at the end. Tits don’t make a woman
Link might help
https://youtu.be/PQVTzxWZvpI
But do they make the man?
There were a lot of women at FreedomFest.
Between this and the libertarian club in college, there are a bunch and they’re pretty impressive people.
They’re all ignorant slurs if you ask me
ain’t we all
Not me.
I’m a slut, through and through.
*sluts
I would blame autocorrect but it was just fat slut fingers
What’s with the new handle, and er, fixation? I feel like I’ve missed something.
It’s something someone said to me recently, implying that my only interest is finding a man to fuck.
It seems like a worthy goal.
It’s fine and all, but it’s not only not my only interest, it’s a fairly low priority at the moment. 🤷♀️
I thought it was a Saturday Night Live reference.
We’ve all been there, girlfriend.
It is. A reference that is apropos
I posted in the MC Discord the joke “libertarians who are afraid to say the word ‘secession’ wear Covid masks when they have sex” and got a bunch of upvotes, including from Angela McArdle.
Beautiful.
Thanks for the write-up!
This tells I need to get my shit together and write up my FreedomFest notes.
secession? There are not enough of you Ls to fill a small city.
Please, do it.
Intended as a reply to DEG but funnier this way.
Yes, I agree.
Lol.
I am a big fan of Dave’s but I drank too much (I bribed the bartendress with a wad of cash and got a tall glass of straight whiskey) and blacked out and can’t remember anything but the first few minutes, which was about the importance of starting a family.
This is why we are the best and why we will never win.
Thanks, brother! You remind me why I’m done with political parties.
Me too, brother.
We will win!
‘ (I bribed the bartendress with a wad of cash and got a tall glass of straight whiskey) ‘
You really are a carny.
/Used to do about the same
To clarify, I mean that in the nicest way. XD
Thanks for following through on the write-up. It’s interesting/sad. I think you should have self-nominated for the delegate position though.
True. I’m working on it.
That first car has a Spitfire insignia.
I’m not sure why.
Just a P-40 fan looks like and the Brits flew them too:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_P-40_Warhawk_variants#/media/File:Curtiss_Kittyhawk_Mk1A_AN1096502.jpg
But the shark’s maw was this beauty.
It doesn’t matter, really. The most important thing is that it’s a station wagon.
A) it is called a Long Roof, thank you!
B) if you didn’t do this with your Spitfire, I don’t know what to say!
I didn’t, but I thought about it.
I should suggest to the dude that bought it that he make it happen.
The older ones had this badge.
I thought it was a Gaol car used to transport prisoners.
Due to technical difficulties, the incorrect link was posted previously.
You can find tonight’s Webdom hosted Zoom here.
Please forgive this issue, the parties responsible have not been flogged, as they may enjoy it.
Well, I clicked the right link but nobody is letting me in, so I shall go cry quietly in the corner.
Aww c’mon somebody! Let her in!
If they don’t want you in the Zoom, WE are happy to have you here! 🤗
Yeah, tell us how the Chiefs look in the preseason.
Tis no one there?
Can I just say that Discord is the most absolutely horrible, soul-sucking piece of surveillance capitalist shitware that has ever existed and the fact that it’s become a defacto standard for gaming and organizing small groups makes me want to jump in front of a speeding train?
I don’t know. Can you?
I knew someone was going to say it, but I left it in anyway.
Finest kind.
(There *is* a libertarian nexus here: it’s a bad, bad fucking idea to organize anything political on a proprietary platform where you can be censored and unpersoned. Ask the J6 protesters)
As I said once while you were probably on sabbatical, I sampled Discord for maybe ten minutes once and then noped right the hell out of there.
Maybe it’s useful for some but it doesn’t fit my workflow at all.
I only use it for keeping in touch with a handful of people I still sometimes play video games with. I begged and pleaded with them to keep using TeamSpeak or Mumble, but it’s a younger-skewing crowd and network effects are a bitch. I try to only use it on my W10 gaming setup, but I keep it installed in the semi-sandboxed environment of Flatpak on my Linux boxen in case I need it.
For gaming I get why it’s popular, especially with tech illiterate zoomers. It does make it trivially simple to share screens, have enormously huge group audio and video chats, and organize voice and text channels. You give up a lot for the convenience though. Not just in terms of the data they scoop up either. As my rig ages out of being AAA-capable, the difference between Shitcord sitting there parked in an Electron wrapper gobbling RAM like Pac-Man and Mumble peacefully sitting there able to run on a Raspberry Pi from 10 years ago is not trivial.
Same here. When we had the Glibs mini outmigration to Discord I tried it for a bit and got a headache.
Discord is just IRC in a pretty wrapper.
You forgot the extra spyware and unusable interface.
Ass Wednesday.
https://archive.ph/xMboC/dff0acdfd6ab160eb2607522fefe7d4a992e6acf.jpg
https://archive.ph/BWPro/89d777284ed08839a02cad6e78203a3677586d53.jpg
All NSFW.
https://archive.ph/8SMVB/46994652f994218f7b8820405376f48ee880ff4c.jpg
NSFW.
https://archive.ph/XxZBB/a428f6029c251966eca2ff10b1bfb8fa79b8e9a9.jpg
NSFW.
Oh my goodness.
Yeah…I uh…I’ll be back
I read that as Ash Wednesday, looked at the photo, and concluded I would join her church.
IRS careers page is down. Color me shocked.
Saw something I’d never witnessed on the baseball diamond last night. Was watching the Yankees-Mariners game, and it went into extras. Now, as most of you know, beginning in the 10th inning, the batting team starts with a runner on second and no one out. In the top of the 11th, the Yanks managed to go two up, three down. The batter lined out to the 2nd baseman, who doubled off the runner. Next batter flied out. Weird, huh?
Even weirder, the Bronx dudes managed to accomplish the same improbable feat the very next inning.
Again, runner on 2nd, no one out. Batter hits a scorcher up the middle that’s somehow snagged by the pitcher, hanging up the guy on second. Quick rundown, he’s out — and then the batter-runner, who was trying to get into scoring position during the rundown, is thrown out by twenty feet (he was actually called out after running nearly into right-center trying to avoid the tag). Next batter struck out.
Mariners finally won in the bottom of the 13th. Good. Even Jesus hates the Yankees.
Really? 🤪
I had no idea.
The rest of your post is impenetrable to me.
Yeah, I cashed out after seeing cardboard cutouts of fans in the seats during Covid theater.
lol I forgot about that. Or the digital “fans” I saw on a couple occasions.
And canned audience reaction sounds.
OMG right. Completely blocked that out.
Empty stadiums with crowd noise. 🙄
That doesn’t seem to make the game go any faster. I suppose all it takes is a single to score, but with baseball’s inning structure (vs time) there’s always a chance to tie it up. Seems like the main thing it does is get the half inning over faster.
I don’t watch much baseball, but I learned over the weekend that baseball’s replay is just as fucked as the NFL. I saw this in real time at a local bar but no sound. I couldn’t figure out why they called the runner safe. Frankly I still can’t. This from a Brewers fan who grew up hating the Twinkies.
https://youtu.be/8qbA9VDCkBQ
Yeah. That call was some straight up bullshit.
Or I guess chickenshit, in Roco’s words. Either way, garbage.
‘Now, as most of you know, beginning in the 10th inning, the batting team starts with a runner on second and no one out.’
Oh, I guess I need to add baseball to the list of types of sportsball that is now officially dead to me.
Fucking Hell.
I gave up on MLB after the second strike. I had no idea that was the rule.
Next up, fielding team is down one player.
Well done! I want to go to there!
Well, this year’s convention was in Melbourne, right on the east coast a little ways south of Cape Canaveral. Weather’s pretty nice there in February, as is the inshore fishing.
Strangely enough, folks from Quebec and the Maritimes tend to go straight down I-95 to the east coast and SE Florida. People from Ontario follow I-75 south and congregate in the Tampa Bay area. We
hardly evernever see people from the prairie provinces or B.C.If you want to see them in winter visit Arizona. Snowbird season usually ends the Monday after Easter.
Good article. Interesting to hear the details from a regular dude instead of the podcast class.
I very briefly considered joining the LP to support the MC, but then remembered I don’t like people and have no interest in actual politics.
That’s the paradox of freedom-embracing ideologies. People who want to be left alone to live their lives typically aren’t interested in running for public office so they can tell other people what to do.
Libertarians, secretly plotting to take over the world so they can leave you alone.
Do you publish a newsletter?
Wow. Not everyone has a scruffy beard. Color me shocked.
Not even the women!
Lol
That was a really fun and interesting read, Atanarjuat. Thanks for sharing. I’ve never delved into the inner working of the LP and it’s cool to see insight like this.
I can’t wait for DEG’s write-up from Freedom Fest.
…
I have no idea why but I imagine the split between the Mises Caucus and the old wing looks like this.
https://youtu.be/RTXszRHc0qs
More like this
Splitter!
That looks right.
You’re not gonna go slidin’ around with your old white hoodlum friends.
Yes, I need to get my shit together.
Things have certainly changed from the old LP days. Used to be that, yes, there would be a few hippies reeking of mj, and a dude in a black jumpsuit with a gold dollar sign chain around his neck, and a few nerds with coke bottle lens and sandals with socks. But the prototypical LPer showed up in a blue blazer, white shirt and rep tie (at least, I did). Yeah, there were women around then, too, and much in demand by the few guys with testosterone. Some pretty smart and remarkable women too; one is known to have slept with at least five members of the national committee over the years. Oh, to return to the 1980s!
Holy shit. Are you Hihn?
In the 90s, when some folks tried to get a county LP org set up in the central PA county I lived in, the first attempt was all guys, and all older than me.
The second attempt actually went somewhere. There was only one woman – the fiancee of one of the members.
I’m glad to see this bite him in the ass.
https://dailycaller.com/2022/08/10/trump-deposition-takes-fifth-amendment/
Yeah it was a dumb ass statement to make. Sometimes you have to be on the business end of the governments gun to realize it though.
But does he actually realize it?
No. I wish it wasn’t so. But, no.
“Take their guns and then go to court”
I’m not sure he really understands the reasons behind the Constitution.
You can’t out-First The First.
I got a cat butt last thread for a pun.
You ever get a cat butt for a First? Yeah, I thought not.
Better up your game, bruh.
Floppotron 3.0 is in beta!
https://youtu.be/lbd06i9B2wU
This thing keeps growing.
Natasha (formerly Yeah, Russia) and friend go to the McDonalds replacement.
https://youtu.be/y0qTrqTJtIs
Their jokes make me laugh, but it feels like gallows humor and can only be drowned in a liter of vodka.
Them teeth tho.
*checks exchange rate*
That is pretty cheap. I guess it has to be.
Okay, I take it back, the lighting must have made them look darker than they really are.
I like her friend. ‘The fries look depressed, just like me.’
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/woman-rescued-moments-before-car-swallowed-by-sinkhole/ar-AA10wg3M
Doh!
https://abc7chicago.com/house-explosion-in-evansville-indiana-news/12115419/
I hope Evan is ok.
I believe at last report he is safely well upstate from there. Perhaps he’ll change his handle to “Evan Escaped Evansville.”
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/video-shows-group-of-philly-teens-ransacking-germantown-restaurant/3332108/
30 round mags.
This seems to be the hot new trend.
40 round magazines are better.
https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/green-vs-blue-google-blasts-apple-for-broken-texting-between-iphone-android/
“If I give you my number and a green bubble pops up when you text me, I’m (at minimum) already questioning your taste level,” one person quipped.
Heh.
Kids these days. 🙄
Neither of these standards are acceptable.
Sounds like a sick burn but I don’t get it.
iPhone v Android tribalism
Morning, Glibs.
Mornin.
I have writer’s block regarding a work deliverable and of course, management wants to review it today. I really don’t understand what it needs to look like, and no one can seem to shed any light on it. I feel like I’ve been set up to fail.
I couldn’t find my underwear this morning. We’ve all got problems.
Seriously though, that kinda sucks.
I’ve got an hour before my workday starts, and it’s a remote day, so I’m going to cook a breakfast steak.
⬅
Seconded.
I need more caffiene. I very nearly threw out a perfectly good steak.
There were two wrapped in the same piece of butcher paper. I removed the one I was going to cook, then by habit went to discard the paper. Thankfully I stopped myself before I tossed it and instead wrapped it back up and returned it to the fridge.
Even if it were cheap (it wasn’t) I’d be mad had I not stopped myself.
That means they don’t really know what they want- you have free rein.
“We don’t know what we want, but this ain’t it”
https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2022/08/11/foul-smell-in-gloucester-county-prompts-hazmat-team-response-to-truck-stop-in-east-greenwich/
NJ stinks.
“The chemical being released is Lubrozol (Zinc Alkyldithiophosphate) that may cause eye/skin irritation when you come in contact with it.”
Does Lubrozol come in 50 gallon drums?
Lubrozol appears to be a company. I can’t find information on Zinc Alkyldithiophosphate, but from the similar compounds that do show up, I’d wager it does come in large drums.
Mornin’ all. It’s gym time.
Morning all.
Morning.
Get any rain yet?
We had a 15 min shower Monday.
Oh, dear! No more since? I sure hope you get some relief soon! 😟
It has been a difficult summer for sure. our 10 day forecast has a 40% chance of rain over three days.
Since i’m having concrete work starting on next Friday, I am sure that’s when it will rain, because my life isn’t more screwed
If it is a light sprinkle, it’ll be good for the concrete.
I am more afraid of it screwing up moving in the heavy concrete trucks.
Its over ground.
Good morning, ‘bodru – and DEG, Sean, U, Stinky, and rhy!
Hoping for a quiet day at work today. I’m about half done writing up the minutes of last week’s committee meeting – the one full of obscure financial terminology, but somewhat simplified in my boss’s accompanying PPT presentation. With any luck, finishing that up should be relatively painless.
Morning, GT.
I am having bad memories of college where I was grossly underprepared for presentations. The difference is, I really should know (and probably do know) our PeopleSoft infrastructure, which is what I am supposed to be talking to the SI about. I don’t want to do any presentation of any kind, but I don’t have a choice short of just quitting.
I understand your trepidation but please remember – you DO know your PeopleSoft infrastructure (maybe better than any of your coworkers?) AND you know how to tell stories, maybe just not usually in the particular format that’s standard in your workplace. Tell them the story.
I feel your pain, U. I am not wired for giving presentations regardless of my level of preparation. But somehow I have managed to get through the few I’ve been forced to give. I expect you are much better at them than I, it will be fine (and over before you know it).
Mornin’, GT.
“Obscure financial terminology”. I still have this thick little blue book which was issued to me back when I got started as a developer in financial services. Everything you (didn’t) want to know about banking transactions is in that dry little tome. It has been gathering dust since I first acquired it.
In this case, it’s Asset/Liability Management, at least part of which involves trying to predict what would happen to a financial institution’s balance sheet in the event of a sudden interest rate “shock” of 3% (up, I believe) … which is starting to sound not quite so very far-fetched.
Hello fellow miscreants, hows the world down in the warm lands?
Nicely nicely, thanks! How are the hinterlands?
Hoodies in August? Not good, this lizard needs a hot rock stat!
Paging Mr. Lizard. Mr. Lizard to the courtesy desk, please.
A bit foggy in spots around the area, but apparently not in my immediate vicinity. Looks to be a lovely – and NOT too hot! – day! How’s your edge of the mitten?
Cool and lovely, but it will surely change. We had 3/4 seasons yesterday,
This is getting old.
The past month has been near perfect weather, a little dry but not unusual. No mosquitoes as in the early part of the summer, few deer flies. Evenings cool off but not long sleeve cool. We’ve had the AC on 3 days only.
I’ve had 4 months of summer and another 1-2 to go. I’ll take your weather right now.
Raining. Still muggy and miserable.
Mornin’, reprobates.
Last day before vacation, and that’s all I ever wanted!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2RHTiXvELNg
Down to counting the hours! 😃
Those gals came to campus for a concert when I was at Miami of OH…but I think that was the night some friends and I drove to Bloomington, IN instead to catch Dan Fogelberg. 🙄
There is nothing longer than a Dan Fogelberg concert.
Haha! Good one🙃🦎
I probably shouldn’t admit this, but if anyone should ever want to turn GT’s knees to buttah, that particular song which you have cleverly referenced could still be a contendah.
Me too
You’ll be fine. Just imagine that all in the audience are nakkid.
If you quit, they win…
I never understood that advice. That an even more disquieting prospect. I’m not trying to induce vomitting…
Years ago I would have to give briefings to senior military folks with an occasional congress person thrown in. They were on”Fact Finding Missions” and would believe anything.
We always talked about how we needed more money.
In this case, I’m talking to the vendor we hired to do the work.
I occasionally give presentations in front of several hundred people. In person is fine, but I hate doing them remotely. There’s a feel and rapport with your audience that’s completely lost over Zoom. It was disconcerting the first time I included a joke and then immediately realized there was no way tell how it went over with 15 screens of muted individuals who had their cameras off. It was a good joke too.
I remember giving a presentation in college, where I opened with “how do you tell the sex of a chromosome?” “Answer: Unzip its genes.”
That would get me immediately expelled from school or fired today.
There’s a feel and rapport with your audience that’s completely lost over Zoom.
Also, the people on Zoom may actually be naked.
I’d probably feel better doing it remote, since I wouldn’t be under the gaze of the audience. Just me talking to my computer.
Obligatory.
Why did all the ugly people sit up front?
Pretty people don’t go into IT, or the state. Imagine what State IT looks like 😛
That mushroom…
https://aimsurplus.com/products/prvi-partizan-ppu-380-auto-jhp-94grn-50rd-box
Yo, that’s currently a great price on .380 jhp.