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Some Drank All. All Drank Some. (Attn: DC-area Hit & Runners)
Here's the skinny on the event that H&R stalwart Thoreau has put together for this Saturday in Bethesda. All typos his.
Reason takes no responsibility for the merriment that may or may not be had, any fallout from any such merriment (or lack thereof), etc., etc. etc. (cue Yul Brynner).
When: Saturday, November 12, 6:30 pm until ?
Where: Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, 7900 Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814
www.rockbottombethesda.comWho: H&R posters, lurkers, flamers, and occasional readers, as well as their spouses, significant others, partners in relationships that may or may not be sanctioned by the state, friends, roommates, random strangers, etc. (Which is libertarian speak for "Anybody reading this and whoever they want to bring.)
This event was designed (hopefully intelligently) by thoreau and Mr. Nice Guy. Jennifer, Phil, crimethink, saw-whet, mk, and many others promise to be there.
What: Eat, drink, be merry, and argue over obscure points.
Why: Why not?
Various libertarian-oriented activities may or may not be going on during the day on Saturday. Consult thoreau and Mr. Nice Guy for details. If you own a gun, we can help you find a use for it. (At a shooting range, of course.) If you don't, but you contact us soon, we can take a couple of beginners with us. (Be prepared to spend $30 for range fees and beginner orientation.) No shooting after 4:20 pm.
|11.9.05 @ 7:23PM|#
No shooting after 4:20 pm.
I'm assuming this is a self-imposed rule by Mr. Nice Guy? :)
|11.9.05 @ 7:31PM|#
I've always disliked the reason "why not" used in response to
the question "why" or used as a statement of purpose.
Actually sounds like a lot of fun. Too bad I live on the other side
of the county.
Anybody ever going to plan one of these in the northwest? I'd
volunteer, but I doubt there are many posters in my area (not
Seattle and not Portland, nor near either). If one was relatively
nearby, I'd try to make the trip.
Jeff P.|11.9.05 @ 7:34PM|#
I will be doing my Yul Brenner impression, arms akimbo, walking around sideways...
|11.9.05 @ 7:46PM|#
This event was designed (hopefully intelligently) by thoreau
and Mr. Nice Guy.
Ahh, faith-based party planning. :)
|11.9.05 @ 7:49PM|#
I used to go to the Smithsonian all the time when I was a kid, and now I haven't been since I was an undergrad. So I'm also looking forward to seeing that again. Maybe this time I'll get to catch a glimpse of that pendulum thing knocking down one of the markers.
|11.9.05 @ 7:52PM|#
Woohoo! I've been commodified!
I would join in on the handgun festivities, but my wife and I are
planning to go out to Shenandoah Nat'l Park (using national parks
like a bad libertarian) during the day, weather allowing. Get some
hiking in, do some nature photography, etc.
|11.9.05 @ 7:55PM|#
So, who's up for a trip to the FDR Memorial?
I said, so, who's up for a trip to the FDR Memorial?
Must be something wrong with my browser...
|11.9.05 @ 7:57PM|#
The Smithosian exhibits rarely change, especially at the American History museaum. I get onto to my friends there about it, but they have no control over their sucky exhibits.
|11.9.05 @ 8:02PM|#
You laugh, joe, but last month, we went for a great hike starting from Roosevelt Island, up the GW Pkwy and across the 14th St. Bridge, then up along Hains Point to the FDR Memorial and finally back across the Memorial Bridge and to our starting point. There were a lot of people at the FDR Memorial. Particularly Greatest Generation types and minorities, as one might expect.
|11.9.05 @ 8:04PM|#
Phil--
Salve your conscience and have an extra-good time by going to one
of the privately-owned caverns within range of Shenandoah. Luray
Caverns, Skyline Caverns, Endless Caverns--technically the last
one's dishonest, but it's still pretty cool.
|11.9.05 @ 8:08PM|#
Seriously, whatever your thoughts about the subject matter, the
FDR Memorial is an amazing achievement.
The Korean War Memorial, otoh...eh, not so much.
|11.9.05 @ 8:18PM|#
The Smithosian exhibits rarely change, especially at the
American History museaum. I get onto to my friends there about it,
but they have no control over their sucky exhibits.
Hak,
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the Smithsonian sucks.
I've seen better Natural History exhibits in Cleveland. Their
exhibit notes are terrible. Although I did like the giant squid
exhibit.
|11.9.05 @ 8:18PM|#
So, where are we going shooting and how MANY guns can we bring ? Long guns ? shot guns ? hand guns ? Full auto ??? Exploding targets ???
|11.9.05 @ 8:24PM|#
Anybody who disparages the National Air & Space Museum in my
presence shall be subjected to fisticuffs. It's got a full-sized
ICBM, a moon rock, and The Spirit of St. Louis! It's MAGIC,
people!!
OTOH, in terms of presentation, the Cleveland Museum of Art pwns
the National Gallery of Art. On the third hand, the American
History Museum's exhibit of Beatles photography last year, and the
"Paint By Numbers" exhibit the year before, were terrific.
|11.9.05 @ 8:27PM|#
For fans of modern art, check out the Hirshorn Museum on the National Mall in DC. Some good stuff there.
Jeff P.|11.9.05 @ 8:46PM|#
I, for one, would like to see Spaceship One. Not only is it a Libertarian keepsake, but I plan to steal it to facilitate my latest Bond-villainish scheme.
|11.9.05 @ 9:03PM|#
First, thanks, Nick for posting this.
Second, anybody interested in guns, send me an email. The address
on this post is real if you take out the part about
spam.
|11.9.05 @ 9:13PM|#
It's an indoor range. You have to buy your ammo there. (Supposedly it's a county regulation, but I doubt that the owner complained too loudly when told that members would have to pay him money for ammo.) I've only shot handguns there, but people shoot rifles and shotguns as well. No exploding targets AFAIK.
|11.9.05 @ 9:21PM|#
Jennifer,
Jeff P. said he'd be walking sidewise, arms akimbo a la Yul
Brenner. Mayhaps you could impersonate the carpet humper?
Debbie Reynolds would be good too.
|11.9.05 @ 9:37PM|#
thoreau:
Standard indoor practice is any handgun caliber, shotguns if you
don't blow up their target hangers shooting like a jackass, and
rifles up to .22 Long Rifle. It is rare to have an indoor range
allow rifles in serious calibers because their bullet traps get
blown to shit.
If you are going, and I can't - about which I'm bummed, make sure
you check the transportation rules for the states you will be
driving in. Those things are crazy different from state to state.
Some require a separate locked container with ammo in one
compartment of the vehicle and the thing itself in another.
|11.9.05 @ 10:09PM|#
I think joe should host a gathering. If he wants to keep it simple, all he has to do is announce that on a certain Saturday evening he'll be at his favorite bar in Boston, and everybody is invited to join him.
|11.9.05 @ 10:39PM|#
Jason,
There's a range in New Albany, Ohio that'll let you shoot just
about whatever you can fit through the door (maybe not .50 BMG, but
460 Weatherby for certain). The hitch is it's only a 25 yard range.
Hardly seems worth it.
The get together sounds loverly; if only it were on my side of the
Appalachians.
|11.9.05 @ 10:44PM|#
Wait a minute. If some drank all, there wouldn't be enough for
all to drink some.
joe at 07:55 PM,
LOL!
Party on liberty loving brethren and sisteren! You too, joe.
|11.9.05 @ 10:51PM|#
I'm telling you, if any of you make it up to Pittsburgh for whatever reason, the machinegun shooting's on me.
|11.9.05 @ 11:00PM|#
Damn,
I am not going to make that one. I'd be hard pressed to fly all the
way across the country soley to hang out. But it would be
cool.
BTW, if you are in Norfolk there is an indoor range that you can
shoot rifles at.
Side note, I was supposed to be in one of those hotels that blew up
in Jordan today, but because of a beaurocratic screw up, I get to
spend at least two more weeks home.
Brian|11.9.05 @ 11:15PM|#
Awesome! I'm actually going to be in DC this weekend...now I just have to figure how to get away from the meeting I'm supposed to be at...
|11.10.05 @ 12:15AM|#
Yikes, Kwais. That's a spooky thought. But I'm very glad your schedule was ruined by bureaucracy, and I sincerely hope bureaucracy continues to ruin your schedules in the future.
|11.10.05 @ 12:36AM|#
smacky,
Well, it is a great place to do research (especially with the
National Archives, the LOC, etc. so close), but they are quite,
quite terrible at creating a viable visitor experience (except for
some parts of the "hands on" history exhibit - a friend of mine
designed the cotton gin exhibit there).
For art I perfer the Louvre or the Prado.
treefroggy,
If I were going, I'd like to bring my flintlock.
|11.10.05 @ 1:29AM|#
Norfolk Avenue, there in there Wilds of Bethesda. If you listen
close you might hear the ghost of Psychedeli past howling in the
night as Weasel intones the call letters W-H-F-S, Buh-thesda,
Maryland.
I'll buy a virtual beer for anyone who knows what the hell I'm
talking about.
|11.10.05 @ 1:36AM|#
Argh...Of course this has to be the same time as the Fairfax County Libertarian Convention. Now I know what Democrats mean about too many choices being a problem for us. Hrm.
|11.10.05 @ 1:48AM|#
Question for Jason Ligon or any knowledgeable person, which at
this site should be a lot of people,
The range I go to (OK,OK, i've only been there a handful of times
int the last several years) has a sign which forbids "No holster
drawing, no trick shooting, no rapid firing". Is that SOP at all
ranges ?
I've been wanting to holster draw since when !
|11.10.05 @ 2:16AM|#
It depends on the range, the range master on duty and the event
that you're at.
The holster draw prohibition is probably due to the fact that not
everyone knows how to clear, draw, fire, and reholster without
inadvertently shooting either themselves or others.
The rapid firing thing may simply be a matter of attempting to have
people be considerate of others. I've not spent a lot of time at
places with that rule, but I imagine it could be distracting if
everyone was shooting rapid fire all of the time.
If you want to learn about how to draw, there are probably
instructors near your range, or you might check out some of the
sport groups like the IDPA.
|11.10.05 @ 4:19AM|#
"Seriously, whatever your thoughts about the subject matter, the
FDR Memorial is an amazing achievement."
An amazing achievement in bathos. See the sculpture of the great
man; read the great man's words; see the sculpture of the great
man's dog.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:FDR_memorial.jpg
If only Daniel Chester French had added one of those funny tophats
or an axe to his sculpture, the Lincoln Memorial could be a
similarly great achievement.
David Rollins|11.10.05 @ 6:13AM|#
The best thing to do at the FDR memorial is to get in the soup
line and put your hands in your pockets, hunched over waiting for
your gubmint handout. Makes a great photo.
"Freedom from Hunger" was clearly in the Declaration of
Independence, right?
|11.10.05 @ 8:04AM|#
It's going to be sunny and in the mid-60s this weekend in
DC.
And depending on how Saturday night goes, we can go wash our socks
at the FDR memorial with the rest of the bums.
|11.10.05 @ 8:14AM|#
Of course, WHFS was the underground / alternative FM station in the D.C. area in my misspent youth. (Not to say, of course, that my post-youth has been spent any better.) There one could hear non Top 40 cuts from Cream, the Doors, etc. while cruising the still seedy, pre gay yuppified Dupont Circle area for various controlled substances -- or so I'm told.
alkali|11.10.05 @ 8:27AM|#
If you own a gun, we can help you find a use for it. (At a
shooting range, of course.)
Without the parenthetical, I'd say there's a screenplay in
there.
s.m. koppelman|11.10.05 @ 8:41AM|#
And depending on how Saturday night goes, we can go wash our
socks at the FDR memorial with the rest of the bums.
...then maybe camp out under the stars in cardboard boxes in honor
of Herbert Hoover, nu?
Heh.
|11.10.05 @ 9:01AM|#
SM:
Good luck on an indoor range. I don't generally shoot at them
because they don't let you do presentations from the holster, and
their idea of unsafely fast shooting would make my grandmother
bored. Make no mistake, indoor ranges will help you shoot straight
if you already have the weapon out and only care about one shot at
a time. Unfortunately, that type of range is all most people have
access to.
Try to find a gun club where they hold IDPA or IPSC shoots. Even if
you don't want to play, the ranges are configured for you to be
able to do more.
|11.10.05 @ 9:22AM|#
Jason-
I hear what you're saying, but right now I'm still working on the
basics. And the indoor range is a 5 minute drive from my apartment.
That is hard to beat. Eventually I'll check out the NRA range in
VA, which is supposed to be a nicer range, and some outdoor ranges
in the area.
|11.10.05 @ 9:34AM|#
Apostate Jew,
It's a presidential memorial. Of course it has giant statuary
dedicated to the great man, and quotes. Like the Lincoln Memorial
and Jefferson Memorial and the statue of TR on Roosevelt
Island.
But the design of the thing, the outdoor rooms and the way the
water features were incorporated - very cool.
|11.10.05 @ 10:14AM|#
Question is, joe, will you be as open-minded toward the inevitable Reagan Memorial?
|11.10.05 @ 10:20AM|#
I still have the picture my ex-girlfriend sent me from DC, where
she's sitting in wheelchair-bound FDR's lap. The caption reads, "So
that's why they call it Big Government!!"
It was that day that I became a libertarian.
|11.10.05 @ 10:37AM|#
Heh, when I was in high school I wrote a story about a guy who
returned to Earth after traveling at nearly the speed of light for
a few weeks (from his POV). Of course, due to the effects of
relativity, many years passed on Earth while he was away.
He landed at the George [HW] Bush Spaceport, and as he was leaving
he noticed a statue of Bush puking into a bowl of sushi. He asked a
bystander why that particular moment had been chosen to immortalize
the 41st president, and the man explained that the culture had
become deeply distrustful of authority and celebrity, and all
statues nowadays depict famous people in their most embarrassing
moments, to show that they were only human.
When the space traveler commented that while that might be a good
idea in general, this statue was simply disgusting. The bystander
chuckled and told him he should visit the Pee Wee Herman Memorial
Theater.
|11.10.05 @ 10:38AM|#
The range I go to (OK,OK, i've only been there a handful of
times int the last several years) has a sign which forbids "No
holster drawing, no trick shooting, no rapid firing". Is that SOP
at all ranges ?
A lot of public ranges do this. If you can spare the expense, join
a private club.
|11.10.05 @ 10:49AM|#
crimethink, there will never be a Reagan Memorial.
The Reagan memorializers have been a furious frenzy of activity for
the past few years, because they are quite aware that his legacy is
shrinking.
Sort of like Kennedy.
|11.10.05 @ 11:27AM|#
joe,
I don't have a dog in this race, since the story I reference above
pretty much sums up my attitude towards statues and memorials, but
keep on livin' in that fantasy world...
|11.10.05 @ 11:35AM|#
Side note, I was supposed to be in one of those hotels that
blew up in Jordan today, but because of a beaurocratic screw up, I
get to spend at least two more weeks home.
One of the few times I'm actually glad at the outcome of a
bureaucratic screwup.
|11.10.05 @ 11:39AM|#
joe,
I disagree. The Republicans worship Reagan and will ramrod a
memorial through congress while they still hold the reins. This
will occur in the next ten months.
kwais - I know exactly how you feel dodging the AlQueda bullet. I
was supposed to be on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching, but I
was forced to reschedule to the next day. The original flight
crashed upon landing at Kuching. It was a messy crash as the plane
plowed into squatter housing at the end of the runway and killed
about 175 on the ground.
Reasonoids - enjoy your time together in DC. Years from now we will
look back upon these moments with great fondness (as we break rocks
in the Patriot concentration camps).
|11.10.05 @ 11:45AM|#
joe,
Also remember that the FDR memorial was built during the days of
welfare reform. Crumbling legacies are no obstacle to presidential
memorials.
I must admit I liked the setup of the FDR memorial; it annoyed me
that such a beautiful thing was devoted to such a schmuck.
|11.10.05 @ 11:52AM|#
Crap, I didn't notice that I was mentioned in the original post!
Well, I haven't exactly promised to be there -- I'll try my best,
since I have to work Friday and be back by Sunday morning.
And considering the happenings in the abortion thread up there, I
might want to brush up on my street fighting skeelz and wear body
armor...
|11.10.05 @ 12:17PM|#
Jennifer,
Just stay away from your hypothesizing, and no one will get hurt.
;-)
|11.10.05 @ 12:27PM|#
Don't tell me I need to stay away from hypothesizing,
Crimethink. I can handle my hypothesizing just fine. Better than
you.
Screw you. I don't need you. I don't need anybody.
(sob)
|11.10.05 @ 12:49PM|#
That's OK, Jennifer. (hands handkerchief) Don't worry, that green stuff on there is part of the design.
|11.10.05 @ 1:00PM|#
OK, I'm going to call the bar and tell them there will be a group of about 15 people. I'll ask for a table, and say that the group will fluctuate in size, probably order a lot of drinks, and be there for a while.
|11.10.05 @ 1:50PM|#
Hee hee, now I know Thoreau's real name. And from what photos I've seen, it suits him.
|11.10.05 @ 2:46PM|#
Crushinator, "The Republicans worship Reagan and will ramrod a
memorial through congress while they still hold the reins. This
will occur in the next ten months." I don't buy it. Giving in to
their unpopular, ideological hobbyhorses is already coming back to
haunt them. I doubt they would so endanger their electoral chances
by doing more of the same in such a high-profile manner. There was
very widespread support for each of the existing monuments - a
Reagan Memorial would not be greeted in the same way.
crimethink, "Also remember that the FDR memorial was built during
the days of welfare reform. Crumbling legacies are no obstacle to
presidential memorials." This would be a good argument if we were
discussing a Lyndon Johnson Memorial, but the biggest part of FDR's
legacy - Social Security, victory in WW2, succor for the poor
during the Great Depression - are, like it or not, still standing,
and still very popular.
|11.10.05 @ 3:11PM|#
On second thought, Crushinator, the odd statue here and there of
the Gipper would pass with littel effort or attention.
My comments concern only a National Mall memorial on the order of
FDR's, Lincoln's, or the WW2 Memorial.
BTW, those of you in the area, what do you think of the WW2
Memorial now that it's built? Does it look as Albert-Speerish as in
the drawing's I've seen?
|11.10.05 @ 3:21PM|#
Joe,
I think the drawings made it look much more substantial than it
really is.
I remember making a stink about it at the time. It's not so bad. I
feel silly about it now.
|11.10.05 @ 4:33PM|#
Giving in to their unpopular, ideological hobbyhorses is
already coming back to haunt them.
Hahahahaha!
I wish the Republicans would give in to Reagan's small
government hobbyhorse!
As for FDR's legacy, well, I think you and I can agree that it's
not undisputably positive...
|11.10.05 @ 5:04PM|#
i will also be at the event, but you will not recognize me. i will go incognito as a testimony to the nameless, faceless milieu that characterizes modern urban life.
VikingMoose|11.10.05 @ 7:27PM|#
joe:
good call: FDR is a great memorial. just the out-of-context quotes
are a little much. how the water gets broken up as the country
plunges into "wah" (which even fallah hated). and on the river.
beautiful.
and the WWII is even worse in person. It was the most fucking
insulting qua fascist-looking monument i've seen in the us...
shudder.
|11.10.05 @ 10:47PM|#
Everyone have fun! Have a drink for me.
Alack (as I already notified thoreau) I can't be there. Traveling
that far requires me to fly, which requires advance planning, and
I've got a gigantamundo project for work that will keep me occupied
through Friday afternoon. Possibly through the weekend. Although
probably not, but I didn't know that until today.
Kwais -- Glad to hear that you're OK, dude, despite (or thanks to?)
the Fickle Finger of Fate.
joe -- Gee, I can't decide which would be more appropriate: (1)
Building a colossal statue of Reagan that bestrides the gap between
Big and Little Diomede Islands, soaring 20 miles into the air, or,
(2) painting Reagan's visage on the face of the Moon so that it may
forever shine over the Earth, and renaming our Earth's natural
satellite "Gipper."
I think I prefer the latter. "Gee, the Gipper looks beautiful
tonight." "He proposed by the light of a full Gipper." God, that
would be romantic.
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