Local: Blogger Bash recap (UPDATED 5x)
The bash was a huge success and a fun time was had by all.
Rich Miller of Capitol Fax never showed (too busy rounding up news and gossip out of Springfield, no doubt). None of the students from Jonathan Ahl’s class showed up. There quite a few first-time bashers, from including the folks responsible for Tails from the River City, The Atheists Down the Street, Secret Server, Ramble On and Problems are for Solving.
I’ll for get someone mad at me if I tried to mention everyone who was there. I neglected to set out s sign-in sheet OR even to pass out that “Hello! My name is … ” stickers
Suffice it to say the usual folks showed up. If you were there, and didn’t get a mention, I apologize. Please leave your name and a link in the comments section, thank you.
We did have two special guests.
Matt Bisbee, who’s working on Jim McConoughey’s campaign stopped buy to chat with me and the other bloggers. He’s a nice guy, we chatted about public radio and the effect blogging is having on politics. Apparently, Peoria Pundit is a frequent topic on the public radio show he’s involved with over there.
Not long after one Matt left, another stopped by: Matt Jones, a frequent commenter. We chatted about news, politics and the law. Matt’s a staunch GOPer and a supporter of Aaron Schock. We chatted a bit about the complexities of campaign finance regulations, a topic that he touched on his one and only post on Peoria Pundit.
Matt, a former prosecutor, made a case for his former boss, Peoria County State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons. He says Lyons’ biggest strength is also his biggest weakness, namely his unwillingness to consider public reaction when he decides who to prosecute and for what charges to file.
Do I have any scoops as a result of these chats? Not really, other than there’s probably going to be a meeting soon among all three campaigns for the GOP nomination for Ray LaHood’s 18th District Congressional seat. The topic will be the behind the scenes complaints about Federal Election Commission rules violations. Apparently, everyone is finding fault with everyone else.
Oh, yeah. One other bit of news: The female bloggers are making noise about having their own Blogger Bash. Fine. let them have their little hen party. We manly-man male bloggers will hold out OWN bash, where we’ll tell dirty jokes, ogle women and belch loudly and unashamed.
And if you see Eyebrows, insist she tell you what happened at the gynecologist.
UPDATE: I forgot another newbie, Scott Fletcher, formerly of Podcheck Review. He’s got another blog now, but I do NOT have the URL. Send it to me ASAP. He described it as a blog about podcasting, software writing and what happens when your child poops in the bathtub. Sounds like a must-read to me.
UPDATE 2: Jen feels slighted.
UPDATE 3: Scott F.’s site is here.
UPDATE 4: Oh, great! Now Ms. PH feels snubbed. Can I help it if I am so fascinating?
UPDATE 5: SOMEONE was glad to be there.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
Sorry I couldn’t make it. Was just too tired from the week to drive there.
Billy…we girls just want to see more of each other. Since bashes are only held every time there is a 5th Tuesday, it doesn’t leave much time to visit. I’m sure you are more than welcome to come. There’s always room for the Blogfather!
I could have sworn I blogged about that, but apparently I never did.
Whose to say us women weren’t telling dirty jokes? You just missed out on them!
Oh, yes, we had quite a discussion about the severely obese and their sex lives. (RE: the mechanics of the situation)….
And Billy, I was part of the conversation about the Between-Blogger-Bash Blogger Bash, so let’s be careful about who we’re calling “Ladies”, sir!
For the record, I also stated that if Kevin didn’t campaign hard for the job, a qualified person like Darin, who I’ve known for many years, would be a very tough opponent. I also stated that any prosecutor who’d been on the job for 20 years naturally invited “its time for a change”.
Also, thanks for the invite. It was fun to hear people talking and thinking about something more significant than britney spears and lindsay lohan.
Rich: Understood. You and your indispensable blog WERE the subject of much discussion.
Cory: I stand by my statement.
Phew. At least you weren’t talking about me!
Yes we did. Nothing good, either.
Great time, great people. Definitely worth doing again. Thanks to Chef Kevin for wrangling the meeting space.
You came up a few times, PI. Mostly people saying, “WTF? He SAID he was coming. I’m gonna rip that guy a new one.” You know, stuff like that.
Billy, you guys can’t even spell “our own bash.” Anyway, the activities you are proposing sound an awful lot like what already happens at the bashs.
Of course, we girls just want our own bash so we can freely talk about girl things like bras, tampons, and kissing boys.
Oh yeah, and politics, world events, philosophy, global warming, small nation-states, and medical ethics.
Ms. PH: You lost me at “tampons.”
mmmm … Lichtenstein
Sounds like a blast! Wish I could have made it!
I’m glad to see you updated this entry 4 times, Billy. It would surely take that many attempts at least to correct all the slurred words you typed last night. lol!
That was not billy slurred mouth, it was your slurred ears DV!
Sure coulda been! Whew!
Now wait a gosh dern moment. Before Diane, James & Melissa showed up, there were several seats at the “men’s” table. It appeared that when the women entered the room, they just kept squeeeeeeeeezing in around their sorority table until Brad looked like Wylie E. Coyote after a giant boulder smashed him to the road. And I think I know which was the loudest group last night…what did Billy just say?
Oh, Billy & Scott: the “grover site” is available.
Then why don’t you grab it and see what comes out of it.
Sorry, Billy, I have enough to do to keep three sites up and I feel like I get jerked around enough on one of them…
And a good time was had by all! Great company and good food. It was one of those times that I almost wished I drank something stronger than black coffee! Next time, maybe get around to the introductions? Name tags maybe? Some of us (ME) have reached the age where the memory begins to fail!