Pitcher

I had three stops prior: 34th Street, Water Street, and a Momo stop in Jackson Heights. Then I showed up at Rudy's a little after 7:30. The winter tent is on in the backyard. The heater is on. There was a crowd there sure. This was more than five people. Josh, the other person on Drinking Liberally payroll, was holding court. I spent a minute with that huddle, then walked over to a corner crowd, one woman, about five men. Laura and Lucas were engaged and Lucas had organized a gathering with his fellow city planner friends. The guys were from all over the place, Bronx, Brooklyn, New Jersey, Westchester. I talked mostly to Laura to start with, then to Lucas, then to others, there was a Tom.

Justin Krebs showed up late. He gave a shout out to Lucas from the other end of the tent. A little later he walked over. He was his garrulous self. Trivia: this guy is not on Facebook. Now you know why the organization is not growing faster.

He bragged about the 99 cent menu items in his neighborhood, which was right there. "I live right round the corner." Laura asked him if he ate vegetables. What are those? He asked. I feared he might ask me what a cow looks like. Like Bill Clinton says, most New York politicians could not tell one end of the cow from another. Nepal is the Arkansas of the world. We are poor and proud too. Then she asked if he had sheets. He said he had blankets. Standing back to back he mentioned "truck driver." A little later he said it was Rudy's 75th anniversary in a few hours, on the 5th. I guess the place was around also during prohibition. That might have been a Mirza reference.

Laura went out and brought food for her crowd, shared the fries with me. She gave me her card to become Facebook friends with.

Hello Stephanie. Hello Brooke.

There was some kind of a loud beer game going on at the other end of the tent, more than a dozen people participating.

A little after 10 I left.

When he talked about the 99 cent pizza place on 41st and 9th, he said, "I wonder how they make money." He is right on the dot. To me that place is in the same league as Dell and Walmart, it is a terrific business model. You drive the price down and make money on volume. I don't go there just for pizza, I go there for business inspiration.

Kettle, Pitcher
December 3, Kettle Full Of Fish, December 4, Rudy's, December 10, Holiday?

In The News

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Former president Clinton says Obama must put US further into debt AFP
Supreme Court today deliberates suit blocking Obama presidency Los Angeles Times, CA
A double O moment: Oprah and Obama together in D.C. for The Inaugural Los Angeles Times, CA
Fla. congresswoman hangs up on Obama; thought call was a prank Seattle Times, United States
Florida Congresswoman hangs up on Obama - twice Christian Science Monitor
UN: Nepal agrees to release all child soldiers International Herald Tribune, France
Is Nepal hijacking Indian Idol? Times of India, India
Nepali PM agrees to discharge minors from CPN-M cantonments Xinhua, China

Jobs Numbers Fall Off Table In November Forbes
Big jobs losses point to deepening recession The Miami Herald
Hill leader says jobs report argues for car rescue The Associated Press
Mortgage Delinquencies, Foreclosure Rise to Record in Recession Bloomberg
Boy George Found Guilty of Hadcuffing Man to Wall FOXNews
Obama laying the groundwork for US health reform Reuters
Clinton looks to loyalists for State Dept. staff The Associated Press
Paris Robbers Grab $108 Million Worth of Diamonds (Update1) Bloomberg
Obama stimulus: Campaign hits $745 million haul The Associated Press
Barack Obama campaign raised nearly $1 billion, shattering records Chicago Tribune
Barack Obama's grass roots in search of new turf Los Angeles Times
Bank of America’s Merrill Takeover May Be Tough Deal (Update2) Bloomberg
Koobface Virus Still Making The Rounds On Facebook Washington Post
Google Friend Connect Now Open To All Websites Washington Post
OJ Simpson faces Vegas sentencing BBC News
Happiness is contagious, new study finds Chicago Tribune
Strangers May Cheer You Up, Study Says New York Times
NASA delays Mars rover launch to 2011 Los Angeles Times
Stocks Drop After Jobs Report Comes in Weak New York Times
Patriarch who revived Russian Orthodox Church dies Reuters
Pakistan has created its own Frankenstien monster: Defense analyst ... Times of India
Pakistan charity under suspicion in India attacks The Daily Advance
Mass. man ticketed in gridlock while wife in labor The Associated Press
Israel braces for more trouble after Hebron rampage AFP
Foreclosures soar 76% to record 1.35 million CNNMoney.com
Detroit bailout drive sputters on Capitol Hill Reuters
Veterans' long-term problems linked to traumatic brain injuries Los Angeles Times

Automakers try to sell Congress on rescue Thursday The Associated Press
GM pledges faster cost-cuts in return for bailout guardian.co.uk
AT&T to cut 12000 jobs and slash spending Reuters
Rice demands 'robust' cooperation from Pakistan in Mumbai probe Christian Science Monitor
Bill Richardson chalks up another Cabinet job for the resume Los Angeles Times
Lawsuit contesting Obama citizenship continues Chicago Tribune
Canadian PM to seek suspension of Parliament to avoid defeat Xinhua
No links with Mumbai attacks, says LeT chief Times of India
Pakistani Islamist Group Denies Involvement in Mumbai Attack Bloomberg
UAW Makes Concessions in Bid to Help Automakers New York Times
Capital One to Buy Chevy Chase Bank for $520 Million (Update2) Bloomberg
Hawaii Endorses Plan for Electric Cars New York Times
Ex-FBI agent faces 30 years to life for mob hit CNN
Richardson joins Obama team as Commerce chief Los Angeles Times, CA
Obama cabinet picks get kudos Boston Globe, United States
Lawmakers urge Obama to keep diversity vow Boston Globe
Most approve of Obama's Cabinet picks, poll shows CNN
Wag the Blog: Hillary's Experience Washington Post
Campaign Promises on Ending the War in Iraq Now Muted by Reality New York Times, United States
Gates on board with Obama's Iraq plan Los Angeles Times
Obama's New Power Troika Faces Crises Old And New Huffington Post
China, India Want More Commitment From Obama on Climate Change Bloomberg
Obama's election brings hope to climate talks The Associated Press
Obama legal team meets with anti-torture generals The Associated Press
Ex-generals to urge Obama action on torture issue Reuters
Barack Obama's appointments, manner reveal a cool, confident leader Seattle Times, United States
Nigeria: Obama Win And the Change We Need in Africa AllAfrica.com
Obama Promises Governors That Federal Help Is on the Way New York Times, United States
Obama promises governors he'll be listening Los Angeles Times
U.S. urged to boost its nuclear vigilance Los Angeles Times, CA
Obama should look to NYC for WMD czar Examiner.com
US must halt spread of nuclear, bio weapons - Biden Reuters
Insurers propose universal, centralized healthcare Los Angeles Times
China's cold war on Tibet ISN, Switzerland
FM plays down fear of impact of global crisis on Nepal Nepalnews.com, Nepal
Govt not doing enough for talks with armed groups, says VP Jha

Kettle, Pitcher

December 3, Kettle Full Of Fish, December 4, Rudy's, December 10, Holiday?

Kettle

I showed up a little early, so walked around. When I showed up five minutes before seven, noone else had showed up. And I am thinking, this is going to be like that Rudy's experience: After A Week Of Freedom, Rudy's? SAFO?, The Four White Manhattan Organizations. Hardly anyone is going to show. But by the time I went to the bar, got my drink - and the bowl of nuts - and got back, one person was there, Josh Silverstein, the host: Joshing Politics. I was surprised he seemed to know my name after I introduced myself. Does that fit the definition of notoriety? For a low profile guy like me? Then Tracey showed. It is possible she was surprised to see me. Then this guy who has a four month old kid who he claimed did pushups. Then Margaret of Citizen Action. Oh yes, you are a regular, she said. That is when I realized maybe Josh also faked it, he does not know me, or of me. And this guy Marshall. He hovered around until Tracey walked up to him and brought him in. Yes, this is the place. 80 minutes later he was complaining to Tracey about "Obama magnets." We supported Obama, but we are not an Obama group, Tracey said. I had a laugh. The guy was figuring out where exactly he was, what was this event, what was this organization.

None of the oldies showed up. Otherwise I had come resolved to never call Lewis Cohen a white asshole male ever again. I have been learning Barack's new kind of politics. Heather, Abhishek, Lewis, none showed. I guess they don't do the After LinkUp thing these days.

Tracey ran with her characteristic running commentary most of the time. She is really good at that. I have always been impressed with her encyclopedic knowledge of local politics. This day her talk was even more panoramic than ever. On national issues, and personalities, I would go head to head, but on local my mind used to go foggy. Dan Jacoby, whose knowledge of local politics is hardly encyclopedic, but back then everyone knew more local politics than me, his attitude would be like, let's talk local politics, let's make this guy uncomfortable.

When she asked everyone how they felt about Hillary's nomination, I saw an opening to speak, but the topic changed faster than a New York minute. I for the first time heard the name Nydia Velazquez, apparently the frontrunner to be Senator since Hillary has moved on. That's curious, because right now I happen to be temporarily living in her district.

And then snippets of comments here and there that are a window into the economically hard times in the city, Ph.D.s doing cooking jobs, people looking for jobs. This too shall pass.

Overall I was so glad to have showed up. It just might have been the most relaxed I ever felt at a DFNYC LinkUp. I was actually there. My first six months with DFNYC, my mind would be 10,000 miles away. The Dean 2004 alum feeling is a good feeling. My primary day to day focus on my startup, I am in the city, finally.

I walked out and away while the rest of the group had stood up, but they were still talking, they had not decided to leave just as yet. I walked out into a welcoming, bustling, impersonal New York street.

Tracey explores your mind while talking nonstop. That is her style. I also long called her the dynamo of DFNYC. Heather is high on knowledge, Lewis is high on authority, Tracey is high on dynamism. Abhishek brings in diversity through the door, soft-spoken diversity. And I have always been intrigued by the collective leadership concept of DFNYC. Women do group dynamics differently. At some level it is downright fascinating.

DFNYC also has a way of mixing political talk with informal, personal talk, casual mentions. The setting helps. This was half a dozen individuals sitting on couches, not 50 or 150 people standing up, drinking beer. There is something special about a DFNYC LinkUp that way.

Men's fear of women, white folks' fear of nonwhite folks, novelist Anita calls it the powerful's fear of the powerless. It is guttural, it is ignorant.

Pitcher

Tomorrow, Rudy's.

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