Blue Mass Group

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BMG Stammtisch

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The Saloon

I invite each and every one of you to join me and hopefully us at a hopefully-monthly BMG “Stammtisch” on Wednesday, 3-February-2016, and the FIRST WEDNESDAY of each month after that. This not-to-be-missed event will take place at the The Saloon in Davis Square, a quick walk from the Davis Square Red Line stop, starting at 7:00p. There is parking in town lots nearby.

When you enter the main room (down the stairs from Elm Street, left at the hostess table), I’ll make every effort to be at the round table in the corner to your left. My plan is to simply be there and welcome all who show. I’ll make an effort to put some sort of “BMG” sign on the table.

I know that several of our local political figures read BMG with some regularity, and I’ll reach out to them individually in hopes that they’ll come from time to time. I very much want this to be a low-stress low-commitment kind of thing — come if it works for you, no you don’t have sign up, you don’t have tell me ahead of time, no agenda, no program.

I picture this as something of a meat-space real-life counterpart to our online community that has meant so much to me for the last ten years or so. I am confident that we’ll find things to talk about.

I hope you’ll come.

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Comments

  4. Great word! I had to look it up, and when I saw the meaning, I was surprised I didn’t know it.

    • She’s been suggesting for years that BMG is an online Stammtisch.

      I’m also looking for an excuse to hang out in The Saloon once a month. đŸ™‚

    • For the Americanists among us, think “round table.”

      Are Bernie folks welcome at this event? I think we would want to encourage discussion of the issues of the day …

      • for the first monthly ‘Stammtisch’ at the Saloon in Davis Square, Somerville.

        It was wonderful to meet you and your dear wife in person.

        And another first was finally meeting my ‘pen pal’ James Conway.

        And I enjoyed having a spirited and stimulating conversation with several new, young friends of the BMG family. They are all amazingly smart and passionate.

        And thank you David and Charley for all you do to make it possible for us to give voice to the progressive cause.

        I hope to see you all next month !

        Fred Rich LaRiccia

  8. Since somervilletom admits to knowing German… and because I need a work break, here’s a relevant description of the famous 19th-century Viennese Stammtisch at Gause’s Pilsener Bierhalle, where Brahms often met with other artists and intellectuals:

    “Ăœbrigens wurde am Stammtische bei Gause nicht bloĂŸ gezecht, gespottet und gescherzt, sondern auch eifrig debattiert, philosophiert, politisiert und kritisiert.”

    Translation — “By the way, at the Gause Stammtisch there wasn’t just carousing, mocking, and joking, but also vigorous debating, philosophizing, politicizing [that’s us!] and criticizing [naturally!]”

    Max Kalbeck, Johannes Brahms, v. 2

  9. But I hope to make it to future Stammtischen, especially if they continue to be at Saloon.

  11. The can part relates to “I am in the middle of drafting the appellee brief in 2015-P-1230 and if I am on a roll and still productive I sometimes work late to get it done. This brief is due in the appeals court 2/5/16.

  14. I’m due to buy my ol’ friend s’villetom a beer, and I plan on doing it in early March for the next Stammerstitch.

  15. Thank you, SomervilleTom, for making this happen. It was a fun venue (if you could find the place) and it was great company.

    It’s also fun to meet up with smart people, especially when there’s lots of points where we disagree. Nice to meet you, jconway, and I hope for many more conversations.

    Let’s hope we can all do it again next month.

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