Journal Cy Guy's Journal: DC Plastic MeetUp Election Nite 2004 2
As you probably know, the DC Plastic MeetUp for November is being coordinated with a SlashDot meetup being held in honor of visiting zoo.pl (the journaling and friend system here) luminary Ethelred Unraed, which will begin at 7:30 PM at Capitol City Brewery's MetroCenter location.
Yesterday I went a checked out the location and it looks like it will be great for dinner.
However, for those of who have been waiting 47 months for this election, it isn't really ideal for following the results as they come in. They have a couple of TVs at the bar, but it is unlikely they would be viewable or audible from the dining area.
Therefore, I'm proposing that shortly before most of the Eastern US polls close at 9:00 pm, the Plastic group, and any interested SlashDot zoo.pl folks head just down the block to Regatta Raw Bar - the hotel bar and 'casual' (not in price tho) restaurant. The Regatta bartender told me their big screen TV (50"?) will be tuned to election coverage as well as (probably) the bar TVs. Also, being adjacent to the hotel lobby, the big-screen area of the bar gets excellent connectivity to the hotel's WiFi provider - STSN - which let users with STSN, GoRemote, or Boingo accounts connect. (of these, Boingo seems to be the only really targetted at consumers offering $22/month unlimitimed plans, or a 2-day, one location, trial for $8. As for beer, they have several major microbrews on tap for about $5 and feature Sam Adams Lager, Light, and Winter Lager which they are promoting with a $3.75 draft special.
So, who thinks they will make it, and does the plan need any further refinement? If you want to go the dinner (as I plan to) you should RSVP to Ethelred via the email he gives in this journal entry. I'm thinking I will probably go to Regatta right from work to ensure my wifi is setup right, then head over to Cap City a bit early - ordering dinner at the bar to ensure I get my food with enough time to leave by 8:45. Then back to Regatta, hopefully with enough time to get settled in and logged on before the 9:00 poll closings. An alternate strategy would be to eat dinner at Regatta before 7:30 and then head over to CapCity from 7:30 to 8:45 just for drinks with the SlashDot folks while they are getting dinner - but I would only plan this if there are a couple of Plasticians joining me right around 6:00 (both bars have happy hours ending at 6, see the links above for their deals).
UPDATE - 10/25/04
I had been under the incorrect impression that a majority of polls would be closing around 9:00 Eastern time. In fact at that point all of the 'big 3' battleground states will have had their polls closed for an hour - at least. Given this, I may have to drastically cut back on the time I spend at Cap City, So I'm now leaning toward being Regate welcome to come by Regatta before their event starts at 7:30, and any time ta essentially from 5:45pm on, with an occasional trip over to Cap City to pay my respects to the SlashDot folks. Of course the SlashDot folks are welcome to come by Regatta before their event starts at 7:30, and any time after that until Regatta closes at midnight, hopefully the bar will let us stay long enough to hear the AK Senate results if that race is clear enough to call at that point.
Most of us have posted there. (Score:2)
I've never met and of the
I'll Be There (Score:2)