Launch of Drinking Liberally NZ
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12:17 pm, May 15th, 2008 - 67 comments
Categories: activism -
Tags: drinking liberally, responsible consumption of alcohol in political network
If you’re down in Wellington and of the Left, you’ve probably heard people talking about Drinking Liberally New Zealand. Drinking Liberally is an international network that grew out of the US, where people from throughout the Left, greenies, union-types, feminists, anarchists, Labourites, and everyone else, get together at a bar in their town, have a drink, listen to a speech from a guest speaker, and talk about politics and ways we can work together.
Drinking Liberally New Zealand is launching on Wednesday next week (the 21st) from about 6pm at the Southern Cross. It’s fantastic to have Nandor Tanczos as the first guest speaker and it should be a really good time.
So if you’re wanting to find a way to get more active in politics or you’re like me and you’re active but you keep on hearing about all this other great work other people are doing and thinking ‘man, we could do some great stuff together’, then come along on Wednesday. It’s totally non-partisan and relaxed; it’s about having a good time and building ties. Hope to see you there (I’ll be the one with the beard, not it that that narrows things down much).
What: Launch of Drinking Liberally New Zealand
Who: Guest speaker Nandor Tanczos, lefties galore
Where: Southern Cross, Abel Smith St, in the garden bar
When: From 6pm, Wednesday, 21st May
Join the mail list: here.
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Is there something like this in Auckland? Or any thought of starting it?
So, it’s bascially a chance to meet people who are active and maybe doing stuff you are intersted in but whom you don’t know? And maybe get some kind of cooperation happening?
Sounds like a good idea. Is this what the right call senergy?
This sounds like a great idea, sadly I’m busy next Wednesday but hopefully it will become a regular event!
“Synergy” maybe, probably not “senergy”.
There’s no Auckland branch yet. – I haven’t had much to do with the organisational side of getting it set up here in Welly but the guys said it was pretty straightforward. Drinking Liberally US has some software for planning and stuff they give you.
If you, or anyone else is interested in being part of setting it up in Auckland, flick me an email at the thestandardnz@gmail.com
Sam.
Yeah for some people it’s a way to network, for others it might just be a chance to have a good time in like-minded company and have a chat with people about issues they care about.
If you’re of a centre-right persuasion and looking for something similar, you can’t really go wrong with http://www.youngnats.org.nz/
It should be pointed out that political action groups or public forums held in bars tend to be very bad places to pick up a date…
The green party “I only date green guys” t-shirts with the lovely ladies (wearing one size too small?) is false advertising on the same scale as the Lynx ad’s
Thanks for the link Phil. I found the page on the Young Nat’s executive particularly enlightening. What a diverse bunch of people. I’m so glad that the minority that is white upper-middle class males finally have proper representation.
Great idea, I’ll try to make it along. This is just what the left needs.
Isn’t Farrar a life member of the Young Nats? ‘uff said.
See you there Steve.
I’d love to show up but I fear it’ll attract psycho-righties like Whale’s creepy mate playing spot the leftie. Given the fact people know my name and the threats I’ve had made against my personal safety I simply wouldn’t feel safe…
Does drinking liberally support liberalisation of drinking laws?
[Drinking Liberally has no political positions whatsoever. It is purely a forum.]
What did Michael Laws say about the Young Nats? He’d never seen a group of people more in need of a bl*wjob?
Captcha: the apr “Scull quantities”
“apt”
AFAIK, membership isn’t withdrawn, there is only a restriction on signing up before you get ‘old’. So I guess Farrar still counts…
Anyway, by all accounts he’s actually a good sort once you get a couple of beers in him, but I’m not convinced he’d make a decent wingman.
Saw the US version on Faux News recently, and it looked a little lame. If you know much about American political culture, being a left-liberal is almost an underground thing in many places (think Kansas), so that was hardly surprising.
We already have a bunch of lefties meeting at Galbraiths of a Friday, but it is a pretty popular time at NZ’s best brew pub…
Ah, there you go Lyn – talk to jafapete.
You mean Fox News didn’t give glowing coverage of a bunch of lefties getting together? Shock! 😉
“Given the fact people know my name and the threats I’ve had made against my personal safety I simply wouldn’t feel safe ”
I think you might be taking yourself a bit too seriously Sod.
Yes Patrick – almost as diverse as the posters on this site – at least there is one woman on their executive.
I think you might be taking yourself a bit too seriously Sod.
You’re not the one clearing threats out of your inbox on a regular basis mike.
HS. Bro. Don’t go attacking the writers of this blog like that, it’s not necessary.
We have writers an incredibly diverse range of backgrounds – men, women, different ethnicities, sexualities, ages, political leanings, an array of different jobs from business owners. fellas straight out of uni, people whose highest qualification is bursary, people with multiple degrees, all kinds of professional backgrounds, people who grew up in an array of family settings and different sectors of society, people who have never been politically active before and people who have been around the traps for years.
Our commentators represent an even broader array of people throughout our society and from abroad.
So don’t you come on this site and say we’re like those privileged, ‘entitled’, little toryboys.
It would be cool if you could come ‘sod.
Don’t worry about the tories, they’re all talk.
“So don’t you come on this site and say we’re like those privileged, ‘entitled’, little toryboys.”
Telling little piece of bile.
Billy
Isn’t it though !
Steve always reverts to ‘Bro’ when he’s peeved
Did you see the pics that the youngnats had up last election? Have you met them? All rich, paheka, born to rule, male, kids, studying finance but don’t need a student loan becuase daddy’s paying for it – they have no empathy or understanding of what most people’s lifes are like yet they feel themselves destined to rule.
I am not like them, nor are my fellow standardistas. We are diverse and we embrace diversity.
They are born to rule??? Oh shit. I thought I was. I wonder if I can get my deposit back on that crown and throne set…
Well, I do like to drink, er, liberally. On occasion. Did you all know Tuesday can be an occasion?
Steve
Glad to know you embrace diversity and have such empathy and understanding of other people Steve at the moment though you appear to be a bile spitting lunatic
HS. Nah I called you bro because I like you and you had crossed a line that I didn’t want to see you crossing. Where I come from, Bro’s what you call a mate. You’re one of the best commentators we have here and I said bro, as a shorthand for ‘bro, you crossed a line in calling me and my fellow standardistas undiverse like the toryboys’ because you don’t know us, you don’t know our backgrounds, our genders, our sexualities, our ethnicities.
And I’m proud that I get to write with such a diverse group of people who all truly believe in social and economic justice, and I was genuinely insulted by your remark.
Mmm. Maybe I might trot over. It’s always awesome to hear from Nandor.
You’re right Steve I don’t no the backgroung and proclivities of you and your fellow posters apart from your leaning to the left which you’re all very up front about .
However your assumption that you know the backgrounds, sexualities, ethnicities and proclivities of the young Nats is bizzarre – I can oly assume you had a bad experience with one or more of them.
Feck must spell check !!
captcha To pharmacist – bizarre I am off down to the hospital pharmacy !
F*&k, I’d love to come over but I live in Rag town, way out in the wops.
I met Nandor a while ago and he is smart and honest.
If you guys want me to give me a presentation about 911 just let me know, all I need is a bed and food. HS and Billy are invited.
By the way did you know that most 911 thruthers are republicans and two time Bush voters?
Careful, ev, it might be a trap.
higherstandard – you might want to take a look at the page I referenced, sure it doesn’t go into detail about their sexual preferences, but it does have a bit of background about the Young Nat executive. That is what I based my comment on.
I particularly enjoyed this from their FAQ page:
So yeah, they wouldn’t mind electing more woman, if only any of them were any good. Well, I for one am glad that the Young Nats take this issue so seriously. ffs, if I were a female Nat supporter I would be seriously offended.
oh by the way, I love drinking liberally.
Did you know that while you can use just about anything in Holland, you cannot distil your own.
Guess what, you can here. I love NZ
Billy you’re a jerk, but quit possibly a loveable one.
I don’t know until I meet you.
And by the way; just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.
Pat I might be getting on a bit but one of the young Nats executive does appear to be a woman !
Eve – thanks for the invitation but it’s not my cup of tea I’d also suggest that most 911 ‘truthers’ as you call them probably make up the vast amount of all Americans both of the left and right persuasion
hs – and how is their ethnic diversity looking? Do they have any representation from Maori? Anyone who isn’t white? No, they just have a token female, that should shut those pesky liberals up.
HS, I am sorry to read your message.
I thought you where the kind of person who was keen on staying informed of everything of real importance.
Pat
I’m sure if they had an appropriate Maori, or a Lesbian Mongolian amputee, etc etc etc who wanted to be on the executive they could be if a position came up.
Your remind me of the lunacy we have to put up with in the Health System wherein every time we open a new ward or surgical unit every lobby group and ethnicity have to have their say and perform a blessing.
you’ve got it backwards HS. The young nats’ lack of diversity isn’t being criticised as an evil in itself but is being pointed to as a indicative symptom of the narrowness of the agenda they represent and thus their lack of ability to speak representatively on behalf of a broader section of society (as a political movement should be able to do).
Captcha: “cycle Hoffman” – steal that book… and then ride away…
Yeah it’s really terrible when communities want to be involved in things like the health system isn’t it. I don’t see why they can’t just buy their health care at market rates.
The fact is, I think it’s pretty ridiculous that one of the two major parties only represents such a narrow view of New Zealand.
Galbraiths is ok. But I have to go under a pseudonym otherwise the room clears. Seems like the political types don’t like talking systems, computers and general tech all that much. 🙂
Actually I’m too anti-social to turn up. It is like being a doctor – everyone has a sick system somewhere.
I feel your pain Lynn! It used to be as simple as telling people how to reset their iPods, but recently it’s been getting as full on as: “Soooo… what do you know about The Linux?”.
I should just pretend that I’m a policy analyst.
Ummmmm… Don’t think that works either. I’ve seen policy people surrounded – for some reason people seem to think that they have some kind of influence.
Something boring. Accountant (nah everyone has tax problems – not just the righties), lawyer (nope), businessman (how many crackpot ideas do you hear a day), teacher (umm bloody parents), …. I have it
Librarian!
One of my hassles is that I know a hell of a lot about computers and almost everything else. Being a vicarious reader & getting a bit over the top with degrees does that to you. It is rare to hear conversations about things I didn’t know when I was in my 20’s or 30’s. But you have to say that the beer is good at Galbraiths, and a bit of alcohol is good at shutting down the higher brain functions. (But it makes writing code a bit harder later on).
Go with real estate agent, lprent. Apparently, pretending to be a real estate agent is all the rage…
Billy: In the current housing market? You have to be kidding. They’ll surround you trying to find out how to offload the mortgage.
Or politely ask you to leave…
hey hs did ya get ya thorazine down at the pharmacy…chill out dude.
hey hs again if they wanted a certified moron they would get someone like you!!!!!!! make that exactly like you…hahahahahaha
[lprent: That was over the bounds – did you forget which blog site you were on?]
Sadly no Randal
I’m neither young nor a moron, you on the other hand appear to fit one of those categories.
Lyn said ‘Actually I’m too anti-social to turn up’
Same here! The thought of having to make conversation with people I don’t know sends my anxiety levels off the Richter Scale…so I often say I’ll come to events and then not turn up…which isn’t a good look.
Just to check- the drinking part is optional, right? 😉
If it was a Labour-run thing the drinking would be complusory.
If it was Green-run, drinking would be banned.
But the idea is that it’s a meeting place and forum for all on the left, so, drinking is voluntary.
Ruth. Don’t be scared. We met once and you struck me as a perfectly socialable type.
Ari: Drinking is always optional. But the beer at Galbraiths is very good. I’m sure that there must be beer in wellington as well (it is in the suburbs a bit 🙂 ).
Ruth: I find meeting people is interesting. After I figure out what they’re likely to say next, the amusement value wanes and it starts getting boring. But thats me – over-educated and arrogant (to paraphrase my namesake). As a general rule I find the more people together, the lower the average intelligence level. Yawn – I think thats a reaction to being at a meeting this evening…
Thats why I like programming – a guaranteed 30% learning curve every year. I’m sure in this day and age someone would want me on drugs for hyper behavior in my youth.
captcha: scare recessions
sounds like the news today
Not that it’s all about the drinking or anything, but…
http://www.thecross.co.nz/menus/beers
Billy and ‘sod, please note the god-awful misplaced apostrophe in “Tuatara Ardennes”. Ardenne does not own the beer, FFS! If it were my family, such a misplaced apostrophe would be enough to ensure a veto of the venue.
That aside, it’s a damn good beer.
The irony of having a rasta launching a drinking-and-arguing club is truly awesome.
In my very limited experience out drinking with Standardistas, there’s a fair diversity of opinion. And it’s always interesting to see if people talk as big in public as they do on the interwebs.
A double-header with this and Back Benches looks like it might be the ticket.
L
Can I bring my Toby Keith Cd’s?
Steve’s comment back up the thread…
“Did you see the pics that the youngnats had up last election? Have you met them? All rich, paheka, born to rule, male, kids, studying finance but don’t need a student loan becuase daddy’s paying for it – they have no empathy or understanding of what most people’s lifes are like yet they feel themselves destined to rule.”
Bullshit. As a former Young Nat who loosely fits about half of those classifications, and doesn’t at all fit into the other half, I can tell you that there is more ‘we have a right to rule’ drivel coming from posts and comments on TheStandard than anything that was ever spawned in YN’s.
Steve:
In regards to the comments “All rich All rich, paheka, born to rule, male, kids, studying finance but don’t need a student loan becuase daddy’s paying for it”
Dont you find that a bit bigoted and what is wrong with studying finance?
Imagine if someone here wrote, that “Labour supporters from South Auckland are mostly Unemployed Samoan immigrants, who dont feel like working and believe that whitey owes them a house”
Your comment is just as bigoted.
When im back up in wellington, I shall definatetl pop my head in..