LeRoi Moore, 1961 - 2008

Photo from dmband.com

Horrible news. Really just awful, unexpected news that breaks my heart a little bit.

Rest in peace, LeRoi. Summers will never sound the same without you.

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Phelps, et al.

One really cool thing that happened tonight... we made a spontaneous decision to shut the joint down as the 4x100 medley started. Not in a closing-time way, mind you. It's just that we cranked up the sound, told everybody they couldn't order anything for five minutes, and yelled to everyone else to pay attention, that we were all going to watch history.

I imagine this was happening all over the nation.

It was really quite thrilling! Guests, servers, bartenders, managers, culinary staff, staring at TVs and each other's reactions, everyone stopping to just enjoy something for a moment, bask in a little unity. It's fun to be in a public house celebrating these Olympics and the wonderful, uplifting feeling they're giving us; these kinds of moments are meant to be collectively shared. I love the way it makes the world seem smaller somehow, and, although it's fleeting, we can all feel just a little less cynical, and a little bit joyous.

How can you not get a kick out of the Olympics?

Before Beijing '08 is over, make it a point to get off the couch, and wander over to your favorite watering hole to take in the moments with strangers and friends. Build some memories. You'll thank me later.

Eight in '08 for the peerless Michael Phelps! It'll be easy to remember when Trivial Pursuit: Turn of the 21st Century comes out.

A toast to the 2008 USA athletes! It's a blast watching you, and sharing in your victories.

(except for maybe that part where the amazing Dara Torres makes almost all women feel lazy, inadequate and insignificant.)

Let us be lovers, we'll marry our fortunes together
I've got some real estate here in my bag
So we bought a pack of cigarettes, and Mrs. Wagner's Pies
And we walked off to look for America
Kathy, I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh
Michigan seems like a dream to me now
It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw
I've gone to look for America

- Simon & Garfunkel, "America"

Technorati Tags: Cincinnati, Bartending, Beijing 08, Michael Phelps, Olympics

Department of Talking Very Loudly In A Bar

Overheard tonight, three women, one in an arm cast, giggling over their daiquiris:

"So, yeah, I had to go to the emergency room! But I didn't want to wait for hours, like you have to unless you're having a heart attack or something. So, I told them I was pregnant."

"What!!!"

"They take you right back that way! I mean, right back. Bam!! I had a doctor examining my broken wrist within minutes."

"But didn't they do a test!?"

"Please, they don't doubt you if you say you're pregnant. They only test you if you say you're not pregnant! They said I couldn't get an x-ray, but they still set my wrist and I just went to the Ortho the next day. I was out of there in an hour-and-a-half."

Oh, my.

This clever approach to being seen immediately by health care professionals in a busy emergency room would have never occurred to me. It's selfish and horrible and wrong and entirely evil, to be sure, but you have to admit, it's wily as all hell. One thing that keeps my job interesting is the neverending stream of shocking people describing their audacious behavior during cocktail hour.

I mean, come on now, you know you would've never thought of that.

I think we have an emergency
I think we have an emergency
If you thought I'd leave then you were wrong
Because I won't stop holding on
So are you listening? So are you watching me?
If you thought I'd leave then you were wrong
Because I won't stop holding on

Paramore, "Emergency"

Technorati Tags: Cincinnati, Bartending, Emergency Room