Hearsay is not used to the sight of men in suits standing in a line to get into Town. But that's exactly what Hearsay saw as it approached the venue last night, Thursday, March 12, for PEN's free Mega Networking Event. Hearsay decided to attend because it thought it could get some handy tips on how to set up its new Belkin Wireless G Router, which has been sitting in a box intimidating the hell out of Hearsay for several months now. Turned out it was not that kind of networking. In any case, Hearsay found itself in Town's downstairs room with all manner of local GLBTQRSTUV community leaders and businessfolk packed tighter than fudge. The premium kind. With nuts.
Hearsay can't even begin to recall everyone it saw, talked to, joked with, fondled, compared networks with, glared at, smiled at, batted its eyes at, looked askance at, but here's a smattering of folks it rubbed elbows and other assorted body parts with (in no particular order): Joe "PEN Pal" Kapp, Mark "I Teach Sitar!" Guenther, Tony "Everything I Design Comes Out Looking Like a Circle" Frye, Tyler "I'll Never Tell" Garrison, Tom "I Like Milk!" Bauer, Andrew "Smile When You Say That" Barnett, Joe "Corn on the" Kolb, Ed "Really, I'm Just Here for the Music" Bailey, David "Rime of the Ancient" Mariner, Cathy "Penne" Renna, David "$5 and You've Got a Deal" Taube, Mario "I'm Free!" Acosta-Velez, Dr. Dana "Just Call Me Auntie Mame!" Beyer, Bob "The Marrying Kind" Summersgill, Michael "For the Last Time, I Am Not the Phantom!" Crawford, Troy "The Traveller" Petenbrink, Dr. Howard "Botox For All!" Brooks, Paul "Pop My Cherry" Marengo, Trevor "I Once Stole a Mink" Thomas, Art "Is Subjective" Hernandez, Nick "Falls Church Is It!" Benton, Ernesto "There Is No Finer Color Than Purple" Santalla, Glen "If You Think That's Something, You Should See My Legal Briefs" Ackerman, Mary "Someday We'll Be Together" Snider, Robert "You Want I Should Put a Logo on That Tushie?" Safro, Cavin "Boozey Alleny" Le, Metro Weekly's own Randy "It's Not My Fault I Liked Watchmen" Shulman and Sean "I Publish, I Write, I Cook, but I Abhor Dusting" Bugg, and so many hundreds more, Hearsay really can't go on without straining its already strained brain. So there you have it. The event was such a rousing -- some might say extraordinary -- success, no doubt PEN -- which is holding its Annual Awards Dinner on Thursday, April 2 -- is already planning for next year's. May Hearsay suggest changing the name to MEGA-MEGA-MEGA Networking Event?....
