[PLUG] Jax dining room going away

[Keith Lofstrom]

Jax is effectively going away in February.

Tonight after Advanced Topics, Alan and I talked with Barb Davis,
co-owner of Jax.  Her landlord won't let her have the large
dining room area at a price she can afford, so it disappears at
the end of January.  We have been using the room for advanced 
topics, and general meeting afters.  POSSE and Personal Telco
also use it for their monthly meetings.  Jax will have a small
room available, seating 10 people, behind the kitchen.  Not 
big enough, and not available until March or April or so.

So, the hunt is on for another venue.  We need free, and a place
we can set up a projector and screen.  The ideal site (which we
are probably not going to find) would have these characteristics:

   1)  Free (unless you volunteer pay for it yourself)
   2)  Seating between 10 and 40
   3)  Reasonably quiet
   4)  Affordable food and beer until 11pm or so
   5)  Not too far from downtown
   6)  Parking
   7)  MAX within walking distance
   8)  Wifi (though we might help them set this up)
   9)  Screen  ("")
  10)  Projector ("")

That is my ordering, YMMV.  If there is a screen and projector,
I get to use MAX myself.  Some places (like McMenamins) are
free if we order enough food, but sometimes advanced topics
doesn't draw a big crowd, while other times we fill the room. 
On the small crowd nights, we don't want to hit the organizers
and speakers with a bill for the difference.

I imagine we will continue to schedule the general meeting on
the first thursday, but we can probably move the Advanced 
Topics meeting to monday or tuesday if necessary.  We can use
two different venues, of course, but we lose some leverage. 
Moving will cost us some attendees, while enabling others, but
may be necessary if that is the only time a venue is available.

I like ethnic restaurants, but many of you do not.  I live in
Beaverton, but a move away from downtown would mean many of
you would no longer appear.  Overall, I will gladly forgo
many of my preferences if it means more of you show up.

Ideas combined with action are 50x better than ideas phrased
as "we should" or "why don't you ...".  If you think of a
place, please contact the proprietor and see what the cost
arrangements are, what nights are free, etc.  Then share what
you learn with the list.  The first solid idea, soonest, wins!

And send a big thank you to Barb and the people at Jax.  This
is tough for them, too, and they have taken great care of us
for a long time.  If any of you are rich, buy the building
from her landlord, and lower her rent so we can stay...

Keith

-- 
Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com         Voice (503)-520-1993
KLIC --- Keith Lofstrom Integrated Circuits --- "Your Ideas in Silicon"
Design Contracting in Bipolar and CMOS - Analog, Digital, and Scan ICs