Image by Slacker Mark My goodness. Summer is here already! How is it I’ve just today noticed my first fireworks stand of the holiday season? Time to slow down and smell the sulfur, I say. This Friday’s Beer and Blog is casual. As in: we have nothing planned and yet we’d like to hang out anyway. Unwind from the work week and kick of the 4th of July weekend with the usual suspects on the patio of the Green Dragon. Casual Friday style from 4-6pm, yo. Next week, however, it’s time for some fun. July 10th we’ve brought back by popular demand What the Shit, novelist @melissalion’s heelarious Dramatic Twitter Reading Series. I lamed out last time, but this time I’ve already got a couple of good tweets to orate. Time to put those high school theatre skills to use. BONUS: AboutUs is having it’s anniversary party at Beer and Blog and wants to share the love in the way of beer. For the Beer and Bloggers. Yay! Stay tuned for more info. And finally, while I’ve got your attention, I’d like to announce a date change for the hugely successful End Bloglessness. Again. (Long story.) BUT THIS TIME WE MEAN IT. On July 18th, Beer and Blog proudly continue its collective efforts to put an End to Bloglessness. We feel everyone should be polluting the Internet with our hopes, opinions, rants, and obsessions, not to mention hocking the Next Big Thing. Held at Webtrends, more details to come. Now, if you care to RSVP on Upcoming or get informed at Calagator about Casual Beer and Blog Friday, please go right ahead. Have a safe and explosive holiday weekend!

For a year now the OurPDX blog has pointed readers to the best and worst Portland has to offer online and off, engaged in transparent discussions about culture and post content, and sought to inform and entertain the fine citizens of Portland, Oregon. You might know the names of some of the authors of OurPDX from the Beer and Blog community: @morganPDX, @ahockley, @CamiKaos, @Dieselboi, @abrahamhyatt, @betsywhim. Any of those ring a bell? How about @mediaChick? Yep, I write there too. But not as often as I should, I’m afraid, but I do proudly call myself an OurPDX author. Or…maybe you don’t know them. Or me. If that’s the case then here’s your chance, because this Friday Beer and Blog is thrilled to host the 1st birthday party of OurPDX, Portland’s awesome group blog authored by 23 writers who pour their honest insights about our fair city onto the Web. Come celebrate OurPDX’s first year with cake on the patio of the Green Dragon (hopefully…rain, rain, will stay away) starting at 4pm. In fact, if the weather does cooperate, Beer and Blog will bust out the summer gear for playful fun. That means we might get to frolic in the kiddie pool, my beer and bloggie pals. Awww-yeah. Here’s hoping @portlandsun hangs around because, personally, I want my cake (on the patio) and to eat it (water pistols) too! Also, later that night, tune into a special Strange Love Live broadcast, hosted @CamiKaos and @docnormal, with as many OurPDX authors who can stay up that late. Signature SLL tiki rum drinks will be served to the writers to get them sufficiently liquored up in the hopes they’ll say embarrassing things for everyone’s amusement. I’ll be there, trying to remember that the show is, indeed, broadcasting accross the Interverse, and is, indeed, being taped for prosperity and posting later. As in inrefrutable evidence of one’s drunken, public confessions. On behalf of Beer and Blog and OurPDX, we hope you’ll join us this Friday. Won’t be the same without you! RSVP on Upcoming or get your deets at Calagator …and on a completely different but totally related note: Save the date! Saturday, July 11 is Beer and Blog’s next installment of End Bloglessness. We’ll be posting more information soon, but in the meantime please get the word out to your non-bloggie friends. You know, the ones who keep talking about wanting to blog, but never seem to get around to it, or who suffer from I-don’t-know-where-to-start-itis. In one afternoon, with much hand-holding and soothing instruction, we can help them correct the blog deficiency in their lives painlessly. And remember: only YOU can prevent bloglessness! (That just will never get old to me. EVAR.)