Tara in Vancouver organized a meetup for “progressive, radical and lefty librarians” at a place called Subeez Cafe. It wasn’t until afterwards — when she took a look at the contact sheet she’d passed around — that she realized at least one attendee was less-than-pleased with her choice of venue.
“They didn’t complain to me directly, they didn’t even write it on the front of the paper,” seethes Tara. “Were they hoping for a bucket of hummus at a squat?”
related: a matter of taste
101 responses so far ↓
#1
Robert
whats a squat?
Jan 27, 2009 at 12:35 am rating: 0
#2
Canthz_B
“Subeez is neither radical or progressive!”
No, it’s Kosher, but a librarian who can’t use or/nor correctly surely must be both radical and progressive.
Jan 27, 2009 at 12:44 am rating: 66
#3
nestchick
I would assume “sub-ease” would be a place for BDSM.
Jan 27, 2009 at 12:51 am rating: 4
#4
TheOldSchool
Holy Shhhhhhhhhit.
Jan 27, 2009 at 12:59 am rating: 3
#5
HairySwede
personally, I am disgusted this group was unable to conform to the non-conformists idea of non-conformity as progressive, radical, and lefty librarians
Jan 27, 2009 at 1:10 am rating: 25
#6
zenvelo
radical librarians decry alphabetization as the old paradigm. progressive librarians consider fiction as an artificial construct.
Jan 27, 2009 at 1:12 am rating: 20
#7
TheOldSchool
I wonder what their sex lives are like?
Hellcats, probably. Screamers, definitely. It all adds up.
Jan 27, 2009 at 1:24 am rating: 4
#8
TheOldSchool
What’s the Dewey Decimal Code for “Butt Pirate?”
I’m due for a action packed swishbuckler.
Salty cavaliers strutting and mincing about in their silver buckled shoes! Bury me treasure, indeed!
Jan 27, 2009 at 1:31 am rating: 13
#9
TheOldSchool
If I were ever murdered in a library, I guess it wouldn’t be asking too much to hope that, at the very least, my death could occur in a section where there are some relatively popular books, so that my remains would be discovered in a somewhat timely manner.
The area with the pictorial breastfeeding books would be best because it’s always crowded with pre-teen boys keen to learn all they can about parenting.
Jan 27, 2009 at 1:46 am rating: 3
#10
aaa
Well, Subeez certainly seems like an annoyingly pretentious place and people who claim to be progressive, radical, and lefty are often annoying and pretentious. I’d say it’s a perfect fit.
Jan 27, 2009 at 3:02 am rating: 11
#11
Jennie
The real question: What the hell is up with the music on the Subeez site?
Jan 27, 2009 at 3:48 am rating: 5
#12
claw71
Generally speaking,” meetups” are neither radical nor progressive. I’ve been to a few and realized that a “meetup” is really just a bohemian word for “a bunch of pseudo intellectuals getting together to try to sound more important the one another”.
Jan 27, 2009 at 6:45 am rating: 19
#13
anglophile
Discuss amongst yourselves. I’m all verklempt.
Jan 27, 2009 at 7:45 am rating: 8
#14
Woman on the Verge
Just what is this splinter cell of radical librarians going to discuss at their meetup? The overthrow of the entire computerized catalog thereby forcing our children to learn how to use the cumbersome and time-consuming card catalog system? Or was it just an excuse to giggle over the funniest Dewey Decimal codes (000 for computers!? – paranormal is in the 13 area? – just why is ceramic technology 666?)
Jan 27, 2009 at 7:47 am rating: 22
#15
C
Looks like Subeez is two-for-two, then. Good for them.
Jan 27, 2009 at 8:04 am rating: 3
#16
amy d
“subeez in neither radical or progressive”
On the other hand, my hand writing is radically hard to read and progressively getting worse.
Jan 27, 2009 at 8:29 am rating: 25
#17
anglophile
She’s got a bit of a point. A place that bills itself as “eclectic, energetic and friendly” might be too pretentious for radical and progressive librarians.
Jan 27, 2009 at 8:36 am rating: 5
#18
QuarterRoy00
Your hand-writing is neither legible or interesting…
Jan 27, 2009 at 8:42 am rating: 6
#19
KD
I’ve been working at a university for 20+ years and I’ve always thought the job titles at the library should be Disgruntled Library Assistant I, Disgruntled Library Assistant II, etc. At least that would make it official.
Jan 27, 2009 at 8:58 am rating: 9
#20
better on paper
I think this note writer should head on down to the mall, their likely to find a group of really cool teenagers dressed all in black who totally know what it’s like to be radical and progressive. Not like those jocks on the other side of the food court…
Jan 27, 2009 at 9:16 am rating: 6
#21
amy d
I hate lefties. They get all pretentious just because they use a different hand than 90% of the population. They get together to whine about “Rightie” keeping them down.
Righties are people too!
Jan 27, 2009 at 9:22 am rating: 22
#22
GhostWriter
An attendee didn’t right that line. It was scribbled down by the harried waitress who had to juggle eight different herbal tea orders, each requesting “free refills” and earning her a 5% tip.
Jan 27, 2009 at 9:38 am rating: 4
#23
TPS
This is why I don’t borrow books.
Jan 27, 2009 at 9:51 am rating: 2
#24
Andy
Sordical is an interesting worderation!
Jan 27, 2009 at 11:04 am rating: 3
#25
GhostWriter
Subeez, Drumoz and Hogerz are three cafés. They can be described as: lefty, radical, progressive, rightist, conservative, free-market, laissez faire and/or libertarian.
Subeez is neither radical nor progressive!
Hogerz is either laissez faire or libertarian.
Drumoz is both rightist and conservative.
The café that is Lefty is also Rightist.
Jan 27, 2009 at 1:02 pm rating: 15
#26
Emma
How disgusting. The meeting might as well have been at Starbucks.
Jan 27, 2009 at 1:48 pm rating: 7
#27
MARSHA
SQUATTER IS WAY BEFORE HIPPIES.
Jan 27, 2009 at 3:00 pm rating: 0
#28
racerx22
This whole thread makes me wonder what the definition of “is” really is .
Jan 27, 2009 at 3:13 pm rating: 2
#29
Julie
I have to believe this is the ultimate exercise in passive aggression. The librarian in question KNEW where the meeting was happening. “SUBEEZ!” she snorted, “That is not radical OR progressive!” She then hatched a plan to attend this meeting with the express purpose of writing this note. After the meeting she went home and took a bubble bath, then regaled her miserable husband with her tale. “You won’t BELIEVE the note I wrote today!” she will begin. And his brain will shut off because he has already heard this story from her dozens of times.
Jan 27, 2009 at 3:33 pm rating: 10
#30
Rocky
After looking at the menu at Subeez, I discovered that they don’t call it Canadian bacon in Canada.
Jan 27, 2009 at 3:58 pm rating: 2
#31
Themiki
Isn’t Subeez that infomercial product from the mid-nineties that allows you to cut your hair with your vaccuum cleaner? I would consider that concept both radical and progressive.
Jan 27, 2009 at 4:57 pm rating: 2
#32
Olivia
I wonder if that radical dissenter is also the kind of librarian who would use whips and chains if I were to return my books late.
I also wonder how hard it would be to get a Vancouver library card in order to find out.
Jan 27, 2009 at 6:14 pm rating: 1
#33
Anon
I live in Vancouver, and I’m happy to confirm that yes, what most people in Vancouver want is a bucket of hummus at a squat. =/
Jan 27, 2009 at 6:58 pm rating: 6
#34
Peter
The correct phrase is “neither radical NOR progressive.” A librarian wrote this?
Jan 27, 2009 at 10:05 pm rating: 2
#35
Bunny
awww..I <3 Subeez
Jan 27, 2009 at 11:25 pm rating: 0
#36
Bunnee
I do? (damn those gigglebrax fails!)
Jan 28, 2009 at 2:01 pm rating: 0
#37
Crooky
Ahahahaha. I used to hang out at Subeez in the mid-90s. They haven’t washed the floors or cleaned the toilet since then. I agree with the note.
Jan 28, 2009 at 6:00 pm rating: 0
#38
mrs spanish
hmmm….
subete a mi moto!
that just reminded of my old friend jlo. Julio Lopez.
Seriously though, I am actually a certified librarian (not “libarian” dammit), but I can say that my people are generally socially awkward. Which is generally why we chose this profession to begin with.
We are also mostly liberal. (I can attest to the fact that no work got done on inaguration day. Esp. myself because I consider Obama the closest I will ever get to a Latino President.) We were all busy crying and being hopeful and all except for the few jesus/fox news/born-again people.
And yes, we would be douchbaggy and complain ’bout a place not being “radical” or whatsoever.
Just go to library bar nyc and order something sexy. 649.65 baby.
Seriously though, we are incredibly mistreated and underpaid, so we deserve the right to a little douchebaggy-ness.
Jan 29, 2009 at 3:33 am rating: 1
#39
katy daus
Vancouver is the birthplace of passive aggression.
Jan 31, 2009 at 11:59 am rating: 1
#40
Kristi
Am I the only local who actually LIKES Subeez? I mean, the food isn’t bad, although slightly overpriced, but the atmosphere is cool, they have some pretty decent art, the service is good and the bathrooms are funky (in a good way).
I used to hang out there with friends after class a few years ago. Even had my birthday party there…they gave us free drinks.
Feb 1, 2009 at 11:33 pm rating: 0
#41 taboo: the game of unspeakable douchebaggery
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May 17, 2009 at 9:42 pm rating: 0
#42 Dear Protestors | PassiveAggressiveNotes.com
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Nov 24, 2009 at 4:31 am rating: 0
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