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Editor’s note: Sorry for the delay on today’s edition. I had a family emergency come up that required some last-minute travel. Thanks for your patience.—Dave.
I know a successful restaurant operator who takes good care of his employees, invests in his neighborhood, and believes in the transformative power of humility in hospitality. He’s the sort of guy you might expect to wax poetic about the paramount importance the bars and restaurants serve as welcoming “third places” to their communities. But when the matter comes up, he frowns. You can make all the community you want, his face says, but it still won’t make payroll.
Hold that thought and turn your attention to the opioid-addled burgh of Greenfield, Massachusetts, where a queer “bar and arts venue” named Last Ditch is reportedly on its last legs. Journalist Annalisa Quinn’s Tuesday dispatch about the distressed redoubt at The Boston Globe is worth reading in full to enjoy the full effect of such bangers as:
“One had enrolled in clown school;”
“A raucous opening night with a (clothed) simulation of a lesbian sex act;” and
“Her sister is one of the vocal critics online.”
Even for a story ostensibly focused on one random dive’s decision to finally allow entry to unmasked customers midway through 2026, it’s truly a wild ride.
There’s much “go woke, go broke” hay being made in right-wing circles over this article, which is very predictable and very boring. Especially because based on the available evidence, while overzealous scolds may have hastened Last Ditch’s demise a bit, its business model seems to have featured an all-too-common fatal flaw.
I want to hone in on a few key passages to give you the flavor for the poison in the well (emphasis added throughout):
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