Last night I went to the Valleywag launch party, but I didn’t go alone. Oh, no — in fear of suffering through being the gender minority at these tech things yet again, I summoned a posse of nine women to attend with me/meet me there. That’s right, Violet Blue has a posse, just like Andre the Giant. Valleywag is a local tech gossip blog, brainchild of Nick Denton and run by a man I call Little Nicky, because he is also named Nick and is adorably bite-sized. Conversation snippets:

Guy from Slate: I wish I had a camera when you came to pick up Xeni the other day.
me: We get that a lot.
Guy from Slate: Your license plate should be “NSFW”.

His friend, former Suck.com writer: I’ve firgured out what the big Vallywag gossip is.
me: What!?
His friend, former Suck.com writer: It’s that Denton has crossed over his look into “daddy bear“.
me: Does that make Little Nicky a cub or an otter?
His friend, former Suck.com writer: Definitely a cub.

Annalee Newitz: Charlie Girl and I have to go — let’s go *get* Little Nicky.
(I make introductions.)
me, to Little Nicky: So, do you live here yet?
Little Nicky: Yes, I live in a commune in [SF neighborhood].
me: You’re in a cult!
Annalee Newitz: A sex cult!
Melissa Gira: Oh, I’ve heard of that cult!
Little Nicky: I don’t think it’s a cult.
me: Oh, you just haven’t been through auditing yet.
Melissa Gira: That cult is all about extending the pleasure of the female orgasm, they’re Tantrikas.
Little Nicky: I haven’t seen anything like that going on.
me: So what’s the big gossip you’re launching with tomorrow?
Little Nicky: I can’t tell you that.
me: That’s because you’re in a cult!
Annalee Newitz: That’s the gossip!
Little Nicky: I don’t think it’s a cult.

(photo: Melissa Gira + me, by Scott Beale, his post on the event is here)