June 24, 2004, 10:45 a.m. The morning after. Circa 1:45 a.m., the telecom elite at the table below came up with a foolproof plan to launch the industry to an unprecedented new level of innovation and success. Unfortunately, no one can remember just what that plan was. All that's left is a bar napkin with the words "next-generation marzipan recipe." --Jason Ankeny

June 23, 2004, 7:00 p.m.: Eastern Research, the New Jersey maker of wireline and wireless access products, had its party boat docked at Chicago's Navy Pier Wednesday night, where partygoers enjoyed the music of a jazz combo and goodies like shrimp skewers and those little puffy artichoke things that you can start wolfing down like potato chips if you're not careful. Though a storm was predicted, the weather cooperated--except for the excessively strong wind which blew up the cocktail dress of one of our shipmates. (She didn't seem concerned, so maybe it happens a lot...) Thanks to Eastern Research for letting us off the boat before it headed for a cruise down the Chicago River--we really had to run, and we're not very strong swimmers.--Dan O'Shea

June 23, 2004, 1:54 p.m. Continuing our ongoing, live coverage of Supercomm after hours, here’s an important post-show drink-spot update: After taking a midnight stroll through the River North neighborhood Tuesday night (relaxing for some, for others requiring near-immediate gratification--five blocks is just too much of a buzz kill), 30 or so showgoers from several companies and Telephony filed into the Pepper Canister on Wells Street for libations and melodramatic musical stylings of favored bartender Shane, so spot-on imitating Bono that we were almost afraid to laugh--almost… Anyway, after directing several thousand Supercomm attendees to Shane’s house of fun for this rest of this week, we’ve come to find that he’s off to New Zealand (Went to see a man about a sheep?) The PC is still open for business tonight, however, and we’re sure second-favored bartender Ivan will greet you with a warm smile and a cool cocktail. --Dan O'Shea

June 23, 2004, 4:02 a.m. This is more like it. Tonight the Telephony staff converged on the House of Blues for a party hosted by Free World Dialup guru Jeff Pulver--like many of Pulver's trade show fiestas, this one featured house band the Herding Cats, whom Pulver joined onstage for his usual rendition of Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally." There were other Supercomm events, of course, but the HOB party was absolutely packed with industry folks, all of whom seemed to be having a very good time. I suspect the open bar had something to do with that. No idea what's on for tonight just yet--if someone wants to buy me a drink, shoot me an e-mail.--Jason Ankeny

Tues., 11:32 p.m.: Members of the Telephony staff
get Pulver-ized at Jeff Pulver's House of Blues bash

June 21, 2004, 10:17 p.m.

You know something’s amiss when it’s circa 10:00 p.m. on the night before Supercomm officially begins and I’m blogging. But downtown Chicago is dead right now—there’s no energy, no pizzazz, no giddy-up. I blame the rain that’s fallen intermittently throughout the day for keeping everyone indoors. I’m going back out to find some action, trouble or some combination thereof. For those about to rock, I salute you.—Jason Ankeny