Sun. Oct. 12

Do you like sitting next to an opinionated loudmouth in s bar? Who doesn't? The Fireplace - a rather civilized restaurant/bar in Brookline's Washington Square - is offering a semi-formal forum for you politically inclinded bar-yakkers Sunday Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. (Football you care about should be over; Monday's a holiday.) It's called "Speak up or Button Up!" "Enthusiastic" - that's the way the restaurant puts it - will have a podium for one minute in each round (round of drinks?) to bloviate on whatever political issue is on their mind. Kind of like the public speaking squares they have in London. Except, inside at a bar, with booze. Now, alcohol has many effects - some good, some bad - and among the good ones are they tend to loosen you up enough to let loose. The bad ones include slurry your thoughts and blurring your reasoning and collapsing in a heap of embarrassment ... and then ordering another drink. (Sounds like the theme of a Pogues song, doesn't it?) So, be careful out there. There's no cover to get in, but, food and liquid courage, natch will cost you a bit. The Fireplace promises prizes and patriotic cocktails to boot. Judges include the founders of electionspeakers.com and speecheimprovement.com and a legal analyst for various news outlets.

1634 Beacon St., 617-975-1900 www.fireplacerest.com