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this Article Text Size: A | A | A  Cheers to bar culture
 Posted: 2:00 AM February 15, 2013  The bar nearest my home is a
convenient place to meet up with friends, listen to live music
and hear some funny stories. While it's lovely to be in a warm,
friendly place on a chilly night, I've rarely given the bar
itself, or its regulars, much thought. Recently, I read
"Drinking With Men: A Memoir," by Rosie Schaap, and it gave me a
different perspective on bars.  Schaap's charming memoir
celebrates neighborhood bars and the warmhearted groups with
whom she became a part, groups made up largely of men. Schaap's
story is that of a somewhat lonely person who finds joy and
belonging in the bars she frequents.  "Being a regular" she
writes, "isn't synonymous with being a drunk; regularhood is
much more about the camaraderie than the alcohol. Sharing the
joys of drink and conversation with friends old and new, in a
comfortable and familiar setting, is one of l