Didja win? Didja win? Didja win? » « Tandem repeats and morphological variation

The AAI convention sounds like it was fun

Hemant has a summary of the Atheist Alliance International Convention 2007. I should have been there! Maybe next year I’ll be invited to speak — it sounds like maybe some people would like me to speak…

As soon as the picture of PZ was up, there were cheers from the crowd. (PZ, you had fans at the convention!)

Vox populi!

Didja win? Didja win? Didja win? » « Tandem repeats and morphological variation

Comments

  4. says

    Getting to ask Dawkins a question (When you’re Daniel Dennett for a night, you can do many things): Was he ever going to go back to writing science books? He said he was currently editing an anthology of science writing, but more importantly, he wanted to write a book for children: a book that taught them how to think critically. He hadn’t started writing it, but it was in his head.

    This sounds pretty cool. In fact, the whole event sounds like a lot of fun.

  7. says

    You’re too calm in real life. We’ll have to hire an actor to properly demagogue the crowd into a Bible burning frenzy. You do have a reputation as worse than Hitler and/or Stalin to maintain.

  11. says

    Hilarious that someone had Richard Dawkins sign a banana!

    I heard it’s because they couldn’t get a jar of peanut butter through customs.

  12. eisenreich says

    Here I’m living less then 5 miles from the convention and I waited too long to buy a ticket.. I’ll be looking forward to hopefully seeing PZ next year.

  14. says

    Can I just say that this is the first time I’ve commented on this thread?

    …what a thing to win with this lil’ bit of prescient commentary!!…

  21. says

    I’m not really trying to win the contest; I just find this thread the most interesting conversation I’ve participated in all week.

    Are we there yet?

  22. zohn says

    It’s a good read…the friendly atheist’s blog…PZ how come you didn’t advertise it on this blog? Or maybe you did and I didn’t see it. I wish I had gone there.

  24. says

    No Pete, we’re posting because we actually have things to say. (Well, other people do, I just like to see my name on the screen.)

  26. zohn says

    Have you decided on a title for your book, PZ? (Now I’m just posting in the hope that I could become the 500,000th comment poster :-)

  28. H. Humbert says

    So everyone’s just trying for 500,000, huh?

    That’s why the running total should have been blinded as we got close.

  32. zohn says

    People may find Hitchen’s drinking addiction amusing, but I wish he rather didn’t drink so much…what a waste if he were to die young because of his habit.

  33. says

    It’s like voting in federal elections in Canada. Traditionally, the outcome has been decided before the polls close in the western provinces, so it’s a blind gambit in which you continue to play even though you may have already lost.

  35. says

    Well, this thread would certainly win some sort of fastest growing award.

    Damn, I keep getting the ‘too many submissions’ error. I guess I’m technically spamming now.

  38. says

    It’s like voting in federal elections in Canada. Traditionally, the outcome has been decided before the polls close in the western provinces, so it’s a blind gambit in which you continue to play even though you may have already lost.

    Wait. There’s a contest here?

  41. zohn says

    Dawkin’s has plans to write a children’s book…something which will talk about how to think rationally, etc. (see the Friendly Atheist’s blog). PZ, any plans on your part to do something similar? We can’t have too many books like that!

  42. says

    Well, this thread would certainly win some sort of fastest growing award.

    Damn, I keep getting the ‘too many submissions’ error. I guess I’m technically spamming now.

    I vote Brownian be banned for spamming

    ;)

  43. says

    I pretty much have nothing to say. This is a space sitter on the way to 500,000.

    Me neither.

    What do you guys think this rash is?

  47. zohn says


    We have to be there by now. I need to use the restroom.

    I need to go, too! Damn, I was hoping to see the winner announced before I left.

  59. LanceR says

    Don’t make me turn this blog around and go home! I can reach all of you from here! (Yeah, I never believed it as a kid, either)

    Are we there yet?
    <Evil Grin*gt;

  60. Dave, very much, FCD says

    Excellent convention, and excellent (and thought-provoking) talks by the big four. PZ’s presence would’ve been icing on the cake.

    Excellent write-up, Hemant

  64. zohn says

    Looks like this is the only thread getting comments…look at the permalink url’s…they are all serially numbered!

    What happened to the comments on other sciencblogs? Or is it just us here who are doing all the heavy lifting?

  66. Janine says

    499,623.

    All of these comment today without a christian apologist.
    This is almost funny.

  68. zohn says

    Hey, Brownian just turned the counter around!

    Hey, quit doing that, Brownian! Or we’ll never get there!

  72. zohn says

    This is so addicting! And there I was, smug that I wasn’t prone to addictions!

    Must. Keep. Commenting. Until. Winner. Announced.

    Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrghgh!

  75. says

    499,623.

    All of these comment today without a christian apologist.
    This is almost funny.

    Ok fine.

    WHY ARE ALL OF you Ahtiets so AFRAID of the one true lord AND god. WHY DO you hate JESUS!!!???!?!??!!111

  76. rp says

    This reminds me of when Computing Services at my university had a 1,000,000th log on contest – some of us evil students wrote a script for one of the Unix workstations to hammer the mainframe with log on/log off pairs. They ended up giving two awards – one for the million’th log on (one of us, of course), and then throwing out all our entries and giving the “real” million’th customer another one.

    Are we there yet?

  78. Janine says

    499,623.

    You know what would really suck, if someone like Legion won this posting one of his droppings on a Science Blog that has not banned him.

  79. zohn says

    OK, did or did not God give me hemorrhoids?

    He is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’ll get.

    Seriously, I’ve heard that the best way to avoid getting the piles is by exercising…jogging/running.

  83. says

    I don’t like Jesus because he hates Samoans. They kept that out of the Gospels, but he totally said it. He said, and I quote, “Samoans? I hate ’em. Their tattoos a totally gauche.”

    Prove me wrong.

  85. says

    They’re rolling it back in hope that they get a 500,000 comment that isn’t one of us jokers.

    I can wait them out. I don’t have a life.

  86. says

    I have this fear that my manager is going to come by and ask me to have a meeting, and I’ll have to tell her to go take a hike. Sometimes my inside voice comes out.

  87. Janine says

    WHY ARE ALL OF you Ahtiets so AFRAID of the one true lord AND god. WHY DO you hate JESUS!!!???!?!??!!111

    Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp | October 1, 2007 1:41 PM

    Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?
    Tra la la la la la!

  88. says

    I have this fear that my manager is going to come by and ask me to have a meeting, and I’ll have to tell her to go take a hike. Sometimes my inside voice comes out.

    Where is it you work again and what is your manager’s name?

  89. says

    Appropriate Random Quote on PZs sidebar right now:
    Weasling out of work is important to learn; it is what separates humans from animals. Except for weasels.

    Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

  90. says

    When they say the second prize coffee cup holds a wicked cup of coffee, does that mean the wicked cup of coffee is included in the prize?

  91. Janine says

    499,656.

    I someone making a real comment on another post wins this, I say we steal their lunch money and run their pants up the flagpole.

    Posted by: John McKay | October 1, 2007 1:40 PM

    How can they check content while keeping a count?

  92. zohn says

    —. .—-
    /
    /
    | /
    | /
    | /
    |/ <----- Announcement of the winner. Time vs Productivity (at work) of commenters

  93. Lana says

    I’m at the point where I hope anyone wins. This whole thing is making me anxious. I must admit I want it to be someone on this blog.

  95. says

    Appropriate Random Quote on PZs sidebar right now:
    Weasling out of work is important to learn; it is what separates humans from animals. Except for weasels.

    Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

    ERV I do remember you once saying that you did not blog from work.

    Get back to work faking all that HIV / AIDS foolishness.

  96. says

    Where is it you work again and what is your manager’s name?

    I work for provincially funded health agency. My name is on my blog, and a quick search should turn up my manager’s name.

    Why don’t you try to look me up? We’ll hold your place.

  97. zohn says

    Stupid HTML formatting requirement!! Messed up my beautiful graph showing time vs productivity right now of all commenters here.

    :-(.

  99. Sven DiMilo says

    You people remind me of when I was a kid calling WDVE to be the 12th caller and win tickets to see Chicago or whatever, and I figured out that they only had 4 phones, and if they picked up and said “You’re the 4th caller, thanks, bye” they hung up, but then you could stay on the line and be the 8th and 12th.

    What was I going to say?

    Oh yeah, atheists can have no morals, and therefore NO FUN!

  100. Matt the heathen says

    Too many comments have been submitted from you in a short period of time. Please try again in a short while.

    This is my first one in like two hours!

  101. Janine says

    499,701.

    How long before PZ comes down from his mount and gives us a smackdown for this silly hijacking of this thread?

  103. zohn says

    Why don’t you try to look me up? We’ll hold your place.

    Yeah yeah! Why don’t you all go and look up Brownian’s manager (and ERV’s, and anyone else who is commenting here)?

  105. says

    Brownian – if God hates the Samoans, he must hate the Welsh even more.

    The Welsh are very proud of their rugby, and in the 70s they use to be really good. Then in 1991 they co-hosted the World Cup. And lost to Western Samoa 13-16. Some wags were heard to say “and that was only Western Samoa. Imagine what would have happened if we had played the whole of Samoa”.

    Well, in 1999 they did. Again in Wales. The score:
    Wales 31 – 38 Samoa

    Oh, and this year they managed to avoid Samoa. They lost to Fiji instead.

    Bob
    500,000 yet?

  106. says

    How long before PZ comes down from his mount and gives us a smackdown for this silly hijacking of this thread?

    SHHHHHHHHHHH

    I hear if you type his name three times on a blog he comes and gives you an atomic wedgie.

  107. Sven DiMilo says

    Did I mention that you people remind me of…
    What?
    I did?
    Apologies for inadvertant double post.

  108. Janine says

    499,701.

    Browny and Chimpy. Both of yous please settle down. You are making the rest of us nervious.

  110. zohn says

    We should have Pharyngula pool…$1 from everyone and the one who predicts the winner gets it all!

  114. Janine says

    499,701.

    SHHHHHHHHHHH

    I hear if you type his name three times on a blog he comes and gives you an atomic wedgie.

    Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp | October 1, 2007 1:56 PM

    PZ!
    PZ!
    PZ!

    That will get my panties in a bunch!

    Or do I nead to misspell his name?

  123. zohn says

    updates are faster now!! 499,755 now! Yay…hopefully I can still salvage this day and get some work done.

  125. Janine says

    #116Speaking of the undead, I was in a film called 8 1/2 Short Films About Zombies, and it premiered last night.

    You can all officially brag that you know me.

    Posted by: Brownian | October 1, 2007 1:59 PM

    What if they remade ‘8 1/2’ starring zombies?

  128. says

    I just blew off a friend for lunch. I hope he got my email that I wouldn’t make it in time.

    I feel like such a jerk.

    A jerk with a chance to go to Cambridge! Woo-hoo!

  129. zohn says

    I bet five bucks that the counter will get to ~499,950 and roll back to 499,500 again.

    I’ll take you on that bet, Brownian! I say the counter will not roll back to 499,500.

    :-).

  133. Janine says

    499,755.

    What other movies should be remade with zombies? I would like to see ‘Chinatown’ down like that.

  135. zohn says

    I just realized that this is the most I’ve commented on any thread…in fact my comments here exceed all comments on all threads that I have made so far!

    I’m not saying there is any substance to what I’m commenting…just the numbers.

  136. Rey Fox says

    Might I remind everyone (again) that they do NOT pick the winner based on who made the 500,000th comment?

  139. Physicalist says

    499,779

    Just how hard does a materialist have to work to push things up to a half million?

  140. says

    What if they remade ‘8 1/2’ starring zombies?

    I wouldn’t be surprised. I’ll bet Michael Bay is looking for some art to destroy a project right now.

  141. says

    What other movies should be remade with zombies? I would like to see ‘Chinatown’ down like that.

    Who would play J.J. ‘Jake’ Gittes? Would you wait until Jack died, re-animate him and have him star again?

  143. Janine says

    say, how bout them Mets?

    Posted by: Sven DiMilo | October 1, 2007 2:03 PM

    Speaking as a Cubs fan, all I can say is “HURRAH”!

  144. zohn says

    Might I remind everyone (again) that they do NOT pick the winner based on who made the 500,000th comment?

    I did not know that! Crap!

    What are the rules, anyway?

  145. says

    I dont think its the 500,000 comment that wins.

    I think the contest just goes until they reach the 500,000 comment.

    *blink*

  146. Sven DiMilo says

    “Might I remind everyone (again) that they do NOT pick the winner based on who made the 500,000th comment?”

    Wha…what?

    back to work then…

  147. says

    Might I remind everyone (again) that they do NOT pick the winner based on who made the 500,000th comment?

    Do too!

    Wait. What?

  149. Dahan says

    I think MOST everyone understands that Rey Fox, but ya have to admit it would be cool to be the 500,000th one.

    Oh, and my guess is that the bOObies guy will sneak in and get the post.

  150. Physicalist says

    Rey Fox:

    Might I remind everyone (again) that they do NOT pick the winner based on who made the 500,000th comment?

    Yes, but there’s still something alluring about having it end . . .

  151. says

    Might I remind everyone (again) that they do NOT pick the winner based on who made the 500,000th comment?

    Yes but all comments get into the drawing and having the 500,000th would still be …um…cool?

  152. Matt the heathen says

    I just figured out that I’m in the same city as Brownian. Maybe he’s that creepy/smelly guy I see getting coffee every morning…

  153. Sven DiMilo says

    Or we could continue in the spirit of trying to immanentize the eschaton*…

    nah. Back to work.

    *(not Atrios)

  154. Janine says

    Who would play J.J. ‘Jake’ Gittes? Would you wait until Jack died, re-animate him and have him star again?

    Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp | October 1, 2007 2:07 PM

    You mean he is not already one of the shuffling dead? I am shocked!

  157. Pete says

    Here are the rules:

    How does it work?

    You can enter in two ways:

    1. Everyone who posts a comment on ScienceBlogs, along with a valid email address, will automatically be entered into the drawing.

    2. Everyone who signs up for our brand-new newsletter, the ScienceBlogs Weekly Recap, will also automatically be submitted.

    The contest will conclude when we reach the 500,000th comment. When will that be? Keep an eye on our Network Statistics to find out. (Limit one entry per email address.)

    —-
    see? But it’s still fun to try and get the 500,000th comment..=)

  160. says

    I just figured out that I’m in the same city as Brownian. Maybe he’s that creepy/smelly guy I see getting coffee every morning…

    Probably not. I don’t start to smell unpleasant until shortly after noon.

  163. zohn says

    Rey Fox made a BS claim about how they will not pick you as a winner just because you made the 500,000th comment. And I believed him and wasted my precious comment time in looking over the rules.

    ALL COMMENTS ARE VALID.

    Let the insanity resume!

  164. Janine says

    499,785.

    This is like waiting for the odometer to turn over in a car. You do not want to miss it.

  165. Sven DiMilo says

    I feel…ashamed…like I’ve been…had.
    Oh, I’m such a FOOL! I’m a FOOLISH FOOL!!
    “one per e-mail address,” what kind of crap is that?

  166. Dahan says

    Actually, I wanted to say 500,000. I just can’t type because God didn’t let me evolve enough.

  168. Physicalist says

    No, I guess Brownian squeezed in first. (Of course, the last count listed isn’t likely accurate, and there may be others posting elsewhere as well. But it’s got to be done now. Which means I’d better get to work.)

  173. Physicalist says

    Oh wait! In my excitement, I neglected the hundreds and was just looking at the last two digits. Silly me! So now I have to correct myself (and get in one more chance to go to Cambridge . . . )

  174. zohn says

    Can we talk about Merkins again? I think this is as good a post as any to bring them up.

    So I see that you also get MAXIM!!! LOL!

  175. Sven DiMilo says

    aaaaaand this is the job before that one (the account might be dead but what the hell)

  179. Janine says

    Who would play J.J. ‘Jake’ Gittes? Would you wait until Jack died, re-animate him and have him star again?

    Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp | October 1, 2007 2:07 PM

    I am now having images of the “She’s my sister…my daughter!” with zombie Jack and Faye. With every slap, pieces of hand and face are flying. Also, when Jack’s nose it cut, does it just fall off?

  182. Physicalist says

    I’m a FOOLISH FOOL!!
    “one per e-mail address,” what kind of crap is that?

    WHAT!!! Ok, then I’m definitely getting back to work. Damn rules (and evidence, and all that cold-cruel-world stuff)!!!

  186. Janine says

    499,813.

    Getting to zoom past two hundred on the way to three hundred. Woo-Hoo! The is the greatest thread ever!

  187. Kevin Dorner says

    re: “499,813!! 187 more comments and we’ll be there! YAY!”

    Must be slow to update as it’s been sitting on that for over two minutes.

    (Another cheap 500,000 attempt…)

  191. zohn says

    Adrenaline rush high still there…this is a strange feeling…this anticipation, curiosity…too much excitement for my poor heart!

  195. Janine says

    Shit! now it sez “voting is closed.”

    Why do they call it “voting?”

    Posted by: Sven DiMilo | October 1, 2007 2:20 PM

    What? I am still trying to get that prize. See! My hand is still on the car! And zombie Jack and zombie Faye are helping me out.

  197. Wes says

    From Friendly Atheist’s post:

    Ayaan Hirsi Ali had bodyguards around her at all times due to reaction to her previous work and her anti-Muslim book Infidel.

    B-b-but DJ Grothe and Matt Nisbet assured me there’s no such thing as “atheist bashing”. Maybe the threats against her were Dawkins’ fault. That’s gotta be it.

  199. windy says

    499,785 comments

    *begin out-of-place attempt to sound profound*

    If the 500,000 comments represented the time since the Cambrian explosion, this would be approximately the time when Homo sapiens arrives on the scene!

    (How was that?)

  201. zohn says

    I wonder how many other threads on these sciencblogs are going crazy…or is it just this one thread?

  202. k says

    See, speaking at one of these shindigs would go a long way toward earning that Atheist…abominable Atheist of America…most Atheist…of America…how did it go again?

  203. Physicalist says

    You people are pathetic! Get back to work!

    Well, I would have, if all these degenerate people hadn’t reminded me that I do have another e-mail address, or two.

    It’s not my fault! I’m a gamblin’-o-haulic! I gots me no free will!!!

    (This is what they wanted from us, isn’t it?)

  204. says

    I still think we should collectively award ourselves the Molly this month for the most shame producing thread of all time.

    But we still get the Molly? The important thing is to get a prize, dammit.

  205. Dahan says

    OK, I may not get the 500K one, but here’s my pathetic attempt at number 200 on this, the dumbest post I have ever helped make even more dumb.

  207. Sven DiMilo says

    Immanentize the Eschaton!*

    *(not Atrios)

    Apologies for the advertant, uh, dodecaple post. Or something.

  208. CortxVortx says

    A trip? My company is sending me to San Diego (from Indiana) this week. Then visiting relatives in Louisiana next month. Can I pick when to go?

    — CV

  210. says

    hee-hee.

    My FireFox has been acting up lately, and while I was reading these comments, an Alert popped up:

    “This document contains no data.”

    Indeed. :)

    PS: I want Brownian in the pool.

  211. Physicalist says

    499,821

    OK, it would be base to go *open* another e-mail acct. just for this. So this will be the last of it.

    Now I really am going to return to being a productive member of society.

    Really!

    I mean it!

  213. Sven DiMilo says

    see, now it sez “City voting is closed” and I feel EVEN MORE FOOLISH!
    Plus I’m out of e-mail addresses and just totally procrastinating at this point.
    You?

  218. zohn says

    What’s this about email addresses you all are talking about? Isn’t it about the comment that is labeled the 500,000th comment?

  221. zohn says

    This thread has raked in the most comments per unit time! Wow! Any other busy threads out there?

  224. Wes says

    What if one of the creationist trolls ends up winning the contest? Maybe SciBlogs could just send him to the least scientific place on Earth. Maybe the Vatican.

  228. Dahan says

    499,860! Almost there! [looks around for a cigarette for afterwards, forgetting he no longer smokes]

  231. Rakel says

    … vox Dei, hmh? :P

    I’m so gonna get a T-shirt whit a “VOX DEI” on a big red print.

  233. zohn says

    Oh! You mean, once the comments hit 500,000 they will pick anyone at random without regard to when that commenter posted? Seems so wrong to me!

  234. Sven DiMilo says

    “What if one of the creationist trolls ends up winning the contest?”

    Ha! Or, like, John A. Davison (does anybody let him comment any more?)

  235. Janine says

    Chimpy, can we start a side thread here about how having no prayer at school affects prayer at church? We can use some laughs here.

  236. zohn says

    I have but one email address! Seems so wrong that they will pick out a random email address instead of the one that gave them the 500,000th comment!

    Sadness!

  238. says

    What if one of the creationist trolls ends up winning the contest? Maybe SciBlogs could just send him to the least scientific place on Earth. Maybe the Vatican.

    Nah wouldn’t be there. It would be here.

  240. Sven DiMilo says

    Just checked the “5 most active” bar…this one is (natch) #1, but the next 3 are other Pharyngula threads.
    Looks like we’re the only people immature enough to post this kind of gibberish.

  241. zohn says

    I think John A Davison is blocked on this blog. He might be able to comment on the other Scienceblogs out there. But I don’t think any of the other blogs are raking in comments like this thread is!

  242. says

    Chimpy, can we start a side thread here about how having no prayer at school affects prayer at church? We can use some laughs here.

    As long as I get some coffee first.

  243. Josh says

    Wait…the Creation Museum isn’t…scientific? “Ya used me, Skinner…Ya used me!”

    But…the flood and all…

  244. Janine says

    What if one of the creationist trolls ends up winning the contest? Maybe SciBlogs could just send him to the least scientific place on Earth. Maybe the Vatican.

    Posted by: Wes | October 1, 2007 2:34 PM

    I am afraid you are mistaken. While the Vatican has a much longer history, the dishonor would have to be that creationist playpen.

  248. Sven DiMilo says

    BDC, I’m impressed. All this excitement and you still take the time to type in an html link.
    Nerves of steel, or what?
    Whisky?

  249. Rey Fox says

    ” Isn’t it about the comment that is labeled the 500,000th comment?”

    NO.

    1. Everyone who posts a comment on ScienceBlogs, along with a valid email address, will automatically be entered into the drawing.

    2. Everyone who signs up for our brand-new newsletter, the ScienceBlogs Weekly Recap, will also automatically be submitted.

    Note the word “drawing”, and that everyone who has commented and has a valid e-mail address is eligible (even if they’re not around today). Also, it’s open it to people who don’t necessarily comment at all (see number 2 above).

    If it really were given to the 500,000th comment, then this place would be spammed to death. And I think we can all be grateful that that hasn’t happened.

  250. Dahan says

    240+ in what…about an hour? Amazing. Best to ya all, I’ll make this my last one on this thread.

  254. Janine says

    Chimpy, can we start a side thread here about how having no prayer at school affects prayer at church? We can use some laughs here.
    As long as I get some coffee first.

    Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp | October 1, 2007 2:41 PM

    What? No coffe where you work? What is wrong with your place of employment. I think you better pray about it.

  255. zohn says

    I have nothing to say…still feeling kinda stupid for trying to be the 500,000th commenter in spite of knowing that that is not the winner!

  259. zohn says

    Alright. I quit. No point in commenting further…there is no glory in being the 500,000th.

    Time to go eat that lunch which has been sitting in the microwave.

  260. shiftlessbum says

    I bet it’d get all you regulars knickers in a twist if some idgit lurker like me, who’s posted (I think) twice, won.

    (did I win?)

  261. Janine says

    So. What bis the record for most mostings on one of PZ’s thread? Do we want to break it?

  262. Sven DiMilo says

    “This is the kind of crowd that gets worked up watching as the odometer rolls over from 99,999 to 100,000.”

    Ha! You’re right! When I turned my old VW bus over to all zeroes I stopped (somewhere godforsaken in Florida, as I recall) and took a photo of the dashboard.

  265. says

    BDC, I’m impressed. All this excitement and you still take the time to type in an html link.
    Nerves of steel, or what?
    Whisky?

    Stupidity? Like all of my posts in this thread.

    Since it’s one per email address, well no reason to have spammed this place other than getting the 500,000th. And I’m pretty sure 500,000 has come and gone and the counter up top means about zip. It’s already been rolled back once.

  266. says

    I think they should keep the counter going. Think of all the creobots we’d scare away for fear of committing posting number 666,666.

  267. Janine says

    This is the kind of crowd that gets worked up watching as the odometer rolls over from 99,999 to 100,000.

    Posted by: Ken Cope | October 1, 2007 2:45 PM

    Yes!

  268. Wes says

    “What if one of the creationist trolls ends up winning the contest?”

    Ha! Or, like, John A. Davison (does anybody let him comment any more?)

    Posted by: Sven DiMilo

    Watch it turn out to be Neal, who WILL BE VERY EXCITED (JACK ASSES.)

  271. says

    When Dad sold our old VW bus at 99,983 I about lost my mind. If I’d had a driver’s license then I would have taken it for seventeen miles before giving it to the new owner.

  272. Josh says

    We should give something to Neal anyway…

    I dunno…like a swift kick in the ass, maybe

  273. says

    Ha! You’re right! When I turned my old VW bus over to all zeroes I stopped (somewhere godforsaken in Florida, as I recall) and took a photo of the dashboard.

    Damn. I did the same exact thing on my old VW bus… and on the way to a Dead show to boot.

  274. Wes says

    So. What bis the record for most mostings on one of PZ’s thread? Do we want to break it?

    Posted by: Janine

    Ummmm…what?

  275. Rey Fox says

    I’m not attentive enough. I missed both 50,000 and 75,000 on my car despite telling myself I’d watch for them.

  276. says

    You’ve got a long way to go to break the record — there’s some post around here with over a thousand comments.

    You know, I get a fraction of a penny every time you people click here. I’m thinking I might be able to make a million dollars if I put a little random number generator in a post that created a new big number every time you loaded it.

  278. says

    I’ve got a Toyota pickup truck that I expect to be driving when it ticks over from 199,999 within the next six months or so, as I’m at something like 182K already.

  280. says

    You know, I get a fraction of a penny every time you people click here. I’m thinking I might be able to make a million dollars if I put a little random number generator in a post that created a new big number every time you loaded it.

    Who said his name 3 times?

  282. says

    Not going to happen . . . but it’d be nice, wouldn’t it?

    …

    I’m just a borderline spammer, aren’t I?

  284. Janine says

    Watch it turn out to be Neal, who WILL BE VERY EXCITED (JACK ASSES.)

    Posted by: Wes | October 1, 2007 2:48 PM

    I AM AFRAID THAT WOULD MAKE NEAL! THE MOST ELITE MASTER OF WINNERS!!!!! (YOU JACK-ASSES.)

  288. CortxVortx says

    Are the blogmeisters furiously deleting spam posts? That may delay the magic number.

    — CV

  289. Physicalist says

    499,964

    Well, I was a productive member of society for a bit there.

    Not as satisfying as they’d like you to think . . .

    I think this should be number 500K, right about . . . NOW!

  291. Sven DiMilo says

    It occurs to me that if I won, it would turn out that people voted to send me to Philadelphia for a week.

    (Second prize, two weeks in Philadelphia, ba-dump chang!)

  296. Janine says

    You’ve got a long way to go to break the record — there’s some post around here with over a thousand comments.

    You know, I get a fraction of a penny every time you people click here. I’m thinking I might be able to make a million dollars if I put a little random number generator in a post that created a new big number every time you loaded it.

    Posted by: PZ Myers | October 1, 2007 2:52 PM

    You know, I am saddened that our gleeful inanity cannot match the cheer bulk of creationist and godfearing chattering.

  297. Isaah Vincent says

    hah. i love this game. i love how slowly the post count climbed until the last thousand or so.

  304. Physicalist says

    Tinyfrog: Yeah, that’s what got me sucked into this silliness too. (“Let’s see what’s going on down there . . . “)

    OK, 500k, right NOW!

  308. says

    Are the blogmeisters furiously deleting spam posts? That may delay the magic number.

    This thread contains no spam; we’re having an important conversation about probability, time, and… er, old VW bus odometers.

  310. Physicalist says

    499,981

    19 more. Is this more or less silly than waiting for New Year’s? At least here we’re somewhat in control . . .

  315. Isaah Vincent says

    remember timing is key! but blast posting is better!

    anyways. i cheered when i saw hemets post about PZ. he seemingly became dennett for a day (he stole dennetts seat early on)

  317. Physicalist says

    499,988

    And I’m sure that eleven posts preceded mine. So here we are: #500,000!!!

  319. Josh says

    “Almost there…”

    “Stay on target!”

    “Lost Tiry…lost Dutch. They came in from behind!”

  325. Physicalist says

    Who are they trying to kid? We all know that was 500k.

    Ok, they say 499,992. Seven of you just posted. So (once again), here it is:

    500K!!!!

  329. Janine says

    Hey, Janine is making fun of us over at denialism.com. Isn’t that a disqualifying offense?

    Posted by: John McKay | October 1, 2007 2:56 PM

    Yeah but be honest, I was making fun of myself also. This has become some kind of goofy.

  333. says

    Maybe we could send the trolls to listen to Hovind talk to god in jail.

    Kent: “Hi God.”

    God: “I knew you were going to say that.”

    Kent: “Of course you did God, but I–”

    God: “I knew you were going to say that, too. I’m God remember?”

    Kent: “I do, Hallowed by thy Name and all. Listen God, I’ve got a ques–”

    God: “–Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done. You were gonna say that after, right? I totally knew it.”

    Kent: “Yessir, you certainly are great. Listen God, the prisoners here keep dropping the soap, and helpful guy I am, I–”

    God: “Think of a number.”

    Kent: “What?”

    God: “Thinkest thou of a number, er, -eth, Kent.”

    Kent: “Um, kay. Fifty-four.”

    God: “No, don’t tell me; just think of one. (I knew you were going to say fifty-four, though.)”

    Kent: “Uh, God, can we do this later? I really need your help.”

    God: “THINK OF A NUMBER KENT!”

    Kent: “Fine.”

    God: “You were thinking of seven, right?”

    Kent: “No, it was–er, seven. Yup, you got it, God.”

    God: “I knew it! Well, that’s why they call me God. Well, that and I told ’em to.”

    Kent: “Yeah, yeah. Say God, I was wondering if–”

    God: “Kent, listen. I’m God, right?

    Kent: “Uh, yeah.”

    God: “And isn’t the fact that I’m talking to you proof of my love?”

    Kent: “Uh, yeah, I guess.”

    God: “Well, there you are. Remember what we talked about. If you ever need my help, just ask. Of course, I’m omniscient, so you don’t really need to ask, but I like the grovelling. Love it, actually. Anyway, I gotta go, Kent. There are millions of people in Africa who need my help, and I’ve really got get to ignoring them.”

    Kent: “Uh, yeah. ‘Kay.”

    Voice from the next cell: “Hey Go-o-o-od Boy: it’s almost time for you to ‘love’ your neighb-o-o-our!”

    Kent: [Whispering] “Dear Lord: If you truly are listening, please switch me with Pastor Ted, instead.”

  334. says

    Hey Dad,

    Even though that’s not how the winner will be chosen, will the SEED overlords tell us who the 500,00th was, just for bragging rights?

  338. Matt the heathen says

    I still feel the need to comment, just to kind of help this thing coast to a finish…

  341. Physicalist says

    Well, I saw the “That’s It!” after my last post, so I’m claiming 500K for myself!!! (Mom will be so proud!)

  342. Patrick Quigley says

    Good grief! Nearly 300 posts for an article that was just posted? How I wish I could have attended this conference. Perhaps next year they will convene here in southern California.

  343. Rey Fox says

    That’s it. It’s done. No number displayed either. Back to your gray, miserable existances, everyone.

  350. says

    That’s it. It’s done. No number displayed either. Back to your gray, miserable existances, everyone.

    Next, I think I’ll watch the spam filter here at work and watch the ticker creep closer to 4,500,000 for the year.

  351. Matt the heathen says

    300 comments in about 2 hours? Not too shabby. Keep up the pace and we’ll be looking at 1,000,000 sometime around April?

  352. Janine says

    Janine,
    Did you sing that or say it?

    Posted by: Josh | October 1, 2007 3:11 PM

    Oh, yeah, right. It was in a song. Damn, did not even like the song much. You do not want to hear me sing. So I shouted very loud.

  353. Physicalist says

    Well, I had been inclined to agree with Janus (“Well, that was pathetic”), but now that I see Hank Fox throwing down the gauntlet . . .

  354. Janine says

    So. Does anyone want to get this thing over 400? Let all of the outsiders think something worthwhile is happening here.

  355. Hank Fox says

    And by the way:

    For the last 5 weeks, every ScienceBlogs reader who left a comment or signed up for free e-mail delivery of our ScienceBlogs Weekly Recap newsletter was automatically entered for a chance to win.

    As I understand this, it wasn’t the 500,000th person to post a comment. It was some ONE of the commenters from the past 5 weeks.

    I understand a box with a cat in it will be involved in the selection process.

  356. Josh says

    Shouting is better than singing any day (at least when I do it).

    YES, on to 400. Maybe PZ will earn like a dollar.

  357. Janine says

    Hank, would that cat be alive and dead at the same time?
    Hey, could it be a zombie cat?

  361. says

    Am I right in remembering that Rey and Hank are married or related in some way?

    Rey

    That’s it. It’s done. No number displayed either. Back to your gray, miserable existances, everyone.

    Hank

    Pussies.

    I plan to win by posting the 1,000,000th comment.

    I’m guessing discussions are a blast at their house.

    :)

  363. says

    Okay we can all agree on 400. But then no more. 400 is the cut-off. Mmkay?

    Why? You think there’s a shortage of comments and we’ll run out.

    I say nuts to you and your artificially low limits.

  364. zohn says

    Hmm. The counter didn’t roll back.

    Who was it that I owed a finsky to?

    Me! I won something! Yay!!!

  366. Hank Fox says

    Oh, damn, Rey. Now that the truth is out we’ll have to start living together to keep up appearances.

    Where do you live? I’m in upstate New York. If you bring me a golden retriever puppy, I’ll let you have the guest room.

    I’m not changing any of my personal hygiene habits.

    I hope you like country western.

  368. Josh says

    Would not a live cat eat brains if she had the chance?

    Well, of course she would. And indeed I have observed such. Being that she is a zombie cat, though, I suspected perhaps some other behavior was rampant…like maybe just eating toenails or something.

  371. says

    So you’re an Edmontonian, eh Matt the heathen? I think there are others lurking around here, too. We’re so much godlessier than Calgary.

    Stupid Calgary.

  372. Josh says

    I say nuts to you and your artificially low limits.

    I say that Isaiah 64:2 mandates the low limits. So there.

  373. Janine says

    Well, of course she would. And indeed I have observed such. Being that she is a zombie cat, though, I suspected perhaps some other behavior was rampant…like maybe just eating toenails or something.

    Posted by: Josh | October 1, 2007 3:35 PM

    I have had cats that licked toenails and other such things just lying about. Perhaps a zombie cat would stop grooming herself. Howelse could you tell that she is a zombie?

    Wait! The cat is in a box. We have no way of knowing!

  375. Hank Fox says

    PZ, have any of your past posts elicited 400 comments?

    I realize this one is kinda like a bottle of aspirin, mostly stuffed with cotton, but still.

  376. Josh says

    Well PULL the damn cat out of the box! We need to KNOW this.

    Oh shit…Janine wait. Make sure you have gloves on first…and maybe a jacket. Shit, wanna borrow my body armor before you do this?

  377. says

    I think I’m going to be pissed if the 500,000th comment was very spamlish in character and had to substance to the post.

    Onward to 1,000,000 now, lads and lasses!

  379. says

    I’ve got some armor that’s plus nine against half alive/half dead cat boxes, until it’s time to clean the litter box.

  381. Janine says

    Josh, pulling the cat would not be so easy. Calling her a zombie cat is my stupid way of solving the problem.

  382. Hank Fox says

    Well, here in the real world of blogging, you’ll be paid back in close to 400 blank comments. :D

  383. Josh says

    Sheesh…you could clue me in to the fact that I’ve obviously gone off the rail for not paying attention.

    *smack*

  384. Janine says

    #379I once thought my blank post was the perfect example of mindless commentary, but it only got 84 comments.

    Posted by: PZ Myers | October 1, 2007 3:52 PM

    But your blank post did not have the offer of a reward. It was blank for blank’s sake. True nothingness.

    We idiots were here to win a contest. Simple Skinnerian behaviorism.

  387. Hank Fox says

    Okay, I’m waiting for comment 400.

    Waiting.

    Tick.

    Tick.

    Tick.

    Someone scare up a stimulating little rush of comments here, so I can get on with my day.

    I’ve never won anything, so I don’t have a hope in Hell of that trip prize. But I can see THIS through.

    Maybe the person who posts comment 400 could win the right to appear on stage at the next blogger convention in one of those little leather outfits from the movie “300.”

    Tick.

  389. Janine says

    Josh, it is so much fun to watch people go off the rail. You never know how the crash will end up. It is good for laughs.

  390. Janine says

    Hank, I am trying. But I will forgo wearing the leather outfit. As you can guess, I look nothing like those guys in ‘300’.

  393. Josh says

    Josh, it is so much fun to watch people go off the rail. You never know how the crash will end up. It is good for laughs.

    Fine…you’re on the list.
    I’m just gonna sit here and pout for a while, feeling stupid.

    Can someone please say something about geo or paleo or evol so I can have something not stupid to contribute?

  394. Physicalist says

    We really shouldn’t be encouraging this sort of thing, you know.

    I feel I should have something to offer about the poor cat in the box (being a philosopher of physics). It seems that for it to be a zombie, there would have to be some sort of interaction (interference) between the live-state and the dead-state: but this would require a degree of coherence impossible for such a large messy thing as an organism. So it’s not a zombie. Just a (potential) fatality in science’s quest to replace god.

    (Somebody call PETA . . .)

  396. Janine says

    When I look back boy I must have been green
    Bopping in the country, fishing in a stream
    Looking for an answer trying to find a sign
    Until I saw your city lights honey I was blind

    They said get back zombie cat
    Better get back to the woods
    Well I quit those days and my redneck ways
    And oh the change is gonna do me good

    You better get back zombie cat
    Living in the city aint where its at
    Its like trying to find gold in a silver mine
    Its like trying to drink whisky from a bottle of wine

    Well I read some books and I read some magazines
    About those high class ladies down in new orleans
    And all the folks back home well, said I was a fool
    They said oh, believe in the lord is the golden rule

    They said stay at home boy, you gotta tend the farm
    Living in the city boy, is going to break your heart
    But how can you stay, when your heart says no
    How can you stop when your feet say go

    Oh my, I am a child of the seventies.

  398. says

    Can someone please say something about geo or paleo or evol so I can have something not stupid to contribute?

    When I took minerology as a part of my BSc I licked all the rocks in the lab and tasted the 10% aqueous HCl used to dissolve calcium carbonate. My TAs thought I was nuts, but who aced the lab exam, huh? That’s right, me.

    Later, the TA that I totally had the hots for ran into me at the campus pub while I was randomly doodling in my notebook on a quiet Wednesday evening. For some reason, I was thinking of that episode of Three’s Company where Jack thinks ‘therapist’ is ‘the rapist’ and freaks out. The TA came up to me and asked what I was working on, looked over at my book to see “The Rapist” written in the margin of my notebook and nothing else on the page.

    Even someone as blessed with the gift of gab as I couldn’t recover from that one.

  399. Physicalist says

    Here’s what D. Adams is thinking about

    1. It is impossible for one person to see reality through the eyes of another.
    2. By definition, a reality you can’t enter via any form of transportation is another dimension.
    3. You comprise 100% of your dimension, because no one else can share exactly your perception.
    4. If you are the entire universe within your dimension, you are God by definition, since you are everything within your own dimension.

    I don’t know, not much worse than Anselm’s proof I’d say.

    a. God by definition has all perfections.

    b. Existence is a perfection.

    c. So god exists. (quantum electro-dynamics)

  402. Hank Fox says

    God just spoke to me and told me that, at the exact moment comment #400 is posted here, he will make Kent Hovind’s head explode just like in those Scanners movies.

    Hey, I’m doing MY part.

  407. Janine says

    Funny. My last post was about hitting 400. But it looks like I was saying that Kent’s head blew up.
    Comedic gold.

  409. Josh says

    When I took minerology as a part of my BSc I licked all the rocks in the lab and tasted the 10% aqueous HCl used to dissolve calcium carbonate. My TAs thought I was nuts, but who aced the lab exam, huh? That’s right, me.

    When I was teaching intro in grad school, we of course used 10% HCl to ‘fizz’ the carbonates in the sed section. The students were freaked out about using HCl and so I used to do this little demo whereby I would tell them it was fine and dribble some acid onto my exposed forearm. This was never a problem until about the fourth year I taught that lab. The bottle of acid I selected wasn’t nearly as dilute as I had expected…

  410. David Marjanović, OM says

    And there I come, see “384 comments”, and wonder what godbots must have infested this thread… tssss.

    Amusing, though. :-)

  411. David Marjanović, OM says

    And there I come, see “384 comments”, and wonder what godbots must have infested this thread… tssss.

    Amusing, though. :-)

  413. says

    I was there! The convention was wonderful, and I cheered for you!! :)

    It was rather comical, though, when Dawkins pronounced “PZ Myers” as “P-Zed Myers”.