Scienceblogs.com is about to hit one of those arbitrary round-number milestones: sometime soon, someone will make the one millionth comment. Our generous Seed overlords wish to mark this event with celebrations all over the world, and are planning to bestow upon us small sums of money for the purpose of purchasing refreshments at gatherings of bloggers and readers near the places where our physical forms abide.
In other words, we get to have a party and Seed will pay for the beer.
So Greg Laden and I are going to organize a joint party — if I tried to have one in Morris, the contrast with my readership would make me look sad — so we’re going to get together somewhere in the Twin Cities area some evening.
The best time for me will be the evening of Thursday, 18 September, because that’s when I’ll be driving through on my way to Madison anyway. Now we’re looking for a nice venue: something with seating for a throng, that’s not too noisy (we’ll provide the noise, instead of a football game on the big screen or a band on the stage), and with good food and beer, somewhere near the Twin Cities, and where some of you readers might actually show up. Make suggestions here and at Greg’s place and we’ll pull it together.
…and by Twin Cities you really mean Dallas/Ft Worth, right?
Right?
:'(
I like that idea! The twin cities (nearby at least) is darn convenient for me!
Station 4 in St. Paul would be a great place that has a steady flow of death metal fans (all non-religious).
Intellectuals + joint party = ???
There’s no need to put any work into organizing a party, the Republicans have done it for you. Just drop in and enjoy the festivities, perhaps on the day hurricane Gustav makes landfall.
I’m an east coaster, so I know of no place in the Twin Cities, but allow me to do my part by getting you one comment closer to the big milestone.
If it is within the Twin Cities Metro area, just give the place and time. I will be there!
Quick! Post another crackergate blog post, that’ll fill up with 1000 posts by the morning!
Steve. No. Not Death Metal for a party of people who actually like to talk. We had problems enough at The Local with their piped in music.
Wow! One million? That has to be a lot of megs worth of comments! (And, considering the track record of comments in this particular blog, a significant portion of those megs must be nutmegs.)
I suggest “Grumpy’s” Its a nice place, with good food, great beer, reasonable price, and has never been too loud when I have been here. I think they also have some separate rooms for groups.
Authorities are concerned about a squid and atheist orgy being held by cyber-pistol wielding cracker-desecrater PZ Myers, at an undisclosed location in the Twin Cities area less than 20 miles from the Republican convention …
Come on PZ, have your joint party in Madison!
Just gave your latest effort 5 estrellas, Mr. Diplotti. :)
Hmm…I will be in Madison on the 19th, so I could do TWO parties!
To coin a phrase from Language Log, it’s a Kolmogorov Complexity trough. Interesting thought, explains why we celebrated the millenium at the beginning of 2000, not at the end.
#14 Muchas gracias.
So it’s a Gathering? Can there be only One?
Well, here’s my lottery ticket for the millionth comment… If there’s to be a resulting party, someplace in between here and Minnesota might be nice… except that there aren’t any nice places in between here and minnesota.
Toronto? Ugh.
Detroit? Double-ugh.
Maybe the party could be in Montreal… poutine and beer in an historic city. Definitely a party place.
The millionth comment award will go to a creationist/HIV-denialist troll, and you know it.
While eiher Minneapolis or St. Paul would be nice, parking can be an expensive problem. I suggested the Mermaid in Mounds View. It has a huge open space with an arcade (skee ball and crap like that.) Also has a decent motel attached for those who have an extra beer and don’t want to drive.
A party on the 19th would have the advantage of being on Talk Like A Pirate Day. I could contribute some highly decorative cardboard pirate-face cut-outs and plastic eyepatches…
…You know, if you had the party in DC.
Here you go, this must be comment 999,992 ?
Great – I’ll bring the joints!
I too am on the east coast. Darn, I really oughta read more blogs in my area…
How about the Black Forest Inn in Minneapolis? Pretty quiet, you can reserve the outdoor seating for a group, and they’ve got killer beer. Foods OK.
Don’t post anything that will upset the fundies; we’d hate for your millionth comment to be:
I’ll pray for you, you hell-bound monkey.
OT sort of. PZ should do a post on the US anthrax attacks. That was a weird one. The accused scientist from the biowarfare facility committed suicide under questioning. We will probably never know for sure who did it unless someone channels his spirit.
FWIW, the forensics was state of the art but even then, the FBI could only show it was a weapons lab strain but didn’t have any solid evidence against the scientist himself.
…we’d hate for your millionth comment to be: I’ll pray for you, you hell-bound monkey.
(Resists tempation to go all Poe with exactly that line…)
I’m unlikely to make it to the Twin Cities that week, but this is a brief reminder since the thread on the topic may have left interpretations less than entirely definite: the Ottawa Pharyngufest is Sept 27, 8pm ET, at the Clocktower on Bank.
We now return you to Minnesota, for ongoing discussion of That Other Event.
For the first time in my life, I wished I lived in Minnesota or Iowa or one of the Dakotas or Wisconsin or even Canada.
But no, I’m stuck in sunshine-and-happiness South Florida. :(
I suggest you do this party in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Not for any selfish reasons, of course.
How about http://www.theliffey.com/ in St. Paul
Where’s my Friday cephalopod?
:-(
For good beer & food in the Twin Cities, you can’t go wrong with Town Hall, Barely John’s or Bryant-Lake Bowl (which also features bowling).
http://www.barleyjohns.com/
http://townhallbrewery.com/
http://www.bryantlakebowl.com/
Barley John’s & Town Hall also have good outdoor seating if the weather is good, but anyone offended by sports on TV will potentially have problems with Town Hall.
@31,
Yeah, the Liffey would be good to. Plus, I can bicycle to it!
I’ll have to agree with DrBadger that Madison is a very good choice.
For those of you in TX/OK, ERV is having a Millionth Post Party in OKC. http://scienceblogs.com/erv/2008/08/okc_erv_partyyyyyyy.php
Have a mass cracker desecration!
#15: How bipartisan of you. :P
Just out of curiosity PZ, how many of those million comments were on your blog? about 950k?
P
(.)(.)
Have a mass cracker desecration!
They have those in the South. They’re called “rodeos”.
(stare)
Man, that sounded a lot better in my head. :-
Off topic, but McCain has selected a creationist running mate:
http://scienceblogs.com/afarensis/2006/10/27/intelligent_design_and_the_ala/
Speaking of excellent party, those Republicans want a creationst to be the next Vice President:
The volatile issue of teaching creation science in public schools popped up in the Alaska governor’s race this week when Republican Sarah Palin said she thinks creationism should be taught alongside evolution in the state’s public classrooms. Palin was answering a question from the moderator near the conclusion of Wednesday night’s televised debate on KAKM Channel 7 when she said, “Teach both. You know, don’t be afraid of information.
beat me to it. woo is in the [white] house!
not.
mccain’s still gonna lose.
I second the nomination of Town Hall brewery, on the West Bank (no, not THAT West Bank) — it was the first place that came to my mind.
They have good beer (they brew their own), solid food, and the sports on the TV are not at a distracting volume. It’s embarrassingly close to the UMN-TC campus, so it’s convenient for all the godless ivory-tower academics here.
The Bryant-Lake Bowl might be a bit small, and you’ll have to deal with the hipsters (but hey, it’s closer to where I live…)
Any chance there’ll be karaoke? For no particular reason, I’ll do my best to channel David Byrne for the occasion.
♫Good God! What have I done?!♪
♩Letting the days go by-y-y-y….♬
Well, I’m in Eau Claire, so maybe you could party all the way to Madison…
The Bulldog NE in Northeast Minneapolis has a nice party wing and huge beer selection.
They have those in the South. They’re called “rodeos”.
I thought they called ’em ‘McCain conventions’…
What?
Oh. It’s desecration? Not ‘desperation’?
Never mind, then.
Only one suggestion. O’Gara’s in St. Paul. Nice atmosphere. Close to the freeway. Other suggestions made are good except Bryant-Lake Bowl. The place would be great, but who wants to hear pins drop while talking. Of course, I could be wrong as beer and bowling have been going steady for a long time.
Suggestions made that I like are Grumpy’s and Bulldog. (I think Bulldog use to be an upscale gay bar. If I remember right, it was also a porn book store at one time. I am getting toooooo old.)
If you decide on Bulldog, their website demands a %20 gratuity for food for groups over 8 people. So, rob your piggy banks if it’s Bulldog!
Happy millinery!
I’m torn — I’d be temped to show up to meet PZ, but I can’t stand Greg Laden. Hmmm.
I’d suggest Sweeney’s on Dale in St. Paul- it’s been a couple years for me but last time I was there they had a nice backyard patio. Centrally located off of 94 and easy parking too. Or, Town Hall for the beer- maybe the 35W bridge will be open by then? It’s on my calendar.
Am I the millionth comment?
Cheers,
Ray
How about now?
Bwahahahahahaha
Cheers,
Ray
MILLIONTH!
>_> j/k
Does that million include those that have been sent to the dungeon? Just from the comment links, it looks like we’re at almost 1.077 million already. I’m skeptical of your claims Dr. Myers. ~_^
Drat! I haven’t moved to Minneapolis yet! I’m planning to next year! Can’t you just wait or something? ;)
What I really want to know:
Will PZ bring the stuffed pink octopus?
How about Wellington, New Zealand? What say you?!
Twin cities Albury/Wodonga, halfway between Melbourne and Sydney. Australia. C’mon, you know you want to come over (mind you, Wellington NZ sounds fantastic to me – we could do both!)
Huh
(lifts head up from desk where the Bride is studiously avoiding finishing her loomingly due masters thesis)
.. did someone say PARTY???
( looks around shaking head, suddenly realising it is daylight and another 24 hour period has passed with no work done)
….did someone say FREE BEER???
(mentally weighs up price of ticket to USA vs amount of free beer Bride can fit into stomach).
Can someone send me a map of this “twin cities” you speak of? I’m off to Flght Centre to make a booking.
Clearly the only viable solution here is a massive, roaming, worldwide party that starts in Minneapolis and circles the globe over the course of a year or so. I believe there was something like this in The Life, the Universe and Everything.
BoS, add “bigger stomach with beer resistant lining” to your wedding registry. :)
There is only one place for this event, the 60 year old, Vegas-influenced, politically significant Mancini’s on West 7th in St. Paul.
http://www.mancinis.com/
They can accommodate a throng, and I can ride my bike there.
I’m sure we could do it at the U of M Campus Club in Coffmann Union and I would be delighted and honored to put the event together for you fine gentlemen. How many are you thinking will attend?
…and I’ll cover the cost of hors ‘dourves. Ergo, free beer and eats all at a central local on a bus line!
Furthermore, perhaps we could invite PZ’s buddy Bob Bruinicks up for a toddy and a cracker. -lol-
Y’know, as a lurker and sometime commenter, I sure wish you would come to midtown NYC.
PZ of course, but all of you commenters too.
I just wish I knew of a good bar here.
But congrats on your hitting a milestone!
You’re a hoot, Rick! It makes me laugh to think of Bruinicks joining our group for a toddy and a cracker!!!
The Local in downtown Minneapolis gets my vote. I love that place, and it is walking distance from my place!
I vote somewhere with a party wing/room that has atmosphere. It’s goign to be in the RNC (right?), so who knows how crowded the bars will be? And we don’t want to start any bar-fights.
If the Bulldog has a party room, that’d be good. And it’s 10 blocks from my house. I also like the Chatterbox in Highland Park, St Paul. Has a good party room, good atmosphere, but maybe not ghetto enough (ie too contrived) for this group. No offense. Stub and Herb’s on the East Bank of campus is also good, has plenty of space and good bar staff and good beer on tap. I doubt it’ll be too full.
I’ve never been to the Local.
The place you describe is located in St. Paul at Dale and Selby and is called The Muddy Pig.
Andy, the RNC is this week (starts Monday; they’ve already put up the security perimeter), so we’ll be well after that. In fact, it will probably be to our advantage to follow them. We’ll tip, we won’t be snotty to people because they have service jobs, and our jokes will actually be funny. The staff will love us wherever we end up.