I didn't know there were so many sharks reading Unfogged.
Relatedly, nobody seems to have processed that I was asking if anybody is interested in an NYC meetup. But I was.
What are we MLA people, chopped liver?
(Also, in idle moments I think that I would be able to drive down to DC (say isn't that where Superman lives?) in late December. But I am probably kidding myself.
5 - I couldn't remember the name of your conference, B. Think you could make it down from Philly?
Why, shore! I present at oh-dark-thirty on the 30th, so if we could avoid partying late into the wee hours of the 29th, that would be very nice. But other than that, I'm good.
Hey, what's the matter with Philadelphia?
10: Plenty, say some. Teofilo seems to know an awful lot about the place. I went and bought some nice game from a meat counter at the Italian Market.
Yeah, how did that turn out, Smasher? Sounded drool-worthy.
The relevant result is that Armsmasher doesn't know what a hardass is.
Ben, fix the comment defaults already.
And not a minute before, I know, I know...
there's really that many psychologists among you?
Oh shucks, I'll be in Texas. I will never meet you people. Although I did finally meet Matt F., who was lovely and blonder than I expected. (And of course, Becks, who is as delightful as reported. It's probably criminal to dislike Becks, huh?)
If you people are really going to do this, I'll frickin' fly out there for the hell of it. I get back from LA the 28th, and I could hop out for a day or two. Plus, I have a cute boy I want to visit there, in addition.
on the one hand, I've got this feeling that Clownae is kidding about the patissiers.
on the other hand, if I thought he were telling the truth, I'd drive up to D.C., toot sweet.
for a bunch of philosophers that can't even probably make a good oatmeal cookie, much less proper pastry, not worth the drive.
(eclairs, eclaircissements: I know which I pick.)
Watch out m. leblanc, we D.C. folk don't take too kindly to outsiders coming in and staking claims on our cute boys.
Also, I'm not sure if I comment enough here to qualify for meetup attendance, but I'd be thrilled to meet those of you I've never met.
I have a cute boy I want to visit there
Wait, I thought you were the one with the Canadian carpenter with the immigration troubles?
I have a cute boy I want to visit there
...she says, after reading #2.
27: Dude, that's Cala. You're so off.
It's not a boyfriend or anything, just this dude I met when I went to DC last. As we have established, I am quite single.
26: I don't know if I'll be able to make it, but my understanding is that lurkers and semilurkers are always welcome -- the ones at the meetups I've been at have been the life of the party.
lurkers the life of the party at meetups--
suggests maybe that some people are better at some kinds of interactions, others at others?
29: D'oh! I'm having trouble keeping my imaginary friends straight.
Ya think? (I say as I huddle in my office, ignoring my coworkers.)
OTOH I see a handy mnemonic device -- Cala's Canadian Carpenter. Of limited applicability to be sure.
23 - Aw shucks, Susan, that's so sweet! While we're all about mutual admiration, y'all should know that not only is Susan delightful, she walks better in heels with one foot in a cast than I do without.
Woo hoo! We've got people coming in from all over.
And, Sommer, you are surely welcome. As are lurkers -- they're always fun!
they're always fun!
And delicious.
better in heels with one foot in a cast
Wait, did she have a special cast built to accomodate the heel? Or is it built-in to the cast? I somehow can't picture her being in more than one heel.
(I saw a woman walking up an escalator today in stiletto heels, and I winced.)
I'm only a semi-lurker, I think. I pop up every few months to make w-lfs-n feel bad about himself. Nice work if you can get it.
37 - One heel and one cast (not really a cast but a bootlike thing). Still managed it better than I would two uninjured feet in heels.
Cast = tall. So i wear heels on the other foot to even out (and too feel 50% cute).
50% cute
I am visualizing susan walking by, and the Warner Bros. cartoon character turning his head -- one eye bugs out and half a cartoon heart flies away toward susan.
I pop up every few months to make w-lfs-n feel bad about himself
that's my job!
clearly the only answer, Susan, is to start a Texas meetup
Are there any Texan readers other than the Lubbock contingent? Cause GOD knows I'm not going to Lubbock.
M/tch is in Austin or one of those towns.
(Along with numerous bloggy personalities outside but close to the Unfogged commenter-space)
Austin or one of those towns
Excuse me, but Austin's in a category all its own. Especially when compared to other town in Tejas.
Well, okay then. I'll be Dallas/Austin.
51: Oh, Texans can read. They can read . . . the New York pass defense!
Especially when compared to other town in Tejas
Wha'bout Laredo?
52: I think it depends on if/when they decide to self-identify as Texans. I'm pretty sure there's an illiteracy clause in there somewhere.
McManus lives in Texas.
I learned to read in Texas. Then we moved to California and I had to skip up a grade because the schools there were/are so crappy.
Oh, we have an illiteracy clause here too. But we look good on tv, so who cares?
I might be up for a DC meetup, if I'm not going insane because of job market crap.
I think it would be amusing if there were an unfogged table at the smoker.
58: I care, but not enough that I actually watched the game.
hey i will. I mean, after all, I don't comment here anymore since I started working way too hard, but yeah...
62 -- Yeah, well, Texans have resolve. And the Alamo.
I might lurk at a meet-up.
62: California's illiteracy clause was an initiative, right?
63: If it weren't so cold out, we could set up by the smoker.
If people would actually pick a date, I could go see what airfare looks like--I might be able to bounce out for a day if I can swing floorspace in exchange for cured meat products.
So, you're offering to trade your sausage for a place to sleep? Bold.
I'm presenting at 9 AM Thursday the 28, and arriving in town some time the night before. I'm not sure how long I stay in town--it could well be until after new years. I'll have to check.
i think we were thinking saturday the 29th, if people were amenable to coming to a shindig at the flophouse.
ARg, that might leave me out b/c of my fucking presentation in Philadelphia at 8:30 or whatever the next morning.
Yeah, I don't know if people (esp. the APA folks) will want Friday because they have to leave soon after the conference or Saturday. People flying/driving in (like Apostropher) might prefer Saturday, though. I'll update (and bump) the post asking for people's prefs.
Note that although I will not be attending this meetup, I will be in DC from December 9-14.
You bumped on my post? I'll destroy you.
Yeah? I might just put it with a publish date in the future so it will be at the top FOREVER.
Or I might leave for the airport. One or the other.
Ima date this bitch back to ought-three.
Yeah yeah... blast from the past. I've been reading pretty much everything, but haven't had the time to comment on nuthin' cause new job has lots of work. trying to balance my life, but some other shit has been going down and well, yeah. i'll get around to commenting and posting soon enough.
The weekend of the 29th? Sweet, I was going to be in DC that weekend anyway! Count my vote as one semi-lurker for Friday night.
I might be able to make it down for either day. I'll be back visiting the family in southern PA. Friday's probably better.
Hey I live in Austin! Susan, McManus, anyone else Texish?
74: B, we could get the whole panel to go--surely one of us'll have a car and I don't pay for gas, which is a great combination--then drive back the next morning and be equally dull and dim-witted. But yes, that 8:30 a.m. slot does put a damper on plans.
85: From the 17th to the 26th, I'm Texish. Newly non-lurking, but Texish. (Houstonish, though.)
86: Now there's an idea. If we can get Michael to be dull, I'm quite willing to be dull myself.
I don't care between Friday and Saturday. However, I think there should be a decision made relatively soon cause I just found an airfare from Chicago for only $139. God, how I love kayak.com.
I mean, doesn't it make sense for the Bloggers to be Met then feted by the Mineshift? Or feted then Met, either way, though the latter would probably work out better.
The Mineshaft: Fêted, or Foetid? Or both?
I should note, I'm flying out of Philly at 3:30 on Sunday, the 31st, so if we go with my idea, I'd hope to be back in Philly sometime thereabouts. (Should be easy enough, no? Even if it's not my car, there's some kind of easy public transportation from DC to PHI, no?)
You realize that if we're driving back to DC in the wee hours for an 8:30 am panel, there's sure to be a fucking snow storm or something.
93: You know, living in OC this long, the thought never even crossed my mind. Maybe Saturday night works better, then? (After all, we'll be throwing some kind of blog-bash while we're there. Just a matter of when and whether we can unite the APA and MLA.)
93: I think that would require some divine powers, much as mixing the Same and the Different.
95: Or saddles, rucksacks and a few well-trained yetis.
Oh wait, the 30th is Saturday, not Friday. In that case, yay Saturday! Boo Friday!
And like you, SEK, I'll have to catch a plane on the 31st, hopefully rather early, as I'll have some New Year's celebratin' to do that night in Minneapolis.
I'm a frequent visitor to Philly, and rarely drive: the train is fast, not too expensive, and more reliable.
oh! yeah, my bad. when i originally wrote i meant saturday the 30th. but either friday or saturday works for us, i'm pretty sure.
Are there people who can't do saturday? If so, speak up b/c it looks like we're leaning that way now. (That would be best for me, too.)
Quick last question, then: would this party contain floors and/or couches for crashing, as B and I (and the rest of our party, if indeed there is one) will have woken up early, presented, traveled all day and will likely need...never mind. What I'm asking is "Will we rock it to the break of dawn?"
Floors and couches? Baby, I want a bed.
You may be able to win yourself one. Sadly, I look much like a graduate student.
24: And don't forget we need to have an LA meet-up when you're in town. Scott can start looking for a ride now.
104: When I was a grad student, I was cute. But yeah, no way am I sleeping on a floor after an 8:30 am presentation. I'll happily spring for a hotel, and anyone who's willing to share a room is welcome to do so.
105: I have a ride now, sort of, and it doesn't even involve Mormons.
106: Women can get away with it. Men show up in tattered jackets with silver-fish lined pockets and "shabby chic" devolves into "just plain shabby."
Also, yes, I'd chip in for a room. (Got to be less expensive than the damn MLA hotel that last night.)
When I was in DC, we stayed in a Motel 6 that wasn't totally terrible for $60 a night, if you're looking for cheap, and it was in the district proper. But maybe y'all are classier than me.
That said, I'd take a couch.
For the sake of #108, #107 was a joke. (I'm known to be a well-laundered, quite snappy dresser.)
Cheap is good. Speaking of which, SEK, I suppose you've already got a roomie for the MLA, haven't you? I have yet to register, even.
It might be best if would-be meeteruppers in need of housing e-mailed one of the Florida House residents (I'll volunteer). Or one another, in cases in which a shared room might work out okay (I can help with that, too). Spacing here is limited, and might in fact not be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis--we may have some friends in town for the New Year's weekend, and the meatosphere friends we ignore in favor our online community will take precedence, just this once.
111: Sorry B, I do. A couple actually, if you count cots. (It's a real power trip having to turn all these big-time bloggers down. First Holbo, now you. Who's next, Glenn Reynolds?)
Smasher, can you do anything about my tardy MLA registration?
This is the part where you offer to email me pictures, yes?
If Holbo comes, maybe we can crash with his people? They have rooms. (His people? I think they're her people. They're their people, then.) But I suppose I should run it by them. (Only polite, you know?)
'Smasher, what is parking like there? My familiarity with the DC system of public transportation is limited (I remember it to be: "clean" and "orderly"). Can people get to your place via subway? Bus? Should they plan on driving/'pooling? What's the Best Practice here?
maybe we should just send out, like, a Guide to the Flophouse. with parking and other info and etc. fwiw, metro is super easy to the house, about five blocks or so away. green line.
You can't Metro here from arthegallville. Where are you coming from?
Wait, so, is the meetup going to be at the flophouse? This just gets better and better.
Well, driving up from NC a day or two before, to put my lady-friend on a train and see some family. So I'll probably have access to a car if absolutely necessary, and I could arrange to be dropped off at some kind of Metro stop. I think.
A Flophouse Guide would be great.
116: The naked pictures of Ben w-lfs-n? Common currency for Unfoggetariot-enabled miracles.
flophouse guide! just email me if you think you might attend, whatever day we do end up deciding, and i can send out info. pablohoney at gmail dot com.
A Flophouse Guide
The thing you need to keep in mind is Catherine's post-shower proclivity to lounge around the house in a teensie towel--if anything at all. It's quite uncomfortable, really.
You must e-mail each member of the household in order to collect all the clues to assemble the Tri-Force, which can be exchanged for a Flophouse decoder ring.
I don't have a Tri-Force, just this old Holy Thunderforce. How far will that get me?
I send out-of-town guests to the Tabard Inn. FYI. Not only because I like to eat there . . .
Face me evil bastards! Smell the hate of angels!
Invite me to your party?
It would be thoughtful of you if you got Catherine a more comfortable towel.
I so might have to take one of those deathtrap Chinatown buses down to DC for this. If I find my sleeping bag, would ya'll loan me an out-of-the-way corner? (Behold, my first biscuit conditional!)
WTF? Is everybody coming to this thing except me?
Bitch, do you want me to look for you a roomie for MLA again? You have to register, seriously, now. People are searching you on the work blog because they're trying to figure out who you are.
Ooh, chalk me up on the semi-lurker column. No problem with Saturday; I'm local.
Hooray, J-Mo! Those deathtrap buses aren't really all that deathtrappy.
I don't know about SB, but Rhapsody is most definitely invited.
I'm not sure I'll be able to make it, but it sounds like a lot of fun.
HMMM! I'll probably be in SoCal for a few days in the December 20s and I've been invited to a wedding reception (crazy Mormons won't let the Jew into their actual wedding) on Jan 6 in Detroit. Apparently if I'm around here around the first Megan will harass me and the female Decemberist in Portland is spoken for, so maybe I should try to go to DC. Don't worry about finding me a couch or anything, I'll just sleep with catherine.
It's not about you being a gentile, w-lfs-n, but you knew that.
I'll probably be in SoCal for a few days in the December 20s
Well, then, it's settled; see 24, and 105. What do you SoCal people think about Dec. 21st? I realize this is the DC thread, but whatevs.
I don't know about SB, but Rhapsody is most definitely invited.
I can't come, anyway. So there.
Oh, wait, December? Never mind!
I thought this was a little last-minute...
Can we get ogged to come to this meetup?
What do you think about ... the 22nd? Or, hell, the 23rd?
147: well, we did all recently tell him how women like some degree of confidence
My place is a few blocks up from the flophouse, there are couches available to any in need.
I would love to come, but will be otherwise engaged.
Ogged's not invited, anyway. Bob's coming, though.
Be confident, you worm! Be confident! And relax!
Can't you do anything right?
Fine, ogged, but I've gone long enough without meeting the original and remaining proprietor of this damn blog. Next time you're in Chicago, you're hanging out with me and Kotsko.
Well then you can spring for a flight for me, right, ogged?
So you can sleep with Catherine? You're on your own, pal.
You just don't care about me at all, do you?
134: What is this "the work blog" of which you speak? Is it the long one I'm thinking of? Or are you people hiding shit from me again?
123: Oh, those. Sure, no problem.
141: 21 Dec? Sure, fine with me.
162: I'd much prefer something before the 17th, when I leave, that way I can annoy the West and East Coast people in equal measure...but alas, it seems not to be.
But your wife will still be around, right? I'll memorize the opening lines of Pearl.
Before the 17th is not to be for me, anyway, as I've already bought tickets for my flight, which arrives on the 21st.
"w-lfs-n awakened in the near dark. The stars still shone and the day had drawn only a pale wash of light in the lower sky to the east. The roosters had been crowing for some time..."
Do you really want this to turn into a woo-off? I mean, for someone with your "skillz," shouldn't you aim a little lower? Like, I don't know, who can convince an impressionable undergraduate she'll get an "A" if she joins us for soda pop?
160: Yeah, that one. The one I said I'd post to. Really, I did.
170: I really just didn't want to feel left out. Can't have ben sucking the confidence from all of us, now can we?
Trash talk isn't so effective, SEK, if you follow it up by claiming you've had your confidence taken from you.
I believe that was what we in the lit world call irony.
173: Shhhh...philosophers'll "invent" that in a few years, B. We should let them evolve at their own pace.
Okay, boys, really. Don't you have, like, homework or something?
I'm doing it as we speak.
P.S. 175: Buuuuuuuurn.
Can't have ben sucking the confidence from all of us
That's a funny way to spell "thick southern drawl".
I will be in D.C. from the 22nd through the 27th, staying with ma and pa text.
ma and pa text.
Known to their friends as Hieroglyph and Cuneiform.
their special friends have different names for them.
Are you saying I'm not special, text?
179: I was being subtle...just like in 178.
their special friends have different names for them.
Lorem & Ipsum.
It's not nice to call his parents meaningless.
Vis-à-vis 184, why not help Dr. B. and I feel more important. C'mon, you know you want to...plus, I'll buy you, like, a stick of gum or something for your effort. Or maybe even a Toblerone or something...
Why should we help someone who doesn't even know when to use "me"?
Do you not consider 188 a form of help, Ben?
188: You're prescribing a lot for someone who's not yet Dr. Ben.
it's actually dolorem ipsum. and apo, I should have warned you, my parents don't get emotionally attached very easily.
188: Because some of us are humans, not grammar-bots?
why not help Dr. B. and I feel more important.
Huh? I feel quite self-important as is, actually.
Yeah, don't drag her down with you, Scott.
No, no, I'm quite amused by the literature vs. philosopher/grammar nazi argument, and I'm pretty much entirely on Scott's side. I'm just saying, my hubris is pretty well established. I think.
It's hardly an argument. Scott's an amateur.
I believe your last contribution was "Ooooo," which is hardly high stakes stuff.
Yet another reason it's not much of an argument.
Ah yes, you want room 12A, just along the corridor.
Okay, if hilzoy is coming (I assume that's what she meant, as opposed to weighing in on the human vs. grammarbot debate), then I'm really going to have to try to make it.
For the record, 192 wasn't me. Not that I disagree, mind you...it just wasn't me.
I think saturday sounds better than friday because that way bphd and SEK can definitely come. I can come either day, though. also, I want nyc people to brave the sketchy chinatown busses!! I can't wait for this blogstar-studded soiree at the FAHUB!111!!! I'll bring food of some kind. a festive cake? savoury items of some sort?
Oh yeah! For last year's very blogger holiday adult party in honor of the visiting Political Animal, we had real food and everything. John Holbo told me he liked my caviar confection (the heart went pitter patter), so maybe I'll make that again.
is there any way we can force spencer ackerman to become a loyal unfogged commenter in the next month or so? it would just be...so right. or if he already is and I just don't know his handle them email me, but I don't think so.
It should be sackerman, because that would make me chuckle.
He has to be Spack if he takes on a handle.
In the Saiselgy tradition, though, it should be Recneps Namrekca. Which sounds oddly Turkish.
Recneps sounds more like a title than like a name -- a bit reminiscent of Princeps maybe?
Could put some cedillas in there, for additional Turkishness: Reçneps Namrekça. Although now the last name looks vaguely Czech.
It does look pretty Czech. Pronounced 'Namrzhetchka', for added difficulty.
And Recneps are clearly a type of medical instrument.
No, no, Recneps are clearly the muscles in your arms that only develop if you're totally bad-ass, like "biceps, triceps, and recneps, bitch".
How you feeling this morning, m?
yeah, are you still up from before or did you sleep for like 3 hours? if it's the latter I'd tell you to go right back to sleep but maybe you have, like, responsibilities or something. I'm going to sleep because I'm really sick. I feel all weeeiird and floaty. the thought that in my drinking days I'd be able to force myself get out of bed and drink a half-bottle of vodka while feeling like this is giving me the cold robbies.
I think 'Princess Spack' has a lot of promise. czech out the recneps on that guy!
re: 217 and sickness
Everybody I know has had this nasty cold virus. With sinuses filled with napalm/glue, chest tightness, coughing, etc. It seems to drag on for ages too... I had a few weeks back and still feel rough. It seems to be going around ... although possibly not all the way from the UK to Alameidaville.
sinuses filled with napalm
Should make for interesting, special-effects-y sneezes.
I am feeling quite poorly. .
I have a meeting at 9:45, where I need to show up and make brilliant arguments and wow everyone with how awesome I am. So far, the forecast on this actually happening is bleak.
Awesome! I was just waiting for alameida to weigh in. Saturday it is!
210 - In the Sausagely tradition, I read that as Redneck Namerica.
Feel better, nattarGcM! Sinus problems are the suck.
Just returned from a computer-less Thanksgiving week in Paris. (I found where M. nworB took this great shot.)
I'll be back in the DC area (I hope) so if you can add another 47-y.o. semi-lurker to the list I'll try to make it.
I can't make it; you people are all therefore bitches.
aww Joe! Whadidido?
Say it ain't true.
218: Well, it's made it as far as California, b/c I've had that for the last couple weeks and it can go away any time now.
This is beginning to look unmissable. Is John Emerson coming, or am I likely to be the only greybeard?
Old man, it's just you. I'll see people in Portland about Dec 15, and maybe in Minneapolis around Jan 1.
Bah. All these meet ups seem to be far away or badly timed or both.
What's the date of this thing? I refuse to read the entire thread, and it keeps changing.
It's Saturday the 30th, lazy blogger.
That's what I thought. I should be able to do that, though that week is hectic and I can't commit entirely.
am I likely to be the only greybeard?
Lots of grey in my beard, though I'm no John Emerson.
this is giving me the cold robbies.
Alameida is so awesome.
204: It sounds like something I'd say, but I don't know. I went away to cook dinner, came back, noticed that "I" had commented. Could've been the wife pre-flirting with ben, though.
226, 218: I'm with you, down with the lingering tyranny of this magnificent beast! I'd like to breath again already.
The fact that I am actually pricing out plane tickets means that you all suck.
A chapter of the Florida Flophouse Guide will be dedicated to telling one's S.O., who doesn't get into the Internet, that one needs to travel to attend (or host--as the case may be) a party where strangers tell one another cock jokes. Any advice readers out there have on this subject is appreciated.
238: If that was a personal request for advice, than I have entirely lost track of anything I ever knew about who of the DC contingent is paired up with whom.
But it is an interesting question.
Two-hundred thirty-seven got me thinking about the phenomenon, and 238 was joke-y, but to answer, you've lost track. It's safe to bet that any two of us are living together, but not dating.
Late to this, but ME, I'M in Austin, and so apparently is heebie-geebie, who I don't really know as I've been remiss in the amount of attention I've been able to schedule for Unfogged of late, but no matter: make-believe friends of the Mineshaft are make-believe friends of mine.
susan will be in Austin at some point. SEK will be around Houston, but that's only about three hours drive away. McManus is up around Fort Worth? And Weiner resides in Lubbock, although I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves our fair state for the holidays.
Any other Texas-livin' or visitin' folk out there? What say we have a meet-up, and show those damn DC punks that they don't get to have all the fun.
(Of course, I may be in DC between Christmas and New Year's, in which case, "My, what a nice flophouse you have, 'Smasher".)
241: I feel a bit bad about having somewhat precipitated the texas discussion without noting that I'll be out of the country.
Do you reside in Texas, soubzriquet? And if so, how long will you be out of the country?
243: yes, Houston. I'm away for two weeks from the 18th on, though.
It's nice that you guys are having this get together and all, but not particularly relevant to me. What is relevant is the following: if I breeze into D.C. in one of the single digit days of January, are people going to be around then? Because I may well do that.
Well if we can find some way to be relevant to dear Washerdreyer, I suppose we might shall try.
248: oh? we may achieve critical mass yet!
Um...let's see...um...maybe Pittsburgh? Or Wilkes-Barre?
I am going to embark upon an unfogged world tour. Then, having met most of you, I will quit the internets forever. First tragedy, then comedy.
251 - If you do that, you'll get cancer.
Advice on how to get a spouse to approve plane tickets would be appreciated. I'm going to pitch her on it, but I suspect I'm going to get shot down.
You'll probably want to downplay all the sexual tension going on between us, Chops.
I notice that no one is paypaling me bux.
But it's a comedy this time, so I'll probably just get hemorrhoids. Or bitten in the groin by a small dog, or something.
which I'll tell you all about on my secret mirror blog. and then you'll send me goodies. and we'll laugh and laugh.
I go to Houston somewhat frequently. Austin is of course the better venue for a Texas Meat-Up, but hey, I'm willing to be flexible.
Tell her you're going to the APA conference, Chopper. Professional development or something. Also mention the lucrative financial rewards to be found in philosophy.
no one is paypaling me bux
He prefers to travel by train.
259: Austin isn't so far.... I can be flexible (when I'm in the country, anyway)
But please; didn't you hear Megan? no meat-ups, it's unfair to vegetarians
247: There's the spirit. Except next time sound more excited about meeting me. I may or may not be more fun in person than I come off as online, it's not really clear to me how I come off online. Or in person, for that matter.
Matt, is that all googling, or do you have some connection to our Western Suburbs I don't know about?
Which is to also say that I think it'd be fun to meet the D.C. commenters whom I haven't already met (I guess I've only met Becks, which isn't to diminish the awesomeness of Becks), you seem like a good bunch.
I visit Houston fairly frequently. I also drive through Wilkes-Barre a lot, but I've never stopped.
I also drive through Wilkes-Barre a lot, but I've never stopped.
You might want to check it out; the streetlights downtown are actually anchored in the sidewalk now, instead of being on temporary movable platforms!
Also, Wilkes-Barre is phasing out its "flies swarming around a pile of shit" logo in favor of a modernized bicentellial logo and this diamondy thing.
Teo - Do you go to Co/rnell Uni/versity?
Wilkes-Barre totally stole that logo from Utah.
(Oh, what the hell. It's basically an open secret at this point anyway.)
269: Y/es.
Wow, that's scary. I graduated '05. I wonder if we know any similar people. I also wonder how we both came upon this blog. Odd.
I once made the mistake of driving through Wilkes-Barre when I missed the 380 exit off of 81 S. So I took 81S all the way to 80E. That sucked.
You can e-mail me if you'd like. Address is in my sidebar.
238/253: What, the "I'm the man, I wear the pants around here" line doesn't work?
How about "for my Xmas present"? Or "pretty please, all the other people's partners are letting them go, plus I promise to bring you a present"? Or "how much did we spend going to your stupid sister's wedding"? Or, more seriously, "I promise to take the kids to my mom's the weekend after I get back?"
I'm not helping, am I?
(Nor is it going to be helpful to point out that this, *this* is exactly the kind of thing that justifies having separate bank accounts, but I can't help myself.)
Just show her the STD thread and assure her that everybody is very conscientious about condom use.
do you have some connection to our Western Suburbs I don't know about?
No, just googling. He's the first google image search result for "bux", which is a certain kind of notability.
I'd just like to point out that I was in Ith/aca last summer and nobody came around for meetups.
Should have come during the school year.
Gosh. This is starting to sound like the Oscar Night of blog-land. It's unlikely that I'll make it to DC over the 30th, but I might just try.
It's provisionally a go. I have to give up my Christmas present (which is fine, she never gets me anything good anyway) and she gets to go visit her brother in LA without me.
I seriously need to score some floor space, though. Matt, does your offer stand? I'm breaking a whole hog's non roast/rib/tenderloin bits into sausage, hams, and bacon in the next few weeks, and will happily exchange some for a couple nights of floor space. (A one-night trip adds 150 bucks to the trip.)
Anybody want to spend Saturday during the day going to museums or walking around taking photographs?
That's no way to win a thread, Chopper.
Mmm, bacon...the couch is yours. And the other one is still available for anyone else who needs it.
I'd certainly be up for museum/monument wandering.
If you go to museums, here is something to look for: there is an art musum in the middle of all the government buildings (is that called "on the mall"?) that has as one of its exhibits, a room of falling paper. It is about the coolest thing I have seen in my days. Little robots are constantly pulling the pieces of tissue paper off the floor and up to the ceiling, where they are hauled to a random place and dropped. You can sit in the middle of it and have paper dropped on you, make snow angels, build forts. No smoking though. I can't remember the name of the museum but will endeavor to.
is that called "on the mall"?
Depends which government buildings you're talking about (I don't recognize that exhibit's description). The mall is the big open area between the Capitol and the Washington Monument, and "on the mall" would be all the buildings immediately surrounding it.
285: Location-wise, that sounds like the National Gallery, but I haven't heard about any exhibit like that there.
Ah! Hirschhorn is the name of the museum. Caveat: the exhibition may have been a temporary one. It was super-memorable.
"at hand" by Ann Hamilton. It was at the Hirshhorn a couple of years ago.
And it was indeed very, very cool.
The Hamilton's no longer there, though.
Thanks, Armsmasher.
New agenda item: do NOT go to the Hirschhorn Museum.
But do visit the Hirshhorn Museum.
The Hirshhorn is my favorite. And not just because it's round.
The Hirshhorn looks excellent. I'd like to go there and the Lincoln Memorial.
Speaking of excellent museums, I went to the Museum of Russian Art over the weekend and it was fucking awesome. Just a fantastic exhibit of socialist realism. Really, really great stuff. Twin Cities commenters and readers take note.
I have an off-topic question:
What do people do for New Year's?
See, my family are homebodies and watching the ball drop on TV and/or falling asleep at ten counts as an exciting night. I've done the random mosh party thing a couple of times, but I'm looking for something that a couple would do, going-out-wise. Dinner-dancing. An excuse to wear a cocktail dress and look hott. Any ideas on where to start looking? Restaurants? Hotels? Bars? I'm socially inept.
That's a question worthy of a new post.
Chopper, you're not coming to LA? Boo.
What are you talking about? You'll see me in DC and in the Twin Cities.
Any ideas on where to start looking?
Craig's List?
I bet you could find a date at the DC meetup. And then you've got two days to get to know me before New Year's Eve.
I'm out for this thing -- high school friend with a new baby is visiting NY over the relevant days. Maybe I'll make cookies or something and send them down by a New Yorker who's going.