MSP Meetup - since we all need to start drinking heavily.

August 28, 2008 10:29 AM

Okay, so Denver has their DNC meetup tonight. For those stuck in, or visiting, the Twin Cities for the RNC (and associated protests), how about a meetup?

We could meet up in St. Paul, if you want to make fun of the delegates, or in Minneapolis if you just want to stay the hell away. Thoughts?

posted by cabingirl to MetaFilter gatherings at 10:29 AM (52 comments total)

Just to be clear: there are some Republicans here on MetaFilter, and we still love you crazy guys.
posted by Deathalicious at 11:10 AM on August 28, 2008

Seconded.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 11:36 AM on August 28, 2008

Also, who is taking the post for the historic¹ nomination of McCain?

¹First candidate born more than 2 centuries prior to nomination date.
posted by DU at 12:27 PM on August 28, 2008

You're right, I should have said "if you want to make fun of the delegates or the protestors." I'm all about equal opportunity name calling.
posted by cabingirl at 12:38 PM on August 28, 2008

I'm all about equal opportunity

More liberal bias from MetaFilter.
posted by burnmp3s at 12:46 PM on August 28, 2008 [2 favorites]

(The title of this thread is pretty funny if you live in Scotland, where MSP means something different.)
posted by jack_mo at 12:58 PM on August 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

I'll be in Minneapolis starting next week but not until the tail end of the convention (on the 3rd) so I may be able to meet up, depending on when people decide to have it.
posted by triggerfinger at 1:07 PM on August 28, 2008

So let us in on it - Major Scottish Pimping? What does it stand for?
posted by GuyZero at 2:00 PM on August 28, 2008

MSP is the airport code for Minneapolis.

I'm down for a meetup, but want to stay the hell out of the cities during the convention. St. Louis Park would be reasonably close to the city but not quite in it, although I'm at a loss to come up with decent watering holes in that neck of the woods. Anybody else willing to go slightly suburban to avoid the convention mess?

Also, the Republican MeFites can stay away. Go rub elbows with the rest of the assholes working hard to destroy this country, you'll have plenty of common company downtown.
posted by baphomet at 2:29 PM on August 28, 2008

Frankly, baphomet, anything central is going to be hell for people on one side of the cities or the other. For example, I'm on the East Side of St. Paul so I'd be driving right through the mess to get to St. Louis Park. I take your point, though.
posted by cabingirl at 2:43 PM on August 28, 2008

Also, the Republican MeFites can stay away. Go rub elbows with the rest of the assholes working hard to destroy this country, you'll have plenty of common company downtown.

This kind of sentiment is pretty much completely not cool. This is a meetup invite, for actual human beings, not an internet electionfilter slugfest, so please let's not go there.
posted by cortex at 2:49 PM on August 28, 2008

I'm pretty sure that Minneapolis is going to be quite a bit less busy than St. Paul during the actual convention. I would suggest someplace there, like Brit's or The King and I or someplace else with a patio.
posted by norm at 3:24 PM on August 28, 2008

I might be down for something next week -- I vote Minneapolis.
posted by adamwolf at 4:24 PM on August 28, 2008

Depending on what night, I might be up for it. I'd like to go, but, as Jeff Lebowski says, I've got a lot of ins, lot of outs going right now. My vote shouldn't count for much, given that I'm not a sure attendee, but I vote Minneapolis but not downtown. I like downtown, and it's easy for me to get to, but I'm guessing that's the one part of Mipples that'll suffer from conventionism.

If this one falls through, my band's playing a benefit show on the 12th, and all TC MeFites would be most, most welcome...
posted by COBRA! at 5:06 PM on August 28, 2008

So let us in on it - Major Scottish Pimping? What does it stand for?

I'm gonna guess this.
posted by Rangeboy at 5:24 PM on August 28, 2008

My boss's (at the famous used bookstore) daughter* is married to a senator from Wyoming or Nebraska or one of those states out west, so she's at the convention. By all accounts she's an extremely unpleasant woman, though. Her husband once came into the store through the seller's entrance. I asked him if he was selling books and was ready to tell him he had to wait in line with the smelly homeless guys and dippy college kids**, but then he introduced himself. Yeesh. A senator. He could have me killed.

*she works there as well, so technically she's my boss, but I've had almost no iteraction with her

**not in those words maybe, but it's the thought that counts
posted by jonmc at 5:41 PM on August 28, 2008

Go rub elbows with the rest of the assholes working hard to destroy this country, you'll have plenty of common company downtown.

Heartwarming attitude toward meetups.
posted by deern the headlice at 5:43 PM on August 28, 2008

"Mipples"

I never heard that before. I love it.
posted by rtha at 6:40 PM on August 28, 2008

Depending on when, I might be in.
posted by Astro Zombie at 6:47 PM on August 28, 2008

"Mipples"

I never heard that before. I love it.

I read phonetically. Zing!
posted by COBRA! at 7:38 PM on August 28, 2008

Go rub elbows with the rest of the assholes working hard to destroy this country, you'll have plenty of common company downtown.

All are welcome except for those we hate.
posted by Dave Faris at 8:02 PM on August 28, 2008

Ok, ok, sorry for the excessive vitriol. I'm just not entirely excited about the upcoming republican invasion of my favorite only-state-to-vote-democratic-in-every-presidential-election-for-the-past-30-years homestate. It's sort of like having a root canal scheduled for next week, except the dentist is showing up at your house, strapping you to your bed, and there's no way to get out of it.
posted by baphomet at 8:17 PM on August 28, 2008

Seriously, I feel bad and I know I shouldn't have said that. As an act of contrition, I will now insert this carnivorous earwig into my brain. Kind of tickles.
posted by baphomet at 8:22 PM on August 28, 2008

I for one welcome our former Republican overlords.

Seriously, though. Bars are open super late for this. All is right in the world.
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:24 PM on August 28, 2008

GuyZero wrote: So let us in on it - Major Scottish Pimping? What does it stand for?

Member of the Scottish Parliament, many of whom are not unfond of drinking heavily (to the point of setting hotels on fire!). I thought I was being all clever by using the acronym tag, but either MetaFilter strips out the title attribute or I am a divvy and forgot to put it in.
posted by jack_mo at 4:43 AM on August 29, 2008

Time and place?
posted by wheelieman at 5:28 AM on August 29, 2008

I don't think we should meet in St. Paul. If we get too close to the XCel Center, they're going to think we're protesters and arrest us.
posted by louche mustachio at 5:50 AM on August 29, 2008

I vote either Monday or Wednesday night, but like I said, my vote should count for very little.

This has nothing to do with the meetup, but it's a pretty big pre-convention WTF: biking into work today, I saw that the city had gone through and washed the greenway pavement. What the hell? Were they worried that convention-goers would take time off for a spin and be disgusted by the city's dusty bike paths?
posted by COBRA! at 7:04 AM on August 29, 2008

Well, triggerfinger will be here on Wednesday (right?) and COBRA! also suggested Wednesday so...how does Wednesday the 3rd sound to everyone?

I'm fine with meeting in Minneapolis too, but I don't have any suggestions because I don't go out much over there. I saw Brit's or The King and I mentioned upthread. Thoughts?
posted by cabingirl at 7:40 AM on August 29, 2008

Personally, I'd be tempted to vote republican if they nominated a Member of the Scottish Parliament.
posted by oneirodynia at 8:46 AM on August 29, 2008

The King and I has good food and a nice private patio but the drinks are a little expensive. Never been to Brit's so I can't say much about it, but they do have lawn bowling on the roof (whatever that is...). Herkimer has a nice patio and a fine selection of micro-brewed beers if you don't mind Uptown. Sgt. Preston's at seven corners has a nice patio, cheap drinks and its near the U of M campus. Across the street is another micro brew, Town Hall. Thats about all I can think of for places with patios, I'm sure there's tons more, especially if you count roof tops.
posted by no_moniker at 11:29 AM on August 29, 2008

'Nother vote for Wednesday.
posted by louche mustachio at 12:28 PM on August 29, 2008

Out of no_moniker's suggestions, I'd say Herkimer. Downtown and Seven Corners are both going to be kind of nuts next week (Seven Corners will be getting it from all sides, with school starting and conventioneers in town, some of them staying on or near campus).
posted by COBRA! at 1:51 PM on August 29, 2008

Yeah, Herkimer's not too tough to get to from 35W, and uptown hopefully won't be quite as insane as downtown mpls or st. paul. Just a heads up to anyone who's picky, though - they brew their own beers (which I happen to like), and I seem to remember that they don't sell outside brews. So if your heart's set on an MGD or something, you might have to branch out.
posted by vytae at 4:24 PM on August 29, 2008

Also, the Republican MeFites can stay away. Go rub elbows with the rest of the assholes working hard to destroy this country, you'll have plenty of common company downtown.

Although not a Republican, I'm more conservative than the average MeFite. Whenever I start trying to be more open about considering or embracing more liberal views, I see something like this and I wonder why I would want to hang out with such intolerant, hateful people. "Act of contrition" not withstanding. And I'm amazed that Repubs get the intolerant label while the other side gets a free pass in the press on their political, religious, and cultural bigotry.

For people on both sides: Wanna win people to your views? Don't be a fucking asshole.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 9:19 AM on August 30, 2008

Seriously, my crack about making fun of the delegates notwithstanding, I intended this as an innocent meetup thread.

Anyway, for those who do want to hang out, I'm taking the suggestions above and rolling that into:

Wednesday, Sept 3, 7PM at The Herkimer Pub in Uptown. Unless it's raining, we'll congregate on the patio. I will bring some kind of sign.
posted by cabingirl at 9:43 AM on August 30, 2008

Sorry to hear that's the plan. The Happy Gnome on Selby in San Pablo is staying open until 4am during the convention, has a HUGE selection of beers and wine and my youngest is waiting tables there.
posted by Mental Wimp at 3:45 PM on August 30, 2008

Sorry, I won't be able to make it. I am due to arrive on the 3rd (providing I can even get there), but I won't be arriving until about 5 pm and that will be after about 12 hours of traveling. But have fun! I will look forward to photos! And if anyone decides to do another meetup at The Happy Gnome in San Pablo (!) during the days and weeks following, I'll do my best to be there.
posted by triggerfinger at 5:13 PM on August 30, 2008

I'm pretty sure the wifey and I will be there.
posted by adamwolf at 10:01 PM on August 30, 2008

Woo-hoo! See you there!
posted by nicepersonality at 11:52 AM on August 31, 2008

God that place has such good beer. I'd be there in a heartbeat, but I'm still living in Boston at the moment. Hope you all have fun!
posted by voltairemodern at 12:02 PM on August 31, 2008

Gonna try my damnedest.
posted by COBRA! at 5:34 PM on August 31, 2008

Nice. This is just down the block. I'll be there.
posted by esch at 9:05 PM on August 31, 2008

I would definitely be in for the Gnome.
posted by nathan_teske at 9:13 PM on August 31, 2008

I'll try to be there!
posted by vytae at 10:42 AM on September 2, 2008

I'll be there with the same girl driver I had last time, so see ya then!
posted by wheelieman at 9:10 PM on September 2, 2008

God damn, are we Minnesotans hot.
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:09 PM on September 3, 2008

Make that cold, and you be right
posted by wheelieman at 5:19 AM on September 4, 2008

Yeah, I left with my tail tucked between my legs for warmth...

Frigidity aside, it was way cool meeting everybody.
posted by COBRA! at 5:21 AM on September 4, 2008

Thanks for coming everyone! It was fun, if a bit chilly on the patio. At least it wasn't raining.

I believe the attendees included norm, COBRA!, clavicle, vytae, nicepersonality, wheelieman, demogorgon, AstroZombie, louchemustachio, rez, nekro23, Esch, and non-Mefites Coco and Melinda. I have a few photos that I will post soon, and I know rez took some but that was after quite a few people had already left.
posted by cabingirl at 6:59 AM on September 4, 2008

Yes, it was lovely to meet you all! Thanks for planning and bringing the sign, cabingirl.
posted by vytae at 7:32 AM on September 4, 2008

Here's me, coming in days late!

Pictures!

Sadly, I got there late. I had to make a quick stop at my photo studio and was distracted by model drama. By the time I arrived there were only a few hardy individuals(/drunks) still braving the cool September evening.
posted by rez at 8:58 AM on September 9, 2008