New York Meetup

December 23, 2005 12:16 AM

what 151 means is that there was a fair amount of drinking.
posted by dorian to MetaFilter Gatherings at 12:16 AM (110 comments total)

one of the best pictures of the night did not upload thanks to 23's monthly size limit, so here it is for everyone's enjoyment.

also, once again my camera was allowed to wander randomly; so I take little to no credit nor criticisms...
posted by dorian at 12:17 AM on December 23, 2005

also also: heartfelt thanks to everyone for coming over to the show afterwards -- crystal was quite happy and thankful because of that.
posted by dorian at 12:21 AM on December 23, 2005

Here are the photos from nomad's camera (I don't know why he didn't let me upload them to his account).

I'll upload the polaroid scans tomrrow morning.
posted by splatta at 12:55 AM on December 23, 2005

item: what's this about your watermelon eating cat?
posted by null terminated at 12:56 AM on December 23, 2005

Pardon my gaucheness, but who's the lovely demoiselle second-from-left here?
posted by Firas at 1:59 AM on December 23, 2005

Ah, now that I read the captions in the post's linked set it all makes sense. hi mdn!
posted by Firas at 2:08 AM on December 23, 2005

Looks like a good time, I guess.
posted by Plutor at 3:48 AM on December 23, 2005

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Nomad gets a brand new D50 and he only takes 9 crappy photos with it and doesn't upload them to his own account?
posted by Plutor at 3:49 AM on December 23, 2005

What's nomad sniffing?
Was he on crumble duty?
posted by NinjaPirate at 4:13 AM on December 23, 2005

Are you guys sure that Art Garfunkel and Kenny Loggins weren't at that meetup? Because I see Art Garfunkel and Kenny Loggins. Really nice photos - thanks for sharing.

Also, I'm getting pissed at the sheer amount of metachat femme shoutouts of which I am never a part. I do have lovely lady lumps, god damn it.
posted by iconomy at 4:58 AM on December 23, 2005

*smooches iconomy*
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:32 AM on December 23, 2005

Wow, this has to be a record! According to the time stamp these pix were posted an hour before they were taken!

Practice makes perfect, I know, but you guys make it all seem so effortless.
posted by StickyCarpet at 6:24 AM on December 23, 2005

TPS has a great smile!
posted by sciurus at 6:30 AM on December 23, 2005

Awww, shucks, sciurus. ::blushes:: ::gives big smile::
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:38 AM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

p.s. I'm the one who took most of dorian's pictures. weren't there a lot more than that? I think I have an account on that site, so if there is beauty we're not seeing, let me know and I can upload some.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:39 AM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

So while I was dragging my sorry ass through three different boroughs in the freezing cold, you were all gallavanting around having fun. *sniff*

I did get to stop at White Castle for dinner though. Nyah!
posted by jonmc at 6:44 AM on December 23, 2005

*is all bashful now*

*scuffs foot nervously*
posted by sciurus at 6:44 AM on December 23, 2005

What a great meetup.

Highlights included:

1. Helbient is going to have a 9/11 wedding. And li'l ol' nobody's the wedding planner! (Expect an AskMe thread within the next couple of months. Would an airplane-shaped knife to cut a pentagon-shaped cake be terribly gauche?)

2. Cancer all around, even inside toward the end, generating a smattering of yays and boos.

3. Harold and her Magic Crayon caused a little bit of controversy. The jury was out concerning who drew Harold and whether her latest incarnation had gone too far.

4. A teleological theory of meaning may or may not be a) actually more of a teleological methodology for meaning production and may or may not be b) not satisfied with being divorced from ontology. Bishop Berkeley is either a) a proto- continental philosopher (unlikely) or b) a [what was it?] nut case, or c) the best chance we have for proving Our Father's existence. Aristotle only made the briefest of appearances, and Socrates was much more brilliant than Plato.

5. Newspaper editors force newspaper journalists to sit shoulder to shoulder with their colleagues and make not-at-all-private phone calls to very important people. By the time this practice changes and reporters are allowed to write from home instead of playing word games in the office with strangers on the internet, newspapers as we know them will no longer exist.

6. It's better to be lead swimmer in the less-fancy lane than average swimmer in the fancy lane because as lead swimmer you can enforce all the orderliness you desire. This is important even though the lane has in it nothing but water and chemicals and they don't let you adjust the chemicals so that leaves only water anyway.

7. The chemicals inside of a poloroid smell like your gradeschool Spanish textbooks. This may or may not mean that your gradeschool Spanish teacher was taking inappropriate photos of you and that you've re- or sup- pressed the experience.

On preview:

8. jonmc wasn't there, but we found things to talk about anyway.
posted by nobody at 6:47 AM on December 23, 2005

Sorry for the pink hue on the photos, ThePinkSuperhero is really REALLY pink.
posted by splatta at 6:48 AM on December 23, 2005

Ow, my head...
posted by dotreptile at 6:56 AM on December 23, 2005

Thank you for the shouting! I love NY.
posted by melissa may at 7:03 AM on December 23, 2005

please no shouting.

I can't BELIEVE I have to go to work. Just kill me now. Also sorry I missed the chance to rip into that idiot Bishop Berkeley.
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:10 AM on December 23, 2005

Oh and who brought the bahn mi again? Because that was a really really great thing to do.
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:11 AM on December 23, 2005

Was there live folk music thrown in there somewhere last night?

Performed by actual live folks?
posted by jonmc at 7:17 AM on December 23, 2005

My pinkness shines and tints all the other photos.

splatta, I added some comments on some of your ?? photos- I know everyone's name :-D
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:22 AM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

Just added a few more photos from last night.

The Polaroids have booze all over them, and I don't want to ruin my scanner, so I'm not sure if I'm going to scan 'em just yet.
posted by splatta at 7:25 AM on December 23, 2005

Playing with polaroids was excellent. Oh, and Nomad is a prince for driving.
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:29 AM on December 23, 2005

Teehee, I stole all my favorite polaroids (which almost all happen to be of meeeeeeee- narcissist am I).
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:31 AM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

metafilter: the polaroids have booze all over them

and yes, mille grazie to lovely, clever, stoic crack for driving into manhattan then over to brooklyn, and then back into manhattan. and then having to drive over to jersey in the middle of the night with little to poor directions.
posted by dorian at 7:41 AM on December 23, 2005

I stole polarioids too. Good pics of me, dorian, and mdn. But I think the pics of mdn and dorian were flirting and ignoring me. Bastards.
posted by dame at 7:53 AM on December 23, 2005

Here's a few more pictures from dorian's camera, posted by me.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:54 AM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

Pink, did somebody drive you to Queens? Cos now i feel stupid for not going.
posted by jonmc at 7:57 AM on December 23, 2005

No, jonmc, I work in Union Square, so I walked to the meetup, and then took a cab home (with a very angry driver who I thought was going to kill me).
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:59 AM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

Also, I totally love you all, but I finally got a chance to talk to nomad and splatta for more that ten seconds, and they are totally awesome. So there.
posted by dame at 7:59 AM on December 23, 2005

Word on that, dame- splatta gave me his drunken positive thoughts on girls with shaved heads, which gave the much needed boost of confidence I need before going to Florida ("You cut your hair so short! Are you a lesbian?!"
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:02 AM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

)
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:02 AM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

Oh well then, I had fun walking around Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens. And when I asked the countergirl at White Castle for the restroom key, she said "You don't need one," and in a stern voice, added "be sure to wash your hands."

I bring out people's mother instincts for some reason. And I was a good decade & a half older than her.
posted by jonmc at 8:02 AM on December 23, 2005

Hey y'all! Sorry I had to take off early last night. Next time, I promise to stick it out to the bitter, bitter end. Happy birthday dame!
posted by 4easypayments at 8:29 AM on December 23, 2005

ThePinkSuperhero: ""You cut your hair so short! Are you a lesbian?!""

Hahaha, if splatta really said that to you, I plan on mocking him tonight.
posted by Plutor at 8:31 AM on December 23, 2005

That haircut is startlingly hawt.
posted by If I Had An Anus at 8:34 AM on December 23, 2005

It's the ears.
posted by sciurus at 8:36 AM on December 23, 2005

No, no, Plutor, that's what the people in Florida are going to say to me. Splatta told me how hot he thinks girls with shaved heads are (and I quote, "If a hot girl shaves her head, she's still hot!" and various versions of "I love love love your hair")
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:40 AM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

It's the ears.

I'm still self-conscious from elementary school about my ears- they were that exact size when I was but a wee girl. I have to keep telling myself, you're a grownup now, miss- they're not too big, you've grown into them.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:43 AM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

they were that exact size when I was but a wee girl.

Perhaps they're bionic.

dootdootdootdootdoot..
posted by jonmc at 8:45 AM on December 23, 2005

My earlobes attach to my head instead of dangling like most folks do. According the the anti-speciesist down the street, that means I'm a space alien.
posted by sciurus at 8:48 AM on December 23, 2005

that would explain the experiments you keep doing on me with the probes and all.
posted by jonmc at 8:52 AM on December 23, 2005

Well somebody's got to figure out where you keep all that music knowhow.
posted by sciurus at 8:55 AM on December 23, 2005

It's "knowof," I possess exactly zero knowhow of any form.
posted by jonmc at 9:04 AM on December 23, 2005

I got a shoutout! w00t!

Now I feel obligated to attend the next Richmond/D.C. meetup. You have been warned.
posted by gsteff at 9:05 AM on December 23, 2005

Alright, here are the few pics I took.
posted by crack at 9:11 AM on December 23, 2005

Wait -- after all that effort to make sure your face doesn't show up linked to your screenname, you go ahead and out yourself?!
posted by nobody at 9:19 AM on December 23, 2005

yes, I found that amusing as well...
posted by dorian at 9:23 AM on December 23, 2005

also, nobody how the hell did you remember all that stuff from last night? please tell me it has something to do with the pants.
posted by dorian at 9:25 AM on December 23, 2005

oh! I had assumed I was "outed" in splatta's pics so...
I'm a sorries for the troubles.
posted by crack at 9:27 AM on December 23, 2005

Only now has my headache subsided enough to look at a computer screen. Fun times, everyone.
posted by gaspode at 9:33 AM on December 23, 2005

item: That is one kickass 'stache. gaspode: Sorry I didn't get your audioblogger email on time. I would have loved to have heard from y'all. Looks like it was a good time.
posted by LeeJay at 10:15 AM on December 23, 2005

also, nobody, how the hell did you remember all that stuff from last night? please tell me it has something to do with the pants.

Good question. I wasn't wearing the pants to sleep so we can rule that out as a possibility. I did wake up disoriented and confused about what time it was (earlier than necessary) and whether I had to go to work (yes), but not at all confused about last night's meetup, which was an excellent meetup indeed.

My best guess: it was the 2 for 1 smartdrinks.

But crack [oh dear, no pun intended], now your students will see you!
posted by nobody at 10:25 AM on December 23, 2005

splatta, it's gaspode, not gasplode. I believe the reference is to the rude, little, talking dog in Pratchet's books.

And, neato! I got a shoutout! (From the mysterious crack.)
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 10:29 AM on December 23, 2005

yes, smartdrinks. that is a good word. alcohol lubricates the mind.

mysterious crack no longer, her hotness is now revealed to the ages.
posted by dorian at 10:32 AM on December 23, 2005

Oh, I forgot to say before, but you guys definitely helped make up for the transit strike–damaged birthday. Especially the singing.
posted by dame at 10:37 AM on December 23, 2005

But you provided cupcakes, dame. That and the bahn mi from dorian made the great night so much better.

Thanks EB for the correction. Yep, talking dog here. Although I'm kind of liking gasplode too.

*head gasplodes*
posted by gaspode at 10:45 AM on December 23, 2005

Thanks for the shoutout, TPS.
posted by dobbs at 10:59 AM on December 23, 2005

it was really fun--thanks all, for the ride and the music and everything.
posted by amberglow at 12:06 PM on December 23, 2005

I barely had a chance to talk to you, amber. Next time, one hopes.
posted by nobody at 12:07 PM on December 23, 2005

It looks odd without the "glow." Please mentally ammend.
posted by nobody at 12:07 PM on December 23, 2005

amber is so not odd without the glow. well, ok, maybe a little. but we like him that way. (I do)

damn, that's impressive that you found crystal. and here is my pal the drummer, if anyone liked him. (I did)
posted by dorian at 12:14 PM on December 23, 2005

The only thing I can say is that all the driving was worth it!
posted by nomad at 12:36 PM on December 23, 2005

Oh yes, I left out personal highlight #9:

nomad and I made plans to make a "madbody" (or maybe it was "no madbody") sockpuppet.
posted by nobody at 1:01 PM on December 23, 2005

i bought a cd from her afterwards, and the url is on it. : >
posted by amberglow at 1:18 PM on December 23, 2005

nobody, that was a brilliant synopsis.
I too had a lovely evening, complete with near-fisticuffs over epistemology. And cupcakes.

some great pics too - that one above is wonderful. And I admit to some curiousity about those flirting polaroids in dame's possession...
posted by mdn at 1:23 PM on December 23, 2005

some great pics too - that one above is wonderful.

::takes a bow::

at least, I think I took that pic.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 1:30 PM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

dorian: ...mysterious crack no longer, her hotness is now revealed to the ages.
nutso. Them pics are an embarressment. ugh.
posted by crack at 4:09 PM on December 23, 2005

You guys had way too much fun without me.

*sigh*

Sorry I missed it but it is wonderful up in these hills. Great muzak too. Having a blast in Appalachia, glad to hear the trains are running again and I hope to see you all v. soon. Till then (blowing air kisses), LOVES YOU!

Hope you all have a safe and wonderful holiday!
posted by Lola_G at 4:36 PM on December 23, 2005

Oh, I almost forgot -- thanks for the shoutout!!!
posted by Lola_G at 4:43 PM on December 23, 2005

:-D Of course we missed you like craaaaaaaaaazy.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 4:46 PM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

I can picture you with a banjo, Afroblanco.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:25 PM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

nobody, that was a brilliant synopsis.

Aww, from a philosopher, no less. And I completely forgot to mention cupcakes and fisticuffs. Also, the drama right beneath our noses between TPS's "The Captain" and her boyfriend. Also that TPS is sometimes known as "Crabs" -- but because of attitude, not STDs.
posted by nobody at 6:56 PM on December 23, 2005

Haha, oh, the Captain!! How I love her so. I kind of abandoned her at the meetup to have to sit with her boyfriend, whom she doesn't like very much. Hopefully she still loves me.

And yes, she does call me "Crabs". Maaaan I miss working across the desk from that girl.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:37 PM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

Oh, they weren't having an argument. I just know from working with her that she pretty much hates him, but won't end it.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:09 PM on December 23, 2005 [1 favorite]

mdn is hot and a philosopher? Be still me heart.
posted by kenko at 8:31 PM on December 23, 2005

My heart, too.
posted by kenko at 8:33 PM on December 23, 2005

ThePinkSuperhero, your hair is awesome. I love it more than mine.
posted by Nice Donkey at 9:47 PM on December 23, 2005

There was a NY bluegrass band called Brooklyn Browngrass, but it looks as though they might not be around anymore. A friend of mine was in a country/bluegrass band called JugBand, but it was far from a permanant thing.

I can't answer all your questions about redneck culture, Afrob.
posted by hellbient at 10:07 PM on December 23, 2005

Now that I've returned to the land of the living, just wanted to say that y'all rock, and thanks for going easy on a first timer like me. ;)

So when's the next one? :)
posted by dotreptile at 11:25 PM on December 23, 2005

Crack, you look great (and I'm not just saying that because you gave me a shoutout). And after a few minutes of thought, I am now certain that I'm developing a whopping crush on ThePinkSuperhero.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 12:07 AM on December 24, 2005

Heh-hey-ho! Howdily-doodily-do!

mdn: a philosopher? jeez she is a fucking continentalist. She might as well be a fucking english major.
nobody: he was a fucking english major.
Dame: get your own damn ride!
TPS: we get it already, you like teh pink
Afroblanca -- get a fucking hair cut! And fyi: your name sounds girly.
Item: you know, I really just don't care.
dotreptile: yo mama.
4easypayments: who are you again?
Dorian: stfu beeyotch.
drummer and singing chick: fucking attention whores.
bartendress: servile wench.

Get a fucking room/rent a hall you insufferably congenial bastards.
/universe balanced
*runs away*
posted by crack at 2:22 AM on December 24, 2005

I am now certain that I'm developing a whopping crush

Hope that doesn't itch :-\
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 5:16 AM on December 24, 2005 [1 favorite]

Nice Donkey, know that you were an inspiration!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:43 AM on December 24, 2005 [1 favorite]

I quite like the Ebony Hillbillies that play on the Subways.

Off to explore some more today. Miss you guys! Still sore about missing what was by some accounts _the_ best meetup ever.
posted by Lola_G at 6:58 AM on December 24, 2005

...you insufferably congenial bastards

heh.

I feel a need to point out that I'm in a continentalish dept and am definitely focused more on close readings of texts than logical abstraction, but I think of myself as a middle-roader. I really enjoy Wittgenstein, Quine, Nagel, e.g. I'm less excited by stuff like Alvin Plantinga, etc, and I'm oh my god I am really going on too long about something no one really cares about. I'll stop now. I ♥ Aristotle.
posted by mdn at 8:22 AM on December 24, 2005

quine. is. my. household. god.

after growing up with so many textbooks quel dit dans l'apostille, "proof by quine," I am unashamedly and utterly proud of having lunch with him once in boston, before he passed. age had not at all diminished his amazing sharpness. the man was, and will continue to be, a god.
posted by dorian at 8:37 AM on December 24, 2005

I ♥ Aristotle.


My landlady's name is the feminine version of Aristotle. Perhaps they're related. She's old enough to have hung around with alot of those philosophers. "Socrates? Nice boy, but nosy."
posted by jonmc at 9:31 AM on December 24, 2005

I feel a need to point out that I'm in a continentalish dept

The term "continental," confuses me. Y'know how hotels always say "free continental breakfast." They never specify what continent. Could be Australia. Then you'd end up with platypus eggs and kangaroo sausage served with Fosters oilcan.

I need to lie down, now.
posted by jonmc at 9:38 AM on December 24, 2005

fosters oilcans are proof that god loves us. no, not that god. t'other one. the one with tongues of flame and the horns and the almanack. yeah, that one. he rocks.
posted by dorian at 9:48 AM on December 24, 2005

(damned monotremes)
posted by dorian at 9:57 AM on December 24, 2005

a philosopher? jeez she is a fucking continentalist. She might as well be a fucking english major.

Man, how old-fashioned! The younger generation's panties are in much less of a twist over this, I think.
posted by kenko at 10:07 AM on December 24, 2005

I changed my mind. I hate you all.
posted by dame at 10:41 AM on December 24, 2005

I don't suppose mdn will say what department she's in? (Is it the New School? They're pretty continental.)
posted by kenko at 10:48 AM on December 24, 2005

The gloves are off, crack! (Good show, and you drew dame along with you, not that she needs much pushing [If I were one to use emoticons, one would be right here, winking]).

mdn: a philosopher? jeez she is a fucking continentalist. She might as well be a fucking english major.
nobody: he was a fucking english major.

While we're correcting things, it was Comp. Lit., not English.
posted by nobody at 11:08 AM on December 24, 2005

Sorry Mdn, Nobody, potential others. I'm not very good at being accurate and a derisive ass at the same time. Afroblanco/ca: you pulling my leg? You are two different people? I thought you registered Afroblanco after the internets reprimanded you or something. Next time I won't drink so much.
posted by crack at 12:50 PM on December 24, 2005

jonmc, forgive me if you already know this, but these terms are used because these days there is an enormous gulf between "continental" philosphers (mostly French), and Anglo-American philosophers. The divergent directions are a postmodern textualism in the case of the continentals, and analytical philosophy in the UK and USA. Quine is a very good example of the type. These two approaches are divergent, similar in quality, and echoing a larger cultural battle; and because of this there is considerable antagonism.

You wouldn't ♥ Aristotle if you'd had to translate him. I'm lukewarm on Aristotle, with the exception of the Nicomachean Ethics, which I enjoyed and greatly admire.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 1:36 PM on December 24, 2005

Pork belly is delicious.
posted by kenko at 2:40 PM on December 24, 2005

that's not what I heard...
posted by dorian at 2:43 PM on December 24, 2005

Yeah, well, that's why I said it.
posted by kenko at 3:15 PM on December 24, 2005

To be fair, I only just now looked at it, on account of your mention of your and afroblanca's shared site.
posted by kenko at 4:22 PM on December 24, 2005

I can't let a thread with Quine-love in it go by without adding some love of my own! There's no philosopher from the last century I like more. An amazing mind and amazing writer. His early work was so rebellious that I can't help but think of it as romantic.

He's a good choice for household god.

And no one likes Plantinga.
posted by painquale at 2:15 AM on December 25, 2005

afroblanca = girl. Afroblanco = boy. ...she's a big copycat.
I knew it! Whew, glad I needn't cut down on the drinking.
And no one likes Plantinga. --Ha-Ha!
posted by crack at 12:03 PM on December 25, 2005

jonmc, forgive me if you already know this,

I kinda figured. I was goofing around.
posted by jonmc at 5:59 PM on December 25, 2005

Also, I'm getting pissed at the sheer amount of metachat femme shoutouts of which I am never a part. I do have lovely lady lumps, god damn it.


Same here!

Looks like it was fun! I so need to come back to NYC. : )
posted by SisterHavana at 7:27 PM on December 25, 2005

"Also, I'm getting pissed at the sheer amount of metachat femme shoutouts of which I am never a part. I do have lovely lady lumps, god damn it."

The vagaries of shoutouts mystify me, for the most part. But, in this particular category of social interactions, it's the more frequently flirtacious (or those perceived to be flirtacious) who are going to get the majority of shoutouts.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 8:10 PM on December 26, 2005