Easter Eve and Easter Tidbits

I always like to spend the evening before Easter surrounded by atheists, as a sort of preparation for the holiest day on the Christian calendar. Easter is the day that Jesus Christ (“Christ” as in Christ-ian … get it?) is said to have risen from the dead. You have to be suspicious of a holiday that on one hand moves from one part of the season to the next in an unpredictable way, yet still always manages to land on a Sunday. How do they do that?

Anyway, last night was the advertised gathering of Blog-symps in the Twin Cities, at The Local, a tavern in Downtown Minneapolis. Tangled Up in Blue Guy primarily organized it and with PZ Myers publicizing it, it had to be well attended.

I’m sure you will find a more coherent description of the event at TUIBG’s site, with photos. Or at least, I remember a lot of photo’s being taken. TUIBG has one of those cameras with a very powerful flash. I’m still seeing spots.

I got to spend some time getting to know some people I’ve wanted to know better, such as Skatje Myers, PZ’s wife, Mary, and some of our local blogger-folk and activists, such as Kristine of Amused Muse and Richard Shauer.

The last I saw of PZ and Mary, they were heading off into the inky black yet speckled with white dots in a building snow storm, in the wee hours of this morning. I hope their trip back to Morris is pleasant and uneventful!

My Jewish mother In Law will be hosting Easter this year for the extended family. I have to make the green salad. It is too cold and snowy to fly kites and airplanes (the true meaning of Easter) but we will be able to show off the New Kitchen.

Comments

#1 Stephanie Z
March 23, 2008

I had a great time, even though I never did manage to introduce myself. Maybe next time.
#2 Propter Doc
March 23, 2008

Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox. Equinox was last Thursday, Friday (‘Good Friday’) was the full moon and today is Easter hence the ‘earliest Easter since 1913′.
The name is from a pre-Christian pagan festival of spring and fertility. They assimilated it.
Anyway, Happy Chocolate Bunny day
#3 Mike Haubrich, FCD
March 23, 2008

I am happy that we had a good turnout; and I think a great deal of that had to be the announcement that both you and PZ would show up. I was surprised that it was a such a large group, and a little disappointed that I didn’t get the chance to chat with everyone there.

Greg told a great story about catching missionaries selling archaeological artifacts on the black market, and another about missionaries in Africa being duplicitous about their willingness to provide vaccines for free to “certain” people.

I don’t have pictures yet on Tangled Up in Blue Guy, but I did manage to load them up on facebook. They didn’t turn out all that well, but clear enough that they can be used as alibis if need be.

Thanks for coming everyone who did! And those who wanted to but didn’t, we can set up another event this summer.
#4 Skemono
March 23, 2008

You have to be suspicious of a holiday that on one hand moves from one part of the season to the next in an unpredictable way, yet still always manages to land on a Sunday. How do they do that?

With great difficulty.