…and this is a 
Everyone ought to mark their calendars: on the weekend of 21-23 March, the 34th Annual National Conference of American Atheists will be held in lovely Minneapolis, Minnesota — my backyard. Well, my distant backyard. I'll be going, of course. If you read the Minnesota Atheists newsletter, you also know who a few of the speakers will be.
Ellen Johnson, president of American Atheists, will be everywhere.
Lois Utley will be speaking on the consolidation of public and religious hospitals.
Robert Lanham will be talking about the dangers of the religious right.
Some guy named Richard Dawkins will be there. I wonder what he might talk about…
There will be others, the schedule of speakers is still being worked out.
Come on out — it's on Easter weekend, so it's not as if you'll have anything else to do.
Politics
Comments
Posted by: Coturnix | December 23, 2007 1:37 AM
Will there be an egg hunt and chocolate bunnies? If so, I'll be there.
Posted by: ? | December 23, 2007 1:42 AM
"Ellen Johnson, president of American Atheists, will be everywhere."
She's omnipotent?
Posted by: Coturnix | December 23, 2007 1:44 AM
Omnipresent!
Posted by: Michael X | December 23, 2007 2:21 AM
I hope I get the time off! I'm close enough to hope that I can make it there. I would love to question PZ on his feelings about what the coming takeover from the squid overlords has in store for us all.
Posted by: Chris O. | December 23, 2007 2:45 AM
That's funny, they messed up the light rail price, it's only $2 at rush hour.
Do people who already live in the Cities need to DO anything to go to this? I won't be booking a room since I live a few miles away, but I'd love to see Dawkins and others.
Posted by: Mrs. Peach | December 23, 2007 3:01 AM
"Will there be an egg hunt and chocolate bunnies?"
Probably something even better: christian protestors with signs that say "Pray for the hapless Atheists." Bring your lion.
Posted by: Seth S | December 23, 2007 3:26 AM
I'm in Seattle so i can't go, so I will fulfill my easter tradition of watching Life of Brian and guffawing profusely. I will be with you in spirit however. That's right my literal ectoplasmic spirit not constrained by your quaint 4 dimensions will show up at the convention doorstep.
Posted by: GodlessHeathen | December 23, 2007 4:40 AM
I, too, am jealous of Ellen Johnson's ability to be omnipresent. I can't even manage bilocation. (Which I'd need to be able to attend.) *sigh*
Posted by: keiths | December 23, 2007 6:40 AM
If Religulous comes out on Easter weekend (as scheduled), y'all can give it a nice opening weekend boost.
Posted by: Teresa | December 23, 2007 9:14 AM
"Come on out -- it's on Easter weekend, so it's not as if you'll have anything else to do."
Hello?? MinneCon!?!
Posted by: Jack rawlinson | December 23, 2007 10:23 AM
I can't figure out how we register for this thing. All I see at the link is details of hotel booking. I'd love to go, but how do we actually know we can get to the events if there's no registration (as there was for the AAI convention in DC)?
Posted by: Teenage Lobotomy | December 23, 2007 10:27 AM
Ellen Johnson, gabba, gabba, we accept you one of us.
I just met an atheist i can go for!
What a looker.
Posted by: Rick Schauer | December 23, 2007 10:38 AM
Sheesh, PZ...I'm going to be at http://www.koolina.com/ with the family looking for a cephlopod or two and maybe a few birdies that week! I will however, be thinking fondly of you faithless ones as I explore the emerald green waters off Oahu.
Posted by: grolaw | December 23, 2007 10:47 AM
Might be worth the trip from KC.... It's just that the whole business of a-theism is that I don't belong to a defined group.
Is David Silverman coming, too? Ellen and David and Prof. Dawkins - Kind of like Kirk, Spock & McCoy all beaming down to a hazardous planet. (Sorry, just finished the scifi sound test.)
Posted by: thadd | December 23, 2007 10:56 AM
I doubt I can make it from Long Island, but now I have to start really trying to figure it out.
Posted by: thadd | December 23, 2007 10:58 AM
Hate to double post, but after looking at the page, I can't find how to sign up, or the price etc?
Posted by: TheWhollyNone | December 23, 2007 1:33 PM
I'm sure that Minneapolis is a lovely city, but why choose the Marriott? Why should atheists pay money to the Mormons who will give big donations to Romney who would burn atheists at the stake if he thought that would get him elected President? Am I the only one who sees the irony in this? It isn't as if there are no other choices for an atheist convention.
Maybe we could rent the Scientology building in Clearwater.
I hear that the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas is renting out space.
Posted by: popomo | December 23, 2007 2:40 PM
Sounds like fun, but Minicon, the Minesota Science Fiction Convention is always held Easter weekend, and that's where I'll be. Alastair Reyolds is GOH this year, should be a good weekend for hard SF geeks.
I wouldn't be surprised if the two events have some over-lapping attendance, though. Science fictions fans are, as a group, the least formally religious people I've ever been around.
Posted by: Kristine | December 23, 2007 11:59 PM
I'm no longer a Minneapolitan, but I'll be there. I too have been trying to find out about non-hotel registration. It seems that there is none, other than the booking of a hotel room, which I don't need. If I find out differently, I'll post the info.
That weekend is my birthday! ;-)
Posted by: Robin | December 24, 2007 11:49 AM
MiniCon ceased to be interesting a decade ago. Sorry to say, but it's true. There are better SF cons in the Midwest. Bigger is not necessarily better, I think.
I'm going to the American Atheist convention, myself. Can't wait!
Posted by: Nes | December 24, 2007 8:34 PM
My birthday is that weekend as well; sounds like a good place to spend it. The hard part will be getting time off from work to go.
Posted by: Eric | December 25, 2007 7:26 PM
Nice!
Thanks for the info...