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PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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Category: Godlessness • Local
Posted on: July 21, 2008 10:26 PM, by PZ Myers
This Sunday, I'm going to be on Atheists Talk radio, and I'm actually going into the Twin Cities to do it live and in person. The gang who do the show like to head out to Q. Cumbers restaurant afterwards—and the invitation is open to everyone. If you'd care to join us for a Pharyngubrunch, meet us there at 11am on Sunday. You might also get a chance to say hello to C.L. Hanson!
YES! Send me a free issue of Seed.
If I like what I see, I'll receive 5 more issues (6 in all) for just $14.95. That's 50% off the cover price! If I'm not completely satisfied, I'll simply write "cancel" on the invoice and owe nothing. The free issue is mine to keep.
(Non-U.S. subscribers, click here.)
Comments
Posted by: Tony Popple | July 21, 2008 10:43 PM
I have started to make Q. Cumbers part of my weekend ritual.
This will make for an extra fun weekend!
Posted by: Pandora Neurospora | July 21, 2008 10:44 PM
I wish I could go...
Posted by: SplendidMonkey | July 21, 2008 10:50 PM
Yay! I was hoping for an intramural pharyngufest!
Posted by: Asad | July 21, 2008 11:13 PM
Sweet! I will try to make it.
Posted by: Mike Haubrich, FCD | July 21, 2008 11:35 PM
Wow - this is a pleasant surprise! We'll have to call Mickey ahead of time and tell him to rope off half of Q. Cumbers. I had thought that your were doing the show by phone.
Cool!
Posted by: Eric | July 21, 2008 11:59 PM
Nice!
What time?
I've always been meaning to give their food a try!
Posted by: Dahan | July 22, 2008 12:20 AM
Why don't I know of this place? Well, hopefully I'll get to know it this next weekend. Hope the coffee's good...
Posted by: Mike Haubrich, FCD | July 22, 2008 12:21 AM
Eric - we generally start at about 11:00. Discounts are available if you print a copy of the Atheist Weekly E-mail from mnatheists.org
$2.00 is $2.00, right?
Posted by: Ghost of Minnesota | July 22, 2008 12:24 AM
Your friendly neighborhood paranormal debunker will very likely be there.
Posted by: Bob Vogel | July 22, 2008 1:47 AM
Ghost #9, Went to your link and read several comments. Was halfway interested but couldn't figure out how exactly to comment myself, muchless fighting to read that tiny print against a black background.
But its still interesting! Not real, but nevertheless very interesting!
You write well.
Posted by: DonRocko | July 22, 2008 2:15 AM
Argh, timing! Maybe I could cruise over from the auto show and say hi.
Posted by: Rick Schauer | July 22, 2008 3:58 AM
Sounds great, I'll try to make it...I have some dead octopus pics from Japan trip for you PZ!
Posted by: Uncephalized | July 22, 2008 4:29 AM
Any chance you'd ever come out to AZ, for whatever reason? If you are ever in Tucson (my hometown) or Phoenix, let us know!
Posted by: laurisa | July 22, 2008 6:03 AM
curses! miss you again by mere days! Ah, the toast can wait, as I will be listening to the show all the way here in GMT +1 time.
Posted by: Gary Murning | July 22, 2008 6:20 AM
Can you supply directions... for someone travelling from the north-east of England! LOL
I wish.
Have fun and keep up the good work!
Posted by: TX CHL Instructor | July 22, 2008 7:41 AM
Speaking of a Godless Bunch on Sunday... There is an atheist church in the DFW area -- churchoffreethought.org -- that meets on the 1st Sunday of each month. If you are in or near Dallas or Ft Worth, check us out. (I'm the music director)
Posted by: Jim Claunch | July 22, 2008 8:05 AM
Since you are going to be on Atheist Radio soon you might want to read the new article that defines atheism (grin) Atheism is a highly secretive religion devoted to private worship of the ultimate, all powerful goddess Athe. The goal of atheists is to destroy society by persuading people to join them in their faith through cunning arguments as to why it's better than anyone else's. Legend has it that Atheists got their powers of persuasion from a four-way deal thousands of years ago between the all powerful goddess Athe, the Ghost of Christmas Past, Xenu, was supposedly left behind by Richard Dawkins, also see: Paradox.
Since Atheists are so obsessed with reason, logic, science and math(s) they call their cunning argument(s) "organized religious algorithms" and model them on a computer before heading for the street. The main technique they use is to walk around a typical busy church shouting "you worthless sinners! I am holier than thou! My beliefs are better than yours! Come to Athe Jesus or and die!" Many religious people such as Satan, Kerry King and the Giant Panda like to claim that Atheists don't exist.
Read the rest of this insightful exploration of the religion of atheism at http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Atheism
Posted by: True Free Speech NOW! | July 22, 2008 8:29 AM
Debate Vox Day!
What could go wrong, you would put him in his place!
Or, are you...chicken?
Posted by: DrFrank | July 22, 2008 9:08 AM
Thanks for your on-topic input, True Free Speech NOW!. Maybe in 2 months you'll come and make a comment about crackers.
However, I'd hazard a guess PZ will never debate Vox Day for pretty much the same reason that I'll never debate the unwashed guy who runs down the high street shouting at invisible demons.
Posted by: kid bitzer | July 22, 2008 9:47 AM
ooh! ooh!
can i come, and start the meal
--with a blessing?
"dearly beloved, we are gathered here today...."
Posted by: carr2d2 | July 22, 2008 9:58 AM
aw, man! of course it had to be the weekend i'm going to be out of town. oh, well...have a great time, everyone. one of these weeks tim3po and myself will make it to q cumbers.
Posted by: Qwerty | July 22, 2008 10:43 AM
I have heard the adverts for the show. You'll be on AM950 (Air American station).
Unfortunately, I am (to use a favorite Minnesotaism) going up to the lake. (Like it's in the air or something.)
For you non-Minnesotans, up to the lake is short for the phrase up north to the lake as most people have their cabins at lakes north of the Twin Cities. Dontcha know.
Posted by: Qwerty | July 22, 2008 11:11 AM
I just went to the Q'Cumbers website. MPR members can get a 15% discount. So, if you are going and belong to MPR, remember to bring your membership card.
Posted by: makita | July 22, 2008 11:47 AM
You know, I may actually be able to make that. Coincidentally I'm there for a conference. I'm probably going to be quite busy every day all day, but an opportunity like this doesn't pop up too often. I may have to find a way.
Posted by: Amplexus | July 22, 2008 12:08 PM
PZ, isn't it a bad idea to let people know when and where you'll be? Or are these "crackers for Jesus" that impotent that they can only lob ungrammatical threats from free
hotmail accounts?
Actually "Crackers for Jesus" sounds like a political action committee.
This message was approved by Crackers for Jesus PAC
Posted by: PZ Myers | July 22, 2008 12:13 PM
You can't stand up for a principle if you're curled in a fetal position in your closet.
Posted by: Eric | July 22, 2008 2:19 PM
This might be the Last Supper for PZ! Who's going to play the role of Judas and turn him over to the High Priest Crackerphas and his soldiers? I swear that I will not abandon PZ, even if the others do!
ps. I didn't grow up on a farm, so could someone help me identify the sound of a cock crowing? ;)
pps. Really looking forward to Q.Cumbers. Ever since I moved up here, people have been telling me to check it out (I like to eat somewhat healthy, and I've been lead to believe they have healthy food?).
Posted by: Ghost of Minnesota | July 22, 2008 3:23 PM
This might be the Last Supper for PZ! Who's going to play the role of Judas and turn him over to the High Priest Crackerphas and his soldiers? I swear that I will not abandon PZ, even if the others do!
I'd take a bullet for PZ.
If by "take" you mean "get out of the way of" and by "bullet" you mean "nerf ball."
Posted by: August Berkshire | July 22, 2008 3:49 PM
Normally to get the $2 discount you'd have to bring in a Minnesota Atheists newsletter or copy of the Minnesota Atheists' Atheists Weekly E-mail (A.W.E.) (sign up for free). However, this time only, you can print a copy of the first page of the Minnesota Atheists website (http://MinnesotaAtheists.org). That way Q.Cumbers can keep track of how effective their ad is and keep supporting us. Their ads are great!
Posted by: Felicia | July 22, 2008 7:01 PM
Oh wow, I'll have to try and make it! I don't live that far from there! :)
Posted by: C. L. Hanson | July 22, 2008 7:46 PM
Yay, I can't wait!!!
I've always wanted to go to one of these Pharyngula gatherings (well ever since I'd heard of them at least) so I'll definitely be coming to the brunch! :D
Posted by: Sully | July 23, 2008 12:51 AM
#26 "You can't stand up for a principle if you're curled in a fetal position in your closet."
While it is true that you can't stand up for a principle while curled in a fetal position, it is possible to stand up for a princiiple without giving in to plain old stupidity. There are many rest stops between on that highway. That sounds harsher than it is meant to be but I would get the point across. For instance.....
While you are receiving death threats you see it as appropriate to list the whens and wheres of your Sunday itinerary. While you put what risk this may cause to your person aside, you will be with friends and associates throughout. While you increse your own personal risk you brinig some element of risk to those around you and while some/many/most or even all might be fine with that it is probably not your place to make that call for them.
Next, you've identified the restaurant and another that there is a discount to be had if you print Atheist Weekly. That you're meetinig up there is enough but discounts for the local Atheist paper not creates an affinity toward or affiliation with atheist meetups and organizations. At a time when you have folks pretty riled up it makes them a target for economic action or worse. It does't take a lot or a church to muster some protesters and signs and it'll drive away the majority of their business for a day and leave a lasting impression afteward. A couple of years ago the same thing happened in these parts to a local bookstore that was letting Wiccans meet for educational seminars. The chirches showed up and their business tanked. Finally the optins were to publically profess that the Wiccan meetups would stiop and they would henceforth be good Christians, either that or they would simply go under. Now I don't know who these folks are. What purpose is achieved in putting the business at risk. Maybe they would gadly take it on the chin rather than knuckle under. But as it would serve no good purpose it serves no good purpose to casually risk outting it all in motion.
Moving away from others and to your own personal safety, not wanting to be drawn up in a fetal poition in your closet does ot require telegraphing opportunity to do you bodily harm. Pretend that I am a niit that wanted to harm you. Just pretend, I am not. This is an EXAMPLE. If I wee just some nut that wanted to knock you block off the brunch you offer gives me a place you will be, a time you will be there, iin inviting your blog in general I see it as an opportunity where you will expect to be approached by strangers, and I even know that printing out and showing up with Atheist Weekly advances my position as one of the initiated. Ii need only show up with my copy of Atheist weekly, a goofy smile, and a bad case of PZ hero worship. I'll get close enough to approach you with the mag under my arm, a smile on my face, the words "Paul Myers my new hero" on my lips, and my hand extended to shake yours. Then I'll knock your block off. Heck, add the gift of gab and I'll sucker some sap there who knows you into making the introduction. Now pretend that I was a religious zealot whose intention is not to break your jaw but to introduce you to my God whose existence you deny. That my intention was to kill you. If I'm a bomber you've offered me the studio an the restaurant. If I'm a shooter you've offered me goning into the studio, coming out, going into the restaurant, maybe being in the restaurant, coming out of the restaurant. If I'm both you've offered me all of that. Add into the mix that I can mix with the brunch as in my earlier example for the opportunity of following you into the men's room to tick a knife into you or chattting you up so I'll be a familiar and friendly face in the paking lot when you encounter the tire I flattened and I approach saying "Bummer, let me help you with that. I'm a mechanic and can change that in a second. Pop the trunk and hand me the tire iron."
All of this is screamingly obvioius, it doesn't exactly require mensa membership to noodle it out. My point is that while you telegraph your movements and put forth that you do so as not to curl into a fetal poition in your closet, being stupid is not that alternative to a fetal position. There are steps along the way. For my own part I see this whole deal from beginning to end as ill conceived and maybe somewhat stupid. Honesty ood omportant so I'll offer it. At the same time I want you to emerge from it intact. As the Irish saying goes may you die in bed at one hundred and two, shot by a jealous husband.
All in all I don't really think that there is any real threat out there to your life or limb or well being. Sure you've had emails and those are significant to some degree. For every one person that emailed you a threat there are some number more that hold the same in their heart and are not stupid enough to email you about it and they are probably more significant. But all in all I think none of it will equate to a real threat to your physical well being. This is very easy to say, I am not you. If some jackass breaks your arm or jaw or skull or ends your life tomorrow I get to say, "Woopsie. Guess I got that wrong." So while I doubt there is any real movement toward harming you I would still point out where you telegraph opporunities and why you should not.
Posted by: Brian K. | July 23, 2008 6:29 AM
To quote that line from Airplane!, looks like I picked the wrong week to go to Minnesota and watch the Atheists Talk show live.
Posted by: makita | July 23, 2008 8:48 AM
I've been in Minneapolis before, but I checked out the public transportation webpages. It will take me an hour to get from my hotel to Q. Cumbers and an hour to get back. It's a 10 mile distance. Does anyone know of a better way to get there? I suppose taxis are too expensive for a 10-mile trip. I might as well rent a car for the day!
Posted by: Tony Popple | July 23, 2008 9:53 AM
Makita,
Where will you be staying? Maybe one of us locals can give you a ride.
Posted by: makita | July 23, 2008 10:04 AM
Tony Popple,
I'll be staying at the Hilton Minneapolis (1001 Marquette Avenue South). If you want to e-mail me, you can do so at 05makita AT gmail DOT com
Posted by: asad | July 23, 2008 10:05 AM
Makita, I'll be coming from around the 'Uptown' area of Minneapolis. If you'll be near there I'd be happy to give you a ride.
Posted by: makita | July 23, 2008 10:35 AM
Dear Asad,
Thanks for the offer. Is "Uptown" North? If so, it does look (on maps.google) as if the hotel is North of Q. Cumbers. I'd not to hijack the comments here with potential ride arrangements. Feel free to e-mail me.