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PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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« See what discussing toenails on the internet will get you? | Main | Watson/Wilson »
Category: Administrative
Posted on: September 16, 2008 7:42 AM, by PZ Myers
The counter on the page is ticking upwards to the millionth scienceblogs comment — we're less than 50 comments away, so the winning submission might be right here on this thread — so it's a good time to remind you Minnesota region residents that Greg & PZ's Excellent Party will take place the day after tomorrow, Thursday, at 7pm. You are all required to attend and make a comment.
Comments
Posted by: Gavin McBride | September 16, 2008 7:43 AM
Oh alas I would love to attend. Being in Germany doesnt help!
Posted by: SC | September 16, 2008 7:44 AM
blah blah blah blah blah blah blahty blah
Posted by: kansas_lib | September 16, 2008 7:46 AM
I'm usually a bit of a lurker but I can't resist the temptation to inch the counter just a little bit forward... :)
Posted by: Despard | September 16, 2008 7:46 AM
I'd love to go too, but I'm in the UK.
Posted by: Epinephrine | September 16, 2008 7:47 AM
Oh, so unfair - the winning post will happen while I'm on my way to work :P
Posted by: Despard | September 16, 2008 7:48 AM
There are fewer than 40 left. This is going to be mad.
Posted by: moother | September 16, 2008 7:48 AM
holland is too far away...
promise to get faceless in your honour then...
Posted by: Whimsical Monkey | September 16, 2008 7:49 AM
The commenter's dilemma: if I post now, then I won't be the 1,000,000 commenter; but if I don't post now, we'll never get there. What should I do?
Posted by: Paul Lamb | September 16, 2008 7:49 AM
I try again.
Posted by: Jeremy Gibson | September 16, 2008 7:49 AM
Is it okay to spam this thread with comments in the hope of getting the one millionth comment?
Posted by: MarkW | September 16, 2008 7:50 AM
999962...
Posted by: Jeremy Gibson | September 16, 2008 7:51 AM
So... how is everyone?
Posted by: AndyFromSweden | September 16, 2008 7:51 AM
Just post anyway.. It's great that so many people are posting in science blogs...
Posted by: Despard | September 16, 2008 7:51 AM
Jeremy @ #10:
Yes.
Posted by: Gavin McBride | September 16, 2008 7:51 AM
If anyone else is in Germany I propose we have a parallel party time at the same time and join up with some kind of video conference. Who is up for it?
I have a laptop, camera and UMTS card, I can do the video link from this end!
Posted by: Didac | September 16, 2008 7:51 AM
We are 39 comments away from 1.000.000. Perhaps it's unfair to comment for the sake of comment, but...
Posted by: LisaJ | September 16, 2008 7:52 AM
How exciting, it's almost here!! Wish I could go to the party :(
Posted by: Kel | September 16, 2008 7:52 AM
I'm going to be eating dinner when the 1,000,000th comment comes on. bugger
Posted by: makita | September 16, 2008 7:52 AM
It seems like only last week when we were still counting to reach 500,000.
Posted by: Escuerd | September 16, 2008 7:52 AM
I'll repeat my earlier comment that was off-topic on another thread.
As the number of comments approaches 1 million, the proportion of new comments concerned with the total number of comments to date approaches 1.
Actually, I expressed doubt in this principle when I posted it, thinking that not enough people really care. Maybe it IS true after all. Or maybe it's just because there's a post concerned with the milestone.
Posted by: CosmicTeapot | September 16, 2008 7:52 AM
I'm in Germany too :(
Perhaps we European readers can have our own party?
Posted by: Jon Anderson | September 16, 2008 7:52 AM
My comment brings no content to the discussion.
Posted by: Richard Harris | September 16, 2008 7:53 AM
Jeeeeez! I don't even like parties. I guess I could make an exception for PZ's though, because rationalism would rule, until the beer toook effect, anyway.
Posted by: AndyFromSweden | September 16, 2008 7:53 AM
Any pharyngulites in Norway, Sandnessjøen maybe, would be nice to come together someday...
Posted by: Wowbagger | September 16, 2008 7:53 AM
I've had dinner - I was in the middle of a DVR episode of Dexter but I'm going to stick around to watch the wheels click over.
Posted by: Ted H. | September 16, 2008 7:53 AM
Shameless post with only one intention.....
Posted by: dave | September 16, 2008 7:54 AM
999966!
If you're not in, you can't win, as they say!
Posted by: Despard | September 16, 2008 7:54 AM
The comment count is going up much more slowly than the number of comments on this thread. Perhaps it's all a big psychological experiment by the Seed Overlords to see what it takes to break the Internet?
Posted by: MarkW | September 16, 2008 7:55 AM
Why a million anyway? why is 10^6 any more significant than 10^5 or 10^7? Or for that matter, than 982411?
It's nothing but base-10 chauvinism I tells ya!
Posted by: CosmicTeapot | September 16, 2008 7:55 AM
Gavin @15
Great minds think alike (not spamming this thread whatsoever) ;)
Posted by: Gavin McBride | September 16, 2008 7:55 AM
@ 21
And now we are 2! Another 2 or 3 and I think we can do a good video party link up!
Anyone in PZ's end able to do a video link up over mobile internet?
Posted by: moother | September 16, 2008 7:55 AM
hey, was this all about then?
Posted by: david broome | September 16, 2008 7:56 AM
Another shameless post, but I still love PZ!
Posted by: Wowbagger | September 16, 2008 7:56 AM
Despard's right - i think we broke the internet.
Posted by: Ranson | September 16, 2008 7:56 AM
Bah. I'm too far away from anything for a decent science party.
Posted by: genesgalore | September 16, 2008 7:57 AM
aw
Posted by: moother | September 16, 2008 7:58 AM
methinks PZ has the bussiest blog here!
Posted by: cervantes | September 16, 2008 7:58 AM
You're paying my air fare, right?
Posted by: SC | September 16, 2008 7:58 AM
Shameless response to your post with only one intention.....
Posted by: David Weber | September 16, 2008 7:58 AM
Here's a preacher in Texas who loves PZ..
Posted by: Bill Anderson | September 16, 2008 7:58 AM
I'm impressed that scienceblogs.com has reached one million comments. It shows not only how much interest there is in science, but also how much interaction science stimulates.
Posted by: Benjamin Geiger | September 16, 2008 7:59 AM
Just thought I'd throw my hat in the ring.
Posted by: Markus | September 16, 2008 7:59 AM
First!!11!! Millionth.
Posted by: Ric | September 16, 2008 8:00 AM
I can has the millunth commint? :)
Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp, KoT | September 16, 2008 8:00 AM
I hope Lluara gets it.
Posted by: SC | September 16, 2008 8:00 AM
The winning comment should be here. We've done more than anyone to get it to a million.
Posted by: Kel | September 16, 2008 8:01 AM
Why does it seem like the number of posts made on this blog are going up faster than the official counter?
Posted by: Gavin McBride | September 16, 2008 8:01 AM
@ 28
A few people have opted out of being considered for the 1000000 comment. Maybe they are not being included in the count?
Posted by: Ploon | September 16, 2008 8:01 AM
Yeah, there should be some way for Pharyngulites outside the US to meet up. Anyone in Luxembourg? Heck, I'll take Brussels?
Posted by: PZ Myers | September 16, 2008 8:03 AM
Hmmm...if I went in and deleted a thousand comments, would the counter go down? Would everyone then go insane?
Posted by: Ranson | September 16, 2008 8:03 AM
I wonder if the Seed overlords will be cheesed off if the comment has nothing to do with science in a thread with nothing to do about science? I mean, it makes the promotion of "Scienceblogs" that much harder, because you know this is all for an advertising blitz.
Posted by: Bride of Shrek OM | September 16, 2008 8:03 AM
I'm tempted to just submit the word "vagina" 50 times...just so a slut could win.
Posted by: moother | September 16, 2008 8:03 AM
rotterdam.
biertje?
Posted by: Markus | September 16, 2008 8:03 AM
Ohh, the excitement!
Posted by: Stjuuv | September 16, 2008 8:04 AM
Hmm.. Less than 30 left. Will the exact 1-millionth commenter be the winner?
Posted by: Greg | September 16, 2008 8:04 AM
Just doing my part
Posted by: Escuerd | September 16, 2008 8:04 AM
I suspect we've passed the millionth comment by now, since the comments here have been so prolific. I don't know why the official counter isn't showing it.
Yeah, this comment is worthless.
Posted by: Gavin McBride | September 16, 2008 8:05 AM
@49
I am in Frankfurt. That is easy to get to from Bussels :) Come and join me and CosmicTeapot for a party here and we can do a video link up.
Anyone else up for having international parties and doing a video link of it to PZs party?
This is assuming someone in PZs one can do a mobile internet video link up too? Anyone over there up for it? Come on! I think a massive 1000000th post international video linked up party is a COOL idea!
Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp, KoT | September 16, 2008 8:05 AM
Here's my counter whore comment.
Posted by: Ploon | September 16, 2008 8:05 AM
Hi moother,
Rotterdam is my home town. Unfortunately I don't get to go there very often lately except for family purposes.
Posted by: Benjamin Geiger | September 16, 2008 8:05 AM
Hey, if I win the contest, I promise to liveblog the trip via Twitter. Just sayin'.
Posted by: Stjuuv | September 16, 2008 8:05 AM
Is it just me, or is the counter moving slower than actual comments are arriving? This thread alone has more than 50 comments, and when it started we were less than 50 away from 1 million. But the counter is still lagging.
Posted by: moother | September 16, 2008 8:06 AM
i didn't expect the spanish inquisition.
Posted by: AJ | September 16, 2008 8:06 AM
Go Quetzalcoatl!
Posted by: Louis Irving | September 16, 2008 8:06 AM
I'll be number 1,000,000 if you like, just if no-one else wants to do it. You have to get me from japan though - but I'm not adverse to being loaded in a packing crate and sent by ship mail....
Posted by: Arwen | September 16, 2008 8:06 AM
Good luck everyone! I wish I could go to the party but unfortunately I live too far away....
Posted by: Escuerd | September 16, 2008 8:06 AM
Ranson @ #51:
Maybe giving the official counter a delay gives them the plausible deniability to choose a comment they deem worthy of promotion?
Posted by: moother | September 16, 2008 8:07 AM
ploon, let's find more...
majority wins!
Posted by: SC | September 16, 2008 8:07 AM
The winning comment should be a slut. We've done more than anyone to get it to a million.
Posted by: AJ | September 16, 2008 8:07 AM
Go Quetzalcoatl!
Posted by: MarkW | September 16, 2008 8:07 AM
I also want to know if Seed would pay my air-fare from the UK? A ticket on an airline that's not likely to go bust while I'm in the US would be appreciated.
Posted by: God | September 16, 2008 8:07 AM
I spit on your one millionth comment contest! Patooie!
Posted by: clinteas | September 16, 2008 8:07 AM
Vagina
Posted by: Janine ID | September 16, 2008 8:07 AM
So, what do I win?
Posted by: Gavin McBride | September 16, 2008 8:07 AM
@ 50
No probabaly not!
If your comment just won your own competition though, THAT would probabaly make us go insane :)
Posted by: LisaJ | September 16, 2008 8:07 AM
Yes, I noticed that too. Weird.
Posted by: Whimsical Monkey | September 16, 2008 8:07 AM
We must already be there... I'm celebrating in any case!
Posted by: Stjuuv | September 16, 2008 8:07 AM
Is it just me, or is the counter moving slower than actual comments are arriving? This thread alone has more than 50 comments, and when it started we were less than 50 away from 1 million. But the counter is still lagging.
Posted by: Trixie | September 16, 2008 8:08 AM
I need a good excuse to for my boss as to why I need to leave work a few hours early so that I can be in MN by 7ish on Thursday. Any ideas?? Please help!
Posted by: Ranson | September 16, 2008 8:08 AM
I think we're far and away past 1,000,000 at this point. That ticker isn't moving nearly as fast as the comments in this thread alone.
Posted by: Isherwood | September 16, 2008 8:08 AM
Holy moly, I'd better post quick.
Posted by: Jeremy Gibson | September 16, 2008 8:08 AM
Hey... #62 is right. What the hell is happening? Sorry, a slight slip there. What the naturally occuring evil side of humanity that we can rationally perceive is happening?
Posted by: Louis Irving | September 16, 2008 8:08 AM
Not a million yet - but only 22, make that 21 away, so I'm figuring it's all to play for. Can I have a nice packing case please??
Posted by: Ploon | September 16, 2008 8:08 AM
I got a timeout on my previous comment. What if I keep pressing F5 and get "accidental" multiple posts, will that count?
Btw: vagina.
Posted by: Wowbagger | September 16, 2008 8:09 AM
I want to see the breakdown of where all the posts came from - preferably in graph form. I want to see the huge spike from Pharyngula while the cracker-insanity was running at full tilt.
Posted by: Escuerd | September 16, 2008 8:09 AM
It's like watching something fall into a black hole. The closer it gets, the more slowly it seems to approach.
Posted by: AJ | September 16, 2008 8:09 AM
Go Quetzalcoatl!
Posted by: dave | September 16, 2008 8:09 AM
Uhh...
999979?
Posted by: Benjamin Geiger | September 16, 2008 8:09 AM
Bride of Shrek: Just post the lyrics to the Bloodhound Gang's "Three Point One Four".
"Know what I really want in a girl? Me."
Posted by: Jon Anderson | September 16, 2008 8:09 AM
It is strange that the count is going up so slow - it seems like a straightforward database query to me, but I don't really know anything about how it is implemented.
@48:
I doubt the number of comments from people who opted out make as big of a difference as we see.
Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp, KoT | September 16, 2008 8:09 AM
The counter lies. LIES I TELL YOU
Posted by: Whimsical Monkey | September 16, 2008 8:09 AM
We must already be there... I'm celebrating in any case!
Posted by: clinteas | September 16, 2008 8:09 AM
Vagina
Posted by: SC | September 16, 2008 8:10 AM
Into the "Submission timeout" now...
Wouldn't it be funny if wOOt won?
Posted by: Sigmund | September 16, 2008 8:10 AM
OK, out with it, who broke the counter?
Posted by: Nerd of Redhead | September 16, 2008 8:10 AM
Posting seems to be very slow this morning. I wonder why? :-)
Posted by: LisaJ | September 16, 2008 8:10 AM
Yes, I noticed that too. Weird. And man, is it taking forever for a post to get through.
Posted by: Stjuuv | September 16, 2008 8:10 AM
Is it just me, or is the counter moving slower than actual comments are arriving? This thread alone has more than 50 comments, and when it started we were less than 50 away from 1 million. But the counter is still lagging.
Posted by: Bride of Shrek OM | September 16, 2008 8:10 AM
Hell, I'll celebrate.
Better get me a seventh glass of that fine chardonnay I've been drinking.
Oh, and....vagina.
Posted by: AJ | September 16, 2008 8:11 AM
Go Quetzalcoatl!
Posted by: Trixie | September 16, 2008 8:11 AM
I need a good excuse to for my boss as to why I need to leave work a few hours early so that I can be in MN by 7ish on Thursday. Any ideas?? Please help!
Posted by: Reginald | September 16, 2008 8:11 AM
I'll throw my hat into the ring!
Posted by: Whimsical Monkey | September 16, 2008 8:11 AM
We must already be there... I'm celebrating in any case!
Posted by: Stjuuv | September 16, 2008 8:12 AM
O_o multipost FTW
Posted by: Ploon | September 16, 2008 8:12 AM
Geez, this is like trying to buy tickets for The Police via a website. Slooooow.... and by the time you get through, the concert is sold out.
Posted by: moother | September 16, 2008 8:12 AM
a huge vagina
Posted by: Your mighty overload | September 16, 2008 8:12 AM
I was supposed to be "your mighty overlord", but this typo seemed more than appropriate....
Posted by: Whimsical Monkey | September 16, 2008 8:12 AM
We must already be there... I'm celebrating in any case!
Posted by: Gavin McBride | September 16, 2008 8:13 AM
@101
Im guessing from your username you are a girl.
There was a girl in my first job who used to tell her boss (male) she had to go home with "women's troubles".
Not once did he EVER ask for clarification and just let her go :)
Posted by: MarkW | September 16, 2008 8:13 AM
I can has millyun?
Posted by: Ploon | September 16, 2008 8:13 AM
Submission timeout... What if I keep F5-ing? Do "accidental" multiple posts count?
Posted by: bunbuns | September 16, 2008 8:13 AM
I think you'd end up getting some nasty emails that would rival the cracker episode if you went and deleted a thousand comments!
Posted by: clinteas | September 16, 2008 8:14 AM
Vagina
Posted by: Rev. BigDumbChimp, KoT | September 16, 2008 8:14 AM
Oh I rescind my hope of Lluartarda winning.
I want Zen commenter Wòót to win.
Posted by: SC | September 16, 2008 8:14 AM
Amtrak is faster than this counter, for Pete's sake. Get there already!
Posted by: John M | September 16, 2008 8:14 AM
That sounds like a lot of fun- it is a shame that you are way up in the isolated north.
Posted by: Ploon | September 16, 2008 8:14 AM
Btw: vagina
Posted by: Gavin McBride | September 16, 2008 8:14 AM
@101
Im guessing from your username you are a girl.
There was a girl in my first job who used to tell her boss (male) she had to go home with "women's troubles".
Not once did he EVER ask for clarification and just let her go :)
Posted by: Bride of Shrek OM | September 16, 2008 8:15 AM
Spooky,
maybe it means a million "intelligent" comments. In which case all of us who have ever said shit, vagina or bollocks are stuffed.