January 02, 2005

• sounds like fun, i am over in alameda, and i'd love to thank her in person for the xmas card... count me in.
• Berkeley should be fine and dandy for me. I'm staying down in Santa Cruz but I should be able to drag myself away for an evening of not-so-drunken debauchery. Incidentally, if anyone wants to grab a coffee in Santa Cruz, let me know. I know all the good coffee shops down there. Also, I'll be in LA for a very brief two day stopover around the 23rd, probably staying near the airport. As I said to ambrosia though I'll probably also be in a fairly zombie-like state at that point in the proceedings.
• I should be able to make it.
• Take pictures, especially if she's a zombie!
• tracicle, Im in SC, check email, set up time =)
• I have cleared my calendar of all non-monkey related activities.
• Well now, we'll be wanting shoutsout from all you crazy SF/NZ crossover monkeys. Be warned, we are not easily satiated. Make it large, s'il vous plait, and be having a great time now, you hear? Those drunken LA types have set some impressive standards, and you know us Londoners won't miss an opportunity to act all sniffy and superior. The bar has been set quite high...
• I'm calling the babysitter.
• I am envious, just take lots of pics you guys, ok? Oh and have bunches of fun.
• If the bar's too high, we won't get served. I can't wait! *charges camera batteries, buys felt-tip pens and huge drawing pad*
• Don't forget a shoutout for little Koko ... I used to live in SF, and I do miss it so ... I'll be there in spirit.
• SC meetup? Count me in!
• Um, Tracy, being a zombie at LA meetups isn't really a hinderance (as could be seen from the video footage) it's practically a nesessity. If you need a place to stay, I can pull out the futon as I have for several other monkeys.
• Heh, I'll be quite happy then, squid. I won't take you up on your futon offer this time, seeing as how I'll have a tired toddler to return to at the end of our special time together (and probably a tired #2 if we don't find a babysitter in that infinitely short space of preparation time). So far we have a Santa Cruz meetup, a Berkeley meetup, and a possible zombie-LA meetup. I should mention here that I'm also going to be spending a week or so in some place not far from Philadelphia, as well as going to DC and possible New York. So, uh, how many meetups is that?
• Have a burger at Oscar's for me, will ya?
• as well as going to DC Woo-hoo! We DC-area monkeys luck out. For the "someplace near Philly" I recommend the Grape Street Pub in Conshohocken (on the Blue Line aka 476) if it still exists--but the Philly Monkeys (are there Philly Monkeys?) probably know some groovy places as well. -B
• Put me down as a definite maybe.
• *blinks* Surlyboi? Rad!
• woohoo! I will be there to monkey around...
• Oh, I wish I could be there!!! Please take loads of pics! I too want to monkey around! Hey! Any monkeys from the Sunshine state want to get together?! I'm in south florida- Ft. Lauderdale- we know how to have a good time!
• Oh shoot! That should be (CAPS) South Florida-oops!
• CJS: I too live in Fort Liquordale, near downtown (although I'm monkeying around in Southern California right now and won't be back in South Florida until next Sunday). Melinika (who is totally rad) and I had a small SoFla meetup a couple of weeks ago while she and her hubby were visiting from Canada. There are a handful of MoPhitches in Central and North FL, so perhaps the next FL meetup should take place in the middle of the state somewhere.
• WAAAAHHH!!! California Monkeys have all the fun!
• omg! Monkeybashi on tour in the US?? *runs for nearest Greyhound station*
• HEY! What about Rhode Island? Ammachi comes to Rhode Island, hey!
• Rhode Island's too small for the likes of me!
• Oh, and how does Thursday night, the 27th, at Pergolesi's in Santa Cruz sound for SC locals? Say 7pm? Or upstairs at 99 Bottles for pool and darts, if that sounds more fun and if everyone's over 21. Or the Britannia Arms in Aptos, which is one of my personal favourite places even if the fish and chips cost a mint.
• Hooray, 99 bottles, my drinken' house of choice! I'll get all 99 of them down eventually... Thursdays and Tuesdays are perfect for me. Mondays and Wednesdays are absolutely, positively, scrumtiously (?) undoable.
• I called some places in LA today to check prices and could hear the American accent jump straight back into my voice. Rather than being self-conscious, I thought that was cool. I'm really looking forward to this trip, not least because I get to meet so many cool people.
• where's the live webcam URL again?
• Thursday is also all-night happy hour at 99 bottles, for those monkeys who want to have a drink or two... or three...
• or floor . . .
• *putting this back on the sidebar for nefarious LA Monkey Meetup planning purposes* Anyone?
• Space Kitty: when & where? (But I refuse to be de-pantsed! Unless it's like, the required gang initiation or something.)
• Night of the 23rd or 24th?
• Whatever works for you, tracicle! More specific details on where & exactly when to follow...
• Hmm, I had better add that I'm not sure a) where we're staying and b) how mobile I'll be. I will be there, somehow. I'm guessing we'll be staying near the airport because all the attractions have shuttles anyways.
• Or you could come and harass me at the Hacienda in El Segundo on the 11th. In my best state of zombification. Straight off the plane, even. I'd buy y'all a drink. Probably something banana-flavoured. I wonder if the Hacienda has a bar.
• *crickets* Sorry I dropped the ball on this one - Monkeys? Are we in? Hacienda in El Segundo! What time? tracicle?
• To those of you who get to meet teh Trace, please permit me to communicate my profound envy.
• Shall we try synchronised seething, Wolof?
• Have a great time, all!
• I'm working on Judge Joe Brown today doing titles so I might not be able to make the meetup. If you are going to be swinging by again around the 23rd it would be better for me.
• Let's send His Honor a sharpie and some cardboard so Squids can go play. Have lots of fun eddybody. I'll be seething with Wolof and Alnedra.
• Fuck, I just left California. Fuck. OK, seething on three. One, two...
• Three! *seethe*
• WEhhl I'll ha-*hic*-have a li'wl drink whith you . *hic* . . on over here cause is nice *hic* S'Okay! H*ic*Enjoy! *urp*scuzeme. . .
• I left my wallet in El Segundo. And I got to get it. Got, got to get it.
• So any word on when Monkeybashi is expected in sunny DC?
• Regroup! Can LA Monkeys do Sunday the 23rd? How about Encounter at LAX? Happy hour is Sunday - Thursday from 4 pm - 7 pm.....
• Please somebody bring a camera! And take lots of pictures of the glory that is our Monkeybashi!
• *pats Alnedra* We need/i> photos!
• Yay, good typing, me.
• *hands Wolof another drink*
• Space Kitty: yes. San Diego Monkeys: I'm planning to drive up, if anyone needs a ride.
• I last went to the theme restauarnt at LAX 50 years ago. Both it and I are under new management. I'll be there or be cubed.
• ---ooops... shoulda been 40, not 50... I'm not THAT old------ barely.
• Another seether here!!
• Count me in. I am, however, completely bummed that the place doesn't rotate. A circular space age lounge that doesn't rotate is kinda false advertising in my book.
• *hands Wolof another drink* *drinks it*
• *hands Wolof another drink*
• *steals drink, drinks drink, seethes*
• WHAT HAVE YOU PEOPLE BEEN DOING?? Why are there so many posts? Oh man, I don't have time to read through all this. Hi. Uh, we lost our tickets, but it's okay because it's all fixable. It does mean that I have no clue right now when I get into LAX. We arrive *on* the 23rd, and we'll *probably* be staying near LAX, so I say woo! Brain still sleeping. Am cold. Staying with some awesome people. Wedding was beautiful. It's cold. Going to Baltimore sometime. Maybe it will be less cold. I may have to buy an iPod Shuttle. More when I find our itinerary. Now I'm going to close my browser (which happens to be IE) and lose this cookie so I don't have to read all those posts. It's sort of cold.
• Are we still on for Encounter on Sunday?
• Ve haff vays of zeeink ze meetup pictures . . . zo you had best co-operate!
• Encounter is so on. 4-7, happy hour.
• I may have to buy an iPod Shuttle. Me too. The smaller the better (and cuter), when it comes to transportation. And the random location generator sounds perfect for summer road trips. :)
• Not gonna make it: snow currently at 3 inches or so and predicted to go on all night. Our flight has switched from 9am tomorrow (Sunday) to 6pm Monday, and we'll be in LA until Wednesday morning staying across from Disneyland. And damned if the iPod Shuffle didn't sell out before we could even get into the store. We went to the local Apple Store yesterday and they weren't delivered yet, then this morning they'd sold the entire shipment before the doors even opened. Anyway, I hope you guys have fun at Encounter tomorrow and have a drink for me! Sorry I can't make it.
• should we move it to later in the week then? could you do it later? all us la monkeys want to meet our monkey overlord. overlady?
• I say we wait for monkeybashi! Postpone!
• I can't make it midweek, but I was going to blow off today's anyway. If tracicle isn't going to be there, I'm not going. No, actually, my mom's getting out of the hospital this afternoon, so I'm going to go over there and keep her entertained.
• Awww well, fuck it. I ain't going. I got to work tomorrow anyway and can use the brain cells that I would have wasted by hanging out with you LA monkeys anyway.
• tuesday?
• Tuesday night would be cool but I am completely without transportation in LA. Does anyone really want to come out to Anaheim? I thought LA locals avoided Anaheim like the plague.
• LA Monkeys do avoid Anaheim, but we'll make an exception for Monkeybashi. Let me be the first to volunteer a carpool or caravan from squidranch's place? (just because I think he's the closest we have to Anaheim) Heee. (*waves to squidranch, promises to drive, if necessary*)
• I do hope it works out. Poor tracicle's vacation has been pretty trashed by weather. You LA monkeys can help her recover.
• I honestly don't expect you guys to come out to Anaheim on my account. I don't know any good places, either. Maybe we can just try again another time. How is the weather in LA anyway?
• It's another perfect day in southern California. Sunny, probably in the 70's today. A little hazy, but what can you do? I won't be able to make a meetup this week, damn it. But pictures, lots and lots of pictures, please?
• I'm about to become incommunicado. I'll say we, the family, will be at Tony's Ribs on S. Harbor (1700, I think - I went there in 2000) for dinner tomorrow night, around 5:30-6. We'll be the ones carrying an overhyped toddler and possibly more Finding Nemo memorabilia than you can shake a stick at. I bought camera batteries.
• Bearguy -- What about Monks Cafe it's near Philly in the sense that it's in Philly and has great food and a LARGE selection of beer.
• Update, pictures, stat!
• I don't think the LA meetup happened.
• D'oh!
• Bone, there's a blogger meetup in Tampa. Just so you know. For the record: I don't plan on attending.
• Sadly the LA/Anaheim meetup didn't happen. Too many monkeys with weekday committments. *sigh*
• So Tracicle has been in the country for two weeks and hasn't met any monkeys yet? *mind boggles* It's not too late for the LA monkeys to caravan up to Berkeley for a giant, California-wide meetup on Saturday. Whaddya say? You LA monkeys always seem to be up for a good time. *crosses fingers for meetup on Saturday*
• Tomorrow night, oh yes. #2 and I had our very own meetup, complete with shoutouts. So there. (Disneyland was entertaining, as my dear son is apparently infatuated with Goofy and took to stalking him across the park. It's also his birthday today.)
• Wow! I can't believe this. Now, we've all got to purchase tickets to Australia and descend on Monkeybashi and #2, take several thousand pictures, give shout-outs to ourselves, chuck the kidlet under the chin, and get back on the various planes to arrive in time for work on Monday. Well, maybe the Bay Area monkeys will salvage our reputation. And, that's an order.
• tickets to Australia Oh dear.
• Ok, NZ. But, gimme a break, I'm old and have memory lapses. So now all of the rest of you have my permission to make fun of me.
• Australia, New Zealand--same diff, right? *ducks*
• While at a mall somewhere around Philadelphia, we got talking to some random woman who asked where we were from (which is perfectly normal since we talk funny and all). I said we were there from New Zealand and she said, "Oh! I know someone who lives in Sydney!" Unfortunately, this is also perfectly normal and expected.
• Monk's Cafe would be groovy if memory serves. But is our beloved Tracicle travelling below the Mason-Dixon line?
• BearGuy, I tried to get her to come to Nashville, and she said something about having to raise Johnny Cash from the dead first. So I'd say that was a no.
• Okay, so Santa Cruz monkeys, don't forget! 99 Bottles, 7pm tonight, bring a banana or something so we can spot each other. And anyone who wants to carpool to Berkeley for Saturday, let me know and I'll see what I can do.
• bring a banana ...or a Banana Slug (appropriate for Santa Cruz)
• I stepped on one of those once, barefoot.
• OK, i'm confused, where IS our beloved monkeybashi? might someone post an interactive map with a little blinking blip so that we may keep track of her? thanks muchly.
• I'm ashamed of the LA monkeys! And what SideDish said. If Nashville means raising Johnny Cash from the dead, I'm assuming the same goes for Dallas and JFK. /tasteless
• Okay, SideDish, here goes: I was in LA on the night of the 11th, then Philadelphia from then until the 25th. During that time I spent one day in DC but was unable to arrange a meetup due to various commitments with family, and one day in NYC where, likewise, I was unable to meet anyone. I then progressed to LA where we spent two nights, arriving in Santa Cruz, CA, yesterday morning. We'll be here from yesterday until the 1st of February, including a meetup in Berkeley as discussed previously on the 29th. Uh... I think that's it. We're going to spend tomorrow shopping in and around San Jose/Santa Clara, but otherwise that's it. Also, if there's not going to be anyone at 99 Bottles tonight, that's okay too because I am beyond tired and well into fatigued right now. I am also annoyed because I just had to go to the DMV and argue over renewing my license, which they subsequently refused to do. Everyone the world over knows that the DMV is an evil, evil place. /rant
• Got your accent back yet? :)
• Possibly. I'm immersed now. Like, so totally.
• So did Santa Cruz meetup happen? 99 Bottles? Curious Monkeys want to know. *charges camera batteries, finds Sharpie in preparation of meetup at Jupiter*
• I was at 99 bottles from about 7-9. Me and 3 chums went. We sat at the bar having a few pitchers (right by the trophies). I saw a few groups there, listened for NZ accents, didn't hear any. Was there a meetup, never saw a recognizable monkey.
• Ah, damn, sorry LoopyG. I plead tiredness and apparent lack of interest. We're getting ready to head up to Berkeley. Ended up booking a hotel room within walking distance of Jupiter and we're going to stay up there tonight and come back early tomorrow. I can't wait to see some monkeys and mefites!! Unfortunately we have a jampacked weekend and my carpooling idea seems to have crashed and burned, so I hope anyone who doesn't drive can still get to Berkeley. *hates the DMV some more*
• I obviously won't be there tonight, but will call Space Kitty so that I might say hi to everyone.
• i was planning on going, but i am too far behind on a project due monday to spare the time... my apologies and hope you had fun without me anyway...
• I just returned from the NoCal meetup. Had to split early so I'm sure I am currently missing the real debauchery. Quite a turnout (15ish). Seems everyone had a camera, so expect photos soon. PS: The "don't go there" photo needs updating. red=no
• Hurray!
• *starts clearing hard disk space*
• *rubs hands and cackles with glee*
• I just put some pictures up in the Flickr group pool ...
• A+++++ WOULD MEETUP AGAIN!!!!!
• Well I had a lovely time oh-so-briefly meeting up with youse. I hope the rest of the night was wonderful. ook!
• What a fantastic meetup! Pleasure meeting all the monkeys & mefites - especially our own dear Monkeybashi. And props to sexyrobot for getting accomodations together & providing driving music.
• How was San Francisco, anyway?
• *fantastic!* Is a self link permissable?
• Hey, nice design!
• what a total bust! pantsoff was not achieved until right before i got into bed. alone. bah. soooo many monkeys.... alas we did not get to follow medusa to our stony deaths...we got to have a much more boring time later at the gay bar of no patronage...they should hire the waitress of much rudeness, i think it would be a perfect match. tracy...ahhhh...our monkey overlordress.....hurry back.... ...and any upstate (or elsewhere) monkeys that want to make the road trip to L.A., you can stay with me...as long as you don't steal nuthin' ;-)
• Hurray for pictures of monkeys enjoying themselves! And I got a shout-out all done in rhyme!
• I'm certain that it has been said, but allow me to reiterate: Spacekitty is lava hot. *seethes with envy for quasistoic*
• *hugs fes*
• Wow. DaShiv's photos (from SpaceKitty's page) deserve their own link. They beautifully document teh hotness that is MonkeyFilter.
• You only say that because you are teh cute in them.
• *agrees that teh yentruoc is teh cute, has had crush on Space Kitty for about a year or so*
• aww shucks. But judging from the hits, scarabic and SpaceKitty are (justifiably) the winners of HotOrNot: Berkeley meetup edition. sexyrobot was also quite the darling.
• Wow, DaShiv sure takes some purty pitchers.
• I'll never be able to attend a MoFi meetup because 1. I seem to be the only user for several thousand kilometres in any direction and 2. I'm far too ugly. Guess I'll have to settle for fancying you all from afar.
• That's some serious across-the-board hotness there. They grow 'em fine over there. The little one's a cutie, too. She looks like a handful.
• Wow. Just wow. We have some hot looking monkeys. Does anyone know if DaShiv is like...ahem...single?
• I have the same problem, Abiezer (except the ugly part ;-D). I've been thinking of holding a Winnipeg meetup and taking pictures of me sitting all alone, but I can't decide whether it would be funny or just sad.
• The entirety of the St. Louis Mofi Contingent feels your pain, Koko. *lingers just the teensiest bit too long on that Space Kitty hug*
• 400+ views (compared to ~200 for most of the others) for spacekitty in her glasses. Very impressive.
• um . . the mouse got stuck and kept clicking. *click!*
• Koko - I promise to smile in a warm and kindly way should you produce photographs. I'm sure that'd be the general response. Or you, me and Fes could do some shots and Photoshop up a fake meet somewhere exotic.
• Now there's an idea! A recluse "meetup"! All the lonely monkeys, where do they all come from? Of course, we'd have to include a picture of Space Kitty, or no one would bother to look ... /jealous
• I'm in! who wants to do the 'shopping?
• *blushes furiously* All monkeys are beautiful!
• Well, lack of skills would rule me out there Fes. Maybe a few mock-up sketches first, or story-board the night out to end all night outs, then fill in with appropriately posed shots.
• I don't have Photoshop, but would gladly be a creative consultant to whoever does. I can write the captions or something. We should have it take place somewhere improbable, like the Coliseum in Rome or on the moon or something. Some place that would have Photoshoppable pictures we could use.
• photoshop? mwuahahahahahahaha.....
• So, sexyrobot, is that a pro-mwuahahahahahahaha..... or an anti-mwuahahahahahahaha.....?
• mwuahahahahahahaha
• Are you volunteering, sexyrobot?
• I love squidranch in that. And I like the photoshop meetup idea. Wish I had a scanner or a digital camera!
• Them thangs tain't 'llowed whar you live MCT. Tools 'o the debbil they ar.
• *pours holy water on hard drive, nods knowingly at demonic smoke that predictably issues forth*
• This photoshop idea - you could make it a competition. Isolated monkeys post pictures of themselves on Flickr or wherever, owners of Photoshop or similar (I'm a Paintshop Pro man myself) produce images of meetups in suitably exotic locations. No? Too Farkish? *Still not got over the t-shirt designs*
• Hey, I've met Space Kitty! She's even cuter in person!
• I'd be game Plegmund (and thanks for offering your skills) though a quick trawl through my hard-drive reveals the only digital photos I have of myself are on a peace demo in the embassy quarter of Beijing and at a friend's house in a mountain village in Sichuan playing with their puppy. The puppy looks cute tough, and there's a wicked looking Chinese cop in shades in the first one. I could upload them to my webspace or Fickr for a start off, or get a friend to take some more if you're planning a particular scene. Could you 'shop me in next to Space Kitty? Anywhere would do.
• That's a fine idea Plegmund. And I think that it should be required that Space Kitty appear in all the pictures somewhere. It could be like a Where's Waldo? thing.
• Yes, jim_t, I remember the L.A. meetup from a year ago... Only you and Kimberly were apparently exposed to the legendary "Space Kitty bits"... Did anybody ever ask if YOU had cameras? I am totally ashamed of myself for objectifying the beloved SK; I think my asexuality is starting to lapse... Here's the 25-year-old picture of me holding an Oscar™. I'll get more recent images as soon as I lose 50 pounds... Now, where did I put that saw?
• Dude, you look like a young David Lange. Did you ever run New Zealand?
• Can't get wendell's pic to open :(. Anyhow here's the demo one (too small) and here's me and a cute puppy (too big 300+k). 'Shop 'til you drop!
• This idea deserves its own FPP, which I will create post-haste! Perhaps the monkeys who have posted their pix here could re-post them there, to keep things simple for the 'shoppers.
• What little I can see of the surroundings in A_C's second photo looks quite serene and beautiful.
• It's better than that mct - it's a lovely village over a spectacular 1000m deep gorge of the Dadu River - full of bamboo groves and apple orchards. The house belongs to the hamlet leader Deng Guomin. I stayed there all the time when we did projects up there. I got quite a few more photos of that village and other ones round it. I'll post them up at my webspace. Anyhow - in the mean time here's two - cute kid with same puppy, and an itinerant craftsman renovating one of the statutes in a temple.
• I've heard there are parts of China that will just knock you flat with their beauty, and I've long wanted to see the Orient. Those are some great shots. I'm bookmarking your site now, thanks.
• Hell, rodgerd, you're right. Wendell/Mr Lange, I thought you were a great PM. I was only ten or so at the time, but still.