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Philly Skepchick Meet-up? Plus, Yay for Jewelry!

First of all, I’m going to be traveling to see my family this weekend in beautiful South Jersey! I’ll be picnicking on Friday (Independence Day for you non-Americans), but Saturday I’m free. I thought that afternoon might be a fun time to meet up with area skeptics at a restaurant in Philly. I was going to suggest a restaurant I went to last time I was there, but I can’t even think of the name of it (near Macy’s, lots of signs on the wall from defunct local department stores). Anyway, if any locals are interested, please post to the comments and maybe suggest a place that would be quiet-ish on a Saturday afternoon. If there’s enough interest, we’ll set a time and place.

UPDATE: Saturday July 5, 11am-ish, Eulogy, RSVP in thread for head count!

Second of all, thanks to all the teens who wrote in about Teen Skepchick! I didn’t have time to respond to any of you yet, because I spent the weekend trying and failing to get the new blog up and running. (I’ll be trying and hopefully not failing again tonight!) I’ll be getting in touch with you all soon.

Third of all, many people approached me and my fellow Skepchicks at The Amaz!ng Meeting asking about our necklaces. Those were custom made for us by Amy of Surlyramics! As you may have noticed in person, her jewelry is eye-catching, clever, and pro-science. Visit her Etsy site to order one (or more) of your own! Holy crap I just noticed this rocket ship necklace, which someone needs to buy right now. Seriously, right now.

Rebecca Watson

Rebecca is a writer, speaker, YouTube personality, and unrepentant science nerd. In addition to founding and continuing to run Skepchick, she hosts Quiz-o-Tron, a monthly science-themed quiz show and podcast that pits comedians against nerds. There is an asteroid named in her honor. Twitter @rebeccawatson Mastodon mstdn.social/@rebeccawatson Instagram @actuallyrebeccawatson TikTok @actuallyrebeccawatson YouTube @rebeccawatson BlueSky @rebeccawatson.bsky.social

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92 Comments

  1. My husband and I live outside Philly. We were actually thinking about making the trek up to Boston to attend a skeptic’s pub meeting, so this is perfect for us! I’ll have to think about where would actually be quiet on a Saturday afternoon in July, but I will definitely let you know if I think of something. If not, there are plenty of bars (Olde City for example, although that may get too crowded) where we can all go yell at each other over the sound of other patrons. :)

  2. Definitely going. I’m in Philly for the summer and was considering trekking to Boston at some point for a meet-up.

    What did the restaurant look like on the outside? I ride the bus right past Macy’s every day.

  3. O. M. G. I’ve been reading jealously about the Boston and Chicago meet-ups. Now you’re coming to my town, and I probably can’t make it. Times like this make me wish that Dawkins was wrong, just so I could kick god in the nuts.

    May I humbly suggest Eulogy? 300 beers, close to public transit, located in a historic and scenic section of the city.
    http://www.eulogybar.com/

    Please keep us informed. If there’s any chance at all, I’ll try to be there.

  4. Awesome, I think that’s already enough heads to justify a meet-up! Swanky Bubbles and Eulogy both sound fab, though I’m leaning toward Eulogy for the beer and better Yelp reviews…

  5. kookbreaker2:

    it’s looking like Eulogy (136 Chestnut St, Philly) next Saturday July 5. I haven’t been there before, but I’ve read good things about it!

    Do we have a time yet, by the way?

  6. Okay, how about 3pm? That way it might be slow in there, we can have drinks and then maybe an early dinner, and then I can get back to South Jersey in time to catch my early-Sunday train home.

    Sorry, maybe not 3pm…see comment below…

  7. Yay for jewelry indeed! The “Think” necklace I ordered rocks, and I may go back for the robot. I’ll leave the rocket for someone else, though – you heard the lady, get on it

  8. Oh, oh, hold on! Just got off the phone with mom, who is saying that earlier in the day would be much better, traffic-wise. What if we made it for an early lunch instead? 11 am? Sorry to be flaky.

  9. Sounds good to me! 3pm Saturday = the awesomeness. And thanks, by the way, for saving us from traveling all the way up there, haha. Not that we wouldn’t anyway.
    And hooray indeed for Surlyramics! I had a “Jack Skellington” necklace specially made for my best friend’s birthday and Amy’s work really is amazing. I need to start getting myself some!

  10. Haha yeah you’re mom’s probably right. Ok, so a skeptical brunch and early drunkenness, lol. Bloody Marys shall ensue.

  11. I’m on their site right now. I checked for table availability for 11am and it’s saying 11:30am is the earliest available. I also have the option of making reservations, but since I don’t know how many people will show up I think that might be pointless. If we can try to get a headcount we can be sure to have seating for lunch, as I don’t know how busy they are for their lunch rush. And of course there’s always bar room I’m sure.

  12. Try harder, neozazdave! Ha ha.

    Seriously, if anyone has trouble getting there by 11, just post here and we can make sure the staff knows we have late-comers. I’m thinking we can just show up and hang out. So long as we’re drinking, I’m sure they won’t boot us out.

    I’m looking at the SEPTA bus schedule and I think 11am might work perfectly, leaving me just enough time to get lost. (I’ve never taken SEPTA before, so I’m sure there will be one or two missteps.)

  13. Ha, thanks! SEPTA isn’t too bad, and if you need I’m sure Jason and I could get you where you need to go.
    So… so far we have Rebecca, Jason, Me, Kookbreaker2 and a possible Neozazdave. I’m sure more will jump on the bandwagon, if not it’s looking like an intimate get-together, but an awesome one no less, ha.

  14. P.S. Jason just texted me from work that Sugar Mom’s shouldn’t be crowded that time of day either, which is a cool little dive bar under the Sugar Refinery in Olde City. He said if we wanted to “hop” he’d cover the taxi, haha.

  15. That’s not even this coming weekend either I don’t think, I saw on the calendar that it starts the 19th of July. Unless I read it wrong and it said June. Which is possible.

  16. Lol yes and even if she took the piercing out or got the tattooed lasered off, she could always remember Philly by way of Hepatitis.

  17. Oh oh oh! It is one of my great regrets that in 17 years of living so close, I never got to see the Mutter Museum. Can we? I would be forever in everyone’s debt, and I can’t think of a better way to spend a drunken afternoon with skeptics.

  18. And LBB, does this mean you’ll make it?

    Also, if I see something particularly inspiring at the Mutter, maybe we’ll head to S. Street and get it tattooed on my ass.

  19. I’ve never been either and have lived for 23 years within an hour of Philly! It’s very small from what I hear, but eff it, it’s full of really cool stuff to look at. Drunken field trip!

  20. Sweet, another in the head count. You could always get a portrait of Cheng and Eng (the original Siamese twins) on your ass, lol.

  21. Count me in, too. Though I’m not legally allowed to get drunk, I’ll come anyway :)

    I second going to the Mutter Museum–I’ve always intended to go, and this is just the right opportunity to do it.

  22. Sweet. I’ve been keeping track (I have nothing to do today, haha) and so far we have:

    Rebecca
    Jason & Me (Chelsea, if you didn’t know that.)
    Neozazdave possibly?
    Vreify
    Little Bald Bastard possibly?
    Kookbreaker2

    Sorry I don’t know all your real names! When we meet tell me who you post as so I know who you are, haha.

  23. Woot! More people!

    Off topic, but I don’t know where my picture went… anyone know how to fix that? I wanted to change it anyway, but now it’s gone all together.

  24. Thank you so much Rebecca for wearing and mentioning my Surly Jewelry and thank you to everyone who visited my site! Skep-Chicks and Skep-Dudes RULE! Wish I was close enough to make the meet up. I would so totally be there.

    luv
    Surly Amy

  25. Drat! I look away for one day and miss all the planning!

    I’m usually busy on Saturday mornings untill noon. So 15:00 would have been perfect.

    But I’ll see if I can get away in the a.m.

  26. @Rav:

    Try switching some stuff around so you can hit the town with us! :)
    I didn’t realize how many of us (skepchick fans & commenters, that is) there were in the approachable area!

  27. LBB, does this mean you’ll make it?

    After consultation with Mrs. Bald Bastard, I will be joining you for morning drinkies. =)

    Rebecca, I’m going to send an email with my contact info (email and phone and such). I’m a SEPTA veteran, and I can help you sort out your transit options, if you’d like.

  28. So the new headcount so far is:

    Rebecca
    Jason & Me (Chelsea, if you didn’t know that.)
    Vreify
    Mr & Mrs. Little Bald Bastard
    Kookbreaker2
    Mr & Mrs. Waltdakind
    Possibly: Neozazdave & Rav Winston

    Woohoo!

  29. I’ll be there for lunch. As much fun as it would be to stay out late with you guys, I’ll have to get on plane a few hours later.

  30. Haha ok… So now we have:

    Rebecca
    Jason & Me (Chelsea)
    Vreify
    Little Bald Bastard (sanz Mrs LBB)
    Kookbreaker2
    Mr & Mrs Waltdakind
    Rav Winston
    KingMervoo (lunch, no field trip)
    possibly: Neozazdave

    Now watch like 100 people jump on board when I’m not paying attention to the comments, haha.

  31. Actually, Rebecca, for us non-Americans, Friday is just friday. ‘Independance Day 2008? for us is another word for “Friday”

    Even if it’s not actually concurrent with Friday? Every Friday is Independence Day 2008?

    This sounds confusing, but fun!

  32. OK, so I am to gather that: We meet in Olde City (1st and Chestnut) and then make our merry way to the Mutter Museum (22nd & Market) after lunch?

    Just asking what the itenerary is. Keep in mind that parking is at a premium in both areas.

    Rebecca, if you want I can meet you at a train stop or something and guide you in.

  33. That sounds like a good plan, Kookbreaker2. Either 1st or 3rd and Chestnut would be good, since eugoly is on 3rd. We could walk from Eulogy to Market after lunch and drinks and hop on the Market St line (bus or L) and head up to 22nd.

    Jason and I will be driving in Saturday morning; we live about half an hour west of the city. So depending on our drunkenness after lunch we could fit 3 more people in our car for those opposed to PT, although I’m sure that wouldn’t be a problem for any of us, and I’m also sure we’ll want to get buzzed beyond the ability to drive, haha.

    So Rebecca, you’ve got several people willing to meet you or pick you up from a stop, and you’ve got my phone number, so by all means take advantage and make your travels a little easier.

  34. Hm, I was of the persuasion that Eulogy was between Front (there’s no 1st street) & 2nd. Shall we just meet in front of Eulogy?

    FYI: If our group hits 10 people, we won’t be allowed in the Mutter without a reservation, which must be made 2 weeks in advance. Ridiculous!

    I guess they are too small to be accommodating a group of 10 more or less drunk people.

  35. I was planning to go straight to Eulogy. I figure if I get there early, I’ll just give them a heads up so they can set up the tables.

    If there are more than 10 of us going to the Mutter, we can just take turns — one group at the nearest bar and another in the museum, then switch! See? There’s a solution to everything, and it usually involves beer.

  36. Sounds good. Let’s all meet at the bar itself and see where that takes us. At my last headcount I had 10 people exactly, unless Neozazdave is able to go, in which case we’re up to 11.

    There are lots of bars in that area, being near Rittenhouse and all. So if we do exceed the Mutter’s maximum capacity there will be plenty of places to choose from. Beer = the cure to every party’s issues.

  37. Skeptics in Philly? I’m curious how many you can muster, as I only managed to get two or three people to show up for the Friday the 13th bash last month.

    Of course, I don’t have boobs.
    Or a website with hundreds of readers.

  38. Aw. Sorry Exarch, with all the TAM stuff going on I completely flaked on telling people to meet up with you. :( Come back this weekend, I’ll make it up to you!

  39. exarch – I really wanted to come to the Friday the 13th bash, but I didn’t find out about it until I already had plans to go camping.

  40. I didn’t know there was a Friday the 13th event. I totally would have planned to go to that, and then been unable to attend at the last minute.

    For anyone who’s confused, vreify has it right. Eulogy is on Chestnut between Front St. and 2nd.

    If it makes planning any easier, I doubt that a trip to the Mutter is in my budget. I’ve already been. As cool as it was, I don’t think I can justify the cost of attendance in the current economic climate.

  41. Ah ha, thank you LBB for the realization that I was reading the street number wrong (I saw 316 where it said 136 for some reason). It’s a shame you won’t be joining us for the museum, but at least we get your company at lunch.

    @Exarch: if I had a) known there was a Friday the 13th meet up and b) hadn’t been in South Carolina for that week, we absolutely would have come out! Find me on Facebook or Myspace and let me know next time you’re interested in a skeptical get together!

  42. The effect of the world’s largest colon is largely used up after the first viewing. Besides, I’ve got another seven months before he’s out of the White House.

    *rimshot*

  43. So, will the supposed rainstorms tomorrow have any impact on our Skeptical bacchanalia?

    I plan to drive in and park over by the Ritz at the Bourse.

  44. Personally I enjoy walking/running/playing in the rain. And damned if I’m not excited enough to overlook getting wet :).
    Yes I think opening the umbrella inside is a great idea, ha.

  45. Holy crap, my brother just told me Eulogy has glass coffins w/ skeletons in them on the 2nd floor. We must see those and preferably drink near them. Excited!

  46. Oh my flipping god you’re kidding! Jason will be bringing one of his shmancy cameras, being a photographer and all, so there will be ample photographic evidence of our drunken skeleton and medical oddity adventure. :)

  47. I’ll be there, I just got back from Cape May so I didn’t have a chance to get on the internet So I hope there is still room.

  48. Of course there’s still room TomDG :)
    The more the merrier. Although too many drunken skeptics could get a bit carried away I suppose, haha.

  49. Haha, molest Ben Franklin we did. I had such a great time with everyone that came out! Thanks everyone for making it an awesome day.
    LBB get on that e-mail list so we can plan another sometime! :)

  50. Hey everybody, thanks for showing me a good time in Philly! I can’t wait to do it again. Even though I’m currently stuck on a train somewhere between NYC and Boston. Thanks, random house with open wifi!

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