Berkeley LW Meet-up Saturday October 9

5 Post author: LucasSloan 03 October 2010 07:17AM

Last month, about 7 people showed up to the Berkeley LW meet-up.  To build on that success, we will be meeting on Saturday, October 9 at 7 PM at the Starbucks at 2224 Shattuck Avenue.  I'll be there with a sign saying "If you read Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, come talk to me."  Last time, we chatted at the Starbucks for about an hour then went somewhere for dinner, so don't feel like you have to eat before you come.  Hope to see you there!

Comments (40)

Comment author: Mass_Driver 06 October 2010 04:22:31AM 2 points [-]

Would like to attend, but have a prior commitment, and so will not. Is there a standing Meetup for the 2nd Saturday of the month? If not, how about getting a little more advance notice, like I requested last month? If necessary, and with y'all's permission, I can choose an arbitrary Saturday and announce the address and time myself.

Comment author: LucasSloan 06 October 2010 07:59:33AM *  1 point [-]

If not, how about getting a little more advance notice, like I requested last month?

Hey! I gave like 3 more days' notice this time.

Is there a standing Meetup for the 2nd Saturday of the month?

Not yet...

Comment author: Mass_Driver 06 October 2010 01:34:03PM 0 points [-]

(sigh) Aye, that you did. I'm just grumpy because I can't come. See you in November!

Comment author: Relsqui 03 October 2010 10:56:12PM 2 points [-]

I'm on the fence. Social stuff is good, but I worry that a lot of the potential topics are things I won't have anything to contribute to (e.g. AI-related things I have no background in) or be able to keep up with. I invite people to try to nudge me to one side or the other.

Comment author: LucasSloan 03 October 2010 11:02:49PM *  3 points [-]

Don't assume we spend all our time talking about the deep, ultimate truths of the universe. Last time, we spend far more time talking about our lives and social rationality than (in the one example I remember occurring) the computability of the universe. If you want to socialize, there's no real pressure to be thinking "DEEP THOUGHTS". People (around here) tend to be biased against changing their routines and trying new things, so you should try to correct in the other direction. I promise you will enjoy yourself.

Comment author: clay 03 October 2010 11:47:12PM 2 points [-]

Like the Iced Drink Theory that Mass_Driver gave us last time.

Comment author: Dain 04 October 2010 09:10:57PM 0 points [-]

Sounds good. I don't come around this blog very often I admit, but I'm nearby and need to recapture the feeling of being in college with some other smart folks to talk to.

Comment author: Relsqui 03 October 2010 11:35:20PM 0 points [-]

Well, I was going off the report from last month, which claimed to be pretty lofty. ;) I also forgot to mention my other concern, which is that I'm not prepared to buy a meal in a restaurant, but that doesn't preclude bumming a cafe table for a while.

Okay. I tentatively intend to show up, and will try to remember to actually do so. ;)

Comment author: LucasSloan 03 October 2010 11:36:26PM 0 points [-]

will try to remember to actually do so.

Would it help if I PM'd you on Saturday morning?

Comment author: Relsqui 03 October 2010 11:47:18PM *  0 points [-]

Oh, on Saturday. I was trying to find a day somewhere in the post body, and didn't, so I assumed it was today. :p I see it in the headline now.

I am much less confident estimating how much I'll feel like going out to meet some strangers in six days than in two hours, but the reminder can't hurt. :)

Comment author: Kevin 03 October 2010 07:45:44AM *  2 points [-]

I'll be there! And for anyone that wants to make a day of internet meetups, come to the /r/trees meetup at 2PM in Berkeley. http://www.reddit.com/r/trees/comments/dfufu/bay_area_meetup/

Also, why Starbucks? Because they don't care if you sit and don't buy anything?

Comment author: Will_Newsome 03 October 2010 08:33:26AM *  1 point [-]

Please show up to the entmoot with pineapples to pass around.

Comment author: LucasSloan 03 October 2010 08:04:42AM *  0 points [-]

Also, why Starbucks? Because they don't care if you sit and don't buy anything?

It's right next to the BART station, so it makes a good meeting point.

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 03 October 2010 01:58:21PM 1 point [-]

May I suggest mentioning OB and LW on the sign too? More people have read LW than HPMOR, I'm pretty sure.

Comment author: LucasSloan 03 October 2010 06:01:24PM *  1 point [-]

Well, it's the sign I have... but I'll see what I can do.

Comment author: Nick_Tarleton 04 October 2010 10:43:48AM 1 point [-]

I'll probably be there. (My birthday, btw.)

Comment author: Alicorn 04 October 2010 02:06:11PM 0 points [-]

Happy birthday!

Comment author: [deleted] 03 October 2010 04:21:31PM 1 point [-]

I'm so there.

Comment author: mindspillage 03 October 2010 11:24:23AM 1 point [-]

How late do people usually hang around? I'll be in the area but busy until ~9.

Comment author: LucasSloan 03 October 2010 10:38:19PM 0 points [-]

Last time, we'd left Starbucks by 9, but were near by. If you would like, I could PM you my cellphone number and you could call and see where we are.

Comment author: mindspillage 07 October 2010 03:01:50AM 0 points [-]

That would be great, thanks.

Comment author: LucasSloan 07 October 2010 10:30:12PM 0 points [-]

LW seems to think you don't exist. Is there some way other than PMs that I could contact you?

Comment author: rhollerith_dot_com 03 October 2010 09:12:58AM 1 point [-]

I'll be there again.

Comment author: Will_Newsome 03 October 2010 08:29:03AM 1 point [-]

I'll try to make it out there with some SIAI folk.

Comment author: [deleted] 09 October 2010 05:21:29AM *  0 points [-]

While I can get there fine from Davis via Amtrak and BART, getting back is kind of a problem. The last Amtrak train from Richmond to Davis leaves unacceptably early at 9:15pm. Anyone living nearby willing to let me crash for the night and head back early Sunday morning?

Any third alternatives are also welcome.

Comment author: JeyKottalam 09 October 2010 08:58:35PM 1 point [-]

You can crash at our apartment in Berkeley. Kevin, MBlume, myself (Jey), and other LessWrongers live here.

Comment author: [deleted] 09 October 2010 09:10:04PM 0 points [-]

Yay! Thanks!

Comment author: John_Maxwell_IV 04 October 2010 01:04:08AM 0 points [-]

I'm down.

Comment author: bisserlis 03 October 2010 10:36:05PM 0 points [-]

I said I'd show up to the last one, then I forgot, but this time I'm writing it down on a sheet of paper tacked to the wall above my computer.

Comment author: magfrump 03 October 2010 08:39:17AM 0 points [-]

I live just far enough away not to be able to go to Berkeley (without a car). Are there any other LWers in the Santa Cruz area or Monterey?

Comment author: zntneo 25 February 2011 06:19:07AM 0 points [-]

I live in monterey.

Comment author: magfrump 25 February 2011 07:30:14AM 0 points [-]

Are you planning to drive up? The route google maps gives from monterey to mountain view passes quite close to where I live. I would gladly provide gas money, and I can reference (at least) two LWers who know that I'm not a crazy person.

Comment author: zntneo 30 March 2011 05:06:51AM 0 points [-]

Probably not just because its so far away

Comment author: jasonmcdowell 03 October 2010 09:33:55PM *  0 points [-]

I'm in Santa Cruz and I'm vaguely thinking about going. I'm not sure yet.

Edit: I have a car so I could drive.

Comment author: magfrump 04 October 2010 06:18:04AM 0 points [-]

Would you be interested to meet in Santa Cruz?

Aside from being social and all that, it would be neat to be not-strangers if you were interested in carpooling to car-distance meetups.

Comment author: jasonmcdowell 05 October 2010 12:36:21AM 0 points [-]

I'm a grad student at UC Santa Cruz. I'm in Baskin Engineering most of the time.

Are you a student? If you're on campus we could meet, otherwise there's lots of time to talk on the way to Berkeley.

The thing I miss the most about Berkeley is the food. I like the fast food in Berkeley a lot better than in Santa Cruz. I really want to get food at I.B.'s Hoagies (on south side of campus, on Durant) if possible. Thai Basil is another favorite.

Comment author: jasonmcdowell 09 October 2010 05:34:41AM 0 points [-]

I.B.'s Hoagies (south side of campus on Durant) is probably my favorite thing about going back to Berkeley. We're going to get some hoagies around 6:30 pm or so before meeting at Starbucks.

The asian food court area would be a good place to hang out (really I just love Thai Basil), though it might be a little cold since it is out in the open.

Do any of you drink boba? I wonder if any boba places are open late.

Comment author: [deleted] 09 October 2010 05:59:11AM 0 points [-]

Do any of you drink boba?

Seems like boba are the wonderful squishy bubbles in bubble tea. I usually chew them. Occasionally I swallow them.

Comment author: Relsqui 03 October 2010 09:33:46AM 0 points [-]

For the record, you can do that trip on public transit, it's just really tedious (#17 from downtown SC to I forget the VTA bus number in SJ to BART in Fremont). And you wouldn't want to need to take it back that night.

Wait, I just realized that I parsed that as you looking for a carpool, whereas you may have actually been suggesting another meetup down there. Well, either way, there's some information; the worst it can be is useless. :)

Comment author: magfrump 03 October 2010 05:46:04PM 0 points [-]

Looked it up on google maps and it said the trip via public transit was over three hours. If the meetup starts at 7 that means I'd either have to leave quickly or get home very late.

Google maps also claims that the car ride is only an hour and a half, which is much more doable, but of course if there are people in my area it's always more convenient for me to travel less (: