We just hit the one millionth comment on Pharyngula, and it’s Ichthyic.
Protein synthesis: just sequence the DNA of something that already makes said protein and write it back out to a bacterium. If necessary, fiddle with the sequence before writing it out.
http://www.iptv.org/exploremore/ge/what/insulin.cfm
like that?
A quote, a url, and two words? Couldn’t you have written something longer and fancier and more impressive?
Anyway, the party is in New Zealand, Ichthyic is buying.
Us Kiwis are people of few words.
I’ll have the Highland Park 40 year old single malt scotch whisky…
Yeah, but what’s he buying?
Is he buying plane tickets?
Yes, I’m sure.
gratz :D
Does Ichtyic get an Order of the Molly by default, or does he still have to earn it?
rusty, you blew it. You should have said:
Us Kiwis are people of few
*starts tapping the fuming grog barrels, and handing out tankards* Enjoy.
Ichthyic, you failed us all. What is the media going to say?! Imagine the headlines:
We’re doomed I tell you. DOOOOOOOMED!
WSJ poll on climate change needs fixing.
http://online.wsj.com/community/groups/question-day-229/topics/national-academy-scientists-report-proof
Ichthyic, you failed us all. What is the media going to say?! Imagine the headlines:
We’re doomed I tell you. DOOOOOOOMED!
One million comments?! PZ, you absolutely have to stop hurting the causes of science and atheism with your militancy. You’re doing nothing but drive people away!
Well, we can suggest that to him, but I don’t think he will be very keen. Uh, he’s already got one, you see.
Ichy was one of the first Molly awardees.
Sir Toejam ftw!
Ichthyic got a molly way back in 2007.
Double-comment fail. I was ranting, but not that much.
Congrats, Ichthyic! I await my plane tickets.
This makes me irrationally exuberant. Good job. Though I can’t help but see how close I was with an even more inane comment.
Damn you Ichthyic. *shakes fist*
Is he buying plane tickets?
ack!
the job market down here is a bit on the tight side at the moment. Last job I interviewed for in marine biosecurity (see: MAF) was actually canceled before I could even start!
However, I do offer ya all a round at Kitty’s in Wellington:
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&safe=off&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=kitty+o%27sheas+wellington&fb=1&hq=kitty+o%27sheas&hnear=wellington&cid=11006512542218921803
We’ve had a regular Pharynguloid meetup there every other week for over a year now.
It even got spun-in with the skeptics-in-the-pub crowd, so there is now a get together every friday.
for those unawares, one of those regulars at the pub meet I actually met here, on Pharyngula, a couple years back (Buffybot), and we’ve now been together here in NZ practically since my arrival here.
Pharyngula been berry berry good to me.
:)
Congrats to Ichthyic and PZ!
I dunno why but I find it funny that The Eternal Thread makes up about ~5% of the total comments.
Insulin?
I am so there!
Does Ichtyic get an Order of the Molly by default, or does he still have to earn it?
wait, you mean I was supposed to earn that thing?
oops.
Well, I’m relieved that the 1,000,000th comment — which was bound to be noted and quoted by PZ in a post — is actually something related to the topic of biology, and makes us look good. It so easily could have been someone saying “Yeah — well FUCK YOU TOO sideways with a rusty blade!!!” and then people might see it and think Pharyngula has a problem with tone.
Nicely done, Ichthyic.
Well, get Buffybot to let you out of the TortureShorts for free, just this once.
Heh. Sorry, Ichthyic, I wasn’t aware you had already won one.
Tell PZ you want cash instead.
Congratulations! In honour of your accomplishment, I’m going to go eat some cake and make a pizza. In that order, yes, because it’s party time.
Ichthyic, you failed us all.
actually, I think I did rather well. the wonderful world of genetic recombination is nothing to sneeze at!
:)
Given the timing of the millionth comment, I think we should all thank IPU that it wasn’t SlantedScience calling rape victims bad names and accusing everyone here of being oversensitive thoughtpolice.
@28:
Thats… a shilling prospect. That would have been bad indeed. Bad enough for some unusual self-censorship in announcing it in the first place, even?
I’m sitting here, expecting my prize awards to come rolling in any second now…
*looks at arm where watch should be*
yup, any second now.
Thats… a shilling prospect.
only a shilling?
hell, a shilling won’t buy much these days.
Buffybot still hasn’t let you out of the TortureShorts? Harsh…
Buffybot still hasn’t let you out of the TortureShorts? Harsh…
they tend to stretch out a bit after you’ve been in them a while.
Couldn’t you have written something longer and fancier and more impressive?
actually, I had indeed considered writing a bit about the general topic of products resulting from genetic recombination, but, as usual, a quick glance on the interweb suggested someone else had already done the necessary legwork, and with pictures and diagrams, even.
Teh interweb is dun makin’ me lazzzy.
Grats Ichthyic… or however it’s spelled.
Query:
Does the 1,000,000 include spam and, like, Charlie Wagner and stuff like that that gets deleted?
Or is it a million net comments, as opposed to gross comments. (yeah, yeah, pun away)
*looks around at relative isolation*
*cries*
But back to topic, congratulations, Ichthyic! It’s well-deserved, as you’ve put in a large bulk (and quality) of those million comments.
PZ, is there an easy way to let us know how many comments Ichthyic has contributed over his long comment life?
Damn, Ichty. You’re right – I’ve come to rely too much on the spelling software. Here in Sweden we have 87 different words for “chilling”. I have a hard-time adapting to the much more limited English equivalent.
PZ, is there an easy way to let us know how many comments Ichthyic has contributed over his long comment life?
scary thought.
I’ve spent way too much time here.
…or not enough.
can’t make up my mind which.
I think the comment was fitting for Pharyngula given its educational value, and I’ve never been to New Zealand so this should be fun. Way to go, Ichthyic!
Nah, the solution to that would be too simple: PZ could just delete the creep’s comment and give the prize to the following commenter. IPU does not work in mysterious ways.
Re Ichthyic and Buffybot – when she said on the Ravelry Phan page that she was in the midst of a sweater for Ichthyic, I was pretty horrified that one might be roped into knitting sweaters for random strangers on knew only via blog comments. Little things, like squids or FSM hats, perhaps, but sweaters? I thought this whole Pharyngula thing might be way too much work.
And yes, the idea of the tentacled overlord as matchmaker is really cute.
as my “reward” for the millionth comment…
one of two things:
a crockoduck tie
or getting rid of slantedscience.
whatever is easier?
either would be recalled fondly.
How many words does Swedish have for “freezing your ass off”?
@45: 115 compound nouns and 609 recognized phrases. We had to about 50 of each at the last official count last winter.
We still lack a word for what you call “sun”, however. We never seem to be able to agree on whether it is an actual physical effect of the home star’s impact on the earth or a wide-spread superstition resulting in the launch of Chinese-constructed lantern in the early 15th century.
That, and a small but vocal minority maintains that the “sun” was actually eaten by the wolf Fenrir several millenia ago during the actual Ragnarok. There is some research supporting this.
There is some research supporting this.
do tell!
Correction: that was add 50 phrases, obviously.
“I’m sitting here, expecting my prize awards to come rolling in any second now…”
Apparently your prize is having to buy everyone a drink. I don’t get it either.
This link is to a venerable old book describing the mechanics of Ragnarok.
This article is to a book recalling the myth of the dragon of Ragnarok. Sadly, it is not available online.
Working on the Legend of the Dragon, our esteemed scientists made an Ocham’s Razor argument so clear in its pristine logic it must be true: the legend tells us that a Dragon ate the sun; but what do you so the most of Dragons or wolves? Since dragons have (sadly) been a species in danger of extinction for several centuries while wolves (called Fenrirspawn here) roam our streets every night, the latter must be the more numerous. This would be in line with them having eaten the sun, making them stronger and their prides larger in number.
I can give you a few book-tips if you want to know the truth about the thing that you call “sun”. Of course, you’re governments won’t acknowledge this truth. They are in league with the Jotunheim giants and are suppressing information. They call us “sun deniers”! Ridiculous, have can you deny something that isn’t there?
Congrats Ichthyic, great to see another Kiwi (even if adopted) flying the flag so well.
the legend tells us that a Dragon ate the sun
yeah, but that necessitates the obvious question…
does it now shine out of its ass?
No no Ichty, you’re not listening. A dragon didn’t eat the sun – that’s just religious superstition. The Fenrir did and he then metabolized its energy into himself to singlehandedly provide his offspring, wolves – or Fenrirspawn. This is also perfectly in line with why wolves breath fire and dragons don’t, it hints to this internalization of the celestial fire. Every toddler knows that, yeesh. Are you saying you never seen a cousin burnt to a crisp because he broke 13pm curfew? Where are you living, the land of clear skies and unicorns?
This is also perfectly in line with why wolves breath fire and dragons don’t
that did it.
now I have a headache.
Wait just a minute. You expect us to believe that a Molly winner just happened to post the one millionth comment? I calculated the probability of this, and found that the odds are worse than 1 in 1050, so according to Borel’s Law it could never happen! I’m pretty sure it violates the Second Law of Thermodynamics, too.
/creationist
I picture Randy Stimpson somewhere reading this, rocking back and forth, muttering profanities to himself…
I picture Randy Stimpson somewhere reading this, rocking back and forth, muttering profanities to himself…
LOL
I think he does that regularly anyway.
Woo hoo!
Congrats!
Sorry Ichty, didn’t mean it. It’s half part four am here in Sweden now and I’ve gone a bit nuts from a stomach flu which have kept me inside for three weeks straight. Which also means no one has been brave enough to come within ten feet of me in three weeks – med students with stomach flu is unwanted by everyone for obvious reasons.
It’s just so nice to descend into pure insanity for a while to clear ones head. Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t try to make one (less) crazy conspiracy theory fly on its own some day, it would be hilarious to be able to point to some insane argument and say “I came up with that!”. Maybe that was how Ron Hubbard felt every day.
Thanks for allowing some insanity output! Better to do it here than in real life – I would probably have been locked in a padded cell long before I could convince someone it’s all make-believe.
I’ll have y’all know that it was a post of mine Ichthyic was replying to.
So, thank you Ichthyic for honoring me by using the Power of the Millionth Post to point me to knowledge I didn’t have before. I find that quite humbling.
Cheers,
b&
—
EAC Memographer
BAAWA Knight of Blasphemy
“All but God can prove this sentence true.”
Quite fitting that it’s a solid regular and OM recipient. Congrats, Ichthyic!
Way to go Ichthyic! Have some extra grog & swill.
So you got a sweater huh? Buffybot must be a better knitter than I am. Naughty Marvin is getting an Alpaca vest.
@NewEnglandBob #8
…
:)
Ben Goren @ #59
..oh you’re such an enabler!
Congrats Ichthy, but given you’re going to be spending the rest of your life fearful that hoards of Pharyngulites are going to turn up demanding their free drink I think it might be a bit of a dud prize really.
I think it might be a bit of a dud prize really.
I’m still waiting for Ed McMahon to knock on my front door…
Wasn’t the prize a posh dinner with your favorite scienceblogs host?
Don’t pick PZ Ichthyic, all you’ll get is stale crackers…pffft!
One more reason to pop over to NZ…
Congrats Ichthyic!
I’m still waiting for Ed McMahon to knock on my front door…
well… the zombie ed anyway…
who cares? so long as he has a check in hand.
New goal: hit the 2-millionth comment.
@64: I’m astonished and embarrassed that someone in New Zealand knows who Ed McMahon is. A gusher of crappy US “culture” has spread out over the world, polluting the shores of far away countries.
Please don your hazmat suit until further notice.
I’m astonished and embarrassed that someone in New Zealand knows who Ed McMahon is.
cool yer jets; I’m a expat yank :)
Sigh.
Well done Ichy. And Craig.
*drags self in from a day of hard peasant labor*
crap, late to the party, on the one day I’m not permanently glued to the computer.
*orders beer, promptly falls asleep at the bar*
Congrats Ichthyic :DDD !
I’m a kiwi and I know who Ed McMahon is. But only from Mad Magazine. Does that make you feel better?
Congratulations, Ichthyic!
@69 : I’m in South Africa and I know who Ed McMahon is…er…was. But remember along with your geyser of crap, comes the internet and sites like Pharyngula…
Icthyic got the millionth comment?
Lucky bastard. Someone should tell him to fuck off the smug, self satisfied wanker…
…Oh…Hello Icthyic, mate…erm…Congratulations!
;-)
Louis
P.S. You do know that, after the Bacon Wars of 2036 and the Zombie Apocalyse of 2175, when Pharyngula is the only record of the human species, running on some weird, suspiciously wired server powered by solar power, the incomplete record of posts will be what makes Icthyic worshipped as the one true god. Icthyic will be the John Frum of the future. PZ of course will still be the devil. But that’s more the fault of the other survivors, the KenHamites. Remember folks, you heard it here first.
It would help if I could spell his effing name too. Dagnabit.
Hey Ichthyic, how do people spell you name?
Louis
Least I can do for the millionth comment(congratz !!) : Crocoduck tie
Also, of course, congratulations to PZ for having a blog that got a million comments. :)
@Ichthyic
Mine’s a Speights Old Dark, Mate.
We’ve had a regular Pharynguloid meetup there every other week for over a year now.
ohh, when
Being a Wellington based reader
ohh, when
every other friday.
so, next friday would be the next.
skeptics in the pub now meet there alternate fridays too (that would have been tonight, so next skeptics pissup would be two weeks from today).
That’s freaky. I often drink at Kitty’s. Are you in the upstairs bit? What sort of time? I used to do SitP in London and didn’t know there was a kiwi equivalent AND a pharynguloid one. What a curious happenstance.
Congrats
I think
*tries to figure out how much per click the ads are paying…