So it’s Halloween, my favoritest holiday of them all. Candy! Costumes! Scariness! Ticking off fundamentalists!
What could be better?
I already wrote about my plans to haul out the ’scope, so I’ll spare you that (though it’ll probably be cloudy tonight, grrrr). Instead, I’ll note that today is also the last day of October, a special month in skepticism: it’s the month that features Rebecca on the Skepchick calendar!
It’s also the month that, um, well… that I’m on the calendar too. I’ve not posted the whole picture here for fear of terrifying the masses (but I used a small piece of it as an avatar on MySpace). But hey! It’s Halloween! Plus, since it’s the last day of October, I think the surprise and shock for everyone who owns the calendar has finally worn off.
So here, without further ado, is the picture. Well, a small cropped thumbnail of it, since it’s marginally (or wholly) NSFW. Click it to see the whole thing.
The quotation is from Carl Sagan:
It’s sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But it does no harm to the romance of the sunset to know a little bit about it.
October 31st, 2007 at 9:03 am
BWAHAHAHA! BA, I had never seen your calendar pic before and MAN, it’s pure awesome.
I’m thinking about taking out my scope too for kids but we’ll see how the weather is tonight. Might be cloudy still.
October 31st, 2007 at 9:36 am
ROFL. Great picture… Who says adults can’t appreciate humor like that?
That is also a great quote by Carl Sagan.
October 31st, 2007 at 9:40 am
Oh, very nice pic! *giggles* I love that Superman-type pose that you pull sometimes, making yourself look all serious and important and stuff. Hilarious.
October 31st, 2007 at 9:42 am
“Hey, kids, may I show you my dobs?”
Just … priceless!
October 31st, 2007 at 9:43 am
Phil, far from terrifying the masses this proves to me something that I have believed for some time and that is, your very own masses surely have their own gravitational field!
October 31st, 2007 at 9:51 am
Those aren’t stars in the sky, baby, they’re diamonds strewn over an infinite expanse of blue velvet.
And I know you must believe me. You finally took your shirt off.
Purrrrr …
October 31st, 2007 at 10:01 am
Is that a telescope on your deck or are you just happy to see me?
Does anyone else find Halloween really boring? It’s the same old tired monsters. And why the ugly witches? Witches should look like this:
http://internet128.com/images/slutty-halloween-witch-costume–by-coquette.jpg
Yeah. That’s what I’m talkin bout.
October 31st, 2007 at 10:07 am
My eyes are burning! My eyes are burning!
(Kidding. Cool pic.)
October 31st, 2007 at 10:08 am
Boy you have a big one, Phil!
October 31st, 2007 at 10:14 am
Michelle wrote:
“I’m thinking about taking out my scope too for kids’”
Yeah, I was thinking about taking out my scope for the kids too, but someone might call the cops ; ).
J. D.
October 31st, 2007 at 10:20 am
And here I was proud of my 4.5″ dob…
October 31st, 2007 at 10:42 am
Anyone else got some serious “telescope envy” I never would have guessed you were so well endowed.
October 31st, 2007 at 10:47 am
Phil, that picture is two scoops of awesome covered by awesome sauce with awesome sprinkled on top.
I’m going to be chuckling about this all day… well done.
October 31st, 2007 at 11:00 am
“Here we have a photograph of Dr. Plait preparing an experiment on the effects of one mile+ altitude and low temperatures on the more fiddly bits of the human anatomy. He appears to have volunteered to be the subject of said research and has procured a large receptacle to enter when the hypothermia reaches a measurable level and the subject fiddly bits begin to fall off.”
That’s an impressive dob you have there, Phil.
October 31st, 2007 at 11:13 am
Lensman, that picture was taken at my friend’s house back in Sonoma County (it was shot just about a year ago). So the elevation was pretty much 0.
October 31st, 2007 at 11:18 am
Oh yeah, the neighbourhood kids will remember you and your telescope this Halloween
October 31st, 2007 at 11:26 am
Sometimes a telescope is just a telescope.
-Sigmund Freud
J/P=?
October 31st, 2007 at 11:43 am
LOL!
October 31st, 2007 at 12:08 pm
That photo rocks. You, sir, are what they call “the man”.
October 31st, 2007 at 12:09 pm
I… well… Umm…
Gadzooks, man! For the first time in my life, I am speechless. So, let me just close by saying that Phil has some nice hams.
Now, I need to shower.
October 31st, 2007 at 12:28 pm
I knew you find astronomy stimulating. I had no idea it makes you discernibly turgid.
October 31st, 2007 at 1:24 pm
THAT PIC IS TOTALLY (not) MY DESKTOP NOW!!!!!!!
October 31st, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Damn, Phil! You’re ripped! I guess having the burden of the truth behind moon hoaxes, UFOs, and Cottingly Fairies on your shoulders have really paid off.
I think Phil is my new man crush. With abs like that, who needs Shermer!
October 31st, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Phil!!
That should be the cover shot of your new book!!!
October 31st, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Hey there DoLittle,
I am right there with ya on Phil Plait being fine (admittedly, as a woman, the nature of my appreciation differs), but have you ever heard of George Hrab? Also a noteworthy man-crush candidate, IMHO.
Of course Hrab is less of an astronomy geek and more general science, skepticism, music, and humor.
http://www.geologicpodcast.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/georgehrab/sets/72157594396812350/
October 31st, 2007 at 2:23 pm
every time you quote carl sagan i love you a little more
October 31st, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Nice muscle tone, Phil.
October 31st, 2007 at 3:06 pm
This really gives a whole new, horrifying spin on taking your telescope out for the kids on Halloween. :p
October 31st, 2007 at 3:19 pm
One comment…cannot…contain…too many…
“Is that an Alt-Azimuth in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”
“No finder scope needed.”
“Ahhh. Collimated.”
“I don’t think this is what John Dobson had in mind.”
Thanks for hitting the reset button on my brain for the day, Phil!
October 31st, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Wow! Astronomy beefcake! Who would have figured? Nice pecs.
October 31st, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Great quote.
Today at school, I wore itchy silver makeup and blue hairspray with an antennae headband to be a Martian. Everybody asked me what I was. Ai yi yi!
October 31st, 2007 at 4:23 pm
So how much ‘touching up’ was performed on this picture? Maybe it’s a hoax!
Jim
October 31st, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Phil, you continue to amaze. Me, I only have 8 inches–of aperture, that is!
October 31st, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Truly impressive Dr. BA! I need to find me an astronomer man!
October 31st, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Looks like it must have been a little cold because of the shrinkage …
October 31st, 2007 at 6:29 pm
[...] over at Bad Astronomy posed for the recent Skepchick calendar. His rather umm, glamorous shot is now up. That’s one HECK of a [...]
October 31st, 2007 at 7:13 pm
I suddenly feel inadequate…..
October 31st, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Hey Phil,
I agree with Kevin above. A best-selling new book!!! titled “The Real Meaning of Bad Astronomy” with that picture on the cover. You could put almost anything inside.
October 31st, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Bored. Nude calendars are so Helen Mirren film of 2003. Write that book already, that’s something we can use rather than just silly screensaver!
November 1st, 2007 at 1:56 am
You’re in pretty good shape for a nerd who sits behind an eye piece all day.
At least when you’re sucking in your gut.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:38 am
LOL LOL LOL!
Gotta love that picture. Oh, and BTW, that’s a great telescope you got there Phil.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:41 am
Heroic!
Conquest of the Cosmos!
November 1st, 2007 at 11:50 am
You made my day Phil! Thanks !!
November 1st, 2007 at 2:35 pm
LOL! Great pic! The pose, the serious face, hahaha!
But remember people,once you see it, you can´t unsee it!
November 1st, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Phil, you are obviously well equipped to probe the the night sky.
November 1st, 2007 at 11:13 pm
[...] looks at the science of spooks. And finally, Phil Plait has a terrifying image of, of… well, you’ll just have to see for yourself. Thomas Marquart from Apparent Brightness suggests a trick you can use to pare down your RSS feeds [...]
November 3rd, 2007 at 7:19 am
“I’ll be in my bunk.” (Jayne in “firefly”, obscure reference, I know
What’s PZ’s answer to THAT?!
November 4th, 2007 at 6:37 am
marko on 03 Nov 2007 at 7:19 am
“I’ll be in my bunk.†(Jayne in “fireflyâ€, obscure reference, I know
What’s PZ’s answer to THAT?!
Dunno .. but I get the ref. That “Saffron” (not her real name) was one hot scammer chick!
February 20th, 2008 at 3:13 am
There was really no need to post that picture on your blog. There might be kids visiting your blog