In our last episode, the book was seen being sported in the shadow of the giant Parkes radio telescope in Australia. So where has it turned up now?
Many years ago I received an email from a young woman named Maya from Serbia. She told me stories of how people in her country were afraid of the 1999 total solar eclipse, because rumors were being spread by the government there that if you looked at the eclipse it would kill you.
Americans are far from having a monopoly on teh stoopid.
I mentioned her in my first book (mistakenly saying she was from Bosnia, dumb dumb dumb, but I had lost her email and was going from memory). Some time later she contacted me again! I was thrilled. She seems like a pretty cool person; we’ve emailed each other on occasion and she sent me some books on Serbia, and I sent her a copy of the book since she was in it and all.
She loved it (I said she was cool) and she sent me a picture:
So this sets the bar pretty high: the book has been to the VLA, to Parkes, to Serbia. Where next?
So, do you own a copy of the book? Take a picture of yourself holding it in some fun location, send it to me, and I’ll post it here.
November 30th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
It was sitting next to my toilet for several years. However the moisture from the shower eventually got to it. It ballooned in size and developed mould.
Forgive me if I don’t post pics.
November 30th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Well, that was awfully sweet of you, Doctor. Hmmm. I know people in the USN; I’m certain some of them have your book and could take it to new and exciting places.
If I ever do get around to visiting Vatican City or Jerusalem or wherever it is Siddhartha’s tree is, though, I’ll bring it there. Just for you.
November 30th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Hi Phil,
As you likely know, Neil deGrasse Tyson has recently published a book of his essays, some of which are perhaps along similar topics as your upcoming book, and I just would like to point out that this is a good thing, as you and he are both smart, articulate people. We cannot have too many books that debunk the Intelligent Design nonsense while also entertaining various ideas about Earth’s vulnerabilities in the cosmos. I know both books will be different while pursuing similar subjects and I plan to buy both.
Here’s a review of Mr. Tyson’s book from a Sacramento newspaper:
http://www.newsreview.com/chico/Content?oid=602566
November 30th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
How much would you pay to have a picture of it on say, the moon?
November 30th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Starman,
I’ll try to post a pic of yr. filthy book at the Giant’s Causway in N Ireland in the next few weeks.
After all, the causway was built by aliens.
November 30th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
@Rasputin:
>How much would you pay to have a picture of it on say, the moon?
I think it has been there: Ah, yes:
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q307/mandydax/BA-on-the-moon.png
THIS IS NOT A HOAX! >_>
November 30th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
MandyDaxon said:
“THIS IS NOT A HOAX!”
You should join forces with Abraham Simpson, who kindly issued the following letter to the Chief of State:
“Dear Mr. President,
There are too many states these days. Please eliminate two. I am not a crackpot.”
November 30th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
BA, have you got a garden gnome I can borrow for a few weeks? (Darn those Expedia ads–they’ve ruined an excellent gag!)
Email on it’s way–
Tom Epps
Underway Astronomer
USNS Arctic
December 1st, 2007 at 1:51 am
This makes me want to steal my library’s copy, just to photograph it in some odd location.
But then, I’m an atheist, so I can logically see why this would be wrong.
December 1st, 2007 at 10:19 am
According to road sign, your book has been in Montenegro, not Serbia. Close enough …
regards,
Goran
December 1st, 2007 at 11:19 am
You know, I’m going to be going to Sweden on Dec 7, so I think I will go ahead and get a copy for the long plane ride and take a cool picture somewhere in Halmstad. The fountain at the town square might be a nice shot, or maybe somewhere in the mountains. Either way, it should prove to be a groovy picture. The only question is, should I take it during the short period of daylight, or during the “night” at 3pm local time…
December 1st, 2007 at 11:36 am
What I’d like to know is how she managed to get the book IN the damn country. The one book I did order from abroad took a year to get here. A year. What, did they send a runner? Swallows perhaps? They could have griped it by the covers…
I still remember the 1999 eclipse in Serbia: I was outside trying to get a glimpse (sadly it was too cloudy to get a good view of anything much) and I was absolutely utterly alone. Imagine: a large residential district completely abandoned. No cars. No pedestrians. Windows boarded up. Perfect silence. It was like a Twilight Zone episode.
And it wasn’t just rumors. The hospital in my town got an official communique from the Ministry of Health stating that the eclipse was seriously hazardous to health and that therefore the ICU should be kept in full readiness.
Teh stoopid indeed. We almost had evolution booted out of our schools a couple of years back. The only reason it remained is that (due to some communist legacy) the curriculum is designed in part by university professors teaching relevant subjects. Not surprisingly, the chair of evolutionary biology had some…unkind things to say regarding that proposal.
December 1st, 2007 at 3:49 pm
“How much would you pay to have a picture of it on say, the moon?”
The moon? Hah! the aliens let me take it to Mars.
http://www.myspace.com/michaelduchekspicts
in the picts of me folder.
December 1st, 2007 at 4:54 pm
MandyDax -
Clearly an authentic picture, because I can see stars in the background.
Oh, wait, no, never mind. Those stars were on my desktop, right next to the edge of your picture. (Image of a cluster BA blogged about a month or so ago…) Anywho, no stars, you’re picture is FAKE!!!
And Abe Simpson is right as always.
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Searched and searched and, oh yes, I gave my copy to a hoaxer one late night. Really hope he read it.