This has nothing to do with astronomy, but my close personal friend Andy Ihnatko is an internationally beloved technology columnist, and he has created a vidcast which made me laugh many times. And seeing as how he is really a very minor player on this whole interwebs thingy, while I am a powerful juggernaut, I will throw Andy a bone by embedding his video here.
And yes, it’s true: when Isaac Asimov died, he bequeathed his sideburns to Andy.
If you went to BadAstronomy.com and found yourself here, never fear: the BA Blog has moved to its new home at Discover Blogs. The original BA site (with the Moon Hoax debunking and all that) is still online, too.
Phil Plait, the creator of Bad Astronomy, is an astronomer, lecturer, and author. After ten years working on Hubble Space Telescope and six more working on astronomy education, he struck out on his own as a writer. He has written two books, dozens of magazine articles, and 12 bazillion blog articles. He is a skeptic, and fights misuses of science as well as praising the wonder of real science.
Contact me: The Bad Astronomer "at" gmail "dot" com
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January 2nd, 2008 at 3:20 pm
What a coincidence! Today is Isaac Asimov’s birthday!
January 2nd, 2008 at 3:22 pm
That was a surreal, almost religious experience. I thought he looked rather Amish until I saw the pony tail. Well, at least he is internationally beloved, and you are just the Bad Astronomer… Internationally Bad Astronomer…? No.
January 2nd, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Phil, Andy was a regular columnist in MacUser, and so he has many fans who don’t know who you are – but you know that. They shot him on Letterman for looking like he should front for Blues Traveler. He has an awesome monograph called, “****”. Yes, I intended to use asterisks, because Andy did.
So it’s cool you’re pals. I hope I’ll see you at Dragoncon sometime.
January 2nd, 2008 at 4:24 pm
“A nine-year waiting list to get a permit for sideburns?” my friends scoffed. “Who has that kind of time?”
But it’s like putting your name in for Red Sox season tickets. Inevitably, enough people die off or marry a non-sympathetic third wife that one day you find yourself receiving a printed card in the mail, which you giddily return with the $15 filing fee.
And if a boss set of sideburns is the only way that someone would ever mention my name and Asimov’s in the same sentence…well, that’s still pretty damned good.
January 2nd, 2008 at 4:33 pm
“…when Isaac Asimov died, he bequeathed his sideburns to Andy.”
Well, I’m glad SOMEBODY got them!
January 2nd, 2008 at 4:59 pm
And here I thought Andy looked like John Belushi.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:37 pm
That was funny.
Wish I had something witty creative to say in response, but I don’t.
Wish I could BE witty and creative right now, but apparently, I can’t. I’ll have to watch future vidcasts and learn from the master.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:12 pm
I liked it, and I liked the Today show he posted on his blog, but it’d be nice if he had set up a way to subscribe to future video podcasts. No offense to Andy, but I’m not interested enough to keep checking his blog for future video posts, but I’d subscribe to a podcast in an instant to see if I like the future stuff.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Andy, a legendary if not international comeback after throwing up on Richard Dreyfus in Down and Out in Beverly Hills. Welcome back buddy!
Please answer many more questions before the comet returns!
January 3rd, 2008 at 4:30 pm
““…when Isaac Asimov died, he bequeathed his sideburns to Andy.”
Well, I’m glad SOMEBODY got them!”
I could have sworn I saw a koala who got them…
Wait, ALL koalas have sideburns!