Comments on: DragonCon: made of awesome http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:35:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: FatManAfterDark http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-115554 FatManAfterDark Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:09:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-115554 New teeth...that's weird. New teeth…that’s weird.

]]> By: Blake Smith http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-115072 Blake Smith Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:53:56 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-115072 It was nice meeting you at the Con, Dr. Phil - but I have to say your advice about where to position my satellites in the Lagrangian points was of no assistance to my marriage. I'm just saying. ;) It was nice meeting you at the Con, Dr. Phil – but I have to say your advice about where to position my satellites in the Lagrangian points was of no assistance to my marriage.

I’m just saying. ;)

]]> By: Gemini http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-115017 Gemini Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:09:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-115017 The guy dressed as the Doctor actually does bear a striking resemblance to to Tennant. The guy dressed as the Doctor actually does bear a striking resemblance to to Tennant.

]]> By: IVAN3MAN http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-115011 IVAN3MAN Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:53:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-115011 Thanks, Michael L! However, I had originally intended to post an actual picture of a Cylon Centurion (modern), but some bloody <em>jobsworth</em> at the other end cut the link! Still, you can pore over their web-site to your heart's content. Enjoy! Thanks, Michael L! However, I had originally intended to post an actual picture of a Cylon Centurion (modern), but some bloody jobsworth at the other end cut the link!

Still, you can pore over their web-site to your heart’s content. Enjoy!

]]> By: Michael L http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-115009 Michael L Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:34:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-115009 IVAN: You are the man! Nice! IVAN:

You are the man! Nice!

]]> By: Quiet Desperation http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-115007 Quiet Desperation Tue, 02 Sep 2008 06:09:11 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-115007 I've been watching Eureka and the new Doctor Who via DVD. Man, is that *the* way to watch a series or what? I only started with Eureka because I saw the ads for season 4, and thought, well, if it went 4 seasons, there must be something there. Turns out I *really* like it. Nice, silly skiffy show that does not take itself seriously, but with some underlying serious plots, story arcs and (*gasp*) some really fine continuity maintenance by the writers. And it has Matt Frewer, which is always a plus. I’ve been watching Eureka and the new Doctor Who via DVD. Man, is that *the* way to watch a series or what?

I only started with Eureka because I saw the ads for season 4, and thought, well, if it went 4 seasons, there must be something there. Turns out I *really* like it. Nice, silly skiffy show that does not take itself seriously, but with some underlying serious plots, story arcs and (*gasp*) some really fine continuity maintenance by the writers. And it has Matt Frewer, which is always a plus.

]]> By: Todd http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-115004 Todd Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:25:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-115004 I had just typed an entire little thing here about me attending D*Con, and I guess it was completely lost.... Phil, I really enjoyed the frack out of your talks this weekend. It was extremely inspirational. I will be going back to school in January for Earth Science/Astronomy Education, and the Skeptrack panels were all the inspiration I needed to get me pumped about being a Science teacher. I love you, I am now a huge fan. Thank you. I will spread the word. I had just typed an entire little thing here about me attending D*Con, and I guess it was completely lost…. Phil, I really enjoyed the frack out of your talks this weekend. It was extremely inspirational. I will be going back to school in January for Earth Science/Astronomy Education, and the Skeptrack panels were all the inspiration I needed to get me pumped about being a Science teacher. I love you, I am now a huge fan. Thank you. I will spread the word.

]]> By: IVAN3MAN http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-115003 IVAN3MAN Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:24:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-115003 <strong>BLOODY SPOILSPORTS!</strong> BLOODY SPOILSPORTS!

]]> By: Todd http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-115002 Todd Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:22:39 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-115002 hmm hmm

]]> By: IVAN3MAN http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-115000 IVAN3MAN Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:11:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-115000 <strong>NUTS!</strong> NUTS!

]]> By: IVAN3MAN http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114996 IVAN3MAN Tue, 02 Sep 2008 04:00:24 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114996 Michael L: <blockquote>Please, pretty please, pretty please with sugar on it, post a Cylon picture… I’m in Battlestar withdrawal and that just may give me a much needed Galactigasm…</blockquote> I can oblige: <img src="http://media.battlestarwiki.org/images/a/a2/Centurion_profile_%28front%29_II.jpg" alt="Cylon Centurion"/> Michael L:

Please, pretty please, pretty please with sugar on it, post a Cylon picture… I’m in Battlestar withdrawal and that just may give me a much needed Galactigasm…

I can oblige:

Cylon Centurion

]]> By: IVAN3MAN http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114991 IVAN3MAN Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:33:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114991 Sam: <blockquote>I know you are a very busy person . But increasing numbers of people are falling for this... They claim to refute everything thats thrown at them . Maybe an expert like you can clear this up.</blockquote> <a href="http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/Poe's_Law" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">POE'S LAW</a> Sam:

I know you are a very busy person . But increasing numbers of people are falling for this…

They claim to refute everything thats thrown at them . Maybe an expert like you can clear this up.

POE’S LAW

]]> By: Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114988 Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:36:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114988 Phil et al: I was just catching up on some old episodes of "Skepticality" and Swoopy had Tim Farley on the show. They talked about the HTML rel=tag nofollow and how folks usually forget to use it to keep Google from counting links to things like Sam above (see August 31st, 2008 at 10:31 pm) and I thought I'd check on its use here. I did "View Source" and did a search for rel= occurrences. There it was! Sam's simple posting of the URL of the woo site had the proper nofollow tag added automatically! How frakkin' cool is that? This way Google won't count the link from here as an implicit support of the woo site's importance. The woo sites we link to from here get no Google credit for the link! W00t! @ The Amazing Phil: Give Tim Farley and my compliments to the webmaster! Rich Phil et al:
I was just catching up on some old episodes of “Skepticality” and Swoopy had Tim Farley on the show. They talked about the HTML rel=tag nofollow and how folks usually forget to use it to keep Google from counting links to things like Sam above (see August 31st, 2008 at 10:31 pm) and I thought I’d check on its use here. I did “View Source” and did a search for rel= occurrences. There it was! Sam’s simple posting of the URL of the woo site had the proper nofollow tag added automatically!

How frakkin’ cool is that?

This way Google won’t count the link from here as an implicit support of the woo site’s importance. The woo sites we link to from here get no Google credit for the link! W00t!

@ The Amazing Phil:
Give Tim Farley and my compliments to the webmaster!
Rich

]]> By: Radwaste http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114981 Radwaste Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:43:27 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114981 Aaaannnd greetings from this direction. Delighted to discover that no, PhD does NOT mean Permanent Humor Deficit! Best regards to the rest of the BA crew! John Aaaannnd greetings from this direction. Delighted to discover that no, PhD does NOT mean Permanent Humor Deficit!

Best regards to the rest of the BA crew!

John

]]> By: shane http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114962 shane Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:34:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114962 Well gosh Phil they're pretty good. Was that VIP only access or could any mug get that close to take pictures? Either way top job. Well gosh Phil they’re pretty good. Was that VIP only access or could any mug get that close to take pictures? Either way top job.

]]> By: Phil Plait http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114961 Phil Plait Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:11:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114961 For those who like Battlestar, Firefly, and Eureka, go to my FLickr page and check out the Comic Con pix. :-) D*C pix will be posted soon, but probably not until Tuesday night. For those who like Battlestar, Firefly, and Eureka, go to my FLickr page and check out the Comic Con pix. :-) D*C pix will be posted soon, but probably not until Tuesday night.

]]> By: shane http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114960 shane Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:53:20 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114960 How can you tell? That look on his face says there might be. How can you tell? That look on his face says there might be.

]]> By: Dathan Syers http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114957 Dathan Syers Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:26:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114957 Of course there's not a speck of gas anywhere in that picture. Of course there’s not a speck of gas anywhere in that picture.

]]> By: Wayne http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114951 Wayne Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:01:14 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114951 Phil, It was great to finally meet you this weekend, too bad I had to leave early to get home ahead of the hurricane. Hope you have a great last day and an uneventful flight home. I'll be sure to send you a syllabus if I ever make a course based on your books. PS. If any blog readers have used "Bad Astronomy" in a gen-ed science course at the college level, please share your experience. Thanks. PPS. The costumes totally rocked, and they had a full sized Dalek! PPPS. Driving all night tends to make my writing disorganized. Phil,
It was great to finally meet you this weekend, too bad I had to leave early to get home ahead of the hurricane. Hope you have a great last day and an uneventful flight home. I’ll be sure to send you a syllabus if I ever make a course based on your books.

PS. If any blog readers have used “Bad Astronomy” in a gen-ed science course at the college level, please share your experience. Thanks.

PPS. The costumes totally rocked, and they had a full sized Dalek!

PPPS. Driving all night tends to make my writing disorganized.

]]> By: Andrew http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114949 Andrew Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:36:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114949 Battlestar fans who didn't attend will never know what they missed. Uhm, just sayin', Phil >.> Battlestar fans who didn’t attend will never know what they missed.

Uhm, just sayin’, Phil >.>

]]> By: Naomi http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114944 Naomi Mon, 01 Sep 2008 11:05:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114944 Aww, I wish I was there. Also, I'm pretty sure I recognise those two XD I think they were at Gallifrey One? (Now THAT is a convention!) Fun ^_^ "Oh… N/M clicked through to the flickr page. His is awesome. Hers, not so much." What're you talking about? I don't even like Rose, and I still think that's an awesome costume! Instantly recognisable, too, but I love the episode that costume's from. Aww, I wish I was there. Also, I’m pretty sure I recognise those two XD I think they were at Gallifrey One? (Now THAT is a convention!) Fun ^_^

“Oh… N/M clicked through to the flickr page.
His is awesome. Hers, not so much.”

What’re you talking about? I don’t even like Rose, and I still think that’s an awesome costume! Instantly recognisable, too, but I love the episode that costume’s from.

]]> By: Quiet Desperation http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114938 Quiet Desperation Mon, 01 Sep 2008 07:38:22 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114938 I'd use DDT if I could find some. White fly is a perfect example of how evolution can be REALLY ANNOYING sometimes. They cluster *under* the leaf, so they are hard to just hose off. They have a sticky fluffy reside that holds them there even if you can spray them. It also protects them from most poisons. And they have a symbiotic relationship with ants, who protect the larvae in exchange for some sort of sugary goo. So, throw away most of the bush, use a hose spray bottle filled with Ivory liquid soap to dissolve their protective fluff, a protracted chemwar once their shields are down, and then the irresistible sticky yellow menace to pick off the stragglers. And those turncoat ants get it as well. THEN I have to fertilize the bush with a giant bag of, oh goody, earthworm casings. Yes, I have a five pound bag of WORM CASINGS in my garage. At some point this week I will need to open it. Whee! I’d use DDT if I could find some.

White fly is a perfect example of how evolution can be REALLY ANNOYING sometimes.

They cluster *under* the leaf, so they are hard to just hose off. They have a sticky fluffy reside that holds them there even if you can spray them. It also protects them from most poisons. And they have a symbiotic relationship with ants, who protect the larvae in exchange for some sort of sugary goo.

So, throw away most of the bush, use a hose spray bottle filled with Ivory liquid soap to dissolve their protective fluff, a protracted chemwar once their shields are down, and then the irresistible sticky yellow menace to pick off the stragglers. And those turncoat ants get it as well.

THEN I have to fertilize the bush with a giant bag of, oh goody, earthworm casings. Yes, I have a five pound bag of WORM CASINGS in my garage. At some point this week I will need to open it. Whee!

]]> By: Michael L http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114936 Michael L Mon, 01 Sep 2008 07:06:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114936 @ Quiet Desperation: Would that be napalm? @ Quiet Desperation:

Would that be napalm?

]]> By: Nathan Myers http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114933 Nathan Myers Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:51:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114933 I can agree about Blenheim's. I can agree about Blenheim’s.

]]> By: Quiet Desperation http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-114931 Quiet Desperation Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:17:34 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/08/31/dragoncon-made-of-awesome/#comment-114931 Huh. I spent my day hacking back a hibiscus bush to sticks that has been totally invaded by white fly. Throw away most of the bush, and surround the remaining sticks with sheets of yellow posterboard sprayed with glue. For some reason, they are attracted to the color yellow. I suspect it is because they are *EVIL* and in league with Sinestro. Oh, and a large bottle of the most apocalyptic pesticide I have the nerve to use. You Greens can bite on this one. This is war. WAR, I tell you! Huh.

I spent my day hacking back a hibiscus bush to sticks that has been totally invaded by white fly. Throw away most of the bush, and surround the remaining sticks with sheets of yellow posterboard sprayed with glue. For some reason, they are attracted to the color yellow. I suspect it is because they are *EVIL* and in league with Sinestro.

Oh, and a large bottle of the most apocalyptic pesticide I have the nerve to use. You Greens can bite on this one. This is war. WAR, I tell you!

]]>