Can you believe it? Here’s my pumpkin this year:
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If you’re wondering what it is, I bet you a million dollars you can’t figure it out psychically (and there’s more info here).
That was pretty hard to make, though not as hard as last year’s!
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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.
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October 31st, 2008 at 8:49 pm
It’s a flying Rhinoceros!
Just kidding. It actually looks pretty cool.
October 31st, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Ah Pigasus, long may he fly!
October 31st, 2008 at 8:50 pm
phil, that seriously rocks.
October 31st, 2008 at 8:50 pm
I knew what it was without using my psychic powers… Do I still get the million dollars?
October 31st, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Well, it’s good to have another skill to fall back on, just in case the writing thing doesn’t work out…
That’s very cool!
October 31st, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Looking at it i thought it had to do with a story i read a while back about scientists trying to grow actual wings on a pig…
the only usefulness i can see with such a genetic modification is they might help keep the pigs cooler by hiding them a little more from the sun
October 31st, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Ah, good ole Pigasus! That’s pretty impressive compared to my pathetic and unimaginative gourds.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Very nice. But duuude. I missed the Dalek last year. Wow! THAT was hard to do, I’m sure.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:22 pm
I can’t see the lipstick.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Good to see you guys enjoy your holiday there. I always wanted to make a jack-o-lantern when I was a kid. Looks cool.
In Australia, particualrly where I live on the Gold Coast, Ozzie kids have adopted this holiday (for lollies) but most kids just run around and destroy people property and egg cars. We had a massive police presence last night all over the place to avoid the same thing this year. Lamest holiday ever. You guys can keep it.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Mad Punkin Carvin Skillz. u haz them.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:50 pm
@ quasidog
Yeah, same trouble here in Britain. Halloween — worst American import, ever!
October 31st, 2008 at 10:53 pm
I have earrings to match!
October 31st, 2008 at 11:12 pm
All hail the mighty Pigasus!
November 1st, 2008 at 12:39 am
I dunno quasidog, I was out last night at the pub and there seemed to be a competition among the young ladies to see who could wear the most revealing costumes. But as you say, the kids trick or treatin’, meh.
November 1st, 2008 at 4:44 am
reverb on…
Pigggggssssss innnnnn Sppppaaaacccee!!!
reverb off…
November 1st, 2008 at 4:57 am
Cool pumpkin. Off topic, I set up the telescope on the front lawn last night. Jupiter put on quite a show for the young’ns and the grown ups were excited too. Thanks for the idea!
November 1st, 2008 at 5:34 am
Ah yes, Ghosties and Goulies and things that go bump in the night,,,
When Pigs Fly!!!
GAry 7
November 1st, 2008 at 7:52 am
A “Pegaferkel”! (pega-piggy) My totem animal *G* I have a clay one standing at the main door of our house, and a glassy one on my cupboard.
Piggies bring luck. Good choice!
November 1st, 2008 at 8:01 am
Halloween’s a lot of fun…but, then, we don’t have soccer riots, either.
November 1st, 2008 at 8:27 am
Very cool! Well done!
November 1st, 2008 at 9:05 am
Did anybody carve His Noodly Appendage in a pumpkin?
November 1st, 2008 at 10:56 am
Aw. Pigasus. For a moment there I thought you were an ex-OINKer. that would have been cool
November 1st, 2008 at 11:15 am
Nicely done Phil. I carved my first pumpkin that way this year. Using a chisel to carve off a layer of the skin, leaving the inner meat thin enough to see light through is quite a bit harder than I would have guessed. The end result seemed quite worth it though.
I went as a Mad Scientist this year, and did a youtube video. I tried to pack as many loony theories into one mad speech. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfBADzby3Lg
November 1st, 2008 at 11:22 am
Ivan:
Do they still have Bonfires on Nov. 7? I was born in Britain, and remember that as a little kid. We used to sit on the street corner, holding a hat out, saying, “Penny for the Guy!” With the money we collected, we’d buy fireworks. My older brother would get in trouble every year because he and his friends would go out in the middle of the night and steal the wooded gates from peoples’ yards and put them on the bonfire.
November 1st, 2008 at 12:09 pm
You’ve been away a while haven’t you Michael? It’s Nov 5th
My dad was a teacher, and when he was asked for a “penny for the guy” he would only give money to the kids if they could tell him the year of the Gunpowder Plot. Some of them were actually resourceful enough to go away and find out and collar him the next day, and he paid up
November 1st, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Phil, you old “Rocker” you. I appreciate your tribute to “Floyd’s,” “Pigs on the Wing,” from the “Animals” album.” Rock-On, Dude!
November 1st, 2008 at 12:59 pm
It’s Wilbur’s ghost! You killed Spongebob, then Wilbur! *cries*
November 1st, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Daffy good point…riots *are not* part of holiday folks! I don’t know where you imported *that* from but it wasn’t us!
November 1st, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Aw Pigasus, which reminds me- I still haven’t tried to make the origami version.
@Brits and Aussies Re: Halloween
Yeah, um- I think you might be doing it wrong. :-L
November 1st, 2008 at 3:22 pm
@ Michael L
Like Mike Torr said, it is actually Nov. 5th. However, people no longer stick to tradition, so you find them having bonfires and letting of fireworks from one weekend to the next, either side of Nov. 5th.
When I was a kid, back in the 60’s & 70’s, we had the patience to wait until the ‘big day’!
November 1st, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Ahh, I got my dates mixed up, Nov. 7, 1973, is when my family emigrated to Canada!
BTW, true geeks might love this:
http://www.hyperevo.com/new%20site/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1225400358&archive=&start_from=&ucat=5
November 1st, 2008 at 5:43 pm
@Ivan & Mike…
Ah, the 7th is when we moved to Canada. I remember the fun we had. It was like a huge block party… except with a huge bonfire, or bonfires in the middle of residential back alleys. Generally, the tradition was, to spend days gathering scrap from the neighbors, build the bonfire. On the 5th, it was lit, and all the fireworks we had managed to buy were set off. Our parents made Treacle Toffee, and roasted potatoes in the bonfire.
November 1st, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Hey quaisdog, if you will go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween, you can read the history of Halloween. It didn’t come from the US. Thank your Celtic ancestors. Well, maybe not YOUR ancestors, but certainly those fun loving Irish and Scots. As with any slice of society there will always be the few who turn something good to something bad. If you and your kin have trouble with local trouble makers, it’s your society, do something about it. We have our trouble makers too and we don’t like it any more than you. But, the little kids have fun and many organizations here use it to provide an evening of fun for kids in hospitals and others in distress. Many churches use it as a springboard for lessons if faith. But, we here in the colonies appreciate your concern.
November 1st, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Pop … I’m aware of its origins. It just doesn’t fit into our culture here in Oz is all. It is really just an American holiday. Here is has no purpose except for kids to dress up and get lollies (which would be fun as kids see this on USA tv shows)…. and for teens to get pissed and destroy stuff. I know it is too late now and it will stay, but I just don’t think it fits here. It really has no meaning in this country.
November 2nd, 2008 at 12:08 am
Get revenge. Find and export some holiday event form Oz to USA. We’re an odd lot and enjoy celebrating. We in San Antonio, Texas have several “fiestas” each year. Some seem to have no more purpose than to cook Tex-Mex food, have some music and drink a little beer. I’m sure you have something that wouldn’t exactly fit here. Maybe something involving crocs and sheep. Who knows, we might like it. WooHoo!
November 2nd, 2008 at 1:08 am
Mmmmmm Tex-Mex…..
November 2nd, 2008 at 5:05 am
LOL .. we have nothing worth while … most of our holidays just involve getting drunk.
November 2nd, 2008 at 5:06 am
… and might I add watching or playing sport … mostly watching … from the lounge-room… while getting drunk. :p jks
November 2nd, 2008 at 7:24 am
Pop–I agree with your statement about imported Mexican holidays. I think that Texans just observe Cinco de Mayo as an excuse to get drunk on Mexican beer. I often wonder how many of the people celebrating it know what they are celebrating.
We could turn the “crocs and sheep” into “gators and cattle.”
November 2nd, 2008 at 7:37 am
quasidog:
What do you mean, “nothing worth while”? What about the epitome of Australasian culture — The Sheep Sheering Contest?
I hear that down-under, the Sheilas’ have ‘the hots’ for sheep shearers!
November 2nd, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Swap you Thanksgiving for the Queen’s Birthday…
No, that’s never gonna work!
November 2nd, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Ah there’s a lot more than sheep-shearing contests Up Over here in Oz (its you guys that are really down under – just look at the latest Chandraayan image for proof!
)
We’ve also got :
Cricket – Test and one day & 20 /20 – the Only True Sport as anything else “.. just isn’t cricket!” as the saying goes!
(& yes that involves getting drunk watching it! 
)
The Todd river (bed) regatta at Alice Springs. (Definitely involves getting drunk!)
The Mt Compass Cup – cow racing. (yes, you needa be drunk for that ‘un too!)
The Tunarama fish tossing contest at Port Lincoln (Ditto!)
The Camel cup (yes there are camel jockeys in Oz too!)
The Bathurst 1000 V8 cars (Holden Commodores vs Ford Falcon’s) motor race at Mt Panorama, NSW
The AFL or Australian Football League which is much better than any other football code. Well in our opinions anyway!)
& lots more …
November 2nd, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Pop Said on Nov 2nd, 2008 at 12:08 am :
” Get revenge. Find and export some holiday event form Oz to USA. We’re an odd lot and enjoy celebrating. We in San Antonio, Texas have several “fiestas” each year. Some seem to have no more purpose than to cook Tex-Mex food, have some music and drink a little beer.”
Hey whats’ wrong with that?! Sounds like enough of a purpose to me!
As for Guy fawkes day -it seems tobe disapperaing in Oz due tothe anti-firewworks laws but still ..
“Remember, remember the fifth of November!
Gunpowder, treason and plot!”
Odd holiday really – commemeorating the execution of Guy Fawkes who was a Catholic terrorist. With all the hype over Muslims these days its worth noting that Christianity -and Judiasim used terrorism as a political tactic long before the Muslims. Look up Sicarrii” and the original Zealots someday pppl. Funny how the so-called “War on Terror” totally overlooekd the IRA, ETA (Basque Separatists’s), the anti-choice “shoot a living Doctor to save unwanted embyroes”, US Lunatic anti-Govt Militia, even the Hindu Tamil Tigers who first invented suciicde bombings, etc .. isn’t it? (Rolls eyes)
November 2nd, 2008 at 8:41 pm
On a lighter note its also worth noting that Guy Fawkes was probably the only person to enter parliament with honest intentions as they say!
November 2nd, 2008 at 8:55 pm
@ StevoR :
“Odd holiday really – commemeorating the execution of Guy Fawkes who was a Catholic terrorist. With all the hype over Muslims these days its worth noting that Christianity -and Judiasim used terrorism as a political tactic long before the Muslims. Look up Sicarrii” and the original Zealots someday pppl. Funny how the so-called “War on Terror” totally overlooekd the IRA, ETA (Basque Separatists’s), the anti-choice “shoot a living Doctor to save unwanted embyroes”, US Lunatic anti-Govt Militia, even the Hindu Tamil Tigers who first invented suciicde bombings, etc .. isn’t it? (Rolls eyes)
All too true. Gee Iwonbder why Muslims globally feel like they’re being unfairly singled out eh?
Moreover, you left out the fact that the very worst and most common form of terrorism is state-sponsered terrorism – terrorism of governemnst against people freq
November 2nd, 2008 at 9:09 pm
@ StevoR :
“Odd holiday really – commemeorating the execution of Guy Fawkes who was a Catholic terrorist. With all the hype over Muslims these days its worth noting that Christianity -and Judiasim used terrorism as a political tactic long before the Muslims. Look up Sicarrii” and the original Zealots someday pppl. Funny how the so-called “War on Terror” totally overlooekd the IRA, ETA (Basque Separatists’s), the anti-choice “shoot a living Doctor to save unwanted embyroes”, US Lunatic anti-Govt Militia, even the Hindu Tamil Tigers who first invented suciicde bombings, etc .. isn’t it? (Rolls eyes)
All too true. Gee I wonder why Muslims globally feel like they’re being unfairly singled out eh?
Moreover, you left out the fact that the very worst and most common form of terrorism is state-sponsered terrorism – terrorism of governemnst against people. Theworst culprits inthis regard? Israel & the USA. Afterall what was “Shock & Awe” if not an attempt to terrorise an entire population -or for that matter the Cold War threat of Nuclear Holocaust?
If Bush and the Neocons really wanted to stop terrorism as oppsoed to merely invade and conquer the Muslim world they would have sent their stealth bombers and guided missiles agaisnt their own Pentagon, White House and all those Wrong Wing NeoCon ‘Israel uber alles’ (Israel over all – incl. US interests) think-tanks.
A ‘decapitation strike’ against Washington would’ve done far more for global peace and stability than their state terrorism against poor old Iraq and Afghanistan.
Alternatively, if they’d really wanted to fight “terror” (ie the emotion) they should’ve bombed Stephen King or the next convention of Horror writers!
I hope the next US President (Obama lets hope!) has the good sense to call off this whole WoT stupidity and admit to the world that the United States was wrong, wrong, wrong ever to be so flippin’ dumb in starting it.
Doing that will at least mean you’ve stopped digging the current massive hole you’re in any deeper and then the US can start to think about climbing out. Stopping the unquestioning, blind, peace-harming, downright near insane support, funding and arming of the fascist theocracy of Israel will also be a necessary first step here.
November 2nd, 2008 at 10:04 pm
WTF? This thread started off on a light-hearted note about a kiddies holiday, and now it has descended into a political rant! Gordon Bennett!
November 9th, 2008 at 1:49 am
LOL … funny you mention Guy Fawkes ….. he is my direct decendant (different last name) … but I have a family tree made up where he is on it, round about the 1600’s or so. A benefit from my aunt being a leading member of a New Zealand genealogy society . Beside some famous Scot from the 1300’s he is the only famous person I know of in my family. Sure he was a criminal but hey …