Will I be able to use this picture sometime in the future?
Yes. Yes, I think I will.
Tip o’ the lens cap to franki_.
-
About Bad Astronomy
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's written two books, dozens of magazine articles, and 12 bazillion blog articles. He is a skeptic and fights the abuse of science, but his true love is praising the wonders of real science.
The original BA site (with the Moon Hoax debunking, movie reviews, and all that) can be found here.
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November 16th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Hmm…dunno. It looks a bit smug to me.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Didn’t you already use it for your tattoo…;-)
November 16th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
I have already used this one! It was up on ICHCB a while back as I recall.
Speaking of ICHCB, I saw a great little “story” there for It Made My Day (IMMD).
“I drove up to the drive-thru at McDonald’s and said, “I can has cheeseburger?” It was quiet for a bit, then I heard back, “Nom! Nom! Nom!” IMMD”
November 16th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
How did they get a picture of me.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
MotivatedPhotos is hilarious and in a way depressing. (Hit the “most motivating” link — it’s a cavalcade of cleavage.)
November 16th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
I think that snout is a bit snooty.
November 16th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
He’s trying to make out Vega, low on the horizon.
November 16th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
But Todd, doesn’t smug = skeptical? I thought I read that somewhere…
November 16th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Well he certainly has your beard…
November 16th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
I used that image just this past Friday. I think Skeptical Hippo should become a mascot of some kind.
November 16th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
I don’t know. Are you trying to illustrate the concept of tautology?
November 16th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
He looks investigative to me. For that reason may I introduce to you Sherlock Hippolmes.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v32/ListerGod/SherlockHippolmes.jpg
November 16th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Will I be able to use this picture sometime in the future? Yes. Yes, I think I will.
Oh I’m quite sure of it!
@ 7. Daniel Snyder Says:
He’s trying to make out Vega, low on the horizon.
During full daylight? I’m .. er .. skeptical about that!
Also given the African location Vega will not be circumpolar so it may be below the horizon … Hmm … Why Vega in particular anyway? (Puzzled.)
November 16th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Skeptipotamus
November 16th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Don’t forget your ‘Doomed’ & ‘Teh Stopid, it burns!’ ones either. But yes, this Skeptppotamus (nice one Personal SinR
)is a good if tautologous addition to their ranks. 
I also really liked the one IVAN3MAN (think ’twas) posted ages ago another poster image (HST Pillars of Creation?) thing saying something like :
“Creationism : Because a bunch of Bronze age goat herders knew everything there is to know.”
Or suchlike.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Also feel free to use skeptical cat as needed.
November 16th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Off topic I’m afraid but have the Rosetta team got their promised Earth encounter video mentioned in the recent BA blog post up yet?
See : http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/11/12/rosetta-takes-some-home-pictures/comment-page-1/#comment-226417
PS. I bet that image of Earth taken by Rosetta en route to comet comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko (via asteroid 21 Lutetia next July) will be one of the BA’s top ten photos of 2009!
November 16th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Too cool, I may have to use it myself…..it’s just perfect!
November 17th, 2009 at 2:10 am
“Skeptical Hippo is skeptical.” I’m not sure where this “such and such is such and such” meme started, but I don’t get it. And I’m pretty sure most of you don’t, either (unless you game online more than casually). Still, funny photo. Hippos are nature’s fat people!
November 17th, 2009 at 3:39 am
@18 It’s the Captain Obvious nature of the comment as much as anything, said animal looks so it is.. I mean Super man is .. Super, isn’t he ? 
I’m happy to be wrong but that’s why I find them funny at least.
I love the hippo though.
November 17th, 2009 at 5:32 am
A great skeptical icon because the nearest living animal kingdom relative to the hippo is, beleive it or not, the whale (check if you don’t beleive me). Drop that knowledge into a conversation as an icebreaker to discuss evolution!
Great blog by the way!
David
November 17th, 2009 at 6:48 am
Not my favourite mammal. It actually is a very nasty piece of work and I wouldn’t feel too safe around one, skeptical or not.
November 17th, 2009 at 7:07 am
I know hippos are territorial and ill-tempered but they still fascinate me as do most animals when I actually take the time to just look at them and watch them do their thing.
Personally, I would never associate a hip-hop-o-potomus with the term, “hypocrite” so for me it doesn’t work very well. Maybe when I actually see it used in context?
November 17th, 2009 at 7:38 am
Hipposkeptimus
November 17th, 2009 at 9:17 am
BA, you now need to develop to the “Hippo Critic Oath”.
November 17th, 2009 at 10:46 am
I thought “Teh stupid, it burns!” WAS the Hippo Critic Oath!?
November 17th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
I’m fond of Skeptical Cat, but that’s because I saw him a long while back. Besides, he’s Fraught With Skepticism! What could be better than that?
November 17th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
19. Damon Says:
Still, funny photo. Hippos are nature’s fat people!
I thought that was whales or walruses?
BA – you’ve just got* to post this on December 25th :
“I want a hippopotamous for Christmas!”
(a familiar childhood Xmas song.)
—-
* Well I guess you really *don’t* have to but, please do, it’ll be funny!
November 17th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
@ 22. Grizzly Says:
Not my favourite mammal. It actually is a very nasty piece of work and I wouldn’t feel too safe around one, skeptical or not.
I think its true provided I’m remembering this right & if its not an urban legend, that hippos actually kill more people than any other African animal incl. lions, elephants, leopards, hyenas etc …
Yeah, I wouldn’t want to be standing next to this “Skeptical Hippo” in *its* territorial pool or bank – but, come on, its just a funny photo.
@ 21. david d Says:
A great skeptical icon because the nearest living animal kingdom relative to the hippo is, beleive it or not, the whale (check if you don’t beleive me).
I saw a great documentary once on hippos showing them underwater and, yes, I can very easily believe that. In the water Hippos are absolutely in their element and even sort of graceful – very whale like. (I forget the docos name & narrator etc .. alas)
November 18th, 2009 at 3:04 am
….@#5/Jim:
I have a lost twin/brother?
…@#12/Hunter:
….@#22/Grizzly & #23/CaffeenMan:
nasty piece…? ill-tempered? ME?
okay..SOMETIMES, perhaps….
youtube.com/watch?v=aYy6iOR8s1w
November 18th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1228242/Oops-werent-logs-The-moment-crocodile-killed-taking-foolish-shortcut-herd-hippos.html
Skeptical Hippos vs. Non-Skeptical Crocodile.
With more pictures! Nothing bloody though. Croc gets eaten.