Skepticism

Comment o’ the Week: Very Special Monday Edition!

Hello again, darling Skepchick readers! The long holiday weekend allowed me to take off for the rolling farmlands of my South Jersey home, but sadly interfered with my usual Friday posting of the Comment o’ the Week. With that in mind, I give you a Very Special Monday Edition of CotW.

There were a lot of fantastic comments, including this one nominated by Masala Skeptic. Ninjas? Bigfoot? Man, that comment had nearly everything. Sadly, it just could not compete with my favorite post in the thread pitting Scientist vs. Scientist in a no-holds-barred throw down:

DraconiusNo Gravatar // Jul 2, 2008 at 3:12 pm

Hi there!

I’m thinking that Tycho Brahe would show up at the designated time in a rain-soaked field just outside of Philadelphia, angrily awaiting the appearance of Franklin. His elk and his dwarf would be sitting nearby, patiently anticipating their moment of glory. A few hours later, Brahe would pack up his Supernova doomsday device and go home.

In the following weeks, the world’s scientific journals would be abuzz with accounts of Benjamin Franklin’s shameful cowardice in the face of Denmark’s most brilliant scientist. Franklin would dismiss these accusations with jocular, pithy remarks in the Philadelphia Gazette, insisting that he was off pursuing worthier activities at the time and honestly couldn’t be bothered with anything so dreary as a duel of honor.

Brahe would forever after boast of his victory over the cowardly Franklin, never noticing the slightest trace of smile that graced Kirsten Jørgensdatter’s lips every time she heard the name of Franklin. …

That post, detailing Franklin’s triumphant banging of Brahe’s girlfriend, was Draconius’ first comment on Skepchick, and what a way to make an entrance. Good job, Draconius! Your prize is the knowledge that we were thinking of you this weekend when the Philly-area Skepchick readers met up to eat, drink, view medical oddities at the Mutter Museum, and do naughty, naughty things to this statue of Ben Franklin:

I Molest Ben Franklin

Chelsea (mrsepp) Dry Humps Ben

Thanks to Rav Winston for the photos! More pics of the Philly Craziness can be seen on the Flickr Skeptics Group and on Jason’s Facebook page.

Also, here’s our regular tip to new commenters like Draconius: go to Gravar.com to upload a pretty picture to appear next to your posts! Just sign up there using the same e-mail address you used here, and it’ll appear eventually.

Rebecca Watson

Rebecca is a writer, speaker, YouTube personality, and unrepentant science nerd. In addition to founding and continuing to run Skepchick, she hosts Quiz-o-Tron, a monthly science-themed quiz show and podcast that pits comedians against nerds. There is an asteroid named in her honor. Twitter @rebeccawatson Mastodon mstdn.social/@rebeccawatson Instagram @actuallyrebeccawatson TikTok @actuallyrebeccawatson YouTube @rebeccawatson BlueSky @rebeccawatson.bsky.social

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33 Comments

  1. Hey I’m on Skepchick! Haha that was such a blast. I have some more pics going up on my facebook account including a couple that I snuck with my camera phone in the museum (damned no photography rule).
    And thus the Philly Skeptic Association is born. Conception, of course, occurred via molestation of Ben Franklin.

  2. And thus the Philly Skeptic Association is born. Conception, of course, occurred via molestation of Ben Franklin.

    It couldn’t have happened any other way. :D

  3. Hi there!

    Okay, that was creepy. I was just trying to figure out how to upload my picture for a user icon and you actually answered my question in your post!

    Looks like you had a great time in Philly! (yet not quite as much fun as Dr. Franklin) I wish I’d known you’d be there. That’s like a hop, skip, and a jump from me. <– (Jersey Shore, born and bred)

    You’ve definitely earned a devoted follower! :)

  4. We ran into a lot of coincidences that day, really– My favourite was that Franklin was born in Boston and came down to Philadelphia, whereas Rebecca was born in ( okay, “near”) Philadelphia, and fled to Boston!

    What are the odds! Our Skepchick is like, Ben Franklin! In reverse!

  5. Hi there!

    “Our Skepchick is like, Ben Franklin! In reverse!”

    That ought to make Tycho Brahe very happy …

  6. Draconius–if all goes well, we’ll have another event in the Philly area soon enough. You’re welcome to join us!

  7. Hi there!

    “Our Skepchick is like, Ben Franklin! In reverse!”

    That ought to make Tycho Brahe very happy …

    Alas, Kirsten Jørgensdatter will be heartbroken….

  8. Hi there!

    WooHoo!

    Although I wonder if there’s a New Jersey Area Skeptics Association, or if Jersey skeptics all just divide their loyalties between NY and Philly. :D

  9. As a NJ skeptic who divides my loyalties between NYC and Philadelphia, I am hoping to find more people for a central NJ skeptical meet-up and/or drink-up….
    Of course, New Yorkers and Philadelphians would be welcome too (even Bostonians would not be turned away)!

  10. Ew, South Jersey! gross! North Jersey is the way to be! Also, I second Waltdakind in the need for a central jersey meet up

  11. HAHA! That sounds like a fantastic idea Rav Winston! We’ll go be skeptical about the fake sunken boat and the poorly kept zoo.

  12. Hi there!

    Okay, now *I* was thinking of starting up a Central Jersey Skeptics Group, just so that it’d be more accessible to both North Jerseyans and South Jerseyans, but Cape May is absolutely one of my favoritiest places in the world, so I’d absolutely be up for that day trip!

    And I don’t know how capable I’d be at single-handedly starting my own skeptics group. :)

  13. I’m leaning toward New Brunswick, NJ for the meet-up.
    1. It’s close to a train station
    2. has lots of bars
    and
    3. it’s near a university,though not near a medical oddity display

    What say you, fellow New Jerseyans, Pennsylvanians or New Yorkers (or anyone else willing to travel to NJ)?

  14. Oh, fine. FINE. Why is it that all the cool stuff comes to Jersey — CENTRAL Jersey, yet — after I move out?

    …admittedly, five years after I moved out.

    Hey, Baltimore! Anyone for Baltimore?

  15. Make sure you check out my comment about Rebecca and the statue under the Sperms of Endearment thread. It is actually true!

  16. Hi there!

    Yes, Waltdakind, I was actually thinking of New Brunswick, too! (In NJ, not Canada) Did you want to try to set a date for the first NJ Skeptics Association meet-up? I’ve never actually started a skeptics organization before. Maybe we can just set up a meeting, and then iron out the details later.? (E-mail me! — [email protected])

    Anyone else interested?

  17. Since I live around Morristown I am in if there is going to be a Jersey Skeptics Association or just a meet-up.

  18. It occurs to me that you all might want to organize an email list of NJ Skeptics without having to post your email addresses on a public blog. How about, anyone who wants on the new NJSA email list, send me a note at skepchick at skepchick dot org EDIT: Duh, sorry, just post that you’re interested here in this thread actually…I can see your email addresses. In a day or two I’ll send out an email to all of you with your addresses exposed, and you can take it from there.

  19. Hey Rebecca, can I beg for an official post about this? I think a lot of people will miss this as a comment on your post of the week.

  20. I live near Philly, of course– But I went to Rutgers University in the dim and distant past. I might be persuaded to take a daytrip up to my old Alma Mater.

  21. WOOHOO! Three votes for Cape May!

    –And the BESTEST seaside pancake house on the east coast!

    –And the Mad Batter does really good and authentic clam chowder.

  22. Thanks Rebecca for helping to coordinate this!

    Tomorrow night (Wednesday, July 9th), there will be a minimum of three skeptics in a pub. (Either in New Brunswick, NJ or East Brunswick depending on whether access to rail travel would be a deal-breaker for anyone)

    Protesilaus, Draconius, or LOLkate, any chance you will add to our numbers for the inaugural Central NJ Drinking Skeptically? All are welcome!

    My apologies for the short notice, though it should be the first outing of many!

  23. New Brunswick will be a bit of a drive for me (I work in Northvale/Rockleigh, NJ). Probably won’t be able to make a weekday trip without more notice. I might be able to make it for a short while…Will have to see how it goes.

  24. Thanks for replying, Protesilaus… it’d be great if you can make it even if only for a short while, sorry again for the short notice.

  25. No problem, trust me if this works out it will be a great story about how we formed our group in the comments section of the skepchicks’ website.

  26. Hi there!

    Gahhh!! Waltdakind! I can’t make it this Wednesday! :(

    Fridays are usually better for me, but I’d need at least a week’s notice. :(

    And Rebecca, yes,I’m interested in being on the e-mail list. (if that wasn’t obvious) :)

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