Come star gazing with Phil Plait, Pamela Gay and the Skepchicks
Are you planning to come to Dragon*Con? If not, why not? Do you know there is an entire skeptics track planned again this year, bigger and better than last year (and it pretty much kicked ass last year). This year, we have more space, more speakers and more Skepchicks coming.  We also have a special event happening the day before Dragon*Con starts so make sure you plan ahead.  The Atlanta Skeptics are planning a star gazing party, hosted by none other than Phil Plait and Pamela Gay.  We’ll have drinks, dinner, and of course, some star gazing once the sun goes down.
I really hope you can join us. This event is in honor of our friend and fellow skeptic, Jeff Medkeff. Jeff was the astronomer who discovered and named an asteroid after Rebecca. We were all devastated when Jeff lost his battle with liver cancer last year and proceeds from this event will go to the American Cancer Society.
It will also be a rocking good time. In addition to Phil and Pamela, we have a bunch of skepchicks and skeptics who have already signed up to attend. Brian Thompson from Amateur Scientist, Richard Saunders and Rachel Dunlop from The Skeptic Zone, plus our own Rebecca Watson, ARealGirl and Carr2d2 will all be there.
Tickets are limited and will sell out. So head over to the Atlanta Skeptics site to buy tickets now! See you, and the stars, there!
This will not only be my first Dragon*Con, but also my first time meeting many of you in person. I’m just a bit excited and can’t wait until September!
Bummed that I can’t go. No time and no money, make MiddleMan a sad boy.
Mid-Wife’s been itching to go to Dragon*Con for the last few years. Hopefully next year.
@Masala Skeptic: “Are you planning to come to Dragon*Con? If not, why not?”
Poor and far away, that’s why not. :-(
Hangonaminit…Is Karen not going to be there? :(
@cleon – OOPS. Yes, I believe Karen is also going to be there. Updating now!
“Are you planning to come to Dragon*Con? If not, why not? ”
I’ve been to DragonCon and think it’s awesome. Were it within bicycle distance I would surely go. I’m not going this year because we, even those of us who acknowledge human-caused global climate change, still dump vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere doing frivolous things like DragonCon. One trip to DragonCon is not going to melt the icecaps, but unfortunately that’s the way everyone feels about all their trips for all their purposes. “No one drop believes itself responsible for the flood.” Unless magic happens the vast majority of us are going to keep doing what we do with whatever rationalization makes us feel good about doing it while the world becomes unfit for human civilization.
Magic may happen in the form of new technology and I’m working hard for it. I’m also working hard to promote electrical transportation of all kinds which I believe is the current best solution. Ultimately I don’t think any technology or legislation is going to solve the problem. The technology required is too radical to be likely and the necessary laws would have to be draconian to the point where they would never pass. I really think the most likely scenario is the population of humans on the earth will stay in balance with what the planet can support with a given climate. On our current trajectory the process will be gruesome.
I don’t believe one or two people refusing to drive cars or fly in airplanes will change anything. Maybe, however, if 1%, 2%, or dare to dream 5% of us climb on the bandwagon then things will start to change. Demand for bike paths, efficient vehicles, and mass-transit will grow and get less expensive. Demand for cars and airline seats will shrink and become more expensive. This is a positive feedback loop I can get into. Best of all we can raise the next generation to think about the planet differently.
““Are you planning to come to Dragon*Con? If not, why not? —
‘Cuz I have no money :(
@davew: Want to know why I don’t have any money? I had to buy a car. I have lived in Arizona 9 years come this August. Until last August, I did not own a car and took public transportation. I lived in Central Phoenix, and always worked downtown or without reasonable busing distance.
But then I got a new job, and after a year of almost 2 hours EACH WAY, I finally broke down and got a car, something I didn’t really do. But I couldn’t take it anymore–even if I left every day at 5am (I start at 7am), I was still late half the time and was going to lose my job if that continued.
So, alas, a car.
And while I like my car in some ways … I hate, hate, hate the expense. GRRR.
@marilove: “I have lived in Arizona 9 years come this August. ”
Uuuh, that should read “I have lived in Phoenix, Arizona 9 years come this August.” since I actually was BORN in Arizona (Lake Havasu, to be exact). :D
And wow, I just re-read everything…hopefuly you can parse through all my mistakes and make some sense of it all. It was 108+ degrees this weekend and I was without air conditioning for half of it. Forgive me, I am a grump-grump right now.
@marilove:
I feel for you. It would aggravate me mightily to have to buy a car again. And you’re not kidding about the expense. Leaving the environment out of it I figured my 1999 Subaru cost me, NOT counting gas/maintenance/parking, $7.80 per day. Every day. Just to have it. Driving it cost extra. Good riddance.