Ed Brayton is a freelance writer and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
The good news is I'm in New York. The bad news is that I've had no sleep and I can't check in to the hotel until 3. I drove to Detroit last night and got a room because I had a 7 am flight this morning. I even managed to get to bed at 11 pm and fall asleep quickly. Unfortunately, half an hour later someone near my room slammed their door shut and woke me up. Then my brain said, "Hey, you just had a nap and now you're wide awake." Never got back to sleep.
So now I'm in the lobby of the hotel, right next to the United Nations, and I'm waiting for the other ScienceBloggers to start trickling in. And trying to stay awake. I'm hoping I can get into my room an hour or two early and get a few hours sleep before dinner tonight.
Comments
Hang in there, Ed!
Can I bring you anything from Duke? A shirt? A sample of soil from Cameron Indoor Stadium?
Posted by: Abel Pharmboy | August 8, 2008 10:54 AM
Off topic, they did it again.....
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/08/08/fbi.opens.probe.ap/index.html
Posted by: RAM | August 8, 2008 11:11 AM
Good news: I will actually make it to the NYC meetup. Woo!
Posted by: FishyFred | August 8, 2008 1:05 PM
Those stupid Russians just invaded Georgia.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7548715.stm
I figured this would happen, but not so soon.
Posted by: Julian | August 8, 2008 1:40 PM
Hmm the story seems kind of muddled right now, but it seems that The Russians moved some troops into South Ossetia and the Georgians tried to drive them out, though both sides are claiming that the other opened hostilities with preemptive bombing/shelling.
Posted by: Julian | August 8, 2008 1:57 PM
So..... WND wasn't so crazy about running with the Edwards story after all.
I feel a little cheated on myself. I worked for the guy, and I expected better. I never met him in person, but I did meet his wife. It can't be easy, holding together a marriage through both a political campaign and person tragedy and the difficulties of disease. But it's not impossible.
Posted by: Bad | August 8, 2008 3:55 PM
They're still crazy. Without his admission, the blurry photo on the cover of the NE this week was useless. There was no reason to believe this story until he admitted it.
Posted by: FishyFred | August 8, 2008 4:40 PM
What I find amusing is that people are so shocked that Edwards had an affair. Write this down: rich and powerful men get laid a lot. Always have, always will. And 90% of them (maybe more) will not be able to resist the temptation when the opportunity affords itself.
Posted by: Ed Brayton | August 8, 2008 10:26 PM
Well, with worthwhile and substantive comments like that Julie, I'm sure you'd find Matt Nisbet (http://scienceblogs.com/framing-science/) a delight
Posted by: V Profane | August 9, 2008 7:40 AM
Ed: Seriously. Look at the man for Pete's Sake; he's a fop! A dandy! If there is anyone in politics that better fits the mold of a wealthy and politically powerful philanderer, I haven't seen them.
What kills me, though, is how they've been harassing the lady he messed around with. They ambush her loading up her groceries then plaster this incredibly unflattering picture of her half-furious, half-bewildered all over the place. I doubt anyone in this country needs to be convinced of the media's vicious vacuity, but if they did that should provide it. Also, THE RUSSIANS ARE FIGHTING A WAR WITH A BREAKAWAY REPUBLIC(!!!); why is the media talking about an empty pretty-face like Edwards when a there is a genuine story, a genuine threat to international peace, occurring?!? Not to put too fine a point on it, but isn't Edwards' sexual history slightly less important than what could possibly be a 21st century repeat of the Sudetenland?
Though I suppose the blog IS titled Dispatches from the Culture Wars, not OMG RUSSIA...
Sorry to be obsessing over this, but it worries me immensely :/.
Posted by: Julian | August 9, 2008 8:03 AM
Julian: What was the coverage of the alleged Russian plans for a missile base in Cuba like?
There was a highly alarmist (or at least pessimistic) academic on BBC radio on the subject.
Posted by: V Profane | August 9, 2008 8:31 AM
The story about Edwards demonstrates the bias of the Mainstream Media. Edwards is pilloried for having an affair with an aide. John McCain had an affair with the woman currently his wife while he was still married to another woman. He subsequently dumped wife number 1 and married his paramour, who was, oddly enough, a wealthy heiress. Comparing the transgressions of Edwards to McCain is like comparing the man who swipes some silverware from a restaurant with a man who commits armed bank robbery.
Posted by: SLC | August 9, 2008 8:33 AM