…and this is a 
I have been sleeping the sleep of the dead—it turns out that if you don't bother to sleep for 40 hours you get really tired and when you lie down your brain shuts off. This is very good to know. It means I've been completely ignoring Pharyngula for a long, long time, and wow, did the comments pile up. So let me deal with a few things quickly.
I am pleased to see that the comments did not descend into total anarchy, but come on, don't pick on Robert O'Brien because he looks like a dork. I look like a dork. I suspect that if you people had to verify your comments with your passport photos we'd discover that Pharyngula is Dork City.
The most amazing stupidity in the comments, though, is coming from a certain dork from Conservapædia. Listen: you know you're a paranoid kook if post a comment late at night, get a message that it's being held for approval, and then start repeatedly ranting that you're being suppressed, and make it an issue for the front page of conservapædia.
I was asleep, man.
I think the conservapædia articles on evolution and homosexuality are excellent examples of right-wing stupidity, and I may get around to critiquing them at some point…after I clear the backlog of work I've got on my desk. It might be a while. And I'm willing to put off as long as a whining fool from conservapædia is actively demonstrating his inanity for me in the comments.
How about happier news? Yes, I'm going to be in Washington DC this weekend (the 10th and 11th), returning on Monday evening. I'm doing some stuff with Americans United for Separation of Church and State, so I'm not totally free, but I'm sure we can work out some time for a meetup.
Notice I said "we"…another fellow, among others, who will be there is Phil Plait. We're even rooming together (before you assume too much, you should know that Phil has a man-crush on Wil Wheaton, not me (nor William Riker)).
I bet with a little negotiation we could arrange to have both Phil Plait and PZ Myers in the same public place for a few hours, and you all could stop by and buy us beer and calamari and make pointed comparisons and tell us how dorky we look.
So there you go. Lots of travel last week, brief recovery from exhaustion this weekend, lots of teaching to do this week, then more travel next week. I've got to spend some time at home!
Comments
Posted by: thalarctos | November 4, 2007 10:29 AM
I doubt you'll find anyone to bet against you on that one, PZ.
Posted by: Paul Crowley | November 4, 2007 10:34 AM
Hey, speak for yourself. I am the very epitome of style and suave good looks.
Posted by: Graculus | November 4, 2007 10:34 AM
I suspect that if you people had to verify your comments with your passport photos we'd discover that Pharyngula is Dork City.
*I* don't look like a dork. I look like an axe-murderer.
Posted by: Dan | November 4, 2007 11:08 AM
Wait... My comments are also held for moderation.
Tell me, PZ, have I caught The Dumb? Is it painful? Will I... Will I... begin to use... Conservapedia as a... resource?
Posted by: Blake Stacey | November 4, 2007 11:20 AM
Conservapaedia's entry on the "Theory of Evolution" was wall-to-wall stupid. Their definition of "quote mining" also turned out to be a hoot.
Posted by: Eamon Knight | November 4, 2007 11:25 AM
I suspect that if you people had to verify your comments with your passport photos we'd discover that Pharyngula is Dork City.
Invalid experiment. All passport photos make the subject look like either a dork, a drug addict desperate for a fix, or a terrorist. It's in the fine print about the requirements for an acceptable photo, along with size, margins, background, etc.
Posted by: Jewel | November 4, 2007 11:38 AM
Cool! I live near DC, so if you are able to make time for a meetup, hubby and I might just make it.
Posted by: Sili | November 4, 2007 11:44 AM
I don't look like a dork in my passport.
I look like a - and I quote - "unsuccessful paedophile".
I hope I look more dorky now. But I refuse to put my head in the scanner to prove it.
Posted by: Jewel | November 4, 2007 12:13 PM
Passport photos are scary...and drivers license pictures are even worse. I think both are designed to make you look your worst.
Posted by: Brett McCoy | November 4, 2007 12:16 PM
I will definitely contribute to beers and tentacled food if you want to get together in DC this coming weekend!
Posted by: blf | November 4, 2007 12:21 PM
How does one murder an axe?
Posted by: David Marjanović, OM | November 4, 2007 1:00 PM
I know a paleontologist who looks exactly like Bruce Willis. It's scary. Deeply scary. Fortunately the similarities end there...
Posted by: Jay | November 4, 2007 2:56 PM
Um, as a lurker who lives in the DC area, I think a meet up with you and Phil would be awesome. Might I suggest Sunday afternoon or evening sometime?
Posted by: Dan | November 4, 2007 4:09 PM
Front-page Conservapedia whining about your moderation settings is pretty funny.
On the plus side, I'm pretty sure most of Conservapedia's readers think those actually in charge are nuts, so many thousands of people are going to see complaints about you being fronted prominently by nutjobs.
Doesn't that sound fun?
Posted by: Gobaskof | November 4, 2007 4:10 PM
All passport photos make the subject look like either a dork, a drug addict desperate for a fix, or a terrorist.
Or in my case all 3 combined with Jesus, to make the ultimate passport photo. I am surprised every time I get through security.
Posted by: Strange Forces | November 4, 2007 5:56 PM
PZ in DC! The best places for beer would have to be The Brickskellar for bottles (biggest selection on Earth, y0) or The District Chophouse for in-house brewed.
Definitely keep us updated!
Posted by: A8 | November 4, 2007 6:46 PM
You don't look like a dork. But then I'm so much of a dork I think most of the dorks are cute. Since I'm an archaeologist I look like (a) a terrorist (b) a failed hippie (c) a dork. I'm sure some of my students may think I look like a witch, but then that's so relative, no?
Posted by: Tattooed and Atheist | November 4, 2007 7:17 PM
I don't look like a dork. There is no doubt that I'm a dork though...
Posted by: Shawn Wilkinson | November 4, 2007 8:47 PM
moar peter moore!
Posted by: FishyFred | November 4, 2007 11:39 PM
Will Matthew Nisbet be there? ;)
Posted by: bullfighter | November 4, 2007 11:56 PM
PZ in DC? You can count on me!
Posted by: caynazzo | November 5, 2007 9:43 AM
I second the Brickskellar. Keep us DCists posted.
Posted by: Jake Boyman | November 5, 2007 10:33 AM
Whenever I look at my latest, very unfortunate driver's license photo, I always immediately hear John Walsh intoning "wanted for a tri-state murder spree".
Posted by: Drew Habits | November 5, 2007 1:10 PM
It's kind of an open secret that an easy third, maybe more, of Conservapedia editors are secret parodists and self-styled digital agents provocateur from the other side of the idealogical fence. I want to say the Something Awful forum has some sort of thing going on there, but I don't look at SA so I'm only going on rumors with that one.
Posted by: MikeM | November 5, 2007 3:48 PM
I gotta say, next to me, you look like The Suave and Graceful Mr. PZ Myers. It's probably good I don't get paid based on THIS face.
There's a reason I don't have a MySpace page. Well, many reasons, actually, but I don't want to run the risk of ruining expensive monitors at underfunded universities.
All kidding aside, have you heard about the Bakersfield plan to put up "In God We Trust" posters in all their district's classrooms?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21601644/
And make sure you read Gene Goodman's Letter, near the bottom. Excellent point.
Posted by: Skwee | November 5, 2007 5:27 PM
I highly suggest critiquing the Conservapedia article on evolution-cutting it to metaphorical shreds would be like taking candy from a baby. I have not seen their article on homosexuality, but I suspect it to be as logical as astrology.