An Important Announcement Revealing That Yes, I am an Optimist

Whilst reading some of my colleagues' blogs, I ran across this announcement and realized that it's been ages since I first mention that I registered for the Science Online London conference a long time ago -- on the very first day that I could do so, in fact. This conference focuses on using the internet -- blogosphere as well as podcasts, soundfiles, photography, and streaming video -- as a public outreach and educational tool for and in support of science. This important conference is scheduled for 22 August 2009 in London at the celebrated Royal Institution of Great Britain, where it was held last year, when I was honored to be chosen as one of their speakers. As a direct result of that speaking engagement, I was asked to write articles for several print magazines in Europe -- a far stronger response than I've ever enjoyed from the print media in the United States (*cough*) -- and I was paid for those pieces as well, which has helped me keep my landlord happy. Even though the demand for my writing by various European magazines has slowed, but still continues to this day, I am proud to say.

So why am I admitting to you in the title that I am (eek!) an optimist? Especially since the available evidence indicates that I am firmly in the grasp of realism instead? Well, the fact that I registered to attend this conference a month or longer ago without knowing how, or if, I can manage to even get myself to London is the reason. This is still unresolved, but I am working on gaining the necessary $upport to attend, and I would like to speak and to live-blog this event while I am there, too.

If you would like to suggest speakers (me, perhaps?) or topics of interest, you can do so on Science Online London's Friendfeed or you can email them at topics@scienceonlinelondon.org. If you represent an organization that would like to sponsor the meeting (or sponsor me as a live blogger/speaker!), please do email them at sponsor@scienceonlinelondon.org. And while I am talking about sponsors, I would especially like to draw attention to the fact that Science is one of their sponsors -- Yay! This is very cool, in my opinion.