Egomaniacal Sunday morning basking in glory

My adopted alter ego may be nothing but a computer played by a box of colored blinking lights, but those few who are actually familiar with the 30 year old British SF TV show that featured Orac beginning in the last episode of its first season know that Orac is an arrogant and vain computer. Given that, how could I fail to notice a couple of accolades that came my way last week.

First off, on Friday, Respectful Insolence was included in a list of top skeptical blogs, along with Science-Based Medicine, NeuroLogica Blog (which Steve Novella informs me is down due to excess traffic and a really idiotic ISP that just shut him down rather than charge him more or give him a warning), Quackwatch, Skeptic Blog, Skepchick, and Pharyngula, and Richard Wiseman Blog. Whoa.

Then, earlier in the week Eureka Zone included Respectful Insolence in its list of the Top 30 Science Blogs.

Too many accolades can go to the head of even a cranky computer.

Finally, before I sign off, I know I promised I'd try to leave the Wakefield case alone next week, but AoA and NaturalNews.com posted some stuff that I may not be able to lay off of. If I am weak, I ask your indulgence for one more day on Monday.

More like this

The day has finally arrived. The big changes hinted at and then announced have finally come to pass. Orac has finally rebooted and plugged his (its?) essence into ScienceBlogs.com. It almost didn't come to pass, thanks to a certain overreaction by my medical school. It also didn't help that, after…
It's Christmas Eve. I know, I know, it's all supposed to be Peace On Earth, Good Will Towards Men (and Women), and all that jazz. Really, that's exactly what I had intended for today and tomorrow. Indeed, my plan was to do nothing more than a quickie post today and a maybe a couple of brief (and…
Believe it or not, I’ve had two weekends off, which is why there won’t be a full post today. Basically, what happened is that I’m an idiot. I took a long weekend last weekend, worked a couple of days last week, and then took a three day weekend at a cottage near a lake this weekend with my family…
Has it really been that long? It was a dismally overcast Saturday five years ago when, on a whim after having read a TIME Magazine article about how 2004 was supposedly the Year of the Blogger, I sat down in front of my computer, found Blogspot, and the first incarnation of Respectful Insolence…

Congratulations.

The Eureka Zone list, however, is seriously flawed with the inclusion of the anti-science blog "Watts Up With That?" (something which many people point out in the comments)

Oh, geez. I didn't notice that. Since I only occasionally blog about AGW denialism, I'm not up on all the AGW denial blogs.

HostPapa has committed fraud if they shut down NeuroLogica for excessive traffic. Their web site clearly and plainly states in multiple places that they provide "Unlimited Bandwidth" and "Unlimited Disk Space".

This makes me wonder if their "Green Web Hosting" proclamations are also a scam.

HOORAY!!! :) Congratulations. And, for the record, I don't mind you staying on top of the Wakefield stuff. Your attention to the antivaxxers is one of the top reasons I love this blog. It gives me a one-stop information place to send people who have not yet drunk of the kool-aid, but are beginning to be worried by the shrieks of the infectious disease promoters.

By The Perky Skeptic (not verified) on 07 Feb 2010 #permalink

Never bored by the anti-vaccine posts. We need more ammo b/c the stupid is burning all over the place.

Love the antivax postings. My son has ASD and is FULLY immunized. Work with some people who are rather wooish....and it gives me great ammunition to argue back against their crap.
Thanks for that and Congrats!

Hey, it's your blog, you choose the topics. As long as AoA, et al, keep the stoopid coming, you are right to get your circuits in a twist and fire back.

Orac, blink away in glory.

By ursa major (not verified) on 07 Feb 2010 #permalink

Egomania? Solipcism? Vainglorious *auteurism*? Grandiosity unimpeded by higher cortical activity? Actually, those are accurate descriptions of pseudo-scientists skewered by Orac-who illustrates that science fiction belongs in BBC shows, not in medical practices and universities.

By Denice Walter (not verified) on 07 Feb 2010 #permalink

Congratulations, chief! You work hard and are exhaustively committed to combating pseudoscience and trying to protect people from their own biases and credulous thinking. You are most deserving of such recognition. Well-done, good sir.

Congrats! It was also good seeing you on the Huffpo Stagliano thread.

May you continue to "liberate" people from pseudoscientific woo.

Tamara

good on ya, Orac!
as they say in Australia.
And -- it's always a pleasure to see AoA and Adams knocked into a loop, so anytime you feel like shoving some Insolence their way is good with me.

Congrats! Where is the link to the list of skeptical blogs or am I somehow missing it?

By Marilyn Mann (not verified) on 07 Feb 2010 #permalink

It is between Quackwatch and Skepchick.

Congrats Orac.

As far as the Wakefield roast, keep it coming. I come here for the autism woo, and stay to see what other fascinatingly awful crap people fall for.

Congratulations! Bask away, it's deserved.

By OleanderTea (not verified) on 08 Feb 2010 #permalink

I continue to very much enjoy your blog. Thanks for the note on Neurologica's troubles. It sounds like Big Placebo has succeeded in its worldwide conspiracy to silence Dr. Novella. I was part of the traffic, so sorry about that - I should know better than to actually try to read someone's blog.