Right.
I’ve booked my passage on SS Blogosphere . I have negotiated safe conduct through South Gondor (Now A Debatable and Desert Land), and I have secured a billet at Mrs Gaddafi’s Bar and Grill. I shall be sure to pack the stuffed penguin, the alarm clock and the wetsuit full of lumpy custard. Mrs Gee will no doubt exhort me to bring a nice, clean white handkerchief with which to surrender.
Yes, come January I’ll be off to ScienceOnline09, the annual BoraFest in the CaroLinas. I just love inserting random caPitaLs into words, Klingon-style, don’t YoU? Makes EverYThinG LoOK likE a DEAth Threat maDE of NEwSPaper cuttingS or a SeX PiSToLs alBUM cover. Never MIND the BlOGgers, IT’s BOra ZivKOVIC!.
We! Are! Anarchhhyyy! (More tea, Dr Z?)
And so, it seems, will be several other Nature Network types – that erudite fellow Dr Fenner, will be in attendance, alongside the egregious fragrant unfeasibly accomplished Dr Rohn (order her latest novel here), not to mention our Beloved Leaderene Dr Lok, as well as Drs Amsen, and Kushnir and last but not least we can has Dr O’Hara, presumably sans cat, but we eated it.
Dr Z sez I’ll be moderating or chairing something or another, but I’ve been too preoccupied to think about it right now.
Hold on – it’s all coming back. I see that prominent among the participants will be Dr Grant of Botany Bay.
So that’s the event. The Ultimate Alien vs Predator standoff, King Kong vs Godzilla, that Gee/Grant face-off that the organizers of SciBlog08 were just too squeamish to include in the unconference sessions at the Royal Institution, for fear of the cleaning bills.
So, I must remember to include space in my luggage for some knuckledusters, a baseball bat and a hundredweight of cold porridge.
Delenda Est Ricardus Grantus Australe!!
And so say all of us.
God Bless America!
About time you lot got lot real jobs, wot require noses to the grindstone and less of this ‘social networking’ poppydash and baldercock. You’ll be going out for drinks next.
… forgot to say: IS THIS WHAT I PAY MY TAXES FOR? I’d rather buy a bank.
Exciting news indeed! Very much looking forward to seeing you in NC. Many drinks will be had. I’ll pack the ibuprofen.
That’s OK, Brian, I’ll be staying behind to pay taxes enough for all of them.
Yes, come January I’ll be off to ScienceOnline09, the annual BoraFest in the CaroLinas
{grumpy} Since I can never manage to get away from work to attend these things, I realize that I must have made some Very Poor Choices Indeed, regarding my professional duties. Spending 4 to 6 hours per day, 4 days per week, teaching in gross anatomy labs with 50+ students per room, is not exactly compatible with travel. {/grumpy}
I shall be trying to sneak away to said event. Hopefully starting a new job in December so might be a bit cheeky trying to take time off only 6 weeks later…right after Christmas Break… but it’s a lot closer than London and another chance to hug The Gee, to (finally!) meet The Grant and The Kushnir and
canoodleflagilatehave a(nother) glass of wine with The Rohn…I’m going too, but I’m under my other blog on the signup thingy, because there was only room for one.
I went two years ago as well, and didn’t have to take time off! I left on Friday after work, and would have been back the following Monday, were it not that all flights out of Raleigh were canceled due to rain on Sunday night (wimps…)
So I did miss one day of work in the end, but it was because of the airport’s inability to deal with weather rather than the actual conference. It’s possible to go without taking time off from most places in North America. (I was flying from Toronto. I forgot how long that takes. Couple of hours or so.)
I’d rather buy a bank
Doing the rounds lately -
Q: what’s the difference between an investment banker and a pigeon?
A: Only one of them can put a deposit on a Ferrari.
Q: What’s the capital of Iceland?
A: About £3.50
Not sure I’ll be able to make it, actually. January’s a busy time here, and money is…
scarce.
oh… I thought I was going but needed to sort out my research stuff and didn’t sign up… and now it is full :( I have emailed since there is a wait list, in case someone can’t go anymore… hm, I guess I’ll have to wait and see?!
It would be so fun meeting up with you guys!
Richard – LAME EXCUSES!!! But you may indeed need to hold down the ford at USyd. My sister might be coming there in February to do some sciencing. (In another department, though. Fear not!)
Hey Eva, that’s cool. Give her my details and I’ll try to be friendly.
(Lame? Three and a half grand is lame?)
Not sure I’ll be able to make it, actually
You’re a kilt-wearing, banana-bending wimp, Grant. That’s what you are.
Come here and say that, you necrophiliac old fossil.
Sorry? Somebody say something?
Deaf, too.
It’s late here. My medication has worn off. Connections leap off the screen in random patterns, seemingly willy, perhaps nilly.
Blogging?
That’s a good way to get your accomplishments noticed
Alien vs Predator standoff, King Kong vs Godzilla,that Gee/Grant face-off…
A baseball bat and a hundredweight of cold porridge
Well, good luck in North Carolina! (hint: The LOLcat reference will get farther than the “Iceland Economy” jape here in the Shining West.
May your Spurtle always be Golden.
I’ll definitely be able to make it as far as New York (I got those tickets cheap on Saturday, despite the best efforts of the online booking service – I also bought a coconut plant). I’ll be sans Beast, alas, but I’m sure we’ll manage. I could bring some of his hair for you, if you’re desperate for a fix.
I do intend, however, to take my Eeeeeeee.
Bob, I always think you ARE a cat, because of your icon. (I guess people also think I’m a cartoon picture of an erlenmeyer flask filled with bromophenol blue. Maybe I am!)
Bob is actually hairier than his daemon in real life.
His cat is considerably more beastly though. A real horror when it comes to playing fair. It comes from Australia, don’t you know. That could explain a lot.
Coming from Australia explains most things.
Except Vegemite. There is no explanation for Vegemite.
Funny…. Did anyone hear a strange buzzing noise?
@ Eva: are you now telling me you’re not a cartoon picture of an erlenmeyer flask filled with bromophenol blue? That’s weird. I always thought it was blue curacao.
I could bring some of his hair for you, if you’re desperate for a fix.
Could?? I don’t think it’s actually a choice.
I know it’s not a choice with dog hair.
Vegemite is better than Marmite (it’s a texture thing), but both are weird, if one thinks about the composition too much. Best to just put a bit on a rice cake and stop over-analyzing one’s food.
Henry, I will try to look as flask-like as possible in North Carolina so you can recognize me.
How do people end up with money and vacation time to spare in January?! Seriously, I’d like to know!
me too :(
I think some people consider it work and justify it that way. I’m probably unemployed then, so that solves half of the problem. (Glass half full…)
CAth& Richard: not really sure either, regarding the vacation and money. It helps to be on the same continent and on the same “longitude”? (never remember which is the horisontal lines). Then again, the research since Christmas is messing up some of the time points (in my research anyway) so it is still hard to make it work.
then again, it depends if there is a place opening up…
Hell Åsa, perhaps I should de-register on the condition you get my place?
Eva: Henry, I will try to look as flask-like as possible in North Carolina so you can recognize me.
I think it would be more practical if you simply painted yourself blue.
Finding people you don’t know – but want to – at conferences – can be a troublesome experience. A few years ago I was at a conference at which I suspected my opposite number from Science might be present, and being the hospitable and friendly soul that I am, I wished to meet them.
All I knew was that the editor concerned was female, so I made a point of staring intently at the very tiny print on name badges attached, as they often are, at breast level. After a few minutes of doing this I began to fear I might get thrown out, so I stopped.
I never did get to meet her.
How do people end up with money and vacation time to spare in January?! Seriously, I’d like to know!
As of tomorrow, I’m having to work overtime (1st time in over 10 years) so if I do enough of that, this should cover my expenses to NC in January.
I do overtime all the time, I just don’t get paid for it!
I made a point of staring intently at the very tiny print on name badges attached, as they often are, at breast level.
GENIUS