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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.

By Orac

Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski.

That this particular surgeon has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 35 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)

DISCLAIMER:: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.

To contact Orac: [email protected]

24 replies on “Egomaniacal Sunday morning basking in glory”

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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