SAPS at Dragon*Con 2007
"What is Dragon*Con?", you may ask, and after my experience there I would have to look at you with pity in my eyes. Dragon*Con, my dear friends, is just about the best thing ever to happen to this planet. And no, they aren't paying me to say so!
When I first walked into the Marriott to put away my things, I was at once struck
by the high number of deeply attractive Captain Jack Sparrows lounging around the
common areas. (Fourteen different Jacks, by some people's count.) I thought to myself,
"So this is heaven. And I don't even remember dying."
Perhaps you think that's a superficial outlook. Ha ha. .... Yes, yes it is.
Are you a little off-beat? Do you make references to "The Princess Bride" and "Labyrinth" in normal conversation? Have you ever wanted to be a superhero? Do you speak Klingon?
If you answered "Yes" to any of those questions, then you were born to attend Dragon*Con.
This year's Space and Science Track included a skeptical side, with such great names as Dr. Michael Shermer, author of "Why People Believe Weird Things," Ben Radford, editor of "Skeptical Inquirer," George Hrab, of "The Geologic Podcast,", Jeff Wagg of the James Randi Educational Foundation and yes, even little ol' me, Alison Smith of SAPS fame.
I was delighted to take part in two, very different, Dragon*Con presentations. The first was a solo presentation called "Is it a Ghost?: A Skeptic Reviews Paranormal Footage."
The other presentation I took part in was a panel. "Skeptics vs. Believers: SMACKDOWN!" was a lot of fun. A lot of people have e-mailed to ask why TAPS didn't take part in the panel, as they were originally slated to. I would say, in response, "That's a complicated question," though someone did forward us this hilarious comic strip:
If you're here to see more TAPS confrontations, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place this time. I simply did not seek them out, and they didn't search for me, either. The panel might have led to a big dramatic fight (though really, I'm a peaceful little being), but they weren't there.
Instead, I'm going to focus on the people I did meet, and the kind of time I did have.
Prepare yourself for a journey... An epic journey... involving fourteen Jack Sparrows, Batgirl, Robin, and a bottle of rum.
Yo ho!
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