I spent a lot of time today sitting on a gorgeous beach near Auckland.

[sundogplanets@mastodon.social]

I spent a lot of time today sitting on a gorgeous beach near Auckland. (Was I stewing about how fucking stupid SpaceX is the whole time? Yes, yes I was. See my previous post if you don't know why.)

Tomorrow I pick up a rental car and start the Beatrice Tinsley lecture tour portion of the #ProfSamLectureTour. I'll have some extra fire for these lectures because SpaceX sucks. More immediately, wish me luck driving on the opposite side of the road tomorrow!

[sundogplanets@mastodon.social]

RE: https://mastodon.social/@sundogplanets/115973863074134729

Schedule for this week:

[legit_spaghetti@mastodo.neoliber.al]

@sundogplanets An angle I can't puzzle together: The CEO of that company is very obviously a delusional mega-idiot, a once-in-a-generation simpleton. So on some level it's to be expected that he'd push for shockingly stupid ideas.

But I cannot figure out what's going on with the people who are working there. The scientists. The engineers. The people who should know better. Are they REALLY willing to steal the sky from us for a paycheck? I'd like to talk to them.

Also, that is a LOVELY beach.

[mtor@mastodon.social]

@sundogplanets the botanical gardens in Hamilton are worth a visit if you have time. :)

[kingsara@cloudisland.nz]

@mtor @sundogplanets they are the best thing to visit in New Zealand! Unmissable.

[sundogplanets@mastodon.social]

Next week is Napier (can't find a link...)

Then New Plymouth (also not finding a link...)

Then Wairarapa-Marlborough https://www.wairarapadarksky.nz/blog/post/158812/astronomy-vs-the-billionaire-space-race/

Then Wellington https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/scps/about/events/astronomer-vs-the-billionaires-space-race

(I'll have some talks on the South Island over the next couple months, will announce as they get closer)

#ProfSamLectureTour

[mrgtwentythree@mastodon.sdf.org]

@sundogplanets so stupid. enjoy summer :)

[amyfou@lingo.lol]

@sundogplanets 💪 ✊ 💞 you've got this! 💞 ✊ 💪

[verbman@mastodon.nz]

@sundogplanets Booked! enjoy the driving

[cvwarren@m.ai6yr.org]

@sundogplanets Ok—for the really important questions…Are any of the pohutakawas still in flower?

[quarkmaker@mastodon.social]

@sundogplanets qapla'!

[errolnz@mastodon.nz]

@sundogplanets Your Wairarapa listing is mislabeled - Marlborough is top of the South Island ;-)

[colinburgess@mastodon.nz]

@ErrolNZ @sundogplanets it’s actually Martinborough, an easy typo to be sure.

[ginngravitonic@mastodon.social]

@sundogplanets Got my tickets for Auckland! When near Napier, I recommend Gannet Safaris. The Gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers is an amazing sight. Sadly, you just missed the spectacular Festival of Lights in New Plymouth.