Apostacon has set the standard for atheist conferences.

In 2008 (and really in 2009 at Skepticon 2), my friends and I conceived of a conference that would become the model for many other groups. It was Skepticon, and it introduced a slew of new ideas to the conference format. Forgive me a moment of pride when I say it changed things.

Apostacon is the new conference to change things. I never thought I’d see another conference whose positive and happy social atmosphere compared to Skepticon’s, but this last weekend I saw just that. Everything was so professionally run and presented, and the environment was the most enjoyable I’ve ever experienced. I cannot lavish Sarah Morehead and the sponsoring groups like The Freedom From Religion Foundation and Be Secular with enough praise for this event.

At nights Michaelyn and I spent the evening with friends at the hotel bar where a touring dueling pianos act was performing. At one point I got pulled on stage to give an impromptu performance of Come Sail Away:

I daresay that even though I was inebriated that I managed to fairly rock the house, despite not being on my full vocal game.

And now, piksharz!

Keep the Christ in Christmas. You stay classy, Kansas.

Michaelyn with Dr. Elizabeth Cornwell. Hawt.

Good times with a pirate wench, Smantha, and Shayrah from The Secular View.

Big table of atheists being silly and rocking out to Piano Man.

Shayrah and Michaelyn: sexy daleks with keytars. Scratch that fantasy off the bucket list…

Devils and daleks, natural allies.

Tyler was a load of fun. Here he can be seen backing dat ass up with Teagan lurking on the left in her footie pajamas.

If given the choice to go to an atheist event or church, ask yourself why god made church so boring by comparison.

SOMA ladies: Smantha, Michaelyn, and Maria.

I went to the costume ball as Super Teemo. I came out of stealth for this photo.

Dalek Michaelyn encounters her arch nemesis: The Doctor! This guy was the most muscular computer geek I’ve ever seen.

Michaelyn with Cas, the sexy piano player.

R2D2 was on top of this truck, so I got a picture.

Click to embiggen. This was the loneliest cloud in the sky. The panorama mode makes it look like two, but it was the only tiny cloud in an entirely blue sky.