“I can’t deal with the statistical likelihood that somewhere, some business person with an opportunity that would help me will turn away from me because of some objectionable knowledge about me. Because of my blog. If I blog. How do you deal with that?”

I worry about it occasionally, but try not to let it bother me too much. But I may be in a totally different boat than you. Evolutionary biologists, even academics in general, tend to be a fairly godless liberal lot. While I may make some people disgruntled, most don’t care, and a lot actually like me more. Heck, I’ve even received opportunities because of my blog that I wouldn’t have received otherwise (woo getting published!).

But if you’re not lucky like me, and you still want to blog, I would suggest blogging anonymously. Even that has risks, though. I don’t think you can ever be truly anonymous on the internet, no matter how hard you try. I guess you have to weigh the costs and benefits of having a blog. It’s nice to get your thoughts out there, but if it’s crippling in “real life” without any real gain…

Are there any bloggers who have felt the consequences of blogging and have advice for this person?

Howdy everyone. I’m still at Stanford for my interviews – taking a quick lunch break. Sorry that I don’t have any real material to blog about; I’m too busy being distracted by the absolutely beautiful campus.

Like any grad school visit, lots of delicious food is being thrown at me, including bottled Coke with real sugar. Yuuummm.

What random food do you consider a treat and wish you could have more often?

I’m currently in the Indy airport waiting for my flight to San Francisco. I’ve finally been able to keep food down, so my flight should be much more bearable than imagined (if you have no idea what I’m talking about, you haven’t been following my TMI tweets).

Because I spent the last couple of days tossing my cookies instead of blogging, I don’t have any material prepared for my trip to Stanford. So consider this an open post! Post links, selfishly self promote, talk abou what’s on your mind, and get to know each other! And for all you lurkers, say hello!

I just saw this on the news at the airport, and I knew I had to look it up. An Indiana mom is upset at a fundraiser the Elwood school system has been using for the last 15 years. What could this evil fundraiser be? The middle school sex-a-thon? A baby eating contest? Selling the souls of students for charity?

Nope, it’s a silly matchmaking survey.

I laughed when I saw this story because my Indiana middle school and high school did this same exact fundraiser. The questions were horrible things like “How often do you play videogames?” and “Do you like reading books for fun?” We’d then see if any of our best friends made the top ten, giggle, and then forget about it a day later.

But this mom is concerned because it’s obviously a survey that promotes underaged sex and teen pregnancy. Are you kidding me? It’s a totally optional for charity and for fun. Of course, fun leads to sex. No fun allowed.

Anyway, the idea that middle schoolers still see each other as having cooties is ridiculous. I had classmates who were dating in he 4th grade. Wake up, mom. If you’re concerned with your child’s sexuality, teach them sex ed. Don’t ban everything that may vaguely be associated with relationships.

I was listening to the radio on my way to the airport this morning, mainly to have some noise on to keep me awake. I was vaguely listening to some commercial about a benefit concert being held at West Lafayette High School, when a clip from the musical group was played:

“Jesus, help me see the morning light…”

Then I started paying a lot more attention.

Apparently the concert was to raise money for Haiti and for local student athletes in the Lafayette area. They would also be presenting an award to the student who was named athlete of the year.

…Am I the only person that finds this a bit inappropriate?

I think some schools have special rules where outside groups can rent their space, religious or not (correct me if I’m wrong). If this was just some outside group having a concert, it wouldn’t bug me. But it seems like the public school system itself is sponsoring and organizing this. It’s not just a band that happens to be Christian – they also chose to publicize it using a blatantly religious gospel soundbite.

What about the non-Christian students and student athletes? I was a student athlete – Captain of our golf team – and I would have felt extremely awkward if our award ceremony had been full of gospel music. It’s simply inappropriate for a public school.

Am I overreacting? Was I just especially cranky at 6:30 in the morning? Should we not care since it’s for a good cause, or should the high school had found a more appropriate, secular band?

Edit: Finally got some real Internet, and it turns out it’s for Purdue students. False alarm. Thank you stupid uninformative commercial.

…it’s mono! Yay. Just what I needed right before winter break, to get sick.

Apparently it was pretty obvious to my doctor, just looking at symptoms alone. Apparently giant tonsils (enough to make him go “Woah!” – I felt kind of accomplished, like I had grown a giant pumpkin for a competition or something), white spots, swollen lymph nodes, and an achey spleen = mononucleosis.

Doctor: Have you been feeling tired or fatigued?
Me: …I always feel tired and fatigued (unsaid: I’m a college student). I guess I’ve been feeling more tired and fatigued, but it’s also finals week, so who knows what the cause is.
Doctor: …good point.

It was even obvious enough that he didn’t claim I was pregnant, which notoriously happens to every female who ever goes to our health center for any kind of ailment. He sent me down to get my blood drawn to confirm that it was indeed mono. I had actually never had my blood drawn before today. I’m not sure how I got to age 22 without it; guess I just never have been really sick. I was a weenie and closed my eyes, since I’m stupidly squeamish – now you know one of the reasons I’m not going to medical school.

I came back about a half hour later and he confirmed the lab results. Though I have to say, I love it when doctors find out I’m a biologist, because they get visibly excited that they can start explaining things more in depth. He told me how all the various tests worked and why they showed I indeed had mono (on the bright side, I’m not anemic like I suspected – guess my fatigue was the mono). I was starting to geek out as well until I realized, crap, I have mono. Sigh, I guess if there’s a time for me to have no energy for many weeks, it’s during winter break. Not like I was planning on doing anything other than blog writing and video game playing.

Though I thought it was appropriate that not only do I have mono the disease, but I have mono the plush microbe:
Guess I needed to lay off the kissing.

I am thankful that by chance of birth I have running water, proper sewage systems, electricity, and enough food that I’m going to feel sick after eating it all, and then still have left overs for a week.

I am thankful that by chance of birth I have two parents that wanted me, love me, and continue to support me; that I have grandparents, an uncle, brothers, nephews, and in-laws who are all amazing people, none of which I’d want to distance myself from.

I am thankful that by chance of birth first class medical care is available to me, that dying from a curable disease is a foreign concept, that I actually have health care unlike so many others, and that I still have room to complain that it should be better.

I am thankful that by chance of birth I live in a country where my freedom of speech is protected; I can write and blog and criticize religion without wondering if I’ll lose my job, end up in jail, or suffer serious physical harm.

I am thankful that by chance of birth I was born in a century where I’m not seen as property to a man, that I haven’t been forced to bear multiple children by age 22 (or died in the process of doing so), and that I’m not viewed as less intelligent or capable of a scientist for having a uterus.

I am thankful that by chance of birth my greatest concerns in life right now are where I’m going to graduate school (not if I’ll have education at all) and that the internet at my parents’ house sucks.

Am I blessed? Did some omnipotent being want favor me while making other suffer through disease, starvation, poverty, and genocide?

No. I am merely lucky, and humbly thankful for that.

Happy Thanksgiving

Alright, I’m sure at least one of my followers has to know a thing or two about computers…so please help me! Here’s my problem:

I had a canon camcorder for the Pastafarian Preaching day. When I plugged it into my computer with a firewire cable and turned it on, my computer recognized it and I was able to transfer that day.

Fast forward to today. I have a different camcorder, but very very similar model. This one is a Canon Vixia HV30. I connected it in the same exact way with a firewire cable (different one, provided with this camcorder – I don’t have the previous one) and my computer will not recognize it. It’ll do the little “You connected something!” beep, but that’s it. When I open Window’s Movie Maker and try to capture video, it says I have nothing connected. The website says drivers should automatically download and there’s nothing on the site you can download. I’ve tried restarting both the computer and the video camera. It’s recorded on a tape, not an SD card. I’m on Windows XP.

If you want the video of me giving my Creation Museum talk…help!

I just got home from a full day of pirate preaching and dinner, so I longer post will be coming later…but The Society of Non-Theists made the local news!

I’m so excited! And they didn’t show me saying anything dumb! One minor quibble – they said my last name wrong. It’s pronounced Mc-Crite. Sadness. Oh well, I’m used to it.

And the Blogathon is over! Ahahahaha, success! Not once did I fall asleep, and I’m sure I only humiliated myself a couple of times rather than constantly. And more importantly…

We raised $449.32 for the Secular Student Alliance!

Thanks to everyone who helped out: Everyone who donated money, PZ and Hemant and the SSA for spreading the word, my friends Mark and Vanessa for keeping me company and helping me with guest posts, and the commenters who helped keep me up with their wit and insights, especially Andre Vienne and Veritas, who were insane and wonderful enough to stay up all night and comment on every post.

But while my part of the Blogathon is over, yours isn’t necessarily. You can still go here to pledge a donation to the SSA until Friday the 31st. Maybe you want to give a dollar for every post you loved. Maybe you want to give 68 cents so we’re not dealing with decimals anymore. Or maybe you just know someone who would enjoy one of the posts – spread the word, and maybe they’ll consider pledging!

Thanks again, everyone! Now if you excuse me, I’m going to go sleep for a very long time.