It’s been a long and busy couple of days, participating in the Darwin Day events at Southern Illinois University, but it was worth it — in addition to having a splendid time and many great conversations, I got swag!

After the talk at SIU, I traveled home by way of St Louis and met the skeptics group there for a splendid evening of carousing, and was given a fabulous leather hat by Gawdzilla. I received an astonishing number of compliments on my headware as I was going home the next day — it inspired lust and desire in all who looked upon me, despite my worn and bedraggled appearance otherwise.

You’ll notice I also have the official SIU Darwin Day Bobblehead. You should get one. It also attracted much attention from my fellow travelers. I’m thinking that if I were single (which will not happen!), I’d just walk around with the cool hat and the bobblehead on my shoulder and pick up girls. I’d be adorable and irresistible. How can you bear to be without your very own high-quality historically accurate Darwin?

By the way, I also had my crocoduck tie in my pocket, but wisely decided to keep it concealed — putting it on with that combination would have been like setting off an atom bomb of style, and I wouldn’t have been able to make it down the jetway without getting ravished.

By the way, Gawdzilla also field tests and breaks in the hats under grueling conditions.

Suddenly, I don’t feel quite so pretty wearing it.