It’s been a while! Lots of catching up to do.

• Are you looking for help debunking geocentrism? NonStampCollector has a source. (Yes, it’s a real thing.)

• Ashley Miller catalogs the best of Ashley Miller from 2012.

• Avicenna slaps down Bodie Hodge. Answers in Genesis is such a rich source of lunacy.

• Biodork is playing with blood. Awesome!

• Chris Rodda learns that the Officer’s Christian Fellowship changed their public slogan from the goal of creating “A spiritually transformed military…” to “glorify[ing] God”. Do you think they no longer have evangelical goals?

• Crommunist weighs in, feebly: I’m sorry, but you can’t judge a Philly cheesesteak without tasting it. (But yeah, everyone knows Geno is a jerk.)

• Dana Hunter has earth-shaking news: the sun came out in Seattle! She used that as an excuse to take lots of pictures.

• Deacon Duncan tells us about familiar Christian hypocrisy: don’t infringe on our right to discriminate against others, but let’s make sure no one can discriminate against Christians.

• Ed Brayton discovers that rich white gun-wielding old guys are the new Rosa Parks. Next step: marching in protest against themselves.

• Greta Christina has an updated list of atheists of color. Convention planners, consult it before you discover you have an all-white speaker lineup!

• Hank Fox reminisces about holidays past.

• Jason Thibeault features a Laci Green video on slut-shaming.

• Lilandra lists the foundational fallacies of sexists.

• Mano Singham explains that economic sanctions can be just as lethal as bombs.

• Maryam Namazie announces that there is a general strike in Iran to protest death sentences. So, in other words, Iranians are better human beings than most Texans.

• Miriam doesn’t think loving yourself is such a good idea. No, it’s not about that.

• Natalie Reed doesn’t think that calling exploitation cinema “retro” or “hip” or “edgy” excuses it. And you know what? Quentin Tarentino really is a gigantic asshole.

• Oh, no! The Digital Cuttlefish finds a theologian who thinks the incompleteness of science is an argument against science! Gosh, I never heard that one before.

• Ophelia Benson has a great money-making idea: a store that sells nothing but women’s body parts. She calls it Lips & Labia. The advertizing agencies will find it a trivial exercise.

• Paul Fidalgo has betrayed his Apple iPad and taken up with a Nexus 7. Traitor.

• Richard Carrier explains that Atheism+ is just atheism + skepticism + humanism. I’m mystified, too, about why such a straightforward and reasonable combination of values generates so much hate.

• Sikivu Hutchinson deplores the American culture of violent silence and rape as terrorism against women.

• Stephanie Zvan announces another “Mock The Movie” event for tomorrow night. This one features a scary clown.

• The Atheist Experience analyzes a common call-in tactic: pretending an explanation is a rebuttal. Watch for it, Christians do this all the time.

• Wait, Taslima Nasrin — you mean dropping trou isn’t an invitation to rape?

• Zinnia Jones is writing notes to her past self. Wow, if I could do that…I don’t know if I’d write a book or just a short note to carry on.

Let’s do the google+ thingie again, shall we? It’s been suggested that we talk about quackery, and that sounds good to me — there are a couple of recent news items about the placebo effect and good ol’ Burzynski that are giving me heartburn.

I’ll send out a general invite on Google+ to previous participants; if you want to join in, leave (or email) your Google+ name to me and I’ll chuck you into my Pharyngula podcast circle.

There’s a bit of an argument going on at Ed’s blog, and as usual, one of the things coming up is the familiar complaint about the viciousness of the Pharyngula comments section. I’ve heard this many times before.

I tend to bristle at the idea of judging a blog by its comment section. As Jamie Kilstein said a few months ago, the comment section at PZ’s blog is the 7th circle of hell.

Yes, exactly. And I approve. I am quite fond of most of the commentariat here, even when they’re turning their teeth on me — it is exactly what I want, a fierce legion of harsh, sarcastic, opinionated, ferocious critics who can unreservedly shred fools and assholes and who are unrestrained in their expression. I’m not going to back away from my comments section at all; you are the people I want here, and I affectionately regard you all as my local meatgrinder.

Please don’t change. And when necessary, unleash hell.

I mentioned in passing a while back that I moved my other blog Coyote Crossing to a brand new home. What I didn’t mention was that said move is part of plans to slowly put together a biodiversity-preservation-oriented blog network, inspired in no small part by the wonderful community at FTB, called Coyot.es Network. In addition to my joint, we’ve also got Madhu Katti moved in with his blog Reconciliation Ecology and Mojave Desert protection blogger Shaun G. (best known for the Mojave Desert Blog) with his new,  more general blog The ‘Not Essential’ List, and though hordeling Ron Sullivan’s taking a short break from writing aside from for money, her blog Toad In The Hole is there relaxing comfortably until she feels like writing there. We’ve got a couple other experienced bloggers strongly considering joining up, and coming soon, a new mystery blog by a couple of desert herpetologists which is simply awaiting a first post.

And as we’ve got the biggest of the new site bugs worked out, we’re interested in hearing from biodiversity, wildlife, natural resources, and other related issue bloggers who might be interested in coming aboard. If that sounds like you, check out the  about page and FAQ  and if you’re interested in exploring the notion more deeply, get in touch.

I’m almost done with grading! I got 120 students and 2 classes finished up last night. Now I just have a couple of term papers for an independent study class to polish off, and then I’ll be completely through with the Fall 2012 semester. Oh, and another grant meeting this afternoon. Some other surprise will probably rear up sometime, but for now…almost freedom!

So I thought I’d take a look around and see what other people have been up to around here.

• Physioproffe is tackling Moby Dick. He’s up to chapter 3, in which the awesome Queequeg is introduced.

• Avicenna has just learned that Sex is Awesome.

• Miriam has another link roundup. I cannot resist entering an infinite loop.

• You really should read Paul Fidalgo’s account of the aftermath of an assault.

• Aron-Ra explains his name, as well as how to pronounce it, which somehow leads to discussion of gods.

• Taslima collects some American gun ads. It’s shocking how common and how ultimately bizarre they are.

• Never ask Ophelia for a glass of water, if you’re a man. Wait, that’s not the right message, is it?

• Is Jen easing her way back into the blogging biz? She has a post about how diversity is important to atheism and skepticism.

• The Crommunist also points out that race and diversity issues ought to be an important focus for skepticism.

• Natalie is trying to find common cause with fellow victims of the patriarchy.

• Zinnia argues that gender is more important for children than whether you want to grow up to be a train engine.

• Stephanie posts a wierdly entertaining rambling history of Christmas. Oh, yeah. That’s coming up.

• The Digital Cuttlefish points out that atheists can be tactful at funerals…it’s too bad theists so rarely are.

StevOr has received threats to disclose his identity if he doesn’t leave Pharyngula permanently. You may not like him, you may oppose what he says, but anyone who pulls that kind of stunt will find themselves banned.