On An Invisible Man

So,
Over the course of my work, my activism, my networking, and my life, I come across several truly amazing people.

I also come across some amazing animals, but that is a different post.

BlogRoll

So,
After several requests from assorted friends and companions, I have made public the ~20 blogs that are in my RSS feed.
Now, if your blog is not in the feed, don't be offended, there is a chance that I still read your work, the BlogRoll is simply the blogs that I read daily and am always up to date with.
I recommend perusing around those blogs. Everyone of them is top-knotch, and I whole-heartedly recommend!

On Tim Farley's Addition

So,
As some of my readers may know, I will be speaking at the upcoming SkepTech conference here in Minnesota. Along with that, I am one of the conference organizers. This conference has been my baby for almost two years.

On The Science Of Rotting In Hell

So, as you may guess, as an outspoken atheist, I am often told to go to hell... For a while this was restricted to comments in forums, and then occasionally on Facebook, then in emails, and eventually in meatspace (real-life). But something has always bothered me when someone tells me to rot in hell.... Not the fact that they are simply verbally harassing me (I have been called much worse), but because I don't think you would rot in hell. And I'll tell you why. SCIENCE!!!

Hey Look, Im on a PodCast

So, as many of you have likely already seen, I was recently on the WWJTD Podcast....

THE RETURN

AND...... WE ARE BACK!!!

I'll be posting an explanation for the recent lack of posts soon, but I just got the ability to blog back, and I wanted to post something ASAP!!!

Here you go!

42 days: Sarah Stacy

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!

I'm choosing to vote no on the marriage amendment because I truly believe that love has no boundaries, when people find someone they want to commit to, marriage is the major bond that ties them together. Love should be shared not taken away.

42 days: Katey

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!


Why I am voting No this November.

42 days: Andy Jacobson

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!

I’m going to tell you upfront, I’m not a very political person. The most political I get is researching the candidates around elections. Honestly, that’s as political as I want to get. I don’t want to protest or debate. I’d rather just live my life, find a nice guy and settle down. Unfortunately, it is impossible to do this with the restrictions put on my relationship.

42 days: Rebecca

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!

No.
Why?
My name is Rebecca. I’m a junior at St. Cloud State University. If I hadn’t made the decision to move to a college where I wouldn’t know anyone and would have to learn to make new friends, I’m not sure I would vote the same way I am today.

42 days: Kelsey

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!



I’ve always known I’d be voting NO on the Marriage Amendment come election day – there was never a question in my mind. I’ve always believed everyone deserves the same rights and should have them in the eyes of the law. Unfortunately, that’s not even what this amendment is about. The Marriage Amendment, if it were passed, would change the constitution of the state of Minnesota to define marriage as between a man and a woman. If it does not pass, the constitution remains unchanged, but that still doesn’t make it legal. That would take yet another vote. I believe this is something quite a few people voting on the amendment still haven’t realized.

42 days: Trixi

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!


I was in California the day that gay marriage was legalized. While I didn’t see celebrations in the street, and I hadn’t even come out to my mother yet, I knew it was a big deal. Unfortunately, I was also in California for the entirety of the Prop 8 movement, and I had to witness discrimination, lies, ignorance, and the eventual heart break of having equality ripped from our hands. I was sitting with the majority of our college democrats club watching the election. We cheered when we learned Obama was the new president, but the energy in the room was sucked out when we found the fate of Prop 8. This issue was bigger than picking the president. I barely saw any political signs for candidates; it was all about the freedom to marry. And because we were on a liberal-dominated campus, it seemed like there was no way that this stupid proposition could pass.

42 days: Patrick Mefford

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!

The Conservative Case for Same Sex Marriage

I’m openly an atheist, nothing spectacular about that in the SSA. What does raise some eyebrows is that I am an atheist who openly identifies as a political conservative, which can make one a bit of a pariah in the “movement” so to speak. Happily, my local SSA group has been entirely accepting of me and my glorious co-president asked me to pen a blog post for his “42 days of No” campaign which not only honored me, encouraged me to dutifully comply. Before I make my simple case, I need to make some important clarifying points which might help readers unfamiliar with my opinions better understand them.

42 days: Robbie

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!

I spent a weekend in Minneapolis, recently. This was the first time back for me, after moving out of the state two months ago. While in the city, I spent a day in Uptown with an old friend; we walked around Lake Calhoun, had a nice dinner at Stella’s, and enjoyed a few drinks at William’s. There was one theme that was continually present though the course of the day, an overwhelming number of people and yard signs bearing the “VOTE NO” logo. I was incredibly surprised by the amount of visible resistance against this ballot initiative. Having spent four years in the Twin Cities going to UofM, I am well aware of how LGBT friendly the area is and I knew that this amendment would not be a guarantee for those that support it. What I did not expect was to see such open support against this bigotry on a sign in nearly every front yard I drove by. That weekend brought hope to my heart. The state that I came to age in, found myself in, and gained the confidence to finally come out in appears to have my back.

42 days: Kelsey

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!


I’ve always known I’d be voting NO on the Marriage Amendment come election day – there was never a question in my mind. I’ve always believed everyone deserves the same rights and should have them in the eyes of the law. Unfortunately, that’s not even what this amendment is about. The Marriage Amendment, if it were passed, would change the constitution of the state of Minnesota to define marriage as between a man and a woman. If it does not pass, the constitution remains unchanged, but that still doesn’t make it legal. That would take yet another vote. I believe this is something quite a few people voting on the amendment still haven’t realized.

42 days: Robert Arnow

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!

Vote no, because there's no such thing as gay marriage. There is only a legal covenant of care between consenting adults, who may or may not be together forever, who may or may not have children (which may or may not be related to them), who may or may not be of the same gender, and who may or may not be of the same sex. There is only this one marriage, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

42 days: Chris Benjamin

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!

I am human.

I am a brother, a son, a friend. I work fulltime, I go to school fulltime, and I try my darnedest to have somewhat of a social life. I love coffee at late hours, I read, I write. I love a really great plate of nachos and my preferred drink is a Long Island Iced Tea. I think mayonnaise is absolutely disgusting and generally avoid eating anything from a jar. I am kind, I am intelligent, I am sarcastic, and some days I fancy myself a poet. I do my best to make this world a better place it was than before, whether it be through advice, a hug, or just telling someone a joke. I am gay.

Even though I am a complex mixture of various traits and flaws, it is this last part that people seem to care about the most. Because I am gay, most people think of me as vile, a sinner, somebody who is less of a person than they are. They think that I “choose” this horrible lifestyle and that somehow my existence is corrupting the very foundation of society.

They forget that I am human.

42 days: Buttons

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!

Why vote No? There are so many reasons for me. My biggest being if this amendment is put into the constitution the LGBTQ community will continue to be seen as second-class, something less than human. I don't want anyone to go through the struggles I went through just to be accepted my own family and to gain the rights that most people already had.

Being a lesbian, when I find that special someone I do want to get married to them, not in a church since I'm Pagan and that would be weird, but I would like that piece of paper that says I'm committed to that person for the rest of my life. I know most people argue that it's only a piece of paper, but if that's true, why should it matter if I have it?

42 days: Victor Warne

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!

Confession: unlike the rest of my straight, male cousins, I worship Zach Quinto.  I know, I know, unavailable and not a widely accepted divine being (even if Sylar was pretty badass), but that’s not what I mean.  I mean it breaks my little gay heart he found love before I got to LA to try to win him over.  In case that doesn’t give away my bias, here: I’m going to VOTE NO on the Minnesota marriage amendment.  I’m also going to give you a new perspective on the issue and create some talking points to help people see the issue from the side of a person, someone who lives with this every day.  I don’t care about right, left, religion, or rhetoric.  Bottom line: I care about people and I care about equality.

I understand that for many people, lack of exposure to our community is the issue.  I didn’t know an openly gay person until I was out of high school.  Even then, I didn’t technically “meet” anyone by the definition of the word.  Instead, I found out I’d gone to high school with a handful of LGBTQ people, including one who had been a very good friend of mine since elementary school.  Point: If I, as a gay man, lacked exposure to the real gay community most of my life (Perez Hilton and Will & Grace don’t count), certainly others are equally uninformed.  Though I would like to, I can’t fix this problem by myself, but I’m going to do my best to make a few brief points that may help broaden how people think.  Those of you already committed to voting no, I encourage you to have conversations with people around you who are on the fence, and I hope these points give you something to work with.  You’re free to use, adapt, or ignore anything below in your conversations.

1) We only wear the brave face.  I’ll call upon my bluntness here: it is almost impossible not to take this process personally at some point.  Think about it.  People I do not know, people with whom I have never even interacted, get to vote on if I should have the right to marry.  At the end of a long day in the library when my mental reserves are tapped out, that just feels exceptionally lousy.  I might pretend it’s fine for the benefit of those around me, but that’s because there’s nothing more they can do but be supportive to me and the cause.  But it’s not fine.  It’s hurtful, infuriating, and draining.

42 days: Hannah

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!


I, unfortunately, enjoy watching “Sister Wives” on TLC. In case you aren’t aware, “Sister Wives” is a show that follows the lives of 4 wives married to the same man. And although I don’t agree with their lifestyle or even like Kody Brown (he’s the husband), I respect their decision to be married to the same guy. I feel for them that they cannot be “open” about their relationship to the world, even though it appears like they are a healthy, functioning family and are raising pretty decent and respectful children.

They live in Nevada; I live in Minnesota. There is a different fight for families going on in Minnesota. It’s the fight for “Traditional Marriage”. There is a proposed amendment that we, the people, have to vote on to make marriage defined to a man and a woman. Okay, well, why would that matter? Why is it so important that we need to spend time defining marriage between 1 man and 1 woman?

I wanted to know. So I went online and searched for vote yes website. They actually have a page dedicated to my question:http://www.minnesotaformarriage.com/why/

Let me give you the run down of it, this viewpoint believes that it’s important for the people to vote yes because of the children. We need to protect the children. Wait, no. Read further: “But marriage is a special relationship reserved exclusively for heterosexual unions because only the intimate relationship between men and women has the ability to produce children as a result of that sexual union.”

So basically you have to be married to have children? Uhm. As a pregnant and unmarried woman, I have to disagree. And why do married couples have to have babies? What if they don’t want babies? What if they want to adopt? What, if god forbid, they don’t even have sex? That’s a stinker in your argument.

It doesn’t end there. They pretty much say that “single” parents are ruining our children and that marriage between a man and a woman prevents fathers from running. Seriously. Because being married makes you a ‘present’ and ‘good’ father…I think we can observe several thousands of fathers that this is not the case. They are married to their baby momma but are not involved in their children’s lives.

Proponents to this Marriage Amendment also argue that when we allow “homosexuals” to marry or genderless marriage, it eliminates the meaning of marriage. Which to them, is to fuck like rabbits and make bunnies.

42 days: Molly Willms

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!


Reader, blogger, people-lover, critical thinker, voting no.
I recently wrote an article in my campus newspaper defending my decision to wear a “Vote NO” shirt on campus, despite the fact that I’m the editor of a publication that strives for fairness and objectivity.

It’s the word “despite” that my detractors would use. Me, I’d use “because.”

I will vote no because to vote yes goes against everything that I am.

I’m the first sentence of this post, but I’m also a writer, an ally, a kind person, a friend to straight, gay and everything around and in between.
I’m a journalist. My job is to question the status quo. My job is to report the provable facts in order to spread the power of knowledge.

42 days: Patrick RichardsFink

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!

What Marriage Equality Means To Me
I’m bisexual, which means I have attractions to both people of the same gender and people of other genders. Unless I specifically point this out, people assume I’m straight, in no small part because I’ve been happily, lovingly, monogamously married for over 20 years to a straight woman.
It was purely a roll of the genetic dice that led to this. It happened that she was born XX – an approximately 50% chance – and she was assigned a female gender at birth, and is comfortable with this gender identification. Had she been born and assigned as male, or had she transitioned genders to male (or eschewed notions of masculine and feminine altogether and been genderqueer), or had I been female-identified, I would be just as crazy head-over-heels passionately in love with him (or with her, or with hir), but we would not have been able to get married.
It would have been prohibited.

There are perks to marriage, legally, socially, and culturally. There are also basic human rights, the ability to declare your family of choice as your legal family. We are completely unrelated in any genetic sense, and yet she is the person who is, in the eyes of the law, my Next of Kin, the one person who is not only closest to me but is legally empowered to make choices should I be incapacitated. Hey, I’m middle-aged, closer in a very real sense to death than to birth. I *have* to think about these things.
Every long-term relationship goes through periods of struggle and compromise and renegotiation. Being married helps navigate the tough times – not because the piece of paper itself has an intrinsic meaning, but because a legally and socially recognized commitment removes some of the external stresses faced by unmarried couples.
Marriage is not something everyone wants. But for those who do (and, in this culture at this time, the people who desire at least the option to be married, for whatever reason – as a public affirmation of commitment, as a legal handle to protect the interests of our little 2-person corporation which has for the last 15 years included a third person who has special needs, as a significant milestone in our breathless journey together, as a way to empower each other in decision-making -- are at the very least a strong plurality and in all honesty probably the majority), the option *must* be available.

42 days: Amanda

This post is a guest post for the 42 days series. Learn more here!


Hi, I’m Amanda. I’m what’s called a “red”, which means it would not be to my advantage to have my photo on an atheist site.

Ensign Ro Laren: Who *are* you? 

Guinan: I told you. I'm Guinan. I tend bar and I listen. 

Ensign Ro Laren: Well, you're not like any bartender I've ever met before. 

Guinan: Hm. And you're not like any Starfleet officer I've ever met before. But that sounds like the beginning of a... very interesting friendship.

I didn't really know much about gays growing up, except that my two creepy neighbors were probably gay but no one ever saw them because they were ashamed of being bad people. Or something like that.

By middle school, I had started to buy into the "gay is a choice" school of thought, and I was creeped out by the idea of being gay. It was something I didn't understand, and I was afraid that I might be gay (turns out I'm not). Like many confused adolescents, these reasons were enough to justify hateful feelings.

On the 42 days

42 days.....
At the time of writing this post, there are 42 days until the election. One amendment on the ballot this election could change so many, many lives.  I am talking about the Marriage Amendment. This amendment would define marriage in the Minnesota Constitution as between one man and one woman. I, as well as many others, have explained over and over why this amendment is wrong. And yet nearly half of minnesotans are planning on voting yes on the amendment.

So, I am calling on the people you likely haven't heard from. I am calling on the people I normally wouldn't ask. Im calling on the people who are not very out-spoken, and the people who I often disagree with on some key issues, and everyone else who cares about this issue. Im calling on the people who care about equality and the lives and rights of families all over this great state.

On The Philosopher's Blog

So, as you may or may not know, philosophy as a whole is not my favorite subject. Now dont get me wrong, I see the benefits of studying philosophy, and the important things it has done, and will continue to do, in our society. That being said, don't usually by choice go much farther into my philosophic studies than necessary. And I don't think I could ever devote my life to studying it. But I usually have GREAT respect for those who do.

On Calvary's Bigotry

On the bus ride into work this morning, I noticed an interesting sermon listing on the billboard for the local Calvary Church. The upcoming sermon is "God's Word on Same Sex Marriages". Now, being the inquisitive person I am, I wanted to know their stance. Naively, I thought that this would be one of the churches that has embraced ALL of their members, and preaches love and tolerance. It is not. According to the Calvary Chapel's "beliefs" page they are quite against same sex marriage. Not only are they against it, they use 2 of their 18 talking points--more than ten percent--to speak against same sex marriages.

One statement about love, two against homosexuality... They have wonderful priorities!

Due to these statements, I have no problem calling the Calvary Church a bigoted organization. Additionally, everyone who holds these same beliefs is a bigot.

The interesting thing is that as I was researching the Calvary's position, a nice-seeming gentleman who was peeking over my shoulder asked me what I was doing. I explained that I had seen the billboard, and was interested in what the church thought. Luckily, he corrected me, and explained that it is not what the church thought, and that it was actually God's word.

On Miracles

So, every once in a while, a friend of mine will post a link to a sweet story about how God saved someone, or how a prayer saved a life... Really just about a Miracle Something, similar to this:

On Blag Hag and Dogs

As you may know, there are a lot of assholes on the internet....

I know, this may come as a shock. I'll give you a moment to recover. 

Now one of these assholes has created a list of the 42 things wrong with American women. Luckily, Jen, the author or Blag Hag, (one of my favorite blogs) expertly destroyed his arguments and made him look like the sexist asshole he is. Unfortunately, she didn't emphasize perhaps the most important point of her article. There was one point of her article that has perhaps changed my life forever. She introduced the Seattle Dog. Now, Don't get me wrong, the struggle to eliminate bigotry and morons from our society is one of my highest priorities in life. But.... Seattle Dog..... 

It has cream cheese....

On Smiles and Kicks

So, as you may or may not know, this week (August 5th to 11th) is National Smile Week. To assist you in smiling, here is a cute penguin...

It is SOOO Cute!!!

And if you don't want to smile, I'll kick you in the face. With a boot. I'd assume that to be the response of Todd Bentley at least.... Mr. Bentley has gained a bit of fame from his work in the Lakeland Revival. He is best known for his faith-healing work with a "physical" bent. For instance, when a member of his congregation claimed to have colon cancer, Mr. Bentley shared the "Power of God"with a swift knee to the man's gut. And then the man fell to the floor....probably because he had been kneed in the stomach. In another case, he pushed a man so hard that the man lost a tooth. In yet another case, he "assisted" a woman....

“The Holy Spirit spoke to me, the gift of faith came on me, and said, ‘Kick her in the face with your biker boot.’ I inched closer and I went bam!”
(Because you're not speaking about him, I wouldnt have this set apart as a quote)He then adds, “Just as my boot made contact with her nose, she fell under the power of God.”

On Karma

So,

I saw this on my Facebook feed:

With the title "Karma is a b****".  

Now, I'm all for teh lols, but the issue I have with karma is that it is so widely held as true in our culture. According to Trans4Mind.com (I know, such a reputable source)

Karma is based on logic. It is an unavoidable consequence of our creations. When we create anything, we also create other things which might not be what we intended.

So, this information is false, wrong and just plain (to take from Tim Minchin) BULLSHIT! Just to make myself clear, there is no evidence, no proposed mechanism, no science, no statistics, nothing more than a cool idea and some anecdotal evidence to support the concept of karma. For some reason, people think that karma is an actual thing, and that it is based in natural laws. IT'S NOT. It's a comforting thought, but outside of Reddit, karma is the same religious dogma as any other belief not founded in reality. 

Now, you might ask, what is the harm in believing in karma? It's just a cool idea; what comes around, goes around, right?

On 1,000,000 r/atheism/ subscribers

So, as I am writing this, r/atheism/ on reddit is almost at 1,000,000 subscribers. Now, while I have mixed feelings about this community as a whole, there is no denying that it is one of the most powerful online tools that atheists have to feel connected to each other. And that is a pretty awesome thing.

Congratulations to all godless redditors!

On "Pro-life" "Science"

So,

I try not to get involved in issues that I am not especially trained in, or that I have not vigorously researched, or that I am not incredibly passionate about. I do this not because of apathy, but because I am a very busy person, and under most circumstances, I will let more apt people get involved. One of these issues is abortion. It's a very complex issue, and I don't think I would ever be able to understand the battlefield of a mind of a person who is contemplating abortion.

That being said, I am pro-choice. I am VERY pro-choice. And I would absolutely support someone who decides to have an abortion. My opinion on the matter is more pragmatic, in that even when abortion is illegal, people still have abortions, they are just more dangerous. In addition to that, I would rather for every child born be loved, and not treated as just some mistake. But to discuss the philosophy of my stance is not the reason I am writing this post. I am writing this post to defend science. I am acting as a defender of science, because people are misquoting someone-else's-hell out of it.

Science does rule, but cannot defend itself

A common tactic of "pro-life" activists is to claim that science is on their side. They will often claim that life begins at conception.

Hey, apparently a life begins at conception.... 

Another one says that....

Well if it's scientific fact...

Now, if someone claims that their religion says life begins at conception, I'm probably going to stay quiet, lest I open a giant can of atheist-rage on some unsuspecting stranger. And when they claim their philosophy says that, I'm really not in a position to argue it. But when they claim that "it's scientific fact", they are essentially forcing me to correct them.

LIFE DOES NOT BEGIN AT CONCEPTION!

But, you may ask, "if life doesn't begin at conception, when does it begin???" The answer to that question is complex and nuanced, as most scientific answers are. The correct answer to when did life begin (according to science) is about 3.8 billion years ago. And you may claim, "But the earth is only 6000 years old." If this is you, please pick up a text book and either educate yourself with it, or hit yourself in the head with it, HARD! Now, life on earth began 3.8 billion years ago, and we are an extension of that life.... Just as all living organisms on Earth share a common ancestor, we share that ancestor's life.

You really should thank your great, great, [∞], great-grand cell more often.... 

Now you may say, "Thats a crappy answer, that’s not what life is". And you will be right..... sort of. Life is a very complex and complicated idea, and as a result, we have lots of different definitions of life. And none of them are very clear cut. 

From a metabolic perspective, life is present whenever we have cellular activity such as respiration. This is the simplest answer, and the most commonly used definition of life. It’s also really easy to define what is alive (a dog), and what isn't (a pencil). That being said, according to this definition of life, we are simply an extension of the original life on earth, (about 3.8 billion years ago) through a lineage of a variety of cells. Now, I like this definition, as it is the most clear cut, and I find the thought that we are simply an extension of life accurate, appropriate, and even comforting.

If this is not answering your questions, you may be looking for a definition of human life. I would like to make this very clear, a definition for human life is very different from a definition of life. But once again, depending on the flavor of biology you are looking at, we will have a different answer.

On Sarah's Notifications

I love my best friend sarah (http://www.eurymylus.com/), but this is so true....

On the 3,304

So,
Yesterday I experienced quite a bump in readership. In fact, during that 24 hour period, I experienced 3,304 views. Any why? Because I posted a piece on reddit.... And apparently that is all you need to be successful.... So, enjoy this bit of humor!

On Volunteers/ Pick up your sharpies.

So, one of the most interesting discussions I had at CFICon was on the topic of being volunteers. Jen Beahan had noted the fact that as unpaid students we are all volunteers. 

This comment got a bit of dissent from a few people, and lead to several discussions later in the conference. Now, I certainly understand the idea of thinking of oneself as a member, or as an officer, or as a president (as I usually do). That being said, it is a matter of fact that we are volunteers. The two roles are not aren't mutually exclusive. We do not get paid for our work, and that adds some complexity to our situation. 

I generally feel that my work in student organizations and activism is some of the most important work I do. My job, however, is more vital. Without an income, I wouldn't have money to go to conferences, much less pay for school, or rent, or food. And without rent and food, I wouldn't be much help at all. That is why work has to be my #1 priority, because it is necessary to be able to continue my more important work. And unless you have fiscal support for some other entity, you are in the same position as me. 

And that can suck. It sucks a lot. For instance, I had to miss the Freethought Festival in Madison, Wisconsin because a coworker of mine had a family emergency, and I was assigned that shift. And I was VERY upset, because I was really looking forward to that conference. And going was the highlight of that month. And instead I got to pick up an extra shift. But I had to, because my continued employment is more vital to my continued existence. And all the good that I can do for this movement requires my continued existence. 

So, yes, we are volunteers. And to deny that is simply wrong, because it makes an active difference in how we must operate as groups and as a movement. That is why groups meet at times where students won't have to be in class, or when adults won't be at work. Its also why we can only do so much. Just as we are volunteers, we are only humans. We have a finite amount of time and energy. We can only put up with so much stress or disappointment. 

On Circumcision

I am currently a bit too exhausted to go into detail on my feelings toward circumcision, but luckily Alishba from Secularly Yours stated my general feeling quite well. Then I memed it... Because apparently that is what I do with my life now....

On Puddingology

Recently I have found myself using this argument from one of my favorite blogs BlagHag, so I made it into a meme for easier use. After all, I am from the internet.

Buffalo

So, over last weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to #CFICon, a leadership conference from the Center For Inquiry. Now, I have been to quite a few conferences over the last few years, and I have never been disappointed, so I was already pretty hyped. Then I found out it is in New York! I have been to New York before, and I loved it. Because New York is

Amazing, Beautiful, Busy, and a marvel of modern society and life.  

Then I was told it is in Buffalo, New York... 

I thought, OK, Buffalo, New York:

Then I was told NO! Its BUFFALO!

So I thought:

But really it was more like:

Certainly not bad, just not New York City.

That being said, the conference itself was at:

Center for Inquiry Transnational

Now, I throughly loved this conference, and had lots of fun, and lots of discussions, so expect a surge of blogging ahead!

Real Life Needs This

So, I really want real life to have scientific commentators. By the way, I am totally stealing this idea from Maki Naro at Sci-ənce!

Think about it, It would be SO badass to have scientific commentators. They could do everything from correct people's ignorance to... Well... Correct people's ignorance. I mean, to be fair, that is really all science does, correct people's ignorance. To be fair, Science corrects Mankind's ignorance, but same difference.

I wonder, who could we get to pay for them?

Why Being A Scientist SUCKS today

 Now that I have addressed why being a scientist rocks, I shall now explain why being a scientist sucks recently. Now, I have been going through some stressful time recently, and there are 4 things that really keep me going.

      1. Friends

(I love these people!)

     2. Food

(I am super hungry right now!)

     3. Science 

(PS I took this Electron Microscope Image of a diatom!)

    4.Song 

(I <3 Florence and the Machine)

That being said, recently the later 2 of my driving forces have been conflicting, and it is bugging the someone-else's-Hell out of me. For whatever reason, my scumbag brain has been noticing parts of songs that are scientifically inaccurate. 

Scumbag brain

Not the blatantly impossible stuff, like Nicki Minaj's Starships, but the just slightly inaccurate things. For instance, I really love the song shake it out, especially if I am in a sucky mood.

Listen to it now...

I prefer the glee version, only because it is more mellow... Don't hate me for this.

It's a spectacular song, and it brings my crappy mood down to a simmer. But recently, my sciencey brain has been saying no to the lyrics. The song's lyrics go like this 

I like to keep my issues strong
But it's always darkest before the dawn
Shake it out, shake it out...

But my brain says this 

I like to keep my issues strong
But it's always darkest approximately halfway between dusk and dawn depending on the conditions of the atmosphere as well as the moon and other celestial bodies
Shake it out, shake it out...

And it is bugging the shit out of me. My stupid brain is choosing to nitpick on a lyric of a song, and I can't get it to stop.... 

And that is why, right now, it Sucks to be a scientist. Because science ruins my music!

Science also sucks by creating a low pressure zone, but that is a different topic. 

Also, I need to buy more eggs. 

Why Being a Scientist ROCKS

Now, one of the aspects of my persona that I love the most is the fact that I am a scientist. Now, when I say scientist, I mean two things really,
     1) That I am constantly using systematic methods to try to gain more knowledge about the natural world and
     2) That I have a high amount of knowledge on how the natural world works to be able to apply said knowledge.

Also, I own my own lab coat. 

Now, this is one of my favorite traits, because it allows me to see the beauty of our universe. Since the first time I looked through a microscope, I have been in love with biology. And the moment I understood why the white of a yolk solidified, I have been in love with chemistry. For whatever reason, Even though I excel in it I have never really fallen in love with physics...

It might be because physics ruins all of my dreams of being a superhero....

And when I say beauty, I really mean beauty. The first time I looked through an electron microscope, I teared up. When I look through a telescope, I am brought to a state of awe. Just knowing how much I know about the natural world, and knowing that within the human race we will only ever scratch the surface, brings me to as close of a religious experience as I will likely ever be at. 

Unless of course, I get to use a God Helmet someday....

And this feeling can be so.... Powerful... That It keeps me going somedays. That feeling just grows stronger with every iota of knowledge about the working of our universe I gain. I cannot think of anything that I would trade this feeling for. 

I am so serious about this feeling that I am not even going to put a funny here. I'm THAT SERIOUS!

Additionally, knowing that I am slowly but surly increasing our knowledge base, and that the further I go the more I will get to contribute is so amazing. The first time I realized that I will live as long as humanity does due to my contributions, I literally had to stop moving for a minute. It was kind of embarrassing because my professor thought I was having a seizure... But still, that feeling was indescribable. 

It was somewhere beyond the feeling that these pictures give combined.

 So, that is why I have chosen the path that I have. So, even though I work harder, longer, and get paid less than some other professions *Cough* Business majors *Cough*, I have the greatest fringe benefit in the world. The beauty of the natural world...  And that is why being a scientist rocks!

Igneous Rocks that is!

Come on, I waited until the end to make this joke, give me credit for that!

My First Date with The SSA (guest post)

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In the beginning, there was them and us, well, so I thought. They, the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) and us the Believers but now I have learned that we are all human. I was on my way for some serious prayer that probably consisted of “Please Lord, I need that ‘A’” or “Father, I need a new roommate, this one you sent just isn’t working out.” I was with other students from my university when I noticed a booth that reads “Secular Student Alliance” and noticed other brochures on the booth that read “Atheist.”  I couldn’t believe that the school had given them permission to reserve the booth, well; they are Atheist, why do they have that right, it’s scary! I quickly texted my Christian friend to come over so she can meet the unbelievers, the godless people, the Atheists, the Ones that don’t love Him and so we can question them together. We walked up to the booth to ask if they were really Atheist and a man greeted us with a smile, answered my question, “yes.” I was shocked, AN ATHEIST! I chatted for a short time, and then I told him that I had to go and pray for prayer request from my bible study group. Then his Atheist friends caught me before I left and said “Can you pray to God to get me a brand new red car?” That prayer request made me furious, I thought no, I will not ask God to give you a new car, you don’t believe in Him….what was he thinking? (The Atheist guy that asked me to pray for a new car is now my boyfriend).

When I showed up late to the prayer room I told my Pastor about the booth and the Atheists, he suggested we pray for the Atheists first, then for the prayer requests. After we were done praying I thought this prayer was wrong, if someone wants God, they have to open their heart to Him then we can pray for them. That was the last time I prayed for a non-believer, a godless, a Atheist, the Ones that don’t love Him. After that day, I found myself discussing with the SSA about God almost every day, especially with an active member. He was always questioning everything, asking me why I believe this verse when this verse contradicts it….well, I answered it the best way I could.

I was a born again Christian, a strong Believer, I was the Real Christian with one weakness, I did not believe in hell. Along with that weakness other questions lingered in my mind, why did God seem so violent, why is there so much violence in the bible? I then found myself asking the active member, why would God do this? How can he be so violent? I couldn’t ask my Christian friends, they were already worried that I was spending too much time with the Atheists.  As time passed, I questioned God and it seemed as He stopped communicating with me, or maybe I didn’t believe in Him anymore. Then again, I became angry with Him because He ignored me, and because he was violent, and a liar, and a cheater, and a deceiver, I’m not talking about Satan, I’m talking about God.

After a few meetings with the SSA, I understood their point of view; I began to questions for myself. Now, I know where I stand, I know who He really is, the main character from a book called The Holy Bible. I began to attend the meetings of the SSA without worrying that God is watching me. I then became friends with the members of the SSA and decided to add the SSA as my Facebook friend, and this all stemmed from the first day at the SSA booth.

So, over the next day, please consider donating money, or at least sharing our blog and hashtag  #SSAWeek. For more info please visit http://www.secularstudents.org/ssaweek or to donate Visit here. Thanks for your support, and see you soon!

This is post 22/24 by SSA@SCSU for the SSA blogathon in support of the Secular Student Alliance! Go donate to them!

Post by 

Myra Guillen

"Coming Out" as an Atheist, part one (Guest Post)

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I always thought "coming out" was something that, as a cisgender straight female, I would never have to go through. But my parents are liberal anyway, so it's not as if it would be a big deal. Being gay isn't, and shouldn't be a big deal...and neither should being an atheist. (In fact, if I could have it my way, being an athiest would be the norm.) But I was raised in a Christian household. Nothing too serious though- we were only slightly more serious than the so-called "Holiday Christians," the ones who really only practice on occasions like Easter and Christmas. I just went along with it all, I prayed sometimes, I was confirmed when I was 14. Not because I was truly faithful, doubtless and pure, but because it was a rite of passage. It was the official thing to do, and I did it.

I never questioned my beliefs until I was about 16. The Bible didn't really make sense to me anymore. I actually read more of it than what was preached in church - the gritty stuff, the hush-hush topics, the things that I realized I didn't agree with. One of the things that piqued my interest was the issue of homosexuality. I was okay with homosexual. I thought it was fine, that two consenting people, no matter the genders, should be able to marry. But I brushed it off, with the very cliché excuse that "well, God loves everyone so it must be okay." The Bible didn't say that, but that's what I told myself. I didn't want to go against the Bible.

I took a class in high school called The Bible as Literature - basically a class that analyzed the Bible as if it were any other book. We looked at literary merit, character development, all that fun stuff. And in that secular class, I realized something - I didn't agree with a lot of the Bible. God seemed like an asshole and a hypocrite.

And so I started questioning my faith.

So, over the next day, please consider donating money, or at least sharing our blog and hashtag  #SSAWeek. For more info please visit http://www.secularstudents.org/ssaweek or to donate Visit here. Thanks for your support, and see you soon!

This is post 21/24 by SSA@SCSU for the SSA blogathon in support of the Secular Student Alliance! Go donate to them!

Post by 

Kate Appleby (http://www.2011-and-beyond.blogspot.com/)

On Homeopathy

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So, one of my members posted this to our group wall.... 

"Of course homeopathy works. That's why we buried Bin Laden at sea... to cure terrorism." -Reddit user 'ImNotJesus'

He rocks. That being said, I have very few more words on homeopathy. Besides the fact that it has been consistently proven ineffective, as well as completely inconsistent with modern science, I have just one thing to say to homeopaths. I am going to state this clearly and simply, and feel free to comment as you wish. 

YOU ARE WRONG. HOMEOPATHY DOES NOTHING. 

THE FACT THAT YOU ARE USING HOMEOPATHY SADDENS ME. 

IF YOU USE HOMEOPATHY ON A CHILD YOU SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH ABUSE. 

IF YOU ARE A DOCTOR USING HOMEOPATHY YOU SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH MALPRACTICE AND NEVER BE ALLOWED TO PRACTICE AGAIN.

FEEL FREE TO DO AS YOU WISH, BUT KNOW THAT YOU ARE WRONG, AND HOMEOPATHY IS JUST AS LIKELY TO CURE YOU AS DRINKING WATER IS.

BECAUSE THAT IS ALL HOMEOPATHIC SOLUTIONS ARE. WATER!

For clairifaction, please visit http://www.1023.org.uk/ or even http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy

Now that I have gotten that clear, lets all enjoy a bit of Tim Minchin!

This is my favorite work by Tim Minchin

So, over the next day, please consider donating money, or at least sharing our blog and hashtag  #SSAWeek. For more info please visit http://www.secularstudents.org/ssaweek or to donate Visit here. Thanks for your support, and see you soon!

This is post 19/24 by SSA@SCSU for the SSA blogathon in support of the Secular Student Alliance! Go donate to them!

Post by 

Me, Ben SweaterVest Blanchard.