Reality Check

Random (incoherent?) digression:

Is it just me, or have I been neglecting other areas that I’m peripherally interested in blogging on lately? (e.g. birding, biophilia, science in society, etc.) Oh, sure, it’s good in the sense that my mind has been primarily on cell biology with everything going on, but I don’t want the tone of the blog here to become too technical or geekish!

Some things that I’m looking forward to – Cephalopodmas! There’s nothing like gifts and holiday cheer. … and hot mulled cider! Yum!

The Christmas bird count is coming also, which around here is actually on New Years Day. Will I be too hungover from New Year’s Eve partying? Only time will tell. Until then, there’s departmental holiday parties here on campus, among other activities.

And with the 109th Congress out the door, and the Democrats taking over, it’s my hope that advocacy for science and the environment will get a boost. Of course, however, the Republicans and Religious/Corporate Conservatives have been attacking science and the environment since the 1970’s (back when we also had a democrat majority in Congress), the tone was just more subdued.

Still, after last year’s Dover trial and after the defeat of the “Bush mandate” of 2004, I feel some hope that decent American’s can talk about and promote decent public policies. I just hope that I don’t get too soft with a few small, token victories, nor that the democratic majority gets lazy and corrupt like the GOP did.

However, regarding the major rant topic of my blog these days (intelligent design creationism), I hope I haven’t droned on too much. Afterall, it’s unfortunate any time that idiots distract us from discussing interesting and active scientific research or intelligent discussions on other topics…

(What was the point of all that?… I don’t know, but it felt good) In the meantime … happy holidays!