Getting ready for tomorrow’s Creation Museum trip!

I am sooooo excited for the Creation Museum trip tomorrow. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to sleep at all tonight. Stayed up until 3 am last night, need to wake up at 5 am tomorrow, and I generally don’t sleep when I’m excited for something. That’s alright though. I’ll be wide awake from sheer excitement. And the super large coffee I plan on getting before we leave.

Just so everyone knows, here’s how it’s going to go down tomorrow. I am going to try to tweet as much as possible tomorrow. I also figured out how to send photos from my phone through twitter, so you’ll be getting little low resolution treats occasionally. You can follow me by going here. You do not need a twitter account to read what I post. Everyone at the Creation Museum will be using the tag #CreoZerg in their tweets, so you can go there to see what everyone else is saying too.

I’m not sure when my first official blog post will go up here. One, I don’t have a lap top, so I’m going to have to snatch one of my friends’s. Two, after the trip I have to drive to Columbus for the Secular Student Alliance conference (also excited for that, woo!), and I can’t exactly type while driving or in the middle of someone’s talk. So at the earliest, you may have a post around 4pm if we go somewhere with WiFi for food. At the latest, something will be up by 1am-ish.

And apparently my friends are placing bets on what’s going to happen tomorrow: how long we’ll stay in the museum until being kicked out (not getting kicked out to not making it in at all), how many atheists will get arrested (0 to 250), how much physical harm I’ll receive (threats to death), and how many kinky atheists hook-ups I’m going to have (not even going to try to explain that one). Thanks, guys.

Feel free to make your own predictions or create new betting categories in the comments.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that I’ll be wearing my “Stand Back: I’m going to try science!” xkcd shirt. That won the most votes. Second place goes to my club shirt and nakedness, so I guess day 2 of the conference I’ll be going in my birthday suit. Have fun, SSA members!

Getting ready for tomorrow's Creation Museum trip!

I am sooooo excited for the Creation Museum trip tomorrow. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to sleep at all tonight. Stayed up until 3 am last night, need to wake up at 5 am tomorrow, and I generally don’t sleep when I’m excited for something. That’s alright though. I’ll be wide awake from sheer excitement. And the super large coffee I plan on getting before we leave.

Just so everyone knows, here’s how it’s going to go down tomorrow. I am going to try to tweet as much as possible tomorrow. I also figured out how to send photos from my phone through twitter, so you’ll be getting little low resolution treats occasionally. You can follow me by going here. You do not need a twitter account to read what I post. Everyone at the Creation Museum will be using the tag #CreoZerg in their tweets, so you can go there to see what everyone else is saying too.

I’m not sure when my first official blog post will go up here. One, I don’t have a lap top, so I’m going to have to snatch one of my friends’s. Two, after the trip I have to drive to Columbus for the Secular Student Alliance conference (also excited for that, woo!), and I can’t exactly type while driving or in the middle of someone’s talk. So at the earliest, you may have a post around 4pm if we go somewhere with WiFi for food. At the latest, something will be up by 1am-ish.

And apparently my friends are placing bets on what’s going to happen tomorrow: how long we’ll stay in the museum until being kicked out (not getting kicked out to not making it in at all), how many atheists will get arrested (0 to 250), how much physical harm I’ll receive (threats to death), and how many kinky atheists hook-ups I’m going to have (not even going to try to explain that one). Thanks, guys.

Feel free to make your own predictions or create new betting categories in the comments.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that I’ll be wearing my “Stand Back: I’m going to try science!” xkcd shirt. That won the most votes. Second place goes to my club shirt and nakedness, so I guess day 2 of the conference I’ll be going in my birthday suit. Have fun, SSA members!

Ok, Blag Hag Swag open for realz!

So after seventy billion people told me how much CafePress sucks, I decided to switch my store to Zazzle. And boy, is it a ton a better. More customizable, better quality printing, more profit for me, and most importantly, free. Ahem, so here is the real Blag Hag Swag!

And to celebrate the non-crappy store, here’s a present for you:
Yep, page 4 of the comic is now available on shirts, mugs, and potentially other crap if you ask me nicely. It’s also available on black (looks pretty classy) and with or without the words “I survived the Creation Museum 8/7/09.” I may be jumping the gun a bit, because who knows, maybe we won’t survive. I guess this is my way of hoping we do.

The one down side to Zazzle? No printing on panties! Come on, what are they thinking? I may keep CafePress around just for that option…

PS: Blog readers who leave inspiring t-shirt designs in the comments have a high likelihood of them being drawn. Especially before school starts.

What atheists wish would happen at the Creation Museum

What atheists wish would happen at the Creation Museum (I partially blame Mark for this insanity).

Click the images for a bigger image (it’s so big I couldn’t fit it as one comic).What did I learn from making this? …It is impossible to draw Ken Ham NOT evil looking. I mean, seriously. Compare this comic to a photograph and you’ll know what I mean.

And I know Cthulhu fhtagn is two words. My handwriting just sucks. Sigh.

EDIT: Shirts of this comic available in the store!

Creationism abroad

Hmm, this line of thought sounds very familiar:

“If their name is uncertain, however, their mission appears clear enough: to overthrow the Nigerian state, impose an extreme interpretation of Islamic law and abolish what they term “Western-style education”.

In an interview with the BBC, the group’s leader, Mohammed Yusuf, said such education “spoils the belief in one god”.

“There are prominent Islamic preachers who have seen and understood that the present Western-style education is mixed with issues that run contrary to our beliefs in Islam,” he said.

“Like rain. We believe it is a creation of god rather than an evaporation caused by the sun that condenses and becomes rain.

“Like saying the world is a sphere. If it runs contrary to the teachings of Allah, we reject it. We also reject the theory of Darwinism.””

Oh wait! That’s the same paranoid creationist garbage we hear in the United States! Except, you know, the US is one of the most advanced nations in the world and Nigeria is an undeveloped nation home to corruption and scandal and unrest and disease and and and…

Good to know the Nigerian Taliban isn’t much different than our Fundamentalist Christian Taliban. Crazies no matter where you are!

Is the Creation Museum a bad PR move?

My friend Mike asked me if I thought the SSA Creation Museum trip could be a bad PR move for the local atheists. He’s a Cincinnati native, and…well, his opinion of the people’s tolerance for atheism or any “alternate religion” isn’t too great. Is this just going to set back Midwest atheists even more?

Honestly, I don’t think it’s going to make much of a difference. Think of it this way: The people who see any news report about atheists, even positive ones, and still think poorly of atheists are not going to have their minds changed. Even if our visit is trumpeted by the local news, it doesn’t matter. We could be helping puppies in shelters, working at food drives, trying to cure cancer (hmm, all things we’re actually doing) and it wouldn’t matter to them. Atheists are still morally bankrupt people in their mind.

But for the atheists, people on the fence, or liberal theists, it’s going to help. It’s just like the bus ad campaign. It’s our way of saying “hey, we’re out here, we’re civil, and we don’t agree with this nonsense and we’re not afraid to say so.” We can’t change the minds of the people who hate us, but we can improve our image with those who are ambivalent. And like always, it’s good to show that us atheists exist. I hope there is a lot of news coverage throughout the Midwest, because I know there will be people saying “Huh, and I thought I was the only heathen trapped in this damned cornfield!”

Well, maybe not those exact words, but something close to it.

This is post 11 of 49 of Blogathon. Pledge a donation to the Secular Student Alliance here.

Why giving money to the Creation Museum isn't the end of the world

Ever since PZ’s grand trip to the Creation Museum was planned, people started complaining. Why the hell are we funding something we don’t support, they asked. It’s a valid concern. With approximately 200 people going at the discounted rate of $10, that’s $2000 a bunch of atheists are handing over to young earth creationists. So why the hell are we going? Shouldn’t we all be ashamed of ourselves?

Let me break it down as to why giving money to the Creation Museum isn’t horrible.

1. $2000 is a drop in the bucket compared to the Creation Museum’s million dollar budget. It’s hardly going to help them out compared to the amount of traffic they get on a regular basis.

2. Many of the atheists going on this trip have wanted to visit the Creation Museum, and probably would have done it at some point in time on their own anyway. The regular entrance fee is $22 dollars. So 91 people going on their own cost the same as 200 people going as a group. Might as well get more people into the museum for the same price.

3. Even with that, the registration for the trip included an option to donate to the Secular Student Alliance to offset the money you’re giving to the Creation Museum. While $2000 dollars in nothing for the museum, it’s a ton of money for the SSA’s small budget. So if anything, this has been a great fundraiser for a wonderful secular group.

4. Speaking of fundraising, tons of the people going will be blogging, tweeting, posting photos, uploading YouTube videos…all calling out the Creation Museum for its ridiculousness. While we’re probably not going to convert any museum goers (which isn’t our goal), we are going to spread the word about the museum’s shenanigans. People have done individual posts about it, but this trip is so publicized – not only because PZ is going, but because so many atheists are going – that it’s going to get more press.

5. And speaking of more press, this isn’t just going to be some internet thing. News stations have already got wind that we’re coming, and the word is going to spread. Everyone has been told a thousand times to behave themselves, so as long as we don’t give them any trouble, it’ll be good news coverage for us. I can see the headlines now: Atheists respectfully visit museum to see what alternate views are being presented: Status? Not convinced.

6. As an extra bit of advertisement, everyone is going to be wearing atheist/skeptical/science shirts. This will be the first time for many religious museum goers to come into contact with someone they know is an atheist. If they can see that we’re just normal, smiling human beings looking at the exhibit, that’ll be a plus. Anything to get rid of the baby eating, puppy kicking stereotype.

7. We’ll be able to meet and network with a ton of other freethinkers. Sounds pretty cool to me!

8. And finally…you know, not all atheists are a bunch of nihilists. Sometimes we like to have fun too. As terrifying as the Creation Museum will be, it’ll also be hilariously entertaining. I’m willing to pay $10 for the shits and giggles.

So even though lots of people have concerns, I’m still looking forward to it. Hopefully the don’t sick the dogs on us, though.

This is post 5 of 49 of Blogathon. Pledge a donation to the Secular Student Alliance here.

Why giving money to the Creation Museum isn’t the end of the world

Ever since PZ’s grand trip to the Creation Museum was planned, people started complaining. Why the hell are we funding something we don’t support, they asked. It’s a valid concern. With approximately 200 people going at the discounted rate of $10, that’s $2000 a bunch of atheists are handing over to young earth creationists. So why the hell are we going? Shouldn’t we all be ashamed of ourselves?

Let me break it down as to why giving money to the Creation Museum isn’t horrible.

1. $2000 is a drop in the bucket compared to the Creation Museum’s million dollar budget. It’s hardly going to help them out compared to the amount of traffic they get on a regular basis.

2. Many of the atheists going on this trip have wanted to visit the Creation Museum, and probably would have done it at some point in time on their own anyway. The regular entrance fee is $22 dollars. So 91 people going on their own cost the same as 200 people going as a group. Might as well get more people into the museum for the same price.

3. Even with that, the registration for the trip included an option to donate to the Secular Student Alliance to offset the money you’re giving to the Creation Museum. While $2000 dollars in nothing for the museum, it’s a ton of money for the SSA’s small budget. So if anything, this has been a great fundraiser for a wonderful secular group.

4. Speaking of fundraising, tons of the people going will be blogging, tweeting, posting photos, uploading YouTube videos…all calling out the Creation Museum for its ridiculousness. While we’re probably not going to convert any museum goers (which isn’t our goal), we are going to spread the word about the museum’s shenanigans. People have done individual posts about it, but this trip is so publicized – not only because PZ is going, but because so many atheists are going – that it’s going to get more press.

5. And speaking of more press, this isn’t just going to be some internet thing. News stations have already got wind that we’re coming, and the word is going to spread. Everyone has been told a thousand times to behave themselves, so as long as we don’t give them any trouble, it’ll be good news coverage for us. I can see the headlines now: Atheists respectfully visit museum to see what alternate views are being presented: Status? Not convinced.

6. As an extra bit of advertisement, everyone is going to be wearing atheist/skeptical/science shirts. This will be the first time for many religious museum goers to come into contact with someone they know is an atheist. If they can see that we’re just normal, smiling human beings looking at the exhibit, that’ll be a plus. Anything to get rid of the baby eating, puppy kicking stereotype.

7. We’ll be able to meet and network with a ton of other freethinkers. Sounds pretty cool to me!

8. And finally…you know, not all atheists are a bunch of nihilists. Sometimes we like to have fun too. As terrifying as the Creation Museum will be, it’ll also be hilariously entertaining. I’m willing to pay $10 for the shits and giggles.

So even though lots of people have concerns, I’m still looking forward to it. Hopefully the don’t sick the dogs on us, though.

This is post 5 of 49 of Blogathon. Pledge a donation to the Secular Student Alliance here.

Dogs and guns? What the hell, Creation Museum?

I just got an email the other day with information about the upcoming Creation Museum trip with PZ. Most of it was your general “What time are we meeting?” “Where do we go?” “What should we wear?” sort of stuff. Buried in the mundane information was this interesting tidbit under Museum Etiquette & Safety (emphasis mine):

“We cannot stress enough how important it is for everyone to remember that they are paid visitors to the Creation Museum, and that you are expected to behave in a manner that is courteous and nondisruptive. The Creation Museum security team has firearms, dogs, and a governmentally-granted right to arrest disruptive patrons. These guys take things very seriously, and you can be sure that they’ll be keeping a close eye on the mob of 200 atheists we’re bringing to their museum.

What the hell? I can understand kicking out disruptive people, even arrest, but guns? Dogs? They’re not guarding the freaking Mona Lisa – they just have some animatronic dinosaurs and posters about how evolution is a lie. That requires guns and dogs to protect?

I’m no expert on museum protection, but is this normal? I have to wonder if they’re just extra paranoid because it’s a Christian museum. Maybe they think it’s going to be the number one terrorist destination for Muslim extremists, or that hundreds of atheists are going to mob the place all at once and giggle at their exhibits… …Hmmm, wait a second…

This is post 3 of 49 of Blogathon. Pledge a donation to the Secular Student Alliance here.

What should I wear?

In less than three weeks I’ll be at the Creation Museum with PZ’s enormous horde of heathens. But I’m having a serious problem, and I need your help.

I don’t know what blasphemous/nerdy shirt to wear. I have too many!

Here are my favorite options, and there’s a poll at the bottom where you can tell me what I should wear.

Official club t-shirt
*Quote is on back
Pros: School pride! Self pride since I designed it. Comfortable
Cons: Loose fitting, less boobage for others to enjoy

You Say Tomato, I Say Lycopersicum esculentum
Pros: Delightful biological nerdiness
Cons: So nerdy only biologists may get it (I’ve had this problem)

Spiritual Symphony Fin
Pros: Awesome looking, Jesus in a rock band will probably annoy the creationists
Cons: Must constantly deal with people asking me who the dude on the right is (They say Mohammad, I say Moses so I won’t be destroyed)

Biblical Disaster
Pros: Will be absolutely amazing to wear in the room that recreates the Ark
Cons: Older shirt and a little less comfortable

Stand Back (xkcd)
Pros: Irony of trying science in the Creation Museum. xkcd is awesome. This shirt gives me super boobs
Cons: May be mauled by atheist men for being an atheist chick who likes xkcd. Wait, maybe not a con afterall…

So, what do you think?

I really probably shouldn’t have added that last option, but I couldn’t resist. If you’re going to be a smartass, at least vote for a real option too ;-P

EDIT: Oi, there’s actually a little poll widgit there, but it’s no showing up in Google Reader. It does work on my website though. Damn you technology!