So, tonight I had a civil and fun public conversation with Richard Dawkins, hosted by the British Humanist Association, which went well…but was marred by protests at the beginning. It was very exciting.

The cause for the chaos was peculiar to me: they were protesting AC Grayling’s proposed new university, which would have an £18,000 tuition, twice what other universities charge. It seems silly to demonstrate over Richard Dawkins, who has only agreed to lecture there, or AC Grayling, who just wants a good education in the liberal arts for students, or the university itself, when the real cause of the problem is declining political support for a cheap education. Yell at the parliament, people! They’re the ones screwing us all over!

On a more cheerful note, my appearance on the MPR program Bright Ideas was broadcast today, and I guess a fair number of people saw it. It was a studio interview in front of a live audience, and they’ve also made the video avaliable.

I haven’t watched it because I can’t bear to see myself in these things, you’ll have to let me know if my fly was unzipped the whole time or something.

If you aren’t in London, you won’t be able to hear my talk for Atheism UK tonight at the South Place Ethical Society, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL, at 7:00. But you could listen to my interview on Radio Freethinker, anywhere where you have the internet.

I don’t know why you would want to, anyway. I’m neither particular pretty, nor is my voice especially lovely. But apparently you can wind me up in a conversation.

I just got back from a busy evening at the Glasgow Skeptics meeting; big crowd, lots of fun, a certain creationist will probably be whining about his savage mistreatment soon, I got to meet Charlie Stross, I had Glenlivet delivered to me for the Q&A, I also drank a bottle of Irn Bru (mmmm, mediciney liquid bubble gum), and Cthulhu ate my brains.

Tomorrow, bright and early, I fly off to Gatwick, take a detour to London, and speak in Brighton. This is my life.

Sadly, today I leave Ireland…but happily, I land in Scotland. I’ll be speaking at the Crystal Palace in Glasgow tonight at 7ish. Remember, this is the event that creationists have put out a call to take me to task, so I’m hoping we’ll have a diverse crowd of science-minded people to provide thoughtful discussion, and creationist loonies to provide entertainment.

Just a reminder…

At 8pm GMT (convert to your local time; it’s 2pm to those of you in the band from Minnesota to Texas) here at the O’Callaghan Alexander Hotel, Dublin, in a room yet to be determined (check the YouTube info page for location updates), we’ll be putting on a little talk show. We’ll have an audience; locals can stop by. You can also appear by request via Skype.

It should be fun, tune in to the Magic Sandwich Show!

Hey, I’ve got a few days free at the tag end of my trip to Ireland and the UK. Would it be a good idea to pop in to visit the Cheltenham Science Festival? Is it easy to get to, and once I get there, will it be easy and reasonable to get lodging for a night? I’d love to see Robin Ince’s Infinite Monkey Cage in particular, but I’d be unhappy to make the trip and then discover I need to book a month in advance and that my only choice is to sleep on a parkbench.

I’m beginning to feel like I’m a bit organized for my visit to the Ireland and the UK next week. Here’s when and where.

3-5 June: DUBLIN. I’ll be attending the World Atheist Convention, and speaking at noon on 4 June.

6 June: GLASGOW. I’ll be speaking to the Glasgow Skeptics at 7:00 in the Crystal Palace, 36 Jamaica Street.

7 June: BRIGHTON. I’ll fly from Glasgow to Gatwick in the morning, I might be saying hello to Johann Hari in the early afternoon, and then I hitchhike or something to get to the
Brighton Skeptics in the Pub by 8:00, to speak at The Caroline of Brunswick, 39 Ditchling Road.

8 June: LONDON. I zip back up to the big city to speak to
Atheism UK at 7:00, in Conway Hall, Red Lion Square.

9 June: LONDON. It’ll be me and Richard Dawkins sharing the stage for the British Humanist Association at 7:00, in Logan Hall, Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way.

10-12 June: LONDON. Hey, what do you know…I have a few days free. I’m sure there must be something to do in London, besides sitting in a pub for 3 days and drinking good beer. If you have suggestions, let me know.

13 June: I get on a plane at Heathrow around 6 in the morning, fall unconscious, and wake up somewhere in the American midwest that evening.

I guess Josh couldn’t get that post-Rapture interview with Harold Camping, so he settled for the next best thing: me.

GRADES ARE DONE AND TURNED IN!

I’ve got a nice bottle of wine and a wild woman on the way. Or I might just pass out and sleep.