The more aware of you might have found time to raise your eyes from the microscope and see that there is an election going on in the USA. Far too many electrons have been sent whizzing around the Web2.0 for the sole purpose of showing that The Other Side is vile, honourless, and about as fitting for office as, well, a curtain fitting. The worst of it is that the poor electrons don’t even get a vote.
Well, there’s a big problem coming up. Tomorrow the campaigning will stop and lots of people will go to queue vote. And then what? How will the louder denizens of the scientific blogosphere adapt? For the last few months they have been able to fuel their recreational outrage1 on the election. But with that ended what will they do? There’s at least 6 months before they realize that Obama is also as constrained by realities as any neo-con, and so won’t be able to pump lots of money into science.
So what are they going to do in the mean time? There isn’t much on the evolution-creation horizon – Texas may do something but it looks like being awfully cack-handed. They’ll have to find something else to occupy their keyboards with, otherwise they’ll explode. Mr. Creosote with bile. Ugh.
This is where they need your help. We have to save the poor slavering dears by giving them a topic to get excited about. Between us we can work on something. Dressing up a positive article about open access by putting a negative spin on it has been done, but it was damn effective. Something similar? Perhaps we could persuade Science to publish an editorial decrying the behaviour of scientists online. Or suggest that, possibly, People of Faith might be able to have a say in scientific ethics. You can see I’m struggling.
For the good of the online society, they need your help. We must act now.
1 Thanks, Maxine. I love that phrase.
Perhaps the details of the REF will finally be released. That’s bound to stir up a fuss if it uses any citation-based metrics.
We could discuss the suitability of blogs as a medium for criticising published research findings. That’s a good one.
If that doesn’t work, there’s always sport. Any Villa fans on here? 0-0 at half time…
Villa fans, look away now:-
Live text – Premier League
MONDAY’S FIXTURE
2154: Full-time Newcastle 2-0 Aston Villa
Buggeration. Was hoping that Villa went to third spot if they had won 🙁
Oh well.
Ha!
Hahahahahaha!
From 20th to 14th in one fell swoop. Nice.
In which I deduce, you support this mob:-
Statistically [1], Cath is on the ball, albeit, not literally.
[1]
Sorry Bob for this real-time footy diversion
No choice mate, I was born in Ashington.
Bob, I told you this would work.
Spooky.
Guess, where I’m off to on Wed?
Pilgrim Street, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (work related)
Looking forward to the day trip to Newcastle, other than the v. early bird start 🙁
LUCKY!!!
I miss the place. I’ll hopefully be spending a day or two in the Toon around Christmas, potentially coincinding with the home game against Liverpool. Of course my Dad and I are both heartily sick of the whole NUFC thing this season so it might not happen.
bq. Looking forward to the day trip to Newcastle, other than the v. early bird start 🙁
It’s 4.50am, and I’m off to Oulu shortly. So I feel your pain.
I’m not sure stirring up outrage about NUFC (or indeed Villa) will really work on a global scale. You’ll just get laughed at by Chelsea fans.
Ahhhh, fitba. The best way to start an argument in an empty messageboard
Yer just lucky this isnae in colour, ya baw faced dunderheid
We could discuss the suitability of blogs as a medium for criticising published research findings
Yawn. Even fitba teams that I nae longer follow are more interesting than redundant blogosphere meta-analysis.
global scale… World Cup qualifiers are underway!
Just back from Newcastle after my earliest ever ‘get up and go to work’ alarm bell in 20 years.
Very very long day travelling, but well worth it.
Quote of the day was non work related (as ever).
Q Definition of posh?
A Buying a bottle of wine and not drinking it the same day.
No, Graham, I think that’s the definition of organized. Posh would be not drinking it the same year.
Bob, you’re just demonstrating one of the many foibles of living in Finland. If you can’t buy wine on a sunday1, you have to make sure you have some in stock to aid recovery from saturday.
In countries where they trust people to make informed decisions about their own drinking habits, there’s no need to be so posh.
1 the state alcohol monopoly, charmingly titled Alko, shuts at 18.00 every Saturday until 09.00 on Monday, except public holidays when it doesn’t even open on Saturday. The Finnish government also has a nasty habit of shifting all public holidays to Saturdays. Way to prevent alcoholism! Aaaarrrrggggllle! There’s too much blood in my alcohol system!
You guys are SO british…
