Moar Blogathoning – Jeremy, Daniel, Rachel!

The blogathon-ing continues full speed ahead!

Today is a special day for me because about one week ago I conned asked my buddy Jeremy Witteveen if he’d be interested in participating in a blogathon fundraiser for SSA, and he said yes, probably because he was drunk or hadn’t had coffee yet or something. Today is his day. He’s blogging every 30 minutes between 7 o’clock this morning to midnight tonight.

I’ve been reading Le Cafe Witteveen for a couple of years now, and some of the things that keep me coming back are the way Jeremy bares his atheist soul and tells stories of his conservative evangelical Christian upbringing, his takes on current events, his oddball, irreverent, sometimes gross sense of humor, and his gorgeous photography. Jeremy and his wife, Tina, are professional photographers and videographers and run their own business – how sweet is that? That’s probably why he can be a total slacker and blog for 17 hours on a school day.

Here’s an excerpt from one of his posts. He’s talking about being a young kid and starting a new Sunday School with a new teacher:

At some point, they broke the kids into smaller groups. My group went with a teacher named Mrs. Vorhees (unsure of spelling). She was an older woman, but I had an almost instant crush on her. She had amazing enthusiasm. She made learning about biblical genocide and slamming babies against rocks fun!

See, funny! Because it’s about baby-killing! Please go see him, give him some verbal support in the comments, and maybe drop a few bucks in his SSA collection can if you’re so inclined. His first post is here.

To quote the late Billy Mays,

AND THAT’S NOT ALL!

We also have the incredibly talented Daniel Fincke over at Camels With Hammers blogathoning every hour for 24 hours today. I read Daniel’s posts and think about what a pleasure and honor it is to be on Freethought Blogs with all of these crazy-smart, incredible authors. Today Dan is sharing stories, interviews, debates and conversations with:

…Ophelia Benson, Richard Carrier, Zinnia Jones, Vyckie Garrison, Shelley Segal, George Waye, Ian Cromwell, Greg Laden, James Gray, Marta Layton, Dave Smith, JT Eberhard, James Croft, Fedwa From Morocco, Mary the Catholic Graduate Student, and a few guests who will interview pseudonymously.

His first post is here. Dan – you’re a rock star!

And our final blogathoner is Rachel Pridgen over at The Reluctant Skeptic. Rachel was awesome during my blogathon – she left comments, tweets and encouraging words for me, and it was so appreciated. I love the tag line of Rachel’s blog: “Embracing Reason With the Occasional Tantrum”. I hear that. And her About section starts out with “Dedicated to not dying bewildered, bamboozled, or baffled.” Good goal.

The SSA Blogathon schedule says that Rachel will be blogging every hour between 12pm-12am CST today, which means her first post is up….NOW!

As I’ve mentioned before – this blogathoning thing is hard. We’re bloggers – we thrive on your feedback. A few comments, a retweet now and then…these things mean so much, especially when we’re doing a special event like this. If you’re game, consider stopping by Jeremy, Daniel and Rachel’s blog to say hi and give ’em a virtual high five.

And…you know…maybe donate to the SSA. 😀

 

Moar Blogathoning – Jeremy, Daniel, Rachel!
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6 O'Clock BS: SSA Week Progress

Guess what happened today?

See that blue widget thing in the right sidebar? The one that tells us how much moolah the Secular Student Alliance has raised since it started back on June 6th? Today it crossed the $60,000 mark.

Woo-hoo!

I believe I am all recovered from my blogathon on Saturday and Sunday. That was a wild ride. It was stressful, but always in a fun, how am I going to stratergize this next part? kind of way. Okay, it sucked between 3am and 5am. It really did. I was very tired, and I’m amazed that I managed to turn out more than kittehs in that two hour stretch (you’ll notice I said “more than” – there was one kitteh). I slept from 7am to 11am and then went out and picnicked with my fellow freethinkers, and throughout the day peeked in on Ophelia, Ian and Dale as they picked up the blogathon batons. Yesterday was JT and Michaelyn and Leah.

Who’s blogathoning today? Right this moment we have Chana Messinger over at The Merely Real, Andrew Tripp at Considered Exclamations, and FtB’s Greta Christina at Greta Christina’s Blog busting booty to raise money for the SSA. And there are incredible bloggers lined up every day through this Sunday! – each blogger toiling over keyboards to entertain and cajole you out a a few bucks to help support the Secular Student Alliance.

Even if you’ve already donated or you’re not planning to donate, I ask you really nicely to consider stopping by to say hi, to lend a little visible support in the comments. This blogathoning business is hard! It’s emotionally and physically draining and I found that at times it only took one little comment (especially at 4:30 in the morning) to keep the motivation and creativity flowing.

6 O'Clock BS: SSA Week Progress

6 O’Clock BS: SSA Week Progress

Guess what happened today?

See that blue widget thing in the right sidebar? The one that tells us how much moolah the Secular Student Alliance has raised since it started back on June 6th? Today it crossed the $60,000 mark.

Woo-hoo!

I believe I am all recovered from my blogathon on Saturday and Sunday. That was a wild ride. It was stressful, but always in a fun, how am I going to stratergize this next part? kind of way. Okay, it sucked between 3am and 5am. It really did. I was very tired, and I’m amazed that I managed to turn out more than kittehs in that two hour stretch (you’ll notice I said “more than” – there was one kitteh). I slept from 7am to 11am and then went out and picnicked with my fellow freethinkers, and throughout the day peeked in on Ophelia, Ian and Dale as they picked up the blogathon batons. Yesterday was JT and Michaelyn and Leah.

Who’s blogathoning today? Right this moment we have Chana Messinger over at The Merely Real, Andrew Tripp at Considered Exclamations, and FtB’s Greta Christina at Greta Christina’s Blog busting booty to raise money for the SSA. And there are incredible bloggers lined up every day through this Sunday! – each blogger toiling over keyboards to entertain and cajole you out a a few bucks to help support the Secular Student Alliance.

Even if you’ve already donated or you’re not planning to donate, I ask you really nicely to consider stopping by to say hi, to lend a little visible support in the comments. This blogathoning business is hard! It’s emotionally and physically draining and I found that at times it only took one little comment (especially at 4:30 in the morning) to keep the motivation and creativity flowing.

6 O’Clock BS: SSA Week Progress

O Hai, Sun!

The sun’s up! When did that happen?

Well we did it – the last post of the Biodork Blogathon! And I do mean we. It wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun without you, and your encouragement kept me going through the slow parts.

I’ll see you again on Monday. Now it’s bed time.

This is post 49 of 49 in the SSAweek Biodork Blogathon. You can still donate to the SSA by supporting other blogathoners, art contributors, personal fundraising pages or through a direct donation to the SSA! SSA Week lasts through June 17th. Spread the word! 

O Hai, Sun!

Why I'm Still Here

I got to see Lyz Liddell’s talk “The Unstoppable Secular Students” during the Midwest Freethought Festival this April in Madison, Wisconsin.

Lyz stressed that there are many challenges that secular students face. It’s not just the headline-grabbing resistance from administrators that students face when they try organize themselves. Secular students face stigmas attached to non-theists from students and teachers, they have limited resources, limited mobility. Secular student groups face issues of geographic isolation and high member turnover as students graduate.

The SSA works with students so that they can recognize these issues and plan for them. Over the last several years there has been a growing demand for SSA Services such as speaker events, requests for tabling supplies and group starting packets.

SSA groups are hosting high-quality regional events and conferences featuring well-known speakers. They’re leading interfaith dialogues. They’re performing and participating in service projects. They’re creating national programs like the Secular Segment, We Are Atheism and Ask An Atheist Day. They are defending the separation of church and state.

The SSA exists at the college and high school levels, and is looking at middle school, elementary school and perhaps one day homeschools. The SSA is making a positive difference in young atheists’ lives. That’s a pretty awesome reason to stay up all day and all night pleading, writing, entertaining and heckling for your contributions. It’s been my privilege and honor. And whether you’re just stopping by now, or whether you’ve been checking in throughout the 24 hours, thanks for being here with me.

This is post 48 of 49 in the SSAweek Biodork Blogathon. Donate to the SSA today! Read more about my reader challenges here.

Why I'm Still Here

Why I’m Still Here

I got to see Lyz Liddell’s talk “The Unstoppable Secular Students” during the Midwest Freethought Festival this April in Madison, Wisconsin.

Lyz stressed that there are many challenges that secular students face. It’s not just the headline-grabbing resistance from administrators that students face when they try organize themselves. Secular students face stigmas attached to non-theists from students and teachers, they have limited resources, limited mobility. Secular student groups face issues of geographic isolation and high member turnover as students graduate.

The SSA works with students so that they can recognize these issues and plan for them. Over the last several years there has been a growing demand for SSA Services such as speaker events, requests for tabling supplies and group starting packets.

SSA groups are hosting high-quality regional events and conferences featuring well-known speakers. They’re leading interfaith dialogues. They’re performing and participating in service projects. They’re creating national programs like the Secular Segment, We Are Atheism and Ask An Atheist Day. They are defending the separation of church and state.

The SSA exists at the college and high school levels, and is looking at middle school, elementary school and perhaps one day homeschools. The SSA is making a positive difference in young atheists’ lives. That’s a pretty awesome reason to stay up all day and all night pleading, writing, entertaining and heckling for your contributions. It’s been my privilege and honor. And whether you’re just stopping by now, or whether you’ve been checking in throughout the 24 hours, thanks for being here with me.

This is post 48 of 49 in the SSAweek Biodork Blogathon. Donate to the SSA today! Read more about my reader challenges here.

Why I’m Still Here

Aaron’s Story

Aaron donated $20 to SSA and requested that I tell a story about him using the five following words: Fabulous, Regular, Apples, Cookies, Grin

Thanks for the challenge, Aaron! Here’s your story.

***************

In a future far distant from our own, after human civilization had risen and evolved and fallen and adapted and risen again, an elder warrior by the name of Aaron looked after a handful of pollen-collecting instruments. The instruments were worn, but well cared for. It was Aaron’s duty to collect the pollen of the Apples that grew in the Taker’s garden. Aaron had once commanded armies; now he directed the work of one half-man who had lost a leg in a pointless drunken brawl, and who grinned whenever the stern gaze of the Taker’s guards were turned away from him.

Aaron was still tolerated in the Taker’s garden because his ciders were fabulous. Not many things were able to be made of Apples any more, but the sacred Cookies and Cider…well, they would always find a way to produce those. They must.

And then one day, one regular day that had started out like a hundred days before this one, Aaron found a worm in an Apple. He gasped, and then quickly looked around to make sure the Taker’s guards hadn’t heard. He cursed his lack of self-control. There were stories, of course, and he always knew that one day they might find a worm. But for it to happen here, to happen now…

Everything was going to change.

***************

This is post 47 of 49 in the SSAweek Biodork Blogathon. Donate to the SSA today! Read more about my reader challenges here.

Aaron’s Story

Aaron's Story

Aaron donated $20 to SSA and requested that I tell a story about him using the five following words: Fabulous, Regular, Apples, Cookies, Grin

Thanks for the challenge, Aaron! Here’s your story.

***************

In a future far distant from our own, after human civilization had risen and evolved and fallen and adapted and risen again, an elder warrior by the name of Aaron looked after a handful of pollen-collecting instruments. The instruments were worn, but well cared for. It was Aaron’s duty to collect the pollen of the Apples that grew in the Taker’s garden. Aaron had once commanded armies; now he directed the work of one half-man who had lost a leg in a pointless drunken brawl, and who grinned whenever the stern gaze of the Taker’s guards were turned away from him.

Aaron was still tolerated in the Taker’s garden because his ciders were fabulous. Not many things were able to be made of Apples any more, but the sacred Cookies and Cider…well, they would always find a way to produce those. They must.

And then one day, one regular day that had started out like a hundred days before this one, Aaron found a worm in an Apple. He gasped, and then quickly looked around to make sure the Taker’s guards hadn’t heard. He cursed his lack of self-control. There were stories, of course, and he always knew that one day they might find a worm. But for it to happen here, to happen now…

Everything was going to change.

***************

This is post 47 of 49 in the SSAweek Biodork Blogathon. Donate to the SSA today! Read more about my reader challenges here.

Aaron's Story

Twiddles fingers.

I spent 10 of my last 30 minutes trying to make my laptop camera do what I want it to do. I think I’ll need an external mic to get a decent volume on recorded videos. Blarg.

I spent another 10 minutes arguing with myself about whether to try to do a thoughtful post, or to just reblog something else again.

I spent five minutes checking Twitter and Facebook and responding to a couple of comments (I can’t believe you guys are awake and here *sniff* I’m so happy)

And I spent five minutes writing this.

My how the time simultaneously crawls and flies.

Here’s a kitteh. On a computar.

I’m going to write my second Reader Donor Challenge next. More substantial post at 5am CST. Heathen’s Honor.

This is post 46 of 49 in the SSAweek Biodork Blogathon. Donate to the SSA today! Read more about my reader challenges here.

Twiddles fingers.

Atheist Pig to the Rescue!

I love Atheist Pig. I’m not just looking at Atheist Pig and saying I love it. I LOVE Atheist Pig. If you don’t read The Atheist Pig ALL THE TIME then you are missing out, at least some of the time.

Please … if you’re awake out there (it’s 4am CST) … please give some money to the SSA. The Biodork Blogathon fundraiser is almost over and I want us to raise BIG $$$ for this much-needed student support organization.

This is post 45 of 49 in the SSAweek Biodork Blogathon. Donate to the SSA today! Read more about my reader challenges here.

Atheist Pig to the Rescue!