The blogathon for the Secular Student Alliance has reached $60,300! So, as promised, here is a super-close–up of Talisker’s face.

So now seems like a good time to talk about kitten nicknames. Talisker has the most nicknames of all three. Possibly because “Talisker” is a bit hard to say. (It’s pronounced TAL-isk-er, with “Tal” rhyming with “pal.”) We call her Tally (as I spell it), Tali (as Ingrid spells it), Tally-whisker, Tally-toes, Tally-belly, Tally-tail, Tally-ho, Tallyrand, and Single Malt (she’s named after the single-malt Scotch).

Comet gets called Commie, Commie Pinko, Cometina — which I sometimes shorten to Tina, which is appropriate, since she rockets around the house like she’s on crystal meth — and Cometina Crystal Methedrina. The two tabbies together are Team Tabby, or the Silver Girls (from “Bridge Over Troubled Water”).

And Houdini is Hoodoo Lady, from the song by Memphis Minnie, or Hoodoo for short.

As soon as we reach $60,400, I’ll post a beautiful picture of Houdini in slatted sunlight filtering through Venetian blinds.

I’ve posted some quotes talking about why the Secular Student Alliance is so awesome, and why they deserve your support. If you have a story or a comment about why the Secular Student Alliance is so awesome — post it in the comments, and I’ll post it in the blog! Along with kitten photos, of course. Support the SSA!