Mad Biologist, Slayer of Blogging

I shall destroy all blogs!! I look like this. Really.

Over at Bayblab, there's a jeremiad about how we at ScienceBlogs are destroying science blogging. We're also money grubbing whores--because that $2-4 a day goes really far. I don't get paid that little at my day job.

Even back at the old site, where 300 hits was a really good day, I've never let site hits dictate what I write about, probably to the chagrin to Our Benevolent Seed Overlords (and site hit total). I've always written about politics. Why? Because it matters. If you think scientific research happens in an apolitical vacuum, then you haven't been reading my blog--not to mention that you don't know much about how science appropriations and policy making work.

Another reason that I write about politics is that I don't think that politics, even when it is unrelated to science, should be the sole purview of journalism majors. Intelligent Designer forbid that someone trained in math with letters and experimental design take a crack at analyzing policy or statistical claims in an unrelated area (something many journalists are incapable of doing). I certainly can't do any worse than they do. On the one hand, Ph.Ds are told to be public intellectuals (or at least loudmouths), and then we're criticized for doing so. Jeepers.

I also don't make any secrets about the political posts. Certainly, no one would claim that I'm subtle. It's not like the blurbs on the ScienceBlogs frontpage, 24 hour feed, or on my own page ever claim a post is about E. coli population genetics and then smack you with some politics. As a reader, you don't have to push the button. And you can always cancel your subscription.

Then there's the argument that Technorati tags indicate what a blog is about. Personally, I am proud that the biggest tag for this blog is "Fucking Morons." I view this as a public service: there are a lot of fucking morons out there, and they desperately need my help.

Then there's this claim:

And the whole ScienceBlogs thing is a little incestuous, they really like linking to each other, but not so much to the little blogs.

Aw, go fuck yourself. I'm the guy who started Blogroll Amnesty Day a month early. I support little blogs*, when I know about them--and when they link to or blogroll me.

I forgot: I also write about politics because I'm a money-grubbing, science-hating douchebag.

Now excuse me while I go wreck the science internets.

*It's not like I'm some humongous blogger myself.