Seems like the "tagging" that has been doing the rounds at a number of blogs has reached my corner of the blogosphere. In order for me not to be afflicted with eternal misfortune, having to sacrifice my first-born and having to eat only haggis for the rest of my life, these rules must be obeyed:

1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

Rather than give a boring account of some boring aspects of my life, .... nah, I'll give a boring account of some boring aspect of my life - a short account of why this blog exists. It all started many years ago in this very galaxy when:

1. I started reading popular science magazines in my early teens.

2. I used to be a well-paid computer programmer.

3. While reading "New Scientist" some eight years ago, I came across a side bar saying something along the lines of "Creationism is alive and kicking in the US". Growing up in a largely secular society, I thought such religious devotion was virtually non-existent. Boy, was I wrong.

4. I got interested in the evolution vs ID/creationism debate and my interest in science switched from "general" to more biology-focused.

5. I left my lucrative job to pursue a career in science.

6. I started debating creationists in various forms in different internet fora such as Skeptic Friends and later Uncommon Descent.

7. I got banned from posting at Uncommon Descent.

8. I set up this blog so that I can moan all I want, without the risk of censorship, about some of the nonsense the ID/creationist crowd put forth.

The unfortunates I will expose to this chain-mail curse are as follows:

Fresh Brainz

Aude Sapere

Vetenskap & Förnuft

Rationally Speaking

Science Avenger

A History of Histrionics

decorabilia

I think that I will probably be the first to tag myself, leading to an infinite tag-loop (yeah, I know I have already been tagged, but that is not against the rules):

The DesignInterference