A new job, a conference and Mel Brooks (or, why I have been absent recently)

It's been a long time, hasn't it my friends?

I know I've been saying that a lot lately, but it seems as if the fates decided to throw everything at me in these past few months. Why they waited so long, I cannot say. But, these events have been keeping me so busy, that I haven't had time for much.

That said, it is time to fill you all in!

So, where to begin:

The biggest news of the day is that I have a new job working for a publishing company, where I will be working with a number of magazines in an editorial position. One of the best things about this new job, is that it is related to my field of study (biology, zoology and ecology), but distinctly different. I have been working with the company for about three weeks, and have already learned a lot.

With this new job comes having to move from Toronto to a small town about two hours away.
The logistics of the move, finding a place, etc ... has been a taxing endeavor, but I now have an apartment and will be moving in a few weeks!

The job also consists of quite a bit of travel across Canada, the US and even abroad, which I am always on board for. I am currently writing this in Northern Canada, where I will be participating in a conference for the next few days.

Also, there has been an intriguing development pop up for the new year.
I have been asked to speak at the Science Online 2012 conference this January, which I could not be more excited about doing.

I learned about this conference about a year ago, and was extremely sad that I could not attend in 2011 (it fills up fast). The conference is devoted to collaboration between scientists, writers, journalists and science enthusiasts to discuss the ever-changing world of science communication.
This year, I will not only be attending, but moderating a session with a friend from Twitter (@DrRubidium).

The topic we will be discussing, which is all thanks to you my loyal readers, is about blogging. Specifically, the talk will focus on how to integrate humour, your passions and your knowledge into one big entertaining, yet informative, mass.
The talk is entitled, "It's good to be the king! Blogging the Mel Brooks way."

What better way is there to talk about passions than to integrate my love of movies, science and social media into one presentation?
And here's an example of the sheer brilliance of Mel Brooks: