Petra, You are an AGU member and have a badge, so unless you are telling people you are not a scientist, they need not know. Besides, what is a scientist?-if you are doing science, you are a scientist. I'm sure the coffee served in the morning in the poster room and the beer served there in the afternoon is for anyone with a badge-you may have been after your coffee in the wrong place.

Concerning nose picking....I don't like to shake hands, so you are safe with me. With the cold dry air here, if you don't do something about it you end up with snotsickles. When we are wearing gloves all we can do is put on facemasks. Since I am a scientist and work most of the time all alone in my home office, I can use elaborate mechanical devices to take care of the problem.

There was an article a year or so ago in EOS or GSA Today that Geoscientists look like such losers that students don't want to be one, and that we should shape up. But, there are too many geoscientists out there so I don't much care if people want to be one or not-we do need to make some efforts to get black people in the field though. I once read that the number of scientists were increasing at such a rate that soon there would be more scientists than people, which would not be verfy sustainable.....Well, its getting late here in the east and there is T.V. to watch....There is a special on A&E on breasts. Really. Chris