Southern California Skeptic Events

[Wyvern]

Well, this thread is destined to get lost in the post-TAM2 fray :D but what the hey.

Here's the schedule of upcoming Skeptic events in the Los Angeles area. I'm planning to attend the January 25 event, and I believe so is Electric Monk. Anyone want to meet up? Please post any additional events of which you are aware, and also let us know if you plan to attend.


Sunday, January 25, 2004, 2:00pm @ CalTech

LSD, Spirituality, and the Creative Process
The Role of Hallucinogens in Tribal and Modern Peoples

Dr. Marlene Dobkin de Rios, Medical Anthropologist
California State University, Fullerton


Sunday, February 22, 2:00pm @ CalTech

NASA and the Future of Space Exploration
A Skeptical View

Dr. Robert Zubrin, President, The Mars Society

Go to the Skeptics web site (http://www.skeptic.com) for details and directions to the above lectures @ CalTech Baxter Lecture Hall.


Wednesday, February 25, 7:00pm @ Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena

Michael Shermer discusses and signs Moe Faux: Good or Evil WAIT !! Wrong thread . . .
Michael Shermer discusses and signs The Science of Good and Evil

See Vroman's Events Calendar (http://www.vromansbookstore.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp;jsessionid=5FD654C2A31DF06053194F0D1DFF30 13.t2?s=storeevents) for a schedule and directions to the bookstore.

[eli54]

Will there be samples at the CalTech meetings?

[Wyvern]

Originally posted by eli54
Will there be samples at the CalTech meetings?
I'm betting there will, indeed, be samples but that people will selfishly keep it to themselves.

[eli54]

Hey, CalTech is close-to-home. Might be worth the drive!

[renata]

I might come, if some TAM2 attendees had not given me a nice variety of colds (bastards, all of you!!). I might add the amethyst is not doing diddly squat. If I get better by Sunday, I will join you. Meet for lunch earlier? Who is in that area? Last time, as I recall, we all cowardly canceled....

[markb]

I would like to go, but I also picked up a cold from TAM2 that I am still recovering from. Perhaps next time.

[bignickel]

You picked up a cold too? I'VE got a cold! and it's laid me up in my house for 2 days already!

Hmmm, this seems a little bit suspicious, markb. Who else was in our car going to the Thai restaurant, etc? ;)

[Electric Monk]

I'll be there.

Yes, last time everyone cancelled. :(

As I recall, we were going to try the Europane bakery next.

I have neither given nor received a cold or other illness at TAM2. Must mean I need to stand closer to the skepchicks next time. ;)

--James

[markb]

Originally posted by bignickel
Hmmm, this seems a little bit suspicious, markb. Who else was in our car going to the Thai restaurant, etc? ;)

Umm.. I didn't go to the Thai restaurant.

[renata]

Originally posted by markb


Umm.. I didn't go to the Thai restaurant.

I can confirm that he spurned that offer, even though he had a car, and I tried to be extremely enticing....

[bignickel]

Originally posted by markb

Umm.. I didn't go to the Thai restaurant.

WELLL!!! You missed out, mister!!

I realize now that I mistook you for the actual driver. In retrospect, I remembered you driving, but not actually EATING. So, it was the Mac King driving that I was thinking of.

I DIDN'T GET ANY SLEEP! What do you want from me!? I have a cold!

So, you do remember who was in the car with us when we went to Mac King, right?
;)

[Mercutio]

Under the assumption that misery loves (miserable) company, I am miserable to report that one of you miserable pond-scum gave me a cold too...










...and it was worth it.

[bignickel]

Hmmm, that's 2 tables I've been at where the people came down with colds. That's weird. Unless Mercutio picked his up in a different way... or Marcb did!

I hope to get in to work tomorrow. I hate being stuck inside.

[Wyvern]

W e l l . . .

Your loss (as in no TAM2'ers kissed me) is my gain (I am HEALTHY). :D

So.

Let's meet for lunch at noon. Electric Monk and Wyvern will be there. Renata is a maybe. Hope you feel better, soon, Renata. :( I will PM you with the details.

Eli54, will you be joining us? Either PM me, or post here and I will send you the info.

Where is Keziah Mason??? I know you live in the area. And I want to meet this woman who frightened off the Jehovah's Witnesses!! :D

[Electric Monk]

Darwin Day Birthday Party
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Thursday, February 12th, 7:00 p.m.

Join us to celebrate the birthday of the father of the Theory of Evolution. Bill McComas from USC will be on hand to talk about Charles Darwin and the effects his ideas had on his own life and on 150 years of science. Drinks, snacks, music to follow the program. Donations accepted. The public is welcome. Ample free parking.

Speaker info:
Presenter:
William McComas is Associate Professor of Science Education at the Rossier School of Education of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He is the founding director of the Program to Advance Science Education (PASE), home to USC's academic science education initiatives. He completed his Ph.D. in science education at the University of Iowa in 1991 following thirteen years as a middle and secondary science teacher in suburban Philadelphia.

His research and publications focus on biology and evolution education, the philosophy of science in science teaching, the elements of effective laboratory, and informal science learning in museums and field settings. His most recent book is The Nature of Science in Science Education: Rationales and Strategies. McComas was named the Outstanding Science Teacher Educator by the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science and received the 1998 Distinguished Achievement Award from the Educational Press Association for his article The Discovery and Nature of Evolution by Natural Selection: Misconceptions and Lessons Learned from the History of Science and the 2001 Ohaus award for curriculum innovation. He has served on the Board of Directors of the National Science Teachers Association and has recently been elected a fellow of the USC Center for Excellence in Teaching.

Presentation:
Beaks, the Beagle, and other Misconceptions about Evolution and its Nature

Evolution is the most important concept in modern biology but is also one of the most misunderstood both from a scientific and historical perceptive. This illustrated talk will focus on the key aspects of evolution by natural selection and examine some of the widely held misconceptions regarding the nature of evolution itself, the role of the Galapagos Islands in the discovery of organic evolution, and the impact of the finches on Darwin=s thinking. The photographs illustrating this talk are the result of the presenter=s visits to the Galapagos Islands and Down House, Darwin's home in suburban London.

[Electric Monk]

Julia Sweeney - Letting Go of God: My Beautiful Loss of Faith Story
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Friday, February 13th, 8:00 p.m.

Saturday Night Live star, actress, and writer Julia Sweeney performs her monologue about her journey from devout Catholic to militant rationalist.

(This is the full version of the performance she gave at TAM2. Don't miss it!)

One show only. Admission is FREE!
Please reserve your seat by calling (323) 692-2700.

[Wyvern]

Way cool! Thanks for posting these great events! I'm thinking about going to both of them.

If I end up going alone, will I be doing my wallflower thing all evening, or is anyone else from here attending?

:confused:

[Electric Monk]

I'm not going to be able to make it to the Darwin Day festivities, but I'll be there for the Friday show.

[Wyvern]

Went to the birthday party and had a nice time. The lecture and the birthday cake were both very good. :hbd: I ran into a very cool science professor I used to work with and he told me about a lecture he once gave there, dissing Noah's Ark. Sorry I missed that one!

The sculpture out front is quite the piece of work. :D

See you Friday at Julia's show.

[Electric Monk]

Dr. Robert Zubrin: NASA and the Future of Space Exploration: A Skeptical View
Skeptics Lecture Series (http://www.skeptic.com): Baxter Lecture Hall at Caltech
Sunday, February 22nd, 2:00 p.m.
Robert Zubrin is an aerospace engineer and author best known for his advocacy of manned Mars exploration. Zubrin was the driving force behind Mars Direct - a proposal that significantly reduced the cost and complexity of such a mission by using the Martian atmosphere to produce rocket propellant for the return journey. A modified version of the plan was subsequently adopted by NASA as their "design reference mission". Disappointed with the lack of interest from government in Mars exploration, Zubrin formed the Mars Society in 1998, an international organisation advocating a manned Mars mission as a goal, by private funding if necessary.

Zubrin's books include The Case For Mars, in which he outlines the Mars Direct plan along with speculating on the economic, social and technical viability of future Martian colonization, Entering Space, a more futuristic look at humanity's possible colonization of the solar system and the feasibility of interstellar flight with known physics, and First Landing, a (barely) fictional tale about a near-future Mars flight using the Mars Direct plan.

Zubrin has also released a new fictional work titled The Holy Land. This is a "SF satire on the Middle East crisis and the War on Terrorism and concerns what happens when the liberal Western Galactic Empire relocates the oppressed Minervan sect to their ancient homeland of Kennewick, Washington, in the midst of a USA ruled by Christian fundamentalist fanatics."

(From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org), the free encyclopedia.)See Skeptic (http://www.skeptic.com) website for directions and other information.

[Cain]

[i]Originally posted by Wyvern
Michael Shermer discusses and signs Moe Faux: Good or Evil WAIT !! Wrong thread . . .
Michael Shermer discusses and signs The Science of Good and Evil

See Vroman's Events Calendar (http://www.vromansbookstore.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp;jsessionid=5FD654C2A31DF06053194F0D1DFF30 13.t2?s=storeevents) for a schedule and directions to the bookstore.

I'm probably going to go see Michael Shermer at Vroman's on Wednesday. He better not suck.

[Electric Monk]

The Science of Good and Evil
Why People Cheat, Gossip, Share, Care, and Follow the Golden Rule
Skeptics Lecture Series (http://www.skeptic.com): Baxter Lecture Hall at Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Sunday, March 14th, 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Skeptics Society 626-794-3119

Dr. Michael Shermer
Publisher, Skeptic, Contributing Editor/Monthly Columnist, Scientific American

In The Science of Good and Evil, a lecture based on the third volume in his trilogy on the power of belief (the first two volumes were Why People Believe Weird Things and How We Believe), psychologist and historian of science Dr. Michael Shermer tackles two of the deepest and most challenging problems of our age: (1) The origins of morality and (2) the foundations of ethics. Is it in our nature to be moral? If we live in a determined universe, then how can we make free moral choices? What is the nature of evil? Why do bad things happen to good people? If there is no outside source to validate moral principles, does anything go? Can we be good without God? Dr. Shermer peels back the outer layers to reveal a complexity of human motives—selfish and selfless, cooperative and competitive, virtue and vice, good and evil, moral and immoral. Shermer shows how these motives came into being as a product of both our evolutionary heritage and cultural history, and how we can construct an ethical system that generates a morality that is neither dogmatically absolute nor irrationally relative.

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Director of the Skeptics Society, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and the author of In Darwin’s Shadow, about the life and science of the co-discoverer of natural selection, Alfred Russel Wallace, The Borderlands of Science, about the fuzzy land between science and pseudoscience, and Denying History, on Holocaust denial and other forms of historical distortion.

Book signing to follow lecture

Donation at the door:
Nonmembers: $8
Skeptic members: $5
Students with ID: $5
Caltech faculty, staff and students with ID: complimentary
JPL staff: complentary

[Wyvern]

I won't be attending this lecture as I have kitty volunteer duty tomorrow. :c1: Hopefully, I will see you next time.

[Electric Monk]

Originally posted by Wyvern
I won't be attending this lecture as I have kitty volunteer duty tomorrow. :c1: Hopefully, I will see you next time. I didn't go, either. Sunday was my dad's birthday, and besides that, you and I have seen this lecture at TAM2.

--James

[Electric Monk]

Glenn Branch of the National Center for Science Education
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Sunday, March 21, 2004, 11:00 a.m.

As Christian fundamentalists continue their campaign to usurp scientific fact from the public schools, people like Glenn Branch from the National Center for Science Education (http://www.natcenscied.org/) fight to keep the school free of religious dogma.

Who is winning this battle for the minds of our youth, and why?

$6.00 or free for Friends of the Center For Inquiry and NCSE members.

[Electric Monk]

U P R I G H T
The Evolutionary Key to Becoming Human
Skeptics Lecture Series (http://www.skeptic.com): Baxter Lecture Hall at Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Sunday, March 28, 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Skeptics Society 626-794-3119

Dr. Craig Stanford
Co-director, Jane Goodall Primate Research Center
Professor of Biological Anthropology, USC

What is it that makes us human? Various ideas have been proposed: the opposable thumb, tools, big brains, language. But one critical aspect has been overlooked: our two legs. In UPRIGHT: The Evolutionary Key to Becoming Human, anthropologist Craig Stanford offers the engaging and provocative theory that walking upright is the linchpin in evolutionary development that made the human species possible. In Upright, Stanford explains how our ancestors’ shift to relying on two legs led to a cascade of changes that ultimately explain our humanity: walking and running improved our forebears’ ability to find meat; meat eating played a key role in the development of intelligence and in processes such as childbirth; the change in posture associated with walking affected our lungs and gave rise to speech.

Dr. Craig Stanford is the co-director of the Jane Goodall Primate Research Center at the University of Southern California, where he is also a professor of biological anthropology. His previous books include Significant Others: The Ape-Human Continuum and the Quest for Human Nature and The Hunting Apes: Meat Eating and the Origins of Human Behavior.

Book signing to follow lecture

Donation at the door:
Nonmembers: $8
Skeptic members: $5
Students with ID: $5
Caltech faculty, staff and students with ID: complimentary
JPL staff: complentary

[Electric Monk]

Gordon Babst on Marriage
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Sunday, April 4, 2004, 11:00 a.m.

Gordon Babst received his Doctorate in Political Science at Claremont in 1996, and has been teaching in the Political Science Department at Chapman University since 1999, where he is responsible for the political philosophy and theory curriculum. His recently published law book, Liberal Constitutionalism, Marriage, and Sexual Orientation: A Contemporary Case for Dis-Establishment proposes the notion of the "shadow establishment" of religion in American government and law as the best explanation for the contemporary move to ban same-sex marriage, arguing that the only justification available for such a ban is religious in nature and so constitutionally infirm, though not unprecedented.

Dr. Babst will share insights from his book on the nature of "shadow establishment" of a preference for religion over irreligion in the nation's laws and thinking about law, which he will link to the current highly controversial issue of same-sex marriage. Babst will offer some historical examples of what he terms the "shadow establishment", as well as argue for rejecting the ban on same-sex marriages.

$6.00 or free for Friends of the Center For Inquiry.

[Electric Monk]

Ben Radford - Media Mythmakers
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Sunday, April 18, 2004, 11:00 a.m.

Author Benjamin Radford will give a talk based on his new book Media Mythmakers: How Journalists, Activists, and Advertisers Mislead Us on Sunday, April 18th at 11:00 a.m.

Radford will challenge the assumptions behind many popular beliefs underlying our media culture. He will give concrete examples of the damage caused by manipulation of the news, covering such diverse topics as falsehoods in advertising, the news media’s scare-of-the-week mentality, the role of objectivity in journalism, and how politicians exploit tragedies for political gain.

“Instead of real news, journalists offer merely the illusion of news,” says Radford. “Instead of solutions to social problems, politicians offer simply the illusion of progress.

“Americans are being robbed of our ability to make good decisions when we are misled by—and through—the media. And while the public is being misled, real problems go unaddressed and resources are wasted on misguided ideas.”

Benjamin Radford is the managing editor of Skeptical Inquirer (http://csicop.org/si) magazine and the co-author of Hoaxes, Myths and Manias (Prometheus, 2003). His new book, also published by Prometheus Books, came out in September. More information on the topic can be found at www.mediamythmakers.com (http://www.mediamythmakers.com).

$6.00 or free for Friends of the Center For Inquiry.

[Electric Monk]

Jonathan Kirsch - God Against the Gods
The Bright Side of Paganism, the Dark Side of Monotheism, and the Roots of Religious Violence in the Modern World
Skeptics Lecture Series (http://www.skeptic.com): Baxter Lecture Hall at Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Sunday, March 28, 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Skeptics Society 626-794-3119

Jonathan Kirsch

Contrary to the conventional wisdom of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, religious liberty and diversity were core values of classical paganism, and it was monotheism that introduced the terrors of true belief, including holy war, martyrdom, inquisitions, and crusades. God Against the Gods focuses on the first stirrings of monotheism in ancient Egypt, traces the losing battle that early Judaism and Christianity fought against polytheism, and focuses on the climax of “the war between God and the gods” during the reigns of two charismatic and visionary Roman emperors—Constantine, who started the Christian revolution that made the modern world, and Julian, who tried to restore paganism, all in the tumultuous period of the fourth century in the Roman Empire. The last stand of paganism against monotheism is one of the great “what-if’s” in history: how would the modern world look today if the worship of many gods had been tolerated instead of persecuted?

Jonathan Kirsch is the author of the best-selling and critically acclaimed The Harlot by the Side of the Road: Forbidden Tales of the Bible; King David: The Real Life of the Man Who Ruled Israel; Moses: A Life, and The Woman Who Laughed at God: The Untold History of the Jewish People. Kirsch is also a book columnist for The Los Angeles Times, an attorney specializing in intellectual property and publishing law, and a guest host and commentator on NPR affiliates KPCC-FM and KCRW-FM.

Book signing to follow lecture

Donation at the door:
Nonmembers: $8
Skeptic members: $5
Students with ID: $5
Caltech faculty, staff and students with ID: complimentary
JPL staff: complentary

[Electric Monk]

David Robb - Operation Hollywood
How the Pentagon Shapes and Censors the Movies
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Sunday, May 16, 2004, 11:00 a.m.

Are American movies produced free from government interference? Has the Pentagon been telling filmmakers what to say--and what not to say--for decades?

Investigative journalist David Robb uses thousands of pages of the Pentagon's own documents and more than 70 interviews with Hollywood filmmakers to paint a picture of censorship and influence of the silver screen. OPERATION HOLLYWOOD shows, in stunning detail, Hollywood's dirtiest little secret.

$6.00 or free for Friends of the Center For Inquiry. This talk will be repeated in Orange County at 4:30 p.m.

[Electric Monk]

Dean Cameron - The Nigerian Spam Scam Scam
As Seen at TAM2!
Skeptics Lecture Series (http://www.skeptic.com): Baxter Lecture Hall at Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Sunday, May 16, 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Skeptics Society 626-794-3119

Final Lecture of the Season!

By now nearly everyone has received an anonymous letter from Nigeria (or some other African country) desperately seeking someone in American to help channel tens of millions of dollars out of the country and into an American bank account for safe keeping. As a reward for this good deed the recipient of the letter, should he or she agree to participate, a sizable percentage of the loot will be shared. Of course, there may be some small fees you must pay first in order to implement this transaction….

Don’t miss this hilarious show on how the actor, comedian, and writer Dean Cameron (featured in countless television shows and feature films) undertook a project to scam the Nigerian spam scammers, as he reads actual correspondence with his contact, stringing him along with ridiculously funny anecdotes about his life and times here in America, and how he would be happy to pay the token fee to his mark, if only the Nigerian contact would first make a good faith payment to Dean…. and round and round they go.

Donation at the door:
Nonmembers: $8
Skeptic members: $5
Students with ID: $5
Caltech faculty, staff and students with ID: complimentary
JPL staff: complentary

[Electric Monk]

Magic for Skeptics Workshop, Séance
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Séance: Friday, June 18, 2004, 8:00 p.m.
Workshop: Saturday, June 19, 2004, 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Magic and skepticism are inescapably linked. An understanding of some of the basic methods of deception as used by magicians will go a long way in helping us to better understand how easily we are deceived.

On June 18th and 19th CFI-West will host a popular workshop featuring a number of nationally-known magicians including Mark Edwards.

On Friday, June 18, registration begins at 6:00 p.m. followed by a séance at 8:00 p.m. On Saturday, June 19, registration opens at 8:00 a.m. with the Magic for Skeptics workshop beginning at 9:00 a.m., and ending at 6:00 p.m. with a lunch break from noon to 2:00 p.m.

The cost is $49.00, which includes a magic kit. The tricks in the kit will be demonstrated throughout the day.

For registration and additional information call (323) 666-9797 ext. 105.

[Electric Monk]

DJ Grothe - Center for Inquiry-International
The Proper Role of Religion in American Public Education: A Secularist View
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Sunday, June 20, 2004, 11:00 a.m.

Highlighting current controversies such as the intelligent design movement, school prayer, religious movements that seek to replace the classical liberal arts curriculum, and controversies surrounding student activities fees, secularist activist DJ Grothe will lecture at CFI-West about the practical strategies for engaging in the current debate over the role of religion in public education.

Mr. Grothe serves as the Director of Campus and Community Programs for the Center for Inquiry International, a secular, pro-science public education organization. He has traveled and lectured widely throughout North America, speaking on ethics, religious-political extremism, church-state separation, skepticism and science advocacy. His writings have been published in newspapers throughout the United States, and he has spoken on numerous radio and television programs.

$6.00 or free for Friends of the Center For Inquiry. This talk will be repeated in Orange County at 4:30 p.m.

[Electric Monk]

HOLLYWOOD
HELL HOUSE
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Saturdays, August 28 to October 30, 2004, 8:00-10:00p.m.
Extra-spooky Halloween performance on Sunday, October 31

HHH Website (http://www.hollywoodhellhouse.com)
More info from CFI-West (http://www.cfiwest.org/theater/index.htm)
News article (http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/religion/article/0,1299,DRMN_61_3116364,00.html)

** Get-together for mid-September being organized in the corresponding thread (http://www.skepticalcommunity.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=430#41601) at SC.
** I will be going to this Saturday's opening as well -- It's possible that the Rev. who created the concept will be there. See "News article" link, above.

Starring a rotating roster of 80 performers including:

Bill Maher, Andy Richter, Richard Belzer, Dana Gould, Traci Lords, Patton Oswalt, David Cross, Sarah Silverman, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Matt Walsh, Justina Machado, Rainn Wilson, Craig Bierko and many more!

Want to know what’s going on in the rest of the country? Curious what the religious right is up to? Check out this walk-through theater verite production of HOLLYWOOD HELL HOUSE and experience the Christian right’s newest conversion tool as written word for word by the Abundant Life Christian Center.

Every detail of this production of HOLLYWOOD HELL HOUSE including the script, the staging, the costumes, and music is done according to the instructions of the official “Hell House� kit. This production is performed with the permission of the HELL HOUSE creators - “The Abundant Life Christian Center�.

The scariest haunted house in the country with a frightening eight room journey into Hell. Witness a bloody abortion. Be caught in a school shooting. Get front row seats to a gang rape. And then…descend into Hell

HOLLYWOOD HELL HOUSE is not in any way an indictment of religion, Christianity, or the Bible. Its purpose is to demonstrate the absurdity of a literal interpretation of the Bible, specifically the belief in a literal everlasting Hell

NOTE: PLEASE WEAR WASHABLE/COMFORTABLE CLOTHING AS FAKE BLOOD AND PROPS MAY BE SPEWED.

Admission $10.00

[Loon]

Howzabout a get together including this on the 18th?

I get the feeling it will be far more disturbing than Bodyworllds could ever have been.

[LostAngeles]

The 18th is good for me.

[MLynn]

So far, the 18th looks good for me too.

[Electric Monk]

D'oh! I may have to miss out on this one, folks. I've been invited to a :hbd: party that evening.

Sigh. Have fun going to :j2:

[Electric Monk]

Austin Dacey
Science and the Public
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Sunday, Sept 19, 2004, 11:00 a.m.

The architects of 20th century American science policy saw that basic scientific research would require public, which is to say governmental, support. While the system they erected helped propel the country to world technological dominance, it has reached a breaking point. Science is public, yet everywhere it is challenged by the private: corporate forces move to commodify information, privatizing the global "knowledge commons." Private conscience objects to the incursion of biomedical and neuroscience into humanity's hidden territory: the genes, the mind, procreation. America and the world are in search of a new public philosophy of science, a new policy of public science. One key lies in recognizing science as a source of culture. This process calls for the creation of new interdisciplinary academic institutions. A lecture and discussion featuring Dr. Austin Dacey, director of Center for Inquiry's new Science and the Public program, a joint initiative with State University of New York at Buffalo.

$6.00 or free for Friends of the Center For Inquiry. This talk will be repeated in Orange County at 4:30 p.m.

[Electric Monk]

Originally posted by Electric Monk
D'oh! I may have to miss out on this one, folks. I've been invited to a :hbd: party that evening. OK, well after some changes of plan, I'm now free on both the 18th and the 25th. So what shall we do?

[Loon]

I'm open to anything, especially if it involves Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

Who else is in for this unspecified event on the 18th or the 25th?

[Electric Monk]

Originally posted by Loon
I'm open to anything, especially if it involves Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. I can do that. And HHH tickets are now available in advance here (http://www.plays411.com/website/htmlconsumer/play_info.asp). (Choose "Hollywood Hellhouse" from drop-list at left side.)

--James

[MLynn]

I'm going to the WOMEN IN SCIENCE lecture on September 26th - does anyone want to meet me there?

[Electric Monk]

Originally posted by MLynn
I'm going to the WOMEN IN SCIENCE lecture on September 26th - does anyone want to meet me there? I'll be there, and at the dinner afterward we'll be having a birthday celebration for Michael Shermer. Everyone is welcome. See post on SC (http://skepticalcommunity.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?p=54857#54857).

--James

[MLynn]

I'm going to the Women in Science lecture at Baxter Hall at CalTech on Sunday the 26th. I'll meet up with Electric Monk at about 1-1:15pm to get good seats. I hope to see some others there! :D

[Electric Monk]

Laura Woodmansee - Women In Science
From Ancient Times to the 21st Century
Skeptics Lecture Series (http://www.skeptic.com): Baxter Lecture Hall at Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Sunday, September 26, 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Skeptics Society 626-794-3119

Science journalist Laura S. Woodmansee, author of Women Astronauts and Women of Space: Cool Careers on the Final Frontier, will talk about the changing role of women in science from ancient times to today. Laura will discuss how the pioneering women of science overcame obstacles to follow their dreams. Today, women work in every field of science and space exploration, but it hasn’t always been this way. Even today, women are underrepresented in most technical fields. Laura has interviewed many powerful women in science including astronauts Sally Ride, Eileen Collins, Susan Helms, Shannon Lucid, the late Kalpana Chawla of Space Shuttle Columbia, Jill Tartar of SETI, Mars engineer Donna Shirley, and many others. Discover what experiences and advice these role models have shared. Laura’s new company, Space Girl Productions (www.woodmansee.com), creates entertaining educational videos and DVDs. Book signing to follow lecture.

Plus: Skeptic publisher Michael Shermer will regale skeptics with tales from his month-long adventure with Frank Sulloway’s expedition to retrace Darwin’s footsteps in the Galapagos islands and document the ecological changes over the past century and a half.

Plus Plus: Come to the dinner at Burger Continental after the lecture and help celebrate Dr. Shermer's 50th birthday.

Donation at the door:
Nonmembers: $8
Skeptic members: $5
Students with ID: $5
Caltech faculty, staff and students with ID: complimentary
JPL staff: complentary

[Electric Monk]

Howard Rosenberg
Skewers American Television in All Its Depravity
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Sunday, Oct 3, 2004, 11:00 a.m.

In this witty and candid perspective on American television, the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Howard Rosenberg traces a disturbing pattern: TV's relentless pursuit of the mundane in its seeming quest to dumb-down America. And, he writes, it may be succeeding. How else to interpret the onslaught of look-alike, deceptively titled "reality" shows that have transformed much of prime time into a cratered moonscape? Mr. Rosenberg's NOT SO PRIME TIME: Chasing the Trivial on American Television published by Ivan R. Dee, Chicago will be available for purchase after the talk.

NOT SO PRIME TIME records the decline of television--not overnight; the crud has been creeping forward for years. Oh the horror.

$6.00 or free for Friends of the Center For Inquiry.

[Electric Monk]

Emo Philips
at the Steve Allen Theater
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Tuesday, Oct 5, 2004, 8:00 p.m.

One Night Only!!!

For reservations call (323) 666-4268

Since the mid-eighties, Emo Philips has been regarded as one of the funniest comedians in the English-speaking world.

In a survey commissioned by GQ Magazine, three of his jokes have been judged by his peers to be among the top 75 of all time. His albums and cable specials are classics, as is his appearance in the cult film UHF. Although Emo performs hundreds of times a year, he is very much looking forward to doing the kind of show that he can only do at the Center for Inquiry-West.

[Electric Monk]

Dr. David Livingstone Smith - Why We Lie
The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious Mind
Skeptics Lecture Series (http://www.skeptic.com): Baxter Lecture Hall at Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Sunday, October 24, 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Skeptics Society 626-794-3119

Deceit, lying, and falsehoods lie at the very heart of our cultural heritage. Even the founding myth of the Judeo-Christian tradition, the story of Adam and Eve, revolves around a lie. Our seemingly insatiable appetite for stories of deception spans the extremes of culture from King Lear to Little Red Riding Hood. These tales of deception are so enthralling because they speak to something fundamental in the human condition. The ever-present possibility of deceit is a crucial dimension of all human relationships. Philosopher and evolutionary psychologist David Livingstone Smith elucidates the essential role that deception and self-deception have played in human—and animal—evolution and shows that the very structure of our minds has been shaped from our earliest beginnings by the need to deceive. Smith shows us that by examining the stories we tell, the falsehoods we weave, and the unconscious signals we send out, we can learn much about ourselves and how our minds work.

Book signing to follow lecture.

Donation at the door:
Nonmembers: $8
Skeptic members: $5
Students with ID: $5
Caltech faculty, staff and students with ID: complimentary
JPL staff: complentary

[Electric Monk]

Bill Cooke
Religions Lecture Series
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Saturday, Dec 4th and Sunday, Dec 5th, 2004, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Bill Cooke, Ph.D., Religious Studies, is the Director of Transnational Programs at the Center for Inquiry. He was Senior Lecturer at the School of Visual Arts, Manukau Institute of Technology, in Auckland, New Zealand, prior to coming to the Center. As an expert on humanist philosophy and world religions, he has lectured, taught and written extensively on the history and nature of freethought, rationalism and humanism. Dr. Cooke is the Senior Editor of Free Inquiry magazine and the author of three books, including The Gathering of Infidels and A Rebel to His Last Breath: Joseph McCabe and Rationalism. Much to our regret, Dr. Cooke will be leaving the Center for Inquiry to return to New Zealand following the talks in LA.

Dr. Cooke will be presenting a highly acclaimed two day seminar at the Center for Inquiry-West on “Systems of Belief� the weekend of Dec. 4-5. This seminar provides a general overview of all the major systems of belief and looks at humanism as a belief system. Discounts are available for students.

December 4th
9.00am, What is a System of Belief?
10.30am, break
10.40am, Asian Traditions: Hinduism
12.00am, lunch
1.00pm, Asian Traditions: Buddhism
2.30pm, break
2.40pm, Varieties of Humanism: Chinese Thought
5.00pm, finish

December 5th
9.00am, Varieties of Humanism: Western Humanism
10.30am morning tea
10.40am, Western Religions: Judaism
12.00pm, lunch
1.00pm, Western Religions: Christianity
2.30pm, break
2.40pm, Western Religions: Islam
5.00 finish

Cost: $35.00 for the two days, or $20 for students with I.D. Single day price is $20.00, single session price is $12.00.

[Electric Monk]

Dr. Edward Tufte
Beautiful Evidence : The Art of Science and the Science of Art
Skeptics Lecture Series (http://www.skeptic.com): Baxter Lecture Hall at Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Sunday, December 5, 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Skeptics Society 626-794-3119

The renowned theorist of analytical design, Edward Tufte, was described by the New York Times as “the Leonardo da Vinci of data� for his pioneering work in the display and analysis of visual evidence. His lecture here draws from his forthcoming book, Beautiful Evidence, which develops the fundamental theory of analytical design and proposes methods for display of nearly every type of evidence (time series, images, causal arrows, data tables, statistical graphics, public presentations). He will also discuss his analysis (that appeared in the final report of the Columbia Accident Investigation Review Board) of the Boeing/NASA PowerPoint slides created while the space shuttle Columbia was injured but still alive.

Edward Tufte has written seven books, including Visual Explanations, Envisioning Information, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, and Data Analysis for Politics and Policy. He writes, designs, and self-publishes his books on information design, which have received more than 40 awards for content and design. He is Professor Emeritus at Yale University, where he taught courses in statistical evidence, information design, and interface design. His current work includes digital video, sculpture, printmaking, and a new book Beautiful Evidence.

Book signing to follow lecture.

Donation at the door:
Nonmembers: $8
Skeptic members: $5
Students with ID: $5
Caltech faculty, staff and students with ID: complimentary
JPL staff: complentary

[Electric Monk]

Dr. Mike Newdow
The Church, the State, the Pledge, and the Law:
Adventures in Skeptical Activism
Skeptics Lecture Series (http://www.skeptic.com): Baxter Lecture Hall at Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Sunday, December 12, 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Skeptics Society 626-794-3119

Earlier this year the country was riveted to and rocked by the story of the man who single handedly got the words “under God� removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, only to have it overturned by the United States Supreme Court, in front of which he argued his case. Now hear the story of Mike Newdow from the man himself, as he recounts his adventures in this and other causes he champions in the name of skepticism, rationality, and science.

Mike Newdow is a board certified emergency physician, who was taught by Jared Diamond while a medical student at UCLA. He is also a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School. In addition to his interest in Establishment Clause matters, Newdow has worked on constitutional challenges to many of the basic tenets that underlie family law. He will talk about his work in these legal fields, emphasizing how the lack of skepticism results in significant harms.

Donation at the door:
Nonmembers: $8
Skeptic members: $5
Students with ID: $5
Caltech faculty, staff and students with ID: complimentary
JPL staff: complentary

[Electric Monk]

Dr. Jared Diamond
Collapse!: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
Skeptics Lecture Series (http://www.skeptic.com): New location: Beckman Auditorium at Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Sunday, January 9, 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Skeptics Society 626-794-3119

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs and Steel examines the downfall of some of history’s greatest civilizations. In his million-copy bestseller Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond examined how and why Western civilizations developed the technologies and immunities that allowed them to dominate much of the world. Now in this brilliant companion volume, Diamond probes the other side of the equation: What caused some of the great civilizations of the past to collapse into ruin, and what can we learn from their fates? Moving from the Polynesian cultures on Easter Island to the flourishing American civilizations of the Anasazi and the Maya and finally to the doomed Viking colony on Greenland, Diamond traces the fundamental pattern of catastrophe. Environmental damage, climate change, rapid population growth, and unwise political choices were all factors in the demise of these societies, but other societies found solutions and persisted. Brilliant, illuminating, and immensely absorbing, Collapse is destined to take its place as one of the essential books of our time, raising the urgent question: How can our world best avoid committing ecological suicide?

Dr. Jared Diamond is a professor of geography at the University of California, Los Angeles. Among Dr. Diamond’s many awards are the National Medal of Science, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. Guns, Germs, and Steel won the Pulitzer Prize and spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list. The Third Chimpanzee won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

Book signing to follow lecture.

Donation at the door:
Nonmembers: $12
Skeptic members: $8
Students with ID: $5
Caltech faculty, staff and students with ID: complimentary
JPL staff: complentary

[Electric Monk]

Several of us will be meeting for lunch in Pasadena before the meeting, and for dinner at BC after the lecture. PM for details.

Anyone planning on attending the lecture should think about arriving early. Beckman can seat 1100 (compared to Baxter's 300), but the event has been publicized, and the Skeptics Society office has recieved a lot of calls inquiring about tickets, so we're expecting quite a crowd.

--James

[Electric Monk]

The Sumatra Earthquake & Tsunami
USGS Staff & Caltech Faculty
USGS Public Lecture Series (http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/info/lectures/): Beckman Institute Auditorium at Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Wednesday, January 12, 8:00 p.m.

For those who will not be at TAM3 ...

Note that this lecture is being held in the Beckman Institute building, not the round Beckman Auditorium next to it. Please see map at the bottom of the linked page (http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/info/lectures/).

In place of the regularly scheduled lecture, earth scientists of the USGS and Caltech will provide a briefing on what is known so far about the science of the Sumatrian earthquake and tsunami. They will describe the geologic setting of the earthquake, why it was so large, and how the tsunami was created. Preliminary analysis of the earthquake and how it affected the Earth will be discussed, as well as the reasons why the loss of life was so high and whether or not a tragedy of this type could strike the United States.

Free public lecture

[renata]

Since somebody is slacking off, here is the updated list of some of the local events

LA JREFers usually gather before the Sunday lectures for lunch, and then go with the Skeptics to dinner.

Join ussss.....

http://www.skeptic.com/lectures.html#feb

Skeptic Events

Sun, Feb 20 2:00 p.m. Parallel Worlds: The Science of Creation, Black Holes, Superstrings, & Higher Dimensions
Dr. Michio Kaku
Baxter Lecture Hall, Caltech, Pasadena, CA



Parallel Worlds: The Science of Creation, Black Holes, Superstrings, & Higher Dimensions

In Parallel Worlds, world-renowned physicist and bestselling author Michio Kaku takes readers on a fascinating tour of cosmology, M-theory, and its implications for the fate of the universe. Kaku begins by describing the extraordinary advances that have transformed cosmology over the last decade, forcing scientists around the world to rethink our understanding of the birth and fate of the universe. The leading theory about the birth of the universe is the “inflationary universe theory,� a major refinement on the big bang theory, in which our universe may be but one in a multiverse, with new universes being created all the time. If parallel worlds do exist, Kaku speculates, in time, perhaps a trillion years or more from now, as appears likely, when our universe grows cold and dark in what scientists describe as a big freeze, advanced civilizations may well find a way to escape our universe in a kind of “inter-dimensional lifeboat.�

Dr. Michio Kaku is the Henry Semat Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He is the author of several widely acclaimed books, including Visions, Beyond Einstein, and Hyperspace, which was named one of the best science books of the year by the New York Times and the Washington Post. He hosts a nationally syndicated radio science program and has appeared on such national television shows as Nightline, 60 Minutes, Good Morning America, and Larry King Live.




Wed, Feb 23 7:00 pm Science Friction:
Where the Known Meets the Unknown
Dr. Michael Shermer
Mark Taper Aud. Central Library, 630 W. 5th St., LA
Free, reserv. rec: www.lapl.org/events (213) 228-7025
Park; 524 S. Flower St. garage, $7 max weekdays after 4 pm

Sun, Mar 6 2:00 pm. When They Severed Earth From Sky:
How the Human Mind Shapes Myth
Dr. Elizabeth Barber
Baxter Lecture Hall, Caltech, Pasadena, CA

Why were Prometheus and Loki envisioned as chained to rocks? What was the Golden Calf? Why are mirrors believed to carry bad luck? How could anyone think that mortals like Perseus, Beowulf, and St. George actually fought dragons, since dragons don’t exist? Strange though they sound, however, these “myths� did not begin as fiction. Barber and Barber show that myths originally transmitted real information about real events and observations, preserving the information sometimes for millennia within nonliterate societies. Geologists’ interpretations of how a volcanic cataclysm long ago created Oregon’s Crater Lake, for example, is echoed point for point in the local myth of its origin. The Klamath tribe saw it happen and passed down the story—for nearly 8,000 years. We, however, have been literate so long that we’ve forgotten how myths encode reality. Recent studies of how our brains work, applied to a wide range of data from the Pacific Northwest to ancient Egypt to modern stories reported in newspapers, have helped the Barbers deduce the characteristic principles by which such tales both develop and degrade through time.

Dr. Elizabeth Wayland Barber is Professor of Linguistics and Archaeology, Occidental College, and the author of The Mummies of Ürümchi (W. W. Norton), Women’s Work (W. W. Norton), and Prehistoric Textiles ( Princeton).



Sun, Apr 24 2:00 pm Bill Nye the Science Guy
Beckman Auditorium, Caltech, Pasadena, CA
(Note: This is a different location at Caltech, adjacent to our regular Baxter Lecture Hall venue.)


Book of Tiny Germs (And other cool science stuff)

Germs, germs, everywhere! We live with them all day, every day. Did you know that: Some germs are good for you, or even delicious? There are more germs inside you than there are people on Earth? Your body is constantly fighting germs, even when you aren't sick? Come hear Bill speak, and you’ll learn about these things and more. Find out about germs and how to stay healthy in this delightful presentation based on his new book, as well as a few new things from Nye Labs. Bring the kids, and the kids' friends, for an afternoon of science and a blast of fun.

Bill Nye is best known for his hit PBS television series Bill Nye the Science Guy, which ran from 1992-1998 and won Emmy Awards for Best Performer, Best Writing, Best Producing, and Best Show. He is the host of the Science Channel’s 100 Greatest Discoveries in Science, and the forthcoming series The Eyes of Nye. He is the author of Bill Nye’s Big Blast of Science, Bill Nye’s Consider the Following, Bill Nye the Science Guy's Big Blue Ocean, and Bill Nye the Science Guy’s Great Big Dinosaur Dig. He is also an inventor, with patents pending for a baseball retrieval device, a ball throwing technique training gizmo, and an improved ballet toe shoe. As part of the Mars Athena Exploration Team, he played a key role in the design of the MarsDials, the sundials on Mars. Bill serves on the boards of The Planetary Society as Vice President, the New Horizons Mission to Pluto, and the National Health Museum in Washington, DC.


Sun, May 1
2:00 pm Empire of the Stars:
Obsession, Friendship, and Betrayal
in the Quest for Black Holes
Dr. Arthur I. Miller
Baxter Lecture Hall, Caltech, Pasadena, CA

August 1930, on a voyage from Madras to London, a young Indian looked up at the stars and contemplated their fate. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar—Chandra, as he was calleds—calculated that certain stars would suffer a most violent death, collapsing to virtually nothing. This extraordinary claim, the first mathematical description of black holes, rankled one of the greatest astrophysicists of the day, Sir Arthur Eddington, who in 1935 publicly ridiculed Chandra, sending him into an intellectual and emotional tailspin—and hindering the progress of astrophysics for nearly forty years. Tracing the rise of two great theories, relativity and quantum mechanics, which meet head on in black holes, Miller recounts the dramatic story of this intellectual feud. This sweeping history examines the quest to understand one of the most forbidding objects in the universe as well as the passions that fueled that quest over the course of a century.

Dr. Arthur I. Miller is Professor of History and Philosophy of Science, Department of Science & Technology Studies, University College, London. He lives in London.




May 13-14, 2005 SKEPTICS SOCIETY ANNUAL CONFERENCE:
The Brain, the Mind, and Consciousness
Caltech campus, Pasadena, CA

Westin Resort and Hotel and Beckman Auditorium, Caltech, Pasadena, CA

Magicians include: James “The Amazing� Randi, Bob Friedhoffer, the “madman of magic,� mentalist Mark Edwards, illusionist Jerry Andrus

Scientists include:
Christof Koch: “The Quest for Consciousness: A Neurobiological Approach�
Alison Gopnik: “Children as Scientists: How the Brain Learns to Think�
Steven Quartz: “Neuroeconomics and the Search for Cool�
Richard McNally: “In Search of Memory—True, False, Repressed, Recovered�
Terry Sejnowski: “Sleep, Dreams, and the Subconscious�
V.S. Ramachandran: “Neurotheology and the Search for God�
Susan Blackmore: “Exploring Altered States of Consciousness�
John Allman: “The Search for the Neurological Basis of the Social Emotions�
Paul Zak: “From Whence Trust Comes: Oxytocin and Behavioral Economics�
Hank Schlinger: “Consciousness is Nothing But a Word�
Ursula Goodenough: “From Biology to Consciousness to Morality�

Special Guest: Michael Crichton in conversation with Michael Shermer



Sun, July 10 2:00 pm Doubt: A History
Dr. Jennifer Michael Hecht
Baxter Lecture Hall, Caltech, Pasadena, CA

In a sweeping history, Jennifer Michael Hecht celebrates doubt as an engine of creativity and as an alternative to the political and intellectual dangers of certainty. Just as belief has its own history featuring people whose unique expressions of faith have forever changed the world, doubt has a vibrant story and tradition with its own saints, martyrs, and sages. Hecht blends her wide-ranging historical expertise, passionate admiration of the great doubters, and poet’s sensibility to tell a stimulating story that is part intellectual history and part showcase of ordinary people asking themselves the difficult questions that confront us all. Hecht views the history of doubt as not only a tradition of challenging accepted religious beliefs, including the existence of God, but also as a progression of attempts to make sense of life, the natural world, and the self, each on their own terms.

Dr. Jennifer Michael Hecht is an assistant professor of history at Nassau Community College. She is the author of The End of the Soul: Scientific Modernity, Atheism, and Anthropology in France and The Next Ancient World, her book of poetry, which won the Poetry Society of America’s prestigious Norma Farber First Book Award for 2002, the Tupelo Prize, and ForeWord’s Poetry Book of the Year.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

May 13-14, 2005 SKEPTICS SOCIETY ANNUAL CONFERENCE:
The Brain, the Mind, and Consciousness
Caltech campus, Pasadena, CA

Westin Resort and Hotel and Beckman Auditorium, Caltech, Pasadena, CA

Magicians include: James “The Amazing� Randi, Bob Friedhoffer, the “madman of magic,� mentalist Mark Edwards, illusionist Jerry Andrus

Scientists include:
Christof Koch: “The Quest for Consciousness: A Neurobiological Approach�
Alison Gopnik: “Children as Scientists: How the Brain Learns to Think�
Steven Quartz: “Neuroeconomics and the Search for Cool�
Richard McNally: “In Search of Memory—True, False, Repressed, Recovered�
Terry Sejnowski: “Sleep, Dreams, and the Subconscious�
V.S. Ramachandran: “Neurotheology and the Search for God�
Susan Blackmore: “Exploring Altered States of Consciousness�
John Allman: “The Search for the Neurological Basis of the Social Emotions�
Paul Zak: “From Whence Trust Comes: Oxytocin and Behavioral Economics�
Hank Schlinger: “Consciousness is Nothing But a Word�
Ursula Goodenough: “From Biology to Consciousness to Morality�

Special Guest: Michael Crichton in conversation with Michael Shermer

This looks interesting. I might have to come out for that one!

[Electric Monk]

Originally posted by renata
Since somebody is slacking off, here is the updated list of some of the local events "Somebody" is working tirelessly on his TAM3 Photo CD's which he hopes to distribute tomorrow at the event that you didn't mention. :p

--James

[Electric Monk]

Eugenie Scott
What Would Darwin Say About Creationism?
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Sunday, Feb 13, 2005, 11:00 a.m.

Five years into the new millennium, more and more school districts in the U.S. find themselves in a battle with fundamentalists who seek to have Creationism (aka Intelligent Design) taught in public schools alongside the Theory of Evolution.

Can religious groups dictate what is taught is science class? Are they already?

Genie Scott, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, is the nation's leading voice in the battle for the minds of public school children. On the day after Darwin's birthday, she will report on the current state of teaching evolution, and muse over what Darwin himself may have said about the bible's version of how life developed on this planet.

$6.00 or free for Friends of the Center For Inquiry.

[renata]

Originally posted by Electric Monk
"Somebody" is working tirelessly on his TAM3 Photo CD's which he hopes to distribute tomorrow at the event that you didn't mention. :p

--James

Slacker :rolleyes:



Oh, and Scrut- I do not think you were invited to that conference! :mad:

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
Oh, and Scrut- I do not think you were invited to that conference! :mad:

My $150 check to Shermer says I am invited! :p

[renata]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
My $150 check to Shermer says I am invited! :p

I will have to have a little chat with Mr. Shermer next week. :mad:

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
I will have to have a little chat with Mr. Shermer next week. :mad:

I think my $150 carries more weight! :p

[renata]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
I think my $150 carries more weight! :p

You just keep thinkin' Butch. That's what you're good at.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
You just keep thinkin' Butch. That's what you're good at.

I'm a thinker, not a stinker! :p

[renata]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
I'm a thinker, not a stinker! :p

I have been near you, I know.

Nobody who likes crap literature allowed. :mad:

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
I have been near you, I know.

Nobody who likes crap literature allowed. :mad:

I don't like crap lierature!

TDC rules!!!

[renata]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
I don't like crap lierature!

TDC rules!!!

Ugh. I will alert LAX security about you. Or else send you a half dozen vastly superior art mysteries. Or give you tours of tract home suburbia until you cry.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
Ugh. I will alert LAX security about you. Or else send you a half dozen vastly superior art mysteries. Or give you tours of tract home suburbia until you cry.

Maybe because you didn't understand it? :p

I guess I won't be taking you to the movie in 2006?

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
Ugh. I will alert LAX security about you. Or else send you a half dozen vastly superior art mysteries. Or give you tours of tract home suburbia until you cry.

Lax security? That doesn't sound good! I guess they don't catch many people.

[renata]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
Maybe because you didn't understand it? :p

I guess I won't be taking you to the movie in 2006?

I surpassed second grade level a few decades back. Let me know when you get there, I will help you with arithmetic.

[MLynn]

You two are funny...:D

renata, I think I will see you the morning of the 20th.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
I surpassed second grade level a few decades back. Let me know when you get there, I will help you with arithmetic.

Act your age, not your shoe size.

[renata]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
Act your age, not your shoe size.

Ha! My shoe size is bigger than my age- (European shoe sizes!)


Another interesting event 3/25-27 in LA

http://www.atheistalliance.org/convention2005.html

The 2005 AAI Convention features these stars of freethought:

* Penn & Teller will accept the Richard Dawkins award for outstanding work in the cause of atheism during Sunday's brunch.

* Julia Sweeney, writer-actress, on the reaction to her hit show Letting Go of God.

* Dr. Robert Price, member of the Jesus Seminar, author of The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man.

* Andrew Bradley, Author of "What Would Betty Do? A Spiritual Guide to Qualifying for the '10 Sins or Less' Express Line at Judgment Day", Creator of bettybowers.com - America's Best Christian, and senior writer for Landover Baptist Church.

* Dr. Bruce Flamm was quoted in Time Magazine, as the man whose persistent inquiry proved the Korean-Columbia fertility study to be fatally flawed.

* Ben Akerly, Author of "The X-Rated Bible".

* And much more!

[Electric Monk]

Dr. Michio Kaku
Parallel Worlds: The Science of Creation, Black Holes, Superstrings, & Higher Dimensions
Skeptics Lecture Series (http://www.skeptic.com): Baxter Lecture Hall at Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Sunday, February 20, 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Skeptics Society 626-794-3119

In Parallel Worlds, world-renowned physicist and bestselling author Michio Kaku takes readers on a fascinating tour of cosmology, M-theory, and its implications for the fate of the universe. Kaku begins by describing the extraordinary advances that have transformed cosmology over the last decade, forcing scientists around the world to rethink our understanding of the birth and fate of the universe. The leading theory about the birth of the universe is the “inflationary universe theory,� a major refinement on the big bang theory, in which our universe may be but one in a multiverse, with new universes being created all the time. If parallel worlds do exist, Kaku speculates, in time, perhaps a trillion years or more from now, as appears likely, when our universe grows cold and dark in what scientists describe as a big freeze, advanced civilizations may well find a way to escape our universe in a kind of “inter-dimensional lifeboat.�

Dr. Michio Kaku is the Henry Semat Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He is the author of several widely acclaimed books, including Visions, Beyond Einstein, and Hyperspace, which was named one of the best science books of the year by the New York Times and the Washington Post. He hosts a nationally syndicated radio science program and has appeared on such national television shows as Nightline, 60 Minutes, Good Morning America, and Larry King Live.

Book signing to follow lecture.

Donation at the door:
Nonmembers: $8
Skeptic members: $5
Students with ID: $5
Caltech faculty, staff and students with ID: complimentary
JPL staff: complimentary

[Electric Monk]

Tory Christman
Scientology Exposed!
CFI - West (http://www.cfiwest.org): 4773 Hollywood Blvd., 2 blocks west of Vermont Ave.
Sunday, Mar 6, 2005, 11:00 a.m.

From the lips of Church of Scientology defector Tory Christman, you will hear some of the much-criticized religion's most closely guarded secrets.

Tory was a 30-year veteran and a member of their shadowy Office of Special Affairs where she headed what was known as the Parishioners League, where she pressured television, radio, and newspapers to drop negative content about the church. Tory finally awoke about 4 years ago and realized the true nature of the organization. She now spends much of her time trying to educate people about the dangers of becoming involved in cults.

$6.00 or free for Friends of the Center For Inquiry.

[Electric Monk]

Dr. Elizabeth Wayland Barber
When They Severed Earth From Sky: How the Human Mind Shapes Myth
Skeptics Lecture Series (http://www.skeptic.com): Baxter Lecture Hall at Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Sunday, March 6, 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Skeptics Society 626-794-3119

Why were Prometheus and Loki envisioned as chained to rocks? What was the Golden Calf? Why are mirrors believed to carry bad luck? How could anyone think that mortals like Perseus, Beowulf, and St. George actually fought dragons, since dragons don’t exist? Strange though they sound, however, these “myths� did not begin as fiction. Barber and Barber show that myths originally transmitted real information about real events and observations, preserving the information sometimes for millennia within nonliterate societies. Geologists’ interpretations of how a volcanic cataclysm long ago created Oregon’s Crater Lake, for example, is echoed point for point in the local myth of its origin. The Klamath tribe saw it happen and passed down the story—for nearly 8,000 years. We, however, have been literate so long that we’ve forgotten how myths encode reality. Recent studies of how our brains work, applied to a wide range of data from the Pacific Northwest to ancient Egypt to modern stories reported in newspapers, have helped the Barbers deduce the characteristic principles by which such tales both develop and degrade through time.

Dr. Elizabeth Wayland Barber is Professor of Linguistics and Archaeology, Occidental College, and the author of The Mummies of Ürümchi (W. W. Norton), Women’s Work (W. W. Norton), and Prehistoric Textiles ( Princeton).


Book signing to follow lecture.

Donation at the door:
Nonmembers: $8
Skeptic members: $5
Students with ID: $5
Caltech faculty, staff and students with ID: complimentary
JPL staff: complimentary

[Jeff Wagg]

Ya know, I really like living in Vermont, but I have yet to see a single local event of any skeptical import. Plenty of woo woo stuff though.

I'm just saying I'm jealous of all you CA folks. I will be at the Skeptics Conference in May though.

[espoirpaz]

i was wondering if anyone's going to attend the atheist alliance international convention in la on march 25-27.

Penn and Teller are going to be getting an award from Richard Dawkins!

http://www.atheistsunited.org/

i'm going with an atheist student organization. maybe i'll see some of you there.

[MLynn]

I'm unable to attend the conference, but hope to meet some friends for lunch or dinner on the 26th. :)

[Phil]

May 13-14, 2005 SKEPTICS SOCIETY ANNUAL CONFERENCE:
The Brain, the Mind, and Consciousness
Caltech campus, Pasadena, CA

Westin Resort and Hotel and Beckman Auditorium, Caltech, Pasadena, CA

Magicians include: James “The Amazing� Randi, Bob Friedhoffer, the “madman of magic,� mentalist Mark Edwards, illusionist Jerry Andrus

Scientists include:
Christof Koch: “The Quest for Consciousness: A Neurobiological Approach�
Alison Gopnik: “Children as Scientists: How the Brain Learns to Think�
Steven Quartz: “Neuroeconomics and the Search for Cool�
Richard McNally: “In Search of Memory—True, False, Repressed, Recovered�
Terry Sejnowski: “Sleep, Dreams, and the Subconscious�
V.S. Ramachandran: “Neurotheology and the Search for God�
Susan Blackmore: “Exploring Altered States of Consciousness�
John Allman: “The Search for the Neurological Basis of the Social Emotions�
Paul Zak: “From Whence Trust Comes: Oxytocin and Behavioral Economics�
Hank Schlinger: “Consciousness is Nothing But a Word�
Ursula Goodenough: “From Biology to Consciousness to Morality�

Special Guest: Michael Crichton in conversation with Michael Shermer

Booked, registered, reserved, and waiting.

Who else is going?

[renata]

Jeff Wagg, Central Scrutinizer, Electric Monk, Brown, me..I am not sure who else.

[Jeff Wagg]

I am going, hoping to have lunch with some folks before the conference.

BTW, Crichton canceled. He's been replaced with “Simpsons Mania – Behind the Scenes with America’s Favorite Family�

Mike Reiss has won four Emmys and a Peabody Award for his work on The Simpsons.

No great loss in my opinion.

[Phil]

Originally posted by renata
Jeff Wagg, Central Scrutinizer, Electric Monk, Brown, me..I am not sure who else.
Sweet!

The party continues.

[duppyraces]

Done deal for me too! Much like Phil, I am booked, registered, reserved and...well, maybe not that reserved, but definitely waiting.

[MLynn]

Originally posted by renata
Jeff Wagg, Central Scrutinizer, Electric Monk, Brown, me..I am not sure who else.
I don't think I can attend the conference, but I certainly could meet people for dinner some evening. :)

[Jeff Wagg]

I think dinner is included both Friday and Saturday. I wonder if Lynn could attend as someone's guest?

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
Jeff Wagg, Central Scrutinizer, Electric Monk, Brown, me..I am not sure who else.

From what I understand, Renata will be organizing all sorts of activities for the participants! :p

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
From what I understand, Renata will be organizing all sorts of activities for the participants!

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer


Ho in the hell diod this happen?

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I'b\ve had too much to drink tobight.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Anyhow, Renata is organizing everything, Talkk\ to her.

[renata]

Scrut! :mad:

Actually, if any of you come a little early or late I would be more than happy to suggest some places you can visit :) Just let me know.

Just do not ask me where we are eating dinner!

[Brown]

Originally posted by renata
Jeff Wagg, Central Scrutinizer, Electric Monk, Brown, me..I am not sure who else. You know that I would normally hike across the country in my bare feet just to see you, Renata; but sadly, I will not be able to attend this conference.

[Jeff Wagg]

Originally posted by renata
Just do not ask me where we are eating dinner!

What, no Thai? I never did get there in Vegas.

[renata]

Originally posted by Jeff Wagg
What, no Thai? I never did get there in Vegas.

:mad:

That just cost you some maple sugar candy, mister!

[renata]

Originally posted by Brown
You know that I would normally hike across the country in my bare feet just to see you, Renata; but sadly, I will not be able to attend this conference.

:( I do not know where I got the idea you were going. You can hike barefoot to TAM4 then :)

[Phil]

Originally posted by renata
:( I do not know where I got the idea you were going. You can hike barefoot to TAM4 then :)
Speaking of feet, are yours back to a normal color yet?

Should I bring some bleach and a belt sander?

[Jeff Wagg]

Originally posted by renata
:mad:

That just cost you some maple sugar candy, mister!

OK, it's sugaring season. Maple Sugar candy I can do. Not that I'll ever eat the stuff myself. Blech.

[renata]

Originally posted by Jeff Wagg
OK, it's sugaring season. Maple Sugar candy I can do. Not that I'll ever eat the stuff myself. Blech.

I have never had any. But I do have a sweettooth, so I am sure I will like it :D

(There are some decent Thai places in Pasadena)

[renata]

Originally posted by Phil
Speaking of feet, are yours back to a normal color yet?

Should I bring some bleach and a belt sander?

They are quite a normal color, thank you. Those cheesegraters truly do have many uses.

However, please do bring bleach and a belt sander. I have been meaning to try this one little thing, and those are vital ingredients. I will supply the rabbit fur and the plum butter.

[MLynn]

Originally posted by Jeff Wagg
I think dinner is included both Friday and Saturday. I wonder if Lynn could attend as someone's guest?
I think that's a great idea if it's "legal." Don't want to get anyone in trouble.

[Girl 6]

I'll be at the Shermer conference, as well. I'll bring my latest knitting project and will be knitting away as usual during the presentations.

If there is anything else anyone wants me to bring, let me know. It will be great to see you guys again! :D

G6

[IllegalArgument]

Originally posted by Phil
Sweet!

The party continues.

I'll be there also. Maybe this time we can get some dancing in Girl 6.

[Questioninggeller]

Originally posted by Phil
Booked, registered, reserved, and waiting.

Who else is going?

I saw that on the back of the recent "Skeptic," but $150.00 is a lot of money and going alone would suck anyway.

Have fun though, the Neurology (Dr. Zak) talk should be very good, not to mention Dr. Shermer and Randi's presentations.

[Jeff Wagg]

Originally posted by Questioninggeller
I saw that on the back of the recent "Skeptic," but $150.00 is a lot of money and going alone would suck anyway.

Money is one thing, but going alone? I always travel alone to skeptic events (well, except for Randi at Tufts), but honestly, I never feel like I'm alone when I get there. There's always someone to talk to and hang out with.

There's something very freeing about being with a group of people that you don't have to worry about offending.

[Jeff Wagg]

Originally posted by IllegalArgument
I'll be there also. Maybe this time we can get some dancing in Girl 6.

Glad to see you'll be there! We have some positive psychology to discuss.

[duppyraces]

Anyone ever been to one of these Skeptic Society Annual Conferences before? How does it compare to TAM? I mean, obviously it's shorter and all that, and we'll be missing lots of favorite forumites, but just wondering if it has a smidgen of the awesome feeling TAM had. How large a crowd does it gather? In looking over the agenda of the "official" part of the convention, I am *very* excited about the topics! And although I'm still a relative newbie to the forums, I'm really looking forward to seeing those of you who are going. :D

[renata]

Originally posted by duppyraces
Anyone ever been to one of these Skeptic Society Annual Conferences before? How does it compare to TAM? I mean, obviously it's shorter and all that, and we'll be missing lots of favorite forumites, but just wondering if it has a smidgen of the awesome feeling TAM had. How large a crowd does it gather? In looking over the agenda of the "official" part of the convention, I am *very* excited about the topics! And although I'm still a relative newbie to the forums, I'm really looking forward to seeing those of you who are going. :D

"Annual" is a bit of a misnomer :) The last one they had was I think 3-4 years ago. SInce they did not have a forum till two weeks ago (www.skepticforum.com) they will not have the same silly presence as TAMs did. However, there will be some familiar places and I am sure we can get into good trouble.

In the meanwhile, since I am a local I will be more than happy to recommend some local places of interest should people want to come early/stay late. I also can get discount tickets for a lot of the major attractions, if people are interested in doing the Disneyland/Universal Studios bit.

But I am not organizing dinners! :mad:

[duppyraces]

Originally posted by renata
"Annual" is a bit of a misnomer :) The last one they had was I think 3-4 years ago. SInce they did not have a forum till two weeks ago (www.skepticforum.com) they will not have the same silly presence as TAMs did. However, there will be some familiar places and I am sure we can get into good trouble.

In the meanwhile, since I am a local I will be more than happy to recommend some local places of interest should people want to come early/stay late. I also can get discount tickets for a lot of the major attractions, if people are interested in doing the Disneyland/Universal Studios bit.

But I am not organizing dinners! :mad:

Thanks for the info, Renata. :) You just haaaad to mention Disneyland, didn't you. Must. Resist. I'm sure you're sick to death of it, but I went most every year as a kid (and quite a few as an adult), and that damned park has influenced more of my decorating over the years...

No Mickeys for me, though. My bedroom is pure New Orleans Square. Guess it beats out the Jungle Cruise living room I had a few years back.

Yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for me

[Girl 6]

Who cares about dinner? It's going to be provided for both nights.

I want to organize an awesome dessert party for Saturday night! What do you guys say? Let's find a really decadent dessert place, raid it, enjoy each other's company, and have dessert!

What do you say?

G6

[Jeff Wagg]

I'm in, though I'm staying in Primm Saturday night and must be able to make it there alive.

I'll bring Ben and Jerry's (somehow) to keep my Vermont theme going. Flavor requests?

[Girl 6]

Originally posted by Jeff Wagg
I'm in, though I'm staying in Primm Saturday night and must be able to make it there alive.

I'll bring Ben and Jerry's (somehow) to keep my Vermont theme going. Flavor requests?

No, no, no... Let's not bring dessert! That would be messy. :) Let's find a place to eat dessert and congregate in.

I have an idea about where to do this, though. We can talk more when we all meet down there. I'm looking forward to seeing some of you there.

G6

[renata]

Pasadena is rich in all kinds of places- microbreweries, coffeeshops, jazzclubs, great bakeries and so on. I am sure we could find a place that will satisfy the taste of the group. :)

What are the dates people are coming/leaving? And will anyone be renting cars? LA, unlike Las Vegas is not easy to get around in without a vehicle.

As I said previously, I will be happy to give tips on interesting places to visit while you are in LA depending on your interests and time constraints. JPL, for example is having its annual open house Sunday of the conference, which should be great fun. :)

[Jeff Wagg]

OK, no Ben & Jerry's, but I will have a full-sized car, so I'd have room for 3 or 4 passengers.

I'm coming in Thurday night very late and leaving Saturday night after stuffing myself with dessert. (Then off to Primm and Vegas. I'm one of those who actually likes it there.)

[renata]

Originally posted by Jeff Wagg
OK, no Ben & Jerry's, but I will have a full-sized car, so I'd have room for 3 or 4 passengers.

I'm coming in Thurday night very late and leaving Saturday night after stuffing myself with dessert. (Then off to Primm and Vegas. I'm one of those who actually likes it there.)

Well, you won't have too much time to explore LA, just Friday morning. In that event I would recommend you explore

http://www.huntington.org/

which is very close to Caltech.

Other places of interest in LA area

http://www.getty.edu/museum/
http://www.lacma.org/
http://www.moca.org/index.php

Downtown has some interesting architecture. I already mentioned Disneyland and Universal Studios. There are plenty of beaches and Santa Monica, Malibu and Venice Beach are fun to explore, especially the boardwalk. A lot of people like visiting the swanky areas, but I find Rodeo Drive pretty boring- Melrose is much more fun. A drive along Sunset Blvd from the beach to the Hollywood is interesting because you are exposed to a tremendous LA variety of neighborhoods, and hey, it was a great movie. Hollywood Blvd is a standard tourist stop, with the Scientology center, Mann's Chinese and the Egyptian. Mulholland drive is also a good ride, you see natural beauty of LA, and lots of views of the Hollywood sign. Griffith observatory is still closed, but the park itself is magical. Olvera street is nice, and can be combined with walks around downtown, which features some very interesting architecture. Descansco Gardens are gorgeous, the original Farmers market is also a great spot. La Brea Tar Pits, of course, but I did not find them that interesting.

In other words there is plenty to do for any taste, interest and budget. And now I will stop playing tourguide :D

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
Well, you won't have too much time to explore LA, just Friday morning. In that event I would recommend you explore

http://www.huntington.org/

which is very close to Caltech.

Other places of interest in LA area

http://www.getty.edu/museum/
http://www.lacma.org/
http://www.moca.org/index.php

Downtown has some interesting architecture. I already mentioned Disneyland and Universal Studios. There are plenty of beaches and Santa Monica, Malibu and Venice Beach are fun to explore, especially the boardwalk. A lot of people like visiting the swanky areas, but I find Rodeo Drive pretty boring- Melrose is much more fun. A drive along Sunset Blvd from the beach to the Hollywood is interesting because you are exposed to a tremendous LA variety of neighborhoods, and hey, it was a great movie. Hollywood Blvd is a standard tourist stop, with the Scientology center, Mann's Chinese and the Egyptian. Mulholland drive is also a good ride, you see natural beauty of LA, and lots of views of the Hollywood sign. Griffith observatory is still closed, but the park itself is magical. Olvera street is nice, and can be combined with walks around downtown, which features some very interesting architecture. Descansco Gardens are gorgeous, the original Farmers market is also a great spot. La Brea Tar Pits, of course, but I did not find them that interesting.

In other words there is plenty to do for any taste, interest and budget. And now I will stop playing tourguide :D

But where are we going for dinner? And what time? Will we meet at the restaurant or at the hotel?

:p

[renata]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
But where are we going for dinner? And what time? Will we meet at the restaurant or at the hotel?

:p

That's it. You are done for! :mad:

[duppyraces]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
But where are we going for dinner? And what time? Will we meet at the restaurant or at the hotel?

:p

Awww, lay off her. You know she really just wants to surprise us with everything already planned out and taken care of when we get there.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
That's it. You are done for! :mad:

I didn't even know I had started!

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by duppyraces
Awww, lay off her. You know she really just wants to surprise us with everything already planned out and taken care of when we get there.

You are probably correct. I can't wait to see our itinerary!

[renata]

Note to self- distribute photos of Scrut and Duppy at the Burbank airport. Give some juicy info to Homeland security. Spend Skeptic conference in peace.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
Note to self- distribute photos of Scrut and Duppy at the Burbank airport. Give some juicy info to Homeland security. Spend Skeptic conference in peace.

What sort or photos? ;)

I am arriving Thur am at 11:00 and leaving Monday am at 10:00.

Site seeing Thur afternoon (& evening?), all day Friday, and all day Sunday. Drinking beer and chasing Skepchicks the rest of the time.

[duppyraces]

Originally posted by renata
Note to self- distribute photos of Scrut and Duppy at the Burbank airport. Give some juicy info to Homeland security. Spend Skeptic conference in peace.

Illegible note to self scrawled on hand: disguise self as little old skeplady from Pasadena. Don't mention not flying into Burbank.

D'OH! :hb:

Ah well. I suppose none of it matters, because I probably WON'T SURVIVE THE PLANE CRASH. Ack! I hate small planes. But it'll be worth the risk to see what Renata has in store. I hear she's planning dinner with Homeland Security! w00t!

[duppyraces]

Oh, I'm sorry Renata. I hardly know you and...and...you hardly know me and here I am giving you a bad time. I promise I'll make it up to you. Wait, I know! I'll buy you dinner. Just tell me when and where.

:D

hmmm...on second thought, LA has some very pricey places...I could end up making jokes at my own expense. No, wait...what was that? Oh! Cool! Scrut is paying.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by duppyraces
hmmm...on second thought, LA has some very pricey places...I could end up making jokes at my own expense. No, wait...what was that? Oh! Cool! Scrut is paying.

Yep. Taco Bell it is!

[renata]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
What sort or photos? ;)

The hidden camera ones. You know, with the pepper spray



I am arriving Thur am at 11:00 and leaving Monday am at 10:00.

Site seeing Thur afternoon (& evening?), all day Friday, and all day Sunday. Drinking beer and chasing Skepchicks the rest of the time.

All time honored traditions of skeptical gatherings :D

Except Friday evening and Sunday morning there are some events.

[renata]

Originally posted by duppyraces
Illegible note to self scrawled on hand: disguise self as little old skeplady from Pasadena. Don't mention not flying into Burbank.

D'OH! :hb:

Ah well. I suppose none of it matters, because I probably WON'T SURVIVE THE PLANE CRASH. Ack! I hate small planes. But it'll be worth the risk to see what Renata has in store. I hear she's planning dinner with Homeland Security! w00t!

Dinner with Homeland security is not all! I also planned entertainment with whips and handcuffs! When the security guy at the airport says he will want to ask a few questions don't be shy- rip his clothes off and make him dance. It is all part of the festivities.

Originally posted by duppyraces

Oh, I'm sorry Renata. I hardly know you and...and...you hardly know me and here I am giving you a bad time. I promise I'll make it up to you. Wait, I know! I'll buy you dinner. Just tell me when and where.


Hon, "making fun of Renata" is practically a national sport here. Don't feel guilt, none of the monkeys do. :)


hmmm...on second thought, LA has some very pricey places...I could end up making jokes at my own expense. No, wait...what was that? Oh! Cool! Scrut is paying.

Nah, if I wanted to have dinner at a cheap strip joint, I'd visit Phil.


PS - if you are flying into LAX, try do avoid rush hour traffic. LAX is situated in the worst tangle in LA, and that is saying something. Burbank is a much better airport, especially since it is quite a bit closer to Pasadena.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

There are no more rooms at the special rate. :(

So I'm booked at a Comfort Inn at 2462 E. Colorado Blvd. At only $75 a nite! Which leaves me extra money for hookers!

Anyhow, it is the same distance from the campus as the Westin, only East instead of West. And I have a car, so no big deal. Plus, I'm closer to Old Town Pasadena, correct?

[renata]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
There are no more rooms at the special rate. :(

So I'm booked at a Comfort Inn at 2462 E. Colorado Blvd. At only $75 a nite! Which leaves me extra money for hookers!

Anyhow, it is the same distance from the campus as the Westin, only East instead of West. And I have a car, so no big deal. Plus, I'm closer to Old Town Pasadena, correct?

Rooms at the special rate should be available till April 15. Odd.

It is all near each other, and the area is safe and lovely to walk in.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
Rooms at the special rate should be available till April 15. Odd.

It is all near each other, and the area is safe and lovely to walk in.

Cool. I've had good luck at Comfort Inns, and I don't plan on being there much. I'll keep checking back this week at the Conference Hotel in case anyone cancels.

[duppyraces]

Originally posted by renata
Dinner with Homeland security is not all! I also planned entertainment with whips and handcuffs! When the security guy at the airport says he will want to ask a few questions don't be shy- rip his clothes off and make him dance. It is all part of the festivities.

See, I *knew* you had it all planned out! *dancing around* I was right, I was right. I'm printing this out so I don't forget. And for proof I was coerced, in case Mr. Security Dork is a Stiffly Stifferson.


Hon, "making fun of Renata" is practically a national sport here. Don't feel guilt, none of the monkeys do. :)

Hey, mom doesn't call me "Melissa Monkey" for nothin'.

Nah, if I wanted to have dinner at a cheap strip joint, I'd visit Phil. Ah, crap. I should have known there was a reason he asked me if I'd ever been to a strip club.

[renata]

Originally posted by duppyraces
See, I *knew* you had it all planned out! *dancing around* I was right, I was right. I'm printing this out so I don't forget. And for proof I was coerced, in case Mr. Security Dork is a Stiffly Stifferson.
.

Stiffly Stifferson-you just guessed Phil's #10 stripper name! Want to guess the other 9?

[duppyraces]

Originally posted by renata
Stiffly Stifferson-you just guessed Phil's #10 stripper name! Want to guess the other 9?

Phil the Phallus
Philter Pheeder
Phil Myshorts
The Philage Peephole
Dark and Philme Night
Phil Phil the Dancing Machine
Pedophil
The Amazing Randy Boy
William Hung

[Phil]

Originally posted by duppyraces
. . .
Phil Myshorts
. . .

I haven't used those names in weeks. And that's Mr. Myshorts to all of you.

[duppyraces]

Originally posted by Phil
I haven't used those names in weeks. And that's Mr. Myshorts to all of you.
Mr. Myshorts, you totally killed the thread with that request. Perhaps it was a bit demanding? Or is there a dark and disturbing Myshorts history on these boards that no one dares to speak of?

[Phil]

Originally posted by duppyraces
Mr. Myshorts, you totally killed the thread with that request. Perhaps it was a bit demanding? Or is there a dark and disturbing Myshorts history on these boards that no one dares to speak of?
Are you kidding? If there were a dark and disturbing Myshorts history on these boards that's all anyone would speak of.

But I suppose we could make up something disturbing and fun, just to get people talking. Meantime, I'm sorry for killing the thread.

[duppyraces]

Originally posted by Phil
Are you kidding? If there were a dark and disturbing Myshorts history on these boards that's all anyone would speak of.

But I suppose we could make up something disturbing and fun, just to get people talking. Meantime, I'm sorry for killing the thread.

Apology accepted. Twice. In the meantime, I just saw an article where a man wants Mt. Diablo renamed, because it offends his religious sensibilities.

Religious Man Wants To Rename Mt. Diablo (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050414/ap_on_re_us/mount_diablo)

"Words have power, and when you start mentioning words that come from the dark side, evil thrives"

ARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH When is the Skeptics Society conference?! What century am I in? I need a fix now. I can't stand it anymore. I grew up near Mt. Diablo. Maybe that explains a few things.

[renata]

Duppy and Myshorts killed the thread. Again.


In the meanwhile, we in LA get to see Bill Nye the Science Guy.

http://www.skeptic.com/lectures.html#apr

As usual, a small group is meeting beforehand for breakfast and after for dinner. If you are interested, please PM me.

[Phil]

Originally posted by renata
Duppy and Myshorts killed the thread. Again.


In the meanwhile, we in LA get to see Bill Nye the Science Guy.

http://www.skeptic.com/lectures.html#apr

As usual, a small group is meeting beforehand for breakfast and after for dinner. If you are interested, please PM me.
Have guys received any material concerning the conference? As of today, I have received nothing from Skeptic Society.

[Jeff Wagg]

Nothing yet, so either we're OK or we're both in trouble.

Nice to have company, anyway.

[renata]

Originally posted by Phil
Have guys received any material concerning the conference? As of today, I have received nothing from Skeptic Society.

Nope. I will see them Sunday, inquire and post their answer here.

[Jeff Wagg]

Renata (et al),

I'm going to get the maple candy on Thursday. Would you like the hard stuff (no liquor, like hard candy) or the softer, more traditional maple sugar candy? Perhaps some of both?

Anyone else want some VT goodies for the Skeptics Conference?

[renata]

Originally posted by Jeff Wagg
Renata (et al),

I'm going to get the maple candy on Thursday. Would you like the hard stuff (no liquor, like hard candy) or the softer, more traditional maple sugar candy? Perhaps some of both?

Anyone else want some VT goodies for the Skeptics Conference?

Hi Jeff,
I was just jeking your chain. You don't need to bring candy to appease me :)





But if you do, bring soft stuff. Have lots of cavities for some reason. :D

[duppyraces]

Originally posted by renata
Duppy and Myshorts killed the thread. Again.


In the meanwhile, we in LA get to see Bill Nye the Science Guy.

http://www.skeptic.com/lectures.html#apr

As usual, a small group is meeting beforehand for breakfast and after for dinner. If you are interested, please PM me. Wow! Bill Nye the Science Guy! I think we're getting Fred Astor the Church Pastor in Tucson next week.

[renata]

From the latest Eskeptic

We need your help! If you would be willing to put our Caltech Conference (“Brain, Mind, and Consciousness�) brochures into faculty mail boxes at your local university or college, we will send you however many you think you can use. The best departments, of course, are psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and biology (you can probably pass on LitCrit PoMo departments!). Our conference is May 13–15, so if interested please contact us immediately to give us your mailing address and how many conference brochures you would like. If you have a group email list you would like to send out a link to our web page (www.skeptic.com/conf/conference.html) that would also be deeply appreciated.

Also, if you are in the Southern California area, we could use some help promoting our Sunday, April 24 event with Bill Nye the Science Guy. We have brochures promoting this event and if you contact us, we'll send you some to pass out to schools and friends and kids you know who might like to attend. Thank you for your help.

[Electric Monk]

(Well, Renata just had to post a link, but here's the usual announcement from me.)

Bill Nye the Science Guy in person
Germs!
Skeptics Lecture Series (http://www.skeptic.com): New location: Beckman Auditorium at Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Sunday, April 24, 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Skeptics Society 626-794-3119

Germs, germs, everywhere! We live with them all day, every day. Did you know that: Some germs are good for you, or even delicious? There are more germs inside you than there are people on Earth? Your body is constantly fighting germs, even when you aren't sick? Come hear Bill speak, and you’ll learn about these things and more. Find out about germs and how to stay healthy in this delightful presentation based on his new book Great Big Book of Tiny GERMS, as well as a few new things from Nye Labs. Bring the kids, and the kids' friends, for an afternoon of science and a blast of fun.

Bill Nye is best known for his hit PBS television series Bill Nye the Science Guy, which ran from 1992-1998 and won Emmy Awards for Best Performer, Best Writing, Best Producing, and Best Show. He is the host of the Science Channel’s 100 Greatest Discoveries in Science, and the forthcoming series The Eyes of Nye. He is the author of Bill Nye’s Big Blast of Science, Bill Nye’s Consider the Following, Bill Nye the Science Guy's Big Blue Ocean, and Bill Nye the Science Guy’s Great Big Dinosaur Dig. He is also an inventor, with patents pending for a baseball retrieval device, a ball throwing technique training gizmo, and an improved ballet toe shoe. As part of the Mars Athena Exploration Team, he played a key role in the design of the MarsDials, the sundials on Mars. Bill serves on the boards of The Planetary Society as Vice President, the New Horizons Mission to Pluto, and the National Health Museum in Washington, DC.

Tickets at the door:
Nonmembers: $12
Skeptic members: $8
Students under 18 with ID: $5
Caltech or JPL with ID: $5

Tickets available in advance by phone with an additional $4 fee.
Toll-free: 1 (888) 2CALTECH (222-5832)

[renata]

Originally posted by Phil
Have guys received any material concerning the conference? As of today, I have received nothing from Skeptic Society.

I asked them, today. They are mailing things out in batches, instead of one by one. They just recently mailed out 200 confirmations, you may get something soon.


There are about 350 people registered thus far, and hopefully there will be more soon.

There may be a request for some volunteers to help with registration Friday night, please contact me if you would not object to being bossed around by me. :D I would like to have a list of names to call on if needed- however it is likely we may not need anyone :)

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
There may be a request for some volunteers to help with registration Friday night, please contact me if you would not object to being bossed around by me. :D I would like to have a list of names to call on if needed- however it is likely we may not need anyone :)

I will not volunteer, as I will be busy getting drunk at the happy hour.

[renata]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
I will not volunteer, as I will be busy getting drunk at the happy hour.

Our first volunteer! Thanks :)

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
Our first volunteer! Thanks :)

Our first volunteer to get drunk!!! :p

[renata]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
Our first volunteer to get drunk!!! :p

Too late, you are on my volunteer list. :p

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
Too late, you are on my volunteer list. :p

Only if I get paid.

[renata]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
Only if I get paid.

Deal

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
Deal

Woo-Hoo!!!

[Jeff Wagg]

I'll volunteer, and I'll even do it sober.

I'm on the fence about changing my plans and going to the JPL open house and then Julia's show and her after show soiree. Is anyone else going to these things?

[renata]

Originally posted by Jeff Wagg
I'll volunteer, and I'll even do it sober.

Excellent :) Chances are there won't be a need, but I would like to have a group of people I can point to if needed :)

Psst..don't tell Scrut but he is being paid in peanuts. Too bad he already agreed.


I'm on the fence about changing my plans and going to the JPL open house and then Julia's show and her after show soiree. Is anyone else going to these things?

Electric Monk is the person to talk to about Julia's show. I will skip it, because I saw it in a few iterations already. JPL is high on my list for Sunday. What were your plans originally?

[Jeff Wagg]

Originally posted by renata
Electric Monk is the person to talk to about Julia's show. I will skip it, because I saw it in a few iterations already. JPL is high on my list for Sunday. What were your plans originally? [/B]

Well, I was going to drive to Primm Saturday night and then head on to Vegas Sunday. But I'm rethinking that as I believe Primm to be a missable locale and I won't often have the chance to visit JPL and Julia's show.

But then again, if no one else was doing these things, I would probably just keep my original plans.

Somebody make up my mind for me!!!

[renata]

Originally posted by Jeff Wagg
Well, I was going to drive to Primm Saturday night and then head on to Vegas Sunday. But I'm rethinking that as I believe Primm to be a missable locale and I won't often have the chance to visit JPL and Julia's show.

But then again, if no one else was doing these things, I would probably just keep my original plans.

Somebody make up my mind for me!!!

I don't know anything about Primm. In general, I find Vegas pretty boring, as I am not a gambler. Hence, I am voting for you to stay in LA :)

[MLynn]

If I wear fishnets and my killer black heels, may I crash the conference? ;)
I want to see everyone, but can't attend the conference. :(

[The Central Scrutinizer]

I know what I'm doing Sunday afternoon! Dodgers vs Braves, 1:10 pm, Chavez Ravine.

Renata, you can organize this. Get me a good ticket behind home plate.

[duppyraces]

Originally posted by MLynn
If I wear fishnets and my killer black heels, may I crash the conference? ;)
I want to see everyone, but can't attend the conference. :( I say do it! They'll probably offer to pay you next year to do it again. Wear your TAM badge. At least crash the evening stuff in the lounges...it would be great to see you again. :) What's the worst that can happen?

"Crazed sexy skepchick in stilettos crashes convention"

That's a headline worth striving for. Of course, G6 will get "Crazed sexy skepchick in stilettos and boa knits at convention"

Phil will probably get both.

[Phil]

Originally posted by duppyraces
I say do it! They'll probably offer to pay you next year to do it again. Wear your TAM badge. At least crash the evening stuff in the lounges...it would be great to see you again. :) What's the worst that can happen?

"Crazed sexy skepchick in stilettos crashes convention"

That's a headline worth striving for. Of course, G6 will get "Crazed sexy skepchick in stilettos and boa knits at convention"

Phil will probably get both.
Maybe, but I'm kinda into tube tops these days, too, so . . .

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by Phil
Maybe, but I'm kinda into tube tops these days, too, so . . .

You should move to South St. Louis. Especially if you like big hair.

[duppyraces]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
You should move to South St. Louis. Especially if you like big hair. STOP. Just stop. I had just gotten to the point where I was able to accept the fact I might be seeing Phil in a tube top in a few weeks. A tube top and big hair is just not going to work. Now he's going to bring up that threesome with Richard Simmons thing again and...

Let's talk about Renata's blue feet or something, which I didn't see, but I bet were cool.

[renata]

Originally posted by duppyraces

Let's talk about Renata's blue feet or something, which I didn't see, but I bet were cool.

Scratches duppy of Christmas card list

[duppyraces]

Originally posted by renata
Scratches duppy of Christmas card list Dang it, and I was *so* looking forward to another bad picture of your family and inane stories from the previous year.

Oh wait; I don't think that was you. Musta been Scrut.

[renata]

Originally posted by duppyraces
Dang it, and I was *so* looking forward to another bad picture of your family and inane stories from the previous year.

Oh wait; I don't think that was you. Musta been Scrut.

Was he wearing a pink nightie? Yeah, it was Scrut.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
Was he wearing a pink nightie? Yeah, it was Scrut.

Shows how much you know! It is mauve. :p

[Electric Monk]

Originally posted by Jeff Wagg
Well, I was going to drive to Primm Saturday night and then head on to Vegas Sunday. But I'm rethinking that as I believe Primm to be a missable locale and I won't often have the chance to visit JPL and Julia's show.

But then again, if no one else was doing these things, I would probably just keep my original plans.

Somebody make up my mind for me!!! I'm going to try to go to the JPL open house. The tour I took last year was pretty neat. I got to see a high-bay assembly room where they put together the Mars Rovers and other vehicles, and saw the mission control rooms. I don't know what the Open House is like.

Julia's show is worth seeing in the theater. I've seen 16.5 versions of it, now. I won't be going to this one, though, because I'm volunteering to help her with the dinner afterward, and will be helping the caterers set up at her house.

I've asked if she wants any more volunteers for that, and haven't heard back yet. Would anybody else be interested?

--James

[Electric Monk]

Dr. Arthur I. Miller
Empire of the Stars: Obsession, Friendship, and Betrayal in the Quest for Black Holes
Skeptics Lecture Series (http://www.skeptic.com): Baxter Lecture Hall at Caltech, Pasadena, CA.
Sunday, May 1, 2:00 p.m.
Contact: Skeptics Society 626-794-3119

In August 1930, on a voyage from Madras to London, a young Indian looked up at the stars and contemplated their fate. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar—Chandra, as he was calleds—calculated that certain stars would suffer a most violent death, collapsing to virtually nothing. This extraordinary claim, the first mathematical description of black holes, rankled one of the greatest astrophysicists of the day, Sir Arthur Eddington, who in 1935 publicly ridiculed Chandra, sending him into an intellectual and emotional tailspin—and hindering the progress of astrophysics for nearly forty years. Tracing the rise of two great theories, relativity and quantum mechanics, which meet head on in black holes, Miller recounts the dramatic story of this intellectual feud. This sweeping history examines the quest to understand one of the most forbidding objects in the universe as well as the passions that fueled that quest over the course of a century.

Dr. Arthur I. Miller is Professor of History and Philosophy of Science, Department of Science & Technology Studies, University College, London. He lives in London.

Book signing to follow lecture.

Donation at the door:
Nonmembers: $8
Skeptic members: $5
Students with ID: $5
Caltech faculty, staff and students with ID: complimentary
JPL staff: complimentary

[MLynn]

Originally posted by duppyraces
I say do it! They'll probably offer to pay you next year to do it again. Wear your TAM badge. At least crash the evening stuff in the lounges...it would be great to see you again. :) What's the worst that can happen?

"Crazed sexy skepchick in stilettos crashes convention"

:D
Right now I'm not sure what I'm going to do - it would be great to see everyone in the evening. I'm still looking for a job so do not have a life as I write this. :p I'll keep in touch with renata and Electric Monk so I can figure out what to do. I miss you, Duppy!

And yes, I do have my TAM3 badge....and the shoes. I'll have to get some new fishnets, tho.:)

[Jeff Wagg]

I'm very ignorant about LA's geography..I need some help.

I'm staying for two nights at the Westin where the Skeptics conference is, but I've changed my plans and need to stay somewhere else for two nights (Sat and Sun). What hotel/motel is convenient to Julia's show, Julia's house, JPL and the conference? Is there a hotel other than the Westin that others are staying at that is likely to have vacancy?

Thanks for any advice.

[Jeff Wagg]

I've been PMing with Electric Monk about lunch before the conference on Friday, May 13th. I'm going to be around with nothing to do, and Monk says he'd like to do lunch, so why don't we organize something?

Is anyone else available for an informal lunch gathering before the conference? And does anyone know the area well enough to recommend someplace to eat?

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by Jeff Wagg
I've been PMing with Electric Monk about lunch before the conference on Friday, May 13th. I'm going to be around with nothing to do, and Monk says he'd like to do lunch, so why don't we organize something?

Is anyone else available for an informal lunch gathering before the conference? And does anyone know the area well enough to recommend someplace to eat?

Renata can organize this!

[duppyraces]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
Renata can organize this! Renata wishes to pass along the message that she refuses to be baited any further by your tedious comments. And to PM her for details on lunch.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by duppyraces
Renata wishes to pass along the message that she refuses to be baited any further by your tedious comments. And to PM her for details on lunch.

I PM'd her. She said she is organizing the entire weekend!

[duppyraces]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
I PM'd her. She said she is organizing the entire weekend! Well, I hope she posts our itinerary soon...here it is, only a week away, and all I know for certain is that Phil is bringing an anti-gravity machine to the hotel room.

[Phil]

Originally posted by duppyraces
Well, I hope she posts our itinerary soon...here it is, only a week away, and all I know for certain is that Phil is bringing an anti-gravity machine to the hotel room.
Among other specialty items.

[duppyraces]

Originally posted by Phil
Among other specialty items. shhhhhh....I don't want the hotel charging us an additional insurance deposit.

[renata]

I am posting my favorite moments here :)
http://www.skepticforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=7172#7172

The unanswered questions will be posted when I feel human again.

Lizard.

Miss you all. :(

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by renata
I am posting my favorite moments here :)
http://www.skepticforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=7172#7172

The unanswered questions will be posted when I feel human again.

Lizard.

Miss you all. :(

Where are the pictures of me on the Hollywood walk of fame?

[Mercutio]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
Where are the pictures of me on the Hollywood walk of fame? Etched in my memory.
















What, not good enough?

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by Mercutio
Etched in my memory.
















What, not good enough?

There's no way to extract them!

Seeing the stars for the Three Stooges and Jules White, within a few feet of each other! It was a magical moment. And that damn Renata is holding it hostage! Just for that, I won't tell her of my plans for returning to LA!

[Mercutio]

LIZARD! (http://www.huntington.org/VRTour/desert.html)

[MLynn]

For those who love hearing learned people in the L.A. area like I do, here is a link regarding the July 10, 2005 event at CalTech, Baxter Lecture Hall:

Dr. Jennifer Michael Hecht
"DOUBT - A History"
Sunday, July 10, 2005
2:00 p.m. (Pacific Time)

http://www.skeptic.com/

:D I beat Electric Monk to the post...

[SezMe]

Originally posted by MLynn
For those who love hearing learned people in the L.A. area like I do, here is a link regarding the July 10, 2005 event at CalTech, Baxter Lecture Hall:

Dr. Jennifer Michael Hecht
"DOUBT - A History"
Sunday, July 10, 2005
2:00 p.m. (Pacific Time)

http://www.skeptic.com/

:D I beat Electric Monk to the post...
And for those of you to the far north of the LA megatropolis or can't make the 10th date, she will be giving the same lecture in Santa Barbara on July 16. Details here (http://www.SantaBarbaraHumanists.org)

[Electric Monk]

Originally posted by MLynn
:D I beat Electric Monk to the post... That's just because I always post in the week before the event. :)

Anyway, if anybody is going to the lecture, and wants to meet up beforehand, we're going to have lunch at Europane on Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, our usual spot.

--James