Guest wish list for TAMIII

[The Bad Astronomer]

We are already seeing threads about potential guests for TAMIII. Why not collate them?

I'm sure we'll see Julia Sweeney again, and I might drop by. :) So who do you want? Just a quick note, with a description. We should keep a separate thread for discussions if someone disagrees (and we could link to it from the post with the suggestion).

1) Dr. Dean Edell (http://www.healthcentral.com/drdean/drdean.cfm). He's a medical skeptic, well-spoken, thoughtful, and straightforward in his conviction.

[CFLarsen]

Apart from Michael Shermer (duh!) and Phil Plait (double-duh!), I would also love to see the following people, in no particular order:

Phillip Klass
Joe Nickell
Susan Blackmore
Theodore Schick
Roger Culver & Phillip Ianna
Mark Pendergrast
Emily Rosa
Mark Edward

I probably left out some important people. I know that Martin Gardner doesn't make public appearances, but could JREF persuade him to simply show up? Carl Sagan and Stephen Jay Gould are there in spirit anyway...

We should, of course, invite people from the Dark Side as well - at least, as a formality:

Sylvia Browne
John Edward
Gary Schwartz
Montague Keene
Brian Josephson
etc....

Hey, let's give them an opportunity to defend themselves...! I would love the chance to tear Schwartz' "experiments" apart... :)

However, I would appreciate it if Jerry Andrus was chained to something immovable. Does that guy ever get tired? He makes people a fourth his age look positively lethargic! No, really, he is a fixture at TAM, and it is great - if somewhat scary - to play with his optical illusions and see his tricks. I'm not sure if I love the illusions or hate them....they make me question my sanity. I have never seen him turn down an audience, be it of one or fifty. Keep him.

[cosmic]

Tom Gilovitch-- his book " How we know what isn't so: The fallibility of human reason in everyday life." offers tangible reasons for why people believe wierd things...
I invited him to speak on the "hot hand" and other pitfalls of perception at fermi national lab and he gave a great talk, entertaining and informative...
http://comp9.psych.cornell.edu/people/Faculty/tdg1.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0029117062/

Cecil Adams-- this guy knows how to research a topic. He has a webpage that has to be good for the critical thinking cause... and I bet he has some serious stories to tell. Let's get "The Straight Dope" at TAMIII
http://www.straightdope.com/

Massimo Pigliucci-- this guy seems to know his science and philosophy. Just because he writes for SI and FI doesn't mean he can speak at TAMIII-- right??
http://fp.bio.utk.edu/skeptic/default.htm

Karl Fezer-- his book "Scholarly World, Private Worlds" is an elegant work for teaching critical thinking and gently opening the door to skepticism for those with cherished religious beliefs. Truely a thoughtful book and I'd love to hear him speak. In terms of the athiesm/theism discussion of late, this book explores the boundaries in a non-threatening way yet pulls no punches.
http://faculty.concord.edu/kdfezer/

[jj]

I wish that the political climate was such that JJ could volunteer to give a talk on "The Audiophile and New Age Physics".

But that's a touchy subject.

[Nyarlathotep]

Originally posted by jj
I wish that the political climate was such that JJ could volunteer to give a talk on "The Audiophile and New Age Physics".

But that's a touchy subject.

I don't see why that would be a touchy subject. Who would object? Why?

[Jeff]

Andrew, Karl, Linda and I were discussing our wish list while we were in Vegas on Sunday. I think we came up with some cool people.

What I would say is think quickly because work on TAM3 is about to begin! :)

-Monkey Boy

[kittynh]

Larry Kusche....

ok not sure of the spelling, but he exploded the whole Bermuda Triangle thing. His two books, one about the Bermuda Triangle and the other about Flight 19 are text books about how to investigate paranormal claims. Basically, hard work and research. As he's a teacher I think he would be able to talk in public. Plus, I've never heard of him speaking at a skeptic event.

We in the skeptic community really owe him a lot.

And how about some more European skeptics?

[Jeff Corey]

Originally posted by cosmic
Tom Gilovitch-- his book " How we know what isn't so: The fallibility of human reason in everyday life." offers tangible reasons for why people believe wierd things...
I invited him to speak on the "hot hand" and other pitfalls of perception at fermi national lab and he gave a great talk, entertaining and informative...
http://comp9.psych.cornell.edu/people/Faculty/tdg1.html
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0029117062/

I second that. I wish he would update it for use in critical thinking courses. It's where I first ever heard of the Wason 4 (and, ultimately, 2) Card Problem.
An unnamed individual told me that that problem upset some people at TAM1.

[jj]

Originally posted by Nyarlathotep


I don't see why that would be a touchy subject. Who would object? Why?

It's touchy because of how the industry (audio) is controlled.

[Ed Baehr]

Bill Nye the science guy is a brilliant speaker and a fine human.

[kittynh]

Bill Nye! Totally!

I teach young children, and except for a few good books, including one by Michael Shermer (which is more about science) I'm making stuff up as I go along. Bill Nye would be a great resource.

[kevinsbikes]

Bill Nye is good...
Johnny Carson
Howard Stern
Janeane Geraffalo (sp)

[Brian]

Harlan Ellison. He was awarded this (http://harlanellison.com/news.htm) Scroll down a few inches. And he's a great writer.

[darling]

Tom Lehrer.

Also, if we're going to continue the mentalist/magician theme, then Derren Brown would be hard to beat.

[BigShoeStu]

Matt Stone and Trey Parker! SOUTHPARK ROCKS!!!

Especially if you want a bigger population at TAMIII. I bet these guys will draw in a younger crowd too. Wait. . . Would that be good or bad? Anyhow, with items for auction from Penn & Teller, dinner with Julia and items from Matt and Trey, that could become a huge contribution of cash for the JREF.

Regardless of the TAMIII roster, I think more attention should be focused on auctioning items. I think the silent and live auctions were a great idea and success at TAMII and should be implimented into TAMIII. Hal! Start collecting items! I will start saving now to win something. So far I bid $28.37 towards dinner with Julia. Good thing I have a year to save more.

"I like Cheezy Poofs"

[Jeff Corey]

Jon Stewart and Strossel, please???

[Dinonychus]

Originally posted by kevinsbikes
Bill Nye is good...
Johnny Carson
Howard Stern
Janeane Geraffalo (sp)

Howard Stern might be a bit much, don't you think?

Bill Nye and Johnny Carson would get me there even if I have to hitchhike!

[Peter Jenkins]

Originally posted by CFLarsen
We should, of course, invite people from the Dark Side as well - at least, as a formality:

Sylvia Browne
John Edward
Gary Schwartz
Montague Keene
Brian Josephson
etc....

Hey, let's give them an opportunity to defend themselves........

Montague Keen might be a bit difficult (at least according to this thread (http://host.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34008&highlight=keen) )
Although, Maybe James Van Praagh could offer to channel him..........?
Peter

[CFLarsen]

Originally posted by Peter Jenkins
Montague Keen might be a bit difficult (at least according to this thread (http://host.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34008&highlight=keen) )
Although, Maybe James Van Praagh could offer to channel him..........?
Peter

My point exactly. Hey, are we open-minded or what? :)

[Marc]

In the months before TAM 1 I found out a woman from another board lived in that area. Her and her husband both do hypnotic past-life regressions, I told her she should come and do a demonstratin, maybe even take the challenge there.

she refused of course. still seeing a challenge done live would be cool. They can blame the failure on intense negative vibes being in a skeptical nexus.


Did you know Bill Nye was on a comedy show before doing science?

[Luciana]

I would like to have one kind of guest at TAMIII - a claimant. Maybe it could be done one day prior to the conference, and reservations should be made so there isn't much of a crowd. Of course the claimant would have to agree on that, as long as we promise to send bad vibes...

Then we could witness a test being performed. Later, we could have a panel with the people involved so that each could tell of specific moments of the test, suggestions for improvements, general feeling after the whole thing.

[CFLarsen]

Luciana,

I agree, but I seriously doubt it will happen. We might get some lesser-known woowoo to do it, but they will bail out just before the meeting. And you don't have to be psychic to know that.

Didn't Randi say at TAM2 that about 80-90% never show up at all, even though they have agreed to?

We could, however, say that this is not just Randi, but the world's most predominant skeptics....could they claim that we were all unreliable scum?

Hmmmm...yeah, they could. :)

[Foofer]

Originally posted by cosmic
Massimo Pigliucci-- this guy seems to know his science and philosophy. Just because he writes for SI and FI doesn't mean he can speak at TAMIII-- right??
http://fp.bio.utk.edu/skeptic/default.htm

I second Massimo Pigliucci. I saw him do an excellent job debating Duane Gish several years ago in a big church in Mobile, AL. Afterward, he went to dinner with us dozen or so heathens that attended. I heard him speak at Alabama Freethought's big 4th of July event in 2002. He's an excellent speaker and a great guy. The fabulous Italian accent doesn't hurt, either.

[Brown]

On my "pink sheet," I listed perhaps half a dozen folks. Some of them have been named already.

Number one on my list is Prof. John Allen Paulos, author of "Innumerancy" and a columnist (http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/WhosCounting/whoscounting_paulos_candidates_040104.html) for ABC (USA) News. I would very much like to see a presentation about some common mathematical misunderstandings.

I also recommended Alan Alda, host of Scientific American Frontiers, Matt and Trey from "South Park," and John Stossel.

I wish I had remembered to mention Bill Nye. The folks who put together the Snopes web site might be interesting, too.

[Brown]

Oops, double post. Sorry about that.

[Brown]

Originally posted by Luciana Nery
I would like to have one kind of guest at TAMIII - a claimant. Maybe it could be done one day prior to the conference, and reservations should be made so there isn't much of a crowd. Of course the claimant would have to agree on that, as long as we promise to send bad vibes...

Then we could witness a test being performed. Later, we could have a panel with the people involved so that each could tell of specific moments of the test, suggestions for improvements, general feeling after the whole thing. Originally posted by CFLarsen
I agree, but I seriously doubt it will happen. We might get some lesser-known woowoo to do it, but they will bail out just before the meeting. Actually, I rather like this idea, and I think it can be arranged. For example, I would be willing to have my "psychic" power tested. I claim that I can identify which of ten closed containers holds a set of five Kennedy half dollars. I do not claim 100 percent accuracy, but I do claim that I can find the coins without the use of my senses about 30 percent of the time. About half of the time, I can narrow it down to two or three containers.

I offer no theories as to why this works. As far as I know, I am unaffected by "bad vibes," stray electrical or magnetic fields, flowing water, or anything like that.

So. How would you test me?

I think that would be a swell demonstration.

[Nyarlathotep]

Jaime Hyneman and/or Adam Savage from Mythbusters might be interesting guests. They spend a lot of time investigating the kinds of things that lots of people believe who would never give John Edward and his ilk a second thought. I think that is as important to skepticism and critical thinking as looking into the paranormal.

[exarch]

Originally posted by Brown
Actually, I rather like this idea, and I think it can be arranged. For example, I would be willing to have my "psychic" power tested. I claim that I can identify which of ten closed containers holds a set of five Kennedy half dollars. I do not claim 100 percent accuracy, but I do claim that I can find the coins without the use of my senses about 30 percent of the time. About half of the time, I can narrow it down to two or three containers.

I offer no theories as to why this works. As far as I know, I am unaffected by "bad vibes," stray electrical or magnetic fields, flowing water, or anything like that.

So. How would you test me?

I think that would be a swell demonstration.Sounds like a workshop in the making. Although I didn't attend this years workshop since it was already going by the time I arrived.

BTW, I think Snopes.com is run by the Mikkelsons ...
... just checked, Barbara and David Mikkelson.

[deBergerac]

I agree that it would be very interesting to meat a claimant at the next TAM but I do not think it is going to happen. I would not like to be the only omnivore at a conference for vegetarians or the only theist at an atheist convention. It is likely that all possible claimants would feel a bit intimidated by a huge crowd of sceptics looking over their shoulder and then wanting to discuss why what they claimed did not work and how anyone could ever be stupid enough to think that it would.

Since most people already mentioned the most obvious names I can only regret that I did not start this thread yesterday as I was considering. Having to come up with new interesting names is not easy.
Thinking of people it would be interesting to see at TAM III and also about scepticism and the media I thought of one guest speaker especially appropriate if we end up in Las Vegas next year as well. There are several drama series on TV there the paranormal has no part what so ever but the only series I know that actually deal with evidence based research is C.S.I. It would be nice if we could have the producer or a writer as a speaker. I think that C.S.I. is one of the more popular TV-series if I am not mistaken.

[bignickel]

Can I get an answer to this?

Was Jeff McBride at TAM2? I thought I spotted him, but I'm not sure (it was the guy who walked by me saying "nice jacket!").

If he wasn't, we can always invite him to TAM3.

[bignickel]

Originally posted by deBergerac
I agree that it would be very interesting to meat a claimant at the next TAM but I do not think it is going to happen. I would not like to be the only omnivore at a conference for vegetarians

Try being one of the few vegetarians at a conference full of omnivores! ;)

[Chaos]

Originally posted by deBergerac
I agree that it would be very interesting to meat a claimant at the next TAM but I do not think it is going to happen. I would not like to be the only omnivore at a conference for vegetarians or the only theist at an atheist convention. It is likely that all possible claimants would feel a bit intimidated by a huge crowd of sceptics looking over their shoulder and then wanting to discuss why what they claimed did not work and how anyone could ever be stupid enough to think that it would.


What might be even more interesting, if it can be arranged, would be to have someone speak who already attempted to claim the million but failed - someone whose failure caused him to doubt woo-wooism, and who came to critical thinking "the hard way".

[Brown]

Originally posted by bignickel
Can I get an answer to this?

Was Jeff McBride at TAM2?Yup, he was there, briefly. I have proof: I had my picture taken with him.

[Brown]

Originally posted by exarch
Sounds like a workshop in the making. Although I didn't attend this years workshop since it was already going by the time I arrived.Great idea. When you have a claimant who asserts that his ability is not infallible, but is significantly better than what he could accomplish by guessing randomly, how would you test such an ability? What sort of success rate would be significant? Would you do one trial or multiple trials? And if multiple trials, how many trials?

I submit that questions like this would require some elementary understanding of statistics, but I also submit that the basic concepts could easily be presented in a workshop.

[kittynh]

Originally posted by Nyarlathotep
Jaime Hyneman and/or Adam Savage from Mythbusters might be interesting guests. They spend a lot of time investigating the kinds of things that lots of people believe who would never give John Edward and his ilk a second thought. I think that is as important to skepticism and critical thinking as looking into the paranormal.



FABULOUS!!!! These guys are very watchable, they could actually test some myth! They are very fun, visual, and appeal to the younger crowd we need to get out to skeptic meetings. Plus, they are TRUE skeptics. When they tested the body paint myth (as in the movie "Gold finger") the guy actually did get sick. It didn't matter that they were testing what was a "myth", the guy got sick, so it STILL isn't a good plan to coat yourself in body paint.

[deBergerac]

Originally posted by Chaos


What might be even more interesting, if it can be arranged, would be to have someone speak who already attempted to claim the million but failed - someone whose failure caused him to doubt woo-wooism, and who came to critical thinking "the hard way".

Good idea! Only thing is to find some one who fits the description. :)

[jj]

Originally posted by kittynh




FABULOUS!!!! These guys are very watchable, they could actually test some myth! They are very fun, visual, and appeal to the younger crowd we need to get out to skeptic meetings. Plus, they are TRUE skeptics. When they tested the body paint myth (as in the movie "Gold finger") the guy actually did get sick. It didn't matter that they were testing what was a "myth", the guy got sick, so it STILL isn't a good plan to coat yourself in body paint.

Yes, I have to agree, these guys would make great presenters.

I wonder if they can tell any tales about people who INSIST that the myths are true, too?

[El Greco]

I insist: Angelina Jolie and Jodie Foster. Beautiful minds.

[Hutch]

Great suggestions so far, I'm already planning my budget...

For someone from "the other side", may I suggest Jim Moseley or Karl Pflock of "Saucer Smear". While they believe that there is "something out there", they have no patience with much of the UFO community and have done much to support the debunking of of the Roswell story.

Plus, based on reading the newsletter, I doubt they would be intimidated by a crowd of skeptics and probably would join us for a beer or six.

For more on Moseley, try this site:

www.martiansgohome.com/smear

[jj]

Having read his web page, what about Alton Brown?

I wonder if George Carlin could be enticed? It ought to offer him pleanty of material. :D

[MacGuffin]

Originally posted by bignickel


Try being one of the few vegetarians at a conference full of omnivores! ;)

Yes slim pickens for Vegetarians at the TAM2 The veggie pizza opening night was good, but lunch on the other two days was just for the flesh-eaters. But that is Vegas for you, home of the $5.99 Prime Rib.


As for guests next year, my votes are for the usual favorites -

Ray Hyman
Johnny Carson
George Carlin
Snopes.com people
South Park people

And as I am a middle school teacher, I would welcome more academic folks who can address success stories getting the message out to younger kids. Also more psychologists/anthropologists who can look at skepticism from that angle.

Share and Enjoy - Aaron

[Checkmite]

How about William B. Davis? Known for his role as the "Cigarette Smoking Man" in the creduloid TV show The X-Files, he is an avowed skeptic who also later hosted a skeptic TV series called Critical Eye.

[shanek]

All of these are great suggestions (especially Bill Bye!). I have a couple more:

David Acer, magician/skeptic who co-wrote and co-hosted the skeptical Mystery Hunters on Discovery Kids.

Someone from WebMD; in my opinion, they do a much better job of debunking specious medical claims than Quackwatch, and I was very lukewarm on the Quackwatch guy. WebMB is more how I'd like to think skeptics are.

[geni]

Originally posted by shanek
Someone from WebMD; in my opinion, they do a much better job of debunking specious medical claims than Quackwatch, and I was very lukewarm on the Quackwatch guy. WebMB is more how I'd like to think skeptics are.

Try typing homeopathy into their search engin and see what comes up. Not good.

As for belivers to invite:

Dana Ullman (ok unlikly to turn up unless we pay her $450 a session but thats life)

[xouper]

A common topic on the JREF forum seems to be quantum mechanics, consciousness, and the paranormal. How about getting physicist Victor Stenger as a speaker on this topic. He's written a couple of books for the layman addressing this very topic, published by Prometheus.

From the back cover of his 1995 book The Unconscious Quantum:

Physics or Metaphysics?

For more than a decade now, gurus of the New Age and preachers of the New Christianity have been telling us that developments in twentieth-century physics and astronomy—quantum mechanics, big-bang cosmology, the so-called anthropic coincidences, and the new sciences of chaos and complexity—are leading toward a convergence of the differing views of the universe provided by the outer voices of science and the inner voices of ego. They proclaim that the discoveries of modern physics imply a central role for human consciousness, and for a universe created with humans in mind....

Much of the literature of modern metaphysics...is written in a "gee whiz" fashion for a popular audience. That audience is duly impressed by the mysteries of quantum mechanics and eager to believe the implications drawn that human consciousness holds the key to reality and their personal immortality....

As science and critical thinking become increasingly watered down in our educational system, and opposing forces exploit the consequent public gullibility, the duty of every scientist is to speak out in protest. The antiscientists who pursue a political agenda, and the pseudoscientists who pursue the dollar, need to be fought at every turn. Scientists cannot continue to ignore these issues.

[shanek]

Okay, after watching 20/20 last night, one name to add:

John Stossel!

[exarch]

Originally posted by deBergerac
Thinking of people it would be interesting to see at TAM III and also about scepticism and the media I thought of one guest speaker especially appropriate if we end up in Las Vegas next year as well. There are several drama series on TV there the paranormal has no part what so ever but the only series I know that actually deal with evidence based research is C.S.I. It would be nice if we could have the producer or a writer as a speaker. I think that C.S.I. is one of the more popular TV-series if I am not mistaken.You are SO right. How could we miss that opportunity (again) :)
It would be interesting to find out how they go about researching for the show. Well, I know *I* would be interested in that :D

[wildflower1]

I second the suggestion regarding the "Mythbusters" guys from the Discovery Channel. They're entertaining and come up with sometimes surprising results.

[Brown]

We need to get an astronaut. How about Ed Lu?

We can do without Ed Mitchell and Gordon "Gordo" Cooper (who I understand has recently gone a little overboard in connection with his pronouncements pertaining to aliens).

[CFLarsen]

Originally posted by Brown
We need to get an astronaut. How about Ed Lu?

Good idea! Randi can do the trick on Ed again... :D

Originally posted by Brown
We can do without Ed Mitchell and Gordon "Gordo" Cooper (who I understand has recently gone a little overboard in connection with his pronouncements pertaining to aliens).

No, no...by all means, let's get Ed Mitchell....

From Dann Simonsen, who we will see here shortly:

Richard Lewontin, author of It Ain't Necessarily So (Granta Books 2001): http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1862074437/qid=1075735117/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_11_1/026-6588278-1669235

David Marks, author of The Psychology of the Psychic (Prometheus 2000):
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573927988/qid=1075735257/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/026-6588278-1669235

[AtheistArchon]

- Bill Nye! I love that guy.

- Matt & Trey from Southpark.

- Massimo Pigliucci, a really stellar guy. I never miss one of his Rationally Speaking articles.

- Carson himself, if he's feeling up to it. Wouldn't THAT be a neat thing to see?

[Houngan]

How about Richard Dawkins? I don't know if he's the type to do something like TAM, but he's at the forefront of science vs. creationism.

H.

[CFLarsen]

Originally posted by Houngan
How about Richard Dawkins? I don't know if he's the type to do something like TAM, but he's at the forefront of science vs. creationism.

H.

Dawkins will be at TAM3.

[Houngan]

Originally posted by CFLarsen


Dawkins will be at TAM3.

Really? Fantastic! Is there a list of confirmed speakers somewhere?

H.

[Nyarlathotep]

Originally posted by Houngan


Really? Fantastic! Is there a list of confirmed speakers somewhere?

H.

No but Mr. Randi said that Dawkins would be back next year when he was giving his speech closing the conference.

[T'ai Chi]

I'd like to see Radin, Dawkins, Schwartz, Nickell, Utts, Kurtz, May, and Hansel.

[citytom]

#1 George Carlin
#2 Joe Nickell

[Brown]

Gaaaack! I misspelled the title of Prof. John Allen Paulos's book! It is "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences." Appy Polly Logies.

Other titles by Prof. Paulos are also very good. I don't know how good he is as a speaker, but his subject matter and the level of mathematical knowledge needed to understand what he says are both appropriate for TAM3!

[Jeff Corey]

Originally posted by T'ai Chi
I'd like to see Radin, Dawkins, Schwartz, Nickell, Utts, Kurtz, May, and Hansel.
Me too, if they pay for registration and all their expenses. Last time, some "stars" wanted a free ride.

[kittynh]

Hey, if they're paying anyone to show up, they should pay the skepchicks (not that we'd take any money in the service of the Amazing Randi, we're too classy).

[kittynh]

HOLD THE PRESSES!!!!

The perfect speaker for TAM3

All expenses paid....

SOPHIA LOREN!

Randi wants to investigate how she stays so young, he said she might be eligable for the million dollar prize!

[rustypouch]

Why can't we just bring Douglas Adams back from the dead?

[Finella]

Okay, I've suggested these people for TAM II, maybe it'll stick this time:

Ole Anthony or Joe Bob Briggs (John Bloom) to speak about the Trinity Foundation (http://www.trinityfi.org). This group is sorta like the JREF for the televangelists -- they investigate fraud and abuse in the religious media. From the website:

"An early skepticism about the way religious programming is bought and sold prompted Trinity to conduct a controversial research project on the audience demographics and ratings of religious broadcasting. By the time scandals rocked the religious television industry in the 1980s, Trinity was already monitoring religious programming and reporting abuses of the public trust. In the 1990s Trinity Foundation became the leading "watchdog" of religious media, conducting investigations and providing information used to expose fraud and abuses committed in the name of God."

Joe Bob Briggs was the host of the "Godstuff" segment in the early days of The Daily Show on Comedy Central. In these spots, Joe Bob presented hilarious video clips of various local and nationally-broadcast televangelists, often losing their grip on reality.

Also from the website:
"The foundation regularly provides assistance to print and electronic journalists investigating suspected fraud or other abuses of the public trust by members of the religious media. The foundation maintains a private investigative license with the State of Texas and frequently provides undercover operatives. to news programs like PrimeTime Live, 60 Minutes, Dateline, CNN Special Reports, 20/20, British Broadcasting Corporation, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Inside Edition, among many others. We have also worked with The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Economist, London Independent, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and The Dallas Morning News.
Foundation representatives have testified for Congressional hearings examining abuses by America's television evangelists. The foundation has also provided investigative reports to various agencies of state and federal government."

I think this would be a great opportunity to show the skeptic community how religious groups can approach wild claims while still maintaining their religious faith.

---,---'--{@

[kittynh]

and a good balance for the deists and theist that belong. Let's have one which would be nice...

[The Bad Astronomer]

I am doing research for series of webpages I am writing, and came across a mathematician name Ralph Greenberg (http://www.math.washington.edu/~greenber/personal.html), who debunks pseudomath (ratios in the Pyramids, the city on Mars, etc.). He might be fun at TAMIII too!

[dimossi]

I would like to see anyone on my wish list for TAMII (http://host.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13473) that didn't get invited to speak at this past conference.

Also, I would like to see my friend and local author, Barbara Walker, get invited to speak. I have heard her speak numerous times and it is always a informative and engaging experience. I know the plan is probably to try and avoid, or limit, talks on religious or political matters, but I think she could give a great talk on the pagan origins of our holidays or other traditions. That could be looked at as more of a skeptical and rational look at history, I would think. Plus I would add, that Barbara would allow us to have another female speaker.

Do you think she would be a good speaker for TAMIII? Or does anyone have a better idea for a potential topic for her?

More info on Barbara:

Barbara Walker is an author of 22 books on various subjects dealing with religious history, mythology and etymology. Walker has appeared on TLC, the Discovery Channel, and many other television programs. Her written material is used in programs around the nation.

Four very popular books she is well known for are:
The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets
The Woman's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects
Restoring the Goddess: Equal Rites for Modern Women
The Crone : Woman of Age, Wisdom, and Power

List of Barbara G. Walker's books:
http://www.promatriarchy.net/books/walker.php

[R.A.F.]

How about author Curtis Peebles?

Back in '94, he wrote a book titled, Watch The Skies: A chronicle of the Flying Saucer Myth.

In it, Mr. Peebles has taken all the major UFO sightings from the last century and debunked the heck out of them. I'm sure he'd have some great stories to tell.

[R.A.F.]

Originally posted by R.A.F.

How about author Curtis Peebles?

What an interesting coincidence! I haven't thought about Mr. Peebles for months, yet I mentioned him yesterday and last night he appeared on the Unsolved History's TV show on the Discovery channel where he "helped" investigate 3 "sightings"...Kenneth Arnold, The Roswell "crash", and the Mantell "dogfight".

It must be a sign!! :)

[Jeff Corey]

How about Claus Flodin Larsen. His tales about his dealings with Danish astrolgers at their meetings could prove to be quite droll, especially the ones about tape recorder snatching and ankle biting.
BEET ROOT RULES!

[The Central Scrutinizer]

How about Hugh Hefner? I am skeptical that he has 5 hot twenty-something girlfriends. He could bring them along to prove he does! That would teach me a lot about skeptical thinking.

[NotAForumMember]

I second Dr. Dean Edell. If no one has already.

[Chaos]

Originally posted by Jeff Corey
How about Claus Flodin Larsen. His tales about his dealings with Danish astrolgers at their meetings could prove to be quite droll, especially the ones about tape recorder snatching and ankle biting.


Seconded.

[CFLarsen]

Thanks for the suggestion! :)

I had thought about writing an article about it, of course....it's a long sordid tale, but hey - I'm easy.

....wait...that didn't come out right....

(Jeff, you call me "beet root" again, and I will stomp on your hat....)

[MLynn]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
How about Hugh Hefner? I am skeptical that he has 5 hot twenty-something girlfriends. He could bring them along to prove he does! That would teach me a lot about skeptical thinking.

I would like to see Hef there but not because of the blondes. He is a very intellegent, articulate man would have a lot to say. I value what he would say (I don't care about the girlfriends, but they could be there if that would make Hef more comfortable).