The historic and original "Welcome new posters! Introduce yourselves here!" thread

[EternalSceptic]

Good morning, afternoon, evening - whatever daytime is at your place.

Entering a forum like this one is pleasure, but it is a challenge as well.
-to contribute in an interesting way
-to adjust to the community's way of handling agreements and disagreements
-to avoid ad hominem attacs and running wildly off topic
-and some more.
I do hope I will be able tu fullfill at least most of the abovementioned.As native english speaking members here will for sure have noticed, english is not my first language, so please be patient with misspellings and poor grammar, and please don't hesitate to correct me - I will do my best to do better next time.

I am a programmer (my profession) and a violinist (my main hobby - studied it in my youth, always played, but never for my living), and I see myself as a skeptic to a rather far extend - I am not just skeptic about claims of other persons but also about my own sensual input and my own memory and findings (at least I try hard)
My home is in Austria (that tiny spot, almost invisible, somewhere near the centre of europe), my first language is german, I am *cough* quite grown up (born 1944)
Ok, so I hope I am welcome and will be able to continue to be welcome.
Robert.

[zevick]

"I presume you've been following Geller's latest exploits... ?"
I hear about it 2nd hand at work, and sometimes argue with some coworkers about it and similar things. Mostly, I watch the parodies of his shtick from Israel Television shows. Quite a national disgrace. I don't even know if he's lived in Israel that much these past few decades. I keep seeing clips of him at his home in England. I suppose he can afford multiple homes in multiple countries.

I've been pretty successful at dissuading remanents of gullibility re Geller but he's not alone. I was hoping to learn how to debunk other despicable "shows" where an autistic kid is used to bring messages from the next world. Where might I pick such info?

Be well, Zevick

[hitech_47460]

I did a google search looking for those who might be curious as to what's REALLY going on in the so-called PAYtriot radio circles. I was INVOLVED at GCN when Stadtmiller was spreading DISINFORMATION there and wrote letters of warning to Alex Jones, Ted Anderson and Jones's friend Texe Marrs warning about Stadtmiller. Those were IGNORED and Jones then LIED about what happened next. I don't think much of either 'man.'

Anyway, if ya want 'THE REST OF THE STORY' You can email me or look at the links and decide for yourselves.


Larry hitech2@
bluemarble.net

[Hawk one]

Hello all. First time poster, but i've poked around here a bit, and i was at TAM 5. Came on tonight to find photos to swipe for a piece of work so i can write off the Vegas trip. Mission accomplished, thank you!

Agnostic, Angeleno, cartoonist. three Ws, a dot, waylay, a dot, and com.

so there.Hot moon, if it isn't Carol Lay!

Yeah, another big fan of your works. I particularly like how you always get to say what you want without getting all too wordy. Just the right amount of text in every frame of yours. And hey, the Norwegian translation isn't too bad either (at least it's not ruining your comics), so I think it's safe to say that you're pretty popular amongst comic book readers in Norway. ;)

[colin]

Hi all,

I generally just lurk here and on IIDB. I have a few minutes and am mostly posting now to get rid of the, "Hello colin, We notice you haven't yet posted on our forums..." stuff that's always there reminding me of how lazy and unsocial I am. [Poor speller, too. ;-)]

Anyhoo as I've said on IIDB, my hat's off to all you regulars that continually reply to the bottomless pit of individuals who are deluded, ignorant, cons, and/or batsh!t insane.
Sometimes, it's hysterically funny. Other times, it's so repetitive; it's sad. :-( Makes baby Jesus cry! ;-) I mean, doesn't anyone do any research on their own anymore?!

Well, keep up the good work and, although I'm not as 'swift' ;-) as most of you, maybe try posting more often.

Colin

[anduin]

Hi all,

Long-time member and lurker, I've decided to post a bit more, so I thought I would introduce myself.

I'm a long-time sceptic and atheist after having spent my teens as a woo believer. I was into Velikovsky, von Daniken, UFOs, Age of Aquarius, astral projection and all that crap, but I saw the error of my ways when I saw a documentary featuring Randi, where he debunked many Russian claims.

I wrote to him and even got a reply from him.

[Margaret Schwarz]

Hi Margaret - keep perservering on the writing - plug your work on your web site - if you don't have one - make one. Add a My Space blog too - get somethhing like Google Ad Sense ads which will help your page pay you - the ghosting is a good idea - i do that too. Look at some e-zine online markets - they don't pay much but some do pay - check their rules carefully though. You'll get there - you'll see. Best wishes, AC.
Thanks so much for your many suggestions and words of encouragement. I swear, if I ever make it, I will do something about the impossibility of newbies getting read!!!

[dangerbot]

Hi, just another bitter, disaffected skeptic here. I'm a great admirer of mr. Randi, and found the intellectual level of debate here to be quite high. My main academic interest is history, specifically late 19th early 20th century Europe.

I have a few good pals who are sadly lost in the haze of LooseChange and first started lurking here in search of some hard evidence to make them realize the error of their ways.

Glad to be here.


I am most knowledgable on the subjects of 19th/20th century literature(in English) although I generally do not participate in conversations about books because I believe that the act of reading is very private and inaccessible. I also know quite a bit about 20th century furniture design becauser it is my business.

Are you by any chance familiar with the work of the poet Thomas McGrath? Little known, but my favorite of all time.

[The-Chronic]

hi all

i'm Ed, from the WooWoo Land to beat all WooWoo lands, South Africa -
a brainnumbingly bizarre modern/ancient culture clash that is paradise and awful at the same time. witchdoctors with wifi.

Most south africans introduce themselves like this, "hello, i'm from south africa. sorry."

in the day i run a local satire paper - the~chronic. The amount of woowoo that goes on here means i don't even have to scout for material.

at night i teach classical fine art, which is how i got over my religious upbringing. (learning about the crusades against art and history opened my eyes)

africa is becoming really exploited by churches, scientology, mosques, druglords, etc, so be prepared for a major surge from the south.

there's lots of work to do here planting seeds. i joined this forum to learn more about convincing people of reality and how to create tests for paranormal claims.

[Mr. Skinny]

Welcome to the forum, everyone.

The~Chronic, we have a few SA forum members, including one of our all time favorite nutzoids, Paul Bethke, who came here threatening to blind Randi with his Jesus power. He failed so many times, forum members started volunteering to be blinded by Paul. Do a search on his name and enjoy the laughs! :D

[autumn1971]

Hello everyone,
I'm a new member who's been reading some threads for a few weeks, and finally decided to start posting after reconsidering my previous policy of only posting here while totally sober, to keep my wits about me. Then I decided that this was probably a place where defects in logical thinking or prose style would be quickly and honestly pointed out, allowing a more graceful exit than face-to-face situations where deference to politeness might cause one to mistake silence for encouragement.

Lest everyone think I'm a total lush, I would like to explain that I only have time to peruse the interwebs rather late at night, when I do enjoy a relaxing few brews to ease the transition from work to pleasure.

I've been an atheist since the mid 90's, when, among other things, I sat down and actually read the Bible. I had been a skeptical thinker for some time, but was raised Lutheran. I remember being upset when I realised that my pastor was essentially lying to his congregation by preaching dogma that, as a theological scholar (Lutheran pastors must have an extensive education, including being familiar with original text languages and other subtleties of religious thought), he had to know had no basis in fact. Coupled with my increased ability to read more comlplicated science texts, this wedge into my worldview allowed me to explore the possibilities and decide that a non-theistic veiwpoint made more sense, as well as being a view that had the most to offer intellectual exploration.

About a year ago I discovered the JREF website, and after reading some commentaries I clicked on the archive link and read the whole lot of them. I thought it was great stuff, but then I found the forum, and have thouroughly enjoyed them. I should also point out, with my face red, that my posts to the JREF forum are the first electronic messages I have ever sent; I have never used e-mail or instant messageing of any kind.

Glad to be finally aboard the modern world.

[Ocelot]

Hi folks,

I'm a skeptical atheist who found this forum after swift was liked to, from the PZ Myers Pharyngula blog. I also hang around on the Church of Reality forum and the QI talk forum. Really admire James' work, I was particularlty impressed with the homeopathy test shown on Horizon which hoped to show a histamine response and claim the million dollars. However it's the continual humilation of Yuri Gellar that really warms the cockles of my heart. How that man still has a career after the Noel Edmunds "gotcha" video, is a source of shame for all of us.

[The Atheist]

Hi there, another new member introducing himself.

Blame my brother, really, who watched a 9-11 conspiracy DVD about a year ago and then started telling me all about the contradictions in the official story. That led me to start looking into them, finding out that in general they weren't contradictions at all, which led me to a variety of highly informative conspiracy debunking sites, including the Conspiracy Theory forum right here. The upshot of this is that I now disbelieve the JFK conspiracy theory as well, which up until recently I was never really sure about. (I can supply a list on request of all the CT's I don't believe.)

Useful bits of personal info, in no particular order:
Professional scientist (semiconductor physics, >20 years experience)
Married, four children 8-18, one with autism
Born and have always lived in England
Strong case atheist (yes, I know that believing there is no God is no more supported by the evidence than believing in any specific one, it's just my belief, OK?)
... and if I have a really fundamental belief, it's that knowledge is better than ignorance. My impression of the forum is that that's a common belief round here.

I may be active on the CT forum, may not have time. We'll see.

DaveIpswich?

That's that horrid little coastal town with a poor football team isn't it?

[The Atheist]

Hello to those you bother to read new mems intro posts. If being a sceptic means questioning, analysing, thinking and re-thinking then I suppose I fit into that category.Nobody reads 'em, trust me.

[Davidjayjordan]

David Jay Jordan HERE, Someone visited my site from here according to my stats, so I traced them back to this forum.

I'm into research and connecting up the dots with rational mathematics and spirituality of the invisable, as with the scientific method, despite the soothsayers of doom and skepticism.

I don't like lazy or dishonest people, like workers and people with balss and courage.

[Gaia]

Hi, I was referred here by a few people on another board, so I decided to come and see what this place was all about.....Looks like an interesting place with a variety of topics.....

[Haywire]

Well, I'd just like to start my 100th post by finally introducing myself.
The Challenger disaster in 1986 did religion in for me.
My Mom (Who I still love by the way): "God took the astronauts."
Me: "Why would he do that?"
Mom: "We don't know, that's why we're sad."
Me: "God's a bit of a bastard, isn't he?"
Then the world found out about O-rings which took God out of the picture.
I would sometimes still be up when Benny Hinn would be on and I would watch in amazement. And I would laugh at those people who needed real help, not some phoney in a Nehru jacket smacking them in the head while picking their pockets.
Then my Dad got cancer and died. This was the same time I moved into a better apartment with free cable and I was watching a lot of the Science Fiction channel to make up for lost time. That John Edward guy was on all the time! I was rather frightened that my Mom would use some dirt bag fraud to try to talk to my Dad, who wasn't saying anything. She never did, but I was worried.
Then I started reading books by the Amazing One and Joe Nickell, which started me down the path of critical thinking. Then I rented P&Ts B.S. #1 which turned me into a skeptic.
So, here I am!

[Mr. Skinny]

Welcome, everyone!

Hey Haywire, did you know you were using the exact avatar that member Darth Rotor is already using?

[terry_wong001]

Hello My name is Terry
I am a first time user to this forum. I believe in remote viewing, telepathy, telekinetic activity, aliens, orbs, distant healing, etc. Look forward to a constructive discussion on these topics. Not everything is magic like some people would like us to believe.

[gopi]

The Challenger disaster in 1986 did religion in for me.
My Mom (Who I still love by the way): "God took the astronauts."
Me: "Why would he do that?"
Mom: "We don't know, that's why we're sad."
Me: "God's a bit of a bastard, isn't he?"
Then the world found out about O-rings which took God out of the picture.


Would your mom have been happy if she knew that, say, God "took the astronauts" because one of them was having an affair or something?

I should comment that I have a philosophical problem with what you say about the O-rings.

It reminds me of a story I read a few years ago on the BBC article, something along the lines of:
"Sodom wasn't destroyed by sin. It was destroyed by an earthquake which liquified the sand and made the town sink underground."

It got me thinking, what is the Hand of God(tm) supposed to look like? It would seem more appropriate, IMHO, for god to use her own laws and rules to achieve her ends instead of having to violate her own rules.

(Oh, and, Hi! I'm new here! Been reading Randi's stuff for a couple years now. I was a bit more of a fence-sitter before I encountered a Rikki practitioner who, when I mentioned Randi's prize, suggested her organization 'was interested in going in other directions' or some similar meaningless drivel.

I don't care which direction you're going, a million will help you get there - or, it'll help somebody else out if you really don't want it. She explained her ability to heal people over distances, in the past!

How did she get convinced by Reikki? She twisted and scratched up her ankle so that it was bleeding really badly. Some Reikki practitioners came upon her, and, using their magickal energy, made the blood clot much faster in 20 minutes than she would've expected. She was a nurse, so she should've known better. Oh well.)

[Haywire]

Hey Haywire, did you know you were using the exact avatar that member Darth Rotor is already using?

Shhh! I won't tell anybody if you won't tell anybody. Besides, my wolf is a girl wolf.

[anonimouse]

Hello. I'm a furry little mouse who doesn't like anti-vaxers, the mercury militia, homeopaths, anyone who claims they have the "cure for cancer", anyone who claims the cure for cancer is being suppressed by Big Pharma, certain actions of a North American government that shall remain nameless and the hopelessly overrated New England Patriots.

I do like rational thinking, geek girls who love science and critical thinking, people who accept others for who they are, people who are really trying to cure cancer with scientifically proven modalities, doctors who ogle the Big Pharma cheerleaders yet don't listen to a word they say, peace, love, harmony and the hopelessly underrated New York Jets.

[njachal]

hey everyone. New here. Seems like I will be here often. VEEEEEEEEEEEEEry interesting.

[williamy2k5]

Hi Everyone,

I was browsing through the internet yesterday and I stumbled on the $1 MILLION PARANORMAL CHALLANGE, and I am so pleased that they kept the money up till this time for me to come and take.

I dont have a challange, and for me, I believe every and I mean EVERYTHING is possible.

I NEED A CHANCE TO PROOVE MYSELF AND THE GOD THAT DOES HIS WONDER TO THE WHOLE WORLD.

I almost forgot to introduce myself, well I am Williams Williams Ikpe and I am from Africa, Nigeria to be precised, but I am on an adventure to see each and every country of this world, which I have already started and I have been to Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Ghana, and I am now in Ivory coast.

I am thinking of taking the step forward to europe now and then to the USA. I dont know anybody in this WORLD, But the WORLD WOULD KNOW ME NOW that this project is at hand.

I am waiting to be EXPLORED.

Williams

[donkey]

Hi, I am donkey from India. I have been under treatment for schizophrenia since last ten years. This took me from delusions to paranormal and back ( borrowed this line from John Nash! ). Hope to exchange experiences with everyone here.

[The Atheist]

Hello. I'm a furry little mouse who doesn't like anti-vaxers, the mercury militia, homeopaths, anyone who claims they have the "cure for cancer", anyone who claims the cure for cancer is being suppressed by Big Pharma, certain actions of a North American government that shall remain nameless and the hopelessly overrated New England Patriots.

I do like rational thinking, geek girls who love science and critical thinking, people who accept others for who they are, people who are really trying to cure cancer with scientifically proven modalities, doctors who ogle the Big Pharma cheerleaders yet don't listen to a word they say, peace, love, harmony and the hopelessly underrated New York Jets.You'll be happy here!

(Nobody likes the Jets)

[The Atheist]

WilliamsHmmm. Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire and supernatural powers.

Here you go, a supernatural puzzle for you:

419

[The Atheist]

Hi, I am donkey from India. I have been under treatment for schizophrenia since last ten years. This took me from delusions to paranormal and back ( borrowed this line from John Nash! ). Hope to exchange experiences with everyone here.

Hey, c'mon in!

We don't have a lot of Indians here, so it's great to see one from the home of much of the world's mysticism.

And, being Indian, the most important thing for you to do is to join the all-time, world's best sports thread - the Cricket thread in sports (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=62960)!

Cheers & welcome.

(Kiwi here)

[Baron Samedi]

Well, I'd just like to start my 100th post by finally introducing myself.
The Challenger disaster in 1986 did religion in for me.
My Mom (Who I still love by the way): "God took the astronauts."
Me: "Why would he do that?"
Mom: "We don't know, that's why we're sad."
Me: "God's a bit of a bastard, isn't he?"


Have you read the Old Testament? God's just a happy-go-lucky kind of guy like that.


Then the world found out about O-rings which took God out of the picture.
I would sometimes still be up when Benny Hinn would be on and I would watch in amazement. And I would laugh at those people who needed real help, not some phoney in a Nehru jacket smacking them in the head while picking their pockets.

I don't blame you. Benny Hinn should be ashaimed of the things he does and tells people, and the things he gets them to believe. Shameful. They should all be more like Bob Larson -- he, or course, it the real deal. ;)

[stilicho]

I'll make my first post on this forum an introduction.

I'm a Canadian from the prairies. That's the big flat area between Ontario & the mountains for those of you unfamiliar.

I went to school for History and Political Science which is the main reason I now work in accounting information systems.

Although I was raised in a Protestant home, my father was the first true sceptic I ever met. I still recall, when younger, him telling me not to believe everything you read or hear. This made me insufferable to my schoolteachers. I also remember a lady at our church questioning his theological credentials because he said there was just a one-in-365 chance that Jesus was actually born on Christmas Day.

The best books I've read most recently are bios of D Coxeter and J K Galbraith and Imperial Life in the Emerald City. I have enjoyed reading Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant and Berkeley, but I am not heavily philosophical or radically sceptic. I prefer philosophy in its historical context (its influence upon society and how others beforehand influenced the particular philosopher).

I have been on other forums, and one of the biggest reasons I picked this one was the extraordinary work done by members here to expose the fraud of 9/11 conspiracists. I ran into them, first, at another forum around the spring of 2004. It didn't take me long to bore into the fray, since their comprehension of things like equity derivatives was woefully inadequate. (I still get a chuckle out of Michael C Ruppert's 'expose' of the Trillion Dollar Derivatives Bubble he published around 2002). I have copies of Dave vonKleist's original "In Plane Site"--the one where he later admitted to have knowingly included falsehoods like the 'mysterious explosion' of WTC6 which was actually the dust cloud from the South Tower.

I hope to have some fun here--I have found the resources linked to within to be sufficiently frustrating to CT'rs that a lot of them have me on 'perma-ignore'.

Cheers!

[shawn]

Since the more I post, the more I can do here...

Hi!

Yet another atheist, vegetarian, liberal geek in Texas. Had fun at TAM 5, signed up for TAC 2, husband of mollyblack.

[miamimarshall]

Yup, my name's Marshall and I reside in Miami (See, you ARE psychic!). I used to listen to Randi late at night on WOR radio, on Long John Nebble's program almost every night (I lived in Phila. as a kid.) I wanted to post the URL for an amazing video... and will when I get permission. I want to know: HOW DID HE DO THIS? It's about an aquarium, cards, etc. Soon...
Anyway, it feels good to be a member here, again.
--/\/\arshall in /\/\ia/\/\i ©¿©¬

[tsw7521]

I love magic. Mostly card tricks and small sleight of hand stuff. I'm from West Virginia, USA. But I'm a total amateur noob. And, I'm physically not cut out for serious magic, in that my hands and fingers are short and stubby, not long and bony, but I still fiddle around with it. I've got DLite, and I can do the IT spinning card thing fairly well (neither are really hampered by small hands/fingers).

But I've recently been interested in card manipulation, like wolf and helix cuts after seeing some of them on youtube.

I'll mostly just lurk, but I do have a couple questions I'll post in the conjurer's forum.

TSW.

[burgermeister]

Hello all,
I’ve waited far to long to join this forum, and am glad to have finally done so. I am an engineer by education and first really embraced the skeptical movement after reading Sagan’s “Demon Haunted World” several years ago. I have been homebound on disability for almost the last year (I am fighting advanced cancer) and have spent many, many hours perusing the JREF archives and forum. I’m looking forward to my new advantages as a member!

[Hokulele]

New here too. Up until now, I have only posted on technical forums that relate to work. I have been lurking here since TAM 5, and saw a thread that mentioned topics I have some professional experience in, and it looked like a good excuse to join.

I will probably be one of those posters who only show up as work allows, but am looking forward to participating when I can.

[The Atheist]

Hello all,
I’ve waited far to long to join this forum, and am glad to have finally done so. I am an engineer by education and first really embraced the skeptical movement after reading Sagan’s “Demon Haunted World” several years ago. I have been homebound on disability for almost the last year (I am fighting advanced cancer) and have spent many, many hours perusing the JREF archives and forum. I’m looking forward to my new advantages as a member!


Hey, welcome in.

Hope that fight goes the right way.

[cweaver]

First post; hi all! :)

-Claire

[Margaret Schwarz]

Hello all,
I’ve waited far to long to join this forum, and am glad to have finally done so. I am an engineer by education and first really embraced the skeptical movement after reading Sagan’s “Demon Haunted World” several years ago. I have been homebound on disability for almost the last year (I am fighting advanced cancer) and have spent many, many hours perusing the JREF archives and forum. I’m looking forward to my new advantages as a member!

Hey. Just got around to reading your post. You do not reveal how you are fighting cancer. Don't want to convey false hope but do want you to explore all options in your battle with this disease. I was diagnosed last year with a tumor for which doctors prescribed surgery. I opted to undergo treatment from my acupuncturist first. In 3 months, he shrunk the tumor 1 cm. (not with acupuncture, but through channelling universal energy to the site). He now (9 months in all) believes it is gone. I feel no more symptoms so am inclined to agree with him. My biggest problem was with the surgeons who told me I could not order a scan (that actually determined the initial shrinkage,) by myself, was endangering my health by postponing surgery, blah, blah, blah. They gave me such a hard time. And when they noted the results and my improved condition , they were more disappointed that I was no longer a candidate for surgery (big bucks) than they were happy for my recovery! In direct contrast to most scientific thinking, I am urging you to believe in the power of positive thinking. All things are possible. Do not entertain the thought, "But such defies the natural order of things," for it only defies that which we believe to be the natural order of things.

[Panhead56]

Just saying hello! and testing how to post. Have been reading Randis weekly commentaries for years, but only recently ventured into the forum. Lots of knowledgeable people here (no, I don't talk about those "just asking a question" in the conspiracy threads.) Keep up the good work. Will hopefully be able to contribute in an positive manner myself.

[burgermeister]

Hey. Just got around to reading your post. You do not reveal how you are fighting cancer. Don't want to convey false hope but do want you to explore all options in your battle with this disease. I was diagnosed last year with a tumor for which doctors prescribed surgery. I opted to undergo treatment from my acupuncturist first. In 3 months, he shrunk the tumor 1 cm. (not with acupuncture, but through channelling universal energy to the site). He now (9 months in all) believes it is gone. I feel no more symptoms so am inclined to agree with him. My biggest problem was with the surgeons who told me I could not order a scan (that actually determined the initial shrinkage,) by myself, was endangering my health by postponing surgery, blah, blah, blah. They gave me such a hard time. And when they noted the results and my improved condition , they were more disappointed that I was no longer a candidate for surgery (big bucks) than they were happy for my recovery! In direct contrast to most scientific thinking, I am urging you to believe in the power of positive thinking. All things are possible. Do not entertain the thought, "But such defies the natural order of things," for it only defies that which we believe to be the natural order of things.


Margaret,

Thanks for your thoughts. First, let me say that I am very happy to hear that your treatment has gone well. Everybody deals with these things in their own way, and being able to beat cancer is a terrific thing.

My personal experience has been very different. I have had 3 major operations from skilled oncologic surgeons over the last 3 years. One of these included removal of an extensive tumor wrapped around my spinal cord (in the T-4 and T-5 vertebrae) that was causing major neurological symptoms from my chest down. My cancer is rare, aggressive, and not responsive to most standard treatments. I have been involved with several clinical trials at major cancer centers, trying out new experimental drugs with mixed success. While I embrace the benefits of positive thinking, I have found the medical community quite responsive in helping me beat my rare cancer (it involves peripheral nerve sheaths, and is a type of soft tissue sarcoma). My research into alternative approaches has not generally impressed me, aside from very positive testimonials from individuals like you. I think more rigorous clinical testing from the alternative community might help establish what approaches have legitimate scientific merit.

I suppose further discussion on this topic belongs on another thread, but it wasn't my intention to discuss the details of my disease on the forum, as I already think about it too d*** much.

Again, thanks. While we may not agree with approaches to treatment, I certainly respect your right to treat your disease as you see fit, and am glad that your tumor and symptoms have disappeared so quickly.

[Snadert]

Hi there,
I just joined after I came across this Forum. I'm an investigator, currently looking for clues about recent news around Perpetual Motion Machines, though being sceptic as well. I'm from Houten, The Netherlands and looking forward in joining discussions here.

[Alexio]

Hello all

I'm a bit of a skeptic and heard about this forum through another forum that I sometimes go on. I'm not a big forum or chat room person but am interested in hearing other points of view.

I've been particularly interested in, as well as shocked and offended by, the 9/11 conspiracy theories that are bandied about.

I believed in UFOs for about 1 month when I was 15 years old; about the same length of time for which I was a Christian 5 years before that. Now I don't actively believe in anything!

Cheers

Alexio

[TheGline]

I've been lurking the forums as an unregistered user for about a month now, and I figured it was high time I signed on and introduced myself!

I've been a self-professed skeptic and atheist for about ten years out of 35, but I've always been a science buff and generally curious sort. I discovered Randi's work through a kind of back-channel way -- back when I was into a kind of Discordian/anarchist phase I read Robert Anton Wilson's slamming of Randi in one of his books, and then thought "Well, maybe I should find out what Randi has to say for himself," and things sort of snowballed from there. I also delved into a more skeptical viewpoint of things after very nearly getting suckered by the "Holocaust hoax" crowd -- that had a particularly galvanizing effect on me, because if I was as smart as I thought I was and I still got almost completely taken in by that line of b.s., what about other people?

Anyway, it's good to be here!

[miamimarshall]

I wrote a long-ish, eloquent self-intro and it got zapped because I used an HTML character. So, again...

As a kid growing up in Phila., I listened to Randi on WOR radio every night. Long John Nebble and the gang educated me.

It feels good to be here among fellow searchers, skeptics, and non-believers. I look forward to writing enough posts so that I am allowed to post the URL of an incredible video I viewed on Utube: Cyril and the card in the aquarium.... Seen it? How'd he DO THAT?!! I will post it soon. You MUST view this one!

As for fighting cancer, I had The Big C when I was 19 - I smoked, had a tumor in my naso-pharnyx and a malignant lymph node (I am now 63). Much cobalt and not any faith in prayer/god, etc., and here I am! My doctor even said to me: "You must rest for half a year." When I refused, he said: "Then, it's in God's hands." MY doctor said that! I was outraged. I want a science-oriented doctor, not a voo-doo doctor!! But I digress (often).

Wanna talk about Primal Therapy, feelings?

Marshall-in-Miami

[Kopji]

Welcome all.
We do too read these intros!

a donkey? well at least that's a change from all the cats...

[campermon]

Hi,

Have followed the randi website for a number of years now.

Thought it was about time I got on the forum.

Jason

[VulcanWay]

Hello there!

I've been a JREF reader for some time now and in reading never really noted that there was even a forum. I finally figured it out and here I am.

I am both an Atheist and a skeptic and enjoy a good debate. Just looking over the forums, it seems that I've found just the right place. It's nice to be amongst like-minded individuals who ask the questions instead of relying on faith and tradition.

I enjoy Penn & Teller's Showtime show and am looking forward to a new season. As my handle might imply, I'm also a sci-fi junkie and write it as well as read and watch it.

Looking forward to reading many posts here, so thank you for having me aboard.

[SharkeyNJ]

Hey look, all those years spent going to church with my family and I find that I'll learn more about life and the world... uh... in the real world. Imagine that. Too bad it took me so long to "come around."

I remember going to church every Sunday with my parents. Sometimes we would skip a week or so. There was a point when my parents stopped making me go, so I rarely went to church after that. I guess I always had a skeptical outlook, even as a child. I just went through the motions because, well, that's just what you do sometimes right?

Anyhow, I was originally going to post this in a thread about Fowlsound, the Titanium Superhero, but being a newbie I wasn't permitted to post a reply to that thread. A few days ago I read the thread about his battles with cancer, and the crazy notions posted by one in particular who insisted that a cancer can be cured and put into remission via homeopathic treatment and even placebos. Lunacy to the Nth degree, but somehow these people believe it. Sure, there is something to be said about a positive attitude, but stuff just seems to happen anyway doesn't it? Some get cancer, some don't. Some will, some won't. That's the reality.

With this in mind, I ran across a recent podcast by Paranormal Talk Radio, that touched on how positive energy, even the "law of attraction" could prevent cancers, as well as force the universe to buy you a five bedroom, 2 bath, home with a large yard. If you're interested give it a listen, particularly at minute 7:00 and especially between 7:50 and 8:50, for the cancer part.

tinyurl.com/2aoj89

I couldn't believe my ears. It's sad, and I hope the girls cancer, if the tumor was in fact malignant, doesn't return. If it does will it serve as a wake up call to this woman who is ignoring "western" medical treatment and suggestion, to go it on their own using the "law of attraction?"

Can we merely shake or heads at the nonsense, and the tragedy?

Sharkey

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

I'm a skeptic from New York City and a big fan of Mr.Randi.

I've been a regular reader on the forum since about November of last year and have been reading Randi's commentaries for about a year but only joined now.

Look forward to the great conversations!

[Darth Rotor]

Shhh! I won't tell anybody if you won't tell anybody. Besides, my wolf is a girl wolf.

It's cool, it was an avatar available for anyone to use on the list available on the pulldown menu. I have no claim to its sole use. Glad to see another who likes to howl at the moon. :)

DR

[Ruby]

Hello!

I've been absent from JREF for ages. I used to post on here mainly during 2002-2004. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in August 2004, and that has a lot to do with my absence. I first came on here as a Christian (I was a Christian about 12 years) who had some doubts about my beliefs, but I was still making pitiful attempts to prove what I believed to be true.

JREF was challenging for me because so many on here are brilliant and highly intellectual. Still, I had enough cognizance to muddle through. The more I researched and posted on JREF, the more my religious beliefs fell apart. I felt as if JREF opened up my eyes....changed my life in many ways. It even had an impact on my husband too...who had been a devout Christian all his life. He is now a devout Atheist! I am a closet Atheist. I prefer calling myself a Skeptic, and sometimes Agnostic. I don't like referring to myself as an Atheist due to the negative views some people have concerning Atheism.

While I cannot believe in the "supernatural", I feel accepting of people who have mystical or supernatural beliefs. I don't have to agree with them, but I do want to treat them with kindness and respect as a person. I often feel quite frustrated by Pseudo-Science and worry about people who are so gullible to believe certain things it promotes.

I attend a Unitarian church..... when my MS is not preventing me. My church has an interesting combination of Atheists, Agnostics, Deists, Buddhists, Secular Humanists, Pagans, and very liberal Christians. I like the inclusiveness, but I have not opened up very much about how I believe. I am longing to hear an Atheist or Agnostic be the speaker for one of our services, but in the almost 2 years I have been going, I have yet to hear such a speaker.

This post is already long...so not going to say much about my interests etc., except that I love to write poetry. I read one to the congregation at the Unitarian church I attend, and I've had two published in their newsletter....but that's been over a year ago. Not much of an accomplishment. I hope to do more with my poetry. (It's been a rough year). I love to read. I like Michael Shermer, James Randi, Richard Dawkins, and others.

I hope to reconnect with people I remember on here. Yahweh was one of my favorites. I hope to meet new people too.

Ruby

[Mr. Skinny]

It's cool, it was an avatar available for anyone to use on the list available on the pulldown menu. I have no claim to its sole use. Glad to see another who likes to howl at the moon. :)

DR
Glad to see I've been able to calmly negotiate an end to a potentially disasterous situation.

A strict application of Skinnematics priciples has proven to be the answer to this potentially violent situation.

[MondoAtheist]

Hello, I'm Mike and I'm an Atheist. I recently purchased one of those Critical Thinker wristbands, and boy does that thing ever make me feel skinny. My wrists are so dainty, it's extremely large on me. But I still think it was worth the $1.50. I plan to flaunt it around at all the hipster cool bars and pretend like I'm one of them smart fellows(I'm not, I just enjoy pretending I am).

Anyways, I plan to keep posting here. I just thought I'd say one last thing, I saw Randi's photo gallery, and his older photos he's quite a handsome guy. No I'm not gay, and no I'm not a woman.

-- Mondo A out.

[Roadtoad]

Hello!

I've been absent from JREF for ages. I used to post on here mainly during 2002-2004. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in August 2004, and that has a lot to do with my absence. I first came on here as a Christian (I was a Christian about 12 years) who had some doubts about my beliefs, but I was still making pitiful attempts to prove what I believed to be true.

JREF was challenging for me because so many on here are brilliant and highly intellectual. Still, I had enough cognizance to muddle through. The more I researched and posted on JREF, the more my religious beliefs fell apart. I felt as if JREF opened up my eyes....changed my life in many ways. It even had an impact on my husband too...who had been a devout Christian all his life. He is now a devout Atheist! I am a closet Atheist. I prefer calling myself a Skeptic, and sometimes Agnostic. I don't like referring to myself as an Atheist due to the negative views some people have concerning Atheism.

While I cannot believe in the "supernatural", I feel accepting of people who have mystical or supernatural beliefs. I don't have to agree with them, but I do want to treat them with kindness and respect as a person. I often feel quite frustrated by Pseudo-Science and worry about people who are so gullible to believe certain things it promotes.

I attend a Unitarian church..... when my MS is not preventing me. My church has an interesting combination of Atheists, Agnostics, Deists, Buddhists, Secular Humanists, Pagans, and very liberal Christians. I like the inclusiveness, but I have not opened up very much about how I believe. I am longing to hear an Atheist or Agnostic be the speaker for one of our services, but in the almost 2 years I have been going, I have yet to hear such a speaker.

This post is already long...so not going to say much about my interests etc., except that I love to write poetry. I read one to the congregation at the Unitarian church I attend, and I've had two published in their newsletter....but that's been over a year ago. Not much of an accomplishment. I hope to do more with my poetry. (It's been a rough year). I love to read. I like Michael Shermer, James Randi, Richard Dawkins, and others.

I hope to reconnect with people I remember on here. Yahweh was one of my favorites. I hope to meet new people too.

Ruby

Great to see a classy chassis like you back among us, Ruby. So many of us were asking how you were doing, and it's fan-damn-tastic to see you're doing well, even as you're fighting MS. Hope to see more of you!

[Mr. Skinny]

Hello!

I've been absent from JREF for ages. I used to post on here mainly during 2002-2004. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in August 2004, and that has a lot to do with my absence. (snip)
Welcome back, Ruby. I remember you well. It was interesting to see you go through some changes last time you were a regular here.

Glad you are OK and still plugging along.


Skinny

[Pipirr]

Hello Mondo! Welcome to the forums. If you need to put on some weight, I suggest stocking up on popcorn and heading over to the conspiracy theory section. It's most entertaining.

[snowbird]

Hi all!

I thought I'd make my first post. I really enjoy the newsletter every week. I live in Maryland near Annapolis and consider myself to be a skeptic. With a BS in Physics and an MSEE and perfoming analysis for my job, I find myself being very discerning, I agree 100% with the philosophy that there are many things that we do not understand that are possible, but let's work to validate and prove it. Any that are proved could be of benefit. The public should also be educated and protected against those that can not be validated. I consider myself to be kind and patient when it comes to reviewing matters. Over the past several years, I would locally investigate groups and activities in my area to develop my thoughts on what people are doing, how they behave, and what appears to work and not work. Some has been very suprising. Hopefully, I'll have an opportunity to share these with you all as the opportunities arise.

Sincerely,
Dave

[Tricky]

Hi all!

I thought I'd make my first post. I really enjoy the newsletter every week. I live in Maryland near Annapolis and consider myself to be a skeptic. With a BS in Physics and an MSEE and perfoming analysis for my job, I find myself being very discerning, I agree 100% with the philosophy that there are many things that we do not understand that are possible, but let's work to validate and prove it. Any that are proved could be of benefit. The public should also be educated and protected against those that can not be validated. I consider myself to be kind and patient when it comes to reviewing matters.
Hi and welcome, Snowbird.

Interestingly, I saw your second post (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=2352382#post2352382)first, and I was very impressed. I think you'll find that the majority of skeptics share your philosophy of "Possibly, but let's see the evidence".
Over the past several years, I would locally investigate groups and activities in my area to develop my thoughts on what people are doing, how they behave, and what appears to work and not work. Some has been very suprising. Hopefully, I'll have an opportunity to share these with you all as the opportunities arise.
Let us hope the opportunity arises soon and frequently.

[RationalReverend]

Given that this is the place for such things, I'd thought I'd use my first post to introduce myself. My name is Jeremiah, I'm from Texas, and I found this website through a random google after seeing a video clip of supposed magnetic people. While many here might disqualify me from the Rational part because of the Reverend part, I appreciate what is done here and applaud this group in its efforts to uphold the most basic principles of science. I look forward to learning from and sharing in the vast resource that is the knowledge of the JREF forum members.

[eileen]

I hope someone out there can help me locate the short story, "The Skater of Ghost Lake." Anyone know where I could find a copy? Someone, anyone?
Eileen

[RationalReverend]

I can't post links, but I just googled it and it is online and found easily.

[Tricky]

I can't post links, but I just googled it and it is online and found easily.
I'm finding the poem (http://www.geocities.com/jennyblues/Poetryblues/2000/00may5.htm)easily, but not the short story.

[Mr. Skinny]

I hope someone out there can help me locate the short story, "The Skater of Ghost Lake." Anyone know where I could find a copy? Someone, anyone?
Eileen
Well, a quick Google search resulted in a link to a poem by that name:

http://www.geocities.com/jennyblues/Poetryblues/2000/00may5.htm


ETA: Beat to the punch by Tricky

[C.W.]

My first post here.
Hi everyone!

[ejdalise]

Came over from Skepticality Forums. Saw a reference to a post by MondoAtheist, and figured it was about time I checked this place out.

Engineer by trade. 54 and counting. Originally from Italy, then Illinois, then Michigan, and currently in Colorado.

Stuff I like:
racquetball, photography, reading, writing, hiking, shooting, travel, astronomy, golf, and probably some other things that escape me at the moment.

I was warned some of the members can be quite abrasive, but not to let that deter me. Considering most abrasive people can't generally take what they dish out, I will try to mind their feelings.

A question:
- I could not find a place to add a default signature.

That's it for now.

ejd

"signature pending"

[ConspiRaider]

Came over from Skepticality Forums. Saw a reference to a post by MondoAtheist, and figured it was about time I checked this place out.

Engineer by trade. 54 and counting. Originally from Italy, then Illinois, then Michigan, and currently in Colorado.

Stuff I like:
racquetball, photography, reading, writing, hiking, shooting, travel, astronomy, golf, and probably some other things that escape me at the moment.

I was warned some of the members can be quite abrasive, but not to let that deter me. Considering most abrasive people can't generally take what they dish out, I will try to mind their feelings.

A question:
- I could not find a place to add a default signature.

That's it for now.

ejd

"signature pending"
WELCOME!!!

At some number of posts, the "signature" deal kicks in. I think it's 50? Or is that when the avatar kicks in?

Anyway, engineer!!! We can use those. Am one myself, software engineer. Been in Italy too (U.S. Military). Sardegna. Sicilia. Napoli. Bari. Taranto. Roma. Genova. Trieste. Venezia.

[Eos of the Eons]

Hey newbies, hey ejdalise.

Some of us get abrasive towards the trolls, or the trolls will get abrasive towards us. Otherwise, it's all good :D

I just made my own first post on the skepticality forums today! It's like an exchange program!

I was wondering if cancer cure claims made by one of the newbies-Margaret-had malignant or benign cancer, and where?

Welcome back Ruby! I attend a Unitarian church too now!

[ninjamessiah]

I joined these forums a long time ago after watching a whole bunch of the Penn & Teller show, Bullsh!t. This is my first post. Hooray for me, I think.
Anyways, I am completely torn down the middle as a complete skeptical debunker of the paranormal, and as a true believer in the unexplained. To me it always comes down to a philosophical question of reality. When I figure it out, I'll let everyone know.
Hold on, I'm still introducing myself. I work full time and go to school for business. Once I get my associates I plan on furthering my education and taking courses in psychology, parapsychology, philosophy, and eastern languages+cultures. I'm also a martial artist, in the various forms of the "ju" arts(jujutsu,judo,brazilianjiujitsu).
I think James Randi is awesome and I really respect his efforts in everything he does. It's funny to me to watch fakers and con artists squirm under his crippling grip of facts, truth, and no B.S. attitude. He really stands out to me as worthy of admiration because of his million dollar challenge. He's not out to manipulate anyone's thinking, he's just seeking and exposing the truth.
Hi, everybody!

[cgallaga]

Hello, Chris here, Agnostic (only for epistemological reasons, Atheistic about many specific gods), Skeptic, Chef, Restaurant Owner, Born in the USA, Long Term resident of Hong Kong. I joined the forums last year but have been so busy (wasting time on other forums to be honest) that I just started posting here recently.

[Dumb All Over]

Engineer by trade. 54 and counting. Originally from Italy, then Illinois, then Michigan, and currently in Colorado.
If you're near the Denver area, why not join us for dinner this Saturday?
http://skeptics.meetup.com/

[Evie]

Hi. My name is Evie. I am 52 and I live in Canada. I am in interested anything to do with the paranormal. I am a psychic junkie... I go for readings once or twice a year and do not spend big money on this hobby of mine. I have to admit that I am a believer.... not skeptical, HOWEVER< I do understand that there are many charlatans out there... Probably most of them. I look forward to seeing these fakes exposed.

I also would like to see someone earn the million bucks!
I have found this site while visiting a paranormal forum... I read some (there is lots here to catch up on) and find this site very interesting already....

It is a good thing to opinions from both sides... Thanks for letting me be a member here.

Evie

[ejdalise]

If you're near the Denver area, why not join us for dinner this Saturday?

Sorry, I have a lot on my plate right now. Thanks for the link. I'll monitor the site, and see if at some future time I can tear myself away from the virtual world, and interact some in the real one.

ejd

[ejdalise]

Anyway, engineer!!! We can use those. Am one myself, software engineer. Been in Italy too (U.S. Military). Sardegna. Sicilia. Napoli. Bari. Taranto. Roma. Genova. Trieste. Venezia.

I'm from near Udine (a few hours from Trieste and Venezia). Many, many moons ago. I imagine you may have been stationed in Aviano, and that's very near where I used to live.

As far as more engineers . . . I used to think a world of engineers would be a wonderful place of logic and reason. Then I realized some (too many) are able to supress that part of their education. Oh well.

Looking forward to slowly begin my interaction here. Skepticality takes a fair amount of time, so I'll have to balance these two, while I also check out the Skeptic Friends Network (too much good stuff everywhere).

ejd

"no signature yet"

[Tricky]

Hi. My name is Evie. I am 52 and I live in Canada. I am in interested anything to do with the paranormal. I am a psychic junkie... I go for readings once or twice a year and do not spend big money on this hobby of mine. I have to admit that I am a believer.... not skeptical, HOWEVER< I do understand that there are many charlatans out there... Probably most of them. I look forward to seeing these fakes exposed.

I also would like to see someone earn the million bucks!
I have found this site while visiting a paranormal forum... I read some (there is lots here to catch up on) and find this site very interesting already....

It is a good thing to opinions from both sides... Thanks for letting me be a member here.

Evie
Welcome Evie. I hope you enjoy it here, but you will have to have a pretty thick hide. People professing paranormal beliefs will be asked time and time again for evidence. That's what skeptics do.

I recommend you read a few of Randi's commentaries (http://www.randi.org/jr/archive.html)to get a feel for the type of thing that gets discussed here and for the general tendency to dismiss things which have no good evidence for them.

I enjoy conversations with paranormal believers and I try not to be mean, but I will defend what I feel is a well substantiated position of skepticism.

[Blu]

Hi,

I'm Blu (yes it is an alias :D), and I live in the UK.

By day I write computer/database software, and by night I put on my black cape and go out and fight crime.... erm... well.... ok, scrap the last bit. Actually, by night I like to do stuff that isn't the same as my day job (except when I come and talk on forums). I like to go to pottery/sculpture classes and also like reading up on science stuff. I also have an interest in complimentary therapies. Yes! yes! I know! You'll want me to provide proof of how the therapies work, but that's why I'm reading up on all the science stuff, to try and understand it myself and to generally get an idea for how this Universe could possibly all hang together. I don't go for the view that just because you've been shown/taught how to do something and it appears to work that you should just accept the teachers explanation for it. I prefer to find out for myself. There's obviously something there that's happening, and I wan't to find out what and how myself.

I hope to join in some of the existing discussions as well as maybe starting a few of my own.

Looking forward to it.

Blu

[MondoAtheist]

Hello Mondo! Welcome to the forums. If you need to put on some weight, I suggest stocking up on popcorn and heading over to the conspiracy theory section. It's most entertaining.

Yeah, that place is indeed most interesting. Thank you for the warm welcome.

[Pipirr]

Hello ninjamessiah, with a little searching around you can find other ninja-like members here and a lively discussion on the existence of chi and suchlike. Enjoy your stay.

Welcome to cgallaga the skeptical chef, and to Evie. Ask us anything :D

Blu, what do you mean your name is an alias? :)

[symball]

Hi There- I came here via Badscience and decided it was probably worth putting down some roots.

I'm a vaccine scientist from the UK and I regularly have to 'debate' with both my sister in law and one of my partners acquaintances* who seem to compete to see who can be the biggest woo.

*she owns the horse my GF loans

[Blu]

Blu, what do you mean your name is an alias? :)

I mean you can call me Blu. It's not my real name and I'm not feeling blue (although I am full of flu at the minute)

:D

[cgallaga]

Welcome to cgallaga the skeptical chef, and to Evie. Ask us anything :D

Ok... here goes... Anything?

[Iggy]

I would just like to say Hi. My name is Lizzy and I live in London. I am training to be a nurse and the reason I am here is because I saw the BBC documentary about 9/11 on Sunday and I believe it to be an inside job. The way WTC 7 fell was in the style of a controlled demolition, in my opinion.

[Ducky]

I welcome everyone but iggy, who's naughty-named sock was lame.

[Rika]

I've been reading the Commentary for a while, and on finding one of my acquaintances had denounced the forum, decided to take a look, to see if it was what she said it was. It wasn't.

As I've been reading, I decided it might be a good idea to register. Nice to meet you all

[wims]

Hello,
my name is Wim, i first found this forum when googling for info about Steorn a few months ago. I created an account, but it got deleted after a short while, possibly in fear of it being a spambot? Just a guess. Anyway, I'm not a spam bot so please dont delete my account :)

[Manorexia]

I'm here for pretty much the same reason that Tokorona is. I'm a skeptic from lcf, and after getting into a particularly ludicrous argument I joined jref because it occurred to me how much more I would enjoy my time by being here and not there.

[Darat]

:welcome4

[Foolmewunz]

Hello, Chris here, Agnostic (only for epistemological reasons, Atheistic about many specific gods), Skeptic, Chef, Restaurant Owner, Born in the USA, Long Term resident of Hong Kong. I joined the forums last year but have been so busy (wasting time on other forums to be honest) that I just started posting here recently.

Just dropped in to do my quarterly Welcome Wagon duties, and what do I find?
The other skeptic in Hong Kong!!?? Now there are two of us? (Actually there are another couple of members, but not with regular postings.)

Generally, Hong Kong is so wrapped up in making money that what passes for skepticism here is apt to be a curmudgeonly old fart in a pub complaining about how much Beckham earns.

Is your restaurant on Man Wah, or in the city? What kind of food?
(I'm on HK Island 'cuz my offices are in Wanchai.... I'm a wage slave.)

:HONGKONG: :HONGKONG: :HONGKONG:

[JanisChambers]

After just a few weeks on here, looking at all the information, hearing the podcasts from the Ness and Infidel Guy, I think I am now comfortable calling myself a full-out Atheist. Before I introduced myself as an agnostic, but it's inpossible to argue for any hope for a God to exist.

Since I was young I have been insulted by the assumptions on society caused by religion, everything from sexism to violent nationalism, religion has done more to harm society than it has ever done to create morality. Apart from anything else about me, just ask :p

[The Atheist]

After just a few weeks on here, looking at all the information, hearing the podcasts from the Ness and Infidel Guy, I think I am now comfortable calling myself a full-out Atheist.

Excellent. Just PM me when it's time to brush up on the Satanic ritual part of atheism!

[Roadtoad]

Excellent. Just PM me when it's time to brush up on the Satanic ritual part of atheism!

Dammit! That was supposed to stay an inside secret!

[Babbylonian]

I came upon the JREF website a couple months ago - I have no recollection as to how I ended up there, but I did and it quickly became an addiction, for reasons that will be made clear below. I've read every commentary page, though I'll confess to skimming some sections when a particular subject hasn't engaged me, and I've come to the forum (and have already read many entertaining posts) because, well, the commentaries only appear once a week and that's just not enough!

My interest in the paranormal started ridiculously young. In elementary school, I tended to be about 2 months ahead of my class and so would end up with a lot of free time. I was already a voracious reader (by age standards - I won't make claim to being any kind of prodigy) by the time I reached the first grade. Said reading tended to consist of comic books, and so I gravitated fairly naturally to reading things with a science fiction or "otherworldly" slant. I remember quite vividly reading books about UFOs, ESP and, yes, even Uri Geller (for the record, this would have been the late 70s/early 80s). I was thus predisposed to believing in the paranormal long before I had the critical-thinking skills to judge properly between fact and fiction presented as if it were fact.

Anyway, my interest was such that in the third grade, when I had too much time on my hands, I actually proposed ESP experimentation to my teacher. She approved, so I and another "gifted" student would adjourn for an hour or two per day to the library or cafeteria with a deck of the classic ESP "shape" cards and practice our "abilities." I can't recall any particular conclusion, though the fact that I wasn't wandering around trying to read people's minds is probably a good indicator that I didn't convince myself I had telepathic powers.

For the next several years, my interests changed - as they are wont to do - to fall a little more in line with those of my classmates, though I probably focused a bit more on computers (and videogames, yay!) since my parents were particularly generous in that area. After high school, I found myself mucking about town with a friend who had an interest in the paranormal and so I found myself tagging along and exposing myself to things I was becoming more and more convinced were pure silliness. Crystals, Timothy Leary's more whacked-out theories (he was an entertaining speaker, though, when I experienced him in a lightly attended lecture - around 1992, if I recall correctly), Tarot cards, etc. I was still pretty uncritical of these things, though I wasn't quite ready to jump down any rabbit holes without the "proper" chemical inducement - something of which I'm sure both Mr. Leary and Mr. Carroll would have approved.

Anyway, my "epiphanies" turned out to be very near. First, I had bought a deck of Tarot cards which I quite liked and found easy to "work" with. We were spending late evenings talking and drinking coffee at a 24-hour restaurant - one with very few people around late at night - and I found myself giving a Tarot reading to a waitress there. I was well into the process before I realized exactly what I was doing, though I didn't know the name yet: "Cold reading." As I was dealing the cards and attempting to interpret their meanings, I found that I became more and more accurate (the waitress found my accuracy compelling) as I talked to the person being read. I would ask a question, followed by a hint, followed by a more specific, more leading question, etc. until I was telling her about her life with great precision...I'm sorry, the CARDS were telling me about her life and I was relaying the information. I found it very entertaining for a time displaying my Tarot skills to the various n'e'er-do-wells who found themselves in an off-the-beaten path restaurant at 2:30 in the morning but, of course, my entertainment was tempered by the fact that I believed less and less in the supernatural as I did so. After all, I wasn't delusional and so I knew I was just doing a "trick."

Not long after, I sat down and read a book which, as I recall, was a collection of book reviews by Martin Gardner. By the time I was finished (which wasn't long, as the book was extremely entertaining, though I can't remember the title), I was a "converted skeptic" and couldn't bring myself to just "believe" anymore. I read several more skeptical tomes during that period and then I just sort of let it go as I wasn't up for a movement - at least, no movements apart from the normal mammalian ones. I figured that "psychics" and the like were harmless and that if people wanted to buy in with their money, their minds and their time, I wasn't going to worry about it.

Fast-forward several more years to the present, and I find myself becoming more and more annoyed by the clearly fraudulent claims being made by the "woo-woo" peoples. I've learned more about the atrocities (particularly more modern ones) committed thanks to this nonsense, and I've become disturbed by the idea that people I care about could be suckered in without the opportunity to become informed about the reality behind the "talking with the dead" and such. Again, I've read much of the information presented at this site, and I've started to work harder to learn more about skepticism versus untested, unproven frauds who happily take the hard-earned cash of the gullible in exchange for useless lies. I'm particularly excited about the new direction of the JREF Challenge, which I hope will shine a brigher light on the higher-profile frauds.

I've rambled enough, but I thought telling a bit of my tale might help make sense of any posts I might make on this forum down the line - it may take a week or a month, but once I get going I'm an Internet forum addict, especially if there are interesting conversations to be had (or snarky remarks to make - sorry in advance!).

Thank you, James Randi and the JREF, and those who make the fora here work...I expect I'll be paying my membership dues by summer. :)

[my_wan]

Since this is the introduce yourself thread I will rant...

Since I was very young I have always been confused when people asked me if I believed something.

Me: Define belief...
Woo: What do you mean define belief?
Me: If I put the truth in one hand and deceit in the other which would you choose?
Woo: The truth.
Me: Which hand?
Woo: I don't know which hand the truth is in.
Me: Exactly.
Woo: .... soo you don't believe?
Me: How would that be any different from believing?
Two possibilities;
1) I'm avoided like the plague.
2) Woo: How can you not believe anything?
Me: I didn't say I didn't. I honestly don't don't know what you mean by belief.
Woo: (Trying to explain) Belief is like gobbledygook gobbledygook.....

To be sure I have prejudices in terms of physical concepts where there is hope of finding some empirical backing. They don't always match with the standard ontology attached to the standard model but it is quiet normal and expected to be able describe the same algorithms under mutually exclusive ontologies without changing the empirical information. So it is not a real issue and really boils down a prejudice towards things I understand the best.

I often have the same inability to understand some skeptics for the issues I have with woo. It's just that skeptics tend to be far more valuable to a rational process. If you set a proposition before me such as esp, god, etc I can easily accept it as true. My next question is where can I go with this? If I can't go anywhere with it why would I want to continue hanging onto it? Can I take the opposite view and get any farther? No.. Bummer... So let's move on to QM or GR or something.

Recently I read a physorg.com article, "Report: Princeton ESP Lab to Close". The article said;

PEAR researchers concluded that people could alter the results in such machines about two or three times out of 100,000. Jahn claimed if the human mind could slightly alter a machine, it might be able to be used in other areas of human life, such as healing disease.

But wait.. where is the new mouse for paraplegics? So I decided to check into what was or wasn't accomplished. I read the correspondence between Brenda Dunne and jref. Now I'm perturbed! How could they "have no interest in trying to prove anything to Randi"? Then she said, "His offer is a scam" it started smelling like, sniff sniff... red herring. So not only are they abdicating their responsibility to authenticate they are also abdicating their responsibility to expose a scammer. Then comes the patent and Mindsong Inc. Now I'm pissed!!!!!!!!!!!! I know what my next website is going to be.... Refitting an old 'zombie' (gaming) website for educational purposes sounds about perfect. PHP, MySql, the works, and all for free.

[cgallaga]

Just dropped in to do my quarterly Welcome Wagon duties, and what do I find?
The other skeptic in Hong Kong!!?? Now there are two of us? (Actually there are another couple of members, but not with regular postings.)

Generally, Hong Kong is so wrapped up in making money that what passes for skepticism here is apt to be a curmudgeonly old fart in a pub complaining about how much Beckham earns.

Is your restaurant on Man Wah, or in the city? What kind of food?
(I'm on HK Island 'cuz my offices are in Wanchai.... I'm a wage slave.)

:HONGKONG: :HONGKONG: :HONGKONG:

Central...just above Soho. www.casanostra.com.hk I think I probably met that old fart. :)

[matt.tansy]

My name is Matt.
I am a skeptic and unaffiliated co-conspirator.
Married, 4 kids (4-18 yo)
Atheist since age 17 (alt.atheist#1649)
Occupation: Chief Electronics Technician (Submarines) in U.S. Navy stationed in Groton, CT (just went on shore duty after 6 years at sea).
Hobbies: history, astronomy, navigation (which is also my job)
Favorite T-shirt slogan: "The liver is evil and must be punished."

I deny the Holy Spirit.

[Roadtoad]

My name is Matt.
I am a skeptic and unaffiliated co-conspirator.
Married, 4 kids (4-18 yo)
Atheist since age 17 (alt.atheist#1649)
Occupation: Chief Electronics Technician (Submarines) in U.S. Navy stationed in Groton, CT (just went on shore duty after 6 years at sea).
Hobbies: history, astronomy, navigation (which is also my job)
Favorite T-shirt slogan: "The liver is evil and must be punished."

I deny the Holy Spirit.

Hey, Matt. Welcome aboard. Do you, by any chance, know a guy named Bill Kenny? Just asking. He works at the School.

[Mr. Skinny]

My name is Matt.
I am a skeptic and unaffiliated co-conspirator.
Married, 4 kids (4-18 yo)
Atheist since age 17 (alt.atheist#1649)
Occupation: Chief Electronics Technician (Submarines) in U.S. Navy stationed in Groton, CT (just went on shore duty after 6 years at sea).
Hobbies: history, astronomy, navigation (which is also my job)
Favorite T-shirt slogan: "The liver is evil and must be punished."

I deny the Holy Spirit.
Welcome, Matt.

This thread is to introduce yourself, not to submit a resume. :)

I worked with a couple of nuke reactor guys and a few skimmer (is that the right term?) "flange heads" back in my day as a boiler and pressure vessel inspector.

Hope to see you around the forum.

[Ducky]

My name is Matt.
I am a skeptic and unaffiliated co-conspirator.
Married, 4 kids (4-18 yo)
Atheist since age 17 (alt.atheist#1649)
Occupation: Chief Electronics Technician (Submarines) in U.S. Navy stationed in Groton, CT (just went on shore duty after 6 years at sea).
Hobbies: history, astronomy, navigation (which is also my job)
Favorite T-shirt slogan: "The liver is evil and must be punished."

I deny the Holy Spirit.

Hey Matt! Welcome!

Submarines, eh? Very cool!

[matt.tansy]

Bill Kenny sounds familiar. Is he active duty?

[Roadtoad]

Bill Kenny sounds familiar. Is he active duty?

Civilian, actually. Retired AF, believe it or not. Absolutely the one guy you have got to have in your corner when you need someone there.

[murphyr]

I've been lurking about for a while now, so why not go ahead with the introduction.

I'm Ryan. Born and raised in the greater Pittsburgh area, but am currently living on the north side of Chicago doing my time as a graduate student in chemistry and trying to deal with the really incredible number of Cubs fans that give me funny looks for my Pirates cap. I play bass (guitar or upright) in an exceedingly mediocre fashion.

That's about it, I suppose. I expect to be relatively quiet around here for a while, as I broke my hand earlier this month and can't type very efficiently.

[hcmom]

My name is Matt.
I am a skeptic and unaffiliated co-conspirator.
Married, 4 kids (4-18 yo)
Atheist since age 17 (alt.atheist#1649)
Occupation: Chief Electronics Technician (Submarines) in U.S. Navy stationed in Groton, CT (just went on shore duty after 6 years at sea).
Hobbies: history, astronomy, navigation (which is also my job)
Favorite T-shirt slogan: "The liver is evil and must be punished."

I deny the Holy Spirit.
Welcome, Matt.

This thread is to introduce yourself, not to submit a resume. :)
Yeah, but you gotta admit, the resume sure helps with an awful lot of questions...

[matt.tansy]

I have to wonder how my reception would have gone if I had included my turn-ons and turn-offs...

[Roadtoad]

I have to wonder how my reception would have gone if I had included my turn-ons and turn-offs...

Any thoughts on bunnygirls?

[Peacock]

Hi everybody! Long time reader, first time poster. I'm a skeptic, a student at Penn State (Agricultural Science Major) and am feeling very alone since I moved here. I think I'm the only skeptic in the whole campus/State College area. I always heard that Pennsylvania was blue on the ends and red in the middle, but jeez! You'd think a college town would be a bit more progressive! Anyway, I hope to have some good chats with the friendly folks at the JREF and make some new cyberfriends. And if any fellow skeptics live around here, please send me a PM!

[grayfalcon]

Another lurker turned poster. I have to confess, I'm more interesting in trying to understand the people who follow some of these odd beliefs (Numerology? Astrology? Bush behind 9/11?), rather than in the beliefs themselves. Does that make me insane?

[cgallaga]

Does that make me insane?

Not necessarily but give it time, something will. :P

[Foolmewunz]

Central...just above Soho. www.casanostra.com.hk I think I probably met that old fart. :)

Cool! A friend of mine has recommended Casa Nostra. I have a whole lot of vowels on the ends of my names (e.g. Italian heritage of sorts), and I cook, so I rarely eat out Italian, except Ugo's which is real close to our office and the best western grub in the area, but I'll check it out. Always lookin' for someplace new to take the hoard of visitors we get.

[a3maniac]

Hey, I'm Fernanda, I'm 20, I like magicians, I hate psychics; I love philosophy, hate self-help; I love south park, hate 7th heaven; I don't really care for dumb people, I'm elitist and stubborn (mostly because I'm right), and I think men with long white beards are cool.

So here I am.

[Oualawouzou]

Hello everybody!

Hey, who remembers the days where entering a chat room got you assaulted with "A/S/L"? I used to answer "77/X/Galapagos", but now I'll do you a favor and bare my soul for all to see: 25/M/Québec (so yes, French is my first language, and I enjoy Randi's peppering of French expressions in his SWIFT :P).

I study litterature, as hinted to by my quite long hair and the perpetually half-baked acuity of my sensory perception. Fashion being on a 20-25 years cycle, I expect my hairdo to be quite a hit by 2015 or so. Barely noticing you've almost been hit by a bus because you crossed the street on a red light while trying to recall the exact words uttered by Elrond at the Council will never be a hit with the ladies though.

I am an amateur webcomicker (redundant much?) and one of those immature young men who love a good evening spent playing video games with friends. Unfortunately, said friends do not share my familiarity with Internet slang, so I can't even plug All Your Base over a good WarCraft or StarCraft game. Still, I get some limited praise for my kirbying abilities: (>")>

I was raised as a devout catholic (adjusted for USA standards though, it barely qualifies as very light weight catholic) and my grandmother kept saying I'd make a priest. I repeatedly asked God to send me a sign, in Church even, that I were to join His Earthly Purveyor Of Styrofoam Bread, to no avail.

My interest for religion waned quickly in my rebellious teenage years, and by rebellious I mean I was cutting out pictures of sex-shop models in the ads in the papers, and my interest in woo-woo raised. At one point, I was pretty well versed in the Bermuda Triangle, Nessie's Tea Parties and Extra-Terrestrial Abstract Art in corn fields and though I swallowed the hook, the line and sinker never quite followed. I was, at the same time, quite interested in science, and I was just as much interested in the various logical explanations and outright debunking brought forth by the skeptics.

I've described myself as an agnostic for a very long time now, and lean more and more towards atheist, to the dismay of my parents (with whom I avoid discussing the subject, whenever possible).

My first brush with online sanity was with the lovely people over at snopes.com, who taught me quite a few things about debating, logical fallacies and questionning your sources of information. I haven't posted there in over a year, what with being too occupied with work and family to keep up with conversations, but still.

I think this is as thorough as I can be without getting boring, and just a tad more thorough that I can be without getting annoying. So I'll see you all in other areas of the forums. :)

[Hafast]

Guess I ought to do the intro thing. Let's see, came across the foundation site while goofing around on the web, can't remember from where (P&T I think). Got caught up in the forum, and decided to join. I must say, though, I'm a little intimidated by the knowledge held by the members. I'll most likely be reading (and learning) more than I'll post.

Background info: 38, USAF (nice to see other GI's here!), stationed in Utah, currently at an undisclosed location. Married, 1 kid, originally from Northern Cal (much further north than most people think of), and I think that's about it for now. Hoping to learn a lot from you folks.

[Mr. Skinny]

Background info: 38, USAF (nice to see other GI's here!), stationed in Utah, currently at an undisclosed location. .
Don't forget us civilians!

Welcome anyhow. :D Are you at Hill?

[Hafast]

Yes, I'm at Hill. Should be back there in about a month, and I can't wait! Working in the computer shop for an air control squadron.

[Mr. Skinny]

Yes, I'm at Hill. Should be back there in about a month, and I can't wait! Working in the computer shop for an air control squadron.
NCO or officer?

Never mind. Your quarterly security briefings should have alerted you to the fact that I'm likely a spy/NWO agent/govt. shill. :)

Are you close to retirement?

[Hafast]

NCO, just hit retirement elegibility a few months ago, but I'm staying in a few more years. I'm thinking I'm a bit of a masochist.

[Sean]

Hello JREF. I've been reading your forum for a few weeks now, took me a while to finally get registered. Don't know why, but something kept rejecting me. Not that that's anything I'm not used to.

About me: I'm a 24-year-old writer in the suburbs of NYC. I work full time at a mortgage company, and I'm a graduate student getting my MA in Writing. I was raised Catholic, and used to think God could hear my thoughts, and even now that's a notion I find myself worried about. Not often, though.

In college I became an atheist(still in the closet, though, with my parents). I guess it was just being around people with bigger ideas than, "Go to Mass every Sunday or God will hate you." Made me realize the lens I had been seeing the world through. I like this one much better.

As for skepticism, I guess I came by it a couple of years ago when I happened upon the skeptic's dictionary. I was just so intrigued by all of these ideas people had that could be verified as false, yet they still held on to them. Don't know why it took so long to make my way over here.

Anyways, glad to be here.

[grayman]

Hey, I'm Fernanda, I'm 20, I like magicians, I hate psychics; I love philosophy, hate self-help; I love south park, hate 7th heaven; I don't really care for dumb people, I'm elitist and stubborn (mostly because I'm right), and I think men with long white beards are cool.

So here I am.

Hey now.
http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_924645e65f2fea9d4.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4379)

[Dedicated]

Hey Guys

I'm 22yrs old. University student. I'm naturally a skeptic but do want to believe in paranormal behaviour. I think we should question everything we believe and I believe there is a natural bias in our thought process. It is important not to be hypocritical in our statements.

I'm originally from the Former Yugoslavia but reside in Canada now. I'm a Libertarian deep down. I support the Liberals in Canada. I'm gay.

Thats enough for now! :)

[SusanB-M1]

Sean

Young people like yourself are very fortunate I think to have found the sceptical, broader outlook on life at a young age, so that you have a lifetime of being complete in yourself.

May I say my welcome? Since joining last year I have found this place very interesting.

[Whiplash]

Hey all, another new guy here.

I found this forum about a month ago. I work at night, and was bored one night and flipped on Coast to Coast AM for the first time in about a year. It just so happened to be a night when John Lear was on, talking about amazing photographic evidence of strip mining operations on the moon!

Needless to say, I was skeptical, but I wanted to see the picture "evidence" for myself. So I went to several sites and took a look. I think it's also needless to say that I was completely underwhelmed by the ink blot test of shadows and rock that people were engaging in. What a joke!

I started reading more and more sites, and eventually found my way to this forum. I am very glad I did so.

I remembered James Randi from many TV appearances I had seen him in. In particular I remember him vs Rosemary Altea on Larry King live several years ago. I've discovered more of his work via youtube and other sources, and I really appreciate the work he has done (and continues to do).

I was a bit of a woowoo in my youth, but quickly learned the absurdities of it all, and saw how the real world worked. But I think, deep down, there is still a bit of a woo inside me. Otherwise I don't think I would have interest still in talking about such nonsense (and some of it is really bad nonsense). Maybe deep down I want some of these things to be true, to make a more interesting world. I don't know for sure why I find it so compelling, but I do.

So I felt this forum would be a good place to join. I see many intelligent people and many great conversations and debates. I really look forward to joining some of the discussions.

Nice to meet you all.

[Dedicated]

Hey all, another new guy here.

I found this forum about a month ago. I work at night, and was bored one night and flipped on Coast to Coast AM for the first time in about a year. It just so happened to be a night when John Lear was on, talking about amazing photographic evidence of strip mining operations on the moon!

Needless to say, I was skeptical, but I wanted to see the picture "evidence" for myself. So I went to several sites and took a look. I think it's also needless to say that I was completely underwhelmed by the ink blot test of shadows and rock that people were engaging in. What a joke!

I started reading more and more sites, and eventually found my way to this forum. I am very glad I did so.

I remembered James Randi from many TV appearances I had seen him in. In particular I remember him vs Rosemary Altea on Larry King live several years ago. I've discovered more of his work via youtube and other sources, and I really appreciate the work he has done (and continues to do).

I was a bit of a woowoo in my youth, but quickly learned the absurdities of it all, and saw how the real world worked. But I think, deep down, there is still a bit of a woo inside me. Otherwise I don't think I would have interest still in talking about such nonsense (and some of it is really bad nonsense). Maybe deep down I want some of these things to be true, to make a more interesting world. I don't know for sure why I find it so compelling, but I do.

So I felt this forum would be a good place to join. I see many intelligent people and many great conversations and debates. I really look forward to joining some of the discussions.

Nice to meet you all.

Nice to meet you! You sound a lot like me!

[Madame De'Ath]

Hello - have been forced by a friend of mine, sat556, to introduce myself after much lurking.

Hopefully this won't be my lst post on here :eye-poppi

[sat556]

Yay! :purplebananna:

[Madame De'Ath]

you may well yay ...what do I do now????? :jaw-dropp

[Armi Shanks]

*Latches onto Madame De'Ath with a limpet-like grip* Quick....pretend you know me.

[Madame De'Ath]

Do I know you? :D:D:D

[Armi Shanks]

Do you know me? DO YOU KNOW ME?????? *Looks at Madame De'Ath as Victor Frankenstein once contemplated his monster. Turns on heel. Departs*

:D

[Mr. Skinny]

you may well yay ...what do I do now????? :jaw-dropp

*Latches onto Madame De'Ath with a limpet-like grip* Quick....pretend you know me.

Do you know me? DO YOU KNOW ME?????? *Looks at Madame De'Ath as Victor Frankenstein once contemplated his monster. Turns on heel. Departs*

:D
Here - I'll act like I know you guys so you don't feel so self conscious.

Just tell people you are a friend of Skinny's...






















And they'll go "Huh?" :)


Welcome to the forum, folks.

[hcmom]

(What you guys need to know, however, is that Mr. Skinny is in fact the forum deity...)

[Mr. Skinny]

(What you guys need to know, however, is that Mr. Skinny is in fact the forum deity...)
Shush. I was trying to befriend them so that I could begin their subtle indoctrination into Skinnematics. ;)

If they end up becoming Tacoists, I'll blame you (and Lisa, of course).

[Madame De'Ath]

*smiles sweetly while edging slowly away* :D

[grayman]

*smiles sweetly while edging slowly away* :D

*not noticing the leather clad individual standing ever so close behind...*

[Tanstaafl]

Deep in your hearts, you all know you're really Pastafarians.

RAmen.

[Roadtoad]

Shush. I was trying to befriend them so that I could begin their subtle indoctrination into Skinnematics. ;)

If they end up becoming Tacoists, I'll blame you (and Lisa, of course).

Actually, if I can get a few moments alone with them, I could explain the subtleties of Tacoism, particularly as relates to the difference between the Jalapenists, and the Habanerists.

[Mr. Skinny]

Deep in your hearts, you all know you're really Pastafarians.

RAmen.

Actually, if I can get a few moments alone with them, I could explain the subtleties of Tacoism, particularly as relates to the difference between the Jalapenists, and the Habanerists.
No need for Tacoism or FSM worship. Skinnematics combines the best parts of all beliefs and you get a deity you can actually talk to! :eek:

You gotta admit this difference sets Skinnematics apart from the other belief systems.

Can you talk to TGTITS? No.

Can you talk to the FSM? No.

Can you talk to Skinny? Yes. LordHighEmperor SkinnyGod will answer your questions.

[grayman]

You can talk to any mythological being you desire.

Getting them to answer is the difficult part.

[Mr. Skinny]

You can talk to any mythological being you desire.

Getting them to answer is the difficult part.
This is why Skinnematics is cool. And I'm not even mythological! I'm real!

[O Green World]

Hello all,
I'm new here, so let me tell you all a little about myself. I'm an atheist, and have been for a few years. My likes include games, music (most kinds), and hanging with friends, also I do like to debate (but only if I feel the need to).
My dislike is apples...the fruit, and Religious Fundamentalists.
Can't really think of much else to put down, so if you have a question for me feel free to ask. :)

[Mr. Skinny]

Can't really think of much else to put down, so if you have a question for me feel free to ask. :)
Do you like ferrets? Explain.

Is MIL-STD-882D an improvement over 882C?

What's your opinion on seat belt use? Gun ownership?

Finally, why do you think my basement sink clogs up so much? :confused:

[O Green World]

Do you like ferrets? Explain.

Is MIL-STD-882D an improvement over 882C?

What's your opinion on seat belt use? Gun ownership?

Finally, why do you think my basement sink clogs up so much? :confused:
LOL ok well lets see
I like ferrets, because they are skinny and can fit into most small places like through a car window, so they can assist in helping getting the keys you lock in the car. Plus you can keep em in a cage.

Is MIL-STD-882D an improvement over 882C?
I'll have to get back with you on this after i have done more research.
What's your opinion on seat belt use? I think that the use of seat belts saves lives in crashes and I'm therefore in favor of it.
Gun ownership? I think that people need a way to defend themselves from other gun owners, and a gun is much more effective against another gun.
Finally, why do you think my basement sink clogs up so much?
um....it cold be because its lower to the ground then your upstairs sink, and it probaly has less of a decline to the sewer pipe, or because you use it to shave, or other things, and it gets cloged.
hope that helps :)

[Mr. Skinny]

LOL ok well lets see
I like ferrets, because they are skinny and can fit into most small places like through a car window, so they can assist in helping getting the keys you lock in the car. Plus you can keep em in a cage.


I'll have to get back with you on this after i have done more research.
I think that the use of seat belts saves lives in crashes and I'm therefore in favor of it.
I think that people need a way to defend themselves from other gun owners, and a gun is much more effective against another gun.

um....it cold be because its lower to the ground then your upstairs sink, and it probaly has less of a decline to the sewer pipe, or because you use it to shave, or other things, and it gets cloged.
hope that helps :)
OK. Well those seem like decent answers, except for the basement sink one.

More questions:

At my age, should I start a 401k or a Roth IRA to prepare for retirement?

Are BIC lighters better than the cheaper generic ones?

By what year do you estimate I'll be able to power my house with solar cell or other repalceable technology?

[Dumb All Over]

My, that Mr. Skinny asks an awful lot of questions, doesn't he, O Green World?
Welcome to the forum (again).

[hcmom]

Shush. I was trying to befriend them so that I could begin their subtle indoctrination into Skinnematics. ;)

If they end up becoming Tacoists, I'll blame you (and Lisa, of course).

No, it's only if they become a chocolatariat that I'll accept the resposibility.

[O Green World]

OK. Well those seem like decent answers, except for the basement sink one.

More questions:

At my age, should I start a 401k or a Roth IRA to prepare for retirement?

Are BIC lighters better than the cheaper generic ones?

By what year do you estimate I'll be able to power my house with solar cell or other repalceable technology?
I don't know your age so it would be fool of me to say.
Go with what you can afford :)
I'm not a psychic. :P


Yes he does DAO, I might soon stop answering :P
And thanks for the welcome (again)

[grayman]

Skinny, could it be that ferrets are clogging your drain?











And do weasels attack your privates?

[Fitter]

At my age, should I start a 401k or a Roth IRA to prepare for retirement?



Just start incorporating cat food into your diet now. Just once a week to start and then gradually increase the frequency. When you reach compulsory retirement it won't be a sudden shock to the taste buds.

[Mr. Skinny]

No, it's only if they become a chocolatariat that I'll accept the resposibility.
The chocolatariat are simply a social class, not a belief system. The untouchable caste (bacon chocolatariat) are the downtrodden, IMO.

I don't know your age so it would be fool of me to say.
Go with what you can afford :)
I'm not a psychic. :P


Yes he does DAO, I might soon stop answering :P
And thanks for the welcome (again)
Well, you volunteered to answer questions! Don't blame me for asking them!

Skinny, could it be that ferrets are clogging your drain?

And do weasels attack your privates?
Doubt it's ferrets clogging my drain.

Weasels ripped my flesh once, but not in the area of my privates. :)

[Mr. Skinny]

Just start incorporating cat food into your diet now. Just once a week to start and then gradually increase the frequency. When you reach compulsory retirement it won't be a sudden shock to the taste buds.
That's probably the best advise I've gotten, though I think I might go with the Iam's dry dog food. If I eat that and pour a little fish oil over the top of it, my coat will stay nice and shiny!

[grayman]

...Weasels ripped my flesh once, but not in the area of my privates. :)

For the use of such an enlightened reference (http://www.perfectecho.com/?cat=4), I may have to admit that you may indeed, exist.

[Mr. Skinny]

For the use of such an enlightened reference (http://www.perfectecho.com/?cat=4), I may have to admit that you may indeed, exist.
And...for recognizing that enlightened reference, you may qualifiy for a position in the hierarchy of the Skinnematics belief system.

[hcmom]

The chocolatariat are simply a social class, not a belief system. The untouchable caste (bacon chocolatariat) are the downtrodden, IMO.

Chocolatarianism is a serious belief, and I don't recommend that you argue with someone who practices those beliefs without bringing a damned good dark chocolate offering with you.

[grayman]

And...for recognizing that enlightened reference, you may qualifiy for a position in the hierarchy of the Skinnematics belief system.

I suppose I can't complain when the checks come through. ;)

[klrh@umich.edu]

My interest in joining stems from an interest in understanding how people learn in general and how learners solve complex problems in particular. Critical thinking most definately falls within this domain. My doctoral research at the University of Michigan focused on developing learners' complex problem-solving skills by making connections between their inclass and out-of-class collegieate activites including community service, internships and community-based research projects.

I am now retired but continue to read, conduct research and volunteer in this area. I look forward to sharing thoughts with members of the forum.

Sincerely,
Karen Hoffman

[The Atheist]

My interest in joining stems from an interest in understanding how people learn in general and how learners solve complex problems in particular. Critical thinking most definately falls within this domain. My doctoral research at the University of Michigan focused on developing learners' complex problem-solving skills by making connections between their inclass and out-of-class collegieate activites including community service, internships and community-based research projects.

I am now retired but continue to read, conduct research and volunteer in this area. I look forward to sharing thoughts with members of the forum.

Sincerely,
Karen Hoffman

Great stuff - you couldn't have picked a better forum to come to!

Looking forward to seeing your results. Please start a thread off when you have the time!

I think you'll like it here.

[Roadtoad]

My interest in joining stems from an interest in understanding how people learn in general and how learners solve complex problems in particular. Critical thinking most definately falls within this domain. My doctoral research at the University of Michigan focused on developing learners' complex problem-solving skills by making connections between their inclass and out-of-class collegieate activites including community service, internships and community-based research projects.

I am now retired but continue to read, conduct research and volunteer in this area. I look forward to sharing thoughts with members of the forum.

Sincerely,
Karen Hoffman

Welcome, Karen. Just one old busted up trucker saying "welcome." Hope my posts don't wind up boring you.

[Tumblehome]

Hello JREF forumites. I've been reading the James Randi website and
these forums for a few months and thought it was time to stand up and
declare myself on the side of reason and sanity. I think of myself as
a skeptic, but I've fallen off the wagon once in a while. I was
initially drawn to the 9/11 conspiracy theory because of my dislike of
the Cheney regime and how it operates ("Yeah, they're just the kind to
do that, so they must have!"), but eventually had to admit there was
nothing to it. Religion is another matter. I've instinctively
rejected it from childhood.

The topic about psychics using guilt on families of missing persons
simply for money turned my stomach and helped make my decision to
become a member of JREF. It's good to know there are people like James
Randi willing to take on that kind of evil.

Other than that, I'm Canadian, male and married with kids (the human
kind ;)), have a propunsity for plays on words, and look forward with some
trepidation to testing my reasoning skills with the bloodthirsty
jackals here. :)

[Tanstaafl]

More questions:

At my age, should I start a 401k or a Roth IRA to prepare for retirement?


Retirement is irrevlelvant, you should be collecting tithes.

[EHLO]

Hi all,

I’ve been following this forum on and off since the wonderfully engaging "Ladybrook" prediction, which was such a long time ago that it should give you a good idea as to my extraordinary procrastination abilities.

I like to think that I’ll be a good contributor, and I really would like to be, but I honestly don’t know where many of you get the time to read and respond to threads the way that you do.

I have no tolerance for stupidity so please tell me if I say something stupid. I believe in God, ghosts, UFO’s and the healing power of crystals.

[Mr. Skinny]

Hi all,

I’ve been following this forum on and off since the wonderfully engaging "Ladybrook" prediction, which was such a long time ago that it should give you a good idea as to my extraordinary procrastination abilities.

Well, you certainly have been lurking for a while if you remember "Ladybrook", lol. What took ya so long?

Welcome.

Skinny

[EHLO]

Thanks Skinny, I knew someone would ask that. I could easily spend ages just reading threads let alone posting, and after working on a computer all day the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was the same.

That and I only just joined the 21st century and got broadband!

[gopi]

I have no tolerance for stupidity so please tell me if I say something stupid. I believe in God, ghosts, UFO’s and the healing power of crystals.

I presume you're here to take Randi's million, then?

[hcmom]

I like to think that I’ll be a good contributor, and I really would like to be, but I honestly don’t know where many of you get the time to read and respond to threads the way that you do.

We gave up our lives as a sacrifice to the gods of the JREF.

[EHLO]

joke;
1. something said or done to provoke laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote, or a prankish act

2. to say something in fun or teasing rather than in earnest; be facetious

[JimBenArm]

Guess I ought to do the intro thing. Let's see, came across the foundation site while goofing around on the web, can't remember from where (P&T I think). Got caught up in the forum, and decided to join. I must say, though, I'm a little intimidated by the knowledge held by the members. I'll most likely be reading (and learning) more than I'll post.

Background info: 38, USAF (nice to see other GI's here!), stationed in Utah, currently at an undisclosed location. Married, 1 kid, originally from Northern Cal (much further north than most people think of), and I think that's about it for now. Hoping to learn a lot from you folks.
Hi Zoomie! Former Bubblehead here (nuke submariner). Lots of ex-military types here. ConspiRaider is another ex-squid, and Beachnut is an ex-AF Pilot, to name a few.
Don't be afraid to post. Heck, I know less than nothing, but that doesn't keep me from popping off! If nothing else, you can poke fun at the loons that show up!
Anyway, welcome, and glad to have you!

[EHLO]

We gave up our lives as a sacrifice to the gods of the JREF.

Doh! I knew I should have read the terms and conditions before I clicked accept!

[Causality]

I've been a fan of James Randi for many years. I've been lurking for some time and finally got around to registering on the board.

[UnrepentantSinner]

Welcome everyone.

[grayman]

...I’ve been following this forum on and off since the wonderfully engaging "Ladybrook" prediction, which was such a long time ago that it should give you a good idea as to my extraordinary procrastination abilities.


I know what you mean. One of these days I intend to introduce myself on this thread as well.

[Rawkarma]

I have already begun posting in the current discussions, and subsequently, I have already been welcomed. I'll say it here: thankyou. I don't want to derail threads by constantly thanking people. I will do it here, and here alone. Know that all of the sentiments are appreciated.

I found the JREF initially, as im the quintessential google wh*re, when searching 'stop sylvia brown', as someone had mentioned something about it pertaining to 'The spiritual Teacher' and her untimely, but expected incorrect prediction about the miners trapped in West Virginia: that they would be found alive.

I have also been reading badpsychics.com for awhile and getting acquainted with the 'amazing one' from all the links to various sites and media.

LC was also a major factor in coming here, as having read Mark Roberts Loose change guide, and being that he frequents this board, I was linked here also from one of the mainy websites dealing with debunking 9/11.

I, as im sure most people --the entire planet according to it's creators -- have watched the fictional documentary LC, and have even viewed their forum. I must say, it has twoofly taken the tradition of indulging in fantasy to a new and even more disturbing animal.

Well, I think that's enough for now, and I'll see you all around the forums no doubt.

[hcmom]

...I don't want to derail threads...

Wow, you really are new here!

[flameowl]

Hello all!

I've been lurking around the forums for quite some time now, and thought that I might have something interesting to add in the Conspiracies sub forum. Don't worry, I'm not a CT, I'm interested in how their minds work though, and very interested in the facts that have been gathered by those who have to counter blind assertion with evidence.

I've been following Mr. Randi for years, and read the weekly offerings religiously (ha!)

[LibraryLady]

Do you like ferrets? Explain.


More importantly, how do you feel about budgies? (Please notice my avatar before you answer.)

Have you returned your library books?

[Mr. Skinny]

More importantly, how do you feel about budgies? (Please notice my avatar before you answer.)

Have you returned your library books?
I know you didn't direct your question at me, LL, but our family did have a budgie named Corky when I was small. I liked it a lot except that it **** on the fireplace mantle because it liked sitting there and looking at itself in the mirror.

Oh, and I returned my library books today, and paid a 0.45 fine on my overdue books.

And, though you didn't ask, you'll be delighted to know that I worked as a page at the local library for over 2 yrs. when I was in high school.

In conclusion:

Budgies: check
Library book return: check
Worked in library: bonus check

It's nice to feel perfect in just one area to just one person just one time. :D

[Fuzake]

Hey. I'm not exactly a new member, but I haven't been on here in a year, so I figured I should reintroduce myself. I'm Fuzake (Japanese for Jester). Don't expect me to post much (my network has blocked JREF for discussion of religious topics XD).

[Mr. Skinny]

Welcome back, Fuzake.

Mr. Skinny (English for Mister Skinny)

[PhantomWolf]

I guess I should introduce myself, even though those in the Conspiracy Section are probably already sick of me.

I'm the Infamous PhantomWolf from BAUT and ApolloHoax (I have been known to pay occasional visits to GLP too) and am pretty active on those forums, mostly in the Conspriacy Sections.

I mostly deal with the Apollo Hoax, though I have dabbled in JFK and 9/11 (well more then dabbled with 9/11.) Presently I'm working on a Apollo Hoax Debunking page and talking about and sorta starting a Debunking video on that same.

I was classically trained as a Chemist (though I did a double major including Computing) but have a splash of Physics and Psycology as well. I worked as a Chemist for a while till I go sick of it and switched to computing where I have been a Web programmer, projects lead programmer and now an a database manager.

I like to learn, and love science, and whenever I can, getting out and doing a little stargazing and even some very, very basic astrophotography.

Oh, I should also point out, that I'm a Kiwi and darn parochial about it. You'll find that American's tend to annoy me greatly when they forget the rest of the world exists and I might say things that come across as quite anti-american. While in a lot of things I am, I'm not a rabid anti-USer, in fact my gf is an American. Ozzies, well they just deserve what they get ;)

[karener]

Hi Everyone,
I'm very new here. I've recently finished my PhD in marine sciences and am living in CA with my husband now.

I never really thought about scepticism or being a sceptic until one very strange, long conversation with my brother-in-law who seems to not believe that we made it to the moon. He also believes that Hitler's scientists cured cancer and all sorts of other interesting conspiracies.

While I wasn't able to change his mind about anything, it opened my eyes to the fact that people really believe in this stuff. And here I am....

[grayman]

Welcome to the forum.

Forget budgies, how do you feel about goats?

[EHLO]

Mmmmm... goats are tasty and make good cheese. You never get much meat from a budgie. (or cheese for that matter)

[Mr.Herbert]

Hi,

Although this is my first post, I have visited this site on many occasions in the past year. I started investigating 911 CT's a couple years ago and quickly realized that their cartoon arguments were silly. I am on the ATS site often where I have been labled a "shill", "agent", "denier"...oh and I'm on the payroll at Langley.

Anyway, I am here to learn more about the science behind the collapses of all the buildings, and perhaps get into some debates with the "truthers" The collapse debates seem to be the most difficult to debunk as I do not have an engineering background.

[hcmom]

Mmmmm... goats are tasty and make good cheese. You never get much meat from a budgie. (or cheese for that matter)

Ummm....... Around here, if you have a virgin goat, you'd better keep it locked up. But don't worry, no one is going to actually make a meal of it, they intend it to be more of a ...... uuuuhhhhhhh...... dessert kinda thing......

[grayman]

Mmmmm... goats are tasty and make good cheese. You never get much meat from a budgie. (or cheese for that matter)

Hmmm...food. A new use for goats? I may have to investigate this.

[hcmom]

Once you've used them for food, I don't think they're good for anything else though, grayman...

[Tanstaafl]

Depends on whether you save the right parts...

[hcmom]

EEeeewwwwwww.......

That's just wrong!

[Mr. Skinny]

Hi,

Although this is my first post, I have visited this site on many occasions in the past year. I started investigating 911 CT's a couple years ago and quickly realized that their cartoon arguments were silly. I am on the ATS site often where I have been labled a "shill", "agent", "denier"...oh and I'm on the payroll at Langley.

Anyway, I am here to learn more about the science behind the collapses of all the buildings, and perhaps get into some debates with the "truthers" The collapse debates seem to be the most difficult to debunk as I do not have an engineering background.
Welcome to the forum.

This is NWO/COINTELPRO agent school (Stage II). We don't talk about advanced (above Stage II) training here.

I'm on government payroll, but that's really just a cover for my civilian activities.

Don't worry about your lack of engineering background. You will be instructed in the use of sufficient engineering buzzwords to pass muster among the "truther" community.

Future correspondence from your handler will arrive via PM.

Copy?

[hcmom]

Boy, this thread is great at making new members feel welcome....

[GwionX]

Hello all.

New member here, and let me say it is good to see a forum like this.

I suppose I became concerned with the subject of the 9/11 truth movement while surfing Youtube for rare Pink Floyd footage. I couldn't help but notice "Shock Doc" after shock doc pushing 9/11 CT's like digital pamphlets. Out of curiosity, I watched some of them. It wasn't so much the fallacy riddled content of the vid's that got to me; it was the viewers comments. The zeal in which this obvious propaganda was accepted. I had to look for answers.

A little navagation and I found myself on the abovetopsecret.com site. Engaging in real-time discussions where I was the obvious minority. I became subjected to dogpilling, a school of red herrings, and condecending cries for me to "Do the research!"

The situation reminded me of a story a friend of mine told me years back.

It was the true story of "the Ice Cream Truck."

My friend and three of his less than sophisticated co-workers were on a job site when an Ice Cream Truck pulls around the corner. They decide it is a good time for a break and appoach the truck.

One of the roughshod fellas exclaims "Give me one of dem thar "Napoleons" and pointing to the handy visual aide pasted on the side of the truck--a picture of a tri-flavored ice cream bar.

My friend chuckles and says: "Don't you mean "Neopolitan?"

At that time all three of the co-workers look at him and in a chorus of ignorance, begin laughing at him and telling him: "where did YOU go to school, neopolitan..scoff" " That's just dumb" " Don't let THIS guy order no Ice-cream" ect.

In an effort to resolve this trivial dispute, my friend looks to the most authoritative source avalible at the time; the ice cream vendor himself.

Confidently asks: "What are those tri-flavored ice cream bars called?"

The disheveled Ice Cream vendor leans over, scratches his scruffy beard, and proclaims: "Dem Ice Creams are a called Napoleons!"

Of course, "validated" ridicule insues the rest of that afternoon -- and for that moment in time.. A dessert hailing from Naples Italy was in fact a product of the famous Emperor of France.

It is refreshing to find a forum where people can discern the difference between reality, and idiocy. One might think these places would be easier to find..sigh.

Howdy, Im from Texas. ( If that story above didn't already clue you in, heh)

[Glyptog]

Hi, new to the site, very interesting,
From the UK, Health care professional, hard cynic and skeptic.

[Jiri]

Ah, how sweet it is to be home at last with all the like minds interested in scientific truth. Hello, fellow skeptics! You won't mind me being skeptical even with you, do you? After all that is what we, the skeptics do.

Jiri

[Irish Pete]

Hello,

Another new member here. I've been reading the site for a while and felt that it was time to sign up for the forum. I'm Irish (you don't need to be psychic to work that out) and live in the UK. I would describe myself as a humanist and a cynic. My main reason for coming here is the amount of absolute rubbish that is currently promoted as truth, from palmistry to conspiracy theories. I am delighted that, although such drivel is widely promulgated on the internet, that there is a place like this where it can be discussed in a rational and sensible manner.

I look forward to participating further on the forum.

[SusanB-M1]

Irish Pete

As you describe yourself as a humanist, I wonder if you belong to the BHA and/or NSS? Numbers of members help to promote rational views; or as one of the posters on the BBC MBs calls it, 'rational reasoning and probability factors'.

[UnrepentantSinner]

Howdy GwionX,

We've got a surprising number of Texas members here. Some native, some by blood (like me) and some transplants. Welcome, great story and glad to have you with us.

[Irish Pete]

Irish Pete

As you describe yourself as a humanist, I wonder if you belong to the BHA and/or NSS? Numbers of members help to promote rational views; or as one of the posters on the BBC MBs calls it, 'rational reasoning and probability factors'.

I'm afraid I don't actually belong to either of those bodies- though there's no good reason for that other than my own inertia. I agree that it's something that I should look into and will do so forthwith.

Thanks SusanB

[/\/\arko]

Hi guys, I guess I should just join Mr.Herbert, GwionX, Glyptog, Jiri, Irish Pete and introduce myself. I'm a programmer and Unix admin from Nuremberg, Germany. I love astronomy, billard, typography, math and physics since I was a school kid where I had a bunch of awsome teachers; well, most of them.

A TV show with Uri Geller in the late 70s (I was 6 or 7 years old) introduced that guy to me, and I learned about Randi a few months later. But it wasn't before half a year ago when I began to watch YouTube videos about John Edward and Sylvia Browne; those videos brought my attention to the Skepticasts of the New England's Skeptic's Guide to the Universe -- and back to the Amazing Randi, of course. End of story... so far. (-:

[UnrepentantSinner]

Wilkommen /\/\arko. My family was assigned to the U.S. Army base at Grafenwoehr for 3 and 1/2 years and I used to go down to Nuremburg to get orthodontic work. Glad to have you with us.

[Klaymore]

I'm an American living in Tokyo. All I've really done so far is read (a bunch of) the Challenge Applicant threads, which are fascinating!

I have a couple of questions about how to navigate the site (like "can I search by applicants who actually got TESTED?" Those are the most entertaining), but I'll read the FAQ page and take the tutorial(s).

--Doug

[grayman]

Welcome Klaymore.

Keep away from politics and maybe the religion threads until you have sufficiently built up the proper tolerance.

And don't pay any attention to the goats in the corner, they're just...um...they're just visiting, okay?

[Klaymore]

Oh yeah, one thing I know, it's what goats are doing...

Thanks for the welcome! I'll take your advice and avoid talking religion or politics; I prefer things that can be tested objectively, like whether John Edwards is a God-cursed, unholy prevaricator for editing his stupid, pompous "Hey, let's make our medical system more like Canada's" DVD to try to make it look like he could EVER get applause for any of the stupid crap that comes out of his redneck mouth.

Oh crap, I'm doing it... Where'd that goat go?

[grayman]

Oh yeah, one thing I know, it's what goats are doing...

Thanks for the welcome! I'll take your advice and avoid talking religion or politics; I prefer things that can be tested objectively, like whether John Edwards is a God-cursed, unholy prevaricator for editing his stupid, pompous "Hey, let's make our medical system more like Canada's" DVD to try to make it look like he could EVER get applause for any of the stupid crap that comes out of his redneck mouth.

Oh crap, I'm doing it... Where'd that goat go?

I like you.

[hcmom]

...Where'd that goat go?

I don't even want to know.

[Klaymore]

Oh, but seriously, one question: Anyone know if I can search the challenge applications to only show applicants who were actually tested? I LOVE those (especially the dowser excuses). Reading the normal, run-of-the-mill ones where the applicants just jerk around and then disappear (like that goofball with the Golden Sound chip) is fun, but a little repetitive...

[Klaymore]

My baby's got BAAAAAck!

[hcmom]

I said I didn't want to know....

[Darat]

Oh, but seriously, one question: Anyone know if I can search the challenge applications to only show applicants who were actually tested?

...snip...

No.

[Hutch]

Zzzzzzzzzz...umppph...grunt...Oh bugger, it's about time I do some greetings here, since a number of people on this page have not been individually welcomed....

Welcome Phantom Wolf, it is good to see you over here. Not much in the Moon Hoax area of CT'ers yet, but having an extra resource is welcome.

and welcome, karener--a Phd in amrine science, eh? You need to visit with Jas up at the Vancouver Aquarium.

Greetings to you, glyptop--a hard cynic and skeptic is always welcome, but I think if you spend some time in Community, even the hardest skeptics have soft spots...

And Jiri, please be as skeptical as you would like, but please be nice to Tobais the Commie, he has such a fragile ego...;) :D

And a tip of the cap to Rawkama--yes, Mark roberts is here, look for poster Gravy. and RS Lancaster of stop Sylvia brown fame is also about the Forum.

a hearty Hiya to Flameover and Mr. Hebert (is that Her-bert or He-bert?). Enjoy life in Conspiracy therories, but please do browse the rest of the site too, lots of interesting people here (although we keep the more dangerous critters in Politics...:eek: :D )

Hmmm..lessee, Unrepentant Sinner took care of Marko and Gwlonya, SusanB-M1 welcomed Irish Pete, and grayman bandied words with klaymore. So I think we're caught up....

And I need to recover from the change in time....bye all...mumble, rustle....Zzzzzzzzzzzz

[tundranaut]

Hi all.

Glad to be here,

Michael a.k.a. TUNDRANAUT

[GwionX]

Howdy GwionX,

We've got a surprising number of Texas members here. Some native, some by blood (like me) and some transplants. Welcome, great story and glad to have you with us.

I've been born and raised in Texas. I was only trying to be disarming with that last bit of the story implying that is the way Texans act. Because the confused co-workers were all from Oklahoma..heh ..Ok just joking--but they were..

[SomeGuy]

I decided to join up after reading the swifts all the way back to 2005.

I am a 30-yeard old physicist (M.Sc.) by education, but now a corporate tool by (greed inspired) choice, working for the man 9-5 building software.

I found this site through the "stichting skepsis" website(dutch skeptical website) from there to website of the group formerly known as CSICOP. (skeptical inquirer)

My pet peeves include, homeopathy, astrology and bad science in general.

I'm also not very fond of other woo, but to me personally those are the biggest issues for me personally.

Nice to be part of this community,
Edwin.

[Davide]

Just taking a few lines to say hello to the regulars after recently joining the JREF forum.

Although new to the forum, I'm a long-standing skeptic. (I've been a subscriber to Skeptical Inquirer since the early '90s.) Sadly, for much of this time I've only been able to participate passively -- too busy with my job, my family, and my community to have time to devote to helping build and promote the skeptical (not cynical, but skeptical) cause.

Recently, my situation has begun to change a great deal. Our children are grown and (mostly) on their own, and I've been able to retire from my job as a software engineer and Internet standards developer. So, now I hope and expect to become more active in a number of (probably too big a number of) topics I've always run out of time to do. Among them, the work of the JREF. I've had on my stack of cool things to do ever since I met JR at a CSICOP meeting in Dallas in the '90s sometime.

In any case, I'm glad to be here, and we'll see what happens!

Dave

[Myksyk]

Hi I'm Mike. I'm a founder member of the Irish Skeptics Society (irishskeptics dot net). We've had James over in the past and we're hosting the 13th Annual ECSO Congress in September. You can see details on our site. We have Vic Stenger and Massimo Pigliucci coming over from the States.

I've been coming to the jref for ages but never joined up to the forum. hope to come here more often now.

M

PS Oh yeah, if you'd like to engage in some international skeptical activity right now ... The Irish Times (Monday 12th) featured a ‘for and against’ debate on Complementary and Alternative Medicine this week. Dr Brian Hughes argued against integrating CAM into the mainstream healthcare system. Ruth Cloherty, Director of the Institute of Complementary and Integrated Medicine, makes the case for the opposition.

The paper is running a poll over the next couple of days so people can voice their opinion on the argument. Go to ireland [dot] com [forward slash] head2head ... to cast your vote. (Can't put in a link cos the site reasonably requires you to have 15 posts first ... what can i say ... I'm an impatient skeptic who needs your help!!!:D).

[Pipirr]

Hello and welcome Myksyk!

Link to the Irish Times article that you mentioned is here (http://scripts.ireland.com/polls/head2head/index.cfm)

I cast my vote. Entertaining comments section...

Enjoy your stay :)

[Myksyk]

Thanks Pipirr. Maybe there's a better place for me to post that link ... watcha think?

[RonaldHayden]

As someone else mentioned recently, my recent participation on the Julia Sweeney forums has prompted me to finally spend some time on the JREF site. As such, I'll save some brain cells by recycling the introduction I used there:

My father started preaching at age 12. I grew up in a church considered a cult (we had our own living apostle, which not everyone gets!). I went to an unaccredited religious private school for a year in my teens. I felt there was "something out there" that no one could deny.

I also grew up doing amateur magic, reading a book a day, and finding a natural interest in science.

Mix these, and of course I turned out to be a gay athiest who hasn't talked to his parents in twenty years.

And yet during those twenty years I've also had an odd separation from the skeptical movement. After I left my parents and really worked out my true feelings, I got quite into reading skeptical texts and arguing online (back then we didn't have this snazzy web thing -- it was Usenet and The WELL, and we typed out every letter in every word and we liked it!), going to some skeptical events in Berkeley and the like. There was a chance there to get really involved. Also, Penn & Teller were two of my only heroes (Randi being one of the others), both as magicians and skeptics.

But life took over. I had no education beyond High School and had to hold up my end of supporting us. Eventually I ended up with a pretty amazing career in Silicon Valley which I had no right to expect. My activist energies went into convincing my employers to adopt Domestic Partners benefits, and, when that was successful, into doing my job. I fell out of the skepticism thing, though certainly not out of the mindset. Meanwhile, Penn & Teller did a run of their show that pretty much sucked, and I stopped going to their shows by default.

Skip ahead fifteen years, and podcasting happens. I listen to more podcasts than God. (Oh wait...) Eventually I'm sucked into the podcast of Penn's radio show, and then Skepticality, and then Skeptic's Guide to the Universe, and suddenly my brain is churning these waters again.

We're planning an April trip to see Julia's show, as well as Penn & Teller (I guess after 15 years I can forgive them one bad run).

So one thing led to another, and I landed here. I'm interested in seeing what the place is like, and hoping I can contribute to stimulating conversation.

[Pipirr]

Thanks Pipirr. Maybe there's a better place for me to post that link ... watcha think?


Science, Mathematics, Medicine and Technology (http://forums.randi.org/forumdisplay.php?f=5) is good. Start a thread over there and someone will fix the link for you. :)

[Pipirr]

Hello Tundranaut, welcome to the forums. Cool name. Evokes lemmings.

Hello and welcome Someguy, if this was real life I could try and say that in Dutch but I have no idea how to write what I can say. But I do like those soft Dutch Gs.

Davide, so JR wasn't shot and killed in Dallas way back when? Good going, you've debunked an 80's soap opera already. Oh wait, you meant James Randi? Very nice, not had the pleasure myself. So what else is on the stack of cool things to do? ;)

And hello and welcome RonaldHayden. Interesting upbringing, knowing a living apostle. And you're a veteran of The WELL - you guys invented teh internets!

Y'all have a good time here :D :D :D :D

[The Atheist]

Mix these, and of course I turned out to be a gay athiest who hasn't talked to his parents in twenty years.

:dl:

Brilliant! Of all the things their son could have been,.... Roman Catholic..... gay... atheist..... possessed by demons...

They get the gay atheist.

I know it's not a funny subject, it's quite sad and it probably still hurts, but that is bloody funny.

[DerekOneSeven]

Hello, it is nice to post here, i hope i have a good time reading and posting! :)

[mijopaalmc]

Hey! Hey!

I'm new here just came here to see what going on in a skeptical community.

[ksbluesfan]

I guess I should have posted here earlier.

Hi, I've been reading the main site for a few years, but I rarely ventured into the forums. Smart people freak me out.

My name is silly, but it's the same one I have used since my first forum. I lived in Kansas at the time, and I'm a big fan of the St. Louis Blues, so ksbluesfan.

I plan to be around for a while. In western Missouri, there aren't a lot of people who are skeptics or atheists. I fit in here a little better than I do the local coffee shop.

[Begs Embrace]

Hello, JREFfers!

After several months of indecision on my part and gentle nagging from my Skeptic friends on Paltalk, I've decided to take a deep breath and plunge into the forum waters. I've been perusing the posts for several months and have found it fascinating, humorous and enlightening. I’d never actually considered myself a skeptic until I came across the coolest chat room on Paltalk. They are an amazing group of people! I’ve learned so much from them.

I come from a very religious background and followed those beliefs diligently until a few years ago. My eyes were opened while serving in a large non-denominational church. At this point in life, I don’t see myself going back to church even though my father is a pastor. (My apologies to Dad.) There are just too many power hungry, money driven “pastors” twisting words and manipulating people for their own gain. I’ve seen it firsthand, maybe someday I’ll elaborate on the subject.

I’m looking forward to becoming a part of this forum community.


Hey, hcmom... I love using colored text too!

[Mr. Skinny]

Hello, JREFfers!

After several months of indecision on my part and gentle nagging from my Skeptic friends on Paltalk, I've decided to take a deep breath and plunge into the forum waters. I've been perusing the posts for several months and have found it fascinating, humorous and enlightening. I’d never actually considered myself a skeptic until I came across the coolest chat room on Paltalk. They are an amazing group of people! I’ve learned so much from them.

I come from a very religious background and followed those beliefs diligently until a few years ago. My eyes were opened while serving in a large non-denominational church. At this point in life, I don’t see myself going back to church even though my father is a pastor. (My apologies to Dad.) There are just too many power hungry, money driven “pastors” twisting words and manipulating people for their own gain. I’ve seen it firsthand, maybe someday I’ll elaborate on the subject.

I’m looking forward to becoming a part of this forum community.


Hey, hcmom... I love using colored text too!
Welcome, BE. I actually remember you from Paltalk many months ago. I remember leaving with a good impression of you (plus I think Unrepentant Sinner vouched for you - so to speak).

Anyhoo, good to see you here.

[Begs Embrace]

Welcome, BE. I actually remember you from Paltalk many months ago. I remember leaving with a good impression of you (plus I think Unrepentant Sinner vouched for you - so to speak).

Anyhoo, good to see you here.

Thank you for the welcome, Mr. Skinny. Yes, I remember you also. Although I can't recall Unrepentant Sinner (apologies), it's nice that someone vouched for me.

[RAMS]

I have been lukring here and reading and it is most refreshing.

I have been over on the Loose Change site for three days and was banned this afternoon.

The reason for such I suspect, is this post data below:


1. NIST had some of the WTC Tower wreckage, did they test for explosive residue? It was their job to investigate the collapses... surely they would have tested for explosive residue, yes? And, too bad that Giuliani had all the other evidence destroyed, so that no one else could test for this residue.

2. Rammypoo... actually... let me turn this around on you. You are making the claim that WTC 7 fell because of fire, yes? Now... you need to back up your claim by linking to just one resource that shows a steel-structured skyscraper fully collapsing due to fire.

My claim is that pre-planted explosives were used to bring down WTC 7... and here's my resource for a steel-structured skyscraper fully collapsing due to pre-planted explosives:


You stated on the other forum, at JREF
xxx no url post xxxxxx
how incredibly polite and kind and formal you are and wish no diress. "Rammypoo"? Great start--conspiracy cultists are all the same.

You also categorically present a direct question, that is valid.

There has been no 100 plus story high rise in the history of the world that has ever been failed due to fire exclusively. Never. Not even WTC-1, WTC-2.

To answer your question directly, where are the airliner impacts on the demo building in this YouTube video you have provided?

Now, without insults, further.....

Others are watchng here. The point of proof is in your court to the following questions. Please address them. From anyone. They are also fair. They require no documentation, only a little search work in each, since the net seems to be everyone's source, on both sides of the coin on this subject. I believe that is fair in any venue.

Please address these;

1. Please provide any link available, with any search engine, of trace explosive residue of any kind found on anything at the entire WTC complex related to the day of failure for all three structures. This way, no one is cornered or has to defend oneself on a personal level.

2. Please provide any link whereby any tall highrise was hit and survived an impact by a modern commerical jet liner at 500mph with an impact ratio translation of some 88,405 tons, plus fuel and all other combustibles combined.

I have answered your questions directly, with no insults or truculence. I expect the same. Please answer mine. I will also cut and paste your post here, over there (JREF) for their inspection as well.

Thank you in advance.


Robert A.M. Stephens, LLC ®
NASA Fine Art Documentation Program
Vision Motion Dynamic-FX-FX
behold-the-rage dot com
________________________________
Have Jeep, Have Heart, Will Travel

(so much for all conspiracies. I went through this with nut case Art Beel defending NASA for several months and he sued me for $60,000,000 dollars.

Cultist are all the same, sadly.)

[hcmom]

Hello, JREFfers!

After several months of indecision on my part and gentle nagging from my Skeptic friends on Paltalk, I've decided to take a deep breath and plunge into the forum waters. I've been perusing the posts for several months and have found it fascinating, humorous and enlightening. I’d never actually considered myself a skeptic until I came across the coolest chat room on Paltalk. They are an amazing group of people! I’ve learned so much from them.

I come from a very religious background and followed those beliefs diligently until a few years ago. My eyes were opened while serving in a large non-denominational church. At this point in life, I don’t see myself going back to church even though my father is a pastor. (My apologies to Dad.) There are just too many power hungry, money driven “pastors” twisting words and manipulating people for their own gain. I’ve seen it firsthand, maybe someday I’ll elaborate on the subject.

I’m looking forward to becoming a part of this forum community.


Hey, hcmom... I love using colored text too!

Wooooo Hoooo, Begs!!!! Glad to see you finally gave in!!!

[dglas]

Woohoo! Begs made it to the forums at long last.
Can't wait to see what avatar she chooses... ;)

Welcome aboard, Begs!
So say we all!

[Fidelio]

Woohoo! Begs made it to the forums at long last.
Can't wait to see what avatar she chooses... ;)

Welcome aboard, Begs!
So say we all!

Indeed, welcome Begs. (May I add Woo Hoo?) Regarding avatars I think certain bad pixels in a certain video might be in line. :D

[Begs Embrace]

Wooooo Hoooo, Begs!!!! Glad to see you finally gave in!!!


hcmom: Didn't realize my color was so close to yours, hope this works better. A rainbow of colors is sooooo cool!


Woohoo! Begs made it to the forums at long last.
Can't wait to see what avatar she chooses... ;)

Welcome aboard, Begs!
So say we all!


dglas: Avatars, zavatars... it's much too early to make a final decision, though I applaud you on your choice and bravely avoiding the stewpots. :p


Indeed, welcome Begs. (May I add Woo Hoo?) Regarding avatars I think certain bad pixels in a certain video might be in line. :D


Fidelio: Woo Hoo all you want, I'll join you. :thumbsup:


Thank you, thank you, thank you for the warm welcome. As I stated in my introductory post... "an amazing group of people". You all have made me feel so welcome!

:grouphug4

[hcmom]

hcmom: Didn't realize my color was so close to yours, hope this works better. A rainbow of colors is sooooo cool!


Go for the hot pink... everyone will hate it! :halo:

(I see you found the amazing collection of cute little smilies...)

[Hammer_of_Thor]

Just signed up.

I have followed Randi for a couple years now and have been reading this forum for about a year. I follow the religion section and paranormal sections mostly. I was raised as a Lutheran, but have moved toward non-belief. I would call myself a weak athiest. I dont think there is a god, but there may be.

Hopefully I have done this correctly as this is the first forum I have ever posted at.

[Hawk one]

Wooooo Hoooo, Begs!!!! Glad to see you finally gave in!!!Indeed, hcmom. About time Begs got to this place!

Now if she would only give in to our request, eh? :p

[Mr. Skinny]

Just signed up.

I have followed Randi for a couple years now and have been reading this forum for about a year. I follow the religion section and paranormal sections mostly. I was raised as a Lutheran, but have moved toward non-belief. I would call myself a weak athiest. I dont think there is a god, but there may be.

Hopefully I have done this correctly as this is the first forum I have ever posted at.
You did just fine, Hammer of Thor.

I think this may have been the first forum I posted at also.

Anyhow, welcome. You do realize that your screen name will be shortened to HOT eventually, no? You are the sly one, I can tell...:)

Skinny

[frank462]

Hi All,
I am a retired software engineer and life long skeptic. I have been aware of Mr. Randi and his work for many years. I am sure I will enjoy my time here.


Best regards,
Frank

[scarlet_35]

it was nice to meet you last night Begs, you sound like an amazing person

Keep posting so you can get that avatar, I'm interested to see what you choose

[De_Bunk]

Hello to all the newcomers...and I'm really, really lovely...

:sewub:

DB

[SusanB-M1]

Hi All,
I am a retired software engineer and life long skeptic. I have been aware of Mr. Randi and his work for many years. I am sure I will enjoy my time here.


Best regards,
Frank

I'm not an official 'welcomer', but may I say hello as I always notice a description that includes words indicating computer or software engineer because I think how nice it would be to have one in a cupboard. There was a TV ad for a bank years ago, where the person with problems would go to the cupboard to take out the helpful bank person!! Luckily, at the moment I do not have a problem.

There was a thread awhile back asking members' ages, and there were very few in the 60/70 group! Are you a young retired? or with us seniors?!

[frank462]

I'm not an official 'welcomer', but may I say hello as I always notice a description that includes words indicating computer or software engineer because I think how nice it would be to have one in a cupboard. There was a TV ad for a bank years ago, where the person with problems would go to the cupboard to take out the helpful bank person!! Luckily, at the moment I do not have a problem.

There was a thread awhile back asking members' ages, and there were very few in the 60/70 group! Are you a young retired? or with us seniors?!

Hi Susan. Thanks for the welcome. In answer to your questions, I am both.
Yes, I am in the 60/70 group.
Yes, I am young retired. (Check out my picture in my profile) :)


Best regards,
Frank

[Simone]

Hi all.

I have never joined a thread of all my years on line. This is all new to me, and I am anxious getting started here.
I keep busy with life and its lessons. I am a mother, a wife, I work outside the home, working 3 different jobs at one time. I like variety. I am presently down to 2, as working 7 days a week was wearing me thin.
I am an amateur photographer and a talented person as well.
My husband thinks I am a witch!
Guess we'll get into that part later.

Yes, I have a cat and I think she needs Jenny Craig. Her name is Moon.
I have 2 dogs, one is 17 years old and still kickin. All my pets were orphans, I brought them in to my home and keep them til they decide to go.
I'm sure I need to read more about this site to make sure my posts go to the correct place. There is so much to read and I am happy to be here!

[The Atheist]

I'm not an official 'welcomer'

Well, you are now.

You have been selected as "Official Welcomer" and I suggest you get your custome title chaged to:

"Incurable Optimist and Official Welcomer"

You are the epitome of humanism, humility and optimism. If there's a better person to be had as official welcomer (notwithstanding the marvellous work of skinny gods and others), I submit that they don't post here anyway.

All hail SusanB-M1, Official Welcomer!

:bigclap

[The Atheist]

Hello to all the newcomers...and I'm really, really lovely...

:sewub:

DB

You're just so darned nice - and cuddly - that I nearly nominated you as welcomer as well, but you'll just have to stay in training meanwhile.


Note to all the new guys:

Welcome aboard and enjoy!

[hcmom]

De_Bunk is nice one day, and The Atheist is nice the next?

What is the world coming to?

[SusanB-M1]

Well, you are now.

You have been selected as "Official Welcomer" and I suggest you get your custome title chaged to:

"Incurable Optimist and Official Welcomer"


Well, thank you for the compliment, and for the laugh!
I always read the 'welcome' page as I think it is so interesting reading about new people.

[hcmom]

Well, thank you for the compliment, and for the laugh!
I always read the 'welcome' page as I think it is so interesting reading about new people.
Susan... all jokes aside... there are no "official" welcomers.

At least, I hope not... because I just started jumping in whenever I want, and no one's said a word about it yet...

[Mr. Skinny]

(notwithstanding the marvellous work of skinny gods and others),

Thanks. I'm just regular folk (well, if you don't count my godliness and such).

And welcome to all the new forum members. Good to meet you.

[luvlee]

I am a newbie. I've read the board for a while and finally decided to join in the fun and merriment. But I made a dreadful post today (one of those "thinking out loud" moments, that in retrospect appear completely foolish and asinine). Unfortunately, I can not figure out how to either a) edit the post; or b) delete it's degrading existance entirely. So now my own thinly veiled stupidity is "out there" for everyone to see. Gads! I am just thinking of all the scathing posts that will follow. I forsee a bunch of people ganging up on me and commenting on my "no brainer". *shudder*

*creeping away now to a dark corner to sulk and worry*

[Hokulele]

Don't worry and sulk. We have all said something outrageously stupid at one point or another. Just post elegantly and eruditely from now on, and all will be forgiven. :D

Seriously though, for 2 hours after a post, you will see a button in the lower right corner of your post that says "Edit". You can use that to change the text. After 2 hours, you are kind of stuck with it. You can always post again to the same thread to clarify your position. Most people here are pretty understanding.

Oh and welcome!

(Even though I am still fairly new here, and not part of the formal welcome team.)

[luvlee]

Blah, I see I can edit this previous post. I don't understand why I had no edit function on my idiotic post. There must be a time limit or something. I guess the best thing to do is go consult the help section. :) Anywho, hello everyone!

[hcmom]

Oh and welcome!

(Even though I am still fairly new here, and not part of the formal welcome team.)
The "formal, official" welcome team is made up of members with more than one post, who decide to foolishly check in here, and then respond.

It's sorta like "The last person to post in this thread wins", but you don't actually get to win anything.

...oh... wait.... :halo:

[luvlee]

Hokulele, sorry we must have posted simultaneously. Yes, I actually had other things going on here and realized how idiotic I must have sounded later. I think it was past the 2 hour mark. Anyway, I will deal with the bullets as they come and try to shield myself accordingly. Thank you for your insight! And for the welcome :)

[Hokulele]

The "formal, official" welcome team is made up of members with more than one post, who decide to foolishly check in here, and then respond.

It's sorta like "The last person to post in this thread wins", but you don't actually get to win anything.

...oh... wait.... :halo:



You mean all that hard work, and I am not winning anything. :(

Hokulele, sorry we must have posted simultaneously. Yes, I actually had other things going on here and realized how idiotic I must have sounded later. I think it was past the 2 hour mark. Anyway, I will deal with the bullets as they come and try to shield myself accordingly. Thank you for your insight! And for the welcome :)


Very elegant and erudite. ;)

[grayman]

Careful luvlee, Hokulele will twist your words (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=77026). You'll see.

:D