The Amazing Meeting (or Meeting The Amazing)...

[SirPhilip]

Well, I'm back in South Florida again - and it was time to finally visit the foundation Randi started. I live about 12 miles from the JREF and passed about 5 or 6 churches on the way there, the most enormous one was the nearest, not to mention an astrology shop that was walking distance from it, which was ironic.

The foundation is very small by comparison to any of the churches, and as I walked in was shocked at how...inviting and unimposing it was, had it not been for Linda's office and the public bathroom (haunted by a spirit that causes the water to remain on :p) I felt like I had just walked into someone's house! After chatting with Linda, who buzzed Randi that there was a visitor (one of 5 they get every week, a high estimate), I went back to perusing the library's occult section; when Randi suddenly walked in (yes, just like that), clad in a simple white shirt and bandages on his arms, looking slightly tired, my heart sank, but picked up when the irony of "Mein gott, he really could pass for St. Nick, or the Biblical Jehovah..." kicked in. I don't know on what terms others here have met him, but I couldn't stop thinking: "This concerned, polite, grandfatherly man is the world-wide crusader against everything unscrupulous and unsubstantiated?"

He spent a good 7 minutes showing me around, while I clumsily attempted good conversation, then retreated back to his office. I left with quite a few mixed concerns: It really hadn't hit me the disparity between public education of good judgement, and the pervasive amount of people out there willing to exploit people's most deepest sentiments. In any case, I told both him and Linda I'd gladly volunteer (they have about three people there from what I could see, and get about 2-3 visitors every week (according to Randi), despite being in a prime location) if they needed an extra person around. I have to say, what bothered me most, was who was going to take his place afterward. Sure, there are organizations around that call-out scams, but none with that gravitas and tenacity.

[RSLancastr]

I envy you the visit.

For me, a visit to the JREF offices would only be a drive down the street and hang a right, but the street is the 10 freeway, and I'd have to drive about 3,000 miles on it before making that right-hand turn. :(

[kittynh]

Randi is wonderful. And getting involved with JREF would be a dream most of us would love to actually do. Take advantage of it. Even if it is pulling a dead rat out of the ductwork (it happens).

There are many other great skeptics out there, including Michael Shermer and Rebecca Watson at Skepchick.org is part of the new generation.

Come to TAM (The Amazing Meeting). Sign ups will be "soon"? IT's a wonderful experience. And honestly, volunteering there is also a great honor.

Now, get over there and help out! You are so darn lucky to live close enough to help out!

(offer to paint something, or fix the plumbing. If nothing else take a Bible into the bathroom and start yelling, "Out SATAN! Out of the Pipes!!!" That might crack Randi up.)

[SirPhilip]

I envy you the visit. For me, a visit to the JREF offices would only be a drive down the street and hang a right, but the street is the 10 freeway, and I'd have to drive about 3,000 miles on it before making that right-hand turn. :( This week I'll take some pictures (can't imagine people here already haven't). The Asimov library alone is a niche tourist attraction - stacked with nothing but literature and paraphenalia on three subjects: sense, nonsense, and the intangible, and open to the public. Some of the books there had to have been out of print for years, which makes the place a unique resource indeed. I'm thinking about donating two of my own books to it, which are out of print. One of the first things I said to him was: "Surely you have Carl Sagan's Cosmos around here!", he nodded affirmatively, although I wondered if it was the mediocre paperback - in which case a donation of my pristine, 1980 hardcover copy will be in order.

[SirPhilip]

Randi is wonderful. And getting involved with JREF would be a dream most of us would love to actually do. Take advantage of it. Even if it is pulling a dead rat out of the ductwork (it happens). There are many other great skeptics out there, including Michael Shermer and Rebecca Watson at Skepchick.org is part of the new generation. Come to TAM (The Amazing Meeting). Sign ups will be "soon"? IT's a wonderful experience. And honestly, volunteering there is also a great honor. Now, get over there and help out! You are so darn lucky to live close enough to help out! Maybe it was a slow day (on Monday though?), but you'd be very surprised how few people that hang out there. Just Randi, who lives there, and Linda, and two other people.


(offer to paint something, or fix the plumbing. If nothing else take a Bible into the bathroom and start yelling, "Out SATAN! Out of the Pipes!!!" That might crack Randi up.) Well, if he wants to really get sued, he could tap me to kick those commentary graphics up several expoential notches - I'd personally love to have Allison Dubois moaning my name, and she can have my money if she wants, but she has to perform real work (oh man, that was cold..). Looking at memoirs of his life hanging around, I had to wonder if behind it all, he had deep convictions though. You don't live your life with such tenacity if you don't think, in some ultimate, real sense, it matters. People without faith don't live their lives this way - and in many ways, his was larger than life. This feeling around him is so strong that the label "skeptic" seemed inverted - I got the impression that he was someone who would love for there to be real magic - more than well, anyone. I always compare South Florida to Hollywood California, as we seem to be a hive of unconventional or bold people, and he's no exception. I can't imagine anyone filling his shoes though. The "new generation" seem much more sharply intolerant of crap or ambiguity. In contrast, you can tell Randi wants to hop on a real flying carpet, nobody has just proved they exist yet, and those people who sell fake ones, sour the whole thing.

[Rustle]

I'm hoping we get another 100 years out of him.

[Curnir]

This might seem like an odd question...

Are there a lot of stairs in the JREF house?

[Bronze Dog]

Welcome Rustle, and I'm trying to squeeze out those extra hundred years by secretly putting some Alex Chiu immorality rings on his toes every night.

[CFLarsen]

This might seem like an odd question...

Are there a lot of stairs in the JREF house?
It's a bungalow.

[kittynh]

Look for the cool flying pig pot feet. I just sent some down.

[Curnir]

It's a bungalow.

mmm It looks like that on the satelite map, but better to ask one question too many than one question too few (hmm is that proper english?)

[Luke T.]

I went back to perusing the library's occult section; when Randi suddenly walked in (yes, just like that), clad in a simple white shirt and bandages on his arms, looking slightly tired, my heart sank, but picked up when the irony of "Mein gott, he really could pass for St. Nick, or the Biblical Jehovah..." kicked in. I don't know on what terms others here have met him, but I couldn't stop thinking: "This concerned, polite, grandfatherly man is the world-wide crusader against everything unscrupulous and unsubstantiated?"

My first impression was of a garden gnome. :D

It might have been because he wasn't wearing any shoes...

[SirPhilip]

Actually, I'll take my Sony digital handycam there this week, and shoot a small documentary, for everyone's enjoyment (access permitting). As I was telling Kitty, as the conjunction of circumstance would have it, today was 6/6/2006 - my sister's 18'th birthday. She was nearly in tears last night because she thought it was a bad omen, and something bad was going to happen to her because it was "in the Bible". I told her let's go hang out at the James Randi Educational Foundation - it's safer than a church: If any four horseman show up, the nice man there will bribe them with $1,000,000. She looked at me like I was crazy, or had just made a lame attempt at a joke. I reassured her I wasn't, and remembering that divine beings love fiat currency, she perked up immediately.

That one had to rank on my Top Ten Moments Of Zen list. :rolleyes:

[Curnir]

Actually, I'll take my Sony digital handycam there this week, and shoot a small documentary, for everyone's enjoyment (access permitting). As I was telling Kitty, as the conjunction of circumstance would have it, today was 6/6/2006 - my sister's 18'th birthday. She was nearly in tears last night because she thought it was a bad omen, and something bad was going to happen to her because it was "in the Bible". I told her let's go hang out at the James Randi Educational Foundation - it's safer than a church: If any four horseman show up, the nice man there will bribe them with $1,000,000. She looked at me like I was crazy, or had just made a lame attempt at a joke. I reassured her I wasn't, and remembering that divine beings love fiat currency, she perked up immediately.

That one had to rank on my Top Ten Moments Of Zen list. :rolleyes:

wow.
18 (6+6+6) y/o on 6/6/6. That is awesome :)

[Rustle]

Welcome Rustle, and I'm trying to squeeze out those extra hundred years by secretly putting some Alex Chiu immorality rings on his toes every night.

I was going to suggest a steady supply of hookers! Hrmm which idea is more inappropriate on the JREF forums...