Welcome new Members! Introduce yourselves here!

[Rockhopper]

Hi all,

I am a long time lurker who has eventually signed up. Not sure why as I rarely post on any forum, but my wife and I are trying to set up a little grass roots skeptic meeting and figured the jref would probably be a good resource.

Also, this weekend something really bugged me and I want to find out if I can stop a religious group of people saying 'God' can 'cure cancer'.

I will post about this a little later.

cheers

[arthwollipot]

Hi all,

I am a long time lurker who has eventually signed up. Not sure why as I rarely post on any forum, but my wife and I are trying to set up a little grass roots skeptic meeting and figured the jref would probably be a good resource.No problem. Let us know what you need.

[COLONEL]

Also, this weekend something really bugged me and I want to find out if I can stop a religious group of people saying 'God' can 'cure cancer'.

Welcome Rockhopper have a fresh glass of Goats milk . In answer to your question I doubt you can stop it, but have fun trying. :D

[Rockhopper]

Hi thanks for the welcome,

It is going to take a while for me to work out how to do the quote thingies etc.

I have always enjoyed reading the forum but have not thought about doing anything proactive for a while. My wife and I set up a website about a year ago which had little response locally and tried a little promo stuff but it still hasn't gathered any momentum (Mostly Moss).

We are based in Cornwall, UK. I am aware that I can not post links, so if you want to look google 'skeptics in cornwall'. We will be adding stuff as and when time allows. To be honest any input/ideas would be good.

[Ketyk]

Hi Rock. I think this (http://www.skepticcornwall.co.uk/index.html) is your site.

I forget if newbies like yourself can just code it with [ q u o t e] x [ / q u o t e ] (without the spaces) or not.

I'm sure just posting here will attract some traffic to the site.

As to the 'god cures cancer' part, try starting a thread along those lines in JREFs Religion and Philosophy (http://forums.randi.org/forumdisplay.php?f=4) section. I don't see how trying to stop people from expressing thier views would be helpful. Expressing your own well thought out views with facts to back it up might prove a better tact.

[arthwollipot]

Hi thanks for the welcome,

It is going to take a while for me to work out how to do the quote thingies etc.The 'Help' link is at the top right, and it wants to be your friend!

[vjohn82]

Hello to everyone,

I joined this group as I noticed that my blog had been linked to a thread. I'm Vaughan John Jones, the guy being sued for libel.

I also have another blog called The Faith Fruitcake which looks at all things nonsensical, and has delved into the world of the psychics. Victor Zammit is a particular favourite of mine and his emails to me border on the insane.

Nice to meet you all!

[Akhenaten]

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/209954b06e8b167056.gif (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=18240)


Hey, VJ! We have some nuts here that should go well with your fruitcake.

[mewsmuse]

Hi, long time lurker here.
I have been a fan of Mr. Randi's since I was a kid interested in magic, and I love love love his books. I'm also a big fan of Mr. Lancaster and his StopSylvia website. Psychics are my big peeve, and I enjoy seeing Mr. Randi and Mr. Lancaster rip 'em a new one, so to speak.

[COLONEL]

Welcome mewsmuse and any one else I might have missed. Rip in to a glass of my fresh Goats milk

[amb]

Been Friday here in my part of the world, today's menu consists of baked cod fillets served with a glass of holy water as well as the raw goats milk.

[trixta]

Welcome Rockhopper, vjohn82 and mewsmuse. Welcome to the madness.

[Ketyk]

Poor trixta. Still no personality?

:duck:

Where have all the newbies gone?
Long time passing

Maybe we scare them?
:aaa!

[SusanB-M1]

Rockhopper
May I suggest looking at the Dorset Humanist Group's web site - I'm sure people there would be willing to offer ideas and help. Some 15 years ago this group had dwindled down to a handful of members, having been running for a few years after they'd met at a Philosophy U3A class. It is now the second largest group in the UK. Is there a British Humanist Group anywhere near you?Good luck.

[LibraryLady]

The budgie did it. :)

Hey! :mad:

[Prometheus]

Hey! :mad:

Wasn't it a good thing?

[Rockhopper]

Rockhopper
May I suggest looking at the Dorset Humanist Group's web site - I'm sure people there would be willing to offer ideas and help. Some 15 years ago this group had dwindled down to a handful of members, having been running for a few years after they'd met at a Philosophy U3A class. It is now the second largest group in the UK. Is there a British Humanist Group anywhere near you?Good luck.

Hi thanks for the advice we have been looking for a humanist group near us (I believe my wife has found one/two and emailed them.)

It is much more difficult and time consuming setting something like this up than we expected. We even offered Free Tea/Coffee and cake at the first attempt.

I think we are suffering from the 'dreckly' effect. (On both sides)

[Isentropic Frontkick]

Hello all, I'm a gun-toting classic liberal atheist.

In my distance past there was woo born of kung fu, but in the more recent past a passion for mechanical engineering has supplanted my ill-informed ideas of yesteryears.

Found this forum by means of a discussion with somone close to me in regards to psychics - I was trying to turn it more towards physics but things got heated. Thus I figured some good old fashioned internet reading during the cool-down period was in order. Lo, I found this place, and fell in love.

Now I present to you: I, Isentropic Frontkick.

[COLONEL]

Hello all, I'm a gun-toting classic liberal atheist.

Welcome Isentropic Frontkick you're OK by me as I am a fellow gun lover to I have a CC permit and take one of my many jewels with me where ever I go, Grab a fresh glass of Goats Milk and enjoy you self here

[Prometheus]

Welcome!

[Supermeerkat]

Hi Super.

Love the name. It, like, means a bunch of different stuff.

Do let us know when you find evidence of bigfoot. I can't hike without either seeing footprints or finding scat that can't have come from a known species. Toss in some UFO stuff and hieroglyphics and go for a trifecta.

Does this count? I photographed it when I was out hiking, but I was so scared and ran away and can't remember where I was when I took the picture.

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/533224e975d155458f.jpg

From what I've seen of the "expert evidence" offered so far, this should be enough to keep the bigfoot people theorizing for months.

[quadraginta]

<snip>

From what I've seen of the "expert evidence" offered so far, this should be enough to keep the bigfoot people theorizing for months.


I dunno. That part with Charlie Chaplin's head, down in the bottom right, looks kinda fakey.

[Prometheus]

I dunno. That part with Charlie Chaplin's head, down in the bottom right, looks kinda fakey.

Exactly! So both Hollywood Elites and the makers of Photoshop are in on the conspiracy to keep Bigfoot truth from the public!!!! :eye-poppi

[Krikkiter]

Hi people. Probably should have done this when I first joined but as they say, better late than never.

So far it's been fun. Very entertaining and definitely educational. I've learned a lot from the threads I've been involved in - not necessarily from the OP's but definitely from the responses.

I love my science but I seriously doubt I'll ever get past the general knowledge level. Lucky for me a lot of the woo that's posted doesn't seem to even require anything past a primary school education to pick apart :D And I pick up interesting facts along the way.

Thanks for putting up with me :)

[Akhenaten]

Hi people. Probably should have done this when I first joined but as they say, better late than never.





I've been enjoying your posts, particularly in that thread.

Welcome to the circus!


http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/209954b06e8b167056.gif (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=18240)

[Krikkiter]

I've been enjoying your posts, particularly in that thread.

Welcome to the circus!


http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/209954b06e8b167056.gif (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=18240)


Thank you :) That thread is such a joy. I'd just like to thank the starters of the Apollo Hoax threads for my membership (and god of course.. gotta thank god).

Thanks for the warm welcome.

[Supermeerkat]

I dunno. That part with Charlie Chaplin's head, down in the bottom right, looks kinda fakey.

No way! The very fact it looks fakey proves it's real as no one making a forgery would ever make something that looks so fake.

Also, I take my hat off to you sir! Your ability to differentiate between the Fuhrer and Little Tramp are second to none.

[COLONEL]

OK NewB's Welcome to the JREF. Here is the weekend menu enjoy your selves
Goats milk,assorted beer ,and koolade,fresh baked flounder,roo meat and Rabbits,
spaghetti squash,Shrimp scampi,and baked beans. Grayman oatmeal cookies, MINTIES, and pecan pie.
And again Enjoy your selves.

[rpmcmurphy]

OK NewB's Welcome to the JREF. Here is the weekend menu enjoy your selves
Goats milk,assorted beer ,and koolade,fresh baked flounder,roo meat and Rabbits,
spaghetti squash,Shrimp scampi,and baked beans. Grayman oatmeal cookies, MINTIES, and pecan pie.
And again Enjoy your selves.

Glad to have found this forum. A totally unrelated forum that I belong too had an OT discussion on ghosts that almost made my head explode. I needed to find some sanity and hope that I have here.

At the very least, it looks like I got here on a great menu day! I'll drink the assorted beer and leave others to drink the "koolade."

[Foolmewunz]

Glad to have found this forum. A totally unrelated forum that I belong too had an OT discussion on ghosts that almost made my head explode. I needed to find some sanity and hope that I have here.

At the very least, it looks like I got here on a great menu day! I'll drink the assorted beer and leave others to drink the "koolade."

You're from The Sticks? Did they name a town after The Amega Wand? (See lengthy and noteworthy thread in General Skepticism and the Paranormal)

Welcome aboard ... uh.... RP? RPM? RP/MC (poor guys haven't had a hit in years)? Don't be so sure about the sanity. It's sort of like what that guy said in that movie with that other guy. "No, we're insane. We're just your kind of insane."

[Malana]

Hi, everybody. I just got the e-mail approving my account, and I couldn't be happier. I've enjoyed reading the forums over the past couple of days, and I'm excited to join in the discussion.

[COLONEL]

Hi, everybody. I just got the e-mail approving my account, and I couldn't be happier. I've enjoyed reading the forums over the past couple of days, and I'm excited to join in the discussion.
Well if your excited just wait until we introduce you to Shemp :)

[Prometheus]

Well if your excited just wait until we introduce you to Shemp :)

I thought we agreed--No more frightening the newbies! :mad:

[COLONEL]

I thought we agreed--No more frightening the newbies! :mad:
Well I just thought it being Halloween that they would think Shemp was just wearing a costume :D

[RedRatSnake]

My name is Tim i ain't too happy i have too be here so Listen ! i don't like nobody touching my stuff. So just keep your meat-hooks off. If I catch any of you guys in my stuff, I'll kill you. Also, I don't like nobody touching me. Now, any of you homos touch me, and I'll kill you.

Tim :D

[COLONEL]

My name is Tim i ain't too happy i have too be here so Listen ! i don't like nobody touching my stuff. So just keep your meat-hooks off. If I catch any of you guys in my stuff, I'll kill you. Also, I don't like nobody touching me. Now, any of you homos touch me, and I'll kill you.

Tim :D
First welcome Tim, now sit down and shut up and drink the glass of goats milk,by the way I saw Stripes too :cool:

[RedRatSnake]

Crap ! i knew i should have used a lesser known introduction quote from Broke Back Mountain.

LOL * Thanks for the welcome

[Prometheus]

Well I just thought it being Halloween that they would think Shemp was just wearing a costume :D

A costume? We'll be lucky if he's wearing pants.

[Ketyk]

Glad to have found this forum. A totally unrelated forum that I belong too had an OT discussion on ghosts that almost made my head explode. I needed to find some sanity and hope that I have here.

At the very least, it looks like I got here on a great menu day! I'll drink the assorted beer and leave others to drink the "koolade."
You must know by now that this thread is like a friendly hazing ritual. The really good stuff is just waiting to be read. Find a study group.
Hi, everybody. I just got the e-mail approving my account, and I couldn't be happier. I've enjoyed reading the forums over the past couple of days, and I'm excited to join in the discussion.
Your new name is Flounder.
My name is Tim i ain't too happy i have too be here so Listen ! i don't like nobody touching my stuff. So just keep your meat-hooks off. If I catch any of you guys in my stuff, I'll kill you. Also, I don't like nobody touching me. Now, any of you homos touch me, and I'll kill you.

Tim :D
Aaarmy training, Sir!

Cape Cod? There are a few here from the Cape. Dennisport is my haunt. I live just outside Boston, tho.

Welcome everybody! Please don't hesitate to ask questions here.

[Malana]

Your new name is Flounder.


I can deal with that. I've certainly been called worse.

[Fascination]

Hello! I've been lurking on here for a LONG time but I just registered. I have basically been a lifelong Atheist (although, at one point in my teen years I described myself as an Agnostic). I've considered myself a skeptic since I was around 16 years old (oh....those were the days!). I'm happy to find so many online forums with like minded people. When I lived in Florida, I was a member of the Tampa CFI group and I have many fond memories of all the great people I met there.
Now I reside near Reno, Nevada and my husband and I haven't been able to find any comparable skeptics groups locally. Hopefully this will change. Until then, I have the Amazing Meeting in Vegas to look forward to and the awesome skeptic forums online.

[Akhenaten]

Reno? I thought that was in Brazil.

Live and learn, eh?

:)

Welcome aboard, Fascination.


http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/209954b06e8b167056.gif (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=18240)

[slowsmile]

Hi everybody - been lurking for a few months so thought I'd best take the plunge.

I'm from Sheffield, England and like lolcats, alcohol and debunking CT's.

[Akhenaten]

Hi everybody - been lurking for a few months so thought I'd best take the plunge.

I'm from Sheffield, England and like lolcats, alcohol and debunking CT's.





Winner!

:cheerleader2

[TruthCalls]

You must know by now that this thread is like a friendly hazing ritual. The really good stuff is just waiting to be read. Find a study group.

Your new name is Flounder.

Aaarmy training, Sir!

Cape Cod? There are a few here from the Cape. Dennisport is my haunt. I live just outside Boston, tho.

Welcome everybody! Please don't hesitate to ask questions here.

Hi all... just registered a few days ago on the recommendation from someone on a different forum discussing the Meredith Kercher case. Still learning the site, but I like what I see so far. Can't wait to check out the 9/11 conspiracy threads! :)

Dennisport, huh? Wow... I spent the first two weeks of August in West Dennis for 20+ years. Now in NC, so I don't get the chance to visit as often. I'd love to retire to the Cape, but my better half refuses to move back north and deal with the cold/snow.

[Fascination]

Reno? I thought that was in Brazil.

Live and learn, eh?

:)

Welcome aboard, Fascination.


http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/209954b06e8b167056.gif (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=18240)

Thank you!

[HikakaGirl]

Hi all,
I joined a couple of weeks ago, but school's been keeping me from lurking around as much as I'd like. I am a PhD student and study human behavior (yes, that's a science!). I'm here to soak up some skeptical mojo and fine tune my critical thinking skills. Big believer in the scientific method. Always up for talking about why people do the things they do, weird or otherwise!

Looking forward to some good times on the forum,
Jennifer

P.S. "hikaka" means "adventurous" in the Maori language.

[COLONEL]

Welcome NewB's Fascination & Hikakagirl have a glass of fresh goats milk and be sure to stop in Friday and check out the menu for the weekend bbq, that we put on for all NewB's

[The Man]

Crap ! i knew i should have used a lesser known introduction quote from Broke Back Mountain.

LOL * Thanks for the welcome

What...

"...up with the sheep all day, I’m hungry as hell and all I find is beans"

(seems whenever I click past that movie that's all they're talking about)

Welcome everyone

Perhaps we should add beans to the menu (or at least Beefaroni)?

[The Man]

Hi all,
I joined a couple of weeks ago, but school's been keeping me from lurking around as much as I'd like. I am a PhD student and study human behavior (yes, that's a science!). I'm here to soak up some skeptical mojo and fine tune my critical thinking skills. Big believer in the scientific method. Always up for talking about why people do the things they do, weird or otherwise!

Looking forward to some good times on the forum,
Jennifer

P.S. "hikaka" means "adventurous" in the Maori language.

Welcome "adventurous"Girl and the best of luck with your PhD research. Into the " study human behavior" and " Always up for talking about why people do the things they do, weird or otherwise!" what a coincidence. Now a PhD thesis on critical thinking would be a site to see (just a suggestion if you ain't honed in on one yet). This forum could probably provide some good fodder in that regard. Maori language? Native to New Zeeland it seems. Philology and the subtleties of language have always interested me, but I have enough problems with just the one (Amero-english).


Welcome everyone.

[COLONEL]

Perhaps we should add beans to the menu (or at least Beefaroni)?

Where were you last week on the 28th? See the menu from there below :D:D:D:D


OK NewB's Welcome to the JREF. Here is the weekend menu enjoy your selves
Goats milk,assorted beer ,and koolade,fresh baked flounder,roo meat and Rabbits,
spaghetti squash,Shrimp scampi,and baked beans. Grayman oatmeal cookies, MINTIES, and pecan pie.
And again Enjoy your selves.

[COLONEL]

Because of budget cuts the weekend BBQ menu will be short
We have Goats milk, Belgin Beer , Roo meat , Baked beans ,Minties,and Grayman oatmeal cookies.
Enjoy the weekend NEWB'S

[edenecho]

Yeah, I'm new here too after trying once before to join.

I also go by eden_echo on IMDb and I've been reading a plenty of crazy 9/11 "truth" nonsense on YT and Facebook, I came here to join the land of logic. :D

[Ketyk]

Hello edenecho.

What happened the last time you tried? Lack of character references? :)

Audrey Hepburn as #4 on your list of favourite actress'. Nice!

Can you do something over at IMDB to have them change the main page pic? It's hideous.

[Strawberry]

Hi all

I keep seeing links to this place on other parts of the interwebs, so I thought I should venture in and see for myself. When I saw the Stundie nominations, I knew I had to register. Is there anything funnier than the tin foil hat brigade?

[COLONEL]

Hi all

Is there anything funnier than the tin foil hat brigade? Yes we call him Shemp

Welcome to the site.Have some Goats milk

[Strawberry]

Thanks. :)

[Ketyk]

I love it when newbies come back to this thread for a visit.

All too often I write a sincere welcome explaining various aspects of the forum, others offer their precious milk, and we never see them again.

Maybe I suffer from a bit of newbie postpartum depression. (ETA: or is empty-nest syndrome?)

[Strawberry]

I think I might be a keeper. Any forum which can produce gems like this is my spiritual home...

If it (light) takes 11 million years to travel to earth, how can i see it now? I'm only 20.

If it takes 11 million years to travel to earth then the viewer would need to be 11 million years old.

[COLONEL]

I love it when newbies come back to this thread for a visit.

All too often I write a sincere welcome explaining various aspects of the forum, others offer their precious milk, and we never see them again.

Maybe I suffer from a bit of newbie postpartum depression. (ETA: or is empty-nest syndrome?)
I hear you, it is nice when we get that one special NewB that comes back home now and then and says hello.

[Ketyk]

:o

Sometimes I .stalk. follow a NewBs progress, just to see how they are doing. I did that with IAmWhIAm, after that huge first post, but that turned into a waste of time. He made me want to break rule 0. iamtheillumnati got itself banned.

Can you think of any that have gone on to great stuff? I should do the research, maybe have a 'NewB of the Month' poll.

[COLONEL]

:o


Can you think of any that have gone on to great stuff? I should do the research, maybe have a 'NewB of the Month' poll.
I will give this some thought ,But I like the idea of the NEWB of the month

[DangerMouth]

I will give this some thought ,But I like the idea of the NEWB of the month

LOL, like anyone would want to be the noob of the month?:D (KIDDING!)

Hi, I'm here, I'm new, I haven't actually lurked that long (breaking the trend of 'long time lurker', etc), but I've poked in here from time to time over the years. But, long-time Fan of Randi, sceptic, non-theist, etc. Glad to be here :)

[Prometheus]

:o

Sometimes I .stalk. follow a NewBs progress, just to see how they are doing. I did that with IAmWhIAm, after that huge first post, but that turned into a waste of time. He made me want to break rule 0. iamtheillumnati got itself banned.

Can you think of any that have gone on to great stuff? I should do the research, maybe have a 'NewB of the Month' poll.

I remember welcoming UncaYimmy to the forum here. :boxedin:

[Ketyk]

I just went back to see if there were any forum-famous people I welcomed. I found only one: Geek Goddess in 2006.

[arthwollipot]

I just went back to see if there were any forum-famous people I welcomed. I found only one: Geek Goddess in 2006.*High five!*

[amb]

Most of the people I have ever welcomed have disappeared without a trace. Perhaps I layed in on a little too thick? Maybe the menu could be better?

[nontaninjer]

Hello

I am not a ninjer* only due to a typo I am nontaninjer.

I spent years studying the so called "occult sciences" as a child and adolescent before finally becoming disillusioned with the people on the new age and pagan scenes and emerging as a rationalist as an adult.

In recent years I have had some interesting experiences that lead me to conclude that there may be more to life than current science can explain.

Having said that I hate and detest fake psychics, snake oil merchants and religious entrepreneurs who use spirituality as a way of abusing and exploiting vulnerable people. Unfortunately there is a lot of this kind of exploitation about and much of it goes unnoticed and unpunished.

If I am honest I do think that there is more to the world than current science can understand however I think that such things are not subject to commercial exploitation and are difficult to study for all kinds of reasons.

My interests and passions include depth psychology, music and crime fighting. I am especially concerned about the infiltration of mental health services by new age woo merchants and criminals and in researching and understanding money laundering in relation to new age criminal activity.

*waves* :)

[draconia]

Hi all,

Came over these forums by chance and started reading a bit.
Wow, just the same citrical thinking and discussion I like and then...
put the gigabits into the floppydrive, and... booom, I'm a member :)

All my life I have been pondering about, almost everything and critical thinking comes natural to me.
I question most everything and always look at the reason or motive to any one action instead of the action or reaction itself.
Because of this I find the persue of knowledge and understanding the fun part and actually understanding not as much :)

Handshake and introduction, :relieved:

[SusanB-M1]

Welcome to all newbies. I always keep up to date with this thread - have done since I joined!

draconia, I know what you mean about always being a critical thinker, although I didn't understand that that was what I was until comparatively latish in my life. That was mainly because it was simply 'not done' to raise the subject of religion when I was young, and I certainly never came across atheism. I just used to read anything and everything, but realise that I was very lucky to have the kind of genetic make-up, or whatever it was, that made me think, 'Is this TRUE?' and then go in search of the answers, which were not so available then.

[Ketyk]

Hello notaninja, welcome aboard.

I am not a ninjer* only due to a typo I am nontaninjer.

If you Private Message any of these mods, they can fix that name for ya.
Darat , Lisa Simpson , Cuddles , Tricky , Gaspode , Myriad , Locknar , LashL , jhunter1163 , kmortis , Rat , Cleon , Loss Leader.
Actually I'll PM you in case you never come here and read this.


Hi draconia. :relieved:
What is that? If it is what it looks like, you should know that this is a non-smoking thread.

If you two have any questions, don't hesitate to come back here and ask.

If anyone offers you goats milk, give it a go. It's nutritious and delicious.

[COLONEL]

Welcome NEWB's Nontaninjer & Draconia Have a glass of fresh Goats milk . On weekends we have a BBQ for you NewB's so make sure you check back late Friday or Saturday and look at the menu that will be posted

[CelticRose]

Most of the people I have ever welcomed have disappeared without a trace. Perhaps I layed in on a little too thick? Maybe the menu could be better?
You welcomed me and I'm still here. You haven't scared me away yet. :p

[COLONEL]

Most of the people I have ever welcomed have disappeared without a trace. Perhaps I layed in on a little too thick? Maybe the menu could be better?
I'm not a sniper for nothing :D They insulted my goat.:cool:

[CelticRose]

I'm not a sniper for nothing :D They insulted my goat.:cool:
Speaking of which, no one's been telling the n00bs to pat the goat if they see it. Poor thing's probably feeling neglected. (The goat, not the n00bs.)

[COLONEL]

Speaking of which, no one's been telling the n00bs to pat the goat if they see it. Poor thing's probably feeling neglected. (The goat, not the n00bs.)
You might be right. it has been moody and it's milk out put has been down lately. All right everyone start petting the Goat when you see it. Or I'll make a call and get Shemp involved.

[amb]

Welcome to both. I, unlike Susan started questioning at a very early age. I remember sitting in the pew with my mum at around 10-12 years of age, and having already read the babble from cover to cover started thinking whether this was right. For example, one of the commandments states: though shalt not have a graven image of thy god. Looking around me in a catholic church, there were statues and images all over the place. Hmmmm. Something stinks in Denmark comes to mind was my thought then.

[draconia]

I do smoke but being the new guy is always hard :)

Read my mothers psychology books at around 11-12 and it all just snowballed from there and walking to and from school gave me loads of time to think.

I read articles on the interweb a lot about almost everything and I have found that
many sites that claim scientific and critical articles still suffer from assumptions and reference to bogus evidence. It's sad to say the least.

Generally I like to observe more than participate and read more what people comment in forums and articles than the topic itself but I believe that I can feel right at home here :)

[COLONEL]

Generally I like to observe more than participate and read more what people comment in forums and articles than the topic itself but I believe that I can feel right at home here :)
Being a sniper I need a good observer from time to time and the Goat is getting tired , Are you interested ?

[amb]

Watch it Colonel. We don't want a stampede now do we?

[COLONEL]

Welcome NewB's here is the weekend menu

The ever popular Goatsmilk, Belgian and Miller beer Kool ade from Washington DC. New England Clam chowder, Lobster bisq,BBQ Roo meat,Rabbits, and hamsters assorted salads,and baked beans
Grayman oatmeal cookies and MINTIES. Enjoy the weekend and don't forget to pat the goat on the head if you meet up with it.

[amb]

Welcome NewB's here is the weekend menu

The ever popular Goatsmilk, Belgian and Miller beer Kool ade from Washington DC. New England Clam chowder, Lobster bisq,BBQ Roo meat,Rabbits, and hamsters assorted salads,and baked beans
Grayman oatmeal cookies and MINTIES. Enjoy the weekend and don't forget to pat the goat on the head if you meet up with it.

Sounds great. Think I can hop into it as well? We'll pretend I'm a newbie.

[COLONEL]

Sounds great. Think I can hop into it as well? We'll pretend I'm a newbie.
Get back out side and finish cutting up the Roo Meat and NO BEER until you are done.

[amb]

Roo meat, a couple of goannas, an emu plus the usual rabbits coming right up.

[shanesmith0922]

Hello, my name is Shane. I'm 24 in Utah.
I've left my family at 16 due to my atheism/skepticism.
Been following James Randi for years, but this is the first time I noticed the forum. I'm either Blind or dumb. You decide.
"formon"
No political position.
Not really creative.
My YouTube channel: youtube.com/shanesmith20m
My group: https://sites.google.com/site/skepticinmormonville/
Most hated woo: Creationism
Why?: Builds a mistrust and misunderstanding of science at a young age, possibly leading to other forms of woo.

[Ketyk]

Hi shane.

Good job jumping right in and starting a new thread in our often overlooked JREF Skeptical Podcast sub-forum:

Skeptics In Mormonville (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=223588)

I'll have a listen and read some a bit later.
... I'm either Blind or dumb. You decide.

A false dichotomy, but you're new. And saying "false dichotomy" and spelling it correctly makes me feel better about myself.

[amb]

Welcome shane. I made a post in your thread. Welcome buddy, would you like some liquor filled chocolates?

[TheCrazyRationalist]

Hi everyone!

It's about time that I join these hallowed forums. I am Andre' (or... The Crazy Rationalist on the web). My powers include: Greater Rationality, Detect Pseudoscience (in a 30 yard radius) and Summon Randi (this mostly includes rapid links to youtube vids).

Cheers!

[Terpsichore]

Hi, I'm Pat, aged 64, so I'm old enough to be skeptical about skepticism. I got here by looking for 9/11 stuff, bouncing from link to link the way you do. I'll say straight off that I'm not likely to be a stayer. But I might be an occasional dropper-in.

I only recently got interested in 9/11, having avoided it for years. I'd had enough conspiracy talk on a forum I used to visit where people spend their time trying to prove that Shakespeare was really somebody else. Eventually I got tired of the methodology, which is, a) never to stay too long on the same point, but blow smoke over it by saying "and what about...?", and hopping off to some other point, b) when comprehensively refuted, to retreat from position to position, with the ultimate position being where all arguments are settled with "that's what they want you to think". When the evidence fits it fits. When it doesn't fit it still fits, because it's been deliberately manipulated by the all-powerful Elizabethan secret service to look like it doesn't fit, just for credibility. In the end you just have to walk away.

But I've read up a bit on the 9/11 theories over the past few weeks. So I'll follow some of the threads here, and probably post something.

[COLONEL]

Hi, I'm Pat, aged 64, so I'm old enough to be skeptical about skepticism. .
Welcome Pat it is good to have some one older here, you are a little older then me but not by much.Some of these youngster that are on this forum are like teen agers they know it all and really don't know squat. I am the official,unofficial Goat herder and part time welcomer along with AMB. so Have a fresh Glass of Goats milk and wonder around the site we have something for everyone here . Oh and if you see the Goat, be sure to pat it on the head .

[COLONEL]

Hi everyone!

It's about time that I join these hallowed forums. I am Andre' (or... The Crazy Rationalist on the web). My powers include: Greater Rationality, Detect Pseudoscience (in a 30 yard radius) and Summon Randi (this mostly includes rapid links to youtube vids).

Cheers!
Welcome Andre you must report to the forum Dr. with a name like Crazy we have to be sure it is just a name and not what you really are. We have to many nuts running loose as it is :D Drink some of our fresh goats milk it seems to have a calming effect on people.Don't forget to pat it on the head when you meet it .

[quadraginta]

... We have to many nuts running loose as it is ...


Is this your subtle way of suggesting that there may be some left that haven't joined us here yet?

[COLONEL]

Welcome Andre you must report to the forum Dr. with a name like Crazy we have to be sure it is just a name and not what you really are. We have to many nuts running loose as it is :D Drink some of our fresh goats milk it seems to have a calming effect on people.Don't forget to pat it on the head when you meet it .

Is this your subtle way of suggesting that there may be some left that haven't joined us here yet?

At this time I would like to plead the fith

[amb]

Any questions to Colonel should be addressed to me. I'm his attorney. :)

[arthwollipot]

Seriously - does COLONEL post anywhere else?

[amb]

Seriously - does COLONEL post anywhere else?

In the bad jokes thread. :p

[SusanB-M1]

tersichore

welcome. Did you read the Bill Bryson book called, 'Shakespeare'?

[COLONEL]

Seriously - does COLONEL post anywhere else?
Talk to my Attorny AMB at the law office of Dewy ,Cheatum ,and Howe ! :D

[Ketyk]

Ahh, Fan of Click & Clack, the Tappit Brothers?

[quadraginta]

Any questions to Colonel should be addressed to me. I'm his attorney. :)


You have my deepest sympathies.

Surely the ambulance chasing in WA isn't that unprofitable.

It's those pictures he's got. Right?

(Are we closing in on the solution to the Mystery of the Missing Goat?)

[Terpsichore]

tersichore

welcome. Did you read the Bill Bryson book called, 'Shakespeare'?

I haven't read that one, as it happens. But I have read his Notes From a Small Island, and Mother Tongue, both of which I enjoyed very much. Is it good?

[amb]

On the grounds that if my client speaks it may jeopardise the case, I will not comment on the whereabouts of the goat!

[DonaldPennington]

Edited to say: *Sorry. I was initially responding to someone who'd said something about snake-oil salesmen*

I once published an article (which I won't spam here because I'm here to learn not to spam but if you wanna see it ask me) about a three word psychic test my Dad and I set up before he passed away (He had a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor he did.).

In the piece, I warned frauds that if their "attempt" was just a guess, it would be evident to me - and it would be mocked. This was back when the site I write for allowed anonymous comments.

Still, tried they did. And mocked they were. Hundreds of attempts suffered my ridicule and scorn. Then I started getting the "Well maybe you should just drop it then!" types of angry comments.

But my favorite comments were those wherein they told me I was "blocking the energy," or some silly crap like that. No, I would have made the successful psychic famous. FAMOUS! I was very open to someone somehow being able to do it. I would've loved to know Dad was still around in some way.

It turns out though, frauds and con-artists are a special sort of psychopath which has no qualms about making their livings exploiting the emotions of the bereaved.

Frauds and phony "psychics" and the sort hate being exposed more than anything. Cockroaches scatter when the light turns on, y'know?

[COLONEL]

Edited to say: *Sorry. I was initially responding to someone who'd said something about snake-oil salesmen*

I once published an article (which I won't spam here because I'm here to learn not to spam but if you wanna see it ask me) about a three word psychic test my Dad and I set up before he passed away (He had a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor he did.).

In the piece, I warned frauds that if their "attempt" was just a guess, it would be evident to me - and it would be mocked. This was back when the site I write for allowed anonymous comments.

Still, tried they did. And mocked they were. Hundreds of attempts suffered my ridicule and scorn. Then I started getting the "Well maybe you should just drop it then!" types of angry comments.

But my favorite comments were those wherein they told me I was "blocking the energy," or some silly crap like that. No, I would have made the successful psychic famous. FAMOUS! I was very open to someone somehow being able to do it. I would've loved to know Dad was still around in some way.

It turns out though, frauds and con-artists are a special sort of psychopath which has no qualms about making their livings exploiting the emotions of the bereaved.

Frauds and phony "psychics" and the sort hate being exposed more than anything. Cockroaches scatter when the light turns on, y'know?
Welcome Donald Have a glass of goats milk. Sounds like your dad was pretty cool. Would you please remove you tin foil hat, it is blocking your thought waves .

[SusanB-M1]

I haven't read that one, as it happens. But I have read his Notes From a Small Island, and Mother Tongue, both of which I enjoyed very much. Is it good?
Yes, he sticks to known facts and although there is humour here and there - I don't think he could write without that! - it is good; it is also quite a short book

[commandlinegamer]

Yes, he sticks to known facts and although there is humour here and there - I don't think he could write without that! - it is good; it is also quite a short book

I'd second that recommendation, and if nothing else you can use it to pick apart Emmerich's Anonymous.

[Roadtoad]

On the grounds that if my client speaks it may jeopardise the case, I will not comment on the whereabouts of the goat!

You're not in the States. You can't plead the Fifth.

On the other hand, once you get to the States, you and I can share a Fifth.

[arete]

I'm not a sniper for nothing :D They insulted my goat.:cool:

Okay, were you sent to sniper school? and is that where you met your goat? Does he (or she) have a name?Tell him that I'm sorry that the only way I really like goats milk is when it has been made into feta cheese.
I feel the voice of a Muse telling me that it might be the time for me to write an ode To Feta'

Arete, who does not play on the flute or the harp or the that GGreek guitar that I can't thik of its name. Off to Google, easier than trying to find our dictionary.

[Prometheus]

Talk to my Attorny AMB at the law office of Dewy ,Cheatum ,and Howe ! :D

3rd Floor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Car_Talk_Dewey,_Cheetham_%26_Howe.jpg)

[Ketyk]

Hello Prometheus.

Welcome to the JREF Forum. I hope you find time to visit the many sub-forums that can be found in the Forum Index. (http://forums.randi.org/forumindex.php)

You might find this (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=3156329#post3156329) post to be an excellent example of forum etiquette, while this (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=7760020#post7760020) post shows what can happen after, oh, maybe 40000 posts and 4 years (exactly) of life on the frontlines battling ignorance and unfunniness.

I probably won't vote for it, but it was cool to see it nominated for the TLA. ;) :)

[amb]

3rd Floor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Car_Talk_Dewey,_Cheetham_%26_Howe.jpg)

Well I'll be damned! There really is a Talk, Dewey, Cheetham. :p

[Zeno X]

As is proper, please let me introduce myself. I'm a Mormon, an intellectualist, and a college student studying computer science and math, new to politics and mostly interested in fixing the US education system. I hope I'll be welcome despite my political specialization?

[COLONEL]

Welcome Zeno X have a glass of goats milk, you will fit right in. JREF is one big melting pot, we have all types of people here.

[Zeno X]

Great. I hope goats are just your thing and not a meme around here! :D

[Ketyk]

eXcellent! This month’s freshman class has real potential.

Zeno, let me ask you a question. How may I be of assistance to you in this monumental endeavor?

You see, this is orientation class, and if we let you pass here without certain basic knowledge, we would be remiss in our duties. I could quote the Membership Agreement ad noseaum while losing the essence of proper JREF Forum etiquette.

With that said, do you see the button below this text that reads "Nominate"? I want you to click that button, and follow the instructions given. Everyone does it. You will be nominating this post for something we call the TLA.

Having nominated this post, you will made aware of what are considered the best posts presented every month. Hitting that button is a small price to pay.

It's right there.

[Roadtoad]

Great. I hope goats are just your thing and not a meme around here! :D

Man, are you in for a shock when you meet Shemp, the Marquis, and Ketyk.

(Oh, wait. I see one of them has already stopped by.

(You're screwed.)

[Prometheus]

Man, are you in for a shock when you meet Shemp, the Marquis, and Ketyk.

(Oh, wait. I see one of them has already stopped by.

(You're screwed.)

It's about time someone put their fist down.
:goat

[Zeno X]

Man, are you in for a shock when you meet Shemp, the Marquis, and Ketyk.

(Oh, wait. I see one of them has already stopped by.

(You're screwed.)Well, I'll see for myself how serious people take the education subforum, won't I?

How may I be of assistance to you in this monumental endeavor?

You see, this is orientation class, and if we let you pass here without certain basic knowledge, we would be remiss in our duties. I could quote the Membership Agreement ad noseaum while losing the essence of proper JREF Forum etiquette.

With that said, do you see the button below this text that reads "Nominate"? I want you to click that button, and follow the instructions given. Everyone does it. You will be nominating this post for something we call the TLA.

Having nominated this post, you will made aware of what are considered the best posts presented every month. Hitting that button is a small price to pay.Thanks and done. Unfortunately, I'm not one to have many questions at first.

[arthwollipot]

It's about time someone put their fist down.
:goatShhhhH! Don't mention the fist!

[Foolmewunz]

Hi, I'm Pat, aged 64, so I'm old enough to be skeptical about skepticism. I got here by looking for 9/11 stuff, bouncing from link to link the way you do. I'll say straight off that I'm not likely to be a stayer. But I might be an occasional dropper-in.

I only recently got interested in 9/11, having avoided it for years. I'd had enough conspiracy talk on a forum I used to visit where people spend their time trying to prove that Shakespeare was really somebody else. Eventually I got tired of the methodology, which is, a) never to stay too long on the same point, but blow smoke over it by saying "and what about...?", and hopping off to some other point, b) when comprehensively refuted, to retreat from position to position, with the ultimate position being where all arguments are settled with "that's what they want you to think". When the evidence fits it fits. When it doesn't fit it still fits, because it's been deliberately manipulated by the all-powerful Elizabethan secret service to look like it doesn't fit, just for credibility. In the end you just have to walk away.

But I've read up a bit on the 9/11 theories over the past few weeks. So I'll follow some of the threads here, and probably post something.

Hey Pat - can I ask if Terpsichore is because you're a dance, too. Susan (in the quote right below) is a tap dancer. She's only 29 though. Meh, I'm a little soft shoe, a little hip hop, a little ballroom - a whole lot of free form from taking jazz ballet for years as a kid. Oh, and I'm 62.
(Not that it matters but "just Pat"? You're not required to tell us. But... Male or female..." We're always looking for partners for our virtual Dancing With Skeptics, which I just invented.)


tersichore

welcome. Did you read the Bill Bryson book called, 'Shakespeare'?

Susan, Susan, Susan! You of all people, mios-spelling terpsichore! Turn in your Keefe Braselle Fan Club badge!

[SusanB-M1]

Hey Pat - can I ask if Terpsichore is because you're a dance, too. Susan (in the quote right below) is a tap dancer. She's only 29 though.
Ah, if only....!:D
Susan, Susan, Susan! You of all people, mios-spelling terpsichore! Turn in your Keefe Braselle Fan Club badge!
I know,:o:o I only heard it when it was too late to edit!!:D

[COLONEL]

Welcome to all the NEW B'S We are going to have a pot luck BBQ this weekend . We will Supply the Goats Milk, Beer, Roo meat,Baked beans, Oatmeal Cookies,and Minties. You guys bring some chips ,salads etc.

[Catewilliams]

Hi! I'm Catewilliams (Cate for short?)

I'm a 19 year old female, I consider myself a skeptic. I joined after reading a thread here about Norwex cleaning supplies and the claims the company makes.

By no means am I a scientist- I serve tables as a living currently. But I was thrilled to find the information I was looking for interpreted by a professional in the corresponding field! Anyhow, I'm always trying to figure out what part of product claims are true and which ones are false or misconstrued.

Hope to contribute my knowledge to the community.

[Foolmewunz]

Hi! I'm Catewilliams (Cate for short?)

I'm a 19 year old female, I consider myself a skeptic. I joined after reading a thread here about Norwex cleaning supplies and the claims the company makes.

By no means am I a scientist- I serve tables as a living currently. But I was thrilled to find the information I was looking for interpreted by a professional in the corresponding field! Anyhow, I'm always trying to figure out what part of product claims are true and which ones are false or misconstrued.

Hope to contribute my knowledge to the community.

Well, welcome Cate. I love that thread, too.

May I suggest, though, that if you feel the urge to post in it that you get a few dozen posts first. We're kinda like piranhas when we see single-digits post counts in MLM Woo Scam threads. (We just about lunched on several poor innocents in The Amega Wand thread, a now legendary bit of work that I like to think had something to do with driving those weasels out of business.)

It's not that we're paranoid - Wait, ... What was that sound.... It's just that we've had(as you can see from the Norwex thread) so many "I'm a new poster and just have some questions. Chief of most is "Won't you buy my product or B.S.?" " in so many threads from Conspiracy Theories to General Skepticism to Math/Science.

Welcome aboard.

Right now, I think I'm going to bump the Norwex thread. It's literally the only critical listing in Google and needs to get more attention.

[SteveDale]

Hello everyone!

I'm Ste, from Englandland, and I'm an avid fan of good science though I have no qualifications past high school - I'm looking forward to hopefully adding to my own knowledge as well as contributing to discussions where I feel I can!

Anyway, I don't usually like doing "Hello!" posts because they feel a bit attention-seeky, so I'm sure I'll see you around the forum :D

[Foolmewunz]

Oh, so now everyone's coming in with, like, names? Cate and now Ste (doesn't that make you a female saint).

Welcome, also. I'm hijacking the thread from the usual rowdies because it's my calling (or I'm sitting around bored at home waiting for my wife and kid to return).

Drop into Forum Community where you can get your feet wet (if not whet your appetite), we're having a running, er.... um.... discussion (yeah, that's it,... a "discussion") on the merits of English Cuisine* versus American. Bring plenty of Marmite.

And if sports is your thing, the Englishters have fairly good representation in the Sports sub-forum, with massive ongoing threads on Cricket, Rugby, and Footie.

[Ketyk]

Thanks, Foolie. (Yes, I follow the Our Story... thread)

[geebee2]

Hi. I'm from Gloucester, UK. I'm 53 years old, male.

I came to this site due to an interest in the case of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, there is long running discussion of this here, and that's likely to be the area I will be posting in.

[COLONEL]

Welcome geebee2 Have a glass of fresh goats milk and when you see the goat pat it on the head.

[Terpsichore]

Hey Pat - can I ask if Terpsichore is because you're a dance, too. Susan (in the quote right below) is a tap dancer. She's only 29 though. Meh, I'm a little soft shoe, a little hip hop, a little ballroom - a whole lot of free form from taking jazz ballet for years as a kid. Oh, and I'm 62.
(Not that it matters but "just Pat"? You're not required to tell us. But... Male or female..." We're always looking for partners for our virtual Dancing With Skeptics, which I just invented.)


Male. Pat for Patrick. No, I'm not a dancer, but I am a passionate classical music fan, which is why I'm familiar with the word. I just like its sound. But I'm not even a dance fan, particularly, unless the dancer is Kate Bush. So I probably won't join your Dancing with Skeptics club. Which is just as well, because by the time I'd finished inflicting all the foot injuries I could inflict you'd have to rename it Dancing with Septics.

[Lt Rabbit]

Hi, 27 Male Australia, land of the medium beleivers, newly converted to critical thinking and learning how to use my brain. apologies in advance for my spelling and grammer. :P

[amb]

Rabbit, did you say rabbit? We have rabbit on the menu for newcomers. Rabbit alla king coming right up.

[lionking]

Hi, 27 Male Australia, land of the medium beleivers, newly converted to critical thinking and learning how to use my brain. apologies in advance for my spelling and grammer. :P

G'day. We have at least one Adelaidian here, Wildy.

[Foolmewunz]

Hi. I'm from Gloucester, UK. I'm 53 years old, male.

I came to this site due to an interest in the case of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito, there is long running discussion of this here, and that's likely to be the area I will be posting in.

Jeez, you get here for a day and you already broke the thread.

Guys! Geebee broke teh intertubez!!!

[englishmongoose]

Hello all, i'm 24 from Hampshire England,

I came across the site due to the 1million dollar challenge and had an interesting time reading through the failed applicants, read a bit more and decided to sign up.

I do worry that as a believer in Ghosts (having believed what i have seen, or maybe believed what my brain has told me i've seen is a better way of putting it) that i may be picked on a little here due to that belief.

I do truly believe that a proper scientific investigation should be carried out over say 2-weeks or a month at a number of supposed haunted locations, with controlled environments, high quality equipment and other tests put into place to try and prove/disprove the existence of ghosts.

As for the rest of the spectrum of paranormal/UFO/conspiricies i'm mostly sceptical, i prefer to see proper evidence before i believe something.

i hope to enjoy chatting with you all

Goose

[Foolmewunz]

Hey, Goose! And welcome. All the Americans (except me, due to my inexplicable location) are resting up for Thanksgiving and aren't up yet, so the Welcome Wagon consists right now of a bunch of Euro Trash, a couple of Aussies, and my charming self.

Most of us, by the nature of these boards, are not believers in ghosts, but I personally don't rate it up there with Homeopaths, Faith Healers, Psychics, and other very harmful woo. I have a mate who believes in ghosts. It's part of her culture. (She's Thai - they don't worship ancestors/ghosts the way the Chinese do, so it's just a sort of matter-of-fact belief.)

Generally, we save our thrashings for believers who pretend to be skeptic/sceptic. Since you're up front about it, you might be able to have an intelligent conversation on the topic. We have sufficient Net Nannies to keep the bullies in line, generally.

What, in particular, leads to your belief in ghosts? (Just curious.)

[amb]

I will add my house to the million dollar challenge if anyone can prove scientifically that ghosts or apparitions of any kind can be proved. 99.9% are mistaken natural phenomena. The other.01% are blatant lies.

But a warm welcome to the forum in any case.

[Prometheus]

I will add my house to the million dollar challenge if anyone can prove scientifically that ghosts or apparitions of any kind can be proved. 99.9% are mistaken natural phenomena. The other.01% are blatant lies.

But a warm welcome to the forum in any case.

I'm guessing that She Who Must Be Obeyed will give you a chance to become a ghost if you tried that.... :p

[amb]

Then I would prove conclusively that there is nothing but oblivion after death.

[englishmongoose]

Thanks for the welcomes...

My belief started aged 12 or so when i saw, or probably more accurately thought i saw a full bodied apparition at my schools boarding house. Although it is entirely probable that it was a brain fueled hallucination at 1am, why my brain decided to insert an image of an old woman in full 19th century dress walking away from me i'll never know but hey, what can you do!

I think i've continued my belief on the off chance that there is something more to us that what todays science can show...

[amb]

The Wager again hey ?

[englishmongoose]

if i thought that i could then i would have your house sirrah...


unfortunely i cant ;)

[SusanB-M1]

englishmongoose

Welcome. there are a few other Hampshire JREFers!

As you read the very good, clear and rational answers which you'll get here to your questions about ghosts, I hope you will soon re-file them under a (heading of a) because the brain is brilliant at producing images, or (b) reason unknown just at present, but definitely not supernatural, etc.:)

[Ketyk]

I do worry that as a believer in Ghosts (having believed what i have seen, or maybe believed what my brain has told me i've seen is a better way of putting it) that i may be picked on a little here due to that belief.

All the Americans (except me, due to my inexplicable location) are resting up for Thanksgiving and aren't up yet, so the Welcome Wagon consists right now of a bunch of Euro Trash, a couple of Aussies, and my charming self.


Hi goose. On behalf of us ugly-Americans, I welcome you and hope you stick around. I use this place as a learning tool, weighing what I believe to be true against what is scientifically provable. Be prepared to engage in debates where you are asked to provide evidence for you assuptions.

I find it fun to toss around ideas and see what others think. But don't take any challenges as person attacks. If you do feel attacked, maybe that's a clue that your position is based on false assumptions.



Why has no one offered the lad any goats milk?

[amb]

Because he may think the goat is a friend of Satan. Will a Millers Draft do?

[englishmongoose]

i'll take the Millers Draft thanks....

and thanks again for the welcomes, i will be lurking around the paranormal + humour sections untill i get a bit more comfortable with the site.

Hope to engage in some discussions with you soon.

[COLONEL]

Welcome to all you NEWB's

The menu for the weekend is left overs from thanksgiving. Turkey soup, turkey sandwiches,stuffing,Roo meat, squash,potatos,cornbread pudding, assorted pies Goats milk and goats cheese,Smithwicks and MINTIES

Don't forget to pat the goat on the head when you see it.

[amb]

Ran over a cat this morning. Hate it to go to waste. Will it be okay if I add cat meat to the weekend menu?

[COLONEL]

Ran over a cat this morning. Hate it to go to waste. Will it be okay if I add cat meat to the weekend menu?
:D Good job, that is one less cat running loose.:D Throw it into the CHILE pot ,no one will ever know,

[amb]

We will pass it of as rabbit. Too right, no one will know the difference.

[Edward Palamar]

Why the cyberbullying from moderation here?

[amb]

What, where, here? Nah. This is the welcome thread. :)

[arthwollipot]

Why the cyberbullying from moderation here?Try going onto the Loose Change (http://s1.zetaboards.com/LooseChangeForums/index/) forums, or Uncommon Descent (http://www.uncommondescent.com/). You'll find that our moderators are a model of tolerance. There are forums - plenty of them - where you can get banned for simply mentioning a dissenting point of view.

[COLONEL]

Why the cyberbullying from moderation here?
What are you talking about ? Who's bullying who? Give us an example !

[Prometheus]

Why the cyberbullying from moderation here?

Why the off-topic trolling in the "Welcome" thread?

[COLONEL]

Welcome Newb's
The weekend Menu is as follows. It will be POT LUCK we will supply the Goats milk ,Oatmeal Cookies ,MINTIES, and ROO meat and a mystery stew.You supply everything else.

[amb]

There's a few people around here looking for their cats. I wonder what makes them think we know anything about these missing cats. :D

[COLONEL]

There's a few people around here looking for their cats. I wonder what makes them think we know anything about these missing cats. :D To be honest I have not seen any cats since I started the Mystery Stew last night :D That reminds me does any one want to buy some nice fur pelts, I have enough to make a nice winter coat

[meion88]

Hello fellow skeptics. I'm new here and looking forward to engaging in discussions.

A little about me: I'm a student at a university in MI--getting my BA in Marketing, but studying a wide range of topics from anthropology to computer programming to biology. I'm very much interested in consumer behavior, especially in the framework of social psychology and evolutionary biology.


So despite the fact that many people I know keep telling me that having an undergraduate degree will probably not help me get a job beyond my current position at Salvation Army, I'm still pursuing it because...well, this is neither here nor there.

The important things: I like cyberbullying and cats.:)

[Ketyk]

Hi meion.

Do you prefer cats that bully or the bullying of cats? It's an important distinction!

Also, where do the goats fit in? I found this problem so troublesome I went in search of the answer. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_f6p0XB3Nw&feature=related)

[COLONEL]

Hello fellow skeptics. .:) Hello fellow skeptics ??? whats this ? are you trying to stir up trouble already ? are you prejudice ? what about the non skeptics we have here? you could have said hello everyone and that way you would have included them. Well for now Welcome meion88 Have a glass of Goats milk and have a seat I will try to have some one show you around If I can find him I will have Shemp be your guide and Mentor here.and when you see the goat pat it on the head.

[quadraginta]

Hi meion.

Do you prefer cats that bully or the bullying of cats? It's an important distinction!

<snip>


Are there cats that don't?

[amb]

Welcome meion. I guess you've seen the menu for today. If Shemp asks any questions, refer him to the Colonel.

[meion88]

That was intentional! I just chose not to address to non-skeptics (if any). I'm glad you noticed.;)

But thanks for the goat milk.

[meion88]

Hi meion.

Do you prefer cats that bully or the bullying of cats? It's an important distinction!

Also, where do the goats fit in?

Much prefer cats that bully.

Goats fit into this discussion as they are mammals--just like cats and bullies/cyberbullies (minus the reptilians).

[COLONEL]

Whats going on ? No new members in over 5 days . Did somebody let Shemp out to wonder the halls again?

[Ketyk]

I must admit that I get a little irked when I see a nOObie that has forgone the "Welcome..." experience. They should be suspended for 1 day.

[amb]

And no goat milk or roo steak for a month!

[COLONEL]

Well I am not going to post a weekend Menu . as there are no NEWB'S to feed . I will check back later maybe we will get lucky and get someone to join .If so the BBQ will be back on

[amb]

I better place all the roo steaks and goat chops in the freezer then.

[Foolmewunz]

It's the time of year, guys.

Active members always go to annual lows during the period leading up to the Festivus break. They all return around the 30th, in time for my annual "Am I the Only One Who Hates New Years Eve?" thread.

Not really (that last part, at least). Active Members, defined as someone who's logged in over the past 30 days, do hit a low, though. Last time I looked, we had about 2750 active members. That's down from a few months ago when it was nearly 3000. Ergo, new members, I'd hazard to guess, are also probably not that common this time of year.

Conclusion: Some of us them have a life. I shudder at the thought.

ETA: I checked and see we're now down to 2701 active members. That's a 10% fall. Seems similar to the last couple of years that I noticed this blip.

[COLONEL]

I better place all the roo steaks and goat chops in the freezer then.
Well keep a couple of steaks out for you and me ,we still have to eat

[Ketyk]

ETA: I checked and see we're now down to 2701 active members. That's a 10% fall. Seems similar to the last couple of years that I noticed this blip.

Interesting. I'd never gone looking for this number before. I did see 2694 active members from here. (http://forums.randi.org/forumindex.php?) Jeezus ben Nazareen del Nazaroid, does that mean we had 7 members deregistered in such a short time?

Maybe they just fell away from attrition.

[Foolmewunz]

Interesting. I'd never gone looking for this number before. I did see 2694 active members from here. (http://forums.randi.org/forumindex.php?) Jeezus ben Nazareen del Nazaroid, does that mean we had 7 members deregistered in such a short time?

Maybe they just fell away from attrition.

Your link is correct. We've merely lost seven "active members" in the last few hours since I posted my ETA. Since there's no date/time milestone in there (e.g. 00:01 on my clock in HK or 00:01 UT or 00:01 Randi Savings Time, I think the software is automatic, e.g. times it down to the half hour thirty days ago that they last posted.

I want to be clear, though. This isn't posters who've left the forums, necessarily. It's just posters who may not participate during this period. While we have a lot of people who post reams of material daily, we have a much larger number (by number of members) who post every few days and a few posts at that. If those folks are busy shopping, shop-lifting, caroling, mugging nuns, or whatever it is they do to celebrate the holidays, then they may show up again after the holidays.

ETA: That definition of "Active Members" is the forum software's not my own. It counts people who've logged in (not necessarily posted) in the previous 30 days.

[Ketyk]

Thanks, Foolmewunz. I had been awake for about 7 minutes when I read what you posted earlier, and I don't think it sunk in. Darn good stuff about our statistics. The upper end of post counts is still amazing. Me, I'm gonna try to make the list of the top for 24 hours soon.

I'm hungry. (for the barbeque the was outside my Ven diagram)

[COLONEL]

Colonel is fanning the smoke from the BBQ , trying to entice some new members to stop in . In the mean time the Roo steaks are ready for the few helpers like Ketyk, AMB, Foolmewunz That are here . and of course Fresh Goats milk

[amb]

I think it's time for another letterbox drop to entice more people to this great forum. :)

[Ketyk]

I think we should amuse ourselves by re-posting our own first post from when we were newbies. Who wants to start?

[COLONEL]

I think we should amuse ourselves by re-posting our own first post from when we were newbies. Who wants to start?
Seeing as you thought of it, Be my guest.

[Prometheus]

I think we should amuse ourselves by re-posting our own first post from when we were newbies. Who wants to start?

I did that last month, in the Nominations thread. :)

[Ketyk]

OK. I didn't use the Welcome thread to say hello, but this is my first post here, I think:
I am living in Mönchengladbach, which is about half way between Köln/Cologne and the dutch border, or seen from a wider angle, between the Loreley and Amsterdam.
I cannot judge, how many and what kind of mistakes I am making in English, else I would not make them. So far it has happened a few times that from written text I was mistaken for an American expat in Germany. But I prefer to have my mistakes attributed to being a foreigner instead of being taken for someone to dumb for correct grammar and spelling in the native language.

:)

maruli, you should never worry about spelling errors. English is my first language, and I make mistakes all the time. I'm only half sure I spelled "language" correctly. ;)

Here (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=1158814#post1158814) is my actual "Hello my name is...' post. I appearantly felt it was neccesary to start a new thread because it was such a big event. I know, I know, I misspelt remember. I was nervous!
Hello, Im a new memember

I found this sight a few days ago, and I thought I'd say Hello.

I have been fascinated with the paranormal since the 5th Grade, when I learned about the Burmuda Triangle, and the Pyramids at Giza. About the same time, I became and avid radio listener, and to this day, I cannot go to sleep with out at least a half hour of radio listening.


(ETA: Ha, both have a reference to spelling errors.)

[COLONEL]

I do not think the threads go back to when I made my first post and I would not know where to look . I think my first post was in something like the last person to post here thread :rolleyes:

[Ketyk]

I do not think the threads go back to when I made my first post and I would not know where to look . I think my first post was in something like the last person to post here thread :rolleyes:

Oh, you mean this (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=2532652#post2532652)one from The Last Person?

[amb]

Taking too long to load.

[arthwollipot]

I think we should amuse ourselves by re-posting our own first post from when we were newbies. Who wants to start?Great idea, should be lots of fun, but let's make a new thread for it, eh?

[COLONEL]

Oh, you mean this (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=2532652#post2532652)one from The Last Person? You have more patients then I do when it comes to looking things up :D

[amb]

Over a week and no newbs. Has someone let Shemp out again?

[Prometheus]

Maybe the goat got 'em....

[Avery Dashwood]

I'll break the newbie drought here.

I am joining up because I'm very tired of living amongst people who think the world is filled with the paranormal. Between religion, "medical" practices (chiropractic, acupuncture, etc...) that rely on mystical forces, ESP, and so forth, nearly everyone I know believes in the paranormal. Add into that conspiracy theories, space aliens, climate change denialism, intelligent design, and wildly inaccurate views of history and I feel like I live in a society that is divorced from reality. So I welcome the chance to come in from the cold that I think this board represents.

[COLONEL]

Welcome Avery Dashwood and thankyou for joining and breaking the lull. Have a fresh glass of Goats milk .

[haibut]

Hello

having just noticed that Ketyk is irked by people not posting when they join, I should post and say "hello" after 3 and a bit years registered. I am not much of a frequent poster, though, since on any given subject there are at least 42 people who either know more than I do, or like to post more, or both.

Hope the reduces the irkness by one datapoint.

[Ketyk]

Thank you, haibut! See that wasn't too hard.

I know how you feel about how many posters here are experts on one if not many subjects. I've come to find this as a good thing, for when I am curious about something, I can come here and see what has been discussed.

But don't fall prey to the idea that you have nothing more to add, or will be repetitive. That seldom is the case. What you say in different words might be the thing that makes someone else understand something better than they had before you posted. You never know.

Also don't be afraid to start a new thread on a subject that has already been covered. Most likely you will find differing viewpoints and ideas, and get some answers you might not have expected.

But I think you knew all that after 3+ years.

[COLONEL]

Welcome Haibut, We have a BBQ on the weekends, but for now have a glass of fresh goats milk and relax

[amb]

Avery, you my friend have hit the jackpot. Take a look at the extensive menu. Anything your heart desires is at your disposal. What beer would you prefer? Millers Draft is the default beer, but since you're the first newb to join in almost a week you get to choose an alternative. Cheers buddy.:D

[haibut]

Thank you, haibut! See that wasn't too hard.

I know how you feel about how many posters here are experts on one if not many subjects. I've come to find this as a good thing, for when I am curious about something, I can come here and see what has been discussed.

But don't fall prey to the idea that you have nothing more to add, or will be repetitive. That seldom is the case. What you say in different words might be the thing that makes someone else understand something better than they had before you posted. You never know.

Also don't be afraid to start a new thread on a subject that has already been covered. Most likely you will find differing viewpoints and ideas, and get some answers you might not have expected.

But I think you knew all that after 3+ years.


Thanks. I agree about having experts here being a good thing, I really just come on to read rather than talk, unless I get sucked stupidly into arguing with a conspiracy theorist or something...

[BravesFan]

Hi all, I'm a sarcastic skeptic from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. I got accused of being a JREF plant enough times on the BFF that I figured I should come and join! Hope to have some good discussions and learn new things!


edit: on the BFF my handle was StankApe

[COLONEL]

Hi all, I'm a sarcastic skeptic from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. I got accused of being a JREF plant enough times on the BFF that I figured I should come and join! Hope to have some good discussions and learn new things!
Welcome LogiclFail, Have a glass of fresh goats milk ,

[amb]

Hi all, I'm a sarcastic skeptic from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. I got accused of being a JREF plant enough times on the BFF that I figured I should come and join! Hope to have some good discussions and learn new things!


edit: on the BFF my handle was StankApe

Welcome buddy. Besides the goat milk we have Millers Draft for certain times of the day. The rabbit in the oven is just about ready, so have a seat, relax and the skimpy waitress will be with you soon.

[BravesFan]

Welcome buddy. Besides the goat milk we have Millers Draft for certain times of the day. The rabbit in the oven is just about ready, so have a seat, relax and the skimpy waitress will be with you soon.

awesome

[Orphia Nay]

Hi all, I'm a sarcastic skeptic from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. I got accused of being a JREF plant enough times on the BFF that I figured I should come and join! Hope to have some good discussions and learn new things!


edit: on the BFF my handle was StankApeWelcome, LogicFail! Great name!
What's the BFF? Is it anything like Abovetopsecret? Those sort of nuts are pretty canny... They sussed that I was part of the NWO.

[COLONEL]

OH BOY WE HAVE NEWB"S so that means for the week end we will be having our BBQ, Freh sqeezed Goatsmilk , beer,coolade, Roo meat, Cats,Hamsters, Rocky Mountain Oysters,corn,beans,salads,Grayman oatmeal cookies and MINTIES

[jcp]

Hi, all.

I've been looking for a new internet hangout and I've been hearing about this board for years, so I thought I really should come pester all of you.

I don't think I'll be bringing either of my cats to the picnic, though.

[COLONEL]

Hi, all.

I've been looking for a new internet hangout and I've been hearing about this board for years, so I thought I really should come pester all of you.

I don't think I'll be bringing either of my cats to the picnic, though.
Welcome JCP, yes do bring your cats to the BBQ we have a special place to keep them warm:D Have a fresh glass of Goats milk

[amb]

Hi jcp. Yes, your cats are more than welcome. :D

[Scruffy]

Hi All, I'm new.

Planning on going through the forum looking for discussions on religion, evolutionary psychology and trans-humanism.

I'm a Canadian in my late 30s with a science/engineering background. Grew up in a secular environment. Fascinated by the ever widening gap between what we've learned through science, and what we are biologically programmed for.

Merry Xmas!

[anglolawyer]

Hello everyone. I am an English lawyer. I have joined this forum due to an interest in the case of Amanda Knox (better late than never) now entering a happier and hopefully decisive phase.

Merry Christmas

[amb]

Welcome lawyer. We could do with some legal advice. :)

[RoseMontague]

Welcome anglolawyer. I vaguely recall reading about that case.

[COLONEL]

Welcome anglolawyer. Have a glass of fresh Goats milk. By the way AMB & I might need a lawyer to Help us out with PETA ,they do not like what we do with cats or any animal we BBQ for that matter.

[amb]

No worries Colonel. I have special permission from them to eat any animal as long as we share with them. :D

[sherry5851]

Hello All,
I've come here because I live with a conspiracy theorist and, because of a lawsuit I'm involved with, I'm FB friends with many conspiracy theorists. After the G20 in Toronto in 2010, I came very close to believing in the NWO but started to think logically after a while and doing research. I avoided watching "Zeitgeist" when I was vulnerable and have since read much of the debunking of the movie. I still haven't watched it. From chemtrails to Illuminati to Ameros, I have the whole bunch following me. I've now taken to posting refutations but have trouble arguing points because I don't have the knowledge. I'm hoping to learn more here to bolster my arguments.

I'm also sorta funny when I get to know you...

[COLONEL]

Welccome Sherry 5851 We are all a little funny here have a glass of goats milk and pull up a chair and relax

[amb]

Sherry, may I suggest some reading material that would help you immensely. "The Skeptic's Dictionary" by Robert Todd Carroll the creator of Skepdic.com It's available from Wiley books. wily.com Meanwhile have a seat, enjoy your glass of goats milk while the rabbit in the oven is cooking.

[pglenn]

new member to the forum but definitely no stranger to JREF and Critical Thinking. I actually met "the man" James Randi about 8years ago. I visited the previous office in Fort Lauderdale just to ask if they had a photo and preferably autographed photo of him that they could give me (I would have paid for it). Instead they sat me while they called him (he was actually in the office - wow) to get him to sign one, and I ended up going into his study with him and spent almost 2hours talking one-on-one with him!!! SO cool, and he was obviously extremely friendly and personable. I am waiting for them to open their new office in Plantation so I can visit again.

I recently started my own site patsrants.com where I will be voicing off on various topics of interest to myself and hopefully others, and I also have a site where I sell Hot Sauces. That in addition to my technical support job for software. I am definitely full of interests :-)

I look forward to interacting here with like-minded free and critical thinking individuals

Patrick

[Foolmewunz]

Welcome, pglenn/Patrick. I've heard a couple of other folks mention that they just dropped by and even had Randi answer the bell and similarly host them for a walk-through and chat. Yeah, we kinda like the old guy here and especially this time of year when all those guys in red suits are trying to look like him. (".... a wink of his eye and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread...")

Oh, .... don't promote your hotsauce site, by the way. There's a silly contretemps over linking to commercial sites, even cool ones, going on right now. I presume mentioning blogs is okay, but anything smacking of commercial gets the PTB shorts in a knot. Can't tell, they may decide to launch Skeptic Hot Sauce dot Com and you could be cutting into the lucrative critical thinking jalapeno market.

[pglenn]

thank you foolmewunz. thats why I gave the blog url but not the commercial, most forums dint like evem unintentional promoting. just trying to tell ppl who I am. and yes randi was very cool, we talked everything from movies to tv to internet to geller (I had to talk that with him), and he even surprised me with some slight of hand magic out of the blue. I didnt know a pair of dice could be so intriguing :-)

Patrick

[UnrepentantSinner]

Here's a little advice on forum usage. Click on the Help button just beneath the banner a the top. The answers to virtually all of your questions (forum rules, code tags, smilie lists, etc.) are there.

As far as forum culture goes? Well, lurkers will know most of the inside jokes, true newbies are just going to have to dicks their own potatoes.

[Orphia Nay]

Hi All, I'm new.

Planning on going through the forum looking for discussions on religion, evolutionary psychology and trans-humanism.

I'm a Canadian in my late 30s with a science/engineering background. Grew up in a secular environment. Fascinated by the ever widening gap between what we've learned through science, and what we are biologically programmed for.

Merry Xmas!

And a Merry Xmas to you, too! I have Michael Shermer's The Believing Brain by my bed on the top of my pile of books to read next. I think that discusses the gap you mention - at least I hope it does. :) Welcome! :)

Hello All,
I've come here because I live with a conspiracy theorist and, because of a lawsuit I'm involved with, I'm FB friends with many conspiracy theorists. After the G20 in Toronto in 2010, I came very close to believing in the NWO but started to think logically after a while and doing research. I avoided watching "Zeitgeist" when I was vulnerable and have since read much of the debunking of the movie. I still haven't watched it. From chemtrails to Illuminati to Ameros, I have the whole bunch following me. I've now taken to posting refutations but have trouble arguing points because I don't have the knowledge. I'm hoping to learn more here to bolster my arguments.

I'm also sorta funny when I get to know you...

:) Welcome, sherry5851! The conspiracy theories forums here will be very helpful to you, I'm sure. And you'll fit right in with the debunkers, who are a witty bunch. You'll have fun!

[BravesFan]

Welcome, LogicFail! Great name!
What's the BFF? Is it anything like Abovetopsecret? Those sort of nuts are pretty canny... They sussed that I was part of the NWO.

It was the Bigfoot Forums, well still is... I got banned from there yesterday...lol Finally had heard enough from the lunatic fringe over there and kinda had a blaze of glory meltdown.... Oh well, wine and interwebz don't always mix

[COLONEL]

new member to the forum but definitely no stranger to JREF and Critical Thinking. I actually met "the man" James Randi about 8years ago. I visited the previous office in Fort Lauderdale just to ask if they had a photo and preferably autographed photo of him that they could give me (I would have paid for it). Instead they sat me while they called him (he was actually in the office - wow) to get him to sign one, and I ended up going into his study with him and spent almost 2hours talking one-on-one with him!!! SO cool, and he was obviously extremely friendly and personable. I am waiting for them to open their new office in Plantation so I can visit again.

I recently started my own site patsrants.com where I will be voicing off on various topics of interest to myself and hopefully others, and I also have a site where I sell Hot Sauces. That in addition to my technical support job for software. I am definitely full of interests :-)

I look forward to interacting here with like-minded free and critical thinking individuals

Patrick Welcme to the site PGLENN have a free glass of fresh goats milk, but that will be $269.50 (euro) for advertising your sites and hot sauces here

[pglenn]

well for $269.50 do I at least get to give the names of the sites? LOL I linked to here from my own sites, no charge for that and hoping visitors will bleed over to here, the more intelligent and informed people we have in the world the better off the world will be. time now to start prowling around the topics here, see what I can find. thanks for the milk will go well with my turkey burgers and brussel sprouts. and my cats WONT be going to the BBQ :-)

Patrick

[sherry5851]

Thank you Colonel. I'm sorry I'm so late in replying but the holiday season has kept me fairly busy. I hope to be more active in the future.

[sherry5851]

Sherry, may I suggest some reading material that would help you immensely. "The Skeptic's Dictionary" by Robert Todd Carroll the creator of Skepdic.com It's available from Wiley books. wily.com Meanwhile have a seat, enjoy your glass of goats milk while the rabbit in the oven is cooking.
Thank you amb...I will look up that book - I think half my friends will stop being my "friends" but good riddance if they can't take criticism. Hmmm, where did *that* rant come from???

[sherry5851]

And a Merry Xmas to you, too! I have Michael Shermer's The Believing Brain by my bed on the top of my pile of books to read next. I think that discusses the gap you mention - at least I hope it does. :) Welcome! :)



:) Welcome, sherry5851! The conspiracy theories forums here will be very helpful to you, I'm sure. And you'll fit right in with the debunkers, who are a witty bunch. You'll have fun!
Looking forward to learning Orphia Nay and being among people who are...what's the word...SANE, that's it!!

[Ozmanda]

Hi All, i just joined so thought i would introduce myself..

My name is Amanda, i live in sunny Australia and a big fan of critical thinking and a good debate. I work in international law enforcement field, so in my job i see a LOT of stupid. I also study criminal justice and forensic psychology, so the reasons why some people are so stupid is fascinating:)

So yeah..thats it for now.

- Amanda

[amb]

A very warm and depending which part of Australia you are from, very hot weather wise. It's 38C here today as I'm typing. Colonel will be along shortly with today's menu. :D

[arthwollipot]

Welcome, Ozmanda! Wonderful to see you again.

[EvilQuest]

hi guys. just getting my first post out of the way so for now i'll just say "great to be here!" :)

[arthwollipot]

Now what you need to do is get your post count up. I recommend Humor (http://forums.randi.org/forumdisplay.php?f=28) and Community (http://forums.randi.org/forumdisplay.php?f=26).

[COLONEL]

Hi All, i just joined so thought i would introduce myself..

My name is Amanda, i live in sunny Australia and a big fan of critical thinking and a good debate. I work in international law enforcement field, so in my job i see a LOT of stupid. I also study criminal justice and forensic psychology, so the reasons why some people are so stupid is fascinating:)

So yeah..thats it for now.

- Amanda Welcome Amanda Have a glass of Goats milk and here is something to think about , As the comedian Ron White has said many times you can't fix stupid

[JihadJane]

There's no shortage of people who try, though, right here in this godforsaken saclike cavity or tube open only at one end.

[Scruffy]

Here's a belated Merry Xmas and a little bit more about me, what with this being the place for introductions. I know you're skeptics, but this is a true Christmas story about me:

I grew up in a secular household and never received any kind of religious information from my parents growing up. Not a word, and I never asked. Then one Christmas season in grade 3 during painting my teacher told us all to paint something related to Christmas. I must have panicked. I knew about Santa and Christmas trees and presents and all that, and I should have stuck to what I knew but I was also dimly aware that Christmas had something to do with God or Jesus or something and was probably afraid of being exposed as a Christmas wanna-be, so I decided to do a religious Christmas painting.

As you may recall, I knew nothing about religion or Christianity -nothing- but I did have some vague notions. God had a son, Jesus who was killed on a cross. Jesus was kind of like an angel or something. So, clearly, there is some good in killing angels. This was also about the time that I was developing an interest in anatomy in general. When Fred Flinstone ate his dinner there was always that giant severed leg with the round white bone in the middle.

I will never forget the look on my grade 3 teachers face when I explained to her that my painting represented Christmas because it was an angel getting its head cut off. It was done quite well as I remember it: the hand, the knife, the round fleshy severed neck with the white bone right in the middle. They say disgust is the last facial expression children learn to recognize and I think I know the exact day that I learned to recognize it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

[amb]

Welcome Scruffy. That's quite a story. Religion is just like a fairy tale, only it's in a book that's claimed to be the word of the grand fairy of them all. Now relax and put your feet up and Colonel will be along shortly with this weeks special xmas menu. :)

[COLONEL]

Welcome to all you NewB's this weekend BBQ is short and sweet In celebration of the NewYear It will be a RIB BBQ party with Beef, Pork, Cat ,Roo,Hamsters you name it we will have the rib, For your drinking pleasure there will be Goats milk fresh from the Goat Champagne by the gallons ,Assoted beers and wines even some Honey wine made by the Grayman
HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR

[amb]

Yes, I confirm that. Everyone, have a great 2012.

[daxi]

Hello everyone. I live in England & my hobbies are amateur radio (ham radio) and amateur magic, especially escapology & mentalism. I have also trained as a hypnotist.
My mentalist interest areas are tarot, with these I do a face down 3 card reading, where I only turn the cards over after I have read them. Past life regression, which is a massively attractive hypnotic area to work as a mentalist magician & the tricks used by the original spiritualists. The old spiritualists illusions fit perfectly with very basic mentalism & escapology, as many did tricks in the dark after being tied into a seat.

[amb]

Welcome daxi. Colonel will be along shortly with the latest menu.

[COLONEL]

Hello everyone. I live in England & my hobbies are amateur radio (ham radio) and amateur magic, especially escapology & mentalism. I have also trained as a hypnotist.
My mentalist interest areas are tarot, with these I do a face down 3 card reading, where I only turn the cards over after I have read them. Past life regression, which is a massively attractive hypnotic area to work as a mentalist magician & the tricks used by the original spiritualists. The old spiritualists illusions fit perfectly with very basic mentalism & escapology, as many did tricks in the dark after being tied into a seat.
Welcom DAXI So you are a amature? sorry but here you will be just a NewB as we do not have an amature NewB status have a glass of fresh goats milk, take a seat and you can get to know us

[Lenligmah]

Long time follower of Randi. Happy to be aboard. Happy New Year to all.







Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea,
never regains its original dimensions.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. -

[COLONEL]

Long time follower of Randi. Happy to be aboard. Happy New Year to all.


Welcome to the forum Lenligmah all NewB's get a fresh glass of Goats milk so drink up. :D

[lionking]

Hi All, i just joined so thought i would introduce myself..

My name is Amanda, i live in sunny Australia and a big fan of critical thinking and a good debate. I work in international law enforcement field, so in my job i see a LOT of stupid. I also study criminal justice and forensic psychology, so the reasons why some people are so stupid is fascinating:)

So yeah..thats it for now.

- Amanda

AFP? Don't worry, I won't tell.;)

Welcome. Can't have enough Aussies here. We take over the forum when the Yanks and the Brits are asleep.

[COLONEL]

AFP? Don't worry, I won't tell.;)

Welcome. Can't have enough Aussies here. We take over the forum when the Yanks and the Brits are asleep.
Well this Yank is still awake :D:D:D

[Lenligmah]

Hey, don't mind if I do. Love goats. Favorite is Nubian. Had a goat herd once - Toggenburgs, Alpines, Saanens, and La Mancha (not my favorite). Hope to have goats again. The are quite the characters. Thanks for the welcome.

[Silhouette]

I've been a fan of James Randi for a long time, and thought it would be really cool to meet some other people who were also skeptics. I've been an atheist for many years, but have not always been very skeptical. I look forward to engaging with you in one of the many,many threads in this forum!

[COLONEL]

Welcome Silhouette, Have some Goats milk and yes our BBQ is one of the fiest around, so enjoy your self

[Silhouette]

Funny, after reading this whole thread, I've developed a craving for Goat's milk, so thanks!

[COLONEL]

Funny, after reading this whole thread, I've developed a craving for Goat's milk, so thanks!
You're welcome

[arthwollipot]

You read the whole thread? :eye-poppi I'm impressed!

[amb]

The whole 13 pages? :eye-poppi

[COLONEL]

You read the whole thread? :eye-poppi I'm impressed!

The whole 13 pages? :eye-poppi

Some people have a lot of time on their hands :D