|
|
|
|
jjwagg
New Member
USA
5 Posts |
 Posted - 05/10/2005 : 06:12:53
|
So, here I am. I'm 38, made lots of money in the Internet boom, and I'm looking to do something with my life. The only thing that consistently fires me up is skepticism, and I've been spending my time going to JREF and CSICOP conventions. Is there a way to turn this into a career?
I'm enrolled in a Masters program at UVM (Mental Health Counseling), but it's not working out. The postmodernism is driving me batty.
I've considered trying to get into a Ph.D Psychology program somewhere, but I have to live in Vermont for family reasons.
I've thought of starting my own skeptics organization, but that seems counterproductive. I belive it would be better to support existing organizations.
I'm honestly looking for ideas. Have any?
|
Jeffrey J Wagg |
|
|
Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
 Posted - 05/10/2005 : 07:11:43 [Permalink]
|
Hello jjwagg and welcome to Skeptic Friends Network!
|
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
 |
|
|
Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 07:42:58 [Permalink]
|
Hi, jjwag. This is a hard question, as there's no such career as just "skeptic" (unlike, say, minister or some such). In addition, the skeptic community is rather small. And of you make the rough equation that skeptic=atheist/agnostic, then you have to imagine that only 10% of the country buys into it. Of course, if you posit that there are belivers who nevertheless are vocal skeptics about, say, hoaky medicine, UFOs, ESP, etc., that number is still going to be low.
Still, there have to be some possibilities. What about publishing? I think there already is a publisher that specializes in books on skepticism. Perhaps getting involved in something like that would work (a list of some possibilities might be here (hey Dave, @tomic or Kil-- why aren'y we listed among the skepticism websites??)). |
|
|
|
BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard
3192 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 10:49:05 [Permalink]
|
I say start a youth orginization with the goal of teaching kids how to think critically. (without fundie mom realizing it of course)...hmm
Edit: Call it Amature Critical Thinkers, ACT
Or a secret organization bent on piting religions against each other, muhahahaha. |
"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History
"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini |
| Edited by - BigPapaSmurf on 05/10/2005 10:49:44 |
|
|
|
jjwagg
New Member
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 12:27:39 [Permalink]
|
Dr. Mabuse - thanks for the welcome. I have an old Propaganda album somehwere that has a track called "Dr. Mabuse." It goes something like "The man without the shadow promises you the world. Tell him your dreams."
Publishing. Yes, I like that idea, but I must have something to say and a perspective to say it from. Not so easy.
Youth organization. I do very much like the idea of incoroporating magic and critical thinking into a course. I envision it as a summer camp type of thing. I'll keep thinking about that.
Thanks! I'll be at the Skeptics Conference in Pasadena this weekend, and I'll be asking the same question there. |
Jeffrey J Wagg |
|
|
|
Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 14:48:26 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Originally posted by jjwagg
Dr. Mabuse - thanks for the welcome. I have an old Propaganda album somehwere that has a track called "Dr. Mabuse." It goes something like "The man without the shadow promises you the world. Tell him your dreams."
Well, you're right on the spot. In this post I'm exposing the secret behind my username. Check out the entire thread if you're wondering about the rest of us.
|
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
|
|
|
Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 16:38:34 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Originally posted by jjwagg
Publishing. Yes, I like that idea, but I must have something to say and a perspective to say it from. Not so easy.
Well, you don't have to publish-- you could be the publisher! This might require lots of money, but that's what loans and business ventures are for. You'd of course have a staff of editors who know about the fields you'd publish (e.g. doctors, biologists, astronomers, assyriologists, etc.) and then go looking for some young scholar to critique, say, quack medicine, or ID, or New Age this-or-that. It might work! |
|
|
|
jjwagg
New Member
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 17:19:14 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Originally posted by Cuneiformist
Hi, jjwag. This is a hard question, as there's no such career as just "skeptic" (unlike, say, minister or some such).
Well, you nailed it. I want to be a Skeptic minister, which is an oxymoron I suppose.
 |
Jeffrey J Wagg |
|
|
|
Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 17:20:11 [Permalink]
|
Anything that could help teach kids about critical thinking.
Avoid areas that are populated by alot of religious fundamentalists, as anything that enables people to think for themselves might get you stoned or shot in those places.
I do truly think that there is a serious gap in our public education system when it comes to basic problem solving skills that a grasp of critical thinking will give.
And welcome to the SFN.
|
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
|
|
|
|
jjwagg
New Member
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 17:24:22 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Originally posted by Cuneiformist
[quote]Originally posted by jjwagg
Well, you don't have to publish-- you could be the publisher! This might require lots of money, but that's what loans and business ventures are for. You'd of course have a staff of editors who know about the fields you'd publish (e.g. doctors, biologists, astronomers, assyriologists, etc.) and then go looking for some young scholar to critique, say, quack medicine, or ID, or New Age this-or-that. It might work!
Now that's an intersting idea. I'll have to give that some serious thought. There is a demand for this stuff. Julia Sweeney's "Letting Go of God" tape that I bought from the Skeptics Society has been loaned and watched at least a dozen times since I bought it a little over a year ago. Penn Teller's Bullshit! is doing very well. Maybe the world could another publisher. Hmmm... |
Jeffrey J Wagg |
|
|
|
jjwagg
New Member
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 17:27:29 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Originally posted by Dude
Anything that could help teach kids about critical thinking.
Avoid areas that are populated by alot of religious fundamentalists, as anything that enables people to think for themselves might get you stoned or shot in those places.
I do truly think that there is a serious gap in our public education system when it comes to basic problem solving skills that a grasp of critical thinking will give.
And welcome to the SFN.
Thanks for the welcome. I live in Vermont, which is one of the least religious parts of the country. In fact, that's WHY I live here. Critical Thinking is a (n oft misunderstood) buzzword these days, and if I approached schools with a fun (magic tricks) approach, they might let me in the door. I know a guy who does science demonstrations in all the local schools..I could ask him how he got in the door. (Though it's hard to compete with a guy who makes 3 foot bolts of 500,000 volt lightning come out of a machine run by 4 AA batteries.)
|
Jeffrey J Wagg |
|
|
|
Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 17:35:01 [Permalink]
|
quote:
(Though it's hard to compete with a guy who makes 3 foot bolts of 500,000 volt lightning come out of a machine run by 4 AA batteries.)
Hehe! Yeah, I imagine so.
I'm not sure what would be the best age to target real critical thinking skills to. Maybe atleast 14? Some of the concepts can be difficult to wrap your head around, especially the logic.
It would be a major accomplishment to get critical thinking skills included as mandatory education.
|
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
|
|
|
|
Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2005 : 17:32:19 [Permalink]
|
After giving this some thought, jjwagg, if you've got money to burn, one "career" might be to facilitate the appearance of skeptics and/or science lecturers at your local public schools, libraries, skeptics' clubs, colleges and universities. To act as a middle-man between the "venue" and the skeptic, and to help out by buying airline tickets, arranging lodging, and/or paying at least some of the usual honorarium. Etc.
It's not so much a career as a highly charitable hobby, but it would help promote your (and our) ideals immensely. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
|
|
|
Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2005 : 17:56:29 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Originally posted by jjwagg
Thanks for the welcome. I live in Vermont, which is one of the least religious parts of the country. In fact, that's WHY I live here. Critical Thinking is a (n oft misunderstood) buzzword these days, and if I approached schools with a fun (magic tricks) approach, they might let me in the door. I know a guy who does science demonstrations in all the local schools..I could ask him how he got in the door. (Though it's hard to compete with a guy who makes 3 foot bolts of 500,000 volt lightning come out of a machine run by 4 AA batteries.)
Actually, a magic show done right would be a wonderful way to demonstrate critical thinking. Spoon bending anyone? |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
|
|
|
Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2005 : 19:25:35 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Originally posted by Cuneiformist
(a list of some possibilities might be here (hey Dave, @tomic or Kil-- why aren'y we listed among the skepticism websites??)).
We are now... 
http://skeptic.ws/ |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
|
|
|
 |
|
Topic Locked
