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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
 Posted - 07/06/2010 : 18:46:44
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Okay. Here’s my TAM8 thread. I leave for Vegas on Thursday morning for the biggest TAM ever. It should be anyhow. The CFI and the JREF have joined forces for this one, which expands the speaker and performer list by a lot. (A good thing too. How many question and answer sessions with Penn and Teller can a person take?)
Here's this years lineup:
The Amazing Meeting 8, 2010 Speakers and Performers
It’s worth noting that every year that the JREF has been doing this, TAM has grown. Last year there were over a thousand attendees, and this year, well, I don’t know yet. But because of facebook and the fact that the CFI is co-sponsoring the event, there should be a pretty big increase in attendance.
Just so you know, I wasn’t planning to go this year. TAM costs some bucks and even on a shoestring, there is still getting there and a hotel room left to pay for, and food. Some of the meals come with the registration, and that makes it easier. But still… I wasn’t working when the registration opened. My only hope was to apply for a JREF forum grant, receive one, and hope I had enough work to cover the rest. I decided to give it a shot.
I received the grant, which pays for my registration and several meals. But even so, I still had to get there. As it turned out, I had enough miles on my AA Advantage card to get me to Vegas and back for free. (I did purchase a 29-dollar insurance thingy that would return my miles to me if I backed out, because I thought I might have to do that due to a lack of funds.) I held off on making hotel reservations. I just didn’t know if I would be going. And then I lucked out again. The hotel put on a half price sale (due to the recession?) and I made a reservation. My room for four nights will cost no more than staying at Motel 6 would have cost me. I have a little work now, though I don’t know for how long it will last, but having it put me over the top. I’m going on a shoeless string budget, but I’m going. There is a hamburger stand in the hotel. It’s there that I plan to dine, mostly. And since the Southpoint is off the strip, the prices are good. Eating will not be a much more expensive than it would have been at home because my registration includes breakfast and lunch while TAM is going on. Clearly, the planets in my house have lined up and I am supposed to go…
I will be working as a volunteer again. In my case, that means manning the merchandise table for a few hours over the weekend and checking tickets for the talent show. I am also scheduled to check badges and shush people at this years challenge event, if it happens. (I think all the terms have been met, and a psychic challenge is on. Also, last year there was no need to shush people because everyone behaved. There were probably upwards to three hundred people in the room and you could have heard a pin drop. The dowser failed.)
Richard Dawkins will be the keynote speaker. He was at TAM3, but I didn’t start going to TAM’s until 4. Seeing him will be a first for me.
So there it is. I still have a lot to do to get ready to go. Michelle has loaned me her laptop, so I will be adding to this thread as time permits.
Double darn, I wish some of you SFN deadbeats were going…
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Paulos23
Skeptic Friend
USA
446 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2010 : 08:14:01 [Permalink]
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Have fun Kil.
I wish I could go as well. But for varous reasons I couldn't swing it this year.
Maybe I need to just start planning and saving now for next year.... |
You can go wrong by being too skeptical as readily as by being too trusting. -- Robert A. Heinlein
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. -- Aldous Huxley |
| Edited by - Paulos23 on 07/07/2010 08:16:12 |
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
 Posted - 07/07/2010 : 08:31:03 [Permalink]
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| Well I certainly wish I could go but I cannot go this year. It was nice to meet you last year Kil, maybe next year. If you hear about any live web-casts, let us know before they're due to occur, if you could. Do you want me to get you a "reserved for Kil" Chair sign? I could send you one, if you like. I'll miss not being there this year and seeing you again. Enjoy! SS |
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
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Ebone4rock
SFN Regular
USA
894 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2010 : 09:09:20 [Permalink]
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| Have fun Kil. Wish I were going with you. Don't do anything I wouldn't do. |
Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2010 : 09:18:49 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Ebone4rock
Have fun Kil. Wish I were going with you. Don't do anything I wouldn't do.
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What wouldn't you do? |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Ebone4rock
SFN Regular
USA
894 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2010 : 10:24:03 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Kil
Originally posted by Ebone4rock
Have fun Kil. Wish I were going with you. Don't do anything I wouldn't do.
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What wouldn't you do?
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Ha! That leaves you pretty open. About the only thing I wouldn't do is a guy (not that there's anything wrong with that). |
Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2010 : 12:21:17 [Permalink]
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So, where's the "Send Kil to TAM Fundraise" link?
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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. |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2010 : 13:30:02 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
So, where's the "Send Kil to TAM Fundraise" link?
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I suppose it's the old link...
But we didn't do that this year... You all have done enough for me.
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2010 : 22:56:42 [Permalink]
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One of these years I am going to get out there for a TAM.
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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 |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2010 : 17:19:22 [Permalink]
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Well, here I am sitting at a Burger King at LAX. Breakfast and coffee set me back eight dollars. Once you get through security, they have you. I’m sorry I didn’t have the time to eat this morning before I left. I didn’t even consider Starbucks. Five hundred for a regular coffee…
I didn’t know until this morning that my tickets are in first class. That was what was available I guess, and it cost me every mile I earned for a one-hour flight. Kinda silly really, but there you go. Or I go as the case may be. I will be able to stretch my not so long legs, and hobnob with those who would probably prefer to not hobnob with the likes of me. I’m a Southwest kinda guy. Riffraff.
Anyhow, the coffee here is passable and doing the trick.
Oooops. Boarding soon. I’ll check back later.
From the plane
We’re off. Our June gloom came late this year and all of the LA area is covered with a cloud layer, right up to the mountains. When I left Santa Monica it was drizzling and about 65 degrees. The captain just informed us that Las Vegas is right now in the 90’s. Being a short flight, the transition from our climate to flat out hot should cause me a painful whiplash. I dressed light, but hot is hot.
It’s mostly desert from the mountains on.
Being in first class, I could have boozed it up a little, but hey, it’s only ten and I don’t want to arrive dribbling on myself. I will be attending “drinking skeptically” this evening. And even then, I doubt I will drink. But who knows? What harm could one beer do me?
Vegas
Uh oh. Shit happens!
I was set to meet a woman from the JREF forum because our arrival was at about the same time and she was renting a car. She asked if there was anyone who needed a ride, and rather than wait at the airport for two hours (the next shuttle to the Southpoint) I took her up on her gracious offer. She did her part. But there was a rub. I couldn’t find my suitcase. It did not come down the chute and onto the suitcase carousel. And all my meds were in it. I began to panic. I was told that our luggage was late and it would arrive. But mine didn’t. (Lots of time lost and fretting here, but I’m going to cut to the chase) After filing a report in an office off to the side of baggage claim area I walked out and there it was. Now, just so you understand, I have markings on my suitcase that makes it easy for me to identify. Anyhow, what apparently happened was that someone picked up my suitcase and when it was discovered that he/she was not the owner, he/she just put it down and went back to the carousel without bringing my bag along. In short, the person who had my bag was a dickhead.
Anyhow, once retrieved I went outside to get picked up. That was now the plan because time was being wasted and the car was not getting rented. So the plan was for Beth to go rent the car while I dealt with the luggage matter. It all worked out. But I learned a valuable lesson. Never put important drugs in your luggage. You know. Insulin. Carry them with you. Because all in all, those drugs are what I really cared about. The clothes and traveling stuff come in at a distant second.
It’s hot in Vegas. But that’s becoming a fading memory. I’m now in the hotel and the weather is perfect in here.
I freshened up a bit and went over to the TAM area to register. I ran into Derek and we walked over together. Got my shirt, which says “volunteer” on the back. Got my badge, which is less extravagant than badges past, but it works. Got my avatar, so people who know me as Kil will recognize me by that name. And I got the other goodies that come with the packet, which I haven’t really looked at yet. I talked for a bit with Jeff Wagg about problems on the JREF forum. Bought a hamburger, and then pushed my way into a gaggle of JREF forum members, to get to know them and so I wouldn’t have to eat alone. I had fun. I just spent the last two hours with them.
Of interest to me was a long conversation I had with a fellow who was a fundamentalist Christian, a creationist up until about two years ago, and, you know, the whole ball of stinky wax that goes with it. He is also bisexual. Being a Christian and being bisexual is not a good match unless you happen to be one of the heads of the church. Plus his mom is an atheist and very much a science kind of person. She turned him on to lots of science fiction and to Richard Dawkins, and brought him to his first TAM last year. He is now an atheist and a skeptic. And he said he feels much better not having to rationalize away the science, which he suspected was true all along. I asked him if he was bitter. “No.” He understands how people get themselves trapped into that mindset, but he now understands that there is enough mystery in the world to not have to make shit up about it. Of course, I’m paraphrasing. He also says he gets a lot of flack about not having the moral compass that the bible offered. His retort is, “hey! I’m still the same guy!” He’s fairly strident in his atheism, but values the path that took him from being a fundamentalist Christian to what he is now. He is looking forward to seeing Richard Dawkins too.
I hung out down in the lounge for a couple of hours and had fun. It was a good move for me to just sit down with these folks, and get to know them a little better.
The reception is a couple of hours off, and I’m beat to shit. My day started before dawn and I need a rest. After the reception many of us are meeting for a thing called “Drinking Skeptically” which will be accompanied by a podcast. I’ll get you a link to it later, or if you want to hear it live, try google.
I still haven’t found out if there is a live stream of this event, and I should have asked Jeff about it when we talked. I forgot. You might try googling that too… Sorry.
I must rest now…
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2010 : 07:19:19 [Permalink]
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Last night I went to the reception, which I will describe later. Went to the Del Mar bar, which I will describe later. Went to “Skeptically Drinking” which I will also describe later…
I over slept just enough so that I now have to rush.
I have a hangover…
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2010 : 23:52:02 [Permalink]
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I have a lot to write here, but no time to write it. One bummer is that I took the macbook down to the conference hall and took the best notes I've ever taken and then forgot to save what I wrote and lost it when I closed word. I can probably recreate it from memory more or less, but darn! Anyhow, it's 11:45 and I must sleep. Sorry about the lack of a good update today. It will have to wait.
One thing I can say. With over 1300 people here, I was right about the increase in attendance.
I need to sleep. Maybe tomorrow night I will be able to find some time to write. I've been mostly gone since I left for the reception. Hard to get anything done here. I might take tomorrow night off.
Oh hey, I haven't been getting pictures of me posing with people, but I did get one with Richard Dawkins at Drinking Skeptically... |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2010 : 00:52:45 [Permalink]
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Okay, I just looked at my schedule and I don't have any volunteering gigs on Saturday. So I'll do be bit of catching up now, even though it's late.
The reception was crowded like I have never seen before. The first person I ran into was Swoopy. I said "Hi babe" and she gave me a great big hug. (That's her standard greeting, just in case anyone is wondering.) I tried to scope out the room, but there were just too many people in there to really get around. I had a beer and waited. Randi and Richard Dawkins both talked at the reception and did a Q&A. Everyone wanted to get up close to Dawkins, so I went the other direction. While they were talking, I found my chance to load up on some food. I talked some to Swoopy, Robert Lanchaster, and a few other people who I happen to know.
Then a band (Penn and Tellers musical director's band) started playing. And that was a mistake. Sure they were good, but people wanted to talk, so much of the party moved into the hall. I introduced Beth, the woman who gave me the ride, to Swoopy. Derek too. She's a fan of the Skepticality podcast. (Me too.) She was also collecting signatures for a game that forum members at the JREF were playing. I was the first to sign her list. We ran into Tim Farely who signed and then got his wife to sign her list too. She was kind of a secret which might have put her ahead in the game. A bonus signature.
When the reception ended, or at least when I tired of it, I went down the the Del Mar bar and hung out, waiting for "Skeptically Drinking" to start. I just sort of plopped myself down in the crowed and bought myself a beer. As it happens, happy hour is from five to ten and drinks cost a piddly three dollars a pop. I only bought myself one beer. I had some nice conversations with some folks, and heard a lot of funny stories. One woman decided to befriend me. She could see I was shy about being there. She just up and asked me to kiss her on the cheek. When I tried, she turned her head. Full kiss on the lips. Ha! She did that to me twice. Then she took it upon herself to make sure I met everyone. Cool lady. I would have sworn I was being hit on, but she's married! Darn! I'm still not sure she wasn't hitting on me anyway. She even bought me a drink.
At the right time, we trudged (stumbled) over to the Silverado lounge, which is a bar connected to a steak house. It was even more crowded there. I got to say hello to a few people who I knew from facebook. The woman insisted again on introducing me to everyone she knew. (She knows a lot of JREF forum people.) I got into a conversation with Brian Engler of the CFI Washington DC branch of the organization, and a facebook friend. We talked a bit about the in house fighting that went down at the CFI recently and the change of leadership. I mentioned the podcast, "Skeptically Speaking" that was a part of the event that Desiree Schell, Swoopy, Heidi Anderson and some others were putting on in conjunction with "Skeptically Drinking" and he said he was supposed to visit there but didn't know where it was. He ran off to find out. My friend found me again, and asked why I was all alone? I told her I was waiting for Brian. She made sure I got the picture with Dawkins who was there, and she pulled the kissing stunt on him too!
She asked if I wanted to go back to the Del Mar with her and I hesitated. I said something about her being married. She just laughed and said something about pillows that I didn't get. Hmmmm...
Anyhow, I was drunk and wasted by then so I decided to call it enough and trudged on back to my hotel room. I fell asleep before I hit the covers.
Sorry, but it's almost one, and I have to be up by six. So the rest of this saga will have to wait. I can say this now though. Skeptics like to party!!!
On to the conference, but not just now... Oh, as a teaser, this years speakers, even the one's I didn't care for much last year were great. It's so far a much better TAM than 7 was... |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Ebone4rock
SFN Regular
USA
894 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2010 : 06:07:20 [Permalink]
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She asked if I wanted to go back to the Del Mar with her and I hesitated. I said something about her being married. She just laughed and said something about pillows that I didn't get. Hmmmm...
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Aww come on Kil. Don't you know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! It's mind over matter......If she don't mind....He don't matter!
If you get another chance tonight I say GO FOR IT! |
Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring |
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ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf
USA
1486 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2010 : 18:21:52 [Permalink]
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| Thanks for the posties, Kil. I wanted to go to TAM8, but I had a budget for either TAM8 or remodeling my bathroom. I just *had* to remodel the bathroom. Hopefully Randi will survive another year for TAM9. :) |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2010 : 23:58:09 [Permalink]
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Okay, here’s the thing. I lost some of my Friday notes because I forgot to save them. I will try to write up something on Friday’s talks. What I can say without hesitation is that this years talks are a vast improvement over last year. Really good stuff. Even Shermer was good and stuck with skepticism. I may have a report here, but I don’t know. There is so much I would have to do from memory, which is discouraging because I took great notes. A real standout was Phil Plait’s talk, which was on tone. I cornered him after his talk and, because Dave gave me the idea, I asked him about the Overton Window. He knows about it and thinks it applies to some degree. But he doesn’t know if it’s enough to make up for some of the harshness he has been seeing on some skeptical blogs. One thing that surprised me was that he thought PZ Myers is doing it on purpose with the Overton Window in mind. More on this later.
Even Adam Savage put on a great talk with a good skeptical theme. It was an exceptional day.
Friday evening I went to dinner with Ted, my first ex wifes ex husband. We share an ex!
He comes to TAM regularly, and one of these days, perhaps, he will write an article or more for us.
After that I had to go I check tickets for the “HAM” show, which is the talent show. Jeff Wagg left me with the extra tickets to sell to anyone who still wanted in. They sold out and I just accepted money from anyone else who still wanted to go in. One difficult part, as it turned out, was that Penn told people who went to the Penn and Teller show on Tuesday night that they could get into the HAM show free of charge. There was a little yellow mark on their badges that I could hardly see. If they said they had them, I let them in. Joe Nickell, one of the days speakers, gave me a wooden nickel which was good enough for me. I also let Paul Provenza in. He said he was with Penn…
After the break we went in (the woman and I who were checking tickets.) I fell asleep. Jeff woke me up when it was over. He seemed surprised that I had sold all of the tickets. I gave him the money and he told me to go to bed. That’s when I came up here and wrote last nights entry.
I have good notes for today’s talks. I probably wont get to those until tomorrow or I dunno. Official TAM ends at noon on Sunday and then at five there is the psychic challenge, which I’m supposed to work. I may have all afternoon to write. We’ll see. Stuff happens here. Hopefully I will get some of that done, but it’s hard to keep focused when so much is going on.
Did I mention that I overslept this morning? I had a six AM wake up call, thought I would get up in five more minutes and woke up at 8:30. I can’t do that tomorrow because I’m on merchandise table duty at 7AM. So now, I’m going to sleep…
Night all.
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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TAM8
