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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
 Posted - 07/13/2015 : 23:25:10
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This will be where I post whatever I post about the upcoming TAM.
Once again I want to thank all of those who donated. It's very likely that this will be the last TAM. Randi has retired and there isn't much of an organization left. This TAM is sort of themed as a celebration of Randi's life.
TAM13 The Amazing Meeting, A Celebration of a Reasoned Life
I'm rather worried about the food thing this year because I don't know The Tropicana, and what I have read on Yelp has not helped to sooth my concerns. There are many reasons why I'm perplexed about the move from the SouthPoint, which was a perfect venue, but there's nothing I can do about it. I suppose it came down to money, but it's rather hard to believe that a place on the strip is less expensive than the SouthPoint is. Oh well... There are two restaurants in the whole place that serve breakfast and lunch. Neither one is particularly cheap.
There is also a search going on by some members of the International Skeptics Forum (formerly the JREF forum) for a meeting place. It seems that The Tropicana doesn't have anything like The Del Mar, unless you want to listen to live music while trying to have conversations.
(I'm still at home and already complaining!)
I have a rather full Thursday to look forward to. I have three shifts of volunteering and I will also be helping out at the ISF Welcome Desk. I will again be a TAMbassador, which is kinda funny this year because my guess is we will be as lost as any newbies, if it's directions they are after. I have already been informed about our volunteer training with regard to security and harassment or abuse issues. My guess is it will be very much like it was last year, which wasn't bad.
I'll start reporting in earnest on Wednesday.
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
 Posted - 07/14/2015 : 02:43:19 [Permalink]
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Remember, late donations can still be made to the Send Kil to TAM fund raise.
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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 - 07/14/2015 : 08:38:51 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
Remember, late donations can still be made to the Send Kil to TAM fund raise.
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I thank you very much Mab! More donations are not necessary. I have a budget that should get me through. For one, to maximize other expenses like food, I will be sharing a room. I'm also going in on my cab ride from the airport, which is close to the Tropicana. That comes out to be less expensive than taking the Strip shuttle, as unlike The SouthPoint, the Tropicana doesn't run its own shuttle. I probably went on too long about the food choices at the Tropicana, which I have budgeted for. My complaint is that the choices are few, and do not cover a broad spectrum of cost differences.
When I said that it comes down to money, I meant that somehow, The Tropicana must have saved the JREF some bucks. But I'm good. Again, Thanks! |
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 - 07/16/2015 : 08:41:05 [Permalink]
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Okay , so here's the deal. Non stop stuff. I'll post what I wrote in the airport, which is kinda boring, and then get to more when I have the time. By the way. This I had an hour here but it took most of that time to get online, or there would be a lot more stuff here.
"Well… Due to a greatly streamlined TSA system here at LAX, I have about an hours wait until my flight. No biggie, accept there is no place for me to sit. So here I am on the floor, reporting. Mostly because it’s a way to kill some time.
And boy howdy, I suck at typing on a laptop. I just loaded the one last load of word on this thing, (2004) and have yet to get it the way I want it. But it should still be helpful in posting on SFN.
Wanna make time fly? Do battle with your laptop at the airport.
Anyhow, I’ll stop this exercise and stop torturing myself. The next time you hear from me will be from my room at The Tropicana. I brought a full sized keyboard and a mouse to use there."
There is a lot of stuff from yesterday, and I'll get to it later today.
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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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ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf
USA
1486 Posts |
Posted - 07/16/2015 : 08:46:37 [Permalink]
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| I'm looking forward to your posts, Kil. I'm missing seeing you again this year. |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 07/16/2015 : 15:15:42 [Permalink]
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Okay. It’s Thursday, around 2:45.
Yesterday. Arrived at LAS airport onetime. The plan was to wait for my friend Twila to arrive about a half hour later and share a cab, which is what we did. But it was complicated by the fact that hers was an international flight and arrived at a different terminal than mine. So it took about an hour and a half to hook up and get out of there, and off to the Tropicana.
Firstly, about the Tropicana is that it really is a nice hotel. And the meeting area is well laid out. But as I suggested before, from those of us attending, the hotel is not as user friendly. The cost of drinks is ridiculous, Food is up there, and while the lounge was great last night, starting tomorrow (or tonight) there will be a top forty group in there. Sigh… We’re still working that one out.
The training was at 6:45 this morning. WTF? But oh well. Sleeping at a TAM is not really a priority. Plus it was kinda fun because Randi was on hand making funny comments. In fact, the volunteers just had lunch with him and the photo as taken. Randi is in good spirits and I have never really seen him make himself this accessible. Plus he seems to be enjoying every moment of it.
Last night, after having dinner with my son and his girlfriend, walking down the hall on the way to the convention center, there was Randi. I asked Zack if he would like to be introduced to him. Zack chickened out.
Last night with Zack, we ate and the South Beach Café and it was pretty good. $12 dollar burger and fries, but very tasty. I can deal with that. Also, there is a Starbucks that opens until 2:pm right where the elevators leading to the rooms are, so I really can get a bagel and coffee in the morning without breaking the bank. I’m very happy about that.
So far I’ve seen a lot of people I know, and have never been busier as a TAMbassodor. I’m also working the ISF table and just getting around.
Tonight is the reception. I’ll be working the table and going to the reception because we have enough people to keep it covered through the whole thing.
I have photos that I’ll be posting and since the TAM talks don’t start until tomorrow, I’m sure I’ll be getting bunches more.
Oh… by the way. I’m probably going to take a field trip with Jeff Wagg to Death Valley on Sunday. As he points it, being summer and all, it’s likely to kill us. Otherwise we will have a great (and hot) adventure.
Jeff and Jen are two of my favorite people and it’s been three years since either of them showed up to a TAM.
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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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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
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ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf
USA
1486 Posts |
Posted - 07/16/2015 : 18:32:24 [Permalink]
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| Noogies to Zack for passing up the opportunity of meeting affable Randi. I have had the pleasure of bumping into him here and there for brief chats. He's so approachable and likes hugs too! |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 07/17/2015 : 21:54:21 [Permalink]
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Okay. Spent yesterday checking tickets for various workshops and sat at the ISF table some. Mostly I mingled. The big deal yesterday was the reception. As it happens, I was going the same way as a CFI fellow and we got into a conversation about the future of TAM. He was vague about plans but did say that he didn’t think Shermer’s organization could handle it. I talked a bit about my collection of Skeptical Inquirers, and mentioned that I have them from back when they were called “The Zetetic. As it turned out, I had just had a fairly long conversation with Ron Lindsay. Go figure. Randi says he’s going to be making a big announcement at the end of this TAM. I might be wrong, and probably am wrong, but it the feeling I get is that the JREF will be part of the CSI before too long. But look. This is pure speculation and not really rumor material.
Dr. Buzzo is here and no one seems to know why. All I know is everyone is trying to distance themselves from him. It could be that only Dave knows who I’m talking about.
Anyhow, the reception was good. Met up with my friend Susan and we made plans to have dinner tonight (Friday), which we did, with a few other people.
This was the first full day of talks. The sound system for those of us in the back sounded like an echo chamber. But they eventually got that sorted out. The day was sort of about Martin Gardener, and at least three speakers and a panel discussion was about his life and contributions to skepticism, which were plenty. To my thinking, Massimo Pigliucci’s talk on Gardeners influence on the philosophy if skepticism was the best talk with regard to Gardener, though the history lessons were good too.
Edwina Rodgers, of the Secular Policy Institute probably gave the best talk of the morning on the problems of dealing with an anti-science congress.
Zack Weinersmith’s talk on how comics from the fifties and on have been a testing ground for government censorship, which changed how comics were written. His was the keynote for tonight.
Did I mention that the food that comes with the registration has been uniformly good? #9786;
Went to dinner with Susan and some of her friends tonight. We argued the scope issue. She actually comes more out of the atheist community than I do. So there you go…
I got some swag from both Jeff Wagg and Sharon Hill.
Oh yeah! The programs are in 3D this year. They come with 3D glasses and what’s more, our shirts are in 3D too! They work without the glasses but they come alive when the glasses are put on. So Randi’s face on the back of the shirt jumps off the shirt with the glasses on. Kinda cool. If this isn’t a nerd fest, I don’t know what is.
Anyhow, sure. I skipped over a lot of talks, and perhaps I’ll fill in the blanks when I get home, but I have two roommates here so getting computer time when I’m don’t have to (or want to) be anywhere else is at a premium.
I’ll check back tomorrow I hope. Also, check my fb page for a couple of photos taken by others. The volunteer photo is pretty cool.
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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 - 07/17/2015 : 23:37:43 [Permalink]
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Just a little update. I just won $10.00 bucks without losing anything. I figured one more push of the button and I'd have lost the whole thing. I don't really gamble so it's all good.
Time for sleep.
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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 - 07/18/2015 : 14:11:46 [Permalink]
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This is a midday check in. I have some time because after the SGU thing happens after lunch, the next speaker is Shermer. So I have until around 2:30 before I need to be in the hall.
As it turns out, the weather here has become stormy. I mean, there are now high winds and a bit of drizzle. Fine with me! Makes it much easier to slip out and grab a smoke. Also, from what I understand, the temps in Death Valley will be in the high eighties tomorrow making that trip much more inviting, comfort wise.
Anyhow, this morning Jamy Ian Swiss talked about how the movement is mostly populated by non-scientists, and how we can best apply our skeptical activism. He quoted from Daniel Loxton, which is a good thing. I’ll go into more detail if asked to.
The SciBabe, Yvette d’ Entremont , was their talking how humor with facts is a good way to counter people like The Food Babe and others of her elk. Humor in social media is having its affect on the Food Babe’s influence who is almost always on the defensive now. A good thing.
Tim Caulfield discussed woo celebrities including Gwyneth Paltro, Jim Carry and others and the dangers of a celebrity dominated worldview.
Harriet Hall gave a wonderful talk about placebos, and the many confusions and misunderstandings surrounding them, including several studies that are contradictory and what should be done with the information.
My fave rave of the morning was Brian Deer’s talk on the history of the anti-vax movement, which started well before Wakefield. One thing he said that cracked me up is that he has never had anything published in Lancet, but he did get something unpublished in Lancet. (Well… You had to be there.) Later, I mentioned to him of my suggestion that he be a speaker at TAM and he thanked me for getting him a free trip to Vegas. Heh. I talked to Ray Hall and he told me that a few of us made that suggestion.
Dean Edell was next up, and his talk about his history with trying to present facts while working in media has been a constant battle. It was a very good talk, and I’m wondering why it wasn’t a keynote address. It really should have been.
Anyhow, lunch... With Shermer up next, I’m here doing this. “When Beliefs Collide” is after his talk, and I still have about a half hour to spare.
It’s overcast here now and what is nice is that going outside doesn’t mean entering an oven. A pleasant change.
I’ll check back later…
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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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ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf
USA
1486 Posts |
Posted - 07/18/2015 : 18:15:33 [Permalink]
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I'm pleasantly surprised that Massimo Pigliucci was there, considering his parting words from the skeptical movement.
You got Wagg swag!
Did Michael Shermer do his usual push for his latest book? Ha!
I would have liked to have talked with Harriet Hall about placebos, as I have been revamping Placebo Mart to be less of a joke, and I recently had an order for multiple items, w00t!
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| Edited by - ThorGoLucky on 07/18/2015 18:16:52 |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 07/18/2015 : 18:30:40 [Permalink]
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| Saturday evening. Getting ready for the Randi celebration, which is a separate ticket. Anyhow... Got to go. I'll check back later. |
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 - 07/19/2015 : 06:43:23 [Permalink]
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| I'll talk about the celebration later. Right now I'm getting ready to go to Death Valley. As I understand it, it's not called Death Valley for nothing. |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26020 Posts |
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13476 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2015 : 20:39:40 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dave W.
Tell us, quickly, that you made it back from Death Valley alive, please.
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I'm alive and well. I'll be writing about our trip and other stuff tomorrow. It's been very busy the last couple of days, and right now I'm just too tired to do an update.
So anyhow, yeah. You are still stuck with 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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TAM 2015
