I am only one day late. I’m fully clothed. Scooby Doo is on the massive TV lulling my rambunctious daughter into a torpor. I’ve just returned from watching the very disappointing Transformers 3. It was so bad it almost erased all the good feelings created by watching the superb Captain America yesterday. I have to tell you however, either of those movies are a pleasant distraction from some of the horrifying things I have found on the internet lately.
July has been a busy and hectic month.
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After an uneventful trip we have a very eventful time in Battle Creek
We arrived on a Wednesday morning to a festival site that was still not recovered from massive storms in May. We weren’t able to move into the campground. So we took wife, child, dogs, and the long-haired Tortuga to a local hotel. Early the next morning I had to go to work constructing our new maze (Jef had already begun on Wednesday) so I took the trailer from the festival lot to a nearby RV park – just for the night. A long day, a sleepless night, lead to an early morning. Friday we finally settled into our RV spot. We finished constructing our maze. It would have gone a lot quicker, and smoother if we hadn’t been placed on a former gravel pit. The rocky ground really inhibited hammering the 130 7-foot t-posts into the ground! Satellite dish aimed, trailer leveled, I finally got to sleep before our first weekend at the Silver Leaf Renaissance Festival.
Hot, hot sticky and hot; a pretty good description of the Silver Leaf Show.
Due to the storms in May the site was still in disarray. There was no shade. It was hot. It was brutally slow. It was Silver Leaf. We muddled through schedule mishaps and furnace-like weather. We made some folks laugh and Heather sold a fair amount of stuff at her gypsy clothing and jewelry booth. Even our new maze made some money. Monday we went on a Tortuga excursion to the decadent Casino Buffet – Heather cleaned-up very prettily. After purchasing supplies on Tuesday; Wednesday we went to work. Rather than just lament that there was no shade – we created our own. Jef and I strung rope and committed mayhem. Our first prototype involved “stitching” together the canvas drop cloths with zip ties which fell to Riki. However this method ultimately resulted in failure. Heather sewed the canvas into one giant sail which created such a nice effect that everyone else copied us. Now we had shade – just in time for me to leave town and turn over the show to Jon.
I “played hooky” for the first time in years!
I’m a skeptic, an atheist, a reader an avid listener to a bunch of podcasts on the topics of science, history and critical thought. For years I have been hearing of an annual conference where all the luminaries of the skeptics/scientific/atheist world meet and speak at an event organized by living legend James Randi. I’ve always wanted to go to “The Amazing Meeting” but never had the time/money or freedom to do so. This year was different. I was motivated by the nagging of our former webmaster Andy Blau; a magician and fellow skeptic. I was motivated by the fact that James Randi is as old as Methuselah, and in poor health. I was motivated by the incredible line-up. And finally I was motivated by Good Ol’ Jon/Lucio; by having someone who can and has filled my role onstage before.
I went to The Amazing Meeting! --- And here is my mini travel-logue
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- After packing Wednesday night, and setting aside my suitcase, my iPad, some books and teddy bear.
- I departed early morning for the airport ninety minutes away. Heather was not only gleeful to drive me, but sent me off with only the sweetest words and gestures.
- My teddy and I garnered some funny looks – but it was a pleasant flight nonetheless.
- I arrived at a very reasonable hour in Vegas to 108 degrees and snapped a photo of myself in the taxi line.
- Our room was fabulous. And since Andy and I shared it, it was even pretty reasonably priced.
- On the plane ride in, I watched a show on the purported Roswell incident. The lone skeptic on the show was renowned investigator Joe Nickell… Guess who the very first Skepticelebrity (trademark!) I met and talked to was!
- Also, just two days before I departed for this trip writer, scientist, researcher Dr. Michael Shermer appeared on the Colbert Report… Everyone, even the big-wigs were utterly approachable and friendly. I got to get a photo with him.
- At the meet and greet for The Amazing Meeting, I got to meet the great man himself James “The Amazing Randi” Randi. He’s so tiny. He’s adorable. A hugger. Charming, effervescent and TINY!
- Jet lag and the time change led to an early night… but the unfamiliar room and general anxiety conspired to make it a sleepless one.
- Friday morning we woke early, ate breakfast, and sat-in on the first of two live recordings of my favorite podcast “The Skeptics Guide to the Universe”. Left to right they are Evan, Dr. Steve, Jay, Rebecca and Bob. I got to talk to all of them but Jay. He really is a rockstar as well! I talked to Rebecca the most. Evan was friendliest, and I was most impressed withDr. Steven Novella.
- Some of the other panels were EPIC, including one featuring Randi, Richard Wiseman, Phil “The Bad Astronomer” Plait, Joe Nickel, and Michael Shermer. Topics were discussed, debated, and argued over. I learned some new facts. I was energized by some ideas… I even had my beliefs shaken on a few topics.
- One of the most contentious, exciting and star-studded panels was one to discuss the future of space exploration with (amongst others) Phil Plait, Bill Nye, Dr Pamela Gay and Neil deGrasse Tyson. Tyson is a bad MoFo! He is charismatic, passionate and very much a proponent of manned space exploration. Ask me sometime to explain my favorite comment of his involving “…Ice fishing on Europa!”
- Slides were used in all of the presentations – some were darned funny and insightful.
- Rebecca Watson, founder of Skepchick and one of the hosts of Skeptic’s Guide spent a lot of time at our table during the Skeptics Guide dinner. I found her charming, and inspiring and I hope one day Scarlett meets her.
- We also attended the “Penn Jillette Rock and Roll, Bacon, and Donut party” I met Penn’s wife. I think she didn’t like me. The party was… meh. I’m glad I went though.
- I got to pose with the honey-voiced Evan Bernstein of the Skeptics Guide.... He cleans up very well for radio!
- If you don’t know who Phil Plait is… you really should. He too, like most of the celebs and attendees, was very approachable and fun. Thanks for the photo Phil!
- I’ve been needing a booster shot for pertussis, and tetnus vaccinations. Here I not only got it for free, but showed my support for vaccination and added to the herd immunity. The life I save may be YOUR CHILD’S. Listen. I try not to proselytize, definitely not on stage and only rarely here in my journal, but let me say this now: If you do not vaccinate your child you are a selfish, ignorant, luddite and guilty of child abuse, you endanger not just your child, but all of those who come into contact with them. I don’t want you as a fan. Go away.
- It was fun and comforting having Andy around. He was good company, really knew his way around the conference and is awfully good at recognizing folks I only knew by their voices. Thanks for talking me into going Andrew!
- No one looked quite like me at TAM. That’s fine by me.
- I never really watched Bill Nye as a kid. I know of the man, and had some respect for him, but after his inspiring speech on the importance of science and science education, I am a HUGE fan now. I even got to meet him later.
- Normally I am a blithering idiot when meeting celebs – but things just went pretty smoothly for me this time. The list of people I actually got to talk to includes
- Joe Nickel
- Michael Shermer
- Yau Man Chan (of Survivor) He has a remarkably hot daughter, by the way.
- PZ Myers
- George Hrab
- Bill Nye
- Randi
- All of SGU
- Jennifer Oullette her latest book uses calculus to survive the Zombie Apocalypse!
- Penn and Teller
- I also heard speak (but didn’t get to meet)
- Neils deGrasse Tyson
- Richard Dawkins!
- We went to Penn and Teller’s show Saturday night. We dressed, we looked good. Their show was great. They have added and changed a bunch since I last saw it with Jef and Sharon years ago.
- I got to pose with and joke a little bit with Penn after the show… P & T are so good about doing that after each show – but equally good at rushing you through. And TALL. That man is HUGE!
- Sunday night, 1135 pm flight. Late night dinner and cocktails in the airport lounge. I am so ready to be home and finally sleep.
- By ten the next morning I was tired, ragged, and longing for my home and family.
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So a conference by skeptics, for skeptics may sound like “Preaching to the Choir” or the psychological term an “intensification ritual” for energizing the “believers”. To be sure it was nice to be in a room of the like-minded people. I also attended an optional panel on raising skeptics, Because I hope to learn, always, how to be a better parent. But it was also a fun time. I learned some stuff. I was inspired. Here are two of my favorite quotes:
“At some point in their lives every child is interested in two things, dinosaurs and astronomy ... And since astronomy KILLED the dinosaurs…” ~ Dr. Pamela Gay Host Astronomy cast
“The difference between a skeptical conference and a religious one is that we just joke about pedophilia” ~ Richard Weismann
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Well that about wraps up July.
We’re very-much looking forward to Bristol and to Minnesota. Also, a lot of our business negotiations have suddenly paid off: We’ve just signed the Mighty Blue team to Seven weeks in Michigan, Two weeks in Connecticut, and Eight weeks in Tampa. While I was away Riki and Jef, under my ambitious wife’s urging, secured us two more businesses here at this fair. We’re now proud merchants of pickles and water at the Silver Leaf Renaissance Festival! Heather’s businesses are a success. The drums are humming right along in Colorado. I even managed to do a minor trailer repair all-on-my-own!
That’s all I have for now – except to leave you with one final, terrifying news item.
Peace!
