Regarding my last post, okay, okay, it is David Carradine. I mispelled the actor's last name. For God's sake (or whomever's), I just throw these internet Hotline posts together quickly. I don't have time for celebrity spell-check, but I'll try to do better next time. And anything we actually publish, of course, will be correct (hopefully!)
For those of you in the San Francisco area, I'll be doing a lecture and book signing Thursday night, November 12, at the Solar Light Bookstore at 2068 Union St. For details call 415/567-6082, and in Los Angeles the same thing on Friday the 13th, at BookStar at 100 North La Cienga Blvd., call 310/289-0944.
For those of you on this list in New York, I recommend this local skeptics group. Check it out.
The Inquiring Skeptic of Upper New York.
The Capital District's Local Skeptic Group
Have you ever wished you could attend a skeptics society meeting, but you couldn't make it all the way from New York state to Los Angeles once a month? Well, we're not the Skeptics Society, in fact we're a completely unconnected, unaffiliated entity, but we do share similar goals and programming. We do what we can to provide quality meetings, and, if you're in upstate New York, we're a heck of a lot closer. And sometimes we do quite well indeed. For instance, you might have noted that Pamela Freyd and Eleanor Goldstein spoke recently at the Los Angeles Skeptics Society. We're proud to say that we hosted them last May where you could have seen the very same talk, but in a smaller, more intimate environment, and, a heck of a lot closer to home!
We are the Inquiring Skeptics of Upper New York and we meet the first Wednesday of every month at the Guilderland Public library the first Wednesday of every month. We publish a monthly newsletter and maintain a fine website. If you like Skeptic magazine we guarantee you might like attending a meeting of the Inquiring Skeptics of Upper New York. All meetings are free, open to the public and, remember, we never lock the doors so if things really stink you can always leave early. What have you got to lose? Come check us out!
We look forward to our future speakers. Meetings begin at 7:00 PM, First Wednesday of every month, at the Guilderland Public Library on Route 20. December 2, 1998. Phil Barker (as seen on PBS' Nova program) will be speaking on "Facts and Fiction of Lightning."
January 6, 1999. is our traditional "What if there's snow?" video night. Tenative programming will be an airing of the recent network documentary "Power of Belief."
February 3, 1999 our speaker will be Michael Sofka, founder and former president of ISUNY, contributor to various skeptical publications, speaking on "Eye Witness Testimony and UFOs."
March 3, 1999 we host Dr. Lois Hooverman, of the Schenectady County Community College speaking on "Darwinian Medicine--Human Evolution and Health."
April 7, 1999 we try something new and different. For the first time ever, ISUNY will devote a meeting to "Skeptics Jeopardy." Come join us, have fun and help make our first ever trivia game night a success. Test your knowledge of science, strange claims and related fields.
May 5, 1999 programming to be announced but there will be a program. June 2, 1999 panel discussion, "Has Feminism Hurt the Women's Movement?"
Panelists to be announced.
The Inquiring Skeptics of Upper New York are currently in our fifth year of quality programming. We have appeared on WRPI radio numerous times, been the subject of features in both the Gazette and the Times Union, and been featured on all four local news stations. We have assisted at local events. We maintain an extensive library of books, videos (including some Skeptics Society programs) and magazines which are available to loan for our members. If you'd like to get involved, attend a meeting, spout off or inform others in our newsletter, or simply meet a diverse group of local people who are interested in the sorts of issues and ideas shared in Skeptic magazine, come join us. We schedule a social gathering after each meeting.
For more information on the Inquiring Skeptics of Upper New York check out our website at http://www.rpi.edu/~sofkam/isuny/ or contact Peter Huston, ISUNY President, by e-mail phuston@capital.net or phone. (518-393-3478). We look forward to hearing from you.