To those few persons who I've had to disappoint in the last week or so, including the fine folks at SkeptiCal this last weekend where I was to do a session via Skype and where JREF President D.J. Grothe spoke about the future of skepticism, as did Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein on the new movie about me An Honest Liar I send my profound apologies and regrets...
I was recently rushed off to the hospital when a serious circulation problem presented itself, a product of my simply getting older, though at 84-going-on-100 I'm actually doing rather well! After several well-informed medical foreheads were thoroughly scratched and my aching frame was mercilessly poked, probed and scanned, a regimen was arrived at, and though we had to cancel a couple of recent talks and meetings that I'd very much wanted to attend, I'm now concentrating on moves that will assure my participation at TAM 2013, July 11th to 14th -- and a day or two on either side, if you'd prefer. That appears to be still "in the bag," and I'm assured that our intentions and hopes will be met...
Go to AmazingMeeting.com to have the latest details, please. I will be doing something very special for this event.
The JREF is fortunate to have a staff — D.J., Thomas, Brian and the rest of the team — prepared to adjust to these sorts of sudden changes and emergencies, and I'm eagerly looking forward to greeting another giddy crowd of TAMmers in Los Vegas this year. Yes, I may be moving a tad slower, and though my naked-dance-on-fire-with-tambourines may have to be postponed this year, I'll still be telling bad jokes and showing you corny card tricks when begged. And doing a very special presentation Saturday, too. I just know that will impress you...
So, business as usual in Las Vegas, good people, onwards and upwards...!
Very sincerely, James Randi.
James Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation.
Received at challenge@randi.org on 13 November 2008, unaltered except for removal of sender's name.
Hi,
I was thinking about your site, and thought what about the possibility of testing for GOD. And then coincidently I found the following article on your web site (point 2.5). It is very interesting. For the first part, GOD means different things to different people. Though most people around the world believe in some form of God, or Gods.
Every day we hear more stories of faith healers preying on the seriously ill, televangelists targeting poor communities, and psychics harassing grieving families. Fraudulent science sparks a vaccine-safety panic that puts children’s lives at risk, yet the mainstream media fans the flames for ratings instead of helping parents get the facts. Politicians seem more interested in attacking science than in prosecuting the people pushing fake bomb detectors on public safety agencies.
If we want to see a healthier, safer, more rational world, it’s up to us to make it happen. Becoming one of the JREF's monthly donors means you want to fight for what we believe in.
Your ongoing contribution will help educate students about critical thinking; support grassroots skeptics campaigns; and take on corporations, media organizations and celebrity hucksters that promote dangerous nonsense.
Will you Take a Stand for Skepticism today? James Randi Founder
Brandon has been extremely busy in Europe with Randi's sold-out tour. Crowds have been large and enthusiastic. But he did have time to send off this missive and video:
Greetings, Jeff. It's late at night in Tallinn, Estonia, where Randi just lectured in the old city center at the Science Academy. The Academy is one of those glorious old estates meant to be lived in for generations, gilted walls disappearing beneath decades' worth of portraiture. (Didn't happen: A century after it was built, a bunch of scientists took it over.) This was a classier joint than we're used to, but Randi comported himself as well as you'd expect.
If you really believe that pushing back against the purveyors of harmful nonsense is a fight worth having, then we need your help today.
Like most non-profits, the majority of our annual support comes during the critical year-end period and we couldn't continue fighting charlatans and promoting critical thinking about pseudoscience and the paranormal without it. Please donate now to help us meet our funding goals going into 2013.
And now, for a limited time, you can actually double the impact of your giving thanks to a generous JREF supporter who has pledged to match your donation dollar-for-dollar—if you act today. That means your gift will go twice as far—providing more free resources to educators to teach scientific skepticism, supporting more grassroots campaigns to fight charlatanry, and taking on more public figures and companies who promote dangerous nonsense.
We do all this because of the work Randi has been doing for decades to make the world a better place — a world where paranormal fakers are on notice, and the beguiled have a place to turn to get the truth. Randi’s tireless work inspires us to keep pushing back against the nonsense, and makes me unapologetic about asking for your help. The fight is worth it.
Received at challenge@randi.org on 13 November 2008, unaltered except for removal of sender's name.
