Last night’s Skeptics in the Pub was fantastic! Patty Pieniadz spoke about her experience as a high-ranking Scientologist, giving an in-depth look at how the CoS convinces new recruits to suspend their critical thinking skills and accept even the most bizarre claims as truth. Patty’s journey from non-questioning believer to full-fledged skeptic is not only inspiring to hear, but also provides us with solid information on how we can reach those True Believers who seem so heartbreakingly unreachable.
Despite our new location and the fact that it was Memorial Day, we still managed to fill up the bar with about 60 people. (I eyeballed it, but it was tough to see to the back . . . I’ll gladly accept any more concrete figures!) Those of you who missed it should stay tuned for the free video that will be going online soon, thanks to the famed and justly popular Maggie, Official A/V Team Captain of Boston Skeptics. (Speaking of A/V, special thanks to John for working with the fine folks of Tommy Doyle’s to work out all the glitches!)
I uploaded a few pics to Flickr, and if anyone else has any, please send them my way!
The Skeptics in the Pub event was the finale of a lovely long weekend that included kayaking in New York, biking on Cape Cod, and drinking margaritas in Connecticut with Jay Novella. Those of you who know and love Jay on the SGU should click through to find out more than you ever wanted to know about him.
- Jay has a poodle.
- Jay thinks $70 is too much to pay a professional to trim a poodle’s fur.
- The poodle begs to differ.
- Also in Jay’s home: three cats, a parrot, and Sheryl, the world’s most patient woman.
- “And this is Sheryl’s room. See how clean it is? I think I’ve only farted in here like, twice.”
- Jay has a really cool car that works with his cell so he can talk on the speaker phone while driving.
- The phone rang about five minutes after we left his house. It was Sheryl.
- “Jay. Did you put a banana sticker on my ass?”
- “Ha ha, YES! I knew it would take you hours to find that!”
- Jay’s worst nightmare is being chased by a water spout full of sharks.
A water spout full of sharks? Yeah, that’s pretty frickin’ scary.
But I think I’d be more terrified of a tornado full of wasps.
Bummed that I couldn’t make it. No gold star for attendance for me…
I was so totally gonna make the event… Then I remembered I live 1,900 miles from Boston. I live so far from anything skeptical that the second coming of Christ is more likely than a skeptic event being withing 3 gas tanks of here.
Many of you may find Jay’s fear of a waterspout full of sharks somewhat, say, outlandish? However, like Jay, I am a Connecticut native, and I have to say that while I lived in the Nutmeg State, I lived in constant fear of a another waterspout/shark incident. After what happened little Joey down the street… ::shudder::
Also, last night’s talk was great…every time I think I’ve got the measure of how screwy the CoS really is, they somehow find a way to ratchet up the screwy. We’re talking Screwy Chips Ahoy here. Amazing.
Sounds like it was mad-cool! I sure hope I can spend the 2 gas-tanks to make it to the next one!
(the next Skeptics in the Pub…not the next Jay…I already know a Jay.)
That is a big ass poodle.
Jay’s right, $70 is too much. Go to target and buy a $20 hair clipper.