Sky over Vegas the day we left.
Dear Bleaders,
How’s it rolling? We just got back from Las Vegas where we went to The Amaz!ng Meeting 8. It was amazing. I met a lot of great people, for instance the music man behind the TV show "Penn & Teller's Bullsh*t," Gary Stockdale, and had lots of interesting conversations. The comedian Paul Provenza was there too, fun chatting with him over lunch about his new book. I was invited by D. J. Grothe who hosts the wonderful podcast For Good Reason. Here's the link there, to an episode Provenza was on. Here's an episode with me.
Heard great music at TAM! Got completely delighted by the mindreading act of Michael Weber. There was lots of good magic. Skeptics love magic and vice versa. The poet is magical in her skepticism and verses vices.
Also played some slots and some roulette and enjoyed everything but the insane ambient smoke in all the lobbies, especially on weekend nights. I am a woman who enjoys a cocktail and in that sense too enjoyed Vegas -- it is a delightfully drinkin’ town. John played some blackjack too. Fun.
It was terrific to get to know more about James Randi's work too. Fights the good fight. Check out Randi's website to see more.
Now I’m off to do a Center For Inquiry fundraiser in DC, going with the whole family. Will see some old friends too. Looking forward to it all very much. If you show up, come say hi.
I’m in the mood to give you a poem so here’s a little something from my first book of poems. It is a reminder that the path to new knowledge is fraught with uncomfortable uncertainty and must be accepted as a most disturbing adventure, sometimes grotesque, sometimes thrilling.
Villanelle If You Want to Be a Bad-Ass
You will not be rewarded for remaining long the same.
You will, of course, be taunted if you ever try to change.
When trainers wander off, tigers, please do not stay tame.
Consistency is worse, it brings the wrong kind of fame.
The orbit of right action has a freakin’ woolly range.
You will not be rewarded for remaining long the same.
It, inertia, is a pity. It, stagnation, is a shame. Yet you
yourself preach caution as you pace your unlocked cage:
“When trainers wander off, tigers, please do not. Stay tame.”
Be a mountain if you want to, be the whole mountain range.
Will you, in turn, be hostage to your hostage on the page?
You will not. Be rewarded for remaining long the same?
You can say what you want when the angel makes you lame.
You can wrestle against water, you can rape your own rage
(when trainers wander off). Tigers, please do not stay tame.
As hard as bleeding a tree to death by cut and squeezing, change
from out of the gut of the rut’s range will be insanely hard.
But you will not be rewarded for remaining long the same,
when trainers wander off, tigers, please do not stay tame.
Jennifer Michael Hecht The Next Ancient World
Sky over NY as we got back into town.
