The Center for Inquiry has sponsored a new student-run initiative, Edger, a kind of group blog for young secularists.
Edger presents hard-hitting and reasoned news, views, and event promotion on issues pertaining to secularism, atheism, science, humanism, and the cosmos, and actively promotes and celebrates international freethought activism. Written in a youthful tone, but mature in content, Edger is sure to be a driving force in the new intellectual enlightenment.
MISSION
To create an outlet for prominent young freethought leaders to express their views and get them heard. Blogs are becoming very commonplace, and alone many blogs fail, but together, with the proper direction and an engaging and professional site, these blogging leaders can come together to make an impact far beyond what they could have achieved on their own.
It sounds interesting, check it out.
By the way, the Center for Inquiry is also sponsoring me for a talk. I’ll be in Toronto on Halloween this year, speaking on “Science Education: Caught in the Middle in the War Between Science and Religion” (you can guess which side I take). Nobody will want to hear that, though — the real treat is that they also invited Skatje to speak at a panel discussion the day afterwards. I’ve already told her that if she wants to use her time to critique my talk, that’s OK, so there is a potential for fireworks.
Cool. How do we get tickets? I’d love to come and see you!
I don’t think they’re selling tickets — nobody pays to come here me talk, or I’d have to increase my speaking fees. Just show up!
What is the venue that you’ll be speaking at in Toronto?
Aaaawriiiight! We are so gonna be there….
Hmm, I think I’ll look into visiting Toronto in October. :)
Too bad you’re going so late in the month PZ. You’ll miss the Rock, Paper, Scissors World Championships. :)
Wow, what an honour for T.O. – I look forward to hearing your talk on the subject.
Don’t forget that Evolved annd Rational is a member of the Edger so a lot of Lulz will be had.
Yes, she’s not that in your face there but it’s still Shalini ;)
You would pick the week I’ll be out of town. Are you avoiding me?
I would be traveling from six hours away (Sudbury) so some details in advance would be helpful to make arrangements.
Gah — you finally come to my hometown and I’ll be at school! Come to Rhode Island!
Here are the details. Decided to get off my ass and look them up myself.
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/ontario/events/pz_myers_of_pharyngula_comes_to_toronto/
CAREFUL!! I believe this is the Belly of the ID beast!!(**&%
Well, at least it’s the home of Denyse O’Leary, the Winner of a Lifetime Bullyer-Lyton Writing Achievement Award.
http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/2007.htm
She may show up an dangle a participial… sorry about the word picture.
Ah sweet!
That talk is scheduled for Halloween. Could be some strange costumes in the audience.
Man…the 31st eh? If I show up to hear PZ speak instead of taking my kids trick-or-treating it’ll be worse than Crackergate…
Isn’t there a commandment that says “Ye shall not lecture on All Hallow’s Eve” or something?
I try to avoid Toronto on the best of days. Too bad it’s not being held somewhere in western Canada.
Someone at theedger has critiqued Bill Donohue and the Catholic League. I would say this was a VERY intelligent investigation.
http://theedger.org/2008/08/18/peoples-guide-to-the-catholic-league/
my costume — Cardnial Glick, George Carlin’s character in Dogma — would fit right in with both the theme of the discussion AND any residual Crackergate fallout. but i’ll be here in Alaska, not Toronto
Terrific!
See you in October, PZ!
Icefarmer, all the best of days can be had in the T-Dot. Amazing reno on the museum, albino squirrels, decent goth clubs…what’s not to like?
If you moved here to Toronto, you could farm slush instead.
omggg you’re coming to Toronto? thats freakin AWESOME! i hope to god that i dont have an exam or something during halloween that stops me from going to Toronto! (I’m at the University of Waterloo, 2h bus trip away from downtown Toronto)
Great news, PZ. Can’t wait to see you speak. I’ll add this to my calendar.
Dammit!!! The one day that month I am doing volunteer work! Do you intend to crush my spirits like this?
So excited to see you, PZ!
Well worth the trek from Kitchener.
Right, sounds like a TO Pharyngufest on the Sat or Sun of that weekend!
Drat, I doubt that UTARPA will be able to resist having a show on a Friday Halloween.
But if I’m not there, I try to be there.
Well, seeing as the CFI is a block from my house, I think I might have to reevaluate my costume ideas. This should be fun!
Yeah! I’m 3h by bus away from Toronto, but squid yeah I’ll make the trip… Looks like I’ll have to rearrange my work schedule, but that’s okay. :)
Boy, I’m going to be in the Big Smoke a lot come the late fall — my second-favourite Israeli band is playing the Guvernment on 22 November…
One issue that must be dealt with, of course, is the selection of the right pub. I’m not familiar with the pubs by the Centre.
William Hyde
Oh, no way… I totally would have headed to Toronto that weekend, but I will be at Cold Spring Harbor for a meeting on Halloween. Figures you’d pay us a visit during one of my rare weekends away. Bummer.
Well that’s fantastic that they invited Skatje to participate. Good for her.
Wow, well be prepaired the downtown at least does not believe Halloween is just for kids and it in some areas ranks second only to New Years. Brace for potential random shenanigans.
damn it PZed, you’ll be in my hometown while i’m on another continent! and it’s the day after my birthday!
(oh well, I’ve requested my friend Mike to stalk you at the AAI conference)
If we need a good restaurant/bar to hang out in, The Red Room is not too far from the CFI, about two blocks.
Good quesadillas.
You should really come and do some speaking engagements in western Canada. I can’t afford Toronto. ):
I can only hope, given TO is a 24 hour drive away from here, that, like all the old rock bands we see here now, when you get old and venues start calling on younger! more exciting! new! lecturers, you’ll do a gig in Halifax, which is just an hour away.
I demand a Pharyngufest in Toronto that weekend! You do not come up here so often.
You’re coming to Toronto!? About bloody time! We can go to C’Est What? (pronounced “Say what?”) which has lots of space to talk, good food, and their own microbrews. And a real fireplace.
C’Est What is here. Or we can pick something closer to the university and the CFI.
C’Est What is kinda expensive and not that big, extremely good beer though.
Hrmmm The Bow and Arrow has even better beer moderately better prices but is half way to North York (Davisville station actually, I like hyperbole occasionaly).
Rhino has more room also a wide veriety of good beer and a range of prices generally giving you exactly what you pay for (but nothing bad just that the pub grub is pub grub and the bistro type stuff is fancier). But is in Parkdale even further then C’Est What (arguably closer then Bow and Arrow).
Paupers is big (three floors and a roof top patio, danger of loosing people actually) has pretty standard pub pricing and is fairly close to UofT but doesn’t have quite so much fancy beer.
The Victory Cafe behind Honest Ed’s has two floors good prices and I can’t recall what the bar selection is as the fact it has some of the best burgers and onion rings I can think of (and I am hungry) keeps pushing to the front of my mind. Further then Puapers but not a bad walk from much of UofT (says the dyed in the wool pedestrian).
Hoody hoo! PZed is coming to the Big Smoke!
I second the suggestion for a Pharyngufest.
DH [#23], can’t you swap volunteer nights with someone else? Or, given that it’s two months’ warning, beg off?
Interrobang [#28], I’m amused every time I go by The Guvernment that they were trying for illiterate spelling but put in the more-or-less silent “n” anyway.
Somebody tell the Toronto Skeptics! They meet at The Willow on Danforth some Freya’s-day nights.
Um, how far from CFI to Brunswick Avenue and the Tranzac Club? –some amazing beers there. A couple of km, at the most?
Linnai [#39], we’d have to take the subway to the Bow & Arrow. They have good home-made desserts, too.
There’s a pub called Einstein’s about on College Street less than two short blocks west of Beverley Street. The CFI is at 216 Beverley, less than a long block south of College. They boast lots of space, different floors so maybe we could commandeer one, and several microbrews–beers from small, local breweries.