OK this is good.
I did what I said, I sent a brief note to Scott Alan Roberts, the organizer of that Paradigm Symposium woofest that Myers has been invited to, saying I wouldn't give my money to anything Myers was involved with. Today, I got this reply. It's....
..it's just adorable, is what it is.
Scott Alan Roberts wrote:
Hi Steve,
Thanks for writing and expressing your thoughts.
The reason I invited Myers was because we had a debate at another conference, and I invited him to come speak at Paradigm.
At Intrepid-Paradigm, we are all about ideas and bridging gaps. I want people to see what is being said on the other side of the fence - without building the kid of walls put up by academia and skeptical scientists, like Myers.
If I dropped any one speaker on the basis of someone not liking what they represent, I'd have no speakers at all. The point we are attempting to make is that even with people like PZ Myers, there are bridges that can be built. At the very least, it will let people see the brand of thinking that exists in the "other camps."
The bottom line is that you can come to PS2013 and here 18 other speakers that might be more aligned with your thinking. You can choose to not attend PZ Myers' presentation. However, if you choose to not come on the basis of one speaker, look at all the phenomenal information you would be missing: on one side of the scale, you have PZ Myers; on the other side you have Robert Bauval, Scott Wolter, Dr. Robert Schoch, L.A. Marzulli, Dr. John Ward, Micah Hanks, Laird Scranton, Nick Redfern, David Weatherly, Marie D. Jones, larry Flaxman, Anthoiny F. Sanchez, Christopher O'Brian, Thomas Fusco, Fr. Jack Ashcraft, Dr. John DeSalvo - and ME! haha.
What we are getting into bed with, here, is diverse ideas and bridging gaps. Myers is certainly the "black sheep" of the lot, and I think people having the opportunity to hear what he stands for from his own mouth will help them determine whether what the man has to say is worthwhile.
Bring your thinking cap.
I hope you will be here to enjoy, grow and expand your thinking. its going to be amazing.
Cheers!
Scotty
Shine on, you crazy diamond, shine on. I'm sure the ground will be your friend.
And then, five minutes later, he sends this postscript:
Scott Alan Roberts wrote:
And, by the way, Steve, we know a helluva lot about PZ Myers, and your opinion of him is correct.
Scotty
Here's hoping he knows that someone at that conference is getting accused of rape by an angry bleating mob. Maybe him!