Skeptics of Carlos – Friday the 13th Edition!

Welcome to the inaugural (plus one) edition of…

the Skeptics of Carlos Circle!

I’m a little superstitious, so having to present the Circle on Friday 13th doesn’t bode well for me…

Last Friday 13th, I was crippled by a devastating run of bad luck. I’d abandoned a cup of tea mid-preparation, and hours later discovered the cold, over-infused result… 

Minutes later, I found that a head of cabbage I’d intended for that night’s meal had turned black, and was inedible.

If that wasn’t enough, I found a crease in a garment I’d carefully laid out for Church that coming Sunday…

But seriously, Friday 13th affected my life in the most significant way…my mother brought forward the scheduled date of her cesarean section so that I would be born on Thursday 12th August, not Friday 13th…

Clutching our four-leaf clovers,

let’s proceed with the Circle, cautiously…

…and pray that some gross misfortune doesn’t befall us…

Adrian Morgan of The Outer Hoard curses us with the post, Scepticism in reverse. Adrian provides some of the most chilling proof of audio pareidolia subliminal messages I’ve ever heard.

Analyzing the poems of Jim Wilshire, these hidden, backwards messages reveal this skeptic’s demonic machinations. Pump up your speakers to hear the voice of satan, but keep your crucifix on hand to quell the evil.

Chew cloves of garlic as you visit Elizabeth McRae’s Skeptopia site. In the post Superstitions Among Roleplaying Gamers we read about the habits, rituals and beliefs of gamers.

This topic is further treated in her Natural 20 podcast, where some of these superstitions are road tested. You’ll need your rosary beads for this one…

When I happened upon Naon Tiotami’s post I noticed that he was giving me the evil eye. Luckily, I was wearing my own evil eye, which countereacted his attempts to hex me.

Naon, of Homologous Legs, provides an excellent, in-depth analysis of some bad arguments from the Institute for Creation Research. I keep hoping that Australian-born Creationist Ken Ham will turn out to be another Carlos-like Hoax of The Amazing Randi…

The PodBlack Cat crossed my path with bad luck news – skeptics aren’t always skeptical about their own methods and approaches to spreading skepticism. In Questioning Skeptics - On Primary and Secondary Teaching, the PodBlack Cat explains that sometimes, we alienate the very people we hope to educate. Furthermore, sometimes the school system is skeptical about skepticism! How can we effectively teach science and critical thinking in schools?

Keep your holy water on hand for protection when you visit …And Say We Did. The author utters wicked talk about incantations hang on, that’s incarnations.

In the witty For Whom The Eckhart Tolle(s), we are treated to a biting analysis of a self-’help’ book The Power of Now.

Tolle has been profiled on Oprah…need we say more? Will we ever hear the words, “If you look under your seat, you’ll find a copy of Carl Sagan’s The Demon Haunted World!” on Oprah’s Bookclub?

In closing, check out this article from The Mercury.

My mate Fred Thornett was interviewed for Friday the 13th Has Had Its Day.

(Click on the link to enlarge)

Fred says some sensible stuff…and even the clairvoyants dismissed this superstition.

…one down, thousands to go…

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