Hi from Tujunga, CA!

[Sherri Andrews]

Hello all, I'm a SoCal archaeologist by day and active skeptic by day and night! What led me to this site was research I doing as a co-founder of a new "in-person" book club that is being sponsored by the Center for Inquiry-West in Los Angeles. This Booktalk site is the coolest!Favorite reading topics include religion (having had what I believed was faith as a child in school, then having lost it entirely, I remain fascinated by those who continue to have it and the belief systems they follow -- especially if it's something sort of fringy and magical, like UFOs or Scientology, though straight-up Biblical belief systems can be wacky enough if you really think about it) and history. I'm also very interested in church/state issues and media distortion.In light of the above, my most recent fit of copious reading has been dominated by polygamous Mormans, which had led to an indulgence of my fascination with the whole Mormon thing on general principle, so my Mormon bookshelf is rapidly, nay, almost exponentially, expanding... I'm really excited about having found this community and I look forward to contributing and learning from all of you!Sherri

[Chris OConnor]

Hello Sherri and welcome to BookTalk. I love when I see a detailed Intro thread such as yours!I'm happy to hear CFI is sponsoring a book club for your area. Your post has given me the idea of contacting CFI in Florida about a similar group down here.The only thing is I'd like the group to read and discuss the exact same book as we do on BookTalk. I couldn't possibly be involved in two different book groups. Maybe they'll be interested in some sort of affiliation. I'll have to look into it soon.As a skeptic you'll love this community. Most of us here are skeptics too. Are you involved in any skeptics groups in CA? I suppose CSICOP will do. Have you heard of Gary Posner and Tampa Bay Skeptics (TBS)? I'm a member, although not very active these days. Time seems to be at a premium for me lately and I've skipped many of the quarterly meetings. At TBS we regularly invite local psychics to prove their supernatural powers in a controlled environment. As you can guest we've had nothing but shocked, embarrassed and sometimes humbled "psychics" scratching their heads wondering how their results could possibly be no more accurate than chance alone. Quite amusing. Ever attended such a testing? Fun stuff for sure.So you're an archaeologist? I'd love to hear more about this profession. I just returned from Greece a few days ago and archaeology has been on my mind. Ancient Greece is something everyone should see for so many reasons. While up on the Acropolis I got to see numerous archaeologists at work. Actually, all over Athens were people working diligently to preserve the invaluable artifacts and structures.If you find the time tell us about your career please. BookTalk members are science-oriented and will find it fascinating. You can also create threads about just about any subject in the various forums we offer. I look forward to getting to know you better. Chris