For those who may not know, the "Skepchick" Rebecca Watson of Skeptics Guide to the Universe fame and long-time friend of NYC Skeptics has released her pilot episode as a finalist in the Public Radio Talent Quest this past week. She will now be searching for public radio stations to carry her irreverent and sorely needed skeptical take on current events called "Curiosity Aroused".

Listen to the pilot at www.publicradioquest.com/node/2696 and hear her interviews with Richard Saunders of the Australian Sceptic Society, Dr. Richard Wiseman (the Quirkologist), and a psychic "Lisa Marie" who displays just the sort of accuracy you might expect. Also, don't forget to check in on her blog as well at www.skepchick.org and tune into the SGU podcast every week with Rebecca, Dr. Steven Novella, and the rest of the skeptical rogues.

Congratulations on becoming a finalist Rebecca and best of luck with the show!

The Board of Directors of the NYC Skeptics is honored to announce that William has been selected to be the first official administrator of the NYC Skeptics Forum. William was voted into this position by unanimous vote and has graciously accepted the position.

As Forum Administrator, William will be tasked with establishing and maintaining a set of policies for the forum, assisting users with concerns, and helping shape the direction of this forum so that it may be an invaluable asset to the growing online skeptical community. As this forum is quite new, and the NYC Skeptics membership is quickly growing, this will be a exciting undertaking and we fully expect William will rise to the challenges that establishing a new forum (frequented by some of the brightest people in NYC and beyond) presents. The Board wishes to extend congratulations and thanks to William for taking on this position and we encourage others on the forum to thank William for his willingness to support NYC Skeptics in this capacity.

In addition to being an insightful and frequent poster, William will also be present at many of our events and we encourage you to introduce yourself to this fellow skeptic and friend.

Again, congratulations William!

Well, we are just picking up steam here at the NYCSA and our intention has always been to offer a wide array of interesting and varied events. We certainly hit both those goals this past Monday when the folks at Monday Night Magic offered us a group discount to come and participate in the longest running magic show on Broadway.

Headlined by our own Jamy Ian Swiss, the official "Honest Liar", sleight of hand guru, and magic consultant to the stars, the 3 man lineup disappointed none with an assembly line of illusions which confounded the senses and nudged even the most skeptical of us over that invisible line into wonder. In addition to the main acts, during the intermission the audience was kept entertained by a troupe of close-up magicians that had even me checking for my watch and wallet as I returned to my seat. Our host, Todd Robbins, guardian of the Coney Island sideshow tradition, somehow managed to make many of us lose track of the fact that we had to be up for work in the morning. While all the performers were fantastic, I have to say that after seeing Jamy's 'Heavy Mental' mentalism show, I realize now why I have never, and likely will never, win an argument with this man.

But enough of my gushery. It was after the show that we got down to the real business. I wonder if it is a coincidence that much of the same crowd for the Drinking Skeptically event also managed to make it to the afterparty down at the Joshua Tree. A special thanks to Billy for unleashing a waterfall of whiskey on those of us who were willing to throw Monday night caution to the wind. It is no coincidence, however, that after that little stunt, it took me two days to get around to writing this blog entry! Enough said.

Anyway, a special thanks to everyone who attended and of course a special thanks to the performers and all the folks at Monday Night Magic (onstage and backstage). I obviously encourage everyone to add MNM to your list of must-do NYC events.

And for those of you who have yet to make it to one of our NYCSA events, I can only say that the best is yet to come. We really seem to be striking the right balance between substance and entertainment that will ensure an active and intelligent membership for years to come.

Thanks again to everyone, and if we haven’t had a chance to meet yet, I can assure you that at our next event, I’ll be the guy drinking water.

Regards,
Matt McCarthy