skepchicksThe JREF has some very good friends, and among them are Prof. Richard Wiseman and Skepchick.org. They've each donated amazing items for the TAM Scholarship fund, which helps people get to TAM 7. These auctions are open to anyone, whether you're attending TAM or not.

From Richard Wiseman:

Following in the footsteps of The Luck Factor and Quirkology, I am currently working on a new popular psychology book. It will be published by Knopf in the US in January. To help raise funds for the JREF TAM Scholarship program, I am offering one person the opportunity to have a special mention in the acknowledgments section of the American edition of the book. Everyone bids in the auction, and I will work with the winner to come up with a fun sentence for the acknowledgment (e.g., 'Special thanks to xx, who has the wit of Oscar Wilde, the brain of Einstein and the beard of Darwin' or 'I would also like to thank the ever wonderful xx - without you this sentence would not have been possible'). The winner can also choose to use the acknowledgment to mention someone else rather than themselves, thus making it an unique present for a friend, colleague or loved one. All of the money raised goes to the JREF TAM Scholarship program. So, get bidding and I look forward to seeing your name in the book......

Thank you Richard, from the deepest recesses of our amygdalas, or wherever such feelings of gratitude originate.

And from the Skepchicks, this equally amazing offer, as presented by topmost skepchick in the photo, Ottle or MasalaSkeptic, depending on the medium:

We'll have an unusually high concentration of Awesome at the Amaz!ng Meeting 7 because we'll have a large gaggle of Skepchicks attending. Rebecca, A, Jill, Carrie, Amanda, Sam, myself and maybe more (Jen, Elyse and Bug Girl may be there as well). This auction is for lunch with all the Skepchicks in attendance, during TAM7. It's a rare opportunity to have so many of us in one place at the same time so bid bid bid!

For more information on either of these auctions, both of which are ending in the next few days, visit the JREF Forum. Thanks very much to the donors, and Kitty Mervine who is organizing the TAM Scholarship auctions.