This is our second full day at sea. I’m sitting in a corner at the back of the Augustus conference room on Deck 5 of the Costa Fortuna, trying to be inconspicuous. Kitty Mervine is preparing to give a lecture on — what? Who knows? I suspect pirates will be involved. The lectures have been unpredictable so far, and better for it. Today we’ve had talks on parliamentary procedure (which was actually exciting, believe it or not), “political bias in skepticism,” and —
(By the way, Kitty just said this: “How much does a pirate charge for an ear-piercing? A buccaneer!” Haha! It’s difficult to concentrate with comedy of this caliber being committed within earshot, but I shall persevere.)
Ah. Kitty just began her lecture, and it’s about what she’s learned since creating her website, Bad Alien. She’s a really fantastic lecturer. Prepared, confident, funny, and wise.
So, today there have been lectures on health care, parliamentary procedure, “political bias in skepticism,” The Million Dollar Challenge, and Sniffex. Yesterday we enjoyed lectures on the nature of faith and the similarities between cognition and Tetris before Randi took the stage for a kind of skeptical This Is Your Life. While Jeff Wagg projected photographs from Randi’s eight decades on Earth across our projector screen, Randi — who hadn’t previously seen the images — riffed on the pictured scenes. At some point, Randi, D.J., Bart and I took part in a panel about the future of the JREF within the broader skeptical movement. Jeff emceed. A thrilling moment: When asked who in attendance were part of a skeptical group in their hometowns, the vast majority of audients threw up their hands. There was much talk of the importance of grassroots skepticism, and how the JREF can integrate more effectively with grassroots skeptical efforts to bring about ch —
(Oh, Kitty just finished her talk. Here’s the scoop: She’s been working for several years now with self-proclaimed alien abductees, and she’s learned a helluvalot. She emphasizes, and says she cannot emphasize enough, the importance of kindness, courtesy, and patience when working with the deluded. She made the obvious-but-not-obvious-enough point that those to whom we show respect are more likely to respect us, and our viewpoints, in turn. Worth keeping in mind.)
The Costa Fortuna is both extremely Italian and extremely anachronistic. A lot of vessels try to bow you over with luxury, and the Fortuna is no exception, but its luxury seems imported from some 1940s vessel-that-never-was. It’s the kind of boat that makes you want to drink dry gin martinis, or maybe Campari. (Alas, most people seem to prefer fruitier fare. A popular selection is a pina colada made with bananas and Bailey’s.) Everything is rococo, brown, and marble. Though twice the size of the Titanic, the boat’s been rocking: the Caribbean has been uncommonly restive this week. We had two mild cases of seasickness in the early going, but everybody seems alright now.
We gather in the evenings in the Michaelangelo dining room. Last night was formal night; my partner and I mowed on Ossobucco with saffron risotto and chatted with a lovely skeptic named Gail about Carol Tavris’s new book. The previous night, the first on the boat, I sat next to Randi as he magically transformed a salt-shaker into an engagement ring, which he handed to our shipmate, Gordon, who in turn proposed to his girlfriend, Robin. She said yes. There was much applause, and this skeptic got a little weepy.
The lectures have been fine and the dinners have been good, but I think the real work of this cruise is happening in less formal environs. After closing down the Vulcania Disco at 3 a.m.; at the lunch buffet; over coffee in the morning; at a nearly deserted pool bar near the back of the ship. Folks from Singapore, Australia, the UK, the US, and places with less easily placeable accents are getting together, sharing ideas, comparing notes, making fellowship, hatching plans, and getting inspired. It’s a heady feeling.
Tomorrow we spend the day in St. Thomas. Then it’s on to Puerto Rico and Grand Turk. D.J. and/or Jeff and I will keep you posted. ‘Til then, we wish you were here, and hope you’re having a lovely week wherever you are. And we hope you’ll forgive us if we’re taking a while answering your emails. Affordable internet access is hard to come by on the high seas.