• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Skeptrack at Dragon*Con 2008 FINAL Schedule

skepticality

Critical Thinker
skepticality
Joined
May 24, 2005
Messages
460
So, today was the day that we all had to put in our final schedules for Dragon*Con tracks in 2008. As all of you know, we now have a full Skeptics track of events, which will include many of our favorite skeptics; James Randi, Ben Radford, Alison Smith, Dr. Michael Shermer, Steven Novella, and others!

I present to you, the final schedule as submitted to the publishers at Dragon*Con HQ. This should be the schedule as it will be presented at the convention, unless there are unforseen issues that happen between today and the convention. You can always keep an eye on the happenings at the website for Skeptrack at: http://www.skeptrack.org/

Schedule of Events for Skeptrack 2008
------------------------------------------------

Friday, August 29th 2008

1:00PM - 2:00PM - Skeptics 101(SKP001)

2:30PM - 3:30PM - Why Magic Is Important (SKP002)

4:00PM - 5:00PM - Lake Monsters I Have Known (SKP003)

5:30PM - 6:30PM - Skeptics and Nontheists: A Politically Powerful Alliance (SKP004)

7:00PM - 8:00PM - Skepticism vs. Dogma (SKP005)

8:30PM - 9:30PM - SAPS Investigates: On The Trail Of Ghosts (SKP006)

10:00PM - 11:00PM - Selling The Impossible (SKP007)

11:30PM - 12:30AM - Science or Fiction LIVE! (SKP008)

Saturday, August 30th 2008

10:00AM - 11:00AM - Get A Life! Keeping a Sense of Fun in Non-Theist Politics (SKP009)

11:30AM - 12:30PM - Point of Inquiry - LIVE! (SKP010)

1:00PM - 2:00PM - Bad Astronomy and Death from the Skies (SKP011)

2:30PM - 3:30PM - Beamed Aboard a UFO by a Psychic Sasquatch (SKP012)

4:00PM - 5:00PM - 2nd Annual Skeptics vs. Believers Debate (SKP013) (Hyatt Regency 6-7)

5:30PM - 6:30PM - American Freethought - LIVE! (SKP014)

7:00PM - 8:00PM - How To Make Things Better (SKP015)

8:30PM - 9:30PM - Reflections on a Decade of Paranormal Investigation (SKP016)

10:00PM - 12:00AM - An Evening With George Hrab (SKP017)

Sunday, August 31st 2008

10:00AM - 11:00AM - Supernatural How-To (SKP018)

11:30AM - 12:30PM - The TANK - LIVE! (SKP019)

1:00PM - 2:00PM - Skeptics Guide To The Universe - LIVE! (SKP020)

2:30PM - 3:30PM - The Truth About Psychic Detectives (SKP021)

4:00PM - 5:00PM - Pastafarian? Zoroastrian? Atheist? Can't We All Get Along? (SKP022)

5:30PM - 6:30PM - The JREF Million Dollar Challenge (SKP023) (Hyatt Regency 6-7)

7:00PM - 8:00PM - Shermers Last Law (SKP024) (Marriott A601/602)

8:30PM - 9:30PM - Audio Martini - LIVE! (SKP025)

10:00PM - 11:30PM - The Future of Skepticism - Where Do We Go From Here? (SKP026)

Monday, September 1st 2008

10:00AM - 11:00AM - Practical Techniques in Public Skepticism (SKP027)

11:30AM - 12:30PM - Skeptics outside the USA (SKP028)

1:00PM - 2:00PM - Science Based Medicine (SKP029)

2:30PM - 3:30PM - Skeptrack Sign-Off Party (SKP030)
 
Last edited:
I hope we have larger rooms, this time.

For the most part, I will probably be off in the other parts of D*C. But, only because I've gone to a whole bunch of other JREF-related events.

At the very least, I will certainly do everything in my power to watch Saturday's debate!
 
They have moved around most of Dragon*Con now due to space and such. Now the Marriott is finally done with its renovations, we have access to three new massive ballrooms that weren't there before, one of which is the largest non-sporting/concert rooms in the entire South-East, it can hold a whole crap-load of people. Not to mention we now have access to the Sheredon as well, which has a main ballroom which holds up to 3,000 people as well. Also, next year, the Hilton is in the middle of converting the entire 5th floor from rooms to additional meeting space.

The Skeptic track, which now its own full track of events, has moved to the 2nd floor of the Hilton, so you don't even need to use the elevator from the ground floor. And, we have a double room which is rated for about 300 people, according to their meeting space calculator. If you look at the schedule, some of the events have a note for a different room, those are events put into the very large room space. Last year the debate was crammed into the X-Track room, and also we had to jockey and beg the track next to it to allow us to open the wall. So, it wasn't even as big as the main Skeptics room we have this year. The debate is going to be in a Regency room which is about the same size as the room that we had for TAM this year, it is rated to hold 800 - 1100 people, so at least that event will be no where near as messy as it was last year. Also, I talked to the Dragon*Con TV guys, and they have it down to make sure to film and record all our big event room events. I am going to be setting up the equipment to make sure to film and record all of the stuff in the main room. I hope I don't suffer the same fate as TAM, but since it is not the hotel or any other group, I guess I will have to blame myself if I don't get all the audio and video this time... <sigh>

For reference, if you want to go online and get the maps from the Atlanta Hilton website. The 'main' Skeptrack room is in the Atlanta Downtown Hilton, in the 2nd Floor Fayette / Newton room(s). We have both, so it will actually just be one large room during all the events. :cool:
 
Also, I am a mole working to bring down the Skeptic track from within.

Or possibly I'm a double-agent, paid by the skeptics to make the X-track weenies think I'm a mole. I forgot which.

MWAH-hahahahahaha.
 
I knew it! At least I have at least one other staff member I have known for over 10 years to give me reports of your hi jinks! ;)
 
Derek, if you want to go toe-to-toe with ottle when a.real.girl and carr2d2 are going to be in the vicinity, then... well, I'll remember you fondly in the future :) I'm sure Swoopy will find a solid replacement co-host for the podcast...

But don't do it until we know what the hell we're doing at the con. This is the first one we've been to since Lou Ferrigno was rude to ottle. (Lou Ferrigno! He should be happy anyone wants to talk to him about anything other than cameo roles in Hulk movies!)
 
Last edited:
I have learned from common sense and logic that going toe-toe with women is NOT a good idea. Have you ever seen what happens in nature when predators threaten baby animals? No, I am smarter than to think that women can't kick butt. :)

So, last night was the long, and political fight for space and scheduling that happens each year at Dragon*Con. Soon I will post the final, now modified, schedule as was shaken out last night between us all. The changes aren't THAT drastic, but some of them were due to travel restrictions and travel plans of some of the guests. Others were due to foresight to make more room for some panels that the Dragon*Con staff think would be too big to fit into the main Skeptic Track room.

On that note, the 'other' side of the debate. I have two of the names for the 'believers' side. They are the same two who were on the debate last year; Graham Watkins, and Patrick Burns. I'll be getting the last two names later today once I clean up all my paperwork! :D
 
Ok,

After last night, we now have the final schedule as it was submitted to Dragon*Con at the moment of the deadline to have all the schedules into the system. There were some changes based on guest travel arrangements, room switches, and other fun stuff over the course of the evening. Not MUCH changed, but some things did. :)

So go to this link: http://www.skeptrack.org/current_schedule_2008.html

And you can see the schedule as it shook out last night.

According to the powers that be, that SHOULD be the schedule as will be printed and put into the program book. But, there always COULD be something that makes a change. One thing that I have been told is that we MIGHT need to move the first two events to one of the bigger ballrooms on the fourth or fifth floor of the Hilton, mainly because of the fact that we have multiple 'big names' on those opening day events. :cool:
 
skepticality said:
Ok,

After last night, we now have the final schedule as it was submitted to Dragon*Con at the moment of the deadline to have all the schedules into the system. There were some changes based on guest travel arrangements, room switches, and other fun stuff over the course of the evening. Not MUCH changed, but some things did. :)

So go to this link: http://www.skeptrack.org/current_schedule_2008.html

And you can see the schedule as it shook out last night.

According to the powers that be, that SHOULD be the schedule as will be printed and put into the program book. But, there always COULD be something that makes a change. One thing that I have been told is that we MIGHT need to move the first two events to one of the bigger ballrooms on the fourth or fifth floor of the Hilton, mainly because of the fact that we have multiple 'big names' on those opening day events. :cool:
Click to expand...

Ah, scheduling meetings, I have attended a few and am oh so happy to say that I don't actually have to schedule anything. Scheduling always makes people twitch. Makes me happy I am in hospitality ;)
 
The Central Scrutinizer said:
This sounds like a story I want to hear!
Click to expand...

Come to D*C and we can re-inact it for you!

Especially the part where I drag him behind the hotel and kick his ass for being a little bitch to MAH WUMMIN.

Oh crap... hang on...

Damn, Lou IS going to be there. Let's not remind him of the ass-kicking thing. It would just bring up painful memories for the big lug...

(BTW, Lou Ferrigno? Really? Exactly who was Dragon*Con turning down? Was the guy who played Abraham Lincoln in that one episode of Star Trek too busy?)
 
They have many guests like that. Dragon*Con likes to accept guests from ALL over the map on purpose. The main reason is to make it so there is never ONE giant thing that everyone at the con really wants to go to. As directors we actually attempt to make the bigger guests and events conflict so people have to decide. We don't want WAY too many people to flood into one event, it is already bad enough with some of the larger events in that manner. :eek:
 
mr. ottle said:
Damn, Lou IS going to be there. Let's not remind him of the ass-kicking thing. It would just bring up painful memories for the big lug...
Click to expand...
You know, I normally smile when I get my photo taken with celebrities. But, knowing how that arse treated your wife, why it made me scowl!

Ferrigno.jpg


For what it's worth, I beat him up a little, too. But, don't remind him about that 'cause it will just make him cry, again. ;)

mr. ottle said:
(BTW, Lou Ferrigno? Really? Exactly who was Dragon*Con turning down? Was the guy who played Abraham Lincoln in that one episode of Star Trek too busy?)
Click to expand...
Some people need the income.
 
Wowbagger said:
You know, I normally smile when I get my photo taken with celebrities. But, knowing how that arse treated your wife, why it made me scowl!

http://www.mitchlampert.net/CelebPics/Ferrigno.jpg

For what it's worth, I beat him up a little, too. But, don't remind him about that 'cause it will just make him cry, again. ;)

Some people need the income.
Click to expand...

He should have kicked your ass for wearing that ridiculous sweatshirt.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom