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StopSylvia email: "oh no"

Psi Baba said:
You know, it's funny, I enjoy these threads about the e-mails Robert receives and yet I never feel compelled to go back and view the Stop Sylvia site. The posts with the e-mails are pretty much self-contained. But now, after having read your post, I realize that it's been a while since I've looked at Robert's site, so I think I'll go and do just that. Thanks for suggesting it! :)
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Good point, I have read everything to see there, and really don't bother going any more either. I may go over and buy a T shirt!:D
 
What, saying that even though she is not psychic in the least, that makes her no worse at it than the rest of the frauds?
 
I will always click on an RSL post that mentions emails. I find them educational and wonderful to read. As a much more abrasive personality, I would like to think I can learn rom RSL. I also find it fascinating to read about how people may embrace critical thinking based on evidence. I am currently working on introducing my sister-in-law to some aspects of critical thinking, and I just find it difficult to approach things as kindly as RSL does. Hence why I click and read.

YMMV.
 
I, too, always enjoy RSL's threads. And I'm not talking about his purple shirts.
 
Thank you for sharing once again, Robert! I really enjoy these threads. At first, I have to admit that I thought this writer was being sarcastic, but as I read on, I realised differently. :) It's so nice to hear that others, such as myself, were able to allow myself to use reason to shed my belief in her and other such things.

P.S. I also love my own deck of Dr. Who cards; especially since they show ALL the Companions, even thee forgotten ones and not just the new incarnation of the show. I love Classic Who and grew up with it. And just to say it - my fave Doctor isn't Baker, it's a close tie between Troughton and Pertwee. ;) Sorry for derail!
 
Minarvia said:
Thank you for sharing once again, Robert! I really enjoy these threads. At first, I have to admit that I thought this writer was being sarcastic, but as I read on, I realised differently. :) It's so nice to hear that others, such as myself, were able to allow myself to use reason to shed my belief in her and other such things.

P.S. I also love my own deck of Dr. Who cards; especially since they show ALL the Companions, even thee forgotten ones and not just the new incarnation of the show. I love Classic Who and grew up with it. And just to say it - my fave Doctor isn't Baker, it's a close tie between Troughton and Pertwee. ;) Sorry for derail!
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To continue the derail...

My favorite Dr. Who would have to be Baker (if I have the names straight, anyway...), probably because he was the first one I saw when my local PBS station started playing the show back in (IIRC) the late 1970s.

I think that the last episode I watched was "The Five Doctors", which introduced Baker's replaement, who struck me as a blond pretty boy, lacking all of the playfulness that Baker brought to the role. I don't think I've seen an episode since.
 
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RSLancastr said:
I think that the last episode I watched was "The Five Doctors", which introduced Baker's replaement, who struck me as a blond pretty boy, lacking all of the playfulness that Baker brought to the role. I don't think I've seen an episode since.
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you're lucky you missed Sylvester McCoy and Colin Baker then
:D
 
Marduk said:
you're lucky you missed Sylvester McCoy and Colin Baker then
:D
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Yeah, I missed them, too. Troughton was VERY playful ("Oh, my giddy aunt!") comes to mind, as well as his cute clownishness. I loved Pertwee, the gentleman dandy of action, Hartnell, the original and everybody's "grandpa" and yes, Baker. Baker is popular because he is most people's "first" Doctor. And he is indeed good. But Davison was all right, but after him, I fell away from the series.

The new one to me is too dark, too serious, and with all the family baggage and stuff; it just doesn't appeal to me. I do intend to give it another try someday, tho. Maybe I was just not in the frame of mind when I saw a few of the 9th and 10th Doctors.

I suppose to stay on track somewhat, I'll have to add a line about the email regarding Sylvia.

Honestly, I really am proud of the sender to be so open-minded as to reconsider her (his?) beliefs and even be willing to give Sagan's book a try. I just bought it (Demon-Haunted World) and can't wait to read it. I've read all sorts of reviews about that book and altho some say Sagan tries too hard to convince and repeats himself, I'll judge for myself. I also suspect that since he was not primarily a writer that some repetition is probably to be expected.
 
Minarvia, please let us know what you thnk of Sagan's book.

My correspondence re the OP seems to have wrapped up. he/she seemed to be tiring of it, so I sent the followig:

[Name]:

Again, thank you for your correspondence. I have enjoyed the exchange of ideas.

Best regards,

-Robert
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His/Her reply:

it's fine, thank you for being gracious. sorry if i sounded rude at all. get well soon! completely! :)
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A welcome change from his/her initial email, in which his or her opinion seemed to be that I deseved my health problems!
 
I have now read probably a hundred books since 2007 on science and skepticism and I still can't think of a better one to recommend in these circumstances than Sagan's.

Minarvia, I did not find him repetitive at all. The entire book held my attention and in fact I re-read it recently and it had the same effect on me all over again! I am curious what you think about it. As Robert said, his beautiful Better Half, who I adore, was not nearly as impressed as I was, so who knows.

In fact I just loaned a copy to someone else I know recently, and her reaction was, "Poor Sagan, he just doesn't get it." (!) She remains a fan of Sylvia's!

I guess it just speaks to some of us more than others. I hope it speaks to this correspondent, but even if it doesn't, I think it's great that she/he was willing to consider the web site material and correspond the way she did.
 
I'll definitely let you all know what I think of the book. I started it today! He is already feeling like a "real" human and not simply a text-book style writer. In one short day Carl Sagan already has me feeling those "awwwww..." moments when he is reflecting upon the support and kindness of his parents. :)

He has already hit upon the problem of pseudoscience being so prevalent in mainstream society that reason hardly can gain a toehold.

So already I am understanding where he is coming from, having been there myself, and feeling certain that this is one book that will not only help me appreciate science and reason even more, but understand it better. I'm pretty confident that this book won't go over my head as far as content, and that in itself is reassuring.
 
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