Friday the Thirteenth Bashes in L.A., Buffalo, Philly
SkeptInq@aol.com
Fri, 16 Jul 1999 16:04:59 EDT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Matt Nisbet 716-636-1425 x219
Chris Mooney 716-636-1425 X221
ON FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH OF AUGUST
SKEPTICS LAUGH IN THE FACE OF SUPERSTITION
Superstition Bashes to Be Held in Los Angeles, Buffalo, and Philadelphia
**Dunk-the-Witch, Misfortune Tellers, Walk-Under-the-Ladder-Limbo, Giant
Mirror Smash, Black Cats, Salt-Throwing**
AMHERST, N.Y.-- Looking for that Friday the Thirteenth story? Go no
further. On Friday, August 13, skeptics will challenge thousands of years of
superstition and tradition by hosting "Friday the Thirteenth Superstition
Bashes" in Los Angeles, Buffalo, and Philadelphia.
The Center for Inquiry-International in Buffalo, NY, and the Center for
Inquiry-West in Los Angeles will host a barbecue and party with whimsical yet
"dangerous" designs. Dozens will gather to play "Limbo Under the Ladder,"
consult a mis-fortune teller, throw salt over the shoulder, step on cracks,
smash mirrors, open umbrellas indoors, and crack open mis-fortune cookies.
The events are sponsored by Skeptical Inquirer, The Magazine for Science and
Reason.
In Philadelphia, at the historic Ethical Union building, the Freethought
Society will be up to similar revelry as they sponsor a Superstition Carnival
with games like "Superstition Trivia," "Luck o' the Irish", and "Enie, Menie,
Hit the Genie."
But beyond laughter in the face of superstition, skeptics have a serious
message to deliver. "There is no such thing as luck. We make our own fate
through our actions," says Matt Nisbet, Public Relations Director for
Skeptical Inquirer magazine. "Yet most people still cling to century old
superstitions, the greatest of all being fear of Friday the Thirteenth. By
risking a lifetime of misfortune, our message to the public is that you have
nothing to fear!"
Friday the Thirteenth has not been without past incident for Nisbet,
however. In 1997, he woke up early on history's darkest day to do a local
radio interview. He soon discovered that his phone had gone dead. Nisbet
pulled on his shoes, ran to the corner, and did the interview collect from a
payphone. Word of the mishap reached the Associated Press which ran a story
on the statewide wire. "In that case, it wasn't bad luck, it was stupidity.
I had just moved into a new apartment, and the phone wasn't properly
installed. I should have double-checked the phone line, but I didn't, and
the result was that I created my own misfortune."
EVENT TIMES AND LOCATIONS:
Center for Inquiry-West
7:13 pm
August 13, 1999
5519 Grovesnor Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 306-2847
Contact Matt Cherry or Jim Underdown
Center for Inquiry-International
7:30 pm
August 13, 1999
1310 Sweet Home Road
Amherst NY 14226
Contact Matt Nisbet or Chris Mooney
716) 636-1425 X219 or X221
Ethical Society of Philadelphia
8pm
August 13, 1999
1906 Rittenhouse Square
Philadelphia, 19103
Contact Margaret Downey
(610) 793-2737
--30--
Skeptical Inquirer, The Magazine for Science and Reason, is a bi-monthly
publication dedicated to the scientific examination of claims of the
paranormal and pseudoscience. It is published by the Committee for the
Scientific Investigation for Claims of the Paranormal(CSICOP.) The Center
for Inquiry-International, located adjacent to the State University of New
York at Buffalo, is the world headquarters for CSICOP. The Center is a
state-of-the-art facility that contains editorial offices, a large conference
center, and a 50,000 science and philosophy library. The Center for
Inquiry-West is the Los Angeles bureau and programming center for CSICOP.
Check out the websites www.csicop.org and www.cfiwest.org.