51. Comment #138169 by evolvingalways on March 4, 2008 at 2:58 am

See you at the American Atheist convention in Minneapolis Minnesota can't wait!

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52. Comment #138171 by Corylus on March 4, 2008 at 3:00 am

A tour journal of this one would be an interesting read.

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53. Comment #138174 by Styrer- on March 4, 2008 at 3:06 am

Wishing Richard a successful and convert-filled tour.

Trusting that Josh will upload all those delicious videos of the proceedings from the earliest for my fellow office- and country-bound!

All good wishes,
Styrer

Other Comments by Styrer-

54. Comment #138176 by Haakon on March 4, 2008 at 3:14 am

Good luck with your tour professor Dawkins and when you come back, don't forget about us Europeans. Even here in godless heathen Scandinavia we have IDiots that needs a good talking to.

Other Comments by Haakon

55. Comment #138188 by mdoko on March 4, 2008 at 3:33 am

Is there any chance of European uiniversity tour in European countries where The Good Delusion has been published?

Other Comments by mdoko

56. Comment #138242 by ArmchairDissident on March 4, 2008 at 5:10 am

Some of you people sound like a bunch of groupies, get a hold of yourself. It is embarrassing just to watch you.

I am sure you all know Dawkins' arguments so well that you can probably regurgitate them better than he himself. So I am not really sure what you will learn from his talk that you haven't known already.It seems that the fan boys and girls just want to admire their idol up close so that they can chatter for days on how handsome and well spoken he is.

I don't think this kind of mini personality cult is healthy for supposedly rational people.

I am probably going to be blasted for blasphemy.

Huh? Which would you prefer to do; watch a rugby match on television, or watch a rugby match at Twickenham? Even watching a rugby match at a pub is better than watching at home! (this is, of course, assuming you like rugby. If not, substitute another sport).

Or if you don't like sport, perhaps there's a band you like? I like the Scissor Sisters, and watching them play at Trafalgar Square last year (year before?) was immeasurably nicer than watching them perform at the O2 dome on television.

There is nothing "irrational" about wanting to see someone speak, and wanting to be there in person during, say, a questions and answers session. It's just a pity he's not touring the UK.

Other Comments by ArmchairDissident

57. Comment #138258 by amberjack on March 4, 2008 at 5:32 am

"YouTube videos don't have the best resolution (yet), not that it matters for a lecture, but give Moore's law another 20 years to exponentiate."

No need. Vimeo.com has far superior picture quality to YouTube (and even an HD option), and a much less rednecked community of users. 'Twould be good if Josh/whoever could post the videos there as well.

Other Comments by amberjack

58. Comment #138272 by ridelo on March 4, 2008 at 5:55 am

Sometimes I would like that Belgium was a bit more creationist. Then we had also a chance to attend a Dawkins lecture.
But I will follow it from here. Long live my PC!

Other Comments by ridelo

59. Comment #138274 by danzimmer on March 4, 2008 at 6:03 am

*sigh* - I guess the change of a visit down under has about the same chance as a snowball in hell?

Australia is, after all, an oasis - now all we need is a liberal dose of clear thinking... :)

In any event - Have fun in Texas, there are some great little bars and live music places around, particularly if you venture a couple of blocks away from 6th...

Other Comments by danzimmer

60. Comment #138275 by clunkclickeverytrip on March 4, 2008 at 6:04 am

I heard through the grapevine that the as-yet-unannounced "secret" gigs in Jerusalem and Mecca are also already sold out.

Other Comments by clunkclickeverytrip

61. Comment #138286 by Dr Benway on March 4, 2008 at 6:34 am

MaxD:

That avatar of yours says the funniest things in the onion.

This avatar says funny things even when it's not putting words on the page. Here, I'll show you below...

Other Comments by Dr Benway

62. Comment #138287 by Dr Benway on March 4, 2008 at 6:34 am

.





.

Other Comments by Dr Benway

63. Comment #138290 by theatom82 on March 4, 2008 at 6:42 am

I was hoping to see a Florida date on the list when I clicked the link. I think Florida needs a dose of RD. But.... on a positive note I was in Tallahassee on saturday volunteering for a high school scholarship type competition called Best and Brightest and it left me rather optimistic. I had the opportunity to sit in and watch the science panel interview the finalists for the scholarship. Some of these kids (high school seniors) just blew me away. A clear passion for science and the things they have accomplished already was inspiring. You could actually see a glimmer in their eyes when they spoke about science much like a young child on Christmas morning. I also was fortunate to talk with the judges a little bit. A physicist, Dragana Popavich who works at the Magnet Lab at FSU and an organic chemist professor from FSU, but his name escapes me at the moment.

Other Comments by theatom82

64. Comment #138295 by yoursdhruly on March 4, 2008 at 7:02 am

Are book signings planned at these venues? Anyone know? I am thrilled to be able to see the author of "The Selfish Gene", the most important book in my life, in the flesh. I had the same thrill when I saw the Who live for the first time last year! If only more scientists could ignite the imagination of people the way RD does.

Other Comments by yoursdhruly

65. Comment #138310 by Tack on March 4, 2008 at 7:29 am

Like mikkala, I was also disappointed by the lack of Canadian appearances. Please, Professor Dawkins, do not forsake us in the north. Even though we are less religious than the US, we still need your good sense.

University of Toronto may be a good venue. However University of Waterloo would be absolutely perfect for me. :)

Other Comments by Tack

66. Comment #138313 by hughlomas on March 4, 2008 at 7:29 am

Please come to Florida.

Other Comments by hughlomas

67. Comment #138321 by icantlogoff on March 4, 2008 at 7:41 am

Please add the Bible buckle to your tour...
Nashville or Memphis

Other Comments by icantlogoff

68. Comment #138326 by AlmostCertain on March 4, 2008 at 7:45 am

Please include the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) on a future tour. The bay area (Berkeley/Stanford) is 500 miles from here.

Other Comments by AlmostCertain

69. Comment #138385 by geojim on March 4, 2008 at 8:56 am

It's too bad that you couldn't make it to the American Pacific Northwest. You would have drawn a crowd in Seattle, I'm certain.

Other Comments by geojim

70. Comment #138390 by bluebird on March 4, 2008 at 9:01 am

RE: Hell, Michigan. The U.S. is chock full of unique city/town names:

http://www.accuracyproject.org/towns.html

Other Comments by bluebird

71. Comment #138402 by 6ai on March 4, 2008 at 9:10 am

For once being in Arizona is a good thing. Really, this place is rough for the non-casual atheist. I have none of my friends from high school and before that. Their religions didn't allow it.
Wow, I sound sappy. My excitement can wait for Thursday.

Other Comments by 6ai

72. Comment #138427 by Shaden on March 4, 2008 at 9:45 am

First, I have to say that I completely agree with Dr. Benway on comment #64.

Second, I would really enjoy attending one of these, but no Michigan universities are listed :(

Probably for the best, this way I won't have to come up with an excuse to tell my ultra-Christian co-workers for going. Especially since I probably wouldn't come up with an excuse and just tell them how it is, which would get me fired I'm sure.

Other Comments by Shaden

73. Comment #138467 by westsidegrc on March 4, 2008 at 11:57 am

Can you please come to UCLA as well?

Please Please Please Please Please? :O

Other Comments by westsidegrc

74. Comment #138479 by MaxD on March 4, 2008 at 12:27 pm

teratornis said (in his utterly one trick poney kind of way) to a fellow poster's lament that the only way he could see the event was on-line,

What more could anyone need

Just to hazard a guess...community, and interaction. I watch alot of these videos and derive enormous benefit from them. But, gregarious primate that I am, I enjoy being in a crowd, feeling its temper if you will, and having the ability to engage, person to person with other people who share an interest in the same thing. I enjoy chatting, and posting here, but it doesn't do as much for me, not by a long shot, as being engaged face to face with someone, or a group of engaging others.

Sorry, I will be making the trip to wisconsin!
Hopefully others will come along. But if not so much the worse for them.

Other Comments by MaxD

75. Comment #138480 by MaxD on March 4, 2008 at 12:28 pm

Dr Benway!
Holy shit! You are absolutely correct!
Even silent the avatar is hilarious.

Other Comments by MaxD

76. Comment #138485 by dazzjazz on March 4, 2008 at 12:34 pm

Another vote for RD to come to Australia. We need help getting rid of a stupid institution called the Hillsong Church - evangelistic dummies!

Darren

Other Comments by dazzjazz

77. Comment #138487 by William Sierichs Jr. on March 4, 2008 at 12:36 pm

Sorry, Bonzai, but major reasons of a tour like this are:
1) to get some publicity for a point of view; newspapers will likely write up stories if someone like Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens, etc. shows up in town. Newspapers write up big meetings when prominent superstition-mongers come to town. Freethinkers should try for the same coverage for rational speakers.
2) to allow like-minded people to meet, and possibly bring in new people who can be encouraged to support freethought, atheism, humanism, whatever else evolves out of such a meeting
3) to allow for some intellectual stimulation, both by talking with audience members and by questions and answers with Professor Dawkins or whoever else is the speaker.

Other Comments by William Sierichs Jr.

78. Comment #138493 by MaxD on March 4, 2008 at 12:43 pm

Uh-oh William Seirichs,
I do beleive you have just incurred the wrath of Teratornis, though we will see.

Other Comments by MaxD

79. Comment #138517 by Vikki on March 4, 2008 at 1:16 pm

Yet another vote for an Australian visit (please!). Melbourne's a good spot. Come to Melbourne!

Other Comments by Vikki

80. Comment #138544 by Redwolf56 on March 4, 2008 at 1:53 pm

My group is travelling from El Paso over to Tempe to see the lecture, although 2 of our buds dropped out last minute so if anyone needs 2 tickets to the tempe show PM me or look for us at the event we'll most likely be there early with our "God-free" shirts.

Other Comments by Redwolf56

81. Comment #138546 by Russell Blackford on March 4, 2008 at 1:54 pm

Sigh. I suppose Richard and his team might question the point of coming to Australia, where we're already relatively deity-free ... much as we have enough god-botherers around to distort public policy.

OTOH, we do have major international universities here, with large numbers of students, interesting people, etc., etc. I'm sure that Richard could attract big audiences, and some intense media coverage, if he spoke at any of them ... or at any other venue, if it comes to that.

Thank Zeus and all the other Olympians for the internet, but I still hate this whole tyranny of distance thing. So many of the events that I'd really like to get to are in the northern hemisphere.

Other Comments by Russell Blackford

82. Comment #138547 by PLAYBALL on March 4, 2008 at 1:56 pm

Richard's smile in the poster is adorable!

Comment #138076 by Teratornis

Seriously, exactly what additional information could you possibly gain by sitting in a room and listening to the same lecture, that you don't get just as well by watching the video?

Isn't this the truth. Why should I get in my car and drive somewhere when I can watch the same thing at home, right next to my refrigerator.

For example, every time a speaker mentions something you don't know (a jargon term, a concept, a scientific reference, a literary allusion, a British idiom such as "whip-around"), if you are sitting in the audience at a lecture hall, you are pretty much screwed.

Exactely. I was a Cal Tech a few months back and caught the Steven Pinker lecture. I loved it except he talks too fast.

With a well-implemented "Multimedia Dawkins" you could watch his lectures straight through, or pause to click on the related links, and read more information about all the background bits he merely touches on in his talks.

Even the not-so-well-implemented "YouTube Dawkins" makes this manageable. Just keep Wikipedia open in another browser tab, along with your favorite search engine in another tab, etc.

I do this all the time. I watch everything with Wikipedia. He's my boyfriend!!

Other Comments by PLAYBALL

83. Comment #138549 by PLAYBALL on March 4, 2008 at 2:00 pm

Other Comments by PLAYBALL

84. Comment #138578 by jimbob on March 4, 2008 at 2:48 pm

Evan Mecham, the impeached (1988) mormon nutjob of an Arizona governor died a couple of weeks ago. Wonder if the news of Richard's visit set off apoplexy?

For those who don't know who Ev was, he was the guy who (soon after his election) referred to black kids a "piccaninnies."

He was accused of racism as a result, and in response to criticisms about his views on the employment statistics for African Americans, he riposted "There's enough cotton picking jobs for all of them!"

The rest of his short tenure of governor was complete farce. Wonder if Richard will run into any of his cronies? ;-)

Other Comments by jimbob

85. Comment #138588 by Uncle Bob on March 4, 2008 at 3:11 pm

Stanford and Cal are already sold out..He'll more than likely be on KQED radio I'm sure tho..probably on "Forum" and/or "Science Friday"..Around here tho..Dawkins will be "preaching to the choir" more or less..

Other Comments by Uncle Bob

86. Comment #138596 by fotomatt on March 4, 2008 at 3:38 pm

Does anyone here have two extra tickets to the March 9 event at Stanford?

When I first phoned the ticket office they weren't open yet; when next I had an opportunity, the tix were all gone. And I have to work the night before, so can't go to UC Berkeley event.

If you ever went to a Grateful Dead concert, you probably remember the phrase oft-heard in the parking lot and near the entrance gate... "I need a miracle!" ;-)

In return, I would happily offer a pro-quality photo of you and/or your partner taken at some lovely spot on campus.

fotomatt AT cruzio DOT com

Other Comments by fotomatt

87. Comment #138645 by cassdenata on March 4, 2008 at 4:40 pm

The University of Florida at Gainesville would love to have you. We have a huge budget for speakers and they love to get "controversial" speakers.

Other Comments by cassdenata

88. Comment #138658 by dlitt on March 4, 2008 at 4:57 pm

Comment #138095 by JamesDB on March 3, 2008 at 11:03 pm

Hey how about a trip to Vancouver B.C. Canada.

How about coming to ski at Whistler? :-)

Other Comments by dlitt

89. Comment #138669 by dr joneZ on March 4, 2008 at 5:07 pm

Sorry to burst in with a change of topic, but I just read the following article in the Sydney Morning Herald, here in Australia. It seems the origins of some, shall we say, seminal episodes of the Old Testament may well be the result of.... well read the article - here it is:

Culled from:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/was-moses-all-a-blur-on-psychedelic-drugs/2008/03/05/1204402497518.html

High on Mount Sinai, Moses was on psychedelic drugs when he heard God deliver the Ten Commandments, an Israeli researcher claimed in a study published this week.

Such mind-altering substances formed an integral part of the religious rites of Israelites in biblical times, Benny Shanon, a professor of cognitive psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem wrote in the Time and Mind journal of philosophy.

"As far Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don't believe, or a legend, which I don't believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics," Shanon told Israeli public radio on Tuesday.

Moses was probably also on drugs when he saw the "burning bush", suggested Shanon, who said he himself has dabbled with such substances.

"The Bible says people see sounds, and that is a classic phenomenon," he said citing the example of religious ceremonies in the Amazon in which drugs are used that induce people to "see music".

He mentioned his own experience when he used ayahuasca, a powerful psychotropic plant, during a religious ceremony in Brazil's Amazon forest in 1991. "I experienced visions that had spiritual-religious connotations," Shanon said.

He said the psychedelic effects of ayahuasca were comparable to those produced by concoctions based on bark of the acacia tree, which is frequently mentioned in the Bible.

AFP

Other Comments by dr joneZ

90. Comment #138672 by MelM on March 4, 2008 at 5:09 pm

OT (Florida)

Well, they've done it! "Academic freedom" bills have been introduced into both the House and Senate of the state of Florida.

From the Florida Citizens for Science:
http://www.flascience.org/wp/?p=484
There are several more posts about the situation. These are "above" this post.

From Panda's Thumb:
http://pandasthumb.org/archives/2008/03/antievolution-l.html

Other Comments by MelM

91. Comment #138680 by Kubenzi on March 4, 2008 at 5:18 pm

please come to Boulder or Denver soon

Other Comments by Kubenzi

92. Comment #138699 by Pete_C on March 4, 2008 at 5:41 pm

#91: Interesting, but I wonder what his reasons were for not going with the "legend" option? In other words, if he doesn't believe in god, why does he still believe in Moses?

I don't mind the change of topic at all - I think I can predict the content of the next 30 posts (not the exact cities, but what the people who live there wish would happen).

Me, I'm in Berkeley so I'm all set. =)

Other Comments by Pete_C

93. Comment #138733 by Goodwithwood on March 4, 2008 at 6:33 pm

Again. Mr. Dawkins please come to SLC, UT you'd be greeted with protests and a lot of media attention. We need some help here behind the Zion Curtain.

GWW

Other Comments by Goodwithwood

94. Comment #138746 by Frode on March 4, 2008 at 6:41 pm

Can't wait for the video and soundclips and other info from this tour, I'm adicted to Mr. Dawkins intelect. :)

Other Comments by Frode

95. Comment #138760 by tcb on March 4, 2008 at 7:05 pm

Seriously, exactly what additional information could you possibly gain by sitting in a room and listening to the same lecture, that you don't get just as well by watching the video?

1. Introductions to new atheist friends.

2. The chance to participate in the Q&A if there is one.

I missed my yearly drive from LA to Stanford for the annual all-Bach pipe organ recital this year; attending the lecture should (just about) make up for it!

Other Comments by tcb

96. Comment #138794 by prettygoodformonkeys on March 4, 2008 at 7:34 pm

Dr joneZ

that has its own discussion:
http://richarddawkins.net/article,2333,Hebrew-University-researcher-Moses-was-tripping-at-Mount-Sinai,Haaretz

Better:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/rock_bottom_loser_entertaining

Other Comments by prettygoodformonkeys

97. Comment #138813 by nlewkowitz on March 4, 2008 at 7:52 pm

Got my tickets for this thursday, really looking forward to it...the Phoenix Athiests Meetup group will have a very large showing.

Other Comments by nlewkowitz

98. Comment #138837 by MelM on March 4, 2008 at 8:49 pm

Comment #138080 by aznxscorpion517,
Re: Tim Keller in Berkeley


About 8:15pm.
Disappointing news from Wheeler auditorium in Berkeley. I walked over just before the start time of 7:30pm. (Recall that Dawkins will speak at Wheeler this coming Saturday evening--March 8.)

Wheeler is full
Tim Keller, author of "The Reason For God" is indeed at Wheeler auditorium on the U.C. campus. To my surprise and disappointment, the auditorium is full and people were turned away. There were two lines; one for "visitors" which looked mainly adult and the other was mainly of student age people. I walked past the lines and through the external doors to get a first hand look at the crowd in the auditorium. His book was being sold just outside the auditorium doors.

Crap; there are nutters in the area
It does look like Berkeley is in need of more help from Dawkins than I'd thought although I've really no idea where the people came from. The San Francisco Bay Area is large and has plenty of roads and mass transit (BART).

No "A" pin yet
My regret is that it'll be a few days yet before I receive my "A" pins; I would have loved to wear one this evening.

I'm looking forward to Saturday night; I hope Dawkins sees a packed auditorium.

Other Comments by MelM

99. Comment #138845 by firsttimecommenter on March 4, 2008 at 9:46 pm

Please consider speaking in Toronto! I'm sure you'd draw a large crowd. You could speak at Hart House at the University of Toronto. It's a nice venue. Christopher Hitchens spoke to a large crowd there.

Other Comments by firsttimecommenter

100. Comment #138892 by Angie66 on March 4, 2008 at 11:34 pm

"The Rolling Stones did and came to my town, which Mick Jagger called it the "arsehole" of the world."

-and he was just passing through, right?

Another vote for Melbourne here.

Other Comments by Angie66