"Being a science writer is harder than being a sports writer" says
@carlzimmer
, "because sports writers don't have to deal with people who think that basketball doesn't even exist".
#CSICON2018
Scientology doesn't seem to have a particular anti-vax strand, but its ship has fallen victim to an outbreak of measles and is quarantined in St. Lucia. Measles was declared eradicated in the US by CDC 2000.
#AntiVaxKills
Dogs on the Streets
@dotslondon
do *fantastic* work for many happy dogs with homeless owners, *and* abused dogs brought in by the police. This lovely girl has had puppies & is getting vet care from
@dotslondon
for her malnutrition and mastitis. I have just donated. Can you?
@Glinner
@Skepticat_UK
That's absolutely *incredible*!!! Also, if any real crime occurs, this sort of thing slows down attendance times. Totally irresponsible.
I was excited to be in this week's episode of 'Uncanny' from
@danny_robins
. It was a *very* creepy ghost story.
@hauntedmagazine
made a great debut on the 'believer' side. Listen if you dare!
Thank you Darlington - great to meet you lovely people at the
@uncannypodlive
last night. Can't wait for the next one - Belfast on Thursday and Friday!
Photo from
@BarryMcNulty74
who we met last night.
Next Saturday, I'll be talking about 'The Croglin Grange Vampire' at the
@folklorepod
. There have been very few vampires recorded in the UK, and this is *the* classic case. Join us!
'Oppose discrimination, but don’t ban criticism of religion'. Please sign this important petition from
@Humanists_UK
. We don't want blasphemy law back.
I contributed to the Uncanny Summer Special, hosted by
@danny_robins
. It's at 666 - 6 pm on the 6th of June. Join us all there for some summer terror!
Seeing an image of someone as they die is often cited in folklore. If you see yourself, it can be called a 'fetch'. You should scold it so it goes away.
#Uncanny666
#UncannyListenAlong
@garwboy
I hear this so often - the latest was on R4's 'Any Questions' on Sat. The lady said all the successful people she interveiwed cited hard-work and passion. But unless you take into account all the hard-working, passionate failures, your stats mean zilch. 1/2
@lecanardnoir
@ConceptualJames
"...Critical Social Justice scholars are also rather incredibly prolific (an undeniable benefit of having no rigorous standards to meet and a surplus of ideological zeal, as it happens)..." 😆
@giagia
I also had a hard time being a girl - I think because I had better male than female role models around. Thanks for saying it always gets better. IT'S TRUE!!! I wish we said it more to young people instead of leaving them to think the 'best' years of their lives are just miserable
Just a quick reminder that for the lastest lovely
@hauntedmagazine
has an article about the *real* vampires of New England by yours truly. Available now! . If you like that sort of thing, here's a video too:
'The Last Duel' was amazing! Jodie Comer is supernatural, Ridley Scott & Dariusz Wolski made it look beooootiful, & it's a reminder of why women shouldn't take their rights for granted. The Middle Ages look pretty, but they were horrific for women. Fight sequences were stunning.
I have signed the
@Humanists_UK
petition to tell Damien Green that the UK is not a Christian country. Our history is interesting, but the vast majority of us today are not Christian. You don't have to be relgious to be community-minded.
"Every MP I spoke to talked of the stress of dealing with a party dominated by tiny-minded people in the grip of paranoid fantasies"
@NickCohen4
on the Corbyn crack-up.
@garwboy
I suspect most people don't know the terms of their own success, are willing to attribute their successes to themselves, and their failures to other factors 2/2.
The 'Uncanny' series is fantastic:
@danny_robins
does a great job of retelling the stories, and getting commentary from believers and non-believers alike. It's good listening, whichever side you're on.
Only one person ever backed out of the rite - Bill. It suggests to me that he was predisposed to believe, to be nervous. There didn't have to be a supernatural agent - there just had to be his terror.
#TheWitchFarmListenalong
'Majority Rule' (ep7, season1) from Seth MacFarlane's 'The Orville' is a must if you've ever been anywhere near social media. Mob mentality and public shaming are examined.
Welcome to the new followers. I'm guessing it's 'Uncanny' related, in which case we are all going to get on very well. If I'm slow to answer questions, I just have my head in a book about poltergeists or fairies. 😀
Was there a poltergeist in Brooklyn, or was a young woman stressed in a strange environment? I contributed to this episode of 'Uncanny' with
@danny_robins
Fairies seem to have a habit of kidnapping midwives & women who have just given birth. 'Til recently, childbirth was the most hazardous event most women would undergo, & the kidnap theme reflects the concern around such a dangerous time.
#scaryfairies
This Glaistig by Brian Froud illustrates her traits: her beauty & her green dress. But you can't see her goat hooves or her taste for the blood of the men she seduces. Whether she's a ghost, an ancestress or a green lady - she's definitely one of the
#ScaryFairies
@grahnort
My guess is that there was an accident and no spare trousers, so this was the best fudge (the alternative was to carry a cushion at crotch height). If he doesn't have a full staff right now, the spare trousers thing might have fallen by the wayside.
The dog wore her red raincoat on this morning's walk. A man stopped his minibus, got out and yelled "The dog is not a postman. Fuck you!" and then drove off. Decode please.
So ... the dog and I went out for a walk this morning. Torvill and Dean would have been all set, but I fell over and landed on my back. The dog looked embarassed and I apologised.
Join the
#UncannyCommunity
tonight at dead on 9 as we listen to the first episode in the new
@BBCSounds
series. I'll bring the skeptical angle on a case of a ghost (?) at a monastery. Tweet along using
#Uncanny2
#Uncanny666
day is TODAY! Only a few hours 'til you'll be scared out of your wits by the tale of a summer holiday ... with an unexpected guest. I'll be providing the skeptical perspective. Join
@danny_robins
on
@BBCSounds
at 6pm with
@_EvelynHollow
too!👻😱
Who wants to look at one of my Pazuzus? This head is a copy of the one used in 'The Exorcist', cast & artworked by Mr J. Poor old Pazuzu was just an Assyrian storm demon - not the Prince of Darkness, embodiment of evil as they'd have you believe in the movie.
In 1895, Bridget Cleary was murdered by her husband & extended family in the belief that she was a fairy changeling. The trial alerted the rest of the world that, in rural communities, belief in
#ScaryFairies
was still current.
@todgoldberg
The lady-driver of the little red Corvette who, clearly went out on the roads before she had finished Driver's Ed. Parking your car sideways is just selfish. Also her boyfriend. You shouldn't keep horses in a pocket. They get cramp.
I sooooo hope all police remember that that most people have good feelings toward the police, that we police with consent in this country, & that throwing their weight around over misinterpreted &/or petty regulations is likely to undermine all that. For a long time.
@philipoconnor
@tkingdot
Martial arts for women is great - I used to love 'em! But as much as I knew the diff between pain & damage, & was capable & *very* strong for my size, my ex prevailed straight away. You are totally right.
Remember that the latest edition of Uncanny from
@danny_robins
has me and
@revpeterlaws
talking about 'The Beast of Langeais'. Did something evil follow two young men on their travels?