The 70th Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle: The conspiracy meets

Damn that Factitian! Now he's gone too far! In hosting the 70th Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle, he's revealed some of the deepest darkest secrets of the Skeptical Atheistic Darwinist Scientific Conspiracy to Conquer All (SADSCCA), also known as The Conspiracy Factory in some circles. And you'll never believe who the leader of the conspiracy from whom we all take our marching orders is!

I may have to become more insolent and less respectful. After all, our leader has commanded it:

Yes. Put Orac on it. And someone tell him to stop being so respectful, and more insolent. I prefer the insolence, when dealing with these healers" the hologram continues, "We should really have a broader war on alternative medicine. Something to destroy it completely, so that we can rule the world with our pills and expensive diagnostic tests. Can someone put Steve Novella on that?"

Hmmm. If I value my ability to breath, I may have to obey.

To find out the rest of the conspiracy's nefarious plans to inflict rationality upon the globe, read the rest of the 70th Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle.

Next up to host on October 11 is Infophilia, who's helpfully already posted instructions to submit more plans to the conspiracy. Don't let him down!

As always, if you're interested in hosting one of these puppies yourself, check out the schedule and the guidelines for hosting. Then drop me a line at oracknows@gmail.com. I'll get you worked into the schedule, assuming, of course, that your blog doesn't make me suspect that you're a double agent from the Discovery Institute or NewsTarget bent on destroying the Circle. Come on, folks, I know there are some newer skeptical bloggers out there who could host this. The wait time to host is shorter than it's been in a while (which is one reason I would really like to schedule some more hosts)

The 69th Meeting of the Skeptics' Circle: The Skeptics' Circle Saloon

Howdy, thar, pardners! The Skeptics' Circle Saloon is open for business, and, after bein' away for more than two ears, Brent's done gone and set up a hum-dinger of a meeting:

We rode up to the front of the Skeptic's Circle Saloon and dismounted. Where once there were only two hitching posts, seven stood in their place. "Old Doc Orac must be doing something right," I said with a smile.

I had heard that Doc had taken over running the Saloon from St. Nate a while back. I also heard that he had moved out of his office in town and had put up his surgery right in the Saloon. I adjusted the weight of my pistol, carried on the left, butt first, and made sure the leather thong was between the hammer and the firing pin. I'm a careful man by nature, but it pays to be extra-careful sometimes. Music came spilling out of the bar as the bat-wing doors swung outward. An obviously drunk man stumbled past us and into the street, mumbling something about homeopathic hangover cures.

We entered the dim, smoky interior and I waited a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. The main bar was larger than I recollected, with more tables. Doc Orac's surgery was indicated with a small sign over the door of the old poker room. We moseyed up to the long, polished bar and leaned on it. Glancing sidelong at my men, with a smile, I cleared my throat loudly and raised my voice to a gravelly roar.

"What's a cowboy got to do to get a gol-durned drink around here?"

Doc Orac stepped quickly out of the small cold room behind the bar. "Quit shouting at me, for one thing," he said, walking towards us and wiping his hands on a bar towel tucked into his apron.

We shook hands across the bar, trading grins. "Where's the mask?" I asked.

Read the rest here. And don't forget to use the spittoons. I just waxed the floor of the saloon.

Once again, as always, if you want to host a meeting of the Circle yourself on your own blog, just mosey on over to the schedule and guidelines and then take a gander at the suggestions for hosts. Then drop ol' Orac a line over at the saloon (oracknows@gmail.com) sayin' that you want to host. If you ain't a plant for Mike Adams or Deepak Chopra, I'll get ya on the schedule for the first opening.