The Day I Got the Vapors

Last night I met number two on my list of the top five people I had to meet before I died. Right in the nick of time, I'd say, as Mr. number here two just turned eighty years old and has recently announced his plan to retire in 2009. I will say, however, despite his age and recent heart troubles, he is as sharp, funny, eloquent and inspiring as his numerous books and television appearances would betray.



If you're looking at this photograph and wondering who this very well-bearded man might be, you're missing out on the exemplary work of one of the most important and influential intellectual activists, and best magicians, in the world. May I recommend his books Flim-Flam!, and The Faith Healers. I also recommend plugging this site into your Google Reader to catch his weekly updates as a flickering candle of logic and reason in the swirling darkness of flummery and pseudo-science.

Thank you for all your wonderful work, Mr. Randi, and thank you for only briefly ridiculing my pink camera.

P.S. I should note my mild disappointment when Mr. Randi's phone rang during the lecture (barking dogs, of all things.... of course, maybe he's got the advance release of Dog Party) and I saw that he uses an iPhone. This must be a boon to pretentious Mac users the world over. On the plus side, it was a call from none other than Jose "Carlos" Alvarez himself.