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AAI Convention, post-convention thoughts.

I want to start by saying a couple things about the blogging here. I started some months ago putting up regular posts, and then inexplicably stopped. This was due to some internal wrangling between Joe, Lamar and myself as to what this website was going to be, how it related to what’s going on at atheiskeptihumanist.com and atheistnews.org. I think these have all been worked out and I’ll be posting here again.

Now, on to the show.

As many of our listeners are aware (and will definitely be aware of after the next show) I spent last weekend at the AAI Convention in Burbank California. The folks at AAI were nice enough to provide both myself and Joe with press passes for the event, and I’m hoping we make good use of that privilege in the coming weeks. At this point I have heaps of audio to sift through, clean up and edit for use in upcoming shows where we’ll cover who the speakers were, what they talked about and what we think about it. Currently Lamar (who was unable to attend) has all the raw audio so he can get himself up to speed. I also took the time to talk to many of the notable attendees about appearing on upcoming shows and was generally met with a positive response.

The convention was a lot of fun and it was announced that the next years convention would be in Montreal. let me say, if you can go, DO! It was well worth the time, money (I, unlike Joe, covered my own expenses, thanks to the Atheist News listeners for making sure I had some company) and exhaustion. The people I met there were intelligent, friendly and most possessed great senses of humor. I’m not going to list out a heap of thank-yous and the like as I’m almost sure to overlook someone, but I did want to give a special thanks to three folks:

* to Noelle Dildine, head of the AAI Ambassador Corps and founder of the SECULAR Center charity who acted as a wonderful hostess to myself and Joe during our time at the convention.
* to Viktor Nagornyy, AAI convention director, for putting on such an event and being an overall class-act.
* and of course to Richard Haynes, for making sure Joe and I got to meet with just about every speaker on the list, and being a source of both the fun and the funny throughout the entire convention.

more over on http://www.chariotsofiron.com

Tags: AAI Convention 2009

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Comment by Chrys Stevenson on October 8, 2009 at 4:33am: Anyone interested in attending the Melbourne Convention can purchase tickets now at the Rise of Atheism Global Atheist Convention website.

Speakers will include: Richard Dawkins, PZ Myers, Dan Barker, Peter Singer, Taslima Nasrin and AC Grayling.

It's going to be huge and Melbourne is a fabulous city to visit. Lots of pubs, clubs, unbelievable restaurants, beaches and warm weather in March!

C'mon down under - we know you want to ....

Comment by Andrew on October 8, 2009 at 12:53am: I believe that the AAI convention is in Montreal in 2010

Comment by Eli on October 7, 2009 at 11:43pm: I had some of those links over on the original Blog post, but a quick copy-paste into the nexus here doesn't preserve them.

Comment by Noelle on October 7, 2009 at 11:40pm: Of course! That's my job! :-)

Comment by Eli on October 7, 2009 at 11:39pm: Ah, Noelle, always gots to be "pimpin' it".

Comment by Noelle on October 7, 2009 at 11:31pm: Thanks Eli!!! I had a great time with you, Joe, and Brother Richard and I'm really looking forward to next year's convention. Anyone interested in joining AAI as an individual member can get more information at www.atheistalliance.org. You get discounts to conventions as well as our wonderful magazine, Secular Nation. The SECULAR Center is a nontheist charitable organization that is partnered with AAI and you can learn more about us at www.secularcenterusa.org. Hope to see everyone in Melbourne and Montreal next year!

Comment by Little Name Atheist on October 7, 2009 at 11:17pm: Oh, Montreal is a passport's wave and stone's throw across the border. I may have to discuss the budget with the cohabi-tater. Thanks for the clarification.

Comment by JayBarti on October 7, 2009 at 11:08pm: @Méabh

It's both as I understand it. Melbourne is in the spring and Montreal will be in the fall.

I had an excuse to not attend the Melbourne, its about as far as one can get from where I live and about as expensive as it gets. Montreal is just down the road from me and I can get there cheaply by train. time to start stuffing the piggy bank every week.

Comment by Little Name Atheist on October 7, 2009 at 10:25pm: What year is it scheduled? I thought Melbourne was next year?

Comment by Lorien on October 7, 2009 at 10:18pm: Everyone from outside Canada will need a passport to go to Montreal! I wonder if that was thought about. Canada has seen a big drop in American tourists since passports are required.