We’re doing it again!
The Central Valley Alliance of Atheists and Skeptics (CVAAS) is hosting its FIFTH annual “Heretic’s Barbecue” starting at noon on October 7th, at Letterman Park in Clovis.
Atheists, skeptics, rational thinkers and their supporters are invited to attend as we celebrate skepticism, science and critical thinking.
Every Heretic’s BBQ has a theme. This year’s theme is “2012 – The End of the World!”
It has been 5,125 years since the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar last cycled, and the calendar will reset once again on the Winter Solstice. According to some people this is the Mayan version of Y2K, and will result with the end of the Earth.
The fashion in which the world will end is a bit muddy. Some say we will be smacked by an asteroid. Nancy Lieder says that the planet Nibiru (also called “Planet X”) will collide with the Earth on this date. Black holes, solar flares, a general increase in solar output, and religious armageddon have all been posited as the method by which the world will end this year.
We’ve seen this before, haven’t we?
But just in case, we are going to celebrate like this is our LAST Heretic’s BBQ!
This year’s guest speaker is skeptic Brian Dunning, of the Skeptoid podcast.
Brian’s talk will be “Miracle or Science / Apocalypse 2012″
We are also hosting Larry Hicok, State Director for the American Atheists, who will give a talk about recent and upcoming events for the American Atheists - NOTICE! Due to a schedule conflict with the Sacramento Freethought day, Larry Hicok will not be appearing at the Heretic’s BBQ.
We are again having our donated books auction. If you would like to donate a used book about the subject of skepticism, science, secularism, or any other book or item that you think rational people would love to own, then bring it with you! We will auction these off to the highest bidder!
We will also give away 3 door prizes to ticket holders. We will be giving away “Godless” money – dollar bills printed before 1953 that lack the “In God We Trust” motto on them.
The event starts at 11am. Tickets are limited, so purchase your tickets now online. As a bonus, if you purchase your tickets online, you can get a $5 discount on your yearly CVAAS membership. CVAAS cannot guarantee that there will be tickets at the event.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under.
The menu this year is slow-roasted tri-tip, and vegetarian stir fry. There will also be potato salad, green salad, and a special non-vegetarian spinich salad. There will be plenty of snack food and desert too. Drinks will be sports drinks, water, and crystal light. You may bring your own drinks.
Help us advertise by downloading and printing out this event flyer (PDF 1.91MB). Hand them out to other freethinkers, or pin them up where ever critical thinkers are likely to gather.
Event schedule:
| Time | Event | Description | |
| 11:00 | Start of event | - Meet and greet, view auction items, purchase CVAAS membership | |
| 12:00 | CVAAS elections | - Officer elections for CVAAS – You must be a CVAAS member to run for office | |
| 12:30 | Lunch is served | - A ticket is required for lunch | |
| 1:00 | Mark Boyd | - 2012 CVAAS president will recap CVAAS 2012 | |
| 1:15 | Brian Dunning | - “Miracle or Science / Apocalypse 2012″ – followed by audience questions | |
| 2:00 | Larry Hicok | - “American Atheists – recent and upcoming events” - followed by audience questions | |
| 2:30 | Local leaders | - Local skeptic and atheist group leaders are invited to speak about their groups | |
| 3:00 | Auction! | - Used book auction. Also, whole tri-tip will be auctioned. Door prizes will be presented | |
| 3:30 | Pick-up Softball | - No one knows the rules for the Aztec stick ball game “ōllamaliztli” also called Ulama. So we will improvise with a pick up softball game between the Skeptics and the Aztecs. Choose your team when you arrive at the event! |
About our guests:
Science writer Brian Dunning is the host and producer of the podcast Skeptoid: Critical Analysis of Pop Phenomena (skeptoid.com), applying critical thinking to urban legends and popular pseudoscientific subjects promoted by the mass media. Skeptoid has a weekly audience of 146,000 listeners. Brian is also the author of four books based on the podcast. A computer scientist by trade, Brian uses new media to showcase the rewards of science and critical thinking. He has appeared on numerous radio shows and television documentaries, and also hosts the science video seriesinFact with Brian Dunning (infactvideo.com). He is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
Larry Hicok is the California State Director of American Atheists. He is also the program director for three local groups — East Bay Atheists, Atheists Advocates of San Francisco, and Atheists and Freethinkers of Contra Costa County.
Larry also directed the West Coast Rapture RAM during the last “end of the world” event, so he should be right at home during the current world ending – which we are assured will really happen this time!
The Mayan Calendar - Tragically misunderstood, the Mayan Calendar seems to bear most of the responsibility of the current “End of the World” claim.
The Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar comes to end of it’s 5,125 year cycle on December 21st, 2012. And according to some people, this means that on this date the Earth will be destroyed, or will cease to exist. The methods of the Earth’s demise vary – Asteroid impact, collision with a planet called “Nibiru”, eaten by a black hole, or destroyed by a massive solar flare. Whatever the cause, there are many who believe that this is the last year that the Earth will exist.
Will the world end this time? We will have to wait and see.
