Taking a week off...

My Dear Skeptophiliacs,

This post is to let you know that Skeptophilia will be going on a brief hiatus for me to have a breather from writing every day, and also to do some research for upcoming posts.  Skeptophilia will return, refreshed and ready to charge back into doing battle with the ranks of the woo-woo, on Sunday, August 28, 2011.

Where will I be during my week off, you might ask?  My destination is a heavily-guarded secret, but let me just give you this brief hint: my first post upon my return will probably have something to do with alien corpses and UFO crash sites.

I would encourage you until then to continue to survey the news with a critical eye, and not to forget to apply a thick layer of skepticism over everything you read or hear.  "Does this make sense?" is often an excellent question to start with.  In the case of bloggers, editorial writers, and talk-radio hosts, the next question is, "What viewpoint are they trying to sell me, and why?"  Failing that, you can always fall back on the tried-and-true, "Is this person crazy?  Or just stupid?"

And yes, I am aware of the irony of a blogger telling you to be suspicious of blogs.  You shouldn't take what anyone says without question, and that includes me.

In any case, if during this week you find yourself developing a rosy outlook, and thinking that your fellow human beings really are pretty smart, rational, and clear-headed, I encourage you to peruse the Skeptophilia archives (posted chronologically on the lower right-hand side of this page; you may have to scroll down a bit).  You have over 200 posts to choose from.  And trust me, once you're done, you'll find you'll be back to feeling like a significant percentage of the human race is composed of raving whackmobiles.

So, until the 28th, I will bid you a fond adieu.  And just remember the skeptic's motto:  Don't believe everything you think.

cheers,

Gordon