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James Underdown has been the executive director of The Center for Inquiry (CFI) Los Angeles since 1999. The Center for Inquiry is a non-profit educational organization with headquarters in Amherst, NY, whose primary mission is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values. CFI Los Angeles is the largest branch in the organization outside Amherst. Underdown founded the Independent Investigations Group IIG, a volunteer-based organization, in January 2000 at the Center for Inquiry-''West'' (now Center for Inquiry-''Los Angeles'') in Hollywood, California. The IIG investigates fringe science, paranormal and extraordinary claims from a rational, scientific viewpoint, and disseminates factual information about such inquiries to the public. There are Independent Investigation Groups in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Denver, and Alberta, Canada. Altogether, the Independent Investigations Groups are the largest paranormal investigations team in the world. The IIG offers $100,000 to anyone who can prove paranormal or supernatural ability under test conditions, and has in the past administered preliminary demonstrations for the James Randi Educational Foundation JREF's $1,000,000 Paranormal Challenge.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.iigwest.com/challenge.html )〕 Underdown is a 1982 graduate of DePauw University in Greencastle, IN, where he received his B.A. in English with an emphasis in composition.〔''Springfield Journal'', June 30, 1988 "Calumet City Wants Poet to take his Title Elsewhere"〕 He was also the starting defensive end for the DePauw Tiger football team which recorded a 9–1 record in 1981.〔Barbara Snyder Wintner, ''Daily Herald'', January 27, 1992, "Poet may be Witty, but not in Calumet City"〕 Between 1982 and 1999, he worked as a school teacher, truck driver, painter, limo driver, hotel clerk, furniture mover, football coach, carpenter, and bouncer.〔John K. Hoffman, ''The Daily Journal'', June 20, 1989, "Wheaton-bred 'Poet Laureate' Ryhmes of Life from Calumet"〕 In the late 1970s, Underdown tried to win a $500 prize by wrestling a bear .〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4RKBMOnOHM )〕 == History == After moving to Los Angeles in 1992, Underdown taught comedy traffic school for the Improv Traffic School and worked as a carpenter until he joined the Center for Inquiry in May 1999. During his time in Los Angeles, He wrote and directed 2 short films: ''A Day in the Life of Frank Sinatra'', a docushort about a homeless man with a famous name, and ''Dear Father'', a black comedy about a priest who gets a letter from a man he molested 20 years before. He also wrote and directed a one-act play called ''Party of 13'', a secular retelling of the Last Supper. ''Party of 13'' has run 3 times in Los Angeles. He is also the host and creator of "The Peep Show", a humorous roundtable discussion that ran for 2 dozen episodes on public access TV in the mid-1990s. James is lead singer of "The Heathens", a rock and roll band dedicated to freethought and skeptical themes. Band members include lead guitarist and musical director Craig Else, keyboardist Dino Herrmann, bassist Joel Pelletier, and drummer John E. Skaare. The Heathens have played at The Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood, CA, and at Patriot Hall in downtown Los Angeles. On March 28, 2013, Craig Else and James Underdown of The Heathens released their first original single, Infallible, on iTunes and other music outlets. Infallible is about the new pope, Francis, and his discovery that the greatest thing about the job is infallibility.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/infallible/id627563860?i=627564266 )〕 In 1988 James declared himself Poet Laureate of Calumet City, IL, and began touring Midwest comedy clubs as Jim U-Boat, a moniker from high school.〔''The Times'', July 8, 1988, "Today"〕 In response to Underdown's claim to being Calumet City's poet laureate, its mayor Robert Stefaniak stated that Underdown was "a lousy poet" who was "not recognized by the community".〔Eric Zorn, ''Chicago Tribune'', June 29, 1988, "Calumet City seems to take Little Pity on Self-Proclaimed Poet Laureate"〕 Interviewed by WKQX radio station in front of City Hall, Underdown states although he has never lived or worked in Calumet City, it "reflects the blue-collar nature of my poems".〔Mary Glynn, ''Daily Calumet'', July 8, 1988, "If He's a Poet, Officials Don't Know it: But Support, Residents Show it"〕〔''USA Today'', June 30, 1988, "News From Every State"〕 Notable shows Underdown performed in during the late 1980s/early 1990s include the Serious Art Comedy Show at the Roxy (Chicago), "The Best of Blue Collar Art" at the Elbo Room (Chicago), and "Mr. Saigon" also at the Elbo Room which featured Matt Walsh and Matt Besser of the Upright Citizen's Brigade.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=About Us )〕 In the play written by Terry Curtis Fox, Underdown played a uniformed police officer in ''Cops''. NoHo LA writes "one wishes his role was a bit longer".〔Jacob Clark, ''NoHo LA'', March 1–14, 2005, "Cops", page 16〕 Underdown created the Steve Allen Theater in 2002 and hired Amit Itelman to be its founding artistic director soon after. According to the NY Times, "...the Steve Allen Theater is not just any theater...it is known for its willingness to embrace controversy. (In June -- 6/6/06 to be exact -- it held a Satanic High Mass for leather and tuxedo-clad devil-worshippers.)" 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「James Underdown」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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