Hello Omega I'm new here too although I haven't managed to post anything since my intro.
I eventually got the gist of your post and you do indeed have a wide range of topics to discuss. So where to begin? How about Atlantis.
A fabulous story indeed, penned by Plato around 2370 years ago if I'm correct. I would dearly love for this story to be true, but to be honest I have never found the time or inclination to look into it in any depth other than to find the most popular consensus seems to be that is is just what it says on the label. It's a story. I've had a few cursory forays into the various alternative hypotheses regarding Atlantis, and I had to give up. The reason being, I couldn't find any sort of collective view as to where the place actually was/is. So perhaps I'm missing something and maybe you could give me a few pointers as to further research.
Now as to Michael Shermer and James Randi. Well let's discuss Shermer, if for no other reason than he's far more handsome than Randi. At this stage I'll offer no personal opinion of Shermer other than to say I'm somewhat nonplussed as to why you would label the man a pseudo-skeptic, whatever that term means.
Seemingly you've put far more effort into researching these issues than I have, so would you be so kind as to highlight a specific point of view of his that warrants such blanket condemnation.
Now I'm not saying the man isn't a twat, it's just that I feel he should be given a fair trial before we hang him.
Once again welcome and best regards.