On the heels of my last blog about how many practitioners of woo are beginning to see the light of skepticism, last week’s Amazing Cruise was not only a complete blast, the likes of which many of us on board had never seen, it also provided another powerful testimony. We are making big strides.

On board was a once steeped-in-woo New Age healer, channeler and psychic; Maria Myrback. Maria’s story is one I hope to see and hear repeated over and over in the years to come. For my part in what happened in her case, it showed me that I’m making a difference. One person at a time can make a difference if we go out and DO SOMETHING.

Visit Maria’s website, www.fledgelingskeptic.com where you can read the whole story in her own words. Maria was a woo goddess. Now she is one of us. Like Karla McLaren, (read my recent post: “Culture Clashing”) who saw my NBC special “Secrets of the Psychics Revealed” and realized she was doing cold reading which led her to becoming a skeptic, Maria saw my Penn & Teller “Bullshit” episode, “Talking to the Dead,”and realized that what she was doing was wrong. She’s now a skeptical convert.

Word is out that one-time $50,000 IIG claimant Anita Ikonen is also in the throes of a skeptical transformation. Those of us who have gotten to know Anita a little will reserve our judgements until more information is available, but in a conversation I had with her over lunch on the day the IIG tested Regan Traynor, she confessed that she was in the process of considering a recantation of her popular book about breatharianism and spilling the beans about what a bunch of nonsense that whole part of her life was (when she was known as “Alenara.”) We are all waiting on that one. Some stripes are harder to change than others.

When woo gets skeptical, everybody wins.

It may take a little time to see the results, but if you are willing to take a stand, skeptics, rational thinkers and even a few on the fence can be effective in changing the mess we are in. There is no doubt in my mind that Karla, Maria and Anita are only the tip of an iceberg that is slowly thawing. Knowing I have been a part of these transformations is uplifting. I’m now re-invigorated.

To hear Maria tell me that I inspired this change for the better in her life made the Amazing Cruise even more amazing. This was a week I will remember. The camaraderie and inspiration was tremendous and the promise of fantastic new things to come from JREF, CFI and the grassroots movement was as exhilarating as the bracing sea air and the bright blue waters of Grand Turk Island. Maria gracefully accepted the Silver Ship Award from Jeff Wagg for her detremination and committment to skepticism and all were delieghted by her soft spoken demeanor.

I will comment more on The Amazing Cruise later on down the line. FORCE ONE managed to gain a few more operatives and I found out there are some very interesting underground hush hush deals underway that are extremely provocative. If you are one of the lurkers from the Vent/Browne/Coffey crowd – watch your backs. We are planning on more proactive premptive actions against the bottom-feeders out there and we will be bringing it to their doors, not waiting for them to sign on for a challenge or an investigation. The gloves are coming off.

I’m sure Brian Dunning will be posting something about it here and there are literally THOUSANDS of photos blossoming all over Facebook and elsewhere online if you look.

Jeff Wagg’s Rational Alchemy podcast we did on board was a high point for many of us and should be available at www.rationalalchemy.com soon. Check it out. It was marvelous.