March 9, 2007

"...the chief end I propose to myself in all my labours is to vex the world rather than divert it." - Jonathan Swift

ANOTHER BROWNE BOMB

Go to a specific location on Robert Lancaster’s powerful “Stop Sylvia Browne” site to read the full account of yet another cruel, callous, blunder by Sylvia Browne, who is fast approaching the status of Most Failed Psychic. It’s found at tinyurl.com/354pcn, and it will put Browne at the top of her class.

On the March 13th, 2002, Montel Williams Show, Browne was asked by the daughters of Lynda McClelland about her disappearance, which had been reported to the police on March 27th, 2000. Browne assured the inquirers that the woman was alive, that she’d wandered off after having a nervous breakdown, and she’d had been taken to Orlando, Florida by a man with the initials "M.J." She said that her daughters would find her soon, in a mental asylum in Florida.



No, Sylvia was wrong again. Very wrong. This woman had already been murdered the same day she’d disappeared – more than one year, seven months previously – and she’d been buried less than two miles from her home in Pennsylvania, almost 1,000 miles away from Orlando. Neither her murderer, nor the man who buried her, had the initials M.J. – their initials were D.R. and D.W. – and her body was not found for another year after Sylvia announced these revelations.

It would be difficult to find another equally bad example of a divination. Everything about it was wrong. Browne brought grief and pain to Lynda’s family, leading them to expect a good outcome to their problem. But what totally damns Browne’s pretensions to psychic power is the fact that David Repasky, the murderer of Lynda McClelland, the mother of these children, was sitting there in the audience right in front of Browne when she came up with this callous declaration on the Montel Williams Show, Browne didn’t even know – or “sense” – that fact!

How much evidence has to be presented before this fatuous fraud is finally recognized as such? Will Montel Williams insist on continuing to advertise and promote her and make excuses for her bungling? HOW WRONG DOES SYLVIA BROWNE HAVE TO BE BEFORE MONTEL WILLIAMS WAKES UP?

Or is he just plain stupid?

MORE ON AQUAMANTRA

When I ran the item at www.randi.org/jr/2007-02/021607failure.html#i14, I thought that it was as silly a bit of twaddle as I’d ever seen. Now I’ve heard from Alexandra Teklak, the genius behind this farce, who has invited me to have a “conversation” with her. I declined. I’ve no time to exchange the usual “Just try it and you’ll be convinced” nonsense with Alexandra; she can apply for the JREF prize, just like anyone else.

Now, reader “Russ” in Houston, Texas, has provided us with a further insight on just how inane this woman is. He writes:

I found your comments about Aquamantra interesting. I have been a fan of your site for a while, and feel somewhat guilty for not participating or subscribing. So, assuming you will allow me to relay one more bit of trivial and curious information, I'd like to direct you to the following site: tinyurl.com/2ccgff. Do a search for “Teklak.”

She is the founder of Aquamantra, and revealed an interesting audio interview with her recorded (according to the site) on May 5, 2006. I did not go so far as to research the "Dr." and "RN" degrees from the interviewers, but evidently they are impressed by the "molecular change" and the great taste of the water. Interestingly, Mrs. Teklak reveals that she was limited by the entertainment industry, moved to Orange County, and started a marketing firm that was partly inspired by "holistic" medicine, "spiritualism," and "chiropractic." She knew she was "destined for something really big" and needed $200,000 to finish her new home. So, after watching Dr. Emoto [see www.randi.org/jr/052303.html] and the movie that "defines quantum physics" she started up her inspired quest to label water. Curiously, she experimented with "anger" and "sex" labels, had some label glue problems (think "I am lucky"), but then settled on the "lucky" "loved" and "healthy" labels. I'll spare you the full review of her typical New Age rant of "No past, present, future," "I am in the ‘I am lucky’ space," and blah blah. I'm sure you can guess what other movie she mentions; her latest inspiration – Yes, “The Secret.”

Waiting for her next product? I'll leave you some giggle room here: as the interviewers point out during this interview, "If it feels hard, you’re doing it wrong." Repeat, "I am lucky… I am…"

Thank you for the site. Keep up the quality work.

Alexandra closed her e-mail to me with, “Enjoy your remarkable life and have a FABULOUS day! With love and gratitude, Alexandra.” Alex, chugalug one of those “I am inane” bottles of water, please…

As we submit this SWIFT, we've received further communication from Alexandra. We've now actually accepted her suggestion of a test of her miracle water! More details to follow next week. But don't break out the bunting and confetti just yet..

NEWS FROM GERMANY

A clairvoyant who made off with a family fortune after promising to rid it of a curse was given a three-year-jail sentence for fraud on Thursday. A court in the southern German city of Konstanz convicted the 60-year-old man of cheating a metal worker and his wife out of cash and three luxury cars worth 146,000 euros [$191,000]. The couple had handed over their possessions to the clairvoyant in 2005 for "spiritual cleansing" in the belief the objects were under a curse and the cause of a mystery illness affecting the pair.

The fortune-teller failed to return the valuables as agreed, leaving the couple penniless and forcing them to live on social security, the court heard. The defendant "shamelessly took advantage of a defenseless couple and ruined an entire family," the presiding judge said when passing sentence. The clairvoyant, who was convicted of a similar offence against a widow a decade ago, admitted to defrauding the couple, but said he was unable to pay them restitution.

What really has me wondering about this incident, however, is the closing sentence of the report:

A doctor later found out that the mystery ailment was caused by toxic varnish used in the couple's home.

Poisonous varnish? Were they sniffing it…?

QUAKERS ON THE MOON?

Reader Shaun Aisbitt from Ireland reports in again after a long illness which he says has left him crippled and has kept him away from the computer screen for a long while:

I read your piece on the Haré Krishnas (or ISKCON as they sometimes go by) and the Moon in Swift 23/2/07. No wonder they want the Moon landing to be a hoax. You see, they believe and teach Krishna (or Krsna) lives on the Moon now! So, men landing on the Moon in 1969 and for some reason not meeting Mr. Krishna up there, would show the falseness of their teachings! My wife was a devotee for three years before she escaped the cult of Krishna, and an alarming story it is, too, involving chases across two countries and people turning up with baseball bats at 3 a.m. to sort her out shortly after her escape. She told me many of the weird and wonderful teachings of the Haré Krishnas and that one about Krishna living on the Moon came to mind when I read your article.

It's funny though, as a cult researcher, I found out many years ago that Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormons, believed that men seven feet tall, dressed in Quaker clothes and wearing very high hats, lived on the Moon, and he prophesied that a certain young man named Oliver B. Huntington would be a missionary to the Moon – this was around 1837. This false prophecy was reprinted in Oliver B. Huntington's recollections – in “The Young Woman's Journal” – a Mormon magazine, in 1892. They deny it to this day, and certain Mormon Apologists who do venture to mention this to those who have discovered this disturbing bit of false prophecy and who might thereby “lose faith,” try to play down or suppress the prophecy and say Mr. Huntington was either misquoted or had “fanciful ideas.” I wonder if the Mormon church didn't try to hide this false prophecy prior to 1969, and if it was a general teaching instead of a specific prophecy given to a young man, would they join the Haré Krishnas and also be denying the Moon landing today?

The letter is signed, “Your Skeptic (but still a Christian) fan in Ireland, Shaun Aisbitt.”

SOMEONE WHO KNOWS

Reader Ray Trinidad, of Tauranga, New Zealand, noticed a letter-to-the-editor in "The Weekend Sun," a free weekly newspaper distributed there, and thought it was worth sharing with us. Written by a “S. Murphy,” it read:

They helped psychics “scam the vulnerable and stupid.”

In response to R & L Lidgard's letter (Feb 16) speaking in support of psychics and mediums: Having worked for one of the most renowned psychics, I'd like to state some facts. We were expected and pressured to gather information from the audience and pass it on to the medium, prior to performances.

A number of the participating audience were known to the medium's agent, who had also passed on information on their bereavements, prior to shows.

We all had to sign iron clad confidentiality contracts, stating we would never divulge any of the tricks, scams or techniques this charlatan used, to rip off the vulnerable and stupid. I challenge the Lidgards to present – and I quote – "evidence from all around the world that clearly prove to us that ghosts and spirits exist." In fact, after all this time on the planet, and living in the most technically advanced age, there is no proof, recordings, videos etc. I look forward to being proven wrong, and seeing their hard evidence and proof (not just hearsay) also any proof they may have on alien abductions, pre-lives and the Loch Ness Monster!

We are unfortunately not given the name of this “renowned psychic,” but I’d really like to be able to have a long chat with this Murphy person… I’m sure it would be interesting!



HILARIOUS

You just have to go to tinyurl.com/3xhajn. The text by itself is funny and pretentious enough, but if you’re not on the floor laughing by the time you get through the photos of the goofus who offers this material, there’s no hope for your sense of humor…

TROUBLE SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Reader Eliézer Erosa Rosado is a psychologist working as a full-time professor for the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, teaching courses such as Experimental Psychology Lab, Statistics, Data Analysis and Basic Psychological Processes. He of course has an interest in paranormal claims, and uses them as examples of what is not a scientific approach to a problem or as exercises to design experimental tests or to analyze their results. He outlines for us the situation in regard to critical thinking – and lack thereof – in Mexico.

As a teacher at the Universidad, I felt it was – perhaps because it was seen as the University of an in-development country, and still far from some world influences – a place (The Place?) where students could get an education in rational thought, becoming critical, analytical, empirically-based, thinking human beings, as many of the valuable professors I had the fortune to meet, were. Well, there were some rotten apples, and they are rotting the good ones, with a degree of virulence that makes it almost impossible to “rescue” some classes, like Experimental Psychology Lab, Statistics and Data Analysis, in the Psychology curriculum. Not officially, but by personal influence of some teachers, Transpersonal therapies based in mystical and cosmological notions, are now becoming very popular. We have even received a thesis on the use of the horoscope as a guide to personality characterization, with zodiac-like types like Jovian, Mercurial, lunar (moonlike), Marcial (like Mars), etc. There is a Dianetics-convinced-and-trained professor, and a "zodiac therapist" who won't perform any therapy unless the patient is sign-compatible with her.

Wisely, my friend Professor Félix Ramos suggests that every now and then, logic, experimental psychology and related topics, should be taught, as they may become forbidden in the future.

If I didn’t think it’s a tragedy I would make jokes about all the stupidity coming from the boards in charge of making, reviewing and updating curricula and accepting courses, and, by the way, making publicity of how modern they themselves are. However, not all of it is an original lack of brains, but an inherited one, which comes from political and directive instances, and operated for people who feel that’s part of their jobs. Two examples:

First: the mission statement for the career of medicine (www.zaragoza.unam.mx/licenciaturas/mc/index.html) includes: “...training physicians with critical and creative thinking...who possess THE SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE...", but, oh my!, it is supporting the Second National Congress of Traditional Medicine, properly coincident with both the astronomical and civil beginning of Spring, and placed in an auditorium near an archaeological site. If it were to recognize and collect the traditional empirical knowledge about curative principles from plants and animals, endorse scientific – e.g. biochemical – pharmacology, which gave access to cheaper medicines or remedies in a country that desperately needs granted access to Health Services, perhaps even I would recommended it.

But it is not. It is a forum to present and mutually applaud each other for their successful clinical – or investigative – works, MOST of them dealing with homeopathy, acupuncture, auriculotherapy, iridology, even palm-reading. Many even support the magical-phenomenological thought in administering the treatment WITHOUT caring if it’s a way to boost the placebo effect, or a way for the treatment to get accepted in a cross-cultural environment. Of course, as cultural and “recreative” events, there were ceremonies with traditional Aztec dancers and, as “Duracell” humans, a visit, dressed in white, to the archaeological site in order to “Charge Energy” at the Spring equinox. I must say that if human beings get some kind of energy charge, beyond sunburn and isolation, it is at a great expense to the archaeological site: that’s how they became ruins.

Second: Since about 70 years ago there has been an “Escuela Superior de Medicina Homeopatica” –a Homeopathic Medicine Superior School – and a Homeopathic Hospital, both in Mexico City and both supported by the government. They had more a status of polite acknowledgment of their being, than a definite impact on the education or services provided. However, two years ago, the Secretaria de Salud – Health Secretary – created an Office called Subdireccion General de Antropologia Medica (General Suboffice of Medical Anthropology), which has a Department of Natural and Alternative Medicines. Well, they’ve made their crusade to insert the teaching of these “medicines,” on the pretext of the cultural rights of the patient and the multicultural context of the practice of the medicine, not only in the curricula of physicians, but of nurses, and from now on, also of dentists, nutritionists, social workers, and psychologists.

Because of my actual position in my work, I was invited, together with some high representatives from my Faculty, to one meeting for the plan to be presented. With a total lack of political sense, I was the only one at that very moment, not subscribing to the plan; the “doctor” in charge didn’t or wouldn’t recognize the false analogy he made when he tried to involve me with the rhetorical question, “Do you believe in Australia?” I was invited to be “open minded,” let them “demonstrate” the plan, etc. Most of my partners, outside the building, expressed their doubts, but cleverly, no one said anything at the meeting, and now I’m paying the price: my desk is filled with articles, references, internet addresses, of every sort of medicine-like notion. Right now I have two more appointments for me to have a new conversation, get convinced and accept from the Psychology staff in my Faculty, their subjects in the curricula. I feel like those visits by Jehovah’s Witnesses, leaving The Watchtower with 20 books.

Paradoxically, the Representatives Chamber just gave the Secretaria de Salud jurisdictional power to qualify media-offered products that are announced as medical drugs or as having therapeutic effects. Maybe that’s a conflict of interest.

In both of the prior cases, there are two factors that keep them more important than the contribution or conceptual value of contents of the workshops, courses or whatever: 1. There are immediate benefits, economical, material and in the way of social image, which are urged to be accepted by the Secretaries or principal. 2. There is apparently no skeptical critical mass to counterbalance these or any other stuff of this kind, in part because of political and public relations, hierarchical pressures and because people feel they would risk their jobs, prestige, or social acceptance.

To end, a pair of comments about the role and defense of the skeptic: Some years ago, I agreed to hold a debate in which my arguments touched sensitive fibers and weren’t liked by most of the assistants or the judge – and I was almost sure to lose because of this, not for weakness of reasoning – Dr. Arturo Aguilar nicknamed me "The Cain's Defense Attorney." Well, I think that is very precisely the job that the critical thinker does.

Pointing out that very clever people like Ph.D's and Nobel laureates endorse some paranormal, UFO, etc. claims, in Mexico we have a saying that's the equivalent to the University of Salamanca dictum: "Lo que Natura non da, Salamanca non presta," ("What is not given by Nature, [The University of] Salamanca doesn’t lend"] which you may already know. Of course, the Mexican saying is more “picante” – hot – and certainly may offend sensibilities, and perhaps it could be improper to publish, but indeed applies to morons with a graduate gown: “Lo doctor no quita lo pendejo”: “A doctors degree doesn’t makes less of an ass.”

We have to congratulate Professor Rosado for standing up to the pressures brought against him, and for articulating his feelings on these matters. This is critical thinking and rationality at its finest, and he has our firm support for his actions. History will remember his stance…

HE’S BAAAACK…!

Back in September, 2005, at www.randi.org/jr/200509/092305northern.html#1, I did a SWIFT item on a former Canadian defense minister, Paul Hellyer. You may want to go to that before reading on.



Now, this nut-case is demanding that governments worldwide disclose “secret alien technologies” that he’s sure they obtained in UFO crashes, and that they apply those secrets to stop climate change, eliminate the burning of fossil fuels, and thus save Earth. Hellyer – whose total conviction that extraterrestrials have visited us, is unshakable – reasons (?) that alien spacecraft, having traveled vast distances to reach Earth, must have very advanced propulsion systems, and/ or use exceptional fuels. He persists in citing the long-discredited 1947 “incident” in Roswell, New Mexico, as one example of alien contact.

At least he’s a former minister…

AND IN NORWAY

Norwegian reader Paul Eid comments:

Being an all-time skeptic, "faithful" debunker of things strange and odd, I happened to come upon a little tidbit in one of our most-read newspapers in Norway. It's about giving homeopathic medicine to an infant if he/she has colic. I'll translate it and show you how strange the treatment method is:

Homeopathy. Many juvenile colic patients receive homeopathic medicine. This medicine is individually made for each individual infant to treat their symptoms. Homeopathic medicine treats colic and is without side-effects. The treatment may last from 1 day to 3 weeks.

Since babies haven't developed any suggestive abilities yet, the treatment takes from 1 day to 3 weeks…! I would never give homeopathic medicines to my children, but a million others would give these sugar-pills to their infant. And give the homeopath a $40 fee.

Hopefully you will find this little tidbit funny. I will try to send more of this, since the Norwegian media is relentless when it comes to unexplainable things and new-age nonsense.

Equal parts of humor and dismay, Paul. Again, children are subjects of medical quackery, animals toyed with to satisfy the notions of the naïve….

I WANT ONE

Reader and good friend Scot Morris tells us….

Sister Laurie just sent me a bumper sticker that reads:

Jesus loves you. But I'm his favorite.



IN CLOSING…

As you read this, I’ll be in Monterey, California, speaking at TED (www.ted.com) – see http://tinyurl.com/yq96p5 – and it’ll be up on their video site very soon afterwards. I’m honored and privileged to be a TED speaker…