Past Lives and the Skeptic (on Paranormalia)

Paranormalia has an item up about rabid skepticism on reincarnation cases: Past Lives and the Skeptic.

Randi, Dahling, Give It Up Already!

Randi, Dahling, Give It Up Already!

That cranky pathological skeptibunkie Amazing Randi and psychic spoon bender Uri Geller have been at each other for years. They’ve sued, they’ve fought, they’ve accused each other of all kinds of things. And they’re still at it.

This time it’s Randi in this latest round. In his newsletter Randi once again annoys Uri and pokes at him. Christ almighty, doesn’t he have anything else to do?

Anyway, here Randi proudly recounts the famous Johnny Carson Tonight Show episode where Uri failed. (I’ve seen Uri not fail, including a very interesting experience with myself and a guy I was dating at the time, when Geller was on the Tom Snyder program. But I digress . . .)

In short, Uri failed due to Randi’s premeditated efforts, along with the support of the Tonight show’s producers. (Carson was a magician himself and a skeptic.)

Before we get to that however, note Randi’s paranoid claim of what (allegedly) always happened to him before Geller appeared on TV:

I explained to Fred that I’d just received one of the “hang up” calls that frequently preceded a Geller appearance, the sort of calls that seemed to be determining whether I was – as hoped – in New Jersey, and not waiting around the corner in a faraway TV studio to jump out and surprise Uri. I also knew that Geller would abort any appearance if I were there, and I saw a way of making it impossible – by remote control – for him to pull his usual tricks.

Then Randi directs the show’s staff to help set-up Geller:

I also saw the opportunity of showing that anyone who was simply instructed by an expert could avoid allowing trickery to be used. I asked to speak to Paul – the prop man on the show whose last name now escapes me – and by phone I told him exactly what to do with the props so that Geller would be foiled.

The thing about Geller is his long, colorful, interesting and weird life. The road that led him from there to here is full of “high strangeness” and it’s a moot point if he’s really psychic, or a charlatan, etc. As usual, the pathological skepticism mentality refuses to look at anything in context, any history, any background, any “big picture” stuff. Geller’s life is full of intrigue, mind control, government ops, UFOs, and all kinds of juicy Fortean stuff that leaves one -- anyone truly curious and thinking that is -- to go “WTF?!” This doesn’t say that Geller is a medium or not full of crap; in fact, I think a lot of the time he is certainly full of crap. In a good hearted way. Heh.

As usual, all that has been missed by the bull headed world view of the randibots, and Geller’s weird and odd journey is utterly ignored.

Sources:
Hat tip to the Daily Grail
http://www.dailygrail.com/

JREF
http://www.randi.org/joom/swift/swift/swift-may-23-2008.html

Hoaxing the Ghost Hunters

Whatever for, dahlings? Why? New thread on JREF; poster wants ideas, so he can set up "illusions" and hoaxes at the local cemetary during the area's Ghost Hunter's group outing to the same place.

http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=114333

Magnetic Man vs. Amazing Randi!

The parapsychology articles and blog blog has an article about the infamous "Challenge", Randi, and Magnet Man, more correctly known as Miroslaw Magola.


http://www.mind-energy.net/


http://www.mind-energy.net/archives/289-The-true-story-about-Mr.-
James-Randi-and-me,-Miroslaw-MAGOLA,-the-Magnetic-Man.html

“

There is no requirement that every statement be a scientific statement. Nor are non-scientific statements worthless or irrational simply because they are not scientific. “She sings beautifully.” “He is a good man.” “I love you.” These are all non-scientific statements that can be of great value. Science is not the only useful way of looking at life.” ~ William D. Phillips, Nobel Laureate.

I saw this quote over at The Daily Grail today and liked it. Thought it was fitting for here.

http://www.dailygrail.com/

Blogsquatcher: Skeptify Me

One of my favorite Bigfoot blogs, Blogsquatcher, has a good article on skeptics: Skeptify Me.
In commenting about the writer of a piece on the Ohio Bigfoot conference, blogsquatcher guy writes:

If my opinion of his dirty deed were somehow brought to his attention, he would no doubt say, "that's not what I think, that's what skeptics think." Right. But this article is presented from a skeptics point of view. The way things are worded tells you that. You only have to look at how he uses the word "believers" to describe bigfoot researchers. The word "believer" is wrapped up in religious overtones, and suggests, in our modern world, an uncritical, naive mindset.

Semantics, the way we frame things, the words we use has everything to do with where we're at, and where we wish others were at. Anyway, I'm beginning to feel a rant coming on, so I'll leave you now, but encourage you to take a look at Blogsquatcher's piece.

Sheldrake and Dogs That Know

On the Skeptico blog, a good item on Dr. Sheldrake's experiments on dogs that know when their owners are coming home. And, as an added bonus, the e-mail exchanges between Skeptico blog host Alex Tsakiris and James Randi.

Debating With A Skepster

Just found this blog, where this article appears: Debating with a Skepster.


He's on to them as well, . . . :)

Lesley at Grey Matters: "Skepticism or Debunkery?"

Lesley has a very good article on the difference between skeptics and debunkers in her Grey Matters column for Binnall of America.
Of debunkers, Lesley comments:

They are not skeptics, but they do confuse people by pretending to be.

Indeed! And this:

There is something, though, that makes debunkers far more annoying to me and that is that they cloak themselves in skepticism and in science. Many of them being neither skeptic nor scientist. Whereas the "true believers" are thought, by many, to be crazy and pretty much ignored in most serious discussions, debunkers are not.

I could go on, but read Lesley's article for yourself.

A Skeptoid's 20 Year Plus War

One characteristic of the pathological skeptic is their incredible tenacity. Combined with paranoid pettiness, this often crosses the line from simple crankiness to all out psychosis.
John Merrell is one such person- he's been after psychic Noreen Rainer for years. YEARS. He lost to her in court once, but even after that, couldn't let it go. Now he's boasting on all the usual skeptic places on the internet he's "won" -- for Raineer has declared bankruptcy, and the estate is supposedly going to pay him off, including, supposedly, the rights to one of her books.

Some people have way too much time on their hands. And it's sad when it affects others. Oh I know, Merrell is fighting the good fight, he's one of the self appointed Crusaders protecting rationalism. That's what they tell themselves to justify their behavior.

Is Noreen Rainer "real?" I have no idea. Who cares?

Her authenticity is not the point, although of course that is exactly what the Merrells of the world will tell you.