| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Elroy Willis" |
| Date: |
04 Sep 2003 07:27:17 AM |
| Object: |
Psychic ***** |
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff? I can't remember the exact name of the show, but it
was the biggest load of staged hooey I've seen in a while. Every
single bit they did has been debunked before, yet they never mentioned
that such things are nothing more than staged magic.
The worst part of the show in my opinion, was a trick in which a woman
stuck a knife up through a board which contained 4 plastic drinking
cups. The supposed psychic wasn't supposed to know which cup
the knife was under. He moved his hand back and forth over the cups
and all the while, he claimed to be receiving psychic energy from the
woman who knew where the knife was. After a long while and all kinds
of mumbo jumbo, he'd smash a cup with his hand, and tada, no knife
underneath the cup. That went on until there was just one cup left,
and he lifted up the cup to reveal the knife.
Thing is, this exact same trick was done a few months ago on a show
which debunked stuff like this. When the knife is stuck up through
the bottom of the board, it pushes a small indicator out the back of
the board, so the trickster knows exactly where the knife is all
along.
The poor woman was convinced she had psychic powers, and all along
it was just a trick. I don't mind stage magic, but when it's done to
fool people into thinking that psychic powers are real, then it
becomes a con instead of just a magic trick, in my opinion.
They even had Uri Geller on the show, bending spoons and apparently
they'd passed out some special spoons to the audience who participated
in his act. After the act was over, the cameras panned to the
audience, and showed several people who had made their spoons
twist all around. One of 'em even look like a pretzel. Where were
the cameras when the audience was bending the spoons? Not
pointed at them for sure.
--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news
.
|
|
| User: "Peacenik" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
07 Sep 2003 03:17:11 PM |
|
|
"Elroy Willis" <elo@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:2saelvc4jcdfj117tt925v6j6ln86vd8k1@4ax.com...
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff? I can't remember the exact name of the show, but it
was the biggest load of staged hooey I've seen in a while. Every
single bit they did has been debunked before, yet they never mentioned
that such things are nothing more than staged magic.
The people who produce these shows are doing society no favors at all. All
they want is money, and they don't mind lying and cheating to get it.
They even had Uri Geller on the show, bending spoons and apparently
they'd passed out some special spoons to the audience who participated
in his act. After the act was over, the cameras panned to the
audience, and showed several people who had made their spoons
twist all around. One of 'em even look like a pretzel. Where were
the cameras when the audience was bending the spoons? Not
pointed at them for sure.
If Geller had from the beginning called himself a magician and admitted that
his tricks are illusion, he could be a celebrated class act now, like Pen &
Teller. Instead, he had to keep insisting he is a psychic, thus digging
himself into a hole where he has to rely on lies and deceit for his
livelihood. He is nothing but a con man. Sickening.
--
Chris
.
|
|
|
| User: "Christopher A. Lee" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
07 Sep 2003 03:19:51 PM |
|
|
On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 20:17:11 GMT, "Peacenik"
<criskity1@insightBBB.ReplaceBBBwithBBandPutDotComAfterItcom> wrote:
"Elroy Willis" <elo@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:2saelvc4jcdfj117tt925v6j6ln86vd8k1@4ax.com...
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff? I can't remember the exact name of the show, but it
was the biggest load of staged hooey I've seen in a while. Every
single bit they did has been debunked before, yet they never mentioned
that such things are nothing more than staged magic.
The people who produce these shows are doing society no favors at all. All
they want is money, and they don't mind lying and cheating to get it.
They even had Uri Geller on the show, bending spoons and apparently
they'd passed out some special spoons to the audience who participated
in his act. After the act was over, the cameras panned to the
audience, and showed several people who had made their spoons
twist all around. One of 'em even look like a pretzel. Where were
the cameras when the audience was bending the spoons? Not
pointed at them for sure.
If Geller had from the beginning called himself a magician and admitted that
his tricks are illusion, he could be a celebrated class act now, like Pen &
Teller. Instead, he had to keep insisting he is a psychic, thus digging
himself into a hole where he has to rely on lies and deceit for his
livelihood. He is nothing but a con man. Sickening.
In his own coutry he is a stage magician.
A former girlfriend saw him in a club there when she went there for a
vacation (when things were a lot more peaceful).
.
|
|
|
| User: "Elroy Willis" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
07 Sep 2003 04:27:38 PM |
|
|
Christopher A. Lee <calee@optonline.net> wrote in alt.atheism
Peacenik wrote:
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote in message
They even had Uri Geller on the show, bending spoons and apparently
they'd passed out some special spoons to the audience who participated
in his act. After the act was over, the cameras panned to the
audience, and showed several people who had made their spoons
twist all around. One of 'em even look like a pretzel. Where were
the cameras when the audience was bending the spoons? Not
pointed at them for sure.
If Geller had from the beginning called himself a magician and admitted that
his tricks are illusion, he could be a celebrated class act now, like Pen &
Teller. Instead, he had to keep insisting he is a psychic, thus digging
himself into a hole where he has to rely on lies and deceit for his
livelihood. He is nothing but a con man. Sickening.
In his own coutry he is a stage magician.
A former girlfriend saw him in a club there when she went there for a
vacation (when things were a lot more peaceful).
Is that what the people consider him, or does he not even claim to
have psychic powers when doing his act there?
--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news
.
|
|
|
| User: "Christopher A. Lee" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
07 Sep 2003 04:38:01 PM |
|
|
On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 21:27:38 GMT, Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net>
wrote:
Christopher A. Lee <calee@optonline.net> wrote in alt.atheism
Peacenik wrote:
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote in message
They even had Uri Geller on the show, bending spoons and apparently
they'd passed out some special spoons to the audience who participated
in his act. After the act was over, the cameras panned to the
audience, and showed several people who had made their spoons
twist all around. One of 'em even look like a pretzel. Where were
the cameras when the audience was bending the spoons? Not
pointed at them for sure.
If Geller had from the beginning called himself a magician and admitted that
his tricks are illusion, he could be a celebrated class act now, like Pen &
Teller. Instead, he had to keep insisting he is a psychic, thus digging
himself into a hole where he has to rely on lies and deceit for his
livelihood. He is nothing but a con man. Sickening.
In his own coutry he is a stage magician.
A former girlfriend saw him in a club there when she went there for a
vacation (when things were a lot more peaceful).
Is that what the people consider him, or does he not even claim to
have psychic powers when doing his act there?
It's how he is presented. Just a stage magician.
.
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "Carol Lee Smith" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
07 Sep 2003 04:59:21 PM |
|
|
On Sun, 7 Sep 2003, Christopher A. Lee wrote:
On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 20:17:11 GMT, "Peacenik"
"Elroy Willis" <elo@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:2saelvc4jcdfj117tt925v6j6ln86vd8k1@4ax.com...
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff? I can't remember the exact name of the show, but it
was the biggest load of staged hooey I've seen in a while. Every
single bit they did has been debunked before, yet they never mentioned
that such things are nothing more than staged magic.
The people who produce these shows are doing society no favors at all. All
they want is money, and they don't mind lying and cheating to get it.
Telepathy gets academic in Sweden
Friday, September 5, 2003 Posted: 4:55 PM EDT (2055 GMT)
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (Reuters) -- Sweden's Lund University, one of the oldest
seats of learning in Scandinavia, will take a leap into the unknown by
appointing northern Europe's first professor of parapsychology, hypnology
and clairvoyance.
Almost 30 candidates, including a self-professed Indian medium and an
American named Heaven Lord, applied for the post, financed by a donation,
whose holder the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet has joked will be a "Ghost
Professor."
<http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/09/05/offbeat.telepathy.reut/index.html>
.
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "Elroy Willis" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
07 Sep 2003 05:13:18 PM |
|
|
Peacenik wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote in message
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff? I can't remember the exact name of the show, but it
was the biggest load of staged hooey I've seen in a while. Every
single bit they did has been debunked before, yet they never mentioned
that such things are nothing more than staged magic.
The people who produce these shows are doing society no favors at all. All
they want is money, and they don't mind lying and cheating to get it.
One of the major networks recently ran a show about psychics and
stage magicians and showed how a bunch of the tricks are done. Don't
remember if it was ABC, NBC, or CBS, but I was actually a bit
surprised when I saw it. It was the one that showed how the knife
under the plastic cup trick was done. They re-ran it a month or two
later, iirc.
They even had Uri Geller on the show, bending spoons and apparently
they'd passed out some special spoons to the audience who participated
in his act. After the act was over, the cameras panned to the
audience, and showed several people who had made their spoons
twist all around. One of 'em even look like a pretzel. Where were
the cameras when the audience was bending the spoons? Not
pointed at them for sure.
If Geller had from the beginning called himself a magician and admitted that
his tricks are illusion, he could be a celebrated class act now, like Pen &
Teller. Instead, he had to keep insisting he is a psychic, thus digging
himself into a hole where he has to rely on lies and deceit for his
livelihood. He is nothing but a con man. Sickening.
I remember seeing him on Johnny Carson when I was a little kid.
I think I actually believed he had telekinetic powers back then.
--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news
.
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "SReeseMe" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
04 Sep 2003 01:14:27 PM |
|
|
Subject: Psychic *****
From: Elroy Willis
Date: 09/04/2003 8:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id: <2saelvc4jcdfj117tt925v6j6ln86vd8k1@4ax.com>
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "LisaKay" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
04 Sep 2003 03:45:04 PM |
|
|
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote in message news:<2saelvc4jcdfj117tt925v6j6ln86vd8k1@4ax.com>...
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff? I can't remember the exact name of the show, but it
was the biggest load of staged hooey I've seen in a while. Every
single bit they did has been debunked before, yet they never mentioned
that such things are nothing more than staged magic.
I missed the show, but I've been really frustrated with the stuff on
that channel. Yes, it's the science FICTION channel, but maybe it
should be just the FICTION channel. Leave the science part out since
nine of what they show is actual science.
-LisaKay
aa #2054
.
|
|
|
| User: "Elroy Willis" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
05 Sep 2003 07:23:31 AM |
|
|
(LisaKay) wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff? I can't remember the exact name of the show, but it
was the biggest load of staged hooey I've seen in a while. Every
single bit they did has been debunked before, yet they never mentioned
that such things are nothing more than staged magic.
I missed the show, but I've been really frustrated with the stuff on
that channel. Yes, it's the science FICTION channel, but maybe it
should be just the FICTION channel. Leave the science part out since
nine of what they show is actual science.
Even though they've got a few crappy shows, they still have some good
movies and series. I watched most of the Outer Limits marathon on
labor day. Hadn't seen many of 'em before.
--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news
.
|
|
|
| User: "Therion Ware" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
05 Sep 2003 08:17:13 AM |
|
|
On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 12:23:31 GMT in alt.atheism, Elroy Willis (Elroy
Willis <elo@airmail.net>) said, directing the reply to alt.atheism
LisaKay2054@hotmail.com (LisaKay) wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff? I can't remember the exact name of the show, but it
was the biggest load of staged hooey I've seen in a while. Every
single bit they did has been debunked before, yet they never mentioned
that such things are nothing more than staged magic.
I missed the show, but I've been really frustrated with the stuff on
that channel. Yes, it's the science FICTION channel, but maybe it
should be just the FICTION channel. Leave the science part out since
nine of what they show is actual science.
Even though they've got a few crappy shows, they still have some good
movies and series. I watched most of the Outer Limits marathon on
labor day. Hadn't seen many of 'em before.
It's funny though....
We get the Outer Limits and Twilight Zone on Sci-Fi UK very
regularly. I think about 6 episodes a day. Some old, some new. On one
of them, yesterday I think, they did the classic "To Serve Man".
For those who don't know, the aliens come to earth, improve our lives
immeasurably, but leave their book behind at the UN.
Anyway, after a year or two, then the benefits of alien technology
have made earth a place of peace and plenty, everyone grows fat on the
bounty of the earth and our female sidekick to the US chief code
breaker comes up with the title of the book, but can't break the text.
The title is: "To Serve Man".
The aliens allow any human who wants to, to visit their planet, which
is so wonderful no one ever wants to come back.
So as our chief code breaker is getting on the alien spaceship, his
sidekick rushes up and shouts "we've translated it - it's a cookbook".
Excellent. <chew> <spit> <swallow>
And I thin the recent series of the Outer Limits did Larry Niven's
"Inconstant Moon" - which I've seen a few times, but never any
reference to him as author. I'm wondering why not.
--
"Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You."
- Attrib: Pauline Reage.
Inexpensive VHS & other video to CD/DVD conversion?
See: <http://www.Video2CD.com>. 35.00 gets your video on DVD.
all posts to this email address are automatically deleted without being read.
** atheist poster child #1 **
.
|
|
|
| User: "Elroy Willis" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
05 Sep 2003 08:40:14 AM |
|
|
Therion Ware <autodelete@city-of-dis.com> wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis said, directing the reply to alt.atheism
Even though they've got a few crappy shows, they still have some good
movies and series. I watched most of the Outer Limits marathon on
labor day. Hadn't seen many of 'em before.
It's funny though....
We get the Outer Limits and Twilight Zone on Sci-Fi UK very
regularly. I think about 6 episodes a day. Some old, some new. On one
of them, yesterday I think, they did the classic "To Serve Man".
This marathon was the new Outer Limits, not the old black and white
ones. Most of 'em are pretty good, imo. The new Twilight Zone kinda
sucks and I hardly every watch it.
For those who don't know, the aliens come to earth, improve our lives
immeasurably, but leave their book behind at the UN.
Anyway, after a year or two, then the benefits of alien technology
have made earth a place of peace and plenty, everyone grows fat on the
bounty of the earth and our female sidekick to the US chief code
breaker comes up with the title of the book, but can't break the text.
The title is: "To Serve Man".
The aliens allow any human who wants to, to visit their planet, which
is so wonderful no one ever wants to come back.
So as our chief code breaker is getting on the alien spaceship, his
sidekick rushes up and shouts "we've translated it - it's a cookbook".
Excellent. <chew> <spit> <swallow>
And I thin the recent series of the Outer Limits did Larry Niven's
"Inconstant Moon" - which I've seen a few times, but never any
reference to him as author. I'm wondering why not.
One of the new Outer Limits episodes was about a race of dinosaurs
that developed transporter technology, and humans could transport to
their planet to learn the technology. On the earth side, once the
human was fully transported, someone had to kill the original human
so there wouldn't be two of 'em. I thought for sure when I was
watching it that the destroyed human would have been dumped in
some bin and the dinosaur would eat 'em, but that's not the way it
turned out. The dinosaurs claimed to be vegetarians, but I thought it
was just a lie to ward of suspicion, since they still had huge meat
eater teeth.
--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news
.
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "Steve Knight" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
05 Sep 2003 06:56:22 PM |
|
|
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff?
I never watch paranormal stuff. I don't find it the least bit
interesting or worth my time. It's like watching a train wreck. All
these minds splattering on the rocks under the bridge.
On the other side, if I ever get an oil leak from my truck to the
driveway and it looks even remotely like jeesus, I'm going to charge
admission and sell T-shirts.
Warlord Steve
BAAWA
www.sonic.net/~wooly
.
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "johac" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
05 Sep 2003 01:32:53 AM |
|
|
In article <1dbe2aec.0309041245.2965ab38@posting.google.com>,
(LisaKay) wrote:
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:<2saelvc4jcdfj117tt925v6j6ln86vd8k1@4ax.com>...
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff? I can't remember the exact name of the show, but it
was the biggest load of staged hooey I've seen in a while. Every
single bit they did has been debunked before, yet they never mentioned
that such things are nothing more than staged magic.
I missed the show, but I've been really frustrated with the stuff on
that channel. Yes, it's the science FICTION channel, but maybe it
should be just the FICTION channel. Leave the science part out since
nine of what they show is actual science.
I've noticed. It seems to be part of a trend. Not only the Sci-Fi
channel, but even the History Channel and the Discovery Channel are
starting to show a lot of the paranormal and biblical stuff. If this,
plus the homogenization of the news media, goes on much longer I'll be
ready to drop kick the TV right out the window.
-LisaKay
aa #2054
--
John Hachmann, aa #1782
Pierre Laplace, when asked by Napoleon on why he made
no mention of a god in his book on astronomy: "Sire,
I have no need of that hypothesis."
.
|
|
|
| User: "Mark K. Bilbo" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
06 Sep 2003 10:56:34 PM |
|
|
On Thu, 04 Sep 2003 23:32:53 -0700, johac wrote:
In article <1dbe2aec.0309041245.2965ab38@posting.google.com>,
LisaKay2054@hotmail.com (LisaKay) wrote:
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:<2saelvc4jcdfj117tt925v6j6ln86vd8k1@4ax.com>...
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff? I can't remember the exact name of the show, but it
was the biggest load of staged hooey I've seen in a while. Every
single bit they did has been debunked before, yet they never mentioned
that such things are nothing more than staged magic.
I missed the show, but I've been really frustrated with the stuff on
that channel. Yes, it's the science FICTION channel, but maybe it
should be just the FICTION channel. Leave the science part out since
nine of what they show is actual science.
I've noticed. It seems to be part of a trend. Not only the Sci-Fi channel,
but even the History Channel and the Discovery Channel are starting to
show a lot of the paranormal and biblical stuff. If this, plus the
homogenization of the news media, goes on much longer I'll be ready to
drop kick the TV right out the window.
It *is getting bad. Discovery Channel used to be a lot better. But they're
on the way down. And Discover magazine was a lot better. Sort of a SciAm
Jr. But it's turned to crap.
And I try not to think about the History Channel doing the babble stuff.
I've been known to yell at the TV...
--
Mark K. Bilbo
.
|
|
|
| User: "Ichimusai" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
07 Sep 2003 06:34:14 AM |
|
|
"Mark" == Mark K Bilbo <iskanipa-y@hoo.com> proclaims:
It *is getting bad. Discovery Channel used to be a lot better. But
they're on the way down. And Discover magazine was a lot better.
Sort of a SciAm Jr. But it's turned to crap.
Speaking of which, there must me a _/*LOT*/_ of films about sharks
around...
Blimey, there are sharks every time I turn the darn thing on... (And
my telly don't receive much else but Discovery).
--
Ichimusai - Tolerated by two cats. ICQ: 1645566 Yahoo: Ichimusai
IRC: Ichimusai#AmigaSWE@IRCnet URI: http://www.ichimusai.org/
"One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief
that one's work is terribly important."
-- Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)
.
|
|
|
| User: "Mark K. Bilbo" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
07 Sep 2003 03:40:22 PM |
|
|
On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 13:34:14 +0200, Ichimusai wrote:
"Mark" == Mark K Bilbo <iskanipa-y@hoo.com> proclaims:
It *is getting bad. Discovery Channel used to be a lot better. But
they're on the way down. And Discover magazine was a lot better. Sort of
a SciAm Jr. But it's turned to crap.
Speaking of which, there must me a _/*LOT*/_ of films about sharks
around...
Blimey, there are sharks every time I turn the darn thing on... (And my
telly don't receive much else but Discovery).
They're turning into a kinda "Animal Planet Extreme!" or some damn thing...
--
Mark K. Bilbo
.
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "johac" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
07 Sep 2003 01:26:00 AM |
|
|
In article <pan.2003.09.07.03.56.34.36445@eac.org>,
"Mark K. Bilbo" <iskanipa-y@hoo.com> wrote:
On Thu, 04 Sep 2003 23:32:53 -0700, johac wrote:
In article <1dbe2aec.0309041245.2965ab38@posting.google.com>,
LisaKay2054@hotmail.com (LisaKay) wrote:
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:<2saelvc4jcdfj117tt925v6j6ln86vd8k1@4ax.com>...
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff? I can't remember the exact name of the show, but it
was the biggest load of staged hooey I've seen in a while. Every
single bit they did has been debunked before, yet they never mentioned
that such things are nothing more than staged magic.
I missed the show, but I've been really frustrated with the stuff on
that channel. Yes, it's the science FICTION channel, but maybe it
should be just the FICTION channel. Leave the science part out since
nine of what they show is actual science.
I've noticed. It seems to be part of a trend. Not only the Sci-Fi channel,
but even the History Channel and the Discovery Channel are starting to
show a lot of the paranormal and biblical stuff. If this, plus the
homogenization of the news media, goes on much longer I'll be ready to
drop kick the TV right out the window.
It *is getting bad. Discovery Channel used to be a lot better. But they're
on the way down. And Discover magazine was a lot better. Sort of a SciAm
Jr. But it's turned to crap.
And I try not to think about the History Channel doing the babble stuff.
I've been known to yell at the TV...
Same here, but I don't yell and swear as much as I do when certain
political figures come on.
--
John Hachmann, aa #1782
Pierre Laplace, when asked by Napoleon on why he made
no mention of a god in his book on astronomy: "Sire,
I have no need of that hypothesis."
.
|
|
|
| User: "Mark K. Bilbo" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
07 Sep 2003 03:41:21 PM |
|
|
On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 23:26:00 -0700, johac wrote:
In article <pan.2003.09.07.03.56.34.36445@eac.org>,
"Mark K. Bilbo" <iskanipa-y@hoo.com> wrote:
On Thu, 04 Sep 2003 23:32:53 -0700, johac wrote:
In article <1dbe2aec.0309041245.2965ab38@posting.google.com>,
LisaKay2054@hotmail.com (LisaKay) wrote:
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:<2saelvc4jcdfj117tt925v6j6ln86vd8k1@4ax.com>...
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff? I can't remember the exact name of the show, but
it was the biggest load of staged hooey I've seen in a while.
Every single bit they did has been debunked before, yet they never
mentioned that such things are nothing more than staged magic.
I missed the show, but I've been really frustrated with the stuff on
that channel. Yes, it's the science FICTION channel, but maybe it
should be just the FICTION channel. Leave the science part out since
nine of what they show is actual science.
I've noticed. It seems to be part of a trend. Not only the Sci-Fi
channel, but even the History Channel and the Discovery Channel are
starting to show a lot of the paranormal and biblical stuff. If this,
plus the homogenization of the news media, goes on much longer I'll be
ready to drop kick the TV right out the window.
It *is getting bad. Discovery Channel used to be a lot better. But
they're on the way down. And Discover magazine was a lot better. Sort of
a SciAm Jr. But it's turned to crap.
And I try not to think about the History Channel doing the babble stuff.
I've been known to yell at the TV...
Same here, but I don't yell and swear as much as I do when certain
political figures come on.
I don't watch certain political figures anymore. I figure if I want to be
lied to, decieved, and fed fantasy *that much, I can just go back to
church...
--
Mark K. Bilbo
.
|
|
|
| User: "johac" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
07 Sep 2003 11:44:38 PM |
|
|
In article <pan.2003.09.07.20.41.20.862452@eac.org>,
"Mark K. Bilbo" <iskanipa-y@hoo.com> wrote:
On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 23:26:00 -0700, johac wrote:
In article <pan.2003.09.07.03.56.34.36445@eac.org>,
"Mark K. Bilbo" <iskanipa-y@hoo.com> wrote:
On Thu, 04 Sep 2003 23:32:53 -0700, johac wrote:
In article <1dbe2aec.0309041245.2965ab38@posting.google.com>,
LisaKay2054@hotmail.com (LisaKay) wrote:
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:<2saelvc4jcdfj117tt925v6j6ln86vd8k1@4ax.com>...
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff? I can't remember the exact name of the show, but
it was the biggest load of staged hooey I've seen in a while.
Every single bit they did has been debunked before, yet they never
mentioned that such things are nothing more than staged magic.
I missed the show, but I've been really frustrated with the stuff on
that channel. Yes, it's the science FICTION channel, but maybe it
should be just the FICTION channel. Leave the science part out since
nine of what they show is actual science.
I've noticed. It seems to be part of a trend. Not only the Sci-Fi
channel, but even the History Channel and the Discovery Channel are
starting to show a lot of the paranormal and biblical stuff. If this,
plus the homogenization of the news media, goes on much longer I'll be
ready to drop kick the TV right out the window.
It *is getting bad. Discovery Channel used to be a lot better. But
they're on the way down. And Discover magazine was a lot better. Sort of
a SciAm Jr. But it's turned to crap.
And I try not to think about the History Channel doing the babble stuff.
I've been known to yell at the TV...
Same here, but I don't yell and swear as much as I do when certain
political figures come on.
I don't watch certain political figures anymore. I figure if I want to be
lied to, decieved, and fed fantasy *that much, I can just go back to
church...
With Rev. Bushie and his choir, is there that much difference?
--
John Hachmann, aa #1782
Pierre Laplace, when asked by Napoleon on why he made
no mention of a god in his book on astronomy: "Sire,
I have no need of that hypothesis."
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "Elroy Willis" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
07 Sep 2003 04:06:36 PM |
|
|
Mark K. Bilbo <iskanipa-y@hoo.com> wrote in alt.atheism
On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 23:26:00 -0700, johac wrote:
Mark K. Bilbo <iskanipa-y@hoo.com> wrote:
It *is getting bad. Discovery Channel used to be a lot better. But
they're on the way down. And Discover magazine was a lot better. Sort of
a SciAm Jr. But it's turned to crap.
And I try not to think about the History Channel doing the babble stuff.
I've been known to yell at the TV...
Same here, but I don't yell and swear as much as I do when certain
political figures come on.
I don't watch certain political figures anymore. I figure if I want to be
lied to, decieved, and fed fantasy *that much, I can just go back to
church...
Where's your sense of adventure?
--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news
.
|
|
|
| User: "Mark K. Bilbo" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
07 Sep 2003 07:22:12 PM |
|
|
On Sun, 07 Sep 2003 21:06:36 +0000, Elroy Willis wrote:
Mark K. Bilbo <iskanipa-y@hoo.com> wrote in alt.atheism
On Sat, 06 Sep 2003 23:26:00 -0700, johac wrote:
Mark K. Bilbo <iskanipa-y@hoo.com> wrote:
It *is getting bad. Discovery Channel used to be a lot better. But
they're on the way down. And Discover magazine was a lot better. Sort
of a SciAm Jr. But it's turned to crap.
And I try not to think about the History Channel doing the babble
stuff. I've been known to yell at the TV...
Same here, but I don't yell and swear as much as I do when certain
political figures come on.
I don't watch certain political figures anymore. I figure if I want to
be lied to, decieved, and fed fantasy *that much, I can just go back to
church...
Where's your sense of adventure?
The judge wouldn't let me keep it...
--
Mark K. Bilbo
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "Mike Combs" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
04 Sep 2003 12:48:09 PM |
|
|
Elroy Willis wrote:
After the act was over, the cameras panned to the
audience, and showed several people who had made their spoons
twist all around. One of 'em even look like a pretzel. Where were
the cameras when the audience was bending the spoons? Not
pointed at them for sure.
I was watching one video where they passed the spoons around and instructed
everybody in how to bend spoons psychically. The instructor then said, "OK,
everybody keep working their spoons, and give a holler if you have a success,
but while we're waiting for that, I'd like for us to bring the lights down a
bit, and we're going to watch this video..."
If I was trying to engineer a situation where people could feel comfortable
with the idea of attempting to cheat, I don't think I could hardly beat dimming
the lights and directing everybody's attention to a TV set.
--
Regards,
Mike Combs
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We should ask, critically and with appeal to the numbers, whether the
best site for a growing advancing industrial society is Earth, the
Moon, Mars, some other planet, or somewhere else entirely.
Surprisingly, the answer will be inescapable - the best site is
"somewhere else entirely."
Gerard O'Neill - "The High Frontier"
.
|
|
|
| User: "Elroy Willis" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
04 Sep 2003 01:45:46 PM |
|
|
Mike Combs <mikecombs@nospam.comchgnospam2ti> wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis wrote:
After the act was over, the cameras panned to the
audience, and showed several people who had made their spoons
twist all around. One of 'em even look like a pretzel. Where were
the cameras when the audience was bending the spoons? Not
pointed at them for sure.
I was watching one video where they passed the spoons around and instructed
everybody in how to bend spoons psychically. The instructor then said, "OK,
everybody keep working their spoons, and give a holler if you have a success,
but while we're waiting for that, I'd like for us to bring the lights down a
bit, and we're going to watch this video..."
If I was trying to engineer a situation where people could feel comfortable
with the idea of attempting to cheat, I don't think I could hardly beat dimming
the lights and directing everybody's attention to a TV set.
I dunno what kind of spoons they gave the audience, but I'll bet they
were made of some easy-to-bend material instead of hardened steel.
Or the people they showed were just fake audience members to begin
with.
I swear, while I was watching the show, I was expecting a segment
after each act that showed how the trick was done, since all the ones
I saw have been debunked, but alas, the show led people to believe all
the stuff was real or true.
--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news
.
|
|
|
| User: "Claytons Roasting On An Open Fire" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
04 Sep 2003 08:58:26 PM |
|
|
"Elroy Willis" <elo@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:3o1flvk3193t1chdeblcf94am6m0rulip0@4ax.com...
Mike Combs <mikecombs@nospam.comchgnospam2ti> wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis wrote:
After the act was over, the cameras panned to the
audience, and showed several people who had made their spoons
twist all around. One of 'em even look like a pretzel. Where were
the cameras when the audience was bending the spoons? Not
pointed at them for sure.
I was watching one video where they passed the spoons around and
instructed
everybody in how to bend spoons psychically. The instructor then said,
"OK,
everybody keep working their spoons, and give a holler if you have a
success,
but while we're waiting for that, I'd like for us to bring the lights
down a
bit, and we're going to watch this video..."
If I was trying to engineer a situation where people could feel
comfortable
with the idea of attempting to cheat, I don't think I could hardly beat
dimming
the lights and directing everybody's attention to a TV set.
I dunno what kind of spoons they gave the audience, but I'll bet they
were made of some easy-to-bend material instead of hardened steel.
Or the people they showed were just fake audience members to begin
with.
I swear, while I was watching the show, I was expecting a segment
after each act that showed how the trick was done, since all the ones
I saw have been debunked, but alas, the show led people to believe all
the stuff was real or true.
The way spoon bending is done is that the spoons are "worked on" before the
show. Someone bends them back and forth a bit first to weaken them to the
point of cracking. The spoons still look and sound solid when banged
against an object, but a few subtle bends and the spoon comes apart...but
you hold the two parts together pretending they are bending or melting by
your touch. I did the same trick years ago with a metal ruler. I showed
the person the straight ruler...then when they were distracted I quickly
bent the ruler using my chair...but I pushed the ruler flat down against the
desk keeping the pressure on it to keep it flat. Then as I started to rub
the centre of the ruler I released the pressure slowly and hey presto the
ruler appeared to be bending upwards by me rubbing the surface. James Randi
has shown how to do this a thousand times...but they won't listen..they
don't want to.
--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "Brainfried Sysadmin" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
04 Sep 2003 07:54:43 AM |
|
|
On Thu, 04 Sep 2003 12:27:17 +0000, Elroy Willis wrote:
Anyone else catch the show the other night on sci-fi channel about
paranormal stuff? I can't remember the exact name of the show, but it was
the biggest load of staged hooey I've seen in a while. Every single bit
they did has been debunked before, yet they never mentioned that such
things are nothing more than staged magic.
The worst part of the show in my opinion, was a trick in which a woman
stuck a knife up through a board which contained 4 plastic drinking cups.
The supposed psychic wasn't supposed to know which cup the knife was
under. He moved his hand back and forth over the cups and all the while,
he claimed to be receiving psychic energy from the woman who knew where
the knife was. After a long while and all kinds of mumbo jumbo, he'd
smash a cup with his hand, and tada, no knife underneath the cup. That
went on until there was just one cup left, and he lifted up the cup to
reveal the knife.
Thing is, this exact same trick was done a few months ago on a show which
debunked stuff like this. When the knife is stuck up through the bottom
of the board, it pushes a small indicator out the back of the board, so
the trickster knows exactly where the knife is all along.
The poor woman was convinced she had psychic powers, and all along it was
just a trick. I don't mind stage magic, but when it's done to fool people
into thinking that psychic powers are real, then it becomes a con instead
of just a magic trick, in my opinion.
They even had Uri Geller on the show, bending spoons and apparently they'd
passed out some special spoons to the audience who participated in his
act. After the act was over, the cameras panned to the audience, and
showed several people who had made their spoons twist all around. One of
'em even look like a pretzel. Where were the cameras when the audience
was bending the spoons? Not pointed at them for sure.
I clicked through the channel and caught Uri Geller on there. I watched
for a few seconds, rolled my eyes, and kept on clicking.
.
|
|
|
| User: "Elroy Willis" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
04 Sep 2003 08:18:08 AM |
|
|
Brainfried Sysadmin <no@way.com> wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis wrote:
<snip>
They even had Uri Geller on the show, bending spoons and apparently they'd
passed out some special spoons to the audience who participated in his
act. After the act was over, the cameras panned to the audience, and
showed several people who had made their spoons twist all around. One of
'em even look like a pretzel. Where were the cameras when the audience
was bending the spoons? Not pointed at them for sure.
I clicked through the channel and caught Uri Geller on there. I watched
for a few seconds, rolled my eyes, and kept on clicking.
He asked the home audience to put a spoon on top of their tv sets, and
his psychic powers were supposed to bend the spoons somehow.
Interestingly, or predictably, they didn't mention any results from
that part of the act. Just for fun, I actually put a spoon on top of
my tv, and guess what?
--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news
.
|
|
|
| User: "Claytons Roasting On An Open Fire" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
04 Sep 2003 08:52:04 PM |
|
|
"Elroy Willis" <elo@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:udeelvgff0c4eh6hlro5al3gotr9eq1q0m@4ax.com...
Brainfried Sysadmin <no@way.com> wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis wrote:
<snip>
They even had Uri Geller on the show, bending spoons and apparently
they'd
passed out some special spoons to the audience who participated in his
act. After the act was over, the cameras panned to the audience, and
showed several people who had made their spoons twist all around. One
of
'em even look like a pretzel. Where were the cameras when the audience
was bending the spoons? Not pointed at them for sure.
I clicked through the channel and caught Uri Geller on there. I watched
for a few seconds, rolled my eyes, and kept on clicking.
He asked the home audience to put a spoon on top of their tv sets, and
his psychic powers were supposed to bend the spoons somehow.
Interestingly, or predictably, they didn't mention any results from
that part of the act. Just for fun, I actually put a spoon on top of
my tv, and guess what?
It fucked up your reception? The ice cream on the spoon dripped down into
the TV? Your wife cracked the shits and called you a lazy sod for not
putting the spoon in the sink?
--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news
.
|
|
|
| User: "Robibnikoff" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
05 Sep 2003 07:42:43 AM |
|
|
In article <3f57ebbe$0$14563$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au>, Claytons Roasting
On An Open Fire says...
snippage
It fucked up your reception? The ice cream on the spoon dripped down into
the TV? Your wife cracked the shits and called you a lazy sod for not
putting the spoon in the sink?
"Cracked the shits"? <chortle> :D
Robyn
Resident Witchypoo & EAC Spellcaster
#1557
.
|
|
|
|
|
| User: "Psymaster" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
04 Sep 2003 04:15:28 PM |
|
|
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote on Thu, 04 Sep 2003
13:18:08 GMT in alt.atheism:
Just for fun, I actually put a spoon on top of
my tv, and guess what?
Although I don't believe in stuff like that, I vividly
remember when I was a child (~12 years old) they were
broadcasting some David Copperfield shows on Greek TV. And
there was this trick he was doing from home. I tried it twice,
once it didn't work. At another time though he was doing one
trick with a deck of cards. He told the viewers to get a deck
of nine cards, without specifying which ones. I send my
brother and he fetched none cards completely at random. Then
he had us do stuff with the cards and he told us what the card
that renained after all the discarding was left. He was right.
It amazes me even today and I still can't understand how it
was done. Probably by persuading me and my younger brother.
I mean, there was a big possibility that the card he said was
not even in the deck to begin with!
Anybody know the explanation to this?
--
"I believe in nothing, I fear nothing, I am free."
-Nikos Kazantzakis
.
|
|
|
| User: "Kumachan" |
|
| Title: Re: Psychic ***** |
04 Sep 2003 10:46:17 PM |
|
|
On 4 Sep 2003 21:15:28 GMT, Psymaster <nosmapplease@somewhere.com>
wrote:
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote on Thu, 04 Sep 2003
13:18:08 GMT in alt.atheism:
Just for fun, I actually put a spoon on top of
my tv, and guess what?
Although I don't believe in stuff like that, I vividly
remember when I was a child (~12 years old) they were
broadcasting some David Copperfield shows on Greek TV. And
there was this trick he was doing from home. I tried it twice,
once it didn't work. At another time though he was doing one
trick with a deck of cards. He told the viewers to get a deck
of nine cards, without specifying which ones. I send my
brother and he fetched none cards completely at random. Then
he had us do stuff with the cards and he told us what the card
that renained after all the discarding was left. He was right.
It amazes me even today and I still can't understand how it
was done. Probably by persuading me and my younger brother.
I mean, there was a big possibility that the card he said was
not even in the deck to begin with!
Anybody know the explanation to this?
It's all based on mathematics and one "constant" that no matter how
you manipulate the numbers, the answer always comes out the same way.
Let me give you an example:
Pick a number between 1 and 10.
Multiply that number by 2.
Add 8 to your new number.
Divide that number by 2.
Subtract your original number.
You should have a number between 1 and 8. (If not, put the beer down
and recheck your math)
Take your number, and match it to it's corresponding letter in the
alphabet. So 1=A, 2=B, 3=C and so on.
Now, think of any country in the world whose name begins with that
letter.
Now, take the next letter from the one you had in the last direction
(for example, if you had the letter B, you would now use the letter
C). Think of an animal that begins with that letter.
Now, think about the colour of that animal.
Stay with me here... Scroll
Now, think about the country, animal and the animal's colour.
Concentrate very hard! I will try to tune in with you.
..... I must be getting something wrong here. There are no grey
elephants in Denmark.
Did you see the trick? You're fooled into thinking that you had total
free will when it came to picking your number, and you did. However,
that's where it ends.
Let's examine this closely shall we?
You pick any number between 1 and 10. For the sake of arguement, we'll
call it "X".
So you take X and multiply by 2, giving you 2X.
Adding 8 makes it 2X + 8.
Divide by 2 and you get 2X + 8 / 2 = X + 4.
Subtract X and you're left with 4.
No matter what you do, your answer will be 4. Don't believe me? Try it
with any other number between 1 and 10. Hey, try it with any number
between 1 and 1354673438576, you'll still get 4 as your answer.
Since the answer is 4, the letter you choose must be D. And how many
*well known* countries out there begin with the letter D? Oh, there
are some countries that begin with D, not a hell of a lot, but there
are some. Problem is, the most well known would be Denmark.
And since D was your original letter, the next letter must be E. And
as it's been taught in school for as long as I can remember, "E is for
Elephant". So, most likely, you'll choose elephant for your animal.
And as we all know, pacyderms are grey, we wind up with Denmark,
elephant and grey. It's not necessarily a foolproof system as I wound
up with a black emu from Djibouti, but then I've always been a bit of
a Geography nut.
Copperfield would have done something similar to this.
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related Articles |
|
|
