Making a Difference – YES!
After linking up with The Center for Inquiry West, I’m proud to announce that yes, there are powerful groups of people actively out there formed to combat the woo. CFI’s own Independent Investigations Group (IIG) is going strong, attracting new members including myself and working on up to a dozen applications for their own $50,000 dollar challenge. The up-coming issue of The Skeptical Inquirer will feature a four page spread on the IIG. Reading it will hopefully start a firestorm of new investigative teams that also want to make a difference.
Situated as it is in the heart of Hollywood, CFI’s Executive Director Jim Underdown keeps his plate loaded with all the tinsel-town nut-jobs that are trying to get media attention and climb on board for the cash prize. It’s like Hollywood Squares for crackpots. I have spent a good part of my life performing the kind of things these cuckoos are attempting to foist off as real, so most of it is just another bad magic act to me. Still, I’m amazed at the line up of “talent.” Such things as using a “sender” and receiver” to identify playing cards goes at least as far back as the 1840’s and a Scottish guy named John Henry Anderson; “The Wizard of the North.” CFI’s so-called paranormal applicants might as well be doing the Bra Trick. That routine would certainly be more colorful and entertaining than some of the claims being pitched to the IIG. If you think the latest “Balloon Boy” incident shows how desperate people can be to get attention, watch out… that fiasco was only the tip of the iceberg. Expect to see lots of other people stepping up to the plate. There are more starving crazies out there in woo-land than ever before and after talking to a few of the IIG crew, many of us agreed that we are indeed in The Golden Age of the Con.
That's me second from the left, second row from the front at a recent IIG meeting.
At the meeting I attended last Saturday, there were more than enough investigations to keep my mentalist mind overwhelmed for the three and a half hour meeting. With over 40 people in attendance, many of whom I was happy to say are not only bright, enthusiastic and vocal, but also ready to hit the streets for the skeptical cause. The existence of a powerful hands -on group that I had no idea was already working Ambush Skepticism was quite impressive to listen to and experience.
Without spilling any of the beans that are being lined up, I think I can safely say without compromising the goals set that everything from therapeutic and healing touch, UFO contacts, x-ray vision, dowsing, telepathy, aura reading and several other completely over-the-top claims are all on the boards not just for serious investigation, but counter attack in-your-face interventions as well. It was inspiring to see that many in the group have already staged some strong Guerrilla Skepticism events, stings and public demonstrations showing clearly what can be done if you have a little nerve and willpower to stand up and make a noise. I’m looking forward to putting my own talents to good use with this committed task force. If you think skeptics are sitting around wringing their hands and whining, …think again. These folks are damn serious about doing something and doing it right.
Chatting about woo with the CFI.
With Bernie Madoff on one end of the criminal spectrum and Sylvia Browne still hanging around at the other, we can all look forward to a lot of hard work if we are to pull America out of the grip of real economic terrorism. Where did all that money go Bernie? Can you say 50 billion? I would need more space than this blog line could handle to put in all the zeroes needed to cover all the money that’s gone missing in the last five years, and that’s not evencounting billions in cash that the Pentagon flew into Iraq straight from Federal Reserve vaults via military transports, and for which there has been little or no accounting. We’ve been scammed. We are getting scammed right now and if we don’t at least take a shot at the lower rungs on the con artist ladder like Coffey, Browne and Lisa Williams, et al; we will have nothing to blame but ourselves when we see their ilk running for office in the next election.
Bernie: the Icon of The Con
We can’t always expect to getin the court rooms or on the front lawns of the Big Guys who are out there taking the big chunks out of our tax dollars and laughing their way to the bank, but with local grassroots groups like IIG, people with vision and a need to act up against the more accessible frauds we see daily on our street corners can be an effective way to start at the bottom and work up. Taking a stand works. I have seen the proof in IIG’s documented files. It’s happening.
Groups like CFI’s IIG are actually DOING SOMETHING about the insane bizarro-world we are all trying to navigate our way through. They are notjusttalking the talk, they are actively walking the walk and they are coming to a street near YOU Mr. Coffey, Browne, Moon …or whoever. This is no mere pipe-dream or idle threat. It’s a traveling reality show in the making.
In addition to Force One activities which are continuing, I’m again pleading for everyone who has read or been involved with this blog to get up off their arses and get involved with something in your own community. We can’t wait for The Skeptologists any longer. That dog don’t hunt. As I have said; there’s no money in the truth. Money = Power and that’s the end of that tale. Take action or face the consequences.
Once you see for yourself that there are crowds of like-minded individuals searching to align themselves with people just like you, you will bond with an underground movement that cannotbe seen on CNN or Fox news. It’s growing like flowers in concrete with anger, determination and intention. Plus this kind of activism is fun too! Laughter is good medicine. When you can laugh and see the humor in what’s passing for news and information these days and share those moments with others, it’s the beginning of a healthy healing process. CFI also hosts a “SkepticalDrinking” group at a local pub and the scene is looking like it’s getting too big for the room. People are getting rowdy and it looks like it could spill into the streets at any moment. Right on! If you aren’t already working with a group to irritate, subvert or downright squelch those little pockets of nonsensical woo in your burg, there’s no better time to start one up of your own than right now.
AND BTW: If you don’t think that just one person can make a difference, think twice. The picture below shows Sterling Gerbic Forsyth, a young lad who with a few friends literally "took to the streets" to protest a Scientology fest last weekend. The Scientologists got so irritated that they found it necessary to throw rotten fish guts in the bushes near the protesters in a vain effort to keep them away. It didn’t work. Yeah Sterling!
And More Good News:Susan Gerbic-Forsyth, (Sterling’s mon) sent me the following:
“I just noticed that Sylvia Browne’s only support site is not listed when you search for her, nor is it coming up on the Wikipedia page. It was gosylvia.com I think? It was hosted ot Sylvia’s son Christopher’s girlfriend (who is totally supported by Sylvia and also gives readings for half the price). I wonder if the girlfriend and Christopher have broken up? Or maybe they just got tired of deleting all the negative comments from their forum. Maybe banning people who spoke out against Sylvia was just too time consuming? From Robert Lancaster’s site: www.stopsylvia.com: Both pro-Sylvia sites are down. I love the opening line of the second site…the only blog…to defend…Sylvia; Love it! The ONLY BLOG and it is no longer hosted! GoSylviaBrowne.com – “An online community devoted to sharing stories, validations and faith.” Evidently created in response to this site: In Sylvia’s Defense… – “The only blog whose sole purpose is to defend the mission, message, and practices of a well-intentioned spiritual teacher, psychic Sylvia Browne. Because we’re all allowed a fair trial.”
So are we making a difference?
You bet.
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You mention the Madoff situation. One thing that bothered me is that the news kept throwing around the figure $65 billion lost, but never answered my follow up question about whether that was money in or money promised. That is, if you give me $1 and I promise to deliver $20 but never do, did you lose a dollar or twenty dollars? Really, you are only out $1, or actually that plus what you might have made investing with an honest fund.
Finally an article comes up and tells me what I want to know. It turns out that the $65 billion figure is the amount of promised payout. You might think that is good news, but the actual amount of money put into Madoff “investments” is still around $13 billion.
As to where it went, the article’s main point was that a crew of forensic accounts are coming to the conclusion that we might never be able to account for all of it. On the one hand that makes sense, because why would a crook keep track of his ill gotten gains, but on the other hand it does not because you would think such a con would require reasonably accurate bookkeeping. How are you going to know who to pay first and when and thus maximize your take on the scam if you don’t keep good records?
FO:10/25/2009ConfirmIceberg+ATL11/14/09-flt1148@1333hrsHammerTransitionCompleteExpected11/10/09KrowbarstopreadFO
Thanks for the mention!
Best,
rsl
By the way, the erstwhile gsylviabrowne.com was not hosted by the girlfriend of Sylvia’s son Christopher Dufresne, but by the then-girlfriend, now-wife of her other son whose name elludes me at the moment.
ROBERT LANCASTER!