IIG Celebrates Ten Years of Independent Investigation
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About Mark Edward
Mark Edward is a professional mentalist specializing in magic of the mind. His amazing mind reading techniques make a statement about our limited powers of observation and our refusal to believe manipulation can easily happen to the best of us. He has performed as a psychic entertainer at the Hollywood hot spot Magic Castle as well as world-class venues, nightclubs and corporate events. His television appearances include A&E's Houdini the Great Escape, NBC's The other Side, two episodes of TLC's Exploring the Unknown, Emmy nominated, Penn & Teller: Bullshit! Talking to the Dead, and most recently he was the guest Medium on the season finale of Last Comic Standing.
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- Bob Mcbride commented on Mythbusters: Where Is the Mythbusting? at 1:22 pm, September 2, 2010
- Rhacodactylus commented on Mythbusters: Where Is the Mythbusting? at 1:20 pm, September 2, 2010
- Bob Mcbride commented on Mythbusters: Where Is the Mythbusting? at 1:08 pm, September 2, 2010
- Max commented on The Free Exercise of Stupidity
Dr. Laura, the Ground Zero Mosque, and the 1st Amendment at 12:58 pm, September 2, 2010 - Max commented on Mythbusters: Where Is the Mythbusting? at 12:06 pm, September 2, 2010
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B is for Bradbury
Ray Bradbury 3 Days before 90
The man who helped put the fiction into science fiction and (among other things) envisioned flat-screen wall-to-wall television way back in 1951 turned 90 this week. Obsessed from an early age with death, old age and a longing to retain the eternal child in all of us, his works manage to encapsulate themes of the unknown that playfully bounce back and forth between fantasy and science with the greatest of ease. Ray has been a friend and mentor to me for many years and I can say with that in mind that there are few writers who have humanized the world of science more than him. He’s a national treasure and in this blog I will share a few of the magical moments and thoughts he has shared with me. (continue reading…)
Bulwer Gets His Due
Knebworth House: My Kind of Joint
It had to happen and I’m surprised it took this long. The UK has finally given up the ghost and supplied us with a haunted home that really deserves it’s share of attention – and tourists. The ancestral home since 1490 of politician, poet, playwright and prolific writer of early occult and science fiction themes, Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803- 1873) is now officially haunted! At least that’s what his great great grandson 73 year old Lord David Cobbold is telling the press. (continue reading…)
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Woo CEO Says Woman’s Fetus Has “Negative Agenda”
Okay: So this is a touchy little tale of woo with a possibly questionable source, but looking into this stuff is what I’m here for. This could be another worst law suit joke or this decade’s answer to “Rosemary’s Baby”(1968). Originally our blog site was set-up to parlay different and interesting stories that The Skeptologists team might one day explore. This one takes the cake. Read no further and steer clear if you are easily offended by religious impiety or work for a company that pushes a spiritual and religious atmosphere in the workplace “based on concepts incorporating universal energy, concepts of reincarnation, and intuitive spiritualism.” (continue reading…)
Psychic Offers Up Vatican Tabernacle for a Mere $22,000.00
The Face of Greed
Drakar Druella just wanted a palm reading, but later down the line after paying out the starting fee of $265.00 to psychic Cathy Stevens, he found himself paying for his own personal tabernacle, direct from the Vatican. And it only cost him $22,000! What a steal. Drakar is now bankrupt to the tune of somewhere near $150,000 and going on record to warn others not to waste their money on phony psychics. Good for you Drakar!
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Skeptologists Usurped?
The Fact or Faked Team
The Syfy Channel now has their own paranormal fighters; “Fact or Faked” who look amazingly like a younger, hipper version of the Skeptoplogists - and this show has TWO women! Now that’s progress.
“Fact or Faked” looks to be a nice segue from fiction to fact, which is what has been needed in the midst of the paranormal glut we have all been suffering through. Such a breakthrough in critical programming is long overdue. The blurb I read says:
“So give Syfy credit for showing “Fact or Faked,” which takes a mildly skeptical approach to certain paranormal claims. The show even has a methodical and academic tone, in contrast to the exotic sexiness of the claims themselves.” (continue reading…)
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I Wasn’t There…But
The Center of Attention
No, I’m not mentioning any names. No way I’m stepping into that mess again. I want to be absolutely clear that this blog is not about any individual person, rather it is about a set of circumstances that have led to a controversy that is whirling around like an endlessly running toilet on the Internet and for which many skeptics are in such a tizzy. Lots of people are curious to know what happened and why at TAM8′s Sunday night “demonstration.” There are many questions and few answers. That’s fine for the most part and please believe me when I state that I personally understand why “radio silence” has been invoked by so many. It’s a sticky issue that defies any easy explanation. Unfortunately the Big Picture can’t be swept under the carpet forever. (continue reading…)
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Octo-Oracle
Paul Makes His Choice
Now we can add a mollusk to the list of aspiring psychic-super stars! And if the fantasy hungry media is to be believed, Paul the Octopus has put in a most impresseive career. He’s now eight for eight and finished The World Cup with a perfect record! He can now join a long line of esteemed animal oracles that have pre-dated him such as Clever Hans, Munito the celebrated dog, Toby “The Sapient Pig” (who could “Discover a Person’s Thoughts”) and a rich history of curious animals who made themselves and their owners rich and famous. Witness a timid sea creature predict Germany’s World Cup fortunes! Looking over Paul’s stats, he’s done a whole lot better than Sylvia Browne and not nearly as slimy. (continue reading…)
Shoe Magick
Magritte's "Le Modele Rouge" 1935
Have you found an old shoe in your chimney lately? If you have, there are traditions that dictate your home may be protected or maybe even haunted by the spirit of someone who once lived there. Shoes have a fascinating history as far as witchcraft, superstition and folk history goes. At least that’s what many serious students of the occult believe in Britain and in places here in the US. (continue reading…)
Vampire Killing for Fun and Profit
A $14,850.000 Vampire Killing Kit Complete with Vintage Garlic Cloves
With the release of the latest (and hopefully final) installment of the “Twilight” trilogy, I felt it fitting to appraise the current fascination with all things vampire; with particular empahsis on a con/fad that seems to have peaked in the last few years: the selling and marketing of so-called “Vampire Killing Kits.” Clever hoaxers and just plain hobbyists are building and selling these portable kits for upwards of $14, 850.00. No kidding. Ebay has several of them right now if you hurry. (continue reading…)
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The Custom IIG Awards
On August 21st, CFI hosted the ten year anniversary of the IIG (Independent Investigation Group) with a huge bash. It was wonderful. Dedicated to the memory of Martin Gardner and with over 100 people there to celebrate, it was a non-stop brainstorming session jam packed with fun, thrills and excitement. (continue reading…)
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