PDA

View Full Version : Tips on how to predict psychic scams


John Jackson
8th June 2006, 12:05 PM
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/ny-p2sideb4770683jun07,0,3027348.story?coll=ny-entertainment-bigpix


Psychics and mediums may be in hot demand, but a shrill chorus of naysayers warns that many of them are out to snow you.

Why does pointing out a scam to the public make one a 'naysayer'?

James Randi, a former magician who has spent decades debunking claims of the paranormal, doesn't believe that any psychics are real.

"I haven't met an authentic psychic or medium yet," he scoffed.

He "scoffed" ::)

Randi rose to fame in the 1970s challenging the spoon-bending feats of Uri Geller, but has since turned his blistering skepticism on celebrity psychics-mediums Sylvia Browne, John Edward and others.

WTF is "blistering skepticism"?

Although this could have been a worthwhile article highlighting the dangers of psychic scam artists it seems to have been written by an idiot.

Imagine if it was a piece about pyramid schemes. How stupid would the author look if she was calling those who warn against the scam as "scoffers".

What if it was warning against a used-car salesman selling dangerous ringers. Would those who warned against it be labelled as having "blistering skepticism"?

No, it would be stupid to ridicule those who highlight scams as they're offering valuable information which protects people. So why does this idiot do exactly that? Perhaps she believes in psychics.

I doubt that she realises just how stupid she's made herself look.

Lord Muck oGentry
8th June 2006, 07:30 PM
I rather liked the impudence of this bit:

Most so-called psychics-mediums are "ruthless charlatans or self-deluded incompetents," said Wendy, author of "The Naked Quack," a book she self-published in 2000.

"Only one-tenth of 1 percent of all those who claim to be psychic are," she said, basing her conclusion on 15 years of research.



"Only" ???

John Jackson
8th June 2006, 08:03 PM
Of course she's one of them. ::)

I've got her book and it's actually quite good. It does reveal a lot of the tricks that 'psychics' use to scam their victims.

Lord Muck oGentry
8th June 2006, 08:29 PM
Ah...that would explain where she found the money to publish her book.

She won it from the JREF. :)