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Proof of Life After Death!!

No it doesn't prove life after death. What I am more intrigued by is her belief in this. If someone asked you what proof you needed to believe in life after death and it happened then to you it's proven.

It's not proven to us.

I still don't know for sure that her credit card was used to purchase the tickets. Agatha if you can provide proof of that I'd appreciate it. If she did use a credit card in her name to purchase the tickets then this entire thread is a complete and total joke.
 
I feel compelled to chime in here with my two cents (two cents cash, that is, not credit card, for fear John Edwards' minions will pull my credit report for their nefarious purposes). I am Robin's brother who attended the John Edwards seminar with her that night and was asked immediately by John if I had a Valerie Harper connection. Just to clarify, a mere few hours before the event I was reading the newspaper and saw an ad for a Broadway play that Valerie Harper was appearing in. She had always been one of my absolute favorite actresses since her days playing Rhoda in the 70s when I was just a babe, but I actually hadn't given a conscious thought to her in years until that afternoon. I then called my best friend who I knew was also a fan and discussed coordinating an evening to see her play. BUT NO TICKETS WERE PURCHASED BY ME THAT AFTERNOON, so there was no credit card charge in existence, no receipts to track. It was all simply in my head, or, rather, in my simple head. So it would be truly impossible for John Edwards to have found any information in the physical world about my connection to Valerie Harper, a connection that for me had only played out three hours earlier, for the first time in decades. Cold reading?? Nonsense! As much as I like her, Valerie Harper is simply not that present in most people's daily thoughts in the 21st Century - not even mine, EXCEPT FOR THAT SPECIAL DAY. And weeks later, a good soul actually gave me a free ticket to the play. Thanks, Dad!
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I'd be more interested in how she paid for the tickets to Edward's show.
 
carlitos said:
I'd be more interested in how she paid for the tickets to Edward's show.
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The interesting bit about the comment from her blog that you quoted is that the brother exhibits the tunnel-vision that characterizes believers. Because he eventually got tickets for the show and associated JE's comment with the purchase of the tickets, he retroactively assumes that only that event would validate the comment. If he had never gone to a show he would have said there was a connection with Valerie Harper; he admits it in his own words by saying he had thought she was a babe since her television show and that he had considered seeing her that afternoon.

The "connection with Valerie Harper" comment is a perfect example of confirmation bias that is simultaneously defended as not being confirmation bias.
 
Robin Stettnisch said:
Being that I know just as much if not more about the tricks fake mediums use the reason you should seriously examine (and you do need to read ALL the comments for the full picture) my experience with John Edward is the fact that I ACTUALLY had a reading with him whereas I'm guessing most here have not. I have the knowledge of what to look for in a fake medium AND all my experiences with mediums(lots... including James Van Praagh) and in my opinion they were all fake. Except for John Edward. You have the knowledge minus the actual personal experience with John Edward which makes me a more qualified judge.
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No, I believe you're a fool that throws good money after bad to psychic shop.
 
truethat said:
I still don't know for sure that her credit card was used to purchase the tickets. Agatha if you can provide proof of that I'd appreciate it. If she did use a credit card in her name to purchase the tickets then this entire thread is a complete and total joke.
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Guess you missed it:

Jack by the hedge said:
... did you happen to purchase tickets for the JE show using the same credit card you used to buy the refrigerator?
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Robin Stettnisch said:
It was a different credit card.
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that doesn't mean it had her name on it. Just want confirmation on that. Also how far in advance she bought the tickets and if it was assigned seating.
 
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Garrette said:
...he admits it in his own words by saying he had thought she was a babe since her television show and that he had considered seeing her that afternoon.
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Actually, he didn't say that exactly. He said Harper had long been one of his favorite actresses since the Rhoda days when HE was a babe. (A babe who watched and loved Rhoda, of all shows.)

He went on to say that he hadn't given Harper a conscious thought since those days. Apparently, not during "Valerie's Family" or her newsworthy stint as President of SAG, even.

truethat said:
that doesn't mean it had her name on it. Just want confirmation on that. Also how far in advance she bought the tickets and if it was assigned seating.
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How would Agatha be able to confirm any of that for you?
 
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Skeptic Ginger said:
While truethat doesn't have a whole lot of room to talk, and probably neither do I, I thought the initial skepticism in the thread was unnecessarily cynical as well.
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How much skepticism is unnecessarily cynical?

Different fora have their own rules.

One science/skeptic forum I visit requires that you post your arguments on their forum, and THEN provide links to your own blog if such exists.

Posting "Read My Blog and Prove Me Wrong, Or I Win " type posts is a good way to get your posts deleted on those places.
 
truethat said:
that doesn't mean it had her name on it. Just want confirmation on that. Also how far in advance she bought the tickets and if it was assigned seating.
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Quite true. I just inferred that it was her own card because she said it was a different card rather than that it was someone else's card. Of course Robin can settle the matter.

There was no assigned seating:
Robin Stettnisch said:
Seating was random.
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desertgal said:
Actually, he didn't say that exactly. He said Harper had long been one of his favorite actresses since the Rhoda days when HE was a babe. (A babe who watched and loved Rhoda, of all shows.)

He went on to say that he hadn't given Harper a conscious thought since those days. Apparently, not during "Valerie's Family" or her newsworthy stint as President of SAG, even.
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Serves me right for reading it quickly. Apologies for that misstatement, but the point stands.
 
Jack by the hedge said:
Quite true. I just inferred that it was her own card because she said it was a different card rather than that it was someone else's card. Of course Robin can settle the matter.

There was no assigned seating:
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Ok no assigned seating. In my company I regularly have people sign up using someone else's credit card. So until we know for sure I'm going to wait.

If she did sign up with her own name then that's a bit silly Robin, I have to say. If you paid with your name and then the person could do research? Wow.

By the way how were you selected to get a reading. Did he do everyone in the room?
 
Robin Stettnisch said:
And I am sorry if I didn't follow the proper etiquette on this thread..it is new to me.
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No apologies necessary, and it's never too late to start. How about just relaying what it is that you wish to discuss about your encounter with John Edward in your own words (without demanding that others go and read a blog and all the comments elsewhere) and then I am sure that people will have questions and input, and a proper dialogue can follow.
 
dafydd said:
Skepticism in a skeptic's forum, whatever next? It was just a case of ''Oh no, not another one''. We've been through this so many times before with people who have been fooled by hot and cold readers. Nothing new here.
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I get that part. And sometimes I immediately suspect new posters. But it just came across as the usual rude before you know response. Just sayin...
 
Skeptic Ginger said:
I get that part. And sometimes I immediately suspect new posters. But it just came across as the usual rude before you know response. Just sayin...
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Fair enough. I guess we're just a bunch of curmudgeons! But this thread has been the usual mixture of confirmation bias and selective memory.
 
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John Jones said:
...

Posting "Read My Blog and Prove Me Wrong, Or I Win " type posts is a good way to get your posts deleted on those places.
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So do we expect every newcomer to know this?

Here's one of the first replies:
Garrette said:
I suspect a drive-by spamming, but just in case:

No, thanks. I will read your links after you sufficiently summarize and discuss it here and read the resources we will provide you to describe confirmation bias, the tricks of mediums like John Edward, and other effects that mislead the unsuspecting into erroneous belief. I also ask that you explain how you, personally, distinguish between fake psychics (I assume you acknowledge that some exist) and the allegedly real psychics like John Edward.

Otherwise, not interested, thanks.
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It's factually OK but how can we expect every new forum member to understand these issues? If Robin had been a skeptic, or a seasoned poster, sure. But suppose she's just not been exposed to much skepticism or the scientific process?

I think it could have been more politely stated. But, like I said, I probably have no room to talk. I've written similar posts following new member OPs.

Here's a suggested revision:

I suspect a drive-by spamming, but just in case:
It would help if you'd summarize your blog here so we could decide if we want to read it first. We will almost certainly have some resources you should read of ours as well, describing confirmation bias, the tricks of mediums like John Edward, and other effects that mislead the unsuspecting into erroneous belief. I also ask that you explain how you, personally, distinguish between fake psychics (I assume you acknowledge that some exist) and the allegedly real psychics like John Edward.

 
dafydd said:
Fair enough. I guess we're just a bunch of curmudgeons! But this thread has been the usual mixture of confirmation bias and selective memory.
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Yes, I always have high hopes, cold reading is so obvious you'd think all one needed was to expose the believer to the technique and they'd see the light. But more often than not that confirmation bias is just too powerful.
 
Ok, Ok...I do know that there is NO way to convince a true non-believer...just take my husband - please. : ) C'mon do any of you ever crack a smile? And not all on here are true non-believers. I've said my piece and I do truly thank you for listening. You will not change my mind and I will not change yours...but I am at peace with that. I will leave you with one final thought...please have someone from here go to a reading with John Edward...must be skeptical yet open-minded, thoughtful, and of course knowledgeable ...I personally nominate "truethat" because that was the one person on this thread who seemed to really pay close attention to the details I provided and "hear" what I was saying while still remaining skeptical (thank you for that). But remember a personal reading will be the true indicator. Then, of course, please let me know what happens! Peace.
 
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