Oh look, CNN promoting psychics again

[Flaherty]

Tonight (4/29) CNN is promoting psychic crime solvers. Larry King has the night off, so they have some blonde bimbo taking his place. It is so vomitingly woo-woo, it's as if they have given the production of the show over to the woos themselves. 20 minutes into the show, and not a skeptical note sounded yet.

 

[WildCat]

http://www.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=39476

 

[Clancie]

Posted by Flaherty

Larry King has the night off, so they have some blonde bimbo taking his place.

Um, Flaherty. Nancy Grace really isn't "some blonde bimbo". Here's some of her bio (from Court TV where she's now an anchor)

Nancy Grace joined Court TV from the Atlanta Fulton County District Attorney's Office where she served for a decade as Special Prosecutor of major felony cases involving serial murder, serial rape, serial child molestation and arson. Grace compiled a perfect record of nearly 100 felony convictions at trial and no losses....

Grace, who received her LLM in constitutional and criminal law from New York University, has written articles for the American Bar Association Journal, various law reviews, and op-eds. She was also a litigation instructor at Georgia State University School of Law and a Business Law Instructor at GSU's School of Business. Previously, Grace clerked with a federal court judge and practiced antitrust and consumer protection law with the Federal Trade Commission.

 

[Flaherty]

Um, Flaherty. Nancy Grace really isn't "some blonde bimbo". Here's some of her bio (from Court TV where she's now an anchor)

Impressive bio. Unfortunately, any woman who allows psychics a totally uncritical forum to spew their crap has earned the modifier "bimbo."

 

[Flaherty]

Um, Flaherty. Nancy Grace really isn't "some blonde bimbo". Here's some of her bio (from Court TV where she's now an anchor)

Oh, and in case I didn't make my point clear in my previous response, I will reiterate: GRACE IS A FREAKING INTELLECTUAL BIMBO.

 

[Flaherty]

Um, Flaherty. Nancy Grace really isn't "some blonde bimbo". Here's some of her bio (from Court TV where she's now an anchor)

One minute later AND SHE'S STILL A BIMBO.

 

[Hunter]

Gaah! My faith in humanity falls further by the day. CNN is considered the world over as being one of the best news sources around. To think that we are just going to have to revise that opinion does not make me happy.

Trying to cash in on the psychic craze, especially in so crass a manner is just disturbing. I thought journalists were supposed to live by the motto "If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out."...

 

[JPK]

This is something I just posted elsewhere but it fits...
I just sat through something I think can be described as a "paid advertisement" for Court TV's Phsycic Detectives show on Larry King Live. It was pretty sad.
I wonder what it would cost to get Davey Jones to sit in for Larry and hawk a new Monkees album?
Cnn really needs to put a disclaimer before Larry King Live to designate it as entertainment and not "NEWS or FACTUAL"

JPK

 

[Clancie]

Posted by JPK

This is something I just posted elsewhere but it fits...

Hi JPK,

Well, I just posted this over at "Community", but I feel like repeating myself, too

Posted by slab

...the side of the story told to us is quite amazing, so i'm interested in knowing what the truth is.

Posted by Clancie


Well, let's see. Grace interviewed several psychics from well documented cases...and had several of the police detectives who had worked with these particular psychics...and interviewed the parents from one of the missing children cases...and showed local newspaper reports confirming that a psychic -had-led the police to a missing child....so what "truth" exactly are you looking for? (Perhaps only the "truth" that conforms to one's own preconceived ideas and biases? Just a thought ).

I felt it was quite a good program--it gave at least five specific cases, and had a couple of police detectives right there verifying how these psychics -had- helped them solve cases and/or find missing people.

What's it going to take for some of you to start at least -questioning- your dyed-in-the-wool belief that, of course, it's all garbage!

 

[Exposer]

What a disgrace.

Any chance Court TV's "Psychic Detectives" would have James Randi on as a guest? You know... equal time?

Does the JREF have a public-relations person or capability to approach shows like these?

 

[JPK]

Clancie,
Nice to see you again.

JPK

 

[Jordania]

Well, I watched Larry King tonight to see if they had an alternate point of view or took callers, but they had neither.

I also did not see any documentation or proof of psychic abilities vs. police work solving any clues. If i missed something please feel free to let me know.


J

 

[Flaherty]

Well, let's see. Grace interviewed several psychics from well documented cases...and had several of the police detectives who had worked with these particular psychics...and interviewed the parents from one of the missing children cases...and showed local newspaper reports confirming that a psychic -had-led the police to a missing child....so what "truth" exactly are you looking for? (Perhaps only the "truth" that conforms to one's own preconceived ideas and biases? Just a thought ).

I felt it was quite a good program--it gave at least five specific cases, and had a couple of police detectives right there verifying how these psychics -had- helped them solve cases and/or find missing people.

What's it going to take for some of you to start at least -questioning- your dyed-in-the-wool belief that, of course, it's all garbage!

All of that and not one interview, heck, not even a single comment, from a skeptic. What, no interview with Polly Klass' father? Must have been an oversight.

A competent reporter interested in facts would have given someone at CSICOP a call in advance of the show to do some investigating. After all, psychics are very well known for getting the facts of the case wrong and for greatly exaggerating their own claims of success. Customers of psychics (in this case the police detectives) are very well known for retrofitting discovered facts to vague psychic predictions. In short, she just should have called Joe Nickell.. Unfortunately, the purpose of the show was NOT investigative reporting or balanced journalism. It was an infomercial for Court TV's programming.

And you fell for it.

 

[Clancie]

Posted by Jordania

I also did not see any documentation or proof of psychic abilities vs. police work solving any clues.

Well, the detective who had orchestrated "100 searchers for many hours" looking for the missing 5 year old at Empire Lake (then called it off at night), explained how Phil Jordan came to them with a map he'd "seen" of where the boy was and, in the dark, within an hour, using his map to help, Jordan led them to the child.

Exactly what kind of "documentation" are you looking for?

(And where are those "skeptics" who say, "Show me one psychic who has ever found a missing child! Just one!" Wel, here one is, Phil Jordan. So...has anyone changed his or her mind about any of this in any way at all? )

 

[CFLarsen]

Clancie,

Do you think the program was good investigative reporting and balanced journalism?

 

[Flaherty]

Well, the detective who had orchestrated "100 searchers for many hours" looking for the missing 5 year old at Empire Lake (then called it off at night), explained how Phil Jordan came to them with a map he'd "seen" of where the boy was and, in the dark, within an hour, using his map to help, Jordan led them to the child.

Exactly what kind of "documentation" are you looking for?

(And where are those "skeptics" who say, "Show me one psychic who has ever found a missing child! Just one!" Wel, here one is, Phil Jordan. So...has anyone changed his or her mind about any of this in any way at all? )

Let's see what Joe Nickell has to say.

 

[Graham]

Gaah! My faith in humanity falls further by the day. CNN is considered the world over as being one of the best news sources around. To think that we are just going to have to revise that opinion does not make me happy.

Trying to cash in on the psychic craze, especially in so crass a manner is just disturbing. I thought journalists were supposed to live by the motto "If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out."...

FYI, CNN is not highly regarded in any part of the world I've ever been in.

Personally I find it almost impossible to watch - dull, repetitive, heavily US-biased and with very little insightful commentary.

 

[RichardR]

Um, Flaherty. Nancy Grace really isn't "some blonde bimbo". Here's some of her bio (from Court TV where she's now an anchor)

Actually I believe she is a blonde bimbo – her resume notwithstanding.

This is the same Nancy Grace who stood in for Larry King a few months ago when the guest was Jack Hannah (Sp?), the animal expert. Apart from asking "what's his name" of every single animal they brought on, two bimbo-like actions must have made even Larry blush:

(1) When Hannah brought on a lion cub (as I recall), she said something like "ooh, I'd love to take him home as a pet". Hannah, making a great effort not to look annoyed, calmly explained that no, it is not a good idea to encourage people to keep lions as pets.

(2) Hannah brought on a Cougar. Grace cooed again, wondered out loud if the Cougar would get on with her (Grace's), kitty cat she keeps at home, and then (and I kid not) brought out from her purse, a picture of her kitty cat for the Cougar to look at!

At that point I turned the TV off. She had ruined what is, for me, one of the best guests Larry King has on his show. Bimbo? Yes.

 

[CFLarsen]

RichardR,

I am a great fan of felines, be they domesticated or not. Both have their advantages, as well as drawbacks. Domesticated cats are perfect companions (you never own a cat, it just chooses to bunk with you, if it so pleases), but they are also very much a product of man: There is a huge difference between Kimchi (even Rascal, though he thinks he is ferocious) and a tiger. Wild felines, OTOH, are just that: Wild, unpredictable, gracious, deadly.

Anyone who can think of a tiger or cougar as a "pet" is to be regarded as an ignoramus.

Perhaps Grace knew better. If that is the case, then she chose the role of Village Idiot. Either way, it sure doesn't paint a good portrait of her.

 

[Loki]

Clancie,

Well, the detective who had orchestrated "100 searchers for many hours" looking for the missing 5 year old at Empire Lake (then called it off at night), explained how Phil Jordan came to them with a map he'd "seen" of where the boy was and, in the dark, within an hour, using his map to help, Jordan led them to the child.

Exactly what kind of "documentation" are you looking for?

Two things to start off with:

First, something to confirm these memories of the detective. See, it's not documentation to say "I remember it happened like this". Perhaps it was "within an hour" - or perhaps it was 4 hours? Perhaps Jordan "lead them to the child", or perhaps another search team found the child while Jordan was in the area? Details matter, and this is just unconfirmed anecdote, not documentation.

Second, some info on HOW MANY OTHER "psychic leads" were followed in this case. IF Jordan was the one and only, then that's a much better position to start from that if he was simply the 17th such lead they'd investigated.

(And where are those "skeptics" who say, "Show me one psychic who has ever found a missing child! Just one!" Wel, here one is, Phil Jordan. So...has anyone changed his or her mind about any of this in any way at all?)

Hey, here I am!!! Clancie, how many murders/missing person cases A DAY are there in the US? How many psychics offering leads? Do the math - chance says eventually someone gets a hit. Now, what's the hit rate? Let me offer you MY one line comment on this : "Show me one psychic who can find missing children! Just one!". One-offs are 'proof' of nothing really - repetition is the key. There are so many people firing blindly that eventually someone will hit the target.