Last evening I attended the first of a three-session continuing education class in poker at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois (suburban Chicago). One of the students was an elderly lady named Jane who claimed to be a professional psychic. She seemed to be angling for clients. She insisted that she is a better psychic than Irene Hughes, but is not as well known because Hughes is better at gaining media attention.
Before Jane announced any of this, she looked at me and asked my name because I looked familiar to her. I gave her my name, but that failed to jar her memory. I made a game of it, and told her that the circumstances under which she had seen me would come to her before the class ended. My assumption was that she had watched me on television. From 1987 to 2003 I was a host of a daily stock market news program seen on a Chicago TV station. Although I later learned that Jane had been the executive secretary to the president of Harper College. Over thirty years ago I was a student there and worked in the financial aid office. She never did guess where she had seen me, so that will remain on the table until next week.
Early in the class Jane asked the students and teacher for their birth dates, so that she would know their astrological signs (although she claimed not to be an astrologer.) When we asked her to guess, she responded that she is not God. She told one student that he would make a good judge. He just smiled. She told the teacher that he soon would be receiving an unexpected and sizeable sum of money. He replied that his parents had been dead for some time, and a few years ago he had accepted an early retirement in the form of a buyout from a major corporation.
Jane avoided making predictions for me, apparently because I had made some skeptical comments. When I made them she warned that those who state disbelief in psychics would receive bad karma.
During our poker playing sessions, Jane demonstrated no psychic abilities that would have provided her an advantage. She gave no indication that was adept at telling the strength of anyone’s hand. She won an early pot and then no more.
I am inviting suggestions from you regarding questions or responses for me to give to Jane in next week’s class. I don’t want to humiliate her, but I am seeking subtle comments that might alert others to her pretensions.
Before Jane announced any of this, she looked at me and asked my name because I looked familiar to her. I gave her my name, but that failed to jar her memory. I made a game of it, and told her that the circumstances under which she had seen me would come to her before the class ended. My assumption was that she had watched me on television. From 1987 to 2003 I was a host of a daily stock market news program seen on a Chicago TV station. Although I later learned that Jane had been the executive secretary to the president of Harper College. Over thirty years ago I was a student there and worked in the financial aid office. She never did guess where she had seen me, so that will remain on the table until next week.
Early in the class Jane asked the students and teacher for their birth dates, so that she would know their astrological signs (although she claimed not to be an astrologer.) When we asked her to guess, she responded that she is not God. She told one student that he would make a good judge. He just smiled. She told the teacher that he soon would be receiving an unexpected and sizeable sum of money. He replied that his parents had been dead for some time, and a few years ago he had accepted an early retirement in the form of a buyout from a major corporation.
Jane avoided making predictions for me, apparently because I had made some skeptical comments. When I made them she warned that those who state disbelief in psychics would receive bad karma.
During our poker playing sessions, Jane demonstrated no psychic abilities that would have provided her an advantage. She gave no indication that was adept at telling the strength of anyone’s hand. She won an early pot and then no more.
I am inviting suggestions from you regarding questions or responses for me to give to Jane in next week’s class. I don’t want to humiliate her, but I am seeking subtle comments that might alert others to her pretensions.
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