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Smile & Nod

Jas

Illuminator
J
Joined
Jan 2, 2004
Messages
3,833
Do you ever just get to the point where you don't even try and tell people that they should maybe engage in a little critical thinking?

Case in point: at the pub the other night, my portion of the conversation seemed to consist of:

"I really don't think that one needs $200 worth of vitamins a month to sustain themselves"

"I very strongly doubt that the sugar/aspartame lobby is the reason why Josh and Stacy can't sell their stevia flavoured iced tea in Canada"

"No, aspartame most definitely does not cause aneurisms. Oh really? What study was that? Well, can you email me the link? Oh, it's been suppressed by Montsanto. I understand why it might be difficult to find a copy then"

"I realize that you think that the homeopathic treatment cured your cold, but how do you know it didn't just go away on its own?"

"You spent $40 on a sticker for your celphone which does what?"


I figure I'm not even going to argue anymore.
 
Meh, it could be worse.

Yahweh to Momma Yahweh, talking about a show on the Lifetime Channel called "Missing":

"Is this girl having a coma fantasy, or a flashback, or what?"

"A psychic vision? So, the writers for this show are immensely lazy... wow, just imagine of Sherlocke Holmes conjured up a magic spell to solve all of his mysteries."

"That's what the show is supposed to be about? Well I certainly hope no one buys into this kind of show, I didnt see a disclaimer saying 'psychics really dont solve crimes'."

"No they dont."

"I'm being serious, they dont, I've looked into it. Psychics dont solve crimes."

"No they havent. Its just shows like this that perpetuate a popular myth that psychics are something more than swindlers and con artists"

"... no they havent."

"... no, its never happened. I'm a-I'm a member of a group that specializes in this kind of non-sense."

"... hey, Star Trek is on, lets watch that."
 
Me talking to my mom:

"Mom do you believe in hell?"

"Oh. Well do you belief that if I am not a Christian that I will go to hell and suffer for eternity?"

"Do you also believe that if you are a good Christian you will go to a place called heaven and be forever happy?"

"I see. And do you love me mom?"

"Well, that's good, I love you too mom."

"So here is what I don't understand, mom. If I go to hell, and suffer for eternity, how is it that you will be forever happy in heaven knowing that your son, who you love, is being tortured and suffering imense pain for eternity?"
 
Yahweh said:
I've looked into it. Psychics dont solve crimes.
Click to expand...
Anyone know some good links to information that supports (or counters) this? That fabulous :mad: show "Medium" has landed me in some discussions on the subject and I'd like to do more than just roll my eyes next time it comes up.
 
Harlequin said:
Anyone know some good links to information that supports (or counters) this? That fabulous :mad: show "Medium" has landed me in some discussions on the subject and I'd like to do more than just roll my eyes next time it comes up.
Click to expand...
If you think that's bad, a future episode of Medium will feature of a plot where one of the characters, Bridget, carries a gene that causes psychic visions. *sigh*

A few places to start:

http://www.randi.org/jr/07-02-2000.html - Randi Commentary titled "Just How Do Those 'Police Psychics' Do It?"

http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/police-psychics.html - Police "Psychics"

http://www.valleyskeptic.com/psychic.htm - Police Psychics And Their Questionable Claims, with dozens of complementary links

http://www.parascope.com/en/articles/psychicSleuths.htm - Skeptical Inquierer: How Psychic Sleuths Waste Police Resources


Of course, of all the useful information featured on those sites, the best information I've ever found has been KLAASKids Foundation - Missing Children - Hazards: Psychic Detectives:
Psychic Detectives are the vanguard of a second wave of predators that also includes tabloid journalists, cheesy defense lawyers and photo-op politicians. They use tabloid newspapers and talk shows to boast about their accomplishments and predict success. They materialize whenever children are kidnapped and circle the cases like vultures on a fresh carcass.

They scan the media for the haunting eyes of desperate parents willing to do anything to recover their children and then they show up on your doorstep, literally or figuratively, to make the pitch. They claim to be on the cutting edge of communications, able to predict future events and reach into heaven and hell with their mind. They hold your hand, massage your psyche and convince you that the only thing separating you from their extraordinary gift is your money. However, some simply require airfare and living expenses, what we call a vacation. They seem to answer the prayer that ends the nightmare, but only if you can afford the ticket.Psychic Detectives are the vanguard of a second wave of predators that also includes tabloid journalists, cheesy defense lawyers and photo-op politicians. They use tabloid newspapers and talk shows to boast about their accomplishments and predict success. They materialize whenever children are kidnapped and circle the cases like vultures on a fresh carcass.

They scan the media for the haunting eyes of desperate parents willing to do anything to recover their children and then they show up on your doorstep, literally or figuratively, to make the pitch. They claim to be on the cutting edge of communications, able to predict future events and reach into heaven and hell with their mind. They hold your hand, massage your psyche and convince you that the only thing separating you from their extraordinary gift is your money. However, some simply require airfare and living expenses, what we call a vacation. They seem to answer the prayer that ends the nightmare, but only if you can afford the ticket.
Click to expand...
 
Harlequin said:
Anyone know some good links to information that supports (or counters) this? That fabulous :mad: show "Medium" has landed me in some discussions on the subject and I'd like to do more than just roll my eyes next time it comes up.
Click to expand...

If you've got the patience this thread about the police and psychics is really interesting and covers just about all possible aspects of the conversation.
And it has contributions from real police officers.

The short version is:

No psychic has EVER solved a crime.

It is not a policy of ANY police force to use psychics.

Psychics are forever meddling and involving themselves in crimes (see the ongoing farce that is Dennis Mackenzie).

Police MUST listen to all information ofered to them even when it comes from highly dubious sources.

Psychics will often crow loudly about how their descriptions sometimes match facts later discovered by the police.
Please note - the discoveries are ALWAYS actually made by the police through actual detective work and persistence, never through the psychics 'help'.
Also the psychics' 'amazing' descriptions usual consist of "The man had short dark hair" or "I see a car" or the all-time favourite "I see a body of water nearby".
If you are a bit of a sick person, next time a child or teenager goes missing in your local area try mentioning those 'predictions' to people. You'll be amazed how often they are right

Sometimes, very rarely, certain police officers (who are as entitled to their personal beliefs as anyone else) have on occasion contacted a psychic in desperation, but this will always be a personal decision by the policeman themseles, and not an official part of investigative procedure. It shouldn't be taken any more seriously than if the policeman chose to read some tarot cards to try and solve the case.

And it might be worth mentioning again:
No psychic has EVER solved a case. Not one. Out of all the thousands of murders and disappearances in the world.

It is also interesting to note how much media coverage is involved when a psychic gets involved with a case.
And how little media coverage is involved when the psychic slinks away having solved nothing.
 
Ashles said:
And it might be worth mentioning again:
No psychic has EVER solved a case. Not one. Out of all the thousands of murders and disappearances in the world.

It is also interesting to note how much media coverage is involved when a psychic gets involved with a case.
And how little media coverage is involved when the psychic slinks away having solved nothing.
Click to expand...
There are enough cop shows on TV. At least one should have a catch where every episode a psychic gets involved and is always wrong, except every 8th episode where the psychic turns out right but didn't actually help the police solve the case but just happened to give some information that just happened to turn out to be right once the police had solved it. It would be more real. But maybe real TV would be boring. That's why we have reality TV.

Actually now that I think about it, the X-Files did some stuff like that. Nevermind.
 
Yahweh said:
If you think that's bad, a future episode of Medium will feature of a plot where one of the characters, Bridget, carries a gene that causes psychic visions. *sigh*

A few places to start:

http://www.randi.org/jr/07-02-2000.html - Randi Commentary titled "Just How Do Those 'Police Psychics' Do It?"
Click to expand...

You missed my favourite Randi commentary piece on these nutters:

SEVEN WRONG OUT OF SEVEN
 
Jas said:
Do you ever just get to the point where you don't even try and tell people that they should maybe engage in a little critical thinking?

I figure I'm not even going to argue anymore.
Click to expand...

I know how you feel. I do not waste my time arguing anymore. I just cannot be bothered.
 
You should get yourself one of those children's plastic hammers which goes *HONK* when you hit someone in the head with it.

"I really don't think that one needs $200 worth of vitamins a month to sustain themselves" *HONK*

"I very strongly doubt that the sugar/aspartame lobby is the reason why Josh and Stacy can't sell their stevia flavoured iced tea in Canada" *HONK*

"No, aspartame most definitely does not cause aneurisms. Oh really? What study was that? Well, can you email me the link? Oh, it's been suppressed by Montsanto. I understand why it might be difficult to find a copy then" *HONK*

"I realize that you think that the homeopathic treatment cured your cold, but how do you know it didn't just go away on its own?" *HONK*

"You spent $40 on a sticker for your celphone which does what?" *HONK*

:)
 
I just smile, nod, and THEN tell them they're wrong.

Sometimes, a little bit of spittle appears at the side of my mouth.
 
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