StopSylviaBrowne - I Speak With Sylvia Browne

[Piscivore]

Superb work, Robert!

 

[ExMinister]

Quick thought.

Claus, are you sure that Flodin was your biological grandfather, and not some guy named Howard? Maybe SB knows something that you don't.

That's because Howard is actually Flodin's name on the other side. Or maybe it's the name of Claus' spirit guide.

Granted, it doesn't sound very Aramaic, which is supposedly the language everybody speaks over there. Then again, most of the spirit guide names Sylvia provides don't sound particularly Aramaic.

 

[aggle-rithm]

That's because Howard is actually Flodin's name on the other side. Or maybe it's the name of Claus' spirit guide.

Granted, it doesn't sound very Aramaic, which is supposedly the language everybody speaks over there. Then again, most of the spirit guide names Sylvia provides don't sound particularly Aramaic.

"What's my spirit guide's name?"

"Milhouse."

"Sorry, no. But thanks anyway."

 

[ZeroAltitude]

This was a fantastic read. I am really impressed at how well the entire situation was planned and handled.

Cheers to all involved.

 

[RSLancastr]

A great article. I really enjoyed reading it.

Thanks, CB!

i very much enjoyed this article. Thanks.

Thank you!

Great article, Mr. Lancastr. One small typo:

Fixed, thanks!

Looking at the one sign you photographed, it really has to be a kick to the gut to realize that Carrot Top is a bigger name than you.

An essential read, many thanks.

Thanks, FSOTM.

It's so funny. If only Sylvia kept her mouth shut after you asked your question she would have saved herself a lot of embarrassment.

I almost thanked her in the Conclusion!

My respect and admiration for you as a person, an educator and critical thinker grows with each article. I must include Susan within that for it is obvious that she your partner, your greatest support and supporter.

You're very kind, Boo. And yes, Susan is all of that and more.

Great story and very well done. Compliment to all of you!

Thanks, Georg!

What I do not understand is why the woman whose mother died did not tell the audience that the witch was wrong regarding the "Oh, and she wants you to know that she loved the service" statement. That probably would have opened the eyes of some of the believers, I guess.

I meant to address that in the article, actually. Perhaps I will add it in.

The sad truth is, we are all raised to not "make a fuss." And it takes quite a bit of conviction to go against the crowd, and she was in a crowd of Browne fans. Also, this woman had just lost her mother two days earlier - she has more important things on her mind than exposing Browne. I was pleased and amazed that she took the time to come up to us and fill us in on her story.

Regardless of why she did not speak up, this is EXACTLY what frauds like Browne rely upon.

How did the audience react after CFL got the wrong answer? Any reaction at all?

Not at all, unless very quietly amongst themselves. There was almost no sound from the crowd during all of the questions, unless Browne said something the crowd found humorous.

One last question: When will "stopthepope.com" be launched?

As soon as I lose my fear of being hunted down by killer albino monks.

If I were Sylvia (*shudder*), I'd think that the smart thing to do at this point would be to not bring any attention to this incident in the hopes that it just washes away.

I guess we'll see.

You failed to point out she defrauded some of her own supporters. Some people paid extra to be sure of asking her a question. However they could have saved some money because everyone asked her a question.

Interestingly enough, the woman who emailed me about being at Browne's Excalibur show in February said that people in the more expensive seats got to ask THREE questions each, and the people in the cheap seats got to ask only one. Perhaps, had I not been there, the expensive seats would have gotten more (fakery) for their money.

You, sir, are a hero with some class. At TAM7, I will be looking to shake your hand.

I look forward to it, ggep!

I wonder how many in that audience went to look at your website afterwards.

I wonwer the same thing. Even if they all had, it would not have made a significant enough difference in the site's stats for me to tell.

Good to see you had a plan to stop you getting Expelled.

(Or should that be Myers'd?)

As for the security staff, I'm sure they're now in awe of her (snigger) ...

Yes, they actually did not seem very happy to be there. They were uncomfortable, and possibly even a bit embarrassed. But again, they were simply doing their job, and protecting the hotel's interest.

I will be willing to buy one of those SB books off of you. I'll pay you -$2000 US for them.

Such a deal!

I feel kinda sorry for the security staff, I doubt they realyl had much choice in the matter.

Exactly.

Oh yes - about that comment from the security staff... having been a door steward, I don't remember if I used it personally or just heard a colleague use it. It means that they are not barring you at all. You are 'barred' until "the next time I see you" ... so while you aren't there anyway.

Ah, interesting! Thanks for the insight.

A big thanks to Robert, Susan and Claus.

Thank you!

Great job using perhaps your only opportunity to speak with her personally to write a culminating article near the end of her career.

Thanks, Senex.

I wonder if dark entities are a recognized minority group. You might be able to start a class action suit against the hotel if Sylvia has barred all the dark entities from the hotel.

Susan and I had planned on getting t-shirts for TAM. Mine would say "DARK ENTITY" and hers would have an arrow pointing to one side, under the words "I'M WITH DARK ENTITY"

I'm sure they would have gone over well at the Excalibur.

Terrific job, Robert. I wouldn't have expected anything else.

Thanks, j1.

However, I wish you'd gotten a copy of the card the supervisor was reading from, or at least the number of the statute. That's the kind of thing that can be followed up on afterwards to see if you actually were "trespassing".

Actually, it didn't matter whether I was or wasn't. I was leaving either way. I was actually just curious as to how they came up with that, or whether it was just smoke.

Robert, you make us proud.

Thanks, grunion!

So I think what it boils down to is, the more petty demands that Sylvia places on the casino's resources (like treating their security as her personal bodyguards) the more she is reducing her value to them and overstaying her welcome. She is doing more to "Stop Sylvia Browne" than even you are.

Interesting point!

Robert, as always, you're my hero.

You're very kind, Ottle. Did Mr. Ottle tell you that he supplied the photo of the billboard?

 

[Kochanski]

Great article Robert. I am glad to get the whole story and not just my view of the door from outside and the bits you were kind enough to tell me when I was there. You were indeed the picture of grace under pressure. I bet she was attempting to provoke you and she got an epic fail there

I wish I had my camera ready when she came wheeling out of the theater, the look she gave you would have made a great picture, serious daggers coming out of her eyes.

I was quite prepared to take pictures if hotel security had gotten a bit rough, but your calm and rational approach gave them no cause.

I will be curious to see what might show up at the GoSylvia site now

Bravo sir, and Susan and Claus, there is no way I could have gone in and sat through her show. I don't have that much self-control.

 

[alfaniner]

Great work, Robert!

As an aside, I'm sure the security guards had guns. However did they survive their encounter with Claus?

 

[CFLarsen]

She clearly doesn't seem to be aware of whether she is making accurate or inaccurate statements.

But that has nothing to do with the source of all her statements. At least I am not aware of any claims that the other side would be infallible. I am not aware of any explanation she gave as to why she sometimes get things wrong.

But whatever the explanation, whatever the source of her errors, it wouldn't mean that she doesn't have paranormal abilities.

It *would* mean that those are unreliable to a degree, and that it would be stupid of her or her customers to ignore her 20% error rate! It would make it just as irresponsible of her to give advise the way she does as if she didn't have any powers at all... but it wouldn't mean that she didn't have the power she claims to have.

Again, remember that that's not what my retort was about. The question meant that she had to admit that she doesn't know if she is psychic or not - not if she really have powers or not.

Claus, are you sure that Flodin was your biological grandfather, and not some guy named Howard? Maybe SB knows something that you don't.

Yes, I am sure.

Claus,
Think about this.
We worked at TAM 6 together.
I have a very close friend whose last name is Howard.
Spooky Huh?

Yes, I agree. It is spooky that you have friends.


(scurries away, making Daffy Duck insane sounds)

 

[Darat]

I think we should all start to be very street-cool like SB obviously is and when we want to say something is "accurate" or "honest" we say "it's nasty".

 

[Prometheus]

Good Work, Robert!

BTW The University of San Francisco appears not to offer a Master's Degree in English. Link.

ETA: Perhaps she said San Francisco University

San Francisco University™ is a virtual consortium of over 150 universities world wide, specializing in "distance learning" opportunities and custom career education.

 

[FriedMahooga]

RSL, you mention in your article that when you went back to your seat, you were unsure of what reaction you'd get from the crowd. If I'd been there, I would have given you a standing ovation! Well done!!
To me the best part of your exchange with Browne, was her inadvertedly plugging your website. Hopefully, this will have encouraged the audience members to check it out for themselves.

On another note (if you haven't already heard), I read online this week that ITV2 - the channel which broadcasts the Montel show in the UK - has been reprimanded by the regulatory authority, Ofcom, after it showed a repeat of Ms. Browne's involvement in the Shawn Hornbeck case. Apparently, ITV2 now declares it will review other material in similar episodes. This can only be good news, as it should effectively place Ms. Browne on a blacklist.

Once again. Many congratulations - also to Susan and Larsen.

 

[Rasmus]

Again, remember that that's not what my retort was about. The question meant that she had to admit that she doesn't know if she is psychic or not - not if she really have powers or not.

I can't be bothered to have an argument with you over the finer details of an accurate definition of "psychic".n

But, yes, if we assume that people on the other side "know" then she ought to be better than 80%. And in any case she should be able to explain a failure rate of 20%, right?

(Maybe there is a good explanation, but as long as it doesn't come forward I certainly concede that she isn't having a reliable communication with a reliable source.)

 

[grayman]

Or maybe she meant San Francisco State. They do have a Masters program there; I briefly was part of it.

 

[ravdin]

BTW The University of San Francisco appears not to offer a Master's Degree in English. Link.

USF does offer an MFA in Creative Writing. If you wanted to be very generous, you could say that's her specialty.

ETA: I'll be interested to see what results Robert comes up with in his investigation. But claiming to have a master's degree isn't completely outlandish. There are creationists with advanced degrees in science and Holocaust deniers with advanced degrees in history- and in both cases, we needn't take them seriously just because of their academic accomplishments. I'll take SB at her word until proven otherwise. Even if she is telling the truth, it still doesn't support her claim about having supernatural powers.

 

[jj]

It is questions like that that we need to ask the psychics. Not the soft-ball ones that can't be verified.

??HOWARD??




Well done, both of you.

By the way, I would also (of course you should ask a lawyer about this first) write a letter to the place that threw you out, asking for exactly the complaint, exactly what evidence was actually collected, and exactly what casino regulation allowed them to throw you out.

Mostly, I think, so that someone can't make something up after the fact.

 

[jmercer]

*simply stands up and cheers!*

 

[jmercer]

By the way, I would also (of course you should ask a lawyer about this first) write a letter to the place that threw you out, asking for exactly the complaint, exactly what evidence was actually collected, and exactly what casino regulation allowed them to throw you out.

Mostly, I think, so that someone can't make something up after the fact.

Nah, jj, waste of time. It's the old Vegas trespassing law - been around forever. It's how they used to ban card-counters, etc., from coming on the premises... pretty much a simple device to get rid of anyone that might disturb the paying public. In this case... the rest of the audience. The security guards are mostly there just to keep things quiet so that people can enjoy losing their life savings in peace.

Anyway, the law doesn't require them to state why you are no longer welcome on their property - just that you are informed that you are trespassing.

 

[DrDisco]

More than just an article exposing that nasty bitch, it's a lesson on how to handle oneself in the face of such blatant nonsense. I would have allowed myself to be drawn into the confrontation. But, reading RSLs story and handling of the situation, it's instructive how to behave in a such a forum. I will remember it always and try to emulate it if ever the situation arises for me.

 

[jj]

Nah, jj, waste of time. It's the old Vegas trespassing law - been around forever. It's how they used to ban card-counters, etc., from coming on the premises... pretty much a simple device to get rid of anyone that might disturb the paying public. In this case... the rest of the audience. The security guards are mostly there just to keep things quiet so that people can enjoy losing their life savings in peace.

Anyway, the law doesn't require them to state why you are no longer welcome on their property - just that you are informed that you are trespassing.

No, no, to get the facts from the guards, including what complaint was made against him, as well as the evidence from the onlookers, so that somebody OTHER than the casino can try to take this further.

Of course, also, if there is some false claim ...

 

[headscratcher4]

Robert: Thank you. Very interesting. Thourough and balanced as always. Clearly, there was someone nasty in the room, though I very much doubt it was you, your wife or Claus!