StopSylviaBrowne - Email: "Sylvia and a 9/11 Widow"

[RSLancastr]

New article up:

http://www.stopsylviabrowne.com/articles/email_browneanda911widow.shtml
Email: "Sylvia and a 9/11 Widow"
Browne does a phone reading for a fireman's widow.

(NOTE: This is NOT about the woman with the firefighter fiancee on the Montel Williams Show.)

[PastBrowneFan]

Ok Robert, I think this is one article that not only sickens me, but proves beyond any reasonable doubt to any REASONABLE person that Sylvia is a fraud. Plus it shows exactly how she and her staff treat people.

Would love to know who the staff member that called the author back was, sounds like the Rev. Prelate Michael McClellan, but any of her staff members would gladly call a grieving person and call them a liar.

Well done on another great article, and for those Sylvia fans, and Novus members, how can you keep ignoring the overwhelming facts that not even Sylvia or her Staff members can refute?

Rob

[rjh01]

I think the critical part of the e-mail is this part. It is part of the second last paragraph. It is almost a confession from SB that she is a fake and others already knew it. This includes her staff. I wonder what it feels like to work for someone who you know cannot do what she claims? Or even worse, be a volunteer who helps SB?

I didn't expect to be called a liar but that's the impression she gave me. She said I must have been giving her the wrong energy. When I told her that I didn't think that was it she said she must be talking to the wrong person. I dont' recall her words exactly but there was something about me being one of "those people" who are "trying to mislead her" which was ironic. She got angry and flustered to a point where she said the reading was a set-up and hung up. I started bawling and called my best friend who came over immediately. Before she got to my place there was a phone call from the assistant and he said that I was a liar and I'd better not ever call again.


I put it in a spoiler because I know people hate being told what is the ending (never understood that, but I respect it).

[Worm]

It would be interesting to know if a recording of the interview exists.

I very much doubt it, but you never know.

[ExMinister]

That is just horrible. I think that is definitely one of the saddest and most infuriating stories I have heard about Sylvia to date. It made me angry and brought tears to my eyes to read what happened to her and what they did.

Good for her for canceling payment to her card, but I doubt there was any tape sent for that particular reading, especially since she didn't pay for it.

[Worm]

I don't doubt that they never sent a tape, but doesn't mean that it doesn't exist ;)

And I add my sense of sadness for the woman who actually endured Sylvia nonsense a lot longer than I would have. She showed great bravery and dignity in coming forward, and it's hopefully another nail in the coffin of Sylvia Browne's own particular brand of hateful and hurtful nonsense.

[Locknar]

RSL - Just to state the obvious, the work you do in terms of your site makes a difference.

To Phyllis' sister-in-law...it took a lot of courage to write that, and I am sorry for your loss.

[Macoy]

This just shows how she and her organisation judge other people using their own standards of deceitfulness.

[Boo]

There is a small comfort in knowing she has at last found a measure of happiness through her second marriage.


As for SB, this episode is so far beyond the realm of decency that if I wish there was a deepest circle of hell reserved for her. How horribly twisted she must be inside to perpetrate this type of psychological torment in order to validate her own sense of worth.




Boo

[LogicalThinkking]

Why aren't there laws against people like her and Popoff?

[Kilgore Trout]

I'm shocked. I've known she was bad... Greedy, heartless, a liar.. The list goes on. This tops the cake though. Not only does she take advantage of the grieving and lie to them, now she's practically spit on one and accused them of lying. And on top of that, they called her back? Holy crap.

Inexcusable, indefensible. I can't even see how one of her followers can explain this away. Her victim wasn't a "dark entity" or some nonsense. If this was just one of the, what, 13% of the times Sylvia is wrong, how can she come off and say her victim was one of "those people"?

[Monza]

I'm at a loss for words. The depths of cruelty and insensitivity that Sylvia Browne will sink are just unbelievable. This woman called to get some comfort at a time of great loss, and Sylvia was all too happy to stomp on her heart for a few bucks. To call this woman a liar when she clearly was not, is just too mean. If anyone in the Sylvia Browne organization has a conscience, they should feel deeply ashamed.

[wahrheit]

Wow, that one is really incredible. I agree with PBF and others that this case most clearly shows how SB works and that nothing but the money is important to her, and that she has the psychic power of a slice of bread.

You don't have to be a genius to imagine the excitement at her office when they thought a 9/11 (WTC) widow was asking for a reading. Dumb and incompetent as she is, she immediately pulled the most obvious thought, that the fireman had died in the buildings. And when she is told how wrong she is, she blames the suffering widow of being a liar.

You can't make this up. She is actually worse than I thought, if that was possible.

[Monza]

...Dumb and incompetent as she is, she immediately pulled the most obvious thought, that the fireman had died in the buildings. And when she is told how wrong she is, she blames the suffering widow of being a liar...


This reminds me of the reading she did for a woman on the Montel Williams show. This woman was grieving over the loss of her husband, whose body was never found. Again, Sylvia took the most likely guess and stated he was in water. It turns out that the woman's husband died in one of the twin towers on 9/11. Sylvia immediately tried to justify her statement by claiming maybe he drowned due to the fire hoses(!).

These people are in serious torment due to a great tragedy. And Sylvia continues to use and abuse them. She is pure evil; a loathsome human being.

[Blue Mountain]

Why aren't there laws against people like her and Popoff?

None of what I have written below is intended to be a defense of Sylvia Browne and the way she conducts business. I am as outraged as you are at her ineptitude and lack of compassion.

Usually the laws in place against this sort of thing are those relating to fraud. Unfortunately, fraud is difficult to prove. Part of the case that has to be made is that the person charged with fraud must be aware that they are making a false claim.

For example, soliciting funds for a project when you have no intention of launching such a project is fraudulent. Soliciting funds for a project which is subsequently launched but then fails (taking the investors' money with it) is not fraudulent.

In Sylvia's case, it's difficult to state just what the fraud is. She advertises a service (a consultation), asks for payment, and delivers (she actually gives the client a consultation.) Referring to my earlier example, this is more like getting funding for project that fails; thus it is not fraudulent.

Unhappy customers are not illegal. If that were so, every business in the world would likely fall afoul of that.

I also note that it's very difficult to structure a free society while at the same time ensuring cheats and cons can't take advantage of gullible people.

[Minarvia]

I feel just as sickened by that woman's story as everyone else here. There she was, just looking for some comfort and Sylvia just tried to use her. When she was faced with the fact that she was entirely wrong she got all horrible and twisted on her. Then an assistant called the woman and called her a liar??? I can't believe they had to follow up in such a sickening way.
Thank you for sharing this woman's story, Rob.

Oh, and thanks to her for telling us that Sylvia's staff so heavily push her lectures and whatnot even before the high-priced reading. I had never heard that before, or if I had I don't recall it. Talk about having an obsession with money. : (

[alfaniner]

This reminds me of the reading she did for a woman on the Montel Williams show. This woman was grieving over the loss of her husband, whose body was never found. Again, Sylvia took the most likely guess and stated he was in water. It turns out that the woman's husband died in one of the twin towers on 9/11. Sylvia immediately tried to justify her statement by claiming maybe he drowned due to the fire hoses(!).

These people are in serious torment due to a great tragedy. And Sylvia continues to use and abuse them. She is pure evil; a loathsome human being.

To be fair, your recollection is not entirely accurate. You might want to reread the article on www.stopsylviabrowne.com if you are pointing out that item to other people.

However, your second paragraph is absolutely correct.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

I've filled my head and many of my days with Sylvia Browne's lies, cruelty and shamelessness. So I thought that hardly anything she does could shock me anymore- but this has left even me speechless.

Whenever I think she can't get any worse and I couldn't like her any less, it turns out that she can and I could.

One of the top 10 most devastating articles you've published, for sure.

Words fail.

[borealys]

Ugh. Oh. That makes me sick.

I wonder if Sylvia really believed she was being set up.

I can't even imagine how anyone could be so cruel, so thoughtless, and so self-centered.

Ugh.

[rjh01]

None of what I have written below is intended to be a defense of Sylvia Browne and the way she conducts business. I am as outraged as you are at her ineptitude and lack of compassion.

Usually the laws in place against this sort of thing are those relating to fraud. Unfortunately, fraud is difficult to prove. Part of the case that has to be made is that the person charged with fraud must be aware that they are making a false claim.

For example, soliciting funds for a project when you have no intention of launching such a project is fraudulent. Soliciting funds for a project which is subsequently launched but then fails (taking the investors' money with it) is not fraudulent.

In Sylvia's case, it's difficult to state just what the fraud is. She advertises a service (a consultation), asks for payment, and delivers (she actually gives the client a consultation.) Referring to my earlier example, this is more like getting funding for project that fails; thus it is not fraudulent.

Unhappy customers are not illegal. If that were so, every business in the world would likely fall afoul of that.

I also note that it's very difficult to structure a free society while at the same time ensuring cheats and cons can't take advantage of gullible people.

What about advertising a service you know you cannot provide? As in medical advice when you have no medical qualifications? Talking to the dead when you know you cannot talk to the dead?

[Blue Mountain]

What about advertising a service you know you cannot provide? As in medical advice when you have no medical qualifications? Talking to the dead when you know you cannot talk to the dead?
It appears Sylvia usually follows up her "medical" advice by suggesting people see a doctor, so that could be her "out" in those instances.

As for knowing that she can't talk to the dead, as much as we skeptics believe that she knows she can't talk to them, she insists she can. Thus the burden to prove she can't falls to us. And as skeptics we are all too aware of the difficulty of proving a negative. :(

About the only thing we can do is what Robert Lancaster has done: try as far as possible to expose her incompetence and crassness. Now, if the media in the USA turned on her, with every superstar talking head from Oprah to Leno having people like Randi on to expose her and her methods, Sylvia's empire would tank pretty fast. Look what happened to Popoff after Randi and Carson exposed him. Popoff has since made a comeback, but that was only because Carson died and Randi lost a friend who was willing to supply him with a national stage.

[Dragonrock]

I am so disgusted by Sylvia Browne that I can't think of anything to say except, Robert, you are a man of amazing patience and strength of will. I don't know how you manage to maintain your objectivity.

[kakariki]

Wow. Just, wow.

This article so perfectly shows how Sylvia Browne operates.

[bickerer]

I've been a long time peeping Tom on this forum and I have been often enlightened, occasionally amazed, and always hugely entertained but this is the first I've been sickened by a post. And the first time that I've responded. I own a small bookstore in a huge country north of the States and this has proven the final straw for me and the author Sylvia. I'm against censorship in principle but I can no longer in good conscience continue to help fatten Sylvia's harpy fund by flogging her dangerous, repulsive dreck. Please keep up this important work, Mr Lancaster, the world needs more of your ilk (and less of hers)

[RSLancastr]

Well done on another great articleThanks, Rob! All I did was give that woman a soapbox.

I wonder what it feels like to work for someone who you know cannot do what she claims?[.QUOTE]I don't know about you, but for me, that desribes half the bosses I ever had! :D

But I know what you mean.

Or even worse, be a volunteer who helps SB?I have to wonder how much the volunteers actually know.

It would be interesting to know if a recording of the interview exists.I doubt it, but if there is, it would be at SB headquarters.

That is just horrible. I think that is definitely one of the saddest and most infuriating stories I have heard about Sylvia to date. It made me angry and brought tears to my eyes to read what happened to her and what they did.Same hear, Ex-M.

And I add my sense of sadness for the woman who actually endured Sylvia nonsense a lot longer than I would have. She showed great bravery and dignity in coming forward, and it's hopefully another nail in the coffin of Sylvia Browne's own particular brand of hateful and hurtful nonsense.I agree.

RSL - Just to state the obvious, the work you do in terms of your site makes a difference.Thanks, Brick.

There is a small comfort in knowing she has at last found a measure of happiness through her second marriage.Yes.

As for SB, this episode is so far beyond the realm of decency that if I wish there was a deepest circle of hell reserved for her. How horribly twisted she must be inside to perpetrate this type of psychological torment in order to validate her own sense of worth.I think it definitely shows her true colors, Boo.

Inexcusable, indefensible. I can't even see how one of her followers can explain this away. Her victim wasn't a "dark entity" or some nonsense. If this was just one of the, what, 13% of the times Sylvia is wrong, how can she come off and say her victim was one of "those people"?Because her fans don't follow up on her statements. That's part of what the site does.

If anyone in the Sylvia Browne organization has a conscience, they should feel deeply ashamed.I would hope so, Monza. But I wouldn't bet any money on it.

You can't make this up. She is actually worse than I thought, if that was possible.She seems to keep topping herself.

This reminds me of the reading she did for a woman on the Montel Williams show.Yes, that was one of the very first articles on my site, and one of the reasons I decided to start the site in the first place. The woman on the Montel show ended up contacting me:

http://www.stopsylviabrowne.com/articles/montel_911fireman.shtml

Oh, and thanks to her for telling us that Sylvia's staff so heavily push her lectures and whatnot even before the high-priced reading. I had never heard that before, or if I had I don't recall it. Talk about having an obsession with money. : (It's what they are all about, apparently.

One of the top 10 most devastating articles you've published, for sure.Thanks, Eenie.

Ugh. Oh. That makes me sick.

I wonder if Sylvia really believed she was being set up.Hard to say.

It appears Sylvia usually follows up her "medical" advice by suggesting people see a doctor, so that could be her "out" in those instances.Actually, from her Montel appearances, I'd say she seems to say this very seldom.

I am so disgusted by Sylvia Browne that I can't think of anything to say except, Robert, you are a man of amazing patience and strength of will. I don't know how you manage to maintain your objectivity.Thanks, DR. Almost didn't recognize you with your new avatar!

Wow. Just, wow.

This article so perfectly shows how Sylvia Browne operates.Sad but true, Kakariki.

I own a small bookstore in a huge country north of the States and this has proven the final straw for me and the author Sylvia. I'm against censorship in principle but I can no longer in good conscience continue to help fatten Sylvia's harpy fund by flogging her dangerous, repulsive dreck.That's appreciated, Bickerer!

Please keep up this important work, Mr Lancaster, the world needs more of your ilk (and less of hers)You're very kind. Oh, and welcome to non-lurker status! :)

[Monza]

To be fair, your recollection is not entirely accurate. You might want to reread the article on www.stopsylviabrowne.com if you are pointing out that item to other people.

However, your second paragraph is absolutely correct.

Yes, you are correct. That was the story I was referring to. Thanks for the link to correct my errors. I would have found it and linked to it myself, but I am lazy. :)

[LostAngeles]

:jaw-dropp

[Cueshark]

That is an incredible story.

Sylvia's paranoia and insecurity came out in that story. She's wrapped herself up in this empire which hinges on deceit. It's when the deceit becomes incredibly obvious to both parties and she can't get away with it that she becomes poisonous and maniacal.

Sylvia operates on probability guesses and she seems to have found it impossible that a firefighter on 9/11 could have died in any other way than entering the towers. When her extremely high probability guess was shown to be wrong she made another guess, that it was more likely that she was being deceived by an imposter than being presented with a real account.

I don't know what to conclude from this.

I really want to understand how Sylvia rationalises her behaviour, I would be interested to find out who Sylvia idolises, who she respects. Who in her life has shaped her as a moral being. Does Sylvia respect anyone's opinion of her? Does anyone with good morals have any impact or influence on Sylvia's life.

Is her current behaviour a result of many years of denial, avoiding anyone who doubts or disapproves of her behaviour?

Rant over.

Thanks Rob for this article and thanks to the author for speaking about her experience.

[Cthulhu]

Wow....just....wow....I seriously feel ill right now.....Browne is one frakked up individual. Now I need to go vomit somewhere.

[Madalch]

I own a small bookstore in a huge country north of the States and this has proven the final straw for me and the author Sylvia.
As a great fan of small bookstores in large countries, I offer you a warm welcome to the forum, and commend you on your stance.

(Does your bookstore have anything on heraldry?)

[JoeTheJuggler]

Yup--she (or her people) hear about a firefighter who died on that date and automatically assumes it was related to the terrorist attack on the WTC.

This story is right up there with the "she was shot" for a Sylvia gaffe.

How devastating to the widow. Thanks to her for sharing this painful story.

<derail>This reminds me of one of my pet rants. Shortly after 9/11 when our national leaders were falling over each other to spend money to protect us from terrorist attacks in the U.S., one of the skeptic mags ran an article reminding us of the realistic risks of terrorist attack compared to other risks.

Among other things they pointed out that a similar number of people are killed in traffic accidents just about every month. I believe a similar number are killed in gun-related deaths (about half of which, IIRC, are suicides).

They got ripped by people basically saying you can't compare highway accidents to 9/11 fatalities. Critics of the article say this some how lessens the value of the lives lost on 9/11.

I say their point of view is incredibly dismissive of the tragedies visited on a great many more families all the time by these other horrible deaths. Just because a death wasn't the result of a foreign aggressor doesn't mean it isn't just as tragic to the loved ones.

And yes, I believe the billions of dollars spent on "Homeland Security" could have prevented a substantial number of these other deaths.
</derail>

[Blue Mountain]

<derail>This reminds me of one of my pet rants. Shortly after 9/11 when our national leaders were falling over each other to spend money to protect us from terrorist attacks in the U.S., one of the skeptic mags ran an article reminding us of the realistic risks of terrorist attack compared to other risks.

Among other things they pointed out that a similar number of people are killed in traffic accidents just about every month. I believe a similar number are killed in gun-related deaths (about half of which, IIRC, are suicides).

<derail type="further">
Bruce Schneier has a blog (http://schneier.com/blog/) where he talks about security: real, perceived, and otherwise.

Another good read is the essay by Bruce Mann titled "Homeland Insecurity, (http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200209/mann)"published in the September 2002 edition of Atlantic Monthly.
</derail>

[Blue Bubble]

Wow :jaw-dropp

Robert, please try to get the lady to read this thread - who knows, maybe she'd get a little comfort from it.

[Hawthorne]

I just cannot fathom what would have prompted these people to call that poor woman back and tell her she was a liar. Good grief. I guess it was their idea of damage control after "The Great Sylvia" so blatantly fouled up that reading, but still, that is just unbelievable, low-class, and flat out evil. Boo! Hiss!

This story, above all others it seems, should be the voice from the rooftops that (I sincerely hope) would wake some people up.

[KateHL]

Robert, I'm so grateful for all you do. There's nothing more I'd like than to see scum like this squashed into silence by a vanished audience and you chip away at that goal every day.

I still can't get over the fact that they called her back to blame her a second time. They either truly believe they're working for a master psychic or they're a full deck of bullies. I always believe the latter but wonder if they do believe in her abilities. They've seen all her failures, after all. =/

[Dragonrock]

Kate,

I'll bet that at this point it's cult-like behavior. Even if they know it's crap they don't want to say so from fear of being ostracized.