Sylvia Browne's Fumble

[Miss Whiplash]

A couple of weeks ago several posters commented on Browne's fumble on Montel Williams. Here is the video of her pronouncing the 9/11 victim as drowned.

Slyvia Browne Misses by a Mile (http://badpsychics.com/thefraudfiles/modules/news/article.php?storyid=149)

[Darat]

Thanks for the links.

Heartless is the only allowed word that I can respond with!

[RSLancastr]

Another thread bout this is here (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=61891), including a link to a larger version of the video here on the JREF site.

Two things incorrect on the "badpsychic" article:

1. The man who passed away was the woman's boyfriend, not husband.
2. The woman does not mention the World Trade Center.

Regardless, it is yet more proof (as if we needed any) that Sylvia Browne is scum.

[CFLarsen]

Regardless, it is yet more proof (as if we needed any) that Sylvia Browne is scum.

That's how Ian Rowland described psychics at TAM as well.

Personally, I think you are both being waaay out of line. It's not nice to compare Sylvia to scum.

Not nice to scum, that is.

[Eos of the Eons]

She also blathered on about dead miners being found alive another time. Then was caught. Only the same back paddling was seen, no apologies.

I don't understand why the Montel Williams show allows such filth to spread even more crap around.


In the clip, Montel mentions "from 9/11", and the woman nods.

[delphi_ote]

That's how Ian Rowland described psychics at TAM as well.

Personally, I think you are both being waaay out of line. It's not nice to compare Sylvia to scum.

Not nice to scum, that is.
Is there a lower form of life? I think that perhaps we've reached the limit of ideas which can be expressed in the English language.

[SezMe]

I notice that she is wearing a big cross. Does she claim to be a Christian? Has she ever discussed the relationship between her religion and her psychic ability?

[Eos of the Eons]

Everything Sylvia does is by the grace of God... gift from God
http://www.sylvia.org/home/readings.cfm


http://www.members.shaw.ca/eostory/PUKE15.GIFhttp://www.members.shaw.ca/eostory/PUKE15.GIF
http://www.members.shaw.ca/eostory/PUKE15.GIFhttp://www.members.shaw.ca/eostory/PUKE15.GIF

[Eos of the Eons]

I've been trying to dig up a kidnapping where the boy was kidnapped at a baseball game and never found. No body found ever. He was 18 months old or 2 years old, and had brown curly hair. He went missing in the 1980s. I saw a TV talk show on it, and I'm sure it was Sylvia that said to the parents that the child would be found alive within the year. I taped the show to see if that came true. The tape wasn't kept though, so now I'm not absolutely sure it was Sylvia. I'm thinking the boy's name was Michael, but that was 20 years ago, so again I'm not certain.

I can't dig up anything on that case, but I remember it pissed me off since most kidnapped kids aren't found alive. Here was this twisted rasply voiced woman boldly telling a mom something when she had no business giving the poor mom false hope for. So I carefully watched the news for a whole year, waiting. No child found. I had been turned off of psychics ever since.

[RSLancastr]

This has now been added to Browne's Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Browne#Montel_Williams_.229.2F11_Reading.22 _Controversy).

[CFLarsen]

Is there a lower form of life? I think that perhaps we've reached the limit of ideas which can be expressed in the English language.

Yes, there is a lower form of life than scum: Psychics.

[geni]

Is there a lower form of life?

A number of them. The some of the various AIDs/HIV deniers would be logical candidates.

[ond_magiker]

At least she's honest about her mistakes, and confesses that maybe she's just plain wrong.

Well, he's telling me that his lungs are filled, that he can't breathe. Maybe I'm seeing water because they were trying to put out the fire.

...errr.....nevermind...

[CFLarsen]

At least she's honest about her mistakes, and confesses that maybe she's just plain wrong.



...errr.....nevermind...

That was pretty pathetic of her, wasn't it? I mean, even for Sylvia...

[chillzero]

At least she's honest about her mistakes, and confesses that maybe she's just plain wrong.



...errr.....nevermind...

Yeah, that was bad, but not nearly as infuriating as just before that when she tells the woman she is wrong - the woman corrects her and explains, and Sylvia clearly says "no" and repeats the drowning thing. What did she expect? That this woman would go "Oh - you mean THAT husband!! Doh! How silly of me to have forgotten Jimmy, who also vanished completely. Yes, you are completely right and I am so sorry I doubted your asmazing powers for just one second." ?????

[CFLarsen]

OTOH, Sylvia did claim that nobody suffered on 9/11... (http://www.skepticreport.com/psychics/sylviabrowne.htm)

If anyone wants to argue that she is self-deluded, I would love to hear their arguments.

Convince me. In fact, I want to be convinced that she is self-deluded, and not some scheming fraud. You're in for a hard sell, I'll admit that. But, hey, I'm open-minded...

[Morrigan]

Yes, there is a lower form of life than scum: Psychics.

And people who talk at the theatre.

[Lisa Simpson]

No one suffered she says. :mad:

OP: listen, listen, so everybody's awake, conscious. It's hot there but no fire right?

Caller: I can't see because it's too high

1:51 OP: so it's very hot, no fire for now and there's no smoke, right? No smoke?

Caller: [yells at OP] Of course there's smoke!!

OP: Ma'am, ma'am, you have to stay calm

Caller: there is smoke, I can't breathe

OP: OK, stay calm with me please, I understand

Caller: I think there is fire because it's very hot

OP: ok

2:06 Caller: it's very hot everywhere on the floor

OP: ok, I know you don't' see it right now but I'm going to document what you say, so it's very hot and you see no fire but you see smoke, right?

Caller: It's very hot, I don't' see any air anymore. All I see is smoke.

OP: Ok dear, I'm so sorry. Stay calm with me, stay calm. The call is in.

2:33 Caller: I'm gonna die aren't I? I'm gonna die, I know I'm gonna die. It's so hot, I'm burning up.

Transcript of a 911 call from a woman in the WTC.

[Pup]

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The following is from A Review of Modern Spiritualism, published in April of 1856. This is from the days when a typical way of "communicating" with the dead was through rapping sounds produced in the presence of a medium.

A gentleman was, a few weeks ago, interrogating the invisible author of certain raps as to the disease of which he--the rapper--died. With considerable natural difficulty and delay the reply was spelled out--consumption [tuberculosis]. The questioner looked a little dissatisfied, and a physician in the company, who was zealous in the faith, hastened immediately to explain that there are a variety of forms of disease, either of which may well come under the general name of consumption. "That's all very well," said the questioner, "but it hardly applies in this case, for the man he professes to be was blown up in a steamboat."

[Winterfrost]

Yeah, that was bad, but not nearly as infuriating as just before that when she tells the woman she is wrong - the woman corrects her and explains, and Sylvia clearly says "no" and repeats the drowning thing.

Seems to be a common trick... Last week at the pub where I was eating lunch, they were showing Montel -- and Sylvia. At one point she spoke to a lady (50's-ish) who asked about the spirits of her recently departed parents.

Sylvia "latched on" to the spirit of the woman's mother and said, "She comes to you and your sister... She comes to you in the kitchen." (A logical guess based on the woman's age -- and therefore her mother's estimated age.)

The woman got a strange look on her face and sort of laughed as she said, "My mother hated the kitchen."

Without so much as a stutter, Sylvia firmly repeated: "She comes to you in the kitchen."

So the woman said, "Ok," and Sylvia carried on.

[Alliebubs]

Sigh. Psychics are the worst, aren't they? They prey of the vulnerability of grief-stricken people, only to make a quick buck. Quite disgusting, really.

[CFLarsen]

Sigh. Psychics are the worst, aren't they? They prey of the vulnerability of grief-stricken people, only to make a quick buck. Quite disgusting, really.

No. It's not just to make a quick buck.

It's not about the money, it's about the power they have over their victims. The power to tell people how they should live their lives, how they should deal with the grief, to manipulate vulnerable people, is what drive the psychics.

The psychics feed off the grief of other people. Psychics are grief-sucking vampires.

[Miss Whiplash]

No. It's not just to make a quick buck.

The psychics feed off the grief of other people. Psychics are grief-sucking vampires.

Hrumph! ;)

[Alliebubs]

No. It's not just to make a quick buck.

It's not about the money, it's about the power they have over their victims. The power to tell people how they should live their lives, how they should deal with the grief, to manipulate vulnerable people, is what drive the psychics.

The psychics feed off the grief of other people. Psychics are grief-sucking vampires.

Yes, quite.

[Bronze Dog]

I've got a mental image, and I'm trying to remember the context: Cartman from South Park licking up someone's tears, commenting how sweet they are.

Certainly comes to mind when I think of the nastier psychics like Sylvia and JE.

[Mr. Stick]

I've got a mental image, and I'm trying to remember the context: Cartman from South Park licking up someone's tears, commenting how sweet they are.

Certainly comes to mind when I think of the nastier psychics like Sylvia and JE.

It's the Scott Turnerman (sp?) episode (Hannibal Lecter parody) where Cartman comes up with a cunning plan involving a pony and some weeners. In the end he fools Scott Turnerman into eating his own parents, after which Cartman mocks him, singing "I made you eat your parents, I made you eat your parents!" An awesome episode. :D
To stay on subject: That was the worst and most sickening performance of any psychic I've ever seen! :mad:
To quote Cartman: I hate you, I hate you so very much!

[Mercutio]

No. It's not just to make a quick buck.

It's not about the money, it's about the power they have over their victims. The power to tell people how they should live their lives, how they should deal with the grief, to manipulate vulnerable people, is what drive the psychics.

The psychics feed off the grief of other people. Psychics are grief-sucking vampires.
Happy as I would be to simply agree, I would like to ask if you have a source for this. Has anyone done a functional analysis of these bottom-feeders?

For us to simply assume they are in it for power over victims, in absence of clear evidence, might make us feel superior, but it is nothing more than that. It could well be that (a few, many, most, or all) psychics really and truly are just out to make a buck. Remember Mark Lewis posting here? His site crowed about how much money there was in the psychic business. And he claimed that he also was helping people. There is a (slight) chance that he actually believed that, too.

I am not disagreeing with your analysis; I do not have enough information to say it is wrong. But if you have information in support, I would love to see it for my class.

We should not allow our understandable distaste for frauds get in the way of our understanding. Establishing their motives, rather than assuming them, gives us more tools to fight them.

[Forty-Two]

I remember the first time I saw "Scott Tenorman Must Die": Comedy Central was running a marathon of the "Most Outrageous!" South Park episodes. "It Hits the Fan" was number 2 (no pun intended), and for the first 25 minutes I couldn't figure out why the Scott Tenorman episode was considered more outrageous. Then...the ending. Whoa.

"Mmmm, tears of unfathomnable sorrow! Sweet!"

[CFLarsen]

Happy as I would be to simply agree, I would like to ask if you have a source for this. Has anyone done a functional analysis of these bottom-feeders?

For us to simply assume they are in it for power over victims, in absence of clear evidence, might make us feel superior, but it is nothing more than that. It could well be that (a few, many, most, or all) psychics really and truly are just out to make a buck. Remember Mark Lewis posting here? His site crowed about how much money there was in the psychic business. And he claimed that he also was helping people. There is a (slight) chance that he actually believed that, too.

I am not disagreeing with your analysis; I do not have enough information to say it is wrong. But if you have information in support, I would love to see it for my class.

We should not allow our understandable distaste for frauds get in the way of our understanding. Establishing their motives, rather than assuming them, gives us more tools to fight them.

We can never establish anyone's motives, regardless of what they do, because we can't look inside their minds and determine what drives them.

Yet. Give science time... ;)

What we can do is look at what is happening. Yes, there is money in the psychic business. There's big money, but only for those who have made it big. These small dingy places with the "PSYCHIC" neon sign in the window, together with the porcelain cat and the dangling crystal, sure don't spell BIG MONEY to me.

Sure, it adds up. $20 for 20 minutes, ca. 8 hours a day. That's $500 a day, and the Tax Men probably won't see much of that.

But look at how all psychics start: They don't start from the top, they start at the very bottom. They start with a very small group of people, whom they have to convince, one by one, that they actually can talk to the dead. They meet a lot of clients whom they cannot fool, and they have to overcome that as well. Psychics "grow up" facing a lot of resistance: Not just from those they can't fool, but also from skeptics, and people who simply yell "FAKE!" Mark Lewis is still at this stage, even though he wants to boost his own reputation.

Why would you want to submit yourself to that, if you make but a pittance? If you only look at the money, it isn't a very good future you are looking at. Add to that, everyone's psychic these days. You can take a weekend class, and come out Sunday evening with an impressively looking "certificate" that "validates" your upcoming business. Or, you can simply start building your own rep, starting with your neighborhood, and then see how far you can go. The competition is fierce, and increasingly so.

Unless you get a kick out of doing it. Unless you get something that is worth more to you than money.

It's ego. It's the feeling that, hey, I can tell people what to do, and they do it! Hey, I can make the most ridiculous claims, and people - at least some - still believe in me! How far can I take this? There is no doubt that being a psychic is a huge power-trip.

Sylvia Browne does not need to go on Montel or Larry King Live to cold read people. She runs a risk every time (as we have seen, both recently and with Bryan Farha). She could just focus on her books and her donations. She could even do a couple of readings every day, instead of the 15-20 she claims to be doing. But that's not where the money comes in, at least not for Sylvia Browne. She has a ton of books out, she has her foundation of fan(atics) already established, she doesn't need to do any more. But she does, because she can't stop manipulating people. She can't drop the power-trip.

The psychics I talk to, usually at psychic fairs (admittedly for a brief time, until they find out who I am!), are usually not the big time psychics. These people have a relatively small following, but that following gets increasingly more believing the smaller it gets. Like Shrek, psychic have layers, layers of stronger and stronger belief. They don't actually care if the world in general doesn't accept their claims, and doesn't believe in them. They focus on the people who believe in them, and more and more on those who believe stronger and stronger. It's like a sieve: If you show interest, you get all the warm, fuzzy and benevolent BS, but as you get dragged in deeper and deeper, the more sinister it gets. And they can get away with it, because the more you are hooked, the more abuse you will accept.

Psychics are first and foremost demagogues. They don't argue their case, using rationality and evidence. They declare that THIS IS SO, and, if you don't accept that, you are Outcast, Outside, Enemy. The more you believe, the more you get of the Guru. More attention, but also more manipulation. Because the core of "psychichood" is manipulation: You need to be able to manipulate your marks, and you need to maintain that control.

Being a psychic is like maintaining your own little cult. Look at Jim Jones: To him, it wasn't money. Sure, he made quite a lot of money, but he focused on the poor black population, who didn't have either the education or the knowledge to see through him. You can only bilk poor, uneducated people for so much. There's even a limit to how much you can bilk the rich. But there's no end to how far you can manipulate them, even if it is only a selected few.

[Mercutio]

We can never establish anyone's motives, regardless of what they do, because we can't look inside their minds and determine what drives them.
This is why I asked for a functional analysis, not a mind-reading. You have read my posts long enough to know that the very concept of "minds" to look inside of is too fuzzy for me.

I must, respectfully, take issue with your analysis. Far too full of assumptions for me. "It can't be money; it must be ego." Neither clause is established to my satisfaction, and it smacks of "I say it is not christmas; it must be the 4th of July"; you assign which variables to examine, you get to assign values to them, you get to decide what your cost-benefit analysis decides.

I was hoping you had an inside source--say, M. Lamar Keene's The Psychic Mafia (I have not read it; if it had this sort of info, I'd move it higher up the wish list), or some trade publication that psychics use, or anything besides your projected feelings about how they must feel.

[shemp]

She also blathered on about dead miners being found alive another time. Then was caught. Only the same back paddling was seen, no apologies.

I don't understand why the Montel Williams show allows such filth to spread even more crap around.

Um, just speculating, but maybe because he's as big an a-hole as she is?

[Miss Whiplash]

Um, just speculating, but maybe because he's as big an a-hole as she is?

Montel Williams has MS. Sylvia Browne predicted a cure would be found for MS and dontates to MS research when she's on his show. It's like a case of symbotic flummery.

[Eos of the Eons]

Montel Williams has MS. Sylvia Browne predicted a cure would be found for MS and dontates to MS research when she's on his show. It's like a case of symbotic flummery.:eye-poppi

Oy. Symbiotic is right! I let you on my show so you can fleece folks, and you can donate the fleeced funds to my cause.


It's very hard to "cure" MS. It involves the brain and nervous system. It's tougher to deal with than cancer (unless it's cancer in the brain, but even then some types of brain cancer can be cured now via operation, but no operation can help with MS). They will find a cure for some types cancer before they ever find a cure for MS.

Not only that, but Montel would have to admit he was hoodwinked. I darn wish he would bite the bullet and kick her off.

How much does she donate to MS? I wonder if she would stop if Montel said goodbye. That's a kind of blackmail.

[Meffy]

By request, "the Bumble" as it never appeared in the Rudolph animated puppet TV special.

http://www.freewebtown.com/meffy/stuffs/sylvia_bumble.jpg

[Kelly]

By request, "the Bumble" as it never appeared in the Rudolph animated puppet TV special.

http://www.freewebtown.com/meffy/stuffs/sylvia_bumble.jpg

You're quite talented, Meffy.

There are a number of jokes within the picture.

The Bumble character was afraid of water.

Sylvia bumbled with her water "vision".

Bungle is a form of bumble.

The Bumble character is an abominable snowman, another paranormal favorite.

:D

[CFLarsen]

This is why I asked for a functional analysis, not a mind-reading. You have read my posts long enough to know that the very concept of "minds" to look inside of is too fuzzy for me.

I must, respectfully, take issue with your analysis. Far too full of assumptions for me. "It can't be money; it must be ego." Neither clause is established to my satisfaction, and it smacks of "I say it is not christmas; it must be the 4th of July"; you assign which variables to examine, you get to assign values to them, you get to decide what your cost-benefit analysis decides.

I was hoping you had an inside source--say, M. Lamar Keene's The Psychic Mafia (I have not read it; if it had this sort of info, I'd move it higher up the wish list), or some trade publication that psychics use, or anything besides your projected feelings about how they must feel.

No problems with me. If there are more variables, I'm all ears.

Money. Ego. Power.

What else?

[RSLancastr]

Money. Ego. Power.

What else?And an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.

[Darat]

This is why I asked for a functional analysis, not a mind-reading. You have read my posts long enough to know that the very concept of "minds" to look inside of is too fuzzy for me.

I must, respectfully, take issue with your analysis. Far too full of assumptions for me. "It can't be money; it must be ego." Neither clause is established to my satisfaction, and it smacks of "I say it is not christmas; it must be the 4th of July"; you assign which variables to examine, you get to assign values to them, you get to decide what your cost-benefit analysis decides.

I was hoping you had an inside source--say, M. Lamar Keene's The Psychic Mafia (I have not read it; if it had this sort of info, I'd move it higher up the wish list), or some trade publication that psychics use, or anything besides your projected feelings about how they must feel.

Does the research have to be specific to psychics? Has there been work done with "con" men and women on the reasons why they carry out their their frauds? We know that many psychics have (and I presume still are) consciously frauding their prey - whether this be spirit photographs, taps, voices from other rooms (this is documented in the Psychic Mafia and in investigations by Joe Nickell and others) and so on.

On a site about fraud I've found this page: http://www.fraudaid.com/Why-Con-artists-Scam.htm and they seem to be repeating the same opinion as Claus has expressed. (And provide some support in the way of a link to a book that apparently uses studies by a Richard Blum?)

...Con artists scam because it gives them infinite pleasure to "put one over" on anyone who stands still long enough. The compulsion to scam is so strong that a con artist will produce a scam even if he/she gains no money out of it. Con artists even scam each other!....


...The con artist is irresistibly drawn to scam. It gives the con an adrenaline rush when you are so enthralled with his made-up persona that you quite literally shove your money into his hands. The scam itself is an ego trip. While the con is stroking you with praises galore, you are praising the con artist by believing everything you are told. Oh joy in the morning!...

[ond_magiker]

No one suffered she says. :mad:



Transcript of a 911 call from a woman in the WTC.

Oh come on! Who do you trust more, Sylvia Brown or some stupid transcript?!

[delphi_ote]

Does the research have to be specific to psychics? Has there been work done with "con" men and women on the reasons why they carry out their their frauds? We know that many psychics have (and I presume still are) consciously frauding their prey - whether this be spirit photographs, taps, voices from other rooms (this is documented in the Psychic Mafia and in investigations by Joe Nickell and others) and so on.

On a site about fraud I've found this page: http://www.fraudaid.com/Why-Con-artists-Scam.htm and they seem to be repeating the same opinion as Claus has expressed. (And provide some support in the way of a link to a book that apparently uses studies by a Richard Blum?)

...Con artists scam because it gives them infinite pleasure to "put one over" on anyone who stands still long enough. The compulsion to scam is so strong that a con artist will produce a scam even if he/she gains no money out of it. Con artists even scam each other!....


...The con artist is irresistibly drawn to scam. It gives the con an adrenaline rush when you are so enthralled with his made-up persona that you quite literally shove your money into his hands. The scam itself is an ego trip. While the con is stroking you with praises galore, you are praising the con artist by believing everything you are told. Oh joy in the morning!...
They're almost perfectly describing a pathological liar.

[RSLancastr]

Someone added the following to the Sylvia Browne entry on Wikipedia:

However, Sylvia's vision could indeed be valid... Because on that day the entire area underneath both towers in the world trade center was completely immersed in water due to the burst pipes and sewer system being disrupted. If anyone remembers that day, the path trains and subways were stalled and the tunnels needed divers to go down there and retreive bodies and various other things...I have since removed it, as it had no link to any evidence of this claim. "If anyone remembers that day" just doesn't cut it.

Evidently, someone has added a similar comment to the YouTube video.

Regardl;ess of how it applies to Sylvia's reading, does anyone know if this is factually correct about people drowning under the WTC?

[Tamarillicent]

I just saw a portion of a show on National Geographic talking about the construction and destruction of the WTC. Oddly enough, the part I saw concerned their issues with water. They talked about building the "bathtub" that the WTC foundation was build on and how it was effected by the falling building.
As far as I can remember, there was no flooding.

Tam

[CFLarsen]

"If anyone remembers that day" just doesn't cut it.

I remember that day, very vividly, because I was living in New York on 9/11. I lived through those hours of pure agony, real-time, real-life.

Listening to such retro-fitting heartless drivel is deeply offensive to me. Those who spew such bile piss on the victims and their relatives.

[RSLancastr]

I remember that day, very vividly, because I was living in New York on 9/11. I lived through those hours of pure agony, real-time, real-life.I remember it vividly, and I was 3,000 miles away. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like to be there.

Listening to such retro-fitting heartless drivel is deeply offensive to me. Those who spew such bile piss on the victims and their relatives.You know my feelings on that, Claus.

[Luke T.]

Evidently, someone has added a similar comment to the YouTube video.

And I posted a rebuttal.

[Juliette]

OTOH, Sylvia did claim that nobody suffered on 9/11... (http://www.skepticreport.com/psychics/sylviabrowne.htm)

If anyone wants to argue that she is self-deluded, I would love to hear their arguments.

Convince me. In fact, I want to be convinced that she is self-deluded, and not some scheming fraud. You're in for a hard sell, I'll admit that. But, hey, I'm open-minded...

Just went to the link and read.

And here I thought she couldn't piss me off more . . .

[CFLarsen]

I remember it vividly, and I was 3,000 miles away. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like to be there.

You don't want to know.

You know my feelings on that, Claus.

Oh, yes.

[Miss Whiplash]

Can't Sylvia sit on her hands or something? Today on Montel she looked like she was picking her nose with those ugly claws of hers. It made me nauseous.

[Achán hiNidráne]

I don't understand why the Montel Williams show allows such filth to spread even more crap around.



Because it brings in the rubes and the ratings.

[grayman]

On today's show:

SYLVIA BROWNE: UNVEILING THE TRUTH

The guests we’ll meet today have questions they say only world-renowned psychic Sylvia Browne can answer. Sherry says on her wedding day, her daughter, Cristen, showed up visibly distraught, but she never said anything about it. After the wedding Cristen was driving home and ran into a tree and was killed. Sherry wants to ask Sylvia why her daughter was upset that day and if she disapproved of her marriage. We’ll meet Danielle, who believes ever since the age of twelve she has been able to hear and see spirits. She wants to know if she has a gift or a purpose. On May 22, 2005, Subrina watched as her daughter, Megan left the house for her prom. She didn’t know that was the last time she would see her daughter alive. Megan and three other teenagers were found shot to death outside of a friend’s house. Subrina wants to ask Sylvia who would shoot her sixteen-year-old daughter and her friends on their prom night and why. We’ll talk to Bieney, who wants to know if her deceased father kept her alive after a horrible car accident. We’ll meet Julaine, who wants to know if her daughter heard her yelling to get out of the house when it caught on fire before she died. She also wants to ask Sylvia how the fire started.

I predict she will respond with random generalization.

[Lisa Simpson]

I'm watching it right now. So far my favorite Sylvia-ism is that hypnogogic sleep allows you to get in touch with the other side. Isn't that nice how she uses a real science-y concept to promote her ************?

[grayman]

I just turned it on and started recording, should be irritatingly entertaining.

[RSLancastr]

On today's show:Yes, I've seen that one. I remember being annoyed, but no specifics.

[RSLancastr]

Can't Sylvia sit on her hands or something?She tried that, but the doctor bills for the resulting lacerations were excessive.

[grayman]

I just sent this to Montel's site:

Montel,

I understand your need for ratings, but when will you finally realize that Sylvia Browne is a fraud, a cheat, a liar, and a scam artist. You want a good show? Have Mr. James Randi come on and get her to participate in the test she agreed to on March 6th, 2001 http://www.randi.org/.

I don't expect this to happen since you're guaranteed an audience every Wednesday. The need to believe outweighs the rationality of science every time.

New prediction: it will not be on the site.

[RSLancastr]

Here's mine, Grayman:

Will you put absolutely anything on the air, so long as it brings in the ratings?

I can think of no other reason for your allowing that fraudulent vulture Sylvia Browne on your show. Her cold-reading gypsy schtick has been around for centuries.

Do you want to do your viewers a real service? Have on a hard-core skeptic such as Michael Shermer or James Randi to debunk Sylvia's nonsense.

The woman makes a disgusting living by manipulating the grieving. The fact that you give her air time week after week is beyond disgusting.

[grayman]

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[jazzalta]

I think a little humility is in order here:

youtube.com/watch?v=ULUHbO60mOY

[Miss Whiplash]

I think a little humility is in order here:

youtube.com/watch?v=ULUHbO60mOY


Why? The link doesn't work.

[Lisa Simpson]

It's the Randi/Don Lane video clip.

[Miss Whiplash]

It's the Randi/Don Lane video clip.

Ok, I see now.

And yes, what she said today about hypnogogic sleep was hilarious and sad at the same time.

[delphi_ote]

It's the Randi/Don Lane video clip.
Melt down!

[bjb]

That Don Lane clip leaves out the part where he challenges Randi to bend a key. Randi does it and that's when Don Lane goes nuts. Also, Don Lane's psychic friend was supposed to be on that show but she chickened out, making Don Lane look foolish to begin with.