StopSylviaBrowne - I Speak With Sylvia Browne

[RSLancastr]

New article up:

http://www.stopsylvia.com/arti...thbrowne.shtml
I Speak With Sylvia Browne
I attend Browne's Las Vegas show, and words are exchanged.

Warning: it is a looong article.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

I was always sorry that you and Susan couldn't have met me in NYC to see the taping when I had tickets for all three of us. It would have saved Claus the cost of three very pricey tickets.

I'm up to "Live Readings" and so far it sounds exactly like any Sylvia Browne appearance on Montel.

One comment for now- you for got to close the parenthesis here: What is my health going to be like? (Thyroid/stomach problems, back problems, blood sugar problems and other things were mentioned. At one point, Browne recommended that one woman take a certain dosage of Lecithin, something she recommends frequently.

Edit: You couldn't have handled it better! I am so proud of you .

You're the best!

Edit 2: It's a funny thing but I also met a couple John Edward fans at the Sylvia Browne taping I attended. They mentioned seeing that show live, as well.

Edit 3: I once wanted to pose the same challenge to a psychic such as John Edward or Sylvia Browne. My late maternal grandfather's name was Wladyslaw- unlike most audience member's family names, not a name that can be guessed or cold-read out. No matter how many letters John Edward throws out, he wouldn't come up with that one .

Edit 4: "To those people who have sent me emails, saying that if only I saw Browne in person, I would believe in her "psychic abilities," I have to say: Sorry, no. If anything, I am more convinced than ever that Browne is doing nothing more than cold reading, and very amateurish cold reading at that."

Nothing ever convinced me that she was a fraud like seeing her in person.

If it's of any significance, I think that's close to the number of people at a typical Montel taping: around 200 or 250. Maybe between 250 and 300.

[Rika]

"around Charles Manson and Sadam"

Did you mean Saddam?

[Rika]

..and wow, I have to say she had some gall calling Security on you. But excellent article!

[Normal Dude]

Larsen, I like the question you had for her.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

Originally Posted by Normal Dude

Larsen, I like the question you had for her.

I thought of it first!

Oh, and kudos to Mr. Larsen and Susan for their participation.

By the way, I think you behaved like a true gentlemen. Like a real class act.

[rjh01]

One great article. Is this your first one without huge quotes from other people?

[FSM]

I must admit, when I saw the title of this thread I was just about to turn off the computer and go to sleep (it was around 2 a.m.) but how how how in the world could I not read about RSL vs. SB? Holy schmoly! And I was so glad to have missed out on an hour or so of sleep.

You and Susan (and Larson) handled everything beautifully, RSL, and I know if I was in that situation I probably would have sounded completely idiotic or would have delightedly asked a Shawn Hornbeck question and would have been sent to the slammer for yelling at the hideous con woman.

Also, I get really pissy when faux authority types try to throw weight around, so I would have probably made a huge messy stink about being detained for no reason without any authorit-tie, and maybe would have even called a lawyer later to see if I had a cause of action for defamation of character when SB clearly lied about your behavior-- from my understanding of it, usually if there's any sort of crime alleged (like disturbing the peace) that is a big lie, the burden of proof shifts to the defendant instead of the plaintiff to show the truth of the statement.

But if you did stuff like that you would be less of the calm, cool, rational skeptic that you are and more of a raving, manical lunatic like myself.

Thanks for putting yourself on the front line and for being brave and calm about the whole thing. You are awesome.

[CFLarsen]

Originally Posted by Normal Dude

Larsen, I like the question you had for her.

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

[Empress]

Robert, this is one of your best, and most devastating articles yet. When I saw the title, I actually started to breathe harder in anticipation! And I wasn't disappointed.

I was particularly interested in the conversation you had with the others afterwards. It seems clear that, despite fans saying that you have to see her in person to really appreciate her, many people were anything but impressed after watching her pathetic performance. The woman who's mother died was particularly heartfelt. I imagine her comments would have clinched the deal for anyone who was still on the fence.

It sounded like a total bust of an evening for her, from her incredibly stupid "Astounding Insights" right down to her attempting to start a scene with you. Congratulations on staying a gentleman at all fronts at a time when she was clearly trying to discredit you. You da bomb!

As an aside, I've never understood why she seems to brag that she has a private investigator on you and Randi. If she's psychic, doesn't she already know all your deep, dark secrets? The woman seems to be not only a bad performer, but an idiot as well. Kudos on all your hard work to expose her, and to your wife for sitting through that abomination alongside of you, and her general support.

And kudos to Claus for funding the evening! Great job, all of you.

[tiger]

Originally Posted by RSLancastr

New article up:

http://www.stopsylvia.com/arti...thbrowne.shtml
I Speak With Sylvia Browne
I attend Browne's Las Vegas show, and words are exchanged.

Warning: it is a looong article.

Gee to bad her psychic powers didn't see you coming that way she could have had her mirrors facing toward you, you evil person. Oh security theres someone here questioning my ability and I need them out of here before they tell the truth about me. What is nice though is the fact that her lecture wasn't a sell out, gives one the impression her falling is failing.

[wahrheit]

What an extremely lame move from Browne to call security for no reason whatsoever. Like some cry-baby that didn't get her candy - a scene caused by you - she switched to provocation. She simply wanted to see you in trouble.

Originally Posted by Normal Dude

Larsen, I like the question you had for her.

Seconded. As a bonus we now know what the F in CFL means.

My favorite:

Quote:

The last woman who joined our "group" asked Sylvia, after telling her that her mom had died two days ago, if she had any message from her mom for her. Sylvia said that mom "liked the service."

The woman recalled this for us, and said "We haven't even had the service yet - she died two days ago."

Her psychic abilities are really astounding.

[chillzero]

Great article. What an idiot she is!


Little typo:
"She talked about how she was on her "last life," and that most people were these days,"
should that be 'who she was' ?

[devnull]

chillzero: no - read it again

[Darat]

A very nasty accurate article!

[CrikeyBobs]

A great article. I really enjoyed reading it. I found it interesting that several other attendees were also skeptical of her performance (unless they were on the same mission as yourself and have their own 'nasty' blogs!).

[Undesired Walrus]

i very much enjoyed this article. Thanks.

[TheRedWorm]

Great article, Mr. Lancastr. One small typo:

Guard: Okay, thanks. May I as if you are a guest here?
Guard: Okay, thanks. May I ask if you are a guest here?

[WhatWouldZeusDo]

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.

[FarSideOfTheMoon]

An essential read, many thanks.

[HarryKeogh]

That was awesome. I admire the professional way Claus, your wife and especially you, handled this situation (with Browne and security).

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 take great pleasure in knowing that a kind, honest man causes Sylvia such headaches simply by reporting the truth.

[Boo]

Robert,

There are few people in this world that can be held up as true role models; people worthy of respect by simply being the best person they can be, you are one of them. 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.


This article stands far and away above all the others in that it clearly shows what happens when SB is confronted in a calm and rational manner. The manner in which you handled the whole situation showed respect, dignity and class. It stands in stark contrast to her petty, boorish and vindictive behavior. She could not leave well enough alone and obviously felt threatened enough to lash out. In doing so she held up her own mirror to reflect the darkness inside she cannot face.


Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do in making the world a better place. *hugs to Susan, too*


CFL, Remind me the next time I see you to give you a hug.



Boo

[Georg]

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

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.

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

I think I found a little mistake:

Quote:

Guard: Okay, thanks. May I as if you are a guest here?

Shouldn´t that be "May I ask......." ?

ETA: TheRedWorm beat me.



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

[Robaato]

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.

However, considering the fact that she actually got security to throw you off the premises, I'm looking forward to some hilariously goofy statement where she tries (and fails) to spin this as hard as possible in her favor.

What could she say, anyway? "Even though it wasn't noticeable by people who aren't as sensitive to these things as I, our auras clashed violently over the stage. If I had let it continue, it would've destroyed the building, so I had to have security evict him. I was only concerned about the safety of my reputation the others in the casino."

[rjh01]

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.

You certainly got your Larsen's money worth. You had two conversations with her. This is far more than what her supporters got. Plus a free plug for your site.

[GoodGuysEatPie]

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

What really makes me smile here is not that you are giving this report to us, who already know of the Browne fraud, but that you represented yourself so politely in front of her supporters and the rest of her audience. I wonder how many in that audience went to look at your website afterwards. It is also heartening to hear about the "group" you talked to after the show.

Good job!

~ggep~

ps. Claus, thanks for providing Robert with the ticket.

[Wildy]

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

(Or should that be Myers'd?)

[Flo]

Reading this article, I'm more and more convinced she's extremely stupid (or her greed for fame, money and power has made her so), and so's her staff, on top of being petty and vindictive. As Robaato noticed, had she/they been smart, none of the incidents would have taken place ...

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

[Wildy]

RSL

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

[Rasmus]

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

Poor guy couldn't even get himself to be serious about the ban. The only time I ever got kicked out somewhere was back on campus (we were having a party, and we were being too loud and it was too late and other people did have exams coming up. We were warned once and then send home) but nobody then allowed me to negotiate the actions of campus security.

[chillzero]

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.

[CFLarsen]

Originally Posted by Empress

As an aside, I've never understood why she seems to brag that she has a private investigator on you and Randi. If she's psychic, doesn't she already know all your deep, dark secrets? The woman seems to be not only a bad performer, but an idiot as well.

She does it because she wants to hurt her critics. To scare them, to intimidate them, so they will leave her alone. And tell her fans that if they ever step out of line...

Unfortunately for Sylvia, it won't work. The only way to deal with such methods is to expose them.

Originally Posted by HarryKeogh

That was awesome. I admire the professional way Claus, your wife and especially you, handled this situation (with Browne and security).

If I had asked my original question, there would have been a riot! Sylvia would have had a stroke!

Originally Posted by Boo

CFL, Remind me the next time I see you to give you a hug.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Georg

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

None. I just went back to my seat. I did get a couple of looks after that, though.

Originally Posted by goodguyseatpie

ps. Claus, thanks for providing Robert with the ticket.

Thanks. What, no handshake for me? Boo promised a hug!

[monoman]

A big thanks to Robert, Susan and Claus.

That was very generous of you Claus to pay for the tickets.

Errrrrrm..... Radiohead are touring this year and some of them might believe in psychics. I'm skint, would you mind ponying up the monetries?

[volatile]

Aww! Claus! Whilst I loved your question, you should have just busted out the legendary "Evidence?".

:-D

[Senex]

Great job using perhaps your only opportunity to speak with her personally to write a culminating article near the end of her career. She opened the door herself to give you material to write about and plug your website because she mispoke it herself!

Maybe the hotel was doing a head count that day and the theatre would be breaking a law if they didn't have a piece of paper in the ticket stub box for each person in the theatre. It doesn't seem a coincidence you were last but you have to give her security people credit for recognizing you based on a photo. They were on the ball.

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.

[Wildy]

Originally Posted by CFLarsen

She does it because she wants to hurt her critics. To scare them, to intimidate them, so they will leave her alone. And tell her fans that if they ever step out of line...

Unfortunately for Sylvia, it won't work. The only way to deal with such methods is to expose them.

I thought that Sylvia wanted to Scientology her critics. (As you can see my brain has melted from studying.) But your way sounds good too.

Originally Posted by CFLarsen

If I had asked my original question, there would have been a riot! Sylvia would have had a stroke!

What was it? Don't keep us in suspense.

[juryjone]

Terrific job, Robert. I wouldn't have expected anything else. And kudos to your better half and Claus for their support.

I know that I wouldn't have been as calm and dignified as you were when getting tossed out. 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". (Not that it matters to the Excalibur, since you were on their property and it is their right to ask you to leave.)

[grunion]

Robert, you make us proud. I don't know how many of us could remain cool and collected under these circumstances but you continue to impress me with your leadership in trying to expose this fraud.

One thing that strikes me after reading the article is that there is obviously a quid pro quo that Browne's people have with the Excalibur. The casino makes millions bilking people out of their dollars in all sorts of ways, and this is another way for them to do so, but of course there is a price. So maybe they get 50% of the take of SB's door, or between $50 and $75 a head, for 60-90 minutes of each patron's time. They have to consider if it is more cost-effective than getting that money in other ways (i.e. at the gambling tables or slot machines). For most casinos the shows act as a draw to get folks in, so they will throw some money on the tables while they are there, or a way to comp the high-rollers that they want to make sure do not venture outside of their walled garden. But it just doesn't seem to me that Browne's fans would be very high-value casino patrons with a lot of cash in their pockets.

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.

[ottle]

Robert, as always, you're my hero. This is as fantastic as I expected it would be. Your utter calm in the face of the blazing crazy always impresses me - I would not have been able to be so calm.

Susan - ditto

Claus - great question and thanks for your generosity in sponsoring this event. Fantastic stuff!

[Georg]

Originally Posted by CFLarsen

If I had asked my original question, there would have been a riot! Sylvia would have had a stroke!

Then you better have a good explanation why you haven´t asked it........

Quote:

None. I just went back to my seat. I did get a couple of looks after that, though.

What kind of looks? I guess it were not the "I wanna have sex with you right now right here" ones?


And again: Compliments.