Tuesday, February 19, 2008

You Are a Kook If: (Uri Geller--James Randi edition)

This is a continuation of my "you are a kook if:" series, and also a follow-up to my mention of Uri Geller in my Monday entry about the unwarranted media hysterai over the meat packing "scandal" in California (see entry if you are puzzled aboutt he connection).

Your ARE a kook if:

116.  You believe anything Uri Geller says, and especially if you believe he ever had any special menatal powers.  One reason for this entry is to alert you to the very good things that "The Amazing Randi" (James Randi) has done in EXPOSING frauds and charlatans claiming special "powers", while really doing mere magic tricks (Randi had a career as a magician).  Randi was a worthy successor to Houdini (althoug perhaps not a believer in the supernatural like Houdini) in exposing such frauds and charlatans.  Randi exposed Uri Geller as a FRAUD (that key bending with the mind, when it was all a trick).

117.  You are Doug Stephan.  Yes, Uri Geller is an apparent regular on Doug Stephan's morning program.   This automatically means that Doug Stephan is a kook (see 116 above).  If you present Uri Geller as an "expert" on the mind, you ARE a kook.

I recommend James Randi's articles and books.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

All rightwing bullshit

Anonymous said...

I HOPE that the comment was meant to be about the whole blog--not that I think it is applicable to the whole blog, but it would at least make sense (although hardly a reasoned argument).

I really don't see that pointing out charlatans and frauds out there is "right wing", unless you regard reasoned thinking and healthy skepticism as "right wing".  Come to think of it, that IS how leftists think.