1.30.2008

Breaking News: "The Montel Williams Show" to end

Sylvia Browne is about to lose a very large audience: It's a wrap for Montel

(1/31 - Robert Lancaster has posted an update to his site here)

Oh How the Heart Bleeds...

Rochelle Jewel Shapiro: Are You Sure You Want to Be Psychic?
I've worked as a psychic for over thirty years and it means more to me each day, but would you really want to have this gift if you actually knew what it was like?"
After I took Randi's million dollars, won the power ball lottery, and got banned from every casino - then I might pause to consider if I really wanted this power.
First off, people expect free, on the spot readings no matter where you are or what you're doing. I'm lying on the examining table in a paper robe at the gynecologist's office, my feet in stirrups. The doctor inserts the specula, sits down on his little stool for a good look, and asks, "So, what do you see for me?"
And the problem is...what? Have you ever considered that what you see for the doctor may be just a teensy more pleasant than what the doctor is seeing for you? Life is a two-way street, lady. It's not always about you and your superpowers.

By the way, Eddie Vedder called. He wants his brooding angst back.

Paranormal Romance Challenge

Mmmm...nothing gets me going quite like the thought of a voluptuous sorceress seducing me with her spells of passion (because, yes, I am that hard to get and that's what it takes to get me), binding me with the chains of lust, and torturing the depths of my soul until I submit, granting her my everlasting oath of fealty. Then we have a sweaty swordfight wherein we discover the true meaning of love.

Hey kids, if you're like me, then you'll be all atwitter with the latest from Harlequin Enterprises:
Harlequin Announces Creation of Paranormal Romance Blog
TORONTO, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Harlequin Enterprises Limited, the global leader in series romance and one of the world's leading publishers of women's fiction, today announced the creation of Harlequin's Paranormal Romance Blog, a blog dedicated solely to paranormal romance novels, one of the fastest growing romance fiction categories in the world.
This book is a great example of what you need to keep those paranormal love juices flowing:
Guardian's Keep
by Lori Devoti

Kol Hildr had spent the last century battling hellhounds and warlocks who sought to usurp his portal's magic. A mighty shape-shifter with the ability to change into wolf form, Kol made accessing the powerful gateway nearly impossible—unless you were a witch of Kelly Shane's talents. She had a score to settle and would do anything to close the portal that led to her unearthly prison. Though an alliance with her compromised Kol's very purpose, something about the little witch overwhelmed his fierce, battle-worn soul. But when he learned that Kelly's life might be in jeopardy, could Kol put aside the one thing he thought he valued most—the portal—to journey to the other side and save her?
Now that I've got you all hot and bothered, I think a challenge is in order for the Paranormal Romance writers. I want to read a hot, sensuous novella straddling the borders of woo and skepticism. That's right...butter up some woo and spread it all over science. How about bloodsucking love affair between a vampire and a theoretical physicist, eh?

Wait...hold on friends. Even better--so much better: let's have a story centered around Sylvia Browne and James "The Amazing" Randi, two indomitable enemies, reigning supreme within their separate domains. Use the story to transcend their differences and build a bridge between them. Start, perhaps, with Sylvia saying "Oh...so that's where I put his address," develop the conflict (don't forget bloodlust and sweaty swordfights), and end in a haze of cigarette smoke, with Sylvia's raspy whisper, "Oh James, you really are amazing."

Did someone say 'bestseller'?

A Big Steaming Hunk of Woo: Kelvin Cruickshank


Free psychic readings? Oh to be a Kiwi! What's more, Cruickshank (tip: say it with your mind, not your mouth) has the ability to provide info about you that he can't possibly get from googling...and let's face it, is there anything Google doesn't know about you?
New Zealand Reality TV: Kelvin Cruickshank
As for the man himself, well it turns out, the blonde giant is a sensitive wee soul and finds the psychic detection business takes a toll on his spirit. Or more accurately spirits, given that he was so upset after some of the work he did on Sensing Murder that he found himself delving into the liquor cabinet to calm his soul. Funny, Miss Prozac imagined psychics calmed themselves with lovely healing crystals and natural therapies, but it seems Kelvin is a fan of getting pished for a few days to make his troubles go away.

Feed the Woo

With all the criticisms and negative energy surrounding her these days, I think Sylvia Browne has been slipping a bit. Even she deserves a softball lobbed at her every now and then. Fortunately for her, distraught mother Janice Thomas, who has been having paranormal experiences ever since the tragic loss of her son, was willing to appear on Montel's show recently to help revive Sylvia's woo. It's nice when the woo just writes itself.
Possible messages from the beyond?
"When Frank died in a car accident, his mother, Janice, started to experience strange phenomena around her house," the news release from the show said. "His (Frank's) sister Tamara says she feels it and even saw teardrops from his headstone. They need to know if Frank is contacting them from beyond," the release said.
Thomas said her life has changed since the death of her son.

1.28.2008

Annual International UFO Congress Convention

The International UFO Congress says they now hold the world’s largest UFO convention. Their latest annual conference will be held in Las Vegas, NV this year (February 23 – March 1). Unfortunately, I can’t make it, but if I could go, these are some of the events I would attend:

SATURDAY - FEBRUARY 23

7:15 - 10:30 PM - Keynote Presentation Dinner - NEW THIS YEAR !

Philip Mantle - Philip will finally close the file on the Alien Autopsy Film. He has uncovered the mastermind behind the whole hoax (not Ray Santilli) and he is prepared to go on the record with his information in person. This is a presentation that must not be missed!

I didn’t know that this was a hoax. I remember seeing it on TV so I assumed it was true. Apparently, some new evidence has come out to indicate otherwise. If it was a hoax, it sure had me fooled because it looked so real.

SUNDAY - FEBRUARY 24
8:30 - 9:30 AM - Mike Oram (UK) - Mike has had a lifetime of personal experience with a variety of visitors from off-world, including his own Space Brothers, a Bio-mechanical Being, Tulip People and Light Beings. His talk will offer glimpses of his experiences, (as told fully in his book Does It Rain In other Dimensions?) and will include his and his partner's amazing abduction incident at Area 51 in 2004, a brief overview of DNA symbols for consciousness change, given to him by the Light Beings and a personal tale of a UFO by prior arrangement.

I’m particularly interested in the DNA symbols for consciousness change. If these could be provided in pill form (a “consciousness vitamin”, for example), it would change the mind of a lot of skeptics (whether they like it or not).

MONDAY - FEBRUARY 25

12:45 - 2:15 - Dr. Louis Turi - Dr. Turi will put the entire audience in a safe light trance and open the door to your subconscious’ creative forces. The inserted suggestions will undoubtedly bring about one of your most cherished wish and stimulate your inner creative powers.

This just sounds like a lot of fun. I would be a little concerned that Dr. Turi might open the doors to my wallet, but if it stimulates my inner creative powers…well, I guess it would be worth it.

TUESDAY - FEBRUARY 26

2:30 - 6:00 PM - Russell Targ with a Remote Viewing Learning Session - 'Scientific and Spiritual Implications of Psychic Abilities: Why bother with ESP?' - Physicist Russell Targ, co-founder of this previously SECRET psychic research program, will present a summary of the very best evidence for extrasensory perception, precognition, intuitive diagnosis and spiritual healing. We will discuss how to recognize the actual psychic signal, and how to separate it from mental noise of memory, imagination, and analysis - and why should we bother with ESP? Finally, and most important, we will have lessons and practice in remote viewing, just as we did in the successful Stanford Research Institute program.

I’m sure this relates to UFOs in some way, I just don’t know how. I suppose that’s why I need my inner creative powers stimulated.

WEDNESDAY - FEBRUARY 27

2:30 - 4:00 PM - Dr. Leo Sprinkle-'The ET Presence: Mirrors of Consciousness?' - This lecture, with slides, offers the thesis that we humans are learning more about our place on the Planet, and in the Cosmos, from the help of our Galactic Visitors: Are they invaders/ intruders/ instructors/ initiators? It depends on our levels of consciousness.

If Dr. Sprinkle doesn’t cover it in the lecture, I think I’d ask how I can change my level of consciousness to shift the Galactic Visitors out of the invaders/intruders category. Maybe it all comes back to those DNA symbols for consciousness change. If so, I’ll take whatever drugs are necessary to correct any deficiency I have, so long as I gain the power to prevent the Galactic Visitors from obliterating the Earth. I don’t mind if they become instructors, or even initiators, but I’d prefer if they came in puppy dog form, if you know what I mean.

SATURDAY - MARCH 1

8:30 - 10:00 AM -Ross Hemsworth (UK) - 'Inter Dimensional Travel' - Come take a look at the theory that ET's may be a lot closer than we think and moving through a wafer thin gauze between multiple parallel dimensions. Listen as Ross also addresses the stargate theories and the possibility of Human use of inter-dimensional travel within the coming years.

This is one of the last presentations and, given that Ross Hemsworth hypothesizes that “ET’s may be a lot closer than we think,” I would ask him: where the hell have you been all week?! There have been lectures on alien abductions, evidence for UFOs in the Amazon, visitations in the “remote past”…even presentations from people who have regular interactions with aliens.

Are ETs closer than we think? Duh.

1.25.2008

Creationists launch 'science' journal : Nature News

Creationists launch 'science' journal
On 9 January, Answers in Genesis, a Christian ministry run by evangelical Ken Ham, launched Answers Research Journal (ARJ ), a free, online publication devoted to research on “recent Creation and the global Flood within a biblical framework”. Papers will be peer reviewed by those who “support the positions taken by the journal”, according to editor-in-chief Andrew Snelling, a geologist based in Brisbane, Australia.
What a disappointment! These so-called "peer reviewed journals" get bogged down by always being too sciency for my taste. The "Answers Research Journal (ARJ)" is not only too sciency. It's also too bibley! Between all the formulas and the "thou shalls", there's nothing intelligible to be found within its pages. And they don't provide any answers! They address, for example, when bacteria was created in the beginning. They suggest it happened on day 3, when all the plants were created, but then offer other reasons why this may not be so. So...when was it then, hmmm Mr. Answers? Or maybe I should AskJeeves?

But it has one thing going for it: it's FREE. All you other journals better take note of this one key feature, or you'll find yourselves printing on holy parchment in a few decades.

Attack of the Giant Blob

City Battles Giant Blob
A large, mysterious blob has taken over a major sewer line in the city of Lewiston, leaving public works crews stumped as to how to budge it.
Perhaps this is the secret terror attack Pat Robertson has been warning us about for the past 2 years. Or maybe Lewiston, ME is a den of iniquity, with all their sins coming back to haunt them.

Maybe it's the end of the world...

Is the Moon Hoax About to Get Bigger?


Taking on the Moon Hoax
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (pictured above) is set to launch at the end of October 2008. Orbiting at only 50 km and with a camera with 0.5 m/pixel resolution, it will be able to see not only the left over Apollo hardware but other robotic mission and Russian mission remains as well. That would be a good start.
So, somebody tell me. What is NASA doing that Pixar can't do better? I can hear the Flight Director polling the stations now...

Texturing?
GO!
Matte artists?
GO!
Concept Art?
GO!
Wireframe Modelers?
GO!
Production Design?
GO!
Photoshop?
GO!
Rendering Department?
GO!

All systems are GO. Initiating raytrace sequences...

J. Craig Venter: Penultimate God?

US scientists close to creating artificial life: study
US scientists have taken a major step toward creating the first ever artificial life form by synthetically reproducing the DNA of a bacteria, according to a study published Thursday.

The maverick scientist, Craig Venter, is at it again, eschewing the ethics of scientific morality he picks apart and reassembles God's basic building blocks of life. Only 4 billion or 6 thousandas years after the earth formed/was made, man is on the verge of creating the first artificial life form. And what life do we chose to create? Not a beautiful butterfly, nor a pretty rose. Instead, we've set our sights on the Mycoplasma genitalium bacteria...a name only a late night talk show host could love. Of all the things we could possibly create, we decide to work on something that causes sexually transmitted disease. Maybe this is funded by Bush's abstinence program.

"Thou shalt have no other Gods before me." Venter is fine with that. He'll just pull up a seat next to God.

Evolution Rocks!

Whether or not you believe in evolution, this is a very cool video.

Monkey’s Thoughts Propel Robot, a Step That May Help Humans - New York Times


Monkey’s Thoughts Propel Robot, a Step That May Help Humans
"It's walking!" Dr Nicolelis said. "That's one small step for a robot and one giant leap for a primate."
So, if a monkey's thoughts can make a robot walk, is there ANY limit to what the human mind can do?Hell no! We're Homo Freaking Sapiens! We resonate with the Universe. We realize our desires just by thinking about them. And, we only use 10% of our brain to do it! (The other 90% being used to ward off evil monkey thoughts.)

I'd like to see a monkey make ME walk. That'd be a trick.

Conjugal Harmony - A Cure for Loneliness?


A friend (Google) introduced me to conjugal Harmony as a possible cure for loneliness. Something to keep me from talking to my computer or arguing with my car on cold, winter days. I just don't think I'm ready for that kind of relationship at this point in my life. Sure, I could probably find a girl there, but how much would she have in common with me? Not the idea of me, but the real, true me? Does she like to laugh? Take long walks on beds of coals? Manifest things? I don't know...this probably isn't for me. Besides, I hear the many debtor's prisons of South America are where all the action's at.

1.24.2008

Uhhh...so, this is depressing

Lonely People More Likely to Believe in Supernatural
When people feel lonely, they may try to rekindle old friendships, seek out new ones or, as Epley's study suggests, they may create social connections by anthropomorphizing nearby gadgets, such as computers or cars, pets, or by believing in supernatural events or religious figures.
It's not true! Sure I'm socially connected to my computer and car. Isn't everybody? The radio sings to me. The internet talks to me. God watches over me. And I'm always ready for the day the aliens visit me. Hell - no one else will talk to me, other than the nice ladies on QVC. And only the Jehovah witnesses visit me. Does that me I'm lonely? Huh? Does it? Hey! I'm talking to you! Wh-what? Don't give me that attitude. I'll CTRL-ALT-DEL your ass right now!

OK. I'm sorry. I apologize. I didn't mean to fly off the handle. Look...why don't you go into hibernate mode for a few hours, mmkay? Dream your little digital dreams. Tomorrow will be a new day.

Kisses.

Researcher criticizes alternative medicine -- baltimoresun.com

Researcher criticizes alternative medicine
"Just about everyone I've ever talked to about the subject believes in one or two alternative therapies and are sure they work," he said. "The question is - and it's a big question - what if all these people were wrong? What could explain that?"
Sigh. Lord give me strength. So, his question is "What could explain that?" if "all these people were wrong". How can one even begin to answer this? One doesn't explain how something is wrong. You explain how something is right! And since just about everyone he's talked to believes in alternative therapies, they can't all be wrong, so they must be right. Now then, Professor Isuckatmyjob (if that really is your name), the question should be...no...MUST be "What could explain that?!"

Apparently, not you. So, go on with your bad self, and hide in the college of nursing with all your nursy nurses. And take a lesson: NO ONE knows how it works. How can anyone ever know such a thing?

(aside - I just reread my post and I agee with you, it sucks. I just couldn't find the right angle here. Oh well, what can you do?)

Slow Days in Jacksonville

First Coast Woman Wonders if She Saw a UFO
Hope Henz says she's been around long enough to know the difference between a rain storm and a UFO, and this wasn't a rain storm.
I'm not belittling Hope's Woo here. I was just amused by the headline. You know...I'm starting to wonder if Hope saw a UFO, too. How can I not? I'm also beginning to think that it probably wasn't a rainstorm, because I've seen rainstorms. Oh boy, have I seen rainstorms!

Next week: Dog Wonders if Tail is Alive

A Reversal of Conspiratorial Fortune

Military says it had aircraft where UFOs were spotted
The military now says it was mistaken when it said it had no aircraft deployed over Erath County on the date that dozens reported seeing UFOs near Stephenville, about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth.
Oh no you didn't!

So, what are we supposed to do now? Huh? Should we just hand over our notebook and let you write the conspiracy for us? Military, please. Leave that to the experts. We're big boyz and gurlz now. We've already penned the chapter on "weather balloons" and "stealth training missions". The movie rights have been sold. Please don't try to get in on the action so early in the game.

And, for the conspiracy record, it was F-22s, not F-16s. And the actors - er, I mean pilots - will be available for interview at tomorrow's press conference. Be a little more creative next time if you want to play in our sandbox. And keep your chocolate out of our peanut butter!

1.23.2008

Heath Ledger and Nikki, Psychic to the Stars

Nikki, the famed "psychic to the stars", maintains a list of predictions for the coming year on her website. One of her categories is the morosely named "Death Watch and Health Watch" section. A visit to her website will lead you to believe that she predicted Heath Ledger's death. This would be a powerful demonstration of her abilities since, as far as I know, Heath had no adverse issues that predisposed him to an early and untimely death. We should all bow down to Nikki's Woo. The following pic is courtesy of Gerry (thanks!).



But I happened to give a talk last night on the Way of the Woo, and in my research, I copied Nikki's 2008 predictions two days ago. Looking at my copy, I didn't see Heath Ledger's name mentioned anywhere. So, did Nikki REALLY predict Mr. Ledger's death and just forget to put it on her website? Or did she make a Post Hoc prediction?

What's more, Nikki also removed her prediction that Angelina Jolie would be nominated for an Oscar this year. And this was AFTER the nominations had been announced. I did a comparison with her original page (thank you Google cache!) in MS Word. You can see the results below.


From where I sit, it looks like Nikki lied to us. And while I'll be the first to defend anyone's Woo, my gold standard is that they not lie to the people because this does more damage to the culture of Woo than anything else.

So, from now on, I'll be watching her like a kite. I honestly don't think I can trust her anymore.

The Woo Around Heath Ledger

After someone of notoriety crosses over, all kinds of people come out claiming this or that about the person. However, it is uncommon for psychics and mediums to join, as they prefer to stay above the fray. However, with the passing of Heath Ledger, I think we can grant Dame Darcy a little license here, to come forward and tell us what he was really like, so that we can hear from the person that probably knew him best, rather than from the evil paparazzi. I don't know if Dame Darcy knew what the ultimate outcome might be for Heath, but I do get a sense of foreboding. Her last words in this article are particularly poignant.
Heath Ledger Psychic Speaks Out on Life Death, Drug Overdose Reports "He really didn’t care about awards or his fame. I could also see in his palm that there were many lives attached to his own life. These people were attached to Heath financially—they depended on him for money. I’m really sorry to hear about his death—he was one of a very few genuine artists that I met in Hollywood. He was also a really nice guy."

1.22.2008

Homeopathy and Quantum Mechanics

Who said it couldn't be done? Michael Wilkinson of the Netherlands has provided an eminently readable interpretation of Homeopathy in terms of Quantum Mechanics, with a warning to doctors. Check it out (pdf warning): Towards a Quantum Interpretation of Homeopathy

To paraphrase the immortal Heisenberg: Hey! Sciency types! Who's your delta-daddy delta-now??

Peer Into the Soul of a Skeptic

...and this is what you'll find lurking there:
Researchers develop darkest manmade material Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Rice University have created the darkest material ever made by man.


If, on the other hand, you were thinking about this:

...then go here for more info.

Leggy Woo


Oh yeah...reaching way back into 1998, when Woo was simpler and no one asked hard questions, the leggy Jada Pinkett Smith starred in Woo. I think this one went straight to Betamax.

1.21.2008

Have a Heart

They say people only use 10% of their brain. Skeptics like to point out that this is a ridiculous claim. That's understandable, because skeptics only use 10% of their heart.
Way of the Woo

1.20.2008

Increasing Cold Reading Hit Rate

Psychics aren't perfect. Even John Edward can't be correct all the time. But I've been thinking of a technique that he can use to increase his hit rate: cold reading in the nude.

That's right. John Edward should come out on stage before a live audience wearing nothing but his birthday suit. This is especially useful since the majority of his audience is typically women. He picks any one of them at random, holds her hand, and in all his god-given glory, says "A mental image is forming. I'm getting a name...it's a first name. It begins with a 'D'...anyone you know? A short guy. A little chubby. Ring any bells?"

Communicate. Appreciate. Validate. Guaranteed to work.

Yogurt: The Pros and Cons

I don't know what search term you used to bring you to this particular entry. It ain't what you think...and if it is...well then it sure would be interesting to live with your brain for a day!
Alternative Treatment For Genital Problems
Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)

This mild, noninflammatory condition is thought to be linked to a high pH level (low acid balance) in the vagina. It causes symptoms that include a gray-white discharge with a strong, fishy smell.

Treatment

Naturopathy Dip a tampon in live, natural yogurt and leave in the vagina for an hour.
Is this effective? Moreover, is it LEGAL? And if it is, then is there anyone out there needing assistance with this procedure? And if there is, does it have to be a tampon or can you just dip any old thing in yogurt and...well, you know.

For an hour.

Only Real Woo Need Apply

Psychic fraud must pay £926
A fraudster who tricked small businesses out of nearly £74,000 by pretending to be a celebrity medium and psychic has been ordered to pay compensation of just £926.
This really gets my goat, entrails and all. It's tough enough trying to be a credible source of portentious ponderings without having people like this a-hole giving psychics a bad name. But what's really stunning is how anyone could have fallen so easily for this brand of faux-woo. How hard would it have been for the aforementioned small businesses to test this huckster's abilities? They should have at least checked his testimonials. For chrissakes, who doesn't check testimonials these days?

BTW, this article's headline must have been penned by a sot. It should be "Fraudulent psychic", not "Psychic fraud". Play it safe, people. Check the quality of the Woo before drinking the Kool-Aid.

Wagih Samweil - WTF???

Victorian psychic of the year's predictions
Australia's favorite psychic has made several testable predictions for 2008. He says Kylie Minogue will finally meet Mr. Right, whose name will begin with a J or R. And he also laid his reputation on the line with further predictions about Lleyton Hewitt, Roger Federer, Justine Henin, Serena Williams, and several more. He also tells us that Hillary Clinton will be the next president. But most daring of all:
He says Nicole Kidman is having a girl, but it won't be confirmed until after the birth.
Even I'm at a loss for words. What did he just say?

Wagih...your Woo may be strong, but it's also a little goofy.

Grrrrrr!

Animals have abilities, not psychic powers
"Are some pets psychic? I doubt it, in spite of many anecdotal stories, "pet psychics" on television and even incidences I have witnessed, which may seem inconceivable otherwise."
Thus begins a column in the Illinois Herald & Review. Don't these people have anything better to do? Here, "Dr. Larry Baker" (if that really is his name) relates a story about Midnight, a black cat, escaping her owner's car and finding her way to the owner's friends house miles away.
How did Midnight travel across town and find the home of her owner's friend at the precise time that her owner was visiting? We'll probably never know. It could have been an amazing coincidence, if you believe in those, too. Perhaps Midnight had found a secret hiding place in the car and had traveled there along with her owner, then jumped out the window once her owner paid the visit to her friend.
Yeah...likely story. And monkeys are flying out of my ass right now! Did the good Doctor not realize he was dealing with a black cat named Midnight? For crissakes! Talk about alignment of the stars! Sounds like the good doctor is seriously in need of getting in touch with his inner Woo.

1.19.2008

Who Could Have Known?

Well this is quite unexpected. In case the link stops working, here's what you'll find:

Will the Packers Win This Sunday?

To answer this, we could check with professional sports analysts, the man on the street, the bookies, or a psychic. Hmmm...to Woo or not to Woo? I know - let's Woo!

In the article New Jersey Psychic: Packers Victory Sunday by Milwaukee's TMJ4 news, Stephanie, a New Jersey psychic, has predicted that the Packers will win on Sunday in a low scoring game.
David Marcus: “What do you see when you see this picture of Brett Favre?”
“A very strong player,” Stephanie said.
David Marcus: “What do you see in his immediate future a few days from now?”
“He's not thinking he is going to win or lose,” Stephanie said.
David Marcus: “What about the Giants. Do they have a positive aura?”
“There is one player that is going into this battle not so confident,” Stephanie said.
“Is this the man?” David Marcus asks, pointing to a picture of Eli Manning.
“Yes, this is the man,” Stephanie said.

Good luck, Stephanie. I predict business will change dramatically for you after Sunday. One way or another.

1.18.2008

Water Woo

Not many people know this, but water is weird. We're all familiar with water. It's all around us and the healthiest of us drink 8 glasses of it a day, stopping only for a colonic every now and then. Water makes up 3/4ths of the Earth's surface and 3/4ths of our bodies (coincidence? I think not). Because it is so common and part of our every day experiences, many people don't know that water actually has many peculiar properties that aren't typically seen in other molecules.

For example, water has surface tension, which is great for water bugs and Jesus. Water also expands when it freezes, which is great for the Arctic because otherwise the entire Arctic ocean would freeze instead of just the surface. Also, ice would sink instead of float - great for the Titanic, but not so great for a nice cold glass of iced tea.

Scientists have been examining the peculiar properties of water for ages, and now it looks like they've created a simple computer model that duplicates most of these oddities, with a special look at why oil and water don't mix.

Weird water: Discovery challenges long-held beliefs about water's special properties While their water imitator is hypothetical -- it was created with computer software that is commonly used for simulating interactions between molecules -- the researchers’ discovery may ultimately have implications for industrial or pharmaceutical research. “I would be very interested to see if experimentalists could create colloids (small particles suspended in liquid) that exhibit the water-like properties we observed in our simulations,” Debenedetti said. Such laboratory creations might be useful in controlling the self-assembly of complex biomolecules or detergents and other surfactants.

While it is amusing to imagine chemists bandy about "surfactants" like it's going out of style, I doubt that their simulations have taken into account a water's capacity for memory. So, these sciency types may think they're riding the high horse with their fancy computer simulations, but eventually they will come to know that there is a higher horse to ride.

Image courtesy of royalty free stock photography for websites, PowerPoint, newletters, forums, blogs, schools and homework - FreeDigitalPhotos.net


1.17.2008

Uri Geller's Birthday Gift to Himself

Spoons may seem like an odd birthday gift to yourself, unless you're Uri Geller. Geller, a Grandmaster of Woo, became famous for using his talents to bend spoons. Now, the famous London Savoy hotel held an auction and Geller treated himself to their spoons. The three lots of 50 spoons each, worth a total estimated value of approximately $450, were purchased for about $2000 by Geller, according to the Bloomberg article.
``I'm 61 today. That's why I'm treating myself,'' said Geller, who bent and signed a number of other spoons for admirers during the evening. ``Look after this. They fetch three thousand pounds on EBay,'' he said to a Bonhams staff member as a freshly bent spoon continued to curl in the palm of his hand.
I have always been impressed by Geller's ability to bend metal with just his mind and his hands, and I'm particularly pleased that he passed this gift on to so many others who regularly do it for the YouTube audience. It is unfortunate that this hasn't led to world peace, but as long as Geller is with us, there will always be hope.

1.16.2008

Psychic's quake predictions cause alarm

Sounds like the Gisborne District Council isn't taking this seriously. One of their defense officers said
...they will be asking police to investigate anyone acting with malicious intent
Oh yeah? Seems to me a quake measuring 8 on the Richter Scale is pretty friggin' malicious! Who's going to investigate that when all your men are writhing in the rubble, your women are crying, and your kids have been washed out to sea??

Give Woo its due!

Wooism

Though there are only five turtles, yet there are seven eggs.
Way of the Woo

Is Nicole Kidman's Brain Age Woo?

FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Wow! Nicole Kidman plays Brain Age? I wonder what her score is. They say a brain age of 20 yrs is the best. Who decided that? A bunch of lame-o 20 yr old programmers? Whatever her score is, I respect Nicole's Woo. Besides, why are they coming down so hard on Brain Age? It's not like she's pimping Grand Theft Auto: Canberra Streets.

Why do scientists have to be so sciency all the time?

Image courtesy of royalty free stock photography for websites, PowerPoint, newletters, forums, blogs, schools and homework - FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Expanding the Woobase

I need your help with a little experiment. I want you to think of something, anything at all. And don’t tell me what it is. I’ll wait until you’re done.

OK…now fix it in your mind. Visualize it. Focus on it. Concentrate.

Hard.

Harder!

Next I’m going to ask you a question about whatever it is you’re thinking about. Most of the time this works, but not always, so don’t lose the faith if I mess up.

OK, ready? Still thinking about it? Here's the question:

Does it fly?

For most people, the answer is no, and the reason is simple. Of all the things that are available for you to chose from, the vast majority of them do not fly. Off the top of my head, I can think of birds, planes, insects, bats, and Superman. By no means is this an exhaustive list, but the point is that the number of things that fly compared to the things that don’t is relatively insignificant.

If you accept this rather reasonable argument, then let’s ask the obvious question: why do UFO investigators unnecessarily restrict themselves to UFOs? Why don’t they expand their horizon and go after UO’s? Maybe it’s just me, but I think a UO hunter would be rolling in the fodder. Sure, every once in awhile, something interesting pops up on the UFOlogist’s radar screen. In fact, as ABC News reports, more than 30 people witnessed a UFO near Stephenville, TX yesterday. Some quotes:

"It was very intense, bright lights," said local newspaper reporter Angela Joyner.

and

"The lights were like going like this," said Constable Leroy Gateman…

and

"It's crazy," said one teenage girl in town.

and

i have never seen anything like that before in my 61 yrs of life, but to say it s not so?? if i did something like that i guess it could make one shake there head and rub ones eyes, and if i did see such a thing then i would not back down and the hell with all of you!!

(this last one came from the comments section)

That’s some compelling stuff. But truth be told, occurrences like these come along only very rarely. In fact, MUFON (the Mutual UFO Network) says that “well over 90% of UFOs prove to be IFOs – Identified Flying Objects – upon investigation” (Ref). The upshot of all of this is that the quality pickin’s are slim.

Frankly, I think MUFON should remove one letter from their mission statement and change their name. The new mission statement becomes:

The study of UOs for the benefit of humanity.

MUFON becomes MUON, which has the virtue of sounding sciency, like NEUTRON, only without the hard edge. Besides, MUON sounds way more Woo-cool than MUFON and after all, it is all about image. “MUFON” disagrees with me because it sounds too much like “mofo”, doesn’t it? Or “mofon”. Whatever.

What’s more, MUFON already has the infrastructure in place to make the reporting of UOs easy. They would just need to make minor tweaks to their database so that you can categorize a report of an Unidentified Object as, say, subterranean, floating, urban, walking, road bound, etc. For example, I took a typical sighting report and changed only ONE word. Apply a “Rural Unidentified Object” label, assign it a case number, and start investigating!

I was taking a picture of the moon tractor and when I check up the picture in my computer I zoomed this object.I never saw anything untill I put it in my computer i woul like to know what could be this object.Here is the picture you have to zoom it so you can see it.
I have since them a lot of picture that I've been taking some of them very weird if. I want some body to analize it let me know if you can do it

So MUFON? What are you waiting for? Expand your subscriber base and let’s get to identifying!


1.15.2008

What is the 'Way of the Woo'?

Do you remember trying to count to infinity? It's a pretty hard thing to do and if you were in bed, you probably fell asleep before even getting close. Later, you learned that infinity is boundless and could never be reached by counting. After trying several times, I tend to agree. But I've since thought about it quite a bit and it strikes me that the problem lies in the destination. In simple terms, you know your starting point, but you have no idea about what your destination is. So naturally you feel helpless and lost, and you give up trying. I've been there. I know.

I now realize that the solution means you must forget what you've been taught and rephrase the problem to one you know how to handle. Think of it this way: to count from zero to infinity, you ultimately find yourself in a sleep state and have to start over upon waking. But how do you know that you didn't reach your goal? That is, how do you know that, while you were asleep, you didn't complete your task of counting to infinity? You don't know. So maybe you did. Are you starting to get the sense of where I'm going with this?

In your sleep state, your destination is infinity. In fact, your mind is so consumed with this task that you can logically conclude that the sleep state itself is the destination. The sleep state is infinity and, with infinity, all things are possible. This is so important that I have to say it again. The sleep state is infinity. I know that there must be a few raised eyebrows out there and I wouldn't ask you to believe me if I couldn't prove it. But we'll get to that part in a minute.

Let me get back to the core problem of counting to infinity, which is: counting to infinity. To be more precise, the problem is counting from zero to infinity. Can you not see that this is the same as starting from home and going to some mysterious destination? This is known as 'thinking on the cone'. This mode of thought is all too pervasive in today's world, and it imposes such severe boundaries on what we allow ourselves to think of as possible that we entirely miss the impossible. However, it doesn't have to be this way and all it takes is a little loosening of some mental restraints.

For example, envision the cone. It is a well-defined geometrical shape with a circle at one end and a point at the other. But what is a circle? Or more importantly, how many points exist on a circle? I know it may seem counterintuitive, but a circle is actually comprised of an infinite number of points. So the cone is the simplest three dimensional shape that leads you from an infinite number of points down to only one single point! And from one, you can easily make the leap to zero, which is not a part of the cone. Therefore, to get from infinity to zero, you have to think off the cone. The conclusion is unassailable.

But how does this really help you to count to infinity? Here is where I will offer my proof. If you've stayed with me so far, I hope you will have picked up on a subtle paradigm shift introduced with the cone. As I've said earlier, I don't think it is possible to count from zero to infinity. However, it is possible to count from infinity to zero!!! Here's where you have to really get off the cone. Recall the analogy of counting to infinity as being like one starting from home and traveling to a mysterious destination. Recall that I also noted that, no matter how hard you tried, you ultimately arrived in a sleep state, and that the sleep state is nothing more than infinity itself (technically, it is not limited to being infinity, but for our purposes here....) The key insight: start at your destination and go home. And if you think about it, this makes more sense, because ultimately where would you rather be than at home? Home evokes feelings of warmth and comfort, and is a far cry from engendering feelings of helplessness and loss (unless you're a teenager, haha).

But how do you start from infinity? You must start in your sleep state. That is, you turn the tables on the traditional method of counting to infinity. Instead of counting upwards to infinity and eventually falling asleep, you start counting downwards from infinity while you are asleep. Although your conscious mind is not aware of the numbers whizzing by (after all, you only ever remember just a few things from your sleep, if any), when you wake up, you will immediately think of a number. That is the number you reached from infinity while asleep. All that is left for you to do is to continue the countdown to zero. It should be noted that the rate of "sleep counting" varies from time to time, so your waking number may be significantly different from the time before. And if you don't immediately think of a number, then it is likely that you completed the count in your sleep so there is nothing left to do.

Try it some evening and see if it works for you. If so, you will have done what everyone has said couldn't be done. And you will have taken your first steps off the cone.

This is the Way of the Woo.