I may have changed the name, but as you can see Plonka is still very much Plonka…:)
Those who are regular readers (you know who you are) will know that there are times I can be a bit of a sceptic. Something, or I should say someone, has come to my attention once again and I can’t keep my mouth shut this time. So people, it’s time for some more WOO! Grab a coffee, tea, vegemite and hot water or whatever takes your fancy, kick back, have a read and watch the clip. I’m interested in what you have to say…
There are two of these so called psychics or mediums in particular that get my goat. John Edwards and Sylvia Browne. Johnny boy seems to have been a bit quiet since people started to accept the fact that he’s a total fraud. I guess that if you say things like “I can prove it” and “I’ll take your test” and “Of course I can do it with a single person I’ve never met before in a controlled environment”, then go on to refuse to take James Randi’s test, fail miserably at proving it and just not bother to turn up for the last one, then it’s hardly surprising that the world wakes up and says “You look like a fraud to me!” Still, the guy made his money cashing in on people’s misery, and that makes him a total blackguard (and I mean that with all the old world sentiment attached). He should be made to pay it back but unfortunately, this swindle is legal.
Sylvia Browne on the other hand, can’t seem to keep her mouth shut and seems to be totally convinced by what she says about herself. This woman is worse than Edwards ever was in my opinion. I’ve been seeing her a lot lately, telling us how she works with the police all the time and gives them leads that help them solve crimes and in the case of the clip you’re about to see, telling people their kids are dead when they’re not.
Every time I see this woman do her funky thing, one thing strikes me. When she’s telling people what she’s “getting”, she always looks away and creases her brow, covers her face or waves a hand or both. These my friends, are classic signs of distress and are signs that interrogators around the world are trained to see as signs of lies being told.
She says she works with the police. Well as you know, I work for a paytv company and get to see a lot of weird documentaries. I saw an interview with her the other day where she talked about some of these “cases”, and I use the term loosely. I wonder why it is then that she couldn’t or wouldn’t name any of the police departments or even any county that she’d done work for. I also wonder why it is that I can’t find any valid information, by that I mean anything other than Sylvia Browne saying so, that confirms she’s done any work at all for any police anywhere. She also says she’s done work for the FBI, but that must be classified because they say that she’s never done any work for them when they’re pressed.
What I found interesting about it though, were her mannerisms. When she was talking about herself, she was able to look at either the interviewer or the camera without issue. When she talked about the “cases” however, she looked mostly at the ceiling with a rather painful look on her face. My first impression overwhelmingly, was that she was lying. The distress she was showing was unbelievable and unmistakable.
Anyway, to the promised clip. It concerns Sean Hornbeck and what she did to his parents on national television. I’d like the parents out there to try and imagine you are these poor people…
I’m of the firm belief that no parent should ever have to bury a child. I really don’t think I’d deal with it very well. But to make parents go through that unnecessarily is, in my humble opinion, a crime. But then to say that she’ll give them more information for her “standard fee”, whatever it is, well, blackguard doesn’t begin to describe it!
There are some links there that will enable you to do a little poking around about these two. Have a read and make up your own mind. As far as I can tell and as Robert Lancaster says she’s wrong more often than she’s right. Even if she averaged 50% though, that makes it no better than chance, which simply means she’s guessing.
So, you tell me, genuine psychic or complete fraud?
She is going the same way as Doris Stokes (The lanky Yanks little buddy). Thats from the Don Lane Show for the elderly challenged.
How can she claim not to be right all the time? Either you are talking to the dead or you aint.
Heard a goodie the other day on RN. Some bloke had won Aussie Physic of the Year. Nearly ran off the road laughing. Perhaps it's something akin to Magician of the Year. Hell he might hold both titles concurrently.
She's about as genuine as Howard being Family Friendly.
Those people are taught to pick up on very slight facial expressions that normally people don't see, then use these as clues as they make up their stories. I feel sorry for the parents ofl shawn. Apparanty he had oportunities to escape but didn't, I wonder why?
You have to admit though, that probably had to be the best Don Lane ever... For those that don't remember, he was having a go at James Randi for proving Doris to be a fraud.
Oh yeah, there was also the night he told Uri Geller that "I saw you bend that! Piss off!!! Get out of my studio..." Now that was good...:)
...there is also a guy that has a column in either woman's day or new idea, and he is a psychic. I can't remember his name but I read in one issue a story about how he was trying to track down Daniel Morcombe and said that he thinks he is on Bribie Island which is about an hour away from Brisbane. I can't remember if he said he was dead or alive but he's sure he's on Bribie Island.
What really pisses me off about some psychics is that they often offer their 'insights' without the loved ones even asking for it, and all the better if it's a high profile case that has had a far bit of airtime.
I'm of the opinion that some people might be able to tell the future and be able do other things, but when these so called 'psychics' start charging money for their information, they are just frauds in my books and should all be shot of adding to the distress of the already upset loved one.
But thats just my opinion...
Yes I do recall those two episodes on the Don Lane Show. Somehow some episodes are simply memorable aren't they - I wonder if thats more to do with the dummy spits rather than putting forth valid, resourceful and revealing reporting/television.
I too am anxious to hear of the story behind the story with regard to Sean. I guess its on everyone's mind - to try and understand it.
Healthy cynicism is good for everyone - and you've brought to my attention (once more) another area that must be wrought with charlatans and manipulators of victims and their vulnerable emotional state.
I do believe there are some with real 'insights' if you will, whether it be intuition, e.s.p, something unexplainably deeper. However this article holds light onto an area that we should treat with 'extreme caution' - to be wary.
Well done Plonka - "Its better to know some of the questions than all of the answers"...James Thurber.
xox
Dee
Thanks Tiger. And a fair opinion it is too, I think. I have to agree that the way they stick their beaks in without being asked is what sucks most.
Once, whilst on air on the same show, somewhere in America they experienced a mining disaster worse than the Tassy boys did recently. On air, while it was happening, she made the startling prediction that everyone would be ok, and tried to describe the conditions the men were being subjected to down there. Of course, she was completely wrong and 6 people were dead.
She says she likes it when she's wrong and they find someone alive, but she ran a mile away from that one, let me tell you...
I think it's probably the dummy spits and fisty-cuffs that do the trick...
Personally I think if they can do what they say, then James Randi should have been 1 million dollars poorer a long time ago. Perhaps some people are more intuative than others, but I think that's about the best we can say....
Sorry I dropped off the face of the earth for a while there - I'll be back in action soon. Looks like I've missed a fair bit of fun though.
Regarding the question, since there's no such thing as a genuine psychic, the answer to this one is pretty obvious. The question should really be:
Sylvia Brown: Self deluded moron, or genuine fraud?
I really don't think there's much doubt that this nasty piece of work is a willing fraud. The mining disaster cock-up pretty much proved that point. You almost have to suspect people like Sylvia of pyschopathy due to their seemingly utter lack of conscience. The guy in the vid had it right: "it's evil."
Hey Adam, long time no see...:) Where's that Ray stuff you promissed us?
I knew you'd have something to say about this, this...woman! That's why I posed the question I did. I expected you, Beep and Dikkii to get stuck right into me...:)
Good to see you back though and even better to see your comments...:)
You know what my answer to your question is going to be:
Sylvia Browne is the most evil purveyor of woo ever.
Totally great post. What SB did to the Hornbeck family is unforgiveable.
Incidentally, I hope you don't mind - I linked to this story for what became a Sylvia Browne "Carnival" of sorts. There's a lot of buzz around this one woman freakshow at the moment.
Thanks for dropping in Dikkii. I don't mind in the slightest and am both honored and humbled to be among such excellent company...:)
As to Sylvia, yeah, you got me. I knew what your answer would be, but the more people that are saying it, the exposure her fraudulent activities will receive.
Thanks Beep. Personally, I think she believes what she says about herself, but by the same token, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she didn't and was just cashing in.
I have seen alot of Sylvia's readings and i for one will disagree with you. If she is a fake than how can she tell me when my grandpa died, his name, what he looked liked and how his death happend and be right? People are not perfect and see is only humen, so how can you say she is a fake, she has helped alot of people find their family and answers to peoples questions . many people will tell you that she told them their past and what was going on in their life at this time and be right, so how can that be guessing? I think that you shouldnt be so quick to judge and look at how many people she has helped!
Anonymous - 5:20 AM - 7/2/2007
sylvia browne
if she is a fake than why would see donate her money to people who really need it the only reason i say that is b/c if i was a fake i wouldnt give my money away, i would take it and go have the time of my life "living it up" and also why would she still be readings and writing books for all these years if she isnt the real thing wouldnt you think that she would have got cault by now like john did? she is one of the coolest people i know and she is NOT a fake!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous - 5:30 AM - 7/2/2007
Fraud
Anon: I didn't say she was a fake, I said she was a complete and utter fraud.
Fact of the matter is that she has been caught, any number of times and worse than Edwards ever was. She's just to stupid to take her money and run. Besides, what would Montel do without her?
Asking why she gives money away is a little naive. Is she going broke because of it? No. Are people like you willing to give her more because "she's nice and gives money away"? Yes. So there's your answer. She doesn't give away anywhere near what she makes. John Edwards and Hitler used to do the same thing you know. It's an old trick used extremely well in her case.
She writes books because people who think she isn't a fraud buy them. They make her more money you see.
Then she'll donate a very small percentage (a lot less than the tax she pays). Once that's done she can say "see, aren't I wonderful" and sit back and watch the money roll in.
I'm sorry anon, but she is a fake and a complete fraud and should probably be taken out and shot for the misery she's brought people like Sean Horbeck's parents. Despicable is what it is!
That said, if you can supply some actual real evidence of her being able to do what she says she can, I'm prepared to listen.
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