Free Speech? Come on Marilyn Gladu

It has been broadly reported that Marilyn Gladu recently claimed, when referring to Trump, “the only bright light is that he has sort of restored freedom of speech to America".   The Sarnia Observer

Though I don't disagree with the suggestion that Donald Trump is saying things without thinking or saying things that many, even if they do believe such, would never say in public, let's not equate that, simply, with free speech.

Donald Trump, through his actions, has demonstrated that free speech is not absolute - he has spent considerable time and effort to take away the speech of others.  Trump's threats of lawsuits and actually following through with some are an affront to free speech not an encouragement of it.  Free speech also comes with the rights of others to express contrary views. 

Consider when a joke was made about Donald Trump's inane "birther" claims about Barack Obama.  Donald Trump was offering 5 million dollars for Obama to release his passport and college records.  To show how stupid of a request it was, Bill Maher offered $5 million to the charity of Trump's choice (Maher suggested The Hair Club for Men) if Trump could provide proof that he wasn't "the spawn of his mother having sex with an orangutan". 

Donald Trump, Marilyn Gladu's champion of free speech, sued Bill Maher. (Unsuccessfully, mind you.)

More recently, at Trump rallies, dissenting views are silenced by Trump - people are kicked out.  That's not free speech, that's the desire to say whatever you want without allowing others the opportunity to respond. 

For more on what a free speech advocate would be advised not to do, see The Atlantic: The Lawsuits of Donald Trump.

Marilyn Gladu, you have the right to say whatever you would like.  We have the right to point out when something you say is absurd - that's free speech.  Suing me would suggest you don't think the right of free speech is for everyone.

(Which brings me to this: At some point in the future, I'll tackle Marilyn's views on the separation of church and state, her belief that Muslim immigrants "want to kill everybody" and other public statements she has made that we should all find absolutely appalling.)

Robbie Thomas has another book coming out

Being a strong supporter (can you call it that?) of psychics, I can't begin to tell you how excited I am that Robbie Thomas, the most consistent psychic I know of (0 cases solved in more than 23 years), is coming out with another book.

For those who aren't familiar, I've talked about Robbie Thomas almost as much as Robbie Thomas has talked about himself.  This site has often taken a skeptical look at the claims that the scumbag (read some of the entries in this blog) has made.

To get a few things out of the way before we deal with the book in particular, the following are not disputed:

• Robbie Thomas has never solved a single crime using his self-proclaimed psychic abilities.
• Robbie Thomas is not psychic (nobody is).
• Robbie Thomas has claimed that kidnapped children were still alive when the evidence is clear that they had already been murdered at that point.
• Robbie Thomas has lied to numerous people that he can help find their loved ones or find those responsible for the crimes committed against their family members.
• Robbie Thomas was not involved in solving the Tori Stafford murder.
• Robbie Thomas did not solve the Logan Tucker case.  
• Robbie Thomas has suggested, to those not familiar with the case, that he was involved in the Karen Caughlin case (it has not been solved, by the way).
• Robbie did not solve the Cezar Cano case (didn't even HELP solve it!)
• Robbie claims that he was attacked by a hate group!
• Robbie Thomas was exposed by his manager.

I have reached out to Robbie but I'm still waiting for a response.

Actually, what more is there to say?

With love, SarniaSkeptic.

Homeopathic Vodka - Get yours today!

I know I've spent a lot of time picking on Homeopathy and claiming that it is silly until I discovered this:
www.homeopathicvodka.com. This could very well be the product that saves Homeopathy from ridicule.

Unlike Homeopaths distorting what Homeopathy really is, the makers of Homeopathic Vodka have made this product accessible and stayed true to the teachings of the founder of Homeopathy - Samuel Hahnemann.  Even better than telling you exactly what is in their product, they make it so you can make it at home - safely and effectively.

Sorry for the short blog entry - I feel like without www.homeopathicvodka.com in my system, I'm going to die - so I'm off to get another bottle.

Global Atheist Convention Tribute to Christopher Hitchens

Like god, Psychics Work in Mysterious Ways

Remember that murder that Robbie Thomas likes to claim he helped solve?  The one that he still uses to suggest he has psychic powers?  The one that he had helped, in no way, in solving?  Yes, I know, that only narrows it down to EVERY SINGLE CASE that Robbie claims to have been involved in.

No, remember the one that Robbie claimed, to the family, that the girl was still alive almost a week after, we now know, she was murdered?  (I'll admit that might not exclude very many but it does exclude some - given that it was a female!)  For those that guessed Tori Stafford, you're right.

Robbie Thomas claims to have been involved in solving the murder case and, if that's the case, Robbie Thomas is a fucking cell phone.  They didn't find Tori's body because of a psychic.  Nope, they found it because they used REAL police work and REAL evidence.

Here's the story - it doesn't say "Robbie Thomas is a liar" -  it doesn't have to, because we already knew that.  Robbie Thomas, in his claimed 20 years of "psychic criminal profiling" has never solved a crime using his claimed psychic abilities.  His claims that he has are lies.  In other words, he makes Weather Forecasters look like they've got perfect records!

A special note to my good friend Robbie Thomas:
Good work Robbie Thomas - you are a scumbag.  In the reality-based world that most of us live, we like to think that the people who actually do something should get the credit for it.  The police solved the crime, the real witnesses solved the crime, the community solved the crime.  You did not contribute, beneficially, to this case.  So, fuck off, you low-life piece of shit.  With love, Sarnia Skeptic.

That Makes Sense

I think the Million Dollar Prize from the JREF is a wonderful tool to use when confronting believers of the occult. I'm not sure they see it the same way because they often react by moving the goal posts.

When it is suggested that they get tested under scientific scrutiny it is argued, by believers, that skepticism can affect performance. However, more commonly, I get the response 'psychics can't use their powers for personal benefit' (to explain why you never see the headline 'psychic wins lottery' (Jay Leno)).

Assuming that were the case, we must follow those implications to wherever they may lead.

Before we do, however, let us consider faith in the Abrahamic god and psychics. The Bible is fairly specific about the idea of people talking to the dead, conjuring up spirits and the like. Does that not trouble you (if you accept the Bible to be some form of truth)?

If you have arrived at atheism as a result of your skepticism, you probably don't believe in ghosts, psychics or fairies.

But, enough with my digression.

The idea that a psychic can not use their powers for their own benefit suggests that whatever endowed them with these "great" powers is actually capable of determining how these powers are used. If you believe that it is a god that granted them these powers, you must, then, question yourself why that same god didn't make it so all humans could only do good?

That single statement ("can't use it for personal gain/benefit") destroys any argument you might have for why evil exists.

One must also ask that why would such a being give these "special gifts" to such slime balls and scumbags? Shouldn't that sky-fairy really have given them the ability to win the lottery so they would stop abusing all the people they currently victimize (and re-victimize)?

It makes perfect sense.

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Now, if you want to read some horrible bullshit from an Animal Communicator (if you’re too worried about being called out by humans as being fake, you can always claim to read the minds of animals) as to why psychics don’t win the lottery, here it is: http://www.circlesoflight.com/scott/lottery.html

Or to see the mental gymnastics that some go through, check out: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100715155718AAumQ3w

Naturally Stupid - Arguments against the appeal to nature (often called the naturallistic fallacy)

When it comes to fallacies, one of the most commonly abused is the appeal to nature.  The fallacy is often used to claim that something is "good" or "safe" simply because it is "natural" - you'll see it repeated, almost ad nauseam, in product and business advertisements.

Someone simply making the appeal to nature may not be wrong about a product being "good" or "better" but the idea that something is "good" because it is natural is wrong.

I was, very recently, offered a can of Jamba Juice energy drink with the claim that it is "all natural".  I asked him what it contained that made it "all natural" and he told me that it included green tea and other natural ingredients with "no chemicals added".

Ignoring that it is comprised of nothing BUT chemicals (everything is), the suggestion that he was attempting to make is that simply because it isn't "naturally occurring" it can be assumed to have risks while "natural" is safe/good for you.  "Natural" stuff (like anthrax, carbon monoxide, lightning, poop and even the stuff you think is healthful) is not risk free - the toxin is in the dose.  Too much water can kill you.  Too much vitamin D will kill you (ask Gary Null - that nut-job "health guru"). 

So the next time someone suggests that something is all-natural, simply ask "natural? Just like anthrax, asbestos, lead, mercury, faeces, influenza, measles and ebola?".  So any product that contains "all natural" ingredients might include any of those items and still be true to their claim.  Mmmmmmmm... appetizing.