North Texas Skeptic - Vol 05 No 05 - 1991

Magazine Overview

Title: The Skeptic
Issue: Volume 5, Number 5
Date: August 1991
Publisher: The North Texas Skeptics
Website: www.ntskeptics.org

This issue of The Skeptic, the newsletter of The North Texas Skeptics, focuses on the potential hosting of the 1992 CSICOP annual convention in Dallas, a critical examination of New Age retail and services, and various news notes on pseudoscience and skeptical topics.

CSICOP Eyes Dallas for 1992 Convention

By Mike Sullivan

This article reports on the North Texas Skeptics' (NTS) potential role in hosting the 1992 annual convention of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) in Dallas. CSICOP Executive Director Barry Karr has proposed Dallas as the location, with dates set for October 31 to November 1, 1992. Karr indicated that CSICOP is "95% decided" on Dallas, citing it as an easier location to reach than Buffalo, which was previously considered. The NTS Board of Directors has authorized President John Blanton to formally agree to host the event. The Dallas Chamber of Commerce is involved in planning, and several major hotels have been contacted. The convention is expected to attract up to 500 attendees. NTS members will be asked to volunteer for various organizational roles if Dallas is selected.

CSICOP is reportedly facing significant financial difficulties, with founder Paul Kurtz having warned at the 1991 convention that the organization might not survive for the next annual meeting. The article notes that the convention planning is occurring amidst these financial struggles.

Overtones: One-Stop Psychic Shopping

By Mike Sullivan

This piece offers a critical look at "Overtones," a retail store in Dallas that caters to the New Age market. The author describes the store as packed with crystals, minerals, books, tapes, posters, and other items related to psychic phenomena, astrology, tarot, and numerology. The store staff is portrayed as convinced of the psychic and medical powers of the crystals, which are sold at prices ranging from $1 to several hundred dollars.

The article details various services offered, including:

• Crystals: Marketed for their ability to tune consciousness, improve mental powers, and work on chakras.
• Titanium earrings: Described as a "strong metalic (sic) chemical."
• Past life readings and psychic readings: Available for $60/hour.
• Lasaris personal growth cassettes: Featuring a channeled non-physical entity for $24.95.
• Bonnie Ireland: Offers metaphysical classes and services by appointment.
• Margaret Mitschke: Provides readings from photographs.
• Dolly Hollis: Conducts a 2-hour workshop on "Let's Play Psychic" for $50.
• Kveldulf Gundarsson: Offers a $67.50 course on "Rune Magic."
• Fred Carrico: Provides a 3-hour seminar on Spiritual Life Path for $20 or an "energy exchange."
• Patsy Bridges: Conducts channeled talent sessions.
• Abby Pielet: Offers sessions with a "loving entity Ruth from the Old Testament" for $50.
• Jo Burt: Offers services as a Psychic, Certified Hypno Therapist, and Crystal Energy Practitioner.
• Rose Ernst Kaimana: Provides "Aromatherapy Massage."
• S. Perry Brown: Offers a class on essential oils.
• Plutonics: Sells pyramid frames and offers services at the Golden Eagle Sanctuary Pyramid Center, which features a 36-ft. pyramid, crystal healing chambers, and hot springs.
• Hands On Productions Innergy: Sponsors a 4-day gala with various New Age activities.

The author expresses skepticism about the claims made by these practitioners and the products sold, suggesting that the store exploits gullible individuals. The article also mentions a book by ghost-hunter Hans Holzer and classes on tarot reading offered by Kristey Henderson.

News Notes

By John Blanton

This section provides brief updates on various topics:

Sore Toes

Edson Hendricks, in a letter to Scientific American, criticizes Philip J. Klass's perceived bias on the UFO topic, comparing the dismissal of UFO reports to the historical skepticism surrounding meteorites. Klass responded that the meteorite controversy was resolved with evidence, unlike the UFO phenomenon.

Soviet AntiScience

An article from the August 1991 issue of Scientific American, titled "Antiscience Trends in the U.S.S.R.," by Sergei Kapitza, describes a rise in superstitions, cults, and antitechnology in the Soviet Union. Kapitza attributes this to people seeking new sources of authority after the decline of state-imposed ideology. The article cites examples of "extrasensorial healers," meditation seances, and a child who can attract metal objects, as well as the emergence of unconventional medicine and the importation of creationism from American fundamentalists.

Unhexed

Consumer products giant Procter and Gamble is changing its traditional logo due to accusations of satanic implications. The new logo will be a stylistic embodiment of the letters P and G. The article notes that P&G announced charter members of its Victor Mills Society, including scientists and engineers.

Bad News From the Bible Science Newsletter

In Morton, Illinois, the school board unanimously voted to include creationism in the curriculum after residents expressed concerns about its omission from textbooks. The school board directed administrators to create a creationist supplement.

Ransom Trexler and the St. Louis Thought Police

This brief item mentions Ransom Trexler of the St. Louis thought police (St. Louis Association for Teaching of Evolution) and his stance against evolution, suggesting he will attempt to challenge the mention of alternatives to evolution.

Failures of Skeptics

Jim Lippard's article "Some Failures of Organized Skepticism" is mentioned, which critiques how organized skeptics have handled paranormal investigations. Lippard specifically discusses the March 18, 1988 debate between creationist Duane Gish and geologist Ian Plimer, finding the description in The Skeptic (Australian) to be at odds with the event.

Your Tax Dollars at Work

This section reports on televangelist Br. Bob Tilton, whose Las Colinas residence was seized by the feds due to its alleged purchase with profits from illegal drug operations. Tilton will continue to pay rent to the U.S. Government. Ole Anthony of the Trinity Foundation estimates Tilton's "Word of Faith" operation generates a million dollars a week.

The James Randi Fund

This section includes a statement from Robert A. Steiner, National President of the Society of American Magicians, dated June 16th. Steiner categorically states that Uri Geller performs magic tricks known to those who study magic and that there is no validated evidence of supernatural ability. The statement is endorsed by several individuals, including engineers, computer professionals, and scholars. An account has been opened for donations to assist James Randi's defense, managed by Bob Steiner.

John Blanton, speaking for the NTS directors, commends the statement and the James Randi Fund as a worthwhile cause.

The third eye

By Pat Reeder

This article discusses how Madison Avenue is beginning to incorporate skeptical themes into advertising. Examples include a Daihatsu commercial featuring UFOs and Bigfoot, and a Chevron radio commercial where a fortune teller jokingly asks, "What am I? A mind reader?"

The article also touches on legal cases involving ghosts. The Louisiana legislature voted to prevent home buyers from backing out of deals due to haunted houses. Conversely, a New York Appeals Court ruled that ghosts could be a valid reason for withdrawing from a home purchase, citing a case where a seller had fostered a belief in ghosts.

Up a tree: a skeptical cartoon

By Laura Ainsworth

A cartoon depicts two characters discussing attending a psychic convention. One character asks when it is, and the other suggests searching the paper. The first character then asks if they need to consult a crystal ball, to which the second replies they need to consult the ad in the paper.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The North Texas Skeptics, through The Skeptic newsletter, consistently promotes a skeptical viewpoint, critically examining claims of the paranormal, pseudoscience, and New Age phenomena. The publication aims to debunk such claims through investigative reporting, news updates, and satirical content, as seen in the "Overtones" review and the "Up a tree" cartoon. The newsletter also engages with broader issues of science education, the influence of pseudoscience in society (both domestically and internationally), and the defense of figures like James Randi who challenge paranormal claims. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of scientific reasoning and evidence-based understanding, actively countering what it perceives as irrational beliefs and fraudulent practices.