North Texas Skeptic - Vol 07 No 04 - 1993

Magazine Overview

Title: The Newsletter of The North Texas Skeptics
Issue: Volume 7 Number 4
Date: April 1993
Publisher: The North Texas Skeptics

This issue of The Skeptic newsletter delves into several intriguing and often controversial topics, maintaining a critical and skeptical perspective. It features a personal account of encounters with a peculiar street vendor, critical analyses of health claims and pseudoscientific predictions, and a discussion on the media's portrayal of alleged paranormal events and cults.

The Speaker Guy

By Mike Sullivan, this article recounts the author's three encounters with a man he dubs 'The Speaker Guy.' This individual drives a plain white Ford Econoline cargo van in Dallas and approaches motorists in traffic, attempting to sell them stereo speakers. Sullivan describes the man's persistent sales tactics, including shouting pitches and pacing alongside cars at speeds up to 50 mph. The author expresses skepticism about the legitimacy of buying electronics from an unmarked van and questions the criteria of customers who would do so. He contrasts this vendor with more significant threats to reason, like Scientology or psychics, but suggests that understanding 'The Speaker Guy's' operation offers an object lesson in why critical thinking is necessary. Sullivan hopes to interview him if they meet again.

Healthy Skepticism

By Tim Gorski, M.D., this section addresses concerns surrounding health supplements and alleged medical cures.

Nutritional Supplements

The article discusses the 1989 epidemic of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) linked to L-tryptophan supplements, which resulted in deaths and illnesses. A subsequent FASEB report concluded that most users of such supplements do not take them for nutritional purposes but for alleged physiological effects, with little information available on their safety. The report recommends a systematic approach to assessing their safety.

FDA Issues Warning, Obtains Injunction

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warnings against chaparral, an herbal product, due to reported cases of liver toxicity, including hepatorenal failure. The FDA also obtained an injunction against the distribution of 'Cancell,' a fraudulent cancer remedy promoted by Edward J. Sopcak, which has a history dating back to 1936. The article notes that Cancell is composed of various chemicals with no proven anticancer activity.

Local Cancer Quackery

Gary North, a Christian Reconstructionist, is promoting an unspecified 'food supplement' as a cancer cure via a Post Office Box in Colleyville, Texas. He offers an audio tape for $90, claiming the product reduces tumors to a jelly-like material without harmful side effects. North urges quick action, citing a 'brief window of opportunity' before 'bureaucratic interference.' The author expresses reluctance to spend $90 when reliable information on effective treatments is available for less.

Recommended Reading

The article recommends the 1993 book 'Reader's Guide to "Alternative" Health Methods' by Stephen Barrett, M.D., and William Jarvis, Ph.D., which critiques fraudulent and questionable health claims.

Fringe Theory of the Month

Special Quake-Prediction Installment Number Four

By Mike Sullivan, this installment critiques the claims of psychics who boast of predicting disasters. Sullivan points out that such predictions are often vague, unsubstantiated, or made after the event. He contrasts these claims with the scientific approach of organizations like the U.S. Geological Service. This month's focus is on a prediction by Gordon-Michael Scallion of 'Earth Changes Report' regarding major earthquakes in California.

Scallion predicts 'super-mega quakes' (magnitude higher than 9) in California, with a final warning sign occurring no later than May 9, 1993. He claims that the Richter scale will be insufficient to measure the magnitude, requiring a new scale. The prediction includes specific details about inundations in San Diego and the Imperial Valley, tidal waves along the West Coast, failure of aqueducts, and widespread damage. The article notes that Scallion's prediction is specific enough to be objectively evaluated and that 'The Skeptic' will report on the outcome in its June issue. The article itself is presented as a transcript from the CompuServe computer network.

The Earth Changes Report

This section provides details about Gordon-Michael Scallion's 'Earth Changes Report,' published by Matrix Institute. It lists previously published West Coast Warning Signs, including erratic weather patterns, and specific quake predictions for Los Angeles and the Indian Ocean. The report reiterates the final warning for California, predicting events within 4 months, specifically by May 9, 1993. It describes the potential impact of these 'super-mega quakes,' including widespread flooding, infrastructure collapse, and significant loss of life and economic decline. The report also defines 'Mega-quakes' (7.5-8.9 magnitude) and 'Super-mega quakes' (higher than 9), and 'Tribulation' (1991-1997) as a period of spiritual choosing and earth changes.

The third eye

By Pat Reeder, this article critically examines the media hype surrounding the movie 'Fire In The Sky,' based on the Travis Walton abduction story.

Reeder notes that CSICOP challenged Paramount to provide proof that the movie was 'based on a true story.' 'Entertainment Weekly' reported that Paramount executives admitted to making the story flashier and more provocative. The article suggests that the studio's strategy was to release the film quickly, before negative reviews could impact its box office performance. Reeder expresses amazement at how readily people want to believe such stories, even when details are inaccurate, likening it to a religion based on faith. He recounts an instance where his efforts to correct factual inaccuracies in alien abduction stories led to indignation from believers, who accused him of being close-minded.

Reeder shares a positive experience of reaching a 13-year-old boy who was frightened by abduction tales and, after reading Reeder's fact-filled notes, began to question his beliefs and seek more balanced information. This experience reaffirms Reeder's commitment to skepticism despite the challenges.

The article also touches upon the standoff between the FBI and the Branch Davidians in Waco, noting that it has brought attention to doomsday cults. It warns that such cults often congregate around major calendar dates, and with the turn of the century approaching, more such activity is expected. The author recommends James Randi's book on Nostradamus for a list of cults predicting the end of the world.

'Inside Edition' is mentioned for a segment on a haunted ski lodge involving 'The Amazing Kreskin' and a table-tipping experiment. The article also notes the Associated Press report on the Astra Agency in Tokyo providing psychic advice for pets and cows. Finally, it mentions Fox TV's production of a new pilot called 'The X Files,' about a federal agent investigating UFOs and alien abductions, cautioning readers not to believe UFO stories solely because they come from a pilot.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The North Texas Skeptics newsletter consistently promotes critical thinking and skepticism towards pseudoscientific claims, paranormal phenomena, and health quackery. The publication aims to debunk misinformation, provide factual analysis, and encourage readers to question extraordinary claims. The editorial stance is one of reasoned inquiry, emphasizing evidence-based reasoning and a healthy distrust of sensationalism, particularly in areas like UFOs, psychic predictions, and alternative health remedies. The newsletter serves as a platform for exposing fraud and promoting a more rational understanding of the world.