North Texas Skeptic - Vol 11 No 02 - 1997

Magazine Overview

This issue of "The Newsletter of The North Texas Skeptics," titled "The Skeptic," is dated February 1997 and is Volume 11, Number 2. The publication is from The North Texas Skeptics and is available online at www.ntskeptics.org. The cover features a prominent logo for "The Skeptic."

In this month's issue:

The issue lists the following articles and features: "I Have Seen the Enemy" by Mike Combs, "Election of Officers," "The Third Eye" by Pat Reeder, "Living Dinosaurs at MIOS" by John Blanton, and "Up a Tree -- Cartoon."

I Have Seen the Enemy by Mike Combs

Mike Combs' article begins by discussing the movie "The Arrival," which features aliens covertly trying to take over Earth by accelerating the Greenhouse Effect. This premise leads Combs to ponder what a technologically superior alien race would do to keep humanity in check. He suggests encouraging addictive drugs to numb brains, fostering paranoia by promoting belief in a "shadowy group" or "The Conspiracy" to absolve humans of responsibility for their failures, and keeping them "planet-bound" by obscuring the benefits of space travel. The alien strategy would also involve undermining science and technology by making scientists appear as "laughable, abnormal social misfits" and portraying technology as the problem rather than the solution. Furthermore, the article suggests blaming multinational corporations for societal ills instead of political or religious intolerance. Combs proposes an ideal TV show with two investigative characters: one who favors paranormal explanations and is usually right, and another who favors scientific explanations and is usually wrong, to promote a "hidden conspiracy" narrative and a belief in magic. The article concludes by stating that if humans are destroying themselves, they at least have a choice, unlike if they were facing an external alien threat.

Election of Officers

This section reports on the election of the new Board of Directors for The North Texas Skeptics, held on January 18, 1997, in Dallas, Texas. The elected Board members were Laura Ainsworth and Danny Barnett. Subsequently, the Board convened to select officers for the coming year: Joe Voelkering (President), Danny Barnett (Vice President), John Blanton (Secretary), Mark Meyer (Treasurer), Laura Ainsworth and Pat Reeder (Editors), Keith Blanton (Associate Editor), Greg Aicklen (Web Master), Virginia Vaughn (Meeting Coordinator), and Laura Ainsworth (Publicist). The newsletter thanks all who participated.

The Third Eye by Pat Reeder

Pat Reeder announces that he and his wife, Laura Ainsworth, are taking over as co-editors of the newsletter, with Mike Sullivan stepping down. He invites submissions via usual channels or email at [email protected]. Reeder then presents a collection of "newsnuggets" categorized by theme.

SPACE ALIENS!

This section covers recent media portrayals of aliens, including "Independence Day," "The X-Files," and video games like "Redneck Rampage." It mentions alleged alien abductions of celebrities like John Travolta, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Lithgow, and Kate Mulgrew for "zero-gravity sex orgies." It also references "paranormal expert" Shelby Cummings, who claims aliens dislike Disneyland and Las Vegas but favor Paris and the Grand Canyon. An incident in Tel Aviv is described where thousands gathered for a predicted UFO landing, which turned out to be a jetliner. The article criticizes Dan Aykroyd's show "Psi Factor" for spreading scientific illiteracy, citing a campaign by the Council for Media Integrity and Scientific American editor John Rennie, who noted that "the money is in them there aliens."

PSYCHICS AND THE SUPERNATURAL!

This part discusses a Welshman betting on Margaret Thatcher's return to power based on Nostradamus' prophecies. It reports the death of psychic Jeane Dixon from a heart attack, noting that while she was known for predicting the JFK assassination, many of her other prophecies did not come true. The concept of "pre-incarnation," where a child visits future parents before birth, is introduced from Sarah Hinze's book "Coming From The Light." The idea of "future life progression" is also mentioned, with Dr. Bruce Goldberg offering glimpses of past lives.

GOD'S MIRACLES AND WONDERS!

This section presents several unusual events framed as "miracles." Miracle #1 describes police managing crowds viewing a glass office building in Clearwater, Florida, where sun glare resembled the Virgin Mary. Miracle #2 details a coffee house in Nashville attracting crowds to see a cinnamon bun resembling Mother Teresa. Miracle #3 notes Cardinal John O'Connor's decision to stop commenting on subjects he doesn't understand. Miracle #4 highlights Kingsville, Texas, adopting "Heaven-o" as a phone greeting. Miracle #5 points out that Madalyn Murray O'Hair's accounts remained active after her disappearance, suggesting "debt after death." The section also notes a poll showing low recall of the Ten Commandments among Church of England priests and a church in Manassas, Virginia, forced to move due to loud gospel music annoying neighbors. A disturbing incident in Brazil involving a woman cutting off her husband's penis is also recounted.

MEDICAL MIRACLES!

This section covers the "Ignobel Prizes" for 1996, awarded for absurd scientific articles. Prizes went to studies on why buttered toast falls butter-side down, the effect of ale and garlic on leeches, and the transmission of gonorrhea through an inflatable doll. It also mentions a Melbourne electrician with high lead levels from chewing electrical cable and a Hungarian bus driver who suffered a severe reaction from a paprika enema prescribed by a naturopath.

Living Dinosaurs at MIOS by John Blanton

John Blanton reports on a meeting of MIOS (Metroplex Institute of Origin Science) where David Bassett, head of the science department at Ovilla Christian School, presented on "Living Dinosaurs." Bassett argued against the evolutionary view of dinosaur extinction, suggesting they existed into modern times. Evidence presented included illustrations of winged serpents from literature (like Beowulf's sword), references to "flying snakes," a 19th-century "Illustrated London News" report of a live pterodactyl found in France, and accounts from the "Tombstone Epitaph" of pterosaurs encountered by riders. Bassett also cited Carl Baugh's reports on pterodactyls in New Guinea. He expressed concern about 19th-century pterosaur sightings, as creationists believe dense pre-Flood atmospheres enabled such flight. The article also mentions the 1977 recovery of a plesiosaur by Japanese fishermen, the Loch Ness Monster, and evidence from the Congo region, including audio recordings of dinosaur sounds. Bassett works at Carl Baugh's Creation Evidences Museum and recommends D. Russell Humphreys' book "Starlight and Time."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around skepticism towards paranormal claims, pseudoscience, and conspiracy theories, while also critically examining media portrayals of these topics. The publication actively promotes scientific literacy and critical thinking, as evidenced by the critique of "The Arrival" and "Psi Factor," and the presentation of alleged "miracles" and "medical miracles" in a satirical or debunking light. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of rationalism and scientific inquiry, contrasting with the pseudoscientific claims discussed. The newsletter also engages with topics related to creationism, as seen in the "Living Dinosaurs" article, presenting arguments that challenge mainstream scientific consensus.