North Texas Skeptic - Vol 12 No 02 - 1998

Magazine Overview

Title: The Newsletter of The North Texas Skeptics
Issue: Volume 12 Number 2
Date: February 1998
Publisher: The North Texas Skeptics

Skepticism and the Kettle Defense

This editorial by John Blanton introduces the concept of the "kettle defense," a logical fallacy exemplified by a man suing his neighbor over a damaged kettle. The neighbor's defense consists of three contradictory claims: 1) he never borrowed the kettle, 2) it was already damaged when he got it, and 3) it was in perfect condition when he returned it. Blanton argues that when such a pattern appears in an argument, it tends to undermine the argument's credibility.

Blanton applies this concept to two main areas: creationism and anti-environmentalism.

Creationism: He states that creationists (or "anti-evolutionists") use a similar defense: 1) All species are as they are now, with no changes. 2) Random mutations cannot produce improvements, implying supernatural intervention. 3) Natural selection hasn't produced new species.

Anti-Environmentalism: Blanton defines anti-environmentalists as those with an immediate economic interest in refuting pro-environment claims. He provides examples of their arguments regarding CFCs and the ozone layer: 1) CFCs don't harm the ozone layer. 2) They don't harm it, or it's not apparent. 3) If there's a decrease, CFCs aren't the cause; natural sources are. 4) The decrease isn't harmful. Blanton interprets this as a desire to avoid costly changes.

He further illustrates this with arguments about CO2 and global warming: 1) Adding CO2 won't cause warming. 2) Human activities don't add enough CO2 to cause significant warming. 3) Natural sources cause the CO2 increase. 4) More CO2 is beneficial for plant growth. 5) Global warming will prevent the next ice age. Blanton notes that an oil company executive used arguments 4 and 5 on a news show. He also mentions a scientist studying a volcano eruption who observed trees killed by CO2 seepage, not CO or H2S, highlighting that CO2 can be harmful.

Blanton concludes that such silliness needs refutation by knowledgeable people who can separate fact from fiction without resorting to the kettle defense.

Election Day Results

This section, also by John Blanton, reports on the North Texas Skeptics (NTS) elections held on January 17th. Phil Armstrong narrowly won the presidency by five votes, defeating the closest contender. John Blanton and Mark Meyer retained their positions as Secretary and Treasurer, respectively. Danny Barnett of the Christian Coalition was elected Vice President.

The new Board of Directors, elected by members present, includes Greg Aicklen, Laura Ainsworth, Danny Barnett, John Blanton, and Virginia Vaughn. The newsletter editors are Phil Armstrong and Pat Reeder, with Keith Blanton as associate editor. Greg Aicklen is the Web master, and Virginia Vaughn is the meeting coordinator.

John Blanton humorously noted that the NTS is run by those who attend the January meeting.

The Third Eye

Written by Pat Reeder, this section critiques the UPN "documentary" titled "Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County," which aired in January 1998. UPN promoted the show as long-sought proof of alien abductions, claiming the McPherson family of Lake County, Minnesota, disappeared, leaving behind a video of them being terrorized by aliens.

Reeder describes the show as a "laughably incompetent piece of sci-fi hooey," comparing it unfavorably to low-budget films. He points out the "acting" performances were poor, and the show was so unconvincing that it was repeated on local Fox Network affiliates within a week. The credits revealed the "actors" who played the McPhersons, sheriff, reporter, and psychologist, including those credited as "Alien 1" and "Alien 2." Kristian Ayre, star of Nickelodeon's "Space Cases," played "Tommy McPherson."

Reeder notes that participants like Stanton Friedman complained their comments were taken out of context. He also mentions the negative reaction from the UFO community online, who felt duped and threatened a boycott of UPN.

In a postscript, a sheriff's spokesman from Lake County, Minnesota, confirmed that no McPherson family disappeared and no one named McPherson had lived there since at least 1995, humorously adding that those particular McPhersons were "eaten by Bigfoot."

Psychic Friends Network Bankruptcy

This section reports on the financial troubles of the Psychic Friends Network (PFN), the parent company of pay-by-the-minute psychic phone lines. The PFN filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, with liabilities of $26 million and assets of only $1.2 million. The company, which started in 1990 and featured infomercials with Dionne Warwicke, reportedly earned up to $125 million in the early 1990s by tapping into a large customer base.

The decline in income is attributed to poor management and competition from other psychic services. The article sarcastically suggests that with 2,000 psychics, they should be able to divine the winning numbers for the $45 million Texas Lottery jackpot to avoid bankruptcy.

Psychic Elizabeth Joyce's Prediction

New York psychic Elizabeth Joyce is mentioned for her prediction on the eve of the State of the Union Address. She predicted that Bill Clinton would have a nervous breakdown due to sex scandals and resign, leading to Al Gore giving the speech. This prediction proved incorrect, as the speech was given by Clinton and contained only a questionable assertion about global warming.

Joyce claimed to have visited Clinton in the White House via astral projection, an assertion Reeder finds questionable.

Hillary Clinton and the "Vast, Right Wing Conspiracy"

This section discusses Hillary Clinton's assertion that the scandals surrounding her husband, Bill Clinton, were spawned by a "vast, right wing conspiracy." The article notes that this statement led political reporters to question her motives and mental state. Reeder expresses skepticism about the conspiracy itself and whether Hillary Clinton truly believes it, viewing it as a rhetorical device to deflect accusations.

He observes that the media engaged in extensive debate about the conspiracy. While most reporters concluded that major news outlets had not been taken over by a conspiracy, the idea gained "official White House seal of approval" for conspiracy theorists. Rush Limbaugh is mentioned as offering a "Charter member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" coffee mug to newsletter subscribers.

Angel Belief Survey

Finally, the article touches on a survey indicating that women are more likely to believe in angels than men. The survey showed 84 percent of women and 65 percent of men believed in angels. The survey was commissioned by sponsors of a traveling Vatican angel art exhibit, suggesting a potential bias. The survey also found that "Touched By An Angel" was the favorite "angel show" for 41 percent of believers, while "Charlie's Angels" was chosen by 8 percent. The author humorously suggests "Touched By A Charlie's Angel" as a show enjoyable by both sexes.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism, critical thinking, and the debunking of pseudoscience and hoaxes. The editorial stance is clearly that of a skeptical organization, aiming to expose logical fallacies, flawed arguments, and fraudulent claims in areas such as creationism, environmentalism, UFO phenomena, and psychic predictions. The publication actively promotes rational analysis and evidence-based reasoning, contrasting it with what it perceives as gullibility and unfounded beliefs prevalent in society and media.