We used to get wonderful items in the mail from Peter Popoff. They were so entertaining. Ah, the good old days of the faith gloves*…
(Plastic food worker’s gloves that had been blessed with healing power)
Wait a second. If the woman is in her 40s and people live to 75ish how do you get that it is a safe bet that her folks are dead?
Is there some other stat that people generally have children after they turn 40? I don’t think so. Odds are a parent is somewhere between 20 to 35 years older than their child. That puts the parents at 60 to 75 so guessing that both parents have crossed is not that safe.
Fingolfin
FTR I have seen Edward on Larry King opposed by one of the guys from SCICOP. I’m not sure when that article was written.
I also remember when the Michael O’Neil account was an anonymous e-mail on the Randi site. The thing that bugs me the most about that letter, besides how many skeptics instantly accepted an anonymous email as proof, is that for all the preperation he alleges Edwards of JE still went to him. I mean I he had 15 plants, and plenty of mics all around and everyone talking about their dead relatives, (I assume the clever Mr. O’Neil was smart enough to be quiet) why did JE even try to cold read him? Why not do the plants and do the people who were too stupid to keep quiet, nail their readings and go home?
I have watched entire episodes of this show on several occasions. I don’t watch it any more because the show is really kind of boring. I mean once he does ‘it’ (whatr ever you think it is)it is just the same thing over and over. I’m not sure what is going on. Sometimes JE goes into such detail that ‘cold reading’ doesn’t make sense (maybe the bugging) but I can’t buy that some of these things people would talk about. I’ve seen people embarrassed by what was being said. However when he does go into detail I wonder how that jives with how he says his powers work.
However some of the people who are posting to this thread may admit that they have never seen his show or have only watched his show for 10 mins or so. Yet they can tell you what is going on. Maybe they should go and claim Randi’s million dollar psychic prize.
I would consider doing something evil just for the chance to be in Hell when John Edwards dies so that I might witness whatever punishment is in store for someone who would use someone else’s grief for his own profit.
At least people like Carlton Sheets (real estate infomercial guy) take advantage of people who want to get rich without working for it. Those people probably deserve to be scammed.
Edwards victims are good people (albeit dumb) who simply miss their loved ones.
At least Timothy McVeigh thought he was accomplishing something for a higher good. Edwards is just pure evil.
Zebra
It is an implication that someone visiting a medium to talk to a dead person are there to talk to their older relatives. I have never seen John Edwards talk about the younger members of a family who have passed.
“I see a child age six, name begins with a J.”
“My son choked on a dog biscuit and died at six but his name was Placido.”
“So you acknowledge that I am right.”
blah blah blah.
I wouldn’t say they are dumb people, just people who are clinging to a small percieved chance of hope. It is evil what Edwards is doing.
Let’s say he came out and said “you know what I’m faking this”, would that change any of your opinions on the man? How do you think the grieving widow would feel if she had just found out that Edwards was lying?
Two dead guys are in heaven fishing. Suddenly, one of them starts up straight. “Whats a matter, Hank” asks the other. “I don’t know but I think I’m being channeled by that John Edwards guy.”
HELLO?!?!?! Is this thing on? “LifeOnRye (and by the way, it’s WRY) chew on this”? “LifeOnWry, he’s profiting off people’s grief, are you happy now?”?
At what point in my posts did I say “Golly, I totally believe Edwards is communicating with the dead, and I am so delighted that he’s making a mint off grieving people who are so distraught that they pay money to go on a television show and have their dirty laundry aired in public!” ???
DID I SAY THAT?? No, I believe I did not. I said I don’t know if Edwards is legit. The fact that plenty of people have evidence to indicate that he MIGHT be a con artist, does not PROVE he is a con artist. There are plenty of people who are absolutely certain that God doesn’t exist. And plenty that are absolutely certain that God does exist. Both sides can provide evidence for their claims and beliefs… but we still don’t know which side is right, now do we? You may “know” deep down in your heart, that you’re right… BUT YOU CANNOT PROVE IT.
What I DID point out is that James Randi is a professional debunker. Like Edwards, he gets paid to do what he does. It is not in his best interest to say “maybe” or “possibly” any more than it is in Edwards’ best interest to admit to cold reading. And may I point out that Randi would be out of a job without people like Edwards. It IS in Randi’s best interest to keep public interest in the paranormal high.
A minor point, but will get less so as the next Presidental election looms:
This is John Edwards.
This is John Edward.
Down to the similar catchphrases at the end of the show. Springer has his “take care of yourselves and each other” bit, and Edward has that shpiel about how we ought to communicate with our loved ones while they’re still alive so he doesn’t have to do it (really bad paraphrasing, I know, but I haven’t seen an entire show in a while).
LifeOnRye: Cold/Warm Reading or Communicating with the Dead? Cold/Warm Reading or Communicating with the Dead? Since the dead can’t communicate with the living the answer has to be Cold/Warm Reading. 
Also, if John Edward would offer himself to some real, controlled scientific experimentation he could prove once and for all that he isn’t a scam artist. At the same time he could win $1 Million dollars! Why doesn’t he do that? Answer: Because he knows he is nothing but a scam artist praying on grieving rubes!
What you actually said was:
So I asked if you think lying to people who are bereaved is entertaining, especially the ones who pay for private consultations.
Do you think this is entertainment?
Goodness, there’s evidence for a God?!
This is the most important discovery of humankind. What is the evidence?
I suppose you mean there’s absolutely no evidence for any God, so according to your belief system it’s quite likely there is one.
Remember there is no successful test of any psychic - they all either refuse to be tested, or fail.
Does that constitute ‘proof’ to you? :eek:
You seem confused about who is paying who.
Edward commits fraud on unhappy people who would be furious if they found out how he had deceived them. He refuses to be tested and is engaged in a conspiracy with the TV company to deceive viewers.
Randi is a genuine lecturer, magician and researcher.
He uses scientific methods and tries to stop fraud. He even raised $1,000,000 to challenge the incessant claims of paranormal abilities.
Edward can take this money - if he’s genuine.
Randi raises money through being honest.
I also think you’ll find that psychics, fortune-tellers, astrologers, dowsers, faith healers, remote viewers, magnetic healers etc constitute a billion dollar industry. None of these have ever provided any proof of their ‘powers’, but gullible people go on paying for nothing.
It’s obvious that Randi doesn’t need to stir up interest - it’s already there.
Well said glee!
John Edward is a fraud, plain and simple.
Glee-I second Fingolfin’s comment!
I think you said it best Glee when you said;
“Edward commits fraud on unhappy people who would be furious if they found out how he had deceived them.”
This is the difference between him and Springer. Springer doesn’t come out and say that he’s going to help the strange screwed up people, he comes out with the zoo and shows them on TV. Edwards intentionally (or maybe he’s just crazy) lies to the people, on a matter that is of utmost concern and at a time when the grieving is probably at it’s peak.
I can’t talk to the dead, but I can predict the future.
I predict that someone in a position of authority - I can’t get the name - will warn someone else of something. Wait, wait - it has to do with copyright violations. I’m getting someone whose name starts with F. The person who warns them - it sounds like “modulator” or “moderate” - an M word like that.
Eeny meeny chili beanie - the spirits have spoken. Have James Randi contact me off line about mailing me my million.
Regards,
Shodan
Here is a line-by-line analysis of two of James Van Praagh’s segments on Larry King, in PDF format. It clearly shows how the method works, how to capitalize on success and minimize failure.
But of course, that’s just JVP. I’m sure John Edward is REALLY talking to the dead – he wouldn’t use any of those tricks!
I’d be much more impressed if the readings were specific and negative. This sappy “he wants you to know he loves you” is pure bull-plop. I want to see:
"I’m getting a message from your father, Jim: He wants you to know that he thanks God every day he got killed by that train, sparing him another of your boring stuffy dinners where he’d have to choke down your sewage-like meat loaf and listen to your idiot husband Steven complain about his sore back. He wants you to tell the lazy bastard to get a job, and did Steven mention that he got fired from the brick factory because he was screwing the boss’s wife on his lunch hour? He also says your idiot son David has been sniffing glue after class.
“There’s an additional message: July 12th, 2033. In your sleep.”
At the very least, the show would be far more entertaining.
I’ve seen this guy a couple of times, and I think he’s a fake. However, I have to wonder if he’s charging audience members. It was my understanding that he just got paid by the show (which gets money through advertisements, etc). Private readings for yuppy millionaires is different, but I can’t see him charging people for the slight chance that they’ll be picked out of the 200 guests. If it is were free, what is he doing wrong? Giving people a little peace of mind? Sure it’s dishonest, but hey, those people bothered to come to the show so you have to assume they want to be told something.
–Chorus
You mean being dishonest, lying to bereaved relatives and raising false hopes is OK if they get “a little peace of mind”?
No, no, no. It’s because * It’s not about the money *.
What I don’t understand about these folks is why they don’t take Randi’s money (well, it’s technically not his, but you know what I mean)? They say, “I’m not interested in the money.” It’s free money!!! Just for doing in controlled conditions what you claim you are capable of doing!!! IT’S FREE!!! Donate it to crippled children, or Alzheimer’s research, or famine relief, or anything at all if you don’t want it, but take it from that evil, grinning skeptic James Randi. Unless, of course, you can’t really do what you claim you can.
The silence speaks volumes.