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The 'Bad Psychics' site

escargot

escargot

Disciple of Marduk
Joined
Aug 24, 2001
Messages
43,331
Location
HM The Tower of London
I've been a fan of the Bad Psychics site for a long time, especially this section.

Looks like the founder's had enough though. Had this email today -

Hi
If you are getting this email, it is because for one reason or another you are in my BadPsychics related address book.

Many of you will know and understand what I have had to go through not only in recent months, but in recent years.

Events of the past month or so have left me disheartened, not only with running a skeptical website but with the skeptical
community as a whole.

For 6 years I have turned a 5 page website about Derek Acorah and Most Haunted into the UK's largest skeptical network.
Millions of page views each month, sites covering everything from psychics to homeopathy, from ghosts to religion.
If its woo we were there!

We were true fore runners in the skeptical podcast scene.
Long before the likes of Righteous Indignation, the BadCast, and all the other PodCasts doing the rounds right now, we were
bring to you the Audiomartini PodCast, a show which ended up being broadcast to hundreds of thousands of people across America!

Whatever we did, we accepted nothing less than being the biggest and the best.

But as many of you will know the battle is one we can not win. And as popular as my sites have become I am still just one man.
I have no Phd, I do not write books which become best sellers, I do not do TV or radio, I only ever did my sites out of a truly altruistic
motive. I wanted to try and stop fraud where the government and trading standards either refused or were unable.

We had some great support over the years, people like James Randi and Derren Brown, saw BadPsychics as a great resource and
recommended us.

I had a regular column in The Skeptic magazine, both the UK and Australian version. I have now quit both.

My site was quoted not only in UK newspapers and TV, but in the media world wide.

But now the time has come for me to step down.
When the very people who should be speaking up for skepticism, and fighting the good fight turn their backs on you just to make a quick
buck that tells me that this is not a fight I can do any more.

The death threats, the racist abuse, the daily attacks and legal threats simply have become too much.
Why should I put up with these when I make no living from what I do?
Why should I take these people on when the very people who can help me turn their backs on me just to sell a few tickets to a gig they have.

Skepticism in the UK is currupt, not as bad as the psychic industry, but it is getting there.

So this is it guys, maybe one day I will bring back BadPsychics, never say never is my motto, but as far as I am concerned as of right now.
I QUIT.

To those that helped me, I thank you.
To those that hurt me, I forgive you
To those that turned their backs on me, good luck with your conscience.

Thank you and Jon Donnis has left the building
Click to expand...
 
Damn! There was some interesting stuff on that site.
 
Yup, it was one of my favourites. :(

It seems that there's a certain amount of gamekeeper turned poacher going on in 'sceptic circles'.
People who start off by investigating phoney psychic claims find out how easily they can make money and end up running their own psychic/medium/healer shows.

I read about this on the site and can see that it would be disheartening.

Might try it meself. :lol:
 
It's sad. Someone who is willing to take the trouble, effort and time to be open and show the nonsense - leaving the possible great - has had to drop it from lack of enthusiasm and commitment.

I guess we'll be back to woo-woo's and MH converts thinking that what they see on the Paranormal Channel is fact. Next 'll be the FT board being used to tout half-rumoured crap about orbs.
 
Stormkhan said:
..Next 'll be the FT board being used to tout half-rumoured crap about orbs.
Click to expand...
Not if I've got anything to do with it, it won't. People can post such anomalous experiences as they have freely on here, but when there's a perfectly feasible and demonstrable explanation it deserves to be heard without any need for eggshell-treading.

We work hard at keeping the overall tone as neither credulous nor dismissive, and I like to think we manage that quite well.
 
jimv1 said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh
Click to expand...

Would you care to expand a little, please?

Some of us are very careful these days about googling Japanese-sounding words with 'b' and 'k' in them. :lol:
 
Especially when it's something you find being 'shopped about with on b3ta!
(You know those 'change the depth of field' pics that make photos of real things look like photos of little models?)
:D
 
All is not lost:

THE BADCAST

The BadCast is a weekly podcast that aims to be that little bit different, out go the usual 2 blokes in a bedroom trying to be funny for an hour, and in comes intellegent and educational monologues, exclusive interviews, and interactive features.

Each week we feature original and exclusive content from a variety of ever changing contributors, including legendary names in the Skeptical Community.

You can also check out our excellent FORUM where you can discuss, debate and argue to your hearts content.
Click to expand...

8)
 
Couldn't have happened to a nicer person: :twisted:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-e ... e-10884534

Psychic Joe Power cut dead by Edinburgh Fringe spirit
Joe Power - "The Man Who Sees Dead People" - is to play a three week run at The Assembly A major Edinburgh Fringe venue has defended its decision to put a "psychic medium" on the bill.

Joe Power - "The Man Who Sees Dead People" - is to play a three week run at The Assembly.

However, Power was booed and heckled during the Assembly's 30th anniversary gala.

Assembly director William Burdett-Coutts admitted he made a mistake listing Power for the gala but said he was right to put him in the programme.


Burdett-Coutts told the BBC Scotland news website: "We made a mistake putting him on in that context, it was incredibly difficult for him.

"While it was uncomfortable to watch, on a positive note, he has certainly gained a lot of attention from it.

"Even stand-up comedians find it incredibly hard to work within a five minute slot so for Joe Power, who needs time to take the audience with him, it was very difficult."

"I regret putting him in that line-up but I don't regret putting him on the Assembly programme."

Power, 44, from Liverpool, said he has had a lot of trouble from sceptics since he was on Channel 4's Derren Brown Investigates.

He said: "Since that programme I have had threats and had to move home. :D

"So I was expecting the sceptics at the Assembly launch night but I didn't think it would be as bad as it was because anything people do should be respected.

"I only had five minutes to go on stage, say who I am and do a quick connection with someone in the audience.

"If you are a comedian you are alright because you know what you are going to say but mine's a live act.

"I went home that night and told my wife it had gone badly.

"It is good to have criticism but that kind of bad behaviour should not happen in a venue.

"My mistake was that I didn't have the lights on so I couldn't see the recipient in the audience. I need response and dialogue to keep the energy."

Comedian Adam Hills, who was compering the gala event said after Power was on stage: "I've cleared up after lots of comedians who have died on stage but never someone who was talking to the dead." :D
Click to expand...
 
A critic was quoted on the radio this morning to say Joe Power's Edinburgh show was the most excruciatingly embarrassing thing they'd ever seen on stage. Wrong audience, really.

A friend of mine saw him a week after the Derren Brown programme and said he spent most of his act being very defensive and complaining about how he'd been poorly portrayed. Maybe he should have told a few jokes?
 
Rest assured I will be going to the show and reporting back in my regular review of Edinburgh Fringe shows for FT.

Watch this space...
 
8) I'm counting on you. :D
 
Last episode of The Secret World on iPlayer;

'Ghost hunter Derek Acorah is trying to find his missing bobble hat - but can't seem to conjure up an image.'

ROFLcopter :lol:
 
"So I was expecting the sceptics at the Assembly launch night but I didn't think it would be as bad as it was because anything people do should be respected.

"I only had five minutes to go on stage, say who I am and do a quick connection with someone in the audience."
Click to expand...

Ahem. Does it take five minutes to say "Does anyone here have a dead relative with the initial D? Yes? Your dead uncle Derek? Hang on ... yes ... Uncle Derek says not to worry. The Other Side is fantastic and he's met a really great bloke called Sam ..."
 
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