Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Who Knew? Part II
Department Of Symbolism
So, the big news (aside from the Wikileaks dump) is President Obama's freeze on federal salaries. Its expected to save some five billion dollars over two years. That's quite a sum of money, working out to estimated savings of about 6.8 million dollars a day, but in the grand scheme of things, its chump change, and will have no real impact on the deficit.
Consider: The total proposed for the 2011 Defense Department budget is over 708 billion dollars, or just under two billion dollars a day. We're spending over three billion dollars a week in Iraq and Afghanastan. We'd save around 312 billion dollars over that two year period just by getting out of those two money pits.
This is nothing but a symbolic gesture, and the clerk filing papers at some federal office, the nurse at the VA, and the food safety inspector at the FDA will pay the price. And the Republicans will continue to refuse to compromise or engage in bipartisanship.
Consider: The total proposed for the 2011 Defense Department budget is over 708 billion dollars, or just under two billion dollars a day. We're spending over three billion dollars a week in Iraq and Afghanastan. We'd save around 312 billion dollars over that two year period just by getting out of those two money pits.
This is nothing but a symbolic gesture, and the clerk filing papers at some federal office, the nurse at the VA, and the food safety inspector at the FDA will pay the price. And the Republicans will continue to refuse to compromise or engage in bipartisanship.
Labels: politics
Monday, November 29, 2010
Who Knew?
I suspect many members of Steeler's Nation already thought this was the case, but Hemant notes:
So I guess we all know the truth now: God is a Steelers fan.
So I guess we all know the truth now: God is a Steelers fan.
Labels: football, nfl, steelerbation, steelers
RIP Leslie Nielsen
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
Just once, I'd like to see the president declare 'Why this bird looks delicious!" at the traditional "Turkey pardoning" (which, BTW, I feel makes a mockery of the President's power to pardon) while simultaniously drawing a hatchet.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving all! (I have to work)
Guilty!
Buh-bye, Bugman!
After 19 hours of deliberation, a jury of six men and six women decided that Mr. DeLay was guilty of conspiring with two associates in 2002 to circumvent a state law against corporate contributions to political campaigns. He was convicted of one charge of money laundering and one charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
As the verdict was read, Mr. DeLay, 63, sat stone-faced at the defense table. Then he rose, turned, smiled and hugged his wife and then his weeping daughter in the first row of spectators. He faces between 5 and 99 years in prison, though the judge may choose probation.
Up to 99 years for money laundering?? I think the guy should be punished, but lets be realistic. This is a non-violent crime, and goes to political corruption. Hell, I think five years is a bit much. A few years behind bars followed by probation is a more appropriate term.
After 19 hours of deliberation, a jury of six men and six women decided that Mr. DeLay was guilty of conspiring with two associates in 2002 to circumvent a state law against corporate contributions to political campaigns. He was convicted of one charge of money laundering and one charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
As the verdict was read, Mr. DeLay, 63, sat stone-faced at the defense table. Then he rose, turned, smiled and hugged his wife and then his weeping daughter in the first row of spectators. He faces between 5 and 99 years in prison, though the judge may choose probation.
Up to 99 years for money laundering?? I think the guy should be punished, but lets be realistic. This is a non-violent crime, and goes to political corruption. Hell, I think five years is a bit much. A few years behind bars followed by probation is a more appropriate term.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Was This Really Necessary?
Uh-Oh
Are Liberty U and Bill O'Reilly aware of this act of treason from God's Own Party in the Christmas Wars?
Labels: war on xmas
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Words Fail Me
Ahead Warp Factor One
Star Trek is obviously fiction, and while I don't expect "warp drive" anytime soon (if ever), this is still pretty cool.
Labels: science
Follow The Leader
I've never understood how global warming became a political football. There certainly can be political disagreement on what to do about it, but to deny the reality of the data is silly. It didn't used to be that way, and analysis of polling data indicates that voters who identify as Republicans believe what their leaders direct them to believe. From the Washington Monthly:
Disbelief in global warming in the GOP is a recent occurrence. Just a few years ago, in 2007, a 62%-majority of Republicans said there is solid evidence of global warming, while less than a third (31%) said there is no solid evidence. Currently, just 38% of Republicans say there is solid evidence the earth is warming, and only 16% say that warming is caused by human activity.
A few years ago, Republican voters, by and large, believed what the mainstream believed when it came to climate science. Then their party, its candidates, and its media outlets told these voters to stop believing the facts -- and rank-and-file Republicans did as they were told. In effect, partisans on the right outsourced their evaluation of evidence to their party, and Republicans decided climate science is no longer worthy of support.
Interesting. But disheartening. They really are "dittoheads."
Disbelief in global warming in the GOP is a recent occurrence. Just a few years ago, in 2007, a 62%-majority of Republicans said there is solid evidence of global warming, while less than a third (31%) said there is no solid evidence. Currently, just 38% of Republicans say there is solid evidence the earth is warming, and only 16% say that warming is caused by human activity.
A few years ago, Republican voters, by and large, believed what the mainstream believed when it came to climate science. Then their party, its candidates, and its media outlets told these voters to stop believing the facts -- and rank-and-file Republicans did as they were told. In effect, partisans on the right outsourced their evaluation of evidence to their party, and Republicans decided climate science is no longer worthy of support.
Interesting. But disheartening. They really are "dittoheads."
Its Who They Are
Joe Straus is the Texas Speaker of the House, and a life-long Republican. The teabaggers and their allies on the far right fringe are mounting a challenge to his leadership position in that body. Why? He's Jewish.
I wonder why these true patriots and defenders of the Constitution aren't familiar with Article VI?
I wonder why these true patriots and defenders of the Constitution aren't familiar with Article VI?
Terraterraterraterra
Clear evidence that the government shouldn't be required to prove their case in a court of law. That will be the theme on whackaloon radio today.
UPDATE: See?
UPDATE: See?
Hating Heroes
I'm in awe of this clown's "reasoning."
Bryan Fischer, the "Director of Issues Analysis" for the conservative Christian group the American Family Association, was unhappy yesterday that President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to a soldier for saving lives. This, Fischer wrote on his blog, shows that the Medal of Honor has been "feminized" because "we now award it only for preventing casualties, not for inflicting them."
Fischer's take? "So the question is this: when are we going to start awarding the Medal of Honor once again for soldiers who kill people and break things so our families can sleep safely at night?"
Army Sgt. Salvatore Giunta risked his life to pull wounded soldiers to cover and then rescued another comrade who was being carried away by the enemy. Why does Bryan Fischer think this "feminizes" the Medal of Honor? My money is on "because Obama awarded it."
Bryan Fischer, the "Director of Issues Analysis" for the conservative Christian group the American Family Association, was unhappy yesterday that President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to a soldier for saving lives. This, Fischer wrote on his blog, shows that the Medal of Honor has been "feminized" because "we now award it only for preventing casualties, not for inflicting them."
Fischer's take? "So the question is this: when are we going to start awarding the Medal of Honor once again for soldiers who kill people and break things so our families can sleep safely at night?"
Army Sgt. Salvatore Giunta risked his life to pull wounded soldiers to cover and then rescued another comrade who was being carried away by the enemy. Why does Bryan Fischer think this "feminizes" the Medal of Honor? My money is on "because Obama awarded it."
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Whistling Dixie
Arkansas elected an actual neo-confederate to Congress.
...there are Republicans and there is Republican Loy Mauch, elected to represent House District 26 near Hot Springs. A former head of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans post in Hot Springs, Mauch calls the Confederate flag "a symbol of Jesus Christ," and is a current member of The League of the South, a group which works toward the formation of an independent Southern nation.
Founded in 1994 in Killen, Ala., The League of the South advocates for "the secession and subsequent independence of the southern states from this forced union and the formation of a southern republic," according to the "Introduction" page on its website.
This nut went so far as to try and have a statue of Abraham Lincoln removed, and appears to be a full fledged christianist.
Your modern G.O.P.
...there are Republicans and there is Republican Loy Mauch, elected to represent House District 26 near Hot Springs. A former head of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans post in Hot Springs, Mauch calls the Confederate flag "a symbol of Jesus Christ," and is a current member of The League of the South, a group which works toward the formation of an independent Southern nation.
Founded in 1994 in Killen, Ala., The League of the South advocates for "the secession and subsequent independence of the southern states from this forced union and the formation of a southern republic," according to the "Introduction" page on its website.
This nut went so far as to try and have a statue of Abraham Lincoln removed, and appears to be a full fledged christianist.
Your modern G.O.P.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
For Me, But Not For Thee
Typical.
Harris created a stir at the orientation meeting by demanding to know why he had to wait a month after he was sworn in in January for his government-subsidized health care to kick in. After responding in a huff, he even asked if there was some way he could buy into the government care in advance, seemingly thinking there might be a government program similar to the so-called 'public option' championed by progressive Democrats in 2009.
According to an unnamed congressional staffer quoted by Thrush, Harris stood up at the meeting "and asked the two ladies who were answering questions why it had to take so long, what he would do without 28 days of health care."
This is a guy who ran on repealing HCR.
Harris created a stir at the orientation meeting by demanding to know why he had to wait a month after he was sworn in in January for his government-subsidized health care to kick in. After responding in a huff, he even asked if there was some way he could buy into the government care in advance, seemingly thinking there might be a government program similar to the so-called 'public option' championed by progressive Democrats in 2009.
According to an unnamed congressional staffer quoted by Thrush, Harris stood up at the meeting "and asked the two ladies who were answering questions why it had to take so long, what he would do without 28 days of health care."
This is a guy who ran on repealing HCR.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Class Warfare
Its happening, and not the way you've been led to believe.
...what the co-chairmen are proposing is a mixture of tax cuts and tax increases — tax cuts for the wealthy, tax increases for the middle class. They suggest eliminating tax breaks that, whatever you think of them, matter a lot to middle-class Americans — the deductibility of health benefits and mortgage interest — and using much of the revenue gained thereby, not to reduce the deficit, but to allow sharp reductions in both the top marginal tax rate and in the corporate tax rate.
It will take time to crunch the numbers here, but this proposal clearly represents a major transfer of income upward, from the middle class to a small minority of wealthy Americans. And what does any of this have to do with deficit reduction?
What, indeed? I suspect the underpants gnomes are involved in some capacity.
...what the co-chairmen are proposing is a mixture of tax cuts and tax increases — tax cuts for the wealthy, tax increases for the middle class. They suggest eliminating tax breaks that, whatever you think of them, matter a lot to middle-class Americans — the deductibility of health benefits and mortgage interest — and using much of the revenue gained thereby, not to reduce the deficit, but to allow sharp reductions in both the top marginal tax rate and in the corporate tax rate.
It will take time to crunch the numbers here, but this proposal clearly represents a major transfer of income upward, from the middle class to a small minority of wealthy Americans. And what does any of this have to do with deficit reduction?
What, indeed? I suspect the underpants gnomes are involved in some capacity.
65
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Bucket List!
I vow to shop at as many of the "naughty" stores that are in my area between now and December 25th.
We can already cross off Giant Eagle, I went there today.
WARNING: Link takes you to Looney University's site.
We can already cross off Giant Eagle, I went there today.
WARNING: Link takes you to Looney University's site.
Labels: war on xmas
SHOCKING!
Turning coffee into dessert is rather unhealthy. Who would have thunk?
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Missile????
Why is the media's default story that this was a missile launch? The only images I've seen are from that sole traffic helicopter, and those images show no movement (other than camera movement) at the "head" of the plume. You would think that a missile launch that close to a major population center would produce thousands of witnesses at a minimum. And yet, we have but a single traffic helicopter.
It COULD very well have been a missile. However, until the camera zooms in, it appears to be very, very far away, and is backlit by the sun. Could this be nothing more than a rather spectacular aircraft contrail? Wouldn't a missile launch be picked up on commercial air radars?Lacking any other evidence, my money is on the mundane as the likely culprit.
UPDATE: Looking a lot like a mundane Hawaii to Phoenix regularly scheduled airline flight. But so-called serious "journalists" went with the mysterious missile launch angle.
It COULD very well have been a missile. However, until the camera zooms in, it appears to be very, very far away, and is backlit by the sun. Could this be nothing more than a rather spectacular aircraft contrail? Wouldn't a missile launch be picked up on commercial air radars?Lacking any other evidence, my money is on the mundane as the likely culprit.
UPDATE: Looking a lot like a mundane Hawaii to Phoenix regularly scheduled airline flight. But so-called serious "journalists" went with the mysterious missile launch angle.
Monday, November 08, 2010
Galt!
Saturday, November 06, 2010
The Vapors - Turning Japanese
Do Angels Exist?
No.
Glad I could clear that up. However, I am open to modifying my position if someone could come up with definitive proof.
Does that make me a weak atheist?
Glad I could clear that up. However, I am open to modifying my position if someone could come up with definitive proof.
Does that make me a weak atheist?
Friday, November 05, 2010
Olbermann Suspended
Made political donations in violation of NBC's ethics policy.
Joe Scarborough did the same thing. Remains on the job.
IOKIYAR
Joe Scarborough did the same thing. Remains on the job.
IOKIYAR
Labels: iokiyar
Thirteen Trillion
Matt Taibbi via tristero.
With the $13-plus trillion we are estimated to ultimately spend on the bailouts, We could not only have bought and paid off every single subprime mortgage in the country (that would only have cost $1.4 trillion), we could have paid off every remaining mortgage of any kind in this country-and still have had enough money left over to buy a new house for every American who does not already have one.
That, of course, would have been teh socialism, so our taxes instead went to pay bonuses to the people who created the problem in the first place.
With the $13-plus trillion we are estimated to ultimately spend on the bailouts, We could not only have bought and paid off every single subprime mortgage in the country (that would only have cost $1.4 trillion), we could have paid off every remaining mortgage of any kind in this country-and still have had enough money left over to buy a new house for every American who does not already have one.
That, of course, would have been teh socialism, so our taxes instead went to pay bonuses to the people who created the problem in the first place.
Why?
Why aren't these people being charged with crimes?
Unicredit America Inc. agreed Tuesday to stop sending letters to consumers threatening them with arrest if they failed to respond. Erie County Judge Michael Dunlavey also ordered the mock courtroom torn down within 30 days.The state attorney general's office says Unicredit used people appearing to be sheriff's deputies to deliver hearing notices to consumers and used fake court proceedings to get money from them. Authorities say a person dressed in black would preside from behind a raised bench at the front of the room.
From my handy-dandy Pennsylvania Crimes Code:
PACC 18 sec 4912: Impersonating a public servant.
A person commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if he falsely pretends to hold a position in the public service with intent to induce another to submit to such pretended official authority or otherwise to act in reliance upon that pretense to his prejudice.
M2's are punishable by up to two years in prison. Seems to me that impersonating deputies and judges would fall under the statute.
As an aside, impersonating a notary public is an M1, so you can get into deeper trouble in Pennsylvania for being a fake notary than being a fake judge.
Unicredit America Inc. agreed Tuesday to stop sending letters to consumers threatening them with arrest if they failed to respond. Erie County Judge Michael Dunlavey also ordered the mock courtroom torn down within 30 days.The state attorney general's office says Unicredit used people appearing to be sheriff's deputies to deliver hearing notices to consumers and used fake court proceedings to get money from them. Authorities say a person dressed in black would preside from behind a raised bench at the front of the room.
From my handy-dandy Pennsylvania Crimes Code:
PACC 18 sec 4912: Impersonating a public servant.
A person commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if he falsely pretends to hold a position in the public service with intent to induce another to submit to such pretended official authority or otherwise to act in reliance upon that pretense to his prejudice.
M2's are punishable by up to two years in prison. Seems to me that impersonating deputies and judges would fall under the statute.
As an aside, impersonating a notary public is an M1, so you can get into deeper trouble in Pennsylvania for being a fake notary than being a fake judge.
Bipartisanship!
Told ya.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that "the only way" his party would succeed in advancing its agenda was to ensure that President Barack Obama was defeated in two years, seemingly bringing a quick end to post-election professions from both sides about working together.
Even as Mr. Obama announced that he had invited congressional leaders of both parties to meet him this month to discuss the legislative agenda for the rest of the year, Senate Republicans were flexing their muscles in the new playground of divided government, scrambling to fill leadership posts, announcing a legislative agenda and warning their Democratic counterparts to change their ways or else.
The comments by Mr. McConnell, R-Ky., about Mr. Obama -- echoing a line he used before the election -- suggested that he had heard the no-compromise message coming from the most conservative members of his party, and that he intended to wage an aggressive battle in the Senate, even though Republicans failed Tuesday to gain a majority there.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that "the only way" his party would succeed in advancing its agenda was to ensure that President Barack Obama was defeated in two years, seemingly bringing a quick end to post-election professions from both sides about working together.
Even as Mr. Obama announced that he had invited congressional leaders of both parties to meet him this month to discuss the legislative agenda for the rest of the year, Senate Republicans were flexing their muscles in the new playground of divided government, scrambling to fill leadership posts, announcing a legislative agenda and warning their Democratic counterparts to change their ways or else.
The comments by Mr. McConnell, R-Ky., about Mr. Obama -- echoing a line he used before the election -- suggested that he had heard the no-compromise message coming from the most conservative members of his party, and that he intended to wage an aggressive battle in the Senate, even though Republicans failed Tuesday to gain a majority there.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Election Night Special
Let The Crazy Begin!
Looks like Sestak came up short, and PA is sending a senator to Washington that Rick Santorum (!) once called too conservative for Pennsylvania.
We're going to hear a lot of talk from the punditry today about bipartisianship. Bipartisanship isn't going to happen, for the simple reason that Republicans aren't interested in it.
I would not be surprised at all if the House, in the next 2 years, passes a resolution declaring war on Iran or Yemen.
We're going to hear a lot of talk from the punditry today about bipartisianship. Bipartisanship isn't going to happen, for the simple reason that Republicans aren't interested in it.
I would not be surprised at all if the House, in the next 2 years, passes a resolution declaring war on Iran or Yemen.
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Recount
I suspect that PA is headed for a recount. This will result in at least three months of insanity.
Let The Lunecy Begin!
I, for one, welcome our new batshit insane overlords. Let the endless investigations into where Obama's penis has been begin!
A Time To Kill
Writing in the Chicago Tribune, Doughy Pantload (aka Jonah Goldberg) calls for the murder of a private citizen.
I'd like to ask a simple question: Why isn't Julian Assange dead?
That's just the opening sentence. As always, the far right sees violence as an acceptable solution to troublesome persons, and don't let Goldberg's weaselly disclaimer at the end of the piece fool you.
Election Day
Go vote!
Monday, November 01, 2010
Braaaiiinsss....Soooouuulllssss
Ladybug
I'm not sure she "gets" the idea of Halloween yet, but my wife tells me by the end of the night, she was holding her pumpkin bucket out for people to drop candy into. I think next year will be much more enjoyable for her. As an aside, I think Frankenstein's Monster would have been a better costume for her, because that's how she walks.Labels: halloween, Molly, pastafarianism
Twaddle
The Post-Gazette's Mary Niederberger devoted over 800 words in today's paper to gush about the appearance of psychic (psychic is a two syllable synonym for the one syllable word fraud) Chip Coffey at the Heinz History Center yesterday. Over 800 words, and not a peep on if this charlatan can actually do what he says he can. Reading the article, I could tell right away that this guy is just practicing the old carnival trick of cold reading, while throwing out responses that are so vague they could apply to nearly anyone. For example:
To make the connections with those on the other side, Mr. Coffey asked audience members for the first name of the deceased, their relationship to them and how long they were dead.
Sunday night, Mr. Coffey told a recent widow that her husband loved her, that he was doing OK and he was glad that she was doing OK and that he was with a dog "who barked a lot" and he wanted her "to take the trip."
The woman appeared to recognize the description of the dog and acknowledged her daughter has been offering to pay for her to visit her family.
The very first sentence tells you this clown is a cold reader. First name, relationship, and how long dead, along with the apparent age of the audience member gives the cold reader an enormous amount of information from which to start building on vague generalizations, and start getting more specific based on the reactions from their mark. The article doesn't say how old this widow is, but I'll assume its an older woman. It is not at all unreasonable to surmise that someone who was married for a considerable length of time at some point owned a dog that barked, or had a neighbor with a barking dog. (notice that Coffey didn't say it was the couple's dog, he leaves it so vague that it could have been any dog). It also isn't unreasonable to assume that someone might be contemplating a trip, also a vague statement, unlike say, "take the trip to see your daughter's family that your daughter is offering to pay for" which contains detail that can be verified. Its just "take the trip." Also notice that the ghouls always say the deceased are "doing OK" and never burning in the eternal flames of hell.
Another example from the article:
One man was told his grandmother "with the apple smell" had dropped by to say hello. The man said his grandmother worked on an apple farm.
With the apple smell? Apple smell? Well hey, Granny worked on an apple farm! How many people have grandmothers that baked? Baked pie? Baked apple pie? Apple smell can relate to anything involving apples, and how many of us were served apple sauce by our grannies, had an apple when visiting grandparents or ate apple pie at grandma's? The worked at an apple farm is a happy random hit, but "smelled of apples" is sufficiently vague that it can apply to almost any grandmother.
And then there are the gullible:
Teresa Runkle drove four hours from Reading for the show, and the trip was made worthwhile when Mr. Coffey told her that her deceased mother was very close by her. Ms. Runkle originally asked to communicate with her late grandfather, but Mr. Coffey said the messages from her mother were much stronger.
"Her energy is so close she feels she's not dead," he said.
Ms. Runkle said she is a big fan of Mr. Coffey's. "I love the reality of it.
Sorry Ms. Runkle, but you were treated to a reality free evening on Sunday.
I found this little tidbit enlightening:
Mr. Coffey, 56, is a native of upstate New York, where he attended Elmira College and graduated with majors in theater and psychology.
Hmmm...theatre. A performing art. Psychology. The science of mind and behavior. Put the two together and you get......?
The fact of the matter is that Chip Coffey is a nasty little fraud who makes his living off gullible, grieving people. He charges $200.00 for a 30 minute "reading" and $500.00 for a 30-40 minute "mediumship/spirit contact." If he really could do what he claims he can, he'd take James Randi's million dollar challenge. Wonder why he hasn't? Oh never mind that question. If he does ten 30 minute readings a day, five days a week for a year, he's pulling in over 500k without having to prove anything. Looks like I'm in the wrong line of work, but unlike Coffey, I have a sense of right and wrong. Now if only the P-G would have a sense of shame for giving this fraud a platform.
To make the connections with those on the other side, Mr. Coffey asked audience members for the first name of the deceased, their relationship to them and how long they were dead.
Sunday night, Mr. Coffey told a recent widow that her husband loved her, that he was doing OK and he was glad that she was doing OK and that he was with a dog "who barked a lot" and he wanted her "to take the trip."
The woman appeared to recognize the description of the dog and acknowledged her daughter has been offering to pay for her to visit her family.
The very first sentence tells you this clown is a cold reader. First name, relationship, and how long dead, along with the apparent age of the audience member gives the cold reader an enormous amount of information from which to start building on vague generalizations, and start getting more specific based on the reactions from their mark. The article doesn't say how old this widow is, but I'll assume its an older woman. It is not at all unreasonable to surmise that someone who was married for a considerable length of time at some point owned a dog that barked, or had a neighbor with a barking dog. (notice that Coffey didn't say it was the couple's dog, he leaves it so vague that it could have been any dog). It also isn't unreasonable to assume that someone might be contemplating a trip, also a vague statement, unlike say, "take the trip to see your daughter's family that your daughter is offering to pay for" which contains detail that can be verified. Its just "take the trip." Also notice that the ghouls always say the deceased are "doing OK" and never burning in the eternal flames of hell.
Another example from the article:
One man was told his grandmother "with the apple smell" had dropped by to say hello. The man said his grandmother worked on an apple farm.
With the apple smell? Apple smell? Well hey, Granny worked on an apple farm! How many people have grandmothers that baked? Baked pie? Baked apple pie? Apple smell can relate to anything involving apples, and how many of us were served apple sauce by our grannies, had an apple when visiting grandparents or ate apple pie at grandma's? The worked at an apple farm is a happy random hit, but "smelled of apples" is sufficiently vague that it can apply to almost any grandmother.
And then there are the gullible:
Teresa Runkle drove four hours from Reading for the show, and the trip was made worthwhile when Mr. Coffey told her that her deceased mother was very close by her. Ms. Runkle originally asked to communicate with her late grandfather, but Mr. Coffey said the messages from her mother were much stronger.
"Her energy is so close she feels she's not dead," he said.
Ms. Runkle said she is a big fan of Mr. Coffey's. "I love the reality of it.
Sorry Ms. Runkle, but you were treated to a reality free evening on Sunday.
I found this little tidbit enlightening:
Mr. Coffey, 56, is a native of upstate New York, where he attended Elmira College and graduated with majors in theater and psychology.
Hmmm...theatre. A performing art. Psychology. The science of mind and behavior. Put the two together and you get......?
The fact of the matter is that Chip Coffey is a nasty little fraud who makes his living off gullible, grieving people. He charges $200.00 for a 30 minute "reading" and $500.00 for a 30-40 minute "mediumship/spirit contact." If he really could do what he claims he can, he'd take James Randi's million dollar challenge. Wonder why he hasn't? Oh never mind that question. If he does ten 30 minute readings a day, five days a week for a year, he's pulling in over 500k without having to prove anything. Looks like I'm in the wrong line of work, but unlike Coffey, I have a sense of right and wrong. Now if only the P-G would have a sense of shame for giving this fraud a platform.
Labels: charlatans, chip coffey, frauds, psychics
