facts + logic = truth
Before moving on to 2011, I have one last fake teen tale for you. I've saved the most unsettling one for last, probably because I don't even like thinking about it. Please proceed with caution.Place: Kurim, Czech RepublicTime: May 10, 2007In some ways, Moravia is the perfect setting for a tale of Gothic horror. The... Continue Reading →
In lieu of a weirdness roundup, I'm gonna give you one big ol' chunk of weirdness that warped my mind this week. What do you get when you combine Biblical prophecy, Illuminati conspiracy theories, aliens, pop psychology, and teen vampire novels? A serious freaking mess. On the Monday-Tuesday broadcast of Coast to Coast AM, guest... Continue Reading →
Perhaps you have run across the website Spiritually Smart in your online travels. It was a sprawling and exhaustive archive of Jesuit perfidy, Catholic misdeeds, and general paranoia, established and maintained by a young Long Island native who renounced his Catholic upbringing after reading some Chick tracts and the outrageously bogus stories of Alberto Rivera.... Continue Reading →
July 10th was the 153rd birthday of Nikola Tesla, maverick inventor, eccentric, and idol of many a free energy fanatic. So here are just a few of the wild rumours, tall tales, and conspiracy theories that have sprouted up around Tesla since his death in the 1940s. Sadly, the man's real work and legacy have... Continue Reading →
spaceTo be fair, the story of Debra Hunter Pitts can't really be called a conspiracy theory. The proper designation would be "unadulterated bullshit".She waited many years to tell her tale, and when the time was right, she selected only the most unimpeachable information outlets: Rabid anti-Zionist broadcaster Greg Szymanski, and conspiracy researcher Wes Penre (founder... Continue Reading →
How have claims of Satanic ritual abuse held up over the past two decades? Generally, not well. There have been retractions, apologies, and debunkings in many of the high-profile cases of the '80s and '90s. And I think we can learn a lot from how the accusations were handled then, compared with how they look... Continue Reading →
TV ads for Dianetics and Amway? That is so '87. "The Land of Will": Nauseatingly ridiculous TV spot for the cult known as Quixtar. Notice how they throw in the first mention of Quixtar at the very, very end of the commercial, almost reluctantly? And how they don't actually mention what they're supposedly selling? I'll... Continue Reading →
I've talked about the perils of paranoia, and now it's time to examine the problem of magical thinking - irrational causal reasoning. Like paranoia, magical thinking appears to be on the rise these days. And magical thinking can be dangerous. The Xhosa and Thembu tribes of South Africa nearly starved themselves into oblivion because some... Continue Reading →
Unfortunately, I have some personal experience with the quasi-religious corporate cult known as Amway/Quixtar. My ex was involved with it for roughly six months, about ten years ago. Sadly, Quixtar recruiters still use most of the same tired ol' enticements they were using over a decade ago, with a few new twists.Initially, I didn't think... Continue Reading →
The online world has been punk'd by an adorable teen science geek who led us to suspect she is soon to become a virgin sacrifice for her parents' "Satanic" cult. But now that it's not real, it's a fun story. Here's what I wrote on my personal blog on July 28: "Youtube is starting to... Continue Reading →
Swallowing The Camel 