REALL News
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The REALL News
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The official newsletter of the Rational Examination Association
of Lincoln Land
Volume 2, Number 1 January 1994
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Electronic Version
If you like what you see, please help us continue by sending
in a subscription. See the end of newsletter for details.
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In This Issue:
From the Editor -- Bob Ladendorf
From the Chairman -- David Bloomberg
Noah's Ark Hoax Update -- David Bloomberg
Child Abuse or Science Abuse? -- David Bloomberg
REALLity Check -- David Bloomberg
Subject Index to Volume 1
Author Index to Volume 1
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Purpose:
The Rational Examination Association of Lincoln Land (REALL)
is a non-profit educational and scientific organization. It is
dedicated to the development of rational thinking and the application
of the scientific method toward claims of the paranormal and fringe-
science phenomena.
REALL shall conduct research, convene meetings, publish a newsletter,
and disseminate information to its members and the general public.
Its primary geographic region of coverage is central Illinois.
REALL subscribes to the premise that the scientific method is the
most reliable and self-correcting system for obtaining knowledge
about the world and universe. REALL not not reject paranormal claims
on a priori grounds, but rather is committed to objective, though
critical, inquiry.
_The REALL News_ is its official newsletter.
Membership information is provided elsewhere in this newsletter.
Board of Directors: Chairman, David Bloomberg; Assistant Chairman,
Prof. Ron Larkin; Secretary-Treasurer, Wally Hartshorn; Newsletter
Editor, Bob Ladendorf; At-Large Members, Prof. Steve Egger, Frank
Mazo, and Kevin Brown.
Editorial Board: Bob Ladendorf (Newsletter Editor), David Bloomberg
(electronic version editor), (one vacancy).
REALL
P.O. Box 20302
Springfield, IL 62708
Unless stated otherwise, permission is granted to other skeptic
organizations to reprint articles from _The REALL News_ as long
as proper credit is given. REALL also requests that you send
copies of your newsletters that reprint our articles to the
above address.
The views expressed in these articles are the views of the individual
authors and do not necessarily represent the views of REALL.
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From The Editor
-- Bob Ladendorf
With this issue, we complete our first year of
publication. I want to thank all our patrons and subscribers
for helping to make this newsletter, as well as our monthly
meetings, possible.
Looking ahead into 1994, I foresee an intensification
of the debate over false memories, particularly in relation
to charges of past sexual abuse. David Bloomberg gives us a
perspective on that issue in a REALLity Check Extra on page
1. While child abuse is prevalent in this country, the
*potential* for abuse and false accusations is disturbing.
In Illinois, a new law essentially eliminated the statute of
limitations for making child abuse claims. If filing
lawsuits has become the national pastime, what will we call
the no-holds-barred suing that could take place over alleged
child abuse? What's worse, this Pandora's Box of child abuse
claims could jeopardize legitimate claims as Americans
become numbed by frivolous lawsuits. I don't want to see a
return to McCarthyism.
On a lighter note, we know from analyses of past years'
"psychic predictions" by the Bay Area Skeptics group that
few of their predictions come true, and that most of the
ones psychics claim are true are general and vague
predictions, such as a ship will sink in the Atlantic Ocean.
In his Chairman's Column, David Bloomberg tries to make some
easy predictions for 1994. I take great umbrage, however, at
his prediction that the Cubs will not win the pennant this
year! Cub fans (aka hopeless optimists) like myself know
that as time goes by, the chances of winning increase. (Or
do I need to submit that question to Marilyn vos Savant in
_Parade_ magazine?)
In REALL's quest for knowledge over myth and lies, we
have to remember that it is not an easy task. As James
Callaghan once said, "A lie can be half-way around the world
before truth has got its boots on."
/s/ Bob Ladendorf
==============================
From the Chairman
-- David Bloomberg
Happy New Year! Here we are in a new year, a new volume
number, and only six years away from the end of the world
that is being predicted by all sorts of people. Considering
the track record of such predictions, I'm not taking my
money out of long-term investments.
The new year brings out the "psychics" like trash brings
out flies. All of them clamor to tell us what the year holds
for us, for the country, for the world, and for Hollyweird.
Of course, they expect us to forget their predictions for
*last* year, and most people unfortunately do. If they
didn't, these people would have to get real jobs like the
rest of us.
But I also have some predictions for the new year. I
predict that the Cubs will *not* win the World Series, I
will *not* win the Lotto jackpot, California will *not*
slide off into the ocean, President Clinton will *not* be
abducted by aliens, and Ross Perot probably will be.
Regarding REALL, I have some predictions and some hopes,
kind of mixed together. I predict that we will have a
variety of great speakers at our 1994 meetings, including at
least one on creation/evolution, one on psychic detectives,
and possibly some magic thrown in for added fun. I would
like to see REALL grow in membership, and hope that we are
able to send out information to local science teachers and
others who might be interested. I predict that REALL will
become more active in distributing facts to the media and
other interested parties as we become more well-known in the
area. I hope that our members help get the word out that
REALL is around and is always willing to answer questions
and give out necessary information. Finally, I predict that
we will continue to consistently put out a newsletter which
I consider to be among the best in the field.
I'm willing to stack up my predictions to any of the
"psychics" that will be in the tabloids or on the talk
shows.
/s/ David Bloomberg
==============================
{Special Report}
Noah's Ark Hoax Update
by David Bloomberg
A great deal has happened since REALL's special report
on Sun Pictures (Vol. 1, No. 8, September), so we at _The
REALL News_ felt an update was in order.
To briefly recap for new readers, Sun International
Pictures, Inc. produced _The Incredible Discovery of Noah's
Ark_, which aired on February 20th on CBS. In July, _Time_
magazine and the Associated Press ran stories indicating
that one of those who appeared on the show, George Jammal,
had made up his entire story as a hoax on Sun. During the
writing of REALL's original article, Jammal was not speaking
publicly on the issue for fear of legal action from Sun
and/or CBS. However, information came from Dr. Gerald Larue,
a professor emeritus of biblical history and archaeology,
indicating that, in fact, the whole of Jammal's story,
including the supposed piece of wood he chopped out of
Noah's Ark, had been cooked up. Sun had tried to defend
itself and rebut the articles, but it had not done a very
good job.
Since that time, Jammal spoke at the Freedom From
Religion Foundation (FFRF) meeting on October 23 and
detailed the hoax, including the making of the fake piece of
the Ark. Other changes followed rapidly, including a change
of tactics on Sun's part, a change on CBS's part, and a
change on Sun's chief researcher's part.
While the attack on Larue comprised the first of their
defenses in Sun's earlier rebuttal, they removed it almost
totally once Jammal admitted to the hoax. They continue to
maintain that, as an "entertainment" show, they cannot "make
news," but they did institute slightly more stringent
"research" guidelines for their upcoming shows. According to
David Balsiger, their chief researcher at the time of the
show, they began extra checks on the credibility of their
interviewees with third parties and looking at previous
publications by those interviewees. However, he also said
they still would not test "artifacts," and the extra
measures got to the point that it "wasn't worth doing these
kinds of shows any more."
Balsiger also discussed the changes at CBS and Sun. CBS
has canceled all of the Sun shows in production. In
addition, Balsiger believes that a weekly show on UFOs which
Sun had planned for cable may be canceled due to the bad
publicity. With these problems, Sun has laid off much of its
staff, including Balsiger, and he said he does not expect to
work for them again. He added that it is very unlikely that
Sun will do any projects for network TV for at least two to
three years, due to the "tremendous damage" caused by bad
publicity, and that he will be probably be restricted in the
kind of work he can do. He said it is probable that he will
only be able to work with non-network broadcast, such as
feature films, and that he has a possible offer to work on a
project for the public school market. But considering how
exasperated he seemed by even the minimal "extra measures"
of research instituted by Sun when the hoax was first
revealed, what kind of research will he be doing for shows
now, especially if he actually does work on something for
the public school market?
So far, there has been no legal action taken against
anybody involved in the hoax. While Balsiger had originally
said that there might be legal implications to hoaxing a
network, he now says there are no plans for Sun or himself
to sue Jammal or Larue, as it would probably be
"impractical" and the press might construe it as being an
attack by CBS behind scenes. And while he had originally
said that CBS attorneys were trying to contact Larue, they
still have not done so.
Apparently, Balsiger has also changed his mind on
whether or not people should have been able to tell that the
show was entertainment based solely on the context, and
contrary to statements made by the host, leading people to
believe it was a documentary. He now says, in hindsight,
that it would have been a good idea to have a disclaimer on
the show, stating that it was not a documentary.
George Jammal has said that he hoaxed his "discovery" to
point out the faulty research of certain organizations (his
hoax was originally directed at the Institute for Creation
Research in the mid-80s, but was picked up by Sun for this
show). In other words, he said he wanted to hoax the
hoaxers. It appears that his hoax had the desired effects.
Sun is out of the pseudo-science-TV business for a while,
and hopefully others have learned from their mistakes. Even
CBS's Dan Rather apparently attacked the show in a speech,
and I've been told it even got a mention on "Murphy Brown,"
another CBS show. Skeptics can only hope Jammal's hoax has
acted as a wake-up call to reverse the trend of decreasing
distinction between "news" and "entertainment".
==============================
Child Abuse or Science Abuse?
A REALLity Check Extra
by David Bloomberg
As in the past few months, false memory syndrome (FMS)
continues to be a big attention-grabber. _The State Journal-
Register_ ran an AP article (Dec. 19) detailing the case of
Elizabeth Carlson, who is suing her therapist for allegedly
causing her to "remember" things that never happened to her.
In addition to this case and others, supporters and
opponents of the FMS idea were interviewed, and some of
those opposing the idea that it occurs sound suspiciously
like proponents of the paranormal. Some said that they think
that skeptics are just part of a backlash because people
don't want to admit the prevalence of abuse. I can't count
the number of times I've been told that I don't believe in
alien abductions for the same reason. The fact is, however,
that those of us who are skeptical of the accuracy of
"repressed memories" don't deny that abuse exists, nor that
there is far too much of it. But considering the experiments
that have shown that false memories can be implanted, and
that some abuse trials have turned into witch hunts, it
seems that a good deal of skepticism is justified if no
other proof exists.
Last time I checked, the U.S. justice system still
relied on presumption of innocence. However, it almost
seems that some of these "witch hunters" would like to
change that. The "bible" of the incest-recovery movement,
_The Courage to Heal_, by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis, says,
"If you are unable to remember any specific instances...but
still have a feeling that something abusive happened to you,
it probably did." This leaves the door open to all sorts of
abuses of the justice system. One therapist quoted in the
story said, "I sure hope we don't let a bunch of accused
perpetrators decide what public policy is going to be on
memory repression." I agree; we shouldn't. Nor should we let
a bunch of biased "therapists" make that decision. We should
let trained scientists do what they do best, and let those
results speak for themselves.
So far, experts don't agree on the validity of
"repressed memories", or even if they actually exist.
However, as mentioned earlier, some have successfully
planted false memories.
Would the therapist mentioned above suggest that all
those researchers are "accused perpetrators"? Or perhaps
they just don't want to admit that abuse exists. Or maybe,
just maybe, they are just doing good science and not letting
their personal feelings interfere.
==============================
REALLity Check
by David Bloomberg
Last month was the source of many hurrahs, but 1993 had
a few more strikes from the fringe left before it faded into
this new year. False memory syndrome (FMS), which has struck
a media chord lately, is covered in a separate article.
Are UFO Sighters Crazy?
Several publications had articles related to the recent
study reported in the _Journal of Abnormal Psychology_ on a
study of UFO sighters. The _Chicago Tribune_, in particular,
had one of the best in summarizing the results of the study
(Nov. 1).
A group of Canadian psychologists studied people who
reported seeing UFOs and compared them to a control group.
Their findings indicate that UFO sighters are not lacking in
intelligence or mental stability, but they do have a
tendency to interpret reality differently. Also, they found
that people who already believe that we aren't alone in the
universe seem more likely to interpret unknowns such as UFOs
as encounters with spacecraft or extraterrestrials.
This was a relatively small study, and is mainly useful
to show that more study needs to be done. Many in the
UFOlogical community are hailing the part of the conclusion
saying that they aren't crazy or stupid but tending to not
put much emphasis on the portion saying UFO sighters can
have a different interpretation of reality. I wonder why...
Or Are They Victims of Another Kind?
Two women in a small town of Virginia say they have been
repeatedly abducted by aliens, who have done all sorts of
nasty things to them.
Their story is detailed in _USA Today_ (Dec. 16), and
it's not until you are three-fourths of the way through the
story that the author mentions that these memories of alien
abuse were recovered through hypnosis from a psychologist
who "says abductees come to him for hypnosis to recover
suppressed memories." In other words, it sounds like people
are coming to him, and they both have the forgone conclusion
that they are being abducted by aliens. If that doesn't
bring out the question of the effects of leading questions,
nothing does.
The ladies' claims are pretty standard as far as alien
abductions go. They've supposedly been repeatedly
impregnated and then had their fetuses taken, but no
evidence for such is offered in the article. All sorts of
alien medical experiments are done, but, again, no medical
evidence of such "pokes and prods" are given.
So, once again, the only evidence are stories given
under hypnosis, in the care of a psychologist with
preconceived notions. Not exactly the best conditions for
scientific study of a phenomena.
A-cat-upuncture
We've seen something on alternative medicine in almost
every one of the first volume "REALLity Checks," but things
are really getting strange. Now, there is alternative
veterinarianism.
That's right! Acupuncture for your cat, homeopathy for
your dog, and all the other fun and unscientific "therapies"
for all your veterinary needs!
The _Chicago Tribune_, a veritable haven for articles on
alternative medicine, gave us this story on "holistic
medicine" for pets on December 10. As usual, several
"alternative medicine is great" proponents (vets and pet
owners) were interviewed, with all of one skeptic also
mentioned. At least in this case, that skeptic does get a
few good words in, including the final statement of an
example showing that the placebo effect can work on animals
as well as humans.
Typical of such articles, though, most of the skeptic's
scientific comments are overshadowed by feel-good responses
by the holistic medicine proponents. The skeptic (Dr. Larry
Fox, president-elect of the Chicago Veterinary Medical
Association) said, "Homeopathy is all the rage now, but it
has absolutely no scientific basis." The next statement
comes from a homeopath who says that the biggest problem is
ignorance, because the veterinary schools won't teach it. I
have to agree that the problem is ignorance, but it's his
ignorance of science.
[The actual printed version of this issue had a rather humorous
(if I do say so myself) drawing of a cat with little pins sticking
out of it wondering what the heck was going on. For future
amusing tidbits, make sure you send in the membership form at the
end of this electronic version!]
What? We have to PROVE it?
And on the human side of alternative medicine, starting
this summer, manufacturers of dietary supplements will have
to get prior FDA approval for health claims they make about
their products. (Associated Press, _Chicago Tribune_, Dec.
30.)
These new rules won't force any products off the shelves
but will make them live up to the same standards as foods.
Basically, this means they will have to prove that their
product can actually do whatever it is that they claim it
does. Horror of horrors!
Cold Fusion, Alchemy, and Other Mix-Ups
_Science_ and _Newsweek_ report (Nov. 26 and Jan. 10,
respectively) that there is a controversy brewing at Texas
A&M University's chemistry department over some experiments
by Professor John Bockris.
It seems that Bockris supported the Pons and Fleischman
cold fusion results, even apparently duplicating some of
their results_until an internal review at the university
criticized "a breakdown of scientific objectivity" that
affected a number of cold fusion researchers at that
university, including Bockris.
More recently, some of his colleagues are saying that
lack of objectivity is back. According to the articles,
Bockris received a call from Joe Champion, who said he could
turn other metals into silver and gold. Champion even
produced an investor who offered a $200,000 gift to the
university to support the research.
Champion was in and out of Bockris' lab for a little
while as an unpaid "guest worker", and instructed two of
Bockris' postdocs in the techniques. One was a "total
failure." The other, burning a mixture of potassium nitrate
(a component of gunpowder), carbon, and salts in a coffee
can, however, produced measurable amounts of gold. But when
Champion left, the experiment could not be duplicated (how
similar is this to "psychic" experiments?). Ramesh Bhardwaj,
a former associate research assistant for Bockris, believes
the "successful" experiments were faked, according to
_Newsweek_.
Then, according to _Newsweek_, Champion was jailed in
Phoenix, Arizona, on felony-theft charges in an unrelated
case. And in May, the investor was charged by the Securities
and Exchange Commission with selling $7.8 million in
fraudulent and unregistered securities.
Bockris still says he believes chemical transmutation of
elements may be possible. He told a local paper that he had
been "working on carbon to iron."
The university has begun an inquiry into the entire
affair, especially trying to figure out how a respected
research university accepted $200,000 for alchemical
research.
Because They Don't Know the Words
The _Chicago Tribune_ (Dec. 26) reports that the strange
humming of Taos, New Mexico, is continuing to fill the heads
of some residents. "The Taos Hum" is a mysterious humming
noise that only certain people can hear. It has brought out
claims of UFO activity, secret government weapon
experiments, strange energies, and other odd explanations.
Other theories include that the hum is caused by the
scraping of tectonic plates, or something generated by the
inner ear.
According to the article, as news of the hum has spread,
others outside of Taos have reported hearing something
similar, even over in England. This tends to stack evidence
against UFO bases or secret weapons, but those "theories"
continue to be put forth_even by their Congressman, a member
of House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He
claimed, at a town meeting, that there were three secret
weapons projects which might cause the hum, and he demanded
the federal government put an end to them. His spokesman now
says he spoke solely on the basis of "rumors." I'm sure glad
we have him on our country's "Intelligence" committee.
Scientists have been trying to find the source of the
noise, and have generally failed to even recognize that
there is a noise at all. They will also investigate whether
the sounds are generated by the inner ear itself.
==============================
The REALL News -- 1993 Subject and Author Indexes
Subject Index
AARP Bulletin -- "R.C." 4.
Alchemy -- "R.C." 5.
Alien Abductions -- "Pencil-Neck Aliens" 1; "R.C." 4; "R.C."
5; "The Alien 'Booger' Menace" 6; "No-Back Back Page" 6;
"The Omega Projection" 9.
Alternative Medicine -- "R.C." 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11.
Ancient Secrets of the Bible, Part II -- "Logic Abuse and
CBS" 5; "Incredible Mysteries of Sun Pictures" 8.
Astrology -- "R.C." 5.
Ball Lightning -- "R.C." 6.
Balsiger, David -- "Incredible Mysteries of Sun Pictures" 8;
"Farrell Till's Letter to CBS" 8.
Barber, Paul -- "Vampires -- Myth and Reality" 5.
Bernardine, Cardinal Joseph -- "R.C." 11.
Blackmore, Susan -- "Who is Susan Blackmore?" 9.
CBS -- "R.C." 2, 6; "Logic Abuse and CBS" 5; "Incredible
Mysteries of Sun Pictures" 8; "Farrell Till's Letter to
CBS" 8.
Chicago Tribune -- "R.C." 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 11.
Computer bulletin board service (BBS) -- "Electronic
Skepticism" 10.
Conspiracies -- "Saucers for Sale: An Evening with a UFO
Cheerleader" 3.
Creationism (Creation/Evolution) -- "But the Bad News Is..."
1; "The Misconceptions of Evolution" 3; "R.C." 4, 7, 8,
11; "Conversation with a Creationist" 5; "Logic Abuse and
CBS" 5; "Incredible Mysteries of Sun Pictures" 8; "REALL
at the ISTA Convention" 10; "Pseudo-Science Terminology"
11.
Crop circles -- "R.C." 1.
Crosses, bleeding -- "R.C." 4.
Cults -- "R.C." 11.
Dark Suckers -- "The Theory of Dark Suckers" 6.
"Dateline NBC" -- "R.C." 1, 11;
Discover -- "R.C." 6.
End of the world -- "The Omega Projection" 9.
Evolution -- See Creationism (Creation/Evolution)
Exorcism -- "R.C." 11.
Extrasensory Perception (ESP) -- "Myths and Reality: The
Science Gap" 1.
Facilitated communication -- "R.C." 10.
The Faith Healers -- "Book Capsule -- The Faith Healers" 4.
Faith Healing -- "Book Capsule -- The Faith Healers" 4.
False Memory Syndrome (FMS) -- "R.C." 7, 8, 10, 11.
FMS Foundation -- "R.C." 7, 8.
Fire in the Sky -- See Walton, Travis.
Frontline -- "R.C." 7,10.
Ghosts -- "Paranormal Fraud Exposed" 1.
Gypsy Fortune Tellers -- "Lights, Camera, Action -- A Tale
of Two TV Shows" 4; "R.C." 8.
Illinois Science Teachers Association (ISTA) -- "REALL at
the ISTA Convention" 10.
Illinois Times -- "R.C." 11.
Island Skywatch -- See Knell, Bill.
Institute for Creation Research (ICR) -- "But the Bad News
Is..." 1.
Jammal, George -- "R.C." 6; "Incredible Mysteries of Sun
Pictures" 8;
Knell, Bill -- "Saucers for Sale: An Evening with a UFO
Cheerleader" 3.
Landers, Ann -- "R.C." 6.
Larue, Gerald -- "R.C." 6; "Incredible Mysteries of Sun
Pictures" 8;
Mars, "face" on -- "R.C." 10.
Member Survey -- 10.
Newsweek -- "R.C." 6.
Noah's Ark -- "R.C." 2, 6; "Incredible Mysteries of Sun
Pictures" 8; "Farrell Till's Letter to CBS" 8.
Nova -- "R.C." 10.
The Omega Project: Near-Death Experiences, UFO Encounters,
and Mind at Large -- "The Omega Projection" 9.
Out of body experiences -- "Who is Susan Blackmore?" 9.
Parade -- "R.C." 4.
PBS -- "R.C." 10.
Peoria Journal Star -- "R.C." 7.
Presley, Elvis -- "R.C." 7.
Primetime Live -- "R.C." 4.
Psychics -- "R.C." 1, 2; "The Frustrations of Skepticism" 3;
"Lights, Camera, Action -- A Tale of Two TV Shows" 4;
"Predicting the Lottery" 8.
Psychic Detectives -- "R.C." 1; "A Brief Meeting with Jackie
Mari, Psychic" 4; "Psychics and Law Enforcement" 7.
Psychic Hotlines -- "R.C." 4.
Russian Psychics -- "R.C." 10.
Randi, James "The Amazing" -- "Book Capsule -- The Faith
Healers" 4; "R.C." 10.
Ring, Kenneth -- "The Omega Projection" 9.
Rothman, Milton A. -- "Myths and Reality: The Science Gap"
1.
Sagan, Carl -- "R.C." 4.
Science -- "R.C." 10.
The Science Gap: Dispelling the Myths and Understanding the
Reality of Science -- "Myths and Reality: The Science
Gap" 1.
Science News -- "R.C." 10.
Sightings -- "R.C." 5.
Skepticism, general: "Myths and Reality: The Science Gap"
1; "So Now You're a Skeptic" 1; "Proper Criticism" 2;
"The Frustrations of Skepticism" 3; "10 Tips for
Successful Letter Writing" 7; "The Five 'Laws' of Quack
Science" 11; "Pseudo-Science Terminology" 11.
State Journal-Register -- "R.C." 1, 4, 7, 8.
Sun International Pictures, Inc. -- "R.C." 2, 6; "Logic
Abuse and CBS" 5; "Incredible Mysteries of Sun Pictures"
8; "Farrell Till's Letter to CBS" 8.
Till, Farrell -- "Logic Abuse and CBS" 5; "Farrell Till's
Letter to CBS" 8; "Incredible Mysteries of Sun Pictures"
8.
Time Magazine -- "R.C." 6; "Incredible Mysteries of Sun
Pictures" 8.
Traxler, Ranse -- "But the Bad News Is..." 1; "Conversation
with a Creationist" 5; "REALL at the ISTA Convention" 10.
U.S. News & World Report -- "R.C." 4.
UFOs -- "Pencil-Neck Aliens" 1; "Myths and Reality: The
Science Gap" 1; "Saucers for Sale: An Evening with a UFO
Cheerleader" 3; "The Saucer Error" 4; "R.C." 4, 6; "The
Alien 'Booger' Menace" 6; "The Omega Projection" 9.
Vampires -- "Vampires -- Myth and Reality" 5.
Vampires Burial and Death: Folklore and Reality --
"Vampires -- Myth and Reality" 5.
Vista, CA -- "R.C." 8.
Vitamins -- "R.C." 6.
Walstad, Bruce -- "R.C." 2, 8.
Walton, Travis -- "R.C." 4.
Witches -- "R.C." 8.
The X-Files -- "R.C." 8.
Yogi, Maharishi Mahesh -- "R.C." 1.
NOTE: R. C. = REALLity Check
Author Index
Auerbach, Roy -- "The Five 'Laws' of Quack Science" 11.
Bloomberg, David -- "REALLity Check" 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
10, 11; "Myths and Reality: The Science Gap" 1; "Origins
of REALL" 1; "The Frustrations of Skepticism" 3; "Saucers
for Sale: An Evening with a UFO Cheerleader" 3; "Logic
Abuse and CBS" 5; "Incredible Mysteries of Sun Pictures"
8; "Predicting the Lottery" 8; "REALL at the ISTA
Convention" 10; "Electronic Skepticism" 10, "Pseudo-
Science Terminology" 11.
Egger, Professor Steve -- "Psychics and Law Enforcement" 7.
Hartshorn, Wally -- "So Now You're a Skeptic" 1.
Hyman, Professor Ray -- "Proper Criticism" 2.
Kottmeyer, Martin -- "Pencil-Neck Aliens" 1; "The Saucer
Error" 4; "The Alien 'Booger' Menace" 6; "No-Back Back
Page" 6; "The Omega Projection" 9.
Ladendorf, Bob -- "Saucers for Sale: An Evening with a UFO
Cheerleader" 3; "Book Capsule -- The Faith Healers" 4.
McGrath, Robert E. -- "Vampires -- Myth and Reality" 5; "Who
is Susan Blackmore?" 9.
Mendum, Mary Lou -- "10 Tips for Successful Letter Writing" 7.
Scott, Dr. Eugenie -- "But the Bad News Is..." 1.
Till, Farrell -- "Farrell Till's Letter to CBS" 8.
Traxler, Ranse -- "The Misconceptions of Evolution" 3;
"Conversation with a Creationist" 5.
Walstad, Detective Bruce -- "Paranormal Fraud Exposed" 1; "A
Brief Meeting with Jackie Mari, Psychic" 4; "Lights,
Camera, Action -- A Tale of Two TV Shows" 4.
==============================
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Predictions for Future Issues
** SPECIAL 1ST ANNIVERSARY ISSUE!
** Looking into the _Sun_ -- and other tabloids
** Who Is Ray Hyman?
** Alien Suckers
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Skeptics Online
If you have a computer and a modem, you owe it to yourself to
participate in the skeptic message areas on the computer BBS
networks. Here in Springfield, call The Temples of Syrinx at
(217) 787-9101. David Bloomberg operates this BBS, which carries
the FidoNet SKEPTIC, EVOLUTION and UFO conferences, internationally
distributed message areas for discussing topics of interest to
skeptics. He is also carrying ParaNet conferences, all dedicated
to UFO and paranormal topics. You can also find a wide variety of
skeptic text files.
The Temples of Syrinx -- (217) 787-9101
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MEMBERSHIP FORM
Regular membership includes _The REALL News_ and all of the benefits
of membership. A subscription to _The REALL News_, without membership,
is available. Full-time students can join at the discounted rate.
A patron membership includes all of the benefits of a regular membership,
plus a listing in _The REALL News_ and our eternal gratitude (where
"eternal" is defined as "one year").
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Interests: ____________________________________________________
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Bring to a meeting or mail to: REALL,
P.O. Box 20302
Springfield, IL 62708
Last modified . Email comments to whartsho@mail.fgi.net