Here is a rundown of the weird and maddening claims made this past week that you may have missed in the news, but shouldn't. People really believe this stuff. 

For a start this week, a couple of bad guys got their comeuppance in court. Kevin Trudeau, serial informercialist, is ordered by the court to reveal the money "they" don't know about.

Gary Bolton, a former associate of Jim McCormick, suffers a similar outcome - found guilty of selling fake bomb detectors.

A psychic scam in Florida is busted after taking a victim for $800,000. Pass the word around that these people and these activities are scammers. 

 

An AIDS denialists does something that really stirs some anger up - he attempts to intimidate a blogger to keep quiet. Engage organized legal assistance.   

Does this strike anyone else as unethical? Go get a degree in science then renounce all you learned to promote a baseless, unsupported, unscientific idea while still touting your scientific credentials. The creation science research organization wants you.

The big movie success this week was The Conjuring, a supposedly "based on a true story" tale about the Warrens, demonologists and paranormal investigators. The press is missing the dubious half of the story - that not everyone heaped praise on Ed and Lorraine.

Not everyone is pleased about the success of the movie - the notoriety is a plague for the current owners of the house.

Two governments were pressured to accept and endorse homeopathy this week - India and England. Don't cave!

Strange things were happening around some towns this week. An alleged mermaid caused a commotion in a village in Nigeria.    

Spooky goings-on were recorded at a nutrition shop in Whitstable (with video of floating tea box). 

A woman in France was attacked by a gang of cats. Cats typically do not behave cooperatively. Cat owners know this. That's why it's weird. 

One small study got widespread distribution this week possibly not because it said anything conclusively or critical but because it fulfilled many people's assumptions about the full moon. Remain skeptical!    

Interested in the inside scoop about the basis for claims of the Yeti, Bigfoot and Loch Ness monster? You can't miss this stunning new release about cryptozoology from a scholarly, and skeptical, viewpoint.    

Finally, more obvious evidence that the field of cryptozoology is off on the wrong track - a three-toed trackway looks more like moose than monster 

Come visit Doubtfulnews.com for stories like this every day. Check out our twitter feed @doubtfulnews  and our Facebook page. We need your input to get to the real story! Come on over and help us dig into the news.

 

Sharon Hill runs Doubtful News, a unique feed of news stories about the paranormal, pseudoscience, the weird and the unexplained with questioning commentary.