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To those few persons who I've had to disappoint in the last week or so, including the fine folks at SkeptiCal this last weekend — where I was to do a session via Skype and where JREF President D.J. Grothe spoke about the future of skepticism, and Tyler Measom and Justin Weinstein presented on the new movie about me, An Honest Liar — I send my profound apologies and regrets...

I was recently rushed off to the hospital when a serious circulation problem presented itself, a product of my simply getting older, though at 84-going-on-100 I'm actually doing rather well! After several well-informed medical foreheads were thoroughly scratched and my aching frame was mercilessly poked, probed and scanned, a regimen was arrived at, and though we had to cancel a couple of recent talks and meetings that I'd very much wanted to attend, I'm now concentrating on moves that will assure my participation at TAM 2013, July 11th to 14th -- and a day or two on either side, if you'd prefer. That appears to be still "in the bag," and I'm assured that our intentions and hopes will be met...

Go to AmazingMeeting.com to have the latest details, please. I will be doing something very special for this event.

The JREF is fortunate to have a staff — D.J., Brian and the rest of the team — who are prepared to adjust to these sorts of sudden changes and emergencies, and I'm eagerly looking forward to greeting another giddy crowd of TAMmers in Las Vegas this year. Yes, I may be moving a tad slower, and though my naked-dance-on-fire-with-tambourines may have to be postponed this year, I'll still be telling bad jokes and showing you corny card tricks when begged. And doing a very special presentation Saturday, too. I just know that will impress you...

So, business as usual in Las Vegas, good people, onwards and upwards...!

Very sincerely, James Randi.

James Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation.

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Here is a rundown of the week in weird news, and WHOA, boy, it certainly WAS a weird one, courtesy of Doubtful News. 

It was a busy week for Bigfoot issues - not really good ones. A big deal blimp project is raising funds to get off the ground and scout for the critter.  

A major indicator of real Bigfoot prints, has sustained a major blow. 

The second most famous crypto-creature was disputed this week as well, as business people bullied each other over marketing their cash cow - the Loch Ness monster.

Our big story of the week was solving the case of the strange fence-walking critter in New Jersey. Spoiler: It was not the Jersey devil Heck, it wasn't even Jersey! 

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Here is a recap of the stories that appeared last week at Science-Based Medicine, a multi-author skeptical blog that separates the science from the woo-woo in medicine.

BBC Panorama investigates Stanislaw Burzynski (David Gorski)  http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/bbc-panorama-investigates-stanislaw-burzynski/ The BBC has finally aired a long-awaited investigation of the Burzynski Clinic entitled “Cancer: Hope for Sale?” The documentary does a decent job of taking on Burzynski, but it could have been much better. They could have challenged him more aggressively in the interview and could have included other important information about his misdeeds. A link to the documentary is provided so you can view it and judge for yourselves.

Knee Osteoarthritis: Thumbs Down for Acupuncture and Glucosamine (Harriet Hall)  http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/knee-osteoarthritis-thumbs-down-for-acupuncture-and-glucosamine/ The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has issued a 200 page report reviewing all the evidence for treating osteoarthritis of the knee with various medications, procedures, and modalities. They concluded that there is strong evidence against any efficacy for acupuncture and glucosamine. Also against arthroscopic lavage/debridement and hyaluronic acid injections. On the other hand, there is strong evidence that exercise is effective.

 

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In 1997 the FDA, responding to concerns about the safety of an over-the-counter (OTC) stimulant, proposed a ban on products containing a high dose of the stimulant drug and warning labels on low doses, informing consumers of a risk of heart attack, stroke, and even death with overuse or in susceptible people. The industry responded by opposing these measures. They formed an "Education Counsel" as a PR group and consulted a private firm to conduct their own research into its safety. Unsurprisingly, they found that the stimulant was safe.

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Here is a rundown of the week in creationist news, strange goings on and oddball ideas from the past week courtesy of Doubtful News. 

Let's begin with a spate of stories from those who take the Bible selectively literally. 

A credulous media story in Iowa promotes the mythical flood. Was it a slow news day? It wasn't even false balance.    

This view is dying out as evidenced by the lack of funding for an Ark park. 

But there are some still actively promoting the old time religion view with new sexy marketing.   

  1. Last Week In Science-Based Medicine
  2. Six Reasons Not to Miss TAM 2013
  3. Re-Weaving the Rainbow: Creationism Takes All the Beauty Out of Science
  4. This Week In Doubtful News