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AndrusSpiralDue to the diligent efforts of Steve Bauer and his devotion to the memory of our late dear friend Jerry Andrus, the quite unique Andrus home in Eugene, Oregon, has been accepted to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places!  This will mean that it's to be proudly preserved and offered to the public so that they can enjoy the wonders that this very special man created to show the world that they have yet more to learn about how our senses can -- and do -- deceive us...

Jerry is of course revered by the magic community around the world, and now the state of Oregon has one more attraction to offer visitors, something that should excite their interest and set them thinking about how they perceive their surroundings.  Those of us who knew Jerry well and basked in his presence, have special memories of his generous and noble philosophy, a man could not -- I emphasize, could not -- tell a lie, to the extent that even when his beautiful hands caressed a deck of cards, he was not able to state that the spectator had chosen "any card" if and when Jerry had actually "forced" the chosen card on that individual, rather than really allowing him/her to freely choose one...  Jerry would say, "You now have a card in your hand," rather than, "You've chosen any random card."  Now, folks, that's what I call  "honest"...!

Damn, but it's good to know that our friend has been honored in this way!  Steve, you've done us and the State of Oregon a huge favor, though you know, as I do, that Jerry Andrus himself would be astonished that anyone made such a fuss about him...

James Randi.

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This week: Debunking ghost hunting in the Wall Street Journal; Psychic Sally backs down from challenge; SGU talks with Banachek about the JREF's Primetime Nightline challenge.
  • Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2011
    Want to Bust Some Ghosts? There's an App for That
    D.J. Grothe, president of the James Randi Educational Foundation in Los Angeles, which promotes critical thinking, likens ghostly apps to tea leaves. "Just five years ago, ghost hunters were the silly goofballs trying to spook themselves with a night camera," Mr. Grothe says. "Now they're the old fuddy-duddies who are trying to keep the status quo."
  • The Drum | ABC News 24 Australia, November 3, 2011
    Paranormal success is a psychic's only power
    Hundreds have applied, but so far no applicant has won the prize. This, says Randi, is because these healers, psychics and astrologers are either deluded or deceptive. The "cruel farce" of paranormal business, he argues, relies on tricks, suspension of disbelief, ignorance and desperation: grieving or unhappy customers, paying good money for consolation or hope.
  • USA Today, October 28, 2011
    Magicians say their craft makes them see faith as just hocus-pocus
    "It isn't automatic that if you learn magic you'll become a skeptic of the supernatural," said D.J. Grothe, president of the Virginia-based James Randi Educational Foundation, which debunks supernatural claims and was founded by Randi. "But knowing magic does give you a leg up on how the mind works and how easy it is to be deceived. And from there, skepticism can be a fortunate result."

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Right now, at least 1,000 women alleged to be witches and 700 children are living in several "witch" camps in northern Ghana. These women came to live in the camps after fleeing their homes to escape lynch mobs. The plight of these women accused of witchcraft was the focus of a September edition of Newsweek and a documentary, The Witches of Gambaga.

According to this report from Digital Journal, authorities in Ghana are planning to send the exiled "witches" back to resettle in their own communities. Hajia Hawawu Boya Gariba, deputy minister for women's and children's affairs in Ghana, says the existence of the camps has become a source of embarrassment to Ghana's government. She says, "This practice has become an indictment on the conscience of our society...The labeling of some of our kinsmen and women as witches and wizards and banishing them into camps where they live in inhuman and deplorable conditions is a violation of their fundamental human rights.

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It is easier to pan than to praise. When I write about how skeptics’ behavior reflects upon skepticism, I am more apt to resort to negative examples, where I can say, “let’s not do that,” than to positive ones, where I can say, “Folks, that is how it should be done.”

Not this time. Today I am here to showcase a positive example.

  1. You Too Can Learn All About Paranormal Investigation By Watching TV
  2. The JREF is proud to announce the winner of our Flim-Flam! iPad contest.
  3. Web of Trust is a Tool for Skeptic Outreach
  4. I Really Have To Wonder...