Purveyors of piffle, pseudoscience, woo woo and the SN

ctr · Post by **ctr** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 4:28 pm

Tom Higgins is CEO of Irish Psychics Live which is part of the Realm Communications Group of Companies. Realm is a very well known and rapidly expanding telephone entertainments company in Ireland. Tom is also a well known plonker.

bipedalhumanoid · Post by **bipedalhumanoid** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 5:14 pm

ctr wrote:Tom Higgins is CEO of Irish Psychics Live which is part of the Realm Communications Group of Companies. Realm is a very well known and rapidly expanding telephone entertainments company in Ireland. Tom is also a well known plonker.

Oh yes. The man who predicted he will be the first Irishman in space. The problem with this prediction is that it implies he is not already a space cadet!

A well suited nominee for this prestigious award.

FXR · Post by **FXR** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 9:24 pm

bipedalhumanoid wrote:
ctr wrote:Tom Higgins is CEO of Irish Psychics Live which is part of the Realm Communications Group of Companies. Realm is a very well known and rapidly expanding telephone entertainments company in Ireland. Tom is also a well known plonker.

Oh yes. The man who predicted he will be the first Irishman in space. The problem with this prediction is that it implies he is not already a space cadet!

A well suited nominee for this prestigious award.

And if my memory serves me right the wankers who run this country appointed this fellow wanker and snake oil salesman to THE CONSUMER PROTECTION BOARD OF IRELAND. Of course Berties ex shag also got to sit on the board. If the principle of employing a frauds to catch a fruad works then the consumers of Ireland are in safe hands.

ctr · Post by **ctr** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 11:31 pm

I found hat so unbelievable I had to check it out.

If you mean the National Consumer Agency then his name is not listed on the board.

I am so relieved.

(who put Celia on it..... (no need to answer I can guess

) )

bipedalhumanoid · Post by **bipedalhumanoid** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:54 am

ctr wrote:I found hat so unbelievable I had to check it out.

If you mean the National Consumer Agency then his name is not listed on the board.

I am so relieved.

(who put Celia on it..... (no need to answer I can guess ) )

-Faith in humanity restored (again)

Every friday on Brenda Power's radio show she interviews a representative from the consumer agency. The gentleman she interviews has on a number of occasions stated that he believes in psychic phenomena and the fact that people take money for what they claim are 'psychic services' is not a consumer rights issue.

micfur · Post by **micfur** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:00 am

This is a really great idea bipedal. Its the sort of stuff we could get into a newspaper if we put a humorous twist on it. If we were to do a top 10 list, write up a press release and send it out. Anyone who knows journos or emails them on a regular basis can make use of those contacts. Are there any good writers amongst us who could draft a top top list into a press release?

My personal nomination would be Prof William Reville. I like the irony of him being on the list while simultaneously an officer with the Public Awareness of Science at UCC.

EDIT: Can also be used as a means to get www.atheist.ie mentioned in a newspaper thus driving more membership

bipedalhumanoid · Post by **bipedalhumanoid** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 12:21 pm

micfur wrote:This is a really great idea bipedal.

This might be a good time for me to state unequivocally that I completely ripped this idea off the Australian Skeptics Association who have what they call a 'bent spoon award' where they take nominations all year around and present the award each november. Only difference is that the public only gets to nominate for that particular award as opposed to being able to vote on it.

Another difference is that Aussie Skeptics, like Irish Skeptics, are too spineless to include belief in supernatural deities in the piffle category (although they do include some specific religious claims such as faith healing, eficacy of prayer, miracles and creationism).

micfur wrote: Its the sort of stuff we could get into a newspaper if we put a humorous twist on it. If we were to do a top 10 list, write up a press release and send it out. Anyone who knows journos or emails them on a regular basis can make use of those contacts. Are there any good writers amongst us who could draft a top top list into a press release?

I agree wholeheartedly. We could go as far as to have a presentation night and a trophey to engrave the name of the winner each year.

micfur wrote:
My personal nomination would be Prof William Reville. I like the irony of him being on the list while simultaneously an officer with the Public Awareness of Science at UCC.

As a purveyor of piffle and religious special pleading one could hardly look past professor Reville. Good nomination.

micfur · Post by **micfur** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 12:52 pm

bipedalhumanoid wrote:
Another difference is that Aussie Skeptics, like Irish Skeptics, are too spineless to include belief in supernatural deities in the piffle category (although they do include some specific religious claims such as faith healing, efficacy of prayer, miracles and creationism).

I can perhaps see some logic in the Aussie skeptics approach. Keeping it specific adds more interest and allows the list change each year. Otherwise it would just be populated with the world religions each time or a general category 'religion'. Focusing on people like Eddie Stone or Brenda Power is a good strategy. It is more fun to watch people have the mickey taken out of them than huge institutions. And it still gets the point across. Not having it all about religion is good too, thus the inclusion of Tom Higgins and Sean McCarthy is very important in my opinion.

bipedalhumanoid wrote:
micfur wrote: Its the sort of stuff we could get into a newspaper if we put a humorous twist on it. If we were to do a top 10 list, write up a press release and send it out. Anyone who knows journos or emails them on a regular basis can make use of those contacts. Are there any good writers amongst us who could draft a top top list into a press release?
I agree wholeheartedly. We could go as far as to have a presentation night and a trophy to engrave the name of the winner each year.

Down the line definitely. If we could get it into the newspaper this year that would be a great achievement. Ian 'O'Doherty might help us there.

ctr · Post by **ctr** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 2:35 pm

If we hurry you might get it into the [s]Christ[/s] Xmas supplements.

(how come the strike-through BBCode isn't working? You get my drift hopefully)

lostexpectation · Post by **lostexpectation** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:45 pm

its bit obvious really, same ol people

i dunno I don't know if dislike tom higgins more then archbishop brady not him telling not to believe in extra-normal events at knock, what phrase did he use again?

archbishop brady

can we have woo woo challenger award for balance and I can nominate keelin shanely(sp?) for calling the archbishop on it in that interview...

Purveyors of piffle, pseudoscience, woo woo and the SN

Who is the biggest purveyor of woo woo for 2007?