Seasonal stuff, beware the deadly red light, get a pair of socks, so much
for the Zodiac, and bye-bye Millennium!
My good friend Jim McGaha in Tucson, Arizona, is an amateur deep-space
astronomer/photographer whose 1997 Xmas card I've altered to produce this
greeting to you all. Note the message!
The month of December is when the Winter Solstice (this year on Thursday,
December 21) takes place — in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the day when the Sun reaches its lowest
point in its apparent daily journeys across the sky, as seen from the
Northern Hemisphere. Every day after that, for months, the Sun's daily
path is slightly higher in our sky, and Winter retreats. Religious
observations such as Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza and Ramadan, are held at
this obviously important point in the year. Celebration of the Winter and
the Summer Solstices predates all organized religions, all of which got in
on a good idea and tried to make it their own.
A Solstice is a convenient time which some of us choose to acknowledge the
beauty, importance, and periodicity of the natural world and celebrate the
fact that we're part of all that. That's why I take this opportunity to
wish all of you the best of the Winter Solstice and of the New Year 2001
C.E., and I remind you that January 1, 2001 C.E., will really be the first
day of a brand-new Millennium! Let's determine to do better this thousand
years, than we did the last. Okay?
...........................................................................
A correspondent sent in this interesting exchange between a "teacher" on
www1.askme.com (in the Alternative Health Forum) and himself. The
forum had stated that "red light" is responsible for creating disease. The
response, which richly demonstrates how little these folks understand the
real world and how it works, is shown as posted, spelling and punctuation
errors retained. I provide this here so that you may see the magnitude of
the battle we are waging against ignorance and scientific illiteracy. This
is quite typical of the flummery they offer as science.
Our correspondent asked four questions, which are shown here immediately
before the responses:
Question: Since red colors cause so much disease, why hasn't the Center
for Disease Control researched it and recommended avoiding red objects?
Answer: I dont [sic] know why the Center for Disease Control has not
reasearched [sic] colors and their bearing on deseases [sic]. I only know
that all research starts with one person's theory first and then is studied
to extract proof. I have a copywrite [sic]on my proof. The reason no one
or the media in power will print my work and recommend avoiding red objects
is because all the government papers, stamps, flags, royalty, schools,
childrens toys, clothes, electrical wires, Xmas, Valentine, make up,
medicines, road curbs, stop signs, back lights of all the vehicles etc. to
name a few, around the world, all use red colors in abundance. And all the
religions have been and are using the colors of red blood to promote their
religions. As the error in using red blood instead of blue blood is too
shocking to realise [sic], different societies and companies are quietly
changing their colors of their own accord as they learn of the color
mistake, so that they will be protected from harm when the mistake is known
by the majority. If you notice, many films and magazines have started to
use blue on their covers now and the President and Officials all wear blue
colored shirts, ties and background. Many blue colored lights are starting
to appear here and there where they were not seen before.
Question: If a person is blind, does red still affect them?
Answer: Yes, Yes, Yes, a blind person can now tell you EXACTLY what color
they touch or have on them without ever being told. Every color shows a
position on the hands. Especially red which makes the person's hand
resemble a chicken claw. I have a drawing of the positions of the hands as
they touch each color and the meaning in nature that each color dictates to
nature. It is in a manuscript that I have posted at rosedog.com click on
'check out writers showcase here' and type my name Margaret Rynn and click
on the Title. The first page shows the positions of the hands that every
person on earth makes all the time no matter where they are or what they
do, and how they wave them around during speech, the hands use these signs
depending on which color is prompting the brain what to say and how to act.
Question: What about the magnetic therapy shoe inserts sold by "Dr.
Scholl" at stores and Florsheim shoes with magnets? Are they effective in
restoring the magnetic balance?
Answer: Magnetic therapy is just coming into its own. It will play an
important part in the future once it is fully understood. Understand that
the most northernly [sic]position on your body is above your head and the
most southernly position on your body is below your feet. All batteries
need the balance of negative and positive interacting to complete the
cycle. On the body you have a left side that carries negative magnetic
energy and on the right side you carry positive magnetic energy (the
righteousness on the bible — when you are righteous — positive energy) The
right brain controls the left side and the left brain controls the right
side so that the magnets interact again and again and allow us to move and
'shine'. The red colors contain negative energy and blue colors contain
positive energy. Inside the body is red flesh and blue blood. Outside of
the body you get the heat from the sun and the blue sky. When you get out
of the blue sky into a dwelling, and the surroundings are red colored, the
magnets inside the body turn around into producing negative magnetic cells
inside you. Positive cells grow and maintain themselves, negative cells
deteriate [sic] and die, that is why people get wrinkles and grey hairs
when in front of red colors all day long. When cells die, they float
around the air and are breathed into the body again. The result of cells
dying and not reproducing themselves, is a harvest for germs and disease.
Shoes with magnets in them help in a very little way to pull the negative
magnets under your feet into balance again.
Question: Should people sleep with their heads to the north?
Answer: Many people in trance state have advised people to sleep with
their head to the north so there must be a very good reason for that
because information from spiritual contact should never be taken lightly.
People use magnetic therapy for arthritis and have been helped through the
use of them. All the magnets in the world put on all the parts of the body
will help but will not heal the problem if the red colors persist to be on
the body and in front of the body all the time. If you can see the red
color, the aura of the red color is bearing down on you. Every headache in
the world is a direct result of red colors that are in the presence of the
person. Strokes and heart attacks are from too much red overdose. All
this information only touches on the surface of what colors do to the human
body. My manuscript is also only a very short writing from my more
informative larger book. I put it there for people to read so that they
can learn the secrets that our ancient people knew and find out how to live
a healthier happier and longer life.
Comments my Correspondent, "These answers have not been been rated." In a
follow-up question on 12/5/2000, he asked this:
Question: If you know some blind people who can tell color by feel, why
not have them demonstrate it for money? See http://www.randi.org for James
Randi website that offers $1 million for proof of psychic or paranormal
power. Since they are blind, then blindfolds won't matter for testing
their ability to distinguish colors by "aura or feel."
mentor612 gave this response on 12/6/2000:
Answer: ALL hands in the world (blind people included) make the exact same
signs all the time, and the signs are designated to the color that is
influencing the person at that particular time. If you dont [sic] want to
take my advice, that is your wish and choice. You asked for an alternative
medicine and I gave you knowledge on how to do that.
Please note how the JREF challenge is totally ignored. Surely, this
"teacher" has one blind person who can and will collect the million-dollar
prize?
An American astrologer named Parmer said, on December 12th, the day before
Al Gore conceded, that he would be the new US President. Her press release
read:
You heard it here first. Forget what the Supreme Court is doing — in
either Washington or Tallahassee. Go with the stars instead. Zodiac
power! Astrologer Letitia Parmer, who has been practicing her art for 30
years, insists Vice President Al Gore will be our next president. No chads
or recounts here. It's all planets and alignments. "Mercury is going into
Sagittarius," she explains. "This is a move that puts the emphasis on
truth, and things being out in the open. My assumption from this is that
the recount will be allowed to continue. It would be the way to find out
the truth and not having anything hidden." Don't be so skeptical! Parmer
has a track
record: She accurately foretold the 1992 presidential election and
Britain's 1990 contest for prime minister when John Major unexpectedly beat
Margaret Thatcher. She even predicted that the marriage of Charles and
Diana would end unhappily. So WHEN will we know who the next president
will be? Parmer says the number 5 keeps coming to her. "I had thought it
would all be resolved on the 5th, but now I believe we will have a
confirmation on Friday the 15th."
Or Friday — the fifth day of the week — perhaps? Or the 25th....? Or at 5
o'clock? There must be some way to make this work, even though it was dead
wrong.... Perhaps "no chads or recounts" here, but I suspect lots of
back-peddling and rationalizing. What other major predictions has Letitia
made by means of "planets and alignments"? We only read of three above,
and don't have the wording, either. Surely Ms. Parmer has made lots of
other stunning prophecies — correct prophecies! — by "zodiac power"? But
hey, we know, don't we, that out-and-out failures like this won't faze
Parmer's clients at all. Nothing will.
Thomas Afilani, who brought us the "DKL Locater" whose promoters still
won't answer our offers of a million bucks for a demonstration, is pretty
cagey on making conclusive statements about any of his "inventions." His
"Electroscope" dowsing toy, a total fake which comes in "covert black" to
add mystery to it, and which he sells for $2,495, is advertised with
colorful phrases and semi-claims, but not until I sent away for the
literature did I actually find a statement that says that it works. Lots
of phrases like, "Simply the finest long-range locator in the world,"
"Worth it's [sic] weight in gold!" and "Covers more area in less time"
aren't actionable claims. But this is, quoted directly from Afilani's
brochure:
"The Gravitator Recovery System can accurately guide you to buried
treasures of gold, silver, coins, jewelry, and many other valuable
artifacts."
This is a statement contained in an advertisement sent through the US
Postal Service to interested persons. Get your own material by sending a
request to:
Electroscopes
P.O. Box 5058
S. Williamsport, PA 17701
or call toll-free: 1-800-245-9276 to request information.
Any of you out there who believe a legal case could be made to require
Afilani to prove his claim, please get in touch.
...........................................................................
Lots of reaction to last week's "Which One Is Geller?" inquiry. No one
failed to solve it, I'm happy to report. And, I've learned, a reason that
Uri Geller got so excited about that Pokémon character might be that the
characters name in Japanese is "Un Gerrer," which is a kind of "Japanglish"
for "Young Geller." Try pronouncing it to yourself in a thick Japanese
accent. So the Alakazam character may really be based on Geller! I'm told
that other famous people have also been honored with a Pokémon character.
For example, there are a pair of kung-fu fighting figures named "Hitmon
Lee" and "Hitmon Chan," named for Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, respectively.
I can't imagine Jackie Chan — who obviously has a sense of humor — threatening to sue Nintendo.... As readers have commented to me, Uri
Geller should be pleased to be in that company.
I think they need a "Jamusurandi" character with a white beard who can
defeat those who have psychic powers, don't you?
...........................................................................
Dr. David P. Anderson, Project Director of the SETI@home project, urges you
to go to setiathome.berkeley.edu to see, download and install the
latest available — free! — software for this exciting activity. The
project, he tells us, has now processed over 7000 hours of
digitally-recorded signals from the Arecibo radio telescope, using the
power of millions of Internet-connected computers. You can get in on this
via your home computer, as we advised you some months ago. As this
processing continues, SETI@home's own computers are doing the next phase,
in which man-made radio signals are separated from those originating
outside our solar system. The goal is to detect signals from other
civilizations. Because of the strong continued interest in SETI@home, the
project will continue for at least a year beyond its original ending time.
Plans are not finalized, but they hope to expand their search to the
southern-hemisphere sky, and to search new frequency bands.
...........................................................................
The first correct response to the marbles-in-the-boxes puzzle of last week
was from Rob Beeston, of the Central Iowa Skeptics. The most succinct -
and the second-received response — was from John S. Burns, Sr., whose
description I will use to give you the solution. He wrote:
One try. Box BW must have marbles of the same color. Pull one out see
what it is. Then the box labeled with that double color must have the
opposite in it. The last box has BW.
However, a somewhat different — but equally correct — approach was taken by
Rick Johnson, who wrote:
There are only two ways the marbles could be arranged such that all lids
are wrong in the given diagram.
WW BW BB
BW BB WW
The key is the third box. It must be both black or both white. So you
only need look at one marble in that third box to decide between these two.
Okay, here's this week's problem: You have to go into a dark room where
there's a drawer containing five single black socks, five single white
socks, and one red sock. What's the minimum number of socks you have to
remove from the drawer to have a 75% or better chance of having at least
one pair? The red sock, for those of you who have already come upon this
problem elsewhere, is a new element. Am I a fiend, or what? Brian K.
Rafferty suggested this variation, so blame him.....!
...........................................................................
You'll have to wait until next week for the "Compass Needle Trick"
description. We ran a bit long this time....
View the Commentary archive.
