Posted By Akhenaten on 07 Apr 2010 06:29 AM

I will most certainly attest to this.

One day Jim, the truth will be known about ALL that has transpired, and a huge. collective hanging of heads in shame will occur. 

 

   ///

 

Could we make that day today? Cause I'm really growing tired of pointing out how dangerous Anita is, and I'd  also like to prevent future harm. I honestly thought the non-existence of her special talent was so obvious, Stevie Wonder could see it. Fortunately, Akhenaten straightened me out about that. So I think the day for the big reveal is today.

I joined the JREF in part because I spend a great deal of my life fighting off people like Anita. I suffer from a chronic illness, and much of what's offered, even from credible, mainstream MDs, is completely unproven woo-woo crap nonsense bullshit. EXPENSIVE completely unproven woo-woo crap nonsense bullshit.

I saw the Anita threads on JREF and immediately recognized her for what she is: a scam artist in training who's going to rip off a lot of people someday if someone doesn't stop her. Not to mention all the people she'll injure or even cause to die. I do also think she's insane, but that's not so important. What's relevant to her future victims is her nascent scam artistry, because if she were just insane, she wouldn't necessarily be a problem; most insane people never hurt anyone.

Skeptics have extended more consideration toward her than she deserves, and that's fine, really, because I'd love for someone to actually have the kinds of skills she claims to have. But she's proved she doesn't. It's over, and I would like the madness to end,  especially because recent developments with Jeff Wagg are quite ominous and might mislead people to believe she has something when she has nothing.

I know what it's like to be sick and desperate for a cure. People in my situation are incredibly vulnerable; it's not like being healthy and coolly evaluating your options. You want crazy, weird things to be true, because medical science offers no answers.

I wish more people could see Anita from my perspective, because then they wouldn't view what she's doing as just some esoteric skeptical exercise with no real world ramifications. They also wouldn't cut her so much slack because they like playing internet footsie with her. If only she looked like Sylvia Browne!! If only men knew how often they look like idiots!! Cause she's using you, guys, and it's embarrassing to watch.

Shortly after joining JREF, I realized that if I posted what I really think in the way I really think it, I'd be banned for several lifetimes. So I joined StopVfF, and I think this site does a lot of the job JREF should do. It's not like people here opposed testing her, although everyone seems to have forgotten that now that she's the darling of the skeptics; it's just that we understand the results of the test.

She has been tested. She has failed the test. If anyone can shut down her sad little sideshow and put us all out of our misery, it would be a public service.

 

[script removed]

 

Posted By Christa on 07 Apr 2010 08:09 AM

 

I know what it's like to be sick and desperate for a cure. People in my situation are incredibly vulnerable; it's not like being healthy and coolly evaluating your options. You want crazy, weird things to be true, because medical science offers no answers.

Precisely. And that has always been my concern, as well, with Anita's two "main" claims ('medical perceptions' and 'migraine healing'.)

For whatever reason, Anita believes that if she never sets up shop and charges money for her 'readings', and merely confines her 'ability' to 'friends', 'family', and 'Skeptics', it somehow eliminates the potential for harm. It doesn't. Personally, I don't care if she never charges money for her 'readings' and 'cures'. That's never been the point. Vulnerable people will buy into her crap, regardless of whether they are being charged for it or not. And we all know that Anita's definition of 'friend' is pretty damn loose. She'd instantly slot whoever seemed willing to buy her nonsense into one of the three categories, and then pat herselt on the back for only 'treating' friends, family, and Skeptics.

As well, she openly admitted that she'd love to take her show "on the road", when she first came to the JREF forum. She said it several times. She even asked folks there how to word a "for entertainment purposes only" waiver to  cover her ass. She backed off talking about it fast, when it became apparent that it wasn't such a kosher idea to the folks there, but just means she stopped talking about it. Doesn't mean she still wouldn't do it.

Jeff Wagg and Co. seem more interested in encouraging Anita as a paranormal claimant rather than making any effort to critically exam her claims. Wagg as much as said so. He claims that "exploration" is the heart of skepticism-yet all he has done is encourage Anita to explore, with further testing, an initially dubious claim that has already been falsified. As well, she admitted she guessed. She said it several times on Rational Alchemy. Las time I looked, guessing is not paranormal. Neither is synthesia, her other favorite fall back position. Not even the sooper dooper kind.

Which simply makes for a collective "WTH"? What happened to exploring rational alternatives?

The only reason that Anita came to the JREF forum is the same as the only reason she approached the IIG in the first place - so she could get "Skeptic Approved" stamped on her wooness. Jeff Wagg and Nigel Aves just helped her out.

As long as I'm indulging my suspicious mind, let me just say that Anita is younger and more attractive than most MDC applicants.

The JREF is old and sclerotic. Another reason I rarely post there is that, though I like many posters and some of the threads, it feels like a website for grandparents. And not the cool kind of grandparents who take you places and tell you interesting stories. The kind who chase you off their lawns and don't give out candy on Hallowe'en.

Perhaps they're hoping Anita's test will attract a younger audience, and maybe some administrators think a young MDC audience  will translate into more JREF users and a way forward after the founder's inevitable death. But JREF rules are so stodgy that I can't imagine lively people of any age joining. It's just too dull and old-fashioned, and it's really not that much fun. Which is weird, because Randi seems like a fun guy who doesn't fetishize rules.

People of any age with half a brain know Anita's a scammer and a nut. And one thing about the web that most marketers haven't figured out yet is that people of all ages actually like being on the same forum. It's not the chronological age; it's the spirit of the people.  So they won't get more people in her age range, they'll just maybe get a few people who are looking for an online  geriatric hall monitors' after-school skeptical club.

Besides, Anita is a young person with an old lady vibe. Remember that awful IIG dress nobody's cool grandma would consent to be buried in? So, JREF, if this is why you're encouraging this dangerous fraudster, you're wasting your time.

Wow. The narcissism just overflowed.

Mark Edward recently published a blog about  "Sex In The Seance Room". Interesting blog, btw. Anita immediately assumed that Mark Edward must have been speaking specifically about her-because, after all, in VisionFromFantasyLand, everything relates to Anita. And she responded with her usual self centered ranting.

Girlie has gone off the rails. Naturally, Mark Edward has publicly expressed zero interest in Anita's personal life (although, true to narcissistic form, she says that Mark Edward has tried to get into her pants-which is probably as true as UY committing "adultery" with her). Although no one really needs more evidence that Anita is a narcissist...have a read:

http://skepticblog.org/2010/04/03/s...#more-7463

(Anita copied/pasted her reply to UY's blog here about being suspended from the JREF. What any of it has to do with UY's suspension is beyond me...but we know Anita is a one topic gal. "I, I, I, I, I, I...and I".)

Posted By Christa on 07 Apr 2010 02:31 PM

 Which is weird, because Randi seems like a fun guy who doesn't fetishize rules. 

Ah, but the JREF is not the JREF forum. I doubt Randi even reads the forum much, and I don't think he'd mourn if the forum shut down. I don't think we can attribute much, if any, of what happens on the JREF Forum to James Randi. .

Posted By desertgal on 07 Apr 2010 03:05 PM

Wow. The narcissism just overflowed.

Mark Edward recently published a blog about  "Sex In The Seance Room".
...
http://skepticblog.org/2010/04/03/s...#more-7463

(...but we know Anita is a one topic gal. "I, I, I, I, I, I...and I".)

She even starts her reply with: "Since we are talking about me, dear Mark Edward,"
 

Me me me me me....etc

Posted By Daylightstar on 07 Apr 2010 03:48 PM
...
The whole VfF saga ....

As far as that pertains to VfF, ofcourse.
 

Posted By UncaYimmy on 07 Apr 2010 05:40 PM
I think we're in agreement. Wow. Apparently I *can* disagree with someone amicably and reach a mutual understanding. Go figure!

Did you know that 70% of the traffic to Randi.org goes to the forums? Judging by the comments on the SWIFT blog, many of the readers are also members of the forum, where they are much more active. I would argue that the forums are the JREF brand, which is sad because the forums are like a red-headed stepchild.

Did you also notice that the commenting system doesn't have any of the rules that the forums do? There's no moderation to speak of. Randi apparently reads those comments, but he ignores the forums. Banned forum members can post there as well. This is further evidence that the JREF simply views the forums as an annoyance at best.

They are fools for ignoring 3,000 active members and 100,000+ unique visitors per month to the forums.

UY, I'm going to say this because I think you've taken some unfair criticism from Bookitty and others on the JREF forum the last few weeks. You and I haven't always agreed, but I've always found, in almost two years now, that as long as I am willing to give your opinions fair consideration, you've been willing to do the same with mine. I think much of the dissent of the last few weeks could have been avoided if others had just taken the time to understand that you may be strong minded, but you do play fair.

I don't know why Randi treats the forums like a red headed stepchild. Given that he does, I don't know why he started them in the first place. But, then, I also think that he is likely an elderly man with health issues who is spread too thin as it is. I'm not excusing him-I just believe that has a lot to do with his behavior towards the forums. I think he avoids the forums because, if he were to pay attention to the forums, it would require more energy  than he is willing to expend.