From: LARRY KLAES (ljk4@msn.com)
Date: Thu Mar 28 2002 - 14:56:47 PST
----- Original Message -----
From: Barry Karr
Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2002 4:46 PM
To: CSICOP-ANNOUNCE@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: Articles of Note
Check out the CSICOP Los Angeles Conference Program at:
http://www.csicop.org/events/conference-2002/
Thanks to Joe Littrell & Greg Martinez
Warning of confusion over Creationism
BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/education/newsid_1896000/1896164.stm
"Scientists say schoolchildren are being confused by conflicting teaching
about the creation of the world."
Natural health stands trial as Colleen Harvey case begins Monday
By Susan Hoffmann
Mitchell Daily Republic
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=3640922&BRD=2166&PAG=461&dept_id=406442&rfi=6
"The court trial of Colleen Harvey, a Mitchell woman charged with
practicing medicine without a license, begins Monday at the Davison County
Courthouse."
Dania law augurs ill for psychic business
By Georgia East
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-sdania27mar27.story
"For months, the fate of a family's proposed psychic service has been
unpredictable."
Some Herbs Boost Breast Cancer Risk
By Liza Jane Maltin
WebMD
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1825.50367?z=1728_00000_1000_ln_06
"Alternative remedies are more popular than ever, and women are now seeking
"natural" solutions for the unpleasant symptoms of menopause. But natural
doesn't always mean safe. In fact, researchers have found that certain
herbs may increase a woman's risk of breast cancer."
Kava warnings cripple state's industry
By Dan Nakaso
Honolulu Advertiser
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Mar/26/ln/ln23a.html
"Hawai'i's fledgling kava industry took another hit yesterday when the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration issued an official warning to consumers that
the popular herbal supplement may be linked to serious liver injury."
Animals, some in chains, found inside shop
By Joe Hughes
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20020326-9999_1m26goats.html
"A passer-by who heard what he thought was a woman moaning in pain led
police to almost 50 animals that authorities said were being kept in
unsanitary conditions at a City Heights shop in preparation for religious
sacrifices."
FDA: Herb Kava May Hurt Liver
By Lauran Neergaard
Associated Press
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17753-2002Mar26.html
"People who have liver problems or take drugs that can harm the liver
should ask a doctor before taking the popular herbal supplement kava, the
government warns."
Google replaces Scientology page
Reuters
http://www.msnbc.com/news/728041.asp?cp1=1
"Google Inc. restored a Web site critical of the Church of Scientology on
its Internet search engine Thursday while free speech advocates slammed the
the company for removing the site in the first place."
Japanese cult leader sentenced in children's deaths
Associated Press
http://www.nandotimes.com/healthscience/story/325357p-2750598c.html
"A cult leader who claimed he could cure sick children through prayer was
sentenced Tuesday to seven years in prison for causing the deaths of a
premature baby and a 6-year-old boy by depriving them of medical care."
Among Believers
By Joe Schoenmann
Las Vegas Weekly
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/2002/03_21/news_coverstory_index.html
""Welcome to Earth!""
Anti-Aging Products: A Health Hazard?
by Richard A. Sherer
Geriatric Times
http://www.medinfosource.com/gt/g020403.html
"Univera Pharmaceuticals' Anabolic/Catabolic Index Test can detect anabolic
metabolites in a urine sample and determine the current level of a
subject's metabolic efficiency. It costs a pittance: $124. The test is used
in conjunction with Longevity Signal Formula, a supplement that can enhance
energy, strength and stamina; support hormonal balance; bolster immune
defenses; and support the subject's mental and physical performance. It can
also slow signs of aging. A 30-day supply of the formula is available for
only $79."
Creative creationism: The dishonesty of 'intelligent design' theory
Daytona Beach News-Journal
http://www.news-journalonline.com/2002/Mar/25/OPN1.htm
"Creationists have had a terrible time making their case since winning
their fatal victory in the Scopes trial in 1925. Evolution is understood to
be scientifically defensible, if not yet beyond doubt. Creationists can't
keep it from being taught in schools. But they can make an argument for
keeping evolution from being the only theory being taught. Doesn't the
scientific method require that all evidence be considered, especially
contrary evidence? Isn't it the mark of an open mind to hear other views?"
Miss Cleo scandal points to a larger problem
By Edward L. Hudgins
Tallahassee Democrat
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/democrat/news/opinion/2908861.htm
"Miss Cleo is in big trouble. In her TV commercials, in her Caribbean
accent, she offers to tell her callers' fortunes, to divine their problems,
and advise them on solutions through free tarot card readings. Florida's
attorney general and the Federal Trade Commission both have charged her and
her Psychic Readers Network with fraud."
Skepticism and common sense can protect you from scams
By Betty DeRamus
Detroit News
http://www.detnews.com/2002/metro/0203/24/d01-447278.htm
"America's scoreboard of scandals is so crammed with players that I can
barely tell the innocent from the guilty."
White Buffalo a `Miracle' for owners, sacred for Native American visitors
BY WILLIAM HAGEMAN
Chicago Tribune
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/nation/2913590.htm
"She looks like any other buffalo, big and brown and shaggy, slogging
through her muddy pasture at David and Valerie Heider's farm."
Homeopathists Advise Cubans About How to Make Remedies
by Kate Evans
Morgan Messenger
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=3595514&BRD=2095&PAG=461&dept_id=358515&rfi=6
"Cuban pharmacists now better understand the manufacturing of homeopathic
medicine due to the efforts of local Homeopaths Without Borders."
Chinese explorer thesis fails to satisfy academics
by Tim Castle
Reuters
http://www.nationalpost.com/tech/story.html?f=/stories/20020318/366435.html
"An amateur British historian who has made headlines by contending that the
Chinese reached America 70 years before Christopher Columbus has presented
new evidence to support his theory, but academics said they were not yet
convinced."
Five years after Heaven's Gate mass suicide, last member still keeping faith
By Seth Hettena
ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.uniontrib.com/news/northcounty/20020326-0138-heavensgate.html
"Rio DiAngelo walked away from the regimented life within the Heaven's Gate
cult in 1997 after three years, but a message from cult members drew him
back a month later to the group's rented hilltop mansion."
Colloidal Silver, Setting a Gold-Medal Standard for Spam
By Don Oldenburg
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22865-2002Mar26.html
""Flu symptoms are history!" The recent spam's claim was matched in
boldness only by the e-mail's gaudy green background. Boost your immune
system, it promised: "Protect yourself and your family against any and all
infections, germs, fungi, bacteria and viruses.""
Perfume e-mail raises a stink
By Elaine Aradillas
San Antonio Express-News
http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=180&xlc=645301
"An urban legend that warns of poisoned perfume samples in the mail gained
a false sense of credibility thanks to an urgent e-mail that appears to be
signed by the Harris County attorney's office."
Have You Heard About Osama's Cheez-It Stash?
By GALE HOLLAND
Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/suncommentary/la-000021219mar24.story
"It's an article of faith among some Muslims that Israel and/or the
international Jewish/Zionist cabal were behind the terrorist attacks on the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Tales of "4,000 Jewish workers" who
stayed home Sept. 11, and of Israeli spies videotaping the twin towers
collapsing, were quickly debunked. Still, the stories persist. Most of us
chalk them up to anti-Semitism, denial or ignorance, and go on our way."
Nigeria launches site to target e-mail scams
By Brian Sullivan
Computerworld
http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/cw1.htm
"Have you received an e-mail claiming to be from Nigerian government
officials or petroleum executives trying to smuggle money out of their
country? Are you getting tired of spiking all that Nigerian spam?"
With Psychic Friends Like These …
The lawsuits pile up for Miss Cleo.
By Dahlia Lithwick
Posted Tuesday, March 26, 2002
http://slate.msn.com/default.aspx?id=2063700
I'm looking at a "collection letter" addressed to my husband for $119.76 in unpaid "psychic services." The bill is for a 24-minute phone call that we allegedly made to the "Jamaican" "master shaman" "Miss Cleo." This Miss Cleo may be a heck of a fortuneteller, but she's not much of a record-keeper. We disconnected this phone number six months prior to the time of the alleged phone call, and our phone company has rightly refused to pay her. So, she's sent a "personal" letter, urging us to "take responsibility" for our "spiritual journey."
The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) encourages the critical investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims from a responsible, scientific point of view and disseminates factual information about the results of such inquiries to the scientific community and the public. It also promotes science and scientific inquiry, critical thinking, science education, and the use of reason in examining important issues
www.csicop.org
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