IIG Public Update #14
October 2008
The IIG is on Facebook and our thoughts are on conflicts of interest, as we always have some ad on the right side of the page that does not comport to our views:
Oprah's Acai Berry Diet: Acai berry body cleanse flush pounds and remove toxins safely!
Lose Belly Fat Fast and easy with PINK. Get the hot new Pink Patch for FREE!
That's just a few samples from the "unlikely weight loss claims" category. While we generally don't comment on financial issues the "suspicious mortgage claims" category is huge, including the bizarre sub-category "no SSN required."
Perhaps when the IIG has the same operating budget as Oprah Winfrey or The Lending Tree, we'll run our own ads:
Amazing "get some damn exercise" diet sheds those pounds slowly with great difficulty.
Buy a house with money you have saved over the course of several years. No SSN required.
And one more that's relevant to our area of expertise:
Amazing, breakthrough "evidence-based medical treatment" miracle cure . . . all un-natural, with loads of front effects.
Make it a reality: http://www.iigwest.com/donate/
DEREK AND THE U.F.O.s
After six years of back and forth between IIG member Derek Bartholomaus, and UFO proponent Michael Horn, the IIG has finally creating a clearing house for all the information on this rivalry. Go to http://www.iigwest.org/investigations/meier/ to find all of Horn's ad hominen attacks, rants, logical fallacies, and Derek's sober rejoinders. Bottom line, Horn still has no proof of extra terrestrial contact, but if he does, you'll read about it here first.
Also, check out Randi's shout-out to us at http://www.randi.org/joom/swift/swift-october-3-2008-2.html#i4
MONTANA VORTEX
Nick Nelson has been trying to put together a "traveling" version of his golden vortex for months, and now he has invited the IIG to come to Montana, and see the phenomenon in person. In fact, he offered to pay for our travel expenses and lodging. We are trying to decide if we want to accept his offer, given the problems inherent in doing our work on the claimant's terms, rather than proper observing conditions.
SCIENTOLOGY AT THE LOS FELIZ STREET FAIR
Every year Hollywood's next door neighbor - Los Feliz, California - holds their summer fair. This year, there was a little problem, most effectively spelled in this section of Jim Underdown's letter to the city:
We have received several complaints and comments from visitors to the fair that it appeared as though the Church of Scientology were running the event. People wearing Fair Volunteer t-shirts were seen passing out Scientology materials and congregating at the Scientology booth.
We think the volunteers at the fair should have no overt affiliation with any business, church, or organization. The fair is a community-wide event and should not give one group the appearance of being a main sponsor or organizer. There is special status accorded to whoever sponsors and runs this event, and that status should stay with the Los Feliz Village BID, not with anyone else.
Naturally any group, church, business, or organization should be welcome to participate in the fair -- we just think the volunteers should at least appear to be neutral.
We await the city's response.
VISION FROM FEELING
The official testing protocol or testing the powers of Anita Ikonen has been completed, and sent to her. We plan to schedule her to arrive in Los Angeles soon, and then conduct our first test of psychic powers in over three years.
UPDATE (11/03/2008): The above entry was posted in error. We had not yet responded to Anita with our revised protocol, as it was still being vetted. We finally sent it to her today. Our apologies, especially to Anita, for any confusion.
AFRICAN SKEPTIC
In a sort of reversal on the Nigerian Spam scam, we received this letter from a real-life Nigerian. It is presented here unedited:
I can't express in words how happy I am coming across this website!!! I have been at the receiving end to supernatural beliefs (superstition) I have lived alone among millions who do everything to fight me down on my skeptical stands. I could say the least, pains, hatred and malice are what I have lived with . . . nevertheless, I have been arguing rationally based on my raw rational thoughts and hard to come by little scientific proofs to tell these people the God and other barbaric beliefs have no 'real' bases...here is the home of superstition...you can never imagine how it is here about these beliefs and what people like me go through living amongst these people.
I have put down many rational proofs which completely proved that the bible was man made . . . and I am at present on my MIGHTY BOOK of rational living.
If it is in your scope to include Africa in your PREACH OF THE TRUTH, you can really help millions here (I only find whites on your website . . . don't you take it to the blacks or the outside world?). But here is my request: I know what the superstitious people need, to cure them of their ailment, I WANT TO LEARN MAGIC TRICKS AND WISH YOU CAN HELP ME OUT . . . even just a few will make me prove a lot here!!! I am ready to spend my lifetime preaching this TRUTH (humanism).
I NEED THE MAGIC SKILLS TO PROVE TO MILLIONS HERE THAT NO SUPERNATURAL IS INVOLVED IN MAGICAL AND RELIGIOUS MIRACLES . . . . THESE ARE TRICKS PERFORMED BY FRAUDS TO CHEAT THE GAULIBLES! please, help me to help these people out of their bondage. TEACH ME TO TEACH THEM. You shall make me a happy man.
We got him in touch with the CFI offices closest to him in Kenya, South Africa, and India. Perhaps he will become the founder of CFI-Nigeria.
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW
Enjoy Snoopy's Birthday, Columbus Day, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dinosaur Month, and Halloween Safety Month (duh).
- IIG
