Psychic Predators

[magi]

Update: the predator has been shown the door. I'm not going to get to play with the scuz, but at least the scuz will not darken that doorstep.

I had a long conversation today with my friend, this was one of the topics. She told me that she thought about it, and finally agreed, that she's not going to get any answers from a source like that.

She told me she does not even have the name and number of the scum, as the scum called her. I suspect she could find it, but that's not as important.

We have a deal: If she ever wants to have dealings with a psychic, I get to be there for a pre-interview.

She's got too many other things to do and worry about -- SSI benefits, realtor, financial planner. We are fortunate to know a great CPA/CFA, a great realtor, a bunch of friends who can help. She'll be busy, and that's a good thing, at least for right now.

Thanks all for your encouraging words and thoughts.

 

[timhau]

Good. She's lucky to have you as a friend.

I have never had delusions about having psychic powers but a few years ago my wife was seriously ill, and things seemed like touch and go for a while. I know what kind of yearning you can have for simple and quick solutions in such a situation.

 

[jimbob]

In Derren Brown's book "Tricks of the mind" he mantions that the thankfully desceased Doris Stokes*, used to do something similar.

Derren told how trhe researchers for her shows would look through the local papers for local newspaper articles of recent deaths, in the towns she was visiting, get the details, then write a letter to the families, and offer them free tickets to the show, with the instructions to wear a particular distinctive item of clothing.

When the show started, Doris used her psychic powers to identify these particular mourners and the dead told her a lot about the occasion of their death.

*famous British medium, whom I used to think was fairly harmless...

 

[magi]

In Derren Brown's book "Tricks of the mind" he mantions that the thankfully desceased Doris Stokes*, used to do something similar.

Derren told how trhe researchers for her shows would look through the local papers for local newspaper articles of recent deaths, in the towns she was visiting, get the details, then write a letter to the families, and offer them free tickets to the show, with the instructions to wear a particular distinctive item of clothing.

When the show started, Doris used her psychic powers to identify these particular mourners and the dead told her a lot about the occasion of their death.

*famous British medium, whom I used to think was fairly harmless...

That is vile. I should be shocked, but I guess I'm not.

As long as people have a propensity for, for lack of a better word, woo, I guess there will be those who use it against them.

I for one am sick of it.

 

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

I'm really sorry about your friend, Magi. My condolences.

Robert and Magi's stories strongly remind me of the premise of the film Paper Moon.

It's about a con man who runs a con that depends on gleaning the names and addresses of the recently deceased and their survivors from local obituaries and selling their families overpriced schnitzel they had suppossedly ordered for their spouses or children just before they died. As a nice touch, he learns the first names of the survivors and stamps them on the schnitzel in imitation gold.

I'm not much surprised to learn that there are real-life con men who go from town to to town abusing information given out in obituaries, reports of funerals, newspaper articles, etc.

 

[magi]

I'm really sorry about your friend, Magi. My condolences.

Robert and Magi's stories strongly remind me of the premise of the film Paper Moon.

It's about a con man who runs a con that depends on gleaning the names and addresses of the recently deceased and their survivors from local obituaries and selling their families overpriced schnitzel they had suppossedly ordered for their spouses or children just before they died. As a nice touch, he learns the first names of the survivors and stamps them on the schnitzel in imitation gold.

I'm not much surprised to learn that there are real-life con men who go from town to to town abusing information given out in obituaries, reports of funerals, newspaper articles, etc.

Thanks, EMM...

I'll tell you one thing. Should I happen upon this particular skank, there will be one less practitioner of the con arts in this area. Not anything violent, you understand, just a good motivational talk. Right.

 

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

It's incredible to me, how heartless people can be. If someone's deluded themselves and really under the impression they can talk to the dead, that's one thing but something like that...ditto for psychics contacting families of missing people by the contact information on flyers.

I don't know if you've answered this before but do you think the psychic could have chosen your friend as a target by reading the paper? Did she list her information or information about her husband in an obituary the scum could have read?

 

[Locknar]

Update: the predator has been shown the door. I'm not going to get to play with the scuz, but at least the scuz will not darken that doorstep.

I had a long conversation today with my friend, this was one of the topics. She told me that she thought about it, and finally agreed, that she's not going to get any answers from a source like that.

She told me she does not even have the name and number of the scum, as the scum called her. I suspect she could find it, but that's not as important.

We have a deal: If she ever wants to have dealings with a psychic, I get to be there for a pre-interview.

She's got too many other things to do and worry about -- SSI benefits, realtor, financial planner. We are fortunate to know a great CPA/CFA, a great realtor, a bunch of friends who can help. She'll be busy, and that's a good thing, at least for right now.

Thanks all for your encouraging words and thoughts.

Nicely done....

I have to wonder, how often something like this happens; wonder if it is something Randi would make part of his weekly update

 

[magi]

It's incredible to me, how heartless people can be. If someone's deluded themselves and really under the impression they can talk to the dead, that's one thing but something like that...ditto for psychics contacting families of missing people by the contact information on flyers.

I don't know if you've answered this before but do you think the psychic could have chosen your friend as a target by reading the paper? Did she list her information or information about her husband in an obituary the scum could have read?

Yes, it was in the local paper, but I don't think that was the source. The article, of course, did not reveal the method of his demise. The neighborhood all knew, of course, from the emergency vehicles, police asking questions, etc. I suspect it was a reference from one of these ladies (it may *be* one of these "ladies") that was the source of the scumbag's interest.

In either event, no matter the source, it was evil.