what do people think of this...?

[The Dong]

Gert van Santen wrote:
> Thanks, Andy, that saves me a lot of money (I can cancel the 
> order of a huge survival package ;-)

Mostly baked beans, gas masks and Magic Trees.

What annoys me about (let's not beat around the Bush) pseudo-science is 
the motivation behind it is nearly always remuneration. There exists a 
small number of absolute lunatics who believe in the crap they spew, but 
mostly that is a front to excuse the utter falsity.

Some examples I lump into this category are:

Religions. All of them, but especially anything evangelic or modern 
offshoots of older ideas. 100% of these are honeypots to catch fools who 
don't even know where they are half the time and steal their very souls. 
Jehovah's also combine many tricks to turn people (approaching death) 
away from friends and family and dump their wealth into the 'church' 
(from personal experience of a relative)

Armageddon predictors. This thread is one meagre example.

Old wives tales. Yes. It's in the right place in this list :P

Robert Anton Wilson. Please file under fantasy ;)

Alternative healing. I don't mean the ones like change your diet and 
exercise a little more instead of popping the lazy doctor pills, or even 
ancient (historically genuine) remedies passed on through ages in 
cultures worldwide.
I mean folk charging lots of money for dicking around with lasers, 
crystals or candles, talking and teaching gibberish and ultimately 
wasting (stealing) everyone's time and money.
The worst thing about these modern one's (let's not dick around here 
either. They nearly ALL come from the USA sold based on the AMWAY model, 
spreading shit everywhere) is that they draw in and convince people but 
at the same time impart the notion that anyone who questions the 
legitimacy of the treatment is the enemy and a fool. It's nigh on 
impossible to spell out the flaws (lies) to the indoctrinated...
To the point where they will cast out (or be cast out) even closest 
friends or family. Akin to brainwashing. Most are lucky enough to never 
be tricked by the guff, but those that buy into the package in the first 
place are dumb enough to be there for long enough to lose out big time 
(while the initiators rake in your $$$ or the money you are stealing for 
them from desperate souls) By the time the captured eventually figure it 
out (nobodies been cured, most of this isn't right, my bank account is 
empty) they have already been discredited amongst 'the group' and are 
usually too ashamed to talk about it. Enough! :)

Modern global politic. It is as senseless as a dead fish.

The financial institutions. Dumb thieves stealing from the dumb.

Media. About as true as a picture you posted of yourself naked but you 
couldn't resist photoshopping out your fat ass, man boobs and floppy 
jowls. In fact you are far too lazy for all that work, so you stuck your 
head on Peter North.

The weather forecast. Not that bad. But when it's wrong, it's usually 
very wrong.

My mother, your mother, everyone's mother. Not that bad. But when it's 
wrong, it's usually very wrong. (Who am I kidding. Your parents are so 
full of scattered poo bits from the above list, it's embarrassing)

Me. Once you discard most of the crap, it just leaves a very cynical 
seed surrounded predominantly by a flaky, yet soft, annoying husk. Or 
was that my breakfast?

;)