Wisdumb: Smart and Not-So-Smart

The good, the bad and the freakin’ stupid
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Archive for the ‘skepticism’

A PHD isn’t worth what it used to be…

March 19, 2009 By: Mr. Wisdumb Category:  skepticism, religion, science, video, *DUMB, *WISE No Comments →

All I can say is “wow.” The religious blinders are screwed on incredibly tight on this one:

“Almost everything you’ve heard about acupuncture is wrong”

October 09, 2008 By: Mr. Wisdumb Category:  skepticism, *WISE No Comments →

Nice article about acupuncture via eSkeptic. I’ve always thought the magnet therapy dumbasses should team up with the acupuncture retards and create Magnacupuncture. If you believe in meridian pathways and think sticking pins in them somehow helps align your chi energy, then shouldn’t magnatizing these pathways work even better? Work in some reflexology-based super magnetic ionized needles and I bet you could cure aids, cancer and even halitosis.

Do not mess with Buzz…

August 29, 2008 By: Mr. Wisdumb Category:  skepticism, video, *WISE, tv No Comments →

The Mythbusters‘ episode debunking the conspiracy theories about the moon landing was very good. I especially like Buzz Aldrin’s take on whether or not he was really on the moon:

This post inspired [read: stolen] from Negativesmart. I normally do not repeat a post someone else did, so as to avoid that, I am adding something to this one. Check out MythbusterResults as a good source to get the quick answer on whether a myth is true or busted.

Rapture 2.0: Where your money suddenly dissapears

June 04, 2008 By: Mr. Wisdumb Category:  religion, skepticism, *DUMB No Comments →

Money FliesHead-shaking story about a new web service for the post-Rapture. Kudos to Wired.com for printing it.

Ben Stein: No Intelligence Allowed

April 03, 2008 By: Mr. Wisdumb Category:  religion, skepticism, video, movies 2 Comments →

I’d like to write about the very hot topic that is the “Ben Stein: No Intelligence Allowed” movie, but as I have not seen it yet, and I do not want to base any of my opinions on the many different articles I have read about it from the two major sides of the issue (Darwinists/Evolutionists vs. Intelligent Design/Creationists), I have decided to only comment on the trailers I have seen.

As such, my comment is this: Ben Stein is such a pompous, self-important and egotistical tool.

As I won’t fund this film by paying to see it, my review of it will have to wait until a free version circulates the web or at least until I get it via my Blockbuster.com account.

Skeptic’s look at broadcast journalism

February 15, 2008 By: Mr. Wisdumb Category:  skepticism, *WISE No Comments →

I found the linked article very interesting. It will likely annoy some of the journalist types but I recommend it to them as food for thought.

Phenomenon Finale

November 21, 2007 By: Mr. Wisdumb Category:  magic, skepticism, predictions, tv No Comments →

Well, my predictions were pretty good. I called Mike Super as the winner, and I was right. I said I thought Eran would be the one to go, and he was, but he went out in third place, not fourth… so I was close, but not correct.

Phenomenon episode 4

November 14, 2007 By: Mr. Wisdumb Category:  magic, skepticism, predictions, tv 1 Comment →

Well, I called the three that were safe and the two that weren’t in my last post… except for the twist were Guy got saved. After tonight’s performances, I hope Angela gets the boot (she made a mistake, it took way too long, the climax used a fairly well known gimmick [actually explained in a Penn&Teller book] and I agreed with Chris Angel’s assessment that she didn’t connect to the audience), but I bet she squeaks by again. I also thought Eran’s performance was pretty weak (especially compared to a much better version of the same concept done by Derren Brown). So, I predict he is the one to go, and if not him, then Angela. Mike’s performance should make him a lock for moving on, and I think Guy’s performance, unfortunately, will amaze the type of person who actually votes on these type of shows. I say unfortunate because, come on already, enough with the bending of cutlery.

Anyway, I predict, and hope, the Mike Super becomes the next phenom.

BTW, I thought Gerry’s performance was his best one… though I don’t think he described the ending part with the audience very accurately and the show shouldn’t let these guys get away with that type of thing.

Phenomenom episode 3

November 10, 2007 By: Mr. Wisdumb Category:  magic, skepticism, tv 2 Comments →

I am a few days late on this, but I just got to watch it yesterday. Anyway, I was glad to see Jim Callahan get the boot. Nothing too special on this episode to comment on other than the bad acting of two of the contestants. The snake guy, Eran Raven, was especially over-the-top with his bad acting during the “I want to continue” speech. Also, Angela Funovits, upped her bad acting with her limping from the supposed burns on her leg.

Anyway, despite the bad acting on those two performances, my guess is that both of them our safe. The chic will get a pass for being attractive and working a routine where she shows off her legs, and the dude will get some sympathy votes for being bitten and the supposed risk of death. I also think Mike Super will make the next level with his Voodoo doll routine. I think he is the best entertainer of the bunch and his routines so far have been very clever.

If I am right, that means things are looking bad for Guy Bavli (hydrochloric acid guy) and Gerry McCambridge (paint ball dude).

Phenomenon Episode 2

October 31, 2007 By: Mr. Wisdumb Category:  magic, skepticism, *DUMB, tv 6 Comments →

Ok, it’s a few seconds after the BS performance featuring a guy named Jim Callahan who claims to talk to the dead. He does this ridiculous over-the-top routine where he ends up spirit writing information given to him from a connection he has to some dead guy — which reveals what random item was picked by a celebrity. Apparently, dead people know random crap like that.

Anyway, the routine wasn’t interesting. What was interesting was Chris Angel’s review after the performance. He basically called the performance a joke and then called Jim Callahan out and offered him a million dollars if he could use his spirit connection to identify what was in an envelope he held up. Jim then immediately gets pissed off and acts like he wants to throw down and calls Chris a religious bigot.

I begrudgingly gives Chris some props for this, even though I just recently called him the biggest douche bag in the world. However, I also suggest Chris was waiting for this opportunity and is greatly anticipating all the publicity he will get from this stunt. Of course, I now have to nominate myself for a douche bag title for knowingly supporting his goal by giving him the publicity he desires. All I can hope is that he reads his Google Alerts on his name in the order they happen and mine appears first and he has to read that he is the biggest douche bag in the world.

BTW, if you are reading this Chris Angel, my guess for what was int he envelope is: Chris Angel Has Herpes.

Do I win a million dollars?