have some more, why not?

an online friend sent me some links to some pretty scary-odd stuff -- there are religious freaks who make irresponsible decisions daily, but something about this story was almost poignant -- almost like these uber religious people meant it to be that way.

surely not, these super perfect religious people don't ever lie or pretend to make their lives seem different, right?? they don't market their lives and try to attract attention just like the rest of the money-grubbing heathens out there???

Often, children of the movement are also called "arrows." Quiverfull takes its name from (insert bible quote that you like here): "Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate." A wealth of military metaphors follows from this namesake, as Pride and her fellow advocates urge women toward militant fecundity in the service of religious rebirth: creating what they bluntly refer to as an army of devout children to wage spiritual battle against God's enemies.

someone read that back to me - no, don't. they had me at "militant fecundity in the service of religious rebirth".

the freaks are getting freaky and spreading their freakiness by uber-procreation.

"...let's not forget about...for every family like this, there are ten or fifty or one hundred Quiverfull families living in what most would consider to be poverty ... Mothers are in a constant cycle, often, of pregnancy, breastfeeding, and the care of toddlers." Women are expected to feed and care for a large family on what are frequently limited resources, and the strain leads some to suffer clinical levels of exhaustion and self-neglect."

dang, almost sounds like the rest of the real world -- only most of them are really poor and they didn't actually choose to have baby after baby to fulfill someone elses' idea of FAMILY and/or to make little gawd warrior armies -- they did it out of ignorance and lack of access to birth control.

these TV shows that romanticize / monetize the idea of having multiple children need to stop, drop and roll into a world where TV cameras capture the reality of actual life. say, maybe in one of the third world countries where the effects of overpopulation are so very apparent.

actual life, when multiple children are involved, isn't as pretty, fun and organized as what you see on the "multiples" TV programs.

these parents that have benefited monetarily from hoooo-ring their multitudinous abmounts of kids out on television should really look at other countries where birth control isn't even an option, and maybe share their ill-gotten TV fame wealth.

i find this whole thing disgusting.

Carl Sagan Day

well, i missed carl sagan day a couple of weeks ago.

but i'm hoping that this will eventually become a national holiday,it certainly should, so maybe next year!

there are more and more popularizers of science out there, but carl sagan was one of the first and best.

Yet Another (idiotic, no doubt) "Season" of "Paranormal State" to start soon....

i saw a promo on A$E that this show is starting up again. wow, awesome. i bet people with shingles can relate.

i love how PRSee fanatics (uber fans - likely just PRS friends, family, cast and crew) will often refer to a "season four" where this dumb show is concerned.

this show has only been on TV for two (hilariously, but increasingly stupid-yourself-on-down) years.

dolts.

i would like to say i can't wait, but i'm finding it all pretty dull. there are so many unintelligent, simplistic and moron-attracting paranormal shows on TV these days - it's hard to find the energy to even look forward to even the old parody fun factor that this show used to inspire in so many of us.

i am, however, quite happy about the fact that when my own child first watched a few minutes of this show (over a year ago), the prompt and never-since-changed conclusion was "this is sooooo stupid."

wow - to think my child, at age 3, used to think that there was a "ghost" living in my very own closet. (hey, i used to think the vampire from "dark shadows" used to live in my closet when i was a wee one)

gee, i didn't call "psychic kids" or "paranormal state."

i was instead calm and rational and supportive and gave my child lots of scientific educational opportunities over the ensuing years.

isn't is wonderful what an intelligent and inquisitive mind can end up figuring out with the help of a calm parent and some science education?

TV networks, production companies, ghost hunting groups and BACKGROUND CHECKS

i've mentioned that i'm really not much of a blogger - i get most of my info from other people. just today someone pointed out a story over at scifake.com regarding a sexual predator ghost hunter, TAPS style.

i find the uproar a little bit annoying as well as a lot alarming. in no way am i supporting the criminals, rather i'm looking cockeyed at the spirits-among-us doe-eyed target market who are ready to welcome complete strangers into their homes in the name of "paranormal investigation." (this stuff has such cult markings. innocently gullible people who trust and believe "savior ghost hunter TV types")

anyhoo -- since when have the networks and/or the production companies ever done background checks on "reality" shows? i mean, a suspicious cast member might CLAIM that the networks do these (as chip coffey did when people were looking at him funny for pretending to be some kind of psychic leader of children) but if this were true,

A) would AE have publicly made a specific claim about chip's educational background (that he had a masters degree in psychology) and then later removed the statement?

B) would this guy have been allowed on set? oh wait, his background was "preacher". i suppose if you overlooked all of the other multitudinous "preachers" who turn out to be less than savory characters this guy might have slipped through.

C) wasn't there a talk show participant who turned out to be a murderous stalker type?

sorry - i can't remember specifics and don't feel like searching - after i see so much disgusting shite (murdered children, child abusers, terrorism) on the evening news (and on AE's family of networks) all of the whackjobs tend to blur together.

the question is: DO NETWORKS / PRODUCTION COMPANIES ACTUALLY DO BACKGROUND CHECKS on their chosen program participants (cast,crew and "clients")?

i wonder if some law firms might want to find out...

given all of the research these television production companies evidently do for the ParaWhoremal State shows (ie, let's get some good info for the psychics!) you'd think someone would be able to type in the law enforcement URL for predators and have a looksee. one can only hope. cause evidently they aren't on the hotseat like TAPS is, yet.

given all of the legal hoops networks make people jump through regarding non-disclosure and proprietary info -- the networks / production companies of these shows who go into the homes and lives of JQ Public really ought to have to make public legal statements to the effect that they've completed background checks on all cast members, and no one should be allowed to be on or participate in one of these "reality" shows without one.

OMG - the "docudrama" reality industry will crash.

now, there's a thought!

celebrities jumping on the Paranormal Cash Cow

As they did with "reality" TV, it looks like some celebrities are jumping on another media gravy train - the Paranormal one.

one of A$E's sister networks, Biography, is going to host a series of 'celebrity ghost stories' called, uniquely enough: Celebrity Ghost Stories.
RMFEs.

evidently a precursor to this show came out last year sometime. somehow i missed it, as likely did most discerning viewing folk. for its continuation -- we have a much bigger lineup of "celebs."

Celebrities in season one include: Scott Baio, Carnie Wilson, Eric Roberts, Elisabeth Rohm, C. Thomas Howell, Carrie Fisher, John Waters, Rue McClanahan, Federico Castelluccio, Lisa Rinna, Jeffrey Ross, Vincent Curatola, Illeana Douglas, Tom Arnold, Nia Long, Dee Snider, Gina Gershon, Justine Bateman, Jay Thomas, Traci Lords, James Kyson Lee, Barry Williams, Debi Mazar, Greg Grunberg, Sammy Hagar, Morgan Fairchild, John Salley, Lili Taylor, Anson Williams, Kelly Carlson, Ali Landry and Ernie Hudson.

i'm just wondering when some show like haunted has-been desperate-for-attention celebrities in rehab will hit the airwaves...or maybe something like Has-been Celebrities Celebrate Psychic Powers, featuring Chip Coffey the Pretend Psychologist will someday disgrace the tube on one of A$E's partner networks.

this blogger does a bang up job discussing this incredibly stupid premise for a show.

...and on the Psychic Scam front

More and more "psychics" are getting busted and (yippee!) ARRESTED! unfortunately, not enough for my liking.

this one was busted in an actual sting operation in a Long Island mall (hey, why don't they start putting THESE on reality TV - that would be fun to watch!) and these two were arrested in Tennessee. the authorities are actually looking for more victims to come forward in the latter case - I sure hope they do.

then there's gina marie marks who went in for round two of psychic scamming; moving her flim-flam from south FL to Hollywood, CA -- it looks like it didn't work out for her in tinsel town, either.

this british "psychic" actually jumped into a newer niche, actually combining two different trends, michael jackson and twitter, to create a publicity stunt for her home base - some London dress shop or other. alas, she didn't get arrested. yet.