Editorial

Keith Lockett - 1 November 1987

During my recent visit to America, I had the pleasure of making contact with several of the Skeptics in the San Francisco area. The editor of BASIS (Bay Area Skeptics Information Sheet), Kent Harker, entertained me for a day and gave me the information from Free Inquiry that has been put together to make the article on American Faith Healers. I also had a happy evening with Bob Steiner, the founder of the Bay Area Skeptics, He is a chartered accountant but now spends more time on his magic shows and the affairs of the skeptics. He is currently demonstrating to local policemen how sharks work the ‘three-card-trick’ or ‘thimble-rigging’ and how accomplices work with them. Numbers of these sharps can be seen in action on the streets of New York, but not to my knowledge elsewhere. Most interestingly, Bob showed me the video of his appearances as ‘Steve Terbot’, the American psychic on the Bert Newton show in Australia. He was on three shows. In the first two he demonstrated his powers and then allowed himself to be unmasked. He also appeared at some local halls and was showered with money (which he returned) from earnest believers. I have several issues of BASIS, dealing with the matter but will not repeat them here as it was fully covered in the June 1984 issue of the Australian Skeptic which many members will receive. However, if members would like to know more, please let me know. I have several phone numbers of Bay Area skeptics. If anyone is visiting there I am sure they will be as warmly welcomed as I was.

I have recently heard from the headquarters of CSICOP in Buffalo of a scheme whereby we send them 37 copies of our newsletter and, in return, get copies of all the local newsletters published in America. I have already received some of these newsletters and will hold them if anyone is interested in seeing them. I should say that apart from those from large groups like the Bay Area some, while worth seeing guides as to what is going on, are less than compulsory reading. In fact, our newsletter can stand comparison with most of them.

Which brings me to this issue. With it, we have given faith healing a pretty good go and we will give that subject a rest for a bit. Thanks to all members who have sent me material which I have not been able to use, I will keep it for the future. Thanks also for the copious supply of cuttings (especially from Dunedin, whatever is going on down there?) I have not been able to include all of them but I shall keep them as a resource for the future. I notice that almost every town in this country has a spiritualist group (Glenfield seems to have three) which advertises meetings for “Address and Clairvoyance”. Has anyone the courage to go to such a meeting and tell us what the clairvoyance consists of? Also has anyone the $24.20 to send to Richard Webster for a personalised Astroscope (as advertised in alternate issues of the Listener)? I won’t suggest that anyone sends $40 to Astrologic of Dunedin for a 5,000 word personalized horoscope although advice on how to ‘succeed in love and romance’ is always welcome.