*grumble*

So. How do you tell someone who seems impressed with... certain information, but thinks it goes "over their head," that the site they're so impressed with is more full of shit than a backed up sewer system in New York?

I just can't think of a tactful way of doing it...

Not going to say who referred me, but I was referred to this site full of past life, spiritual levels, NDE (near death experience) stories, etc. And the only thing I can say about the entire site is it's nothing but a bunch of new-agey, useless bullshit. I read the site, and I see bits and pieces snagged from an interpretation of the bible (strike 1, given there's no evidence of heaven or hell, and the bible's ... well, got plenty of factual issues of its own just dealing with earthly things,) some NDE book (strike 2, as NDEs haven't been proven, BUT the exact same "experiences" are reproducible just via things like pilot testing in centrifuges... and that NDE "experiences" get so much wrong when they're "hearing the doctors" and "floating above their bodies" - such as not seeing out-of-place, easily described objects put on top of cabinets SPECIFICALLY for this sort of thing, like playing cards,) a bit of hindu-ish sounding stuff here, about the only thing missing is dancing around with some crystals going woo-woo-woo.

What pisses me off MORE about the site, though, is that this person - I will hesitate right now in calling the person a con artist, they may well believe the bullshit they spew - is making MONEY on this. What's more, they're apparently "helping" soldiers who are having trouble and need, well, therapy. Someone QUALIFIED to talk to. And instead, this charlatan is doing this bullshit past life regression hypnosis *crap.*

Yes, it makes me seriously *angry.* Just like homeopaths with their "diluted to a drop of water in the ocean, because water has memory!" bullshit alternative medicine ripping people off, or "psychics" that "talk to the dead" by means of cold readings rip people off (and people keep going back - because they DON'T GET CLOSURE - so these assholes keep making money while keeping the person in pain) and the like.

They all need to either prove their stuff scientifically to stay in business, and if (if, ha, try when) they can't, have their assets siezed and returned to their victims and spend some serious time in jail.

Maybe they can read each others crystals and grope their auras while they're in there.

Did I mention...

a bigger telescope?

So my brother had one he hadn't used for a while... older Meade DS. Seems the eyepieces are a little odd - and trying to focus in on something with the 4mm is problematic to me (lenses don't seem parfocal, and 4mm is a keyhole to peek through no matter what,) but I've gotten a closer view of Venus -

Need to play with the electronics some and get that figured out. And find a .965 to 1.25" adaptor for the eyepieces. 

Also - still keeping fingers crossed for word back on a new job. Another $5/hr would be very helpful.