In 1979, James S. McDonnell donated $500,000 to Washington University in Missouri for the establishment of the McDonnell Laboratory for Psychical Research. 

When James Randi heard about the project, he offered his services to the project to help avoid the problems Uri Gellar caused at the Stanford Research Institute. Randi's offer of help was disregarded; the researchers insisted they didn't need a magician to assist them in determining the validity of psychic claims.

Two years later, the institute's two chief researchers found what they believed to be two young men who demonstrated--under lab conditions--what the researchers called "psychic abilities." 

Around the same time, Randi held his own press conference with the psychics. He asked them, "Do you cheat?"

And the two men looked at each other and said, "Yes, we do."

The two men were amateur magicians sent by Randi to demonstrate how scientists can be duped by simple slight of hand. They were told, "If anyone asks you 'Are you cheating?' you must say 'Yes.'"

They were never asked.

Nearly thirty years later, both scientists and laymen are still being fooled by charlatains with claims of "psychic" or "divine" powers. Whenever I see books like The Secret or see Benny Hinn on TV, I think of Randi, thirty years ago, proving how easily we can all be fooled... because deep down, we all want to believe.

An intriguing interview with Randi on the subject.
The wikipedia article.

The night before presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) left for Afghanistan, Iraq and Western Europe for a tour of US bases overseas, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice issued a cable to US missions forbidding them from holding events for presidential candidates or arrange meetings for them.

Rice issued no such cable prior to foreign excursions by presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). 

(original article here)

In a clear response to dwindling membership and recent public relations fiascos, the Catholic Church has announced a new policy for funerals.

If you want to attend your mom's funeral, you'd better sit down, shut up and let the priest do all the talking.

"... specially composed poems and favourite songs are in breach of the diocesan regulations."

"... jazz musician Paddy Cole revealed yesterday that he was not allowed to play at his mother's funeral Mass."

That's the way to win converts!

I have just finished the last edit before sending the book off to the printers and Indie Press Revolution--something I'll be doing on Monday. Once IPR has the files, they'll e-mail them to all the pre-orders.

That means this week, hundreds of people will be looking at my game.

I'm excited and terrified, all at once.

I've spent so much time on the book, I don't have any objective viewpoint anymore. I love it dearly. I love it more than anything I've ever done. After all the playtesting, I'm not sick of it. After all the questions, I'm not sick of it. I think I could write about the ven forever. (I just may end up doing that.)

But I have no idea how the rest of the world will receive it. Everyone who's played it has loved it. Everyone who's read it has said something along the lines of, "It's the best work you've ever done." I dunno about that, but I'm damn proud of it.

A lot of people paid a lot of money for this. I hope they feel their purchase was worth it. I hope they find as much joy as I did.

I hope.

Thought some of the folks on my friends list might appreciate this. Zombie shooting targets!