Jenny McCarthy’s Son May Not Be Autistic
by Sara on 03/03/10 in regards to Other Claims
After all her hemming and hawing over MMR vaccines, some folks are wondering if Jenny McCarthy’s young son ever had autism is the first place.
Full Story“Respected” Psychic Mistakes Fake Photo For Actual Ghost
One of Australia’s most, er, respected psychics, got a strong dose of reality last month when he “publicly analysed a ghost photo which was in fact a fake image captured by an iPhone application.” Psychic Anthony Grzelka was displaying his supernatural talents on the radio when a listener by the name of Rhanee sent in a photo which, she claimed, showed the image of a ghost.
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Saints Win; God Responsible
Clearly, several players on the winning team of Super Bowl XLIV are committed Christians.
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Parents Can Relax: Vaccines Do NOT Lead to Autism
After almost ten years (and drop in childhood vaccinations which resulted in a rise in measles) the Lancet medical journal, which originally proclaimed the link between autism and the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR), has finally issued a full retraction of the now-discredited paper. (more…)
Skeptical Monkey’s Predictions for 2010
As many self-proclaimed “psychics” scramble to release their predictions for the coming year, we here at Skeptical Monkey decided to take our own stab at the fake-prophecy business. Of course, we claim no actual psychic ability; the following predictions are based entirely on guesswork, common sense, and probability. At the end of the year, we’ll see how our success rate compares with folks who do this for a living. (more…)
Halloween Origins: Those Ancient Celts Sure Were Crazy…
While perusing History.com, I came upon some info on the origins of Halloween:
The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.
To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.
During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other’s fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.
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We Told You! This Is A Christian Nation!
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Is Religion Really to blame for centuries of war? Or would we be fighting each other anyway?
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Religion is a Lie!
And Now That We Have Your Attention…
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