Conference hydra::dejavu

    These Psychic Hot lines are more of a rip off than that
    pretending-to-be-religious guy who comes on TV early every morning 
    broadcasting from some where in Texas asking people to mail him 
    $500-$1000 so that God may make them rich because they gave away 
    the money to him.

    Those Psychic hot lines play on the week minds of part of the masses out
    there to rip them of their money, many who call are the ones who are
    most of need of the money, I have never more stupid things
    and lies on TV before, it seems either more people are getting more
    stupid to believe these programs (some must believe them else
    they wont be on TV for that long), or something else is happening
    to the human mind that I cant explain.

    I have no problem with those who for fun might have a palm reading or
    things like that in the amusement park for few bucks once in a blue
    moon, what I have problem with is the programs pretending that they
    actually can tell the future to the person who is calling and
    that the person on the other side can tell them what will happen
    to them in the future, and they do it with faked examples : "You 
    have a problem with your personal finance? you have problems
    with your relationship? you have a problem finding the job you want?
    then call this number , and for ONLY $4.99/minute will solve all your 
    problems for you, your own personal friendly psychic will tell you
    the future and how all your problems can be solved"


    I know it is a free country, and every one can do what they want,
    but that still does not make these programs anything but trash and
    a more modern way of stealing peoples money by playing on those
    unfortunate peoples .

    just my 2 cents as always.

    /Nasser

    Just chalk them in with televangelists, stock brokers and other con
    artists, Nassar.  

    Ahh, but people must be getting smarter (or times are really tough) if
    they have to make calls soliciting people to use their 900-numbers.

    .... same as it ever was ... :-)

    re: .1
    
    the televangelist you're referring to is robert chilton, out of
    dallas/fort worth.
    
    a survey was taken regarding the educational level and backgrounds of
    those who follow televangelist such as mr. chilton, as well as an array
    of others.  the outcome was what some of us, those opposed to this type
    of broadcasting/freeloading/evangelical-hoaxing, had predicted from the
    get-go.  i don't recall the exact numbers but over half are senior 
    citizens and almost 3/4s are without a high school education. 
    unfortunately these strategies are used to zero in on that part of the
    population.  don't count on that segment of the population 'waking up
    and smelling the coffee.'  in hard times like these, even those 
    individuals who rarely attend a religious gathering on any kind are 
    attending saturday/sunday services in record numbers.
    
    /gail

    Robert Tilton, actually.  Real used-car-salesman-turned-preacher
    dirtbag.  I really like freedom of speech, but sometimes..... 
    
    - Russ (from Dallas)

    i'm from texas, russ, and you are correct.  you've now won yourself a
    free healing session complete with all the fire and brimstone anybody
    could possibly handle.  got a bad case of acne?  heck, he'd cure it!!
    
    /gail who_never_watches_the_man_so_she_tends_to_forget
    

    re: .7
    
    that's witchita falls (texas) although i moved here last winter from austin.
    
    /gail

    
    Thanks, Gail.  Do I get a door prize when I go to see Preacher Bob??
    :-) :-) :-)  Anybody who's read Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land"
    will see the resemblance to the 'Fosterites'.  Give me your
    money, have some fun, who cares cause we're all sav-ed! 
    
    I'm afraid we're going to see alot more folks like this popping up
    between now and 2000.  The closer we get to that magic number with 3
    zero's, the more people will come out of the wood work claiming all the
    answers.  And they'll find plenty of disillusioned, or lost, or just
    plain confused people to follow them.  
    
    I really hope that most people are able to see through these
    pretenders.  I would REALLY be bummed to wake up and find myself living
    in a Theocracy one day. Of any kind. 
    
    Well, that's my thought for the day (I'm only allowed one).
    Back to work. 
    
    - Russ  
    
    

re: 1741.9 
DPDMAI::MILLERR 
    
>    ...........  I would REALLY be bummed to wake up and find myself living
>    in a Theocracy one day. Of any kind. 

	With the Religious Right having such a direct line into the
	White House, and with people like Jesse Helms cavorting
	in the Senate, just what do you think you're living in now ?

	-Art

    re: 1741.9
    
     Russ, what does the year 2000 and the 3 'magic' zeros have to do with
    the religious right coming out. Do the 3 zeros signify something??
    
    J

    
    Nothing special, I was just referring to the tendency of people and
    societies to get a little weird at the end of a Century, or especially
    a Millenium.  Probably brought about by the Christian Church, 
    predicting a Second Coming after 1000 years (or a hundred, or whatever
    is convenient).  It just seems like we are building up to a possible 
    religious hysteria in the next few years.  
    
    I hope not.
    
    - Russter
    

    a few days ago, one morning i decided to play a game on them like they 
    do on us every day.

    so I went and called the number he had on the TV, but called COLLECT 
    offcourse.

    something like went on:

    Operator: who should I say is calling?

    me: a worshiper who want to be blessed.

    prayer counselor: hello , welcome to <whatever>, how much are you
    pledging this morning?

    (i felt like i was in the mall, when the guy asks after i just bought
    some piece of cloth : " will that be all for today?" )

    operator to the prayer counselor on the other line: will you accept a 
    call from a worshiper?

    prayer counselor: sorry, we dont accept collect calls.

    me through the operator to the guy: BUT i want to give you a check
    for 500.00 dollars! I want to be blessed !

    prayer counselor: sorry, we dont accept collect calls.

    again, me through the operator: But I want to mail you the 500 dollars 
    check! all i want is your address so I can mail it !

    prayer counselor: sorry , we dont accept collect calls.

    me through the operator: but I have the check for 500 dollars all written,
    i just want to mail to you, i want to be blessed !

    prayer counselor: sorry , we dont accept collect calls.

    operator: they wont accept the collect call..
    disconnect...
 
    gee wise, i said to my self, those people are really smart !

    actually, i just love to watch this program in the morning as iam having 
    my morning coffee, i get more laughs from watching this than the simpson's,
    it so much fun when he says he is feeling someone out there right
    now who is wanting a new house, if they just send the 1,000
    dollars, they'll have their new house !
    i fall to the floor laughing with no control every time he talks
    like this .

    i like the trick  they use when they have the phone noise in the back 
    ground ringing all the time of the hook, like pretending hundreds of 
    thousands of people are calling to send their money and they cant keep up 
    with it !

    sometimes i record this program, and every time i feel a need to laugh i 
    put it on and just start cracking up .

    /nasser