Psychic Offers Up Vatican Tabernacle for a Mere $22,000.00
The Face of Greed
Yours for $22,000 (call Cathy)
To be fair and avoid upsetting anyone with the drama a few of my past posts on such matters have incurred when I blew the whistle on “alleged” fraudulent activities like this one; “Cathy Stevens of Hawthorne Psychic Shop in southeast Portland, Oregon is being investigated on possible theft charges pending further investigation.” She’s not been arrested yet. I tried to call the telephone number that is shown in the news video of her shop, but not surprisingly “this number has been disconnected and there is no new number.” I guess I’ll have to put off that down payment on my tabernacle.
In an interesting side note: If you have seen the film, “Nightmare Alley” (1947), this is exactly what phony medium Stanton Carlyle (Tyrone Power) attempts to accomplish with his chosen mark, business tycoon Ezra Grindle (Taylor Holmes.) They even call their swindle a “tabernacle.” Perhaps Drakar would have benfitted from watching this film. Cathy Stevens sure did.
And From the Add Insult to Injury Dept:
www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/05/portland_man_accuses_hawthorne.html: reports that soon after Druella’s case opened, Portland police raided both the psychic shop and Stevens’ residence on Northeast Weidler Street, rented from former Police Chief Ron Still to investigators’ surprise. Ha! Is this not the best situation comedy premise yet? You just can’t write better satire than this. What was Druella thinking? What was Ron Still thinking? Were they thinking at all?
“It’s certainly evident from the search warrant affidavit that police hold religious animus against my client and her heritage,” said Neidig, pointing out that a heading in the police affidavit reads: Gypsies and Fortune Telling Fraud.
The Much Cheaper Plastic Tabernacle Kit (around $19.95)
Heritage? We all know there’s a rich heritage of fine upstanding citizens up in Portland who do exorcisms, dispose of negative energy in Hummers and chase out demons for cash, don’t we? Neidig called the affidavit shocking, for “characterizing a certain group of people as being swindlers and fraudulent.” You got that right Mr. Neidig. Stevens is just a misunderstood saint right? We must all be blind to look at her photo and not see her halo. Again, the religious freedom angle is being invoked to sanction the lowest of the low in our society. Will we ever figure out a way to prosecute these criminals? Don’t some of the Religious Right see this kind of blatant con as “taking the Lord’s name in vain” or something equally disrespectful to their cause? Because if they don’t and they continue to ignore abominations like Stevens and her ilk, to do so makes them look just as bad as the worst of the frauds they pretend to be so far above. Common sense should suggest legal action. I loathe hypocrisy and know I’m preaching to the choir here, but I’m just reminding everyone where I think skepticism should be aiming its arrows. J-walk.com adds humorously: “I don’t understand what the problem is. Surely Cathy Stevens has the right to practice her religion.”
Closed Until Futher Notice
Right.
It took a huge red flag to finally get Druella to wake up, but by then it was too late:
“Druella says the 39-year-old woman was so convincing, he didn’t realize he was being scammed until he heard Stevens launch into the same story with another client.
‘That’s when it all went ‘click, click, click,’ said Druella, 42, who called police in November and is now filing for personal bankruptcy.”
Click, click click.
Drakar Drusella: Wishes He Could Warn People: I Think He Just Did
No doubt Ms. Stevens will be driving home from the courthouse in her new Hummer.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
“People are suing Ms. Cleo for fraud! I’m thinking ‘Fucking DUH!’. What, did you need a blind tarot reading before you realised? It’s like buying Hair-Care products from Cher: She’s wearing a wig, you idiot!”
- Robin Williams
AND THIS JUST IN: For your FREE TAROT READING in the tradition of Appolonius of tyana: Go to YouTube: sgerbic themarkedward : YOUR FREE TAROT READING WITH MARK EDWARD
Druella isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer 150 large? The word maroon seems appropriate.
No Gwen I wrote the word I meant. Thanks for the English lesson but Dionigi is correct about the etymology of the word.
Maybe ‘moron’ was the word you were looking for? Maroon has a different meaning.
From the Urban Dictionary:
maroon
term of derision often uttered by Bugs Bunny when referring to an interaction with a dopey adversary. It is a mispronunciation of the word “Moron”
“What a Maroon!” “Will ya get a load of this maroon”
@Gwen
As in master sage Bugs Bunny “What an ultramaroon”
One minor point (that in no way disputes your argument) — the Catholic “tabernacle” image you give as being worth “$22,000″ is the Kaaba and around it the Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca. That is, the most holy place in Islam — which, quite obviously, has nothing to do with Catholicism.
Opppps. Hope I didn’t offend. I’ll replace it with something more “Catholicy” later.
How about the Mormon Tabernacle? :P
I’m sure there are plenty images from various parts of St. Peter’s basilica which would serve the purpose – it would even be in the Vatican city then.
I’m basically an atheist so you didn’t offend me. I just worry it might distract from the message of the post if people notice the error.
The fact tha people like Cathy Srevens can hide behind religion is the message of the post. Stop worrying and DO SOMETHING!
Fixed that. Please note the new cheaper plastic do-it-yourself model.
Cathy Stevens is in Santa Cruz California where she has 3 shops.
But, but, but she looks so trustworthy.
Batter up Jose?
Hmmm…this photo seems to indicate someone beat me to it.
That’s so sad; people just shouldn’t believe in voodoo. Kids should be raised believing in con artists rather than believing in fairies (including the grand fairy in the sky). The whole thing reminds me of that episode of The Simpsons which involved a pet psychic and a whole carload of dog toys.
No drama this time . . . though the off-the-cuff physiognomy (“shifty eyes”?) leaves something to be desired. As you say, mug shots could make anyone look like a perp.
It’s not obvious from this post, but is the whole “persecution” angle taken by the defense connected with the use of the term “Gypsy” in the case? Is anyone assuming that, because Stevens reads palms and drives negative energy off into the hills with a Hummer (thereby converting negative energy into carbon dioxide?) she must be of Romany heritage?
I can hear the argument now, an example of what I call the Glen Beck fallacy:
Hitler persecuted Gypsies.
Stevens is a “Gypsy”.
Therefore, anyone who criticizes Stevens is just like Hitler.
I still like the quote, reportedly from a Midwest police officer “No fortune tell has ever looked at my palm and said ‘You’ve from the bunco squad, here to bust me’ “
What! Cher wears a wig?
I know!!! Shocking isn’t it. I also heard a rumor about plastic surgery, but I dunno… ;)
I heard that her voice is auto-tuned.
Freedom of religion is fine, but this woman seems to be crossing that line into “testable claims,” when a fraud does that, the freedom of religion is off IMHO.
Mark wrote:
“And it only cost him $22,000.000! What a steal. Drakar is now bankrupt to the tune of somewhere near $150,000.000 and….”
Um, do you mean twenty-two thousand, and perhaps fifteen thousand, or do you really mean twenty-two million and one hundred fifty million?
Mark also said:
“Take a close look at Cathy’s face. Notice the shifty eyes and that twisted upper lip that comes so close to being a sneer. Could anyone with half a brain sit down and trust their life savings to a face like that?”
Aw, c’mon, man, give me a break. You remind me of nutters who say that kind of thing about any face they want to demonize. This person is clearly shifty/shady enough without this kind of trash talk make-believe demonization. Shame on you.
I just assumed Mark likes to count his half pennies, which is why he goes to 3 decimal places. It still looks like 22k and 150k to me.
In America, the dot is a decimal separator.
I’m sure Cathy Stevens know how to doll up her face to plaese suckers like Druella. Problem is, once the lipstick and mascara is wiped away and the real face peers through, there is much to be gleaned from a careful study. This is presentlt called phisiognamy, the study of which has itslef gone through many interpretations:
Wikipedia says:
Physiognomy (from the Gk. “physis” meaning ‘nature’ and “gnomon” meaning ‘judge’ or ‘interpreter’) is the assessment of a person’s character or personality from their outer appearance, especially the face. The term physiognomy can also refer to the general appearance of a person, object or terrain, without reference to its implied characteristics.
The credence of such study has varied from time to time. The practice was well-accepted by the ancient Greek philosophers but fell into disrepute in the Middle Ages when practiced by vagabonds and mountebanks. It was then revived and popularised by Johann Kaspar Lavater before falling from favour again in the 20th century.
It is now being revived again as some new research indicates that people’s faces can indicate such traits as trustworthiness, social dominance and aggression. The latter trait seems to be determined by the level of the hormone testosterone during puberty, which affects the ratio between the height and width of the face – aggressive individuals are found to have wider faces.[1]
Physiognomy is also sometimes referred to as Anthroposcopy, though that was more common back in the 19th Century whence the word “anthroposcopy” originated.
It is not my intenetion to “demonize,” just pass along some common sense. Call me a nutter if you wish.
I don’t see shifty eyes in the mug shot, nor would I expect to see them. I associate shifty eyes with shy people, and super sincere puppy dog eyes with pathological liars.
She just looks like she hadn’t had her coffee yet to me.
Ah, so it’s a reputable science like Phrenology and Astrology.
Kind of sounds like that’s what he’s arguing doesn’t it.
/scratches head in confusion
But physiognomy is serious! It was employed by no less a personage than Captain Robert FitzRoy, who didn’t like the shape of young Charles Darwin’s nose, so nearly refused to sign him on to the crew of the HMS Beagle . . .
Wow! Well, we’re all suckers for something, at least according to P.T. Barnum, anyway’s. I can’t think of a time when I was taken for that much! This is really sad. Guy’s life is toast, bankrupt.
Do the police have bunco sqauds today? Is there anyone championing consumer protection against psychics, snake oil, and the like, or are those days long gone?
I don’t know about long gone but things have certainly changed. It’s been many decades since the AMA and government agencies really nailed the snake oil salesmen. To help keep ‘em away in the future I think we’ll need to make the medical frauds substantiate their claims or pay out huge sums of money. Some thought has to go into killing the practice of using weasel words on labels too – but that’s a really tricky one.
Bernie Madoff set the bar so high,that nowadays everyone else looks like a piker.I can hear the cops now: “You lost 150K? Meh.
So, have fraud laws taken the place of a dedicated unit in law enforcement? As much as I hate to say it, the accused attorney may have a point (legally) with “religious freedom” Does anyone know what the, legal, difference is between fraud (I’m guessing a consumer activity, with all the “buyer beware” caveats) and religious freedom?
Man, I wish I could say “Meh” to 150k. ;-)
I don’t see how a “religious freedom” gimmick will work. It looks like a pretty clear case of fraud to me – intent to deceive, blah blah blah. Also, you can’t simply make up a religion on the spot; there are requirements to be met. I can’t even remember if these are state, federal, or requirements at both levels, but include such things as a minimum number of adherents and so on.
“Does anyone know what the, legal, difference is between fraud (I’m guessing a consumer activity, with all the “buyer beware” caveats) and religious freedom?”
This is exactly what I would like to know. If you pass the plate at church, is that the same as getting you to buy four Rolexes?
It seems that either nobody cares about this distinction or it hasn’t ever been an issue – which is hard to believe but not impossible. Who can help us here with some legal answers?
Once again- I throw out a perfectly logical question to the group, and no answers are forthcoming. Again – sad.
Maybe an attorney that specializes in consumer protection would know? I really don’t feel comfortable commenting on the law, considering I know little about it. Does anyone have a lawyer friend, or family member?
On a totally unrelated subject, Mark, do you know if there are any courses offered on stage magic and scientific method i.e., the magician in the lab.
PS I was able to find this, but it is rather vague, and doesn’t cite any legal document. I guess it’s a start:
Definitions
In evaluating claims of “persecution” and “intolerance,” it is helpful to keep the following definitions in mind:
Religious Freedom
The freedom of individuals to believe in, practice, and promote the religion of choice without (government) interference, harrassment, or other repercussions – as long as practices based on, or resulting from, those beliefs do not break the law (e.g. do not encourage or result in fraud, tax evasion, murder, terrorism, acts designed to undermine the government or the constitution, the use of unethical persuasion tactics, etcetera).
Religious Persecution
The practice of discouraging religious freedom and the freedom to express and/or promote all or certain religious beliefs – with repercussions ranging from discrimination and harassment to prevention and prosecution (by legal and/or illegal means). Does not cover legitimate legal measures designed to prevent and/or prosecute illegal practices such as fraud, tax evasion, murder, terrorism, acts designed to undermine the government or the constitution, the use of unethical persuasion tactics, etcetera.
Religious Intolerance
a) Refusing to acknowledge and support the right of individuals to have their own beliefs and related legitimate practices.
b) Also, the unwillingness to have one’s own beliefs and related practices critically evaluated.
The following do not constitute religious intolerance:
Excercizing the right to challenge a religion’s claims (e.g. regarding alleged compatibility with, or superiority over, other religious beliefs)
Condemning and disallowing illegal practices
Rejecting a movement’s claim to be a ”religion” when there is sufficient evidence showing religion is used as a cover (e.g. the Church of Scientology).
Religious Tolerance
Acknowledging and supporting that individuals have the right and freedom to their own beliefs and related legitimate practices, without necessarily validating those beliefs or practices.
From: http://www.apologeticsindex.org/r04.html
I teach a magic class myslef where the focus is on critical thinking and how to evaluate claims and bogus “miracles.” I have taught various areas including stage magic since the 1990′s and although I love the stage and the smell of greasepaint, the lure of fake mediumship and the cons of the wily spiritutalist have always been my passion. Please read about my books at my website http://www.themarkedward.com or if you are in the L.A. area; new magic classes start up again on September 15th. As an aside: my new YouTube video: “Your Free Tarot Reading with Mark Edward” is now up and running.
Here’s the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cHl81nArng
Cool beans. I’ll look it up.
I doubt the religious shtick will stick – she’s not practicing a recognized religion. Otherwise you’d get every fraud claiming that their religious freedom is being infringed. From a philosophical point of view, the churches passing a platter along do not have an intention to deceive (1. most of those folks, including the ones collecting money, have deluded themselves and 2. most of that money is spent on things the congregation approves of anyway). In the case of this psychic, it is clear the intention all along was to deceive and fleece the guy of his money. Did any money go into purchasing a tabernacle as claimed? To what purpose were the Rolex watches put? What is the hummer actually being used for? That’s just for starters.
I wanna know where the nutter got all that money from in the first place? Seems odd that he earned it or had it for years and just suddenly he got stupid like this. He must have inherited it and got it suddenly.
Maybe he prayed for it?
I want one of those. Unfortunately it appears I’ll have to wait 5 to 10 years before my order can be filled.
I happen to have had a few confidence artists in my family (we politely call such relatives “carnies” just to make them sound a bit classier), but as far as I know none of them have stooped to the level of psychic.
as soon as a “psychic” tells you you’ve got a curse on you and/or asks for more money, WALK OUT. it would also help if, upon wandering in to a “psychic’s” place of conning – oops, i mean business – if the mark – oops, i mean customer – SAID NOT ONE WORD. NOT A SINGLE, SOLITARY WORD. NOT EVEN A PEEP. surely a “psychic” need not communicate in the usual fashion. and per haps one might present the fraud – oops, i mean “psychic” – with a list of questions – written in LATIN, a “dead” language used mostly by scientists to name things. surely a “psychic” would be able to “see” the meaning of the words of this “dead” language. or one might present the list of questions in the current every day language of the day, with such questions as – “what did i have for break fast to day?” “what color are my under pants?” “am i even wearing under pants?” “be fore coming here, i wrote a few numbers on a colored piece of paper and put them in my pocket. what are the numbers i wrote down and what color is the paper upon which i wrote them?” (for this one, be sure you have NOT written numbers, but letters in stead – a “psychic” should know this). and at the bottom of the paper, just for fun, write a brief note appealing to the “psychic’s” sense of greed – “if you get EVERY ONE of these answers right, i will give you a bajillion dollars.” show them how much money they lost be cause they can’t answer the questions. that’ll make ‘em mad.