THE ART OF LYING

Donald Trump tosses out lies...all the time.  Actually, worse, for they are abhorrent, appalling, atrocious, dangerous, dreadful, horrendous and worse.  He is a pathological liar, psychologically known as mythomania.  When The Amazing Randi lies, it is mostly for a good purpose.  Who is Randi?  I'll get to him later.

Here, from Health Encyclopedia of the Rochester Medical Center:

For your birthday, your aunt knits you a sweater that is, well, downright hideous. You tell her, 1) “I'd go out in an army blanket before wearing that;” 2) “It would look better on a peacock;” or 3) “It's beautiful, Aunt Sylvia! I really need a sweater.”

If you chose the third response, well, you’re a liar. Don’t feel bad, however. If the truth be told, most of us lie to some degree, especially when faced with an alternative like hurting the feelings of poor, good-hearted Aunt Sylvia. 

Some of us, however, lie so often that we don’t realize it. That’s when it becomes the sort of problem that may need professional help. So, what’s the difference between being diplomatic and being deceptive? 

The most common fibs are relatively harmless ones. They’re minor evasions told to prevent hurting someone’s feelings or to prevent conflict. For example, you say “Of course, I’m not angry you were 40 minutes late.” Behavioral experts seem to agree that these lies told with the intention of not hurting someone's feelings are acceptable in moderation to preserve social harmony.

Further from that encyclopedia:  Lying has consequences. When someone finds out you have lied, it affects how that person deals with you forever. If your spouse lies, you may be able to work it out in therapy, but an employer is not likely to forgive.

What about American voters?  What makes Trump so special that his proven lies are acceptable to his supporters? How is it possible that this serial liar could well be re-elected president of the United States?  What is wrong with our country?

I just watched on Prime An Honest Liar, and you too can view the whole movie by clicking on THIS.  Released a decade ago, Rotten Tomatoes gave it 98/88 ratings.

The movie documents the life of James Randi, who was born in Toronto, Canada in 1928. The Amazing Randi is a scientific skeptic, a de-bunkerer of many things supernatural.  He has denied having any paranormal powers or abilities, but says he uses lying to expose liars.

Early on, he was a good magician and escape artist, rivaling Houdini.  Has written ten books.  Exposed a variety of faith healers, hoaxes spiritual mediums. homeopathy and the like.  Randi says there is pseudoscience, like parapsychology, and crackpot science, which has no scientific pretensions.

As the film moves on, Randi gained in 1972 international spotlight by challenging the claims of Uri Geller, who appears again and again in this documentary.   Randi wrote The Truth About Uri Geller in 1982.  In many ways, this back and forth over time mostly inflated Geller the charlatan.  Geller sued Randi in 1991, but lost.  Randi had to use most of the $272,000 from a MacArthur Foundation for the trial.  He has, however, not lost a cent in all the suits.

Back in 1976 Randi helped form the Committee for Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, which published the magazine, Skeptical Inquirer.  On the Board was Martin Gardner of Scientific American, Paul Kurtz, Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan.  I subscribed for several years, but stopped because I just had too much to read.

Other history:

• In the 1960s, he lived in Rumson, New Jersey, featuring a sign on his house that read:  Randi-Charlatan.
• In the 70s and 80s supported seven foster children.
• Became a naturalized citizen of the U.S. in 1987.

• 
  Doesn't drink nor smoke nor take drugs.
• In 2010 came out as gay.
• In 2013 married his partner, Jose Alvarez, also gay, who was arrested for passport problems and almost deported.  Randi saved him from that.

• 
  Died in 2020 at the age of 92.
• Despite his ferocity in challenging all forms of nonsense, was a kind and gentle man.

Randi inspired Penn & Teller, who themselves entertain through magic and being scientific skeptics.  They began playing Las Vegas in the late 1970s, and continue today in The Rio as the longest running headliners at the same hotel in Vegas history.

His James Randi Educational Foundation offers a prize of $1,000,000 to anyone able to demonstrate a supernatural ability under scientific testing.  No one has even passed the preliminary test.

The most unlikely-looking rock star, a janitor, ended up becoming champion of America's Got Talent this year.  Portly Richard Goodall from Indiana first appeared on the show performing Journey's Don't Stop Believin'.  Got a Golden Buzzer from Heidi Klum (in this photo).  He was my favorite with that audition, and I'm somewhat surprised he won because he is the antithesis of the talent on AGT.  

Watch him showcase his voice last night with Neal Schon and members of the current Journey band.  Schon is the only remaining member of Journey, which formed in 1973, 51 years ago.  I can see some major Las Vegas venue picking up this combination for a long stay.  Oh, Goodall also got married this past week.

Hurricane Helene is now up to 80 miles per hour, is expected to strengthen into a Category 3, and make landfall on Thursday over the Florida Panhandle, just south of Tallahassee.  This could become the capitol city's most severe hurricane in 150 years.  Rainfall should also affect the  western coast of Florida to Tampa, and no doubt the New York Mets baseball game on Thursday and Friday for sure will be cancelled.  But that will be nothing compare to tgw expected floods and possible twisters.

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