On Fortune Tellers

I once had an interesting discussion after being asked by a non-Christian friend about fortune telling. I told him that I could get a higher percentage of predictions picking weekly winners in the NFL than any psychic he could name. He agreed that would probably be true if I were matched against people who only claim to be psychic. But then he asked, “Denny; what about the real deal? What do you think about someone who really can read the future, someone like Jeane Dixon?”

I was glad he asked because I had done a bit of research into the matter, including details on the lady who has (to date) been America’s most famous seer. “Well,” I began, “the late Jeane Dixon was certainly the most celebrated fortune teller of my time, mainly because of her syndicated newspaper column. But there were her books too, astrological guides that included charts for dogs, cats, your daily meals and so on. But I’m afraid I’ve got to disappoint you. Mrs. Dixon couldn't tell the future better than anyone else. Just check her record. In reality, she wasn’t a fortune-teller; she was only a fortune-guesser. And not a particularly good one at that.”

My friend seemed skeptical. “How then did she become so famous?”

I replied, “How did Tiny Tim become famous? Because he was talented? Of course not. Johnny Carson, the National Enquirer, and the rest of the media make people celebrities for all kinds of goofy reasons. But in Jeane Dixon’s case, I can assure you, her star status wasn’t something she earned. She simply gave away a huge amount of predictions and then conveniently remembered only the 10 or 15% that could be liberally interpreted as coming true."

“No kidding?”

I gave him a few examples. “When Mrs. Dixon just started to cash in on the popularity of horoscopes and fortune-telling in the early 50’s, she made a pretty famous prediction. She said that World War III was going to begin in 1958. That error cooled her jets until the tabloids of the 60’s were looking for wild attractions. They hauled Mrs. Dixon out again. She promptly assured Americans that the Vietnam conflict would be over by 1966. She was only nine years off, poor thing. Must have been a short in her crystal ball.”

“She also predicted there would be a cure for cancer in 1967. She predicted Fidel Castro would be overthrown and tossed out of Cuba in disgrace before the year 1970 was out. Of course, Cubans were waiting for that fulfillment 50 years later. She predicted there would be universal peace by the year 2000. And how about her confident assertion that Russia would be the first nation to put men on the moon?”

“But hey; I can't forget my favorite,” I finally added. “On October 19th, 1968, Mrs. Dixon predicted that the last thing on Jackie Kennedy’s mind was any possibility of remarriage. And then, bingo, the very next day, headlines announced to the world the wedding of Jackie and Aristotle Onassis.”

No, I assured my friend, I would feel no pressure from a prediction contest with even a “pro psychic” like Jeane Dixon. “We would all be in the guessing game together. The fact is that there is only one source of accurate, dependable information about the future.”

“I know, I know,” my friend said laughingly. “Forget the psychic hotlines and read the Bible instead.”

I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Bills Before Nebraska Lawmakers: Sexual "Orientation" and Casino Gambling

The Nebraska Family Alliance wants to pass along news about two important bills that are currently under consideration by the Nebraska Unicameral. In a 90-second video clip below, Dave Bydalek summarizes what’s been happening with those two bills. It’s good.

But I wanted to also pass along a written report (plus action desired) that was sent out by the NFA.

LB 485 — Sexual Orientation Protected Class in Employment

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

1) The Judiciary Committee VOTED 4-3 AGAINST a motion to move LB 485 out of committee this week.

2) Senator Conrad, who introduced the bill, has vowed to continue to push for another vote on the bill at a later date.

3) Your involvement played a major role in defeating the bill. Would you take a moment to thank Senator Christensen, Senator Davis, Senator Coash, and Senator Seiler for voting against this bill? Check out our website for a list of Senators and their contact info here.

4) Read more about how NFA and the Nebraska Catholic Conference were instrumental in delaying the vote in the Omaha World Herald.

5”) Any law must respect every American's freedom of speech and freedom of religion. These fundamental liberties are so precious they are specifically protected in the First Amendment. LB 485 violates these fundamental principles." (Dave Bydalek, NFA Policy Director)

LR 416 CA — Casino Gambling

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

1) This legislative resolution proposes a Constitutional Amendment to legalize casino gambling in Nebraska. Cities would vote on whether to have a casino in their community.

2) At the committee hearing Tuesday, February 11th, only one person came to testify in support of LR 416, with 6 or 7 against.

3) It is unlikely that this bill will be voted out of committee.

4) Read NFA Policy Director, Dave Bydalek's testimony concerning LR416CA here.

Young Adults Are Rejecting the Gamble of ObamaCare

From "A Roll of the Dice" by John Fund, national-affairs columnist for National Review Online.

President Obama is back selling his health-care law with the manic intensity of a late-night-infomercial pitchman who knows that if he doesn’t move the product, it could be discontinued.

Here’s Obama aiming his comments at young people this Wednesday: “The product is good. It’s affordable. This is a big deal, to quote Joe Biden. And if you’re a student-body president, set up a conference on campus. If you’re a bartender, have a happy hour.”

But it’s the president who may need a drink after viewing the latest poll numbers on young people’s attitudes towards Obamacare…

Only 29 percent of uninsured young people say they will definitely (13 percent) or likely (16 percent) enroll in new plans via the exchanges. Despite an avalanche of public-service ads, thousands of “navigators” — glorified sales reps — recruited from Obama-friendly nonprofits, and numerous celebrity endorsements, the product isn’t moving.

The Harvard study found that the president’s job approval among young people is down to 41 percent. A full 57 percent of young people now oppose Obamacare, with those believing it will lower the quality of health care outnumbering those who think it will improve the quality by more than two to one…

In fact, there is some evidence that young people may be more willing to gamble with their future than to buy Obamacare. I live in New Jersey, where Internet gambling has just been legalized… And indeed, fifty thousand people signed up online for New Jersey’s gambling sites in the first week. That compares with 741 who signed up for Obamacare during all of October. Yes, the Obamacare website has been plagued with problems, but the disparity between the two programs is still eye-popping.

Obama Gives Christmas Gift to Gambling "Industry"

The latest gift of the Barack Obama administration to the forces of economic failure and social degradation? Without judge, jury or democratic vote to hinder the, Erich Holder's (choke) Justice Department has just decriminalized much of online gambling.

It ends up to be quite a Christmas gift to the scalawags who run what is laughingly called the gambling industry.

The Obama administration cleared the way for states to legalize Internet poker and certain other online betting in a switch that may help them reap billions in tax revenue and spur web-based gambling.

A Justice Department opinion dated September and made public on Friday reversed decades of previous policy that included civil and criminal charges against operators of some of the most popular online poker sites.

Until now, the department held that online gambling in all forms was illegal under the Wire Act of 1961, which bars wagers via telecommunications that cross state lines or international borders.

The new interpretation, by the department's Office of Legal Counsel, said the Wire Act applies only to bets on a "sporting event or contest," not to a state's use of the Internet to sell lottery tickets to adults within its borders or abroad.

"The United States Department of Justice has given the online gaming community a big, big present," said I. Nelson Rose, a gaming law expert at Whittier Law School who consults for governments and the industry.

The question at issue was whether proposals by Illinois and New York to use the Internet and out-of-state transaction processors to sell lottery tickets to in-state adults violated the Wire Act.

But the department's conclusion would eliminate "almost every federal anti-gambling law that could apply to gaming that is legal under state laws," Rose wrote...

Here's more.

More Letters for Life

Here's a few more from last week's letter-writing party that I described yesterday. As I mentioned in that post, the contact information is available at the Vital Signs Ministries web site for all of you (and I hope there's a lot) who are moved to write a few letters of your own. C'mon, let's do a bit less whining and a lot more shining!

Regarding the support given Planned Parenthood by businesses:

Dear Mr. Watson [Chevron],

Please end your corporate support for Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business.  It is an extremely profitable business (plus it receives government money – another outrage) so it doesn’t need your support.

And a business that kills unborn boys and girls, promotes promiscuity for youth, and lies to both the government and the public about how they’ve misused taxpayer funds doesn’t deserve your support.

Until Chevron ends the bizarre partnership, we cannot patronize your business.  And we’re passing the word.

Regarding internet gambling:

Dear Congressman Terry,

Just a quick word to express my stern opposition to any efforts to decriminalize internet gambling.  The recent debacle with FULL TILT POKER in which the celebrity-owners of the company cheated customers out of millions shows just how dangerous these schemes are – even when they supposedly fit under existing law.  To start decriminalizing this shady, exploitative business would be a disaster.

I write as someone whose family was devastated by legal gambling.  The heartbreak, the financial chaos, and the shame all created a ripple effect which we still wrestle with, many years after the huge losses a family member lost to legal casinos.

Regarding Komen for the Cure's partnership with Planned Parenthood:

Dear Komen officials,

The word is getting out more and more about Komen for the Cure’s inexplicable and shameful partnership with the nation’s #1 abortionist, Planned Parenthood. The good name you have established is eroding in many parts of the community because of this unconscionable link.  There’s absolutely no reason for Komen to be involved with Planned Parenthood.  Please stop.

Regarding the Girl Scouts of America's partnership with Planned Parenthood:

Dear Girl Scouts,

Please discontinue the partnership your once-notable organization has established with Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading abortionist and promoter of promiscuity among youth.

What an irrational and shameful link to establish between the GSA and this ugly abortion business. Please recover your good name by breaking this sad partnership.

Regarding Home Depot's support of homosexual parades, etc:

Dear Home Depot,

After reading material (from several sources) about your company’s over-the-top promotion of
homosexual activism, we must write and inform you we’re no longer patronizing Home Depot stores or services.

Among Adults, Compulsive Gambling Worse Problem Than Booze

The University of Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions (using data from two different studies) published a surprising report last month which concluded that gambling problems among adults are more common than addictions to alcohol.

What might otherwise be an academic debate could have bigger consequences for the gaming industry, which has long fought criticism that gambling creates social ills that go unaccounted for in official statistics. Casinos are subject to high “sin” taxes in states where they are granted monopolies, with some tax money diverted to help problem gamblers. There’s still relatively little money for problem gambling treatment in the United States, in part because it has been viewed by academics and industry officials as rare.

Welte’s research found that the prevalence of alcohol problems peaks at a younger age and drops off significantly after age 21, a similar trend found elsewhere and possibly explained by the fact that young people tend to engage in risky behavior more than adults.

By contrast, the prevalence of gambling problems increases after 21, peaking at ages 31 through 40 and declining slowly until later adulthood, when it falls off significantly, the study found...

The Loser Pays -- But So Do Many Others

A Facebook friend (who is also an accomplished author) asked for comments for an article she is writing about gambling. She wrote, "Casino gambling really isn't that different from tourism in terms of what they add economically. Where are the productivity gains? Writing on casinos this week. Send thoughts."

Here's what I sent along:

Casino gambling produces an awful lot of hell for an awful lot of families. Put a lonely senior citizen, a housewife desperate to win back her losses, or even just a a fellow whose judgment is impaired by the flashing lights and a few martinis next to a casino's ATM machine, one that not only can suck out bank account dollars but credit card debt, and you've got serious and long-lasting grief for many.

Such tragedies are not all that these places produce -- I fully understand that. And I am familiar with the arguments presenting gambling as just another form of entertainment, tourism, revenue gain, and so on. 

Still, for a full picture of the effect of casino gambling, you've got to include the perspective of the cops, the divorce and bankruptcy lawyers, the pawn shop owners, the homeless shelters and the family members who never put a quarter in the slot machines but who nevertheless will be paying for years the gambling bills accrued by loved ones.