I'm working on a year in review post, but this topic deserved it's own forum. If you recall, back in June I talked about a Toronto psychic named May Miller, who appeared on the local morning show. She made a series of predictions on that show, which I determined to keep track of in order to gauge her accuracy. And the time has come to do so...
First, have a peek at the list of her original predictions, and my commentary on them at the time, and then come back here and we'll have a look at just how good a "psychic" Ms. Miller is.
Prediction #1: Germany will win the World Cup.
Strike one. Germany lost to Italy in the Semi-finals. Italy went on to win the World Cup, much to my chagrin. It might almost have been worth it for her to have got this one right.
Prediction #2: While the USA will have to contend with several hurricanes this year, none of them will be as bad as Katrina.
Strike two. While this was not a difficult prediction to get right, for reasons I outlined at the time, she managed to cock it up completely. You see, not one hurricane touched United States soil all year. So, while she was right about the fact that Katrina would not be surpassed, the fact that the hurricane season was the polar opposite this year than last is so remarkable that her prediction, as she worded it, can only be called a miss.
Prediction #3: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will marry this year, and have another child. That child will not be adopted, but via a pregnancy.
Strike three. Not only did Brad and Angelina not marry, they made a public statement to the effect that they have no intention of doing so. Also, Angelina, to date, has not become pregnant.
Prediction #4: Jennifer Lopez is pregnant right now. The news will come out soon.
Nope. No news of a pregnant J-Lo. Sorry.
Prediction #5: The morning show interviewer, who is pregnant herself, will deliver her child on July 1st or 2nd.
Liza Fromer gave birth to a baby boy on July 15th, 2006. Another swing and a miss. Where are we, so far? Oh, yeah, zero for five.
Prediction #6: Toronto will have a bad year for shootings, but 2007 will be better due to improved enforcement.
Again, this seemed like a safe prediction at the time, based on a record number of gun murders in Toronto in 2005, and an apparent trend toward the same during the early part of 2006. Unfortunately, for Ms. Miller at least, the trend was not borne out, and Toronto's murder rate returned this year to a normal range, more in line with 2004 and the years leading up to it. Almost half, in fact, of last year's count.
Will 2007 be even better? It's hard to predict based upon the statistics. Toronto has seen a significant increase in gang related violence in the last few years. On the other hand, the per capita murder rate in Toronto has been declining for thirty years. So, your guess is as good as mine...or May's. Still, I have to count this one as a miss based on the first half of the prediction.
Prediction #7: Toronto need not worry about a terrorist attack.
The wording of this one is a bit funny. Not so much as a prediction as a reassurance. Does Toronto need to worry about a terrorist attack? Our politicians seem to think so. According to US intelligence, we are on an Al-Qaeda list of prospective targets. But then again, according to US intelligence, Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, so it's hard to say what that's worth.
In Ms. Miller's favour, we did not have a terrorist attack in 2006. However, the authorities here arrested a number of people who were allegedly engaged in planning one, which incident prompted Miller's comments in the first place.
She would, if asked, however, say that part of the reason we need not worry about an attack is our superior police and intelligence services will prevent any future plans from coming to fruition as well. While I don't agree with her, I cannot argue based on current and past events. May gets a grudging hit on this one.
So, Toronto psychic May Miller's final record on the predictions she made on the Breakfast Television show on June 20th of this year, is onefor seven, or just under fifteen percent. Now believers will trumpet that one hit as being proof of Ms. Miller's awesome psychic abilities, but honestly, would you pay someone for a psychic reading based upon a fifteen percent success rate? If the answer to that is yes, you deserve to be fleeced by this fraud.
In other fraudulent psychic news, it has been five years and nine months since Sylvia Browne agreed to be tested for the James Randi Educational Foundation's Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge, and five years and four months since she agreed to a specific and definitive test protocol. She has yet to come forward and complete the test she agreed to take. For more evidence of Sylvia Browne's bumbling, incompetence, visit StopSylviaBrowne.com.
So there we were, Matt and I, sitting along the side wall, people watching while we were waiting for the show to start, and all I could think of was how many people had cameras with them. The guy on the phone had been adamant that they were not going to be permitted, but as far as I could tell, no one at the door had been looking for them. Indeed, even those in plain sight, like the girl at the front of the line with it hanging on a strap around her neck, hadn't even been given a second look.
Arriving at the club just before 6:30 (doors opened at 7:00, but we wanted a good spot), we were right near the front of the line, behind two women, who were chatting with a young man on the inside of the barricade, and two young teenage girls. The first thing I noticed was the camera hanging around the neck of the woman at the very front. The second thing I noticed was that the guy she was talking to was actually Toby Rand.
Matthew and I are on our way downtown to see a band called Juke Kartel, featuring Toby Rand of the TV show Rockstar: Supernova. It'll be Matt's first rock concert, and he's pretty excited. Full report tomorrow.
