Before I get started, I need to tell you all I've changed my mind.

No, not about "shutting down" on December 26h, 2007 if we don't have any success in getting the bus, that's still a "go"... but regular readers may remember when I blogged about getting a Decepticon sticker for the bus... which I thought was cute (making the bus "appear" -ha ha- as an evil robot in disguise...) but I've changed my mind... Oh, I'd still get that sticker...

..but..

THIS ONE is a must!

With THIS sticker, we could park the bus ANYWHERE and have an entire re-enactment of a Civil War battle with MONKEYS!!!

Confused? Click here!

...and now onto the post I had already written for today...

I'm fighting a troll of sorts...

...on the PSICAN message board...

...who's gone on about this blog and what I'm trying to do.

For those unfamiliar, a "troll" is indeed a fairytale character who lives under a bridge and eats goats... or a poster to a message board hell bent on getting a reaction to or from someone or everyone.

As for "ridding oneself of a troll", there's three options...

#1: Kill and smite the troll with a mighty sword.

That's fine... if indeed, the creature is living under a bridge and eating your goats. This, unfortunately, is not a good method for the online form of "troll" and not at all recommended.

#2: Win the troll over to your side.

Believe it or not, I have had SOME limited success with this... but usually, the troll hits below the belt... and is after a "flame" response and nothing more. Some of them might even agree with your thoughts and ideas... but need to scream ME! ME! ME! and trying hard to get attention using nasty little comments legitimate or not.

#3: Starve the troll.

This works for both types of trolls... either keeping your goats away from the bridge will force the real troll to move on to "greener pastures"... with the online flavour, like a screaming bully in an empty schoolyard, when they realise they're not getting a reaction and no one is listening to them, they too usually move on to greener pastures.

Therefore, the most effective remedy for trolls is... Don't Feed The Trolls.

But I couldn't help it...

If I may share...

The fellow was on the message board complaining that I made "fun" of The Committee for Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal... or CSICOP. CSICOP had recently changed and was under a "banner" of another group, CFI (Centre for Inquiry) which had an overt atheist agenda... or, the more euphemistic, "Secular Humanist" agenda.

Even more recently, for no better reason than "Just 'Cuz", CSICOP changed it's name to Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (which, yes, they now want us to call them CSI... as in CSI Miami or any of those series...)

Now, credit where credit is due... they FINALLY removed "science" from their name... which is accurate because science is not a strong suit with them. CSICOP (or Crime Scene Investigations as they are now known,) is not really "scientific" as they are deniers and auto-debunkers of things... Effectively, you say "YES", they will say "NO" and claim that no real person of science would agree with your stance. In other words, unlike real science which works from a neutral, agnostic stance, (less the observations be corrupted,) CSICOP (Crime Scene Investigations) works from the negative immediately.

To quote Stanton Friedman, "Why investigate? CSICOP has proclaimed!"

Now, I have to point out one other thing... CSICOP (Crime Scene Investigations) has also been merciless schills to fill their coffers... they need funding and bad. How bad, you may ask? So bad, apparently, that they have lawyers available to GO OVER YOUR LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT so that you can ensure the you MAKE A GRACIOUS POST-MORTEM DONATION TO THEIR CAUSE.

That's not a joke, above.

Ergo: No, I'm not a fan of CSICOP (Crime Scene Investigations) and I wondered allowed (on the message board) if their "name change" is to give them "greater brand recognition" that will generate more "donations"... (post-mortem or other.) In other words, will the wanna-be intellectual-by-laughing-at-the-woo-woos, while trying to pretend we understand things scientific marks throw even MORE money at them because, now, their name is cool.

Wanna see what I mean? Click here.

I also wondered how CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Alliance Atlantis felt about their "name" (CSI) being usurped... and yes, they HAVE trademarked that name.

Well, lo and behold...

On the PSICAN message board, I got this...

Considering the source, after reading a little more through your website, the integrity of PSICAN I.F. should be questioned, since you, the director, panhandles online in order to buy a double decker bus. I'm sure if you tried that on the street of your home city you would get odd looks.

The above was the comment I got.

...my response...

You're correct... which is why I'm trying online.

Trust me, if I thought I would have success without any help, you wouldn't hear about it... I'd just do it. I need help... but again, I'm doing it privately.

Had you read through the whole thing, you'd have noticed that I don't "sell" my studies for money... I also don't say "Give to PSICAN and I'll get a bus"... I also don't offer to have my attorneys look through your will to get me a bus...

Question: How can PSICAN be questioned if in my personal life, I'm trying to save an antique bus?

Should they be concerned as I'm a War of 1812 re-enactor as well and occasionally, the groups I "work" with make and/or ask for money?

Perhaps they should be very worried as I work for a mortgage company?

Oh, I've given donations to the following groups from my paychques (I don't collect on from PSICAN, Torontoghosts, Ontarioghosts, GHRS, or any of the "paranormal" sites or groups) to The United Way, The Canadian Cancer Society, The Heart and Stroke Foundation, Crohns and Colitis, and The Toronto Humane Society... should they be worried that I put my money toward that?

OH! There are banner ads to The Canadian Cancer Society and The Crohns and Colitis Society on the main page of the Torontoghosts and Ontarioghosts sites... should we be concerned?

Also, why a personal attack? Are the facts and information not enough?

...wait a second with all this... can't fight the facts so...

...where have I heard this before...

"If one can't attack the data, attack the people. It is easier."
- Stan Friedman (about CSICOP's method of "argument".)

Look, if I said, ANYWHERE that helping me save an old bus IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO PSICAN (other than a thwarted attempt to grab one FOR the group a while back... and even then, nope,) then I'd agree... but even then, that was CLEARLY marked as a personal endeavour...

You want to think I'm a little crazy for this bus stuff... go right ahead! You certainly wouldn't be alone.

...and again, no where in my PERSONAL bus endeavours did I say, "WRITE ME INTO YOUR WILL!" or "SEND US MONEY FOR THIS OR WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO OUR WORK!"

...can CSICOP (Crime Scene Investigations) say the same?

Yup, I fed the troll.

So far, the troll hasn't responded... they might... considering the above is only about 30% of the conversation, there's a chance that there may not be a comment... or, considering I mentioned that I do praise REAL sceptics and even sceptical groups... but had a low tolerance for pseudo-sceptics who are nothing but armchair deniers.

On the post, I also shared this "sound byte"... it's Ufological in it's base... Dr. J. Allen Hynek commenting on dealing with Dr. Carl Sagan... and Sagan's "take" on UFOs... I really suggest listening to it...

Click here to hear it... it's an MP3.

I guess what bothered me is that I realise that this whole enterprise is... well... a little kooky.

I can also, honestly, say that I never expected a character assassination based on my efforts when it came to my other work in the paranormal combined with the bus dream.

I always saw these things as different entities...

Sure, like this, I do comment on the paranormal here on the blog... but beyond that?

I guess it was a case of any port in a storm and the troll needed SOMETHING to "bolster" his attack.

Perhaps, and many do, the “troll” assumed that Sue and I made our living with our paranormal work… which is not true.

Am I a little nuts? Quite possibly... but considering I've had kudos for my efforts in the paranormal from everyone to sceptical (REAL sceptical) groups and those who would be considered by some to be overly credulous types alike...

...and not until now was one attacked using the other.

Did it bother me?

Not really... actually, not at all... in fact, I do recognise what the person was doing...

They couldn't "defend" the efforts of CSICOP (Crime Scene Investigations) so they went for a "sore spot" here...

Did it work?

No...

I know I've spilled more "digital ink" right now on this then perhaps warranted... but hey, it's a blog... and this is what it's for... expressing what's on my mind.

...and yeah, that was what was on my mind.

If you want to see the whole thing, and I do invite you... please click here... you WILL need to be a "member"... but don't sweat it... the board is run by Sue and myself... and we honestly DON'T "spam" or sell your information... it's safe and registration is FREE.

...in fact, ALL the information we do for our efforts with paranormal studies is free...

...but hey, I am trying to rescue a bus... and make a dream come true... so my work must be pointless, right?

The standard last note on the old blog... PLEASE SUPPORT THE DREAM!

This blog is here to help promote a dream that an entire family shares... that dream is to rescue an old London Double-Decker bus.

Please, if you have a few minutes, take some time to find out more about this bus and the kooky dream by clicking here.

This bus is VERY special to myself and the whole family, and any help any person can lend us would be most gratefully accepted.

If you or someone you know might be interested, there's our tiny banner site, HelpCoverTheBus.Com and a PayPal donation button (see the upper-right hand side of the blog) and, of course, a Cafe Press shop for T-Shirts and shtuff!
(...and who doesn't need some shtuff!)

Please help us make this dream a reality and save a piece of history!

We thank you for your support!

Please Note: We are also hoping for help from a public relations/marketing standpoint... If you might be able to assist OR know someone who might be willing to, please click here and read this entry...