I though I’ll start a series of posts (which I hope I will be able to fill each time) with a few interesting links I came across the past week, without much commentary:
The German TV magazine HörZu reports in its current issue about „fortune telling on TV“ on AstroTV and Co. under the headline “collusive game” (everything translated by me):
“But in truth, the pendulum swingers and card readers want one thing above all others: the money of those seeking counsel.”
They also mention a woman who spent 38.000 € in one year for phone calls and became indebted beyond hope.
I wouldn’t have anything to add to that if it wasn’t for the chairman of the German astrologers association, Dr. Schubert-Weller, being also quoted (emphasis mine):
“TV formats, hotlines and similar things in which astrological counsel is being offered raise considerable doubts in respectability. The time just is insufficient to properly understand the concerns of the consulter and work on a trustworthy horoscope.”
Horoscopes trustworthy, respectable? Pah! At most in the following sense, and the choice of the word “work on” above seems appropriate:
Let’s quote (and translate) more, this time from the (German) text of the GWUP about astrology (emphases mine):
“From a scientific point of view, any form of astrology appears unsustainable. […]
The quality of astrologic life coaching is highly depending on the competence of the astrologer, in any case, the astrologer does not take any information from the horoscope, instead he puts the information into it. By this, he can, of course, achieve correct statements and sensible advice. This just has nothing to do with astrology, it only feigns a “higher” legitimation of the statements and advice for the customer than a normal psychologist conducting a counseling interview.”
I think it’s a pity that despite all enlightenment, education and today’s life’s modernity there are still so many people who believe in zodiac sign influences & Co.
Sorry for writing about lotto again, I’m kinda annoyed by that topic too, but since there are people who believe that future lotto drawings could be calculated – like one here in the comments (in German), who kindly provided some details when I asked him by e-mail, thanks a lot – I consider it quite appropriate to go into that.
So this is Mr Galluzzo’s comment, translated by me:
So if you make it more precisely, you would have to give away many details, and who gives anything away would be quite stupid.
You can only learn something if you’re playing yourself.
You don’t have to play lotto in order to look at the numbers, and you can learn without spending money on false hopes, too.
One could also learn by e.g. attending a course or buying/renting a book about “Probability calculation for beginners.” Isn’t there one in the “for dummies” series (whose title is never intended to offend…)?
I think that you are no player, if you were a player with experience, you wouldn’t write such stupid stuff, I already said that.
Oh, yes, the biiig secrets and experiences of “experts”, yeah, sure. As if that would change anything about no lotto drawing depending of the preceding drawings.
Now into more details:
» Click here for all my articles about lotto
Lotto? Again?? Well, thanks to the high jackpot in Germany, that topic is popular – number 1 also in my search request statistics (after my fun post about certain pantiless antics got kicked out of Google’s index [for a few days]). And some enlightenment can’t hurt… in brief:
Lotto numbers cannot be predicted!
More precisely: If your predicted numbers are drawn, that’s just coincidence, because the drawings are random. Those who claim otherwise, please try to prove it…
I came across another specimen of prognoses on miracles.ch (German) – based on “numerology” (Wikipedia article). Or what’s been made to look like it. In addition to horoscope-like spesifications based on date of birth etc. and “lucky numbers” derived from the name you enter (1 for A, 2 for B,… 26 for Z 
), this site with a web design from the last millennium also offers a “lotto number prognosis” for German and Swiss lotto. Quote (my translation, trying to reproduce spelling mistakes 
):
The Lotto Miracles Predition, is unique and Fantastic. Here you can have your personal and current lottonumber prognosis according to numerology generated every week and again and again new Miracles Lottonumber prognoses for the next Lotto 6/49 drawings.
No, not this one here. It’s the “Conservapedia”, self-proclaimed “trustworthy encyclopedia” with lots of information “information” and “educational” articles of American arch conservatives. At least that’s what Skepchick Rebecca – she also created a nice graphic for this award – says with regard to the Conservapedia’s statistics:
Most viewed pages
1. Main Page [1,951,628]
2. Homosexuality [1,811,919]
3. Homosexuality and Hepatitis [518,399]
4. Homosexuality and Parasites [453,067]
5. Gay Bowel Syndrome [429,888]
6. Homosexuality and Promiscuity [422,592]
7. Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence [374,457]
8. Homosexuality and Gonorrhea [332,264]
9. Homosexuality and Anal Cancer [294,854]
10. Homosexuality and Mental Health [294,226]
Update 27 Nov: Apparently these numbers were “slightly” fudged using bots, for the fun(?) of it – see the comments at Infothought. It seems, though, that the folks from Conservapedia don’t mind (see comment from the “anonymous coward” loc.cit.)…
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