I try to keep an open mind, but I also don't, as my father put it, let the spaghetti fall through the sieve. I love my friends, but it is often hard to watch them make the same mistakes over and over again, knowing full well that they believe in fraudulent claims over facts.

I don't enjoy seeing the likes of Deepak Chopra, Oprah and Jenny McCarthy take money for lies. They are entertainers, and when they try to be more than that, they only degrade their profession and distort the truth. They make a lot of money off selling wild conclusions, inappropriate actions and disregard for basic decency. The way they go about gathering information and giving guidance to the public is the opposite of responsible, accurate and rational.

What is sad is when dear friends look at me like I have just placed a large skunk on my head if I make counter arguments. There is always a friend, a sibling or a spouse who saw it on Oprah, or worse, heard it on KRFC. It is disheartening to see them pursue a course of action based on charlatans and people who think they know more than they do. Oprah has screwed up so many times I can't even count. Chopra is only a man, and his ego is out of control. McCarthy... well she has problems with reality, and that's all there is to it. But these folks have experts lined up behind them, and that is even worse.

I am not perfect, but when a claim is made by someone who is selling something, I have to question it. Or at least listen very very carefully to what they are really saying. There are bad researchers out there. There are gawdawful physicians who are out to make a buck at your expense. There are people who have developed cockamamie contraptions designed to line their pockets with money.

My dearest friends - you are being had. I am not the bad guy for calling bullshit. I know you want things to be true because they fit with your outlook on life, but just for once, I'd love it if you considered that the unexplained phenomena we experience aren't because of dead people. I'd love it if you researched the people who say that vaccines are more dangerous than not vaccinating And although it may feel good for a while, realize that vibe machines do nothing for you past a temporary endorphin effect (if that).

Human beings are an odd bunch. We see faces where there aren't any,and gravitate towards adrenalin and hormonal highs. We also experience dreams and visions, create positive things for our lives and make a difference in the world. They are meaningful to us, and I love you for respecting those experiences. We do it with the power of our hearts and thoughts and actions.

But we don't have to buy the whole story of ghosts, false versions of quantum theory and alternative remedies . We also have tremendous minds that can cut through the ooh-look-something-shiny! to see the truly good in the world and steer clear of the bull.