The James Randi Educational Foundation has
announced the 2003 winner of the Pigasus Awards.
http://www.randi.org/jref/pig2003.html
"Category #1, for the government official who said or did the silliest thing
related to pseudoscience or the occult in the year 2003, goes to South
African Minister of Health Dr. Manto Tshabala-Msimang, who claimed, and
continues to claim, that treatment with "garlic, herbs, and liver" is not
only most efficacious in the treatment of HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis, and other
deadly diseases, but is far superior to Western medicine. She also believes,
in agreement with Thabo Mbeki, President of the African National Congress
and President of South Africa, that AIDS is not caused by the HIV virus. The
death rate in South Africa has soared, with an estimated 5.3 million of its
45 million people (12%) now HIV-infected."
Category #2, for the "psychic" performer who fooled the greatest number of
people with the least talent in 2003, goes to Sylvia Browne, for a record
year chock full of appearances on TV shows in which she blathered and
dodged, offering useless and irrelevant comments to vulnerable persons
seeking genuine help and comfort. She also predicted that Saddam Hussein
would be found dead in 2003. Sylvia shares this award with Larry King and
Montel Williams, her willing cronies in this heartless deception. The naïve
victims of this scam can buy a 30-minute telephone reading by Ms. Browne for
$700, during which they will learn the names by which they were known in
previous incarnations, and will be advised on what foods they should eat..
No refunds.. "