Reply With QuoteDamn, there goes my summer holiday.Originally Posted by kmj
By true to it's name do you mean that the predictions he makes are not faked by the methods exposed on this forum?
That's to say most of the time he just makes vague predictions and wait for his hundreds of fans to find meaning in them. These are not very impressive.
The when he wants a big impressive hit he creates a page on his website with a picture on it. He links to that picture on and e-mail and only later when events transpire does he upload a new picture displaying information that wouldn't have been publicly known when the e-mail was sent. We know he does this as the picture stores a date and time in the file which we have seen is after, for example the lottery draw that he sucessfully "predicted"
Where are you coming from here? TD17 claims he's an ex-police officer. The only way that's relevent is that he knows procedures and has serving contacts which facilitate getting certian things done.
It appears that he has indeed got things done. I don't recall him claiming to have done a background check on Brian or have access to such information.
What? were you asked for money for the uk skeptics site? I never have been.All you have done td17 is to use a cheap credit check software you a** and are decieving people on this forum. Oh and I "couldn't care a kipper" what you think of me. But I dare say you will start another hate thread, and I will not be donating to either site especially this one. Where is the evidence of expendeture for this site hey?
We are all allowed an opinion!.
Damn, there goes my summer holiday.
Better sorry than safe.
I believe this could be just you. He is not inciting anything, just merely stating what he believes. He is showing all of those people on his site that he is 'strong' and 'determined' man.
If he was to show any weaknesses then people would start to give up on him wouldnt they?!
Why? Why? Because it has shown the world the corrupt Portuguese Police, the fact that nobody turned up to the scene until 2 hours later...... its a mystery what has happened. Unbelievable almost that there isn't a trace of evidence that she has been snatched.... wandered off.... or anything. Maybe the fact that there is no leads? That nobody can be trusted? That ANYBODY could be involved? Or because her parents are suspects? Everybody wants to know the next instalment in the Madeline case, as like it was said before everyone is turining into armchair detectives and want to be right..... x
It's not *that* unbelievable. Real Life isn't like CSI.
If someone wearing gloves opened a door, picked up a child and left, they could easily leave little or no evidence.
The only evidence may simply be that the child is no longer around, and that can fit all kinds of scenarios, which is why so many conspiracy nuts can invent all kinds of fantastic explanations.
No, not at all. His followers are displaying 'True Believer Syndrome'; a form of Cognitive Dissonance.He is showing all of those people on his site that he is 'strong' and 'determined' man.
If he was to show any weaknesses then people would start to give up on him wouldnt they?!
When someone believes in something and contradictory evidence comes to light they can either:Cognitive dissonance (mental discomfort, if you like) can be reduced by adopting one of these two positions. True Believers opt for option (2) and go on blindly believing.
- Change their belief to match the evidence; or
- Ignore or dismiss the evidence out of hand and continue believing.
The first example (AFAIK) that was looked at by psychologists was a case in the 1950s where a small group of religious followers were told by their leaders that the world was going to end on a certain day with massive floods etc. The followers, of course, would be saved - by spacemen who would come down to rescue them. They gave away their possessions, quit their jobs, and such like in preparation for the momentous day.
Of course, it never happened!!
So what did the followers do? Not what you'd expect rational people to do - they actually became more devoted to their leaders!
It seems that once a belief system is bought into by many people nothing can persuade them that it's false. The cognitive dissonance that arises from contradictory evidence is simply reduced by ignoring or dismissing that evidence and the belief continues.
This is what I see with the followers of Brian Ladd.
It's quite clear to anyone with the slightest impartiality that he's a complete fraud. And what is even more interesting with this True Believer Syndrome is that the people he's defrauding are the very ones who believe in him (i.e. the ones supporting him and sending him money).
Of course the True Believers will just ignore this, but if anyone's wondering why people continue to believe someone who's known as a complete fraud, have a read of this: True Believer Syndrome. It seems ridiculous, but that's humans for you!
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But even if somebody did wear gloves... how did they get into the apartment without waking the other two children? Why did Madeline not scream when seeing a strange man in her room? How did he get in if the door was shut and the metal shutters were down? If the door was locked .. how did the 'abductor' know this? Why is one of the Tapas 9 saying she saw a man with a small child and did not raise the alarm then? However being completely contridicted by another holiday maker saying that SHE wasn't even near the apartment to see anything - so why lie??
A mystery.
With respect, I don't think this thread needs to turn into a discussion about how Madeleine disappeared.
There is already one under the General section, and there are many other sites where people talk about nothing else.
Whether the Portuguese are incompetent or whether the parents are being devious, or any other talking point you care to mention, none of these has anything to do with the basic fact that Brian is a fraud. And that's what this thread is about.
Mousse from a bowl is very nice, but to put it on a person is demented!
[quote=When someone believes in something and contradictory evidence comes to light they can either:
[LIST=1][*]Change their belief to match the evidence; or[*]Ignore or dismiss the evidence out of hand and continue believing.[/LIST]quote]
But sometimes when he writes things and says that he has had dreams and RVs or whatever about Madeline and her whereabouts this is actually the same as what other 'psychics' have been saying which is obviously making him seem more believable to his followers. Some of the things he has said about his dreams have fitted in with speculation about the case. eg. He said months agi that people on the inside of the investigation would begin to drop out and when this happens then the suspect will have nowhere to hide. Well this has happened. Investigators left right and centre have been taken off the case or resigned etc. How could he have possibly predicted that? I mean that isnt something common that happens with most investigations is it? And he wrote about that MONTHS before anything was to come out about that not days or hours.....?
Children can sleep deeply.
We don't know that Madelaine did not cry out - we have no information at all about what happened.
There are conflicting reports about whether the apartment was securely locked or open.
There is confusing information about this 'witness statement', and the identikit picture is shockingly poor as to be worthless. If someone entered the apartment to abduct the child, it is most likely they will have watched the apartment for a time - at least to ensure the adults had left. It is unthinkable to me that they would then leave the child uncovered; walk past a more populated area; walk in the same direction they would probably have seen the adults leave in.
This case has been so high profile mainly because of how the parents initially handled it - regardless of the extra juiciness for the press of a 'helpless' british couple abroad. The parents insisted on getting her face put out globally, and pushing the profile as high as possible. It is additionally unfortunate now to hear on the news today that there are claims made as to the misuse by the parents of the money provided by the public for the reward fund.
Whether true or not, it keeps the case high profile, and further swallows up the publicity, and goodwill, that other families may be seeking in the search for their own loved ones.
Raise money for Robert and Susan Lancaster:
Fundraising for Robert Lancaster
I was writing to say why I believe that this is a mystery which is why there has been so much speculation in the press about this little girls disappearance to back up what I had said previously. Rhetorical questions that did not require an answer. Not a discussion about why or how she disappeared.
Because it is mysterious. Everything you have mentioned at the top - the contradicting reports, the reactions from the parents, the lies, the 'suspect' drawing only seen by one person. The fact that it has been 6 whole months and the Portuguese Police do not have one concrete lead. All adding mystery which is why it is so high profile. Its mysterious.
You're forgetting the fact that there's strong evidence (the dates on the pictures he posts) that Brian's a fraud. The fact that his postings a similar to some psychics (frauds?) demonstrates nothing. There's been so much speculation on this matter by self claimed psychics that it would be impossible for all to disagree. If there is a strong correllation between what certain psychcics are saying then have you considered the possibility that these supposed psychics are all frauds using simlar methods to arrive at their predictions.
Surely the important thing is wether they can make verifiable predictions?
Brian singularly hasn't done that. His lotto prediction was shown to be a fraud.
Hanf on we can only verify one part of that prediction. That the investigative force has slimmed down. I have no knowledge about what suspect you are talking about or wther they are sucessully hiding.
Erm? You what? How many investigators have the police current assigned to the jack the ripper case? What about Jenny Abbot? I don't claim to be an expert on police procedure but my impression was that as time goes on the case becomes less likley to be resolved and resources are removed from the case. Logic tells me that it's impossible for this not to happen eventually.
So he made a prediction that would eventually have to come paritally true. Surely you're not impressed that it took MONTHS for the partial truth to be verified.And he wrote about that MONTHS before anything was to come out about that not days or hours.....?
May I ask if the verifiable part of the prediction coming true has convinced you of the remainder of this half truth?
If in a hypothetical case there weren't any leads after the first few days, just where would you expect leads to come from?
Thinking of UK cases which stayed unsolved for years or decades, (eg until DNA started being of use), I'd imagine that in them almost all the information was found, or at least secured, within the first day or so. Beyond that point there was quite possibly little the police could have done.
I have to admit, I am a little disappointed that Brian has now been handed the perfect excuse not to go to Portugal. I was interested to see how long he could keep trotting out his excuses before his whole flock became completely disallusioned and left.
Now he has the sympathy vote, poor brian would have been arrested and so can't possibly go! His raging xenophobia against the Portuguese is justified and, of course, he must of been very close to the truth or he would never have been threatened in this way. It's a win, win situation for him and how many of his loyal band will actually bother to reclaim their donations? not many I fear.
Brian lives to con another day, reputation in tact, electricity bill paid.
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