Phenomenon (TV Series)
''Phenomenon'' is an American television competition program judged by mystifier Uri Geller and illusionist Criss Angel and hosted by Tim Vincent which debuted live on Wednesday, October 24, 2007, on NBC. The program featured ten contestants competing to become the next great mentalist, to be determined by viewers voting by phone and online. The contestants performed their effects on celebrity guests each week. The winner of ''Phenomenon'' would win $250,000. On October 30, 2007, during an interview with Larry King about the show, Angel said "No one has the ability, that I'm aware of, to do anything supernatural, psychic, talk to the dead. And that was what I said I was going to do with ''Phenomenon.'' If somebody goes on that show and claims to have supernatural psychic ability, I'm going to bust them live and on television." The winner of the first season was Mike Super. The program was cancelled on April 2, 2008, after NBC announced its 2008–2009 schedule. Episodes One ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Banachek
Banachek (born Steven Shaw; 30 November 1960) is an English Mentalism, mentalist, magician (illusionist), magician, and thought reader. He first came to public attention as a teenager for his role in James Randi's Project Alpha (hoax), Project Alpha experiment, which exposed the lack of objectivity in parapsychology, parapsychology research. As director of the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge conducted by the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), he has since tested the authenticity of many self-described psychics, none of whom has managed to pass scientific control, scientifically controlled tests of their claimed paranormal abilities. Banachek is currently a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, a program of the Center for Inquiry, and the president of JREF. Early life Banachek was born in England and raised in South Africa and Australia. He was abandoned at the age of nine in South Africa with his two brothers, aged one and three, and raised them by him ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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James Randi Educational Foundation
The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) is an American grant-making institution founded in 1996 by magician and skeptic James Randi. As a nonprofit organization, the mission of JREF includes educating the public and the media on the dangers of accepting unproven claims, and to support research into paranormal claims in controlled scientific experimental conditions. The organization announced its change to a grant-making foundation in September 2015. The organization previously administered the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge, a prize of one million U.S. dollars to anyone who could demonstrate a supernatural or paranormal ability under agreed-upon scientific testing criteria. The organization has been funded through member contributions, grants, and conferences, though it ceased accepting memberships after 2015. For several years, the JREF website published the blog ''Swift'', which included news and information as well as exposés of paranormal claimants. Hist ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tia Carrere
Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo (born January 2, 1967), known professionally as Tia Carrere (), is an American actress and singer who got her first big break as a regular on the daytime soap opera ''General Hospital''. Carrere played Cassandra Wong in the feature films ''Wayne's World'' and '' Wayne's World 2''; Juno Skinner in '' True Lies''; Nani Pelekai in the ''Lilo & Stitch'' films and TV series; Queen Tyr'ahnee in '' Duck Dodgers''; Richard Lewis' girlfriend, Cha Cha, in '' Curb Your Enthusiasm''; and starred as Sydney Fox in the television series ''Relic Hunter'', as well as Lady Danger opposite RuPaul in Netflix's '' AJ and the Queen''. Carrere also appeared as a contestant in the second season of '' Dancing with the Stars'' and the fifth season of '' The Celebrity Apprentice''. In addition to acting, Carrere has won two Grammy Awards for her music. Early life Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is the daughter of Audrey Lee Janairo, a computer ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hydrochloric Acid
Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid or spirits of salt, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride (HCl). It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungency, pungent smell. It is classified as a acid strength, strong acid. It is a component of the gastric acid in the digestive systems of most animal species, including humans. Hydrochloric acid is an important laboratory reagent and industrial chemical. Etymology Because it was produced from halite, rock salt according to the methods of Johann Rudolph Glauber, hydrochloric acid was historically called by European alchemists ''spirits of salt'' or ''acidum salis'' (salt acid). Both names are still used, especially in other languages, such as , , , , , , , , , , (''ensan''), zh, 盐酸 (''yánsuān''), and (''yeomsan''). Gaseous HCl was called ''marine acid air''. The name ''muriatic acid'' has the same origin (''muriatic'' means "pertaining to brine or salt", hence ''muriate'' means hydrochloride), and this ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Voodoo Doll
A voodoo doll is an effigy that is typically used for the insertion of pins. Such practices are found in various forms in the magic (paranormal), magical traditions of many cultures around the world. Despite its name, the voodoo doll is not prominent in the African diaspora religions of Haitian Vodou nor Louisiana Voodoo. Members of the High Priesthood of Louisiana Voodoo have denounced the use of voodoo dolls as irrelevant to the religion. Depictions in culture 20th-century link with Voodoo The association of the voodoo doll and the religion of Voodoo was established through the presentation of the latter in Western popular culture during the first half of the 20th century as part of the broader negative depictions of Black and Afro-Caribbean religious practices in the United States. In John Houston Craige's 1933 book ''Black Bagdad: The Arabian Nights Adventures of a Marine Captain in Haiti'', a Haitian prisoner is described sticking pins into an effigy to induce illness. In ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Today
Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * The current day and calendar date ** Today is between and , subject to the local time zone * Now, the time that is perceived directly, present * The current, present era Arts, entertainment and media Newspapers and websites * ''Today'' (Indian newspaper), a defunct afternoon newspaper * ''Today'' (Jintian), a Chinese literary journal co-founded by Huang Rui * ''Today'' (Singapore newspaper), a Singapore English-language digital news publisher * ''Today'' (UK newspaper), a defunct national newspaper in the United Kingdom * ''Today'', a Filipino newspaper that was merged with the ''Manila Standard'' resulting in the ''Manila Standard Today'' * ''Florida Today'' or ''Today'', a U.S. daily newspaper * ''Today Newspaper'' (Gambia), an independent newspaper in the Gambia, West Africa * Today Newspapers, a defunct newspaper chain in Texas, United States * '' Today, the new John Bull'', a defunct British magazine * , an online newspa ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Paranormal
Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Notable paranormal beliefs include those that pertain to extrasensory perception (for example, telepathy), spiritualism and the pseudosciences of ghost hunting, cryptozoology, and ufology. Proposals regarding the paranormal are different from scientific hypotheses or speculations extrapolated from scientific evidence because scientific ideas are grounded in empirical observations and experimental data gained through the scientific method. In contrast, those who argue for the existence of the paranormal explicitly do not base their arguments on empirical evidence but rather on anecdote, testimony and suspicion. The standard scientific models give the explanation that what appears to be paranormal phenomena is usually a misinterpretation ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Guy Bavli
Guy Bavli (; born 1971) is an Israeli mentalist, illusionist, actor and lecturer. He is known for being the first Israeli citizen to win an international magic competition in the United States. He owns the entertainment company "Master of the Mind", based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Early life Guy Bavli was born in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1971. He served in the Israel Defense Forces for three years, when he developed a mind reading act and became a member of the Israeli Air Force Performing Group as an actor and singer, In 2002, he moved from Israel to the United States. Bavli became interested in mentalism and illusions as a source of solace from the divorce of his parents and childhood obesity. He was particularly influenced by Uri Geller, Charlie Chaplin, and Roni Shachnaey. Bavli began performing before audiences at five years of age. When he was eight years old he had his first professional performance at a swimming club in Tel Aviv. Career In 1996, Guy successfully pred ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Russian Roulette
Russian roulette () is a potentially lethal game of chance in which a player places a single round in a revolver, spins the cylinder, places the muzzle against the head or body (their opponent's or their own), and pulls the trigger. If the loaded chamber aligns with the barrel after cocking (with a single-action revolver), or is in the position which will be rotated to the barrel upon pulling the trigger (double-action), the weapon fires. Etymology The term ''Russian roulette'' was possibly first used in a 1937 short story of the same name by Georges Surdez, published in the January 30, 1937, edition of ''Collier's'' magazine: References to the term in the context of the ''Collier's'' story appeared in some newspapers during 1937. The first independent appearances of the term in newspapers began in 1938 with the reports of young men being killed while playing it. The earliest instance appears to have been the death of a 21-year-old former journalism student in Austin, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wayne Hoffman
Wayne Hoffman (born November 20, 1981) is an American mentalist and illusionist. He has appeared on many international television shows and tours the world with his live show entitled "Mind Candy" and his motivational keynote entitled "The Power and Potential of The Human Mind." He also performs a virtual magic and mind reading show entitled "Distant Deceptions." He appeared on America's Got Talent, America's Got Talent (season 10), season 10 (2015) and also appeared in their TV commercial. He appeared on NBC's television show Phenomenon on October 31, 2007. He was a co-host of The A-List on Discovery's Animal Planet. He was also a guest on CNN's television talk show ''Glenn Beck'' on March 25, 2008. He appeared as a guest on ''The Ellen Degeneres Show'' on April 13, 2009. On May 4, 2012, he appeared in a short movie entitled "Epic School Battle" with Steven Tyler and Kiss (band), KISS He also appeared on CBS's Excused on October 30, 2012. He also appeared on Beverly Hills Pawn ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Shandi Finnessey
Shandi Ren Finnessey (born June 9, 1978) is an American actress, model, TV host and beauty pageant titleholder. She is best known for winning the Miss USA title, as Miss Missouri USA. She previously held the title of Miss Missouri 2002 and competed in Miss America, where she won a preliminary award. She placed as first runner-up at the Miss Universe 2004 competition. She is one of three women to have been both Miss Missouri USA and Miss Missouri and the only Missourian to have been Miss USA. Her first runner-up finish at Miss Universe was the best placement in the 2000s and was the best United States placement between Brook Mahealani Lee's Miss Universe 1997 competition victory and Olivia Culpo's Miss Universe 2012 pageant win. In 2002, Finnessey authored an award-winning children's book, ''The Furrtails'', on individuality and disabilities. In the mid-2000s, she was Chuck Woolery's co-host for the game show '' Lingo'' on the Game Show Network. Finessey has also hosted '' ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Miss USA
Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020. In 2020, the organization announced it was licensing operation of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants to Crystle Stewart, who was the Miss USA winner in 2008. In October 2022, Stewart was suspended, and the rights to the pageants were returned to the Miss Universe Organization. The pageants are now operated by Laylah Rose. The pageant was owned by Donald Trump from 1996 to 2015 and was previously broadcast on NBC. In September 2015, WME/ IMG purchased the pageant from Trump. In 2020, for the first time, the FYI network broadcast the competition. In October 2022, JKN Global Group acquired the pageant from WME/ IMG. It is currently broadcast on The CW. The current reigning Miss USA is Alma Cooper of Michigan, who won the title on ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |