Uri Geller

Also run your fingers very smoothly Up and down the object Barely touching the metal Stroking it tenderly While repeating in your mind "Bend . . . Bend." --Uri Geller song/poem Caressing the silvery fork, the young Israeli demonstrated his unusual gift. After a few moments the flatware was bent like a dog's leg. Psychic power, said Uri Geller. A gaggle of Time magazine editors, professional skeptics and scandal seekers all, looked on in bewilderment. Then Geller left.

Those of us who grew up in the 1970s probably remember a popular psychic named Uri Geller, who was always on TV back then, bending spoons with his brain, correctly guessing the content of people's doodles and generally blowing the audience's mind. But who could have guessed that his powers would eventually warp free speech and copyright law in the 21st century?

Those of us who grew up in the 1970s probably remember a popular psychic named Uri Geller, who was always on TV back then, bending spoons with his brain, correctly guessing the content of people's doodles and generally blowing the audience's mind. But who could have guessed that his powers would eventually warp free speech and copyright law in the 21st century?

Psychic Uri Geller and two partners have bought the Tennessee house that Elvis Presley lived in before moving to Graceland. The winning bid was $905,100 on EBay, he said Monday. "We are unbelievably pleased. This is a piece of history," Geller said by phone from England. "We intend to restore it to its old glory. We would like to bring sick children there [for tours], Palestinian children, Israeli children, American children," the Israeli-born Geller said.

You missed James Randi's entire point. A bank robber holds a gun, the bank tellers, customers, and security guards see the robbery, the bank's video cameras record the robbery, the police arrest someone right on the spot . . . and yet he or she is still called "the alleged bank robber" until proven guilty by a trial. Uri Geller should be called an "alleged psychic" until it is definitely proven that there is such a thing as a psychic and that Uri Geller actually is a psychic.

Psychic Uri Geller and two partners have bought the Tennessee house that Elvis Presley lived in before moving to Graceland. The winning bid was $905,100 on EBay, he said Monday. "We are unbelievably pleased. This is a piece of history," Geller said by phone from England. "We intend to restore it to its old glory. We would like to bring sick children there [for tours], Palestinian children, Israeli children, American children," the Israeli-born Geller said.

Psychic spoon-bender Uri Geller sued Nintendo for hundreds of millions of dollars Wednesday, claiming that the Japanese game maker turned him into an "evil, occult Pokemon character" by naming a monster in the blockbuster cartoon series after him. And both he and his lawyer suggested that there were elements of anti-Semitism in the character's depiction. Geller, a former Israeli paratrooper famous for using mysterious mental powers to bend spoons, said that Nintendo Co.

APART FROM THE FACT THAT THEY CAN HATCH WITHIN MINUTES AFTER contact with water, brine shrimp are unappealing creatures. They're ant-sized and translucent and bear a striking resemblance to sperm. Yet brine shrimp packaged as "Sea Monkeys" are currently sold as children's companions, and portrayed on their boxes as pink, pear-shaped simian creatures with spindly legs, paunches and coy smiles. They are one of the most impressive achievements in the annals of marketing.

Two days into the new television season, NBC announced a prime-time schedule change Wednesday, saying it would replace the Wednesday-night edition of "Deal or No Deal" next month with "Phenomenon," another competition series. "Phenomenon" is scheduled to premiere at 8 p.m. Oct. 24 and will run for five weeks, then "Deal or No Deal" will return to the time slot, an NBC official said. "Phenomenon" is based on a hit Israeli series and will be hosted by Criss Angel and Uri Geller.

Toad the Wet Sprocket is a band of simple and somewhat fragile charms, and on record its gentle, wistful pop songs can drift by without much impact. In the Fairfax High School auditorium on Wednesday, however, the Santa Barbara-based band muscled up its sound with harder guitars and vibrant, lively vocals. Even for skeptics, it was hard not to be coaxed into the sunny mood of the performance.

Psychic spoon-bender Uri Geller sued Nintendo for hundreds of millions of dollars Wednesday, claiming that the Japanese game maker turned him into an "evil, occult Pokemon character" by naming a monster in the blockbuster cartoon series after him. And both he and his lawyer suggested that there were elements of anti-Semitism in the character's depiction. Geller, a former Israeli paratrooper famous for using mysterious mental powers to bend spoons, said that Nintendo Co.

Re "The Psychic . . . and the Skeptic" (Sept. 13): It's sad and somewhat embarrassing that the best story the Los Angeles Times could find to feature on the front page (and fill two full pages) of the View section is about Uri Geller and the Amazing (James) Randi. For 20 years these two have been enjoying a mutually satisfying relationship debunking each other and using the media to promote their highly profitable dog-and-pony show. Honestly, in a city with the cultural and ethnic diversity--not to mention the sheer size--of Los Angeles, The Times assigns a writer to do a feature on this?

Also run your fingers very smoothly Up and down the object Barely touching the metal Stroking it tenderly While repeating in your mind "Bend . . . Bend." --Uri Geller song/poem Caressing the silvery fork, the young Israeli demonstrated his unusual gift. After a few moments the flatware was bent like a dog's leg. Psychic power, said Uri Geller. A gaggle of Time magazine editors, professional skeptics and scandal seekers all, looked on in bewilderment. Then Geller left.

I'm afraid that Fox's expose of magician's tricks ("What's This Guy Got Up His Sleeve?," March 3) is a mean trick in itself, but wouldn't it be wonderful if Fox came up with a series of similar debunking programs, programs that are sorely needed to educate our paranormal-believing public? Showing the tricks of the so-called psychics that daily con a large number people to part with their hard-earned money would be a good start. Exposing Uri Geller's spoon-bending trick would be another good one. And how about astrology?