A "legitimate" psychic hotline

Karen Stollznow, associate editor of the Australian Skeptic, demonstrated how easy it is to become a telephone and email psychic. She recently received the following correspondence from an ex-employee of the same psychic company (Absolutely Psychic Network) in response to her article:

Hi Karen

I commend you for this website. Indeed there are many psychic networks that are questionable. I know because I have worked for PRN, Psychic Friends Network and other networks as well such as Psychic chat and psychic source. Psychic chat owns a sex club and psychic source has another hot line that markets sexual hookups. But I think you should cut some slack to Absolutely Psychic because they are no where near the sleeze bags in the market. APN is 1 thing and 1 thing only: TESTED PSYCHICS. Now, in my humble and respectful opinion, being offered a contract is much different than being able to maintain it. Calls are monitored and client feedback factors into maintaining the position. This is the equivalent of marriage. Walking down the aisle doesn’t guarantee you a successful marriage. But a person of your great merits knows that and I don’t need to elaborate in any further because you weren’t contracted by them.

Freedom of speech is a great liberty but the written word doesn’t always portray the entire or accurate story. For this reason, I will extend my liberty in free speech as I have worked for Absolutely Psychic Network (APN) for 7 years and have found it to be EXCELLENT.

As for the 2nd person who alleges to have worked for them, I can only say that if she researched the market she would notice that Absolutely Psychic Network/Absolutelypsychic.com (APN) offers the highest pay scale. They have given me a raise every year and gift card for such long years of service. Independent contractor work liberates one to pursue other career paths simultaneously. If she doesn’t have other venues of expression, then sure frustration is possible. But I believe that the universe may be trying to say something to that person. I’m 51 years old and have been around the block longer for quite some time.

Namaste
Belle

This email is really quite inane the whole way through. However, notice how 'Belle' tries to make this particular psychic service from the other "sleazy" ones by pointing out the others also run sex lines. It's an attempted Poisoning of the Well towards the other psychic hot lines, as if that has anything to do with Absolutely Psychic Network. Isn't that equivalent to being the best player in the worst team (pick any sport)? So we have a Red Herring as well.

"Belle" also attempts to "prove" her case with the False Analogy with a marriage. As Jef and I said with our podcast on false analogies, the problem with analogies in argument is how easy it is to turn them around, back onto the advocate.

"Belle" said:

Now, in my humble and respectful opinion, being offered a contract is much different than being able to maintain it. Calls are monitored and client feedback factors into maintaining the position. This is the equivalent of marriage. Walking down the aisle doesn’t guarantee you a successful marriage.

I.e. Karen might have fooled the APN to get the contract initially, but they'd have worked out she was a fake eventually. But, of course, I've been told that there are women who manage to fake it with their husbands throughout their entire marriage...