One of the stranger aspects of Vegas entertainment has been the return of supposed mind readers and psychics to Strip showrooms. And, to me, worst of all, back in Vegas are the people who claim power to communicate with the dead and then sell that as entertainment. As dubious as entertainment this may be, cheap the experience is not. The ticket prices for the top entertainers in the supernatural circuit beat out even most of the top ticket prices of Cirque's five shows on the Strip.

Today through Saturday, for example, professional future-predictor Sylvia Browne will be performing at Excalibur, with a top ticket price of $137.50. Even more expensive is the bring-out-your-dead clairvoyant entertainer, John Edward, who will be at the Flamingo at  $175 for the top ticket.

In case you can't tell from my tone, I am very uncomfortable with entertainment that proclaims to predict the future or to offer communication to people's lost loved ones. This is religion or at least faith that is being packaged and sold as entertainment in Vegas. We have built a city for tourists' amusement, and the Strip should never be confused as a spiritual haven where wisdom is dispensed from its showroom stages.

Even if you believe John Edward is sincere, how is it righteous to charge people desperate for a message from those they have lost in life $175 for a ticket? This does not, by the way, even guarantee that he will call on you in the audience.

Anyway, by one of those coincidences that inspires faith, the James Randi Educational Foundation will be following John Edward to the Flamingo next month when Randi holds his annual skeptics convention to support his foundation. Amazing Randi's foundation is most famous for its Million Dollar Challenge, which offers $1 million to anyone who can demonstrate paranormal powers under scientific conditions and protocols. Actually, Browne agreed to take Amazing Randi's challenge in 2001. What happened? To this day on his website, Amazing Randi keeps track as the years tick by and Browne has yet to fulfill her promise.  Maybe Amazing Randi can come to the Flamingo a bit early this year for the convention and we can finally get the issue resolved with Browne?

Meanwhile, John Edward has refused to take the foundation challenge. That is smart of him. Why would he take the challenge? I mean, on the up side, if he passes, he would get $1 million and show scientists that there really is another world where the dead live. He would also undermine the entire community of skeptics by having famed debunker Amazing Randi proclaim his supernatural powers are authentic. He could make doubters like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins cry in misery and failure, not to mention have the pleasure of telling that smug atheist Penn Jillette, "I told you so!" It might even cause a spiritual revolution in this country. In fact, if Amazing Randi authenticated John Edward's "powers," nothing but great things for the entire world would come from passing the test. It would sure beat a gig at the Flamingo.

Of course, there is a possible downside for Edward if he fails the test. Edward is reasonable if not psychic enough to know the outcome if his ability to talk to the dead were to be tested by the James Randi Educational Foundation. Right now people will line up to pay $175 for the chance that he may call on them in a sold-out showroom at the Flamingo. How many would still come if he failed the challenge?

(Photo by Sarah Gerke)