I See A Tall Dark Stranger

The Liberals' campaign to take control of the city gets nuttier than a fruitcake with their anointed 'deputy mayor' Keith Douglas consulting his live-in 'psychic' girlfriend, Zandra Marie de Vere.

Oddly enough Douglas describes their work in his now defunct web site as:

We specialised in business intelligence, market forecasting and risk assessment and built a very successful operation that became a resource for businesses, companies and entrepeneurs throughout Asia. Royalty, Government Ministers, Ambassadors, famous actors and performers became clients, friends or aquaintances.

Um okaaaaaay.

Pity she couldn't foresee the future when interviewed last August when Douglas announced his intention of standing for Gold Coast mayor:

THE parapsychologist partner of mayoral candidate Keith Douglas has delved into the future and says her man will win.

By January 10, 2008 Douglas announced he was joining the Liberal Party as candidate for Division 3.

Zandra Marie de Vere said: "If things stay the way they are he will get in.

Didn't she see that one coming?

"But I do feel that there could be two more men to enter the race, and possibly a woman which will make things more challenging."...

Calling Tom Tate a woman? Ouch. Tate stood down from a local Chamber of Commerce to campaign in December.

...Ms de Vere said she gained her powers after being struck by lightning as a six-year-old.

She was left temporarily blinded but claimed that within 24 hours she was
able to visualise the location of the bodies from the Moors Murders in England.

Really?

I'd have thought if she could do that there would be no need for another psychic muscling in on her turf in 1995.

She also claims to have helped the cops on the Yorkshire Ripper case, but according to Google there are no other references to it so one supposes we'll have to take her word for it.

So how good are her predictions? According to her she's brilliant. According to this report from The Skeptic she's a, well we'll let them put it in their words shall we?

Indeed it doesn't require extensive research to prove that Zandra-Marie has bungled nearly every prediction she has made.

That's gotta hurt.

...The pair live high above the city in their Main Beach penthouse overlooking The Spit but both are quick to point out that both have worked hard to amass their fortune...

I'll bet they have. On her web site Madam Zandra has a minimum charge of $175 for an e-mail, $150 for an MP3 (add $10 if you want it on CD), $150 for a 10 minute phone call ($10 per minute thereafter).

And these are the people that the Liberal Party want running the city of the Gold Coast - a booze 'n' bikini tout and a flake. Sheesh!

-- Nora