Autumn Stringam's book tour 2007

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    Autumn Stringam is Tony Stephan's daughter. She's been busy promoting the latest version of her autobiographical book, Promise of Hope.
    It was published in September 2007 by Harper Collins, a major Canadian publisher.

    The publisher also rolled-out a video on YouTube.com, and one of Autumn's brothers claims to have placed a dozen or so copyright videos on YouTube as well. It would appear that this is in violation of copyright laws.

    So far, she's been on radio stations in major markets, and articles have appeared in most large regional newspapers. Of course, most references to those who have questioned her story about Empowerplus over the years have been left out. Harper Collins seems to have trained her well in the art of public presentations.


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    Synergy Group - True Hope or True Hype?

    EVALUATING TONY STEPHAN, TRUEHOPE,
    & THE SYNERGY GROUP OF CANADA,
    Part 2

    Tony Stephan & the Synergy Group of Canada keep insisting that Harvard is researching their "breakthrough" product E.M. Power+.

    Sorry folks, NO research at Harvard. Because of all these wild claims about research, the Office for Human Research Protection investigated and sent a letter to Charles Popper MD, and McLean Hospital, a Harvard affiliate and they all agreed that Popper has done "no research" on E.M. Power+.

    If there wasn't any research being done on E.M. Power+ by Harvard or any physicians affiliated with it, why did Synergy keep claiming it was?

    Did Anthony F. Stephan post this message?

    "I was invited to view the discussion for Apr 8-10 regarding TRUEHOPE, the CNS brain disorder research taking place in Canada and the U.S. at four universities. (Researchers and scientists are participating from the University of Calgary, University of Alberta, University of Utah and Harvard University)."

    Why would this person think Dr. Andrew Stoll, also of McLean Hospital, was involved in a study on E.M. Power+?

    Did Truehope claim this and why?

    "Harvard medical school tried to duplicate our formula with some of the most expensive pharmaceutical machinery. The supplement they created only did approx 30% of what our did."

    Dr. Andrew Stoll said this is false.

    Barb Kovac seems to be under this mistaken impression too.

    Why on earth would she write this:

    From:  "Brent & Barb Kovac"  
    Date:  Thu Apr 19, 2001  12:07 pm 
    Subject:  Vitamin toxicity 
    

    For those who have expressed concerns about any higher levels of toxicity, please know that Dr. Charles Popper and associates at Harvard University, before they agreed to become a part of the Synergy research studies, tested the levels of all the vitamins and minerals at the 32 capsules per day dosage and found NO TOXICITY, even for small children.

    Bottom line, this product is just "food" and is not toxic.

    I also wanted to comment on one other thing. Searching for a maintenance dose is an individual thing. What works for one may not work for another. But if you start to see any symptoms coming back then you probably need to increase the dosage. Also as children enter puberty you may see an increase in symptoms and need to increase their dosage again. With all the hormonal and chemical changes that will occur at that time in their life, they seem to need more supplements. We really do believe that these disorders are simply a "mineral deficiency" disorder and when given consistently, the disorders will disappear and there will be no need for any drugs ever again.

    Hope this helps.

    Barb - TrueHope Assistant, American TrueHope Center

    Interesting but here's the latest word on vitamin and mineral toxicity from the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Science:

    Check for yourself.

    Why on earth did she keep claiming that Dr. Popper was researching E.M. Power+ with Bonnie Kaplan?

    Here's an e-mail:

    From:  "Brent & Barb Kovac"  
    Date:  Mon Apr 30, 2001  3:37 pm 
    Subject:  HARVARD UNIVERSITY / UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY ANNOUNCEMENT
    I have just been in contact with the CEO of SYNERGY (who happens to be my brother) and he advises the following: Doctor Charles Popper (Harvard) and Doctor Bonnie J. Kaplan (UofC) presented a "closed" lecture addressing their research findings about TrueHope's nutritional supplement E.M.Power to the Society for Pediatric Research in Baltimore on April 28. SYNERGY was not invited to be part of this presentation and was unaware that this was to be closed to the media.

    Please understand that these Doctors are not doing the research as SYNERGY employees but rather are working as scientific investigators studying the SYNERGY product and how it advances alternative nutritional care for CNS disorders. They must remain at arm's length in order that the orthodox psychiatry community will accept their research.

    Doctor Charles Popper (Harvard) and Doctor Bonnie J. Kaplan (UofC) will be making a similar presentation to the Society for Biological Psychiatry in New Orleans on May 4. This will be an open meeting where the media will be present!!!

    As information about the Baltimore and New Orleans presentations becomes available, I will let you know.

    Sincerely, 
    Barb - TrueHope Assistant 
    

    Here is the real description of what Bonnie Kaplan of the University of Calgary presented in Baltimore to the Special Interest Group on Complementary and Alternative Pediatrics:

    "Our group has planned a broad-based and provocative set of case presentations for the morning of 4/28/01, starting at 8:30 am. The format for each speaker's 40 - minute presentation will be 10 minutes for case description, 20 minutes for background information, and 10 minutes for questioning of each speaker....
    The second speaker, Bonnie Kaplan, PhD, a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Calgary, has a fascinating story to tell about how a new "chelated mineral supplement successfully treats mood instability in children and adolescents".

    No Dr. Popper; no lecture that was "closed to the media", just a "fascinating story"....

    So why does she keep saying these ridiculous things?

    
    From:  "Brent & Barb Kovac"  
                    Date:  Tue May 1, 2001  4:27 pm 
                    Subject:  UPDATE ON HARVARD PRESENTATIONS 
    

    I have just been advised that the reason the media were not allowed into the Baltimore Society for Pediatric Research Conference to hear Drs. Popper and Kaplan, was that the Doctors in charge did NOT want the media involved. Draw your own conclusions.

    Drs. Popper and Kaplan have also advised that the media will be present at the New Orleans conference starting this Friday.

    In addition, Doctors from Harvard and the CEO/President of SYNERGY will be holding a number of open door Seminars in the greater Boston area on May 9th and 10th.

                    Barb - TrueHope Assistant 
    
    

    "Draw your own conclusions"? eh? Hmm.

    Barb Kovac then claimed that Bonnie Kaplan and Dr. Popper would be presenting "their" research on E.M. Power+ at the next academic convention:

    "Doctor Charles Popper (Harvard) and Doctor Bonnie J. Kaplan (UofC) will be making a similar presentation to the Society for Biological Psychiatry in New Orleans on May 4. This will be an open meeting where the media will be present!!! "

    Did they? Of course not.

    Bonnie Kaplan of the University of Calgary et al. NO Charles Popper. No Harvard.

    You'd figure that at some point people would start to get wise to this act, and start asking pointed questions. This person did:

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: "" 
    To:  
    Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2001 3:45 PM 
    Subject: Re: [Synergyforbpkids] www.healthwatcher.net/quackerywatch/synergy 
      

    Given that we have not even been able to really try Synergy because of Katie's inability to swallow or consume the capsules, I obviously don't have any reason to promote Synergy but I simply can't believe that there is any ill intent at work.

    All that said, I really would like to know why Dr. Popper has not publicly acknowledged that he is part of a clinical trial even if he won't/can't release results. I do think the Harvard name would reassure a lot of people that there are legitimate researchers looking at the product.

    > snip

    Barb Kovacs answers were totally ridiculous. Some of our favorites are:

    
    From:  "Brent & Barb Kovac"  
                    Date:  Thu Jun 21, 2001  6:06 pm 
                    Subject:  Re: [Synergyforbpkids] www.healthwatcher.net/quackerywatch/synergy 
      
    

    FYI: Dr. Bonnie Kaplan of the University of Calgary and Dr. Charles Popper of McLean Hospital, Harvard University, have tried to publish. For example: for some strange reason, the editor of one prominent medical journal, after reading their report, cancelled their article.

    Today they are secretly working with another publication and hopefully that will make it past the scrutiny of influential (and maybe influenced) eyes.

    Barb Kovac 
    Synergy AMERICAN TRUEHOPE CENTER 
    barb@t..." 
    
    

    Give us a break. Who would believe this? Doesn't she realize that Charles Popper is a founding editor of the of Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology?

    Does she really believe he would have ANY problem getting an article published?

    We wonder why they keep making these ridiculous claims.