If my effects are merely "placebo" I think after 2 years since my stent surgery (ample time for such an effect to wear off) I'd even more confident in the reality of my improvement.

This uncritical treatment of international election observation, however, ignores a more complicated reality: that monitors can have both positive and negative effects.

Amazingly, the reality distortion field seemed to be effective even if you were acutely aware of it, although the effects would fade after Steve departed.