205 replies to this topic

[booNyzarC]

Slave2Fate, on 28 June 2012 - 04:11 AM, said:

Mess with the soup-eaters. Nobody likes them anyway.


HAHA just got a funny visual in my head.

[psyche101]

Slave2Fate, on 28 June 2012 - 04:11 AM, said:

Mess with the soup-eaters. Nobody likes them anyway.


HAHA just got a funny visual in my head.

The ones that do not use spoons are OK but........

[bee]

psyche101, on 28 June 2012 - 02:45 AM, said:

Nice omission Bee, why did you not post the very next paragraph from the link I posted? Don't worry, I will take care of that for you

by the same reckoning why didn't you post BOTH further paragraphs when you made the quote....

psyche101, on 28 June 2012 - 03:16 AM, said:

Why does Randi's partner status have anything to do with Randi?

How does a person evading deportation make Randi a fraud? As far as I can see it does not. If Alverez was in love with Randi, and faced losing him he may not have informed Randi of his status. I know many people that would lie rather than be removed from their partner.

How does this affect Randi's evaluation of tricksters?


Or is this a continuing homophobic rant? Because that is exactly what it sounds like Bee. This proves nothing of Randi's abilities or methods, it is a straight out gay attack. You may or may not condone the gay community, that is your choice but it has no bearing on Randi's abilities.

I have absolutely no problem with the gay community.....but it is quite clever for you to twist it into this....the same would apply had Randi's partner

been female. When you make a (second) career going around accusing people of dishonesty you can't expect to have your own dishonesty ignored.

It's pretty clear that Randi was fully aware of the name/identity switch.....this is a quote from a blog about a 1986 article.....


http://zammoth-james...blogspot.co.uk/

Quote

A few feet behind him, David Pena, a young man of about 20, struggles with three large suitcases. One is bright blue with the name "James Randi - The Amazing Randi" printed on it. Hiring Pena to carry bags, arrange appointments and run errands was one of the first things Randi did with his award money.

  Pena, as Jose Alvarez,  went on to be the co-founder and a Director of the JREF........I'm sure you can see the irony of that, psyche..?

Pena was actually sentenced to House Arrest and Probation after being found guilty. There's a question of possible deportation...

but to be honest, after reading some of the stuff about the case and the poor health of Randi...and how much he depends on Pena..

I hope he doesn't get deported. That would be too cruel for them both having been together for 25 years.

psyche101, on 28 June 2012 - 03:39 AM, said:

What do any say Bee? Do they say they have proven the Uri is Psychic or do they say "I do not know how he did that" ?

What does that mean specifically?

You know what that means....it means that science doesn't (or didn't at that time) have an explanation for what Geller did/does.



Aaaaaanyway. I've said more or less everything I want to say on the subject for now....thanks for the exchanges....


.

[Captain Zim]

psyche101, on 28 June 2012 - 04:06 AM, said:

I see what you are saying, I have seen the little cars around with the "Magic Happens" sticker on the back of them. I suspect a member here might have one

Man I wish I could psychically bend a spoon! I'd show them I'd be all ........ hrmmzz ........... what they hell would I do with that ability?

WIN

[Captain Zim]

bee, on 27 June 2012 - 12:13 PM, said:

ok, Captain Zim.....


....he also said this (from your link)


"If, after all this, you ask me whether I believe Uri is a total fraud, I’ll refuse to give a straight answer"


so we are left with some ambiguity...?


.

Arthur C. Clarke is the exemplar of the scientist, which is to say he is humble. Nothing is ever a "fact," it's our best guess. A true scientist is always open to the truth and to admit they were wrong.

And he would say the exact same thing about Uri being a psychic. We know he bends spoons though.

[Coffey]

booNyzarC, on 28 June 2012 - 03:45 AM, said:

It means "magic."  Can't you see this psyche?  Uri Geller is "magical."  I mean, for the love of God, he can bend fricken spoons!  Holy ****!  Spoon bender magician!  Amazing!

I brought him a whole set and he bent the **** out of em!  I was amazed and a little peeved, that set was brand new!  Oh he thought it was funny, but YOU TRY EATING CEREAL WITH A FRICKEN FORK!!!  



Heh.  At least I amuse myself I guess.  

He bends the spoon using Science does he not?

So we can safely say his "trick" he pulle don Braun was Sceince too?

So He was using Science against Braun?

So Braun knows Sceince yes?

Boom.


My conclusion is that braun knew what geller was doing and purposely said he fooled him.

He was trying to "fit" into the western world to save his rear end and finsish his dream. Geller was popular with the western world, so Braun knew it was get people talking etc and accepting him into the western world.

That's my opinion anyway.

Edited by Coffey, 28 June 2012 - 11:53 AM.

[psyche101]

bee, on 28 June 2012 - 07:38 AM, said:

by the same reckoning why didn't you post BOTH further paragraphs when you made the quote....

Because that was at the bottom of the page, I would have had to post a great deal of the website and the UM mods have asked members to refrain from doing so, and to provide a link instead with a brief description, which I did.

bee, on 28 June 2012 - 07:38 AM, said:

I have absolutely no problem with the gay community.....but it is quite clever for you to twist it into this....the same would apply had Randi's partner

been female. When you make a (second) career going around accusing people of dishonesty you can't expect to have your own dishonesty ignored.

It's pretty clear that Randi was fully aware of the name/identity switch.....this is a quote from a blog about a 1986 article.....


http://zammoth-james...blogspot.co.uk/

If you say so.........

What does this tell us? That Alverez changed his name? I know people who have done that but that does not mean they tell me every aspect of their lives, massive assumption there Bee.

If anything, thank you for the link, I shall bookmark it. It does illustrate why what Randi is doing is a good thing, and why he provides an invaluable service to humanity as a whole. From the link you provided:

Quote

Some of the people who come to these meetings are just doing it for a social occasion, Randi said, "but it's the others. It's the parents you see crying at the elevator because they couldn't get their child anywhere near the healer that make me want to expose it.

"At one of Popoff's sessions there was this Oriental kid on crutches with his legs all twisted around. A filmmaker there asked him: 'Why are you here?'

" 'To see Popoff, he can heal me,' the boy replied.

"But the boy never made it anywhere near the front. At the end of the session the filmmaker saw him with tears streaming down his face."

As long as he is exposing people like this, he has my respect. Is this a bad thing? CIA influence? If it is, I think many might change their minds on this whole Government thing don't you think?

bee, on 28 June 2012 - 07:38 AM, said:

  Pena, as Jose Alvarez,  went on to be the co-founder and a Director of the JREF........I'm sure you can see the irony of that, psyche..?

Pena was actually sentenced to House Arrest and Probation after being found guilty. There's a question of possible deportation...

but to be honest, after reading some of the stuff about the case and the poor health of Randi...and how much he depends on Pena..

I hope he doesn't get deported. That would be too cruel for them both having been together for 25 years.

It would be cruel, and an excellent reason why Alverez would keep his secret from Randi. I know heaps of people who have hired their wives to work in an office next to them, is that strange where you come from? I always thought it was very common practise.

bee, on 28 June 2012 - 07:38 AM, said:

You know what that means....it means that science doesn't (or didn't at that time) have an explanation for what Geller did/does.



Aaaaaanyway. I've said more or less everything I want to say on the subject for now....thanks for the exchanges....


.

Indeed, it does not mean that anything was verified, it means that the illusion was a success.  I am kinda glad you have said all that you wish to, the CIA/Randi thing was just a bit too much, and you are welcome for the exchanges though I detect a smattering of sarcasm in your reply But that's alright! I might be guilty of the same myself from time to time

Cheers.

Edited by psyche101, 29 June 2012 - 12:43 AM.

[psyche101]

Coffey, on 28 June 2012 - 11:52 AM, said:

He bends the spoon using Science does he not?

No he does it whilst diverting attention, that is classed as illusion. The basic principals of metallurgy show that when he bends the spoon back and forth in one place that it becomes brittle, such is the nature of metal. Is that what you are referring to? It is not the mechanism for Uri's performance, the illusion part is. It is an explanation of the illusion. And Uris claims are about as far from science as one can get.

Coffey, on 28 June 2012 - 11:52 AM, said:

So we can safely say his "trick" he pulle don Braun was Sceince too?

As above, no.

Coffey, on 28 June 2012 - 11:52 AM, said:

So He was using Science against Braun?

Again, no. He was using illusion.

Coffey, on 28 June 2012 - 11:52 AM, said:

So Braun knows Sceince yes?

Yes.

Coffey, on 28 June 2012 - 11:52 AM, said:

Boom.

Pop?

Coffey, on 28 June 2012 - 11:52 AM, said:

My conclusion is that braun knew what geller was doing and purposely said he fooled him.

He was trying to "fit" into the western world to save his rear end and finsish his dream. Geller was popular with the western world, so Braun knew it was get people talking etc and accepting him into the western world.

That's my opinion anyway.

You are more than entitled to your opinion, but it is derived from a guess and is not supported. Geller fooled more than one scientist, which leads me to the opinion that Braun was simply another. I do not feel such is impossible, after all, that is the point of illusion.

[bmk1245]

Coffey, on 26 June 2012 - 01:12 PM, said:

It's funny when logic is used against a skeptic he jokes.

Not much difference as when someone who is more intelligent proves someone else wrong. They resort to jokes etc.
[...]

Your logic "sees" only white or black, and nothing in between (see below).

Coffey, on 26 June 2012 - 01:12 PM, said:

[...]
Please explain how what I said even results in a facepalm.
[...]

Seriously?! OK, an example: P.-R. Blondlot's belief in N rays, doesn't invalidate other works of his. Do I have to elaborate further?

Coffey, on 26 June 2012 - 01:12 PM, said:

[...]
i'#m looking at the evidence logically though. You are not.

With flawed logic? Good luck...

[bmk1245]

Captain Zim, on 26 June 2012 - 02:12 PM, said:

Don't know about you, but as my boss said "you can't be normal to work in a place like this. You have to be a little... strange." I guess this is OK since my job is mostly data processing... I haven't gone off the deep end yet.
[...]

Don't say your boss is IT guy and his name is Jen

Captain Zim, on 26 June 2012 - 02:12 PM, said:

[...]
The academics... well. University is a nice, safe place for them ))

[Junior Chubb]

bmk1245, on 29 June 2012 - 02:16 PM, said:

Don't say your boss is IT guy and his name is Jen

Thanks for posting this, I forgot how good some of these episodes are

Don't forget if you type Google into Google it breaks the Internet!!!