Comments for A Champion Grubby Speaks Out at http://www.randi.org/site , comment 1 to 20 out of 20 comments http://www.randi.org/site Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:02:15 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5371 [quote]It should therefore be evident that Uri Geller, in a similar way, can raise his core body magnetism.[/quote] Cripes! My brain just paused there for a few seconds. - CryoTank Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:56:13 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5358 I thought the JREF million dollar prize money was for someone showing evidence of a supernatural phenomenon, not simply proving James Randi wrong about something. Proving that Randi said that a tape was made by enemies is hardly a supernatural phenomenon. - politas Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:22:43 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5260 @Roo: While it wouldn't surprise me to find what you propose to be true, it should be clear that there is no actual evidence linking Geller to this story. No more than there is Randi to the (insane) implications made in it. Past history suggests one of the two might be more likely to be true than the other, but neither is supported or refuted in any way. (I understand that you weren't making an accusation against Geller.) - JasonPatterson Thu, 23 Apr 2009 05:34:17 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5254 well said ;D - harpman Thu, 23 Apr 2009 02:24:10 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5251 The Kapnistos article is ill-researched, poorly-written drivel. I cannot imagine what the writer hoped to achieve by suddenly switching from discrediting evidence of Geller's cheating to making insulting allegations of Mr. Randi's misconduct involving young boys. [i]Unless[/i], perhaps, the article was penned with the involvement of Geller himself, with the ultimate aim of having another snide little pop at Mr. Randi... Either way, the piece isn't worth the filespace it's located on. - Roo Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:48:35 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5246 This is quite typical. This is why magicians dread performing before children. Kids simply don't have the sort of mental baggage that becomes ballast when confronted with novelty. - Bruno Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:11:30 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5237 The American Chronicle appears to be the ultimate puff "journal". It will publish anything that you send that passes (retrospectively I gather) its rather weak "editorial guidelines". The "article" in question appears word for word at the site http://reporter.blackraiser.com/?p=534. Peter Fotis Kapnistos seems to be a believer in all things woo. Do your own Google. ;) The article appears to violate the Author Agreement at http://www.americanchronicle.com/notices/author-agreement that requires that for all submissions "The Content is based on true facts and diligent research." In my humble opinion this is a silly unprofessional piece by someone who has not done a modicum of research and appears to wedded to all things woo. - Gord_in_Toronto Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:33:27 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5233 I showed this to my children. Zach is 8 so I asked him, if he wanted to pretend to move a compass with his mind, but couldn't touch it, what would he use? He immediately answered 'a magnet'. "WHere is he hiding it?" I asked as Geller waved his fist above the compass. "In his hand of course" says my 8 year old. So then we watched it again. My 7 year old daughter, Miriam, gets the credit for being first to spot the blatant move as he sticks the magnet on his thumb. Zach got there about 3 microseconds later. You'd think he could at least learn some decent sleights... Ken - dormouse Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:42:53 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5226 The original article, along with a lovely place to reply to it, can be found at: [url]http://reporter.blackraiser.com/?p=534[/url] - JasonPatterson Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:10:18 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5225 @MadScientist: This is a 2 minute version of the video. It doesn't specifically show what he's doing, but it gives you some big clues. [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Y7QR314xA[/url] This shorter version cuts to the chase a bit (30 seconds) but you miss out on the actual demonstration. I'd check the first link first, personally, then go with the second if you don't see what he did. You'll see it though. He may know 5 tricks, but he does them poorly. [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJSxsbToLeE[/url] - JasonPatterson Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:58:55 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5224 I don't know, but I guess that it is a lot more difficult to straighten keys and spoons than bend them. Unless you have special powers. Would this be a good test of Mr Gellers lack of powers. - Mouse Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:40:14 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5219 Perhaps Kapnistos got some of his “research” data from Wikipedia, where a sentence on the Geller page reads: “One slow motion shot revealed him producing a small magnet from behind his ear to influence a compass needle.” Many years ago, I made the mistake of subscribing to a newsletter which published an admixture of data ranging from factual to tripe. Incensed by the measures Geller was taking to silence his critics, I objected to the editor when it was claimed Geller had psychic powers that could bend spoons. After several tit-for-tat exchanges, I was invited to attend a demonstration and see for myself if the proposition was true. Not being a magician, and certain I would not be allowed to institute the necessary controls, I recommended they invite James Randi or Joe Nickell if they were really interested in finding out the truth. Communications stopped. I doubt that either man ever got the invitation. Since Randi puts his money where his mouth is, and Geller never shows, I wrote this little poem called Geller’s Lament: Gather round friends; I’ll make you swoon, As I bend for you a silver spoon. For I will not use force of any kind, Except the power of my mind. But if James Randi comes around, I’ll pack my bags and leave this town. He plugs my psyche with a cork, And damn… I can not even bend a fork! - Rustylizard Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:09:04 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5218 HA! That site has google ads, which I guess picked up on the repeated use of the word "magnets" in the article, and now, right underneath the paragraph where Oscar says that a magnet can't affect a compass, there's an ad for rare-earth-magnets(dot)com, which sells "MAGCRAFT® rare earth neodymium magnets...strong high-quality neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB)..." There's a big picture of some small, "super-strong" magnets right there with the paragraph saying small magnets aren't strong enough. Oh the ironies. Hopefully this URL will post properly: [url]http://yfrog.com/6qmagneticironyj[/url] Also: @bosshog I agree, that sounds pretty flimsy. Good thing it's just a theory, huh? - mazyloron Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:45:56 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5217 The "Earth", an alleged planet, is claimed to "revolve" around a celestial body that proponents of the "Solar System" theory refer to as the "Sun". This "Sun" is said, by those who promote the theory, to be a star which allegedy gives forth "energy rays" that cause the so-called "Earth" to become warm. They insist that it is this energy and not the warm hand of God that permits life to exist on "Planet Earth". Sounds pretty weak to me. - bosshog Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:23:57 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5216 oh sorry the link doesn't work: oscar posts under "MMAProfessor" and the title of his post is "MMAProfessor proves skeptics wrong." Dearest James i cannot wait to share your video reply on this one with my new friend ^^ - harpman Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:12:23 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5215 i once tried to talk some reason into this oscar person, his video can be found on youtube, i posted under the name FVBAR: http://www.youtube.com/comment_servlet?all_comments&v=NRMjvhrpSKo&fromurl=/watch?hl=en&v=NRMjvhrpSKo&gl=US my new friend oscar and soon to be new friend peter have truly honed the skill of delusional thinking, and i'm inclined to say to perfection - harpman Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:59:36 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5214 ... can't wait for A Magician in the Laboratory!! ;) but surely when randi did the compass trick for barbar walters he rose his core magnetism! its the only way ;D - Cian Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:25:49 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5213 You Buzz Aldrined him? Dude! - Gr8wight Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:47:30 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5205 Ah, Randi all fierce and fiery - I wish I could see him tear this ignoramus apart in person. Those claims about magnets not being able to affect ships' compasses is just so unbelievably stupid. Anyone who's seen these compasses might note the various movable (non-magnetized) iron weights; when the ship is loaded the weights can be adjusted to compensate for the cargo's effect on the compass. If you so much as brought a small non-magnetized piece of soft iron or a magnet near the compass you would have been in big trouble. Even with magnet materials from 40 years ago you could make an easily concealed magnet which would screw up a compass; I could make one that would fit under my fingernails and it would just look like dirt - and if I painted my nails you'd never see it. Today you can buy an N40 class magnet in the shape of a simple ring (it will screw up the magnetic strips on your plastic cards, so wearing such a ring as jewelry is not a good idea). Any links to the Israeli video? I'd love to see that now. I remember the Tonight Show long ago - I almost missed it but was forced to watch it; initially I didn't want to watch it because I got the impression that Carson might be peddling the same crap that others were. The Uri segment was sooo boring but so funny; Johnny Carson really handled him well and it was just so funny watching this trickster making such incredulous claims and yet being unable to demonstrate any of his tricks. - MadScientist Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:40:52 +0100 http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/525-a-champion-grubbie-speaks-out.html#comment-5203 [quote]But you forgot (?) to mention that on that same occasion, as I finished reading the document, I took the opportunity of flooring a nasty chap who had made similar accusations about me, and had been boasting about it loudly. One shot, to the chops. He went down, and was carried out. VERY satisfying, I assure you.[/quote] I hope you can put this on your YouTube account someday... I would dearly love to see that. That could be almost as fun as watching John Glenn punch one of those people who don't think we put men on the moon. - Skemono Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:29:42 +0100