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Piltdown
Skeptic Friend
USA
312 Posts |
 Posted - 07/28/2001 : 17:46:19
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As the wacko community's most effective critic, James Randi is naturally subject to threats, libel, and every other form of abuse known to the evil empire of paranutalism. A few years ago, Mr. Randi (who is in his 70s) was very ill. It looked like he might not be with us much longer. Quite a few psychics and other quacks offered to use their powers to hurry the process along. Randi debunked them by surviving to torment their existence and erode their income postential for at least a few more years.
I highly recommend Mr. Randi's weekly commentary at http://www.randi.org/. This week's edition includes some potentially useful information from reader Jeff Chilton:
quote:
The decision of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Dilworth v. Dudley (1996) reads in part:
"Among the terms or epithets that have been held . . . to be incapable of defaming because they are mere hyperbole rather than falsifiable assertions of discreditable fact are 'scab,' 'traitor,' 'amoral,' 'scam,' 'fake,' 'phony,' 'a snake-oil job,' 'he's dealing with half a deck,' and 'lazy, stupid, crap-shooting, chicken-stealing idiot.'"
From this, I conclude that one could therefore reasonably refer to any psychic as "an amoral, phony, lazy, stupid, crap-shooting, chicken-stealing idiot, who's dealing with half a deck, and trying to sell a snake-oil job to the general public" without fear of legal retribution.
Just a thought.
"chicken-stealing idiot" is my personal favorite. As I've mentioned before, my own term of preference for psychics would be "state prison inmates" but this is a falsifiable assertion of fact that regrettably remains false in most cases.
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Dog_Ed
Skeptic Friend
USA
126 Posts |
 Posted - 07/30/2001 : 22:54:35 [Permalink]
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*lol* Piltdown. What will we do when Randi is too old to continue? I've often thought that it would be neat to have someone with Rush Limbaugh's acerbic, no-holds-barred attitude devote himself to debunking quacks and loonies. Imagine the hash Rush would make of some waffling liar like Hoagland!
But unfortunately it seems that the real money and fame comes from being a hoaxster, not from exposing hoaxes. Gotta think of a way out...guerrilla skeptics...our minds are armed and dangerous...a worldwide web of truth...touch the wrong strand, Dr. Quacko, and you'll go up in smoke...
"Even Einstein put his foot in it sometimes" |
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bestonnet_00
Skeptic Friend
Australia
358 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2001 : 02:58:58 [Permalink]
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Actually using a Rush Limbaugh style would probably just make a lot of enemies and not get many people on our side.
Radioactive GM Crops.
Slightly above background.
Safe to eat.
But no activist would dare rip it out.
As they think it gives them cancer. |
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Tokyodreamer
SFN Regular
USA
1447 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2001 : 09:18:08 [Permalink]
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quote:
Actually using a Rush Limbaugh style would probably just make a lot of enemies and not get many people on our side.
Yeah, someone who's so style is so popular that he just signed a $250,000,000 contract couldn't possibly help gather people around a worthy cause! 
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Ma gavte la nata! |
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bestonnet_00
Skeptic Friend
Australia
358 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2001 : 03:25:23 [Permalink]
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All those people do is get people who are already on your side to act.
They don't convert (or deconvert in our case) many people.
If you really want to get people to be skeptical you need to teach it to people at an early age.
Radioactive GM Crops.
Slightly above background.
Safe to eat.
But no activist would dare rip it out.
As they think it gives them cancer. |
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Tokyodreamer
SFN Regular
USA
1447 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2001 : 08:27:44 [Permalink]
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quote:
If you really want to get people to be skeptical you need to teach it to people at an early age.
Amen!
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Ma gavte la nata! |
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bestonnet_00
Skeptic Friend
Australia
358 Posts |
Posted - 08/02/2001 : 03:15:21 [Permalink]
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Only problem is that unless the children are of skeptical parents that is going to be hard to happen now.
Radioactive GM Crops.
Slightly above background.
Safe to eat.
But no activist would dare rip it out.
As they think it gives them cancer. |
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Zandermann
Skeptic Friend
USA
431 Posts |
Posted - 08/02/2001 : 03:59:26 [Permalink]
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quote:
Only problem is that unless the children are of skeptical parents that is going to be hard to happen now.
Not entirely true...you're forgetting teachers. In two weeks I start up with a new crop of students, and we're going to be working on developing our critical thinking skills fulltime.
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