If our hypothetical leaflet guy had one of the largest automated server farms and most advanced IP tracking technologies on earth at his fingertips, and he wasn't handing out leaflets but, lets say, charging for ad clicks, yes, he by god better know that he's giving out the same leaflet to the same people over and over. Even if it's not exactly specified in the contract (and it probably is, I couldn't be bothered to look it up now), google has a duty of care to ensure that their customers get value for money and are not defrauded of their money using google as a middleman.
and see someone complaining because they theoretically 'lost' their cushy job to the 'third-world' only because of cost
It is only because of cost. Full stop. That is the only attraction India has for first world companies, besides a good English speaking ability. This will be graphically demonstrated to India as soon as places like the ex Soviet republics get better English worked into their education system.
You are referring to the motives behind the fight, he is referring to the methods of fighting. I find myself almost agreeing with him, except for the fact that including honour in fighting provides a measure of assurance that the other guy won't use any and all means against you. If he does, he risks censure and attack from allies and foes alike, and isolating himself.
I mean, thats why certain of the nastier, more inescapable weapons are outlawed by the conventions of war.
there really are some things out there that haven't been found.
Oh you better believe there are things out there which haven't been found. From the recently confirmed giant squid to a thing my girlfriend in the Philippines found crawling in her house ("many legs" was the best description she could offer, and they had to get the neighbours in to corral and nail the bugger, which was as long as her arm) there are a whole lot of critturs that western science has never even heard of out there. Particularily in south east asia where a good deal of the small islands haven't even been accurately charted, never mind subjected to a full eco-survey.
There probably aren't any dinosaur islands hiding out there, but to think that we have a comprehensive catalogue of even the land based animals on earth is just optimism at this stage.
there isn't enough enough aritable land on the planet to create as much biodiesel as we currently use in gasoline and diesel.
Who says we need to put the manfacturing plants and facilities on earth? Growing algae requires what, minerals, sunlight, and water. Surely the moon or similar body up there contains enough minerals, the water might be a bit tricky but if we can divert a comet or something similar, you can put a massive orbital facility around the earth and drop the refined biodiesel into the sea for collection by tankers.
It does need a lot of effort and investment to get it going, but think what you are doing; permanently replacing the entire petrochemicals fuel industry. There is no practical limit on the amount of the stuff you can produce, given sufficient raw materials (infinite fuel anyone? might solve the energy crisis while we're at it). While you're up there, you could branch off into pharmacuticals, lower cost foodstuff, and who knows what else.
This is gonna crash in flames, but what the hell, I just got over a bout of god alone knows what from a south east asian jungle, and I'm feeling punchy. What sort of a sad act actually pays for music in this day and age? I mean kerrist, wake the fuck up, welcome to the information age, son!
Oho and hey, on a moral level its like Marv said in Sin City, applied to the RIAA et al...
"I like hitmen. No matter what you do to them, you don't feel bad."
Disclaimer: I smoke, and after having tried to quit twice and turned into a raging hellbeast on account of it, I am going to wait until things are a bit more stable before I try again. Its actually quite entertaining in hindsight; there is a euphoric initial period, where all the senses that were dulled by the drug come roaring back (like pins and needles all over your body for days) followed closely by a manic depressive section, and then there is a long trudge through what can only be described as psychotic paranoia, in the true clinical sense. Small problems become niggling problems, which must be someones fault, and then these people must be taught not to make the same mistake again. Its pretty hard to keep in check.
But hold on a second there sparky, the only evidence you present is anecdotal, and for all we know you could be pulling it directly from your posterior. Let me try...
I had severe headaches since I was 18, but then I started smoking because after all the doctors couldn't help, a homeopathic practitioner mentioned it might be beneficial.
Sounds just as good as yours, and is just as pulled out of my arse. Anyway the real issue isn't so much health as it is the addictive nature of nicotine. Its a drug, that has no benefits, is toxic in every respect, and it should be just as outlawed as heroin. I recall reading somewhere that the withdrawal symptoms are actually more severe, how true that is I cannot attest to. The only reason it is allowed is because it was in common use before the laws really started to crack down on drugs.
Most smokers smoke and continue to do so because they like most people foolishly started in their rebellious teens, and are now hooked on the things well into adulthood.
Okay, I promised myself I wouldn't get involved in any more of these debates, but fuck it. Listen carefully son. The US will never ever again fight a world war, with the French or with anyone. Why is that? Because the continental US would be a ticking glass ocean. Newsflash, the French have NUCLEAR WEAPONS. Lots of them. And they are far from alone in that. So forget military conflict for once and for all, unless you want to invest in factor nine million sunblock.
Kicking over some arab tents in the shitpot third world country that is Iraq is a far cry from picking a fight with a modern, fully industrialised, well armed and fully aware first world state that designs and produces its own brand of fighter jet, and is allied with the likes of Germany (who nearly kicked the combined arses of the Russians AND the US last time round) and the Brits (who may be wankers, but what language are we speaking again?). Don't forget that.
Mod me down if you like, it won't make it any less true...
I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but you can download the Nokia PC suite program and get yourself a blutooth dongle. I had serious problems with my Nokia until I got those two, now I can surf on GPRS from the laptop, access all facilities, install programs, whatever I like. Make sure you get the updated version though.
As if you can conduct proper research to figure out a good position on a stock when the books/accounting are rigged.
If criminal activities are involved, those responsible will be tried, prosecuted, and punished. Thats the system. Its to discourage others doing the same thing. If the system isn't working, the laws need to be made harsher.
So it's a bad thing to hold onto some stock because you are loyal to the company or the ideas/business that they are in?
I really can't emphasise this enough, yes it is.
that's a trade off I'm willing to make.
I'm very happy for you, its your money and all, but if you take a bath because of this, you have only yourself to blame, not shadowy figures in some board room. And if there is one thing I have learned the real hard way, its that you always have less money than you think.
Gee, the employees who retirement funds were wiped out/whose jobs were lost.
Well it may surprise you, but I have been in this particular situation myself. Upon much thought and consideration, and after I dug myself out of the hole I was in, I decided never to put myself in a position where that could happen again. So I went into business for myself. Life is a contact sport, and I really empathise with anyone that has been wiped out like I was, but no one has a right to any job. Deal with it, or in the words of Cort in the Gunslinger...
"Control what you can and let the rest take a flying fuck at you."
Ah see you're referring only to the stock market, a relatively new phenomenon. I'm talking about trade and commerce, which is what the stock market is based on. Besides, who really cares, if a CEO dumps all over his company and it collapses in a few years, others will arise to fill the vacuum. If you're holding onto stock due to some idea of company loyalty you shouldn't be playing the markets anyway. And if you have a significant investment in a company you should have researched it enough to know that the CEO is the type of executive that will pull a stunt like that anyway.
Oops crappy link, I can't find anything since google reshuffled their search engine this month, had to use yahoo. Heres a better one...
FTFA
Dragonflies, also known as mosquito hawks, are excellent control agents. Dragonfly nyads consume mosquito larvae in the breeding waters, and adult dragonflies eat adult mosquitoes, particularly the day flying Asian tiger mosquitoes. Fogging for adult mosquitoes can backfire and increase long term populations if it removes dragonflies and other natural controls.
It's the Roman Empire or Genghis Khan argument. It doesn't matter how much power you have, just how you concentrate it. A million individuals doing their own thing will have a less potent effect than a thousand people working on the same thing towards the same goal. Same thing with concentrated sums of money like this.
A lot of groups are having dramatic success with fighting mosquitoes by the use of their natural predators, dragonflies. Basically mosquitoes breed in any body of open water, so by inroducing dragonflies to the mix, there are no more mosquitoes. You need to keep adding them every year, but at least its envirnomentally safe (or so it seems so far). As an added bonus, they sure are pretty.:D
Yes, and its a particularily tough and resilient little bastard too. Also recent research shows that it causes infected victims to exude a smell of some kind that in fact draws more mosquitoes, thus ensuring its spread. And mosquitoes by themselves are bad enough, I recall I was in the Philippines last year and I fell asleep with a hole in the netting. The nasties aimed right for the blue veins on my arm, I looked like a junkie for a couple of days. It was kinda funny to watch them landing on the warm surface of the laptop though and trying to feed on the power lines.
It's buy low sell high. These Buy-lowers, these sell-highers... I am sure there are some with personalities we might not agree with.
You're aware you are describing every transaction undertaken by people since one monkey traded six spearheads for a nice stone axe? Its not anything new...
the Randi people would be in at the sub-basement level of the investment opportunity of a lifetime.
Who on earth says the psychics would give them any part of their soon to be earned fortune? If I was a psychic I sure as hell wouldn't give them the time of day, never mind a percentage.
but just stop to ponder how much money a relaible phsycic could make from the insurance companies, for example, or how much money there would be in actually being able to talk to the dead.
Eh can you say with any certainty that this has not already happened?
I love it, we. So you speak for all now? I must have missed the election.
You have failed to make your point.
Only to you. In fact I think the point I'm making isn't the point that you want to argue about. Therefore as far as you're concerned, its impossible to make my point. You, on the other hand, have entirely failed to defend your position that the foundation is solid evidence that no paranormal powers exist.
You have no evidence about their motivations. You only have your own speculation based on projecting your ideals onto his organization.
Ah projections. In fact, I have never heard of them before today, so its a little difficult to form any opinions of them besides what they present themselves. And wow, when it comes to projecting your ideals onto others and then attacking them based on that, stone throwing in glass houses should be discouraged.
What's left is the equivalent of you trying to prove that santa claus might exist.
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it... Aristotle. No, thats what you want me to try and prove. You feel so strongly about this that you attack it even where it does not exist. You are aware there is a clinical term for that?
But it's NOT science to speculate about what they might be.
From everything you have come out with so far, your definition of science might need a little work. And quite a few fields of science are highly speculative.
The randi foundation is about debunking pseudoscience, which paranormal activity is.
Nah. Its about waving a million dollars around and collecting donations from people like you. It never has and never will find any paranormal powers, because in doing so it would cease to exist. Your first comment was entitled "snicker", and your immediate response to my comment was to accuse me of being dishonest in some way. Your adherence to rational debate is flighty at best, and you are prone to going off on wild tangents to areas where you feel safer. There is no part of my statement that you have disproved, and at best you have managed a lengthy quotation from the terms and conditions on the randi site.
Its seriously not worth my time to consider your commentary any further, unless it is for comic relief.
And the ad hominems fly thick and fast. Nothing like a good serving of those to add weight to an argument. I'll make this clear to you again. I don't care whether or not these powers exist. Which makes you the proud owner of a lot of strawmen, rapidly advancing into troll territory. Ah forget it, if I need to repeat myself yet again there really is no point. You are so fixated on defeating paranormal beliefs that you are missing the point that I don't have any. Sigh.
I concur. My whole point was not to argue that paranormal powers exist, however, but that the Randi foundation cannot be held up as proof that paranormal powers do not exist, which many in this thread have been attempting to do. Nothing more and nothing less.
Indeed they did. So did quantum mechanics and x-rays. But no one had a clue that they existed.
The lack of understanding has NOTHING to do with the cause and effect.
And the lack of observable (at the time) effect, for example with x-rays, has nothing to do with the fact that they still existed, whether we knew about them or not. Similar to paranormal events. To think that we have anything more than the feeblest of grasps on the nature of reality at this time is the height of arrogance. We didn't know much back then, and we sure don't know much now. You are simply making my argument stronger.
If for example ESP existed, then it would be demonstrable regardless of our understanding of it.
Sigh. Could a person 200 years ago, given the knowledge and skills they had at the time, have demonstrated quantum theory? No. Can we demonstrate esp powers with what we have now? No. Might we in future? Maybe. Getting it?
You know, the most interesting thing to come out of this discussion for me at least, has been the amount of responses and modding and the type of modding. This tells me that the slashdot crowd is TERRIFIED of this topic, for reasons I have yet to fathom. As for you, you are producing circular arguments that have no bearing on what I say, and I see no likelihood that your mind will ever be changed, which tells me a good deal about you, also. Still, you did hook a good deal of karma out of it, although I think the well has run dry, but you'll be up to a base 2 in no time.:p
Okay, can we please keep this to one thread? Jumping around like this is giving a paranormal challenge to my inner ear. I've already answered your other points several times at this stage, so I'll just take out the one thing I haven't dealt with yet...
That's done by universities and other houses of reason.
Actually, no, from what I read on the site there are similar organisations in other countries that offer money for proof of paranormal powers, therefore their opinions are just as suspect. Unfortunately these are the ones that the Randi organisation goes to for "unbiased third party" decisions. The word franchise comes to mind. In any case, it's not proving anything if the foundation can pick the judge and jury. I mean come on.
They can get enough money to set themselves up for life by getting the numbers to a decent lottery draw
Maybe they already have? In either case, its still not making the Randi foundation's claims any stronger, nor the claims of anyone that points to them as the last word in paranormal investigation.
Slashdot Mirror
If our hypothetical leaflet guy had one of the largest automated server farms and most advanced IP tracking technologies on earth at his fingertips, and he wasn't handing out leaflets but, lets say, charging for ad clicks, yes, he by god better know that he's giving out the same leaflet to the same people over and over. Even if it's not exactly specified in the contract (and it probably is, I couldn't be bothered to look it up now), google has a duty of care to ensure that their customers get value for money and are not defrauded of their money using google as a middleman.
Don't bother passing the crack pipe, thanks.
and see someone complaining because they theoretically 'lost' their cushy job to the 'third-world' only because of cost
It is only because of cost. Full stop. That is the only attraction India has for first world companies, besides a good English speaking ability. This will be graphically demonstrated to India as soon as places like the ex Soviet republics get better English worked into their education system.
You are referring to the motives behind the fight, he is referring to the methods of fighting. I find myself almost agreeing with him, except for the fact that including honour in fighting provides a measure of assurance that the other guy won't use any and all means against you. If he does, he risks censure and attack from allies and foes alike, and isolating himself.
I mean, thats why certain of the nastier, more inescapable weapons are outlawed by the conventions of war.
there really are some things out there that haven't been found.
Oh you better believe there are things out there which haven't been found. From the recently confirmed giant squid to a thing my girlfriend in the Philippines found crawling in her house ("many legs" was the best description she could offer, and they had to get the neighbours in to corral and nail the bugger, which was as long as her arm) there are a whole lot of critturs that western science has never even heard of out there. Particularily in south east asia where a good deal of the small islands haven't even been accurately charted, never mind subjected to a full eco-survey.
There probably aren't any dinosaur islands hiding out there, but to think that we have a comprehensive catalogue of even the land based animals on earth is just optimism at this stage.
If you're interested in seeing just how much coastline we would lose, here's a neat little applet...
there isn't enough enough aritable land on the planet to create as much biodiesel as we currently use in gasoline and diesel.
Who says we need to put the manfacturing plants and facilities on earth? Growing algae requires what, minerals, sunlight, and water. Surely the moon or similar body up there contains enough minerals, the water might be a bit tricky but if we can divert a comet or something similar, you can put a massive orbital facility around the earth and drop the refined biodiesel into the sea for collection by tankers.
It does need a lot of effort and investment to get it going, but think what you are doing; permanently replacing the entire petrochemicals fuel industry. There is no practical limit on the amount of the stuff you can produce, given sufficient raw materials (infinite fuel anyone? might solve the energy crisis while we're at it). While you're up there, you could branch off into pharmacuticals, lower cost foodstuff, and who knows what else.
This is gonna crash in flames, but what the hell, I just got over a bout of god alone knows what from a south east asian jungle, and I'm feeling punchy. What sort of a sad act actually pays for music in this day and age? I mean kerrist, wake the fuck up, welcome to the information age, son!
Oho and hey, on a moral level its like Marv said in Sin City, applied to the RIAA et al...
"I like hitmen. No matter what you do to them, you don't feel bad."
Disclaimer: I smoke, and after having tried to quit twice and turned into a raging hellbeast on account of it, I am going to wait until things are a bit more stable before I try again. Its actually quite entertaining in hindsight; there is a euphoric initial period, where all the senses that were dulled by the drug come roaring back (like pins and needles all over your body for days) followed closely by a manic depressive section, and then there is a long trudge through what can only be described as psychotic paranoia, in the true clinical sense. Small problems become niggling problems, which must be someones fault, and then these people must be taught not to make the same mistake again. Its pretty hard to keep in check.
But hold on a second there sparky, the only evidence you present is anecdotal, and for all we know you could be pulling it directly from your posterior. Let me try...
I had severe headaches since I was 18, but then I started smoking because after all the doctors couldn't help, a homeopathic practitioner mentioned it might be beneficial.
Sounds just as good as yours, and is just as pulled out of my arse. Anyway the real issue isn't so much health as it is the addictive nature of nicotine. Its a drug, that has no benefits, is toxic in every respect, and it should be just as outlawed as heroin. I recall reading somewhere that the withdrawal symptoms are actually more severe, how true that is I cannot attest to. The only reason it is allowed is because it was in common use before the laws really started to crack down on drugs.
Most smokers smoke and continue to do so because they like most people foolishly started in their rebellious teens, and are now hooked on the things well into adulthood.
So stop talking shite.
Okay, I promised myself I wouldn't get involved in any more of these debates, but fuck it. Listen carefully son. The US will never ever again fight a world war, with the French or with anyone. Why is that? Because the continental US would be a ticking glass ocean. Newsflash, the French have NUCLEAR WEAPONS. Lots of them. And they are far from alone in that. So forget military conflict for once and for all, unless you want to invest in factor nine million sunblock.
Kicking over some arab tents in the shitpot third world country that is Iraq is a far cry from picking a fight with a modern, fully industrialised, well armed and fully aware first world state that designs and produces its own brand of fighter jet, and is allied with the likes of Germany (who nearly kicked the combined arses of the Russians AND the US last time round) and the Brits (who may be wankers, but what language are we speaking again?). Don't forget that.
Mod me down if you like, it won't make it any less true...
Fucking hell, would you PLEASE log in and collect your karma... this is one seriously good comment.
I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but you can download the Nokia PC suite program and get yourself a blutooth dongle. I had serious problems with my Nokia until I got those two, now I can surf on GPRS from the laptop, access all facilities, install programs, whatever I like. Make sure you get the updated version though.
As if you can conduct proper research to figure out a good position on a stock when the books/accounting are rigged.
If criminal activities are involved, those responsible will be tried, prosecuted, and punished. Thats the system. Its to discourage others doing the same thing. If the system isn't working, the laws need to be made harsher.
So it's a bad thing to hold onto some stock because you are loyal to the company or the ideas/business that they are in?
I really can't emphasise this enough, yes it is.
that's a trade off I'm willing to make.
I'm very happy for you, its your money and all, but if you take a bath because of this, you have only yourself to blame, not shadowy figures in some board room. And if there is one thing I have learned the real hard way, its that you always have less money than you think.
Gee, the employees who retirement funds were wiped out/whose jobs were lost.
Well it may surprise you, but I have been in this particular situation myself. Upon much thought and consideration, and after I dug myself out of the hole I was in, I decided never to put myself in a position where that could happen again. So I went into business for myself. Life is a contact sport, and I really empathise with anyone that has been wiped out like I was, but no one has a right to any job. Deal with it, or in the words of Cort in the Gunslinger...
"Control what you can and let the rest take a flying fuck at you."
Ah see you're referring only to the stock market, a relatively new phenomenon. I'm talking about trade and commerce, which is what the stock market is based on. Besides, who really cares, if a CEO dumps all over his company and it collapses in a few years, others will arise to fill the vacuum. If you're holding onto stock due to some idea of company loyalty you shouldn't be playing the markets anyway. And if you have a significant investment in a company you should have researched it enough to know that the CEO is the type of executive that will pull a stunt like that anyway.
Oops crappy link, I can't find anything since google reshuffled their search engine this month, had to use yahoo. Heres a better one...
FTFA
Dragonflies, also known as mosquito hawks, are excellent control agents. Dragonfly nyads consume mosquito larvae in the breeding waters, and adult dragonflies eat adult mosquitoes, particularly the day flying Asian tiger mosquitoes. Fogging for adult mosquitoes can backfire and increase long term populations if it removes dragonflies and other natural controls.
It's the Roman Empire or Genghis Khan argument. It doesn't matter how much power you have, just how you concentrate it. A million individuals doing their own thing will have a less potent effect than a thousand people working on the same thing towards the same goal. Same thing with concentrated sums of money like this.
A lot of groups are having dramatic success with fighting mosquitoes by the use of their natural predators, dragonflies. Basically mosquitoes breed in any body of open water, so by inroducing dragonflies to the mix, there are no more mosquitoes. You need to keep adding them every year, but at least its envirnomentally safe (or so it seems so far). As an added bonus, they sure are pretty. :D
Yes, and its a particularily tough and resilient little bastard too. Also recent research shows that it causes infected victims to exude a smell of some kind that in fact draws more mosquitoes, thus ensuring its spread. And mosquitoes by themselves are bad enough, I recall I was in the Philippines last year and I fell asleep with a hole in the netting. The nasties aimed right for the blue veins on my arm, I looked like a junkie for a couple of days. It was kinda funny to watch them landing on the warm surface of the laptop though and trying to feed on the power lines.
It's buy low sell high. These Buy-lowers, these sell-highers... I am sure there are some with personalities we might not agree with.
You're aware you are describing every transaction undertaken by people since one monkey traded six spearheads for a nice stone axe? Its not anything new...
the Randi people would be in at the sub-basement level of the investment opportunity of a lifetime.
Who on earth says the psychics would give them any part of their soon to be earned fortune? If I was a psychic I sure as hell wouldn't give them the time of day, never mind a percentage.
but just stop to ponder how much money a relaible phsycic could make from the insurance companies, for example, or how much money there would be in actually being able to talk to the dead.
Eh can you say with any certainty that this has not already happened?
We get it.
.
I love it, we. So you speak for all now? I must have missed the election.
You have failed to make your point.
Only to you. In fact I think the point I'm making isn't the point that you want to argue about. Therefore as far as you're concerned, its impossible to make my point. You, on the other hand, have entirely failed to defend your position that the foundation is solid evidence that no paranormal powers exist.
You have no evidence about their motivations. You only have your own speculation based on projecting your ideals onto his organization.
Ah projections. In fact, I have never heard of them before today, so its a little difficult to form any opinions of them besides what they present themselves. And wow, when it comes to projecting your ideals onto others and then attacking them based on that, stone throwing in glass houses should be discouraged.
What's left is the equivalent of you trying to prove that santa claus might exist
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it... Aristotle. No, thats what you want me to try and prove. You feel so strongly about this that you attack it even where it does not exist. You are aware there is a clinical term for that?
But it's NOT science to speculate about what they might be.
From everything you have come out with so far, your definition of science might need a little work. And quite a few fields of science are highly speculative.
The randi foundation is about debunking pseudoscience, which paranormal activity is.
Nah. Its about waving a million dollars around and collecting donations from people like you. It never has and never will find any paranormal powers, because in doing so it would cease to exist. Your first comment was entitled "snicker", and your immediate response to my comment was to accuse me of being dishonest in some way. Your adherence to rational debate is flighty at best, and you are prone to going off on wild tangents to areas where you feel safer. There is no part of my statement that you have disproved, and at best you have managed a lengthy quotation from the terms and conditions on the randi site.
Its seriously not worth my time to consider your commentary any further, unless it is for comic relief.
And the ad hominems fly thick and fast. Nothing like a good serving of those to add weight to an argument. I'll make this clear to you again. I don't care whether or not these powers exist. Which makes you the proud owner of a lot of strawmen, rapidly advancing into troll territory. Ah forget it, if I need to repeat myself yet again there really is no point. You are so fixated on defeating paranormal beliefs that you are missing the point that I don't have any. Sigh.
I concur. My whole point was not to argue that paranormal powers exist, however, but that the Randi foundation cannot be held up as proof that paranormal powers do not exist, which many in this thread have been attempting to do. Nothing more and nothing less.
Radio waves do exist, and they existed then.
:p
Indeed they did. So did quantum mechanics and x-rays. But no one had a clue that they existed.
The lack of understanding has NOTHING to do with the cause and effect.
And the lack of observable (at the time) effect, for example with x-rays, has nothing to do with the fact that they still existed, whether we knew about them or not. Similar to paranormal events. To think that we have anything more than the feeblest of grasps on the nature of reality at this time is the height of arrogance. We didn't know much back then, and we sure don't know much now. You are simply making my argument stronger.
If for example ESP existed, then it would be demonstrable regardless of our understanding of it.
Sigh. Could a person 200 years ago, given the knowledge and skills they had at the time, have demonstrated quantum theory? No. Can we demonstrate esp powers with what we have now? No. Might we in future? Maybe. Getting it?
You know, the most interesting thing to come out of this discussion for me at least, has been the amount of responses and modding and the type of modding. This tells me that the slashdot crowd is TERRIFIED of this topic, for reasons I have yet to fathom. As for you, you are producing circular arguments that have no bearing on what I say, and I see no likelihood that your mind will ever be changed, which tells me a good deal about you, also. Still, you did hook a good deal of karma out of it, although I think the well has run dry, but you'll be up to a base 2 in no time.
Okay, can we please keep this to one thread? Jumping around like this is giving a paranormal challenge to my inner ear. I've already answered your other points several times at this stage, so I'll just take out the one thing I haven't dealt with yet...
That's done by universities and other houses of reason.
Actually, no, from what I read on the site there are similar organisations in other countries that offer money for proof of paranormal powers, therefore their opinions are just as suspect. Unfortunately these are the ones that the Randi organisation goes to for "unbiased third party" decisions. The word franchise comes to mind. In any case, it's not proving anything if the foundation can pick the judge and jury. I mean come on.
They can get enough money to set themselves up for life by getting the numbers to a decent lottery draw
Maybe they already have? In either case, its still not making the Randi foundation's claims any stronger, nor the claims of anyone that points to them as the last word in paranormal investigation.