Comments on: Geller’s limp spoon

By: scottb

scottb — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:55:40 +0000

FYI, Carson was also an avid amateur astronomer and (I think) helped fund several astronomy-related TV programs.

He wasn’t perfect but he was a smart, rational, and very funny guy. I still miss him.

By: Torbjörn Larsson, OM

Torbjörn Larsson, OM — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:49:49 +0000

What would be the trajectory of a one-legged frog?

A little bit higher and a lot louder than an undamaged frog. Those animals can really scream!

[I nicked mine while scything some high growth close to my grandmother's pond. The frog went one way and the cut off leg the other. I didn't find any of them, sorry to say, so no euthanasia either.]

By: fred edison

fred edison — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:17:41 +0000

Yup. I also remember Carson loved magic. He knew and respected magic as harmless entertainment and nothing more. Hats off in memory to the great Johnny Carson for exposing Geller for what he was. A fake.

People like Geller exploit a persons gullibility and tendency to trust, using trickery for their own financial and egotistical gains. I feel that these types of people are parasitic by nature. They prey on the easily misled and distraught who are eager for real or unreal answers. Charlatans like Geller and other psychics might justify what they do as helping people, in that they offer people hope where there doesn’t appear to be any. But I don’t call lying to your face and stealing your money as someone who is looking out for your best interests and welfare.

Expose them all.

By: ppb

ppb — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:00:19 +0000

@Todd W.
Carson also was a magician himself, so he knew the tricks.

By: Knurl

Knurl — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:05:32 +0000

I saw that Carson show!!! I was a Freshman in high school. Like Eric Von Daniken and UFO’s, I knew that Geller was bull. The following school day a friend of mine and I were talking with other students about how he was debunked and we were amazed how resistant people were to believe that he was a charlatan. Even today (maybe especially today) it is astounding how many people want to believe in “Special Powers” and other “Feel Good” supernatural malarky. I wonder if half the human race is brain dead.

By: Pro Libertate

Pro Libertate — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:19:52 +0000

Mark Hansen,

And Phil says he’s not a magician. . . .

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:05:31 +0000

I remember reading about Geller as a kid and trying to bend forks and spoons with my mind. I didn’t get any bent utensils, although I did get a mild headache.

By: Mark Hansen

Mark Hansen — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:56:08 +0000

Pro Libertate, I think Phil already has done the spoon bending bit. IIRC, he posted a video of him and many other non-Gellers with spoons all bent and broken. But, hey, why not let’s see him do it again?

By: News From Around The Blogosphere 8.14.08 « Skepacabra

News From Around The Blogosphere 8.14.08 « Skepacabra — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:09:15 +0000

[...] Uri Geller’s latest crushing legal defeat- Hooray! – Long-time psychic fraud and amateur magician Uri Geller had been suing those who have dared post videos of his most embarrassing failures citing copyright laws in an attempt to remove them from the internet, but a decision has finally been reached and it didn’t go Geller’s way. The ruling essentially told Geller that he can stick those spoons of his up his ass. [...]

By: Davidlpf

Davidlpf — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:36:23 +0000

Glad to see Geller lost the case, the first time I heard of Randi was through that NOVA program.

By: Crudely Wrott

Crudely Wrott — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:40:07 +0000

I’m familiar with the Randi/Geller Interaction. Reading this post and watching the video brought about an interesting juxtaposition.

Some yeas ago a funny thought occurred to me. What would be the trajectory of a one-legged frog? (In this thought experiment I left the hapless amphibian with his right rear leg.) I imagined a nearly normal takeoff accompanied by a slow roll to port, a less than maximal altitude, continuing roll and impact with the ground face first, inverted. I found the results humorous and even drew a cartoon of the frog (alas, lost to the crunching maw of fate).

Now I can visualize Geller’s reputation and career. Priceless.

By: Troy

Troy — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:54:00 +0000

I recall watching that episode of Nova with my mother. She thought God would get Peter Popoff for doing that. Anyway it is a true classic that should be replayed periodically (along with Cosmos) The youth of today deserve an equal chance to see them. I was a bit surprised that Gellar recently admitted he was just a trickster (then recanted…sort of!) As a footnote let me say Happy 80th to the Amazing Randi whose birthday was last week. You’re a hero of mine keep up the good work.

By: Ginger Yellow

Ginger Yellow — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:40:13 +0000

I concur with Hutch. The legalistic, terse wording of the EFF post, and the lack of a link to the verdict itself, strongly suggest a settlement. A shame, as I’d love to see a judge smack Geller down, but still a great result.

By: Paul Hutch

Paul Hutch — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:20:22 +0000

I believe this was not a verdict , AFAICT this was settled out of court between the parties.

When there is a verdict EFF usually posts the court papers, with out of court settlements they often are prohibited form posting the full details of the settlement.

Proud Member of the EFF.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:11:44 +0000

When I was a kid, I bought a book by Uri Geller, and I was slowly getting more and more interested in all that hocus pocus phoney baloney mumbo jumbo… You know. Lol! Not long after, I heard he had been exposed as a fake, and it hit me like a brick: DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR!!!!!

Thank you, Randi!!!

By: CanadianLeigh

CanadianLeigh — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:41:53 +0000

In our local rag today they had a story regarding our tatooed faith healer Todd Bentley. He has mysteriously left the Florida pulpit where he has been fleecing our American cousins. Apparently he and his wife are experiencing friction in their relationship and have seperated.
According to the story Christian bloggers across Canada and the U.S. are questioning Bentley’s authenticity.
Some bloggers suggest his departure has to do with his marital problems, while others suggest it has something to do with a investigative news program “Nightline”.
I have not seen the Nightline program, however it would not surprise me if they had no problem showing him as a fraud. It just cannot be that difficult.
I’ve had relatives who in times of desperation have been fleeced by people like this guy. I hope they all get exposed and I wish the legal people would go after the networks that carry their shows.

By: Kevin S

Kevin S — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:15:03 +0000

Hey, WOAH! That’s the exact strategy I used when I was younger and didn’t wanna admit to something… I’d stall, ridiculously well, thinking of some excuse after the other. And it sounded suspiciously similar to Geller’s reasons on the Tonight Show. Hmm….

By: Sam

Sam — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:59:17 +0000

gods bless Brian Sapient

By: Charly

Charly — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:40:11 +0000

@Daniel

Your John Edward remark reminded me of watching a “pet psychic” with my son. After a little coaching, we learned that he definitely has that “talent” i.e., “you have a nickname for your pet, right…..”

By: llewelly

llewelly — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:29:14 +0000

Thanks the reminder of that movie BA. Brings back fond childhood memories of reading Flim-Flam . One thing though … It still seems weird to me that Randi isn’t a touch typist. I have mediocre co-ordination at best, but I learned touch typing in about two weeks.

By: MattGS

MattGS — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:39:27 +0000

Man, thanks again for this posting, Phil – I’ve been watching Randi on YouTube for the whole evening now. He’s the best. Period.

By: Pro Libertate

Pro Libertate — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:06:52 +0000

Irishman,

Clearly I didn’t.

In any event, we all win when Geller loses. And I stand by my statement that Phil needs to learn to bend spoons ☺

By: Daniel

Daniel — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:32:20 +0000

Maybe this guy can go after James Van Praagh and John Edward.

By: Celtic_Evolution

Celtic_Evolution — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:21:30 +0000

“No, wait… that doesn’t come out”… Classic. I sometimes forget how great Randi’s sense of humor is… just another of his many wonderful traits…

By: Greg

Greg — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:13:31 +0000

It’s a nice thought, Jasonox21, but even Randi says that the Carson show expose had no effect on Uri’s career.