I don't get this...

[shanek]

From the October 8 commentary:

There's a "guru" from Kaohsiung (Gaoxiong), basically Taiwan's second city. His schtick is doctoring photos of himself to make it look like an "aura" is surrounding him. There's even a museum that's been built containing nothing but doctored photos of the man, whose name is Sung Chi-li. The best part is when he was tried for fraud and defended himself by claiming magical powers. He tried to prove this in court by making a cop sit down (the police determined this test), but luckily the policeman refused to do so.

So, 1) why did the "guru" want to make the cop sit down, 2) why did the cop refuse to do so, and 3) why is this "lucky"?

[Matabiri]

From reading, I think they decided to test the guru by having him force a non-compliant police officer to sit down using his magical powers. The officer didn't, showing that the guru, at the very least, didn't have the power to make people sit down.

As to why it was lucky... I don't know.

[Dr. Imago]

Originally posted by Matabiri
As to why it was lucky... I don't know.

I think the word "fortunately" or "thankfully" would have served just as well as to what Randi meant and could have been substituted in for "luckily" in this sentence. It wasn't "lucky", if you want to be overly pedantic (and to overscrutinize Randi's writing style). However, if the cop had chosen to sit at what would have been the most inopportune time, some people may have wrongly concluded that it was because this guru had compelled him to. Fortunately and thankfully, dare I say luckily, he did not, else we would've never heard the end of it...

Get it?

-TT

[BillyJoe]

TT,

I think you are almost right.
But I think Randi used the word "lucky" on purpose.
Like when I recently said "Thank God there is no Afterlife".

But I could be wrong.

BJ

[scratchy]

Well, I read it like "luckily the policeman didnt sit down volontarily, thus making the tricksters abilitys seem real", wich is allways a risk when common people is being dragged into such demonstrations.

[BillyJoe]

Or perhaps...

"luckily the policeman didn't happen to sit down at that exact moment, thus making the tricksters abilitys seem real"

But TT's point was that the use of the word "lucky" was incorrect.
My point was that he used it incorrectly on purpose.

BJ

[Dr. Imago]

Originally posted by BillyJoe
But TT's point was that the use of the word "lucky" was incorrect.

Well, not necessarily "incorrect" but synonymous with other words that would've equally sufficed.

-TT

[shanek]

Well, I don't really want to comment without something definitive, but saying that someone is going to sit down within a certain time frame, and he sits down during that time frame, is, to me, hardly proof of paranormal abilities.

[BillyJoe]

Originally posted by ThirdTwin
Well, not necessarily "incorrect" but synonymous with other words that would've equally sufficed. Equally? I could've sworn from your post that you showed a definite preference for those other words.

[Matabiri]

Originally posted by shanek
Well, I don't really want to comment without something definitive, but saying that someone is going to sit down within a certain time frame, and he sits down during that time frame, is, to me, hardly proof of paranormal abilities.

But saying they will, and not having them do it, is definite disproof. Unless...

"Aha! Gotcha! It's Opposites Day!"

[wittgenst3in]

Originally posted by Matabiri
"Aha! Gotcha! It's Opposites Day!"

Oh geez that takes me back.

Anyone remember the rules for opposite day? It wasn't on tuesdays, it only could be invoked sometimes. There was a whole list of them I remember.

[Dr. Imago]

Originally posted by BillyJoe
Equally? I could've sworn from your post that you showed a definite preference for those other words.

Or, "served just as well" as I originally said. :)

-TT

[Lavie Enrose]

Originally posted by shanek
From the October 8 commentary:

So, 1) why did the "guru" want to make the cop sit down, 2) why did the cop refuse to do so, and 3) why is this "lucky"?

Some background:

'Mystic' acquitted by High Court (http://www.rickross.com/reference/cs/cs45.html)

Taipei, Taiwan -- The trial of self-proclaimed mystic Sung Chi-li, who counts Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh among his followers, took a surprising U-turn yesterday when the high court overturned his previous conviction on fraud charges.

The Taiwan High Court cited a constitutional protection for religion and the inability to prove that Sung does not possess supernatural powers as reasons for its decision.