Randi's MP3 Message

[Spektator]

Woo-hoo! It was great to hear Randi's voice. Best wishes to him for his continued recuperation and recovery, and if I may say it, he sounds wonderful!

[Piscivore]

I cannot load MP3s at work, can someone put up a transcript?

[Darat]

"I just wanted to share something with all you well wishers, I saw a bright light and ......."

[Jeff Wagg]

Trancript of the audio:

Very shortly after the close of TAM 4, I was assailed by the demons in charge of heart attacks, and many days of serious bypass procedures and other wonders of medical science left me under the day and night consolations of morphine.
I'm still pretty weak, but getting better every day. During the medical procedures, my heart stopped a couple of times and doctors got it started enough times. There were two bypasses done and my gall bladder was also removed. What a bargain!

The end result is that I'm taking rest and rehabilitation, and I'm planning to be back in operation within a couple of weeks.

I have here two cartons of get well cards, and I'm going through them with dedicated attention. (laughs) A stuffed wombat of all things - no just a toy, I assure you - arrived from Australia, and any number of fuzzy bears and even a flying pig blanket.

It appears that a lot of folks out there really do care about me and want me back in action. So stand by, and get ready.

My thanks to all of those who filled in the gaps of the Swift commentary.

It goes without saying that I can't respond to all of the cards, letters, and e-mail, and other communications sent my way. Each and every good wish was read, cherished, and believe me, will always be cherished.

But look ahead good Sancho, the forces of darkness are once again assembled. Let us advance.

This is James Randi.

[CFLarsen]

....who ees thees "Sancho"?

[Piscivore]

We all are, Claus. We all are.

[ranson]

Pretending to be unlettered, Claus?

There are always windmills at which to tilt . . .

[Mr. Scott]

....who ees thees "Sancho"?

My guess is that it's a reference to Don Quixote. Sancho Panza was Quixote's sidekick/manservant.

[CFLarsen]

Ah. Randi, fighting against the windmills.

OK, OK. It's getting late here.

[Piscivore]

My guess is that it's a reference to Don Quixote. Sancho Panza was Quixote's sidekick/manservant.

But, and this must be made absolutely clear, in no possible way was he ever his "boy wonder." :)

[rwguinn]

Ah. Randi, fighting against the windmills.

OK, OK. It's getting late here.
:D
"Reaching for his saddlebag, he takes a tarnished cross into his hand
Then standing like a preacher now, he shouts across the ocean to the shore" G. Lightfoot

edited to correct lyrics....

[Kochanski]

So good to hear his voice, it does mean a lot to me. :)

[supercorgi]

It's great to hear from Randi and to hear that he'll be back in action in a few weeks (personally I think he should take a longer vacation). I didn't realize how sick he was. My mom's heart stopped once after her bypass operation and it greatly increased her recovery time. I'm glad he's out of the hospital and it sounds like he's in good spirits. Wishing a speedy recovery to you Mr. Randi!

[prewitt81]

This was a very moving message. I'm glad that Mr. Randi is well, and that he'll be back soon.

[JLam]

He sounds great. I'm not praying he gets back in action soon.

[ysabella]

What a great message!

(now humming "The Impossible Dream" to myself)

[Zendal Darkman]

Bloody hell, I got a little bit emotional!
(to repeat "a LITTLE bit")

Without going into areas that are none of my business, I hope there are enough people around him to make sure he take his recovery at the pace the doctors advise.

[Patricio Elicer]

Thank you Mr Randi!. It was good to hear you. Very good, indeed.

[Manny]

Hey, here's a dumb question. Where do you go to rest when you're already in Florida, on the one hand, and your home is a hub of your business on the other? I hope Randi can get away to the Keys or Colorado or someplace where he won't be too tempted to jump back in too quickly.

[kittynh]

Guess who sent that "stuffed wombat"?

And she wondered if it was going to be a hit or not!!!!

[Pyrrho]

It's a relief to hear that he's healing and that he's gearing up for a triumphant comeback.

[Zbu]

Good to hear he's doing better. I just hope he takes it easy, no sense rushing. :)

[Ducky]

Hearing him brought tears to my eyes. I am so happy and relieved at his recovery and his steadfast determination to get well. He inspires me in many many ways.

Long live Randi!

[Mercutio]

Funny thing...I read the transcript, and thought there was really no reason to actually listen. Same words, after all.

Then I listened. And it really makes a difference.

Hearing a voice is so much nicer than reading words, when it is a voice you care about.

Way to cheat death, you old escape artist!

[Wowbagger]

How do we know that was really Randi, and not some impersonator?
:duck:

Okay, I was only kidding. It IS wonderful to hear from him! The man's heart stopped several times, and now he's back! That's the power of REAL science!
:clap: :yahoo :clap: :yahoo

[farrisjs]

It was great to hear his voice.

[dvdmx]

It was great to hear his voice, I can see that he is having a fast recovery, congratulations and my best wishes to him.

[chipmunk stew]

Old bastard didn't even mention me by name. :mad:

[CFLarsen]

Old bastard didn't even mention me by name. :mad:
....why would he?

[chipmunk stew]

....why would he?Because I sent him a long letter bearing my soul, written in pink on special stationery, and I even dotted all the i's with hearts and included a naked picture of myself. I thought we had a special connection.





...I was only kidding. I'm glad the old bastard is recuperating well.

[RSLancastr]

Hearing him brought tears to my eyes.You're not the only one.

[Aoidoi]

How do we know that was really Randi, and not some impersonator?After a lengthy investigation by the CIA, they have concluded that this is most probably NOT the voice of Osama bin Laden.

;)

[rikzilla]

Hearing him brought tears to my eyes. I am so happy and relieved at his recovery and his steadfast determination to get well. He inspires me in many many ways.

Long live Randi!

Exactly my reaction. It is soo damned good to have him back. That man is a treasure!
:sniff:

-z

[Mr. Stick]

:randi: :The end result is that I'm taking rest and rehabilitation, and I'm planning to be back in operation within a couple of weeks.


Old Randi on R&R, who would've guessed that?
:Banane36: :Banane35: :Banane57: :Banane08::Banane20:
Nahh, it's probably not Saigon-style. ;)

Hoping for a speedy recovery. Can't wait to see you slaying those vicious dragons again.:)

[Pauliesonne]

The welcoming voice of a recovering James Randi is like the single spark of light in a jungle of darkness.

* Pauliesonne *

[Lothian]

Because I sent him a long letter bearing my soul, written in pink on special stationery,
.
That is your mistake, green ink is the prefered stalkers colour.

[a_unique_person]

An amazing story.

[SkepticScott]

How do we know that was really Randi, and not some impersonator?(snip)
Because if you play it backwards you can make out him saying "You missed this one too, Sylvia!":)

[Patricio Elicer]

Hearing him brought tears to my eyes. The last part is specially touching. ...... "This is James Randi" :cry1

[alfaniner]

During the medical procedures, my heart stopped a couple of times and doctors got it started enough times.

This part made me laugh...


...especially important as I just spent the whole day at the hospital while my father had surgery. Things went well.

[kittynh]

The best thing about it was that you could tell right away, Randi is STILL Randi!

Going to take more than a dicky heart to keep him down.

Though I think Kiless should have sent a REAL stuffed wombat.

[Smart_Cookie]

Thanks to all who made that mp3 available. It was good to hear Mr. Randi again.

I agree with some of the others, he shouldn't rush back to work. He should make sure he's absolutely, perfectly well - and don't take on too much too soon.

Besides, I'd like him to be well enough to steal another hug at next year's TAM! (that sly fox...)
;)

[Luke T.]

I only just now saw the link to Randi's message and listened to it.

He sounds great. I'm not praying he gets back in action soon.

He does not sound great. His voice is much slower than normal, and heavily slurred.

[Ducky]

I only just now saw the link to Randi's message and listened to it.



He does not sound great. His voice is much slower than normal, and heavily slurred.



I don't think there's any reason to attribute that to anything other than the pain medication associated wth getting your chest ripped open and some plumbing redone.

All things considered, he certainly does sound great.

[Jeff Wagg]

I have spoken with him recently, and he's much improved from the recording. But jeez, give the guy a break, will ya?

[Luke T.]

I have spoken with him recently, and he's much improved from the recording. But jeez, give the guy a break, will ya?

I just think we need to be realistic. A break is exactly what I think Randi needs. Some more time before he gets back in the fight.

[Doubt]

I only just now saw the link to Randi's message and listened to it.



He does not sound great. His voice is much slower than normal, and heavily slurred.

Morphine sucks. Sure it can kill the pain. It also make you puke and stops the lower half of your digestive tract for a while even after you stop using it. And that is just the minor side effects. Then there are the things that you need it for slowing you down in the first place.

He did not sound bad under the circumstances.

[Diamond]

It is good to hear his voice again. I hope he takes his time to get back into the saddle as he sounded like somebody with not a lot of energy.

[Luke T.]

Morphine sucks. Sure it can kill the pain. It also make you puke and stops the lower half of your digestive tract for a while even after you stop using it. And that is just the minor side effects. Then there are the things that you need it for slowing you down in the first place.

He did not sound bad under the circumstances.

The circumstances which warrant morphine are, by definition, bad. We nearly lost the man.

I think we need to be cautiously optimistic, is all I'm saying. Randi's not getting any younger and this was a serious blow to his health.

Expectations of a full return to duty with the same energy and vigor as before may be a setup for disappointment.

If Randi does fully recover, that's great. I hope he does. He's a giant in the world, and we need more like him.

[Overman]

What about todays message?

I can't hear it at work!!!

[DrMatt]

What about todays message?

I can't hear it at work!!!


Well, I'm recovering, slowly but positively. I finally had the nerve to examine my body in the bathroom mirror and since one incision begins, believe it or not, behind my left knee, and ends nearly at my shoulder bone, I've decided to pass it off as a probable parchment copy of Indiana Jones' map of Lost Babylon. My exercises and instructional lessons are successful, and they lead to improvement every day. I'm still very shakey and slow, my voice isn't too good today though I have good and bad days with it. I make my way around like a poor copy of the Frankenstein monster.

I expect that the Swift entry will begin appearing again within two months.

Thank you all, all of you, for your patience, and for the get well wishes, particularly those from the forum. They're very very welcome, folks. They continue to pour in, and so long as they do, they keep my spirits up, and I hope that I'll be whole and back in fine fettle again very shortly.

This is James Randi.


I'm not surprised that he got sliced in the leg and arm and probably neck--that'd be for the perfusion pump aka heart-lung machine which is used when the heart is stopped for surgery. But I have no idea what the slice from the knee to the shoulderblade would be. My doctorate's in music composition, not medicine, though. He does sound a tad raspy, like he's been coughing--which is a good sign. When you stop being able to cough, you get pneumonia. Being on the perfusion pump and subsequent meds is pretty well known to addle one's brains, so I think it's a good sign that he got in a few coherent wisecracks (Map of lost Babylon, Frankenstein). Somewhere, I'm suspecting there's a tale of a guy who kept asking "is there really evidence that this is good for me?" but I don't expect to hear or read it for months.

[Overman]

PHEW!

ugh, poor Randi. I am sure he will be back soon.

Toast to his health on this Friday...

[DeVega]

Just heard todays message - I'm very touched that Mr Randi is taking the time and effort to reassure us of his recovery. He truly is a special person.

Get well soon, Mr Randi. We're missing you already...

[DrMatt]

Just a note that there are also get-well messages for Randi scattered on a host of other sites... SkepticalCommunity, for one.

[Evolver]

The circumstances which warrant morphine are, by definition, bad. We nearly lost the man.

A bypass hurts like hell, in case you couldn't have guessed.

[Evolver]

I'm not surprised that he got sliced in the leg and arm and probably neck--that'd be for the perfusion pump aka heart-lung machine which is used when the heart is stopped for surgery. But I have no idea what the slice from the knee to the shoulderblade would be.

The slicing does sound drastic. In my case, I have a two inch scar at my knee and inside thigh. They used microsurgery to remove the artery in between. My arm is a different story. They cut me from the wrist to elbow for that one.

Recovery from this surgery is slow. The first couple of months are downright dismal. After some rehab, however, you can feel better than you have in years.

Bill Clinton impressed me with the speed that he was able to get back out in public after his surgery. And wearing a necktie! I couldn't even think of wearing one of those until nearly a year after surgery.

Best wishes to Randi.

[Zendal Darkman]

It was peaks and troughs with my father after his accident. Initially we had good days, but there were just as many bad. After a few months he was more or less back to his old self (which was a disappointment to some ;) ).

Go for it Randi, I will enjoy reading your commentary when you are in a position to give it again, hopefully that will be soon.

[DrMatt]

They used microsurgery to remove the artery in between.

D'oh! I'd forgotten about the autologous graft. The long slice was probably to harvest good vessel segments from his own body to use for the bypass grafts, and then stretch and stitch together the ends. I haven't even been through any such thing and my own brain is slow.

[Patricio Elicer]

The circumstances which warrant morphine are, by definition, bad. We nearly lost the man.

I think we need to be cautiously optimistic, is all I'm saying. Randi's not getting any younger and this was a serious blow to his health.

Expectations of a full return to duty with the same energy and vigor as before may be a setup for disappointment.

If Randi does fully recover, that's great. I hope he does. He's a giant in the world, and we need more like him.I agree with your sentiments. I really hope both of us are dead wrong, though. I've heard that after by-pass surgery people come back to everyday life like new, hope it's not just an urban legend.

[DrMatt]

well... Before the surgery, he was keeping up a Randi schedule, with blocked coronaries. After the surgery, his lower coronaries are filling from the grafts. The stuff in his coronaries is still a stroke risk, but it sounds like he's getting evidence-based training on how to minimize that and keep his lungs clear and stuff. There's fire in him yet!

He has also spoken about the future of the JREF after he "shuffles off this mortal coil, so to speak, and is no more." My impression is that things are fairly well planned-for, though the plans are kept fairly secret to prevent nuisances from taking advantage of them.

The next ten years will be an interesting experience, all around.

[kevin]

my father went in for a triple-bypass, ended up with a quintuple bypass (found two more partial blockages.)

I was amazed at how quickly he bounced back, the first 2 or 3 weeks were bad, but then rocketed up pretty quickly after that. He went on a round-the-country tour with his brother and some friends 2 months after the surgery.

[kevin]

I agree with your sentiments. I really hope both of us are dead wrong, though. I've heard that after by-pass surgery people come back to everyday life like new, hope it's not just an urban legend.

my father is certainly more active after surgery than before. He says he feels much better than he did for years. However expecting to be even close to what you were before surgery just 3 weeks after surgery is a bit much.

[Patricio Elicer]

my father is certainly more active after surgery than before. He says he feels much better than he did for years. However expecting to be even close to what you were before surgery just 3 weeks after surgery is a bit much.Good to know that your dad is doing well. Let us hope the same for Randi.

[psy kick]

Thankfully, no stupid "psychic" can claim to have predicted this. But they could've just from the fact that he is elderly. Imagine if one had made that guess.
If I tell you I have bene praying for Randi, will I get flamed? because I am a christian and still think Randi is doing a more than valuable service.

[Spektator]

psy kick, I for one would never flame you. Whatever our beliefs, we're all in this boat together, and I think it's important we show consideration and care for our fellow passengers in any way we can.

It was good to hear from Randi again, and I hope he recovers soon and fully. Even if his voice is a little shaky, his voice sounds wonderful to me!

[Zendal Darkman]

Thankfully, no stupid "psychic" can claim to have predicted this.
I'm sure this has already been discussed

http://www.novus.org/home/whatsnew.cfm
(I belive SB was a founder of the "novus" site)

We wish a speedy recovery to James Randi, following his recent heart bypass surgery.
We wish that Randi had paid heed to Sylvia’s warning of impending heart problems when they were on the Larry King Show Sept. 3, 2001.

Randi’s response at the time was that he would have it checked out with his cardiologist, but later denied having any heart problems.

From the Larry King Live Transcription
CNN LARRY KING LIVE
Are Psychics Real? Aired September 3, 2001 - 21:00 ET

BROWNE: And -- sorry, here's, here's a very good insight for you. I'm not psychic about me.
But I'll tell you something about you, Randi . You've got to look into your left ventricle in your heart. Now, you can say I'm just full of, you know, whatever, but you've got to check your left ventricle.
RANDI: They've been telling about my kidneys and about my prostate, about my feet, about my heart, my lungs. I'm in very bad shape.
BROWNE: No, no, no, no. No, no, no. No, no. I'm very serious. You've got something wrong in your left ventricle.
RANDI: Yes, well, we'll check it out, and I'll let you know...
KING: Now, what happened when -- as an example, Randi , just as an example, supposing you went to a cardiologist tomorrow, and he said -- this is just hypothetical -- and he says to you, Whew, your left ventricle...
BROWNE: It's all screwed up.
KING: ... we have to look right, something's the matter.
RANDI: I would get back...
KING: What would you then say -- would you then say...
RANDI: I would get back to you immediately, Larry...
KING: You would.
RANDI: ... and I would tell you that it is true. Yes.
KING: And would you then -- would that give you a plus toward maybe Sylvia has something?
RANDI: Well, as a matter of fact, I will call my cardiac surgeon tomorrow, and I will get back to you on e-mail, Larry, or by phone call if you will, and I will give you a complete report on the condition of my heart.
KING: He'll have to see you, though, because this could have happened...
BROWNE: Yes, right.
RANDI: Well, that's true too, yes. OK, I will do that.
BROWNE: You can't just call him up.
KING: All right. We'll take a break, and we'll be right back. Don't go away.

It has to be noted that at the time SB made the prediction it was known that Randi had already had several hearts attacks and had undergone at least one operation. In addition SB did not predict a heart attack, she said he had a problem with his left ventricle, when in fact he did not.

However as Randi indicates, he has been subjected to hundreds of psychics predicting his illness (and future ones). If Randi had broken his hip, we would know doubt have to listen to psychics claiming they predicted Randi would get osteoporosis.

[kevin]

We wish that Randi had paid heed to Sylvia’s warning of impending heart problems when they were on the Larry King Show Sept. 3, 2001

5 years is impending? Wow, with time frames like that it's a wonder she's ever wrong.

[Zendal Darkman]

5 years is impending? Wow, with time frames like that it's a wonder she's ever wrong.
...and of course to the Woo's she isn't. :boggled:

This "prediction" has already cropped up on a couple of message boards, its only a matter of time before SB herself brings it up on TV, spun to make herself look like a saint. Fortunately the facts are pretty clear and SB is so discredited as a psychic, only hard core Woo's will pay any attention. As ever the important thing is to make sure the facts are known to those who want to listen