Who doesn't wish him well? The probelm is he is 80 years old. The statistics don't lean in his favor unfortuantly.

My father is 84 and going strong. People will live much longer nowdays. This is the time that I would pray, although many don't believe it works. I still do! Let's hope that prayer or the miracle of modern medicine comes through in Randi's favor.
Dave

I was probably not alone in thinking that maybe entity's post announcing Randi's recent bypass surgery was a 'test' along the lines of - 'If you could *really* RV, you would have already known that it was true/untrue'.

Unfortunately it is true - see http://www.randi.org/ And yes, we wish him a speedy and full recovery.

Slim when I say it is not in his favor. I just mean being 80 and coming out of surgery. I have a grandma that is 93. She still is doing great.

Wow. This must have been fairly sudden. I had just exchanged a couple emails with him the day before, and he responded with almost surreal promptness.

Entity, the message currently on his site says he's in "stable condition," not "stable but critical condition." Where did you see the "critical" part? (Not to nitpick, but that's a significant difference.)

Slim I tend to think that medicine will do him a lot better than prayers! Not to say that you can't try!

Some of you are going to go the same way if you stop getting so worked up about it. The fact of the matter is that most normal people don't even know who he is, well not in the UK anyway.

Maybe everyone should spend a bit more time with their family and/or work and stop worrying so much about whether psychic powers do or do not exist. Who really cares?

WOW!

I need to put a few tings out in the air here. First of all, as some one who actually speaks with James on a fairly regular basis, and as some one who has actually been mentored by him on PSYCHIC PERFORMANCE, I would like to come to his defence. There are some of us (Jack and Tony) who would do a great service to their careers and the integrity of what they do if they actually sat down and had a "session" with this man. We will all be very lucky if we ever have half the knowledge (not just of magic and mentalism)that Randi has. He is an INCREDIBLY generous and VERY helpful man. Personally I feel that if we do not know someone personally -- and have in most cases never actually talked to someone, we should not make judgements on there moral character, or integrity.

I think like we are acting like a bunch of children who just learned that there is no such thing as Santa clause. Yes it hurts, but get over it, move on, have a coke (they invented the guy anyway...).

I am very sorry you guys have such a slanted and INCORRECT view of what JREF and James do. But please, don't go spreadig your HUMBUG amongst those of us here at the Café. This thread is a waste of time and waste of server space.

I agree with Salsa. Spend more time perfecting your "REAL POWERS" then complainig about who doubts you, and you might one day have the opportunity to be mentored by some one who knows a hell of a lot more about these things than you. (I mean chances are you would be far to naive and ignorant to take that particular persons advice anyway).

For anyone who doubts what JREF does or Randi's intentions, go out ad but the first season of "Bullsh!t" (wait never mind, we hate pen and teller here too, sorry I forgot...) and listen to the special features interview that they do with Randi. This might open your eyes. He is a man, who has passon and drive to stop people from being duped by FRAUDS (which if you pass off billet switces, PK, and cold reading as genuine psychic ability -- YOU ARE!).

I disagree that this thread is a waste of time and server space. I appreciate this forum to continue to learn better all sides of issues. I show that Randi interview with P&T to my highschool students and will continue to do so. He is a veteran crusader and the public deserves to be educated against those who unethically and illegally feed on human suffering. Exposure and its effect on performers has a far longer history than Randi's crusade has unfortunately generated.

I think that no working pro's. Sorry HONEST working pros have been hurtby what Randi does and the exposure he has created.

Icy. Until about two months ago I couldn't have even told you who Randi is. I have tried to reserve my opinion on him. Thanks for letting us know what your thoughts are. You sound like the only one on this thread that has actually sat down and spoke with the man, so I would guess you have better insight than anyone else.

Wish him well for us!

I see things a little differently, and have explained in in this thread. Randi set up the model for the modern exposure show. He has publicly exposed several big name frauds, I do not dispute that. But I also submit, that his public exposure of the frauds methods inspired and educated a whole new generation of frauds. My belief is that it is the job of law enforcement to deal with criminals.
I wish him only the best, at 77 years of age, what he is going through is very dangerous. He will be mentioned in our prayer service at our church.

Tony

Will do. I just want everyone onthe forum to not take what they hear others saying about someone for the gospel. This is a widely publicized and viewed forum. I hate to see some one's image get tarnished.

Voicing one's opinion is fun -- but ultimately there is a person at the end of the name...

Icy I wasn't going to mention it but I too spent a lot of time with the man.

GENEROUS? Man you have a gift for understatement my friend. He is that multiplied by a lot.

Tony your making the classic arguement. Did the Joker make Batman or did Batman make the Joker?

People who do these things are criminal. NOBODY made them so they are criminal.

How is this tough to understand? You, me , and lets extend that out of courtesy to everyone here, are NOT criminal simply put. NOTHING is going to turn us to being one. So if Randi and his group expose some bad people, and YOU claim he simply creates more bad people?

So all Darwin does on TV when he helps casinos is to create more casino cheats?

ARE YOU KIDDING?

You are saying the exposre of bad behavior creates more bad behavior? Not punishing bad behavior makes more bad behavior.

According to your theory we should suspend our criminal justice system completly. It only makes more criminals more educated because we have to hold a trial and tell the rest of the public how it is done. Bank roberies will plumet if we stop holding trials publically. Court is an EDUCATION for criminals!

How could we have missed it?

Sorry if it sounded sarcastic but I was trying to make a point. A criminal is a criminal period. Randi is not the criminal. If he exposes J ack and his card tricks in the same breath as he exposes fake mediums then so be it. THAT is J acks problem. Find new methods. If you have the same problem same goes for you.

~APPLAUSE~

Danny. mind if I PM you?

Not in the least. I would be honered

I encourage anyone else who has had personal experiences with Randi to join danny and I in his defense...

It's unfortunate you feel there is still so much adversary.

They may run out of server space

Danny:
Calm down, did someone put something in the coffee this morning?
Means, motive, and opportunity.

I don't want to continue this, it is in bad taste considering the circumstances.
Let's just agree that we disagree.

Is that acceptable?

Tony