Looking for Skeptics

[Pixel42]

In defence of flaccon's GP, these sort of religious obsessions are very rare in the UK and very few GPs would know the best way of dealing with them. The fact that this latest perceived manifestation of the supernatural has had a placebo effect on her perceived physical symptoms (apparently after years when the reverse was true) means the GP must tread very carefully, obviously their first objective would be to preserve that improvement. Directing flaccon to a priest was actually a sensible thing to do, as I've said before if flaccon had been lucky enough to encounter a smart and compassionate priest they might have been of considerable help to her. Unfortunately the idea of communication with the dead is not mainstream Christianity, quite the reverse, and flaccon was not lucky enough to find a priest willing to look beyond that to the troubled human being who needed help.

 

[Orphia Nay]

Here:

Thank u, yes cooperative, and yes they are asking for "loudspeaker" April wasn't found no. It was just a sad & desperate thought at the time. I'm really not here to challenge Randi, I don't fly, although that sort of prize money would seriously benefit their cause.

 

[Orphia Nay]

Yes and it became clear very rapidly that she considered disagreeing with her to be "impolite". So what is it she wanted? That we all keel over and concede she was right for fear of being "impolite"? I think that is on the far side of likelyhood.

Interesting question. What does flaccon want?

I think we are being polite. Not that it will work on that mindset.

 

[SezMe]

I'm hard pressed to believe that spirits who can potentially change the world and save mankind actually give a damn whether it's a .wmv, .wav, or a .BritanniaRules file.

 

[SezMe]

She's just not capable of producing a protocol.

Exactly right.

A claim, perhaps. A testable claim? Highly unlikely.

As long as "highly unlikely"= No.

 

[abaddon]

Interesting question. What does flaccon want?

I think we are being polite. Not that it will work on that mindset.

[qimg]http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w194/orphia/folly_zps02d27e4a.jpg[/qimg]

Way back up thread, I suggested I would fly there and examine her claims, and I would have done so but for Alderbank being on the spot, as it were. Now, there is no money that would persuade me to do so, so far has she fallen. She is reduced to calling all of us bastages, simply because we will not accept her say so.

Good piccy BTW. I like it.

 

[laca]

A word about files saved on your computer. It must be stated that if the MD5 hash is the same for a given file, then the file is identical on your computer as mine. No ifs or buts.

Wrong, and it has been for quite a while, especially for md5.

 

[AdMan]

I'm hard pressed to believe that spirits who can potentially change the world and save mankind actually give a damn whether it's a .wmv, .wav, or a .BritanniaRules file.

Yes, good point.

I'm wondering how flaccon, scrappy, mr bulger, mr roberts, et al. explain this apparent requirement.

 

[abaddon]

Wrong, and it has been for quite a while, especially for md5.

You failed to quote where I posted, in that very post, that I was fully aware of the exceptions. If you really want to get into a debate about encryption and it's flaws, sure. But that would be off topic for this thread. Rest assured, I would bury you on that topic. I code this muck for a living.

 

[Drs_Res]

flacon has audacity on her computer, there really is no reason that a .wav can not be used... except that a high quality, silent file does not give her the artifacts needed. When she gets a truly silent file she does not hear the voices as we see in the following series of post below.

I don't wish to sound stupid (understatement) but I have little knowledge of audio equipment. My only thought is to record the recorded files, onto a different laptop, to add lots more volume, to bring out the background. I shall purchase an external mic, to compare quality.

That's why it's a suggestion to use software. It's also not the first time; you even used Audacity yourself, many pages ago.

Record a perfectly empty WAV file by using Audacity. When you want to talk to your "spirits" then play that empty file in the normal way you always do.

Tell us what happens.

Yes Alderbank explained how to do that. I just done one. It will only play through Audacity, and it is completely silent.

Now ask a "spirit" a question or whatever it is you do. Replay that silent recording. Any replies?

Total silence.

 

[Orphia Nay]

flacon has audacity on her computer, there really is no reason that a .wav can not be used... except that a high quality, silent file does not give her the artifacts needed. When she gets a truly silent file she does not hear the voices as we see in the following series of post below.

Nice quotage.

The "spirits" are BNaP. Background Noise and Pareidolia.

Wake up! Stop BNaPping, flaccon.

 

[abaddon]

Nice quotage.

The "spirits" are BNaP. Background Noise and Pareidolia.

Wake up! Stop BNaPping, flaccon.

We fully agree.

I suspect I am simply getting a little more cynical than you.

 

[Orphia Nay]

We fully agree.

I suspect I am simply getting a little more cynical than you.

I don't hold that against you. It saves me from doing the same, because at least someone's saying what I'm thinking... I just don't say everything I think.

We're all working together on this.

 

[abaddon]

I don't hold that against you. It saves me from doing the same, because at least someone's saying what I'm thinking... I just don't say everything I think.

We're all working together on this.

<nostalgia>Been a while since anyone held anything against me</nostalgia>

 

[SusanB-M1]

Maurice Ledifficile #2754
I nod in agreement. Well said.

ETA Wen I wrote that, I did not realise there were so many subsequent pages to listen to!

 

[dlorde]

Yes, because she said it was evidence supporting her claims. It isn't. The doctor appeared to have been simply repeating what she told him.

How does it support her claims? (Not that flaccon/scrappy will explain. They can't.)

It (ETA possibly) verifies her claim that her doctor wrote a letter about her problem, and also supports her claim that she visited the doctor and told him this stuff.

That's about it.

 

[Orphia Nay]

<nostalgia>Been a while since anyone held anything against me</nostalgia>

Will a virtual platonic hug do?

 

[Orphia Nay]

It verifies her claim that her doctor wrote a letter about her problem, and also supports her claim that she visited the doctor and told him this stuff.

That's about it.

Yep.

It also shows she was lying about giving the letter to the bishop:

Would you care to share the contents of the letter you received from your GP (I understand if you don't)?

How about uploading a couple of the audio clips to your site to allow independent assessment?

I gave the letter to the Bishop, he still couldn't help at that point. I'm real sorry but I doubt I would take the risk of uploading anything now. The spirits express hurt/feelings like us. I don't know but I don't think there is an "us & them" I heard my old friend speak to me, clearly. I called him up and played the recording via landline, he heard this. This is the sort of stuff I'm tying to work out.. how did that happen? (Rhotorical question)

 

[abaddon]

Will a virtual platonic hug do?

Awww- thanks. I feel better.

Back to topic. Flaccon's claims are just not going to fly. The tone of her recent posts are, well, just a bit aggressive as one would expect from a charlatan who has been found out. There is plenty of helpful advice flying around this thread, plenty of patience, plenty of politeness. Indeed, I am astonished at the level of patience, and kudos to all of the contributors.

 

[dlorde]

It must be stated that if the MD5 hash is the same for a given file, then the file is identical on your computer as mine. No ifs or buts.

Wrong, and it has been for quite a while, especially for md5.

I think the unstated assumption is that the files are copies of the same original, hashed to spot changes. To have an MD5 hash collision in these circumstances seems incredibly unlikely.

But I'm no expert in this.