Oleron
Muse
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2004
- Messages
- 940
Kramer,
Sorry to be the one to break it to you but Randi actually intended that job for me. It must have been an admin error that you got sent the job offer.
It's OK JR, I understand that these things happen. Just pop my offer in the post and we'll say no more about it!
(Oh well, it was worth a try!)
Seriously though Kramer, congrats on getting my dream job. I'm sure you're doing great things there, as evidenced by this post.
Best wishes for the future.
princhester
Critical Thinker
- Joined
- May 13, 2003
- Messages
- 321
Kramer, keep up the good work, but could you please note a bit of common email/internet protocol and STOP SHOUTING!
Firstly, I meant it when I said I have the best job in the world, and I do NOT intend to vacate my position. Indeed, if Randi tries to eject me, he'd have a tough time succeeding. I'm committed.
Literally. So long as he let's me go fishing once every few weeks, I'm probably here to stay.
Secondly, when words in my posts are in caps, this is my substitution for italics. They are intended as emphasis, and NOT as shouting. I know nothing of internet "protocol". I am a pig-headed individualist who cares little about...well, ask Randi.
Thirdly, I think of the forum every day but I honestly have so little time to participate, and, more importantly, I don't feel that cursory or peripheral posts are very helpful to anyone here. When I have the time and attention to give detailed responses to important issues, I will definitely participate. So don't expect me to write in every day swearing up and down that the Million Dollar Prize funds exist. Each repetition on this particular issue brings me one beat closer to the myocardial infarction knocking at my door.
And lastly, for those of you who recall my promise several weeks ago regarding the introduction of a new forum detailing Million Dollar claim applicants, preliminary testing and subsequent test results, presently JREF has been saddled with an exquisite problem that adversely affects our day-to-day activities here:
A little more than one month ago, we acquired a new server to help speed up our...well, let's assume that most of you know exactly what a server is and what functions it performs, or in this case, is SUPPOSED to perform. We got a lemon. Initial attempts at repair have been both frustrating and fruitless. We are presently negotiating repair of this issue with the company that sold us the unit, and not having a very good time of it.
To make a rather long and painful story short, we have every hope that this matter will be resolved soon, and that a new server will be installed and up and running within good time.
The moment that happy day is upon us, I will personally set our webmaster to work on designing and implementing a new section on the JREF website that chronicles the Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge, along with a forum blog wherein members can discuss the archive as soon as humanly possible.
At that point, I promise you all that you will be begin to see an archive that will show daily (or near-daily) additions for member perusal. My intent is to prioritize matters by beginning with recent applications and protocol negotiations that are presently in progress, and then work backwards from there.
I have given this much thought, and I feel that forum members will be most interested in what is happening NOW (as current events seem to inspire the most varied debates), and that past events will inspire somewhat less interest - though not that much less. That said, one day in the not too distant future, forum members ought to be able to access an online archive at the JREF site that will begin with the very first prize applicant at the prize inception in 1997, to the current "Applicant of the Week".
Please feel free to offer your comments on this. As these plans are entirely for the benefit and enjoyment of forum members, and were hatched as a direct result of comments made in the forum,
I highly value any comments members should wish to make.
I really do have the best job in the world.
Have I forgotten anyone's questions? My memory is not what it used to be.
Literally. So long as he let's me go fishing once every few weeks, I'm probably here to stay.
Secondly, when words in my posts are in caps, this is my substitution for italics. They are intended as emphasis, and NOT as shouting. I know nothing of internet "protocol". I am a pig-headed individualist who cares little about...well, ask Randi.
Thirdly, I think of the forum every day but I honestly have so little time to participate, and, more importantly, I don't feel that cursory or peripheral posts are very helpful to anyone here. When I have the time and attention to give detailed responses to important issues, I will definitely participate. So don't expect me to write in every day swearing up and down that the Million Dollar Prize funds exist. Each repetition on this particular issue brings me one beat closer to the myocardial infarction knocking at my door.
And lastly, for those of you who recall my promise several weeks ago regarding the introduction of a new forum detailing Million Dollar claim applicants, preliminary testing and subsequent test results, presently JREF has been saddled with an exquisite problem that adversely affects our day-to-day activities here:
A little more than one month ago, we acquired a new server to help speed up our...well, let's assume that most of you know exactly what a server is and what functions it performs, or in this case, is SUPPOSED to perform. We got a lemon. Initial attempts at repair have been both frustrating and fruitless. We are presently negotiating repair of this issue with the company that sold us the unit, and not having a very good time of it.
To make a rather long and painful story short, we have every hope that this matter will be resolved soon, and that a new server will be installed and up and running within good time.
The moment that happy day is upon us, I will personally set our webmaster to work on designing and implementing a new section on the JREF website that chronicles the Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge, along with a forum blog wherein members can discuss the archive as soon as humanly possible.
At that point, I promise you all that you will be begin to see an archive that will show daily (or near-daily) additions for member perusal. My intent is to prioritize matters by beginning with recent applications and protocol negotiations that are presently in progress, and then work backwards from there.
I have given this much thought, and I feel that forum members will be most interested in what is happening NOW (as current events seem to inspire the most varied debates), and that past events will inspire somewhat less interest - though not that much less. That said, one day in the not too distant future, forum members ought to be able to access an online archive at the JREF site that will begin with the very first prize applicant at the prize inception in 1997, to the current "Applicant of the Week".
Please feel free to offer your comments on this. As these plans are entirely for the benefit and enjoyment of forum members, and were hatched as a direct result of comments made in the forum,
I highly value any comments members should wish to make.
I really do have the best job in the world.
Have I forgotten anyone's questions? My memory is not what it used to be.
Skeptical Greg
Agave Wine Connoisseur
While I don't find your occasional use of caps objectionable.. Here are a couple of tips..
Just try to reply to my post with the " Quote " option to see how to add italics or bold to your posts...
Once you get used to it, it's even easier than using the little ' B ' or ' I ' buttons just above the reply box..
That said, Your compostion skills are greatly to be admired..
Just try to reply to my post with the " Quote " option to see how to add italics or bold to your posts...
Once you get used to it, it's even easier than using the little ' B ' or ' I ' buttons just above the reply box..
That said, Your compostion skills are greatly to be admired..
I have tried to use those commands to make words bold or italicized, and failed miserably. Linda is busy right now but I will consult with her on this asap, in an effort to offend NO ONE on the JREF forum.
In the words of R.P. McMurphy, "At least I tried. At least I tried."
In the words of R.P. McMurphy, "At least I tried. At least I tried."
Skeptical Greg
Agave Wine Connoisseur
KRAMER said:
We always prefer to keep the identifying data (ie; the names) of applicants private. It is not our policy to provide applicants with public embarrassment past the personal embarrassment of having failed preliminary testing, which so many applicants do with such boldly flying colors. That is to say, zero hits out of ten attempts is not at all uncommon.
Personally, I don't feel that laughing at the self-deluded, or mocking their attempts to prove their beliefs, helps anyone,
and entertainment is simply not a part of our activities. There's more than enough to laugh at in the world without adding the names of a thousand failed applicants to the list.
I would much prefer to mock the people who try win the million dollars by means of deception, but, as I previously stated, those folks simply don't apply for the prize. They know better. Hence, I rarely get the opportunity to point and laugh.
BUT, I do on ocassion get a claim letter that provides a good-natured belly laugh. And, since the archive I've promised
in my previous postings is still a few weeks away from being introduced, I will try to satiate you all with the following teaser - a claim that I have received each week since shortly after I arrived here (so glaringly simple and to-the-point, as per the prize rules) via fax, email and postal service, from a fellow in Brighton, England:
"ANY DOG, OF ANY BREED, WHATEVER ITS SIZE AND NO MATTER HOW WILD, WILL NOT BITE ME."
The funniest thing about this particular claim is that it is not the
original claim received from this fellow. His initial claim differs slightly from the above claim (which I began to receive a week or two later), arriving the very day I began to work here at JREF. And here is the original claim:
"NO LION, WHATEVER ITS SIZE AND NO MATTER HOW WILD, WILL BITE ME."
Now we all know that Brighton is simply rife with lions, yet still, somehow this applicant was perceptive enough to see the difficulty in providing a forum in which his claim could be tested, and soon abandoned his initial claim, providing a new one with precisely the same wording, save one key word: "lion" had been replaced by "dog". I think the lion test would have proved infinitely more amusing, but, alas.
He seems quite entirely serious about his claim, and although I am not without experience in detecting good humour (I also worked for Penn & Teller for many years), I couldn't perceive any sense of the absurd at work here, at least not from his end.
Randi's suggestion for a reply surpassed even the claim itself for humorous content: "Fine. Tell him to advise us as to when he has gathered all the dogs in the world together in one place, and we can then schedule a test."
This particular claim has won my 'Claim of the Week' prize each and every week since my arrival here in early March.
But don't get funny with me; there is no cash prize involved in this private competition, so keep your shirts on, forumites.
"The professors can remain in their seats. There'll be no diving for THIS cigar!" - Groucho Marx
Personally, I don't feel that laughing at the self-deluded, or mocking their attempts to prove their beliefs, helps anyone,
and entertainment is simply not a part of our activities. There's more than enough to laugh at in the world without adding the names of a thousand failed applicants to the list.
I would much prefer to mock the people who try win the million dollars by means of deception, but, as I previously stated, those folks simply don't apply for the prize. They know better. Hence, I rarely get the opportunity to point and laugh.
BUT, I do on ocassion get a claim letter that provides a good-natured belly laugh. And, since the archive I've promised
in my previous postings is still a few weeks away from being introduced, I will try to satiate you all with the following teaser - a claim that I have received each week since shortly after I arrived here (so glaringly simple and to-the-point, as per the prize rules) via fax, email and postal service, from a fellow in Brighton, England:
"ANY DOG, OF ANY BREED, WHATEVER ITS SIZE AND NO MATTER HOW WILD, WILL NOT BITE ME."
The funniest thing about this particular claim is that it is not the
original claim received from this fellow. His initial claim differs slightly from the above claim (which I began to receive a week or two later), arriving the very day I began to work here at JREF. And here is the original claim:
"NO LION, WHATEVER ITS SIZE AND NO MATTER HOW WILD, WILL BITE ME."
Now we all know that Brighton is simply rife with lions, yet still, somehow this applicant was perceptive enough to see the difficulty in providing a forum in which his claim could be tested, and soon abandoned his initial claim, providing a new one with precisely the same wording, save one key word: "lion" had been replaced by "dog". I think the lion test would have proved infinitely more amusing, but, alas.
He seems quite entirely serious about his claim, and although I am not without experience in detecting good humour (I also worked for Penn & Teller for many years), I couldn't perceive any sense of the absurd at work here, at least not from his end.
Randi's suggestion for a reply surpassed even the claim itself for humorous content: "Fine. Tell him to advise us as to when he has gathered all the dogs in the world together in one place, and we can then schedule a test."
This particular claim has won my 'Claim of the Week' prize each and every week since my arrival here in early March.
But don't get funny with me; there is no cash prize involved in this private competition, so keep your shirts on, forumites.
"The professors can remain in their seats. There'll be no diving for THIS cigar!" - Groucho Marx
NoZed Avenger
Penultimate Amazing
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2002
- Messages
- 11,286
Dear JREF:
My paranormal claim is as follows:
NO RENATA, NO MATTER HOW WILD, WILL BITE ME.
Please let me know when a preliminary test can be arranged.
N/A
(Talk about win-win)
My paranormal claim is as follows:
NO RENATA, NO MATTER HOW WILD, WILL BITE ME.
Please let me know when a preliminary test can be arranged.
N/A
(Talk about win-win)
KRAMER said:
Ok,
To clear up any confusion, this is not truly correct.
The original server we got had some minor hardware issues, but at the same time I had gotten the exact same server (same specs, same everything) from Dell and to speed up moving to the new server, I swapped servers so the JREF has a server in perfect working order.
I am having some issues with the transfering of the data from one platform to the other which is causing the delay. This is my fault and for that I apologize.
Regards,
Jeff
KRAMER said:
If his claim is (because I wasn't completely clear with the wording) that no dog will ever bite him...it would be easy enough to disprove. Put him in a training dummy suit used to train police dogs to bite and then, UNLEASH THE HOUNDS! Err, or something like that.
Of course he'd probably go back to lions then. 
OOPS. My apologies to Jeff, and to all.
I must apologize for not being entirely up-to-date on the current issues regarding the status of the JREF server problems. My statements were not entirely accurate, but were truthful as I understood them at the time. I am not a computer person, so I must confess that perhaps my capacity to fully understand said issues was (and is) limited, so I will try to avoid future comments referring to matters and things I know little about. Apparently, as per Jeff's statement, we now have a fucntioning server, and the current problems lie entirely in the realm of data transfer.
Regardless, my promises concerning the JREF Prize Applications Archive remain wholly intact.
I beg your continued patience and understanding in this matter.
I must apologize for not being entirely up-to-date on the current issues regarding the status of the JREF server problems. My statements were not entirely accurate, but were truthful as I understood them at the time. I am not a computer person, so I must confess that perhaps my capacity to fully understand said issues was (and is) limited, so I will try to avoid future comments referring to matters and things I know little about. Apparently, as per Jeff's statement, we now have a fucntioning server, and the current problems lie entirely in the realm of data transfer.
Regardless, my promises concerning the JREF Prize Applications Archive remain wholly intact.
I beg your continued patience and understanding in this matter.
Ok lets go there shall we Mr Kramer?
Right Mr KRAMER, lets sort this out publicly as you seem to refuse to do it in private.
As I have said in my last email to you, how dare you lie on this board.
In one of your posts above this you said the following things over me……………
“And for the information of all forum members burdened with a sense of integrity, Ms. "Dragon 3" has been emailing me for some time now in tones that are at least suggestive and at most gently antagonistic, but yesterday, she accidentally emailed me a letter intended for a "Mick Dunk" (along with his previous email to HER) that reveals her to be rather less than candid, honest or forthcoming. She is apparently attempting to compile ammunition she intends to share with others who are opponents of our cause, and apparently one of those opponents is indeed the webmaster of the aforementioned "watchdog" site, Mr. Dunk.”
You know full well that I have only ever been courteous to you. I posted you an email which in part said this……..……….
Hello again ^_^
As I promised, her is the reply from them.
I did post them copies of all the questions and points raised on your forums too, so that’s what they mean when they are talking about it all.
Have a GREAT day ^_^
Ta ta for now.
Mary
I then pasted and copied the reply I got from those Watchers so that you could read it.
HOW was THAT “accidentally emailed me a letter intended for a "Mick Dunk" (along with his previous email to HER) “???
And HOW was THAT “…that reveals her to be rather less than candid, honest or forthcoming. She is apparently attempting to compile ammunition she intends to share with others who are opponents of our cause”???
The ONLY person not being honest here is YOU.
You are making me out to be doing something that I am NOT doing.
As I have always said, I was on YOUR SIDE. I was trying to get you the information YOU wanted about them. I posted to them the points raised on the forum from people to see what excuses they would come up with.
YOU OWE ME AN APPOLOGY. And you owe it not in a private email as it looks like your ignoring me, but you owe it to me here for all to see.
As someone who is connected with JREF you are held more accountable than a visitor to this forum. So when you start throwing accusations over my intentions about, you better get them right.
I don’t like being trashed on a forum I am visiting just because YOU cant read an email correctly and got it wrong.
So to Para-phrase your posting over me……..
Let us hope against hope, and wish that (like so many other annoyances and exquisite little inconveniences) that Mr Kramer puts his brain in gear next time, before putting his mouth in motion.
Mary
Right Mr KRAMER, lets sort this out publicly as you seem to refuse to do it in private.
As I have said in my last email to you, how dare you lie on this board.
In one of your posts above this you said the following things over me……………
“And for the information of all forum members burdened with a sense of integrity, Ms. "Dragon 3" has been emailing me for some time now in tones that are at least suggestive and at most gently antagonistic, but yesterday, she accidentally emailed me a letter intended for a "Mick Dunk" (along with his previous email to HER) that reveals her to be rather less than candid, honest or forthcoming. She is apparently attempting to compile ammunition she intends to share with others who are opponents of our cause, and apparently one of those opponents is indeed the webmaster of the aforementioned "watchdog" site, Mr. Dunk.”
You know full well that I have only ever been courteous to you. I posted you an email which in part said this……..……….
Hello again ^_^
As I promised, her is the reply from them.
I did post them copies of all the questions and points raised on your forums too, so that’s what they mean when they are talking about it all.
Have a GREAT day ^_^
Ta ta for now.
Mary
I then pasted and copied the reply I got from those Watchers so that you could read it.
HOW was THAT “accidentally emailed me a letter intended for a "Mick Dunk" (along with his previous email to HER) “???
And HOW was THAT “…that reveals her to be rather less than candid, honest or forthcoming. She is apparently attempting to compile ammunition she intends to share with others who are opponents of our cause”???
The ONLY person not being honest here is YOU.
You are making me out to be doing something that I am NOT doing.
As I have always said, I was on YOUR SIDE. I was trying to get you the information YOU wanted about them. I posted to them the points raised on the forum from people to see what excuses they would come up with.
YOU OWE ME AN APPOLOGY. And you owe it not in a private email as it looks like your ignoring me, but you owe it to me here for all to see.
As someone who is connected with JREF you are held more accountable than a visitor to this forum. So when you start throwing accusations over my intentions about, you better get them right.
I don’t like being trashed on a forum I am visiting just because YOU cant read an email correctly and got it wrong.
So to Para-phrase your posting over me……..
Let us hope against hope, and wish that (like so many other annoyances and exquisite little inconveniences) that Mr Kramer puts his brain in gear next time, before putting his mouth in motion.
Mary
to Mary (Dragon 3)
I will never become involved in any way in a public slugfest with you or any other forum member, not on this forum or any other forum.
That is not what forums are supposed to be about. At least not the JREF forums, which were designed ideally to be a place of mutual exchange of information and data, and the sharing of opinions, and not a Peyton Place of hissy fits and cat fights.
My opinion regarding the nature of your correspondence with me has been shared here, though, in hindsight, I regret that a posting of mine has turned at least one part of the forum into an unsightly place. I sincerely apologize to ALL forum members and guests for that fact.
Your opinion of me has been noted, Mary. Be as vitriolic and as hateful as you feel the need to be, but be aware of the fact that, so far as I am concerned, every word of it will fall upon deaf ears.
I will make no more posts regarding this issue, nor will I respond to accusations and diatribes that might cause this forum to become anything less than what it can ideally be, or what I feel it . should be. All members and guests can count on me for that, if nothing else.
I will never become involved in any way in a public slugfest with you or any other forum member, not on this forum or any other forum.
That is not what forums are supposed to be about. At least not the JREF forums, which were designed ideally to be a place of mutual exchange of information and data, and the sharing of opinions, and not a Peyton Place of hissy fits and cat fights.
My opinion regarding the nature of your correspondence with me has been shared here, though, in hindsight, I regret that a posting of mine has turned at least one part of the forum into an unsightly place. I sincerely apologize to ALL forum members and guests for that fact.
Your opinion of me has been noted, Mary. Be as vitriolic and as hateful as you feel the need to be, but be aware of the fact that, so far as I am concerned, every word of it will fall upon deaf ears.
I will make no more posts regarding this issue, nor will I respond to accusations and diatribes that might cause this forum to become anything less than what it can ideally be, or what I feel it . should be. All members and guests can count on me for that, if nothing else.
To Kramer
I will never become involved in any way in a public slugfest with you or any other forum member, not on this forum or any other forum.
Then you should not have stated something that was not true in a public forum.
That is not what forums are supposed to be about. At least not the JREF forums, which were designed ideally to be a place of mutual exchange of information and data, and the sharing of opinions, and not a Peyton Place of hissy fits and cat fights.
Its not a hissy fit or cat fight when someone corrects you over your incorrect assertions.
And you are the first one who always wants to correct “mistakes” so learn to live with the consequences of your actions.
If you had:
1. Not posted a lie about me as a fact.
And
2. If you had replied to me via email instead of ignoring me.
Then none of this would have happened.
As they say “The buck stops here”.
My opinion regarding the nature of your correspondence with me has been shared here, though, in hindsight, I regret that a posting of mine has turned at least one part of the forum into an unsightly place. I sincerely apologize to ALL forum members and guests for that fact.
Well, I suppose that that’s about the best apology for your remarks that I will ever get, as you seem to deem it ok if you post things about someone which are not true.
Your opinion of me has been noted, Mary. Be as vitriolic and as hateful as you feel the need to be, but be aware of the fact that, so far as I am concerned, every word of it will fall upon deaf ears.
Yes I am sure it will. Which is just another way of hiding from the fact that you were in the wrong in the first place.
I will make no more posts regarding this issue, nor will I respond to accusations and diatribes that might cause this forum to become anything less than what it can ideally be, or what I feel it . should be. All members and guests can count on me for that, if nothing else.
I am please to hear it. Perhaps you will also do us all a favour and restrain yourself from anymore of your “opinions” on members…..especially when they are false.
But ok, I will let it go now as it is pointless trying to get you to admit fault in it, and there is a lot of other things I want to post about on the forum without wasting my time on this.
Mary
I will never become involved in any way in a public slugfest with you or any other forum member, not on this forum or any other forum.
Then you should not have stated something that was not true in a public forum.
That is not what forums are supposed to be about. At least not the JREF forums, which were designed ideally to be a place of mutual exchange of information and data, and the sharing of opinions, and not a Peyton Place of hissy fits and cat fights.
Its not a hissy fit or cat fight when someone corrects you over your incorrect assertions.
And you are the first one who always wants to correct “mistakes” so learn to live with the consequences of your actions.
If you had:
1. Not posted a lie about me as a fact.
And
2. If you had replied to me via email instead of ignoring me.
Then none of this would have happened.
As they say “The buck stops here”.
My opinion regarding the nature of your correspondence with me has been shared here, though, in hindsight, I regret that a posting of mine has turned at least one part of the forum into an unsightly place. I sincerely apologize to ALL forum members and guests for that fact.
Well, I suppose that that’s about the best apology for your remarks that I will ever get, as you seem to deem it ok if you post things about someone which are not true.
Your opinion of me has been noted, Mary. Be as vitriolic and as hateful as you feel the need to be, but be aware of the fact that, so far as I am concerned, every word of it will fall upon deaf ears.
Yes I am sure it will. Which is just another way of hiding from the fact that you were in the wrong in the first place.
I will make no more posts regarding this issue, nor will I respond to accusations and diatribes that might cause this forum to become anything less than what it can ideally be, or what I feel it . should be. All members and guests can count on me for that, if nothing else.
I am please to hear it. Perhaps you will also do us all a favour and restrain yourself from anymore of your “opinions” on members…..especially when they are false.
But ok, I will let it go now as it is pointless trying to get you to admit fault in it, and there is a lot of other things I want to post about on the forum without wasting my time on this.
Mary
Dancing David
Penultimate Amazing
Well the website you posted is a joke, at least yelolow bamboo had the integrity to fake an application letter. lets us ee what the alleged watch dog does. You can't have a test without the cognisance and acceptance of the JREF and claim the prize, so it should be a laugh riot.
Skeptical Greg
Agave Wine Connoisseur
Was there actually some information on the site earlier?
What prompted them to remove it?
What prompted them to remove it?
And the hijack continues...
Dear Mr. Kramer,
Congratulations on your important and interesting appointment at the JREF.
I notice you claim you have the best job in the World.
No, you don't!
I teach at a school (so far, so stressful). What (I hear you ask) is so special about that?
Because I teach chess, roleplaying and computer games.
All the time.
These nice people pay me to practice my hobbies to interested kids.
I think you can now see that you are no. 2.
Keep trying!
Dear Mr. Kramer,
Congratulations on your important and interesting appointment at the JREF.
I notice you claim you have the best job in the World.
No, you don't!
I teach at a school (so far, so stressful). What (I hear you ask) is so special about that?
Because I teach chess, roleplaying and computer games.
All the time.
These nice people pay me to practice my hobbies to interested kids.
I think you can now see that you are no. 2.
Keep trying!