Skepticism and The Normal

[JQH]

In addition to the one-off sock puppet on badscience referred to by Mojo, there was a poster called "adolphmayer" who chimed in on the memes thread to support TM (known here as Bubblefish) and posted nowhere else.

This is not proof that Gnu is Bubb but it does show that Bubb has previous when it comes to creating non-existant supporters.

 

[Mojo]

Prof, I didn't realize until about a month after I registered how my moniker might be interpreted. I knew about the excrement part, but a friend later pointed out that a male wildebeest might be known as a 'bull', and so my handle effectively reads : 'B*llsh*t".

This suggests to me either that English is not your first language, or that you use words without knowing what they actually mean (rather like someone else we know ). The association between the excrement of a large herbivore (of any gender) and the expression to which you allude should otherwise have been immediately apparent.

 

[drkitten]

.
But no; I am being accused of not existing. I am accused of being the figment of someone else's imagination.

Yup. Deal with it.

And while I wrestle with this problem, some of you are exhibiting text-book symptoms of paranoia; and I don't mean to be rude, but some of you are attempting to prove your hypothesis that I am Bubb in a most unscientific manner.

Yes, but you don't want me to prove that particular hypothesis in a scientific manner. If I actually cared, authorship attribution is a well-studied problem. (See the classic Mosteller-Wallace study of the Federalist Papers or any of the more recent work by Argamon, Chaski, Hoover, Koppel, Juola, or Rudman.) The algorithms are well-known and easily implemented, and the results are very good -- in particular, it's almost impossible to disguise one's writing style even by faking things like British/American spelling.

If you want me to run a test, I can. You're fortunate that I don't have much time right now. Because if I did run the test, and the results indicated that you WERE a sock puppet, I'd be more or less obliged to place my evidence at Darat's feet and suggest that you be banned in all your forms. You wouldn't want that, would you?

Think about it, Flim. There's already been a discussion about the fact my first appearence here coincided wtih Bubb's absence, and how suspicious that was. Do you really think Bubb would be so stupid as to repeat that, thereby provoking another wave of suspicion, as we have now ?

Yes. I really think that Bubb is that stupid.

So, come on, I'm asking now; does anyone know a way to settle this ? Can anyone suggest an experiment that would test the hypothesis ?

If not, I'll do as zoot suggested, and just withdraw...

I can suggest lots of them. And I strongly suggest that you do just withdraw with some semblance of honor, before you tick me off enough that I find the time to run the experiment.....

 

[Gnu Ordure]

Now you tell us, Doc.

Have I not been saying how exasperating it is to face these accusations that I can't refute ?

And now you tell us you can refute them...

Well, I'd very grateful if you would, Doc.

Please, please do it.

(How reliable are these tests ? Can you run more than one test for greater reliabilty ?)





Obviously I'm not worried that these tests could prove I don't exist - because I do, so they can't.

But if they said that I didn't exist - well, that would indeed be awful. But all that would prove to me would be that the tests were inaccurate - I realize that the rest of you would draw a different conclusion.

But hopefully the chances of that happening are tiny, so I'll take the risk.



So, will you do it, Doc ?

The sooner the better, as far as I'm concerned...


Gnu.


PS And thanks for the references, I'll have a look.

 

[Gnu Ordure]

So...

... while we wait for Doc to prove my existence (the tensions's killing me)...

...perhaps I could address the next paranoid accusation: that if I'm not Bubb, I must be an acquaintance of his.

And while I was wracking my brain to come up with a way to disprove this, I suddenly thought ".. er .. what's wrong with being someone's acquaintance anyway ?"

Don't some of you people know each other ? Aren't there JREF social occasions, and badscience meetings in pubs ? Have any of you ever exchanged PMs ? If so, perhaps you should declare these relationships, so we all know who is whose 'accomplice' ?

Of course not. It's irrelevent. The public discussion stands and falls on its own merits.

So the 'accusation' that I might be acquainted with Bubb is an accusation of nothing.

But, for the record: I have never met or spoken to Bubb.

I have talked to him in cyberspace - but then so have all of you.





mojo/zooterkin: re the insults:

while I was pleased to see the Professor supporting my perception that Bubb is often the first to be insulted, I don't think it's worth pursuing because it doesn't affect my interpretation of Bubb as a TV producer/presenter.

Even if you were right, it would simply mean that Bubb sometimes acts in the same manner as other confrontational presenters like Anne Robinson or Simon Cowell...

... who are, (just like Bubb), people you love to hate, and yet also entertaining...


naughty, nasty, rude people...

Where's Bubb gone, by the way ? I predict he will be along shortly; I bet he's been waiting for me to withdraw, as I'm now doing, before he re-appears. He loves playing with people.




Anyway, I take my leave, as I said I'd do.



And, if Doc does come back with irrefutable proof that I don't exist, perhaps one of you could pm me with the news ?

I'd like to know.





Cheers,


Gnu.

 

[WWHP]

Hey everybody, again, my apologies, I thought last week I was going to be able to return. I also thought a few other things were happening, and were not happening, and it appears I was incorrect on all three accounts. Will return to this discussion soon,my livlihood and responsibilities have to come first, however, and I need all the focus I can muster right now.

I havent read anything past like page 71 or 72 or so, but I'm sure it's all just as engaging as ever.

Lotsa love
BF

 

[Zep]

Pair of sad gits.

 

[JQH]

Pair of sad gits.

Have they ever been logged on at the same time?

 

[WWHP]

The eternal mystery depresses some scientists....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/05/s...ogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

 

[jimbob]

Foes anyone give a dying duck id bubbledish is GO or not?

 

[sinnikal]

Strictly speaking, shouldn't that be a dlying duck Jim?

 

[jimbob]

silly me dor being so fense

 

[Professor Yaffle]

I know I should allow this thread to die, but I can't help myself.

Is this the "work" Bubblefish has been so busy with lately?

http://www.eblips.net/?p=403

An old friend is helping to promote Dr. Lo’s 6-month long training course (every Saturday morning starting March 10, in LA–$150/month). I haven’t read his book or met him, but I’m intrigued by the fact he has a Ph.D. in theoretical physics and used to be at CalTech.

More importantly, can anyone else manage to keep a straight face when they read this?

[FONT=verdana, courier new,courier,tahoma,sans-serif][/FONT][FONT=verdana, courier new,courier,tahoma,sans-serif][FONT=verdana, courier new,courier,tahoma,sans-serif][FONT=verdana, courier new,courier,tahoma,sans-serif]

[FONT=verdana, courier new,courier,tahoma,sans-serif][FONT=verdana, courier new,courier,tahoma,sans-serif][FONT=verdana, courier new,courier,tahoma,sans-serif]The physical mechanism of energy healing is hypothesized as follows: Stable Water clusters line themselves up in a much more orderly fashion along meridians in qigong masters than those in ordinary people. The water clusters form an electric field and when qigong masters think about emitting qi, the stable water clusters in their meridians shake and electro magnetic waves are emitted. The healing water clusters travel through empty space and affect the water clusters of the patient. Once the water clusters are aligned, qi flows and the body heals. [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

[/FONT][/FONT]
[/FONT]

 

[zooterkin]

More importantly, can anyone else manage to keep a straight face when they read this?

Well, if you're counting, I couldn't.

 

[Brattus]

Uh Wot?

 

[WWHP]

I know I should allow this thread to die, but I can't help myself.

TYPICAL!

Is this the "work" Bubblefish has been so busy with lately?

http://www.eblips.net/?p=403

No, sorry

More importantly, can anyone else manage to keep a straight face when they read this?

prpbably not, you academic stiffs made such a huge hoopla about nothing that it's funny.....

I need to close this disussion, it has served it's purpose....yet, I dont want tl leave anyone hi and dri...

BF

BF is drunk this evening and came by for a <hic> chat, you al have been on my mind lately...

 

[WWHP]

Y
Yes. I really think that Bubb is that stupid.

hahahahah, I think that was the whole point, are you THAT Stupid to think I am that stupid?

clearly you are

I can suggest lots of them. And I strongly suggest that you do just withdraw with some semblance of honor, before you tick me off enough that I find the time to run the experiment.....

get a life!

Lotsa Love
BF

 

[jimbob]

I'm unsubscribing from this thread and putting everoyone on it on ignore

 

[Z]

Bye, Rome.

 

[jimbob]

I have everybody on ignore and have unsubscribed from this thread*, so if anyone wrote (and I am just guessing here)

Bye, Rome.

I wouldn't see it...

Actually I haven't got anyone on ignore

Anyway other people just have to have the last word