tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89156762295870917042024-03-04T21:31:10.504-08:00ReganR-Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325971171719425452noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915676229587091704.post-17665934916622625942014-12-22T06:11:00.000-08:002014-12-22T06:11:22.513-08:00Sally More-gan<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A little while ago I went to see the UK’s favourite Psychic
- Sally Morgan. I was interested to see what her show was like and if she would
be able to challenge my preconception that no-one can actually speak to the
dead. If you read my <a href="http://regannaughton.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/waking-dead-bored.html" target="_blank">previous blog</a> on the subject you’ll know that I wasn’t
really that impressed – but thanks to the hard work of my friend Steve we’ve
been able to make a rough transcript of the show and count up how successful
Sally was at bringing messages from beyond the grave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When marking the transcript, I've changed the real names, as I wouldn't want to upset a grieving audience member and appear to detract from the the memory of a loved one just to make a point. I’ve tried to keep whether or
not Sally scored a “hit” as simple as possible and considered the questions
recommended by the Good Thinking Society:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Is she making specific statements? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Is she speaking clearly or in riddles? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->How Many statements are incorrect?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Were we asked to give information? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Using these as a guide, I measured 290 separate statements
made by Sally during the 2 hour show. The theatre had a capacity of around 600
and it was full (at £25 per head that’s £15,000 by the way). The number of
statements is interesting; as it reminded me of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthday_problem" target="_blank">Birthday Paradox</a> whereby all you need is a group of 23 people in the same room for it to be more
likely than not for there to be 2 people who share a birthday. While birthdays
and loved ones are quite different a room of 600 people creates a lot of
chances for a statement to hit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Considering this, as well as Sally’s claims to have been
guided by the spirits of relatives of people in the audience, you would expect
her statements to be unerringly accurate. In actual fact, I counted 41 “hits”
out of 290 statements - a success rate of 14%. Looking it another way, Sally
Morgan (the UK’s favourite Psychic) made 249 statements that drew blanks from a
room of 600 people (many of whom desperately wanted to speak to a dead
relative). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which without wanting to be unkind is… not very good really.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I enjoy a graph (I know, but those long Norfolk nights as a
child were long and in Norfolk) so I’ve tried to create a visual record of her
performance. By putting all of Sally’s
statements chronologically in order we can check the frequency of her success
and see a story of the performance.<!--[endif]--></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZiXGKz59KafwL1IAmw7E6XBZKR0rpj9HFAJIqwLZNUgWXe6F1lA_GGVKt_MmT4MJRzgti7YQbpjWwlVMApOsPiT1hHyx3JJeYzDvzmTUuqCL1s5s-ziIMiiVIVCtWkUusbMADEKDrho/s1600/Sally+Graph.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZiXGKz59KafwL1IAmw7E6XBZKR0rpj9HFAJIqwLZNUgWXe6F1lA_GGVKt_MmT4MJRzgti7YQbpjWwlVMApOsPiT1hHyx3JJeYzDvzmTUuqCL1s5s-ziIMiiVIVCtWkUusbMADEKDrho/s1600/Sally+Graph.png" height="436" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sally's statements have been grouped in 5's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We can see that there were only 3
occasions when Sally was regularly enjoying a better than 50-50 “hit” rate. The first occasion was very early on and
covered statements 1-20 and our rough transcripts provide the following detail:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 4.65pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 604px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sally’s Statement <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Audience Response<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Young boy Jeff<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jeffrey?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He says Terry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He says Andrew<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">or Alan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 25.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 25.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 25.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Agitated<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 25.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="top" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John died, Jeff is
my Son, John was friend of Son<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 26.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He’s confused about
his death, Did he get thrown around?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="top" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">yes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who is Andrew?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Andrew was the driver<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 9;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Were you with
relatives today?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, with my
partner<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 26.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 10;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His heart went 'boom'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">that’s how he died,
his blood rushed around his body too quick<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 11;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've never met you
before<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have met you before
- Skegness<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 26.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 12;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other two girls who
also stood up, Did you stand up for Jeff?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, Terry, Andrew, Paul<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 13;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">13<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did I say Terry?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 14;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Andrew?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 15;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somebody said Sam,
may own a motorbike?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sam was the
stepfather<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 16;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and Sam owns the
motorbike?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No my cousin owns the
motorbike<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 17;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">17<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And your cousin is in
spirit?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">yes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 18; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">18<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And your stepfather is
in spirit?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So even during her most successful 20 statement spell, Sally
provided 6 different names and asked 10 different questions. If Sally was indeed in contact with “John” I
wonder why he didn’t tell her ”My name’s John, I can see Jeff’s mum in the
crowd, get her to say hello to my Mum called Doris for me will you? The car
crash was horrible but I’m OK now”. I’m
also confused as to why Sally, who is apparently talking to the spirit of a
particular person, can’t even tell if it’s Sam or Andrew who are dead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best conversion that Sally had all night, was with a
regular attendee of her shows (Skegness at least), who also claimed to
understand a further 2 messages during the night. If I were a fan of Sally’s, I might wonder
why the only real run of success she had all evening came when speaking to
someone with whom she had already had spoken at a previous show. Where it seemed Sally hadn’t met the audience
member before, she was significantly less successful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second successful grouping was around statements 31-35: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 4.65pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 604px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td nowrap="" style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sally’s Statement <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Audience Response<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">29<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And Jonny?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">30<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And Young?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I heard the word Jonny before you said it<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">31<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And did you hear it
'like that'?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">yes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">32<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are you a medium?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">no, im totally
skeptical<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">33<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is your surname Young?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">34<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you know who Emma may be?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jonny's wife<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">35<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you know who Jonny is?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My grandfather<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">36<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is there the name
cliff?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 9;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">37<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clifford Street?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 10;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">38<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">connected to Jonny?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 11; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">39<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time of year is
poignant time for you, start of Nov, up to the 12th?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again, every single statement is a question and the more
specific the question the less success Sally has in being able to provide
anything meaningful to the audience member.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The third Successful grouping was around statements 65-75:<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 4.65pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 604px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 26.25pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td nowrap="" style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sally’s Statement <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Audience Response<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 26.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">64<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surname Follows?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 26.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ted and Jodie Fellows, Ted is my step dad <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">65<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a wheelchair<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">yes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">66<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">whos Jodie<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His wife<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">67<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who is Berts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My family name<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">68<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was Parkinsons?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">69<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hands waxy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">??<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">70<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Was fun?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">yes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">71<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">did you find a bible
or documents recently<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">photos a week ago<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 9;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">72<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">did you see a photo of
Jonny?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">yes first time last
week<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 10;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">73<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Head trauma<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 11;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">74<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lesley<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 12;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">75<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Going to the dogs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.0pt; mso-yfti-irow: 13; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td nowrap="" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 38.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="51"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">76<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 233.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="311"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">dog racing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 15.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 182.0pt;" valign="bottom" width="243"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While, the questions about the documents and photos are
quite accurate (if a little obvious), Sally manages to get the Spirit’s surname
wrong twice, as well as mis-diagnosing him with Parkinson’s Disease. Oddly this conversation was with the same
audience member who claimed to be “totally sceptical” in statement 32. I had a brief conversation with him after the
show and he was an absolute convert - clearly, he had only remembered the
“hits”. This really does show the power
of our memory’s ability to deceive us, and the importance of being able to
create an accurate record of events, to consider dispassionately. Without this,
like the regular attendee from statements 1-11, the skeptical audience member seemed
to have done Sally’s hard work for her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sally was apparently guided by the spirits of people who
knew members of the audience; however it’s undeniable that the likelihood of
randomly finding a hit within a room of 600 people is very high. When looking
at Sally’s evening, I’ve intentionally cherry picked the best moments from her
performance – the ones where Sally appears to be providing the most accurate
information. Even considering only the best of Sally’s readings, I can’t say
I’m very impressed by these conversations or Sally’s abilities as a psychic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Essentially, I would have expected any-one who was speaking
directly to a dead relative to be able to give specific personal information, as
they could if they were speaking to a living relative. If a psychic cannot do this, I would be
skeptical about whether they are actually speaking to my dead relative at all.
Even if they could demonstrate that they were speaking to my dead relative, I
would wonder what possible use these limited conversations could serve. Sally’s revelations mostly revealed that a
loved one had died and that they were a loved one. She finished most of her “readings” with a
bland statement such as “…anyway I feel a lot of love there and he’s looking
out for you…”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know my Granddad was a lovely man and that he loved me.
Most people would be able to say the same. So, even if these super natural
powers are real, what possible insight and use could a psychic provide, if all
they can do is pass dull blandishments from one side of the mortal plane to the
other?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
R-Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325971171719425452noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915676229587091704.post-28029944244510024072014-11-12T12:31:00.001-08:002014-11-12T12:31:40.992-08:00Waking the Dead Bored<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First of all, I need to be clear. I do not believe in an
afterlife – and so find it hard to believe that anyone can speak with the dead
– because there isn’t “any-body there”. However, nobody really knows if it is
possible that people can contact the spirit world, so I find the idea of
mediums fascinating and have spent a quiet night or two sat at the back of a
Spiritualist Church enjoying the amateur dramatics along with a cup of tea and
a biscuit. (Nice folks at the Derby Spiritualist Church…they had
hob-nobs). A Trance Medium whose wife
would sing a song “of her own making” to invite the spirits to visit was
particular treat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8HZd6XzDZI1e4_OuC9U_lfSmM9fPyRSiHmnpOpAOLgHzQLZrHR2i-csCPWDnjaNEKeF2-3RwJQGO65UHocJNRDBB78nMKzxXn5udMO-JpXa4vfCROnHUzClBTaQH2jXQmr88dPnv8Zw/s1600/cuppa_tea_1660618c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8HZd6XzDZI1e4_OuC9U_lfSmM9fPyRSiHmnpOpAOLgHzQLZrHR2i-csCPWDnjaNEKeF2-3RwJQGO65UHocJNRDBB78nMKzxXn5udMO-JpXa4vfCROnHUzClBTaQH2jXQmr88dPnv8Zw/s320/cuppa_tea_1660618c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best bit of talking to dead people<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite the fact that Derren Brown is clear in his assertion
that he is not a</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">medium – the results he
gets are spooky – and always provoke the question “how did he do it?!” So, I
was curious to see what a show by the UK’s leading Psychic Sally Morgan, who
claims to have an extraordinary gift, would be like.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Would I leave converted? Amazed?
Entertained?</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly the answer is no. I
got Bored.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On arrival my friends and I were invited to complete a “love
letter” on which you could write your name and the details of a dead love one
you wished to contact. I’m not certain I
really understand why some-one with an extraordinary gift would need these
prompts (especially as they were only used twice in the show) but we all
cheerfully completed ours trying to encourage my friend’s Granddad to get in
contact (He didn’t). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once in the theatre we were stoically informed that due to New
European Legislation Sally can’t claim to be Psychic and that the show was for
”entertainment purposes”… That legislation would be <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2008/9780110811574/contents" target="_blank">The Consumer Protectionfrom Unfair Trading Regulations 2008</a>…hardly new and not very European. Seems
the language of UKIP has seeped into the next life too… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The show was split into 2 halves of an hour each and if I’m
honest was dreadfully dull. Sally
started strongly and (working from memory) was speaking to a “Paul”, who died
in a way that involved him shaking. A
lady stood-up and identified who this was that he had been in a car accident
driving near Skegness. “That’s it!”
declared Sally; apparently the crash would explain the shaking. Although why “Paul” didn’t just say “I died
in a car crash” only his spirit will know.
There followed a conversation about the accident that warmed the
audience to Sally’s ability.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The impact of this conversation was diluted for me when the
lady being contacted confirmed that she’d seen and met Sally in Skegness. The
same lady also claimed to recognise at least 3 other “leads” throughout the
night – she clearly enjoyed the interactive part of the show. This was interesting. The lead from the
spirit could have been as vague as “I’m getting the name Brian…” and hands
would shoot up all over the theatre. People were so desperate to either be put
in contact with loved ones or to be part of the show. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This desperation inadvertently produced the funniest/saddest
part of the night. While putting a woman in touch with her dead husband (and I
feel faintly disgusted writing that sentence) Sally asked if the name Michelle
meant anything…possibly to do with work.
The Dead Man’s weeping wife – clutching at any part of his life to make
the message more personal was reduced to offering that he bought his petrol at
a Shell garage. The crowd laughed and moved on. Reflecting the day after, I
feel embarrassed to have been involved in finding her grief entertaining.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second half matched the first in terms of form, but
without any big wins for Sally’s extraordinary gift. As lead after lead went
cold and Sally’s suggestions were met with blank faces and shrugs, the crowd
around me got bored and started giggling.
And this is ultimately how I feel about the show now. Bored. If this is
typical of a big Psychic show I simply don’t understand how they make a living
out of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/WxWWdUQzFNs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are many reasons you might think you want to go to a
Sally Morgan show but I think most people will leave disappointed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you’re a Skeptic hoping to understand how a top drawer
Psychic operates – you won’t get much insight, if I were you, I’d spend your
money on a James Randi Doll. If you’re hoping to get in touch with a loved one
(and you’re lucky enough to get a lead) you won’t receive much of a message
beyond “They love you”, which you already knew.
A friend or relative who actually knew your Dad can share his memory and
tell you that he loved you while you save 25 quid. If you’re looking for a good
night out, you won’t find it here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next time I need to be bored by a woman shouting out
seemingly unconnected names for 2 hours– I’ll ask my Gran about the old days… So, we still don’t really know if it is
possible that people can contact the spirit world, but I do know I expected a
bit more of a show from a woman with a self-proclaimed extraordinary gift.
There weren’t even any biscuits.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
R-Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325971171719425452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915676229587091704.post-28359490729633804342014-09-03T07:35:00.000-07:002014-09-03T07:37:53.464-07:00This is not the Activism I'm looking for...<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I’ve been attending Nottingham Skeptics in the Pub for almost 2 years and always considered it a bit of “info-tainment”. An opportunity to perhaps learn about something I didn’t know about, experience a different point of view and meet interesting people.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-16962fbf-3bde-938f-116a-d751ff118bf2" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">During this time I’ve found that the best company and best skeptics have been the people whose most likely answer to a question is “I don’t know” or “that’s interesting”. Exploring an issue or opinion through conversation and consideration seemed the most easy way to understand something and avoided the sham dichotomy of a show-boat debate. Its always been a positive and friendly environment - if a little comfy.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following </span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://twitter.com/MrMMarsh" target="_blank">@</a></span><span style="line-height: 17.25px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u><a href="https://twitter.com/MrMMarsh" target="_blank">MrMMarsh</a></u></span><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> excellent talk last month about his work in Skeptical Activism I (and others) were provoked into considering if Skeptics is just for a nice night out once a month, or should we put our money where our mouth is? So </span><a href="https://twitter.com/TheWholeT00th" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">@TheWholeT00th</a><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and I have decided to see of we can create or at least start a group interested in exploring what Skeptical Activism might mean in the East Midlands.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I have no real idea what this might look like or what it will try and achieve, however this month’s Skeptics meeting offered an opportunity to see what a well established and vocal activist group do.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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</span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">On tuesday night <a href="https://twitter.com/iamhazelgibson" target="_blank">@iamhazelgibson</a> spoke to us about her PhD research into different perspectives on fracking, based on interviews with, and consideration of Scientists (she is herself a geologist), Activists and Local Residents. The talk itself was heavy on the “tainment” and a bit light on the “info” however, the Q&A afterwards provided a fascinating case study into the perspectives of one of the groups, the Activists. The following are some observations I have and lessons for any Activist group that I would want to be part of.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They were obviously committed, impassioned and well organised. Several members of </span><a href="https://twitter.com/FrackFreeNotts" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">@FrackFreeNotts</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> were present and were armed with posters, flyers and pads for making notes and taking names. All of which seemed a bit of overkill for a relaxed chat in the pub on a tuesday night. It seemed to me that they came having no real idea of what Skeptics was for, or about, and seemed committed to use it as a platform for themselves rather than any genuine attempt to engage with the people there.</span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://twitter.com/FrackFreeNotts" style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline;">@FrackFreeNotts</span></a> had earlier tweeted that they were looking forward to the debate at Skeptics. However a debate about fracking when was not the purpose of the talk and it was never advertised as one. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No Nottingham Skeptics meeting has ever been a debate</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. So, it seems a good idea that an activist should pay attention to the where they are going and make sure they understand other people’s purpose for being there. This will help to align your goals with theirs and engender sympathy for your point of view.</span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">At Skeptics there is always an element of people wanting to talk about what they think rather than ask a genuine question and each Q&A is always preceded with a request to make the questions actually questions and (hopefully) to the point.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sadly, the Fracking Activists seemed determined in giving (at length) individual opinions with “why didn’t you say that?” at the end to provide a mask of inquiry. I found this deeply frustrating and it took up valuable time that meant regular attendees may have been unable to ask their questions fully. It struck me that if you disagreed with someone, you could simply challenge them by asking a better question, rather than reeling off your contrary position. For example, rather than listing (again at length) a number of studies that do not agree with a statement made by the speaker you could easily ask... “ you make it sound like there is a scientific consensus that fracking is safe, is this true?”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It takes about 15 seconds, is in total context with the evening and puts the knowledge and honesty of the speaker to test. The approach of The Fracking Activists suggested that they didn't seem to understand or care that people in the room weren't as passionate or turned on to their cause or point of view as them and only interested in using the evening as a platform for their goals rather than being interested in the evening itself or the people there. It became perilously close to Bullying.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This was a shame as one of the best challenges to Hazel was about how her depiction of activists was stereotypical and mocking. Due to the slightly glib and entertaining presentation style I think this criticism was fair and I was glad that during the Q&A we could explore the ordinary, local activists and the positive action they are taking. Sadly, this challenge was followed up by asking how Hazel’s PhD was funded. The inference of that question is quite insulting to someone who spent 6 hours on a train for no payment other than a couple of pints and a night in the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jury's Inn</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Hotel. Make it personable not personal.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">After the event I spoke to a few regulars and friends of mine. None of us really know anything about fracking and certainly hadn't formed any opinion about it prior to the talk. None of us had been able to by the end of the night either. However, a lot of the “don’t know’s” were turned off by the Fracking Activists and left being less sympathetic to their views. I can only imagine that this is the opposite of what they wanted to achieve.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">There are circumstances where aggressive, disrespectful action is appropriate and necessary and I can easily imagine glueing yourself to a bulldozer outside a local beauty spot to be one of those. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">However,it seems clear to me that if you genuinely want to affect people opinions you need a plurality of message and the ability to appropriately apply that message in context. A warm, personal approach will always so much more useful than the hectoring indignation of believing you are right.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So, I don’t know what Skeptical Activism might take place in the East Midlands, but I do hope it will be charming, friendly and win over the “don’t knows” by being not only right but also being very bloody nice about it.</span></span></div>
R-Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325971171719425452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915676229587091704.post-66086954531119014802014-01-12T12:56:00.000-08:002014-01-12T13:08:46.382-08:00Universal Truths. How looking at the stars put me in my place.<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Despite knowing that Patrick Moore wasn’t just the guy from
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVUJ7ePLgWo" target="_blank">Gamesmaster</a> I’ve never actually done any real star gazing. Sure I’ve drunkenly
looked up on a walk home and said “Wow” but actual telescope/ binoculars/doing
it on purpose? Nope. So, even though the
most amazing comet I would ever get to see melted before it got here, 2014 was the
year for me to look up and mean it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">24 hours after my first experience and I’m still giggling about
how beautiful, exciting and easy it was.
With a clear sky and a fairly normal pair of binoculars I can, like Dave
Bowman, declare that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oALxLNOhI6I" target="_blank">“it’s full of stars”</a>. The fabulously named Red Giant Betelgeuse
really is red and the M42 Orion Nebula is…well a smudgy bit that I thought was
a mark on the lens…but it’s a real life nebula…like in Star Trek!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDurbk7iDmVxFdyvaBZKJJfYUeBV8mLOh7ip7eSoSB3e8JHbnvPaCFUh-gLxjOP1ma4vPe8he4VPo4xdykRrfKdYW0gbFtu_Zd4Xzmscwrvt2rG5HrG4g0XGFLcTeSndGLiyqVc_yspqU/s1600/P1020672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDurbk7iDmVxFdyvaBZKJJfYUeBV8mLOh7ip7eSoSB3e8JHbnvPaCFUh-gLxjOP1ma4vPe8he4VPo4xdykRrfKdYW0gbFtu_Zd4Xzmscwrvt2rG5HrG4g0XGFLcTeSndGLiyqVc_yspqU/s1600/P1020672.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Jupiter on the left, Orion between the trees.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Most impressive was how simple it was to see the Galilean Moons of
Jupiter. There they were…the first, best
evidence for a heliocentric view of the cosmos, right there. All I needed was a
back garden, a pair of Binoculars and whiskey aided steady hands.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Through a telescope Jupiter was transformed from a big star to a
striped humbug with 4 points of orbiting light all in a row. My mind was boggled that light had travelled 500
Million kilometres all the way from Jupiter to my friend’s garden, down a
telescope and into my eye…just to make me giggle. It was awe-inspiring and made me realise just how BIG space is and just how small I am. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://d1jqu7g1y74ds1.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/jupitermoons20050513composite.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" src="http://d1jqu7g1y74ds1.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/jupitermoons20050513composite.gif" height="213" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I didn't take this pic</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All this and I was <i>expecting</i> it. Imagine the effect it must have had on Galileo
the first time he pointed this new-fangled looking glass to the heavens. What
did he expect to see? The Cogs of an Orrery? Angels? God?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As I day dreamed about Galileo it suddenly dawned on me how frustrating
(and dangerous) the Church of his day’s reaction to his discovery must have
been. ”But look” he must have wanted to scream “just look for yourself…it’s all
there, it’s all true!” Sadly they didn’t have ears to listen and didn’t look
upon a wonderful and natural truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Which all makes me wonder why even today, science is considered
unnatural, when compared to religion or magic it is entirely natural? There is simply no room for the supernatural
or anything that we can’t look around and see and measure. The simple method of “Have an idea…compare it
to nature…does your idea fit with what you see?” couldn’t be more dependent on
nature and “real“ life if it tried. But still the popular image of science
being man-made and alien chemicals being created in labs persists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Scientific research can use specific language and some pretty
esoteric concepts…but so do the Arts, Darts and Pilates. I find it difficult to
comprehend that scientific language can be criticised as obscurant while post
modernism still exists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Thankfully, there has never been a better time for science communicators
trying to connect and describe how fantastically amazing the universe is to
ordinary people. Which is lucky for me,
as otherwise it might well have slipped by, camouflaged as the most boring
thing in the world by a succession of science teachers at school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">However, is the same true of other areas of peculiar
expertise? Could there even be a
philosopher who can strip away the pretence of Foucault and illuminate the
powerful truths hidden by the seeming gibberish?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtaJ2vOElY3gDbJ6Lb_ezSQVpnRTpF-WHX0CqPIhIAfr1AytudVef5XV66-2op9dqnJiCIgfKZJxR04_VWpTAkg9WOOHLeLwVxgDC1K2JbKcmJYfZdh5ce57Kp7NqmXfSA75TMR0BPabg/s1600/P1020668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtaJ2vOElY3gDbJ6Lb_ezSQVpnRTpF-WHX0CqPIhIAfr1AytudVef5XV66-2op9dqnJiCIgfKZJxR04_VWpTAkg9WOOHLeLwVxgDC1K2JbKcmJYfZdh5ce57Kp7NqmXfSA75TMR0BPabg/s1600/P1020668.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's no Moon, it's a...no wait it IS a Moon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Endlessly
curious I once shared a drunken idea. Have you ever wondered what would happen if
someone actually followed up on that silly idea that came to them after a
couple of pints? Wonder no more and come to a <a href="http://pubhd.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Pubhd</a> meeting where <span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">at each event, 3 PhD/EngD/EdD students, and post-docs,
from any academic discipline, will explain their work to an audience of
laypeople in exchange for a pint or two.</span>
It might work, it might be chaos but it will be fun and some-one will
learn something.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">What a wonderful modern age we live in. Now when people have a new
idea, instead of imprisoning them or torturing them to recant, we buy them a
pint to tell us about it. Now, THAT is enlightened progress ladies and
gentlemen.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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R-Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325971171719425452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915676229587091704.post-71875338033323880852014-01-05T02:24:00.000-08:002014-01-05T02:25:26.001-08:00Bath and its OK to be Angry if you care.<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I went to Bath for a couple of nights and had a very lovely time.
I couldn’t help it, I went with my girl and Bath is…well very lovely. So lovely
that the gent’s toilets in all of the pubs I went into were actually OK …they
had White Company Soap and towels and everything (by everything I mean that you
could actually wash your hands without fear of them being dirtier than if you
had peed on them).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">My favourite aspect of Bath was they actually talk like
they're supposed to – you know - like yokels.
After having a wander for an hour we popped into a pub and within 15 minutes I’d
been asked if I “was olright my luvvley?” and over heard some-one talking about
having problems with poachers. Also, every 4th piece of clothing sold in bath
appears to be waxed or vulcanised. It
was like stepping off the plane in Glasgow and everyone wearing kilts and seeing
you jimmy. Bathians (?) simply had no fear of their own stereotype…it was very
refreshing and will be spoilt when they discover irony sometime in the 2050’s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlhvUD9xPrnkfkcPjowCXCYYa_NRLgOJmCl6J4Q1Fj_zvJ0fzu9JCl3ot8OBtPiftDCUC8PJ23EVZ9-7A76YcTNdk2D8DxG_ZcsHgUpytdDP9jv_xEKmDl2-6B66WFm1vxAT1KH2C2xo/s1600/royalcrescent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOlhvUD9xPrnkfkcPjowCXCYYa_NRLgOJmCl6J4Q1Fj_zvJ0fzu9JCl3ot8OBtPiftDCUC8PJ23EVZ9-7A76YcTNdk2D8DxG_ZcsHgUpytdDP9jv_xEKmDl2-6B66WFm1vxAT1KH2C2xo/s320/royalcrescent.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Typical Bath Housing Estate</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Bath has a reputation for being Britain’s prettiest town and
it certainly is, if you’re the heir to the throne. As a Georgian new town every single building
was regulation Neo Classical and this regularity appears to be policed with rigour…
I longed for something ugly or interesting just to put the Royal Crescent into some
sort of context.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Prince of Wales famously complained about monstrous
carbuncles obfuscating a Wren church or two and has personally intervened in
planning applications. The Prince of Wales is also
wrong. As an example of what a town would look like if built solely and never
endingly in one man’s taste, Bath admirably demonstrates this. I probably yawned past some timeless examples
of late 18<sup>th</sup> Century architecture because here’s another one…and
another one…and another one. Without
something to refresh the eyes and imagination it all got a bit bland. A Bloody
massive 1960’s Post Office would have fixed that. When I’m king I’m building a
brutalist shopping centre right next to the station!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Bath is also the whitest place I have ever been. My sister used to live in Ripley and the bus
there took an hour and went through a number of old mining towns. I liked to amuse
myself by playing “spot the not white face” and would award a notional pound
for each not white face we I saw. I travelled on that bus at least 10 times and
awarded the grand total of 50p as I think I once saw a black guy driving away
as fast as he could. That bus journey
was still more diverse than Bath. It’s
not just that the town is white (many rural centres are) but most of its
visitors were as well. I didn’t notice any guards at the station with a dulux
colour chart set to “Magnolia or less”…but then I wasn’t really looking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Something else I also noticed throughout the journey is that
everyone is really angry and cross. All of the time. Each of the 6 trains I
caught had some angry on it, waiting for it or just angry at having to work out
if it was going to where they were going. CHELTENHAM!!! IS THIS THE TRAIN FOR
CHELTENHAM!!! CHELTENHAM!!! Angry people
shouted in the street at 1 in the morning outside my window. 2 Angry Welshman
were angry about vegetarians for reasons that had nothing to do with the shin
of beef they were freely enjoying. The sad and lonely contributors to the nets
premier Peterborough United forum were angry at a nil-nil draw. Anger at having
to pay cash in a Starbucks because THE MACHINE WAS BROKEN. Angry angry angry…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhIWI_quDYh688-lI7wrSHCFiZdOp-q-0gWYHb02zi4Gr-zv55DO-u4yL3XVMGPE6knJ6RP2yqK0B3HkO6YM96QS0dw6JmDvT3bc9KoH7PDAU_rHYgi_ne5vd28w8JiRhyphenhyphenAW8IjC5AV9I/s1600/IMG_20140103_132108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhIWI_quDYh688-lI7wrSHCFiZdOp-q-0gWYHb02zi4Gr-zv55DO-u4yL3XVMGPE6knJ6RP2yqK0B3HkO6YM96QS0dw6JmDvT3bc9KoH7PDAU_rHYgi_ne5vd28w8JiRhyphenhyphenAW8IjC5AV9I/s320/IMG_20140103_132108.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Angry statue</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">There’s nothing wrong with being angry…but at least be angry about something worthwhile. Be angry that the education of the next generation that we will in our dotage rely on to do stuff for us is being <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/04/michael-gove-blackadder_n_4541086.html" target="_blank">lead by a donkey</a>. Be angry that 20 years of “don’t build those nasty new homes near me/ do you know what my house is worth” have left a generation with no chance of buying their own. Be angry that this leaves you stuck between smug buy-to-let wannabes and the pointless drip of agent’s fees. Be Angry about the ruining of something good or the loss of something irreplaceable. Be angry that you are so reliant on a piece of technology that didn’t exist 20 years ago that you can’t catch a train or pay for coffee without it. Don’t be angry just because you've been midly inconvenienced and now have to speak to another human being.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I guess that the point of what was supposed to be a bit of a travelogue but turned into a rant is that life has never been easier. Which is generally a good thing – we no longer have to break our backs in health destroying labour, our homes are heated and things that would have killed us 100 years ago now give us a bit of cough. But the easiness is also making us bland, like Bath we’re all enjoying how nice and easy everything is. We can own a Mumford’s album without leaving the house or even liking music. We can have our groceries without going to the shops and we can get angry when this doesn’t happen. Its almost as if we have to construct frustration and irritance just to feel human.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But unless there is something to provide us with a real
reaction it all seems pointless. Without
modern architecture how can you realise that you like the old stuff? Without thinking
about the big bad things in the world how can you know that not having phone
signal is worth getting cross about?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So Bath, like a utopian society where we all have our shiny
things and are all universally happy, is a great place to visit. But I wouldn’t want to live
there. The fact is there are plenty of important things to get angry about so lets get angry about those and leave the card machine out of this.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
R-Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325971171719425452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915676229587091704.post-41439821709052167032013-12-15T08:01:00.002-08:002013-12-15T08:04:03.723-08:00Can Credit Unions beat payday AND keep lending ethically? <div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Firstly, I need to put a few corners on this subject. I don't
think lending and borrowing is particularly un-ethical a concept. I
consider usury as a sin in the same way as I do coveting oxen (that is not at
all and what a ridiculous thing for an omnipotent super being to have rules
about). I struggle to see a moral difference a baker buying a bag of flour for
£1, who then sells me a loaf of bread for £1.50 and a finance company being
funded at 10% and lending at 15%. As a token of value for which we will swap
both work and products money is useful and so in any practical way, is real. So
if you're looking for an anarchist polemic against the horrors of
money...you've come to the wrong shop brother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrK_Z5yZW0J4WujJ0RmPf9H7tRmql6VW8pscq36ImjEZ4EIHTxIB2ewdFQ6_GxwQBLE-uBfM-5uIT6uNFOYviWr6qVQ76FxjEcli7Rw8Wj98F0uqm7kbtsfkzRYQsEYgH-NnCLYocS8Po/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #999999;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrK_Z5yZW0J4WujJ0RmPf9H7tRmql6VW8pscq36ImjEZ4EIHTxIB2ewdFQ6_GxwQBLE-uBfM-5uIT6uNFOYviWr6qVQ76FxjEcli7Rw8Wj98F0uqm7kbtsfkzRYQsEYgH-NnCLYocS8Po/s1600/download.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It is into this deeply practical world of
lending that Credit Unions are hoping to provide a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/dec/15/credit-unions-payday-lenders" target="_blank">genuine alternative</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to
Payday Lenders, their doorstep brethren and the distant (ish) cousins of the
illegal loan sharks. I like the principle and principles of Credit
Unions. Small, Local run for their members - they remind me of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Er69b4HMl8" target="_blank">James Stewart</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>imploring his townsfolk not to
withdraw their savings that are invested in each other’s houses. To take on the
numbers of customers who payday lends will be a massive challenge and in
meeting this challenge they will have to change. Will these changes stop them
being ethical? My thoughts form themselves into 4 areas where Credit
Unions might face uncomfortable decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Low Rates and Customers who don't pay you
back.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Credit Unions take the money of their
members and invest it in the loans they provide for other members. The
Guardian article quotes a loan for £255 that pays back just over £260 which is
very obviously a good outcome for the borrower. However, what happens if
(through no-one’s fault - these things happen) a member is unable to repay.
Just one bad loan would need 45 good, completed loans to make up
difference. I'm not even talking about providing a return or profit. In a
Credit Union of 1000 members, 5% of members would have to borrow and repay the
same loan just to keep the members money safe. That's pretty risky
lending. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Would it be
ethical to take that risk with hard up member’s savings? There are things you
can do to mitigate that risk - saying no to individuals who are less able to
pay you, charging higher rate of interest, have a well-run collections
department. But these are all things that high-street lenders do...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Lending to Need or Desire?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Short Term borrowing is at its best meant for emergencies, a
broken boiler, and car repairs. However, at their most controversial Payday
loans are used for energy bills, Xmas present and all inclusive holidays. Would
a CU lend for these reasons? If not how can they become an alternative? If they
do, allying your frugal principles to your actions becomes more difficult.<o:p></o:p><u1:p></u1:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Small is Beautiful<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Credit Unions have about 1 million customers. In 2012 the Office
of Fair Trading estimated there were 8.2 million payday customers. So
conservatively, Credit Unions would have to grow 3 times to become a national
alternative meet this need. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>That's
3 times the office space, 3 times the salaries. That many customers with modern
24/7 customer service expectations would need call centres. The regulator would
expect compliance monitoring and regular audits. This stuff needs paying for. Staff
needs organising and training. The same requirements for affordability
assessment and responsible borrowing apply to credit unions as well as regular
lenders. The skills of all these new staff would need enhancing. Good
outcomes for customers would need to be demonstrated, measured and
reported. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>All of a sudden
it sounds very formal, very corporate. It’s difficult to maintain values and
ethics when you don’t know each other by first name. To be big enough to take
on Payday do you lose what’s good about being small?<o:p></o:p><u1:p></u1:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Funding</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In 2013 there may be up-to £2billion of payday loans. For
Credit Unions to meet only 25% of that lending they would require a huge
increase in loans provided. Which would need money to lend, and as they are
member funded they don’t have any. Looking at the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.mycommunitybank.co.uk/who-can-join/" target="_blank">eligibility
rules</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for My Community Bank,
I couldn't join, so building a base of members large enough to invest will be
hard. There has been £38 Million provided from taxpayer funds recently
but even lending each and every penny of that won't compete with Payday. This
provides Credit Unions with a difficult question – Do you take outside
investment to build and grow? To do so means you can really take on Payday,
but if you do, and take on a responsibility to shareholders, how are you
different?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Who are your customers?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The alternative to external funding is to remain self-sufficient
which probably won't provide enough funding to replace Payday Lenders at a
national scale. But there is also a question of whether Payday customers
are Credit Union Customers. Credit Unions are paragons of upper working
class frugal virtue, its part of their selling point that they encourage
responsible and informed attitudes to money in general. This in turn
minimises the need for borrowing and increases the chances of saving.
However, "sensible" is the last word that I would use to
describe many payday borrowers. 30 years of un-mitigated consumerism,
easy credit and cavalier bankruptcy rules have created customers who
want their shiny things and they want them now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Given the choice between opening an account, putting into place a
solid financial plan, borrowing just enough to augment some savings OR having
the money in your hand queuing in the shops 20 minutes later, is for a lot of
payday customers no contest. Having it now and taking your chances - is a
temptation that Credit Unions should never provide and so there will always be
a population that they will not be able to service while maintaining ethics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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R-Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325971171719425452noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8915676229587091704.post-58722533873160744082013-12-08T11:49:00.000-08:002013-12-09T05:43:51.779-08:00Sunday Assembly<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I first heard of the </span><a href="http://sundayassembly.com/" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">SundayAssembly</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> earlier this year when </span><a href="https://twitter.com/alomshaha" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Alom Shaha</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> wrote in New Humanist about his experiences of going
to a Godless Congregation. My initial response wasn’t particularly positive but
as outlined in </span><a href="http://gr8men.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/sunday-assembly-and-being-personal.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">my blog at the time</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">…it did make me think. It also made me
promise that if I were ever in London on a Sunday I would attend an Assembly.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">However the Assembly got popular, went
international with branches across the world - including Nottingham. The first Nottingham
meeting took place last Thursday night, it was only 10 mins walk from where I live, so
considering this and my promise to go.. and despite my continuing reservations…I
kind of had to go… <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My reservations were based on what
I remember of church and my fears of a godless version keeping the tedium while
adding a toe-curling “fun” element. I had the distinct feeling that it just wasn’t
for me. I didn’t possess either the yearning for community or the twee earnestness that seems to have washed over the Guardian reading end of hipster-dom.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A couple of days after attending the service and I could easily reflect where my reservations were correct. Ironic Retro
Glasses with headband? Check. Ukulele Band? Check. Grinning Enthusiasm of a
Butlins Yellow coat? Check! That Elbow song that everyone mysteriously loses
their shit over? Check! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I could even mention that there is nothing funnier
than a middle aged Dutch Maths Lecturer sarcastically begging for the “fun” to stop
during an interactive clapping game.(Yes, I said interactive clapping game). Please
adopt a comedy Sean Connery/Martin Jol accent while you imagine this. “Schtopp itsch
too mutch funsz Pleezch! Schtopp!”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But to do only that would be
unfair. It would only describe how my negative expectations were met, which would
be dull. The best aspects of the assembly were those that were most relaxed,
natural and about the people there. I’d never considered reading AC Grayling’s
Secular Bible but the reading from its version of Genesis was simple and beautiful.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>“<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;">1. In the garden stands a tree. In</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="text-align: start;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;"><i><span style="outline: 0px; text-align: start;">springtime
it bears flowers; in the autumn, fruit. 2. Its fruit is knowledge,
teaching the good gardener how to understand the world. 3. From it
he learns how the tree grows from seed to sapling, from sapling to maturity, at
last ready to offer more life; 4. And from maturity to age and sleep,
whence it returns to the elements of things.</span>”</i><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In less than
70 words it manages to be both a beautiful myth, explanation of the way of
things and description of the scientific method. The whole of the KJV can only manage
one of those and the reading was less manic than the rest of the show, it slowed things down. Made them
thoughtful.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The highlight
of the evening and part that finally made me realise what the assembly was
actually for, came while informally speaking to people after the service. Free from the
“me talk you listen” formality of a service, people could actually say hi and
get to know one another. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A perfect
example was the family who had travelled from Leicester to attend. Gush, his wife and
their (at least 4) children in tow. The eldest had just graduated from
University and the younger children were experiencing the joys of sullen face down into a phone teendom.
What made meeting this formally Sikh family such a lovely experience was why
they were there. Following the death of Gush's father the family had
decided that now was the time to admit what they had kept secret for so long –
that they were Atheist. While not a controversial decision for me , this family had lost a great number of family and friends through the
faithful being disgusted and those that shared Gush's views being kept away by the
social pressure of a close knit community. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They were left with few people to meet
and talk to. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Through making
what was a simple decision for me, they had lost their friends and so had come
to the assembly to meet new ones.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The sermon given during the service used decline as its theme and stated that Western Society is crumbling and that we're all lonely these days. I couldn't dis-agree with those statements more strongly - which is why I don't think the Assembly is ultimately for me.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> As a confident, outgoing middle class white man; socialising, meeting new people and having a generally positive experience in
life is pretty easy. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Meeting in the
slightly contrived circumstances of a (bit too happy-clappy if I’m honest) service
was always going to get in the way of how I already enjoy meeting new
people.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">However, many people are a
little introverted or have moved to a new town and don’t know where to start or
have made a monumental decision to leave an entire culture and certainty behind them.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And I think it is for these people that the
assembly can be really positive and useful and dare I say it…Fun.</span></div>
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R-Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10325971171719425452noreply@blogger.com3