Just read James Randi website (a magician and escape artist, but today he is best known as the world's most tireless investigator and demystifier of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims) has an open offer to a few of these audio gurus if they would like to back up their claim on Shakti stone and earn a million dollar.
quote:
Today I sent out the following e-mail letter to eleven audio reviewers who showed up on the web pages of the Shakti Stones and P.W.B. Electronics, as endorsers of some audio nonsense mentioned here last week, and to both manufacturers of the devices as well. The letter explains itself:
My name is James Randi. I am the president of the James Randi Educational Foundation (address and contacts listed below) and I am an investigator of unusual claims. This Foundation has a prize of one million dollars that we offer, details of which are to be found at
www.randi.org/research/index.html and
www.randi.org/research/challenge.html.
As a reviewer for a major audio publication, I'm sure that you will find the following offer of great interest, both from the point of view of validating your expert judgment, and adding substantially to your net worth.
Please refer to
www.randi.org/jr/073004an.html#3 and go to the item "THE JREF MILLION IS SURELY WON" to learn of the items ââ'¬â€ the "Shakti Stones" and P.W.B. Electronics' "Electret Foil" and "Red X Pen" ââ'¬â€ that I am referring to here. In my opinion ââ'¬â€ and I have none of your expertise, I freely admit ââ'¬â€ these are farcical in nature. Yet experts such as yourself have endorsed these products, and that support indicates that the JREF million-dollar prize should surely be offered, either to you personally, or to the manufacturers of these products ââ'¬â€ who have been similarly informed on this date.
If you require further information concerning details of this endeavor, please contact me at
[email protected] and inquire. This is a valid offer, a serious offer, and a sincere offer. Should any of these products prove to work as advertised, the first person who is able to demonstrate the efficacy of any of them, will be the winner of the JREF prize as described in the rules and details to be found at the above references.
I await your response with great interest.
The above e-mail message was sent to:
Frank Doris, at The Absolute Sound:
[email protected]
Clay Swartz, Clark Johnson, and David Robinson at Positive Feedback:
[email protected],
[email protected], and
[email protected]
Larry Kaye, Wayne Donnelly, and Bill Brassington at fi:
[email protected],
[email protected], and
[email protected]
Bascom King at Audio:
[email protected]
Wes Phillips at SoundStage:
[email protected]
Jim Merod at Jazz Times:
[email protected]
Dick Olsher at Enjoy The Music:
[email protected]
Peter and May Belt at "P.W.B. Electronics":
[email protected]
Benjamin Piazza at "Shakti Innovations":
[email protected]
Let's see what reaction is received ââ'¬â€ if any ââ'¬â€ to this clearly-outlined challenge. Remember, all we're doing here is asking the reviewers ââ'¬â€ the trained, experienced experts, the responsible endorsers of these products ââ'¬â€ to repeat their tests of the items, but this time under double-blind, secure, conditions. And we're making the same offer to the manufacturers, who we would expect to be even more sensitive and capable of performing such tests.
WE ARE OFFERING ONE MILLION DOLLARS IF THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY CLAIM THEY CAN DO, WHAT THEY DO PROFESSIONALLY, IN A FIELD WHERE THEY CLAIM EXPERTISE FAR BEYOND THAT OF MERE MORTALS. WE ASK FOR NO INVESTMENT FROM THEM, WE DO NOT CHARGE THEM FOR PARTICIPATING ââ'¬â€ AND WE STAND TO GAIN NOTHING BUT WE DO RISK THE LOSS OF THE MILLION DOLLARS PRIZE MONEY.
I am a mere mortal, unencumbered by academic degrees or claims of audio expertise. Show me, and win a million dollars...
(Sylvia Browne just called and offered refuge and professional evasion advice to all the above-listed.)