mark lewis wrote:Well, I had no trouble with him. I patiently pointed out that he could not possibly have devised the presentation of the Lazy Man's Card Trick but he took no offence whatsoever. That is because I merely said that I was "puzzled" and that "there must be an explanation for it". I let him save face. And in with it I mixed a lot of praise and glory for him. In point of fact there is a lot of crediting given to others in his various books. Sure, he misses out on occasion but no worse than anyone else who writes about magic.
I've been a lurker on the Cafe for a few months short of ten years without ever posting. In fact, this is my first post on a magic board, ever. The reason why I'm even bothering to post is this: "
Well, I had no trouble with him. I patiently pointed out that he could not possibly have devised the presentation of the Lazy Man's Card Trick but he took no offence whatsoever. "
With all due respect, Mister Lewis, like Lorayne you're a Cafe V.I.P. You have the credibility to slug it out with anyone, he knows that, so he's not going to get in YOUR face. However, and I think you know this, anyone else who disagrees with him in any way receives the full force if his disturbingly paranoid rants. I've seen many posts from both of you and we also both know you could out-debate him without breaking a sweat.
I ask you this: if you weren't Mark Lewis, Cafe V.I.P, would he have been so reserved with you? I think we both know the answer is no. I remember once when I was in the military and missed saluting a colonel because I wasn't wearing glasses (I'm horrbly nearsighted). The colonel, after chewing me out, told me to go to the clinic and get some glasses (very remote location, clinic being the sole option without renting a car and spending two days on it). I replied that appointments were virtually impossible to get. He said "Well, I've never had any problem." I said "That's because you're a colonel, a senior officer. If you were a sergeant or lower, you would have tremendous problems getting anything but your annual exam. The optometrist's office here is an officer's club, sir."
The colonel tested my theory and found out I was right. To his immense credit, he leaned on those necessary and then told me to pick any time I wanted for an appointment. I did so and he made it happen. He even apologized to me. Colonels don't do that with corporals very often.
In the Cafe version of this story, you're a colonel and almost all of the other members are the enlisted personnel. If you had been Corporal Lewis, Colonel Lorayne would have reamed you a new one for daring to suggest that he wasn't completely correct in every aspect of everything he's ever said, and he'd have been a complete tool about it.
If you're wondering why I'm resurrecting this thread, especially in my first post, it's because this morning I finally lost my patience with the Cafe (more accurately, I lost my patience with the Cafe's insistence on tolerating Lorayne's posts). I used to poke around there a few times a month, and as someone interested only in card magic I couldn't avoid running into Lorayne's posts. I ignored them to the extent of my ability, but yesterday he dug up this ten year old thread and just started blasting away with posts, quoting those who supported him (even if the posts he was quoting were as old as the thread) and blasting those who didn't.
In short, I just can't take Lorayne anymore. I cringe every time I see his avatar and I won't go back to that site until he manages to get himself banned again. I have IMMENSE respect for his contributions to magic, I have eight of his books, but I have no respect for him as a person at all. Being a giant in a particular field doesn't automatically warrant respect as a person, as any chess enthusiast could tell you when the subject of Bobby Fischer (who contributed more to chess than anyone but died a vicious, loathsome bigot) is brought up.
I apologize for bringing this up, but I feel it had to be said. I'm familiar with your posts and you have my immense respect too, but your "Well, I had no trouble with him" bespoke such a degree of naivete that I almost choked when I read it. I saw the exchange you refer to. You didn't get off light because you gave him a heaping helping of praise and glory, and you didn't get off light because you "let him save face." You got off light because reputation-wise, you're more than big enough to give the playground bully a good fight. If you were to post under a different name with no apparent credentials and try your kid gloves approach with him, you'd get the same treatment that any other Lorayne dissenter would. It's true that some people have badgered Lorayne and were jerks about it, but Lorayne treats even the polite dissenters like garbage. He contributes nothing to that site but sales pitches, insults, unstable rants, repetitive babble and bad punctuation. He is, to put it as politely as I can, the north side of a southbound horse.
End of rant with my apologies repeated.
With sincerest respect and best regards,
Doctor Klahn
Washington, DC