First, I’d like to wish you all a healthy, happy, and wondrous holiday season.

This will be my last post (I have other papers to finish and I hope to go home to be with my family for the holidays). Also, it is hard not to get addicted to these sites, and I’d rather be chasing college girls than earthquakes.

Before I go, I’d like to take a minute to correct some misconceptions that have arisen.

Bob. I think it would be a terrible shame if you gave up your earnest work. I merely was pointing out the self-non-fulfilling nature of some of your predictions. You seem to be one of the most sincere and level-headed people doing investigations in this field and why would you give so much credence to a passing encounter with my post. Stay on it please. You have a wonderful site which I greatly appreciate and helped in my research. (And I agree with your skepticism about Jack Coles!)

Dona seems to have manufactured out of thin air that I somehow asserted this was a Master’s thesis. Where did this come from? Earth to Dona … learn to read before you start fulminating. I am a college sophomore.

Tony. The Copernican hypothesis is easily tested empirically; it proves sound. Prediction of quakes in Turkey from twinges in someone’s foot in metro L.A. is refutable empirically. Further, for every Copernicus in world history there are one million crackpots whose theories are 100% wrong, not to say dangerous. Where are you putting your money? I stand by my conclusions. (same argument vis-à-vis psychic predictions) Skepticism is not reflective of a closed mind, but rather a functioning one --- as a lawyer you should not merely know this but live it. No one is saying there may or may not be precursors of varying kinds to quakes, BUT they are not being assessed with any accuracy in the time, place, and examples I studied. Additionally, I can’t answer those scientific questions you pose, I am not an expert in the field. I just did a paper! Tony, why not take a Geology course?
Finally, “crap” is still “crap” even if you cover it with whipped cream.

Liz. Chill. Be nice. Have you hear the expression, “you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”?

Mr. Vegdahl makes sense. I suggest folks re-read his post.

Lucian. I don’t believe there is a malicious intent to deceive, but that is somehow beside the point. Intent isn’t everything. Just because the chef didn’t intend to poison my food, doesn’t mean my all-night puking is any more bearable.

Also note, last week a number of posters were virtually guaranteeing a large quake in Southern California. Imminently. I think “imminently” is now past. This is a typical example of the predictive samples assessed in my study. However, if such a quake occurs in the next weeks or months they will call it a hit. It isn’t, it is at best a fudge, next a rationalized for self-aggrandizement, and, at worst, a lie. I wonder how many people who read this “guarantee” were anxious and distressed … all in the name of helping people! Of science! Spare me.

Additionally, as a matter of style, arguments will be more credible if the emotional fever-pitch is toned-down and, even more, if words are spelled correctly. Why doesn’t anyone on this site use spell-check. (I am not referring to typos … but to “parameter” “paradigm” et al.)

And one final note, so what if people make fun. If you all are correct, the laugh will be on them. If not, maybe you’ll learn to laugh at yourselves.

Peace and love,

Jason

And just one more little thing … it was all a joke. Lighten-up ladies and gentleman.
Liz.