# I don't understand Peter Morris **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 8, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420 "2013-03-08T19:49:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/61 "2013-03-12T20:28:38Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > He’s the only amateur magician I’ve ever come across that thinks that Houdini wasn’t a expert lock picker. Yeah, the closest I have come to that is a ‘professional’ magician who stated as a fact that Teller was a lousy sleight-of-hand artist. I tend to take magicians opinions of other magicians with a bit of salt sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/62 "2013-03-12T20:38:32Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Were 100% of his tricks about lock picking? No? Then he was no expert lock picker. > > That’s supposed to be sarcastic. I kew what you were doing there…but Poe’s Law can be a stinker sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/63 "2013-03-12T21:36:46Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Yeah, the closest I have come to that is a ‘professional’ magician who stated as a fact that Teller was a lousy sleight-of-hand artist. > > I tend to take magicians opinions of other magicians with a bit of salt sometimes. You mean.. **MAGIC** salt? \<_POOF_\> Shit, my _eyes_… God, it _burns_! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/64 "2013-03-12T21:38:46Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > You mean.. **MAGIC** salt? \<_POOF_\> > Shit, my _eyes_… God, it _burns_! …dude, that’s not salt… ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/65 "2013-03-12T21:44:02Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Oh, guys! Don’t argue with him! He’s an \*amateur \*magician! He turned _me_ into a newt! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/66 "2013-03-12T21:50:56Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > He turned _me_ into a newt! That was not a newt! You were turned into a gigantic fire-breathing dragon with amazing abilities and could fly around the world! Only your incompetence at seeing what you are keeps you from realizing this! \ ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/67 "2013-03-12T21:58:01Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Oh, guys! Don’t argue with him! He’s an \*amateur \*magician! Is this the first time Morris has lobbed that gem? I really don’t recall him mentioning it. This must be the paranormal-ish version of the _trained statistician_ meme. But, hey, on the positive side, he did get something right in that thread. He said that there’s a lot of BS being slung about Uri Geller. Of course, what Morris left unsaid is that he, Morris, is the one slinging it! ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/68 "2013-03-12T22:48:46Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > . . . the _trained statistician_ . . . You do realize that if he comes back, we will hold you personally responsible. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/69 "2013-03-12T22:50:35Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Is this the first time Morris has lobbed that gem? I really don’t recall him mentioning it. This must be the paranormal-ish version of the _trained statistician_ meme. He brought it up once before in a thread where he tried desperately to pick a fight with me. He was using his claims of ‘skill’ to denigrate the skills of real magicians like Randi and Houdini. Cant link the thread cause I am on the phone. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/70 "2013-03-13T00:15:35Z")
I can’t remember when a thread has both amused me and angered me so much at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/71 "2013-03-13T00:23:06Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > You do realize that if he comes back, we will hold you personally responsible. But I only said it _once_! It’s the person who says it _three_ times that’s to blame, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/72 "2013-03-13T00:49:03Z")
What’s this trained statistician thing? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/73 "2013-03-13T03:06:13Z")
Does, like, taking a Six Sigma class count? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/74 "2013-03-13T03:10:47Z")
Update: **PM** now states that Uri Geller’s lying about working with the police and lying about working with the government and lying to the families of missing children and selling crystals to unsuspecting dupes is…wait for it…wait for it…“slightly naughty!” ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/75 "2013-03-13T08:10:27Z")
You know… I had no idea learning about Peter Morris would be so sad and so entertaining. I knew there had to be some crazy reason he was flat out contradicting what Geller himself was saying about his own powers and abilities… but who knew? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/76 "2013-03-13T11:04:47Z")
I picture Peter Morris desperately trying to deflect everyone else’s moral compass with a palmed magnet. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/77 "2013-03-13T11:22:23Z")
I think a large part of **Peter’s** stance when it comes to Uri Geller is “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”. He isn’t allowed to talk about his enemy directly, but he _can_ support someone his enemy has exposed. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/78 "2013-03-13T11:39:15Z")
I think you nailed it, **Czarcasm**. My first interaction, IIRC, with that individual was when I made a comment that any rational person, well, anywhere in the universe would make. Morris responded by calling me a fool. Morris is your basic jackass. He’s blinded by his hate for one person. The funny thing about it is that Morris is the one that generated the hate. The target of his ire didn’t do anything at all to cause any ruckus, let alone the decade(s)-long tirade Morris has going on. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/79 "2013-03-13T21:53:48Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I think a large part of **Peter’s** stance when it comes to Uri Geller is “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”. He isn’t allowed to talk about his enemy directly, but he _can_ support someone his enemy has exposed. Good point. This is about the only explanation that makes sense about PM. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420/80 "2013-03-13T22:17:57Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > What’s this trained statistician thing? No one is going to tell? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-understand-peter-morris/652420.md?page=5)