Ann: Strong Results Continue at Mt Alexander, page-27

I beg to differ, Sir. Making a persistent, declarative forecast without any supporting rationale whatsoever does exactly make one an oracle.

The most famous example is the oracle in Delphi (Greece). They made cryptic forecasts under the influence of (hydrocarbon?) fumes and mind-altering drugs in a cave. The predictions were, of course, not founded on any knowledge, research or evidence, but on what springs to mind while being 'out of it'. They were usually worded to be open to interpretation. I remember the Lydian king Croesus (Κροῖσος, the dude with all the money and power) being told that if he goes to war with the Persians, he will destroy a large empire. Turned out to be his own.

I think we can say that oracles are

- not founded on research
- ambiguous to the point of being useless
- may be right or wrong,
- but may be right by sheer luck
- hazardous to have decisions based on them

or one could just say - a load of κραπ...

IMHO GBB