Bleeding from the Bunghole

[BarnOwl]

Dave Muscato, Skepticon 6:

Hey universe, when I said it could be worse as far as the airline losing my luggage... that was not intended as an invitation for a death threat accompanied by a loaded 38.

I get a lot of hate mail and have lost count of death threats now, but this is the first time I have actually perceived my life to be in immediate danger from one.

Although it would not have helped in this particular case, I'm seriously considering a kevlar vest for future public talks.

Fellow activists, a reminder to be very careful about vetting whom you allow in your personal surroundings, and let me just say if I didn't want kids before, I sure as hell don't now.

This situation involved someone who I am lead to believe is normally pretty trustworthy who had simply had too much to drink. Obviously that's not an acceptable excuse for this, but I'm not upset at the person as much as that I don't want that person around me. I'm sure this is going to be going around the conference tomorrow but I don't feel it's necessary to name names and I'm not pressing charges. I may change my mind if I perceive this person to be an ongoing danger to me or anyone else at Skepticon. Hotel security and the Springfield police are fully aware and taking care of it, and I will be giving all the info I have to the conference organizers when they wake up, and I'll let them decide if there's further action they want to take, but I think it's under control now.

Now, to sleep for 90 minutes...

Oh but THANK PEEZUS there aren't any Slymepitters at Skepticon! Armed death threats we can deal with, but fake Bjarte-toons and 'shopped Ophelias and Zvans would be way too much.

[Sulman]

Something's not right here.

He was threatened? The specifics are strangely worded, but I tell you, If I knew a drunk man was armed and engaging in threatening behaviour, that's a police call. No two ways about it.

[BarnOwl]

Something's not right here.

He was threatened? The specifics are strangely worded, but I tell you, If I knew a drunk man was armed and engaging in threatening behaviour, that's a police call. No two ways about it.

If a gun is pointed at you, how do you know whether it's loaded? Honest question, and since I don't know the answer, I'll say that if a gun is pointed at me, I'm calling the police. Guns freak me out, and I realize this is a phobia, but I don't think it's unreasonable to call law enforcement if you're threatened with a gun.

[Gefan]

First picture of the Skepticon 38 Magnum shooter.

(Apparently he goes by the name of Dirty Peezee.)

http://i.imgur.com/UGtAVlP.jpg

I guess Muscato must have been standing a little too close to Rebecca Watson in the bar.

Close, but if you want to be completely accurate he should have the gun the wrong way round.

[Really?]

Something's not right here.

He was threatened? The specifics are strangely worded, but I tell you, If I knew a drunk man was armed and engaging in threatening behaviour, that's a police call. No two ways about it.

If a gun is pointed at you, how do you know whether it's loaded? Honest question, and since I don't know the answer, I'll say that if a gun is pointed at me, I'm calling the police. Guns freak me out, and I realize this is a phobia, but I don't think it's unreasonable to call law enforcement if you're threatened with a gun.

Calling the authorities accomplishes nothing; just tweet about the experience as a warning to others. There wouldn't be a problem if we would just tell people not to threaten others with firearms.

[Sulman]

Something's not right here.

He was threatened? The specifics are strangely worded, but I tell you, If I knew a drunk man was armed and engaging in threatening behaviour, that's a police call. No two ways about it.

If a gun is pointed at you, how do you know whether it's loaded? Honest question, and since I don't know the answer, I'll say that if a gun is pointed at me, I'm calling the police. Guns freak me out, and I realize this is a phobia, but I don't think it's unreasonable to call law enforcement if you're threatened with a gun.

There's a suggestion that cops are involved, but nothing's actually happening.

Threatening behaviour, booze, and firearms is an immediate removal situation, IMO. Don't fuck about. You might not get hurt, but someone else may.

[Bhurzum]

Oh but THANK PEEZUS there aren't any Slymepitters at Skepticon! Armed death threats we can deal with, but fake Bjarte-toons and 'shopped Ophelias and Zvans would be way too much.

This is what really confuses me about the baboons: A (bad taste) joke can give them nightmares, cause fits of rage, provoke bouts of uncontrollable tears and yet a death threat, from a gun wielding drunkard no less, is simply a case of grabbing a few Z's (in the immediate vicinity?) before calling the cops?

Riiight.

Something smells fishy and I'm not talking about the green kebab meat that hangs out of Ophie's dung-hampers.

[acathode]

So, let's see here, TAM is unsafe, because you might be offered coffee in elevators there and because it lacks a harassment policy (even though it has one?), but Skepcon is FTB A+ safe space certified, since you'll only get real life death threats from armed people there (thank god it wasn't a twitter death threat, then he might have gotten PSTD!).

Sucks for the guy, but fuck, this is going to be funny, again watching the FTBers going into full hypocrisy-mode. Just imagine the FTBers reaction if something like that had happened at TAM, esp if the victim had been a woman, and contrast it to what we're going to see from them now, if they are even going to acknowledge it.

[BarnOwl]

Here's a synopsis of Missouri's firearm laws:

POSSESSION
There are no state licensing requirements for the possession of a rifle, shotgun or handgun.

It is a misdemeanor to possess an unloaded firearm when intoxicated; it is a felony to possess a loaded firearm while intoxicated. It is unlawful for a person convicted of or confined for a dangerous felony or an attempt to commit a dangerous felony to possess a concealable firearm for five years after such conviction or confinement. It is unlawful for a fugitive from justice, a habitually intoxicated or drugged person, or a person currently adjudged mentally incompetent to possess a concealable firearm.

CARRY
It is unlawful to carry a firearm concealed on or about one’s person without a concealed carry endorsement on the Missouri driver’s or non-driver’s license or a valid permit to carry concealed firearms issued by any state. This prohibition does not apply to possession in a person’s dwelling, while hunting or while traveling in a continuous journey through the state. Law enforcement officers, corrections officers, probation and parole officers, some judges; process servers and marshals and members of the armed forces or the national guard while performing their official duties are exempt from this prohibition.

Note the emboldened bit.

[Bhurzum]

If a gun is pointed at you, how do you know whether it's loaded? Honest question, and since I don't know the answer, I'll say that if a gun is pointed at me, I'm calling the police. Guns freak me out, and I realize this is a phobia, but I don't think it's unreasonable to call law enforcement if you're threatened with a gun.

Handguns only:-

Revolver:- If the lighting is good (and it's held steady enough) you should be able to see the rounds in each chamber of the cylinder.

Semi/automatic:- Unless you see it being cocked, you have no way of knowing. If the magazine is empty (uncharged), when the top slide is pulled to the rear and released ("cocking" the weapon to feed a round into the barrel extension/chamber), the safety sear will assert itself and prevent the top slide from moving forwards. If however the magazine has rounds in it (charged), when the top slide is released, it will slide all the way forward (chambering a round) and the weapon will be ready to fire.

You can pre-load a round into the chamber and the weapon will fire even if the magazine is empty. We (the British Army) call this "one up the spout" although other nicknames probably exist.

[Skep tickle]

quote=acathode "Hell, 10-15 years ago when I was still in regular school, it was the cool kids in the school where the ones who were out LARPing"

Yes, nothing is cooler than dressing up as an elf and fighting with rubber swords.
This is yet another of those times when I wonder what the fuck I am doing here amongst all you fucking weirdos.

You're missing the point. It's not that all of geekdom is suddenly apex-cool.
But rather, geekdom has expanded to encompass a broad social-status hierarchy.

There are still low-status LARPs where the cool kids wouldn't be caught dead-- but now there are high-status geekzones, too.

Sasha Grey's D&D group, for example.

The point is that dressing up as elves and fighting with rubber swords is somehow cool. I truly live in another world from all the others on here. Thank fuck for that.

You're not alone. I don't even know what LARP means (though I can guess at the "RP" part).

(Full disclosure, my husband does play D&D, and my whole family was nerdly before it was cool - but not the dress-up kind)

[Skep tickle]

Something's not right here.

He was threatened? The specifics are strangely worded, but I tell you, If I knew a drunk man was armed and engaging in threatening behaviour, that's a police call. No two ways about it.

There's a suggestion that cops are involved, but nothing's actually happening.

Threatening behaviour, booze, and firearms is an immediate removal situation, IMO. Don't fuck about. You might not get hurt, but someone else may.

This situation involved someone who I am lead to believe is normally pretty trustworthy who had simply had too much to drink. Obviously that's not an acceptable excuse for this, but I'm not upset at the person as much as that I don't want that person around me. I'm sure this is going to be going around the conference tomorrow but I don't feel it's necessary to name names and I'm not pressing charges. I may change my mind if I perceive this person to be an ongoing danger to me or anyone else at Skepticon. Hotel security and the Springfield police are fully aware and taking care of it, and I will be giving all the info I have to the conference organizers when they wake up, and I'll let them decide if there's further action they want to take, but I think it's under control now.

Because it's brandishing a firearm (esp in setting of inebriation), is this a situation in which Muscato would not have to decide whether or not to press charges, in order for charges to be brought? The state ("the state", e.g. city, state, whatever jurisdiction this falls under) would do so?

(As opposed to, AFAIK, assault, domestic violence, rape)

I really don't know, so asking/guessing.

[Bhurzum]

If a gun is pointed at you, how do you know whether it's loaded? Honest question, and since I don't know the answer, I'll say that if a gun is pointed at me, I'm calling the police. Guns freak me out, and I realize this is a phobia, but I don't think it's unreasonable to call law enforcement if you're threatened with a gun.

Hopefully this will help...

Revolver

http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a61 ... 9f077a.jpg

Semi/automatic

http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a61 ... 80fcc5.jpg

[Skep tickle]

It's all about balance. I've taught countless courses over the years, some incredibly dry subject matter* and often to students who were very much out of their comfort zone. A little bit of humour can really take the edge off and make the process much more enjoyable for all concerned. However, if you get the balance wrong, it'll be counterproductive or even damaging to the aim of the lesson(s).

"ha-ha can lead to aha" - I like that.


* Antenna theory anyone?

What a coincidence - that's my aforementioned husband's area too (teaching, research).

I would have to concur with your assessment of it being "incredibly dry subject matter". Give me blood & guts any day.

[Skep tickle]

If a gun is pointed at you, how do you know whether it's loaded? Honest question, and since I don't know the answer, I'll say that if a gun is pointed at me, I'm calling the police. Guns freak me out, and I realize this is a phobia, but I don't think it's unreasonable to call law enforcement if you're threatened with a gun.

Hopefully this will help...

Revolver

[.img]http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a61 ... 9f077a.jpg[/img]

Semi/automatic

[.img]http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a61 ... 80fcc5.jpg[/img]

What does "top slide rear" mean? Slid back relative to the base?

[Sulman]

If a gun is pointed at you, how do you know whether it's loaded? Honest question, and since I don't know the answer, I'll say that if a gun is pointed at me, I'm calling the police. Guns freak me out, and I realize this is a phobia, but I don't think it's unreasonable to call law enforcement if you're threatened with a gun.

Hopefully this will help...

Revolver

[.img]http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a61 ... 9f077a.jpg[/img]

Semi/automatic

[.img]http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a61 ... 80fcc5.jpg[/img]

What does "top slide rear" mean? Slid back relative to the base?

Exactly. Working parts moved to the rear.

[bhoytony]

If someone pointed a gun at me I would just assume it was loaded and act accordingly (either shit my pants or attack him with my rubber sword).

[Bhurzum]

If someone pointed a gun at me I would just assume it was loaded and act accordingly (either shit my pants or attack him with my rubber sword).

Absolutely.

Well, apart from the rubber sword :D


Plenty of footage here covering the basics of semi-automatic workings. You can see a 9mm browning with the top slide "rear" laid on the table a few seconds into the video.

***Trigger warning*** Video contains triggers!

[youtube]XoUVW5ntlY8[/youtube]

[Bhurzum]

What a coincidence - that's my aforementioned husband's area too (teaching, research)

I had the pleasure of attending a very lengthy instructor course that went quite deep into the theory. After a couple of months, I was pretty close to taking hostages. I remember standing in a bar (weeks into the course) and I swear I could hear "carrier wave" coming off the walls, the fixtures/fittings and the people around me. The more I think about it, that course was fucking torture!

"Skywave propagation" goes hand-in-hand with antenna theory, ask your husband to explain that to you.

Hint: you'll need a few redbull (and don't blame me!)

[ERV]

*wow*

I had not heard anything about this:

SIN-- That’s a great tact to take. People are not made more skeptical by ridicule or denigration, but by education with compassion and sympathy (plus none of us are perfectly rational in our beliefs). Speaking of that…You were slated to speak at a “skeptic” conference on the topic of aviation and skepticism, but were suddenly disinvited. What happened?

KS-- After a few days of coordinating, I was going to host a workshop titled “A Pilot’s Guide to Extreme Skepticism”. Everything was extremely pleasant and we were working out the final details when suddenly the admin changed their mind with a curt email, the only explanation was “sexist tones” in my comic. I was stunned at first and didn’t understand it. Now it seems the admin had seen a few comics and read into it something that neither I, Abbey, or our friends could see. In retrospect, perhaps I should have introduced my female protagonist first. Perhaps it was Mitch’s mention of “hot chicks” and that “cougars make waffles” they didn’t like, but in context I don’t find those statements too misogynistic or offensive for this crowd. Did I mention that the Skepchicks are hosting a panel called “Godless Perverts” at this event? What I found unfair was that I was quickly judged by a fictional character in my comic strip and that they were unwilling to have a conversation about it. And that they were wrong about me.

This is Kyle and his wife.

Skepticon organizers are *assholes*. Heartless *assholes*.

[InfraRedBucket]

Dave Muscato, Skepticon 6:



http://i.imgur.com/UGtAVlP.jpg

I guess Muscato must have been standing a little too close to Rebecca Watson in the bar.

Shoulda added a trigger warning before you posted that. :shock:

[paddybrown]

If someone pointed a gun at me I would just assume it was loaded and act accordingly (either shit my pants or attack him with my rubber sword).

Absolutely.

Well, apart from the rubber sword :D


Plenty of footage here covering the basics of semi-automatic workings. You can see a 9mm browning with the top slide "rear" laid on the table a few seconds into the video.

***Trigger warning*** Video contains triggers!

[youtube]XoUVW5ntlY8[/youtube]

This is a video I like about automatics, with particular attention to the top slide (the relevant bits starts at 3:44)...

[youtube]u428et1ulh4[/youtube]

[Service Dog]

Something's not right here.

He was threatened? The specifics are strangely worded, but I tell you, If I knew a drunk man was armed and engaging in threatening behaviour, that's a police call. No two ways about it.

Dave Muscato carefully worded his facebook post to avoid saying whether the person with the gun was male or female.

The first person in the fb comment replies to break from gender-neutral descriptions-- was Muscato's mom, who said "that guy". Does that mean she knows the person is male, or is she just assuming?

[welch]

http://distilleryimage6.ak.instagram.co ... 0c79_8.jpg

To steal from Carlin:

Have you ever noticed that people who tell you how to get laid are the people who no one wants to fuck in the first place?

I notice things like that, I think about them, then I make the mistake of voicing those thoughts. It's probably why I couldn't get into the better schools.

[Lost Moose]

Skepticon Security Update

POSTED BY JEFFREY ON NOV 16, 2013 | 0 COMMENTS
My name is Dave Muscato; I am the Public Relations Director for American Atheists. I am at the Skepticon conference in Springfield, MO, although I am attending on my own “off-duty” this weekend and not in a working capacity for American Atheists.

Early Saturday morning, there was a security incident and I would like to clear up any misconceptions, explain where things stand, and tell you how Skepticon has resolved the situation.

About 4 AM on Saturday morning, another attendee of the conference made a graphic and direct verbal death threat to me while brandishing a semi-automatic pistol, which this person claimed was loaded. The incident occurred on E St Louis Street outside, away from conference property and neither in the conference hotel nor in the expo center. I was with a small group of people who were able to distract this person with conversation and diffuse things until we were able to return to the University Plaza hotel, where the person went to his room. I reported the incident immediately to hotel security and the Springfield police, and made statements on the record about what happened.

Skepticon organizers have been fully informed of all details of the incident, and all organizers and volunteers, as well as police and hotel security, have this person’s name and photograph. This person has agreed to leave the hotel and not return to Skepticon this year or in future years.

Skepticon organizers have been overwhelmingly supportive and competent. I was offered a security escort, which I appreciated, but felt was unnecessary and declined.

I still feel safe at Skepticon. I have been coming to Skepticon for four years now and intend to continue to donate and to return to Springfield for Skepticon 7.

I am not going to name the person involved in this incident at this time. Skepticon organizers and American Atheists have this person’s name and information. I will let them decide how to handle informing other event organizers about this situation.

What happens next depends on what American Atheists’ in-house counsel and the Springfield Police Department advise.

I would prefer not to discuss this incident further. I am OK. I thank everyone for their concern. I am extremely impressed and flattered with the outpouring of support from Skepticon organizers, other attendees, and speakers, as well as the support from the atheist community online.

I am here the rest of today but if I miss you, I will see you next year for Skepticon 7!

Sincerely,
Dave

[ReneeHendricks]

Lost Moose - thanks for that link/text. That clarifies things. I'm still left wondering WTF that intoxicated, weapon-brandishing asshat was thinking?

[Guest]

They ain't faking it: http://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/

You can even watch them, if that is your thing:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/ ... ith-my-axe

It's moderately entertaining, I would say, but not in a NSFW way, if you were looking for that.

[Lost Moose]

Lost Moose - thanks for that link/text. That clarifies things. I'm still left wondering WTF that intoxicated, weapon-brandishing asshat was thinking?

Don't know, I followed that from a link in the chat window that is alongside the live stream.

[Gumby]

*wow*

I had not heard anything about this:

SIN-- That’s a great tact to take. People are not made more skeptical by ridicule or denigration, but by education with compassion and sympathy (plus none of us are perfectly rational in our beliefs). Speaking of that…You were slated to speak at a “skeptic” conference on the topic of aviation and skepticism, but were suddenly disinvited. What happened?

KS-- After a few days of coordinating, I was going to host a workshop titled “A Pilot’s Guide to Extreme Skepticism”. Everything was extremely pleasant and we were working out the final details when suddenly the admin changed their mind with a curt email, the only explanation was “sexist tones” in my comic. I was stunned at first and didn’t understand it. Now it seems the admin had seen a few comics and read into it something that neither I, Abbey, or our friends could see. In retrospect, perhaps I should have introduced my female protagonist first. Perhaps it was Mitch’s mention of “hot chicks” and that “cougars make waffles” they didn’t like, but in context I don’t find those statements too misogynistic or offensive for this crowd. Did I mention that the Skepchicks are hosting a panel called “Godless Perverts” at this event? What I found unfair was that I was quickly judged by a fictional character in my comic strip and that they were unwilling to have a conversation about it. And that they were wrong about me.

This is Kyle and his wife.

Skepticon organizers are *assholes*. Heartless *assholes*.

It just goes to show that these scummy FtB/A+/Skepchick fuckers don't care about the things they actually claim to care about, like women's rights and such. All they care about is making up arbitrary rules about how people are to think and behave, and making themselves a cozy little mean girls club where they can booze it up and be nasty to whoever they like without taking any responsibility for their own words and actions. Kyle and Abbey have done more for women's rights than the lot of these useless cunts.

Abbie I don't know what your connections are or how influential you are but this is a tidbit that needs to be broadcast far and wide, beyond the very short reach of the Skeptic Ink Network. People need to know exactly what kind of sub-human sewage makes up this shitty little clique.

[Skep tickle]

The Foundation Beyond Belief page announcing Elyse of Skepchicks would be running in the Chicago Marathon to raise $ for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society also says she has had her stomach removed due to cancer. I hadn't known that; sorry to hear she's been through that.

she never did it.

Looks like the facts about her cancer surgery & its subsequent effects have been manipulated for effect.

Here's a chronology. (Bolding is mine.) Scroll past if length, topic, lack of humor, or lack of images doesn't fit your taste.

In 4/2012, Elyse Anders announces at Skepchick:

A few weeks ago, I learned that I have a 3cm carcinoid tumor in my stomach. Carcinoid tumors are a rare, slow growing cancer that often goes undetected because ... it’s usually located in places you can’t usually check for cancer (like the inside of your stomach.) ...

...the only way to get rid of it is to cut the fucker out. ...

The good news is that we discovered the tumor while I was looking into having gastric bypass surgery. I was considering having the surgery in the late summer or early fall. But now, I’m having it in May. Maybe I shouldn’t call it “good” news, but rather “convenient” news. To remove the tumor, the surgeon has to remove a small part of my stomach. To have a GBP, the surgeon will remove almost all of my stomach. Since I’m having a bunch of it removed anyway*, it seemed practical to go with one surgery instead of removing a little part then going back a few months later and removing the rest... ...

I hadn’t planned on publicly discussing the GBP (because, really, who cares?), but now that it’s cancer and it’s interfering with the work I planned on doing during Skepchick’s and the WTF’s busiest time of year, I wanted to address it. And I felt it was disingenuous to tell everyone I had stomach cancer then lose 100 lbs and attribute it to a surgery for a small tumor. That’s not fair to people who care about me; that’s not fair to my credibility; and that’s not fair to other people who may be diagnosed with carcinoid or similar conditions. ...

The short version of what will happen is that most of my stomach will be removed including the portion with the tumor, leaving a small “pouch” and my intestines with be rerouted. Then I lose weight and am cured of cancer ...

But this means that ... I will be unable to eat solid foods. I will basically be living on protein shakes. ... When I get to eat solid foods again, I will have a lot of adjusting to do. I will have to eat tiny portions of food in tiny bites every four hours and will spend a good amount of time trying to figure out what kinds of foods will make me violently ill if I eat them. ...

(ETA: When I wrote this post, I indicated that GBP surgery typically involves the removal of the unused portion of the stomach. It does not. That portion is disconnected and bypassed but left in place.)

Her post-surgical dietary limitations (only small volumes, and tendency to vomit or have diarrhea with certain foods) are almost certainly from the gastric bypass, not from having part of the stomach removed.

In 2/2013, at Skepchick, Elyse posted this update:

Last May, I had my stomach removed. Well, not all of it. There’s a small portion, smaller than a small egg, left. But the rest was taken away. Short story: I was supposed to just go in for a regular old gastric bypass but then they found a tumor and instead of bypassing the organ, my doctor removed it completely.

And now I live in this weird world where I had a surgery I wanted and am getting the results I wanted while having had the exact surgery for reasons I didn’t want to have surgery… and if I didn’t go to have the elective surgery I would have never known that I needed to have the surgery non-electively… and living with what that means. ...

Her post includes a really long list of what she has to deal with since the gastric surgery and ends with an open invitation for people to post "something weird/cool/different about how you live your life every day"; comments include this:

Two weekends ago, I stood up for two hours without pain meds, something that hasn’t happened in two years. So that was cool.

That might explain some things about Rebecca Watson. Or maybe she was joking. But end of digression, back to Elyse.

Foundation Beyond Belief announced in 8/2013g that she would be running the "entire" Chicago marathon as part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. Their writeup says, in part:

Because her treatment for cancer required the removal of her stomach, she has additional challenges with ensuring that she consumes enough calories and stays hydrated. She’s more than halfway to her fundraising goal, and she could use some help getting the rest of the way. She’s asking for $2.62 (that’s 10 cents a mile) to be donated to her TNT fundraising page.

Link goes to her Leukemia & Lymphoma Team in Training page for the Chicago 2013 marathon.

There, her entry from 3/2013 says:

Oh, and did I mention I'm doing this WITHOUT A STOMACH? Yeah. I don't have one. Mine was taken out thanks to a sneaky tumor that decided to declare squatters rights all up in there. So, that's kind of a BFD. It actually makes training trickier. My diet is trickier. Hydration is trickier. But trickier is not impossibl-er, and I can make this happen...

In all her posts on that page, the implication is that this will be difficult because she doesn't have a stomach. And she has had cancer, which makes this more personal/pressing. The reader is allowed to draw the connection that the challenges she faces in tackling this marathon-for-charity stem directly and uniquely from her having had cancer.

Tn 6/2013, her fundraising goal was $16K. By the time of the 8/2013 FBBB announcement, it was down to $4K and she had already raised more than half of that goal.

The last update on her TNT page was posted on Sept 5, 2013, titled "37 Days! I'm going to run a marathon". It clearly, clearly gives the impression that she was planning to run the marathon, as she probably was. There are ~35 entries of names w/ dollar amounts next to them, plus ~18 more names w/o dollar amounts given (donor preferred amount be anonymous, I assume); current total posted in $2.77K and donations are no longer being accepted on that page.

The Chicago Marathon was held October 13, 2013; results are searchable here. I find one person with a similar name (same first initial & last name, from a part of the US near where Elyse Anders has lived) but she's 10 years younger. No entries under Elyse's "maiden" name, either.

On Nov 1, 2013, Melanie posted an update at Skepchick about a "Light the Night Walk" (part of the fundraising push by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) and overall Light the Night fundraising, with no mention of "marathon" anywhere: [urll]http://skepchick.org/2013/11/light-the-night-walk/[/url]

...Thanks to you, we raised more than $2,600 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

...Elyse and her family did the Dallas walk last Sunday. As Elyse described it:

The best part was that thanks to having awesome cancer, sometimes I can’t eat for entire days. So everyone who walked with us got to spend the day watching me try to get food and liquids into me only to have those things violently exit me. I felt like it was a good reminder that we were walking for something important.

So here’s the part where I emotionally manipulate you. If Elyse can endure that for the cause, surely you can spare a dollar or two? Even though the walk is over, the fundraising continues year-round.

Elyse's blurb at Skepchick, http://skepchick.org/about/ohere[/url], says that she "sometimes runs marathons for charity" but the link in that phrase goes to a Skepchick "Page Not Found - Oops, it looks like this page does not exist": http://skepchick.org/about/pages.teamin ... 3/GoGoMoFo

I find NO mention at Elyse's TNT training page, or Skepchick, or FBB, about what happened with her marathon plans, nor that donors were told. Not that she didn't try despite difficult circumstances, and not that she didn't raise money for a good cause - but it looks like potential donors who didn't already know her well were being misled into thinking she's a cancer survivor struggling with the late effects of cancer treatment rather than one who elected to have more major GI surgery with known adverse effects on GI function & absorption. And that those who did donate on the basis of the planned marathon may never have been told she (apparently) ended up not running it - possibly even some who chose their donation on a "per mile" basis.

[Skep tickle]

What a coincidence - that's my aforementioned husband's area too (teaching, research)

I had the pleasure of attending a very lengthy instructor course that went quite deep into the theory. After a couple of months, I was pretty close to taking hostages. I remember standing in a bar (weeks into the course) and I swear I could hear "carrier wave" coming off the walls, the fixtures/fittings and the people around me. The more I think about it, that course was fucking torture!

"Skywave propagation" goes hand-in-hand with antenna theory, ask your husband to explain that to you.

Hint: you'll need a few redbull (and don't blame me!)

Ah, no, if I asked him to explain that I would be fully prepared to blame the victim (myself).

[Skep tickle]

*wow*

I had not heard anything about this:

SIN-- That’s a great tact to take. People are not made more skeptical by ridicule or denigration, but by education with compassion and sympathy (plus none of us are perfectly rational in our beliefs). Speaking of that…You were slated to speak at a “skeptic” conference on the topic of aviation and skepticism, but were suddenly disinvited. What happened?

KS-- After a few days of coordinating, I was going to host a workshop titled “A Pilot’s Guide to Extreme Skepticism”. Everything was extremely pleasant and we were working out the final details when suddenly the admin changed their mind with a curt email, the only explanation was “sexist tones” in my comic. I was stunned at first and didn’t understand it. Now it seems the admin had seen a few comics and read into it something that neither I, Abbey, or our friends could see. In retrospect, perhaps I should have introduced my female protagonist first. Perhaps it was Mitch’s mention of “hot chicks” and that “cougars make waffles” they didn’t like, but in context I don’t find those statements too misogynistic or offensive for this crowd. Did I mention that the Skepchicks are hosting a panel called “Godless Perverts” at this event? What I found unfair was that I was quickly judged by a fictional character in my comic strip and that they were unwilling to have a conversation about it. And that they were wrong about me.

This is Kyle and his wife.

Skepticon organizers are *assholes*. Heartless *assholes*.

It just goes to show that these scummy FtB/A+/Skepchick fuckers don't care about the things they actually claim to care about, like women's rights and such. All they care about is making up arbitrary rules about how people are to think and behave, and making themselves a cozy little mean girls club where they can booze it up and be nasty to whoever they like without taking any responsibility for their own words and actions. Kyle and Abbey have done more for women's rights than the lot of these useless cunts.

Abbie I don't know what your connections are or how influential you are but this is a tidbit that needs to be broadcast far and wide, beyond the very short reach of the Skeptic Ink Network. People need to know exactly what kind of sub-human sewage makes up this shitty little clique.

Wait, is it clear that this was Skepticon? The "godless perverts panel" has happened at other conferences, too.

[KarlVonMox]

Skepticon organizers are *assholes*. Heartless *assholes*.

The more this happens, the more reasonable people can learn not associate themselves with these losers in the first place. They must be judged from actions like that, not from their empty words about social justice.

[ERV]

I presumed it from this:

[Skep tickle]

I presumed it from this:

Ah - thanks.

[Service Dog]

FWIW:
http://i.imgur.com/6lA5PQp.png

and:

Little Rock Marathon takes place next March.

[Skep tickle]

FWIW:
[.img]http://i.imgur.com/6lA5PQp.png[/img]

and:

[.tweet][/tweet]

Little Rock Marathon takes place next March.

Thanks - she "had to drop" might have been for health reasons (not able to maintain hydration, etc) and her comment about the medal might well be her style of humor, but IMO it's bad form. (Hasn't that been a theme?)

Same basic reason I asked or commented Ophelia Benson (via Twitter, so it was public, there's no way I'm getting in a private exchange w/ her) about 3 concerns I had with her guest posts of Bill Cooke's international work for CFI (no link to original, no mention of permission to post copyrighted material, and telling donors they can earmark donations for the international work when they can't, at least not via the link she gave 4x while saying they could).

Yes, it's a good cause. But do it right, people. Be above board, fair, inquistive, and responsive to feedback, rather than manipulative (as in some cases, perhaps Anders' above) or divisive (as in some cases, including Watson's charity video) or clueless (which is where Benson seems to face challenges). (And that's not intended to be a full categorization of their approaches.)

(And I was also just poking around in Springfield police call records. Isn't the internet great?)

[acathode]

Wait, is it clear that this was Skepticon? The "godless perverts panel" has happened at other conferences, too.

From http://carbon-comic.com/comic/for-science/

Unfortunately, the trip was marred by disappointment when Skepticon 6 cancelled my workshop on skepticism in aviation due to the ‘sexist tones’ in my comic as perceived by an administrator. I was surprised at the unfair judgement of my own character based on the comments of my blockhead cartoon character, Mitch.

[welch]

Lost Moose - thanks for that link/text. That clarifies things. I'm still left wondering WTF that intoxicated, weapon-brandishing asshat was thinking?

Do NOT be putting ice cubes in good booze. People just can't handle it.

[BarnOwl]

The Skepticon incident seems pretty straightforward to me: intoxicated attendee in possession of an unloaded firearm --> misdemeanor, intoxicated attendee in possession of a loaded firearm --> felony. Problem?

Meanwhile, PeeZus reports on last night's presentations:

Oh, yeah, my talk yesterday was immensely disappointing. I was all anticipatory and enthused about the spectacular walkout/rebellion that was going to erupt, and then they all just sat there, listening, and afterwards a lot of people (“my sycophants,” as Rebecca Watson called them) crowded around and asked questions. It was just like all of my talks. And then Watson gave a data-driven talk on the importance of humor…nobody walked out. David Fitzgerald read from the Bible, all of the naughty nasty bits…for sure nobody walked out. Then Shelley Seagal started singing, and no way anyone was leaving.

Data-driven??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Mykeru]

Oh but THANK PEEZUS there aren't any Slymepitters at Skepticon! Armed death threats we can deal with, but fake Bjarte-toons and 'shopped Ophelias and Zvans would be way too much.

It was me

320.jpg

(30.53 KiB) Downloaded 273 times

[ReneeHendricks]

The Skepticon incident seems pretty straightforward to me: intoxicated attendee in possession of an unloaded firearm --> misdemeanor, intoxicated attendee in possession of a loaded firearm --> felony. Problem?

Meanwhile, PeeZus reports on last night's presentations:

Oh, yeah, my talk yesterday was immensely disappointing. I was all anticipatory and enthused about the spectacular walkout/rebellion that was going to erupt, and then they all just sat there, listening, and afterwards a lot of people (“my sycophants,” as Rebecca Watson called them) crowded around and asked questions. It was just like all of my talks. And then Watson gave a data-driven talk on the importance of humor…nobody walked out. David Fitzgerald read from the Bible, all of the naughty nasty bits…for sure nobody walked out. Then Shelley Seagal started singing, and no way anyone was leaving.

Data-driven??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Yes. I believe "data-driven" in this case means quickly scribbled out notes on a cocktail napkin after marinating in alcohol all day.

[Gumby]

The Skepticon incident seems pretty straightforward to me: intoxicated attendee in possession of an unloaded firearm --> misdemeanor, intoxicated attendee in possession of a loaded firearm --> felony. Problem?

Meanwhile, PeeZus reports on last night's presentations:

Oh, yeah, my talk yesterday was immensely disappointing. I was all anticipatory and enthused about the spectacular walkout/rebellion that was going to erupt, and then they all just sat there, listening, and afterwards a lot of people (“my sycophants,” as Rebecca Watson called them) crowded around and asked questions. It was just like all of my talks. And then Watson gave a data-driven talk on the importance of humor…nobody walked out. David Fitzgerald read from the Bible, all of the naughty nasty bits…for sure nobody walked out. Then Shelley Seagal started singing, and no way anyone was leaving.

Data-driven??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

http://i.imgur.com/ykaDNgB.png

[ReneeHendricks]

The Skepticon incident seems pretty straightforward to me: intoxicated attendee in possession of an unloaded firearm --> misdemeanor, intoxicated attendee in possession of a loaded firearm --> felony. Problem?

Meanwhile, PeeZus reports on last night's presentations:

Oh, yeah, my talk yesterday was immensely disappointing. I was all anticipatory and enthused about the spectacular walkout/rebellion that was going to erupt, and then they all just sat there, listening, and afterwards a lot of people (“my sycophants,” as Rebecca Watson called them) crowded around and asked questions. It was just like all of my talks. And then Watson gave a data-driven talk on the importance of humor…nobody walked out. David Fitzgerald read from the Bible, all of the naughty nasty bits…for sure nobody walked out. Then Shelley Seagal started singing, and no way anyone was leaving.

Data-driven??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

http://i.imgur.com/ykaDNgB.png

LOL! Brilliant!

[Really?]

The Skepticon incident seems pretty straightforward to me: intoxicated attendee in possession of an unloaded firearm --> misdemeanor, intoxicated attendee in possession of a loaded firearm --> felony. Problem?

Meanwhile, PeeZus reports on last night's presentations:

Oh, yeah, my talk yesterday was immensely disappointing. I was all anticipatory and enthused about the spectacular walkout/rebellion that was going to erupt, and then they all just sat there, listening, and afterwards a lot of people (“my sycophants,” as Rebecca Watson called them) crowded around and asked questions. It was just like all of my talks. And then Watson gave a data-driven talk on the importance of humor…nobody walked out. David Fitzgerald read from the Bible, all of the naughty nasty bits…for sure nobody walked out. Then Shelley Seagal started singing, and no way anyone was leaving.

Data-driven??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Peezus just doesn't get it. It doesn't matter whether or not people walked out of a presentation. People are avoiding him and his sideshows because the FTB/A+ people are boring and crazy.

You'd think that his dwindling web traffic would serve as a kind of clue.

[James Caruthers]

Yeah, if someone doesn't like Peezus, there not even going to be in that room where he's presenting to begin with. And if they do decide to record his stupidity for posterity, they're not going to walk out midway through his talk.

It's a shame Becky's livestream audio wasn't working, because I would have liked to see her drunkenly stumbling about the stage while continuing to poor booze down her gob.

Guys, I think we all need to take a moment of silence to remember Becky's liver. We need to be aware that, even as we laugh it up on the Pitt, poor Becky is suffering. If she doesn't kick her addiction, she won't be around to give us delicious lulz for much longer.

Also, if alcohol can't make Becky funny, I don't know what can. Maybe a kick in the cunt?

[Gumby]

Yeah, if someone doesn't like Peezus, there not even going to be in that room where he's presenting to begin with. And if they do decide to record his stupidity for posterity, they're not going to walk out midway through his talk.

It's funny as hell that he tries to get these digs in at his critics by continuing to push his "Walkout? what walkout? ha ha" schtick when he and his pals are safely within the confines of a con that is basically 100% under their control, with audiences that attend specifically to get hammered with their SJW masters and hear their prattle.

Let's see him make that joke at TAM. Oh, that's right, the baboons aren't welcome there anymore :lol:

[BarnOwl]

Looks like the facts about her cancer surgery & its subsequent effects have been manipulated for effect.

Here's a chronology. (Bolding is mine.) Scroll past if length, topic, lack of humor, or lack of images doesn't fit your taste.

<snip>

Her post includes a really long list of what she has to deal with since the gastric surgery and ends with an open invitation for people to post "something weird/cool/different about how you live your life every day"; comments include this:

Two weekends ago, I stood up for two hours without pain meds, something that hasn’t happened in two years. So that was cool.

That might explain some things about Rebecca Watson. Or maybe she was joking. But end of digression, back to Elyse.

Foundation Beyond Belief announced in 8/2013g that she would be running the "entire" Chicago marathon as part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. Their writeup says, in part:

Because her treatment for cancer required the removal of her stomach, she has additional challenges with ensuring that she consumes enough calories and stays hydrated. She’s more than halfway to her fundraising goal, and she could use some help getting the rest of the way. She’s asking for $2.62 (that’s 10 cents a mile) to be donated to her TNT fundraising page.

Link goes to her Leukemia & Lymphoma Team in Training page for the Chicago 2013 marathon.

There, her entry from 3/2013 says:

Oh, and did I mention I'm doing this WITHOUT A STOMACH? Yeah. I don't have one. Mine was taken out thanks to a sneaky tumor that decided to declare squatters rights all up in there. So, that's kind of a BFD. It actually makes training trickier. My diet is trickier. Hydration is trickier. But trickier is not impossibl-er, and I can make this happen...

In all her posts on that page, the implication is that this will be difficult because she doesn't have a stomach. And she has had cancer, which makes this more personal/pressing. The reader is allowed to draw the connection that the challenges she faces in tackling this marathon-for-charity stem directly and uniquely from her having had cancer.

Tn 6/2013, her fundraising goal was $16K. By the time of the 8/2013 FBBB announcement, it was down to $4K and she had already raised more than half of that goal.

The last update on her TNT page was posted on Sept 5, 2013, titled "37 Days! I'm going to run a marathon". It clearly, clearly gives the impression that she was planning to run the marathon, as she probably was. There are ~35 entries of names w/ dollar amounts next to them, plus ~18 more names w/o dollar amounts given (donor preferred amount be anonymous, I assume); current total posted in $2.77K and donations are no longer being accepted on that page.

The Chicago Marathon was held October 13, 2013; results are searchable here. I find one person with a similar name (same first initial & last name, from a part of the US near where Elyse Anders has lived) but she's 10 years younger. No entries under Elyse's "maiden" name, either.

<snip>

Elyse's blurb at Skepchick, http://skepchick.org/about/ohere[/url], says that she "sometimes runs marathons for charity" but the link in that phrase goes to a Skepchick "Page Not Found - Oops, it looks like this page does not exist": http://skepchick.org/about/pages.teamin ... 3/GoGoMoFo

I find NO mention at Elyse's TNT training page, or Skepchick, or FBB, about what happened with her marathon plans, nor that donors were told. Not that she didn't try despite difficult circumstances, and not that she didn't raise money for a good cause - but it looks like potential donors who didn't already know her well were being misled into thinking she's a cancer survivor struggling with the late effects of cancer treatment rather than one who elected to have more major GI surgery with known adverse effects on GI function & absorption. And that those who did donate on the basis of the planned marathon may never have been told she (apparently) ended up not running it - possibly even some who chose their donation on a "per mile" basis.

Several people from my running club finished the Chicago marathon this year; our coach mentioned that, following the Boston marathon bombing, many of the larger marathons (such as Chicago) had banned backpacks, including the camelbacks that make keeping hydrated easier for some runners. So people were warned to train/plan accordingly. I like running with a camelback if I'm going > 8 miles and it's warm/hot (e.g. above 78-80F) - my handheld water bottle isn't large enough for that distance under those conditions, and I loathe running with a fuel/water belt around my middle. Of course there are water/sports drink stations along the route for all marathons/half-marathons/10Ks, but sometimes it can be tricky to get to them if it's crowded, it's awkward to drink from the cups it you're used to a water bottle, and it's easy to grab sports drink when you're trying to grab water (or vice versa ... I train only with water, and grabbing sports drink by accident during a 10K was a nasty surprise). Keeping hydrated in a distance event can be challenging for anybody.

All that being said, I have my entire unadulterated healthy stomach, am not a candidate for gastric bypass surgery, and don't have cancer, so I can't know what challenges Elyse faces with her running. I do think they they tend to spin things for effect quite conveniently though; Greta is still doing that with her own health issues.

[Mykeru]

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view1/1772176/rimshot-o.gif

[Ape+lust]

http://i.imgur.com/4OV4lJR.jpg

[John Greg]

I think the stomach cancer issue is lousy, and my sympathy to Elyse. But, going on a drinking binge after the surgery? Is that in anyway whatsoever a wise thing to do? Or have I misunderstood the timelines.

[BarnOwl]

http://i.imgur.com/4OV4lJR.jpg

Creepy and hilarious at the same time! :lol:

[Really?]

I think the stomach cancer issue is lousy, and my sympathy to Elyse. But, going on a drinking binge after the surgery? Is that in anyway whatsoever a wise thing to do? Or have I misunderstood the timelines.

Alcohol kills germs; maybe she's trying to avoid an infection.

[DownThunder]

I think the skepchicks would go out binge drinking after a liver transplant.

[feralandproud]

Definitely take with a grain of salt, but here's this:
http://gender--suspenders.tumblr.com/po ... iolence-tw

[Gloating Bastard]

[quote="Ape+lust"][img]http://i.imgur.com/4OV4lJR.jpg[/]Genius!! :laughing-rolling:

Poor pathetic PZ. Reduced to boasting that people didn't walk out of his talk. This to used to share platforms with Dawkins ffs. He used to be FRIENDS with Dawkins. What a sad little twat!

[mordacious1]

Definitely take with a grain of salt, but here's this:
http://gender--suspenders.tumblr.com/po ... iolence-tw

Well, iff this realllllly happened and they reported him to his employers, he would most likely be suspended, lose his carry permit and then his job. So are they going to report him? They should have called the cops as soon as it was safe to do so...I know, cops never do anything *rolls eyes*. He would be in deep shit if several witnesses said that he drew his weapon (especially in a threatening manner) while intoxicated.

Aside: You can't always tell if a revolver is unloaded by looking at the empty chambers (there's one you can't see).

[DeepInsideYourMind]

Definitely take with a grain of salt, but here's this:
http://gender--suspenders.tumblr.com/po ... iolence-tw

Well, iff this realllllly happened and they reported him to his employers, he would most likely be suspended, lose his carry permit and then his job. So are they going to report him? They should have called the cops as soon as it was safe to do so...I know, cops never do anything *rolls eyes*. He would be in deep shit if several witnesses said that he drew his weapon (especially in a threatening manner) while intoxicated.

Aside: You can't always tell if a revolver is unloaded by looking at the empty chambers (there's one you can't see).

The problem is ... those dumb SJWs really believe TV and films ... that's where cops exist who let the parole officer go as he is "one of theirs" ... and the dumb SJWs are too dumb to even watch till the end of the show where the bad guy usually gets his just desserts ...

For the absolutely tiny minority of bad police officers (ones actively letting rape suspects go because they are just being guys, or letting gun brandishing parole officers go because they are 'one of them') there are a bajillion other cops who do the right and legal thing ... and not reporting it means you just make their jobs harder, and you actively harm other women and men by leaving criminals on the streets


Seriously ... if you are the victim of a crime and you do not report it, you are a threat to other decent members of society.

[welch]

Definitely take with a grain of salt, but here's this:
http://gender--suspenders.tumblr.com/po ... iolence-tw

Well, iff this realllllly happened and they reported him to his employers, he would most likely be suspended, lose his carry permit and then his job. So are they going to report him? They should have called the cops as soon as it was safe to do so...I know, cops never do anything *rolls eyes*. He would be in deep shit if several witnesses said that he drew his weapon (especially in a threatening manner) while intoxicated.

Aside: You can't always tell if a revolver is unloaded by looking at the empty chambers (there's one you can't see).

As I understand it, the person threatened has indeed reported it correctly.

[feralandproud]

Definitely take with a grain of salt, but here's this:
http://gender--suspenders.tumblr.com/po ... iolence-tw

Well, iff this realllllly happened and they reported him to his employers, he would most likely be suspended, lose his carry permit and then his job. So are they going to report him? They should have called the cops as soon as it was safe to do so...I know, cops never do anything *rolls eyes*. He would be in deep shit if several witnesses said that he drew his weapon (especially in a threatening manner) while intoxicated.

Aside: You can't always tell if a revolver is unloaded by looking at the empty chambers (there's one you can't see).

The problem is ... those dumb SJWs really believe TV and films ... that's where cops exist who let the parole officer go as he is "one of theirs" ... and the dumb SJWs are too dumb to even watch till the end of the show where the bad guy usually gets his just desserts ...

For the absolutely tiny minority of bad police officers (ones actively letting rape suspects go because they are just being guys, or letting gun brandishing parole officers go because they are 'one of them') there are a bajillion other cops who do the right and legal thing ... and not reporting it means you just make their jobs harder, and you actively harm other women and men by leaving criminals on the streets


Seriously ... if you are the victim of a crime and you do not report it, you are a threat to other decent members of society.

That's the problem with SJWs, most of their arguments break down if put under scrutiny. Once the logic is presented they're left with things like "mansplainin'" and all the other shit they spew.