Shall Mr Vacula Make a Misstep in the Capital of Eire?

#361

Steersman,

Thanks for the screenshot & info. I don't have the row that includes "Newest" and "My Disqus", again probably just 'cuz I'm not logged in; I could fix that if I wanted but am enjoying the ability to freshly upvote comments as a Guest every time I visit the page. :)

Re image size: I'm sorry that I forgot who suggested it, but editing the image size (in imgur) took care of that.

Info on the Setar/bomb response & screenshot of my comment awaiting moderation is here:
http://heathen-hub.com/blog.php?bt=9267

(it's also here at the Pit, spread across a couple of posts in the Nugent dialogue thread). Just checked again: now 76 days after I posted that question to Setar, my comment is still "awaiting moderation" at Almost Diamonds.

#362

Just dropped this doozy in the middle of JT's "Harassers..." thread. He is sure to see it, and I think it might plant another seed of doubt or two, and I really doubt Zvan could possibly challenge it in any credible way. Should be interesting to see what happens:

Thaumas Themelios (aka Wonderist) wrote:Well, funny enough, the behaviour I'm describing occurred on Stephanie Zvan's own blog, where I was accused of supporting bullying and harassment (which I most certainly do not).

When I tried to defend myself against these accusations, Zvan, misreading what I had written, put any of my further comments into permanent moderation, so that as it stands today, the false accusations against me stand, and my rebuttals of those accusations are in permanent mod limbo.

Here is her blog post, linked to my first comment, objecting to some of the characterizations of SPs, including myself, that were made by some commenters in her blog comments thread: http://freethoughtblogs.com/almostdiamo ... ent-222480

Here is a link to the second (and final, I've not posted to her blog since) of my comments Zvan relegated to mod limbo: (JT, I hope you don't mind this brief link to the pit where I posted my rebuttals (having nowhere else to post them), I promise not to make a habit of posting pit links, but this one is directly relevant not only to my own case, but I think to the core of this current discussion as well) viewtopic.php?p=81381#p81381

If you read the comments I made in her thread, including the rebuttal, I challenge anyone to find any form of inappropriate behaviour in my posts. Anything that would reasonably justify leaving false accusations in the thread and blocking my rebuttals? I cannot see it. I don't think anyone reasonably can. It seems clear to me she misread what I wrote (missing a key word, 'supporting'), jumped to a faulty conclusion, and then simply put me on 'permanent ignore' so to speak.

As is her prerogative! Of course, it's her blog, she can run it how she chooses. But I don't have to approve of how she runs it. If she chooses to run it in such a way that reasonable dissent is not allowed, then I will criticize that for being unreasonable. And, having no better word for it, I'll call that dogmatic behaviour: intolerant of questioning, dissent, or critique.

And, at the end of the day, I find it very ironic, that Zvan complains about harassment from the likes of people like me, while she allows the kind of character-smearing accusations against people like me to permeate her blog.

So, Feminerd, by your own criteria of what constitutes 'harassment', I submit to you that Stephanie Zvan's own behaviour fits that criteria. According to the criteria that "spreading false rumours about someone being a harasser, [or] that someone supports harassment, [...] if they're actually false, and being spread in multiple places with obvious intent to smear, then yes that is harassment," then Stephanie Zvan herself has engaged in harassment of myself and most of the members of the SlymePit dot com message forums.

She has spread these rumours in multiple places (her own blog, here on JT's blog, in numerous other FTB blogs, on podcasts, in public Google Hangout videos, etc.

I have never harassed *anyone*, and I *do not* support harassment or bullying. I'm explicitly against them. Yet these false accusations are spread about me and many other people based on prejudiced stereotypes of a large and diverse group of people (I seem to recall her using the phrase "all slimepitters"). Furthermore, she allows accusations by others (commenters on her blog) to stand publicly, while I am explicitly denied any recourse to have them challenged.

If Zvan's gripes against JT have any merit, then surely my complaint against Zvan must also have some merit as well. Right?

#363

cunt wrote:
Skep tickle wrote:Seems unlikely that'll happen, but he does have a more relevant background for the "Church/State Separation" part than Watson. (However, of coures, he has less of the "Women" part of the background.)

With Brusseels (MP from Brussels), Gaylor (FFRF), and Nugent (AI) it seems like they have a strong, if small, panel on Church-State Separation. Hard to see what Rebecca "Skepchick" Watson was going to add.
I'm not sure why any "relevant background" would be required or why people act as if this is a difficult area that really requires a lot of expertise.

Panellists: "Here's why Church-State separation is good and religious involvement in government is bad."
Audience of secularists who have already paid 100 euros to attend a secularist convention with "secularism" in the title: "Hrmm, that's interesting. This is great".

I attend, and sometimes speak at, and on occasion have helped plan & organize, medical conferences. Everyone in the audience is in medicine, as are the speakers. And, yet, for a variety of reasons, it's a good thing when the speakers have more knowledge & experience in the area on which they are speaking than does the average conference attendee.

On the topic of "Church-State Separation", besides everyone just agreeing that it's a desired goal then ending the session early, speakers seasoned in the area might talk about all sorts of practical matters, from identifying which issues to tackle, prioritizing among issues, comparing how one might do that as a legislator or a lawyer or an activist or a group or a citizen, comparing & contrasting the approaches necessary or effective in different countries, nuances of the legal system or politics that might make a big difference in achieving practical outcomes, and so on.

I'm really just guessing here, because church-state separation isn't something I've actually worked on, and IANAL (or politician, thank dog). But a GOOD conference talk or panel discussion will, IMO, bring up all sorts of useful points that most people in the audience won't even know they didn't know, and that they can find useful once they're back home.

#364

Aneris wrote:Posted, again, vote up and down as you feel like. Would be nice if you do throw in your 2cents, let's challenge their narratives. :)

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wwjtd/2013 ... -945984779

What a fucking mess. A lot of good comments, Steffy acting like the Queen of Sheba, and a few baboons spouting the usual shit. Glad to see that others (that I do not recognize from here) are seeing through it. This comment at towards the end (but not the most recent, from the poor way they datestamp there) blows my mind, but is indicative of their mindset:

Its harassment if its obsessive, negative, and in the same universe as you.

You might not come up against it directly, but others who you might come into contact with will. They can then regurgitate the poison that they have been given to carry, and also spread the sickness to others, increasing the chances of finally meeting the target.

Its a highly effective strategy, because the original harasser achieves plausible deniability as long as they are willing to suffer the mild indignity of appearing like a disingenuous buffoon when they pretend that they don't know that this is the outcome of their actions.

Stochastic, rhymes with fantastic, and also ecclesiastic.

I guess Disquis doesn't allow linking to comments? B-Lar left that stinker. By that definition, I think everyone in the world can be considered a harasser. PZ definitely can. So can Ophelia, and Steffy, and Laden, and....well, you get the idea. The definition is so broad it is useless, and is just an argument of emotion. :naughty:

#365

Dave wrote:
Wonderist wrote: I got 14 hops, and I'm not even in the US, *but*, I've also noticed slowness a lot recently. Unfortunately it's a new laptop and I don't have my usual plugins and whatnot, so I can't give any better info than that at the moment. (Actually, until I read these comments, I thought there might have been something wrong with my new laptop.) Somebody mentioned imgur? It could be that the slymepit.com site itself is fine, but all the embedded images and whatnot linking to other domains might be slowing down page rendering. I've noticed this on other sites with lots of embedded images and ads sometimes.
I got a 503 earlier in the day. I dare anyone to explain how that was a problem on my end. :)

I get that shit on a regular basis. Started about 2 days ago. 503/500/504... Lsuoma, get your shit together, you fascist tit!

#366

welch wrote:
Phil_Giordana_FCD wrote:
welch wrote:
Write a 24-point epistle. Barring actual evidence to the contrary, and based on the evidence I've both collected and seen, I'm pretty fucking comfortable in saying you were wrong about it being a server issue, instead of a routing issue.
I once knew where the on/off button was. Since I've switched to external screen/keyboard/mouse, my laptop seems to hate me. It will be back to desktop machine soon enough (I hope lappy doesn't read this).
if you type too loud, they know what you say by analyzing the sounds emitted by each key, as they are slightly different.

That's basically what I've heard. I always thought it was a urban legend, but seeing how mister Lappy acts these days, I'm starting to give it some credence.

If only she could talk*...

*That was one of my first school English lessons. Something about scientists, a parrot, and a dog. Go figure. Oh, and spies too!

#367

Badger3k wrote:I guess Disquis doesn't allow linking to comments?

The date/time stamp of the post is a link to the comment, like in lots of other fora.

#368

Steersman wrote:
Skep tickle wrote:
Steersman wrote: But, as for the navigation, Iâ€™m not sure of course what browser youâ€™re using, but Iâ€™ve found that Disqus really doesnâ€™t work too well under Windows XP at least. I generally find that Crome or Firefox are the better bets. And I also find that selecting the â€œNewestâ€ format produces some readable displays. But, to coin a phrase, YMMV â€¦. ;-)
Firefox. The "recent comments" at the right are useful to find the newer stuff. I don't see a way of selecting between formats (but I'm also not registered, am viewing as Guest, which may limit the options).
Hereâ€™s what my screen looks like under Chrome. Thereâ€™s a drop-down box under the â€œNewestâ€ â€“ I havenâ€™t tried the other options as that seems to work adequately.
JT_Disqus_Full.JPG
BTW, you were asking on another thread about the size of your screen-captures. I find that using Paint works fairly well as it has a â€œStretch/Skewâ€ option (under the â€œImageâ€ menu item) that can scale images to a reasonable size; the one above is at 80%.

But it seems that some options are available under some browsers but not others â€¦.

Also, didnâ€™t you say something about Zvan blocking or deleting a comment or query of yours about Setarâ€™s â€œbombâ€ comment? You have a link or a comment about that? Thanks.

What I do: Sort by oldest, so you can read the comments in order. Go through and read the whole thread once (assuming you want to).
Next, when you want to read only new posts: Refresh the page to reload the comments. Use your keyboard's End and Page Up to quickly 'load more comments' until they're all loaded. Now use the in-page browser search (usually Ctrl-F, or shortcut '/' key in Firefox) to search for "hours ago" or "hour ago" and then use the 'next search result' key or button (F3 in Firefox) to jump from post to post until you find ones you haven't seen yet.

The advantage of the above technique is you get to follow the threads in chronological order, rather than reading everything half-backwards with the 'Newest' first sort.

The 'Newest' sort doesn't actually put all newest posts at the top, since it's still threaded, so you just get the newest *threads* first, and then within each nesting level each sub-thread is newest first, and so on. That's why I say it's 'half-backwards'. Genuinely new posts might appear very deep in the thread tree if they were replies to an old, deeply nested thread. Sorting by 'Newest' generally sucks, IMO. If there was a way to do it and turn threading off, then it might be useful, but I'm not aware of any way to turn threading off.

#369

Empowering Women Through Secularism

Schedule updates:
http://www.skepticink.com/justinvacula/ ... le-update/

Conference guidelines:
http://www.skepticink.com/justinvacula/ ... uidelines/

Follow my livetweets
@justinvacula #EWTS2013

#370

Badger3k wrote:
Aneris wrote:Posted, again, vote up and down as you feel like. Would be nice if you do throw in your 2cents, let's challenge their narratives. :)

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wwjtd/2013 ... -945984779

What a fucking mess. A lot of good comments, Steffy acting like the Queen of Sheba, and a few baboons spouting the usual shit. Glad to see that others (that I do not recognize from here) are seeing through it. This comment at towards the end (but not the most recent, from the poor way they datestamp there) blows my mind, but is indicative of their mindset:
Its harassment if its obsessive, negative, and in the same universe as you.

You might not come up against it directly, but others who you might come into contact with will. They can then regurgitate the poison that they have been given to carry, and also spread the sickness to others, increasing the chances of finally meeting the target.

Its a highly effective strategy, because the original harasser achieves plausible deniability as long as they are willing to suffer the mild indignity of appearing like a disingenuous buffoon when they pretend that they don't know that this is the outcome of their actions.

Stochastic, rhymes with fantastic, and also ecclesiastic.
I guess Disquis doesn't allow linking to comments? B-Lar left that stinker. By that definition, I think everyone in the world can be considered a harasser. PZ definitely can. So can Ophelia, and Steffy, and Laden, and....well, you get the idea. The definition is so broad it is useless, and is just an argument of emotion. :naughty:

So, I've been wanting to ask this for a while: does anyone have any insight into the origins of The Stephalump's planet-sized ego?
I've spent six years or so working for someone who has a comparably high opinion of themselves but they are also enormously successful and possibly the smartest person I've ever met.
It ain't braggin' if you back it up, so I tolerate it (plus they continue to write me checks and I'm a fairly shameless hooker).
The Zvandenburg's record of achievement that might (at least partially) explain her ego-mania, remain elusive.

#371

Wonderist wrote:Just dropped this doozy in the middle of JT's "Harassers..." thread. He is sure to see it, and I think it might plant another seed of doubt or two, and I really doubt Zvan could possibly challenge it in any credible way. Should be interesting to see what happens:
<snip>

Good post. Really rather questionable how Zvan can get bent out of shape at JT allowing a post on his site that, admittedly, peddles some innuendo insulting towards Zvan while she allows an even more egregious comment to stand on her own blog â€“ and in spite of repeated efforts by Skep tickle to challenge her on the question. The comment in question by SetÃ¡r:

Do they [those ebil Slymepitters] have to actually bomb a conference or get on some major atheist podcasts and start saying the things theyâ€™ve been documented as saying already? When do we call this waddling, quacking ball of feathers a fucking duck?

While, as we have been arguing, every blog ower has the right to moderate their blogs as they see fit, every member of the public also has the right to harshly judge those who do so in an unethical and inequitable manner.

#372

Some FTBer, perhaps Peezus, dropped his name badge, revealing instructions on the back:

http://media.boingboing.net/wp-content/ ... /host.jpeg

#373

A post I tried to make earlier, but the Pit went down between the time I started it and finished it:

I'm not sure why any "relevant background" would be required or why people act as if this is a difficult area that really requires a lot of expertise.

I'd say church/state separation can require expertise in legal fields.

If I were planning that panel on church/state separation and was looking for worthwhile women to be featured (fitting with the theme of the event), I can think of smart and talented women far more relevant to the conversation than Rebecca Watson. Religion, and government endorsement of it, were not subject matter I saw discussed on Skepchick with any real frequency or authority back when I actually used to read the site. I also recall the subject rarely ever came up in SGU podcast, with the only time I can distinctly remember being when that idiotic Ben Stein movie was making a scene. Watson, as far as I can tell, has no expertise in either European law, American Constitutional law or political organizing, not to mention any history of activism in this area.

If it were up to me I'd be inclined to seek out women like Eugenie Scott from the NCSE or Kathy Miller from the Texas Freedom Network to host and/or present relevant discussion. These are people who have battled on the front lines against the likes of the Discovery Institute and the Eagle Forum when they were aiding local legislative bodies with religious agendas trying time and time again to slip their ideology into public schools. I do think these women could provide a great deal of insight into the behind the scenes tactics of their opposition and the methods they use to to form alliances and target their legal objections for the highest probability of success in courtrooms and voting halls.

#374

16bitheretic wrote:A post I tried to make earlier, but the Pit went down between the time I started it and finished it:

I'm not sure why any "relevant background" would be required or why people act as if this is a difficult area that really requires a lot of expertise.
I'd say church/state separation can require expertise in legal fields.

If I were planning that panel on church/state separation and was looking for worthwhile women to be featured (fitting with the theme of the event), I can think of smart and talented women far more relevant to the conversation than Rebecca Watson. Religion, and government endorsement of it, were not subject matter I saw discussed on Skepchick with any real frequency or authority back when I actually used to read the site. I also recall the subject rarely ever came up in SGU podcast, with the only time I can distinctly remember being when that idiotic Ben Stein movie was making a scene. Watson, as far as I can tell, has no expertise in either European law, American Constitutional law or political organizing, not to mention any history of activism in this area.

If it were up to me I'd be inclined to seek out women like Eugenie Scott from the NCSE or Kathy Miller from the Texas Freedom Network to host and/or present relevant discussion. These are people who have battled on the front lines against the likes of the Discovery Institute and the Eagle Forum when they were aiding local legislative bodies with religious agendas trying time and time again to slip their ideology into public schools. I do think these women could provide a great deal of insight into the behind the scenes tactics of their opposition and the methods they use to to form alliances and target their legal objections for the highest probability of success in courtrooms and voting halls.

I'm pretty sure that she was invited because of her celebrity (and because Nugent is a personal friend of both her and Peezus)
Once she accepted they were left with the problem of where to fit her in.
Nugent probably originally planned to allow her speak on her chosen subject - the correct care and cultivation of profitable internet-trolls - but the 'dialogue' process, and Ophelia Benson's last few month of freakouts, have discouraged all references towards harrassment as being off-topic from the real issues facing the conference.

I've been following the conference hashtag on twitter #ewts2013 and it's interesting that Ophelia, when not talking about herself and her battle with 'harrassment', does have something to say.

#375

16bitheretic wrote:A post I tried to make earlier, but the Pit went down between the time I started it and finished it:

I'm not sure why any "relevant background" would be required or why people act as if this is a difficult area that really requires a lot of expertise.
I'd say church/state separation can require expertise in legal fields.

If I were planning that panel on church/state separation and was looking for worthwhile women to be featured (fitting with the theme of the event), I can think of smart and talented women far more relevant to the conversation than Rebecca Watson. Religion, and government endorsement of it, were not subject matter I saw discussed on Skepchick with any real frequency or authority back when I actually used to read the site. I also recall the subject rarely ever came up in SGU podcast, with the only time I can distinctly remember being when that idiotic Ben Stein movie was making a scene. Watson, as far as I can tell, has no expertise in either European law, American Constitutional law or political organizing, not to mention any history of activism in this area.

If it were up to me I'd be inclined to seek out women like Eugenie Scott from the NCSE or Kathy Miller from the Texas Freedom Network to host and/or present relevant discussion. These are people who have battled on the front lines against the likes of the Discovery Institute and the Eagle Forum when they were aiding local legislative bodies with religious agendas trying time and time again to slip their ideology into public schools. I do think these women could provide a great deal of insight into the behind the scenes tactics of their opposition and the methods they use to to form alliances and target their legal objections for the highest probability of success in courtrooms and voting halls.

Maybe i'm just being facetious then. It's important that these things happen and Justin wouldn't make a worse panellist than Watson.

#376

Lsouma,

Since we are bitching about board-related stuff, how is it that my status bar reads I have zero PMs, when I have PMs?

That's PMs, not PMS, smart-asses.

#377

ConcentratedH2O, OM wrote:http://i.imgur.com/RJeQmIV.png

Wow... he's really pining for Becky's fjords!

#378

Mykeru wrote:Lsouma,

Since we are bitching about board-related stuff, how is it that my status bar reads I have zero PMs, when I have PMs?

That's PMs, not PMS, smart-asses.

Most boards only notify you of unread PMs. So that could be your issue.

#379

I see pharyngula's rorschach is still his old delightful self, with the same commitment to listening to the womenz as he always had.

#380

Myers: It's my choice and obligation to advocate for greater opportunities for all, not just my fellow white male Americans #EWTS2013

So, as soon as he talks to an international audience, he just adds the word 'Americans' to his standard hypocritical line about standing up to those privileged white males who hog all the conference speaking positions?

#381

No surprises there. Do you think if someone gives Justin another Â£50 he can be convinced to get drunk at the bar later?

#382

cunt wrote:
No surprises there. Do you think if someone gives Justin another Â£50 he can be convinced to get drunk at the bar later?

The donate button on my website works :p

#383

cunt wrote:
No surprises there. Do you think if someone gives Justin another Â£50 he can be convinced to get drunk at the bar later?

Can we get him to wear a blue wig in the bar this evening?
PZ would probably try to fuck him (and not to the ground!)

No, wait.
I don't want to risk the possibility of a leaked sex tape.
Arrrgh! Brain! Stop it! :doh:

#384

cunt wrote:
The bullying from the FtB mob continues. Whether or not one likes JV, the bullying should be obvious by now.

If JV is sitting meekly by himself, he shouldn't be. This con isn't controlled by the FC(n). Or is it? Maybe this is the outcome of Ophie's gloating that she had gotten what she wanted from Nugent - JV being warned not to interact too much with other people and therefore ostracized in advance.

No surprises there. Do you think if someone gives Justin another Â£50 he can be convinced to get drunk at the bar later?

I get the feeling that milk-and-cookies Vacula would get drunk on a whole hell of a lot less than 50 quid. 5 should do it.

#385

Fuck me, two quote fails in two days. I'm turning into the male Sacha.

#386

justinvacula wrote:
cunt wrote:
No surprises there. Do you think if someone gives Justin another Â£50 he can be convinced to get drunk at the bar later?
The donate button on my website works :p

Beggar.

Now get out there and interact with people FFS!!!! To hell with the FTBullies!

#387

justinvacula wrote:
cunt wrote:
No surprises there. Do you think if someone gives Justin another Â£50 he can be convinced to get drunk at the bar later?
The donate button on my website works :p

Okay, but this is ear-marked for vast quantities of alcohol and/or marijuana if you can find any (ask some teenagers). I don't want you spending it on fucking secularism or hotel room pornography.

#388

justinvacula wrote:
cunt wrote:

Isn't Rorschach breaking the conference guidelines?

Please follow the spirit of these guidelines using common sense and empathy. Please try to enjoy the conference, and to help others to enjoy it.

Please let us know if you have any particular personal requirements in order to be able to participate as fully as possible.

Please respect the agenda. Please be concise and stay on-topic when contributing.

Please debate the merits of ideas and actions. Please do not speak abusively about people, or attribute negative motivations to them.

Please listen respectfully, and speak without aggression to others. Please do not dominate discussions or marginalize or silence others.

Please do not try to extend questions from the audience into ongoing coversations with panelists or speakers, unless the chairperson invites this.

Please do not use language that is critical of a person on the basis of their gender, sex, race, ethnicity, class, ability, age, or body.

Please do not create an unpleasant or hostile situation by uninvited and unwelcome conduct towards another person.

Please keep these guidelines in mind when making online updates that other participants can read during the conference.

Please let us know, privately if, for any reason, you are not having an enjoyable experience, and we will do our best to resolve the problem.

Please let us know if you enjoyed your experience and tell us any ideas you have for improving future conferences.

#389

The bullying from the FtB mob continues. Whether or not one likes JV, the bullying should be obvious by now.

If JV is sitting meekly by himself, he shouldn't be. This con isn't controlled by the FC(n). Or is it? Maybe this is the outcome of Ophie's gloating that she had gotten what she wanted from Nugent - JV being warned not to interact too much with other people and therefore ostracized in advance.

No, he shouldn't be. Step one to remedying that is to put down the laptop. Stop the live-tweeting. Then actually listen to the speakers, and, if he likes, attempt to engage with the people who are physically in the same room. I'm sure the vast majority have no clue who he is.

#390

Dick Strawkins wrote:
justinvacula wrote:
cunt wrote:

Isn't Rorschach breaking the conference guidelines?

Please follow the spirit of these guidelines using common sense and empathy. Please try to enjoy the conference, and to help others to enjoy it.

Please let us know if you have any particular personal requirements in order to be able to participate as fully as possible.

Please respect the agenda. Please be concise and stay on-topic when contributing.

Please debate the merits of ideas and actions. Please do not speak abusively about people, or attribute negative motivations to them.

Please listen respectfully, and speak without aggression to others. Please do not dominate discussions or marginalize or silence others.

Please do not try to extend questions from the audience into ongoing coversations with panelists or speakers, unless the chairperson invites this.

Please do not use language that is critical of a person on the basis of their gender, sex, race, ethnicity, class, ability, age, or body.

Please do not create an unpleasant or hostile situation by uninvited and unwelcome conduct towards another person.

Please keep these guidelines in mind when making online updates that other participants can read during the conference.

Please let us know, privately if, for any reason, you are not having an enjoyable experience, and we will do our best to resolve the problem.

Please let us know if you enjoyed your experience and tell us any ideas you have for improving future conferences.

Quote fail - it was my, not Vacula who pointed out Rorschach was breaking the conference guidelines.

#391

In addition to live tweeting, I'm going to Storify sessions/speakers from panelists/speakers at EWTS2013. First is comments from PZ Myers on the "Secular Values in Society" panel:

http://storify.com/justinvacula/pz-myer ... l-ewts2013#

More to follow - check my Storify account for others

Is there a way to embed Storifies here? Google didn't help me/I was unable to figure it out.

#392

cunt wrote:
justinvacula wrote:
cunt wrote:
No surprises there. Do you think if someone gives Justin another Â£50 he can be convinced to get drunk at the bar later?
The donate button on my website works :p
Okay, but this is ear-marked for vast quantities of alcohol and/or marijuana if you can find any (ask some teenagers). I don't want you spending it on fucking secularism or hotel room pornography.

Sure, donations for beer will go to beer. Besides, why pay for hotel room pornography when there is so much for free online :)

#393

Actually if Justin is typing away (blog, twitter, facebook, forums, notes) its nice of him to be sitting slightly away from others so they dont have to hear his 'taptaptaptaptaptapCLICKtaptap*

Thatd piss me off if I was trying to listen to speakers.

But I have a feeling Freak Martin is exaggerating Justins position to paint him as an 'outsider' on twitter.

#394

Dude. Seriously. Sitting by yourself playing on your laptop is something you can do at home. Put down the computer and become part of the conference.

#395

Gumby wrote:
justinvacula wrote:
cunt wrote:
No surprises there. Do you think if someone gives Justin another Â£50 he can be convinced to get drunk at the bar later?
The donate button on my website works :p
Beggar.

Now get out there and interact with people FFS!!!! To hell with the FTBullies!

I've been interacting :) This is not a hostile audience like #WIScfi which would likely file false/ridiculous complaints trying to get me kicked out. I intentionally avoided people at #WIScfi because of the hostility and campaigns against me preceding the event.

#396

lol, i'm not actually giving you any money. Seriously though, just put the laptop away and go make some friends.

#397

Gumby wrote:Dude. Seriously. Sitting by yourself playing on your laptop is something you can do at home. Put down the computer and become part of the conference.

There is a short break now. I'm not particularly hungry and have been walking around Dublin in off-time. I don't even have wi-fi where I am staying and need to go outside to use it. I'm using the internet much less, anyway, than I would be using at home. Friday was quite the day of exploration. I was at the conference building for about 3 hours - talking with Michael Nugent, Carlos Diaz, Dan Barker, and some others...and then I left for something quick to eat, a shower, and sleep. I got 8 hours of sleep last night and am still a wee bit tired, but I will pull through. I'm hoping to interview some people here, too, this evening. A radio show won't happen tonight, mainly due to time zone difference as I explained, but I can always add extra episodes/youtube/etc.

#398

CommanderTuvok wrote:http://i.imgur.com/8I2OI8E.jpg

Tuvok, stop trying to make "Rebecca.........because he was old" happen, it's not going to happen.

[youtube]Pubd-spHN-0[/youtube]

#399

Read your storify Justin. Myers as usual operates from bad presumptions, arrogance, an utter lack of knowledge, and like a piss poor village level politico attempts to make reality fit his argument. You can be a theist and a secularist. As a matter of fact, most fucking secularists in Ireland are fucking theists.

#400

cunt wrote:

It's ironically creepy how they have to keep mentioning how Vacula isn't bothering anyone.

#401

Gumby wrote:
Lsuoma wrote: I feel I do do rather well in that department - someone was asking me about the Pit recently, and I told them to imagine a kindergarten with a significant proportion of deranged, drug-addled fantasists.
A bit disappointing. I thought we had reached the first grade level by now.

We immature with age.

#402

I'll follow some of the advice here and Storify the rest later :)

#403

Beckyboos had a holiday paid for by some stupid paddys

[youtube]WeYsTmIzjkw[/youtube]

#404

ConcentratedH2O, OM wrote:H>KORBAN: what's the source for your avatar? Thanks.

"Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanderer_ ... Sea_of_Fog

#405

justinvacula wrote: I've been interacting :) This is not a hostile audience like #WIScfi which would likely file false/ridiculous complaints trying to get me kicked out. I intentionally avoided people at #WIScfi because of the hostility and campaigns against me preceding the event.

Good. This is your chance to counteract the malicious and completely untrue narrative the fuckheads have been trying to spread about you. Have a good time.

#406

Za-zen wrote:Beckyboos had a holiday paid for by some stupid paddys

Should be "Beckybooze".

#407

didymos wrote:
Za-zen wrote:Beckyboos had a holiday paid for by some stupid paddys

Should be "Beckybooze".

Catch. And it should have been Micks instead of paddys. See this is what happens when you treat someone as badly as the pit has treated me.

#408

Loftus has a post up dissing Tim Minchin. I corrected him simply by saying you can't watch Mitsubishi Colt and not know Minchin is a genius.

[youtube]Zmfo-eL9VKc[/youtube]

#409

Hunt wrote:Loftus has a post up dissing Tim Minchin. I corrected him simply by saying you can't watch Mitsubishi Colt and not know Minchin is a genius.

[youtube]Zmfo-eL9VKc[/youtube]

:D
It's a classic 'get off my lawn' post!

#410

Kareem wrote:
cunt wrote:

It's ironically creepy how they have to keep mentioning how Vacula isn't bothering anyone.

I just got caught up on the hashtag - clearly Martin mistook the conference guidelines for bog roll/toilet paper.

#411

Vacula needs to brush up on his harrassing technique :x

http://i.imgur.com/Tu90dgE.jpg

:doh:

#412

Dick Strawkins wrote:
16bitheretic wrote:A post I tried to make earlier, but the Pit went down between the time I started it and finished it:

I'm not sure why any "relevant background" would be required or why people act as if this is a difficult area that really requires a lot of expertise.
I'd say church/state separation can require expertise in legal fields.

If I were planning that panel on church/state separation and was looking for worthwhile women to be featured (fitting with the theme of the event), I can think of smart and talented women far more relevant to the conversation than Rebecca Watson. Religion, and government endorsement of it, were not subject matter I saw discussed on Skepchick with any real frequency or authority back when I actually used to read the site. I also recall the subject rarely ever came up in SGU podcast, with the only time I can distinctly remember being when that idiotic Ben Stein movie was making a scene. Watson, as far as I can tell, has no expertise in either European law, American Constitutional law or political organizing, not to mention any history of activism in this area.

If it were up to me I'd be inclined to seek out women like Eugenie Scott from the NCSE or Kathy Miller from the Texas Freedom Network to host and/or present relevant discussion. These are people who have battled on the front lines against the likes of the Discovery Institute and the Eagle Forum when they were aiding local legislative bodies with religious agendas trying time and time again to slip their ideology into public schools. I do think these women could provide a great deal of insight into the behind the scenes tactics of their opposition and the methods they use to to form alliances and target their legal objections for the highest probability of success in courtrooms and voting halls.

I've been following the conference hashtag on twitter #ewts2013 and it's interesting that Ophelia, when not talking about herself and her battle with 'harrassment', does have something to say.

If Benson dropped her victim narrative and got back to what she is good at she would get a lot less stress and a lot more recognition. I live in hope one day she will realise that as some of her previous work I thought was very good.

While I'm posting, if I had to spend hours on a plane I would moan my head off an ensure everyone knew how miserable I was. Also, on landing in Ireland it is a legal and moral duty to drink a pint of Guinness at the first available opportunity. Guinness in Ireland is the best drink ever so there. Finally what the hell do people expect in Ireland other than Irish pubs? It's Ireland!!!!! Ergo the pubs are Irish.

#413

Dick Strawkins wrote:Vacula needs to brush up on his harrassing technique :x

http://i.imgur.com/Tu90dgE.jpg

:doh:

It's a fucking dongle!

#414

Dick Strawkins wrote:Vacula needs to brush up on his harrassing technique :x

http://i.imgur.com/Tu90dgE.jpg

:doh:

Anne's probably wondering why the Samsung USB vibrates, though.

#415

Myers: Something that benefits one gender, race, class is detrimental to all of society #EWTS2013

I agree with him. Too bad he doesn't realize he's part of the inequality problem.

#416

Tribble wrote:
Myers: Something that benefits one gender, race, class is detrimental to all of society #EWTS2013

I agree with him. Too bad he doesn't realize he's part of the inequality problem.

But if one race/gender/class is, in some sense, disadvantaged? No specific ways to bring them up to equality?

Pontificating is so easy (maybe he should run for Miss America and tell us about achieving world peace). I guess it's it's OK if you appoint yourself pontiff though.

#417

justinvacula wrote:I'll follow some of the advice here and Storify the rest later :)

This is fun. Remote control Vacula! Don't forget the photos of the elevator of doom!

#418

Za-zen wrote:Beckyboos had a holiday paid for by some stupid paddys

WeYsTmIzjkw

Hmm. If I was Nugent, and Becki took the cash and then just blew off the conference to get tanked in NYC instead, I'd want the money back. He won't get it of course, but I guess he saved on the "honorarium" and her bar bill.

Still, he should have a few questions to answer about how funds were spent for the con on one "celebrity" who didn't want to be there and another who didn't turn up at all.

Maybe they're all having great craic at the bar, Nugent and all, and have forgotten already.

#419

AnonymousCowherd wrote:This is fun. Remote control Vacula!

Left 90

Forward 20

Extend fist

#420

Shit. Four in a row. I have become Phil G. Must stop watching T de F.