Regarding Simon Davies (Simon Singh, as if!), I noticed on Melodys rather hilariously sad blog (a typical post being
http://melodyhensley.tumblr.com/post/38 ... stfeminism ) that Simon is working on producing an online history of women in secularism.
http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry ... _01:13:13!
Apparently women began to get interested in secularism at approximately 1.00 AM on the 24th of September 2010
Unfortunately they didn't DO anything until November that year when Monica Shore wrote an article for Ms magazine (yes, we are at that level)
This was followed up by Jen McCreight ( or was it Madeleine O Hair? - that's the picture Davies used!) commenting on the article.
Obviously this took a lot of effort because it wasn't until April fools day 2011 that the next effort was made - appropriately enough by Melody herself, who began planning the CFI 'Women in Secularism' conference.
Next up was an article in (wait for it...) 'Bitch' magazine (for some reason I seem to be picturing Simon Davies writing that word while recuperating on his fainting couch)
This prompts comments on the 'ask an atheist' site from Paula Kirby and Ophelia Benson.
Kirbys reply was as you would expect but Ophelia's should probably be read again in the light of her subsequent behavior.
The question was:
"what are some strategies that new atheism could employ to get more women on board, or to raise the visibility of women atheists who are already out there?"
Ophelia's reply?
I think the main strategy new atheists can use to raise the visibility of women atheists is simply to be women and keep arguing, talking, writing, posting, rabble-rousing, and making jokes. We’re doing that. Paula Kirby does it, Susan Jacoby does it, Greta Christina does it, Jen McCreight does it, Ayaan Hirsi Ali does it. Also Polly Toynbee, Katha Pollitt, Sikivu Hutchinson, Joan Smith, Maryam Namazie, Wendy Kaminer, Rebecca Watson, and many many more.
While it is rather difficult for some of us "to be women" I think the slymepit is doing a pretty good job of "arguing, talking, writing, posting, rabble-rousing, and making jokes."
Thanks for the advice Ophelia, we'll keep on with your suggestion!
As for the rest of the history, you can probably guess.
The Slymepit gets a mention although, as you might guess, Davies :liar: isn't exactly enamored with the idea of sticking to the truth:
SlymePit forum launches
Citing updated commenting policies at Scienceblogs, the forum Slymepit.com is launched to host the comment thread at SA "Abbie" Smith's blog re:Watson that was still on-going for the past year with tens of thousands of unmoderated comments in a single thread known as "the slime pit".
As of December 28, 2012 the forum has 432 registered users.
The forum's original tag line would be "Better than a **** in the ****!" in reference to a comment about kicking Ophelia Benson "in the cunt".
The forum maintains the unfiltered and unmoderated comment thread that preceded it and features frequent sexist and misogynistic remarks primarily about Rebecca Watson, Ophelia Benson, and Stephanie Zvan as well as other male and female atheists. FreethoughtBlogs contributors are referred to a "baboons" and many of the participants in the forum also blog or comment on "men's rights" sites such as AVoiceForMen.com.
There is, however some good news from Davies timeline:
Apparently Davies, seeing himself as the baboon version of Harold Camping, has figured out when it's all going to end!
The date and time, I can now reveal is 14.00 on the afternoon of the 24th of June 2013.
Coming two weeks before TAM 2013 I think we can safely assume this is the ultimate revenge for the Surly Amy T-shirt outrage.
(Mind you, considering that he's married to Hensley, the annihilation of all life on Earth due to the coming apocalypse with his own release into the cold embrace of death might just be wishful thinking on his part)