The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘Science Falsely So Called’: How Can You Prove Your Innocence, Professor Krauss?

Posted on | August 9, 2013 | 102 Comments

Professor Lawrence Krauss on Australian TV, February 2013.

“O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.”
— I Timothy 6:20-21 (KJV)

“Jeffrey Epstein is the infamous media mogul who was jailed in 2008 for paying underage prostitutes who said they were recruited by his aides. . . .
“One of the friends defending Epstein is none other than Professor Lawrence Krauss . . . he’s invoking the name of science to do it.”
— Rebecca Watson

“When women come to me to warn me about what speakers to avoid at conferences or confide in me sexual harassment they’ve experienced, Lawrence Krauss is by far the most common name I hear.”
— Jen McCreight

“One is almost tempted to pray that God might have mercy on these poor fellows, but why should we trouble scientific types with our primitive superstitions?”
— Robert Stacy McCain, “No Love for the Godless”

Have you ever heard of Lawrence Krauss? I had not, but then again, I’d never heard of Ben Radford until Karen Stollznow accused him of being a sexual “predator.” Frankly, I’ve paid no attention to the New Atheist movement that has flourished in the past decade or so.

The “profane and vain babblings” of these people are tedious. My attitude toward all such people has always been, “OK, we get it. You’re a scientific super-genius, and Christians are all idiots for believing the Bible, and you’re going to write another article ‘proving’ how much smarter you are than everybody else. Thanks.”

However knowledgeable and articulate the god-haters are, their logic is always backward. They begin with the conclusion that there is no God, then hunt around for “evidence” to prove the negative. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Roman 1:22).

“Science is based on telling the truth, which is a really important ethical boundary. It’s one that I don’t think religion shares, in fact. . . . I think that science can offer a better world.”
— Lawrence Krauss

God proves His existence by the truth of His word, and we see prophecy fulfilled every day when we behold the fate of arrogant fools.

Lawrence Krauss is a 59-year-old professor at Arizona State University whose curriculum vitae runs to 32 pages. The nature of academic tenure is such that nothing in the world could get him fired from his job. Lawrence Krauss is invulnerable — absolutely bulletproof — and so when atheist blogger Jen McCreight had the temerity to repeat what she said women told her about Krauss’s behavior, she had to delete those stories because Krauss tried to intimidate her:

Well, Famous Skeptic is vaguely threatening to sue me. Since Famous Skeptic is rich and I am poor, and since my two sources are too terrified to openly speak out again him (I wonder why), I have removed the part of my previous post that refers to him so I don’t go bankrupt with legal fees.

Such a tactic may seem rather familiar to regular readers of this blog. “Science is based on telling the truth,” Professor Krauss tells us, and if these women are lying about him, perhaps he can prove their accusations false, just as he claims to prove God does not exist.

Philosophy majors or attorneys may see that Professor Krauss has been presented with a more difficult problem than he imagines. If the case comes down to testimony and evidence, Jen McCreight’s sources may have less reason to be “terrified” than does Krauss.

Perhaps my good friend Herman Cain could explain to the professor how hard it is for a man to prove his innocence in these cases.

For years, however, it seems the terroristic intimidation of atheist women has kept them silent, as Rebecca Watson says:

I’ve heard of several other “big name” skeptics who loudly argue online against any and all anti-harassment measures who are known for actually sexually harassing women in the meatspace. I’m hesitant to name them for legal reasons . . .

But there is strength in numbers, and if it is true that Professor Krauss’s behavior has long been the subject of private complaints, then the current climate of public accusations — the Floodgate Effect, we might call it — has suddenly shifted the balance of terror. Every man in the atheist movement who has ever told an off-color joke in mixed company is a vulnerable target now, and Professor Krauss has the context of his own public record to deal with:

“Jeffrey [Epstein] has surrounded himself with beautiful women and young women but they’re not as young as the ones that were claimed. As a scientist I always judge things on empirical evidence and he always has women ages 19 to 23 around him, but I’ve never seen anything else, so as a scientist, my presumption is that whatever the problems were I would believe him over other people. . . . I don’t feel tarnished in any way by my relationship with Jeffrey; I feel raised by it.”

Professor Krauss defending a convicted sex offender? Professor Krauss defending Jeffrey Espstein, billionaire pedophile?

Victims alleged that Epstein molested underage girls from South America, Europe, and the former Soviet republics, including three 12-year-old girls brought over from France as a birthday gift.

Certainly, Professor Krauss’s friendship with a pedophile sex offender cannot be considered relevant evidence as to whether Professor Krauss mistreated women who attended atheist events, but when the shadow of suspicion looms over a man accused of harassment, the relevance of evidence has a strange way of eluding strict rules of logic.

Lawrence Krauss and Michael Shermer celebrate their
victory, after debating against the existence of God.

Let’s talk about Professor Krauss’s good friend Michael Shermer:

At a conference, Mr. Shermer coerced me into a position where I could not consent, and then had sex with me. . . . I am very scared that he will come after me in some way. . . . I reached out to one organization that was involved in the event at which I was raped, and they refused to take my concerns seriously. Ever since, I’ve heard stories about him doing things . . .

Well, guilt by association is a terribly unfair thing, but if Michael Shermer is a rapist, and Jeffrey Epstein is a pedophile, one must ask if Professor Krauss has any friends who are not sex offenders. And if he habitually associates himself with such perverts, what does this tell us about his claims to “judge things on empirical evidence”? Or is the problem that all atheist men are lecherous creeps?

Professor Krauss is a man so brilliant that he believes he can prove that the universe is an accident created from nothing, by nothing:

A critic might reasonably question the arguments for a divine first cause of the cosmos. But to ask “What caused God?” misses the whole reason classical philosophers thought his existence necessary in the first place. So when physicist Lawrence Krauss begins his new book by suggesting that to ask “Who created the creator?” suffices to dispatch traditional philosophical theology, we know it isn’t going to end well.

No, I don’t think this will end well at all for the pedophile-defending, accused-rapist-befriending Lawrence Krauss. Remember that I said he is a tenured professor at Arizona State University, which means it is impossible that Lawrence Krauss could be fired. Yet seemingly impossible things have happened before, although only ignorant and superstitious people believe in miracles:

By what standard do atheists judge right and wrong? Other than religion, is there anything that an atheist is obliged to regard as evil and, if so, why? To say that science and reason can be our only guide in every circumstance — that we should be as coldly logical asStar Trek’s fictional Spock — may seem an obvious enough answer, but at times the evidence is ambiguous and not every situation can be easily reduced to a clear syllogism. This is not a moot discussion, nor is it a matter of mere hypothetical speculation what science says about sexual equality, at least not for Benjamin Radford.
Radford is the deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer magazine and was until quite recently among the most respected members of the so-called “skeptic community,” who esteem science above everything and regard all religious belief as ignorant superstition. So there is no one to whom Radford may pray for deliverance, now that he finds himself accused of sexual harassment, condemned as a “predator” and exposed to the wrath of feminists.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but atheists don’t believe in Hell and, although some scientists have suggested an anthropological utility for mercy, feminists don’t seem prone to heed such talk when a man stands accused of doing what Radford allegedly did. . . .

Please read the whole thing at The American Spectator.

Did I mention that Jen McCreight has solicited the aid of Popehat?

“Grace be with thee. Amen.”

 

 

UPDATE: The floodgates having opened, there are more and more people describing “creepy” incidents with Professor Krauss, such as a 2011 cruise sponsored by the Center for Inquiry (CFI) during which Professor Krauss reportedly brought along a female companion. Professor Krauss “was a bit rambunctious the whole time” and at some point, “propositioned” a woman on the cruise “to join him and his guest in his hotel room, an offer the woman turned down.” And if you’ll read down in the comments here, at #244 you’ll find P.Z. Myers saying: “I have now heard directly from someone I trust that she was sexually assaulted by Lawrence Krauss. Shit.”

These are not accusations I am making. The accusers are not intolerant right-wing Christians, but rather Professor Krauss’s philosophical allies in the atheist/scientific/skeptic movement.

 

Category: Religion, Scandal, Science, Sex

LIVE AT FIVE: 08.09.13

Posted on | August 9, 2013 | 8 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho
TOP NEWS
US Orders Most Diplomats Out Of Lahore, Pakistan

US consulate in Lahore

Americans warned against traveling to Pakistan; not related to Eid embassy shutdown

Plane Full Of Weapons Crashes At Mogadishu Airport
Ethiopian Air Force plane in flames


Clinton, Oprah, Fourteen Others To Receive Medal Of Freedom
Others honored include Gloria Steinem, Ernie Banks



POLITICS
Boston Bomber’s Buddies From College Indicted

Dias Kadrbayev (L), Azamat Tazhayakov (C) accused of obstructing justice

Pair threw out evidence from Tsarnayev’s room

Protected Plates Give Growing Number Of Officials Green Light To Avoid Fines

Trent Lott Hospitalized


GAO Opens Investigation Of Planned Parenthood’s Use Of Taxpayer Money

Obama, Family Going On Eight-Day Martha’s Vineyard Vacation

NSA To Slash System Admins By 90 Percent To Limit Data Access

US Spending $772 Million On Aircraft Afghans Can’t Fly Or Maintain



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Rebounds After Sell-Off Sparked By Fed: NYMEX $104.19, Brent $107.15
PRC July Consumer Inflation Holds Steady
House Regulator Mulls Action On “Eminent Domain” Mortgage Seizures
Amex, Wells Fargo Team Up On Credit Card
Detroit Stymies Muni Bond Sales
McDonald’s July Sales Rise On New Menu Items
Just A Couple Of Quarters Left For J.C. Penney?
Silent Circle Follows Lavabit In Shuttering Encrypted E-Mail Service
Apple Turns Tables, Seeks Samsung Phone Ban
Bill Gates Throws Cold Water On Google’s Dream Of Connecting The World
How Facebook Is Already Profiting From Instagram
Amazon Says Oops, Chromecast Not Delayed After All



SPORTS
Max Scherzer First To 17 Wins As Tigers Rout Tribe

Tigers outfielders do the bump after Thursday’s rout of the Indians

Scherzer now 17-1; first Tiger to win 17 of his first 18 decisions

Peers Say Jim Leyland Best Manager In AL

Deal to Buy NJ Devils Expected To Close Before NHL Season Starts

Johnny Manziel Could Be Turning The Tide Toward Student Athletes, Not The NCAA

Tony Stewart Undergoes Second Surgery On Broken Leg

NCAA Gets Out Of The Jersey-Selling Business

Chen Gives Red Sox The Pops, Royals Win 5-1

Pirates Sweep Marlins With Extra-Inning Win

Phillies Rout Cubs 12-1

Blister Keeps Lincecum From Complete Game, Giants Win Anyway 4-1

Mets Edge Rockies 2-1

As Davey Johnson Nears The Exit, Mike Rizzo Has Decisions To Make



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Leah Remini’s Not Done With The Co$ Yet

Sticking it to the cult

Files missing person report with police on cult leader’s wife

Hello Sexy! Kate Upton On Becoming This Generation’s Bombshell

“Real World” Star, AIDS Activist Sean Sasser Dies, 44

Lily Collins, Jamie Bower Officially Broken Up

Inside Queen Latifah’s Empire

Amanda Bynes’ Parents Hoping Judge Extends Hospitalization


Katherine Heigl Eyeing Return To TV

Bruce Willis Allegedly Leaves “Expendables 3” After Not Getting $1 Million Per Day

Milla Jovovich From “Resident Evil” Joins Shakespeare Update “Cymbeline”

Kit Harrington Talks “Game Of Thrones” Season 4: “There’s A Lot Of Blood”

Farrah Abraham’s New Reality Show Axed Before It Even Begins

Check Out Matt Damon And George Clooney In “The Monuments Men” Trailer

Lady Gaga: Full Frontal In Weird Yoga Forest



FOREIGNERS
Nagasaki Marks 68th Anniversary Of A-Bombing
Burma Marks 25th Anniversary Of Peoples’ Uprising
British Charity Workers Rushed Home From Zanzibar After Acid Attack
Israel Shuts Eilat Airport After Egyptian Rocket Warning
Saudi Arabia Arrests Two Aspiring Suicide Bombers
Pope Francis Beefs Up Supervision Of Vatican Bank
ANC Youth League: Tutu Doesn’t Represent Views of South Africans
One Of Mafia’s Most Wanted Bosses Found Living Quietly In England
Chicoms Sack Top Economic Official; Expelled From Party, Will Be Prosecuted For Graft
Indian Defense Minister Antony Withdraws Remarks On LoC Killings, Pacifies Opposition


BLOGS & STUFF
First Street Journal: Economics 101 – A Bigger Story Than It Seems
Twitchy: Lapdogs Fess Up – AP Admits “Wrongly” Inserting Words To Cover Obama Gaffe
Legal Insurrection: MAD About Him
Weekly Standard Blog: McConnell Campaign Manager – “I’m Holding My Nose” Until Rand Paul Campaign
Hit & Run: Jesse Benton Responds To Taped Fonecon Questioning His Loyalty To McConnell
Gateway Pundit: Fox News Shakeup – Megyn Kelly Moves To Primetime
Andrew Stuttaford: Talking To Putin (Or Not)
Ed Driscoll: At Last, MSNBC Finds Suitable Replacement For Keith Olbermann
Atlas Shrugs: Federal Reserve Jihad Plotter Blames Plot On Childhood Stammer, Unfaithful Girlfriend
Allahpundit: Slate Won’t Use Redskins’ Name Any More, Nobody Cares
American Thinker: Destroying Football Is The Left’s Endgame
Rush Limbaugh: ObamaCare Cannot Work (By Design)
Paul Bedard: IRS Agent Says Agency Still Targeting Tea Party Groups
Megan McArdle: We Are All Going To Pension Hell
Jihad Watch: Fort Hood Shooter Allowed to Represent Himself
JustOneMinute: CNN Joins The Choom Gang
The Jawa Report: Some Really Cool UK Muslims Rip Anjem Choudhary A New One


Deadline to submit links for tomorrow’s FMJRA is midnight tonight.
DO IT.


Category: Live at Five

Bill Nye the Science Guy: Harasser?

Posted on | August 8, 2013 | 148 Comments

In the wake of the atheist sex scandal we reported Tuesday, someone in the “skeptic” community (as these soi-dissant rationalists refer to themselves) created a Tumblr blog called “More Will Be Named” that expanded the list of accused harassers beyond Skeptical Inquirer deputy editor Ben Radford. Before that Tumblr was deleted (for reasons unknown) former children’s TV host Bill Nye “The Science Guy” was among those named, as referenced in Tweets here, here and here.

Is there anything to such accusations? I have no idea, but if it seems wildly improbable that Nye could be suspected of such behavior, remember that no one outside the “skeptic” community (and relatively few insiders), had any reason to suspect Ben Radford before Karen Stoltznow went public with her account this week.

Now more women are coming forward to testify that the “hostile climate” for women in the atheist movement is not limited to the Radford situation. Atheist podcaster Stephanie Svan described a case involving Jim Frenkel, while Carrie Poppy describes her problems at the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), which hosted the conference where Stoltznow claims she was sexually assaulted by Radford.

The most interesting aspect of Carrie Poppy’s accusation is the finger she points at JREF President D.J. Grothe, whom she denounces for “constant duplicity, dishonesty, and manipulation.” See if you don’t notice something in this sentence:

I was assured on more than one occasion by James Randi that D.J. Grothe would be fired (I hear Randi denies this now, though he repeatedly promised it to another staff member as well, and that staff member and I represented the entirety of JREF full-time staff other than D.J. and his husband, Thomas), but after several months of waiting and being asked to wait, it became clear that D.J. was not going to be fired.

WHOA! D.J. Grothe is a gay man and an atheist and (according to Carrie Poppy) complicit in this kind of foul misogyny?

Damn, I’m gonna need more popcorn. Meanwhile, feminist maniac Amanda Marcotte has weighed in to say that the answer to this problem — you guessed, didn’t you? — is more feminism.

OK, forget the popcorn. One of you ladies fix me a sammich.

 

Category: Feminism, Religion, Scandal, Science, Sex

Diana West Dissed by David Horowitz?

Posted on | August 8, 2013 | 72 Comments

Regular readers will remember the shocking revelation — “‘A Conspiracy So Immense’ — Was FDR Aide Harry Hopkins a Soviet Agent?” — from Diana West’s new book, American Betrayal. Now comes disturbing news from Diana that David Horowitz’s FrontPage Magazine has removed a favorable review of her book from that site and replaced it with what she calls a “massive hit piece” by Ron Radosh.

Radosh and Horowitz are friends from way back, and I’m sure this influenced the decision, but . . . c’mon, really?

It’s not the first time Radosh has slammed conservative authors. Years ago, Thomas Woods’ Politically Incorrect Guide to American History came under similar assault, and I know Woods was furious about that. But that was one of those typical neo-vs.-paleo dust-ups, and I chalked up that episode as mere sectarian infighting.

Radosh’s hostility to West is more difficult to fathom, because she is a Movement Conservative in good standing. One might think that Horowitz would have looked at Radosh’s savage review of West’s book and said, “Ron, could you tone it down a bit? Do we really need to have this fight?” This could turn into an damaging feud.

And just to make clear, I’m on Diana West’s side all the way in this one, because I remember how Diana stood up for Pamela Geller when Charles Johnson went on the warpath against Pamela.

There’s more that friendship involved, however. American Betrayal demands a conservative re-appraisal of our understanding of FDR’s foreign policy, and indeed to re-examine many basic assumptions about mid-20th-century history. If Harry Hopkins was a Soviet agent . . . Well, finish that sentence however you will.

The very fact that there could be any suspicion about the loyalty of such a key presidential aide is mind-boggling.

Please read Diana’s article at Breitbart.com, “Did the Roosevelt Administration Send Uranium and Other Atomic Materials to Stalin?”

 

Category: Books, Culture, History

LIVE AT FIVE: 08.08.13

Posted on | August 8, 2013 | 8 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Bashar Al-Assad: Not Dead Yet

Al-Assad with the Syrian Grand Mufti

Dictator shown on state TV after reported rebel attack on his convoy

Obama Cancels Meeting With Vladimir Putin
Criticizes Russian anti-gay legislation


Residents Ordered To Evacuate As SoCal Wildfire Rages
6000 acres burned near Banning



POLITICS
New ObamaCare Rules For Congressmen & Staffers

“Great deeds are done at night!”

Lawmakers and staffs not getting out of Obamacare after all

Two More Women Come Forward With Filner Accusations

Fort Hood Trial Is Study In Bizarre Twists

Second Widow Joins Fight For Hotshotter’s Benefits

Weiner Allegedly Hurls “Grandpa” Remark During AARP Forum

Obama To Meet Troops At Camp Pendleton

#SharkWeek: Dead Shark Found On NYC Subway Car

Pentagon May Revise Benefits to Unmarried Gay Couples

GOP Revives “Penny Plan” As Alternative To Sequester For Balancing Budget

Banks Sue Richmond, Caifornia Over Plan To Seize Mortgages Through Eminent Domain



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Up Slightly In Asian Trade As PRC Imports Hit Record High: NYMEX $104.58, Brent $107.52
Asian Stocks Post Biggest Decline In Six Weeks
Groupon Matches Quarterly Profit Forecasts
Yen Rises To Seven-Week High Before BOJ Decisions; Pound Gains
Time Warner Beats Profit Estimates As Ad Revenue Surges
JPMorgan Faces Civil, Criminal Probes Over Mortgages
Treasuries Snap Two-Year Loss before $24 Billion Ten-Year Note Sale
Smartphones Don’t Make Smart Babies
Publishers Urge DOJ To Rethink Apple E-Book Remedies
Google Boosts Phone Security, Rolls Out Android Device Manager
T-Mobile US Reports Largest customer Growth In Four Years
Facebook Borrows From Twitter’s Playbook With Trending Topics
Oculus Hires Doom Creator John Carmack As CTO



SPORTS
Tony Stewart To Miss At Least Three Cup Races With Broken Leg

Tony Stewart

Chase chances up in smoke after dirt-track crash

Fox Sports Signs 12-Year Deal To Televise US Open Starting In 2015

Running Rangers Swipe Seven In 10-3 Whipping Of Angels

Jerry Wolman, Eagles And Flyers Owner, Dies At 86

Cubs Stun Phillies In Ninth

Luna Rossa Beats Artemis Racing In Opening Race Of America’s Cup Challenge Semifinals

Dodgers Knock Out Shelby Miller, Shell Cardinals 13-4

Papa Grande Era Over (Again); Tigers Release Former Closer Valverde

Timbermutts’ Muhammad Booted From Rookie Transition Program

Jay Bilas Forced NCAA Into Hiding

Birds Pound Padres 10-3

Red Sox Rally In Ninth To Beat Astros 7-5

Pirates Still The Best, Top Marlins 4-2

Braves Finish Nationals With 6-3 Win, Sweep



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Jennifer Aniston: Stop Asking Me About Babies!

On the set of “We’re The Millers”

Tired of journalists’ questions on the subject

Adrienne Bailon: Britney Spears “Can’t Hold A Conversation”

Drake Calls Amanda Bynes’ Tweets About Him “Weird And Disturbing”

Laila Ali Apologizes To Unspeakable Armenian


“Two And A Half Men”: Amber Tamblyn To Play Charlie’s Daughter

Transgender Person Sues BET For Forcing Him Into Mens’ Clothes

“CBGB” Trailer: Go Inside “The Greatest Rock Club Ever”

LeAnn Rimes, Eddie Cibrian Get Reality Show With “Duck Dynasty” Producer

Cops Probe “Die Hard” Bieber

Robin Thicke Gets First #1 Album On Billboard Chart

Lindsay Lohan Has SOBER Family Fun Night

Paula Deen Turned Down “Dancing With The Stars” Offer

“War Hero” Wins Young Beauty



FOREIGNERS
International Flights Resume After Nairobi Airport Blaze
Muslims Celebrate Eid With Prayers, Feasting
US, EU Call For End To “Dangerous Stalemate” In Egypt
PRC Dissident Records Rallying Cry While In Detention
Work On New Railway Line Digs Up London History
Chicoms Test Japan On Island Claims After Philippine Success
Vemezuelan Supreme Court Rejects Capriles’ Election Appeal
Hamas Drops Call For Destruction Of Israel From Manifesto
Defense Minister Antony Blames Pak Army for Line Of Control Killings, Talks Put On Hold



BLOGS & STUFF
The Looking Spoon: The Gaffe Obama Made With Jay Leno That’s Going Largely Unnoticed
Michelle Malkin: Three Forgotten Facts About The Fort Hood Attack
Twitchy: #HeadLocksFullOfWomen? Debbie Wassermann-Schultz Posts Her Stupidest Tweet Ever?
Ace Of Spades: Walmart – We’re So Proud Of “The Nation” For Finally Raising Its Minimum Wage To The Actual Legal Minimum Age
Moe Lane: Have I mentioned Lately That I Hate The Phrase “Low Information Voters”?
Via Media: President Obama Should Snub Putin, But Not Over Snowden
Robert Zubrin: Give Snowden Immunity
Weasel Zippers: Leaked IRS Manual Details DEA’s Use Of Hidden Intel
Betsy Woodruff: Texas Tea Partiers Want Gohmert To Primary Cornyn
Thomas Sowell: Barbarians At The Campus Gates
Ed Morrissey: GreenTech Lobbied WH Aide Involved In Solyndra Deal
Byron York: Why Isn’t Rick Santorum The 2016 GOP Frontrunner?
Allahpundit: Chris Christie – The GOP’s Least Wanted
NewsBusters: AP’s Russ Bynum Covers Up Obama’s Gulf Ports Gaffe
Stephen Kruiser: An Examination Of Obama’s Economic Speechapalooza From Outside The Cult


Category: Live at Five

Bob Belvedere — Hacked!

Posted on | August 8, 2013 | 36 Comments

Bob Belvedere at Camp of the Saints knows that the guidelines for “Rule 5” set a limit at the PG-13 line. Obviously, on Saturday, the hackers took control of Bob’s blog and posted photos of, uh, plus-size model Melissa Manning which are definitely Not Safe For Work.

Or so I’m told, by persons familiar with this dreadful cybercrime. An immediate investigation must be launched to find these hackers.

Melissa Manning is on Twitter. Bob Belvedere is, too.

 

Category: Camp of the Saints, Rule 5

Virginia Youth Basketball Coach Arrested on Sex Charge With Pre-Teen Girl

Posted on | August 7, 2013 | 21 Comments

Marlow Mikassa Afshartous, alias Marlow Talley, 39, of Reston, Virgina, has been arrested on charges of sexual assault and solicitation of child pornography. The investigation began two months ago and officials said Talley “had at least one sexual relationship with a female athlete under the age of 13. . . . Talley was a coach and trainer at Claude Moore Recreation Center, Georgetown Day School, and the now-closed Hoop Magic in Chantilly and Fairfax Stars.”

Georgetown Day School is rather posh. To have had an accused sex offender coaching there will send shivers through the D.C. elite.

 

Category: Crime, Sex, Virginia

‘Distributed Internet Reputational Attack’? Charles Carreon’s Self-Evident Absurdity

Posted on | August 7, 2013 | 29 Comments

Charles Carreon on Bloomberg News, March 2012.

Ken White at Popehat continues his reign of terror by offering to debate censorious douchebag Charles Carreon over the latter’s proposal that “Distributed Internet Reputational Attack” be recognized as a tort (i.e., grounds for a civil lawsuit).

Mr. Carreon’s problem is simple: He doesn’t understand how the Internet works. Also, he is a censorious douchebag.

Some writers on the Internet are more popular than others, which is perhaps not the same as saying that the more popular writers are always better writers than the less popular writers, but the saying that “content is king” expresses a basic truth: Someone who consistently cranks out good stuff will usually have more success online, especially if they have a strong sense of what readers want to read.

Ken White has built a large and loyal readership, especially among aficionados of legal lore and First Amendment issues. In addition to his vast legal erudition, he brings to his blog a capacity for diligent research and a lively sense of humor. Among the readers of Popehat are other successful bloggers with a legal background, including the very popular Instapundit. Ken White is, we might say, a blogger’s blogger, and this means that if he sets his sights on a vulnerable target, several other bloggers are likely to join the bombardment.

Charles Carreon evidently does not understand this and therefore, when Popehat helped turn Oatmeal’s hilarious beatdown of Carreon into a viral sensation last year, Carreon perceived this as an injustice which he now proposes to make a tort, “Distributed Internet Reputational Attack.” But who is to blame for this?

CHARLES CARREON IS TO BLAME.

Attempting to evade responsibility for one’s own errors by externalizing blame onto scapegoats is at the heart of Carreon’s problems. To describe the auto-douchebaggification process briefly:

  1. Idiot says, writes, or does something stupid.
  2. The stupidity appears on the Internet.
  3. Bloggers notice the stupidity, make fun of the idiot.
  4. “Hilarity ensues,” as they say. People in comments of blogs pile on further insults, blog readers look up the idiot’s phone number or e-mail address and express in vivid terms their disdain for the idiot’s stupidity.
  5. Idiot reacts stupidly, further hilarity ensues.

Charles Carreon’s reaction to his initial Oatmeal-v-FunnyJunk embarrassment was to double down and double down again. He ignored the First Law of Holes and kept digging, because it evidently never entered his mind that perhaps he was in the wrong.

Thin-skinned narcissists who cannot admit error — whose response to criticism is always to demonize their critics, and who therefore automatically externalize blame for their own mistakes — are always doing this sort of thing to themselves in the Internet age.

Look: If you are ever in a situation where your stupidity makes you a target, the correct thing to do is . . . nothing.

Don’t react. Don’t try to defend yourself. Don’t lash out at your tormenters. Just ignore it until it is over. Learn your lesson, avoid repetition of the error, and be glad it wasn’t worse.

People who merely describe your stupidity — however mocking and sarcastic their descriptions — have done you no wrong.

Consider the example of Jackie Mackie Paisley Passey, who described herself as “a very high-quality woman,” citing the reasons why men should crave her romantic companionship:

I’m sorry if I’ve offended you, but I’m also really sick of getting e-mailed several times a week by delusionally hopeful men who read my blog and think because I am *their* dream girl that I’ll therefore want them too.

Ace of Spades disassembled her with astonishing deftness:

Look, I want to make it clear I’m not saying this girl is ugly, per se. What she is is “plain.” She is what I call “Bad Irish.” The Irish look, but not the Good Irish look. The pasty skin, the elfin features… but not cute elfin, or better yet, hot elfin.
What you’re looking at here is a 5. A girl you wouldn’t notice in the average college or singles bar, except maybe if you had recently quit smoking, and noticed she had a fresh pack of Marlboro Reds held in her (indifferent) cleavage.

And you know something? However humiliated she was by that — and trust me, she deserved the humiliation — Ms. Passey figured out rather quickly that there was no way to “win” it. After an update or two where she tried to explain, defend or justify her stupidity, she walked away and eventually married a guy (“delusionally hopeful”?) and disappeared from the blogosphere.

Is Charles Carreon as smart as Jackie Mackie Paisley Passey?

Stay tuned to Popehat for further developments.

 

Category: How This Here Internet Thingy Works
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