The Civil War Within Skepticism

[aspire1670]

I learned about the skeptics back in college, when I worked in a magic store and performed gigs on the side. I was a huge fan of James “The Amazing” Randi, a magician who offers a million dollars to anyone who can prove they have paranormal abilities.

I've heard this claim before - that she was a "street performer" and a "magician." I call bullshit. If she had this skill, she'd have performed a trick at some point in one of her speeches. It's a natural crowd pleaser, and would enhance her presentations, even if only done at the beginning as sort of a mood lightener. She only does the "lead off with a joke" technique, despite having "magician" in her repertoire? I'd bet good money she's full of it. She worked in the magic store, i'm sure, but she probably just had a boyfriend who was into magic, and half-learned the "pick a card, any card" trick.

And, notice the careful wording here -- "I WAS a huge fan of ..." the Amazing Randi. Was, huh? Not present tense? Not past tense and a reference to "and still am?" I wonder why? Was it her ridiculous behavior there on the forums, when she hacked admin status and fucked with people who didn't agree with her?

I was occasionally grabbed and groped without consent at events.

Again, I call bullshit on this -- occasionally she was "grabbed and groped?" She's never recounted the details of these assaults and batteries, and has never indicated who groped and grabbed her. She never reported these incidents at the time to anyone, whether the conference organizers or anyone else. Hotel management -- nobody. You get "groped and grabbed" in hotel conference area and do/say nothing?

Nevertheless, my shameful past as a college graduate was “exposed” and passed around on social media and forums and blogs, as triumphant skeptics demanded I stop writing and speaking about science since I lacked the proper credentials. (Interestingly, no one has ever petitioned for my three non-scientist podcast cohosts to be removed from the show. Probably just a coincidence.)

LOL -- for me, I just don't listen to your podcast, because the whole lot of you just go out and read "homeopathy for dummies" and "why do people believe weird things" and then you parrot back what you've superficially learned and smugly mock others for being so gullible and stupid. Nobody needs a dopey Communications major (or batch of Communications majors) who gets off on hanging around nerds to lecture them. Fuck off. I just don't want to hear from you, and would prefer you didn't ruin conferences with your presence.

When will you get over your hurt fee fees and understand that you're just a small time loser posting on teeny weeny echo chamber? You've never been to a conference; you've never left your basement.
You do realise that RW would laugh at your posturing and delusions of relevance if she knew you existed?

[devogue]

All of these fuckers - Vacula, Watson, Myers, Delahunty, McCreight...

Fuck away off the lot of you!

At least with Hitchens, Dawkins, and the other grandees of atheism there was a bit of humour, charm and elan. There was always a feeling of "let's smite the theists, but first let's have a wee scotch!" and there was always a willingness to engage with theists and argue the bit out in an entertaining manner which led to thought provoking ideas.

This new, self-appointed lot are humourless Student Union fucks with bugger all charisma, grey conformism to academic dogmas, zero warmth and total ambition.

Horrible bastards all.

I don't believe in Gods. There.

Don't dare claim to speak for me.

[Audley Strange]

All of these fuckers - Vacula, Watson, Myers, Delahunty, McCreight...

Fuck away off the lot of you!

At least with Hitchens, Dawkins, and the other grandees of atheism there was a bit of humour, charm and elan. There was always a feeling of "let's smite the theists, but first let's have a wee scotch!" and there was always a willingness to engage with theists and argue the bit out in an entertaining manner which led to thought provoking ideas.

This new, self-appointed lot are humourless Student Union fucks with bugger all charisma, grey conformism to academic dogmas, zero warmth and total ambition.

Horrible bastards all.

I don't believe in Gods. There.

Don't dare claim to speak for me.

[orpheus]

All of these fuckers - Vacula, Watson, Myers, Delahunty, McCreight...

Fuck away off the lot of you!

At least with Hitchens, Dawkins, and the other grandees of atheism there was a bit of humour, charm and elan. There was always a feeling of "let's smite the theists, but first let's have a wee scotch!" and there was always a willingness to engage with theists and argue the bit out in an entertaining manner which led to thought provoking ideas.

This new, self-appointed lot are humourless Student Union fucks with bugger all charisma, grey conformism to academic dogmas, zero warmth and total ambition.

Horrible bastards all.

I don't believe in Gods. There.

Don't dare claim to speak for me.

[charlou]

All of these fuckers - Vacula, Watson, Myers, Delahunty, McCreight...

Fuck away off the lot of you!

At least with Hitchens, Dawkins, and the other grandees of atheism there was a bit of humour, charm and elan. There was always a feeling of "let's smite the theists, but first let's have a wee scotch!" and there was always a willingness to engage with theists and argue the bit out in an entertaining manner which led to thought provoking ideas.

This new, self-appointed lot are humourless Student Union fucks with bugger all charisma, grey conformism to academic dogmas, zero warmth and total ambition.

Horrible bastards all.

I don't believe in Gods. There.

Don't dare claim to speak for me.

Aye :that:

[charlou]

Here are the Musings of an intrigued nobody ... Failing at Feminism; A How-To Guide

[Audley Strange]

Here are the Musings of an intrigued nobody ... Failing at Feminism; A How-To Guide

That's a great read.

[DaveD]

When will you get over your hurt fee fees and understand that you're just a small time loser posting on teeny weeny echo chamber? You've never been to a conference; you've never left your basement.
You do realise that RW would laugh at your posturing and delusions of relevance if she knew you existed?

Oddly enough, the venomous behaviour of the inner circle of Apelust is one of the few things that unites opinion, not just on this forum, but on all the other atheist/sceptic forums I've visited lately. On pretty much all other subjects there are widely differing opinions, usually quite vociferous, so the term "echo chamber" is hardly applicable. Except at Apelust, of course, where any dissent is shouted down, just as you are attempting here with childish phrases like "fee-fees", and talk of basements.

[devogue]

Here are the Musings of an intrigued nobody ... Failing at Feminism; A How-To Guide

That's the best blog post I have read about all this shit. Fantastic. Thanks for the link, C.

[orpheus]

Here are the Musings of an intrigued nobody ... Failing at Feminism; A How-To Guide

That's the best blog post I have read about all this shit. Fantastic. Thanks for the link, C.

Absolutely. That was great. I'll be reading that blog from now on.

[Bella Fortuna]

Here are the Musings of an intrigued nobody ... Failing at Feminism; A How-To Guide

That's the best blog post I have read about all this shit. Fantastic. Thanks for the link, C.

Absolutely. That was great. I'll be reading that blog from now on.

Me too. Thanks for the link!

[Coito ergo sum]

When will you get over your hurt fee fees and understand that you're just a small time loser posting on teeny weeny echo chamber? You've never been to a conference; you've never left your basement.
You do realise that RW would laugh at your posturing and delusions of relevance if she knew you existed?

You keep bringing up these "hurt fee fees." What have I said that makes you think my feelings have been hurt? I suspect it's just your standard retort used to belittle people you don't like, but I thought I'd take the 1% chance that you're actually being honest.

I have been to conferences. I just don't like my time wasted by know-nothing Skepchicks and such, who whine and cry because someone they don't know said something they don't like somewhere on the interwebz. Fee fees, indeed... Oh nohz! Someone called me a bad name on the Youtubez! It's becauz I'm a wymynz! Cuz nobody else gets called names on the Youtubz!

If RW wants a good laugh, she can look in the mirror. She'll see a 30-something ignoramus with purple, blue or pink hair, whose claim to fame is whining, pissing and moaning, and recounting all the "cool stuff" she's learned reading "Sciencey Stuff For Dummies."

[Coito ergo sum]

All of these fuckers - Vacula, Watson, Myers, Delahunty, McCreight...

Fuck away off the lot of you!

At least with Hitchens, Dawkins, and the other grandees of atheism there was a bit of humour, charm and elan. There was always a feeling of "let's smite the theists, but first let's have a wee scotch!" and there was always a willingness to engage with theists and argue the bit out in an entertaining manner which led to thought provoking ideas.

This new, self-appointed lot are humourless Student Union fucks with bugger all charisma, grey conformism to academic dogmas, zero warmth and total ambition.

Horrible bastards all.

I don't believe in Gods. There.

Don't dare claim to speak for me.

Sigh... I miss The Hitch.

His passing did leave a vacuum in our "community."



In Hitch's name, we imbibe.

In Nomine Dawkins, et Harris, et Spiritus Hitchens, RAmen.

[Coito ergo sum]

[Coito ergo sum]

Rebecca Watson Again: "Groped, Grabbed, Touched In Other Nonconsensual Ways"
According to her, in a post about why she won't be attending James Randi's The Amazing Meeting this year, male atheists (apparently she's talking about atheist conferences) are HORRIBLE PEOPLE who just think they can reach out and grab a woman at any moment:

Over the past several years, I've been groped, grabbed, touched in other nonconsensual ways, told I can expect to be raped, told I'm a whore, a slut, a bitch, a prude, a dyke, a cunt, a twat, told I should watch my back at conferences, told I'm too ugly to be raped, told I don't have a say in my own treatment because I've posed for sexy photos, told I should get a better headshot because that one doesn't convey how sexy I am in person, told I deserve to be raped - by skeptics and atheists. All by skeptics and atheists. Constantly.
"I should get a better headshot because that one doesn't convey how sexy I am in person." I would say "Thanks," not get my godless knickers in wad, and I guess I'm just not as hot as she is or I go to the wrong conferences because I'm also an atheist and people at conferences ask if I'm going to the 10:30 thing, not if I'd like a little rapey-rapey with my lunch.

Of course, I go to newspaper conferences and psychology and evolutionary psychology conferences. At the only atheist conference I've been to, the Atheists Alliance conference perhaps eight years ago, Ben Edward Akerley, who invited me, and who wore a darling lavender suit jacket, asked me if I'd like to sit next to him at lunch. I was deeply offended and immediately burst into tears, of course.

http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2 ... atson.html