PZ Myers-Lord of the Fly-Brained

   

     I think we have a problem. Many people expect social issues to be black/white. Some skeptics are falling  into this belief also. Skeptics are supposed to be skeptical and that means questioning claims. It also means when coming to a conclusion it should be as close to accurate as possible. When it comes to social issues there are some questions that have more than one right answer. Take feminism for example. Feminism is a necessary and worthwhile cause. There are many instances of women being treated unfairly by men simply because they are women. There are some forms of feminism that can be  unproductive and do not result in positive progress, in fact they are, in my opinion, harmful to the feminist movement as a whole. Most often the people who are doing the most harm to feminism are men who call themselves feminists.  Those men do not know what it is like to be a woman and really seem to have a problem understanding they simply will never be able to know exactly what it is like to be a woman. This is not to say men can't relate on any level or shouldn't speak out on behalf of women or women's issues but they should do it with the limitations of their understanding in mind. Many times you will see feminist men go to extremes and start seeing misogyny in every negative comment or action even slightly related to women. I've come to believe this behavior is somewhat like what we see in homophobic men and their dealings with homosexuals. They often will go to extremes to compensate for feelings they are uncomfortable with. These men have feelings about women they know are wrong and overcompensate by lashing out at other men for even the slightest behavior against any female.
 As I written before, sometimes I am ashamed of the shallow, disrespectful behavior I've seen demonstrated by men towards women. I do not think all men are defined by that behavior,but I realize it needs o be addressed. The radical feminism that is being used in an attempt to further equal rights makes it difficult for people like me to continue to speak out against what we think are inappropriate actions by men. Are some guys dicks? Yes, but so are some women.

  One example of men overcompensating for the feminist cause is my good friend and supporter, PZ Myers. PZ is clearly paranoid or possibly he is guilty of bias against women to the point where he feels some  guilt about it, maybe a bit of both. PZ attacks any negative comment having to do with a female and calls it misogyny. He has created a bubble where a disagreement between a man and a woman can not occur. At the risk of being labeled a misogynist (again) by PZ I must point out that women do make mistakes and they do engage in behaviors that should be criticized by others. PZ has even gone so deep into the pool of misogynist paranoia that he has damned a forum of 500 members called the slymepit as sexist, racist, misogynist, and evil. If a known member of this forum posts in the comment section of PZ's blog they are instantly banned by his beloved 'banhammer' which he gleefully uses to quiet any dissent among commenters. The only people who are immune are his regulars who have earned their loyalty by nodding and smiling or making accusations that support PZ and his paranoid delusions about slymepitters.
 Along with the condemnation of anyone from the slymepit, PZ has also proclaimed his distaste for the idea that men have rights too. The idea that a man can at anytime be a victim of bias is beyond the understanding of those who are so extreme in their idea of feminism as to have become blind to a certain spectrum of social injustice.
  The ways the court system has dealt with child custody issues is one example most should be aware of. The unequal treatment displayed by the courts for years demonstrates just one way men have sometimes been treated as lessors when it comes to raising children. This has changed a lot in many places but still goes on today. The mother is favored by the court as the best caregiver simply because she is a woman. There are other examples but I am not going to go into those now. If you would like to read more then you can go here A Voice For Men. I have had Paul Elam on my radio show as a guest and he has proven to be a reasonable man with sound arguments. I wouldn't say I agree with every opinion on the site but I also can't name a place where I do agree with every opinion it expresses.

  In the latest attempt to show that women are in danger at skeptical/atheist events, PZ Myers makes a claim that shows just how far he has slipped from reason. PZ takes data from a census being conducted by American Secular Census and attempts to show it proves secular women are being victimized at an alarmingly high rate. The problem is, the data isn't complete. It isn't even provided in the results PZ Myers is trying to claim is some kind of 'smoking gun'. Sure there are lots of pretty numbers but there are no important numbers, like overall numbers. Stats are given like this-

Regardless of gender, all uninvolved respondents are asked: What are your reasons for not being involved in the secular movement? Check as many as apply. Women outnumber men in these responses:

• 70%/30% - Bad experience with group, person, or event
• 100%/0% - Can't get over my conditioning that religion is good and secularism is bad
• 67%/33% - Health issues
• 65%/35% - Lack of childcare

Or this-


And women are the only respondents to select these answers:

• 100%/0% - Unwanted advances by other participants
• 100%/0% - Not sure - I can't put my finger on it

Anyone who got past the 5th grade should be able to figure out the flaw in this type of information. These numbers are meaningless except they indicate there was at least one woman who experienced unwanted advances or is unsure. The unwanted advance could be almost anything, such as being asked to coffee in an elevator. The thing is we don't know how serious the problem is without real numbers such as the numbers of women who answered the question yes. Telling us if anyone did is useless...unless your name is PZ Myers. That's right, a professor of biology, a college professor, actually uses these figures to try and prove his case against men. He claims this-

  This American Secular Census thing is actually asking some good questions — insightful, even. It’s trying to get a fine-grained perspective on various factors in our involvement and sometimes comes up with some revealing data.
This is what a lot of us have been saying for quite some time. You have a choice of a few responses to reality: one is to deny it, one is to implicitly approve it, and one is to try and change it. Put me in the last category. Also note that I am shocked at how many skeptics/atheists are in the first, and disappointed at all the ones in the second category.

Yes PZ is correct. Some people are in denial of reality. He is lord of their kingdom, Lord of the fly-brained. 
Is there no end to his downward spiral? And why must he scream the entire way down?

PZ Myers The Judge, The Jury, The Jerk

 Let's take a look at the latest blog from PZ Myers. He is a scientist, biologist, skeptic, atheist, feminist, I am sure we will find some interesting information about biology, skepticism, or science. Those are interesting subjects, let's see what good old PZ is going to teach us today...

http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2013/01/17/not-cool-not-cool-at-all/

    Hey! That's not about skepticism! It looks like a post that could be accusing Reap Paden of identity theft.  PZ left an important element out though......the proof, facts, some kind of evidence besides made up bullshit. 

 I have dealt with some real idiots over the years I have been on the internet but seldom do you see this kind of bullshit. I've dealt with paranormal investigators, religious believers, frauds, psychics, and just plain internet bullies. It is rare to find someone of this ilk. It isn't enough PZ has accused me of being and asshole, racist, misogynist, sexist, fucking scumbag, coward now he has to elude to me being an identity thief. The way he words it he may as well have me convicted already. 

  PZ, I have news for you. You are ignorant and oblivious to the opinions many people have of you these days I guess and I hate to be the one to break it to ya but......A lot of people think you are a moronic twit. That means there are lots of people who could have done what you are giving me credit for. 

You have the nerve to talk about cowardice? How chicken shit and low is it to suggest I may have something to do with pretending to be you and your pleasant conversation with a car dealer without ONE SINGLE BIT of proof except the fact I don't like you. The reason I don't like you is because of the exact kind of shit you see above. You don't have a clue as to what skepticism is. You think it is your place to judge a person and then trash their character in a public forum. You have done it to me, to Justin Vacula, and to many others including the 500 members of the slymepit forum.  With this post you have made it clear to me you deserve no respect from me whatsoever.  I assure you I am no coward. I will stand up for myself and take accountability for the things I do. I did not do what you suggest I am guilty of and if I ever see you then I will be confronting you about the claims you have made about me. Meanwhile you tell people to harass you too your face? PZ if anyone so much as said "boo" to your face you would probably begin weeping uncontrollably and lose control of  your bodily fuctions much like you have your mental faculties   

Who is the coward writing about me while I am in the dungeon banned from defending myself. Even if I do manage to post my comment has the vowels removed. Yea PZ very impressive how you blindfold, tie and gag your victims before you start a fight with them. Real impressive intellect you have there.

Now Let's look at some of the follow-up comments from PZ

 

    PZ is wrong again. I do not have 13 aliases although I soon might because the only way I can comment on his blog posts and lies is to create a new email addy. I also do not have 25 messages in the spam trap. PZ is obviously giving me credit for posts which are not mine or he is lying, again.

I am left wondering....Why bring my name into this at all? Why couldn't PZ just have wrote about some anonymous jerk that is ruining lives by making car dealers call him and have a pleasant conversation? Because he is pissed. Why is he pissed? Because I am right and because he feels foolish, as well he should.
PZ has slipped another rung or two with this unfair post. I have a reputation for being outspoken and honest. Something PZ doesn't know because he is convinced I am limited to screaming "motherfucker" as my only means of communication.
  I may not have the following PZ has but the people I have dealt with don't paint the kind of picture PZ is showing in his gallery.  People may not agree with the manner I use to deal with him but they can not say I am dishonest.
 I'll close with this. This time it is me being dragged through a mud-puddle PZ Myers made in his yard. I am no one special. I just think people should be treated with a certain level of respect and skeptics should be skeptical. I have been guilty of standing up for what I think is unfair or wrong. This time it was me, before me there were others, after me there will be more unless people speak up. Next time it could be you or anyone for that matter. All you need to do is speak out against the wrong atheist/skeptic or use the wrong word and it will be your turn. Is this how we build a better community and work toward positive progress? I don't think so, I would hope you agree.  

Richard Carrier Carries On About A+

     

  Well Richard Carrier seems determined to push his A+ club down our throat. It almost seems like he feels a need to guilt people into becoming one of the A+kateers. I guess I will refrain from calling Richard by the fun nickname I gave him, Richy. Someone complained that it was disrespectful. I guess they were speaking on behalf of Richard Carrier because they knew he would find it disrespectful, it was probably his BFF. A lot of people telling other people what other people will find offensive these days huh?

    So instead of using bright red text to make my point (yea someone complained about that too...sigh) I'm going to give you a link. This will of course increase the traffic to Richards blog but yesterday I saw where a few Freethought bloggers said drama doesn't have an effect on blog hits. They even provided one slightly flawed test example along with some flawed data to support this. it was in response to Richard Dawkins posting on twitter for people to ignore sites creating drama to increase revenue.

How about sites that create new atheist groups to push sales of jewelry and books?

Here is a link to Richard Carrier's newest orders for humanity

    I replied to Richard Carrier in his comment section but being as he is so very busy and approval could be days or weeks away if it ever does get approved, I'll share it with you here.

What if we are against all the things you suggest we should be but our biggest problem is we resent people like you insulting our intelligence by acting like we all need you to point out what is obvious?
     I think it is safe to say we don't need A+ because we already don't allow the behavior you are talking about to go on. I can speak for myself and say I never have allowed discrimination or intimidation of any kind to go unchecked. That's why I am speaking out against A+. A lot of the people who are at the root of it have displayed behavior that is not fair and/or mature. You don't label people as misogynists just because the person they happen to have a problem with is a woman. If they are making statements that are inclusive of all women then yes it may be appropriate. But if someone says "I think 'female person's name' is dumb" that doesn't mean they are a misogynist. To make that claim is irresponsible at least. That is just one example of why I don't feel comfortable identifying as A+. I also have a problem with your use of "Atheism less" to describe people who don't want to join your new club. What qualifies you as someone who can make such determinations about such a diverse group? I have not been impressed with your abilities to make sound decisions about the true intentions of others up to now. You make too many assumptions about people and you seem a bit paranoid. Last but not least I think it is unhealthy to refuse to deal with people who think differently than we do in any aspect of life. We need to keep communication lines open with the hopes we can effect change for the better. If we give up on or shun people whom with we don't agree with we are enabling them to continue their behavior without any counter to it. I will keep addressing idiocy for as long as it takes no matter what it calls itself. As a side note I would also suggest you have someone read your posts before you present them to the public. You tend to ramble and contradict yourself every so often. I think maybe people could better understand your points if you made them clearly and consistently.

      I will also add here for people like Lousy Canuck who scream "troll!" every time they can't handle the argument presented. At the same time allowing his own troll gang to keep the propaganda..I mean comment section, heading in the desired direction. If you aren't really interested in an exchange of ideas besides the ones you hold true then just say so. All you need to do is post a blog that says "Opposing ideas will be banned. Anyone who upsets me will be banned. Anyone who tries to expand the conversation will be banned. Thank You. Have a nice day" Problem solved. This pretending to want to learn and consider other perspectives needs to stop. A lot of people are wasting time when they could be somewhere else not getting banned because they have a differing opinion.

     I'd also like to bring up another question. Who is it that made Rebecca Watson, Surly Amy, PZ Myers, Lousy Canuck, and the rest of the A+keteers who are acting like the be-all-end-all when it comes to correct social attitude,the mouthpieces of the offended and attacked? When people speak out against things that offend them or things that make them feel threatened they usually are speaking on their own behalf. I've heard women say "Just because you didn't feel objectified that doesn't mean you weren't. You were objectified you just didn't know it at the time. Now you do." What is that supposed to mean? I know there may be instances where that occurs but I like to think most women are smarter than that, at least the ones I know are.

   There are no absolutes when it comes to feelings. Some things are more obviously going to make a majority of people feel the same way, such as forcible rape. Most people will come down on the same side about that. But when you get to things like a guy asking a woman's name on the bus, it isn't so clear. Wouldn't it border on socially dysfunctional to get offended by being asked your name?  Maybe Rebecca Watson should seek treatment  for Nomatophobia (fear of names) or Onomatophobia (fear of certain words or names) The thing that A+ seems to ignore is it's a big world and the differences between what is acceptable/unacceptable behavior are huge. Even when there are stark differences that does not mean one way always has to be more correct than the other.

   For Richard Carrier to say he doesn't want to talk to people who don't believe in the same things as him yet claim he is fighting for equality and reason makes no sense. How can you claim to be fighting for a cause when you ignore the people who need to hear your message the most. Sorry , Richard is too busy preaching to the choir he won't be speaking at your event because you don't think like him.....you are lessors.

  If anyone who is part of A+ refuses to speak at your conference. I know several people who can keep your audience entertained and would be happy to stand in and educate your audience about atheism, gender equality, skepticism, sexual harassment and many other social issues that we should be addressing. How else are we going to change the world? It's not like we can kick people off the planet, right Richard?.....Richard? Don't even think about it.

The Good News

 I was reading a post which can be found here. In it the author complains about never getting any good news from atheists. I  almost felt bad for the author so I did my best to remedy the situation-

    “But there is good news, because of science we understand the mysteries of the world we live in more and more each day. Some of these discoveries help people live more productive and happy lives. Countless lives have been and more will be saved due to the progress of science. We understand the forces of nature to the point where we can predict events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions saving lives and property. We have seen incredible progress in technology which ironically, helps technology progress. We can answer many questions man has wondered about ever since he was able to ask the question. Yes, the good news is we are solving all the mysteries that mankind used to attribute to things like gods riding chariots across the sky. As we have solved these mysteries, and there are a countless number of them, none of the answers so far has been magic did it, or god did it. I suppose it would depend on if you have some odd need to believe a deity who allows the innocent to suffer and die every second of every day yet claims to have a deep love for us. It is bad news if you think a god wants you to pray to him/her/it when those prayers are pointless due to the fact your god has already made a 'plan' which can not and will not be altered. And it is indeed bad news if you had hopes that a nice mansion and a brand new car were awaiting you just past the heavenly gates a few moments after your death. If any of those applies in your case then it is no wonder you never hear any good news from atheists. I have trouble being troubled about it, to be honest.”

Picture An Atheist

    I met a gentleman named Daniel while at the American Atheist convention. He asked to take a picture of my shirt. I gave him permission to do so and we struck up a bit of conversation about his project. Daniel told me about the many interesting shirts people had been wearing and how he had been collecting pictures of them. i suggested he post them on-line so others could enjoy his efforts. It turns out Daniel has a real life and it keeps him pretty busy. I could relate to his situation, real life is always screwing up my internet endeavors too.
    Since Daniel didn't really have time or a place to post his work I made another suggestion. I could post them for him. He agreed and told me he didn't need to be given credit for his work.
    To give credit where it is due the following examples of expression recorded from the Reason Rally and the American Atheist convention were taken by Daniel and sent to me. If anyone is pictured here and wishes it be removed simply contact me. I doubt that will be an issue because, like I said, the photographer made a habit of asking permission to take these photographs.
  Anyone who couldn't make it to either of the above mentioned events can now get an idea of what was in style.
   If a picture is worth a thousand words this is probably the longest blog you will ever see me post....
 Thanks for your efforts Daniel and it was nice to meet you....

 

That's me