Another winner!

Pogsurf's recent feminist quiz posed an epistemological, metaphysical and sociological nightmare of a bonus question thus:

Which branch of feminism endorses rape culture?

This proved too difficult for many of the world's top feminists, including those meeting soon in Dublin, and other top thinkers who are members of Atheist Alliance International. Skep tickle skillfully provides the correct answer by combining an enquiring mind with a commitment to mentored background research:

@pogsurf Thanks, mom, for making me take Latin. =)I'd love to discuss feminism, if: all questions allowed, & no being told what I think
— Skep tickle (@Ellesun) June 11, 2013

Well done Skep tickle! A Scottish ten pound note (£10) will be in the post to you, if you would like to get in touch.

For use in emergencies

Please print out the above card and keep it safe for emergencies. When the card is shown to a prison guard he is required to release you under the terms of the Geneva Convention, and other Human Rights legislation.

Pogsurf will pay £5 for sound evidence of a card being used in this way, and will link appropriately below.

No comment

Humpty Dumpty

For some unknown reason, I was reminded of a beautiful English nursery rhyme today, Humpty Dumpty. Here are the lyrics I learnt as a child:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, 

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall; 

All the King's horses and all the King's men, 

Couldn't put Humpty together again

Traditional

Shhh... everyone, Humpty Dumpty is very busy today..... he has got a dictionary to re-write. Please don't bother him. Let's all tip-toe off and find somewhere else to play!

______________________________
Credits:
Thank you to Shepsheik for the dictionary link

The winner is announced!

The winner* of the Short Quiz for Feminists is hereby announced:

funkyderek

Derek is a concern troll who is new to satire. He can't spot an insult or understand what a swearword is. He likes to stick his nose into other peoples business, particularily he enjoys theorising about what 'agenda'** is being pursued. He doesn't know jack shit about manners, so he tends to wander in and out of other peoples blogs spouting his own foolish nonsense. He can't understand why he doesn't make very good company. He likes to fantasise about anal rape culture, and how he would do it differently.

Derek correctly identified that the three correct answers are:

1. Professor PZ Myers
2. Professor PZ Myers
3. Professor PZ Myers

Derek declined to answer the bonus question, but he is still the winner.

We done Derek! I hope you will feel very welcome around here in future.

________________________________________

*   Actually the first person to respond was a panellist at the Dublin 2013 conference, but they generously offered to put their prize back into the pool.

** Even Derek should know the singular form is agendum.

Abusive e-mail

Pogsurf has one simple rule: no asshats!

Unfortunately asshats do pop in from time to time so we have to learn to deal with them. One recently sent me an e-mail which said:

No. Fuck off and never bother me again.

Clearly this is an abusive e-mail sent from an asshat, or assclown as we call asshats which we find funny. Many blogs will simply doxx people who send abuse. Not Pogsurf. We have higher standards than that. We will pursue whomsoever sent the e-mail day and night, three hundred and sixty five days on a normal year, three hundred and sixty six on a leap, to the four corners of the earth, and until the end of time.

We will not doxx the sender. Alone. We will doxx the sender, the sender's trophy wife, the sender's children, the sender's colleagues at work, the sender's friends and acquaintances, the sender's neighbours, casual acquaintances and anyone who has the slightest connection to the sender.

We will use fair means and foul. We shall seek a terrible revenge until the sender's pulsing heart is torn from the chest cavity and Pogsurf feasts upon the living flesh. If the sender were to lay naked and prone, head shorn and beg for mercy we would laugh with a roaring laugh and cry tears of streaming joy.


This is an amended blog moderation policy which supersedes all previous versions.

Open Letter to the International Humanist and Ethical Union

from:     Martin Wiesner
to:   
Sonja Eggerickx ,
Babu Gogineni ,
Matt Cherry ,
Roar Johnsen ,
David Pollock ,
Robbi Robson ,
Deo Ssekitooleko ,
Colin Divens ,
Bob Churchill


Dear Humanists,

In 2011 Professor PZ Myers was awarded the International Humanist Award.

From your website:

"The first awardee’s blog Pharyngula is a global phenomenon and in 2006 was named by 'Nature' magazine as the top-ranked blog by a scientist. His deep commitment to science and science communication is embodied by his blog and his continuing work in encouraging other scientists to use the internet to spread reason and scientific understanding."

The article goes on to say he is a "controversialist by temperament". But just how controversial would you like him to be?

One thing I find beyond the pale is rape jokes. Minimising the suffering of victims, and silencing their voices must be entirely inconsistent with the aims of humanism. Yet for a period of at least a year anal rape jokes were part of the official moderation policy of the 'global phenomenon' which you praised. Where is the consistency?

Anal rape jokes are so repulsive to many that I was given three moderator's warnings in order to make this post at Atheism Plus:
__________________________
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/08/01/pharyngula-standards-practices/comment-page-1/
"Don’t waste time whining at anyone that they’re not nice, because this gang will take pride in that and rhetorically hand you a rotting porcupine and tell you to stuff it up your nether orifice." - official moderation policy of the blog.

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/04/24/truth-isnt-reached-by-dissembl/
"Where’s my rusty porcupine?" - clearly the same porcupine meme - a veiled threat made to Martin Rees

Source: http://atheismplus.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4862
__________________________

I have been an atheist since age 11, I have a degree in Maths & Philosophy and I am committed to rational discourse. I am a recent convert to humanism, but I cannot join an organisation whose umbrella body chooses to honour a man who makes such perverted statements. Rape is not a joke, and simply should not be treated as one.

To be fair to Professor Myers, he has changed his moderation policy within the last year. He now is clear that his blog should not be used to make threats.However what he has not done is retract the statements, make an apology for them and for the culture of violent threats that it engendered within the comment section of his blog, and take ownership of his stupid behaviour.

Thank you for taking the time to read my statement. Please make sure you honour the work of humanists and not ideologues in future.

Yours sincerely,


Martin Wiesner