Blogging may be light ...

Pogsurf is off for an eight day canal boat cruise, so blogging may be light until he resurfaces.

Enjoy the rest of the blogosphere until then.

Is this plagiarism?

The Internet is awash with rumours that PZ Myers has plagiarised his own work by lifting long passages from his blog and republishing them in book form. If properly attributed then this does not consist of plagiarism. Until now Pogsurf has been unable to get a copy of said book in order to check for himself; Waterstones in St Albans and Hemel Hempstead say the book does not exist.

So the question is, is requoting a private e-mail, which I wrote and sent yesterday, and publishing it here on this blog today plagiarism? Answers on a postcard please to the usual address.

Hello!

I've started the petition "International Humanist and Ethical Union: Revoke the award you gave to Professor PZ Myers in 2011" and need your help to get it off the ground.

Will you take 30 seconds to sign it right now? Here's the link:
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/international-humanist-and-ethical-union-revoke-the-award-you-gave-to-professor-pz-myers-in-2011  

Here's why it's important:  

Myers is a poor excuse for a humanist. He uses his blog, Pharungula, to smear, threaten and belittle those with whom he has ideological differences. The silencing tactics he uses are unbecoming of a professor, whose first duty is to foster rational debate. 

Myers has used his blogs to host threats. This borders on criminal activity and is clearly ethically unsound. Myers is a rape apologist who uses the taboo of anal rape culture to taint his opponents and to belittle those who challenge his views. 

The IHEU are so out of touch with this that in one early communication they wrote to me that:

"... Myers himself is well-known for championing language-sensitivity ..."

The IHEU should revoke their 2011 award to Myers, and make a public apology for their misguided behaviour for promoting as a humanist champion such a bullying and repulsive individual. 

You can sign my petition by clicking here.  

Thanks!  

Martin Wiesner

PS it is not very often I include my entire address book in a mailout, but this is one of those occassions.

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Examples of nasty pushback following the above e-mail

BC Humanists		14:50 (15 hours ago)
Please remove us from your address book.

Answer: No. Then added to Google+ circle called "Wankers".

News Flash: Mermaid spotted near Co-op in North Watford

Amazing! 

A real live mermaid has just been spotted outside the Co-op on the St Albans Road in North Watford.

#BuriedTreasure

If you spot Justin Vacula holding an exactly similar looking one in Dublin this coming Sunday 30th June 2013 you will win a £10 spot prize.

Update 2nd July 2013
The £10 spot prize has been claimed by a Pirate Wench, who prefers to remain anonymous.
Competition closed.

Shivver Me Timbers!!1!

Avast Ye Swabs!

Shiver me Timbers, and Hoist the MainBrace!

There be trouble and storms ahead on the High Seas, landlubbers.

Click to embiggen

Poor old Capt. Blackbeard has lost his moral compass, and our #BraveHero Capt. Pogsurf intends to get it back.

Using the treasure map on the left, try to work out how Capt. Blackbeard will get from the land of morris men to the land of black gold.

Will he find his lost moral compass along the way, or will Pogsurf have to hand it to him on a party plate like a giant foam pie? We just don't know, and half the fun is just joining in and trying something new out.

Happy Sailing to all travellers worldwide. And watch out for pirates!

Interesting conversation from the internet's biggest coward

Tweets by @pzmyers

Another abusive e-mail

Regular readers of Pogsurf will know that we do not treat abusive e-mailers very kindly here. The most recent abusive e-mail comes from David Pollock who is Regional Coordinator, Europe for the International Humanist and Ethical Union. His e-mail address is david.pollock@iheu.org .

Between 10th and 25th June 2013 I sent a total of five e-mails on the subject of rape jokes and threats made by PZ Myers. Pollock says that the subject I refer to is "a crude but not uncommon trope". Pollock feels he is entitled to comment upon my psychological state, a common silencing tactic, and labels me "obsessive". For the record Mr David "Wanker" Pollock, the correct word is 'tenacious'.

Pollock's malicious communication has been forwarded to Hertfordshire Constabulary. The IHEU have been warned that any further abusive e-mails they send to Pogsurf will be published in full.

Conference resource

Updated 24 June 2013
The competition is now closed and all panelists have been contacted directly.

Click here to download the answers

If you would like to see how rape culture on a blog can lead to threats to others being treated as normal click here.

Original post (as amended) follows:
______________________________________________

I have a resource which I am aiming to distribute to the skeptical, feminist and non-feminist and atheist communities by 29th June 2013, in time for the Empowering Women Through Secularism conference which is being held in Dublin.

Click here to download the resource

If you would like a clue to questions 1 to 3 click here

If you would like to see some background research click here and scroll down to 'Rape culture'

______________________________________________
Distribution list

Conference panelists

• Dan Barker, Freedom From Religion Foundation, USA
• Ophelia Benson, author and commentator, USA
• Ann Brusseel, Member of Flemish Parliament, Belgium
• Mairin de Burca, writer and secularist, Ireland                             
• Carlos Diaz, President Atheist Alliance International, Argentina
• Jane Donnelly, Education Policy Officer Atheist Ireland
• Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freedom From Religion Foundation, USA
• Anthea McTiernan, reproductive rights activist and journalist
• Maryam Namazie, Fitnah Movement for Women’s Liberation
• Taslima Nasrin, novelist and activist, Bangladesh and India
• Michael Nugent, Chairperson Atheist Ireland
• Nina Sankari, Polish Rationalist Association                                
• Farhana Shakir, lawyer and legal consultant, Pakistan
• Kate Smurthwaite, comedian and activist, Britain
• Anne Marie Waters, One Law for All Campaign, Britain
• Rebecca Watson, Skepchick network, USA

Other named individuals

• Christine Shellska 
• Jeremy Shepperd 
• Justin Vacula 
• Sara E. Mayhew 
• Stuart Bechman 
• Tim Larmour 
• Tim Skellett 
• Victor Franco

Organisations

• Ateistisk Selskab
• Atheism UK
• Atheist Association of Finland
• Atheist Foundation of Australia
• Atheïstisch Verbond
• BC Humanist Association
• Centar za građansku hrabrost
• Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
• Free Society Institute
• Freedom From Religion Foundation
• Freethought Lebanon
• Gambia Secular Assembly
• HALEA
• IBKA-Vorstandssekretariat
• Iniciativa Atea
• Malta Humanist Association
• Minnesota Atheists
• Philippine Atheists and Agnostics Society
• Progressive Atheists Inc.

______________________________________________
If you would like to add more names or organisations to my distribution list please feel free to do so, then comment below, or to get in touch with me personally to let me know.