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.

___________________________________
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.