In the shadow of staggering assholes

FOR THE RECORD: I say "Some DUer" in the post below because he introduced himself on the phone with a DU screen name. I will not repeat it; I don't know if this person is a banned former member or what, but regardless, I am not going to make Captain Ass any more famous. Don't ask who it was, either in this thread or via PM. I will not say. Sufficed to say, the following did happen, and the person was a present or former DUer.

===

Y'all maybe saw the essay I put up here yesterday, about my conversation with the bouncer at my bar:

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/122905A.shtml

Well, some folks in the thread I put up on this doubted that it was true. That's fine. I laid a challenge on the table: Ten thousand dollars says anyone can come to Boston, meet this guy, and hear from him that what I wrote was true. If I lied, I pay. If I spoke true, they pay. Strangely, no one took me up on it. Go figure.

Well.

Today, apparently, some DUer who doesn't much like me decided to go a different route. I didn't name the bar I go to in the piece, but this DUer knew which one it was. That means, probably, that he came to Boston for the DNC and I took him into the bosom of my hospitality, brought him to my bar, bought him beers, etc.

This DUer called Ty AT WORK to pester him about the substance of the essay. Demanded to read the essay to him on the phone, so he could ask if the quotes were accurate. Demanded and demanded and demanded, as if he had a right to fuck with this guy at work.

Ever have a random stranger call you at work?

Add to that the rules of this place of work: Personal calls are for emergency use only. So my boy winds up getting talked to by his two bosses because this DUer called and pushed, and pushed, and pushed, to talk to Ty.

Why?

Because this DUer fancies himself a writer in his own right. But rather than carve out a place for himself the hard way like I did through hard work, dilligence, truth-telling and the development of sources over ten years, this DUer wanted to take a shortcut. He called Ty to try to get him to say I lied in my story.

In other words, this DUer tried to crawl up over my back, tried to get immediately famous by "exposing" me. That way, he could write about it and make a splash.

Too bad for him, though, that the story was true. Ty had his number from the earlier call, and I called this asshat back, and handed the phone to Ty. Ty said, "Every word Will wrote was truth. He quoted me exactly. I don't need motherfuckers calling me at work. Fuck off."

Now here's the funny part.

I got back on the phone with this poor excuse for a poop, and he tries to grill me on ANSWER, tries to grill me on impeachment, tries to pry a story out of his failed attempt to fuck with my friend. After I finished yelling at him, he said, "Well, I have a lot of good material now." It was pathetic.

But not as pathetic as when he said, "So, will you do a podcast for me?"

I told him to fuck himself. Loudly, colorfully, offering both directions and a map.

Morals:

1. I don't lie in my essays;

2. If you have questions, I am not hard to find;

3. Don't fuck with my friends;

4. Don't try to crawl over my back to make yourself famous. Put the work in;

5. Ty wants to eat this guy's liver; he genuienly wants to do violence to this person, so fucking with Ty is a bad idea;

6. Don't beg for a podcast after making an asshole out of yourself.

Final moral: We are all in this together, but some think this is all a big paycheck. This guy wanted to do damage to me in order to better his own pathetic state of affairs, and had no hesitation to fuck with a friend of mine he had never met in order to do so.

In other words, some pigs think they are more equal than others.

Anyway, this was my night. Fun, eh?

Anyone who thinks being well-known (for me, even minorly well-known) is a good thing needs a beating. I can't write a personal essay without the people involved getting messed with.

Awesome.

Assholes everywhere.

Man, that sucks in a big way. I know about that kind of job, and your buddy has my sympathy. You as well.

I read your essay and loved it. Passed it around to some people that could benefit.
You're correct, there are assholes everywhere, even and also on DU.

:hug:

That would be embarassing.

Goodonya to Will and Ty.

So sorry Will
I do think it evident from the first thread who it is; but that is all *I* will say also.
Thank goodness Ty was a good sport to you about all this.
Take care....

At first, Ty was genuinely freaked. He didn't think me writing about our conversation would elbow its way into his work. But after he talked to this fuckhat, and learned his game, Ty was amused as hell. "Write ten stories about me," he said. "Anything to piss this asshole off."

Cheers to Ty. :)

Sounds like he has a bit of a brain on him; that one....send him our regards (as two ppl who have been in the nightclub biz for a combined 28 years).

Frankly, I really didn't concern myself too much as I was reading as to whether Ty was real or not. I don't really see what that had to do with the point of your article. Even if he were a fiction, it didn't really affect the specific points, info or theme of the post. But I also didn't see any reason to doubt it. As one respondent discussed, you gave Ty food for thought. You didn't necessarily preach a new conversion. He might be just as accomodating to a Bushie to whom he was talking, so why would he be a figment of your imagination?

It does seem a strange reaction, though. "Oh, I'm going to get Will Pitt!" I, myself, have never found anything anywhere in any of your writing even remotely dubious.

Here's the real point of my posting, though. If an asshole is a HOLE, how can it cast a shadow? :evilgrin:

You'd be amazed.

Fucking amazed.

You can't make up sources and then pass it off as journalism. But getting a guy in trouble at work is way over the top -- and this other "journalist" is clearly pathetic. The only thing that rings untrue about Will's essay is the completeness and articulateness of Will's bar-talk -- but anyone who's been around here a little while would find it *totally* believable. ;-)

I think lack of information -- or too much disinformation -- is the only thing keeping guys like Ty from turning on Bush. So :toast: to you, Will.

:rofl:

But you have to come to Boston, and not call him at work.

Come on down. I'm paying...for starters... :)

Maybe in June.

:P

w/out snow. Maybe I'll get snowed in and not be able to get back for the beginning of the semester. Students will have to start without me.

and his friends and family.

I can hardly believe someone's nerve. I really wish you'd expose the fool, but I understand why you don't.

Please don't jump to any hasty conclusions, folks.

Let it go. Will's a big boy, and took care of the situation. And, how! ...

Yeah...that's what I did...I think.

:yoiks:

I'm gonna get you, Will Pitt!

:evilgrin:

I'm still not sure what I did, or you did, or what I was gonna...oh never mind. :P

to prove you lied. In that case you could just forget about that nonimportant person. I don't like this "tries to grill me on ANSWER, tries to grill me on impeachment.....Well, I have a lot of good material now." part.


--------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

I'd think fucking with a friend of mine at work to try and find proof I lied in order to go from zero to known as a writer would be...well...kind of a crappy way to go about things.

If he wanted to talk to Ty, he could have emailed me and asked. My email is at the bottom of every essay I write. I'm not hard to find.

I certainly understand how very angry you must be; I would be, also. I'm just asking myself what his motives are and hope you take care, that's all :)

---------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

Sorry.

:toast:

I don't know what motivates some people, but it is soooo good that you kept your head and revealed your stalker to be an ass.

I loved your story about Ty and never had any reason to doubt you. I tend to be a skeptic whether I agree with a person's stance or not, and you rang true.


:toast:

I keep hearing more and more good things about Boston; I'd move there, but I'm a Cardinals fan and don't really like the Red Sox; I'd get killed before I was there a week. :D

Edit: Whoops; forgot to nominate. Fixed now.

The Sox are a death ship for the next few years. Come on out and be a Pats fan. :)

sports ribbing. :)

BTW, I wouldn't be so nice about keeping this persons identity secret, but do respect you for it. This person didn't respect your boundaries...but then, I am a vindictive fucker!

Olafr

Instead of eating his liver, Ty shouldve hung up in his ear!

I just don't want this thread to get locked for a) calling someone out, or b) talking about a banned member.

.. will have to guesstulate. How about the, uh, area code?

I am also dying to know...there have been a handful of assholes here that have really given me a hard time for no reason over the course of the last two and a half years and I don't even have a reputation for anything of merit!

LOL

Best part of the whole story. :rofl:

I was like "Wha...wha...who...wha...FUCK YOU!"

Unreal.

:P

Meth? Snow? Uppers? C'mon ... what are you on?

:evilgrin:

Sleep is for the weak.

(he says, on the way to bed)

My sleep schedule is generally deranged. I work better at night. The essay at the center of this whole thing, for example, I wrote near midnight.

It is what it is.

'night.

For all you know that person may not be a registered DUer. If he reads DU he can use any screen name to identify himself. That does not mean he is that DUer.

Fancying myself a writer, I can tell a little story too. I write letters to the editor which are often published. I wrote one expressing dismay at Bush's re-election. I did not even see that it was published since I do not regularly read that paper. However at some point I received a letter. The letter was cut and pasted articles and little comments about how great the economy was doing and how happy Wall Street was that he was re-elected and so on. I almost wrote back to the person who sent it, but it did not seem worth the trouble.
I did not give it much more thought. Then two months later I received a letter which said that the person it was sent to had moved and there was a yellow label with the new address. This letter showed that I was the person who sent it, but I knew that I had sent no such letter. I opened it up and it turned out to be a bunch of pro-Bush articles and little comments about how great Bush is. Obviously the same person who had "written" to me, only he/she was claiming that I was the sender. Well there is a clear example of the integrity, or the glaring lack of it, of a Bush supporter. Fraudulently claiming to be someone he is not, without the courage to use his real name, or even the integrity to send it anonymously.

This person is not necessarily the screen-name he claimed to be either.

I knew this person, though. Had dealt with him before.

you didn't say you had voice recognition software.

I call 'em my ears.

I love you Will!

:loveya:


Disclaimer - I'm not a stalker, just very fond of Will's wit. :)

Some people will go to amazing lengths to prove their utter stupidity!

In the Carlos Castenada series of books about don juan the yaqui indian brujo, the
master describes to the student that he should stand at the side of the road, and
not in the center. This was a metaphor for how to engage in a public situation,
whilst enduring the least hastle from it. Perhaps skinner might allow some persons
who've blown their privacy totally, to use an anonymous pen name as well, so they
can write essays about their experiences at the pub.

I presume that all human experience is mystical and very contextual; something that
does not carry well with the idea that we are simply apes, or animals bleating on the
african plains. Yet, as with a flood or a tsunami, you have a choice where you stand.
You have a choice to expose your privacy so, and given sheer-numbers of the internet
and public-figure coverage, you're sure to draw a few of those nutters who would be
on treatment in a society with social healthcare.

So its not the fault of the person for standing in the middle of the street, but when
you take 100 million people, assholes will have a significant demographic. It drains
your energy, your goodwill and your life force. So, knowing that this demographic is
there, when you post something on DU, this place is a road.

I did not know you were famous, Mr. Pitt, but perhaps a new ID, like "rayymund22" can
give your public speakings focus to their work and not your good name. Those of us
who could recognize another's ghost writing might suspect, but you will have public
anonymtiy again, forgiveness of the ego, a principal value of a truthspeaking.

I've always been one of those who peevishly use my own name and no other. It is not easy being exposed, and I've received my small share of threats from forum assholes(not this forum) who want to come by my home and punch me out for my opinions, mainly local forums. There are downsides to taking credit for your opinions publicly and being the real person rather than the rayymund22.
I empathize with Will Pitt. Like him I will continue to shun anonymity because I'm a stubborn cuss.
Go Will! Stand up for YOUR opinions. It ain't easy being a real name.

Bruce

So to carry the name, especially if you are "famous", is to be constantly
running for office, running an online popularity contest for "this" one's target
audience. . . target marketing and all.

Anonymous blogging is more trustworthy, people gots less to sell.

And used a fake name (although the site's proprieters had my real info)

Getting to the point... I thought that was a pretty happy arrangement until the whole Gannon thing happened and then needless to say I felt like kind of an asshole.

It's cool to use your real name and info if you don't have young kids (unfortunately--sad but true)

The freep types IMO are just too crazy to take the chance.

This guy should look for something more redeaming to do with his time. Maybe he should go read Gibran or something! Send him "The Prophet", and tell him to get a life!

Anytime you do something good in the public eye, such as changing the mind of a Bush supporter (if only a little), someone somewhere will want to f*ck with you. I'm glad you put the jagoff in his place. :thumbsup:

Sounds just like the pathetic, parasitic methodology of the far right (twist, distort and divert everything towards unprincipled ends), attempting to advance their own agenda and enrich themselves on the backs of others' efforts. SG

Original Thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1548729/posts?page=111#111
Current Thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1549187/posts

:donut:

I need a shower.

Sid

They have taken harrassment to a new level. Will, these are the exact same fuckheads you were going to wipe the ground with last spring when Andy was being harrassed to his grave.

or pissing off a bouncer? :)

Looks as though it was a DuFreeper - I never knew how unpopular you were over there, but if in fact, you met this guy, and the guy on Freeperville is the same guy, You might want to re-think not naming him here. Just reading the stuff they posted was downright SCARY. And if, as someone said, they are the Scamdy people, that makes it even scarier. They need to be called on their bullshit.

BTW - it was a great essay!

It's them >

http://scamdy.com/forum/html/index.php

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1548729/posts?q=1&&page=1

There have (are?) a few here trolling amongst us thinking they are quite clever (what they don't know is that they have a huge number of moles at their own site lol)

to find those threads over at FR.
:eyes:

Welcome to DU. :shrug:

assholes one and all, may they rot

I don't see the point for covering up his tactics? He will go on to pick another victim. Expose - Expose - Expose - and put an end to the aggression

Why are you holding back? Answer that question?

Bama

Sorry to hear about that incident Will. I have a strange feeling from past threads that I know who the DUer is. Probably not, but one name pops right out in my mind.

but someone is taking themselves way too seriously here.

a DU member needs to get a life. Podcasts? Talk about taking yourself too seriously...

...if he isn't a member already.

:evilgrin:

He'd fit right in with the rest of them. I'm sorry Will, for your troubles. You SO do not deserve that kind of crap - particularly not from other DUers.

Certainly the vast majority of people participating on DU are good and decent folk. But reading through this thread, and the two related ones, reminds us that there are a few who do not fully fit that "good and decent" description. Some may be "freepers" who pay tribute to the noble philosophy of Sean Hannity et al by trying to disrupt DU; others may be "agents Mikes"; and some are surely damaged goods -- people who suffer from emotional disturbances that play out in unattractive ways.

Certainly in our diseased culture, people who are "famous" -- for lack of a better description -- are going to attract the attention of each of these three not-so-good & decent types. And perhaps in the sub-group of "banned former members" of DUers, the concentration of pathology will be greater.

In the end, Mr. Pitt, you are only responsible for that which you do -- as I know you are aware. Diseased people are likely to behave in diseased ways, just as surely as dogs are likely to bark, fish to swim, and chickens to lay eggs. One can not change that, only take steps to avoid opening one's self to the diseased actions of diseased people.

Perhaps making the $10,000 "bet" opened yourself, and your friend, to the diseased behavior that you describe here. Greed is one of our societies' illnesses .... greed for money, greed for fame. None of the people who count on DU questioned if your essay was true or not, Will. Not a single one. You are one of the good and decent people on DU. But by reacting to the nonsense -- which was designed to get you to react -- it may have left an opening for the diseased person in question to try to exploit.

You do not need to "prove" that you are honest to anyone here. That's a distraction -- and we do not have the luxury of having leaders being distracted. Keep doing what you do best.

I would never question Will's integrity. I've known him since he was a high-school teacher. Yes, Will, just keep on leading.

:hug:

You are a wise man.

Sigh!

What an asshole :grr:

Looks like PJ-Comix of DUmmie Funnies fame is also a mole here on DU.

I wonder how many names he posts under and how many of the posts he's made on DU end up on his DUmmie funnies site?

IF he indeed IS here in mole form-- I find that the freeps are sort of like serial killers...they want to taunt and see if they can get caught.

A google search might yield something to give more clues--or they may have actually smartened up over the last year or two (although I doubt it)

I have encountered a few contrary people here and when I have googled their screen names in some cases they have actually been dumb enough to post as their repuke selves on CON forums (with the same names boasting about how clever they are tricking the DUmmies)

It's pretty pathetic...and to clarify I haven't found anything like that lately...this was like before the last selection.

I mean, it's a story about a guy you may have tentatively converted to our side, but even if you were lying, who cares? Who is hurt by the lie? (For the record, I have no opinion on whether you were lying or not. I don't know you at all, so how could I rightfully make that judgment?) I don't understand why anyone would make such a big deal out of it.

Obviously, this freeper went to a DU gathering in Boston and mingled with fellow DU'ers. That's really creepy when you consider how unbalanced freepers are. (I just realized creep rhymes with freep :D)

Perhaps we should send him a wrinkled raincoat and magnifying glass to complete his wardrobe. :hi:

But I hope you tell the admins about this creep.

or Did You Work at It Your Whole Life?"

I sympathize. I HATE assholes, and I'm sorry to hear this one was a DUer.

Don't let this one asshole cause you to stop buying beers for DUers!
:toast:

I think I made all those points-the guy (RWer) let me talk for several minutes.

This is a no brainer but then apparently in a data dump today it was announced that the DoJ is going after the NSA leaks. They are going to bust the whistleblowers. Sleep well.

Sorry you and ty had to go through this. BTW I never doubted your post. It sounded sincere to me. Why would some Jackass do such a thing? Sad what the guy did.

break this idiot's legs, you have our card.

assholes everywhere

but know that here is one person who reads what you write and has been changed by it, in good and productive ways, to help make our country a better place.


I've been kicked down in my life by people pretending to be my friend, who because of their own envy, personal insecurity and mis-directed ambitions lashed out in a hurtful way that did some damage. Human nature is hard to figure, but for some people all they care about in the end is themselves. They are pitiful types,in the ways that really matter.

Keep up your righteous work, I admire & respect your honesty and the work you do.

>Loudly, colorfully, offering both directions and a map.<

Brilliant.

Please buy Ty a beer from us. If I'm ever in Boston, I hope to do so myself, if you ever let anyone else go to your bar again.

Julie

Will remember my very intense husband named Ty ..

good guy but don't fuck with him or
anyone he cares about ... :evilgrin:

bummer about the hassle though ,
hopefully a lessoned was learned .

Remember when they sent a telegram to Andy in the hospital so that he would have to sign for it to prove he was there? These are sick sick sick motherfuckers and I truly hope Hell exists so they can rot there. But here they are, one trick ponies, planning to send a letter to Ty >





And Will, there are DUers who have the names and locations of these freeper freaks - if Ty and friends would like to pay them a visit it is possible.

I would wager that a bouncer isn't going to be frightened by some fatso woman
(or man) that posts on freak republic!

Those slobs probably can't even hoist a gun (that would require movement out from under their lazy boy chairs and aunt Bertha's knitted, multicolored, acrylic afghan)

I think this will solidify his conversion.

read in a while...

What is it with some people? To risk someone's job...that is really freaking wrong.

Sorry that it happened but boy that takes the cake...

By the way...we have a local Democratic radio broadcast in our area (AM band) and we normally write polite letters to people asking them to participate on their schedule...typically that is the nice way to go about those things...

at DU, do you? You expect to find people who will argue with you, and even some people with, um, unusual ideas, but someone like that guy? That's unexpected.

Absolutely amazing.

I wish you hadn't reminded me about that bar, though. Now I'll have to take a drive up there, because I'm jonesing for some more of their macaroni and cheese with the sausage. Yowsah!

Redstone

"In the shadow of staggering assholes" had me chuckling to begin with and
I literally laughed out loud when I got to the part where you say "in order to better his own pathetic state of affairs" (I am going to use that in daily life because it's a great and hilarious insult)

Aside from all that what a jerk off with too much time on their hands and additionally it sounds to me like they were probably a freeper mole type because who else would bother doing all that? JMO

Here, and all they way to the WH!

Excellent retort! Tell Ty this DUer says :thumbsup:

Edited for spelling.

Any story with you in bars is true. :P

I showed that essay to a non-political friend, who thanks me because it put things in such a simple and clear way. There a lot of people like her that care, but are afraid of the word "politics" Or they get lost in the hyperbole. Most of the things I've seen you write are crystal clear and easy to digest for the general public, which I consider a major talent.

Sorry you have to put up with that shit.

what do you expect, get over yourself

peace

:hug:

I for one catch, I think, all of your post, sweet and bittersweet, and value your thoughts here.
And here's mine, the best way to get a monkey off your back is too accept it being there, as your self. I lost a lot of monkeys that way, they just disappear, as if they never were, and in fact, they were never a part of me at all. Peace

your heading, or the freaks at Free Republic. :rofl:

:toast:

I read the essay you wrote and had no trouble believing it. It sounded like what a lot of people are starting to figure out on their own, but only to find themselves needing a little added reassurance--hence your friend Ty looking to someone who he could trust to tell him the truth.

With that said, there are those who still want to instill that seed of doubt and that sounds like what this idiot was up to.

Hang in there...ya done good:)

Also, it gives breath to the winds of change we are seeing and I suspect it will get a lot worse--and better--in 2006!

Happy New Year
:toast:

You do seem to have a talent for attracting kooks.