The antisemite “Gerard O’Neill,” who so kindly emailed me yesterday morning to inform me that I was a bignosed “Jewboy” whose appearance would scare children, seems to have been identified by a group of helpful readers, and one sent some photos of the alleged miscreant:
Gerard seems to be an Aussie living in or near western Sydney, and his profile, shown below, is about what I expected. (Caveat: there is of course some doubt about the identity, but to me the probability of misidentification is quite low.)
O’Neill’s Instagram site contains these photos, and this picture, with its caption, tells the tale:
He’s a real tough gangsta! (photos from Instagram):
As the reader said as a caption to this photo, “With Eva Braun and friends. . .” (faces obscured to protect the innocent):
Is O’Neill drinking a Coors light? That’s not the right drink for a gangsta!
“Hobbies: staring directly into flash”
Other readers chipped in as well; one of them reports other tentative links.
Following the links on this profile, it led me to other profiles on various social networking sites, and especially to a blog: http://thenodster.wordpress.com. He is Australian, and claims to have Asperger’s syndrome.
Other sites:
JAC: That one looks fairly accurate, given that its header has this in it (really, a “Teutophile”?)
Here are three tw**ts from that account, more or less in line with the theme:
This daily motion.com account seems accurate given that it has the same number (34) as the Gmail address he used (gerardoneill34@gmail.com)
Here are other accounts that may be the miscreant’s:
And that’s all I have to say about the bilious and odious Gerard O’Neill, neo-Nazi and antisemite.
You forgot, “moron” to the list!
…Advance Australia fair?!
Oh dear… I expect he is unable to think for himself & ingested bile instead of milk as a baby.
Explains where he got his taste for Coors Light.
Well, that’s completely unAustralian. I expect he’s quite a recent immigrant.
I heard about a satisfying resolution to being attacked online on the radio yesterday. A journalist who got (and gets) rape threats via twitter, did some investigation, found out her trolls were mostly teenage boys, and told their mothers! I wonder how old Gerard is.
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/australia-culture-blog/2014/nov/28/alanah-pearce-tells-on-her-internet-trolls-to-their-mothers
Yeah, my first response to seeing the picture was “hope he grows out of it.” Maybe a little parental intervention might help that along. …Or, could exacerbate it, you never know.
My thought was “Someone should tell his mom!”
Ha ha ha, that’s hilarious!
Alas, though, I wonder if someone who’s not just (just!) a misogynist, but a white-supremacist mayn’t have picked up those ideas from home…
It seems to me he could have picked up the ideas at home, or maybe rabid hatred is cool among his peer group, or his parents could be completely normal right-thinking people and this little hormonal adolescent fancies himself a daring rebel and wants to establish an opposite identity. They could be tearing their hair out over their dopey son for all we know. I am not a psychologist, but it seems to me that any of these is plausible. Are there child psychologists out there who could weigh in?
Sorry this happened. A few years ago (2007, I think) some neo Nazis passed out fliers in my neighborhood denouncing me because I wrote a Daily Kos article denouncing their (unsuccessful) attempt to intimate a nationally syndicated columnist.
Of course, this neighborhood went for Obama at about 70 percent…these guys aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer. The one who did this is now cooling his heels in Federal Prison for another offense.
The only thing I can aay in his favor is that he seems to be an equal-opportunity hater. Says he hates christians, too. Love the idea of telling his mother, but what if she agrees with bim. Seems to moronic to have Asperger’s…
I do feel rather sorry for him. Maybe if the internet had been around when I was his age I would have used it to vent my spleen with the world.
His future doesn’t look all that bright. He’ll either end up in prison or end up working a dead end job all the while thinking he’s smarter than everyone else.
Isn’t it strange? We can see that as plain as day, but this poor little nebbish will suddenly wake up when he is about 45 and wonder where it all went wrong. It will all be somebody else’s fault.
A silly little boy, obviously. It is a bit embarrassing to see people brag that the only thing they have going for them is their skin color.
“It is a bit embarrassing to see people brag that the only thing they have going for them is their skin color.”
No doubt. It’s sad to see him try to classify ‘white’ culture vs ‘black’ culture and to give single examples of each that falls way short of any version of reality. It seems to me there are successful, intelligent, upstanding people from all walks of life participating in every meaningful endeavor taken on by mankind, just as there are those that struggle and make bad choices, or that have been indoctrinated in narrow minded ideologies and cultures of ruination.
What a maroon.
I like it when people brag about their skin colour. I hear it as them saying one of their proudest moments in life was being born, but for most of them it appears to be quite a recent achievement.
The face of ignorance is very easy to see when you hear it. I’m sure the guy’s mother, if he has one, will be very proud.
“The face of ignorance is easy to see when you hear it.”
This construction reminds me of a Victor Borge crack: before sitting down to play something he’d say “let’s see what it sounds like”, think for a moment, then say “or maybe we should listen to what it looks like”.
Ha, ha! I loved Borge!
Jerry
Please don’t go there. Doxxing your haters has nothing to do with anything your site is about. Let someone else police the internet.
I know decent people feel a knee-jerk reaction against doxxing people; but on the other hand if this especially revolting little racist is entitled to send hate-filled screeds to anyone as he chooses, I really don’t see why they shouldn’t be made to stand by their words. Why does the racist get special protection?
+1 also this is hardly doxing. It’s not like Jerry has found his address & phone number.
Besides, this doesn’t even qualify as “doxxing” in any reasonable sense. Everything Jerry put up in this post is publicly accessible information — not private info that was somehow “leaked” or obtained through other “unorthodox” means.
+1 – Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
I like knowing where people stand. Didn’t “become” an atheist until I met someone who ran an atheist page and saw all the vitriol she attracted. Had no idea the backlash was as bad as it was.
Jody – I second your request.
I’m sorry, but this is my website, and I don’t appreciate being told what I should or should not write about. I don’t want to hear any more about things people feel I shouldn’t post about.
As always, the policy here is not to doxx commenters unless they make a threat, which has never happened. Emails are not subject to that.
Your policy makes miscreants accountable for their personal attacks. Bravo.
I didn’t see a threat in the email you posted, though just knowing there are people who think sending emails like that is threatening in a more general way. Was there part of it you didn’t post?
I think posting the email with headers was entirely reasonable, though. It was an offensive, hateful and antisemitic communication, sent to you, so there is nothing remotely resembling an expectation of privacy, nor anything remotely resembling a duty to keep it private. People who don’t want their racism exposed shouldn’t send emails to strangers or post on social media.
What I said above was that I don’t dox COMMENTERS unless they make a threat. Please reread what I wrote. Private emails, like the one from Goebbels Boy, are another matter. But commenters here should know that their information is private unless they make a physical threat of some kind.
Got it. Thanks.
Great detective work done by your readers! He should be denied all internet access for life.
I think you have got the identification bang on. This has been posted in the last few hours:
“I have a couple of drafts on the boiler, neither of which I’m too excited about, but will probably finish anyway. Nobody seems that impressed with my statements lately (maybe I should change my name to Tony Abbott), which doesn’t bother me that much, as I don’t give a shit about most peoples’ opinions these days. The world is full of self-righteous fuckwads and dimwits, but I’ve decided to reach out and embrace the benign indifference of the Cosmos.
I don’t care if you think you are a Big Shot in the atheist community — your opinions are shit and I’m ignoring them.”
Additionally, he mentions in older posts PZ Myers and Richard Dawkins amongst others which just seems too much of a coincidence.
Now I need to go and wash my mind in bleach having soiled it by visiting …..
He also retweeted Jerry’s post about his email.
“I don’t give a shit about most peoples’ opinions these days. The world is full of self-righteous”.
He’s a kid. There is hope for him yet- maybe something will come along and he will see some light.Sounds kind of desperate but looking around and curious.
Maybe this public identification will be the thing that comes along – the environmental input that determines he will eventually see the light.
Sad little loser.
I remember when his first manifesto, “Surviving A Bad Haircut,” was distributed in the parking lot of Banjo’s Bakery Café. Those were the days.
Looking forward to his post on eyebrow maintenance: does he wax or pluck? Inquiring minds want to know his secret!
I think he‘s a sad little plucker …
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😀
😀 😀
The blue eye shadow’s a bit much. Not quite Clockwork Orange material.
I am perplexed what would cause him to say things. Why manufacture so much hatred for other people? Maybe it gives him purpose for a life filled with grief. And, by the way Gerard, Jerry is not a bad looking guy. Check out the boots, buddy, and prepare to be humbled.
The pen is mightier than the pen!
Or, indeed, Le Pen
I don’t think Mr O’Neill is going to land things on comets. The only thing he’ll ever land is his arse, in prison.
Look what the dingo dragged in!
Nice of the canis lupus subspecies to finally drag back what it dragged off Ayers Rock, without a trace, lo those many years ago.
I doubt, though, that the poor Aussie lady that lost him will want anything more to do with this yobbo once she gets a gander at the vile, bigoted natter being chucked up out of his gob. Maybe the next meme to catch on will be: “A dingo won’t take back my drongo!”
Historical correction: this incident occurred at the base of Ayers Rock (now called by its aboriginal name Uluru). And not “without a trace” – there was a matinee jacket found years after her conviction (which led to her conviction being overturned)
Right you are, but I still fancy the image of young Gerard as the Romulus and Remus of Uluru, suckled by wild dingoes during his lost years in the wilderness.
Clearly a lad with metal health issues. Nothing to see here, so let’s move along to something more interesting. In my opinion there are two groups who have contributed disproportionately to our lives and times; Jews, — and Gay Women! Yes, a little glance at the brilliant women who excel in education, economics, health and many other areas brings home the story. Rosalind Franklin was both.
There is enough dirt in the world, so let’s keep our eyes upon the stars, folks.
I am also an admirer of Franklin’s work and dedication to science. She was also a pioneer in virus structure. She dedicated her entire life to unlocking life’s secrets. Not all unmarried scientists are gay. I don’t know if she was gay.
Do you have a reliable reference or is this your personal conclusion?
Outsiders, minorities and ostracized groups in America have indeed contributed disproportionately to their numbers relative to the majority and in spite of challenging – and often dangerous – circumstances. The suffering inflicted on them by society often drives their contributions. Haitian musician and activist Wyclef Jean pointed out, when asked about that in an interview, for every person that rises above as he has, there are a million who are destroyed by their circumstances.
I’m awed by the contributions of Jews, homosexuals, African Americans and other “outsiders,” of course – as I am by anyone who makes a positive impact in the world. It still sucks what so many people have to go through to make those contributions, and how many go through the same hell and don’t get to have satisfying lives.
Coincidentally I was recently sent a link to this rant of Tyson’s vis-à-vis women & blacks in science:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEeBPSvcNZQ#t=3690
That should take you to the proper place in the recording, during the Q & A.
I nearly cried.
Cussword, forgot all about avoiding embeds!
What’s the right place in the video?
Approx. 1:01:30 (One hour, one & a half minutes in, begins with a question from the floor.)
At one point, I was afraid Tyson’s passionate gesticulations might knock out Dawkins! 😀
As a test I’m trying to post the link without the http// below, to see if the original time designation then works:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEeBPSvcNZQ#t=3690
Yes, it does. Just skip the ad… duh.
That was good to hear. Thanks for posting it.
Quite the bogan …
To Jerry and others who have taken the incompatibilist position on free will here:
I hope you don’t mind my asking:
Do you find that your current views on free will influence your reaction to Gerard O’Neill?
On the grounds that he could not have done otherwise, do you find yourself reacting with a compassion for him that you otherwise wouldn’t have had previously?
And if so, do you find the compassion arising naturally from your conviction about determinism, or do you find it a struggle between an emotional reaction of blame, the type that makes you want to first simply dismiss him as an “just another asshole”
but which you have to sort of work to over-ride with determinist reasoning “but I have to conclude my desire to blame isn’t warranted and that I OUGHT to have more compassion…”
??
I’m not asking this to debate free will. Rather, I’m truly curious if the position some have taken on free will (incompatibilism/determinism) actually influences their reaction to real-world examples like Gerard O’Neill and his letter to Jerry.
Thanks.
Free will (and the self for that matter) are powerful illusions. Why would people recognizing something as an illusion change how they react to something or how they feel about something?
The only difference I feel is that I am aware that this person is influenced by his brain anatomy and chemistry as well as inputs from those around him. It doesn’t mean I feel he should not be held accountable for his actions and it doesn’t affect my revulsion to his behaviour. I simply understand how the mechanisms work.
The same holds true with understanding rainbows or love. I know how a rainbow is formed but I still think it’s beautiful. I know that my love for a pet is the result of evolution and my brain but I still love my pet.
Lacking free will, they will ambush someone as long as their are no personal consequences to them.
If they think they will be identified, you have changed their behavior because external circumstances are different, not because they have free will.
That would be interesting to know. For my part, determinism does affect my judgment of the hater – and I also think exposing haters is a potentially effective response. There’s no guarantee that it will work (bring consequences to bear on the hater that make a change in him, if not to become less hate-y then at least to stop sending nasty cries for help to strangers), but it may be the only thing that will work. Since police can only respond to crimes, various anti-Nazi bloggers in Australia are infiltrating their groups and exposing their methods and members. It’s too bad society leaves so many people vulnerable to hateful ideologies when some support and mental health services can be effective, even on the young. Once the die is cast, there do need to be consequences and taking away haters’ anonymity is the most effective action that can be taken.
Every time a compatibilist asks this question I am a bit surprised. It seems either they, or possibly I of course, repeatedly misunderstand ICs. Or, and I am not accusing you of this, perhaps in some cases they are being disingenuous for rhetorical / tactical purposes.
Can you say what your answer to this question is? As far as I can tell the typical incompatibilist answer would be exactly the same as the typical compatibilist answer.
After all, the typical compatibilist would no more deny that environmental inputs, including other peoples’ reactions to an individuals behavior, figure, continuously, into the individual’s behavior.
The only significant differences I can see is that Cs are fine with the term “moral responsibility” while ICs tend to think the “moral” part of the term should be dropped and that “responsibility” by itself is a sufficient label. And that Cs think the term “free will” should be salvaged and, perhaps, its meaning clarified, while ICs think the term should be dropped, though both agree on the nature of the phenomena the label is used for.
Likewise. I have seen Vaal contributing to these Freewill discussions on many occasions and so it amazes me that he still doesn’t know the answer to this question which has been answered many times including by Jerry himself.
Thanks for the replies so far.
I believe (as I worried might be the case) that the nature of my question is being missed somewhat.
I know what the incompatibilist response is on a philosophical/intellectual level. And that is what inspired my question. What I’m asking is to what degree have you *internalized* the conclusions you’ve derived from your thoughts on free will?
Have your conclusions about free will/determinism and moral responsibility (or lack thereof) actually caused in you new, different reactions to people like the fellow we are discussing here? Because that is supposed to be the case isn’t it? (At least ideally).
Do you react with more compassion than you did before coming down on incompatibilism? Do you have to struggle to fit your incompatibilist conclusion that you ought to have more compassion with the perhaps angry or dismissive reaction that might seem to fight with this goal?
Diana, I didn’t get from your response that you have found any change in your attitudes toward people behaving terribly. Am I right?
(I don’t mean to imply you aren’t compassionate – perhaps you have always been so regarding others behaving badly – it’s just that you don’t seem to register any difference on the grounds of your conclusions about free will).
Of course the same questions would go for anyone espousing compatibilism too, it’s just that Jerry’s theme in particular has been about the real world changes in attitude that would, or should, happen when people realize the truth of incompatibilsm.
(For my part, I have started to notice I’m reacting with more compassion to people who act terribly. But it’s hard to tell how much
of it is due directly to my thoughts on determinism, vs all sorts of other input and experiences).
Ah well….
I think the only thing that changes vis a vis the IC position and how I react is how I think about fixing the issue. Before I understood how our brains work, I simply would have tried to keep the person from others and punish said person without thinking how best to correct the behaviour. I don’t think, however, this is to do with IC as I think C people would feel exactly the same.
Oh I should add that I don’t think it is compassion that either position gives you. I think instead in thinking about free will, you learn about how the brain works, inputs to that brain, etc. and that gives you better understanding, not compassion. As I said before both C & IC people go through the same exercise in thinking about freewill and come to the same conclusions re: the brain and therefore understand these circumstances.
In other words, free will and whether it exists or not is not really going to influence our society; it is understanding determinism that is going to make the difference.
You may be right, but I don’t recall Jerry emphasizing that the C view would be more readily internalized by individuals with the result that they would react more compassionately to people exhibiting bad behavior. My recollection is that Jerry has claimed, or expressed the opinion, that the C view would be more conducive to the formulation of more compassionate and more effective methods / institutions (i.e. systems of justice) for dealing with individuals who behave badly.
In other words, not how individuals react, but how people reason about how society should deal with criminal behaviors in general i.e., formulate policies, procedures and methodologies.
Having said that, your question seems like a good one to me, and as you clarified, applicable to any point of view about free will. For myself it seems that my initial reaction can vary widely depending on the state of mind that I am in at the moment. I may initially feel sorry for someone like this young bigot, or I might feel that he needs to be slapped down hard right now. But I am now much more likely to not act on that initial response and to take the time to reason about the situation.
Also, due to some other factors I can only speculate on, I have become “softer” in general as I have gotten older. It seems unlikely that that can be attributed to a new understanding of human cognition and what that means for the concept of free will, but probably is merely due to my life experiences. That is not to say that I am never an asshole anymore. I am still pretty good at that given certain provocations. But I usually feel really bad about it afterwards these days.
Actually, I do think the IC position as advocated by Jerry and Sam Harris includes the idea that our reactions, and the deterrents we create based on those reactions, should change for the more compassionate. Jerry often claims that embracing IC should result in an overhaul of the justice system, and Sam often says our reactions to actors like Gerard should be no different from our reactions to a man with an obvious and severe cognitive disability who does something unsavory, or a bear that injures somebody, or a large rock that falls on somebody, ie, our reaction should simply be a dispassionate attempt to fix the situation and prevent it in the future.
Yep. That’s what I was trying to say here.
And.
I was making a distinction between individuals immediate reactions to specific incidents (before there has been time to reason about it), which Vaal seemed to be asking about above, and reasoned discourse in a wider context about how to, for example, devise a criminal justice system or a code of ethics. These are two distinctly different things.
I don’t recall Jerry making claims about IC affecting the former, but I may have missed it. I agree completely that he has made claims, or opined, that IC is more appropriate for affecting change in the latter context.
And let me try to clarify that. I mean I don’t recall him saying that IC will make people’s reactions more compassionate, or be better at doing so than, for example C. He, and Sam, have both definitely said, repeatedly, that we should be more compassionate.
Well, crap. That will teach me to hurriedly submit a comment after only an extremely superficial skimming (and one would think a regular reader of a science and skepticism website would already be in the habit of careful and complete reading).
Anyway, I would guess that one of the things Vaal had in mind when asking that question is that compatibilism acknowledges as real, and takes into account, the differences between a genuinely cognitively disabled individual and a garden-variety asshole – differences that we instinctively perceive, as evidenced by our more immediate reactions. (Which is definitely not to say that our immediate reactions should have any bearing on our justice system. Actually, as Coel often points out, to a great extent our current system already tries to mitigate primal instincts.)
I don’t know. I really confused things with the C/IC mistake.
“… takes into account, the differences between a genuinely cognitively disabled individual and a garden-variety asshole …”
Which seems like an important distinction to make. Otherwise we’re ignoring what the gift of empiricism allows us to discern. And it’s more likely than not that our responses to certain behavior should take into account what we can know about its etiology.
On behalf of Kanye West, who was unfairly maligned in one of Mr. O’Neill’s tw–ts,* I would like to say:
*Like Jerry, I don’t tw–t myself, and although I have seen tw–ts, including the one at issue here, reposted ex situ on this site and on blogs elsewhere in cyberspace, I have yet to encounter a tw–t in its native habitat.
To paraphrase another famous Kanye quote, it’s a shame we can’t say:
Gerard O’Neill doesn’t care about Jewish people.
Yuk, Coors* Light? I confess, I drank a lot of this in high school. Not since then I promise!
As for Gerard – yep idiots are everywhere and sorry Jerry had to put up with him.
* Sadly, Coors HQ is just to the south of me in Golden. Don’t hold it against Golden, which is an awesome little town.
Coor’s HQ is in a town called “Golden”?
Wow, someone really didn’t see the “Golden Rain” jokes coming from that one.
It must be frustrating and perplexing for Gerard that so many of the atheist websites he visits are anti-racist.
From anyone else I’d be deeply & profoundly flattered to be asked if I was related to Barbra Streisand.
Yeah, I always identified with Streisand because she said her youthful appearance was due to oily skin – we’re the same that way.
But it is a swastika! (Although it might not be the usual way the Nazi Hakenkreuz is depicted.)
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Love his reference to Wagner — I wonder if he’s actually heard any? — or more likely, he’s just heard that Hitler liked it, so he figures it’s good. Can’t imagine he spends many evenings at home with the latest recording of the Flying Dutchman, or pondering the merits of different Bayreuth productions of the Ring cycle.
I’ve heard that it’s really much better than it sounds.
😀
It can’t be that bad – even I’ve been known to play it, from time to time.
Hint : If you’re being driven somewhere by me, and I stick “Ride of the Valkyries” into the tape deck … now would be a good time to start walking.
That tune has been forever tarnished (or improved?) by Elmer Fudd: “Kill the wabbit! Kill the wabbit!!”
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You still have a tape deck? In your Roadster?
Well, when I last put together a music compilation for driving to, I had a tape deck. There’s a slotty sort of thing in the current car, but I can’t remember ever putting anything into it. Got a radio! Autotunes to Radio 4 – very sofistikated!
Jerry,
“Gerard O’Neill, which appears to be his real name, is about what I expected. The antisemite seems to be an Aussie living in or near western Sydney”
In the circumstances, this is a very unfortunate juxtaposition of sentences.
Yeah, of course I didn’t mean I expected him to be an Aussie. I’ve fixed the text so it says what I meant, thanks.
The whole time I kept thinking, “Don’t let him be Canadian” 🙂
Right, no need to turn l’affaire O’Neill into a shanda for the non-Aussies.
The only time I ever heard the term, Jew-boy, was when Steve Landesberg said it in one of his standup routines.
The internet has empowered our young racist friend, he is struggling to find status, identity and peer approval and here he has found it. All of this attention is giving him bragging rights.
The indigenous aborigines are the one’s who would be copping it (racial slurs) on a daily basis, these ancient people hold a second class ticket on the whole, not to mention immigrants, in particular, from Asia.
It is all bravado and I would not want to be around him when he starts to drink full strength beers. You can only stand so much bullshit from one mouth.
Would knowing how O’Neill transgressed into a bigot help? Incompatibilism for me does not allow it to make a diference, he is what he is, unfortunately for the Prof. and the world. O’Neill’s software upgrade will take an extraordinary event.
So embarrassing to learn that he appears to be an Australian!
Well f**k him and ignore him.
Can I turn the conversation to christmas songs? A list of christmas songs from the Tablet:
1. “White Christmas,” music and lyrics by Irving Berlin.
2. “The Christmas Song” (“Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”), music and lyrics by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells.
3. “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow,” lyrics by Sammy Cahn, music by Julie Styne. ”
4. “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” music and lyrics by Irving Berlin.
5. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” music by Buck Ram, lyrics by Walter Kent.
6. “Sleigh Ride,” lyrics by Mitchell Parrish.
7. “Santa Baby,” music and lyrics by Joan Ellen Javits and Philip Springer. ”
8. “Winter Wonderland,” music and lyrics by Felix Bernard.
9. “Silver Bells,” music by Jay Livingston, lyrics by Ray Evans.
10. “The Christmas Waltz,” music and lyrics by Sammy Cahn and Julie Styne.
😉
Though you’ll notice none of those is about Baby Jesus.
How could you forget Chiron Beta Prime? There is even a version that includes how the robots get Xmas kinda wrong & crucify the wrong guy.
This seems an opportune time to add, as one wag pointed out, that whoever may have killed Jesus, it was definitely a Jew that gave the world “Easter Parade.”
Probably my most favorite is The Christmans Song performed by Nat King Cole. That probably is at least partly due to my formative years, but it is truly a beautiful vocal. Even in general, not just among Christmas songs. And Nat King Cole is also a favorite, period.
Have Your Self A Merry Little Christmas by Lou Rawls is way up there on my list too. Love that song, especially when he gets going.
#9 was just playing on the radio…
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Go join Mr Shermer in the corner, revising your elementary statistics. With 30.5 k.people following this blo^H^H^Hwebsite and 10 songs on the list, there are 305,000 possibilities for the radio to be playing the correct song.
Now, how many songs are there? Thorny question. I don’t really have the foggiest idea (nor do I have the faintest bit of interest – I’m just going through the motions now. Googling for “how many hit singles have there been” I get to http://www.aqa.63336.com/brilliant_answers/2010/04/how_many_uk_number_ones_have_there_been_in_total_ever.htm which asserts “There have been 1,127 singles to reach #1 in the UK singles chart.” (reality check : 50 years of charts ; 50 chart/year ; 2500 slots ; 2.5 weeks at the top each ; sniffs OK) So, looking at the top 10, maybe 20000 tracks in total? Does that sound a reasonable number? And now it sounds less implausible that your event happened.
I was just remarking on the coincidence; I drew quite different conclusions from MS!
And given the time of year the coincidence is even more likely.
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Hopefully not dramatically different than his final conclusions though.
Actually I do; I see no need for an explanation.
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Oh yeah. I forgot about the time of the year. Bloody pub quiz has been “suggested” to have Xmas rounds for the next few weeks by “The Management”. So I may boycott it.
Excellent list – I think have all of them on my personal Christmas compilation CD. Silver Bells is best sung by the silver voice of Johnny Mathis. Enjoy!
Did he get a free bowl of soup with that haircut?
Also, the vacant look in this kid’s eyes…like most racists and bigots, he is not exactly Mensa material.
That haircut is pretty gangster too…a bit like Lloyd Christmas.
I’m just glad that broken psyches like Gerard are not inhibited from so openly revealing the character of their cerebral spleen so the rest of us do not have to guess whom to give wide berths.
This guy can name-check Wagner and Plato until the wallabies come home, but one look at those pics, and you just know that the canonical performance that got his aesthetic juices flowing was Val Kilmer’s turn as “Iceman” in Top Gun, homoerotic subtext included.
He got grouchy with Jerry because he’s pining for his “Maverick.”
Good grief – he is a child ? Tell the parents, tell his teacher, get him some help….
Someone needs to be put over their mothers knee and spanked.
“He’s not an antisemite, he’s a very naughty boy!”
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😀
On the nail.
With a hammer.
Fingernail.
I didn’t know they sold Coors Lite in Australia. Has anyone done a check on this?
Otherwise, O’Neill looks to be exactly what one would expect: an inadequate little wanker who expresses his inadequacies through racism, antisemitism and who knows what else.
Again, JC, my sympathies that you were the target of this pluke’s venom. However much we tell ourselves that words they make no difference they do hurt, even if their source is just another ignorant numbnuts.
Which western university does he have tenure at?