From: carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (Carl J Lydick)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,soc.culture.african.american,sci.skeptic
Subject: Re: Now this is personal (was Miss Manners returns. (was 1950's Darryle))
Date: 14 Nov 1992 05:10:40 GMT
Organization: HST Wide Field/Planetary Camera
Distribution: world
Reply-To: carl@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol1.gps.caltech.edu

In article <c7C=Lh-@engin.umich.edu>, dem@engin.umich.edu (Darryle E Merlette) writes:

[Many line diatribe involving an excellent description of Darryle as he's
appeared in this newsgroup, but with 'Dan' substituted for 'Darryle' deleted]

>   Dan doesn't know shit about me. But the fact that he can produce
>long-winded attacks on my character based on less than a half dozen
>postings speaks volumes about him.
>
>	Darryle
>
>PS: My advance apologies to everyone but Dan who reads this. I usually
>never do this sort of thing (its very immature), but sometimes you
>gotta go way down to be on some people's level.
>BTW Dan, don't bother replying to this message like I know you will
>-- your name is now a permanent resident of my kill file.

Well, since you've put HIM in your kill file, I'll answer.  Your postings would
make a very nice appendix to the sci.skepti FAQ.  It would be quite nice to
have a classic example of a conspiracy theorist ranting and raving to
demonstrate the various fallacies that crop up.  Let's see.  Among other
things, you:
    1)	Ignored any and all data that contradicted your conspiracy theory;
    2)	When large amounts of evidence were presented that indicated that a
	conspiracy was highly unlikely, you chose the classic answer of the
	conspiracy theorist:  "You can't prove that it's impossible.  Since you
	can't PROVE that it's impossible, it MUST be possible.  If it's
	possible, it MUST BE TRUE."
    3)	You grossly misrepresented a newspaper article (at least if we can trust
	the version of the article that was posted to the group).   While the
	article surmised that the polio vaccine put enough stress on the immune
	systems of the Africans to cause the HIV to become active, you claimed 
	that the sudden spread (actually, you implied that it was the
	beginning) of the disease was caused by contaminated vaccine.  I.e.,
	even when you produced some evidence, you misrepresented that.
All to support your conspiracy theory.  You ignore some evidence.  You distort
and misrepresent other evidence.  You don't produce a shred of evidence that
directly supports your conspiracy theory.  And finally, you make the pathetic
argument that since it can't be absolutely proven that the alleged conspiracy
was impossible, we've got to take your conspiracy theory seriously.

I don't think you're a danger to democracy.  If the public education system can
produce people like you, democracy's already dead, but just doesn't know it yet.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carl J Lydick | INTERnet: CARL@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU | NSI/HEPnet: SOL1::CARL

Disclaimer:  Hey, I understand VAXen and VMS.  That's what I get paid for.  My
understanding of astronomy is purely at the amateur level (or below).  So
unless what I'm saying is directly related to VAX/VMS, don't hold me or my
organization responsible for it.  If it IS related to VAX/VMS, you can try to
hold me responsible for it, but my organization had nothing to do with it.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban