Dawkins sues Josh Timonen

[Psi Wavefunction]

lp – I'm not claiming expertise, but as a human being I'm qualified to psychoanalyse whomever I want as an amateur. In fact, I have to do that to assess how to deal with whom, and who not to deal with at all. An essential skill in academia anyway...

[leo-rcc]

The parasitic life-forms commonly known as lawyers will gorge themselves full well...

I believe RD is partial to a certain quote from Henry VI, Part II:

The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.

*points out this thread to Dries*

[Psi Wavefunction]

I believe it is in Unweaving the Rainbow he goes off on a rant about lawyers...

Granted, the rant did make sense – lawyers do often engage in further polarising and dividing conflicting parties, especially in divorce situations. But it's very ironic of him to write that...

[Hermit]

To me, Dawkins is a perfect example of what NOT to do once you acquire a considerable level of success. Personally, I can't even understand why one would want to engage in nasty politics in their senior years (the guy's almost 70, FFS!), rather than quietly retiring or staying as a prof emeritus (in academia you actually get the option to work until you drop, no forced retirement in normal situations AFAIK) and just doing what then enjoy. Without politics. There's no point anymore, 'cause you don't need to get ahead! In any case, the path Dawkins chose is not a happy one. Perfect example of a demise of a successful science writer/scientist.

Dawkins is doing what he wants to do. What he wants to do is not limited to being a zoologist and a populariser of science. He also relishes being an advocate of and polemicist for atheism. Being able to do all of that makes his path a happy one for that reason, despite the trials (heh!) and tribulations he encounters along the way.

[Faithfree]

Anyone following the thread at RS, with this 'Monkeyhole' person who claims to have some sort of knowledge about the case? Most curious...

No facts - just lots of fist-shaking smug "you'll see" statements about Josh being vindicated, and implications that RD's really to blame.

One wonders if it's Ms. Norton...

No facts - just lots of fist-shaking smug "you'll see" statements about Josh being vindicated, and implications that RD's really to blame.

Yeah, that's all.

There has been speculation about it being Josh's girlfriend.

Very, very likely to be her, despite claims to the converse. In her last post over there:
[quote="Monkeyhole";p="535386"]You guys really think that a lawyer that put the terms "significantly older" girlfriend into his lawsuit is the bastion of credibility? If he is stupid enough to put that in the lawsuit, he is certainly stupid enough to file a fraudulent case.[/quote]
Almost identical to the comment from "The Beauty Butler" on Timonen's web site (now removed) that was self identified as being from her.

[Bella Fortuna]

Yup. I noticed that too. It would rankle her, of course. Funny that 'Monkeyhole' picked up on exactly that bit.

I read that she's ten years older... but I suspect the gap's a bit wider than admitted to.

[Animavore]

but I suspect the gap's a bit wider than admitted to.

...admitted to...



...admitted to...




...admitted to...

[charlou]

The age difference has sfa to do with anything. I think she is right to object to the lawyer making an issue of it. Really, WTF?

[Svartalf]

Yup. I noticed that too. It would rankle her, of course. Funny that 'Monkeyhole' picked up on exactly that bit.

I read that she's ten years older... but I suspect the gap's a bit wider than admitted to.

Everybody's seen the picture... the cougar is obviously in her fifties, not a mere 40

[Bella Fortuna]

Not that it matters. The ages are irrelevent, and I thought it pretty tacky that the complaint even referenced it - unless they're trying to make out that Norton was some kind of Svengali to him.

[Animavore]

Everybody's seen the picture...

I haven't.

[Svartalf]

The age difference has sfa to do with anything. I think she is right to object to the lawyer making an issue of it. Really, WTF?

maybe the suit aims to prove that the guy has no self control or emotional maturity, and is such a danger to society that he should be declared insane and sent to the loony bin?

[Svartalf]

Everybody's seen the picture...

I haven't.

it's been posted a couple times here... look through this thread, or the joshtimonen talks one, or maybe the one in his praise

[laklak]

<snork> <gasp> <gurgle> hee hee hee

Fucking ROFLMFAO! Fuck me, I'm offline for two days and I've got 100 frigging pages to read on two websites.

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away

[Ilovelucy]

The age difference has sfa to do with anything. I think she is right to object to the lawyer making an issue of it. Really, WTF?

maybe the suit aims to prove that the guy has no self control or emotional maturity, and is such a danger to society that he should be declared insane and sent to the loony bin?

I think that the claim about age is very deliberate and will probably make up part of the prosecution's case. Especially seeing as thousands of dollars were paid to her relatives. They will probably paint JT as emotionally and professionally out of his depth and work in a Lady MacBeth angle with the older, more experienced woman with a family to look after and expensive wants of her own. Nasty business, but there you go.