Dawkins sues Josh Timonen

[klr]

ahem.jpg

[AshtonBlack]

Oh Drama!!!

[Thinking Aloud]

Oh Drama!!!

I shall treasure these two words until your next return.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

"Law and Order: UK"

[Don't Panic]

"Law and Order: UK"

California is in the UK?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

"Law and Order: UK"

California is in the UK?

Just the northern part.

[Ayaan]

I'm very excited about these changes...

I feel guilty for all the schadenfreude I feel.

Poor old Dawkins...as badly as he may have handled the blow up of RD.net, he didn't deserve this.

Fuck Josh even more for fucking over the atheist community. This does not make us look good.

I don't feel all that guilty for the schadenfreude I'm feeling, but the rest of it sums up my feelings exactly.

[hadespussercats]

I always had a theory that Dawkins had a bit of a crush on Timonen-- something in the tone of his writing about him-- I'm remembering something along the lines of "one of the most intelligent, talented persons I have had the pleasure to know." And if you consider the caliber of people Dawkins has had occasion to know, this sort of comment seems beyond high praise and into hyperbole. It's a well-known trope-- the elder master taking the pretty boy-toy under his wing, blinded by his affection for the son he never had, and getting used horribly in the process. Of course, this is all conjecture, but there's a fair amount of evidence for the theory.

I feel bad for Dawkins, being manipulated and then having the wool torn from his eyes, just months after dedicating a work to the bastard. At his age, Dawkins should have known better. But we're all human, and subject to frailties.

It's be nice if Dawkins would issue an apology to the forum, though.

[Robert_S]

IIt's not Richard, it's the foundation that's in his name.

According to Timonen's own records, Dawkins and the Foundation paid Timonen a total of $278,750 in 3½ years - an amount Dawkins calls "exceedingly generous and well above-market for someone of Timonen's age and experience, particularly for someone providing the bulk of his efforts to a charitable organization."

It is not clear if the foundation intentionally paid him that money, but in the best case scenario, it's stupendous mismanagement.

[floppit]

IIt's not Richard, it's the foundation that's in his name.

According to Timonen's own records, Dawkins and the Foundation paid Timonen a total of $278,750 in 3½ years - an amount Dawkins calls "exceedingly generous and well above-market for someone of Timonen's age and experience, particularly for someone providing the bulk of his efforts to a charitable organization."

It is not clear if the foundation intentionally paid him that money, but in the best case scenario, it's stupendous mismanagement.

It makes the charity look sloppy, after all it was the donations of others that paid the wages. I doubt (but don't know) RD would have donated the majority of what went. Seems like it didn't really demonstrate 'An Oasis of Clear Thinking.'

Theft is wrong, conning people is wrong regardless of who does and is done to. But meh.... There are plenty who get robbed that always were more vulnerable than Dawkins.

[Robert_S]

At least Dawkins won't be at a loss for words to describe Josh.

[hadespussercats]

At least Dawkins won't be at a loss for words to describe Josh.

I'm thinking about Beethoven wanting to dedicate the Eroica Symphony to Napoleon, then, after being disillusioned by Napoleon's tactics, ultimately dedicating the symphony to "The memory of a great man."

I'm wondering how the dedication page might change in new editions of Dawkins' book.

[Robert_S]

IIt's not Richard, it's the foundation that's in his name.

According to Timonen's own records, Dawkins and the Foundation paid Timonen a total of $278,750 in 3½ years - an amount Dawkins calls "exceedingly generous and well above-market for someone of Timonen's age and experience, particularly for someone providing the bulk of his efforts to a charitable organization."

It is not clear if the foundation intentionally paid him that money, but in the best case scenario, it's stupendous mismanagement.

It makes the charity look sloppy, after all it was the donations of others that paid the wages. I doubt (but don't know) RD would have donated the majority of what went. Seems like it didn't really demonstrate 'An Oasis of Clear Thinking.'

Theft is wrong, conning people is wrong regardless of who does and is done to. But meh.... There are plenty who get robbed that always were more vulnerable than Dawkins.

I just read it a little bit more carefully:

Timonen handed over financial books that detailed his embezzlement, Dawkins says, including $500 meals, trips to Timberline Lodge in Oregon and the Malibu Beach Inn, and $314,000 in "salaries" paid to Timonen and his girlfriend -though Timonen and the Foundation agreed that the $278,000 it was aware of paying him would be his combined salary for running the store and performing his other duties.

Fuck Richard! Fuck him right in the ear!!!

That money was supposed to go towards the advancement of reason and science, not to pamper his precious little boy toy!!!

[Rum]

Oh Drama!!!

He exists!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

~$650,000 spent over 3 1/2 years. I'm impressed. The only amounts anywhere near that amount that I've pissed away were taxpayers dollars.