Monthly Archives: August 2012

Meryl Dorey and the massive butthurt.

Oh dear, it looks like Australia’s leading anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist is upset with my attempts to get her to comply with government regulations. Meryl Dorey has setup a new section on the Australian Vaccination Networks website entitled “Dossier of Attacks on the AVN” where she whinges about all the criticism she’s been receiving as a result of her dangerous anti-vaccination ideology, and her failure to comply with government regulations. I found it very amusing that she decided to complain about my reporting her to the New South Wales Fair Trading.

Back in May 2012 I wrote to NSW Fair Trading to point out that the Australian Vaccination Network failed to comply with Section 41 of the ASSOCIATIONS INCORPORATION ACT 2009 (NSW).

This blatant attempt to enforce the current regulations did not sit well with Meryl Dorey and she decided to include me in her “Dossier”. I take this as a sign that I must have done something right.

Dan Buzzard who is associated with both the Australian Skeptics and Stop the AVN, has been filing complaints with government authorities and writing to venues where the AVN was hosting seminars for several years now. The first image below is a letter he sent to the NSW Department of Fair Trading complaining about the fact that our RealAustralianSkeptics blog did not mention the Australian Vaccination Network. Well, the reason for that is that the blog is actually ON the Australian Vaccination Network’s website! –Meryl Dorey

Since Meryl is clearly suffering from massive butthurt I thought perhaps I could help her out. So I wrote a helpful letter and included a copy of the BUTTHURT REPORT FORM.

My handwriting, my reason for always typing letters.

I trust she will find my letter and attachment most useful. If not she will probably make another media release about it, but at least I tried.

In addition to mailing the Butthurt form I also decided to supply Meryl with more content for the dossier on me. I know Meryl likes homeopathy so what better than to direct her to evidence that I might have been rude to someone who sold the bogus medicine. Yes it’s the Cease and Desist I received.

Sometimes I’m just too helpful.

Janet Fraser tries to hide from her deadly views

Janet Fraser is a “freebirthing advocate” from New South Wales who runs a website full of medical misinformation at JoyousBirth.info that aims to convince people that DIY child birth is a safe and reasonable thing to undertake. Janet Fraser views have already lead to the death of her own child in 2009.

In June of 2012 Deputy State Coroner Scott Mitchell declared Janet Fraser’s views on childbirth “extravagantly expressed” and “quite insensitive to the potential harm unassisted labour could cause”.

Ms Fraser, who runs the Joyous Birth website, had elected to have the “free birth” with only her husband Trevor Stokes and her friend Marianna Duce on hand throughout.

Mr Mitchell said Ms Fraser had not sought the assistance of any medical professionals in the lead up to the birth of her third child, electing to give birth in an inflatable pool in her home study.

There were no fluids, no drips, no cannulas and no emergency drugs to staunch bleeding, Mr Mitchell said. There was also no heart monitoring or resuscitation equipment for the baby or an oxygen mask for the mother. –Sydney Morning Herald

However despite the death of her own child and condemnation from the coroner Ms Fraser continues to run her Joyous Birth website to promote her ideas.

JoyousBirth.info owned by Janet Fraser

The Joyous Birth website was indeed registered to Ms Fraser on the 30th of June 2012 when I first queried the registration details of her domain name. However the next time queried the records on 29th August 2012, it appears Ms Fraser is now using an anonymity service to hide her ownership of the website.

JoyousBirth.info registration details obfuscation.

So Janet Fraser wants mothers to try her solution despite the fact that it killed her own child. She is also trying to hide her involvement with the Joyous Birth website. Is she ashamed of the misinformation she spreads? she should be. Although she certainly isn’t sorry otherwise she would pull the site down, or at least correct herself when she is shown to be wrong. I wouldn’t call the death of a child a “Joyous Birth”, but then I’m not Janet Fraser.

Louise Barbara: 9/11 victims chose to fly

Ok so Psychics are known to make plenty of outrageous claims. But Perth based psychic and fraud Louise Barbara had this to say on Facebook.

She is not only a moron and fraud (Psychic medium) but also an anti-vaxxer.

Fortunately her Facebook page now appears to be deleted. But I’m sure it won’t be the last we see of her. Especially as she is based in my own city.

eBay to prohibit psychic fraud

eBay is taking steps to prevent people from selling fraudulent items  via its online auction system.  Items that fraudsters will no longer be able to sell include Psychic Readings, Spells and Magic Potions.

Screenshot from eBay

eBay gives the reason.

Transactions in these categories often result in issues between the buyer and seller that are difficult to resolve. To help build confidence in the marketplace for both buyers and sellers, eBay is discontinuing these categories and including the items on the list of prohibited items. –eBay

In other words buyers are sick of being ripped off by charlatans so eBay is at long last going to put a stop to it. Charlatans have until the 30th of August 2012 to cease selling these dodgy or non-existent wares.

Of course these crooks aren’t simply going to disappear without a fuss and have set up a petition to urge eBay to allow them to continue their shonky trades

The petition lists 24 Facebook pages, 18 Twitter pages, 1600 eBay.com email addresses and the personal home address and telephone number of eBays current CEO.  It seems these crooks are going to engage in a mass harassment/abuse campaign against eBay and their staff.  We have seen similar tactics employed by anti-vaccine nuts in the past.

The pending harassment campaign comes as no surprise; I have learnt that people who make money by cheating and swindling are amongst the most hostile in the bullshit category.  I only hope eBay has the security in place to protect its staff from this possible onslaught of nutbags.

Link: eBay catagory updates.

Link: Charlatan response.

Who let the skeptic in?

Meryl Dorey of the infamous Australian Vaccination Network has been holding public seminars where herself and Greg Beattie have been lying to the public in order to scare the public. However in order to provide the illusion of balance they decided to allow Scotty Harrison, a statistician to give a 12 minute presentation.

However unlike both Meryl Dorey and and Greg Beattie; Scotty Harrison is honest. So Scotty’s presentation addressed and refuted the anti-vaccination claims of Greg and Meryl.

No doubt Greg and Meryl will be outraged by this sudden outburst of Research, Logic and Honesty.

Aboriginal Memes, is Free-Speech Taboo in Australia?

A shit storm is currently brewing over a controversial Facebook page entitled “Aboriginal Memes” the page is now offline but I collected the photos from it so you can see what the fuss is about. Photos Now offline. (I think I’ve made my point.)

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has weighed into the debate over a racially abusive Facebook page, saying he thinks it should be taken down. 

SBS reported yesterday on the Facebook page, which allows posts with racially abusive “memes” about Indigenous people. The page was temporarily removed, before re-appearing on the site with a tag noting that the content contained “controversial humour”.  

–World News Australia

However the really horrific thing that I personally found about this page was not the content at all, but rather the fanatical Anti-freedom of Speech groups that setup for the sole purpose of suppressing another persons speech. Yes, that speech is distasteful but supporting free speech means that we must often defend distasteful things.

A page Called Make Facebook Shut Down Aboriginal Memes

Has sprung up in protest of the Aboriginal Memes page  however this situation is nothing more than people seeking to suppress another person’s speech because they happen to find it distasteful. I find it disturbing how many people are radically opposed to freedom of speech in this country. Except of course when it’s their own speech then all of a sudden they are suddenly in favour of it.

But this only shows a gross lack of consideration for what free speech means for all of us. Because you cannot possibly claim to support freedom of speech while simultaneously seeking to suppress another. Free Speech is a right that must be given to everyone on equal ground regardless of its content.

When supporting the Freedom of Speech  you don’t need to agree with the opinions of others but unless you are prepared to defend their right to say whatever they like you cannot call yourself a supporter of Free-Speech and nor can you reasonably expect others to respect your rights when you do not extend that courtesy yourself.

I hate having to defend those whom I disagree with, but it seems I am required to do so more and more often in order to defend free speech these days. This is one of those times.

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. –Evelyn Beatrice Hall

Jane Beeby is unfit for public office.

I have just learnt that a board member of the Australian Vaccination Network wishes to run for office in Clarence Valley, New South Wales.

People who oppose vaccination do not belong in civilised society, the information spread by the Australian Vaccination Network is both dangerous and misleading. Not only is Jane Beeby playing a role in the spread of this anti-vaccination fear mongering but she also wishes death upon people who challenge her seriously delusional anti-vaccination ideology.

Photo via ReasonableHank.com

Jane Beeby writes “May your next shot be lethal one Jason, or at least one with a few brain cells.”

Jane Beeby did have a Facebook page for her political campaign, but she has since deleted it thanks to Reasonable Hank who went there to ask questions. Apparently she doesn’t like answering questions about her wishing death upon those whom she disagrees with.

Here is Jane Beeby telling another critic to drink bleach.

Photo via MyColleaguesAreIdiots.com

Jane Beeby writes “gargle with bleach peter, it will help with the smell of shit of your breath.”

Did I mention this woman also thinks children should be denied life saving vaccinations leaving them vulnerable to horrific disease. Yes, I did mention she was anti-vaccination earlier but it’s worth mentioning twice. Jane Beeby is absolutely unfit for anything except a straight jacket. Do NOT vote for Beeby; your children will suffer for it.

Anti-vaxxers don't like the truth.

Is it fair to suggest that those who spend a significant part of their lives advocating against vaccination derive some kind of sick pleasure from the damage caused by vaccine preventable disease?

Vaccines have prevented millions of people from suffering horrific deaths from disease. Measles alone was responsible for 139 300 deaths in 2010, and is one of the leading causes of death amongst young children [source]. However Anti-vaccination activists, whom I prefer to call ‘Disease Advocates’ actively campaign again vaccination for diseases such as Measles, Polio and Pertussis.

I think Peter Bowditch’s question is a fair one. Yes it’s rude, but if I had a choice between being rude or endangering the lives of children. I know where the moral high ground resides. People who actively oppose vaccinations are not just endangering their own children; but the entire community.

If anti-vaxxers only endangered their own offspring then an argument for natural selection and Darwin awards could be made. But these people aren’t contempt with living under rocks and instead choose to walk amongst society where they can pose a serious threat to the health of everyone within that community.

Of course anti-vaxxers don’t like the cold hard truth being pointed out to them. Meryl Dorey the lead anti-vaxxer in Australia and her loyal minion Liz Hempel have this week kicked up a fuss about the suggestion of death induced orgasms.

Of course it’s a bit rich for Meryl Dorey to accuse anyone of being rude after she and her fellow anti-vaxxers engaged in the vicious campaign of harassment against a family who lost their four week old daughter to Whooping Cough (pertussis) in 2009. [Source]

Meryl Dorey’s motivation for attacking a grieving family was that she personally disagreed with the cause of death, despite not being a medical professional and having no involvement with the patient prior to death. Meryl Dorey thinks she knows better than any doctor, and she’s not afraid to attack a grieving family or anyone else who disagrees with her ideology. [Source]

So here’s a message for Meryl Dorey and her fellow anti-vaxxers/Disease-Advocates