…and this is a 
Mail dump
Category: Administrative
Posted on: July 13, 2008 4:48 PM, by PZ Myers
Please STOP SENDING EMAIL TO THESE INDIVIDUALS. There are too many of you, the over-reaction is excessive, and you are not doing our reputation any favor. See this message for more.
Some of you may have noticed the little promise over in the left sidebar.
I reserve the right to publicly post, with full identifying information about the source, any email sent to me that contains threats of violence.
I'm posting without comment the worst of today's crop of email threats. Formatting will be little wacky since it is just a raw dump of the mail with headers.
From: mkroll@1800FLOWERS.com
Subject: your short life
Date: July 13, 2008 8:07:31 AM CDT
To: myersp@morris.umn.edu
Delivered-To: pzmyers@gmail.com
Received: by 10.100.126.5 with SMTP id y5cs262374anc; Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:08:03 -0700 (PDT)
Received: by 10.65.237.15 with SMTP id o15mr14501258qbr.56.1215954482483; Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:08:02 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from mtain-a.tc.umn.edu (mtain-a.tc.umn.edu [134.84.119.205]) by mx.google.com with ESMTP id u2si9779510pyb.16.2008.07.13.06.08.01; Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:08:02 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from 1800flowers.int (mail2.800-flowers.net [205.153.87.31]) by mtain-a.tc.umn.edu (UMN smtpd) with ESMTP for ; Sun, 13 Jul 2008 08:08:01 -0500 (CDT)
Received: from ([10.180.1.74]) by CPNYMAIL02.1800flowers.int with ESMTP id 5202711.34123806; Sun, 13 Jul 2008 09:07:31 -0400
Return-Path:
Return-Path:
Received-Spf: neutral (google.com: 134.84.119.205 is neither permitted nor denied by best guess record for domain of mkroll@1800flowers.com) client-ip=134.84.119.205;
Authentication-Results: mx.google.com; spf=neutral (google.com: 134.84.119.205 is neither permitted nor denied by best guess record for domain of mkroll@1800flowers.com) smtp.mail=mkroll@1800flowers.com
X-Umn-Remote-Mta: [N] mail2.800-flowers.net [205.153.87.31] #+HN+NR+OF (I,-)
X-Umn-Report-As-Spam:
X-Mimeole: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.5
Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message
Mime-Version: 1.0
Message-Id: <900E52131BA0F248B0CB176E84D0A26E06DE335A@18f-exch01.1800flowers.int>
X-Ms-Has-Attach:
X-Ms-Tnef-Correlator:
Thread-Topic: your short life
Thread-Index: AcjkaTBIDzgwGOqkTNCCBD35Hlh9EA==
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C8E4E9.68CD4469"
Paul,
what I would like to know is how did you even
get a job at a collage.
when you are obviously a moron.
How would you feel if nice folks starting ranting against
Fags, and atheist like yourself.
well sir, you don't get to blaspheme and walk away from this.
You have two choices my fucked up friend, first you can quit your job for the good of the
children. Or you can get your brains beat in.
I give you till the first of the month, get that resignation in cunt
This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or
proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or
entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is
not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the
reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or
copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this
e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this
message and delete this e-mail immediately.
From: smonte19@hotmail.com
Subject:
Date: July 13, 2008 3:14:56 PM CDT
To: myersp@morris.umn.edu
Delivered-To: pzmyers@gmail.com
Received: by 10.100.126.5 with SMTP id y5cs276508anc; Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:15:00 -0700 (PDT)
Received: by 10.65.210.19 with SMTP id m19mr15299936qbq.45.1215980100172; Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:15:00 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from mtain-w.tc.umn.edu (mtain-w.tc.umn.edu [134.84.119.8]) by mx.google.com with ESMTP id n29si11045669pyh.32.2008.07.13.13.14.59; Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:15:00 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from bay0-omc3-s18.bay0.hotmail.com (bay0-omc3-s18.bay0.hotmail.com [65.54.246.218]) by mtain-w.tc.umn.edu (UMN smtpd) with ESMTP for ; Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:14:59 -0500 (CDT)
Received: from BAY139-W13 ([64.4.43.48]) by bay0-omc3-s18.bay0.hotmail.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.3959); Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:14:56 -0700
Return-Path:
Return-Path:
Received-Spf: softfail (google.com: domain of transitioning smonte19@hotmail.com does not designate 134.84.119.8 as permitted sender) client-ip=134.84.119.8;
Authentication-Results: mx.google.com; spf=softfail (google.com: domain of transitioning smonte19@hotmail.com does not designate 134.84.119.8 as permitted sender) smtp.mail=smonte19@hotmail.com
X-Umn-Remote-Mta: [N] bay0-omc3-s18.bay0.hotmail.com [65.54.246.218] #+IX+NR+UF+CP (R,-)
X-Umn-Report-As-Spam:
Message-Id:
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="_860d5675-0c3f-48fa-a7b4-273f8a3eaf49_"
X-Originating-Ip: [69.119.180.20]
Importance: Normal
Mime-Version: 1.0
X-Originalarrivaltime: 13 Jul 2008 20:14:56.0487 (UTC) FILETIME=[1E4B6F70:01C8E525]
Professor Myers
You are a scumbag, may your insides rot, may your neck be snapped by an iron boot against a curb, I hope
for a world without liberals, we can start with you
Making the world a better place one message at a time. Check out the i'm Talkathon.
Comments
How would you feel if nice folks starting ranting against
Fags, and atheist like yourself.
That sounds like America as it exists today; indeed it sounds like the anti-gay hate group that is the Roman Catholic Church and Pope Nazinger.
Posted by: MAJeff, OM | July 13, 2008 4:57 PM
Wow. I can't believe you have to put up with this shit. I heartily approve of your new policy.
Posted by: Carlie | July 13, 2008 4:58 PM
I fully endorse this new policy.
Posted by: Kobra | July 13, 2008 4:59 PM
now we can start emailing them....and spamming them to death.
Posted by: eyerock | July 13, 2008 5:00 PM
Entertainment on a regular basis in your mailbox, I don't see the problem.
Posted by: Martin Jonsson | July 13, 2008 5:01 PM
It'a amazing how these religious bozos think that their magic god-thing can't fight its own battles. Do they, at some level, realize that their religion is just a made-up pile of stinking crap?
Posted by: Richard Harris | July 13, 2008 5:01 PM
Disregard that; I suck cocks.
Posted by: Trolling | July 13, 2008 5:01 PM
This has reminded me of a bit in one of Margaret Cho's standup routines (I think it's in Assassin).
During the '04 election, she did a lot of campaigning for the Dems, and, well, Margaret's comedy isn't really friendly toward Republicans, conservatives, or the Pope ("Queen, Please!")
She got a bunch of email like this, with all the intelligence of the offspring of brother and sister Freepers, and she prints the emails....and starts getting emails from the haters like, "Please call off the gay people."
"It was like I'd unleashed a sleeper cell of Al-Gayda!"
Posted by: MAJeff, OM | July 13, 2008 5:01 PM
Re #4:
Spamming them? How about reporting them to the appropriate authorities?
Posted by: JRY | July 13, 2008 5:02 PM
Disregard that; I suck cocks.
You say it like that's a bad thing.
Could we get away from this idea that cocksucking is some kind of grievous insult? It's a wonderful skill, and it's practitioners should be praised not denigrated.
Posted by: MAJeff, OM | July 13, 2008 5:03 PM
Man, here I wrote a NICE mail to Mr Myers and got no response. No wonder, if this is the kind of a-hole mails he get, i bet all of it ends up in the junk except some lucky few.
Well, good Policy PZ, cheeses, and its amazing they call ATHEIST immoral.
Posted by: Gustaf | July 13, 2008 5:03 PM
No! Don't respond by spamming them back! These could very well be fake or phished email addresses (I think you can count on it for the first one).
Posted by: PZ Myers | July 13, 2008 5:04 PM
The first address came from 1800flowers.com.
You know what that means: Time to send emails to the corporation. :D
Posted by: Kobra | July 13, 2008 5:04 PM
PZ -
You might want to forward Mr. Roll's submission back to HR at 1800Flowers. Most companies would have a corporate stroke if they knew that their employees were using company e-mail for threats like this.
This is actionable in court. You can at least have the satisfaction of watching one of your attackers burn.
- Robert
Posted by: Hephaestus | July 13, 2008 5:04 PM
What do emails say?
Nothing.
Who knows who actually writes them.
That is, even with the IP information and so on...who are these people? Are they acquaintances of the Prof, sympathizers, who agree to write letters to make the prof's opponenets look worse? Are they just idiots with nothing better to do? Idiots who have no dog in this fight and just want the Prof to notice them?
An email tells me nothing about who really wrote them. It doesn't tell me anything about those who disagree with the Prof.
Sort of like the Bible.
Just because someone says they wrote something,doesn't mean anything in the text is true or accurate or even if the identity of the person is as claimed. It doesn't tell me anything about the true motivation of the person writing the email. Are they really in opposition to the Prof, or are they playing a convoluted game to help the Prof raise sympathy for himself?
Historical Critical Method v. Blind Faith in the Prof.
You decide!
Posted by: Chuck | July 13, 2008 5:05 PM
And on another note, please tell me that the mkroll@1800FLOWERS.com addy was spoofed.
Posted by: JRY | July 13, 2008 5:05 PM
#9
yeah cause email isn't really anonymous is it.... :P
Posted by: eyerock | July 13, 2008 5:05 PM
I shouldn't laugh, but including a mini anti-gay rant in the middle of an email from 1800Flowers.com just tickles my bitter queeny heart.
Posted by: MAJeff, OM | July 13, 2008 5:06 PM
@ eyerock #4: Ha!
Seriously, these people are acting like demented barbarians. They NEED to be spammed. And prayed for, of course . . . in the new sense of the word ;)
I'm a long-time lurker; this is my first comment on Pharyngula. I love this blog!
Posted by: Charades | July 13, 2008 5:06 PM
One wonders if 1800flowers.com approves of company resources being used to send violent threats.
Posted by: Tiax | July 13, 2008 5:07 PM
The first guy is emailing PZ from his 1800flowers.com work address. I wonder how his boss would take it if someone complained that he is sending violent threats using a corporate email address? Wouldn't he get fired for this?
Posted by: pradeep | July 13, 2008 5:07 PM
I'm telling you, you really need to get a giant octopus bodyguard.
Posted by: Patrick Orlob | July 13, 2008 5:08 PM
Scary people. At least one refers to you respectfully as "Professor" before threatening to snap your neck - must be new to the whole death-threat thing.
Horrifying.
Posted by: SC | July 13, 2008 5:08 PM
Whether or not the first e-mail was spoofed, I suggest you send the email straight to their company's HR and tell them to check it out.
Posted by: Katharine | July 13, 2008 5:09 PM
I'm always amused with emails that have that disclaimer at the bottom, as if just SAYING "any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is prohibited" makes it legally binding.
Posted by: Michael Bach | July 13, 2008 5:11 PM
No! Don't respond by spamming them back! These could very well be fake or phished email addresses (I think you can count on it for the first one).
Hmm. If PZ thinks they're fake e-mails, why is he bothering to post them? I'm not saying he shouldn't, I'm just curious.
Posted by: JayD | July 13, 2008 5:11 PM
And yet, Chuck (#15), even without an IP address, your posting tells me a lot about you. For one thing, it tells me that you are an offensive little troll.
Posted by: Hephaestus | July 13, 2008 5:12 PM
Hey, the first guy works for a florist!
The second's only managed three posts in four years!
Posted by: Tony | July 13, 2008 5:13 PM
He is not saying the emails are fake, but the return email addresses may be stolen or faked. However, the header on the 1800flowers one seems to be legitimate with the proper follow-back to the originating servers.
Posted by: pradeep | July 13, 2008 5:14 PM
Judging by the Received headers on the first one, it certainly looks like it did actually come from where it claims to come from.
Posted by: Nick Johnson | July 13, 2008 5:14 PM
#26: "Hmm. If PZ thinks they're fake e-mails, why is he bothering to post them? I'm not saying he shouldn't, I'm just curious."
The emails aren't fake, he just thinks the addresses are. Someone still sat down and wrote that bilge.
Posted by: Olaf Davis | July 13, 2008 5:16 PM
Posted by: Taz | July 13, 2008 5:16 PM
Posted by: me | July 13, 2008 5:16 PM
I fully support you putting this information out. I certainly hope that the poster from 1800 Flowers has had his email stolen. Otherwise, I wouldn't want to be in the office once HR gets through. Good Luck!
Posted by: Tsugradstudent | July 13, 2008 5:16 PM
With regards the first email, the IP address 205.153.87.31 resolves to mail2.800-flowers.net. The IP addresses that begin with 10. are internal addresses and are only of use for working out from where within a network an e-mail originated.
It is easy to put in a false email address as the originator, but quite a bit harder to fake the servers an e-mail passes through. Either the author of that e-mail is good at spamming or he (and I suspect it is a he for no other reason women tend not to be so aggressive) or they really do have access to an e-mail account with 800-flowers.net
Also the disclaimer at the bottom indicates it may well come from a genuine account. Given what the e-mail indicates about the intelligence level of the author I would be surprised if they would have thought to add that.
Posted by: Matt Penfold | July 13, 2008 5:17 PM
JRY wrote: And on another note, please tell me that the mkroll@1800FLOWERS.com addy was spoofed.
I wouldn't think so. Looks like the IP address is registered to 1-800-Flowers as well. It appears this guy is sending violent threats from a work computer, using his work email address. Not smart.
205.153.87.31 - Geo Information
IP address 205.153.87.31
Host mail2.800-flowers.net
Location US US, United States
City Westbury, NY 11590
Organization 1-800-FLOWERS
ISP 1-800-FLOWERS
Posted by: shiftysquid | July 13, 2008 5:17 PM
1-800-flowers' human resources department can be reached at:
careers@1800flowers.com
- or -
One Old Country Road
Suite 500
Carle Place, NY 11514
Posted by: Marcus Ranum | July 13, 2008 5:18 PM
And we will know they are Christians by their love, by their love. Yes we will know they are Christians by their love.
Posted by: Ghost of Minnesota | July 13, 2008 5:18 PM
Yeah, I'm getting a LOT of email right now. Most of it is friendly, and I apologize for not replying, but…I can't answer a thousand messages of support every day. Most of the negative messages are of the "I will pray for you" sort, some are of the indirectly hostile sort ("I'm a marine and I can break people in half like toothpicks"), and a very few get very, very nasty — for some reason, several have launched into profane tirades against my mother — do Catholics have mommy issues or something?
I am most creeped out, though, by the way a majority express the same hypocritical sentiment: they are defending what they hold sacred in angry terms, and at the same time telling me I have to deface what Muslims hold sacred. It isn't the principle of protecting the holy at all...it's a selfish demand that their petty icons be held exceptionally sacrosanct.
I've been deleting almost all of the hate mail as it comes in, and I was just thinking that maybe I should salt some of the more threatening ones away in a public place. So that's why you're seeing this. I'm also thinking it may deter some of the real crazies out there.
Posted by: PZ Myers | July 13, 2008 5:19 PM
Wow. That irrational guy from 1-800Flowers.com doesn't sound like any sort of company I would want to ever do business with.
I still stand by my belief that a great many religious people should be institutionalized for this sickness. This is the "morality" which religion promotes, but it is dangerous, vile and petty, and not moral in the least. You simply have to stop and scratch your head over how people can become so irreparably damaged as this. It makes no sense.
I agree with this new policy, PZ. These lunatics need to see the light of day, and people do need to be aware of these dangerous zealots whose minds and faith are so weak that violence is their only way of defending their grip on irrational things.
I hate these people. They bring nothing but fear and madness to the world.
Posted by: Capital Dan | July 13, 2008 5:19 PM
When posting, if there's any doubt about the 'From' being forged (which is very common and easy and done to attract trouble to innocent people, 'joe job' attacks), that can be omitted while leaving the rest of the header information.
Other header information will be entirely usable for anyone seriously curious about the origin, and yet impenetrable for the kind of occasional nitwit apt to trust 'From' and attack that.
E.g.:
Received-Spf: neutral (google.com: 134.84.119.205 is neither permitted nor denied by best guess record for domain of mkroll@1800flowers.com) client-ip=134.84.119.205;
Authentication-Results: mx.google.com; spf=neutral (google.com: 134.84.119.205 is neither permitted nor denied by best guess record for domain of mkroll@1800flowers.com) smtp.mail=mkroll@1800flowers.com
X-Umn-Remote-Mta: [N] mail2.800-flowers.net [205.153.87.31] #+HN+NR+OF (I,-)
Posted by: Hank Roberts | July 13, 2008 5:20 PM
Too often, I'm shocked at the relationship between unmitigated hatred and fundamentalism. I'm sorry you have to deal with this PZ. I heartily support your policy of making these email public.
Posted by: John | July 13, 2008 5:20 PM
i googled smonte19...if you do the same you'll see that this guy has posted other lovely comments like:
"Geez no wonder I depise most women now"
"Just got back from lunch break,and in more than on place I saw "666" perfectly painted in red on the sidewalk in circular fashion. Well I always knew this town was close to the gates of hell, but I guess the diabolicals are trying to make themselves obvious. I highly doubt anyone here would notice them, cant wait to get a job in the suburbs. Credo un Deum"
"Christians and Muslims DO NOT WORSHIP THE SAME GOD... Muslims deny Christ's divinity and the Holy Trinity. People who convert from Islam can be killed according to their holy texts. I'll believe Islam is tolerant when they're church's in Saudia Arabia "
so it's a real addy!
and the guy's a freakin wanker.
this is the best one
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-D1YV2Lshc6f3nv6N3j6b?bid=535&yy=2008&mm=5
so PZ, you're not the only one getting hate mail from this sad, pathetic little man.
Posted by: molecanthro | July 13, 2008 5:21 PM
#39:
You're STILL getting a crapton of email? Wow.
Posted by: Kobra | July 13, 2008 5:21 PM
The first posters email was mkroll@1800flowers.com
I wonder if 1-800-Flowers, a large company, knows that one of it's employees is sending hate-speech e-mails to college professors.
I called their customer support number, but thats mainly for transactions. The nice woman gave me their corporate number (516-237-6000) and said that that would be the number to call. I imagine it's only available during business hours.
She also said that using the customer support feedback tool would have the message routed correctly.
To Contact the Board of 1800Flowers http://investor.1800flowers.com/contactBoard.cfm
Normal Email
http://ww22.1800flowers.com/serviceform.do
If you speak/email, be civil and be courteous. Let them know that you are very offended by the hate speak by a 1800Flowers employee and that the action strongly affects your decision to use the companies services in the future.
Be sure to let them know that the user was 'mkroll@1800flowers.com', and that the email was sent from within 1800Flowers network. They sent the e-mail while at work, or through a VPN routing through the network.
Posted by: Chris Riley | July 13, 2008 5:21 PM
These may be fake addresses but they're both written by utter morons.
Paul,
what I would like to know is how did you even
get a job at a collage.
when you are obviously a moron.
How would you feel if nice folks starting ranting against
Fags, and atheist like yourself.
well sir, you don't get to blaspheme and walk away from this.
You have two choices my fucked up friend, first you can quit your job for the good of the
children. Or you can get your brains beat in.
I give you till the first of the month, get that resignation in cunt
Nice job genius. Either you're entering high school or you're flexing that collage education. If theres one thing I noticed about reading the scriptures, it's that Jesus would of beat someone who desecrated his bread with a bat.
Oh wait.
Fucking hypocrites.
Posted by: Geral | July 13, 2008 5:21 PM
That first one might be traceable back to the perp's employer. It not only has the e-mail addy header of the "1-800-FLOWERS" email system, it includes the disclaimer tag at the end. That's a common text used by corporate e-mail systems for internally generated e-mail. Someone hacking into a header to conceal the source usually wouldn't bother with tracking down the disclaimer text and pasting it in to the body of the message - all they care about is masking their identity.
This idiot may have actually been stupid enough to use his work e-mail to send you a threat.
And since the guy sent the e-mail to your university .edu address, you could probably get your IT department at the school to help you track this guy down. The university I work for certainly has policies about such traffic entering their system.
The first step is a letter to the 1-800-FLOWERS corporate headquarters, preferably on a lawyer's letterhead. Corporate bosses take such things as death-threat e-mails going out from their systems very seriously indeed, because they might be found liable if they don't. You could at the very least get him fired from his job, which is a delicious irony considering his threat to you.
Posted by: Joe Max | July 13, 2008 5:22 PM
"Otherwise, I wouldn't want to be in the office once HR gets through. Good Luck!"
I somehow expect the author of that e-mail would not be in the office any longer either.
Posted by: Matt Penfold | July 13, 2008 5:23 PM
We were talking about your security situation after dropping you off at the hotel last night. I think you should be a little wary of some of these threats. All it takes is some little religious nut with a real violent streak to do some real harm to you. Stay safe.
Posted by: pradeep | July 13, 2008 5:25 PM
#15: Yeah, PZ Myers is the REAL bad guy here. Thanks for enlightening us. I'm guessing he had a friend of his write up all the other hate-filled emails he's received over the past few days. And the Catholics who've responded in the forums haven't been concealing their identity and engaging in sock puppetry at all. These atheist bloggers, you just can't trust them.
Posted by: jackalopemonger | July 13, 2008 5:25 PM
I sent a note over to 1-800-flowers asking if mkroll is real, and asking if they endorse his/her message. The email header (not the address, but all the routing details) sure makes it look like that message originated on the inside of 1-800-flower's firewall.
Posted by: MM | July 13, 2008 5:27 PM
"get that resignation in cunt"
This line is fantastic. Not only are you to write a resignation, you are commanded to insert it into a woman's vagina. Truly, a great mind at work.
Best wishes-
zombiehorde
Posted by: ZombieHorde | July 13, 2008 5:27 PM
There is a 99% chance that the 1800Flowers address is legit. Occam's Razor, people.
What's more likely.
1) An employee sends an email from work.
2) A clever hacker finds a way to intelligently hijack a random person from 1-800-Flowers's e-mail, and then send badly worded, anti-atheist hate speak while spoofing several layers of corporate networking (or sending the email through the actual corporate servers).
There's just no real way that someone managed to spoof the headers on that e-mail like that. It's legit. He should be fired, and could face charges if Mr. Meyers really wanted.
Posted by: Chris Riley | July 13, 2008 5:27 PM
PZ said:
"...for some reason, several have launched into profane tirades against my mother -- do Catholics have mommy issues or something?"
I think the veneration they give Jesus' mother might be a clue. I think some Catholics have issues dealing with the fact their real mothers are not actually virgins.
Posted by: Matt Penfold | July 13, 2008 5:28 PM
"what I would like to know is how did you even get a job at a collage"
A collage? Is that like Bovine University?
Posted by: Muffin | July 13, 2008 5:29 PM
I love the irony of where "Serge Savard"
(I assume that's a fake name and it's not really the famous drunk-driving ex general-manager of the Montreal Canadiens) AKA
(smonte19@hotmail.com) is complaining about islam being intolerant here:
http://www.pittnews.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticleComments&ustory_id=0172f76c-9e00-41d1-9673-b7480a6ae8be
"Once again another attempt to white wash a religion which has historically been spread by force. Their prophet himself was a military commander, I challenge anyone to deny this fact. Christians and Muslims DO NOT WORSHIP THE SAME GOD... Muslims deny Christ's divinity and the Holy Trinity. People who convert from Islam can be killed according to their holy texts. I'll believe Islam is tolerant when they're church's in Saudia Arabia"
What a retard. Looks like some punk is hiding behind a fake identity. Liars for jebus!
Posted by: Marcus Ranum | July 13, 2008 5:29 PM
Some of you people are really cunty. Do you really think the 1800Flowers guy's threat was serious? You're trying to ruin somebody's livelihood because they sent an obscene email that in itself has ZERO real-life repercussions. Grow up and chill out.
But it would be pretty funny if he did get fired. Nevermind, I guess.
/hates catholics
Posted by: kevin | July 13, 2008 5:36 PM
Who wants to give 1800 flowers a call? If it's not one of their PC's, which I doubt, then they'll want to launch their own investigation to find out who's hijacked it. But like I said, I doubt it's not one of theirs, the footer is clearly from one of their official email templates. What a moron. I'm sure if they had 100 people or so call and complain about this guy, he'd get canned right quick.
Posted by: Mike Pack | July 13, 2008 5:36 PM
Well, for what it's worth I sent a complain to careers@1800flowers.com. I hope it does some good.
Stay safe, professor. This blog is a voice of reason in a cacophony of idiots.
Posted by: Friso | July 13, 2008 5:38 PM
Kevin -
They used THEIR COMPANY'S EMAIL to send PZ a DEATH THREAT.
Some death threats get acted on.
DUDE, WTF.
Posted by: Katharine | July 13, 2008 5:38 PM
I'm sad there were only two to play with.
Posted by: Flonkbob | July 13, 2008 5:38 PM
Wow. I disagree with the Professor's opinions regarding my faith, but the jerks sending hate mail like that to him have no idea what actual Christianity/Catholicism is about.
I completely support your decision to post, with complete headers, mail like this. These individuals should be penalized by civil authorities for these threats and, assuming they actually are Catholic and not posers, they really should open their catechism and discover what their church actually proclaims.
I'm sorry that people can be so full of hate and it disturbs me greatly that they make folks who are honest-to-God trying to live their faith in the manner that it is supposed to be lived (in love) seem like idiots-by-association.
I admit, if all of the people who called themselves followers of Christ actually followed his teachings, the world would be a better place. I do hope that people out there realize that this behavior isn't typical, or even remotely considered acceptable to Catholicism.
Posted by: Brandon | July 13, 2008 5:40 PM
#57
He sent a death-threat from work. Read it, that's an ultimatum to resign, and it involves the children. Yes, his livelihood should be ruined.
Posted by: onclepsycho | July 13, 2008 5:40 PM
Well, if that 1-800-Flowers email turns out to be from an actual employee, I hope those in charge reprimand the author and force him to write a letter of apology to Dr. Myers.
He's clearly unhinged, uneducated and dangerous.
Posted by: Capital Dan | July 13, 2008 5:41 PM
Looks like there will no going away flowers from the boss for mkroll...
Let's hope he is reading this thread. The paranoia of impending doom coupled with the adrenaline rush of fear could cause him to recycle today's meals all over the floor.
Posted by: mayhempix | July 13, 2008 5:41 PM
Kevin,
Well the author of the first e-mail certainly does appear to be serious. I am having a hard job to pick up any indication that it was said in jest. Of course the chances are he is just full of bile and has no intention of actually carrying out a threat. I am not sure how that excuses his making death threats using his companies e-mail system.
Could you enlighten me as to how that is acceptable behaviour ?
Posted by: Matt Penfold | July 13, 2008 5:42 PM
Richard Harris @#6:
I think so. One thing that hasn't been emphasized enough IMHO is that at no point in this whole sordid affair has anyone offered any evidence that a blessed eucharist is anything more than a piece of bread.
(I'd love to see a Randi challenge-type of setup: one person collects 50 hosts, labels them A1-A50, gets 25 of them sanctified, and records which ones are sanctified. A second person shuffles them, and covers up the first labels with ones reading B1-B50. A committee of priests and theologians then has to determine which ones are the most precious Body of Christ, and which ones are just biscuits.)
I won't defend PZ for intentionally pissing people off. However, it seems that the offended Catholics a) have an unsubstantiated opinion that the bread in question is a god, b) want their opinion respected, and c) threaten reprisals against people who point out that their opinion is bollocks.
Posted by: arensb | July 13, 2008 5:42 PM
The second email seems to be from a Steve Montemurro, a proudly conservative Catholic. He sounds mentally ill. PZ, I hope you are forwarding these emails on to the police?
Posted by: MH | July 13, 2008 5:44 PM
I looked up IP address 205.153.87.31 on DomainTools Whois and got the following, which certainly looks real to me:
_________________________________________
OrgName: 1-800-FLOWERS
OrgID: 1800FL
Address: 1600 Stewart Ave
City: Westbury
StateProv: NY
PostalCode: 11590
Country: US
NetRange: 205.153.84.0 - 205.153.87.255
CIDR: 205.153.84.0/22
NetName: FLOWERS-2
NetHandle: NET-205-153-84-0-1
Parent: NET-205-0-0-0-0
NetType: Direct Assignment
NameServer: NS1.1800FLOWERS.COM
NameServer: NS2.1800FLOWERS.COM
NameServer: NS3.1800FLOWERS.COM
NameServer: NS4.1800FLOWERS.COM
NameServer: NS5.1800FLOWERS.COM
NameServer: NS6.1800FLOWERS.COM
Comment: Reverse DNS lookup for eshare.1800flowers.com
RegDate: 1995-05-19
Updated: 2002-11-21
RTechHandle: VSU-ARIN
RTechName: Subramainan, Vivekanandan
RTechPhone: +1-516-237-4679
RTechEmail:
OrgAbuseHandle: RRE4-ARIN
OrgAbuseName: Reid, Robert
OrgAbusePhone: +1-516-237-4010
OrgAbuseEmail: rreid@1800FLOWERS.com
OrgNOCHandle: BI26-ARIN
OrgNOCName: Ingram, Bill
OrgNOCPhone: +1-516-237-4718
OrgNOCEmail:
OrgTechHandle: VSU-ARIN
OrgTechName: Subramainan, Vivekanandan
OrgTechPhone: +1-516-237-4679
OrgTechEmail:
_________________________________________
Looks like "kroll" is cooked........
Posted by: themadlolscientist, FCD | July 13, 2008 5:44 PM
shorter kevin:
threatening death to a person=ridiculing belief in a magic cracker
Posted by: MAJeff, OM | July 13, 2008 5:46 PM
My first thought is that the 1-800 flowers address is fake; it creates great irony to send a death threat from a flower delivery company.
Posted by: Rick | July 13, 2008 5:48 PM
"Let's hope he is reading this thread. The paranoia of impending doom coupled with the adrenaline rush of fear could cause him to recycle today's meals all over the floor."
Oh man, I hope so. I can see him sitting there right now saying "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,..."
Posted by: epsilon | July 13, 2008 5:49 PM
Did you enjoy work at 1800flowers, kevin? :P
PZ, will you let us know if our sending positive feedback to your university president had any effect, good or bad? Thanks.
Posted by: slang | July 13, 2008 5:49 PM
Alert: Tardensity levels are overflowing...
Posted by: TSC | July 13, 2008 5:50 PM
While I despise religion and religious people just as much as the next guy, I guess I can sympathize with his vitriol. I often make vulgar threats at the slightest provocation with no intention of acting on them. If every old lady in traffic I flipped off and threatened to sodomize with my foot pressed charges against me I'd be in a world of shit.
Anyway, I associate this kind of bitter vengeance with the Bill Donahues of the world, not smart people.
Posted by: Kevin | July 13, 2008 5:51 PM
"Let's hope he is reading this thread. The paranoia of impending doom coupled with the adrenaline rush of fear could cause him to recycle today's meals all over the floor."
I have this image of his rushing into to work, firing up his PC and deleting the e-mail from his outbox thinking that will mean it cannot be traced back to him,
Posted by: matt@dandderwen.co.uk | July 13, 2008 5:51 PM
"...desecrate his bread with a bat."
What an intriguing idea...
Posted by: E.V. | July 13, 2008 5:52 PM
Jebus, PZ. I'd better come up and interview you before Christian love gets you.
Posted by: David Lee | July 13, 2008 5:53 PM
I think that's better than my scenario.
Posted by: epsilon | July 13, 2008 5:53 PM
Dammit, when referencing another's thread, it usually helps to include a quote. #79 was referring to matt in #76. I'll get the hang of this one of these days.
Posted by: epsilon | July 13, 2008 5:56 PM
what I would like to know is how did you even
get a job at a collage.
We went to an art opening last night and I'd like to know how you got a job at a "collage," too! ;-)
I've been thinking of making a collage out of the religious crap that people send us. Humor is mightier than the sword (or the religious pen).
So is exposure. Keep airing those cowards' e-mails. And Kevin, don't go throwing around the word "cunty" like some little kid until you know what it means.
Posted by: Kristine | July 13, 2008 5:56 PM
I should point out that there seem to be two Steve Montemurros that Google is picking up on. One is an IT guy in Meriden CT, the other is a retarded Catholic from Hastings-on-Hudson, NY.
Posted by: MH | July 13, 2008 5:56 PM
I agree with CR (#53) the headers from the first email do look legit and that it was most likely sent by an illiterate and unsavvy computer user. My sources also confirm the email ip addy was located in Westbury, NY with a lat-long of 40.7570 by -73.5814.
1-800-Flowers: "We'll send flowers for any occasion, including death threats and pogroms."
Posted by: JD | July 13, 2008 5:57 PM
Could make for a rather sweaty, uncomfortable Monday for this person. Which, considering the guy is such a maniac, puts a really nice smile on my face.
The thing is, Pharynguloids, you are making the assertion that someone who is crazy enough to write a threatening letter as a result of PZ's criticism of a cracker is also somehow smart or lucid enough to hack into someone's 1800flowers corporate email.
I mean, it's possible, but very unlikely.
Posted by: Capital Dan | July 13, 2008 5:57 PM
Obviously, they've been cherry-picking the bible, and their favorite bit is the action-adventure scene where Jesus goes after the moneychangers in the temple with a scourge.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scourge
Nice.
None of that "turn the other cheek" shit for them!
Posted by: Denis Loubet | July 13, 2008 5:57 PM
The name is Steve Montemurro.
Two references here:
http://www.spokesmanreview.com/blogs/journey/archive.asp?mon=Sep2007
and one here:
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-D1YV2Lshc6f3nv6N3j6b?bid=535&yy=2008&mm=5
Posted by: spwoso | July 13, 2008 5:59 PM
#75: "While I despise religion and religious people just as much as the next guy, I guess I can sympathize with his vitriol. I often make vulgar threats at the slightest provocation with no intention of acting on them. If every old lady in traffic I flipped off and threatened to sodomize with my foot pressed charges against me I'd be in a world of shit.
Anyway, I associate this kind of bitter vengeance with the Bill Donahues of the world, not smart people."
But you don't take the trouble to contact that little old lady directly to inform her of your wish to put your foot in her . You express your wishes in the relative privacy and obscurity of your own car. The little old lady presumably never knows what evil lurks (momentarily) in the heart of Kevin.
mkroll, on the other hand, took the time to contact PZ directly and made specific threats. This isn't just some twerp jumping into the comments to say "PZ is a doodyhead and I hope the Magic Sky Fairy smites is wicked head!"
Posted by: MM | July 13, 2008 6:00 PM