Find Your Valentine
Slog
News & ArtsWednesday, January 7, 2009
News The Other Ricin Letter
Posted by Dan Savage on Wed, Jan 7, 2009 at 2:11 PM
We posted a copy of the threatening letter that was sent to 11 gay bars but we didn't post a copy of the letter we received at the Stranger. Folks are asking to see it, and here it is...
There isn't much in it that I didn't include in my first post about this story yesterday.
1
You also did not mention (or I missed) the part about Saturday.
Where were these postmarked from? You can track IPs down to rough zip codes, too, so maybe a little A to B'ing of this could at least point you in some direction, as elenchos may have helped with in one of the other threads regarding that guy on the tear about barebacking, something relevant to the quoted poem.
Where were these postmarked from? You can track IPs down to rough zip codes, too, so maybe a little A to B'ing of this could at least point you in some direction, as elenchos may have helped with in one of the other threads regarding that guy on the tear about barebacking, something relevant to the quoted poem.
4
All I believe this to be is someone's attempt at hurting gay bars even more than they might be, given our current economic situation, in the hopes that some may have to close their doors.
6
I saw a headline in one of those grocery store tabloids "Gays burn Palin's church". I thought this would be something to trigger some nut to retaliate. Just my thoughts, but what "Gays"? It made it sound like a gay conspiracy or something. Disgusting and irresponsible "journalism".
7
OMG, Track the shit down! Find the invisible call tag that printers watermark printouts with and find out where he printed that letter!
8
There is part of me that almost thinks this is more of a really fucking sick prank as opposed to an actual threat. I mean claiming a number of approximately 55 deaths? What range is he or she thinking? "Maybe 45 maybe 65? I'll just split the difference."
9
That's what the FBI does, @7.
There should be three watermarks - one is paper source, one is copier, and one is printer.
Even if they used gloves in prepping the paper it's still traceable.
of course, if someone paid cash and used a library computer or a fake name, it won't do much good.
There should be three watermarks - one is paper source, one is copier, and one is printer.
Even if they used gloves in prepping the paper it's still traceable.
of course, if someone paid cash and used a library computer or a fake name, it won't do much good.
12
@11: Well, given the somewhat educated content of the letter, this reply of yours rules you out. You're free to go now! Run, run back to the wilds of Spanaway! Go!
14
So, is the scratchy line at the bottom actually on both letters, or is that from The Stranger offices copier/scanner?
Just curious.
Just curious.
18
notice that the author used "CC's" and not C.C. Attles/The Cadillac Grill/Promenade Deck or whatever else is on their sign. Nor did he use C.C. Slaughter's North or whatever that is listed in the county records/licenses.
I could be wrong but i'd think you would have to be in the gay community to know that we call it CC's. That can't be inferred from their sign.
I could be wrong but i'd think you would have to be in the gay community to know that we call it CC's. That can't be inferred from their sign.
19
AJ and Non: How many threads are you guys going to flirt through? Maybe you should just do it and get it over with. For all of our sakes.
20
@9, although it has been a few years since i looked into it, microdot printing was only used with color laser printers, and surely a copy machine would not have the ability to reproduce anything so tiny. i haven't followed the issue since Slashdot and the EFF made a big deal out of it; so perhaps things have changed.
23
Notice the semicolon-comma usage.
And look - if you draw lines between all the bars on the list in the order given, it makes a CLUE! Okay, kidding.
And look - if you draw lines between all the bars on the list in the order given, it makes a CLUE! Okay, kidding.
24
The way the letter writer used dashes instead of actual bullet points for his list is very British, or possibly Canadian or European. I would bet several pounds this person was educated or is from or once knew someone from one of those places.
25
@19 He didn't target Bus Stop because the author is a cookie-cutter gay. Cookie-cutter gays don't go to Bus Stop. She's probably reading 'Bus Stop' right now and thinking - Bus Stop?!
28
@25 The fact that some gays happen hang out there does not make it a gay club. Or else we would be calling Cha Cha and other clubs gay as well.
29
To do my part in the Auguste Dupin game...
First of all, Elenchos at: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Comme…
has a good point - that person seems to have been suspiciously primed for an argument about the irony of this event. Why? It occurred to me that "55 deaths" could have some parallel to 55 HIV infections or deaths, listed in some statistic somewhere. So I googled 55, HIV, etc. The only connection I came up with was an article on HIV+ MSM and their disclosure practices. The number of participants was n=55! (they were in Seattle and LA)
http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewco…
Okay, that's as far as I have gotten. Someone get to home base with that, please.
First of all, Elenchos at: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Comme…
has a good point - that person seems to have been suspiciously primed for an argument about the irony of this event. Why? It occurred to me that "55 deaths" could have some parallel to 55 HIV infections or deaths, listed in some statistic somewhere. So I googled 55, HIV, etc. The only connection I came up with was an article on HIV+ MSM and their disclosure practices. The number of participants was n=55! (they were in Seattle and LA)
http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewco…
Okay, that's as far as I have gotten. Someone get to home base with that, please.
30
People who go out to the bars named should start posting photos in the Stranger's Flickr pool of themselves: one hand holding a drink, the other giving the camera a one-finger salute.
31
you're right, dan. this guy totally is queer. i'm definitely convinced, especially after reading this second one.
crazy!
crazy!
32
Kinda hilarious that Goat Sucking and Gangsta Shootings get more interest than Queer Killings here at the Stranger.
33
I wonder if there is a guide (tourist, gay, or online) that lists those 11 bars, including the "CC's" spelling, esp. if listed in this order?
34
And why not gay restaurants? Charlies, B'way Grill, Rosebud, Julia's, etc. all seem to be immune from threat.
35
I was getting randomly lectured at tonight at a bus stop on the Hill by this right-wing ex-military nutcase from New Zealand going on and on about liberal lifestyles and how he'd rather die than "be politically correct to all this bullshit around here." I asked what he was even doing here and just got the answer: "just here for a couple days...Im flying out of here right now goddammit"
And then went on to make fun of this clearly butch female as she was walking by.
I wanted to ask "you write crazy letters to ghey bars much?"
I really should have asked. Damn my Seattle introvertedness.
And then went on to make fun of this clearly butch female as she was walking by.
I wanted to ask "you write crazy letters to ghey bars much?"
I really should have asked. Damn my Seattle introvertedness.
36
hmmph. it must be two people. a male and a female. cuz we all know they dont let men into the Wild Rose. and if a male does show up there, believe he would stand out like a sore thumb!
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
SL Letter of the Day: Pill The Homos! by Dan Savage
-
Dear Huffington Post... by Dan Savage
-
Slog Bible Study: Deuteronomy 21:10-14 by Goldy
-
The AP Is Reporting That Whitney Houston Is Dead by Paul Constant
-
Because Guns Make Us Safer by Goldy
-
The Rick Santorum Rally in Tacoma Probably Could Have Gone Better by Paul Constant
-
SL Letter of the Day: Daddy Loves Who? by Dan Savage
-
Because Guns Make Us More Safer by Goldy
-
Gay Kids Are Still Killing Themselves by Dan Savage
-
Gregoire: "This is signed!" by Eli Sanders
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (36) RSS