Sad News - Gary McGath

[Gary McGath]

Dear Fellow Filkers,

It is with great sadness that I have report the passing of one of our own. Filk legend and historian Gary Mcgath passed in his sleep at Dartmouth-Hitchcock hospital in Nashua, New Hampshire last night. Openly gay his entire life, Gary was increasingly struggling with the complications of living with HIV. A fierce campaigner for gay rights and HIV awareness, he will be sorely missed by many who knew him personally or simply by reputation.

Gary has no surviving relatives but I had the honor earlier today of speaking with his long-time friend and confidant, Dan Schulz and he asked me to convey the following words:

"I first met Gary in '96 when I was busy with the Dan & Scott show. He'd heard the show, he liked what he heard and was interested in a guest spot. I was skeptical at first because he wrote songs about Spock and had a voice like Cliff Stoll on helium. However, these concerns turned out to be baseless as his unique blend of musical genius and ability to articulate obscure political concepts made him a perfect fit for the show. His song 'Ayn Rand's Ode to Bilbo Baggins' was a game changer for us, there's no doubt about that. We became friends and have been ever since, I'll miss the guy and I can honestly say there will never be anyone quite like him again."

I am temporarily administering Gary's inbox (***@mcgath.com) - please send any messages of condolence or any further questions you might have there. I'm not reading any further messages sent to this account.

Kind Regards,

Lance Manload

[Lee Gold XP]

On 11/30/2016 5:45 AM, supposedly "Lance Manload" wrote about Gary

I was skeptical at first because he wrote songs about Spock and had a voice like Cliff Stoll on helium."

I'm skeptical about this message because Gary's voice isn't at all high.
Listen to him singing at
https://filesthatlast.wordpress.com/song/

--Lee

[Spear Carrier]

Post by Lee Gold XP
I'm skeptical about this message because Gary's voice isn't at all high.
Listen to him singing at
https://filesthatlast.wordpress.com/song/
--Lee

I'm skeptical because of who signed it. I was braced to be sad but turned out skeptical.

[Gary McGath]

Post by Lee Gold XP
On 11/30/2016 5:45 AM, supposedly "Lance Manload" wrote about Gary

Post by Gary McGath
I was skeptical at first because he wrote songs about Spock and had a
voice like Cliff Stoll on helium."

I'm skeptical about this message because Gary's voice isn't at all high.
Listen to him singing at
https://filesthatlast.wordpress.com/song/

The message you're referring to was blocked by my filters, but I got
your email.

Last weekend someone broke into an account on the UK filk archive to
post the same message. Every detail is wrong, of course. The most
significant wrong detail is the claim that Dan Schulz is a friend of
mine. He's a stalker who's been obsessed with me for two decades. He
seems to think I'm to blame for his not being famous. Now he's trying to
hurt people who care about me, and failing miserably since he can't even
come up with a story anyone would believe.

Because it proved so easy to break into, the Filk Archive is now down
for a security upgrade. They also broke into my account.

The boring details are at http://www.mcgath.com/eyada.html

[Spear Carrier]

Post by Gary McGath
The boring details are at http://www.mcgath.com/eyada.html

Ugh. It looks like you're an early victim of cyber-bullying. I wouldn't be surprised if they have an anti-fan site up in your honor, too. People can be so stupid.

I remember you announcing the cyberhack, and it's a shame. It's just a sad shame.

[Scott Dorsey]

Post by Gary McGath
The boring details are at http://www.mcgath.com/eyada.html

Well, we're all glad to hear you're not dead, Gary.
But where do you find these bozos?
--scott

[Arthur T.]

Post by Gary McGath

Post by Lee Gold XP
On 11/30/2016 5:45 AM, supposedly "Lance Manload" wrote about Gary

Post by Gary McGath
I was skeptical at first because he wrote songs about Spock and had a
voice like Cliff Stoll on helium."

I'm skeptical about this message because Gary's voice isn't at all high.
Listen to him singing at
https://filesthatlast.wordpress.com/song/

The message you're referring to was blocked by my filters, but I got
your email.

I was skeptical also, for various reasons. I made the mistake
of doing the STFW step before reading replies. I'm very glad to know
that you're still with us.

It seems unlikely, but does anyone think it'll do any good to
complain to Google?

Post by Gary McGath
Injection-Info: glegroupsg2000goo.googlegroups.com; posting-host=143.176.68.68;
posting-account=UQgGtAoAAABREMAGfF1P61S8r5e1TY1l
NNTP-Posting-Host: 143.176.68.68
User-Agent: G2/1.0
MIME-Version: 1.0
Subject: Sad News - Gary McGath
Injection-Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2016 13:45:38 +0000
X-Received: by 10.157.49.9 with SMTP id e9mr7934471otc.124.1480513538425;
Wed, 30 Nov 2016 05:45:38 -0800 (PST)
X-Received: by 10.157.48.39 with SMTP id d36mr1681864otc.1.1480513538380; Wed,
30 Nov 2016 05:45:38 -0800 (PST)

[Gary McGath]

Post by Arthur T.
I was skeptical also, for various reasons. I made the mistake
of doing the STFW step before reading replies. I'm very glad to know
that you're still with us.

I had to look up STFW. My mind went to STFU, which wouldn't apply
(except to the fraudster), rather than to RTFM.

Post by Arthur T.
It seems unlikely, but does anyone think it'll do any good to
complain to Google?

Google Groups now has a Complaints-To address? That's a step up from
when they sent auto-replies saying they ignore complaints. My Usenet
filter killed the message, but if someone else could send in the report
(full headers, please), it might get this particular account knocked
down, at least.

[Scott Dorsey]

Post by Gary McGath

Post by Arthur T.
It seems unlikely, but does anyone think it'll do any good to
complain to Google?

Google Groups now has a Complaints-To address? That's a step up from
when they sent auto-replies saying they ignore complaints. My Usenet
filter killed the message, but if someone else could send in the report
(full headers, please), it might get this particular account knocked
down, at least.

You can send stuff to their abuse desk, but it will be ignored. Which is
pretty horrifying for anyone who has run a news server.

On the other hand, gmail's abuse desk is pretty well-run and if it's a gmail
account being abused, abuse at gmail dot com will likely pull it.

The worst is blogspot which doesn't even have an abuse address.
--scott

[Gary McGath]

Post by Scott Dorsey
The worst is blogspot which doesn't even have an abuse address.

I once had a couple of blogs on Blogspot. A blog I occasionally followed
was suspended because it had pictures of some classical nude statues, or
something like that — not porn by any stretch. When people protested
(the protests were to the point and not abusive), the suspension became
permanent to punish the people complaining.

I pulled my blogs off Blogspot and put them on WordPress.

[Barry Gold]

Post by Gary McGath

Post by Lee Gold XP
On 11/30/2016 5:45 AM, supposedly "Lance Manload" wrote about Gary

Post by Gary McGath
I was skeptical at first because he wrote songs about Spock and had a
voice like Cliff Stoll on helium."

I'm skeptical about this message because Gary's voice isn't at all high.
Listen to him singing at
https://filesthatlast.wordpress.com/song/

The message you're referring to was blocked by my filters, but I got
your email.
Last weekend someone broke into an account on the UK filk archive to
post the same message. Every detail is wrong, of course. The most
significant wrong detail is the claim that Dan Schulz is a friend of
mine. He's a stalker who's been obsessed with me for two decades. He
seems to think I'm to blame for his not being famous. Now he's trying to
hurt people who care about me, and failing miserably since he can't even
come up with a story anyone would believe.
Because it proved so easy to break into, the Filk Archive is now down
for a security upgrade. They also broke into my account.
The boring details are at http://www.mcgath.com/eyada.html

Sigh. Pathetic. I know a couple of other people who have cyberstalkers.
Apparently there are people who don't "have a life" to such an extent
that they have nothing better to do with their time than to harrass
somebody who is just a little bit famous.

As far as I can tell, the only thing to do is to strengthen your
cyberdefenses -- as Gary and the Filk Archive have done -- and otherwise
ignore them.

[Gary McGath]

Post by Barry Gold
As far as I can tell, the only thing to do is to strengthen your
cyberdefenses -- as Gary and the Filk Archive have done -- and otherwise
ignore them.

Has Manureload been bothering anyone lately? I haven't noticed any signs
of activity in a while, but that could be because I've killfiled him and
everyone else is ignoring him.

[Mark Mandel]

Do'Ha'. (Klingon: It is unfortunate.) He would have been a great loss to us all.

tlhIngan veQbeq marqem la'Hom
Heghbej ghIHmoHwI'pu'!

Subcommander Markemm, Klingon Sanitation Corps
Death to litterbugs!

[Mark Mandel]

(Note the counterfactual conditional mode: WOULD HAVE BEEN.)

[Mark Mandel]

Without trying to brag, I knew instantly that it was bogus. I know Gary and have known him for many years, and I'm as sure as in can be that he is not gay, and doesn't have HIV and never has, and all the rest of this was 100% phony. The email address was "garymcgath2..." WTF would the number be for, other than to set up a separate account that would superficially appear to be his? Also, that I'd've heard about it sooner via other channels. Gary, Live long and prosper!

Mark

[j***@garthsonleadership.ca]

I apologize for re-posting (briefly) on the Filker Facebook group. I hadn't heard of the issues, or of any of the people named (including Cliff Stoll). Or seen any of the details as negative or surprising, true or not (Toronto is like that; we mostly just don't care about sexual orientation here and I don't even think about it). Randy corrected me, and Phil had known immediately it was a hoax because he had heard of the earlier troubles. Gary, I am so sorry there are people in the word who would play such a cruel joke and who have given you such trouble in the past.