DUmmie FUnnies 06-09-05 ("How is Andy doing?")

DUmmie FUnnies ^ | June 9, 2005 | Andy Stephenson, DUmmies, and PJ-Comix

[PJ-Comix]

The first thing I did when I saw this DUmmie THREAD titled, “How is Andy doing?” at 6:50 AM this morning was enter “cancer” into the FIND function and guess what? NO mention of cancer at all on the entire page. You know if Scamdy had pancreatic CANCER it would have been mentioned at least ONCE (although they might toss that word in the thread AFTER reading this edition of the DUFUs). Therefore, if Scamdy did NOT have cancer what was the reason he went to Johns Hopkins in the first place? He could have had regular pancreatic surgery done in his home state of Washington without any need to shill for $50,000+. I put the PLUS sign in there because since Skinner had absolutely NO ACCOUNTING of the Scamdy money taken in, that figure could be well in excess of $50,000. Since Scamdy had his appeal going on OVER a hundred other Leftist websites, it is a good chance that he pocketed a SIZABLE chunk of change over and above what it cost him for mere (non-cancerous) pancreatic surgery. One interesting thing about this thread is not ONE word from Sknner or Pied Piper Pitt since they are both hoping that Scamdy just go away. Somehow Scamdy seems to have a bizarre hold over both of them. So let us now enter this Dummieland thread where all thought of Scamdy’s supposed cancer is tossed down the Memory Pitt in Bolshevik Red while the commentary of your humble correspondent, who thinks Scamdy is just $10 away from mentioning “cancer,” is in the [brackets]:

How is Andy doing?

[Wonderfully. Scamdy is recuperating quickly from ROUTINE non-cancerous pancreatic surgery. Thanks to all the money he raked in over and above what was needed for the unnecessary Johns Hopkins operation, Scamdy has more than enough to enjoy a great recuperation period in the Caribbean.]

I assume we are allowed to ask that again. How is he feeling?

[Be careful how you ask that. If you ask why he went to Johns Hopkins unnecessarily because he did NOT have pancreatic cancer, you will probably be tombstoned.]

Well lets see...The incision is still tender...but my appetite is coming back and I am regaining more of my strength every day. I got back home late last night and it was awesome to sleep in my own bed again. Thanks for asking and for the concern! It has meant so much to me what DU has done for me. You all rock. I still have another pahse of treatment but the doctor is confident I will make a full recovery. Mentally I am in that space and truly, I am feeling better everyday.

[Recuperation from NON-CANCEROUS pancreatic surgery is fairly rapid, Scamdy. BTW, why no thank you to all the suckers you conned for a Johns Hopkins pancreatic cancer operation that you did NOT need?]

Hey, man, you oughta be in bed asleep, regaining your strength. It's great to hear from you, and I'm thrilled you're posting. Keep up with vitamins and good fruits and veggies, and drink only distilled water. I am so serious about this. We all love ya, dear. Keep posting, you make us all feel so good inside.

[Make us feel so good inside and let us believe that you really did need that money we wasted on you to go to Johns Hopkins for a pancreatic cancer operation that you did NOT need.]

I have slept alot over the last 2 weeks. today I felt the best I have since surgery. Like I say my strength is coming back more and more each day.

[You’ve certainly slept a lot better than Pied Piper Pitt, Scamdy. He is so worried sick about how you used him to put over an enormous con for a pancreatic cancer operation that you did NOT need, that he hasn’t slept since April.]

This is wonderful news! I'm glad to hear that you're up and about!

[Yes, this is wonderful news. Thank God Scamdy never had pancreatic cancer in the first place. If he did, he would probably still be flat on his back instead of being his chipper self and singing Broadway show tunes over the cell phone from his ICU.]

HI, Andy! Glad to hear you're back home and getting better! Appetite is a good sign...

[Scamdy can now afford to go to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse on an almost daily basis thanx to all that money you folks sent him for an unnecessary Johns Hopkins pancreatic cancer operation which did NOT take place.]

Yes it is...although I have found my tastes have changed...for example. I used to love tomatoes...now they taste like straw and celery is peach sweet to me. Apparently that is one of the side effects of pancreatic surgery...changed taste buds.

[I bet Roast DUmmie suckerling tastes mighty sweet to you, Scamdy.]

pineapple and papaya are the best for you and not cooked, either. you gotta keep your weight up, my dear.

[Actually, Scamdy could stand to LOSE a few pounds since he is about to enter the Guinness Book of Records as the FATTEST “pancreatic cancer” patient in history.]

Somebody used to tell me that carrot juice was really really good for you. Good to hear you're doing well, Andy! Keep it up!

[Scamdy prefers Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.]

I am eating like a madman the last couple of days in fact I ate dinner and I am hungry again.

[Yeah, all that “chemotherapy” is giving you quite an appetite, Scamdy.]

for example tonight I had real turkey breast sliced on a tortilla with roasted red peppers lettuce and dijon mustard. It was yummmmmmy. For breakfast I had 9 grain bread with grits and 2 eggs.

[Don’t hold back. Pig out at your local buffet, Scamdy. After all it is well known that pancreatic cancer patients develop quite an appetite.]

Well Joan Krawitz is honorable and I think Ms Harris' troubles are just beginning. But I am not going to focus on her. My job right now is to get well...that is where my focus must and will be.

[Methinks YOUR troubles are just beginning, Scamdy. I am sure there will be an investigation into YOUR fraud. Your job right now is to use those enormous funds you scammed to hire a good defense attorney.]

Is it very nice to hear the good news! And I am glad it all worked out in terms of getting great treatment. You gave of yourself and that inspired others to take care of your best interest.

[The ease with which Scamdy conned the DUmmies out of $50,000 for pancreatic cancer operation at Johns Hopkins which NEVER took place will certainly inspire other con artists to enter DUmmieland.]

Hint from a recent surgery patient: Get a neosporin scar patch at the pharmacy. I had a hysterectomy last year and my scar is 100% gone! This is an amazing product.

[Don’t give Scamdy any ideas. He might end up hitting on the DUmmies for another $50,000 for a hysterectomy operation.]

Hey I have ICU and scar pics... I just don't want them posted on that website. you know the one I mean.

[DUmmie FUnnies or Scamdy.Com?]

Wow, Andy, it is TOO good to hear from you....And sounding so chipper, too!! Glad you are coming out of this. I knew you'd beat this thing.

[Careful…careful. It is okay to use the vague term “thing” but DON’T use the word “cancer” or it could mean your tombstoning.]

Andy, this is wonderful to hear! Nothing like being back at home too. Lots of rest now, heal up, and yep, be in the place where you'll be after the next phase of treatment.

[Scamdy’s next phase of treatment will be sun & sea therapy in the Caribbean.]

I have a couple of rounds of chemo and radiation to go through...but the doctor said I should be fine.

[Please send money for unnecessary chemo and radiation that needs to follow the non-existent pancreatic cancer operation.]

Good to see you back!! Now, close your eyes and visualize. a complete recovery and perfect health! I'm serious, it works

[It sure does. Obvious scams ALWAYS work in Dummieland.]

I have been doing that. I am using a screen nightly to screen all the bad stuff from my body. I know visualizations work...

[Scamdy is now in the process of visualizing another reality of a Dummieland scam.]

OK good night everyone...I am going to lay down and rest.

[Meanwhile, one the other side of the continent from Scamdy, Pied Piper Pitt is lying awake worrying about his defense plea when he is charged with aiding and abetting Scamdy.]

[Duke Nukum]

Benert reminded me of Golem in his latest posts at Misty's. Here are some quotes from Return of the King. You can replace "Hobbits" with "Freepers" almost.

Sneaking? Sneaking? Fat hobbit is always so polite. SmÈagol shows them secret ways that nobody else could find, and they say sneak. Sneak? Very nice friend. Oh, yes, my precious. Very nice, very nice.

"But they knows. They knows. They suspects us."

"Is Smeagol loosing his nerve?"

"No. Not. Never. Smeagol hates nasty Hobbitses."

[Deetes]

OH MAN I picked a great day to go salmon fishing ... Well I did but now i have 400 posts to read just on SCAMDY !!!! :-))))

[Duke Nukum]

I'm listening to it again, he said his gall bladder was removed. They're doing wonderful things with stem cells these days, I guess.

[Duke Nukum]

It is interesting that a scam artist like this has gotten such a pass and has created such an almost aura in DUmmieland! The truth will out, though, and you will be there to see that it happens!

It's actually very instructive as to why these people should never, ever be given the reigns of power. I can see them doing fundraisers for some of the vile terrorist scum that have had to be dealt with the past few years.

[MisterRepublican]

For the record let us review a few recent posts from DU members WilliamPitt and benburch on May 17, 2005 (the WilliamPitt posts are of course lengthy, but bear with me):

WilliamPitt Donating member (1000+ posts)
Tue May-17-05 01:02 PM
Original message
I'm pretty upset right now, and I need an explanation
Edited on Tue May-17-05 01:09 PM by WilliamPitt


As you all know, I was one of the people who took point on raising money for Andy. I wrote about it for truthout two or three times, and convinced the crew at Progressive Democrats of America as well that we needed to raise a call for help.

This is what I wrote for truthout on May 3rd:

"A few weeks ago, Andy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, one of the more dangerous varieties of the disease. His doctors told him he needed a Whipple procedure to get at the tumor, and only a few hospitals in America can perform this complicated procedure with the required competence. To compound the problem, Andy shares the plight of millions of others in our disgusting for-profit health care system and does not have health insurance."

This is what I wrote on the PDA blog, in our call for help, on April 29th:

"Several weeks ago, Andy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was recently told that he must undergo what is called a Whipple Procedure. This is a very serious surgery that few hospitals in America are skilled enough to perform well, and requires significant time for recovery. Fortunately, some friends managed to get Andy a slot at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, one of the premier hospitals for this type of procedure. He is slated for the procedure in the second week of May. Unfortunately, the hospital requires a $25,000 down-payment before they assent to doing the Whipple, and requires another $25,000 once the procedure is done. They are expecting the down-payment immediately."

The basis for this started way back in February. On the 29th, I posted this truthout blog entry, which I reposted here on the first and fifteenth of every month to help raise money:

"For the last several weeks, Andy has been suffering through a bout of Hepatitis. The word came down yesterday, however, that his situation is far more serious. 'I apparently have a tumor growing around the bile duct where it passes through my pancreas," he wrote. "The tissue sample was consistent with malignancy; it could be benign but I am planning for the worst.'"

Note that here it says 'tumor.' In subsequent weeks I was told that it was pancreatic cancer requiring a Whipple. Note also that the fundraising for Andy did not start a week or so ago, but started three months ago.

I woke up today to this DU thread, in which it was reported:

"fyi: it is a tumour on the duct, not the pancreas themselves. it looks to not have spread at all. it is not pancreatic cancer as others have posted, but if it was not caught early enough, it would have certainly spread there."

"...as others have posted..."

I am one of those "others" who posted it was pancreatic cancer, requiring a Whipple. I posted it here, on truthout, and on PDA. I did so because that is what I was told was the diagnosis, repeatedly, by both Andy and others.

Now that it turns out not to be the case, I have some questions:

1. If it was not the very serious pancreatic cancer, why did the surgery need to be done at Johns Hopkins?

2. If a Whipple was not required, why was $25,000 and then $50,000 needed for this surgery? Andy could have gotten this far-less-serious procedure done back in Seattle for a hell of a lot less money.

3. Why was I personally told this was pancreatic cancer? Why was I allowed to repeat this now-inaccurate diagnosis many times without anyone correcting me?

Understand: I believe Andy has a tumor of some kind, and this requires medical attention. I do not think this entire situation was fabricated from nothing.

But the 400 people who will come into this thread with "Andy doesn't need this stress" can hold your water. Andy is apparently a hell of a lot less ill than I and others were led to believe, and I need some answers. I put my reputation, the reputation of truthout, the reputation of PDA, and the reputations of all the people who work for those organizations on the line not once, not twice, but every day for weeks on this. I have a huge, huge responsibility here, and I am not going to just let that drop.

I have a personal reason for asking these questions over and above everything else. A great and good friend of PDA, activist Damu Smith, was recently diagnosed with advanced colon cancer. There is no ambiguity about this diagnosis. But because I was told Andy had pancreatic cancer requiring a $50,000 Whipple in the best hospital on the Eastern seaboard, I talked PDA into diverting time and resources towards Andy. This wound up diverting time and resources away from Damu.

I would like some answers. No wait and see. I have spent time with Andy, worked with him, thought I knew him well enough to vouch for him in a time of crisis. I am feeling personally betrayed right now, and furthermore I have put far more than my own feelings and standing on the line here.

If you think I'm a bastard for asking, I will live with that. But if this is not explained to a degree I find satisfactory, there is going to be hell to pay.
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WilliamPitt
Tue May-17-05 03:29 PM
Original message
'Need an explanation' Thread II

This is thread one, which is getting pretty huge:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

First of all, I'm not going to apologize for asking these questions. Something is not right about all this. Let's be clear:

The very-publicly-proclaimed diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, which I was personally told of, was changed to a thread-buried diagnosis of pancreatitis. The first is deadly dangerous, the second is very much not.

An enormous amount of money was raised in rapid fashion based on the aforementioned first diagnosis. For those who say 'Big deal' about the money raised, understand that it isn't about the money itself, nor is it about 'my ego.'

The organizations I work for, plus a whole bunch of organizations I have never heard of, took 'pancreatic cancer' and raised it to the rooftops. I am getting frightened PMs and emails from representatives of these organizations.

It isn't about the money. It is about the ability of these organizations to fundraise for important causes we all believe in. If this situation is not on the level, the ability for those organizations to do their good work is now imperiled. That hurts each and every one of us.

I believe Andy is sick, and I believe he needs treatment. I believe the compassion showed by DUers and others in rallying to his aid was and remains one of the most remarkable things I have ever seen.

But, based on the aforementioned concerns, I need to know why we were allowed to yell 'pancreatic cancer' and 'Whipple' and 'impending death' from the rooftops for weeks. I need to know why $50,000 was raised for a procedure at Johns Hopkins, when it appears now the diagnosed ailment could have been treated on the cheap in Seattle.

I need to know why I've been allowed to believe Andy was dying, why I was not told that this wasn't the case. Hell, a part of me is massively relieved...but the rest of me is badly hurt and deeply confused. I have called Andy my friend. Friends usually tell friends when they are no longer dying. I never heard that, and had to read it buried in a thread. If you need a personal impetus for my posts, you can have that.

This could all be a vast miscommunication. If so, if all this is on the up-and-up and it is just a matter of a bunch of wires getting crossed, then I will take whatever rap is coming for stirring up a hornet's nest. But I am not going to apologize. Anyone who thinks this is just about me does not appreciate the scope of the issue here. Hundreds of people, a bunch of important organizations and dozens of important causes are on the hook with this.

To answer the question of why I didn't talk to Andy, all I can say is this. I did talk to Andy. Dozens of times. It was from him first that I got the pancreatic cancer/Whipple/Johns Hopkins thing. It was from him first that I got the death-is-impending messages. Dozens of times. It was talking to Andy that started this, and right now, I am not at all comfortable going to Andy for confirmation of anything.

The pancreatic cancer diagnosis, the death-is-impending statements, the need to have all that money and the need for Johns Hopkins were all very publicly proclaimed. The hysteria to get it done was propelled in no small part by threads and posts from Andy himself. Therefore, a demand for an accounting of the vast discrepancies must also be public.


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benburch (1000+ posts) Tue May-17-05 06:25 PMResponse to Original message
165. Hi! Umm...

Edited on Tue May-17-05 06:26 PM by benburch I am not sure where to start with this.I certainly didn't mean to unleash a firestorm. Now it seems that we are in a situation in which there is no resolution without somebody I respected getting hurt.I only was asking if he was OK, and hoping he was not in pain. I didn't want to magnify his troubles or damage anybody's reputation at all. And I have to note that we still don't have anything that would stand up to legal tests of fact on either side of this issue. This is a message board on the Internet, not an organ of public record, after all.To quote the famous line for "Easy Rider" - "What we have here is a failure to communicate."Andy, or one of his caregivers needs to come up with a couple of bits of data that would settle this whole mess if provided;- What is Andy's exact diagnosis?- What tests support that?- How much money, exactly, was raised? (A printout of the History log from PayPal would be a good start, or the bank records that the money finally cleared through.)Provide those and I think we can put this behind us.I regret any pain I may have caused you, Andy, and I continue to hope for your swift and complete recovery.And on behalf of myself and my website I apologize to everybody at DU for having lit the match to this powder keg.

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benburch (1000+ posts) Tue May-17-05 06:50 PMResponse to Reply #180
233. I agree, Will.

When I hear "Pancreatic Cancer" I think of the fact that everybody I ever knew who had it died very quickly.I wasn't looking for the big picture I guess, just trying to ascertain the immediate facts.Either he is sick, or he isn't.Either he is as sick as he said, or he isn't.Either he collected $50K, or he collected a whole lot more.And honestly, I cannot see that we could sort out the difference between these points without full disclosure.Will, much as I hate to suggest this, perhaps now would be a good time to involve legal council?

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Does anyone see any similarity between the questions raised by 2 longtime members of DU and the questions raised here at FR? I certainly do. And yet we are heartless and "mean-spirited" "graveyard rats" for daring to ask. What does that make WilliamPitt and benburch?

But the questions raised by DU members and others remain unanswered. And certain DU members have resorted to intimidation tactics in an attempt to quell any further inquiry. Now that is very difficult to understand, because the intimidation tactics only apply to non-members of DU. But what is the difference between their very reasonable questions regarding a public fund-raising event and ours?

Maybe Xaos will return as Xaos_3 and explain it all.

[CaliGirl-R]

Did you know that Ben Burch posted on Misty's site last night?

http://mistymemory.forumsplace.com/message-17-0-asc-0.html


By the way, good post. It's nice to see both DUers posts together.

[MisterRepublican]

Yes, I read that benburch BS at mistys. Maybe he should start doing his psuedo-hacker tricks on DU members, who like himself have questions about the very public fund-raising efforts of Andy&Friends.

I do not understand their hostility towards anyone who asks the same questions as they have. And those questions remained unanswered.

I can distill all of the questions about the ASS (Andy Stephenson Situation) into one, clear and simple.

1. How much money was raised and how was it spent?

Certainly anyone concerned with open and honest elections would have a similar concern for open and honest fund-raising.

But to this day, not one single mention of the answer to that question. The other stuff is debatable, but an exact accounting of the money isn't. The donors deserve to know. But DU won't allow them to ask.

And so, as a public service to the DUmmies, we will ask for them.

[kevkrom]

Andyites in DUmmieland now claiming Bev Harris raising money over here in Free Republic.

Well, it's not like these folks are known for their truthfulness...

Bev Harris been doing something I overlooked, forgot to see?

Nothing more than an attempt at image rehabilitation.

[SCALEMAN]

And their threads are hard to follow. You can have post #97 coming after #23, way up above where you left off.

They use a 'tree' view. It's different, but you can get used to it, you just cant read it straight down, have to bounce back and forth to follow it.

FR utilizes a linear view and if you come back into a thread, or its long, some of the comments don't make any sense unless you click back to what the post replied to. CU gives you a choice of views.

[PJ-Comix]

It sounds like the radio host was saying pancreatic cancer but Scamdy is saying gallbladder operation. Two different things.

[kevkrom]

If he has the goods, then she has incriminating photos of him in compromising positions with farm animals, or he would have taken her down by now.

You're forgetting who you're dealing with here... "incriminating photos of him in compromising positions with farm animals" would only raise his standing in DUmmieland.

[SCALEMAN]

You watch, he will ask for more money eventually

There is evidence of that already. In a DU thread (linked in this thread), sfexpat responds to Frank saying the money has dried up. She denies that and mentions that she and Scamdy have plans for the next drive in place already.

[PJ-Comix]

Besides, the round red one is to be in Washington, D.C. in a couple of days to hold a "teach in," and it wouldn't make sense to fly across the country, only to fly across the country again a few days later.

A pancreatic cancer patient flying off to D.C. to conduct a teach-in? Yeah...riiiiight.

[SCALEMAN]

From one of benburch's posts on that thread: For the record; I'm bisexual, promiscuous, kinky, into S&M, and I do fisting. Also, I used to be a Libertarian. Eeeeeewwwwww! I could have done without the "fisting" comment. Too Much Information, ben! And he's PROUD of it

For some reason, when I read that, I got the impression that he was less than truthful and made the statement just to garner comments from the herd. But then again if it weren't true he's still sick.

[kevkrom]

A pancreatic cancer patient flying off to D.C. to conduct a teach-in? Yeah...riiiiight.

You know Scamdy doesn't care about himself at all... he's just trying to politicize his plight for the betterment of us all. If he should fall from this noble effort, just make his epitaph "verifiable paper ballots"...

[PJ-Comix]

I wonder if there are any Democrat messageboards/websites that aren't so hate & conspiracy filled?

Nope. No matter how they start out they all degenerate into hate and outright fantasy before long.

[PJ-Comix]

Undie is going to be in DC for a teach-in, only a couple of weeks after major surgery? No way!!!

Yeah. Scamdy is going to conduct the teach-ins during the breaks in his chemo and radiation therapy.

[MisterRepublican]

This is true. Democratic Underground is NOT an anomaly.

[PJ-Comix]

How many salmon did you catch?

[SCALEMAN]

My perspective has simply changed as I've grown older and gained experience

I think most of use have gone through that transformation. I also was fairly liberal, although a registered Republican since '68, and supported some of the liberal concepts.

The difference between conservatives and the far(t) left can be described as 'arrested development'. For bunches of them, they never achieved much and blame this on the 'system'. They have been dependent on social services for so long that they are stuck in 'political adolescence'.