Crying Wolf II

Crying Wolf

In a 12 point email* to Charles Grashow, dated April 1, 2013, Mark Sisson wrote:

Why discuss this now? Oh ... it probably should have been dealt with months ago, but somehow I expected this would have settled down by now and this wouldn't need to be aired. 

You see, Robb Wolf got mad at me for asking what the paleo diet that the Reno First Responders were counseled to consume actually entails. Or near as I can figure that's what first got under his skin. Either that or the fact that he couldn't then, and still can't now, take a solid position on carbohydrates in the paleo diet. Either way, he felt the need to lie on his website, in this comment:

Oh really.  On the night of Monday May 7, 2012 -- actually it was at like 1-2am the next day when I awoke feeling agitated, couldn't sleep and decided to check email and stuff on the internet -- I received an urgent email asking if I was behind the @shitkrusesays Twitter account.   I was later linked to the Channel 5 report and watched that.  In case there is any doubt, I was fingered as the supposed NY "ringleader" he insinuated the FBI would be contacting.  What does this have to do with Robb?  Well, without Robb Wolf, Mark Sisson and Jimmy Moore, there is no phenomenon known here at the Asylum as Leptin Man.  Jimmy gave him podcast air time, Mark allowed the mega forum thread on his "leptin reset" to flourish and gain recognition and followers and offered him a book deal, and Robb saw Jack Kruse Neurosurgeon! as the ambassador paleo needed to go mainstream.  He was that MD that the big boys lack.  A charismatic character at that, with a weight loss story even.  The total package.  So what if he couldn't complete a sentence without a typo, talked gibberish science, plagiarized and all manner of other things.   He wove the word paleo into it ...

I've not shared some of the emails from that night before, but when I'm flagrantly lied about in attempts to discredit me, and when Robb Wolf even makes a point to complain that I "self servingly" withheld the contents of private communications, all bets are off.   

Now for several days in the wake of all of this, Richard Nikoley capitalized for page hits galore and stoked the flames.  He threatened me, Melissa and Emily in a tweet and played dumb in his comments about whether or not I was named.  So here's Jack's email to Robb to set that record straight:

You see, Jack "drug" Robb into this, not me. His email also included his detailed account of events as written in a letter to Carnival. It is from that letter that I was made aware of Jack's stateroom number, and no it's NOT creepy that when I later learned of Jimmy's room number I looked up the two on Carnival's ship plan to see just how close/far they were from one another. You see, anyone even hearing his story should have had questions from the get go because this sort of thing just doesn't go down without other people on the ship hearing about it, let alone those on the same deck, same hallway ... five doors down.  You see, Jimmy Moore could have set the record straight.  He chose not to.

If there is any question about Jack involving Robb, here's a comment hewrote on FTA:

You want silencing, threats and otherwise?  Do you think Robb was unaware that others' lives were being impacted by his actions?  Yes, he had a new baby, but that is no excuse for not doing the right thing.  Emily Deans wrote to Robb:

In retrospect,  Robb's post on PaleoHacks is so typically self-serving and blame shifting.  Everyone else is an idiot in Robb's eyes, he can't own up one iota to his part in all of this and how much differently this could have turned out had he doused the flames as well.   No ... must protect the movement.  Who cares what that puts someone like me through, I probably deserve it anyway for putting a $ in Gary Taubes' name a couple few times years ago.  Sigh.  Let's revisit just a little of what Robb considers his all out effort at putting out fires:

When I first heard all this I was wondering if the story (Jack getting removed, bioterroer etc) was even true. Shortly it became apparent that yes, it was true. Jack texted me and said the FBI were involved, I replied “Nail their ass to the wall” because if I could get my hands on the @shitkrusesays and I had no legal recourse for my actions, it would not be pretty. This jack-ass has created a hell of a situation and ironically the Law of Unintended Consequences is having a laugh, at least initially at your expense. You landed Jack on the media, gave him a phenomenal story and an opportunity to curry support and favor.

Smart work asshole(s).

I seem to remember counseling against behavior like this, allowing attacks from anonymity, but that was ignored and someone pointed out I’ve changed my position on fish oil dosage, so everything I say should be held in contempt.

I then received an email with a link to the Kruse news piece. I tweeted it saying something to the effect “some folks have done some stupid shit.” I did this because…well, people have done stupid shit. This situation did not, as I just wrote above, materialize out of thin air. People who dislike Jack made all of this happen. If you do not see the accountability here you are a moron on par with the folks who do not see how training the Taliban against the Soviets might have had long term repercussions for us.

No, the situation did not materialize out of thin air.  People who "dislike Jack"?  I don't dislike him, though he was rather obnoxious on PH.  Being critical of someone's science has nothing to do with liking/disliking -- just as friendship should not be the barometer by which one assesses someone's qualifications or ideas/writings.  I'd say the bulk of Jack's critics liked him to some extent -- especially those who met him in person.  No, his critics didn't make anything happen.  It developed in part because of your, Robb's, inability to understand the problems with Jack, or your refusal to listen to what others were saying, and whatever gripping fear you have of the movement crumbling.  I can understand how someone who exaggerates their resume as much as Robb might be paralyzed by such fears ......

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Now, going back to Mark's email to Charles, he used that term "cry wolf" twice and I wonder if he perhaps meant cry Wolf, even though I didn't do that either.  Even if the latter would still be inaccurate, that former accusation doesn't even make sense.  Perhaps Mark should put down the Grokuberry Tales and read the fable.   Mark was involved in one "what are we going to do about Jack" email ring that included Robb Wolf and Richard Nikoley.  You see, Kruse's antics with a stick of dynamite, not to mention bottles of wine, weren't enough.  Because, "Dude I'm a Neurosurgeon".  The Holy Trinity post of delusion ... nay.  Even the MRSA stunt wasn't enough for these people.  No, the sheer idiocy of Kruse's account of events on the cruiseship, that the caller was named Lance (which for those who don't know, as every one these folks did, Jack was obsessed with Lance Armstrong and this was just a bit too coincidental).  Nah ... not enough.  It took these geniuses until May 16 and the picture above to finally cut this guy loose.  Here's the pertinent parts of the email (image excised):

Why do I get the impression from that email that Robb was helping Jack post-Cruise for some time despite Emily Deans' assurances?   Somewhere in this man's muddled memory, he "remembers" me being the cause of his problems.  I wasn't.  It was his own doing.

Now, apparently Mark thinks I was sounding false alarms when Nikoley was calling me a moron see you next Tuesday every other opportunity.  Yeah, I was sounding false alarms when he used the word annihilate multiple times.  Well, let's see.  Kurt Harris put Mark and I in touch following Kruisegate, and we spent almost an hour and a half on the phone.  I've not even done the usual name dropping Nikoley is so fond of here about that, let alone discuss the content of that exchange.  We discussed a lot of things, not the least of which is that Mark's blog exists to sell shit.  And he put that almost that bluntly -- his blog/forum is not to help people.  I.T.  I.S.  T.O.  S.E.L.L.  B.O.O.K.S.  A.N.D.  S.U.P.P.L.E.M.E.N.T.S.  Oh, and apparently I would be surprised at how poor his supplement sales actually are.   He considered my criticisms of his to be fair and we laughed about his carbohydrate curve.  Mark asked me where I see myself, what my plans were, etc.   When a few months later newly "concerned" commenters used eerily familiar terminology in their advice, I knew the source.  You want to talk censorship?  Mark silenced the FitBomb and the Whole9 when they criticized Primal Fuel.  This dude is no angel and he stays out of things or gets involved only when there's something in it for him.

So let's see about my crying wolf and clear the air about a couple of tweets to/about Mark.  You see when it comes to censorship, threats and all of that, Nikoley is king.  I posted something about Robert Lustig that elicited yet another vulgar mention on FTA.  You see it would be OK if I were critical of anyone's crappy science so long as that anyone was a vegan or mainstream diet person.  Mark had mentioned speaking with Nikoley from time to time during our phone call.  So I reached out for his assistance when Nikoley was escalating the attacks.  

Here is Mark's response:

You see, Mark never did anything about the Jack situation.  Well he sort of took a no-position position, and linked to FTA in the process.  That is what he referred to in the aqua highlighted line above.  

From cruise ships to tweets to ice baths to supposedly hacked social media accounts, Dr. Jack Kruse the man is nothing if not controversial. But what about his ideas – do they have any merit? That’s what many of my readers have been wondering, along with how I feel about them. I’ve remained pretty silent on this matter, because Jack was doing his thing and apparently helping a lot of people in the process. I was doing mine and helping people in my own way. And all was well. Now, though, the questions are coming in droves, and I can’t really ignore them any longer.

Yeah, yeah.  All was well if you don't give a crap that you played a role in allowing Jack's threats and intimidation to persist by NOT speaking out.  It's the business and only the business folks.  I swear how these guys don't need daily massages to work out the kinks for patting themselves so hard on the back all the time escapes me.   It's also just a little humorous that in that email he states that he and Robb are not scientists when the linked post is yet another "Ask Mark" what he thinks about some science stuff.  But I digress ...  To repeat:

Meanwhile, I see we linked to his [Nikoley] site the other day on the JK post. I'll not be doing that anymore.

~ Mark Sisson, 5/24/12 

So, in the Twitter exchange a while back, that my stalker got all fussed over (too lazy to find the link, feel free to help me out in comments), when Mark weighed in on mine and Robb's altercation, I quipped that he might need a memory supplement.  I stand by that because apparently his word means nothing, especially if it is offered freely.  There was no change of heart on Mark's part as towards the end of July I received the email below:

He wanted to make sure to connect with me.  I never got a chance to respond to that email and I guess Mark read my announcement on the blog as I received the email below about two weeks later.

We exchanged two longer emails that are mostly irrelevant.  Then in September I sent him this short email:

You'll notice the link is to Nikoley's declaration of war and at that time Mark had a blogroll of sorts that still contained FTA.   I also sent out a BCC email to everyone I had in my contacts list asking if anyone could do anything.  Mostly, I wanted to make sure that everyone was aware of that declaration, which I want to remind folks was:

But here's the difference, see. Unlike those two, I don't lie. Accordingly, and as it is a "war," I go "nuclear and chemical-biological" early. I will make zero pretense at "objectivity." This is for the purpose of smear and annihilation in words and images, with no mercy. I have no intention of fact checking, caring a lick about context, posting a scintilla of extenuating or exculpatory evidence. I will be seeking as much dirt, as much that is unflattering, as much inside information that's likely to be taken in the wrong way as possible. And I won't let up until I'm satisfied, and I don't even have a standard for that. I'll know it when I see it.

I gave them chance after chance, apologized once, made many public statements of regret for going to far, and they just keep at it and keep at it.

Let me remind everyone that while he called off that war, he has remained active in his efforts.  Robb Wolf knew just who to run to for cover for his lies.   Nikoley has never done a thing to right the wrongs from that episode and beyond.  In fact he has stated many times that he has no intention to.  

I guess Mark just thought enough time had gone by ... in our last email he all but blamed me for Richard's behavior seeing as I bate him (how not blogging about someone is baiting is beyond me).   I sent him one more in November to alert him to content rip-off.  But come December, Richard did a review of Mark's new sauce book, and in exchange apparently, Mark Link Loved FTA for the potato diet nonsense.  At that point I wrote Mark off.  Contrary to accounts, I had no further contact with him save those Tweets.  

Now ... since Jaminet and Wolf and Sisson are again including Nikoley in their linkings and postings, he has crawled back ever so slightly through the door.  He provided and continues to provide cover for them.  Sadly, Angelo Coppola even interviewed Nikoley.  None of this should be happening.   Not because I say so or write about it or have been the victim of this man's hatred, but because his behavior should be unacceptable.  It is, and yet they act like it all never happened.  

The Paula Deen post was about that.  And I'll have a follow-up on the 2013 post David Duke scandal when time permits.  So now y'all have a little more information.  For some reason, the "leaders" of paleo seem to think they are exempted from the usual rules.   Credentials?  Lack or extensively inflating thereof?  No problem.   Linking to blogs with misogynistic, racial and religious bigotry?  No problem.  Linking to people who unabashedly threaten others?  No problem.  How about true stalkers?  How about joking about stalking?  No problem?  Go on the radio show of a white supremacist (knowingly), lying about it and linking to said white supremacist's blog?  No problem?   

For some reason ItstheWooo thought my post was about Praguestepchild over a conversation on his blog.  Eh ... I commented over there to clarify and challenge some of what Sean wrote about me (and subsequently other commenters).  No biggie.  I'm not theatening law suits though if things continue as they are that's not out of the scope of possible outcomes here.   The intent of Robb and others is to silence me.  Because he can't have anyone look too hard at his "science".  Quite the overreaction to a handful, if that, of minorly critical posts.  If your scientific ducks were in a row, then nothing I write here would change a thing.  But the reality is that the LC boat has been taking on water for a long time and is all but sunk.  Paleo is trending but those in the "movement" are doing their best to sink it as well.   IF it mainstreams, this stuff will come back to haunt those involved.  As one can see from the media reports of Krusegate, the media isn't much interested in vetting these days ....

I'm sure there's a "what to do about Evelyn" email ring or three going around.  If I do ever end up taking legal action, the webs reach far and wide and are intertwined.  If my pointing that out seems threatening to you then it's because you know you're contributing to what has been going on.  Sleep well.   But here's what's really sad about all of this.  That somehow you have to be "in" to express your opinion on the internet after all.   You just need a sponsor ...  But I guess once you're in, you need permission to break ranks on any issue.  It's amazing really that Emily Deans publicly delisted Paul Jaminet from her blogroll of "Like Minds".  As they hemmed and hawed over Jack, they only cared about the movement and their bottom lines.  Make no mistake about it.  They were happy that it was low carb and not paleo that was mentioned in news reports.  They were happy because the Harvard speaking engagement was never specified as AHS.  They were happy none of their names were used.  That was what mattered.  The collateral damage of an "expert" they were taken in by and promoted the shit out of didn't matter to them.  Obviously.  

But they didn't need the email ring and any official position.  They could have just stopped promoting him.  Think about that.  This doctor got up on a TEDx stage (TED has taken the video off the web) and claimed to have undergone elective abdominal surgery, w/o local anesthesia, after having smeared and injected himself with MRSA.  There are only two ways to interpret that claim:

1. It was true in which case he most certainly broke laws and professional protocols and potentially endangered the lives of untold people ... or
2. He lied.

I submit that either interpretation is sufficient to say "Jack, sorry man, but I can't be associated with you because this is too controversial.  Please understand."    Simple.  No formal rebuke needed.  He should have been quietly disinvited from speaking on the cruise, if for no other reason than you just don't potentially "carry" MRSA onto a cruise ship.  Andreas Eenfeldt, DOCTOR Andreas Eenfeldt expressed regret at not getting to meet Jack.  What WAS he thinking?  1 or 2 above?   If Jimmy Moore does the right thing (for a change) this never happens.  What was HE thinking?  1 or 2 above?  What did Robb think?  Mark?  By not at least formally (no fanfare needed) distancing themselves, they lent their stamp of approval.   He fooled countless people and took their money as a result of these paleo elite.  They don't seem to care.  They weren't interested in helping people if it didn't impact their bottom line favorably.

Oh ... and by the way, as I was writing this up, Jack Kruse may well have been cutting into a human being.  Yes. Different state.  Different practice.  Same Jack?  Would you want your loved one to be a patient?   You see the paleo elite love to "help" you and link you to valuable sources of information.  Like Dr. John "Jack" Kruse.  But what does it say about them when they can't admit they were wrong or put something or someone ahead of their profit motives just because it would be the right thing to do.