Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 23:12:14 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Gilliland Fliers
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Okay, I finally got a copy -- two copies, actually.  It defames Cathy
Green, Elspeth Kovar, Sam Lubell, Bob MacIntosh, Walter Miles, Mike
Nelson, Sam Pierce, Mike Walsh, Ted White, the 21 people who voted
to move the meeting, and myself.  That includes the president, vice
president, treasurer, 2005 secretary, 2001 Capclave chair, 2002
Capclave chair, 2003 Capclave chair, 2005 Capclave chair, and 2006
Capclave chair -- in fact every past or present Disclave or Capclave
chair of the past decade, except Lee.  I'm baffled as to why Alexis
was so desperate to keep hosting WSFA, seeing as he believes it
consists almost entirely of scoundrels and knaves.  You'd think
he'd be eager to get rid of us.

For the record, I never said, during a meeting or otherwise, that
there would be trouble if there weren't enough movie tickets for
everyone.  Lee's original accusation was that I had been telling
people that there weren't enough tickets.  When I denied it, she
publicly called me a liar.  When it was proven that I was telling the
truth, instead of apologizing she changed her accusation, then changed
it again, finally settling on something that could not be disproved.
Alexis says there's a witness, but has never produced this witness.

Neither did I ever waffle about whether I had said it during a meeting
or not.  I made it clear from the beginning that I never said it,
anywhere, anytime.  I did not refuse to answer when Alexis asked me
if I said it, because he never asked, he *told*.  And I immediately
vehemently denied it.  I still have the tape of that meeting.

I have never deleted any messages from the archives of this list, nor
have I refrained from adding any.  If a message appeared here, it's in
the archives.  (With the exception of messages posted since the 14th,
the last time I updated the archives.)

I do not understand what caused the Gillilands to attack me.  In
response to their attacks, instead of fighting, I surrendered, and
left the club.  They have continued to libel me.  What more do they
want of me?

Despite their having made me feel extremely unwelcome in their
home, they interpret my absence from their home as an attack.  They
interpret Walter's absence similarly, even though Lee said to him,
"I would not plan to attend any First Fridays for a while were I you."
It would seem everyone is either stalking her or shunning her, and
that neither is acceptable behavior.

Ted never offered his home for meetings.  I know because I suggested
this to him.  I suggested it under the mistaken impression that the
Gillilands would be pleased by WSFA going elsewhere.  Just as I agreed
with Elspeth's plan to pay Ted's dues under the mistaken impression,
which I shared with Elspeth, that what the Gillilands objected to was
someone showing up to meetings without paying their dues.

I do not know who mailed the excerpts from this list to various WSFAns
around New Year's day.  It's understandable that whoever it was wished
to remain anonymous.  They might as well come clean now, since it no
longer matters.

As for the Convention Center hotel's completion date slipping, as it
happens, Ted and I are the people who proofread the transcripts of
the meetings of the Washington Convention Center's Board of Directors
and Advisory Board.  As of last month, they were still saying their
headquarters hotel should be open by 2010.  Of course that's no
guarantee that it will be, but Alexis claims to have knowledge that it
definitely won't be.  If so, he knows more about it than the people
in charge of it.  (I'm not betraying any confidences here; those
meetings, unlike most of what we proofread, are open to the public.)

I could go on and on, but what's the point?

Does anyone know if Alexis sent his letter to anyone outside WSFA?
Apparently we're united in recognizing it for what it is, but others
may be less clear on who to believe.  I hope that text such as, "the
discontinuity plus the gossip permits the inference that ..."  should
give a strong clue.  As should the sheer *number* of people who
are nefariously plotting against the Gillilands by such dastardly
stratagems as showing up to meetings or not showing up to meetings,
and acting friendly or acting unfriendly.