The Truth About Ruth - Part 2 - Merge

[Kellbells]

I'm a newer poster here and I managed to figure it out. Just follow the possum... :lol:

QFT. Took me less than 5 min to find her by doing just this.

[stonechat]

Thanks Lainey :)

Anyway, what first gave me a funny feeling about Ruth was her engagement story. Seriously? (I'm operating from memory so all the details may not be 100% as they were posted) Harris proposed at the same spot his family used for generations. His father drove them in a horse and carriage. It was too much of a bad romantic comedy. Am I the only one who thought that was a little too perfect?

Someone upthread said that RR never posted photos. Reading this jogged my memory; I'm fairly sure that RR's engagement post originally had a photo of the 'proposal spot' (meadow leading to a river?) I remember thinking 'how romantic' :roll:

Your 'too perfect' radar is way better than mine.

[thoughtful]

I'm an infrequent poster going back to the Yuku days. Has anyone mentioned yet that Ruth has defrauded us.

No! Now that's a sign of how fundy-watching has changed our vocabulary -- in page after page of discussing this, we never came up with the most common use of that word.

I guess it will always mean "dressed provocatively" to FJers!

:lol:

[Ampak]

In my sluething attempts, I found this:

ricksgirlfriday.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

Where the blogger claims to have met Penn Mommy but, is accusing her of lying. Very interesting.

[OkToBeTakei]

Don't know about the US. Here a good public shaming is done by contacting the local newspaper. They LOVE that kind of thing. Tends to go nicely public after that.

Most local papers are read by the local towns here. Like hicksville Gazette etc :lol: Does that happen? Might be a wee mean idea if it is the case. Maybe too mean?

[formergothardite]

Don't know about the US. Here a good public shaming is done by contacting the local newspaper. They LOVE that kind of thing. Tends to go nicely public after that.

Most local papers are read by the local towns here. Like hicksville Gazette etc :lol: Does that happen? Might be a wee mean idea if it is the case. Maybe too mean?

My small town newspaper would be all over it, but we still have things like Ms. So-and-so grew a very large tomato in her garden this year. Here is a picture. So it isn't like we have a whole lot going on here. A local being an internet scammer would be front page for weeks and they would have to move or be gossiped about for life.

[OkToBeTakei]

My small town newspaper would be all over it, but we still have things like Ms. So-and-so grew a very large tomato in her garden this year. Here is a picture so it isn't like we have a whole lot going on here. A local being an internet scammer would be front page for weeks and they would have to move or be gossiped about for life.

SAME HERE :lol:

[Palimpsest]

In my sluething attempts, I found this:

ricksgirlfriday.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

Where the blogger claims to have met Penn Mommy but, is accusing her of lying. Very interesting.

Where did you see the meeting Pennmommy info. I'm sorry but my eyes are tired and I may have missed it. I thought she said she met Kate Gosselin and was disillusioned.

The rest, following up with Calladus and others in the atheist community. Possum was deeply embedded there. Think of the reaction of many FJers in the past defending Ruth. I actually agree with Calladus's terse statement of "she was just asking for prayers." That is my memory too. PennMommy asked for charitable donations. Research at the time seemed to show no evidence of the death of "Jason." Haas or not. Created after the fact?

Bohemian Moon was the longest hold out on anti-G blogs with Penn Mommy's authenticity or lack there of, I think. She eventually decided PennMommy was fake.

I agree that the GDNNOP (a pro-G site) expose was sanctimonious and possibly not completely accurate. It seemed puffed up with pride because they got to discredit anti-G sites. Blog wars. ::Yawns::

ETA: Two things.

I've always suspected that Calladus was a sock because he claimed to have met Possum. OTOH, other internet scams have had in person meetings and Lupus is probably not hard to fake. He may be ligit. I wonder what he would say if confronted with this new information.

And when I say embedded -- I always envision an engorged dog tick.

[louisa05]

Where did you see the meeting Pennmommy info. I'm sorry but my eyes are tired and I may have missed it. I thought she said she met Kate Gosselin and was disillusioned.

The rest, following up with Calladus and others in the atheist community. Possum was deeply embedded there. Think of the reaction of many FJers in the past defending Ruth. I actually agree with Calladus's terse statement of "she was just asking for prayers." That is my memory too. PennMommy asked for charitable donations. Research at the time showed no evidence of the death of "Jason."

Bohemian Moon was the longest hold out on anti-G blogs with Penn Mommy's authenticity or lack there of. She eventually decided she was fake.

I agree that the GDNNOP (a pro-G site) expose was sanctimonious and possibly not completely accurate. It seemed puffed up with pride because they got to discredit anti G sites. Blog wars. ::Yawns::

She is FB friends with the Calladus blogger whose FB uses that as a last name and lists another name. I found that interesting.

[Palimpsest]

She is FB friends with the Calladus blogger whose FB uses that as a last name and lists another name. I found that interesting.

Interesting indeed. Please look back for the edit in my last post before you quoted me. Perhaps this blogger and Calladus are both socks? Crap. My brain is exploding.

I still think PossumMomma is RR. She has a long history. Her children have had so many life threatening conditions and the "tells" have convinced me.

[Coconut Flan]

The whole blogger who met PM could be PM herself. She has no problem setting up blogs, FB pages, etc to backstop her story.

[Mama Mia]

Interesting indeed. Please look back for the edit in my last post before you quoted me. Perhaps this blogger and Calladus are both socks? Crap. My brain is exploding.

I still think PossumMomma is RR. She has a long history. Her children have had so many life threatening conditions and the "tells" have convinced me.

I think the trip from the same town in California to Chicago is the most convincing part. Although on the Facebook page she shows photos of lots of different recent trips around the country, so could be a coincidence. I think Ruth is a scammer, and I think p.m. Is a scammer, but I don't know that I'm convinced they are the same scammer. I was more convinced before I started going down a hundred rabbit holes using the links and variations on the different user names. The town in California isnt tiny, and Chicago is huge, so its not like someone being in one town of 500 and moving to another equally unpopulated area. The person on that child free board who was linked a zillion pages ago seemed the most strikingly similar, to me. Could be a p.m. Persona too. Or not. I'm interested in why people are so certain that Vicky, or any other real person couldn't also be the Ruth persona? Whoever Ruth is, she also has a real life, which could conceivably be anyone from a teen age boy to Princess Kate. I'm just curious as to how/why certain people are ruled out?

I find this all very intriguing.

[Mustang Sally]

Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, I want to address the HIGH POST COUNT MEMBERS!!! and those that buy into the idea that your post count means that your opinion matters more: It doesn’t. While reading through the truth about ruth 2 thread, somebody actually intoned that if you were a low post count member, that you really shouldn’t get involved in this particular thread. What in the ever loving fuck? Really? So those people who were, I don’t know, perhaps intimidated about posting here after seeing the invective hurled at new members by the old guard, their experiences don’t matter? Their emotional investment isn’t as important as someone who treats FJ like it’s their job? Fuck that. Further, the whole RR thing, if we want to get real, is partially your fault, high-count-holier-than-thou posters. Your nastiness possibly prevented some real discussion about RR’s believability and the myriad holes in her story.

I believe you are referring to my comment, which is here - viewtopic.php?p=585192#p585192 - here's what it actually says:

I also hate to open this can of worms, but it also worries me when new posters show up and start speculating. New members are important, but this might not be a good place to jump into posting if you are new, since so many of the questions and concern are about trust, possible sockpuppets, etc. If you have something to say, please just be careful and if possible post links or proof to what you are saying.

Context is important, so let me provide some.

1) During Alectogate, I was vocally in support of lower-post-count members (of which I was, and to some extent still am, one) against some of the "old guard" who were not as welcoming, and I took a raft of shit for it. Just so you know whose side I'm on.

2) In the thread where I posted that, there was some concern (more like paranoia, speaking for myself here) about possible sockpuppets - when there is drama involving potential sockpuppets, it also coincides with an influx of new members, which usually freaks people out who are participating in the thread. Because you never know.

3) We were also dancing around using the real name of a family who turned out not to be involved. A couple of new/low-post-count folks showed up and one of them made a strong accusation that she later regretted and retracted. The entire thread was later redacted, which I am glad of. In my clumsy way, I was trying to get people to stop speculating and flinging accusations without proof, and also point out that it was a very tense thread for new people to jump into right away. I was asking people to be careful, not trying to make anyone feel unwelcome.

I realize that this topic (the treatment of low post-count members) has been a real trigger for this board for some time, so I imagine that, for someone who admits having been bawled out recently on the board, it would be a flashpoint for significant anger. Nevertheless, I think you were inaccurate to use my comment as an example of that particular kind of unfairness.

Your comment airs some valid beefs, and I have had frustrations of my own on this board recently. Apparently several people agree with you, but I do want to say that I support the admins in their decision against naming real names, the idiotic and spiteful criticism of that decision over at GOMI notwithstanding. This is not simply an issue of them covering their butts LEGALLY, but it is, in fact, the ethical thing to do. Carla Bruni goes into more detail about why.

[Mango]

Guys, I'm clearly an idiot, but trying to google to find a summary of the Possum Momma stuf is not working for me. Could someone PM me the relevant google terms?

(amusingly, one of my (mostly offline, in her 60s) wildlife rehabber friends has used a similar handle before. (I think she was Possummom or something like that though) Her rehab specialty is baby possums. They are kinda cute, but the adults are fugly! I'm sorta wondering if I should make sure she's not got that as her email address, LOL!

[Palimpsest]

I think the trip from the same town in California to Chicago is the most convincing part. Although on the Facebook page she shows photos of lots of different recent trips around the country, so could be a coincidence. I think Ruth is a scammer, and I think p.m. Is a scammer, but I don't know that I'm convinced they are the same scammer. I was more convinced before I started going down a hundred rabbit holes using the links and variations on the different user names. The town in California isnt tiny, and Chicago is huge, so its not like someone being in one town of 500 and moving to another equally unpopulated area. The person on that child free board who was linked a zillion pages ago seemed the most strikingly similar, to me. Could be a p.m. Persona too. Or not. I'm interested in why people are so certain that Vicky, or any other real person couldn't also be the Ruth persona? Whoever Ruth is, she also has a real life, which could conceivably be anyone from a teen age boy to Princess Kate. I'm just curious as to how/why certain people are ruled out?

I find this all very intriguing.

So do I. Yup, the trip, the "tells" and the Possum history is conclusive -- to me.

How many socks are out there?

I will say just one other thing: There is a long-term poster here (hasn't been back recently) who sort of confirmed in a very limited fashion that she had verified a small part of Ruth/Rachel's story. By phone.

I'm still a teensy-tiny-teeny bit reluctant to believe that she is a sock. Also, IP checks by Curious/admins have not yet uncovered her as a sock. She could have been suckered by a phone call and be legit.

Possum seems to be rather careless about IPs and I believe the admins did a thorough scan looking for socks.

However. The longer that other poster stays away, the more likely she is a sock. And she had better have a damn good story if/when she does come back.

[JMarie]

I don't log onto FJ for a week and I get hit by a Ruth bomb! With one eye glued to CNN and the Zimmerman trial, I read most of Part 1 and all of Part 2. Something that should have stuck out was the adoption. In the Gothard world, women are supposed to have babies, lots of babies, and not do anything to prevent more babies. Also, adopting another woman's baby is bad, supposedly because the baby inherits the sins of the mother. Now, if the adopting parent(s) don't give a flying fig about Gothard, they don't care about some stupid inherited sins. But why would Ruth's sister have given up the baby? She was raised with the babybabybaby mentality since she was a baby, she spends a few months with Ruth, and she's ready to surrender her child?

[snarkykitty]

When people are outed for being frauds, I always wonder about the fall-out with friends and family. For example, the hoaxes like Warrior Eli - after they are exposed, what do friends and family typically do? Get angry? Sever ties? It's interesting to me...

[JMarie]

World of Roses' blog is HYSTERICAL! She/he should try a little bit harder at being realistic lol!!!

And also contradictory:

http://zedicy542.blogspot.com/2013/06/i ... octor.html

I won't see a doctor during my pregnancy. I won't go to the hospital to deliver.

http://zedicy542.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-time.html

For a few days I felt blah. My heart was racing. I was tired. In general I just felt OFF. My husband INSISTED that I see a doctor, knowing full well how I feel about them. He is the boss so I went.

The doctor said I had preeclampsia and I must bed rest until baby Matthew gets here.

I laughed at the doctor, went home and googled. Preeclampsia is merely high blood pressure! I told John I was not taking silly pills and I could handle blood pressure on my own.

If she wrote more, we could really have fun with her.

[happy atheist]

I will say just one other thing: There is a long-term poster here (hasn't been back recently) who sort of confirmed in a very limited fashion that she had verified a small part of Ruth/Rachel's story. By phone.

I'm still a teensy-tiny-teeny bit reluctant to believe that she is a sock. Also, IP checks by Curious/admins have not yet uncovered her as a sock. She could have been suckered by a phone call and be legit.

Possum seems to be rather careless about IPs and I believe the admins did a thorough scan looking for socks.

However. The longer that other poster stays away, the more likely she is a sock. And she had better have a damn good story if/when she does come back.

If you would like to pass along the name of this poster, we can take a peek.

eta - PM a helpmeet with the info

[snarkykitty]

I have to laugh. I just checked RR blog and the advertisements were for two movies - "Identity Thief" and "Dispicable Me".

[tenth muse]

When people are outed for being frauds, I always wonder about the fall-out with friends and family. For example, the hoaxes like Warrior Eli - after they are exposed, what do friends and family typically do? Get angry? Sever ties? It's interesting to me...

That's a really good question. I guess some of them would, but others may refuse to believe it. People can be blind when family is concerned....

[flyawaystray]

RR has a big following and some commenters still believe that Ruth hasn't done anything wrong.

[Palimpsest]

If you would like to pass along the name of this poster, we can take a peek.

ETA. About to send a pm. Hope no one else saw this before ! zapped it.

[Jana814]

RR has a big following and some commenters still believe that Ruth hasn't done anything wrong.

I saw that too. I have to say I totally believed her. Some of the stuff she wrote about was so sad it hard to believe it was not true.

[flyawaystray]

A lot of people believed her. I believed her, although I didn't read every single entry. I've read the RR threads here, though. I also never donated money.

It's sad, really. So many people were taken advantage of :/