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Grantland: Dr. V’s Magical Putter

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The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
Jun 18, 2009
62,408
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The story of Dr. V and her putter was getting stranger by the second. An aeronautical physicist with a sun allergy builds the world’s greatest putter by rejecting conventional wisdom, then watches as deep-pocketed competitors try to steal her secrets and shut her out of the market.

So she's the Willy Wonka of golf?

EDIT: Finishing it now

Holy shit, yeah, that was kind of nuts
 

Dan

No longer boycotting the Wolfenstein franchise
Jun 8, 2004
31,504
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Wow. That was bonkers, and ultimately rather tragic.
 

Finn of Ooo

Member
Jun 26, 2012
1,360
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What. The. Hell.

This article was certainly more interesting that I would've guessed. That was truly an outrageous scenario, I wonder how this guy feels about his role in all this.
 

Jado

Banned
Jun 24, 2005
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Zero interest in golf. That was incredible.

It really does read like it could be an awards season film.
 

AstroLad

Hail to the KING baby
Jul 23, 2004
37,730
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Thread needs a catchier title! because this story is incredibly even if you don't care about golf at all.

I can't be alone in thinking writer was partially or directly responsible for the suicide right? Can't blame him one iota for good journalism and fact-checking, but just reading through the whole thing I thought it had to be a really difficult experience to go through
 

Dr_LawyerCop

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Oct 23, 2012
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Thread needs a catchier title! because this story is incredibly even if you don't care about golf at all.

I can't be alone in thinking writer was partially or directly responsible for the suicide right? Can't blame him one iota for good journalism and fact-checking, but just reading through the whole thing I thought it had to be a really difficult experience to go through

I think that's a lot to put on the guy. If the story came out before, maybe.
 

BearPawB

Banned
May 14, 2012
6,306
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Thread needs a catchier title! because this story is incredibly even if you don't care about golf at all.

I can't be alone in thinking writer was partially or directly responsible for the suicide right? Can't blame him one iota for good journalism and fact-checking, but just reading through the whole thing I thought it had to be a really difficult experience to go through

If i were him, i would certainly feel some guilt. She clearly was unstable, and didn't want people investigating her. I think if she thought she was being exposed..that is definitely the reason she might have done it
 

Dr.Acula

Banned
May 12, 2006
16,300
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Thread needs a catchier title! because this story is incredibly even if you don't care about golf at all.

I can't be alone in thinking writer was partially or directly responsible for the suicide right? Can't blame him one iota for good journalism and fact-checking, but just reading through the whole thing I thought it had to be a really difficult experience to go through

Well, she had a lot of problems, certainly the writer wasn't the only person
to have found out about her fraud and her past, and she had a previous suicide attempt.

What puzzles me is Gary McCord. He said that
he knew four star generals, and Dan Quayle, and that they were able to verify Dr. V's involvement in the Pentagon.
Clearly he is outright lying.
 

Karakand

Member
Apr 24, 2006
41,598
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It was very difficult to continue reading when the author indicated that he didn't know what the word communique meant.
 

AstroLad

Hail to the KING baby
Jul 23, 2004
37,730
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Well, she had a lot of problems, certainly the writer wasn't the only person
to have found out about her fraud and her past, and she had a previous suicide attempt.

What puzzles me is Gary McCord. He said that
he knew four star generals, and Dan Quayle, and that they were able to verify Dr. V's involvement in the Pentagon.
Clearly he is outright lying.
Yeah totally. That might actually be tthe most mystifying thing to me. For someone of his stature to put himself on the line like that...weird.
 

Zoc

Member
Aug 13, 2007
2,675
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Why the spoiler tags? It only takes about ten minutes to read this story.

Anyway, I don't know what to think about the guilt of the author. Would there have been a way for him to have avoided outing her without going along with all her lies?
 

kirblar

Member
Oct 9, 2010
63,315
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Why the spoiler tags? It only takes about ten minutes to read this story.

Anyway, I don't know what to think about the guilt of the author. Would there have been a way for him to have avoided outing her without going along with all her lies?
The suicide had nothing to with him "outing" someone and everything to do with that person being seriously unhinged.
 

Zoc

Member
Aug 13, 2007
2,675
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The suicide had nothing to with him "outing" someone and everything to do with that person being seriously unhinged.

That seems pretty obvious, yeah. People do have a right not to be outed, though. Anyway, the author never said that he was planning on outing her before her suicide, so who knows.
 

kirblar

Member
Oct 9, 2010
63,315
1
860
That seems pretty obvious, yeah. People do have a right not to be outed, though. Anyway, the author never said that he was planning on outing her before her suicide, so who knows.
I don't understand the whole "it's ok to let people lie about their past" thing when it comes to this subject. It's part of the story, and is public record due to the lawsuit.
 

AlexMogil

Member
Aug 6, 2007
10,650
1
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This is like if that Time Cube guy made a putter.

The web site's schizophrenic layout and design is even a little similar.
 

Dead Man

Member
Aug 24, 2007
54,233
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I don't understand the whole "it's ok to let people lie about their past" thing when it comes to this subject. It's part of the story, and is public record due to the lawsuit.

When it comes to this subject? What subject is that?
 

sixghost

Member
May 23, 2010
7,606
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Why the spoiler tags? It only takes about ten minutes to read this story.

Anyway, I don't know what to think about the guilt of the author. Would there have been a way for him to have avoided outing her without going along with all her lies?

Didn't the story say that Dr. V attempted suicide previously? You can't put that on the author.
 

legend166

Member
Jan 31, 2007
19,429
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She was defrauding people for financial gain. Was the story the impetus for what she did? You'd have to say of course. But you can't put a single bit of blame or guilt on the journalist.
 

mavs

Member
Mar 18, 2009
4,535
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Uhh. wow. Imagine getting caught up in that because of insomnia, Youtube, and a bit of professionally honed curiosity.
 

Perfect Cha0s

Member
Nov 9, 2011
4,298
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Absolutely bizarre, and a tad depressing. It's very sad to read that someone led a life with so much inner turmoil,
living what was practically a completely fabricated life, and then ultimately killing herself. Creating and becoming famous for that putter seemed to be the only way she had to legitimize her new life. To her, the journalist only seemed intent on shattering that illusion.
What puzzles me is Gary McCord. He said that
he knew four star generals, and Dan Quayle, and that they were able to verify Dr. V's involvement in the Pentagon.
Clearly he is outright lying.
Yeah, that was really odd. Makes me wonder if he was just bullshitting, or if he new her in some way and was just sort of covering for her.
 

iamblades

Member
Mar 5, 2007
9,300
404
1,410
since we're all here: how could a putter have a zero moment of inertia?

If it were massless? If something has mass, it has a MOI.

Also a question to ask is 'in what axis?', from the article it sounds like the intention is to reduce the moment of inertia around the axis of the shaft of the putter, but the design of the putter with the mass concentrated on the outer edge of the head would increase, not decrease MOI in that axis
 

Randy Monk

Member
Sep 3, 2011
2,258
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Cheerio and Toodle Pip, Dr. Essay Anne Vanderbilt. RIP

Did anyone get a Cats Cradle vibe from the article until the truth started unravelling?
 
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