Im in ur city, burnin ur church

October 29, 2007 12:23 PM

Paul David Addis has been arrested once again. You may remember him as the man that set The Man on fire 4 days early. This time he went after Grace Cathedral. This is the second SF church to be hit by attempted/successful arson in the past week.
posted by drstein (42 comments total)

"...Luckily, an officer found him walking on California Street near the cathedral, with a backpack full of 'fireworks inside...and other things'"

San Francisco's modern day Guy Fawkes!
posted by ericb at 12:28 PM on October 29, 2007

HE IS THE GOD OF HELLFIRE!
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:34 PM on October 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

"Attention whore requires bigger fix."

And motherfucking son of a transubstantiated cock, can we dispense with the "I'm in ur blank blanking ur blank" thing? It wasn't god damned funny in the first place and it's so far beyond stale now its continued use defies justification.
posted by nanojath at 12:34 PM on October 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

One would hope that the judge would refuse to set bail for someone who is clearly a serial arsonist.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 12:34 PM on October 29, 2007 [2 favorites]

He seems to have been really busy across California recently.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 12:35 PM on October 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

I don't know which would get him more "Favorites" here on Metafilter; shitting on Burning Man or setting fire to a Catholic institution.

Either way, what a fucking douchelord.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 12:35 PM on October 29, 2007 [3 favorites]

I don't get it.... something seems weird here. I'd like to know what was actually in his pack aside from fireworks and what his explanation is. Innocent till proven guilty & all that.

Nevertheless, if this is for real... WTF?
posted by jcruelty at 12:37 PM on October 29, 2007

Paul isn't a douchelord, he does however have a history of mental illness and fits of extreme paranoia.

He is also extremely smart and a former defense attorney. And a dependable friend when he remembers to take the good drugs and lighten up on the bad ones.
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 12:46 PM on October 29, 2007

Take THAT Black Metal!
posted by munchingzombie at 12:51 PM on October 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

Im in ur Catholic Church and...... wait, what? Nanojath said what?!

Well then I'll just take my ball and go home!
posted by photoslob at 12:52 PM on October 29, 2007

Whether or not this guy tried to blow up a stone church with fireworks, is a duchelord, or burning man sucks/rocks, I for one found the finger labyrinth app on Grace’s website kinda neat, and surprisingly relaxing. The first labyrinth I ever walked was at Grace, and even at 8 I think I “got it.”

On preview: Episcopal != Catholic but might = LOLXIAN.
posted by Faux Real at 12:55 PM on October 29, 2007

What's this about Episcopalians and Dutch Lords?

From Mr. Thomas Lyle's, "Ancient Ballads and Songs," 1927:

"Up starts a Dutch Lord, who to Delaware did say,
'Thou deserves to be stabbed!' then he turned himself away;

'Thou deserves to be stabbed, and the dogs have thine ears,
For insulting our King in this Parliament of peers.'
Up sprang a Welsh Lord, the brave Duke of Devonshire,
'In young Delaware's defence, I'll fight this Dutch Lord, my sire;

'For he is in the right, and I'll make it so appear:
Him I dare to single combat, for insulting Delaware.'
A stage was soon erected, and to combat they went,
For to kill, or to be killed, it was either's full intent.

But the very first flourish, when the heralds gave command,
The sword of brave Devonshire bent backward on his hand;
In suspense he paused awhile, scanned his foe before he strake,
Then against the King's armour, his bent sword he brake.

Then he sprang from the stage, to a soldier in the ring,
Saying, 'Lend your sword, that to an end this tragedy we bring:
Though he's fighting me in armour, while I am fighting bare,
Even more than this I'd venture for young Lord Delaware.'

Leaping back on the stage, sword to buckler now resounds,
Till he left the Dutch Lord a bleeding in his wounds:
This seeing, cries the King to his guards without delay,
'Call Devonshire down, - take the dead man away!'

'No,' says brave Devonshire, 'I've fought him as a man,
Since he's dead, I will keep the trophies I have won;
For he fought me in your armour, while I fought him bare,
And the same you must win back, my liege, if ever you them wear.'

God bless the Church of England, may it prosper on each hand,
And also every poor man now starving in this land;
And while I pray success may crown our King upon his throne,
I'll wish that every poor man may long enjoy his own. "
posted by Baby_Balrog at 1:06 PM on October 29, 2007

I'd like to know what was actually in his pack aside from fireworks and what his explanation is. Innocent till proven guilty & all that.

But:

It seems that his neighbor called the police last night after overhearing him say something to the effect of "the cathedral wasn’t going to be there anymore."

And then they found him near the cathedral with fireworks. And he's the guy who burned the burning guy. With the help of fireworks, I think. Given all of that, I'd take him in if I were a cop.
posted by pracowity at 1:14 PM on October 29, 2007

Paul isn't a douchelord, he does however have a history of mental illness and fits of extreme paranoia.

Sounds like you know him better than I do, so I'll take your word for it. At the same time, you might want to warn him that while setting fires can easily be dismissed as mental illness, using firestarting as a means to gain a soapbox for saying "this event isn't the way that it was back when I liked it" makes a guy look like a prick, whether he really is one or not.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 1:14 PM on October 29, 2007

What's this about Episcopalians and Dutch Lords?

I don't think it's Episcopalians as such. I think it's an English thing.

Holland is the only country whose navy ever defeated the Royal Navy in major battle. And though the English don't like to talk about it, and claim that England hasn't been successfully invaded and conquered since 1066, in fact it's arguable that England was conquered by the Dutch in 1689.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 1:16 PM on October 29, 2007

nanojath is in our thread arguing against our memes.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:17 PM on October 29, 2007 [2 favorites]

Christ, what an asshole.
posted by notsnot at 1:20 PM on October 29, 2007 [2 favorites]

There, you see then? Had he been successful, it would have been only the third time a dutch lord had bested the mighty Church of England.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 1:20 PM on October 29, 2007

Metafilter: Thou deserves to be stabbed, and the dogs have thine ears
posted by ormondsacker at 1:29 PM on October 29, 2007

I think even the most lolxians person on MeFi isn't in favor of burning down a church, particularly a beautiful landmark. It's violent and intrusive, no matter the beliefs behind it.

A heap of sticks in the shape of a man whose sole purpose to to be set on fire? I can't work up the same level of disgust.
posted by Gucky at 1:33 PM on October 29, 2007

WTF?
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:37 PM on October 29, 2007

nanojath writes "And motherfucking son of a transubstantiated cock, can we dispense with the 'I'm in ur blank blanking ur blank' thing? It wasn't god damned funny in the first place and it's so far beyond stale now its continued use defies justification."

im in ur internets, hatin ur memes?
posted by mullingitover at 1:51 PM on October 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

Holland is the only country whose navy ever defeated the Royal Navy in major battle.

Except for France, who beat the Royal Navy in the Battle of Beachy Head (1690) and the Battle of the Chesapeake (1781). Unless taking control of the English Channel or essentially deciding the American Revolution don't count as major battles.
posted by kirkaracha at 1:53 PM on October 29, 2007

He is the world's first, fully functional, homicidal artist. He makes art until somebody dies.
posted by tkchrist at 1:54 PM on October 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

He is the world's first, fully functional, homicidal artist. He makes art until somebody dies.

I love that episode of Tales from the Crypt, but it's not so cool IRL.
posted by Pope Guilty at 2:04 PM on October 29, 2007

I think this puts the "art or arson" debate to rest.
posted by scalefree at 2:05 PM on October 29, 2007

Everything is art until a judge says it's mental illness.
posted by fandango_matt at 2:20 PM on October 29, 2007 [3 favorites]

To quote from the second link, (the first one was winking and too hip to quote in any case) "Deputy Chief Morris Tabak said Addis had only a small amount of explosives."

'Did he have the capability to do substantial damage? Absolutely not,' Tabak said."

Still, the attention whore could do with a few days in the tank until he manages to raise 488k.

I mean, what's with the 488? Why not go for the full 500?
posted by Sk4n at 2:21 PM on October 29, 2007

Tales from the Crypt
posted by hortense at 2:39 PM on October 29, 2007

notsnot: Christ, what an asshole.

Addis or nanojath?
posted by Crabby Appleton at 3:00 PM on October 29, 2007

And motherfucking son of a transubstantiated cock, can we dispense with the "I'm in ur blank blanking ur blank" thing?

Every time you refer to a meme, even to say how much it sucks and how it should stop, you actively perpetuate the meme. Even now, I hadn't thought about it in months, but your mention of it reminded me of it (and caused at least two commenters so far to use it.)

So you might want to reconsider your methods.
posted by davejay at 3:46 PM on October 29, 2007

Why do people do this?
posted by ooklala at 3:58 PM on October 29, 2007

Everything is art mental illness until a judge critic says it's mental illness art.
posted by CynicalKnight at 4:51 PM on October 29, 2007 [2 favorites]

Sk4n: I mean, what's with the 488? Why not go for the full 500?

The judge is an avid project studio buff signaling his affection to other four-track geeks.
posted by bunnytricks at 5:28 PM on October 29, 2007

The over-thinking pseudo-intellectual in me wants to try to think that he's actually making some kind of weird meta-statement - perhaps something like "For those that thought burning the man early was fine sport, or even art - why not a church, also? Are they not one and the same?"

But, no, now I just think he's a crazy asshole with a fetish for pyromania. Slick moves, asshole.
posted by loquacious at 5:40 PM on October 29, 2007

i'm in ur meme tweakn ur semiotics
posted by telstar at 6:33 PM on October 29, 2007

He is the world's first, fully functional, homicidal artist. He makes art until somebody dies.

I thought that was Caravaggio...
posted by Tube at 7:10 PM on October 29, 2007

I know Paul Addis slightly, for several years now, and I'm convinced he was not planning to burn down a church with just a few "fireworks"- practically speaking, they're not really very good for those purposes. He does like fireworks, though... that really doesn't mean his intent was arson.

According to emails he sent to a list I'm on, his apartment was repeatedly searched by police in the days after he was released from jail. I don't think he was ever charged with anything after these searches. It wouldn't surprise me if his neighbors were freaked out by this point. I very much doubt he was actually planning to set fire to Grace Cathedral, no matter how nutty he might be.
posted by oneirodynia at 7:12 PM on October 29, 2007

WHAT THE HELL???!?

Link to mug shot.

http://www.kcbs.com/Burning-Man-Arson-Suspect-Arrested-in-SF/1147488
posted by uncanny hengeman at 7:38 PM on October 29, 2007

That's his Burning Man mug shot, not the new one.
posted by scalefree at 8:11 PM on October 29, 2007

I haven't seen a news report on this, but the chatter today on the regional Burning Man list I'm on has included some email from friends of Addis who suggest he's been sent to the psych ward.

At Burning Man I was one of the couple of thousand people who watched the man burn early in the wee hours of the morning and in general have had one foot firmly planted in each of the "Arson or Art" camps. Hassles for workers, risk to participants aside it was great to see something chaotic shakeup the carefully managed script of the event.

But with all signs pointing to mental illness, this is just . . . sad.
posted by donovan at 2:16 PM on October 30, 2007

Yay.
posted by jessam?n at 9:27 AM on November 16, 2007