The Observation Deck

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:21 pm**

Disordered thinking. Grandiose. Mentally ill.

Petty is grabbing at pieces of himself. It's all he ever could do.

***

There's the taint of a counter-transference in this thread. Petty was evil and dreadful, but trying to make his fragmented personality cohere for the sake, (and for 'our' sake,) of making him more evil (and each of us more sane,) is, to me, a common response.

Either the cup is half full of his celebrity, or, is half full of the object lesson. To me the main point should transcend Petty: do you know what your young kids are up to?

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:24 pm**

Stephen Calhoun wrote:Disordered thinking. Grandiose. Mentally ill.

Petty is grabbing at pieces of himself. It's all he ever could do.

***

There's the taint of a counter-transference in this thread. Petty was evil and dreadful, but trying to make his fragmented personality cohere for the sake, (and for 'our' sake,) of making him more evil (and each of us more sane,) is, to me, a common response.

Either the cup is half full of his celebrity, or, is half full of the object lesson. To me the main point should transcend Petty: do you know what your young kids are up to?

Huh?!

.

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:29 pm**

Huh? is right.

A psych. evaluation determined him to be sane and competent to stand trial - something to which both the defense and prosecution stipulated.

Where does mental illness factor in?

Hmmm.

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:38 pm**

I'm uncomfortable with the seeming obsession over him.

What did he say, what will he do next, on and on.

Look, he's caught, he's in jail, he'll pay for his crime one way or another, and he's off the street.

Why the incessant concern over what he thinks or does?

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:38 pm**

Anne Cox wrote:Huh? is right.

A psych. evaluation determined him to be sane and competent to stand trial - something to which both the defense and prosecution stipulated.

Where does mental illness factor in?

Hmmm.

Anne

Granted me might both no way too much about him, but Steve was there talking with him for 5 hours. Mentally ill, sharp as a tack. Able to try to channel conversation with set up and traps laid minutes before needed.

Phil is not this country's run of the mill pedophile. To be honest I wonder where he actually fits in the whole thing? Pedophiles are sick, and disturb, but Phil made a career out of it, and that takes a pretty sharp mind.

What Gill ends up with is going to be fascinating stuff.

.

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:21 pm**

Jim O'Bryan wrote:
Anne Cox wrote:Huh? is right.

A psych. evaluation determined him to be sane and competent to stand trial - something to which both the defense and prosecution stipulated.

Where does mental illness factor in?

Hmmm.

Anne

Granted me might both no way too much about him, but Steve was there talking with him for 5 hours. Mentally ill, sharp as a tack. Able to try to channel conversation with set up and traps laid minutes before needed.

Phil is not this country's run of the mill pedophile. To be honest I wonder where he actually fits in the whole thing? Pedophiles are sick, and disturb, but Phil made a career out of it, and that takes a pretty sharp mind.

What Gill ends up with is going to be fascinating stuff.

Unfortunately, Jim, Distasio is a typical pedophile. Most don't start a "school" but a very large majority work in the public and private school system. Just from monitoring their message boards I can see that there are a good many with sharp minds.

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:05 pm**

"People would rather believe in abusers and victims than in open-minded intelligent kids--this is at the heart of the problem, and until people are willing to talk about that, there's really nothing I can do. And with the media and law enforcement encouraging people to stop thinking as soon as they hear something that doesn't fit into their narrow scheme of reality, there really is nothing I can do." ... "people never forget and they never forgive and so long as there are laws controlling our teachers and parents and what their morals should be, people will never think and they'll never learn."

"How many times does an abuser need to make it into your schools, churches and neighborhoods before you realize that the only way to trust people is to sit down face to face once in awhile and keep in touch with them? How many times does your reliance upon credential have to lead you to victimization before you stop relying on the credential and start paying attention to what you see and hear?"

"It sounds pathetic, but the kids I was working with were one-part wards of the court. After getting that In Loco Parentis form signed by the right people, I could go into any youth center or half-way house and check these kids out like they were some kind of library book. Because this is what the system does to our children--dehumanizes them and turns them into objects to be controlled, talked-down to and beaten into submission.

But I still knew I was on the right track, because all of these loopholes would enable me to track down the right kids and the right parents to test out this new program. If I wanted to, I could start the whole thing on under-the-table cash by taking care of kids on my spare time out of my home--so this was my plan."

Phillip Distasio

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:15 pm**

The observer of the observers job is never done.

Sometimes stuff here is so unintentionally funny I fall off my chair. I'm sorry but my own stuff engulfs me in hilarity from the git go too.

If anybody thinks a grown man's buggering of autistic boys is proven sane by a forensic and psychiatric evaluation for the court's purpose, you might consider cuddling up with the DSM-IV some stormy evening. Alternately, you can read the law, law not purposed for the sake of diagnosis.

Roughly counter-transference is the belief system unconsciously evoked by someone else's unconscious belief system being projected upon one. And back again; a reinforcing loop. The delusions become believable. So, for example, a severely delusional person can electrify our own deficits of reality testing.

Ironically my guess is that Petty believes that his fulsome grandiosity might cause the court to someday let him off the hook he's set himself upon. (He, perhaps, was very surprised to have been found sane.) It's not a cogent tactic but, consider also, what a truly sane person would do when confronted with their hideous crimes.

Psychiatric evaluation of another sort is aimed to figure out whether a person is beleaguered by mental illness, psychopathology, social psychopathology, personality disorders, neurosis, psychosis.

There's no such thing as a sane ('mentally not-ill,' 'cognitively healthy,') psychopath although psychopaths are found sane for the purpose of having their alleged criminal behavior adjudicated all the time.

***

Now Petty is doubtlessly intelligent but only up to a dim point. The question, 'did he wish to be caught' is a difficult one to address. Sometimes we speak of someone having a death wish. This is similar. Petty has this messianic shadow too. (So does our President.) Lunatic. Deadly.

There's, seemingly, no reason to elevate a cry for help after years of ruinous behavior, and behavior which laid waste to young lives, (any life for that matter, and had horrendous consequences for secondary victims as well as primary victims.) At the same time, and on the other hand, it is possible to be extremely circumspect about assumptions which point in the direction of what conditions create the pedophile, a pedophile, this one.

As is probably annoyingly the case with much of my commentary here on the Deck, I am per force by dint of my own disposition and prejudices, not able to instantly state that this is a simple case, is characterologically self-evident, and so, I maintain, cannot be only about the heinous crimes.

***

In the dark shadows of so much horrific suffering, the reflexive self-righteousness can work to set aside the serious question, 'what are your kids up to'?

The overwhelming, even if milder suffering, loosed upon kids who remain neglected, who wander off the parental radar screen, who, hell, never show up on the screen because there isn't one, and are prone to being victimized too. It matters not, (to me,) that this unfolds at a 'lesser' degree of terribleness.

No possible punishment of Petty will light up a radar screen. As Ken might ask, 'is there a teachable moment'?

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:17 pm**

Was he "using" illicit substances during his meeting with folks from the L.O.? I suspect so.

The issue is larger than DiStasio; I can see why some want to think that he doesn't fit what many think mentally well, only, there is also a thing such as psychopathy. It's something that Robert D. Hare, Ph.D., has written about.

No matter what, I will forever appreciate what led to his arrest - L.O. folks reporting him, and the first of his victims whom led to the search based on probable cause.

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:27 pm**

Anne Cox wrote:Was he "using" illicit substances during his meeting with folks from the L.O.? I suspect so.

Anne

He didn't look stoned, and nor smelled of the wacky tabbacky.

For 5 hours he never left.

Jim

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:34 pm**

Was marijuana the only substance he used? I, somehow, doubt it

.

So far, what I've seen of his more recent diatribes, it is vintage DiStasio - full of himself.

And, Stephen, it matters not to ask whether one knows where one's children are; I haven't any so it does hit even harder to know that parents willingly left theirs in the presence of such a person. No one noticed a thing wrong prior to his arrest? I never met the man face-to-face and I clearly saw a problem. Is that self-righteousness speaking? If you wish to think so.

More so than what is the lesson is the question: If parents are not protecting their own children, who will? I wouldn't throw stones at those who try to look out for others' children, knowing there is a clear and present danger.

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:35 pm**

Jan McMahan wrote:Unfortunately, Jim, Distasio is a typical pedophile. Most don't start a "school" but a very large majority work in the public and private school system. Just from monitoring their message boards I can see that there are a good many with sharp minds.

Jan

I understand what you are saying an I agree. But Phil is not your run of the mill pedophile. Mark my words, this is going to take some very sick twists and turns. Again, to be honest I wonder how many of those molested were actually molested by him, or for that matter anyone from this state.

Steve

I refuse to give the guy any slack. He was very sharp talking with us. If you and Ken hadn't had the background his schtick would have fooled many. But there was still the outward talk that was outrageous how open he was. He was there to manipulate us, and never expected the wrecking crew. He was addicted, clever, a businessman, a con, but not crazy. Mike Gill has spent more time with him than any of us. He leads with the word sick, but never uses the term crazy or insane.

.

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:39 pm**

Thank you, Jim

.

I also will not be an apologist for him. He is responsible, and it was more than "buggering" autistic boys. He allegedly preyed on those with no voice.

Too, in reading your note to Jan: what it seems you're alluding to still is not unusual for pedophiles from the same network to which DiStasio belonged. You may want to key google.com for the name Chad Frank and read of the DOJ's case, and its outcome.

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:52 pm**

Anne Cox wrote:Thank you, Jim .

I also will not be an apologist for him. He is responsible, and it was more than "buggering" autistic boys. He allegedly preyed on those with no voice.

Anne

Do not hold back. It did not stop there. He has a master plan, and many supporters. This was not a school, but a school supported by NAMBL. Phil made many trips to the airport and bus station, hmmmmmmmm. Wonder why? I know three parents that had stopped by the house to talk about Class Cutters, they all tell nearly the same story. Phil would leave to pick up people, Chris would keep the parents there till Phil got back with friends. We found a video with another guy who claims to be Phil's "bishop." He has disappeared.

It still amazes me how much the media has missed in this story, and how many people are afraid to come forward.

.

Posted: **Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:16 pm**

Jim.

I recall him being manic. Then there were times when he curled up with a dear-in-the-headlights look. He was unable to construct an accurate picture of what he was being subjected too but then he didn't have any clue about the interpersonal factors either.

The three of us were ciphers of a sort to him. There was something of a game going on and as our own affectual impact became inflated he moved from gaming his language to constructing a very concrete picture about his self-proclaimed 'revolutionary' activities.

Jim, you connected the dots first, shared them with me; I remained uncertain; Ken caught on; and, as you know, I left and felt bad thinking we had spent the last hour toying with him too severely.

BUT, once DL found and followed some of the crumbs, clarified something of the recent trail, and after we had 'come down' and de-briefed and granted the full range of possibilities, next taken the clear identification the bulldog scanned, and found the old web site, all the bricks fell into place.

On Monday/Tuesday (?) it was worked from both the Lakewood and Rocky River side. We spent two weeks unraveling truly secondary matters. But even in gaining his curricula we came to comprehend what the possible scope could be.

But, the assembled dossier was completely damning by Thursday of the week commenced by the triangulation.

Here's Petty from Sunday night 6/26, captured by DL's online investigation.

From: "Brother Pateticus" <pateticus@...>
Date: Sun Jun 26, 2005 2:22 pm
Subject: The Ultimatum... brother_petty
Offline
Send Email
There's an old saying that miracles always wait until the very last minute.

Last night, a miracle presented itself in the form of a chance meeting with
some of the most influential people in Lakewood.

These influential people believe that cooperative measures such as mine take valuable resources away from a system that we all know is big enough to take the occasional loss--I mean, after all, our schools lost $25billion this year. They don't need Social Entrepreneurs like myself encouraging the tax-exempt status in order to take matters into our own hands and improve our communities on our own.

We can't be going around proving that we can accomplish something without the assistance of the Departments of Social Work and Education. How dare I suggest that parents have the right to decide how to educate and care for their own children. That would be wrong. If I don't believe in the system I'm not patriotic and I don't deserve to live here.

I was told, in no uncertain terms, that if I didn't shut myself down that they would do it for me by manipulating the media and digging up the seedy little details of my past and private life. This, not more than a week away from when I intended to get started.

How is this a miracle?

That which challenges our freedom and our livlihood can be met in one of two ways: We can play by the rules, make the adequate sacrifices and then contend ourselves with meeting the challenge face to face--thus occupying that place and that time with nothing but the intent to meet that challenge. Reaping the rewards if we win and licking our wounds if we lose.

Or we can decide not to play, allowing us to make the rules, taking the game up to the next level before they're ready for it. And we can see if the challenge thinks us worthy enough to follow.

When people are pushed to their limit, they are capable of incredible things. Being pushed to one's limit means having nothing left if you lose. But it means getting everything back if you win.

We can continue telling these influential people that they're the ones in control by allowing them to set the pace and place the challenges and make the rules. Or we can tell them that we don't care about their policies, that we don't care to be challenged at this time, and can we please get on with whatever it is that we want to do with ourselves.

These people are looking for a fight, I'm not willing to give them one. I'm just here to have a good time and help a few people along the way.

We can make the statement that this needs to stay together by doing nothing more than getting together to have a good time. No sit-ins, no burn-outs, no protests or marches. Just music, food, fun and families.

If you want to know more:
Tuesday & Saturday Nights at 8pm: The Phoenix Coffee House 15108 Detroit
Ave in Lakewood
All Day Fridays and Saturdays: Barbecue and Music Circle at my home in
Rocky River (email for details...)
July 15th: A Night of Games at Cyber City 15713 Detroit Ave in Lakewood
http://members.cox.net/pateticus/

Our livlihood, our freedom, is at stake here.
I can't think of a better prize...

Pateticus

Slife from Sunday night.

Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 18:02:42 -0400
From: Dan Slife <djslife@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Dan Slife <djslife@gmail.com>
To: "dl@meckes.com" <dl@meckes.com>, stephendavis@ameritech.net,
KennethWarren <kwan@gwis.com>, SC <hoon@apk.net>
Subject: Real Name?

I saw his Ohio Drivers Liscense. His name is PHILLIP J DISTASIO. Born 1971. It looks legit. He said he'd leave town if we bought the ticket.

He won't shut the fuck up.

Still here. He's still yapping.

Dan

Me, from Monday.

To: Dan Slife <djslife@gmail.com>
From: SC <hoon@apk.net>
Subject: Re: Submit to Authorities
Cc:
Bcc:
X-Attachments:

Dan,

Thanks on all this. You achieved the break through of the investigation. With that info I found much on the internet <<you can run but not hide>> have supplied it to JO,DL,KW and now to you.. -SC Obviously a very troubled and paranoid young man who may have broken the law.

FORWARD TO SLIFE 12:19am

Jim,

I'm just sending this to you and dl and Ken

After Slife rooted out possible real name.

http://www.ctsplace.com/ctsboard/messages/5117.php

which got me to the cache for darktimes.com (via Way Back)

http://web.archive.org/web/199805050540 ... resume.htm

Phillip James DiStasio
PO Box 15411
Columbus, Ohio 43215-0411
editor@darktimes.com

Education:
The Ohio State University, Columbus. 1994-1997
Arts and Sciences Curriculum
Zoology Major with Minors in English and Italian
New Hampshire Technical College, Laconia. 1991-1992
Business Management Curriculum
Accounting Major
New Hampshire Vocational Technical Institute, Laconia. 1988-1991
Health Sciences and Medicine Curriculum
Veterinary Medicine and Forensics

Work Experience:
Kitchen/Barback. Since 2/98
Rockhouse Tavern and Grill
Fry Cook
Dishwasher
Server
Barback
Clerk I. 2/97-12/97
Columbus Metropolitan Library, A/V Division
Processes New Materials
Repairs Video Tapes
Serves Public
Library Media Technical Assistant I. 10/95-12/96
Page Hall Business Library of OSU
Supervised Students
Maintained Closed Reserve
Served Public
Student Circulation Assistant. 5/94-10/95
OSU Main Library
Served Public
Initiated Searches using library network system (OSCAR)
Placed and Retrieved Holds
Security Supervisor. 7/95-10/95
OSU Main Library
Security Patrols
Vandalism Control
Patron Complaints
Quality Control. 6/92-6/93
Polyclad Laminates, Franklin N.H.
Precision Measurements
Micrometer, Dial Vernier
Lathe, Drill Press
Cad/Cam

Other Skills:
Computer Literate
Microsoft Word, Power Point, Excel, Publisher
Word Perfect, Corel Photopaint, Corel Draw
Types 80 words per minute
Touch Types with accounting keypad
Internet capable with home page on the World Wide Web
Self-taught with HTML, Java, CGI and Perl
Self Published (Dark Times Publishing)
Self Appointed Editor-in-Chief
Starting company for purposes of self publication
Proof Reading
Grammar/Spell Checking
Graphics Design and Layout
Copyright Law
Budget Control and Accounting
Computer Networking

Volunteer Organizations: Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Alliance of OSU
Association of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Faculty and Staff of OSU
Kaleidoscope Youth Coalition

References: Available upon request

http://web.archive.org/web/199805050628 ... /favs3.htm

http://web.archive.org/web/199805050510 ... om/lyceum/

from here.

Posted by The Editor on April 27, 1998 at 14:35:06:

My life changes on a dime, always has.

I remember as a child, falling asleep in my warm and comfortable bed only to wake up later on, in the middle of the night, in the back seat of the car because one or both parents had to work and they had to take me to my grandmother's for sitting.

Bad debts, job losses, important choices. These are usually the most common factors in my life's ability to change. But, for as long as I can remember, it's always been difficult for me to settle down.

Five years ago, I moved 800 miles away from my home to attend college at the Ohio State University. I left my entire life behind in the span of a weekend. There are people there that still wonder where I am.

If I get a nice, responsible job I end up feeling that my life is so monotonous that it'll never get better. And if I'm at a job where I'm doing different things constantly, I feel that I'm moving in so many directions at once that I'll never have time to choose where I need to be going.

I wouldn't call it so self-serving as to say that I'm always doing what I can to succeed. It's simpler than that.

It's more like saying "Never be satisfied with where you are, you'll never leave."

I don't know if this is symptomatic of a rebellious personality, or even a self-destructive one. I don't even know if the lifestyle of the drifter is one that I'm even suited for or that I'd enjoy.

James Baldwin once wrote in No Name in the Street:

True rebels, after all, are as rare as true lovers. And, in both cases, to mistake a fever for a passion can destroy one's life. . .

I know that it's a struggle to focus on the things that settling down benefits me. My computer, internet access, job, money, family, friends. All the things "normal" people get by staying in one place for a time.

I know that, every day, while packing the things I need for work I think about how easy it would be to just pack a few more things and simply leave everything I know behind.

But there's too much going for me here. I have so many opportunities staring me in the face, and things are only getting better.

At which point does success become imprisonment?

Phil

None of us had any concrete evidence that there were actual victims in Lakewood for some time. A week later, on 7/3, I'm still wondering out loud what there is actual evidence of. Our chatter moves to other subjects while the slow deliberate law enforcement process unfolds. But, also in the weeks after the end of June we learn little bits and pieces about the range of Petty's efforts.

From my end, DL gets big thanks because I wouldn't have found the quote on the carpal tunnel support board attributed to Distacio had not her own keen work (and Dan's scan,) provided an impetus to dig further with a clear sense, then, that Petty was likely a perp. The buried old web site found on the Way Back machine was, of course, a shocker.

The Observation Deck

More charges for "Brother Petty"