Saturday, March 8, 2008
OK Cannibal Killer Gets Death in Murder-Rape of 10-Year-Old Girl
As Steve Huff points out at The Crime Library, Kevin Underwood had been writing and chatting about eating the flesh of a child for at least three years on the Internet.
Defamation on the Internet: Roy Holmgren Sues Murrieta Blog & Anonymous Posters
Bloggers beware: the normal legal protections from libel and defamation of character may be coming to the Wild, Wild, Wild West of the Internet. Roy Holmgren of Murrieta, CA is tired of anonymous attacks saying that he "is a stalker, that he is married to an illegal alien, that he has committed crimes that destroyed property, illegally gained credit report information, vandalized a blogger's sport utility vehicle, and that he begs for money on the side of the road.
One blogger called Holmgren "a danger to this community" and wrote that he has mental and emotional problems he can't control, according to the lawsuit."
The primary clash: a face-off between the right to freedom of expression and the right to be protected from slander, libel, and defamation of character. How much control should anonymous posters, who don't present facts, have over our lives?
Holmgren's attorney, Richard Ackerman, says that the lawsuit, filed against unknown persons, is "a novel legal issue."
This show-down is especially provocative to the Peanut crew because our small town is deep into a bitter, mud-slinging, mud-rasslin', name-callin' power struggle between the secretive "old guard" clique and the rebellious movers and shakers who want to shake things up.
This issue stretches from internet to print, and vice-versa. Our local newspaper (AKA, to some, the propaganda machine), provides a feature for people who want to say something anonymously. Anyone can call in and say whatever they like about current issues.
Those comments are then typed and published in the newspaper--although they are not only edited for profanity, but, many suspect, edited to block some comments. The newspaper, an internet novice, is now allowing posts from its website, although it's not yet clear if those posts will make it into the print version.
Question: if someone calls in a real down-and-dirty comment and that comment is published not only in the print version of the newspaper, but also on the website, has the newspaper colluded in defamation of character? Or, where is the line between opinion and anonymous slander/libel/defamation of character?
We may find out in California.
One blogger called Holmgren "a danger to this community" and wrote that he has mental and emotional problems he can't control, according to the lawsuit."
The primary clash: a face-off between the right to freedom of expression and the right to be protected from slander, libel, and defamation of character. How much control should anonymous posters, who don't present facts, have over our lives?
Holmgren's attorney, Richard Ackerman, says that the lawsuit, filed against unknown persons, is "a novel legal issue."
This show-down is especially provocative to the Peanut crew because our small town is deep into a bitter, mud-slinging, mud-rasslin', name-callin' power struggle between the secretive "old guard" clique and the rebellious movers and shakers who want to shake things up.
This issue stretches from internet to print, and vice-versa. Our local newspaper (AKA, to some, the propaganda machine), provides a feature for people who want to say something anonymously. Anyone can call in and say whatever they like about current issues.
Those comments are then typed and published in the newspaper--although they are not only edited for profanity, but, many suspect, edited to block some comments. The newspaper, an internet novice, is now allowing posts from its website, although it's not yet clear if those posts will make it into the print version.
Question: if someone calls in a real down-and-dirty comment and that comment is published not only in the print version of the newspaper, but also on the website, has the newspaper colluded in defamation of character? Or, where is the line between opinion and anonymous slander/libel/defamation of character?
We may find out in California.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Times Square Bombing: Bomber Caught on Video: D.C. Letters Probably Not Connected
Officials investigating the bombing of a military recruitment center in New York's Times Square say that the letters mailed to congressional offices may not be linked. And, they say, the attack may be linked to not only prior bombings, but to "anarchist types" caught at the Canadian border recently.
Raw Video: Camera Catches ARK Man Putting Ding Dongs in Dryers
Is this supposed to be performance art mocking Ding Dong days in Arkansas? Or maybe this vandalism is just well--vandalism.
If you're not sure what a Ding Dong is, we're here to help you out. A Ding Dong is a Hostess chocolate snack cake. The company says "The name Ding Dong came from the chiming bells used in Hostess' first television commercials and you'll be singing a happy tune every time you polish off a package."
Back to our vandal. Was he targeting other people's drying underwear in his Ding Dong escapade?
Charged in this Ding Dong caper: a Fed Ex driver from Missouri.
We don't even want to guess what he might do withHo Ho's. Again, we'll let Hostess explain this chocolate munchie to you: "Over the years, the tubular snack has enjoyed its share of laughs. In connection with the 1999 introduction of Nutty Ho Hos, which added chopped peanuts to the original roll, a search was launched for the country's nuttiest celebrity laugh - or ho ho. (We know what you're thinking, but not everyone laughs with a ha ha. Just ask Santa.) When the votes were tallied, Americans decided that comedian Eddie Murphy's laugh took the proverbial cake, followed by the kooky cackles of Phyllis Diller, Roseanne Barr and Pee Wee Herman."
If you're not sure what a Ding Dong is, we're here to help you out. A Ding Dong is a Hostess chocolate snack cake. The company says "The name Ding Dong came from the chiming bells used in Hostess' first television commercials and you'll be singing a happy tune every time you polish off a package."
Back to our vandal. Was he targeting other people's drying underwear in his Ding Dong escapade?
Charged in this Ding Dong caper: a Fed Ex driver from Missouri.
We don't even want to guess what he might do withHo Ho's. Again, we'll let Hostess explain this chocolate munchie to you: "Over the years, the tubular snack has enjoyed its share of laughs. In connection with the 1999 introduction of Nutty Ho Hos, which added chopped peanuts to the original roll, a search was launched for the country's nuttiest celebrity laugh - or ho ho. (We know what you're thinking, but not everyone laughs with a ha ha. Just ask Santa.) When the votes were tallied, Americans decided that comedian Eddie Murphy's laugh took the proverbial cake, followed by the kooky cackles of Phyllis Diller, Roseanne Barr and Pee Wee Herman."
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Explosion Shuts Down Times Square; Nearby Hotel Shaken
Police and emergency officials have declared Times Square a "frozen zone." They are seeking a suspect in a gray hoodie who fled the area on a bicycle. Subway service to the area has been suspended.
Guests at a nearby Marriott said they felt the building shake from the blast. Police are searching the area for a possible second bomb
Guests at a nearby Marriott said they felt the building shake from the blast. Police are searching the area for a possible second bomb
UC Davis Bomb Scare: Dorms Evacuated; Eplosives Found
It was a frightening night at the University of California at Davis (UC Davis) campus as students were evacuated following the discovery of explosive devices in a dormitory. Police, firefighters, and a specialized bomb squad are on the scene.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
#1 Cheesehead Out of the Game; NFL Great Brett Favre Retires
Good personal choice for the history-making Favre; but a bad day for the Green Bay Packers, their fans, and cheeseheads. We wish Favre a happy, productive new life.
Hey, how about coaching?
Hey, how about coaching?
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Hands-Free, Nubrella "Shield" Umbrella Hits the Streets
Memo to developer Alan Kaufman: brilliant work, we want one.
Video: ELF "Eco-Terrorism" Torches Seattle Homes; Expert Explains ELF
An expert says that the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), allied with the Animal Liberation Front, isn't really so much a group as a philosophy. ELF invites people to take radical action in ELF's name.
And that name would be: arrogant cowards.
There are many good, positive ways to work to protect the environment. They all involve stepping out, and getting personally involved, with your name and face attached.
From writing letters to claiming a section of highway and cleaning it up, there's more work to do than workers. At the Peanut Patch, we've worked for solid environmental causes.
But turning into destructive raiders isn't the act of someone who cares about Planet Earth, the environment, or anything else. Instead, it's the act of those who would be self-anointed Darth Vaders, claiming the right to destroy at will.
And that name would be: arrogant cowards.
There are many good, positive ways to work to protect the environment. They all involve stepping out, and getting personally involved, with your name and face attached.
From writing letters to claiming a section of highway and cleaning it up, there's more work to do than workers. At the Peanut Patch, we've worked for solid environmental causes.
But turning into destructive raiders isn't the act of someone who cares about Planet Earth, the environment, or anything else. Instead, it's the act of those who would be self-anointed Darth Vaders, claiming the right to destroy at will.
Monday, March 3, 2008
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