Wonkette says journalistically reported with journalism that this is serious.
Update. Between this and Jim Bunning, it’s been a tough week for white people.
by DougJ| 112 Comments
This post is in: Good News For Conservatives, We Are All Mayans Now
Wonkette says journalistically reported with journalism that this is serious.
Update. Between this and Jim Bunning, it’s been a tough week for white people.
This post is in: Science & Technology, Blogospheric Navel-Gazing
People who use fake names to bully others online could face criminal penalties under a bill passed Monday by the House of Delegates.
Delegates approved the proposal (HB4207) by a vote of 92-3, saying they want to target cyberbullies who anonymously make threats from behind the computer screen. But civil liberties advocates say the bill is written so broadly, it could criminalize constitutionally protected speech.
The proposal would make it illegal for computer users to impersonate someone else online with the intent of causing “physical or emotional injury.”
It also would outlaw online impersonation if someone pretends to be a public servant, attempts to commit fraud, or tries to obtain a benefit.
The ACLU is already on the case. Watch out, Hippie Killer– they are coming for you!
In all seriousness, if this bill pertains to commenters as well as blog owners, it will be a complete disaster and I can not see how it would be allowed to stand by the courts.
by John Cole| 33 Comments
This post is in: Blogospheric Navel-Gazing
The answer to DougJ’s question is simple– the people who read Kaus are Republicans who can cite his union bashing, anti-immigrant and other right-wing views and say “even the liberal Mickey Kaus.”
That is his only purpose. He’s a one man New Republic. Expect his candidacy to be used to portray Boxer as an extreme leftist by DeVore.
It really is that simple.
BTW- I’ve decided I’m not running for Congress, so I expect to have a NY Times editorial any day now.
by DougJ| 64 Comments
This post is in: General Stupidity, Good News For Conservatives, We Are All Mayans Now
More people read this thing than Kausfiles, apparently:
Pioneering political blogger Mickey Kaus took out papers to run for U.S. Senate in California, he told LA Weekly.
[…..]And in his Kausfiles blog, Kaus has quite the widely-read bully pulpit, with an estimated readership of as many as 30,000 people daily.
I’m not a Kaus-hater, but I have to confess I just don’t “get” the Kausfiles. Who could stand reading something like that? I tried for a while. It’s worse than The Note was when Halperin ran it, stylistically.
by Dennis G.| 23 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
As the HCR action turns to the House, the question of the week is can House Democrats get past 216 votes to pass the Senate HCR Bill as next step to passing HCR. On Wednesday President Obama will present his way forward on both the substance and the process for passing the damn bill. I suspect that he’ll ask the House to go first and then fix the Bill in Reconciliation as the final step.
So it is time to call Members of the House and get them on board to support P.T.D.B.
Taniel over at Campaign Diaries published a nice list of where the 39 NO votes for the House HCR Bill might line up with regard to a vote on the Senate Bill. These are all folks to call, especially the last 18 on the list.
Today President Obama is traveling to an event in the District of one of those Members.
It might also be worthwhile to call the DCCC (202-863-1500) and let them know that “NO” voters on HCR should not get DCCC support.
Cheers
dengre
This post is in: Open Threads, Photo Blogging, Popular Culture, Science & Technology
Many thanks to JeffreyW for linking to this morning’s Moment of Zen:
The mechanics of hovering had been explained to me, but I’d never realized how much these little guys would look like swimmers treading water…
*****
For those who were impressed, and moved, by the Esquire profile of Roger Ebert, he will be debuting his “own” computer voice on Oprah today:
A company called CereProc has taken voice samples from Ebert’s DVD commentaries and created a computerized voice that Ebert can use to “speak.” This could even lead to Ebert using the voice for other media, including podcasts, video, and commentaries.
(h/t TV Squad)
*****
by Dennis G.| 49 Comments
This post is in: An Unexamined Scandal, Getting The Band Back Together, Open Threads, Good News For Conservatives
As I’ve mentioned before it seems that all of Jack Abramoff’s old scandal buddies are getting back into the game. Patrick Pizzella, Dick Armey, Matt Kibbe and others are running the Tea Bagger movement from their puppet master perches on K Street and the Avenues of power inside the DC beltway. JD Hayworth, Richard Pombo and others are running for office again.
Could Jack’s core cadre of grifters be far behind. Of course not.
The word has leaked out that Ralph Reed is getting ready to run for Congress in Georgia. Micheal Scherer at Time has more details.
Reed is a creation of Abramoff. Jack plucked the young plagiarist from Georgia decades ago and set him up in DC. The grifters have been working together ever since. Reed’s greed for payoffs became so intense that at one point Abramoff and fellow co-conspirator Micheal Scanlon were complaining about Ralph.
Jack told Mike:
And then there is that system of human trafficking, forced abortions and force prostitution in the Western Pacific that Ralph, Jack and the gang protected in exchange for cash. I hope the FSM gives these weasels what they deserve when their number comes up.
But things are what they are and so: yes, of course Reed will run for Congress. He’ll tell the rubes he is a “Christian” and the fools will support this grifter with an ice cream face. The only good thing one could say about Congressman Reed is that you could file an ethics complaint against him the moment he is sworn in.
Regardless of the drawbacks, I’m sure this is good news for John McCain.
Cheers
dengre