Les Jones

Alleged libeller outed by alleged skank

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009 | Blogging, Funny Ha-Ha | Permalink | No Comments |

Robert X. Cringely - Skanks for nothing: Google must identify ‘anonymous’ blogger.

Yesterday a U.S. federal judge ruled that Google must turn over the name of an anonymous blogger who took a severe disliking to aging supermodel Liskula Cohen. The ripples emanating from the ruling could potentially wash over every member of the blogosphere (including those who delight in anonymously depositing nasty comments on blogs — you know who you are).

The backstory: In August 2008, some soon-to-not-be-anonymous blogger (STNBAB) created a Google blog called “Skanks in NYC” (no longer available, but archived at Mahalo). The sole topic of this short-lived blog: Liskula Cohen, a zygomatically gifted Canuck who has graced the covers of Vogue, Elle, and other magazines probably not in the bathrooms of most InfoWorld readers.

Among other things, the STNBAB called Cohen “a psychotic, lying, whoring, still going to clubs at her age, skank.” He (she?) also called Cohen “an old hag.” I bet that’s the one that really stung.

Ya know, I can’t help but think that “skank” is going to follow Liskula Cohen around for the rest of her life, all because she sicced her attorney on somebody’s little blog. That’s a little thing I like to call justice.

Bonus! - Cracked’s “How to Slander Online Now That Google Won’t Protect You”:

Guideline #2: The public has an interest in knowing these facts.
The “truth” defense doesn’t always work though. Often courts will demand that there be a “public interest” in you disseminating whatever facts you’re trying to spread. For example, if Trevor Moore of Greenden, Ohio was a threat to young boys and farm animals, which he is, then I could claim my column was a justifiable method of informing the people and livestock of Greenden, Ohio about the threat living in their midst, and also driving around in a blue Toyota Tercel in their midst.

Tags: allegedly

Crooked Politician Caught Red-handed With His Filthy Mitt in the Cookie Jar

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008 | Politics | Permalink | No Comments |

allegedly:

Veteran Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens was charged on Tuesday with concealing more than $250,000 of gifts, including renovation of his house, from an Alaska oil services company, the Justice Department said.

The Alaska politician, who has served 40 years in the senate, was charged in a federal grand jury indictment with seven counts of making false statements on his Senate financial disclosure forms from 2001 to 2006, the department said. The six-term senator is accused of receiving substantial improvements to property he owns in Alaska, new vehicles in exchange for older ones worth far less, and household goods, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Fans of Name That Party will note that Reuters worked the Senator’s Republican party affiliation in the second word of the story, but wait! Just for funsies I searched for William Jefferson on Reuters site. Surprisingly, they put his party affiliation in the first sentence of all three stories about his indictment I perused, in one case making it the very first word. Good on Reuters for getting their act together on party citation.

Tags: allegedly

Alleged Suspects

Tuesday, November 11th, 2003 | Blogging | Permalink | 1 Comment |

Colby Cosh has a darned good point about news coverage of the dramatic video of William Strier shooting a lawyer in Los Angeles:

Is Strier really only “suspected” here? Maybe we could agree to call him “the guy who f*cking shot that other guy in front of a sh*tload of video cameras” instead of a “suspect”? Would that work?

Tags: allegedly