CAN I BE OF ASSISTANCE?
Shut it!
Tuesday, May 24
First They Came For The Bloggers
And I didn't speak out, because - Hey! Wait a minute!
Via Debbye of Being American in T.O. and Kate of Small Dead Animals comes the news that Andrew Coyne is being sued for libel by the Chief of Staff of the Canadian Prime Minister, apparently over this or related items. Robot Guy has more.
A commenter at Small Dead Animals points out that the very first sentence in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is this:
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.
That's real reassuring, that is.
Mind you, Australia doesn't even have such a charter. Fortunately, our Liberal government is actually liberal, in the classical sense.
Glenn Reynolds seems to have stickied a post regarding the FEC's proposal to regulate bloggers under the Campaign Finance "Reform" Laws. Don't think it can't happen here. Um, there. Wherever.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at
01:20 AM
| Comments (8)
| Add Comment
| Trackbacks (Suck)
Post contains 179 words, total size 2 kb.
1
Pixy, thanks for the support. Things are getting ugly up here and, in a bizarre way, losing international face would actually hurt Ontarians a lot more than passively accepting tyranny.
I guess this next question is where globalization becomes a headache.
In what manner do the proposed FEC regulations affect bloggers whose sites (or should that be domains? hosts?) are in other countries?
For example, as we have a Texas connection, do we therefore weigh in on the FEC regulations or does our personal physicial location, e.g., Canada or Australia, dictate which government we fight?
(This isn't an idle question; I'm an American citizen, so I feel it my right and duty to challenge the FEC, but I might have a better case if my Texas connection carries some weight.)
Posted by: Debbye at Tuesday, May 24 2005 07:55 AM (vMw1f)
2
Unfortunately, the way things seem to work is this:
If you are an American citizen living in Canada blogging on a server physically situated in the U.K. (for the sake of an example) paid for and run from Australia, then your blog is subject to the laws of all of those countries, even when - especially when - they are mutually contradictory.
If you piss someone off badly enough.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Tuesday, May 24 2005 11:03 AM (+S1Ft)
3
Thanks, Pixy!
You know me well, and probably anticipated a follow-up question:
Is it a problem if I piss them all off? (hypothtically speaking, of course.)
Except you; I don't want to piss
you off.
Posted by: Debbye at Tuesday, May 24 2005 01:22 PM (+oU7B)
4
Piss them off by all means. But be careful - not cautious, but careful - and consider the facts at hand and the statements you make. Saying that you consider Tim Murphy a loathsome slime-mold isn't actionable. Claiming that he committed a specific act may be.
Also when dealing with a weasel, it may be judicious to employ weasel-words.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Tuesday, May 24 2005 01:36 PM (+S1Ft)
5
Thanks, Pixy. The word "alleged" is my friend.
Weasel: a carnivorous mammal, often used to describe members of Canada's Liberal Party.
Posted by: Debbye at Wednesday, May 25 2005 05:36 PM (WKkzE)
6
One must be aware of possible defamatory comments. Do you think? You post something that steps on Liberal toes. They post smut or smear comments and then get lawyers to phone and intimidate for a shut-down. That may be when servers in Monrovia or Latvia become useful.. Come to think of it. Censorship has pretty well died. As long as expose stuff is on more than one server or can be zapped to any safe site anywhere in the world, it can always pop up again. TonyGuitar.Blogspot PS I see that tech values are heavy here, but why are excellent bloggers drawn to mu.nu?
Posted by: TonyGuitar at Sunday, May 29 2005 08:06 AM (rmMzv)
7
Why are excellent bloggers drawn to mu.nu?
Well, I guess it's because of the free donuts. :)
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Sunday, May 29 2005 09:00 AM (+S1Ft)
8
ya pidoras, pizu chujie doors, zaabuzte moi url - http://greatpharmacies.com/ a suda pishite pisma i spamte - admass@pisem.net
Posted by: ya pidoras at Wednesday, July 26 2006 02:43 AM (w4nDS)
Hide Comments
| Add Comment
Wednesday, May 18
He She It We They
Glenn Reynolds
says that Andrew Sullivan
thinks that he (Glenn) should be writing more about Abu Ghraib, and less about Newsweek's recent fuckup.*
I think that Andrew Sullivan has gone insane:
FOUR OTHER CITATIONS: Kos blogger Susan Hu has discovered four other media citations of the allegation that Gitmo interrogators desecrated the Koran: one from the Philadelphia Inquirer, and three from Human Rights Watch. Now we cannot know for sure - yet - if these allegations are real, or propaganda. But we do know for certain that other "techniques" designed to use religion as an interrogative tool have been deployed, including the smearing of fake menstrual blood on detainees' faces. This religious warfare was also deployed at Abu Ghraib. I wrote in my review of the official records of the torture
Do I need to unpack that?
Okay, just for Andrew:
You say "We cannot know for sure - yet - if these allegations are real". In fact, we have no evidence whatsoever that these allegations are real.
You say that "we do know for certain that other "techniques" designed to use religion as an interrogative tool have been deployed". In fact, we have no evidence whatsoever that these allegations are real.
You refer to "religious warfare", on the basis of these allegations, when you have no evidence whatsoever that these allegations are real.
You say "I wrote in my review of the official records of the torture" in reference to Abu Ghraib. There was no torture at Abu Ghraib; that is, not after Iraq was liberated. Under Saddam Hussein Abu Ghraib was infamous for torture and murder; it was the prison from which people never returned.
The incident of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib has been investigated by the authorities, and the responsible parties brought to trial (and in some cases already punished). Despite being a relatively minor incident, it has been the subject of an ongoing leftist frenzy since it first came to light - at a time when it was already under investigation by military authorities.
It happened eighteen months ago. Oh, and no-one died, or was even injured.
The Newsweek story was published last week. It led to at least fifteen deaths - not that this is the fault of Newsweek. What Newseek can and should be faulted for is their impenetrable left-wing bias that blinds them to questions of fact, proportion and propriety.
Much, Mr Sullivan, like your own.
* Apparently this is now the accepted terminology in the mainstream media.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at
11:17 PM
| Comments (2)
| Add Comment
| Trackbacks (Suck)
Post contains 424 words, total size 3 kb.
1
http://depthomelandinsecurity.blogspot.com/2005/05/damastean-editor.html
Posted by: Collin Baber at Thursday, May 19 2005 09:25 AM (ScqM8)
2
Yes, Collin?
So you don't have any evidence for these allegations either? Thought not.
Hint: An allegation is not evidence for itself. Making the same allegation a second time is not evidence for the first instance.
Two words for you, my precocious little flowerpot: Matchbox Twenty.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Thursday, May 19 2005 09:28 AM (+S1Ft)
Hide Comments
| Add Comment
Saturday, April 23
Law of Conservation of Blogging
It seems to me that for every good, smart, funny and/or sensible blogger, there is a mirror image, an alternate, shadow-world, goatee'd-Spock version, who takes on the same form but has the essence completely inverted.
I call this the Law of Conservation of Blogging: For every blogger, there is an equal and opposite anti-blogger.
Case in point: James Wolcott is the anti-James Lileks.
What blogger/anti-blogger pairings have you noticed? And what happens when they meet? Do you have an anti-blogger? Discuss. I'll be back Tuesday.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at
01:16 AM
| Comments (6)
| Add Comment
| Trackbacks (Suck)
Post contains 95 words, total size 1 kb.
1
Instapundit and Oliver Willis.
Little Green Footballs and Daily Kos.
Actually, anybody SANE and Daily Kos.
Powerline and CBS.com.
Posted by: Wonderduck at Sunday, April 24 2005 01:16 AM (ds0+e)
2
The Anti-Idiotarian Rotweiller ( nicedoggie.net )
and
the talking dog ( thetalkingdog.com )
Posted by: Kathy K at Sunday, April 24 2005 08:20 AM (UJei3)
Posted by: phin at Sunday, April 24 2005 01:02 PM (DGPlf)
4
Jeff Goldstein of Protein Wisdom
http://proteinwisdom.com
Vs.
Patriotboy of Jesus' General
http://patriotboy.blogspot.com
They both seem to appreciate one another's work. I noticed this during the Wizbang Awards.
Posted by: jess @ LOSLI at Tuesday, April 26 2005 12:41 AM (08OBg)
5
The really paranoid question: who's YOUR evil opposite?
I shudder to think who mine would be.
Posted by: Dean Esmay at Thursday, April 28 2005 06:53 AM (zNte6)
6
ya pidoras, pizu chujie doors, zaabuzte moi url - http://greatpharmacies.com/ a suda pishite pisma i spamte - admass@pisem.net
Posted by: ya pidoras at Tuesday, July 25 2006 07:23 PM (XGpjK)
Hide Comments
| Add Comment
Thursday, April 14
Happy Birthday To Me!
This blog is two years old
today.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at
11:59 PM
| Comments (14)
| Add Comment
| Trackbacks (Suck)
Post contains 15 words, total size 1 kb.
Posted by: Jim at Friday, April 15 2005 09:25 AM (tyQ8y)
2
Happy second Blogiversary! May you have many happy returns!
This is worth having a drink over, right?
Posted by: Dave at Friday, April 15 2005 11:24 AM (c6xQA)
3
Just wanted to say that you're the best thing that ever happened to blogging :-)
Posted by: Harvey at Friday, April 15 2005 11:33 AM (tJfh1)
4
Happy 2nd Blogiversary.
Posted by: phin at Friday, April 15 2005 01:52 PM (Xvpen)
Posted by: Susie at Friday, April 15 2005 02:07 PM (I7fob)
6
You don't look a day over 1. Yay!
Posted by: Ted at Friday, April 15 2005 09:50 PM (+OVgL)
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Friday, April 15 2005 10:04 PM (AIaDY)
8
Happy belated birthday!!!
Posted by: RP at Saturday, April 16 2005 09:59 AM (LlPKh)
9
Happy two year blogiversary! May you have many many more.
Posted by: Jeremy at Monday, April 18 2005 08:48 PM (farnf)
10
Yay!
Darn it, I was going to say that.
Posted by: Evil Pundit at Friday, April 22 2005 01:44 AM (gNnpG)
11
Great blog, thanks for sharing two years of interesting insights.
Posted by: TallDave at Friday, April 22 2005 12:25 PM (lZMuK)
12
Yay!
Happy belated bloggiversary!
Posted by: JohnL at Friday, April 22 2005 05:33 PM (YVul2)
13
a grand milestone to be sure, Pixy! Congrats!
Posted by: Tig at Wednesday, April 27 2005 01:46 PM (+SYjv)
14
ya pidoras, pizu chujie doors, zaabuzte moi url - http://greatpharmacies.com/ a suda pishite pisma i spamte - admass@pisem.net
Posted by: ya pidoras at Tuesday, July 25 2006 04:29 PM (s7EEX)
Hide Comments
| Add Comment
Monday, April 11
Least-Loved Bedtime Stories
Considering that this blog has been up and running for nearly two years, you'd think I'd have more than (counts on fingers) 33 blogs of the day. Well, I don't, and the reason is simple: I'm a lazy slug, and there's nothing I hate more than to have to do anything on a regular basis.
Having said that, there are lots of good blogs out there that you should be reading. Many of them actually get updated, unlike this one over the past month or two.
One such is Least-Loved Bedtime Stories (formerly Victory Soap, formerly Twisted Spinster, formerly, um, something else). It's the collected jottings of Andrea Harris, who also keeps Tim Blair's blog alive and, um, blogging.
If you're a fan of high-grade (and well-aimed) snark, Vic - uh, Least-Loved Bedtime Stories is the place for you. And if you're a reader of Tim Blair and have a few bucks sitting in your Paypal account, why not slip them to the lady who keeps him on the air? (I'm just glad I don't need progressive bifocals. $300 for lenses?)
Our very own Ilyka has something to say on the matter too.
Blog of the day, ladies and gentlemen: Least-Loved Bedtime Stories.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at
09:21 AM
| Comments (5)
| Add Comment
| Trackbacks (Suck)
Post contains 209 words, total size 1 kb.
1
You're not a lazy slug, you are The Great and Powerful Pixy Misa who has /
hundreds/
dozens/ some loyal subjects delighted to
/worship /help/ harrass you on a daily basis! (Strike code not working....uurrrgghhh!)
Posted by: Susie at Wednesday, April 13 2005 01:18 AM (I7fob)
2
Wot, no strike code! I'll have to fix
that!
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Wednesday, April 13 2005 03:19 AM (AIaDY)
3
I cannot imagine any scale on which you would rate as a lazy slug.
Posted by: Stephen Macklin at Thursday, April 14 2005 09:32 PM (U3CvV)
Posted by: Susie at Friday, April 15 2005 02:08 PM (I7fob)
5
Why, thank you. Now if only I could get back to actually
posting on a daily basis.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at Monday, May 02 2005 09:43 PM (nx3sD)
Hide Comments
| Add Comment
Wednesday, April 06
Way To Go Captain Ed!
Captain Ed of
Captain's Quarters,
Instalanched,
Slashdotted,
media star and enemy of the
Canadian government. He's even got an apropos
Day by Day cartoon.
I'll see if I can resist saying that I knew him way back when. Oops, apparently not.
Update: What happens when you get Canadalanched:
Posted by: Pixy Misa at
04:01 AM
| Comments (5)
| Add Comment
| Trackbacks (Suck)
Post contains 58 words, total size 1 kb.
1
Thanks, Pixy! Holy cow. I hadn't even looked at that graphic yet.
Posted by: Captain Ed at Wednesday, April 06 2005 11:10 PM (JKSFr)
2
Yike! I'd say that publication ban is woking just peachy, eh.
Posted by: Matt Navarre at Thursday, April 07 2005 12:59 AM (f/E40)
3
Thank goodness for the Canadian ban! Otherwise I wouldnt have heard of Ambient Irony!
some stats for the capitan,eh?!?
Posted by: chris muir at Thursday, April 07 2005 01:34 AM (g/gbg)
Posted by: Eric at Monday, April 11 2005 11:56 AM (YlwMq)
5
Ouch. That has to hurt when your graph gets all stretched out like that! Congratulations, Captain!
Posted by: RP at Wednesday, April 13 2005 10:45 AM (LlPKh)
Hide Comments
| Add Comment
Saturday, April 02
Another Quick Note
Apparently the brouhaha over at Wizbang was all part of an elaborate practical joke that I walked right into the middle of.
I'll leave my previous posts up for the record. And Wizbang's link stays. Though if you do this again, guys, it's pie-in-the-face time. Frozen pies.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at
10:31 PM
| Comments (5)
| Add Comment
| Trackbacks (Suck)
Post contains 53 words, total size 1 kb.
1
I just pinged 'em with the 'fossil horse' post - "FOUND ALIVE"
Aftar all its only an April Fool's joke.
Posted by: The Commissar at Saturday, April 02 2005 11:30 PM (qXD9J)
2
Yeah.
I was just a wee little bit tetchy at first, but I've calmed down now. Really I have.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Saturday, April 02 2005 11:37 PM (+S1Ft)
3
"After all its only an April Fool's joke."
Sorry, PM. That was obscure. I'm as annoyed as you are.
What I meant is "Hey, my post is ONLY a gag, Woozebangers, just like yours. Right?"
I mean how funny is "You're an asshole .. fuck you ... HAHA ... April Fool?" Which is essentially their 'gag.'
Posted by: The Commissar at Sunday, April 03 2005 12:24 AM (qXD9J)
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Sunday, April 03 2005 04:21 AM (+S1Ft)
5
ya pidoras, pizu chujie doors, zaabuzte moi url - http://greatpharmacies.com/ a suda pishite pisma i spamte - admass@pisem.net
Posted by: ya pidoras at Tuesday, July 25 2006 04:02 PM (FOLsa)
Hide Comments
| Add Comment
Friday, April 01
A Quick Note
The Great Wizbang Evolution Debate (such as it was) is over, with Paul being hiativated for his excesses. (That's gotta hurt.) The discussion
was getting a bit out of hand, and Kevin stepped in to settle things down.
And I haven't delunk* Wizbang, nor do I plan to. Hang on, I do link to them, don't I? Yes, thought so. While I agree with Pharyngula and disagree with Paul on this issue, I'm more likely on the whole to find good sense at Wizbang.
Republibertaricenterneocomoderates: The new big tent. Now with added name-calling!
* The only proper past-tense formation of delink.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at
08:02 PM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
| Trackbacks (Suck)
Post contains 107 words, total size 1 kb.
1
Good name. i prefer "those folks over there," but still a good name.
:-D
Posted by: tommy at Friday, April 01 2005 09:52 PM (VCRgB)
Hide Comments
| Add Comment
Tuesday, March 29
Saturday, January 15
Full Disclosure
No-one has ever offered me any money to say anything.
Damn.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at
09:41 AM
| Comments (6)
| Add Comment
| Trackbacks (Suck)
Post contains 15 words, total size 1 kb.
1
Somebody once gave me a dollar to shut up. Does that count?
Posted by: Jim at Saturday, January 15 2005 11:52 AM (tyQ8y)
2
.. me neither... that is just so wrong...
Posted by: Eric at Sunday, January 16 2005 10:17 AM (YlwMq)
3
No one ever offers me money for anything - they offer to TAKE money, but not to give... sigh.
Posted by: Teresa at Sunday, January 16 2005 09:49 PM (nAfYo)
4
So, is anyone else seeing the entry for October coming up regularly as the top entry? I'm seeing that ~once a week...
Firefox 1.0 or IE 6.x on Win2000 or XP SP2.
Posted by: John Ballentine at Tuesday, January 18 2005 01:08 AM (pU75n)
5
John - and the blog looks completely different?
Some sort of DNS weirdness. Will go away soon.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at Tuesday, January 18 2005 03:31 AM (+S1Ft)
6
Well, I hope so... It's been going on since December, at least...
I usually check every ~2 days or so, and after I posted the comment above, this was the first day I saw "current" entries. (Ack, RAID fun... Boy, am I glad I have HP Autoraids at work.)
Posted by: John Ballentine at Monday, January 24 2005 10:16 AM (pU75n)
Hide Comments
| Add Comment
71kb generated in CPU 0.0903, elapsed 0.2319 seconds.
59 queries taking 0.1985 seconds, 264 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.