Fool’s News

This is odd, but I found it interesting.

Well, the court did not actually decide that question.

The drama began in 2004, when Mac fan sites AppleInsider and PowerPage reported the technological details about a product codenamed “Asteroid.” Apple attempted to obtain the identity of the sources who leaked the information by suing the bloggers, and subpoenaed their e-mail records from email service provider Nfox.com.

The court didn’t actually qualify the bloggers as journalists. However, it assumed that they were journalists for purposes of opinion, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who headed up the defense. The defense apparently persuaded the court that the defendant web sites were “legitimate online news sites”.

Moreover, Apple was prevented from accessing the e-mail records of the defendants under the federal Stored Communications Act, which forbids ESPs from disclosing the contents of customers’ emails and other electronic communications to private parties.

In the end, Apple was required to pay defendants’ legal fees to the tune of $700,000. Ouch!

This is funny.

In Australia, apparently foreign backpackers working as illegal prostitutes are undercutting legitimate operators and damaging the industry, legal brothels say.

In Ohio, a high school lunch period was disrupted Monday by a greased, naked student who ran around screaming and flailing his arms until police twice used a stun gun on him.

Yes, it’s true.

Further to this post where I pondered what happened to Chris Geidner at Law Dork, perhaps I found the answer here, where IrishLaw writes, “Chris at Law Dork moved on to a new post at the Ohio AG’s office”.

I guess that explains the decision to make no further political commentary and remove prior such commentary. Congratulations and good luck to him!

I mentioned George McGovern’s questions to George Bush here.  The questions were inspired by Dick Cheney’s obstinate interview with Wolf Blitzer.  You can read the non-final transcript of that interview here.

The relevant part of the interview follows:

BLITZER:   …your daughter, Mary.  She’s pregnant.  All of us are happy she’s going to have a baby.  You’re going to have another grandchild.  Some of the – some critics are suggesting – for example, a statement from somone representing Focus on the Family, “Mary Cheney’s pregnancy raises the question of what’s best for children.  Just because it’s possible to conceive a child outside of the relationship of a married monther and father doesn’t mean that it’s best for the child.”  Do you want to respond to that?

CHENEY:  No.

BLITZER:  She’s obviously a good daughter-

CHENEY: I’m delighted I’m about to have a sixth grandchild, Wolf.  And obviously I think the world of both my daughters and all of my grandchildren.  And I think, frankly, you’re out of line with that question.

BLITZER:  I think all of us appreciate-

CHENEY:  I think you’re out of line.

BLITZER:  We like your daughters.  Believe me, I’m very sympathetic to Liz and to Mary.  I like them both.  That was a question that’s come up, and it’s a responsible, fair question.

CHENEY:  I just fundamentally disagree with you.

…

BLITZER:  Let’s wind up with the soft stuff….

Incidentally, that was the second time that Cheney used that phrase – “fundamentally disagree” - in that interview.  The other time dealt with the quality of Donald Rumsfeld’s service as Secretary of Defense.

So, Cheney considers the following question “out of line”: Do you want to respond to that?  Without any extraneous factors, it seems to me to be an imminently fair question – particularly since the Focus on the Family quote was critical of his daughter.

(more…)

Yes, the King of Flop could be right around the corner from you, as he refused to reveal his whereabouts in a call with the AP yesterday, except to say that he’s in the US. For security reasons, said Jacko’s rep, they wouldn’t divulge where he is, though he’s been spotted in Georgia (for James Brown’s funeral) and in Vegas (to spend gobs of money that he doesn’t have). In March, Jackson is going to Japan, where those generous Japanese folk will pay $3,300 apiece to shake his gloved hand.

Even more bizarrely, during the call, a reporter was allowed only one question to Jackson, which was, “How are you?” Jackson’s response: “I’m fine, thank you.”

I haven’t checked, but this is apparently a link to the phone interview.

The title says it all:

Michigan Treasurer Falls for Nigerian Scam

Does he live in a bubble?

…at church.

No, it’s not as good as it could be.

I’m sorry, did I miss the repeal of the First Amendment?

Citing the controversy surrounding the Dakota Fanning film Hounddog, the leader of the state Senate Republicans says he wants the government to review scripts before cameras start rolling in North Carolina.

That system, said state Sen. Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, would apply only to films seeking the state’s lucrative filmmaker incentive, which refunds as much as 15 percent of what productions spend in North Carolina from the state treasury.

“Why should North Carolina taxpayers pay for something they find objectionable?” said Berger, who is having proposed legislation drafted.

Well, Mr. Berger, if they find the movie objectionable, would they be paying to see the movie?