Hollywood

A warning on defamation/libel

Hollywood — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:37:49 EDT

There was a blog posted yesterday evening which cited allegations made in the National Enquirer about John Edwards.

Just to remind you all, that re-publication of any libellous or defamatory claims in whole are part are libellous/defamatory in themselves.

In other parts of the world, libel laws are far more "plaintiff-friendly" - putting the onus on the publisher to prove the claims. This is why the National Enquirer blocks access to its website to people in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

However, when the same allegations published by the Enquirer are re-published in whole or part by a third party (website or blog) where there are no such url blocks, they can be seen by anyone who has access to the internet anywhere in the world, and action can be taken anywhere in the world.

A couple of years ago, Cameron Diaz won an action in the High Court in London because a false allegation had been made about her in the National Enquirer, even though at the time the print edition was not available in the UK, because the allegation could be viewed online in the UK. She won substantial damages in the suit, even though the web page containing the allegation only had 296 hits in the UK.

More recently, a British businessman successfully sued a US-based blogger because the blog contained allegations about him (cut and pasted from a newspaper piece which was later retracted), and the blog could be viewed in the UK.

This site, and everything on it, can be viewed in the UK, and elsewhere.

Why doesn't this surprise me?

Hollywood — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:02:25 EDT

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080721/ap_on_bi_ge/oil_profits

Interesting blog on FECA (public campaign funding)

Hollywood — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:39:37 EDT

from a Green Party blog, no less.

http://buildgreens.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-05%3A00&updated-max=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=20

This tugs at my heart-strings

Hollywood — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 08:01:04 EDT

Hundreds of baby penguins found dead on Brazil beaches - there is not total consensus on why they go so far north, but a general consensus that it is to do with intensifying storms and dwindling fish stocks in the South Atlantic - both at least partly as a result of climate change.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080719/ap_on_sc/brazil_dead_penguins;_ylt=AhxeriehmmM1TyKSKwk13pWs0NUE

Call this a campaign plug, if you want

Hollywood — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 07:28:30 EDT

OK, I'm biased! Bonnie Raitt is not only a great artist and a great woman, she's also a great Democrat, playing a special concert to raise funds for another Democrat woman, Jeanne Shaheen!

She is performing on August 12th in support of Jeanne Shaheen for US Senate at the Capitol Center for the Artst, 44 South Main Street, Concord, NH.

Hey, did anybody else notice?

Hollywood — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 05:02:56 EDT

There are no father-in-law jokes.

This one's for Sandi

Hollywood — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:08:20 EDT

We don't seem to have a problem discussing other types of violent crime ad infinitum, but even among women, the subject of rape seems taboo.

Going back through the blogs tonight, Sandi has repeatedly mentioned this, and she appears to be scratching her head as to why nobody wants to talk about it. I'm with you on that, Sandi.

Women are victimized in several ways. It starts even before we are born. We are still stuck on producing "heirs" and "passing on the family name". More girls are born, but boys are more wanted. In some countries, even in this day and age and despite of national and international laws, female children are killed at birth. As girls, we are often expected to do more household chores and excel in school while the boys are usually encouraged to play more. Women are still expected to run households and raise children, often with minimal assistance from their male partners. It's the mother who is expected to drop everything and run when anything happens to the child when both parents are at work; women struggle to climb the career ladder. Lovemaking is supposed to be a mutually pleasurable experience, but it is still considered by many to be a "wifely duty".

All of this is important, but pales by comparison to the almost tacit acceptance by many societies of violence against women.

Rape is the ultimate weapon of humiliation and control over another human being. It is the most egregious form of assault on the person. So, how does the legal justice system deal with rape?

Rape victims are often advised by their families and peers that they should not report the crime. Why? Still - STILL - even in this country, where we seem to discuss everything else so openly - there is shame in being a victim of this particular crime. Women who are violated often punish themselves because they get it into their heads that they "didn't do enough" to prevent the rape. Whenever did a police officer ask a person who was a victim of common assault what they were wearing at the time? When was a victim of common assault ever asked whether they resisted being attacked; how many times they said "No" and how loudly? When was a victim of common assault asked how many sexual partners they have had, how many abortions they have had, how often they have sex, if they enjoy a healthy sexual relationship with their partner, if they have sexual fantasies or so-called perversions?

Non-physical provocation is rarely, if ever, taken into account with common assault. But our society and our legal system still sees fit to relinquish perpetrators of crimes of a sexual nature of their civic and moral responsibilities with flim-flam defences like "I misread the signals".

Date rape and domestic rape aren't taken seriously. Our male-dominated society still thinks sex on demand is a wifely duty, and dating a man - or even having a few drinks with him - equals consent.

Rape does not only happen to women, but it happens mostly to women. And we will never be able to get any kind of reliable statistics because rape is so vastly under-reported.

Apologies to everybody for my lateness

Hollywood — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:04:26 EDT

Emergency at work, and a lot of people rely on this woman to hold things together...oh, the irony.

Please see my contribution to Bill Dickson's "Drama Queen" posting:

Hey, guess what - there is no real Reply
By Hollywood 0 seconds ago
male equivalent. Not once in my long life have I ever heard a man referred to as a "Drama King".

"Drama Queen" is just one example of the degradation of women based on emotional behavior.

Here are some others with no male equivalents:

Diva
Prima Donna
Cow
Bitch
Shrew (thanks, Shakespeare)
Banshee
Catty.

In our social lexicon, men just get emotional or angry. Women turn into animals and opera singers.

To many women, the use of these terms is every bit as offensive as a racial epithet.

Great piece by Mayhill Fowler in HuffPo

Hollywood — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:10:21 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mayhill-fowler/john-mccains-fake-town-ha_b_113041.html

For the moderators of the discussion tomorrow

Hollywood — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:41:23 EDT

Laura, I think you said you were going to be a little late tomorrow - is that right?

Who will be kicking the discussion off?

Seen a couple of really great blogs already, especially the one by Little Dine'. If I may just chime in, I would like to discuss the politics of women's health - not just reproductive, but maternity leave/pay, "Well Woman" screening programs, and how we can better understand and deal with disorders like anorexia nervosa which disproportionately affect young women, as part of the wider discussion.

Governors and U.S. Senators

Hollywood — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:48:51 EDT

Can anybody tell me how many of them send their children to public schools? Any current statistics on that would be welcome. All I can find is from a survey done in 2001.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Education/BG1553.cfm

Now taking bets

Hollywood — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:53:37 EDT

Will Karl Rove go to jail for contempt, or do you think he'll back down and appear?

Happy Independence Day

Hollywood — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 01:52:41 EDT

to one and all.

Here's a recipe for you, and unlike Cindy McCain, I didn't get it from somebody else's cookbook:

Spicy Corn on the Cob

Ingredients:

Corn cobs (shucked and washed, cut into half)
Finely chopped fresh cilantro
Unsalted butter
Fresh lemon
Salt, pepper
Aluminum foil

Get the barbecue hot (you probably already have!). Parboil the corn. Arrange individual squares of foil on work surface. Place a cob of corn, a small knob of butter and a sprinkling of cilantro and lemon juice on each cob, salt, pepper, roll and twist ends to seal. Place on barbecue to finish.

Repost on situation in Zimbabwe

Hollywood — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:52:47 EDT

Well, ZANU PF had their vote (despite the fact Mugabe was the only name on the ballot) and have today declared Mugabe as President for another six years.

Here is an exchange from earlier - apologies to Jennifer for not asking her permission first, but no way to PM. Everybody is welcome - encouraged - to contribute their thoughts.

The fuzzy logic of the anti-Obama brigade

Hollywood — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:19:31 EDT

I don't have to tell you who's spouting this tripe, you already know.

Some of them say, "McCain is American and Obama is not". Strange - Obama was born in the United States. McCain was born in Panama.

Some say, "Obama is Arab". No, Obama is half white American (English roots) and half Luo (Kenyan). Ralph Nader is Arab (both his parents were Lebanese immigrants).

But rather than pick up on McCain's being born in another country, or Ralph Nader's genealogy, they try to say Obama is two things he is not.

Now, a lot of people would say this is to do with race, but some of the same people have said they would happily vote for Colin Powell if he ran for President. As Colin Powell's parents were both born in Jamaica, I figured out what was happening.

These are Republican "talking points". So the people using these falsehoods against Obama are a combination of Republicans and rabid Hillarites who will use any old garbage to try to "punish" Obama for daring to run against Clinton. I believe if Clinton was the nominee, the latter group would make up stuff about McCain, and if Powell was her opponent, they'd make up stuff about Powell.

Most are not racists; only a handful are Republicans. The rest are just plain old sore losers.

A simple question

Hollywood — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:21:10 EDT

Why do people keep saying they're leaving, then come back with a new user name?

Why are they afraid to let us know who they are?

Another call to pens (and emails)

Hollywood — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:38:08 EDT

Please write to the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, urging him to take action against genocidal criminals in Zimbabwe.

Information and Evidence Unit
Office of the Prosecutor
Post Office Box 19519
2500 CM The Hague
The Netherlands
or sent by email to otp.informationdesk@icc-cpi.int ,
or sent by facsimile to +31 70 515 8555.

The accused:

Robert Mugabe, 84, President.

Emmerson Mnangagwa, 62. Minister of Rural Housing. It has been an open secret for years that this ruthless former head of the intelligence service wants to succeed Mr Mugabe. Is noted for his brutality towards opponents

Constantine Chiwenga, 50s. Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Force. He joined Mr Mugabe in Mozambique for the independence struggle. He is noted for his ruthlessness and loyalty to the President

Augustine Chihuri, 50s. Commissioner General of Zimbabwe Republic Police. Although he denies political links, Mr Chihuri was one of the first to say that he would never swear allegiance to the opposition if it took power. His son, Sylvester, was recently deported from Australia

Retired Major-General Paradzayi Zimondi, 60s. Head of the Prison Service. Issued orders to his officers to vote for President Mugabe in the elections. He was part of a group of military chiefs who said on the eve of the 2002 elections that they would not recognise the presidency of anyone who did not participate in the 1970s war of independence

Air Marshal Perence Shiri, 53. Chief of the Air Force since 1992. A cousin of the President, he once called himself a “Black Jesus”. From 1983 to 1984, the Zimbabwean Fifth Brigade under Shiri’s command was responsible for a reign of terror in Matabeland

Brighton Bonyongwe, 47. Formerly a brigadier general in the Defence Force before retiring to take on the role of head of the Central Intelligence Organisation. Enjoys life on his two previously white-owned farms

Bad news for McCain - if only it made the news

Hollywood — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:25:16 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mitchell-bard/the-surge-is-working-not_b_108976.html

OMG, we are REALLY IN TROUBLE

Hollywood — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:54:59 EDT

if McCain gets elected:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20080624/pl_bloomberg/ajxbcbplynwy

A call to good citizens of the world

Hollywood — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:31:13 EDT

Please write to the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, urging him to take action against war criminals in Zimbabwe.
Information and Evidence Unit
Office of the Prosecutor
Post Office Box 19519
2500 CM The Hague
The Netherlands
or sent by email to otp.informationdesk@icc-cpi.int ,
or sent by facsimile to +31 70 515 8555.

The accused:
Robert Mugabe, 84, President.
Emmerson Mnangagwa, 62. Minister of Rural Housing. It has been an open secret for years that this ruthless former head of the intelligence service wants to succeed Mr Mugabe. Is noted for his brutality towards opponents
Constantine Chiwenga, 50s. Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Force. He joined Mr Mugabe in Mozambique for the independence struggle. He is noted for his ruthlessness and loyalty to the President
Augustine Chihuri, 50s. Commissioner General of Zimbabwe Republic Police. Although he denies political links, Mr Chihuri was one of the first to say that he would never swear allegiance to the opposition if it took power. His son, Sylvester, was recently deported from Australia
Retired Major-General Paradzayi Zimondi, 60s. Head of the Prison Service. Issued orders to his officers to vote for President Mugabe in the elections. He was part of a group of military chiefs who said on the eve of the 2002 elections that they would not recognise the presidency of anyone who did not participate in the 1970s war of independence
Air Marshal Perence Shiri, 53. Chief of the Air Force since 1992. A cousin of the President, he once called himself a “Black Jesus”. From 1983 to 1984, the Zimbabwean Fifth Brigade under Shiri’s command was responsible for a reign of terror in Matabeland
Brighton Bonyongwe, 47. Formerly a brigadier general in the Defence Force before retiring to take on the role of head of the Central Intelligence Organisation. Enjoys life on his two previously white-owned farms