A Forum for Grinches and Ho-Ho-Hoes

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
No I didn't. Grow up and learn to flirt directly -- stop with the pigtail pulling.

Mean response passed, because I am the grown up. nyah!

[Tyrone Slothrop]

According to Newsday, via Bob:

• The U.S. government knew of an imminent plot to oust Venezuela's leftist president, Hugo Chávez, in the weeks prior to a 2002 military coup that briefly unseated him, newly released CIA documents show, despite White House claims to the contrary a week after the putsch.
  
  * * * * *
  
  Julia Sweig, deputy director of Latin American studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank in Washington, said: "The fact that we didn't call Chávez and say, 'This is brewing,' reflects the incredible antipathy toward Chávez at that time" on the part of the Bush administration.

At least the Administration had enough respect for the ideals of democracy to lie about it in the weeks after the coup.

[SlaveNoMore]

Tyrone Slothrop
Those of you -- you know who you are -- who assumed that Scottish MP George Galloway was guilty of being in the pay of Saddam Hussein, based on the stories about him back during the war, owe him an apology. He just won a 150,000 Pound judgment for libel against the Daily Telegraph for the stories.

[Also posted this in a closed thread, sorry.]

I guess this answer my PM question:

From Sullivan

• Some things are worth reiterating. The libel verdict won by Saddam-supporter George Galloway does not depend on the notion that Galloway's ties to Saddam were disproven. They haven't been. Nor was this case decided by a jury. The case was won because, in the judge's view, the Telegraph had not given Galloway sufficient time or space to respond to the charges:
  
  

  Mr Justice Eady said Mr Galloway was not given sufficient opportunity to refute the claims in the Telegraph that he had received up to £375,000 a year from Saddam.
  
  The judge noted that Mr Galloway had a 35-minute conversation with Andrew Sparrow, the paper's Westminster correspondent, but was not sent the documents or told that the Telegraph was intending to publish a story. "Although Mr Galloway was interviewed by telephone on the afternoon of April 21, he was not given the opportunity of reading the Iraqi documents beforehand; nor were they read to him," said the judge. "He did not, therefore, have a fair or reasonable opportunity to make inquiries or meaningful comment upon them before they were published."

  Such a judgment wouldn't stand a chance in an American court - but then Britain's libel laws are far tougher than America's; and there's far less freedom of speech in the UK than in the U.S. Here's the Telegraph's official response. It's deeply depressing. The verdict stands regardless of whether the story is proven true or not.

Repeat. ENLIGHTENED_EUROPEANS

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
I guess this answer my PM question:

From Sullivan

• Some things are worth reiterating. The libel verdict won by Saddam-supporter George Galloway does not depend on the notion that Galloway's ties to Saddam were disproven. They haven't been. Nor was this case decided by a jury. The case was won because, in the judge's view, the Telegraph had not given Galloway sufficient time or space to respond to the charges:
  
  
  
  Such a judgment wouldn't stand a chance in an American court - but then Britain's libel laws are far tougher than America's; and there's far less freedom of speech in the UK than in the U.S. Here's the Telegraph's official response. It's deeply depressing. The verdict stands regardless of whether the story is proven true or not.

Repeat. ENLIGHTENED_EUROPEANS

While the difference between English and U.S. libel law is considerable, I find iit hard to believe that an English judge awarded Galloway that much money absent some sense that the story was not accurate. But I don't know anything more about it.

[SlaveNoMore]

Tyrone Slothrop
While the difference between English and U.S. libel law is considerable, I find iit hard to believe that an English judge awarded Galloway that much money absent some sense that the story was not accurate. But I don't know anything more about it.

If I was you, buddy, I'd be shopping for a new Barrister

[Hank Chinaski]

I'm sure the letfties here now realize Bush's re-election was fortuitous. Consider, in the 30 days since election:

1-the economy has improved dramatically-

2- the UN has been proven to have been effectively working FOR Sadaam (anybody still like the global test?).

But now this!

http://www.nbc17.com/health/3963832/detail.html

More Teen Girls Seek Surgery For Larger Breasts
Number Has Tripled In Past Year

RALEIGH, N.C. -- More teen girls are undergoing breast augmentation surgery so they can get the figures of the shapely icons they see throughout popular cultures.

More Teens Want Breast Surgery

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of girls 18 and under paying for bigger breasts has tripled in just the past year

Any of you want to try and craft an argument that the people coming out of high school or college won't lead better lives due to the Bush years?

[ilikenewsocks]

This post has no political content.

Whenever I see the current thread title, I realize that I am hungry. On behalf of sugar-enhanced artificially flavored, creme filled snack cake fans everywhere.... oh, forget it. There must be a vending machine in this building somewhere.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
While the difference between English and U.S. libel law is considerable, I find iit hard to believe that an English judge awarded Galloway that much money absent some sense that the story was not accurate. But I don't know anything more about it.

Hasn't Tom Cruise received multiple damages verdicts against British publications that asserted he was gay?

[baltassoc]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski

http://www.nbc17.com/health/3963832/detail.html


Any of you want to try and craft an argument that the people coming out of high school or college won't lead better lives due to the Bush years?

Hasn't the FDA under Bush refused to allow the next generation silicone implants to be used? Do you really think Clinton would have stood for that. All these women are stuck with inferior saline.

[Hank Chinaski]

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...=1101960939722

if this gets anywhere, I'm sure Hollywood will stand right up!

Muslims seek to block sequel to Dutch film

A small group of Muslims in the Netherlands is preparing a lawsuit to block a sequel to Submission, the movie scripted by a right-wing lawmaker and directed by a slain Dutch filmmaker, the group's lawyer said Thursday.

Member of Parliament Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been in hiding since filmmaker Theo Van Gogh was murdered on November 2 by an Islamic radical. A letter pinned to his chest with a knife threatened Hirsi Ali and vowed jihad against the "infidel enemies of Islam."

Hirsi Ali, a member of the Liberal party known by its Dutch acronym VVD, announced plans for a follow-up film on Monday. She has vowed to continue fighting for the emancipation of Muslim women.

Submission criticized the way women are treated under Islam, and was considered insulting by many Dutch Muslims. It showed virtually naked Muslim women in head scarves with verses from the Koran written on their bodies. They told stories of abuse and rape by relatives.

Attorney Robert Moszkowicz said in a statement his clients filed a suit "against Hirsi Ali in response to her plans to make a second film, called Submission 2.

"The suit will also seek to prevent Hirsi Ali from making unnecessarily hurtful or offensive remarks, or blasphemous statements, against Islam," it said. It accused Hirsi Ali of labeling Islam dangerous "without differentiating Islam from radical Islam."

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Repeat. ENLIGHTENED_EUROPEANS

Careful, you're talking about the Brits. They're the only ones who like us, sort of.

Or are you still all wigged out over the Dutch [supposedly] killing off retards?

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Careful, you're talking about the Brits. They're the only ones who like us, sort of.

Or are you still all wigged out over the Dutch [supposedly] killing off retards?

Perhaps his real beef is over the need for UK tort reform.

True, conservatives may be temporarily disoriented with the new rationale, but on the positive side, over the last few years they've learned to be nimble.

[dtb]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
[Irrelevant]

Dear Hank,

You're missing a "shel" between "ner" and "Chanukah" in your sign-off.

You're welcome.

Sincerely,

dtb

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by dtb
Dear Hank,

You're missing a "shel" between "ner" and "Chanukah" in your sign-off.

You're welcome.

Sincerely,

dtb

Nice to see dtb deftly moving into turf formerly patrolled by Atticus.

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Nice to see dtb deftly moving into turf formerly patrolled by Atticus.

Hopefully, in a few weeks we'll see stuff like this annotated with a translation, together with a discussion of historical antecedents.

I miss that. [sniff]