Why shoot rats when you can aim for the stars?

the void would like to apologise for the low rent nature of some of our targets this week … voltaire (post below), hippy niall and fatty.

a bit like being an online pest controller the void has been scurrying in the gutter, but now looks to the stars for some light relief.

Charlie Sheen, best known for being the son of talented actor Martin Sheen has been raising doubts about the ‘official’ story of what happened on 9/11.

The star of Hot Shots and Grizzly II: The Predator has long attempted to follow in his fathers footsteps and make it as an actor, however he has remained little more than eye candy for repressed southern state virgins and trailor park teen mums.

In an effort to raise his profile he has recently outed himself as a member of the 9/11 Truth movement who challenge the official line on the twin tower’s abrupt disappearance.

Sheen sensibly decided to air his views on the highly respected Alex Jones Show, revealing a canny knack for what makes the US media tick.

Known to all as a man of the highest integrity and most impeccable research Jones keeps millions of rednecks seething in self righteous indignation as he reveals the commie plot to enslave them in the ‘New World Order.’

Revealing his impeccable scientific mind Sheen was quoted as saying

“There was a feeling, it just didn’t look any commercial jetliner I’ve flown on any time in my life and then when the buildings came down later on that day I said to my brother ‘call me insane, but did it sorta look like those buildings came down in a controlled demolition’?”

ah said ah guess huh…

Sheen then adds (like he’s after his dad’s job on West Wing)

“It is up to us to reveal the truth. It is up to us because we owe it to the families, we owe it to the victims. We owe it to everybody’s life who was drastically altered, horrifically that day and forever. We owe it to them to uncover what happened.”

now the void reckons 9/11 stinks as it goes, but also reckons the 9/11 truth campaigners are every bit as fishy. Ignoring any evidence that contradicts their desperation to get their version of the truth accepted, they discredit themselves, more than they impress and effectively send the whole issue spinning into the conspiracy theorist’s sandbox.

Meanwhile Alex Jones and his lot are accusing google of censoring Sheen’s comments after they did not appear to link to them immediately. Coveniently ignoring the many reasons google may have been slow on the uptake they immediately shout conspiracy and run screaming for the hills.

More worryingly though, it seems that after Jones complained to google, the trembling geeks panicked (he’s got a gun you know … for when the time a-comes ya understan’) and are now listing his shonky old website prisonplanet.com in their news service. Apparantly google are seeking to broaden out their news provision and have also been in touch with the Beano, Razzle, Just 17 and most alarming of all the Daily Mail.

Not wanting to be outdone (just done) old slapper Sharon Stone has revealed she backs Sheen’s comments in this interview (she could be saying anything by the way, haven’t heard it because my speakers ain’t working, so am trusting ol’ Alex)

Meanwhile conspiracy types got all excited when a CNN Online Poll of over 50,000 revealed that 83% of Americans supported Sheen and his doubts over 9/11 with a further 10% claiming it was Saddam what done it and a further 7% caiming to have been nowhere near at the time, now get offa mah land before ah shoot yah damn limey ass!

Fat boy speaks
fat, racist whinger wins libel case
Blagger of the month … plus the funniest thing you’ll ever read

Free expressionists stumble on…

Well we had been hoping that this one would slip back into obscurity, after dodging ammo from those bigots on the left and the bigots on the right, the void had hoped to put this to rest …

… unfortunately they’re just too funny to leave alone

so here’s a round up of the plans of the free expressionists for the future.

First Up … SHOCK! HORROR Man Charged After Demo Scandal

Free expressionists are up in arms after it has been revealed that Iranian communist Reza Moradi, hassled by the pigs for carrying a banner showing the Danish cartoons is set to be charged.

Some scamps on the MFE website have commented that this is all an asylum scam, with Reza deliberately shwowing himself to be anti the Iranian government in order to prove that he would be in danger were he forced to return.

(subtext … he’s a dirty little asylum seeker using us good christian white folk and all our hard work, just to try sneak into this country and take my job/wife/council flat).

Meanwhile those of us who can use google found that this was unlikely as he has been present here already for at least eight years.

The question is what has he been charged with?

Now the police didn’t arrest him at the demo, merely taking his details, which like a chump he gave happily, and it seems that none of the free expressionists are able to find out exactly why he is being prosecuted, merely spouting some guff about the banner causing offence.

the void can think of no legislation whatsoever the cops could have used to charge him, unless they’ve pulled some weird by-law/archaic crap as they sometimes do.

Could it be he’s been charged with an offence unrelated to last Saturday? … no-one seems to know.

Not that voltaire cares who’s hurriedly scribbling a complaint to the IPCC directed at no less than keystone cop Ian Blair himself who voltaire holds fully responsible.

Meanwhile voltaire announces an ‘important new blog’ called toonaphobia. Posted up by no less than voltaire himself, this big two poster has been launched because

“I want to move cartoon stuff off the march blog. It was dominating it too much when there are other important issues to discuss.”

in other words, people are giving the original blog shit for being islamaphobic, so we thought we’d set up another blog where you can slag off darkies to your heart’s content.

Post one features a definition of what they call ‘toonaphobia’ which cunningly offers a deifinition of the term which a parody of the 8-point Runnymede Trust definition of Islamophobia. Do you see what he did there? … well we fell about, start as you mean to go on voltaire.

Meanwhile the steamroller of a campaign drives forward with a meeting being planned and possibly a party at some point. There’s an old garden shed at the end of my garden I could let you have voltaire, plenty of space for the punters in there, bit wet but you’re used to that eh….

Meanwhile the Black Information Link website have written a review savaging the sorry spectacle last Saturday called A Sea of White Faces.

the void reckons it was more of a puddle.

Peter Tatchell Communiqe
what do you call a 100 wet nazi’s?
BNP come out in support of free expressionists
I feel I should clarify my position…
Free expressionists climb down
Tatchell to call for end of the C of E this Saturday!
more comedy from the free expressionists
Right to public racism march shames the left this Saturday

fun stuff to do this weekend! get SOCPA!

STOP PRESS STOP PRESS! Shame The Arms Dealers – Picket Selfridges Hotel. Orchard Street (off Oxford Street), London W1H 6JS
Time 2:00 till 4:30 This Friday afternoon. March 31st.

Tomorrow is April 1st, traditionally a day for fun and merriment and some scamps are planning to reclaim tomorrow for just that. Releasing the fairly shabby flyer above (we think it’s ironic, but can be hard to tell) the pranksters promise

This Saturday, April 1st, April Fool’s Day, will be a day of celebration whereby the mighty shall be brought LOW and all those who are low, nay, UNDERGROUND shall be brought HIGH and Crowned Weirdos of Misrule!

In Honour of this Foolishness as Big Ben shall strike Twelve a Procession of FOOLS shall go forth from London Eye on to Parliament Square where those brought LOW shall be chased and ridiculed by those brought HIGH.

for those unlikely to make the midday meet you can pick them up at Eros at 2pm for a meeting of Fairies or just head straight to Parliament Square for 6/7ish for the Fooluminati Ritual. info at http://clownpartyapril1st.pbwiki.com/

Meanwhile on Sunday

Join us in Parliament Square on 2 April 2006 for a mass act of civil disobedience, reading the names of 1,000 Iraqis who have died as a result of the invasion and occupation and demanding:

• an immediate end to the US/UK military occupation of Iraq
• massive reparations and debt cancellation so that Iraqis can rebuild their country free from foreign interference
• prosecution of those responsible for war crimes

Please wear black if possible and come prepared for a long ceremony and possible arrest. check voicesuk for more details

so it’s all eyes on SOCPA this weeknd, the void had commented on this before, however if you’ve got a spare 48 hours and you’re not on bail there could be worse ways to spend the weekend.

for parties and the like click here

Peter Tatchell Communique

Peter Tatchell has forwarded to the void a copy of the speech he made at last Saturday’s March for Free Expression (reproduced below)which was very kind of him as we’d been fairly rude about the whole affair.

Unfortunately this led to controversy over in the void as it appears this transcript does not contain the comments which led to these remarks

“was absolutely gobsmacked to hear Peter Tatchell make a plea to the police to stop being ‘afraid of upsetting the Muslim community’ and to not allow them to be ‘above the law’.” as well as

“Tatchell’s rant was like something out of the pages of the Daily Mail – I did not until today realise how divisive and blinkered the man actually is and felt absolutely angered to hear him jumping on the bandwagon of bashing a very vulnerable group of people in our society.

To say I am disgusted is to put it very mildly.”

Shocked and concerned the void immediately replied to Tatchell asking for clarification, had he censored himself? … or was it all just a bit of a misunderstanding. Peter replied with the following

“It does not include the ad lib bit where I mentioned that Islamist fundamentalists are threatening to kill me, gay Muslims and Muslim dissidents. I condemned the police for failing to provide us with protection and for failing to prosecute the people threatening to kill us. They police justify their inaction saying “we can’t afford to upset the Muslim community.” I pointed out that incitement and threats to murder are a crime. Everyone is entitled to the equal protection of the law. If the BNP threatens to kill black or Muslim people I expect the police to arrest them. If extremist Mulsims threaten to kill me and others, I expect the police to arrest them as well.

That is what I said on Saturday. I see nothing wrong with that.”

hmmm…

having pondered this for a couple of days, the void wonders how much the personal and the political may have become mixed up here. Being on the end of death threats from anyone can’t be very nice, however this police inaction could well be down to a dislike of Peter rather than a genuine concern about upsetting the muslim community … simply even revealing the plod to have a ‘well you bring it on yourself’ attitude to activists.

the void has not noticed the police to be particularly concerned about offending muslims, or any other ethnic group for that matter … although and of course Peter is right in his insistance that anyone making death threats should be treated the same by the old bill. I wonder though, if this rally, steeped in islamaphobia as it seemed to be in some quarters, was the best place to bring these opinions to the fore. the void would also say however that we kind it difficult to disagreee with any of the rest of his speech.

Peter also pointed out “most of Saturday’s speeches were not focussed on Islam. Lots of other free speech threats were also highlighted by me and others.” a good example is Rend Shakir’s speech here.

I for one still can’t get down with this bunch of posh-fash, weird liberls and out and out racists. Whilst having a certain admiriration to Tatchell, Rend Shakir and Maryam Namazie … I guess … for having the courage and strength of their conviction (and to stick it out on what must have been a dishwater dull day) it’s not difficult to see the direction that this campaign could move in. You begin to wonder, given the sorry turn out on Saturday, whether there is enough support amongst progressives, leftists and the like to steer this issue away from the far right … who are luvin’ it.

the void reckons whenever you stand on a platform with fascists they taint you, not the other way round, you can’t clean shit with soap.

Free speech is a universal human right
London – 25 March 2006

“Free speech is a fundamental human right for every person on this planet. It is a right for all, not for some.

The only instances where free speech can be legitimately restricted are when people incite violence and libel or defame others. Threats and untruths diminish free speech and open debate.

Freedom of expression is not a western value; it is a universal humanitarian value that is the right of all people.

By demanding the right to free speech, we are not seeking to impose western ideas on non-western people and cultures. We are saying that everyone, everywhere has a right to freedom of expression.

This rally is about more than defending the right of newspapers to publish the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

It is in opposition to all attacks on free speech, including attacks on freedom of expression by our own government, such as the ban on protests without prior police permission in the Westminster area. This ban echoes the way the Kremlin used to restrict the right to protest in the bad old days of the Soviet Union.

I am here because I support the right to free speech.

I am a radical left-wing Green, committed to universal human rights and social justice. Not everyone will agree with my politics, nor will I agree with their politics. That is what this protest is about: the right of people to express their opinions even if we don’t like them.

As well as challenging religious-inspired tyranny, let us also say loud and clear that we defend Muslim communities against prejudice and discrimination

Let us declare that we deplore the homophobia, race hate, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism of the British National Party

That we condemn the abuses of the war on terror, such as the shooting dead of Jean Charles de Menezes and detention without trial in Guantanamo Bay

That we reject the government’s assault on civil liberties and individual freedom, including its persecution and impoverishment of asylum seekers, and its plans to create a surveillance state by the imposition of ID cards on an unconvinced and unwilling nation.

Free speech is the right to urge British soldiers to disobey illegal and unjust orders to use nuclear weapons and to invade foreign nations in defiance of international law.

Free speech is the right to condemn the British army of occupation in Iraq.

Free speech is the right to whistleblow on state corruption, illegality and hypocrisy, such as cash for peerages and false claims about weapons of mass destruction.

Free speech is the right to call for the disestablishment of the Church of England

Free speech is the right to insult the Queen, the Prime Minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury – even though I personally prefer to criticise rather than insult.

When it comes to free speech, I am an equal opportunities free speecher.

Free speech is the right of others to mock and ridicule me. I may not like it. It might be unfair. But that’s democracy.

Some people are mischievously portraying this protest as an anti-Muslim rally. Not true.

We condemn unreservedly any attempt to demonise or scapegoat our Muslim brothers and sisters.

We stand for free speech for everyone, including Muslims – providing their speech does not diminish the rights and freedoms of others.

This protest is not about a clash of civilisations.

Both fundamentalists and progressives can be found in all faiths, politics, ethnicities, nations and cultures.

No society has a monopoly of enlightenment and tolerance.

Muslim countries like Bangladesh have produced Enlightenment icons such as the feminist writer Taslima Nasreen; while supposedly cultured nations like Britain and France have spawned the Dark Ages intolerance of the British National Party and the Front National.

In January, I challenged Sir Iqbal Sacranie of the Muslim Council of Britain when he denounced homosexuality as immoral, harmful and diseased. But I did not seek to ban him, nor did I support calls for his prosecution. I defended Sir Iqbal’s right to free speech.

Sadly, Sir Iqbal did not reciprocate my tolerance.

He wants the freedom to be offensive to gay people but doesn’t believe any one should have the right to be offensive about Islam.

Sir Iqbal is seeking news laws to ban the ridiculing and satirising of the Muslim faith.

My response is this:

All human beings are worthy of respect, but not all ideas deserve respect.

There is no obligation to respect oppressive ideas like Nazism, misogyny, Islamophobia, white supremacism, homophobia, creationism or any form of religious fundamentalism.

These ideas deserve ridicule and contempt.

Let our message be loud and clear:

The right to express an opinion, without fear of threats and violence, is a fundamental human right – for all people, in all places and at all times.

Free speech today, free speech tomorrow, free speech forever,” said Mr Tatchell.
www.petertatchell.net

what do you call a 100 wet nazi’s?
BNP come out in support of free expressionists
I feel I should clarify my position…
Free expressionists climb down
Tatchell to call for end of the C of E this Saturday!
more comedy from the free expressionists
Right to public racism march shames the left this Saturday

Blagger of the month … plus the funniest thing you’ll ever read

A sketchy skiver called Niall has posted this on indymedia “What is the Shamanic Freedom Coaliton?”.

Turns out the Shamanic Freedom Coalition is an organisation old Niall invented in his head, he explains as he continues

“I wish to form a pressure group to fight against the government’s stance on hallucinogenics. I have been practicing tribal style shamanism tripping in the countryside as a spiritual path. Now i’m a potential criminal. I need help building a website and getting members. Thanks.”

Reasonable sentiments, although the dodgy hippy sensor’s starting to stir. Niall then goes on to briefly tell us about his ‘oh so interesting ,(like Niall’s the only one who’s ever tripped)’ psychedelic experiences, I won’t bore you.

Building up a swirly head of steam our hero begins to rage at the current legal position of psychedelics making the proclamation that

Now I wish to fight the authorities by setting up a pressure group – an order of Shamans if you will.

adding “I intend to devote my life to raising awareness to this and fighting ignorance.” and “I can no longer sit back and wait for someone else to do this. It’s time i go into the firing line!”.

The proud shamanic warrior then reveals his plans, firstly asking for a web designer because “i need help setting up a website where people can pay online to become members”.

and then comes the punchline “then when it affords me to eat, pay rent and bills” tah dah! .. the boy played a blinder

Niall wants us all to send to him our money, and then, when he decides he’s reached a level of lifestyle which suits him, plus keeps him in the old class a’s, he may, with no plans as to how, smash the state and bring the prohibitionists tumbling down.

Go Niall.

an easy target I know, and the post’s probably been hidden by now, but folks that was not the funniest thing you’ll ever read (I hope) … this is.

An over-optimistic hippy called shamania goes on to post a comment with advice to help our Niall on his psychedelic, visionary quest (racket) saying

“sounds like a good project, apart from the bit about it making you a living – that would never work and would lose you a lot of support anyway if it did!”

and then adds, are you ready kids

“You might want to contact Fraser Clark”

sorry, to anyone I kept waiting, this was probably a bit of an in joke…

(as a neat postscript shamania then gives Fraser a further plug and lists his e-mail to further our interpid shamen on his way to enlightenment, before hitting him with “(you could) advertise your initiative in his e-newsletter” … how altruistic these hippies are … peace and love man … oh and your credit card details please)

End of the neo-labour project … you could almost write the script

all together now ‘I’d rather be a picket than a scab’ politics gets retro

In scenes reminiscent of the 70′s, over one and a half million workers have taken the decision to strike today in protest at the governments plan to allow some public sector workers to retire at 60 … but not others.

Never mind the incompetence of this clearly unfair set of affairs, more strikes look on the horizon, with the threat of a Summer of Discontent looking well on the cards.

As neutered unions finally start to flex their muscles Blair, as ever in times of national discontent, is living it up on holiday, this time in Oz with dodgy old tory and Blair’s good mate, bonzer geezer John Humphreys.

Preferable to facing the rap for the dishonest and possibly illegal ‘loans for a peerage’ scandal, Blair enjoys a few days in the sun where he was quoted as saying “Where the bloody hell am I?” at a recent love in with Humphreys.

Well, not at home where a recent poll showed that his public approval rating is 29%, the lowest of his term so far, whilst a BBC poll found 50% feel Blair should go soon.

Looking increasingly like Thatcher in her dying days, Blair has also admitted that saying he would step down during this term was a mistake. Clinging to the straw of power like a drowning rat, Blair’s natural arrogance came to the fore when he described anti-american sentiment as ‘madness’, presumably in an effort to trash what little support he has left, as well as set himself up nicely to grasp onto Clinton’s coat-tails on the lucrative after dinner speeches market in the US.

Piling on the pressure the New York Times has released yet another memo showing that Bush was set on the path of war even if he failed to win a UN resolution, and whether or not UN arms inspectors found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq … of which Blair seemingly was well aware … ‘cos Bush told him.

Meanwhile back in Blighty wannabe terrorist Guido reports the sound of sharpening knives at a meeting of the PLP last night where MP Jon Trickett (who?) suggested to the NEC to think about “that the timing and process for the election of a new leader” adding “The party has to come first”.

Several stalking horses are coming out of the shadows to stand against Blair as leader including John Austin and has been actress Glenda (turn up to the opening of an envelope) Jackson.

Meanwhile smug old Brown looks on, seemingly ignorant of the growing unrest bordering on rage within the unions, the threatening economic downturn, rising unemployment and the war without end in Iraq.

Whilst over in the other camp Cameron does little but smile sweetly, says now’t and waits, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the whole sorry charade comes crashing down plunging the labour party into yet another ten years of splits, divisions and all out nastiness.

Far from united the policy-less tories will more than likely be on the ascendance soon, and will no doubt rally round fresh faced Cameron, knowing he will leave showing his true blue thatcherite instincts until elected.

Whilst a conservative government will almost certainly be a disaster for the poor and dispossessed, it may give the radical left the teeth it needs to start to have a proper scrap with the state rather than playing trotsky-ite politics round the edges as at present.

the void says fuck ‘em all, whilst the so called left and the so called right rip ‘em selves apart at the ballot box, and the trots continue to march on the road to nowhere, anarchists UK wide organise, discuss, network and wait.

Let them tear themselves limb from limb in an orgy of public humiliation ‘cos it’s only a matter of time before people wake up to the fact that we no longer need this sorry shower of power hungry dipsticks and start to take back power ourselves, in the community, the workplace and in our lives.

ya basta!

meanwhile bets are being taken on who will be Blair’s ‘Douglas Hurd’, the void’s got it’s money on this guy, without a principle in his lardy body, he’s sure to be the first to jump ship and put the boot in when he realises Blair’s days are numbered.

America starts to wake up?

Over half a million people took to the streets on Saturday to protest aginst Bush’s savage new immigration laws.

http://la.indymedia.org/

Roddick and Bono to Marry in Secret Illuminati Ceremony

Body Shop cultists carry out a ‘sick’ display of ecstatic pagan worship

the void can reveal that Anita Roddick and Bono are set to be married in a secret satanic ceremony at Bohemian Grove. Presided over by the pope this ceremony will further strengthen the evil twins drive to become king and queen of the NEW WORLD ORDER.

Known in occult circles as the GREEN WITCH Roddick has secretly confessed her sick love for Bono, saying to initiates ‘I’ve wanted to shag that horny Irish bastard for donkey’s years.’

Roddick and Bono have always been known by researchers to be SATANIC INITIATES who have long been part of the plot to enslave the world in the coming apocalypse.

The proof of their occult involvement lies in their names: ROD – DICK represents two words occultists use for the MALE GENITALIA confirming that ROD-DICK is a long standing member of the twisted sun worshipping OSIRIS cult the ILLUMINATI. Meanwhile Bono’s name speaks for it’s self (derived from boner), meaning simply ‘a prick’.

The numerological value of the letter U is 3, added to 2 and using the satanic rules of reversal clearly represents the EVIL number 23. Disturbingly the band U2 are said to be an offshoot of the notorious P2 masonic lodge.

ROD-DICK, who has recently sold out to global illuminist corporation Nestle is far from planning retirement sources reveal. ROD-DICK has been captured on secret video tape TORTURING ANIMALS (send $299.99 to this blog for your exclusive copy) and has also been behind a number of SATANIC POTIONS largely manufactured from CRUDE OIL and ancient AFRICAN poisons.

These potions are said to turn ordinary god fearing women into babbling lunatics wailing about the terrors of the CHRISTIAN CAPITALIST SYSTEM while simultaneously exploiting thousands worldwide in an orgy of OVER PRODUCTION of these evil smelling chemicals.

ROD-DICKS store the Body Shop (a clear reference to satanic exploitation of fornication) is actually operating a GLOBAL PROSTITUTION RING with un-unionised staff forced to offer themselves to secret illuminati ceremonies as SEX SLAVES.

One highly respected source has witnessed the horrific rituals that this pair have indulged in

“I was hiding in the woods around Bohemian Grove. I watched ROD-DICK lovingly prepare the altar before passing a knife over to Bono who proceeded to plunge the knife repeatedly into a small defenceless giraffe”

Later in a shocking HOMOSEXUAL ORGY Bono was seen SUCKING the COCK of none other than high ranking illuminati member GEORGE BUSH, whilst ROD-DICK looked on masturbating and smearing powdered baby milk over her bare breasts.

As revealed here U2′s lyrics have long been proved to carry SECRET SATANIC MESSAGES, whilst Bono’scohortt Bob Geldof has been reported as saying ‘I’d shake hands with the devil!!!’

the void calls on all right thinking Christians to protect your children from these twisted Satanists by refusing to buy their sick products or listening to U2′s sick music, which has been known to bring on cases of projectile vomiting and other signs of DEMONIC POSSESSION.

source www.rense.com
(this information has mysteriously disappeared from Jeff Rense’s website … possible proof of Rense’s involvement in the secret conspiracy to hide THE TRUTH from FREE AMERICANS!!!)

Woo Hoo! Roddick’s getting it already
Roddick Shows True Colours … Boycott Bodyshop
Outrageous Slurs Launched on St Bono

fat, racist whinger wins libel case

Political failure Michael Keith-Smith. who stood for Ukip and lost in Portsmouth North has won a big fat ten grand after sueing for libel due to an argument in a chat room.

Pathetic, immature Smith, who lists his interests as shooting people on his yahoo profile moaned “I just didn’t see why she should be allowed to get away with it”.

Tracy Williams, a college lecturer from Oldham, was ordered by a high court judge to pay £10,000 in damages, as well as lardy Keith-Smith’s £7,200 costs, after an argument in which she initially labelled him a “lard brain” before going on to accuse him of being a “Nazi”, a “racist bigot” and a “nonce” culimating with her claiming he was on the sex offender’s registar and calling his wife a prostitute.

One has to wondor why she wasn’t simply banned from the chat rooom in question as most chat room mods would have only been quick to do, however a court injunction forced the owners of the chat room to reveal Willaims’ details as she was posting anonymously.

Whilst her remarks were extreme and probably a touch out of order this could have devastating consequences for all chat rooms hosts and users as this case sees a precedent in the application of UK libel laws. Whilst Caroline Keane, a media lawyer has said “You can’t say this is something that should just be allowed to carry on. I don’t think it is going to open any floodgates; it’s a quite sensible application of the law,” Mark Stephens, head of media law at Finer Stephens Innocent, said the case should trigger a wider debate about whether the libel law was best suited to deal with such cases.

Whilst it could be argued that politically nonenetity Smith had been libelled the remarks were made on a chat room with a limited readership. This room in question only has around a 100 members, most of whom would hopefully be intelligent enough to work out what was going on for themselves.

With more and more communication taking place on line, this is akin to having lawyers sitting and monitoring every conversation anyone might have anywhere, anytime, waiting to pounce should anyone be defamed. Imagine the same scenario down the pub…

Lively and occasionally spiky debate has long been a feature of message boards and chat rooms, just as it in real life. To suggest that everyone involved should think about the legal implications of every comment, remark, criticism or indeed insult will result in a neuturing of this form of communication, forcing chat rooms mods to be obliged to censor half of the comments made.

In the US New Jersey state legislature is already considering a bill that would disallow anonymous members on forums. (link)

When writing for publications or even blogs most would think before embarking on a campaign of libel, chat rooms are different and should reflect conversation as it is in real life with all it’s colour, inaccuracies, humour and occasional spite.

Meanwhile greedy lawyers are sure to be wetting themselves, as one wag has commented on lively message boards urban 75 “Wonder if we’ll now see ‘no win no fee’ lawyers hanging out on discussion boards ready to make an offer soon as anyone’s the victim of a bit of abuse.”

Warning to chatroom users after libel award for man labelled a Nazi

update … Fat boy speaks

the void welcomes back bubblejam delite

After too long an absence the void is pleased to welcome alternative party people Bubble Jam Delite back into the fray.

After, what the void presumes was a storming launch party down at Jack’s last night (the void was not in attendance for childcare reaons) Bubble Jam, the former free dance mag has launched on the web featuring more than enough to keep you amused on those long Sunday come downs.

With politics, party news, art, science and sometimes just the plain old daft, Bubble Jam also features party listings that put this sites rarely updated and occasionally forgetten about completely efforts to shame. Good luck and don’t stop taking the tablets…

http://www.bubblejam.net/