J's Cafe Nette

Archive for the ‘Classless’ Category

Note to the current administration, we are not your children. If you wish to drive a point home it might be a much better idea to deal with the public as though they were your equal and not subordinates.

In other words, get off the soap boxes, and be willing to accept that others may have differing opinions than yours. All this preachy talk will get you nowhere with intelligent, thinking adults.

When it comes to greenhouse-gas emissions, Energy Secretary Steven Chu sees Americans as unruly teenagers and the Administration as the parent that will have to teach them a few lessons.

Speaking on the sidelines of a smart grid conference in Washington, Dr. Chu said he didn’t think average folks had the know-how or will to to change their behavior enough to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

“The American public…just like your teenage kids, aren’t acting in a way that they should act,” Dr. Chu said. “The American public has to really understand in their core how important this issue is.” (In that case, the Energy Department has a few renegade teens of its own.)

[emphasis-admin] HT: Drudge

I don’t know about Dr. Chu but I raised two children and both were responsible teenagers who were employed and did well in school. Did they have their moments, yes, but overall this “unruly behavior” which he cites marks all teenagers as flighty, irresponsible individuals and that is something, whether years ago or in the present, by which I cannot abide.

It makes one wonder how in touch with America these folks in Washington are.

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Representative Pete Stark (D-CA), addresses the concerns of (you know, those crazy) constituents at a town hall.

I watched the entire video, but the comment referenced at Say Anything comes within the first minute and a half.

The arrogance never ceases to amaze me.

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You might want to have a bucket nearby when you read the balance of the following Obama love fest between Evan Thomas and Chris Matthews.

Yes, it is worth the read, if for no other reason to see how far journalistic standards have declined in America.

Evan Thomas:

Newsweek editor Evan Thomas brought adulation over President Obama’s Cairo speech to a whole new level on Friday, declaring on MSNBC: “I mean in a way Obama’s standing above the country, above – above the world, he’s sort of God.”

HT:Memorandum

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Commander in Chief. President of the United States of America. Leader of the Free World. These are titles to which Barck Obama aspires.

What a shame that this man and his campaign could not find the time at one of their rallies to honor America with a rendition of the National Anthem. HT:Wizbang

Not present, or at least not singing the National Anthem at the rally was Londonderry senior Zach Bencal.

Bencal, who sings the anthem for a number of school events and is actively involved in local community theatre, had been contacted by the Obama campaign to sing the anthem. He agreed to do so, then was told later in the evening the anthem had been scratched from the program. Bencal said he was told by the campaign the decision was a simple programming change to make room for another speaker.

“I guess it just wasn’t meant to be,” Bencal said.

Sandra Abrevaya, communications director for the Obama campaign’s Manchester office, confirmed the choice had simply been a last-minute scratch from the rally’s program, which included the Pledge of Allegiance.

“We regret the miscommunication with Zach about today’s event but we are pleased that several other New Hampshire residents were able to speak at today’s event, where thousands of voters in both parties gathered to hear Sen. Obama discuss his plan to bring the change we need to Washington.”

[emphasis-mine]

One more speech of praise and admiration. One more promise of change.

None of this change and hope is worth a whit if it does not include this:

There, now I feel better!

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I’ve got to hand it to those Democrats and Speaker Pelosi. They sure knew how to game this whole issue on the Wall Street bailout.

First, they come out smiling and announcing how they have reached a deal:

House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., center, and
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., left, Secretary of the Treasury
Henry Paulson, second right, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-
Nev., right, announce a tentative deal. (AP)
HT: For the photo above toGateway Pundit

Then, after 40% of their own members do not vote in favor of the legislation, they blame everyone but themselves:

So now Barney Frank answers for the Speaker of the House? His tone and demeanor towards his fellow House members will certainly make it easier for dialogue to begin again..sure it will.

The Speaker used a tone and showed a disdain for both the President and the opposing party today in her remarks prior to the vote (not at other times on the House floor) which I do not believe I ever remember seeing in all my years of observing Congress.

Why would she want to sabotage this legislation? In my opinion, the answer is simple. The longer this remains an issue in front of the public and the press is hammering away at it, the more she believes it helps Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress running for re-election.

Frankly, I am reaching the point where I just don’t care anymore. Will it really make any difference who is elected to any of these offices come November?

Obviously, all the decency and honesty is evaporating faster than a bowl of jello set over an open flame.

I concede, Obama good, McCain, bad..Democrats, perfect..Republicans..unpatriotic, crybabies.

Think I’ll just go off and have a good cry now and maybe take down my American Flag. After all, wouldn’t want anyone to think I really jumped ship.

What shameful behavior on the part of our elected officials (and The Speaker in particular),when they hold the future of so many Americans in their hands.

Update: An Absolute Must Hear!! HT:Johnny Dollars Place

The best explanation on this vote I have heard yet! Listen to Karl Rove explain how the legislation was killed on the floor of the House.

Welcome, Anchoress readers.

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Is civility disappearing totally from government?

Has this financial crisis created an atmosphere so unhealthy that we now have the Speaker of the House referring to Republicans as “unpatriotic” for their not attending a scheduled meeting?

Perhaps she should have conferred with Senator Dodd prior to uttering those words:

More from the House GOP offices:

Well, we didn’t go to yesterday’s meeting because they didn’t invite us. Dodd even said on NBC nightly news last night that they just forgot.
It’s pretty infuriating.

[emphasis-mine]

Interesting that the Democrats were so anxious to pin the failure of the original deal on the financial bail out on the Republicans and John McCain when it appears it was their own Presidential candidate who inflicted the damage at the White House meeting:

…..This according to Bob Schieffer of CBS.[emphasis-mine]

Paulson called Lindsey Grahamnesty and said, “Look, I need the House Republicans. I need Republicans on this. We can’t get anywhere without them. You’ve gotta call McCain. He’s the only one that can do it.” So that’s why McCain goes to Washington, and they end up having a four o’clock meeting at the White House yesterday. They all think they’re going into a negotiating session. The president, in order to let everybody be heard, deferred to various Democrats, and every one of the Democrats — Pelosi, Reid, Dodd, and Frank — declined to speak and deferred to Obama. So Obama became the official Democrat spokesman in the meeting. This was to hype Obama’s leadership and presidential aura and so forth. What happened next, the first thing out of Obama’s mouth — Paulson is in the meeting — is he starts ripping the House Republican proposal and asks Paulson what he thinks of it.

This led Boehner and the other Republicans in there to think they have been sandbagged. We found out this morning that Obama had no clue — because he was in transit doing other things, he had no clue — what the House Republican position was. What happened was that on the way to the meeting sometime during the day, Obama’s staff received an e-mail from Treasury Department employees who work for Paulson detailing the House Republican plan. So when the Democrats deferred to Obama, he launched into that. He had no clue what it was. That’s why he asked Paulson for his comments. I don’t know what Paulson said, but this is what led to the fireworks. This is what led to everything breaking down in there. This is why Dingy Harry walked out, ’cause it didn’t work.

[All references to Senators by other than their proper title are those of Rush Limbaugh]

Remember it was the Democrats who insisted the insertion of presidential politics was not helpful in this debate yet they allowed their candidate to speak on their behalf.

If this is indeed what transpired, then not only did the Democrats stretch the truth at the completion of the meeting, but it was extremely disrespectful to the President of the United States.

What egos these Senators and Congresspersons must have to place themselves and their politics above the Executive and the country which it serves.

If memory serves, both McCain and Obama are Senators first candidates second and they should be in Washington in their official capacity as such in an attempt to move this process forward, not garner political points.

There is plenty of blame to go around in this financial mess but deliberately falsifying facts (on either side of the aisle) and calling members of the opposing party “unpatriotic” serves no purpose and the effects will no doubt be long lasting.

*For those who would like to read the thoughts of an international auditor in the insurance industry regarding this crisis check out the piece at the link. Quite an interesting and enlightening read.

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In life we all come across arrogant, self-righteous individuals who have difficulty admitting their own shortcomings or errors, but are remarkably quick at passing judgment on others.

People such as those described above can, in many instances, maneuver topics of conversation to their satisfaction and even sway opinions of others.

We expect to come across these people in everyday life but we should not expect this type of behavior from the Speaker of the House.

Maybe she’s right. The President may be a failure. A complete flop in exposing many of the Congressional members for what they are. Perhaps he should have thrown the words liar, Hitler
incompetent and buffoon around lightly.

Being a gentleman and respecting the office to which he was elected certainly didn’t buy him any points. Not pointing out (continuously) the arrogance of the leaders of both Houses hasn’t won him the respect of the press.

Running an administration with both hands tied behind his back under the perception that he stole an election and never correcting that notion by coming down hard on those who perpetrated those lies
has left that as a matter of truth to this day, in the minds of many.

Watching Republican after Republican members of Congress step down due to their own indiscretions and not coming to their defense was an enormous failure. After all, why should they be forced to take responsibility for their own actions?

The President should have been at the microphone every time one of these Senators or Congressmen were forced to vacate their seats due to impropriety. He should have pled their case to the American people or found that somehow it was the fault of the Democrats that they committed whatever offense it was with which they were accused. It all was a Vast Left Wing Conspiracy anyhow, right?

Yes, President Bush has been a terrible, miserable failure. He understood his primary duty as President of the United States and he fulfilled that charge well. Most were doing well monetarily also until the recent downturn in the economy and there were few complaints about their standard of living under this administration.

What a failure. World leaders did not respect this man. Funny, few of them hesitated to ask for or accept our assistance when needed.

This is a man, who has kept mine and yours from harm for the past 7 years (with a great deal of assistance from our men and women in uniform) and done it with humility, patience, perseverance, pride in this country, faith and fortitude.

He has accepted the slurs and constant condemnation of others with little more than a shake of the head.

An economy already in recession when he took office was righted quickly and remained stable for almost 7 years.

No Madame Speaker, President Bush not been perfect but if he is your definition of a failure, then I suppose what we require as a nation is a rock star president who accomplishes little, but boy, that star power will keep us all mesmerized.

Not to worry Ms. Pelosi. Your broom can be stored away in just a few months. No need to sweep up any more messes. Unless of course you wish to finally begin working on those which Congress has created and neglected to right for so long.

But, I won’t call you a failure. I understand. It just isn’t easy when you’re the top dog.

Keep at it. Maybe you can single-handedly save Congress from itself what with your exceptional approval ratings and all. Good luck.

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I must say it, even though it might be unpopular..I felt sorry for Barack Obama last night.

What a shame that his words had to be lost once again in the rhetoric (and plea for money) from one (at least at this writing) candidate.

Having watched all three speeches, I can only summarize this way:

John McCain..first of all, should have butted out. This night did not belong to him.

As for his speech, well, it might have been strong in substance but his delivery left a lot to be desired.

Republicans should be concerned if this is the best he can do as eventually no one will be listening..they will all be asleep. Energy is important in campaigns and the Senator showed absolutely none last evening.

Hillary Clinton..Probably one of the most egotistical, brazen “acceptance” speeches I have ever witnessed.

She has proven herself incapable of recognizing an other’s accomplishments.

Touting her own breakthroughs in this primary season is fine and should she decide to take this to the convention that too is her prerogative, but, what I witnessed last night was not characteristic of someone I wish to see occupy the Oval Office.

No grace, no humility, no tact and worst of all no words of congratulations to Barack Obama.

Barack Obama..Back to my opening line.

Watching him take the stage to deliver an acceptance speech as the Democrat’s presumptive nominee had already been deflated by the mania of the Clinton’s. Something was missing as he delivered this speech.

Maybe he was overwhelmed by the enormity of of what had just been bestowed upon him. I don’t think so.

I believe he had just been treated to his real first taste of the Clinton family.
He may have recognized that they feel he and the general population are required to be beholden to them for all they have done (in their minds) and will do in the future.

He should have been prepared, after all the coronation was all but guaranteed not that very long ago.

Suffering loss is a part of life. Observing those who have no capacity to give others their due is pathetic.

Senator Obama does deserve congratulations for not only taking on and defeating the Clinton machine but for surrounding himself with individuals who planned and executed his primary victories with cunning and care.

Coming away from last evening with the same feelings I have had for quite some time now as to this presidential election was of no consolation. I still have not found that candidate who leaves me with the feeling that I will be doing much more than voting for the lesser of two evils. For reasons I have stated before, John McCain is my only reasonable choice but it is a gut wrenching one at that.

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Keith Olberman is probably the most despicable person I have ever seen on television. He makes Dan Rather’s bouts with President Nixon look like a day in the playground when he goes on his daily rants about President Bush.

When was the last time you ever heard a television personality tell the President of the United States to “Shut the hell up”? This is the first and last time I’ve ever heard anyone so disrespect the office because of the occupant of the office. And we wonder why our country is split. It’s due in part to idiots like this.

Olberman should have kept his ESPN job where he could just read about sports jocks. The one redeeming factor is who really watches MSNBC anyway?

Now so you can hear his insanity for yourself I give you this video:

Olberman, shut the heck up!

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It’s an opinion. The thoughts of a woman who is a Nobel Laureate.

Pull yourself together America. September 11,2001 was no big deal. That’s right, we folks here in the USA just don’t get it. So please allow Ms. Lessing to enlighten us.

Nobel laureate Doris Lessing said the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States were “not that terrible” when compared to attacks by the IRA in Britain.
“September 11 was terrible, but if one goes back over the history of the IRA, what happened to the Americans wasn’t that terrible,” the Nobel Literature Prize winner told the leading Spanish daily El Pais.

“Some Americans will think I’m crazy. Many people died, two prominent buildings fell, but it was neither as terrible nor as extraordinary as they think. They’re a very naive people, or they pretend to be,” she said in an interview published Sunday.

“Do you know what people forget? That the IRA attacked with bombs against our government; it killed several people while a Conservative congress was being held and in which the prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, was (attending). People forget,” she said.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks. About 3,700 died and tens of thousands of people were maimed in more than 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland. The Irish Republican Army guerrilla group, which caused most of the deaths, disarmed in 2005.[Emphasis Added]

Following the logic of this Nobel prizewinner, those killled at the hands of the IRA would not be significant historically as they lost fewer people than were murdered during the Holocaust and those in Israel who have suffered due to terrorism for any years should just keep a stiff upper lip because after all their numbers simply cannot compare with the death toll overall in WWII.

To follow this pattern would be simple poppycock. Ms. Lessing is out of line in her comments.

We in the United States mourn the deaths of innocents all over the world, not just our own, but 9/11/01 will live forever in the minds of those who experienced the horror of that day. The lives lost not only in those two tall structures but in Washington and Pennsylvania will not be forgotten.

We are not a naive people and we certainly are not ignorant enough to tell you Ms. Lessing that any life is deemed more important than another when it is wiped away in an instant by those who hate. You may have your esteemed prize, but we in the United States have dignity, compassion and a deep sense of committment to our allies and friends around the world and the many they have lost in senseless acts.

By the way, when Ms. Lessing was contacted for comment this was the reply:

Attempts by The Associated Press to reach Lessing in London for comment Monday were unsuccessful. Her agent’s office said the author was unavailable because she was not feeling well.

Indeed.

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I had used this as an update in a post yesterday, and for those who may have read it, I apologize for the repitition, but I believe it it is worthy of mention in its’ own setting.

You expect those elected in public office to make statements from time to time which could be regarded as less than well thought out, but this one courtesy of Senator Schumer goes well beyond any I can remember in regard to our United States Military.

“And let me be clear, the violence in Anbar has gone down despite the surge, not because of the surge. The inability of American soldiers to protect these tribes from al Qaeda said to these tribes we have to fight al Qaeda ourselves. It wasn’t that the surge brought peace here. It was that the warlords took peace here, created a temporary peace here.”

Follow the link above to the video available and watch the Senator attempt to make it through these despicable words. If this is an early attempt to attack both the President and General Petraeus prior to next weeks report, then it failed miserably. Not failed in the sense that he did not make his true feelings about our troops known, no, he fully succceeded there. It failed because I believe most Americans have an appreciation for the difficult mission these men and women undertake daily.

Even many who do not support the war come out in support of our troops..but not Senator Schumer.

You sir, are entitled to your opinion as I am in mine, and mine is, this was a shameful display of political posturing at its best but a disgusting rebuke of our troops at its worst.

For more thoughts, check out Blackfive.

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If what I saw in this post at Sweetness and Light is what passes for art today then I am sad for all of us.

Artworks depicting Osama bin Laden in a Christ-like pose and a statue of the Virgin Mary covered in a burqa have caused a stir in Australia after they were showcased in a prestigious religious art competition.

“Bearded Orientals: Making the Empire Cross” by Priscilla Bracks is a “double vision” print that depicts both Jesus and bin Laden.

Luke Sullivan’s “The Fourth Secret of Fatima” is a statue of Mary, her head and torso obscured by a blue burqa like the one Afghan women had to wear under the militant Taliban.

The artworks were among more than 500 entries in the Blake Prize for Religious Art, and have been included in an exhibition at the National Art School in Sydney.

“The choice of such artwork is gratuitously offensive to the religious beliefs of many Australians,” Australian Prime Minister John Howard told Thursday’s Daily Telegraph newspaper.

While I agree with the Prime Minister, I think the word offensive probably is too mild for many Christians around the world not only in Australia.

I believe the following quote probably says it best.

“It’s really unfortunate people take liberties with the Christian faith they wouldn’t take with other religions,” Lobby spokeswoman Glynis Quinlan told reporters…

This is what “artists” Priscilla Bracks and Luke Sullivan consider “art”. It is nothing but blasphemous.

The Blake Prize entry titled ‘Bearded Orientals: Making the Empire Cross’ by artist Priscilla Bracks is exhibited in Sydney August 30, 2007. The ‘double vision’ print, which depicts both Jesus Christ and Osama bin Laden, in a Christ-like pose, depending on which side the viewer looks at the artwork, has been criticised by Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard for undermining Australians’ religious beliefs.

The Blake Prize entry titled ‘The Fourth Secret of Fatima’ by artist Luke Sullivan is exhibited in Sydney August 30, 2007. The statue of the Virgin Mary, wearing a burqa, has been criticised by Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard for undermining Australians’ religious beliefs.

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Is this child-like or what?

They work in the same building. They slog through the same rigorous travel schedule. Along the way, they often cross paths several times a day.

But Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama have barely spoken to one another – at least in any meaningful way – for months.

The tension between the two Democratic presidential hopefuls, which spilled over into public view during the past two weeks, has been intensifying since January. It is clear, as the candidates approach a mid-point in their fight for the nomination, that the genteel decorum of the Senate has given way to the go-for-the-jugular instinct of the campaign trail.

As the Senate held an unusually late session of back-to-back votes on Thursday evening, the two rivals kept a careful eye on one another as they moved across the Senate floor.

For more than two hours, often while standing only a few feet apart, Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama never approached one another or exchanged so much as a pleasantry. In the clubby confines of the Senate, even the fiercest adversaries are apt to engage in the legislative equivalent of cocktail party chit-chat.

The relationship began to change, according to several Democrats who are friendly to both senators, when Mr. Obama began musing aloud about a presidential bid. The day he opened his exploratory committee, several Senate observers said, he extended his hand and said hello on the Senate floor. She breezed by him, offering a cool stare.

One week later, following the State of the Union address, the two senators found themselves doing a back-to-back interview on CNN. Mr. Obama went first, with Mrs. Clinton pacing a few feet away. Finally, an aide escorted her completely around the rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building, avoiding walking directly by Mr. Obama.

The Senate is known for its clubby atmosphere. Even senators from opposing parties banter and have fun while votes are being counted. I’ve seen it hundreds of times on TV.

So what’s with these two? This is an example of why our nation is being torn asunder. Grow up, Senators, the world is watching you both.

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I do not care what the reason was for this behavior.

It was not acceptable when Ms. McKinney tussled with a Capitol Police officer, and it is certainly not acceptable in this instance.

On Thursday afternoon, Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) got into a loud, angry dispute with a U.S. Capitol Police officer at the security checkpoint inside the entrance of the West Side of the Capitol. On Friday, Shays, a veteran lawmaker, offered a public apology for the incident, and said that he wants to meet with the officer personally to reiterate how sorry he is.

Shays reportedly grabbed the officer during the dispute over whether the officer should allow a group of tourists to enter the building, said several sources. Tourists are not allowed to use the West Front entrance, but Shays was trying to bring the group through that entrance anyway. The officer refused to allow them to come inside, and Shays then “yelled and screamed” at the officer, with one source claiming Shays “grabbed his [the officer's] collar.”

Congressman Shays should be ashamed of himself, and while I am glad he has apologized for the incident and accepted responsibility for his actions, I cannot condone this behavior under any circumstances.

Imagine being a member of that party of constituents he was attempting to usher in that entrance..how embarrassing.

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Rick Moran with an interesting take on today’s Day by Day cartoon.

Many of you will recall when we conservatives came down hard on Jane Hamsher of Firedog Lake for her photoshopped picture of Joe Lieberman in minstrel make up. It is an unnecessary, hurtful reminder of days past when black people were thought not good enough to share the stage with white people. And to make matters worse, the Minstrel Show itself portrayed blacks in the most nauseatingly, submissive, subservient ways imaginable.

Muir makes a living going to the edge. That’s what good cartoonists do. But putting anyone in black face cannot be seen as anything except out of bounds for decent society. We conservatives said as much following Jane Hamsher’s extraordinary Lieberman slur. And we should say the same about Mr. Muir and his idea of humor

I must say, I agree.

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Journalist and blogger Cathy Seipp died last week from lung cancer.

While I didn’t frequent her blog because I didn’t know about it, from what I have read she was a conservative who had been a reporter for several well-known publications, and she pulled no punches.

It seems her 17 year old daughter’s former journalism teacher had a grudge against them both and had purchased the domain name cathyseipp.com, which was not the name of Cathy Seipp’s blog.

On the day before Ms. Seipp died, while she was probably unconscious he wrote this about her:

Just hours before her death, “Cathy Seipp” suddenly seemed to undo decades of hard work with an oddly written letter posted on the Web site, www. cathyseipp.com. In what came off as more bizarre rant than heartfelt apology, her supposed “very last blog entry” called her years of journalism a “shoddy,” “despicable” and “irresponsible” career as a “fourth-rate hack.” Her political stance? All a mistake.

The fiery, unwavering supporter of George W. Bush supposedly said she’d done a complete 180 in the past year and was now an implied supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. What was even more perplexing was that “Seipp” was taking mean-spirited potshots at her own daughter, Maia Lazar, whom she called an “obnoxious” and “arrogant” wanna-be “skank” who was “mentally ill.” Throughout the letter, the one person whom “Seipp” seemed most sorry for ever having offended was Maia’s 10th-grade journalism teacher, who had frequently clashed with mother and daughter. Finally, “Seipp” said she was probably to blame for her own illness — the “venom” she’d spewed for years was responsible for her terminal cancer.

Friends were horrified. They quickly realized that the letter was the work of an infamous character known as “Troll Dolls” who’d positioned himself as the blogger’s archenemy and bought the domain name www.cathyseipp.com years earlier (Seipp’s real Web site is www.cathyseipp.net). Troll Dolls is really Eliot Stein, a 54-year-old former online talk-show host and stand-up comedian who hadd taught Maia in a journalism class for a brief period in 2004, and who blamed Maia and Seipp for his departure from the school after only five weeks.

I’ve heard of grudges but this man is a sicko.

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