In Steinbeck's footsteps: America's middle-class underclass

Anti-Piracy Lawyer John Steele Caught Copying Content From Other Anti-Piracy Lawyer

From Steele's website

From CEG's website

A year and a half ago, in writing about all the new law offices jumping into the mass "anti-piracy" shakedown lawsuit business, one of the early ones we covered was an operation called the Copyright Enforcement Group -- or CEG. Oddly, we haven't seen many stories of CEG in action threatening people... but we do keep coming across stories of other such lawyers copying content from CEG. Almost exactly a year ago, we wrote about how US Copyright Group had copied large parts of CEG's website into its own website and, now, TorrentFreak has pointed out that infamous, mass-suing lawyer John Steele has been caught copying parts of CEG's website as well. This is doubly ironic, given Steele's usual bravado and talk about the evils of copyright infringement.
TorrentFreak asked CEG about this and it claimed that this was not authorized and that it might have to "take steps" to prevent Steele from continuing this copying. Now wouldn't that be an interesting lawsuit to follow?
Mike Masnick @'techdirt'

HA!

(Click to enlarge)

Via

Louise Mensch MP responds to allegations from investigative journalist

On 19 July, as part of the CMS Select Committee, I questioned Rupert and James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks on phone hacking at the News of the World.
I also focussed questions on whether hacking and blagging was, in fact, widespread throughout Fleet Street.
On 22 July I received the following email, which I reprint here in full and respond to below:

Dear Mrs Mensch
We are informing you that we have come into possession of the following information, about yourself, and would like to ask you for any comments, before we publish this information.

1. Whilst working at EMI, in the 1990s, you took drugs with Nigel Kennedy at Ronnie Scott's in Birmingham, including dancing on a dance floor, whilst drunk, with Mr Kennedy, in front of journalists. Photos of this exist.
2. Whilst working at EMI, in the 1990s, you wrote a novel, of a sexual nature, on your work computer, during working hours, and that it was this that caused EMI to terminate your employment. Correspondence of this exists.
3. The resultant novel included derogatory references to a driver called Roger, a character you based on Roger Lewis, your then line manager, Managing Director at EMI, who is now Group Chief Executive of Welsh Rugby Union.
We look forward to hearing from you.
With thanks
David Jones Investigative Journalists
###

My response to the allegations is as follows:

1. Although I do not remember the specific incident, this sounds highly probable. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Nigel Kennedy, whom I remember with affection. Additionally, since I was in my twenties, I'm sure it was not the only incident of the kind; we all do idiotic things when young. I am not a very good dancer and must apologise to any and all journalists who were forced to watch me dance that night at Ronnie Scott's.
2. Writing the first few chapters of Career Girls on my EMI computer is quite correct. However, it was all done after work hours. It was also not why I was fired by EMI. "Leaving work early" and “missing the odd day at work” along with "inappropriate dress" were the reasons quoted to me.
3. “Career Girls” was my first novel. I used the names of many real people I knew for minor characters, such as journalists, chauffeurs, bankers, and so forth. Roger Lewis was probably amongst them, as were (off the top of my head) Therese Coffey MP, now my colleague on the Select Committee, Jeremy Quin, Damian Hinds MP, Maurice Oberstein, Rod Clayton, James Robertson, and many more. None of them have ever complained about my using their names in this way.
I would also like to note that I am thrilled that Roger is now the Group Chief Executive of the Welsh Rugby Union. So many other co-workers from my music business days in the 90s have not found as exciting second careers.
Most importantly, I have not the slightest intention of being deterred from asking how far the culture of hacking and blagging extended in Fleet Street.
Louise Mensch
(Who don't forget is married to the manager of Metallica & The Red Hot Chilli Peppers!)

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Baobinga PitchforkMixtape

Tracklist:
1. Linkwood - Three - Prime Numbers
2. Baobinga & Kowton - Proper - Build (Album Dub)
3. Funkineven - Roland's Jam - Eglo (Dub)
4. Funkineven - Heart Pound - Eglo
5. Ginz & Baobinga - Lowrise Riddim - (Dub)
6. E40 ft Keak Da Sneak - Tell Me When To Go
7. Busta Rhymes ft Pharrell - Light Your Ass On Fire (Instrumental)
8. Ginz & Baobinga - Ballin In The Club Riddim - (Dub)
9. Cee Lo Green - I Want You (Redlight RMX)
10. xxxy - Kerpow - All City (Dub)
11. Baobinga & I.D. - Tongue Riddim (Roska RMX (Binga's ReFix)) - Build (Album Dub)
12. Lighter - Skanker (James Fox Work Vocal Edit) - (Dub)
13. Adam Beyer - Remainings III (Jesper Dahlback RMX) - Drumcode
14. The Phantom - Arctic - Senseless (Dub)
15. Hud Mo - Thunder Bay - Warp
16. Darqwan - Said The Spider - Texture (vinyl rip)
17. Baobinga & I.D. - Wang It - Build (Album Dub)
>>>w/ Randomer - Brunk - Hessle Audio
18. Menta - Sounds Of Da Future - Sounds Of Da Future (vinyl rip)
>>> w/ Randomer - Brunk - Hessle Audio
19. Plasticman - Be There Or Be Square - Terrorhythm (vinyl rip)
20. Baobinga - Make Me Feel - Build (Album Dub)
21. Guido & Baobinga - Ballin' - Build
22. Ginz & Baobinga - Heartburst Riddim - Build (Album Dub)
23. Chris Brown ft Busta Rhymes & Lil Wayne - Look At Me Now
>>>w/ DJ X Change - Booty Talk - Database
24. Jack Sparrow & Baobinga - TransPennine Express - Build (Album Dub)
25. TC ft Dread MC - Burning Starlight - Dont Play (Dub)
>>>w/ Die - Jitta Bug - Full Cycle
26. Photek - KJZ - Virgin
27. Indigo - Elysian - (Dub)

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EDL & Anders Breivik

A compilation of continuing developments focusing on the English Defence League’s public response to the atrocity along with Breivik’s own connections to the EDL :

1. Fresh from his court appearance during which he was convicted of leading a violent brawl involving 100 football supporters, EDL leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka “Tommy Robinson”) was interviewed by Becky Anderson on CNN’s “Connect the World” programme on Monday evening. The anchor noticed what appeared to be a threat at the end of the interview and challenged Yaxley-Lennon about it. The full transcript of the CNN interview (link provided above) also includes the observations of a former Neo-Nazi who was interviewed immediately after Yaxley-Lennon, both in relation to the massacre in Norway and his damning response to Yaxley-Lennon’s own anti-Islam assertions on behalf of the EDL, especially the close parallels with historical Far-Right bigotry towards Jews.

2. Yaxley-Lennon was interviewed in further detail by Jeremy Paxman on BBC’s Newsnight later on Monday evening. Along with refusing to answer most of Paxman’s questions, Yaxley-Lennon recited almost exactly the same memorised statements that he’d made on CNN, from his “words of condolence” at the beginning to what appeared to be a threat at the end. He became increasingly belligerent and aggressive as the interview progressed, and by the end he was loudly ranting. Paxman also noticed the “threat” and challenged Yaxley-Lennon about it.
· Furthermore, Yaxley-Lennon told Paxman that he does not know Daryl Hobson, despite the fact that Hobson is one of the EDL’s main organisers. A photo of Yaxley-Lennon with Hobson is displayed at the top of this PP article (via Hope Not Hate/Searchlight). Hobson himself has also confirmed that the terrorist Anders Breivik was in contact with the EDL.
· Yaxley-Lennon also told Paxman that the millionaire businessman Alan Lake does not finance the EDL, despite the fact that Lake himself has now publicly admitted to funding the organisation. A detailed profile of Lake can be read via Hope Not Hate here.
3. Yaxley-Lennon was interviewed by 3 Counties Radio on Tuesday. It was a complete disaster for him; the interviewer tore Yaxley-Lennon apart despite his attempts to hijack the interview. The interviewer particularly jumped on the “threat” he’d made on Newsnight, and subsequently demolished him in forensic detail. You can read a full transcript here. It includes numerous screenshots and photographic evidence completely contradicting Yaxley-Lennon’s disingenuous claims about the EDL in his ongoing public interviews. The article is exhaustively researched and readers are strongly advised to familiarise themselves with it.
4. Yaxley-Lennon was also interviewed by Adrian Chiles on ITV’s Daybreak programme. Yaxley-Lennon mentioned the EDL’s official “Jewish Division” in an attempt to demonstrate the EDL’s anti-racist credentials. Unfortunately for him, the current leader of that division is now on record as publicly describing the teenagers killed by Breivik as “scum”. Full details here, including a screenshot and a summary of the background & activities of the so-called “Jewish” individual involved. The leadership of the “Jewish Division” has links to US-based convicted terrorists who are banned from Israel and whose organisation is officially classified by the FBI as a terrorist group (as previously discussed on Pickled Politics here). The same article also includes a transcript of Yaxley-Lennon falsely claiming on Newsnight that he doesn’t know EDL senior organiser Daryl Hobson, including a link to the aforementioned photographic evidence unearthed by Hope Not Hate/Searchlight...