Today, both The Express Times and Morning Call cast public light on Northampton County's decision to block Internet access to this blog. Concerns that it was being singled out have been addressed. The county now blocks all blogs using the blogspot.com address. Gee, thanks.County exec. Stoffa assured me in an email yesterday that this decision was not directed at me specifically. But when I read today's Morning Call account, I learned my blog "was snagged by software the county has begun using to stop employees from looking at Web sites containing 73 categories of unacceptable material, including adult, gambling, violence and hate topics."
Give me a break.
This isn't Hustler and I'm no David Duke. And honestly, I don't know very much about gambling. I pretty much listen on that subject. What I have done, and with some relish, is poke fun from time to time at the hypocrisy of local public officials. I have said that Northampton County judges spend public money "like drunken sailors," and they do. I have reported that county court administrator Onembo is called "the snake," and he is. And is it me, but doesn't that new courthouse rotunda look like a giant crayon sharpener?
OK, I am a miserable bastard. But lumping me in with adult, gambling, violence and hate topics is a bit much. It's defamation by implication, if you want to get technical.
DemFly, And now, thanks to me, ALL blogspot blogs have been blocked.
ReplyDeleteI've asked for a retraction from the county on that "hate" topic stuff.
This is good Bernie, now peole can stop living in the dark and see for themselves.
ReplyDeletewait... I've been blocked b/c through blogspot I'm connected to O'Hare! Good grief. Talk about guilt by implication.
ReplyDeletesorry, bernie. whenever i read your blog now, i just hear bette midler's voice.
ReplyDeleteBloggers Unite!
ReplyDeleteWe must defend Bernie from the oppressive fist of James Onembo!
We should march on the Northampton county center playing christmas songs on Tubas! That will teach them to infringe on our right to view porn on government computers!!!
loser
ReplyDeleteLVDem, You can thank me that all blogspot blogs are blocked. When I pointed out that my blog had ben blocked while others were up, the county responded by blocking ALL blogspot.com blogs. I don't think wordpress blogs are blocked, at least not yet.
ReplyDeleteAnon 3:20, "The unfettered boob?"
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:50, The county is going something a little more serious than me to deal with, starting on Monday. You'll hear about it then.
ReplyDeleteTo Mike O'Hare, That's a weird thing, Mike. I don't talk about too many things that aren't seen in the papers. The comments can get crazy, but the online comments at the MC and ET forums are pretty outrageous, too. I'm puzzled that I would fit into one of those "hate" or "violence" or "porn" pigeonnholes while mainstream news escapes. But I think it's only a matter of time before they're shut off as well. Ebay and espn are fine bc they keep our minds off the real problems facing this area and this society.
ReplyDeleteSpike, What happened in NC can easily be repeated in Easton.
ReplyDeletewoof
ReplyDeleteChris, My blog was singled out for extinction and the "hate-porin-violence-racist" rationale was used to justify the decision when it is not true. If complaining about that consitiutes whining, you got me.
ReplyDeleteBernie, If you want to beat the censors, my husband (aka computer whiz ) says you should use a proxy server.
ReplyDeleteI suspect it was that "second sexiest blogger" title that got ya in all this hot water, Bernie. Don't fight it, dude...all that bare forehead...that nose...you're too sexy for the blogosphere!
ReplyDeleteWindgapper,
ReplyDeletePleae thank your husband for me. I read something about that on Thursday, but would prefer to deal with this head on.
More than that, I want to thank you for the link on your name to your son and his great cycling achievements. Those are fabulous pics and I'm quite jealous. It's wonderful to have a velodrome nearby. I rewally enjoy the time I spen there and love that it is family-oriented.
Now I have to get my out-of-shape behind onto a bike so I can ride a century like you did. I obviously cannot keep up with my 12 year old anymore...
ReplyDeleteMy husband (aka techno guy) is responsible for the great quality pictures.
Anon 5:23, Now I've got problems of a different sort. I had about 30 emails this weekend asking me where the hell I put the porn. The KKK wants to add me to its favorite blog list, and a few bookies paid me a "friendly" visit.
ReplyDeleteBut you might be right. My forehead and schnozz may have set off the software alarms. I guess they could consider that porn.
Not to mention that "come hither I can see through your soul let alone your clothes" look in your eyes. That had to have tripped some alarms.
ReplyDeleteLast time I checked, the Stars and Bars were flying outside the Courthouse; not the Sickle and Hammer! Worker productivity was cited as the reason why this site was blocked. Another reason cited for the site being blocked was that taxpayers wouldn't agree with employees reading your blog during working hours. And they expect us to believe this?
ReplyDeleteI know that the County thinks that the public is naive. Just look at some of the recent things they have accomplished and some things they are trying to do that has not made any sense.
This recent matter of your site is horrible. If I was employed at the Courthouse, I would be upset that my First Amendment and Civil Rights were being violated and infringed upon. The County, beyond any other problems it has created through this, is now forcing some form of cencorship down these employees throats. Amazing!
You are one of a select handful of people that the County has carefully selected and handpicked to persecute. You should be honored. This means that you are speaking the truth. They have made a history of trying to silence people that have spoken the truth and have spoken out against them.
I left the County several years ago because I could not survive on what they paid me. Another reason I left because there was no room for upward mobility. I was stuck in a dead end job, making no money, and the administration at the time, took what little we had going for us, away from us: our medical benefits. We got stuck with some junky off the wall medical benefits.
But everytime I see one of my former supervisors, they have some kind of contempt against me. They try to say that I left because I didn't like them personally and wouldn't be a team player.
I just wanted to do my job and serve the taxpayers. I got along with everyone. And I chose to distance myself away from chewing the fat, horsing around, and sitting around doing nothing. I just wanted to mind my own business and do my work. But I kept telling them, there was not enough money in it for me. So I was forced to leave because my bank book couldn't keep taking the beating that was occuring.
Now, I can just imagine with the cost of living going up and no raises; how tight things are for those poor employees. And the County takes away what little voice the employees could have had with your blog. The County might be afraid of getting whatever it is they are scared of known, possibly through your blog?
Does the County think maybe, that would give the employees, their union, and the collective bargainers some advantage to gain back a decent living wage?
So since I left, an under-handed-ness continues to grow out of hand. I only hope that I never find out that they gave a bad recommendation regarding my work history. I have never had any problems in any of my files while I worked under the County's employ.
I think I might add a few more conditions to the reasons why I chose to terminate my employment with the County: I don't like the petty games they choose to play. How can anyone trust such under-handed-ness?
The newspapers have cited that restitution doesn't get collected. It appears that some attorneys do not even research the cases completely to obtain amounts and facts regarding restitution to victims or obtain victim's statements. If so, then the cases must go to Court unprepared with this information regarding statements of restitution and victims. If so, victims must then not even be notified when these cases go to Court. Thus if so, the victims may not be present to make statements. Which amazes me, how can pleas of guilt be accepted and how can defendants be convicted when restitution isn't even yet determined and victims go with out being heard, if this is all true?
Clerks are now accused of stealing money from accounts. Top administrators have been convicted of fraud and sent to jail.
If anything, they would want an open policy. They should not give the appearance that they are hiding something. Something that could have been brought to light by possibly your blog. What's next? Will the newspaper reporters be allowed to attend the County Council Meetings? Or will they make the newspaper submit their stories to Big Brother to be checked over before those articles go to be published? I don't like. I don't like it one bit!
It is hard to imagine that the County, who is in its place to serve the best interests of the public, would be capable of such things. I guess they think they can get away with such garbage. I cannot imagine the personal things being gained or egos that are being served by such communistic and dictatorship policies.
In this County is the County Executive elected? Is the Sheriff elected? Why must we have such homerule character? Is there contempt breeded with this? The people lost control a long time ago. No more checks, balances, accountability, responsibility, credibility, honor, and etc. Their words and hand-shakes mean nothing!
A government by the people and for the people. You know, "We the People." I would only hope that if one of them would be brought up on criminal charges, they would get a jury of "We the People" as their peers to judge them! No change of venue!
No one has to think or wonder why your site being blocked from being viewed within the Courthouse?
I hope they can put their heads on their pillows at the end of the day knowing what they have accomplished.
Ask yourselves this, "Would you survive in the real world, if you were forced to earn what your employees earn? Would you survive in the real world, if you have to get a non-government job and produce?"
Probably the answer is yes. Because there is someone out there that can always use a good butt-kisser.
Good luck Bernie!
From the Little Fat Kid that used to run with you after work.
Did you ever think that by simply eliminating the cause of the sexual content/hate speech/etc your blog might get thru their filters? Take down your picture now!
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dg, There's not much I can do about that, but you're probably right.
ReplyDelete