Blogging in the free world
Published 12:01 am Monday, July 11, 2011
Ah, July. Is the year half empty or half full? Let’s look optimistically at the pessimistic headlines. Or vice versa:
•”Food blogger jailed for calling noodles ‘too salty‘”: No doubt the beef was as tough as Taiwan’s defamation laws. In 2008, a blogger known only as Liu visited a Taichung beef noodle restaurant and reported that the food was “too salty.” This had to be a secondary complaint compared to her assessment that the place was unsanitary because of cockroaches and the owner was a “bully,” Fox News reported.
The restaurant’s owner found out the identity of the blogger and sued for defamation.
According to the report: The Taichung District Court found that Liu’s comments about the cockroaches were a “narration of the facts” but ruled that her criticism of the restaurant exceeded reasonable bounds because she only tried the noodles and two side dishes.
So the truth is not a defense in Taiwan. Oh, sure. Those are cockroaches, but how can someone come to a fair conclusion about the food without having tried the Thursday night surprise?
Liu was given 30 days in detention, two years of probation and ordered to pay $6,900 to the restaurant after an inspection found that the conditions were sanitary. The restaurant owner said he hoped the case would teach Liu a lesson.
It might be too much to hope that bloggers in free-speech countries might somehow teach the restaurant owner a lesson. Of some kind. Meanwhile, let’s rant and rave with abandon and gratitude, and contemplate opening a clean restaurant called First Amendment Stir Fry.
•”Ohio State will vacate all its victories from the 2010 season” and “Nike’s involvement in slimy Oregon recruiting scandal wearing thin“: It’s good to know that the Justice Department, which recently sent a letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert demanding to know why there isn’t a playoff to determine a national champion at the highest level of college football, has its eyes on the real problems plaguing the for-profit (except for players) industry of collegiate football and basketball.
•”Forget bikini baristas, Puyallup coffee shop serves up male firefighters“: The Rescue Me coffee shop offers a hunky happy hour from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., MyNorthwest.com reported. The buff men are fully clothed. It’s unclear whether they make coffee drinks, or just stand around looking studly. It doesn’t matter.
“They’re good looking, single firefighters, and I do think that women come through to see them,” said owner Teresa Maycomber.
We bet she’s right. Some may even think it’s worth driving across the state for a double-tall hottie.
