Martha Stewart's imprisonment in West Virginia

[on-ramp]

Can Martha send this company a cease and desist letter over this? They're profiting at her misfortune, right?




Dallas-based B.A. Hobo Co., a Texas T-shirt maker, is cashing in on Martha Stewart's imprisonment in West Virginia. The company has created two designs based on the Alderson Federal Prison Camp, where Stewart will serve five months for lying to federal investigators. Stewart is to report to the women's prison Friday, Oct. 8, 2004. (AP Photo/B.A. Hobo Co.)

[dtw]

It's a scam. I categorically blame the right wing conspiracy (tm), George W. Bush, Lynn Cheney, and Oprah Winfrey.

The designers of this t-shirt should be immediately imprisoned and subjected to round-the-clock sensitivity training.

Hey on-ramp, if you hadn't been so unfortunate as to have been born here, and could have lived anywhere, what country would you be most happy in?

Aren't you discriminating against off-ramps with your moniker? Don't you think they feel left out and aren't being given equal airtime? I think it's a scam and someone should be held accountable. Let's start with the right-wing conspir....ahhh forget it.

[Overpaid Slacker]

on-ramp ...

her "misfortune"... is that really what you believe knowingly lying to federal investigators is, a "misfortune"?

She got off sooooooo easy. Tough shyt if somebody (or millions of somebodies) are going to capitalize on it.

JP

[Icemaster]

...And she hasn't capitalized on 75% of the KMart sector with her products?

It is a free market economy.

[pwd72s]

I'm just so happy to know that such a severe danger to society will be locked up, thus preventing further harm.

[island911]

How did Kerry say it? ..."GW Bush took his eye off the ball . . .he was pursuing Martha Stewart when he should have been finding OBL" . . . was that it?

[techweenie]

How did politics enter the Martha Stewart case?

Is it maybe because Ken Lay is out walking around and she's behind bars?

Is it maybe because GWB sold stock as a Director of a company just before an announcement that caused the stock to crash and was never prosecuted for it?

I've never understood why selling on third-hand information about an insider trade was such a huge deal. But I guess Martha is perceived as a liberal, and therefore an enemy of the state.

[island911]

heh. . tech. . .it was a joke on the absurdity of the links the lib's make to dis' GW Bush.

You bolster the joke with your reply, there.

[RoninLB]

Martha got screwed. Morgan Stanley stopped all internal e-mails unless it's a mindless message. Others are following the bouncing ball. I think it was Elliot $hitzer's play for a Governor's run. The Fed's prosecutors '05-'06 budget probably just went up 3x.

A temp replacement is currently in motion.

[project935]

Now I'd watch that show and purchase the products ...

The flour is a nice touch, but she doesn't need to be rolling around in it

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by project935


The flour is a nice touch, but she doesn't need to be rolling around in it

she's spicing up a fish dinner.

[TerryBPP]

I hope she gets shanked in the kitchen. She is pure EVIL plain and simple.

[mikester]

I don't understand why it is such big news. It isn't funny really - it isn't even that interesting. The fact is she broke the law and is not paying the price. It is unfortunate that she broke the law.

Edit: It isn't funny - TO ME - it's stupid.

On the radio this morning (KROQ) they did a bit where they had women who had served time call in to relate their experience. The first chic who called in made the comment that it was fair that she now had to pay for her probation and such because "she didn't ask to be arrested."

I thought that was great. We're a land full of morons - it is unfortunate that most of the folks on this board think with more than the two brain cells we need to pee because ignorance is clearly bliss.

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by mikester

- it isn't even that interesting.

what's interesting, imo, is the abuse of the US Code by the prosecutors. So now if you round out your business expenses and are asked if your taxes are correct and answer "yes" then you can face Fed charges for it being a crime to lie to investigators if your not correct. If there is no underlying crime they'll create one.

So I guess the real lesson is to not say a word if the Feds come asking Anything. The real cost of this is being carried by shareholders, employees, executives, etc.

[techweenie]

Originally posted by RoninLB
what's interesting, imo, is the abuse of the US Code by the prosecutors. So now if you round out your business expenses and are asked if your taxes are correct and answer "yes" then you can face Fed charges for it being a crime to lie to investigators if your not correct. If there is no underlying crime they'll create one.

That is pretty chilling. Combined with Patriot Act powers that allow expanded surveillance, it's likely that many more people will be nailed for just such a trivial action...

Summary of USA Patriot Act powers:

Under PATRIOT, civil liberties, especially privacy rights, have taken a severe blow:

The law dramatically expands the ability of states and the Federal Government to conduct surveillance of American citizens. The Government can monitor an individual's web surfing records, use roving wiretaps to monitor phone calls made by individuals "proximate" to the primary person being tapped, access Internet Service Provider records, and monitor the private records of people involved in legitimate protests.

PATRIOT is not limited to terrorism. The Government can add samples to DNA databases for individuals convicted of "any crime of violence." Government spying on suspected computer trespassers (not just terrorist suspects) requires no court order. Wiretaps are now allowed for any suspected violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, offering possibilities for Government spying on any computer user.

Foreign and domestic intelligence agencies can more easily spy on Americans. Powers under the existing Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) have been broadened to allow for increased surveillance opportunities. FISA standards are lower than the constitutional standard applied by the courts in regular investigations. PATRIOT partially repeals legislation enacted in the 1970s that prohibited pervasive surveillance of Americans.

PATRIOT eliminates Government accountability. While PATRIOT freely eliminates privacy rights for individual Americans, it creates more secrecy for Government activities, making it extremely difficult to know about actions the Government is taking.

PATRIOT authorizes the use of "sneak and peek" search warrants in connection with any federal crime, including misdemeanors. A "sneak and peek" warrant authorizes law enforcement officers to enter private premises without the occupant's permission or knowledge and without informing the occupant that such a search was conducted.

The Department of Justice, with little input from Congress and the American people, is developing follow-on legislation - the Domestic Security Enhancement Act (nicknamed Patriot II) -- which would greatly expand PATRIOT's already sweeping powers.

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PS: Ronin, thank you for the eye candy! Any idea who that really is?