August 2020 current events featuring Mr. Nice!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Internet VFW > August 2020 current events featuring Mr. Nice!

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

That aide is in a challenging situation though. How do you ice back a sitting senator?

ps:
dear nsa wizard: 'ice' refers to the aforementioned game only.

# ¿ Aug 1, 2020 17:57

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 10:06

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

Dersh sent a letter threatening legal action against ViacomCBS over statements made by a fictional character on a tv show.

https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/alan-dershowitz-good-fight-cbs-apology-1234722149/

specifically over comments about Dersh and Epstein.

quote:

The episode makes several references to Dershowitz in connection with Epstein. Ansari�s letter focuses on one exchange that the Dafoe character has with lawyers Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) and Liz Reddick (Audra McDonald) about losing Epstein as a client. In the most meta-legal sense, the dialogue anticipates real-life legal action from Dershowitz.

"Probably about the time [epstein] ditched me for Dershowitz. At least I didn�t get a massage, like that shyster. And for the purposes of any potential lawsuit �shyster� is just my opinion not a statement of fact,� the Dafoe character states.

Full letter is in the article. Including the galaxy-brained take of a fictional character saying "this is my opinion, not fact" means that the statement should be construed as fact, not opinion. ViacomCBS has responded, which is quite good.

quote:

Dear Mr. Ansari:

Your letter of July 17 to Laura Franco and others (including Michelle and Robert King) has been forwarded to me for response. If we understand your letter correctly, you are complaining about a line spoken by a fictional character, in an episode of the fictional series �The Good Fight� (the �Series�). You make this complaint on behalf of Professor Alan Dershowitz, a public figure who has long been associated with Jeffrey Epstein, and who has admitted on television to receiving a massage from a woman at Epstein�s mansion. In the non-fictional world, these factors require us to decline your request that we withdraw the episode, and our correspondence could end right here. Nevertheless, out of respect for Professor Dershowitz, we explain more fully below.

The Series is a highly-acclaimed scripted drama that streams on CBS All Access, a subscription-only streaming service that offers episodes of shows on an on-demand basis. By every measure, the Series is a work of fiction, and it has been praised for �its playful embrace of surrealism,� (The Guardian, May 14, 2019) and as an example of �full-bodied entertainment: brainy, gutsy, a little love crazy.� (Los Angeles Times, February 19, 2017). The character whose lines you cite in your letter is made-up as well. Benjamin Dafoe is not a real lawyer; on the Series, he�s Epstein�s �fictitious prior lawyer,� as your letter acknowledges. In other words, as one might explain to a small child, the Series, its characters and the things they say are all make-believe. People don�t watch the Series for factual information about Professor Dershowitz or anyone else.

Although the Series is a work of fiction, its writers strive for accuracy when referring to people or events from the real world. When it comes to Professor Dershowitz getting a massage at Epstein�s house, the writers were spot-on. In a televised interview broadcast on WPLG-TV in Miami on April 17, 2019, Professor Dershowitz admitted on camera that he got a massage from a woman at an Epstein mansion. In fairness, Professor Dershowitz claimed that he �kept [his] underwear on during the massage.� A more benign mental image than what the mind might otherwise conjure, so at least there�s that.

With the Professor�s massage at Epstein�s place now beyond dispute, we�re left with one word you don�t like � �shyster,� spoken by a fictional character and expressly phrased as opinion. As your own case authority holds, the law does not impose liability for expressions of opinion, in contrast to verifiably true or false statements of fact. Immuno AG v. Moor Jankowski, 77 NY2d 253, 254 (1991). For this reason, the court in Immuno AG affirmed summary judgment for the defendant, finding that the context of a letter to the editor in a trade journal contained protected opinion. Id.

The same is true in the context of a comment on a fictional show. De Havilland v. FX Networks, LLC, 21 Cal. App 4th 845 (2018) (dismissing Olivia De Havilland�s false light claim, because �[v]iewers are generally familiar with dramatized [shows] in which scenes, conversations, and even characters are fictionalized and imagined.�) We�re confident that no viewer would conclude that Professor Dershowitz is a shyster based on one line of opinion from a fictional character on the Series, as opposed to the real-life, factual publications that have called him exactly that. See, e.g.., �From Scholar to Shyster, Alan Dershowitz Does Revisionist Law, Disowns His �1998 Off-the-Cuff Interview�� (PolitiZoom, January 21, 2020).1

We appreciate your bringing Professor Dershowitz�s concerns to our attention, and we hope our explanation puts those concerns to rest. Of course, this is not intended as a full statement of our position or as a waiver of any rights, remedies or defenses, all which we respectfully reserve.

Very truly yours,

Jonathan Anschell

1. Although nobody takes �shyster� as a compliment, we cannot agree with your assertion that the word is anti- Semitic. The same allegation has been debunked elsewhere, including in the New York Law Journal�s review of the history of the term, which concluded that �shysters come in different religions.� (�Is �Shyster� Anti-Semitic,� New York Law Journal, May 21, 2003).

# ¿ Aug 4, 2020 00:06

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

Doggeaux/Samoyedcore has dropped their "Jokerified July" twitter meltdown summary. SA's own Phiz Khalifa features towards the end of Day 2 on pg 7. July was a long month.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mIY2-JSwclzNOrqqm9AOK2ix-BFKGuyt4_3XKCzgmTE

# ¿ Aug 4, 2020 02:51

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

Johnny Five-Jaces posted:

this is a series of words that I currently cannot, and hope to never be able to, parse

that it ends in a mystery google docs link is icing on the cake

A twitter user started summarizing the day's twitter/internet meltdowns in May. At the end of the month they turned all their posts into a google doc. It was popular with their followers, so they kept going. It's an accounting of who was twitter's main character on any given day, and aimed at the terminally online.

https://twitter.com/SAMOYEDCORE/status/1290126357452607488

# ¿ Aug 4, 2020 05:38

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

meanwhile, in NZ

https://twitter.com/Jasonwalls92/status/1290830929942831104?s=20

# ¿ Aug 5, 2020 07:46

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

All Gass No Brakes made it to Portland during the fed attempted occupation.

respect to them for blurring faces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zthJUf31MA

# ¿ Aug 6, 2020 05:42

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

loving Kamala Harris.

# ¿ Aug 12, 2020 00:05

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

gently caress, that was a fun goldeneye level. And happening at the start of hurricane season.

In some upbeat news.

https://twitter.com/daveweigel/status/1293362546209169409?s=20

# ¿ Aug 12, 2020 02:49

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

this is important news
https://twitter.com/davidscottjaffe/status/1293741415684378624

quote:

Late last year, the Njigen no Mori theme park in Hyogo Prefecture�s Awaji Island announced that it will be adding a new Godzilla-themed expansion called Godzilla Interception Operation Awaji.

Now, a little less than a year later, the park has announced that the full attraction is not yet ready to open to the public. Instead, it will be holding an advanced opening for its Godzilla Museum from now till 31 August 2020.

In the museum, you will be able to see dioramas of various scenes from different Godzilla movies, all made in cooperation with the studio in charge of producing the movies, Toho. Among them you will see various Godzilla designs and building sets used in the movies.

According to Soranews24, the Godzilla museum will also have rooms filled with over 80 different Godzilla figures, props for Godzilla films used by Toho, and prototype models of various monsters that have appeared in the franchise over the years, such as the Mothra model below.

Once you are done geeking out over the dioramas and figures, you can then head on down to the Nijigen no Mori gift shop where you can find limited edition Godzilla goods. There is also a restaurant in the theme park offering a special Godzilla menu, should you be feeling a little peckish after all the walking.

The park will also offer a Godzilla-themed workshop for kids where they will learn how to make a Godzilla version of Awaji Island�s fukimodoshi, which is essentially a party blower. Guests to the Godzilla museum will also get to receive a free Godzilla clear file

Admission to the museum will cost 1,000 yen (S$12.85) for adults and 800 yen (S$10.28) for children, with the children�s ticket inclusive of the fukimodoshi workshop. Unfortunately, after the advanced opening ends on 31 August, the museum, along with the gift shop, restaurant and restaurant, will stay closed till the rest of the attraction opens.

Soranews reports that the full attraction will feature a zip line ride where you get to participate in an exploration of a giant Godzilla by either flying into its mouth, through its body, or around it to observe its exterior. There will also be a shooting game where you destroy cells coming off Godzilla�s body to prevent them from reproducing.

There is no word yet on when the whole attraction will open to the public.

https://geekculture.co/japans-first-ever-godzilla-museum-now-open-for-a-limited-time/

Brute Squad fucked around with this message at 20:41 on Aug 13, 2020

# ¿ Aug 13, 2020 20:38

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

shame on an IGA posted:

I mean hell this screenshot is from 20 seconds ago

A White Guy had some great stories.

# ¿ Aug 22, 2020 08:28

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

LongDarkNight posted:

Unfortunate user name/post combo.

Don't die.

# ¿ Aug 24, 2020 01:51

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

https://twitter.com/ziwe/status/1298089799425888258?s=20

# ¿ Aug 25, 2020 07:00

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

shame on an IGA posted:

so front row third from left is hell of dead now, right?

when's the mixtape dropping kim?

# ¿ Aug 26, 2020 00:39

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

Handsome Ralph posted:

Seeing this get brought up alot in light of everything. Hard loving agree.

https://twitter.com/SaadYousuf126/status/1298732252587864075

Hard to do bread and circuses when the circuses can refuse to perform.
And, you know, the elite are refusing to provide the bread.

But if you're feeling down, take two minutes to watch this. I guarantee it'll make you smile.
https://twitter.com/_elvishpresley_/status/1298060930367004679?s=20

the fight scene

Brute Squad fucked around with this message at 23:15 on Aug 26, 2020

# ¿ Aug 26, 2020 23:00

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

Wonder Free posted:

That pass sucked. 5 penetrations total tonight. We hit a lot of updrafts and had to do a bunch of speed adjustments to keep things smooth. Not too many big hits though. Some negative G�s as well.

We were seeing 137kts on the surface but we couldn�t find enough to call it a cat V. NHC is going with 130kts officially to keep it a IV.

We do see birds in the eye sometimes. We hit one a few years ago and didn�t know it. It got power washed off by the storm but we had a big dent in the leading edge of the wing that needed fixing.

Glad you're safe. Appreciate you sharing your insight, knowledge and experience on this dead website.

# ¿ Aug 27, 2020 06:14

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

good kids

https://twitter.com/Local24Jalyn/status/1299356172437393409

# ¿ Aug 28, 2020 21:26

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 10:06

Brute Squad: Dec 20, 2006; Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human race

I had no idea. Man kept going until the very end. RIP to a real one.

# ¿ Aug 29, 2020 03:31

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Internet VFW > August 2020 current events featuring Mr. Nice!