August 16, 2000

11:42 AM

Whitehouse staff jailed for being porn-dogs. I'm glad I live in Canada.
posted by Bane (21 comments total)

The headline on the page I see via that link reads:

Should White House staff be imprisoned for downloading XXX-rated pornography?

not Whitehouse staff jailed for being porn-dogs.
posted by jamescblack at 12:30 PM on August 16, 2000

the country needs stricter laws against cybersmut, the Libertarian Party said today.

Isn't the Libertarian Party to be against strict laws?
posted by kidsplateusa at 12:39 PM on August 16, 2000

The Libertarian Party is trying to be funny. I know it isn't pretty, but you have to appreciate the effort.
posted by rcade at 12:43 PM on August 16, 2000

When I was an intern at the White House, the Secret Service agents were notorious for downloading porn, specifically at a computer lab in the Old Executive Office Building. This was a lab to which Gore would frequently bring guests and dignitaries to show off the Internet. It got to be a problem when he'd pull down the bookmarks and they'd be full of naughty links. As I recall, a policy was implemented to flush out bookmarks daily, and all games -- even Minesweeper -- were banned, because so many of the games were pornographic.

Tax dollars at work.

posted by luke at 12:45 PM on August 16, 2000

I'd be more concerned if these people lost interest in sex. I was hoping there'd be less Puritanical hand-wringing over sex in Canada.
posted by aflakete at 1:16 PM on August 16, 2000

Rule Number 1:

If you don't have a sense of humor, don't try to be funny.

Nice try, Libertarians. Now go away.
posted by solistrato at 1:17 PM on August 16, 2000

I'm glad I live in Canada.

I'm glad you live in Canada, too. Stay there if you have that kind of attitude.
posted by daveadams at 3:02 PM on August 16, 2000

I think we need a Indepedent Counsel to look into this Porno-Gate thing. Of course I want the investigation to be complete, with all of the pictures and videos included electronically in the Appendix so I can download it.
posted by PaperCut at 4:34 PM on August 16, 2000

I'm glad you live in Canada, too. Stay there if you have that kind of attitude.

Wow, Dave, a strange reactionary comeback like that is sure to improve Bane's opinion of the U.S. and its citizens!

(Since when is it an "attitude" to be glad you live where you live? Why "stay there" when Bane made no indication that he might desire to do otherwise? Does Dave imagine Canadians gazing longingly south, murmuring "If only..." to themselves, weeping with regret? It seemed like it was meant to be insulting, but it's just... weird.)
posted by wiremommy at 5:14 PM on August 16, 2000

Bill Clinton probably did it and ordered the people who are blamed for it to take the blame. I'm not saying that Clintons bad, I think Clinton is the coolest president ever. I'm gonna miss that man.
posted by worth at 1:25 AM on August 17, 2000

Wow, Dave, a strange reactionary comeback like that is sure to improve Bane's opinion of the U.S. and its citizens!

Does Dave imagine Canadians gazing longingly south, murmuring "If only..." to themselves, weeping with regret?

Well, certainly I do not think any such thing.

Blah, well, we obviously interpreted Bane's comment differently. Anyway, sorry for the weirdness. I must have been feeling especially snarky yesterday. I'm all better now. I love you, Bane, why can't you come live with us in the U.S.? I promise we'll get rid of all the Libertarians!
posted by daveadams at 8:33 AM on August 17, 2000

I hadn't heard about this story. Can anyone find the admission by Jake Siewert elsewhere? Am I just living under a rock?
posted by rschram at 9:03 AM on August 17, 2000

It's interesting how so many discussion threads here tend to degenerate into Americans vs Canadians, Brits vs Americans and so on.

Perhaps the transnational reach of the electric cyber-web will only serve to increase cultural tensions between peoples.

Or perhaps you're all a bunch of wankers compared to us sensible people in Symbionia (© The Onion).
posted by Mocata at 9:46 AM on August 17, 2000

Mocata: I haven't really noticed the degeneration. There's the occasional comment akin to "Not my country, why do I care?" that's easily annoyed, but for the most part, I've found the international nature of MeFi has provided some good, unique, viewpoints on subjects I wouldn't have normally considered.
posted by cCranium at 10:50 AM on August 17, 2000

Perhaps the transnational reach of the electric cyber-web will only serve to increase cultural tensions between peoples.

Nah, I just think people will start being competitive with people from other countries other than just other regions. Example:

Pre-web regional competition joke:
- Why do all the trees in Missouri lean to the south?
- Because Arkansas sucks!

Post-web regional competition joke:
- Geez, America sucks ass.
- So do you and all your commie-loving compatriots, Mr. Canada.

See, it's no different.
posted by daveadams at 12:41 PM on August 17, 2000

Dave,

As a freedom-loving Arkansan, I am offended by your joke and would prefer that you just stay the hell in Canada! Don't even think about coming down here (not that you'd want to, as it was 108F in Little Rock yesterday. blech!).


(for all of you who are confused, yes, I know Dave's not in Canada and that he's rabidly anti-Canadian. I just had to make a comment since we usually ask: Why do all the trees in Arkansas lean to the west? Because Oklahoma sucks!)


posted by sjarvis at 1:24 PM on August 17, 2000

"rabidly anti-Canadian"

For some reason that's one of the most amusing things I've heard all day.

Mind you, I've only been awake for 3 hours... :-)
posted by cCranium at 6:10 AM on August 18, 2000

As a freedom-loving Arkansan, I am offended by your joke

Actually, I'm a freedom-hating Arkansan, who unfortunately lives in Missouri (Motto: "Why do all the trees in Missouri lean west?").

I am unabashedly a rabid anti-Canadian, though. Canucks, go home!!! Metafilter is only for people who live south of the 49th parallel (sorry New Englanders...)
posted by daveadams at 8:13 AM on August 18, 2000

"Hey, uh.. boss... some guy on some web site told me that all us Canucks should go home. So whaddaya say, early weekend?"

Heh. This thread is causing me undue amounts of the chuckles.
posted by cCranium at 10:21 AM on August 18, 2000