I get all kinds of letters here at the Odd Empire. Many of them are polite, thoughtful. There are others though which are not polite nor thoughtful. Downright strange, weird and not a little creepy. It would be a shame to keep all of these to ourselves.
Recently on the Odd Empire home page I placed several endorsements that we have received over the years. Quotes as it were from people I would term “communicatively challenged.” Some are unbelievably rude, others are strange or just silly.
After putting up some of these blurbs I wandered around the expansive Odd Empire Imperial Palace Compound, finding myself in the dank, Imperial Dungeon I was approached by the Imperial Postmaster who had a smoking letter on his fine silver letter plate.
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From seaglow99@yahoo.com;
I do not how you decided Regan Lee made the comments you have quoted on your web site, but it would be only correct if you were to fix that immediately. If not I will take legal action. Do not take this as a challenge or taunt or anything else. I am serious. I use many ID’s and use many sources, and you cannot say with certainity [sic] I am, or am not, a specific individual. It is also beneath even you to do this. And a very low blow. Considering I’ve taken down my blog, etc. and here you go and assume a certain name is also the same person who made those comments. What possible purpose is there in your doing this? Prove yourself right and me wrong; in other words, prove me wrong that you aren’t a slimeball, and a stalker, and make the correction. Do not respond to me, just make the correction, and do it now. If not, I will proceed with legal action.
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Hmm, I was thinking about waking the Hounds-of Hell, that would be the law firm of Labrusky, Skinflint, Shyster, and his larger brother Leo but they were happily asleep in the Imperial Dungeon, I decided not to disturb them for now.
To my untrained eye, this letter seems contradictory on several fronts.
Here is my commentary on the letter the short version first;
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I feel that it is impossible to respond to the writer at this time. If in the future the writer of this message chooses to outline their concerns in clear, plain, polite language I will be more than happy to think about what they are saying. Since the letter was written very early in the morning and is not carefully crafted (like one would expect for a “please remove content” request) I must assume that the writer is *not* or *should not* be serious.
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Now; each section of the letter in turn.
“I do not (know) how you decided Regan Lee made the comments you have quoted on your web site, but it would be only correct if you were to fix that immediately.”
The first part is easy. One of the Imperial Technoflunkies gave me the information and we are very sure it is correct. (That’s what I pay them for.) The second part I can deal with in a moment for it’s repeated.
“If not I will take legal action. Do not take this as a challenge or taunt or anything else. I am serious. ”
Oh I believe you, I believe you believe that you are serious. However if I were to truly take this letter at face value than it is not really much *of* anything is it? It is not a taunt, nor a challenge nor a request for anything. “Legal action?” That covers such a wide range of things. What kind of legal action? It helps to be more specific. (In this case the “legal action” turned out to be doxing people on webages like Storemfront, a notorious white supremacist slime pit. -editor)
“I use many ID’s and use many sources, and you cannot say with certainity [sic] I am, or am not, a specific individual.”
That is incorrect–part of it is anyway. This person does have many email accounts that much is true. However my technoflunky can say *with* utter certainty that this person did in fact relate such verbiage in a number of messages. Even though she has many sock-puppets and many different alias, it can be very hard to be anonymous on the Internet. Any technoflunky will tell you that.
If I were to use your logic however; I could not be certain that *you* are who you say you are . You could be anyone. If you are correct, I cannot even be sure we are talking with each other. (Although I am very sure who I am, do you know who you are?)
“It is also beneath even you to do this. And a very low blow.”
Interesting that someone who has already made many public statements as to my demeanor, called me things like “stalker,” “psycho” and implied that I’m a serial rapist is worried about “low blows.” I feel the world should be enlightened as I have been.
“Considering I’ve taken down my blog, etc. and here you go and assume a certain name is also the same person who made those comments.”
I did give that some consideration . First off, you have not taken down your web log (at the time of this writing), you have only de-linked it with a message suggesting that you might put it back someday. Either you are lying or you really don’t know better. I’m not sure which one is true yet.
What I find here is someone who believes they can say whatever they want with impunity and that just pulling off a link absolves any responsibility for their statements. That is simply incredible to the Odd Emperor. If one cannot stand by ones statements either don’t say them or retract them! Don’t simply pretend it didn’t didn’t happen, that’s very dishonest to yourself and personally irritating to the Odd Emperor.
The Internet is a form of publishing. If you libel someone you have libeled them pure and simple. If offense is taken they have a number of options available including legal action. Although one would think that such a drastic, time consuming and utterly fruitless choice would be the very last resort, unless you are like the writer of this letter.
Even when you pull your page the echoes will still be flipping from one server to another for years. Besides, If you are the author of Psycho Skeptics your motivation for pulling the page was not done in the spirit of reconciliation or mutual understanding.
As a matter of fact, you actually said so.
“What possible purpose is there in your doing this?”
See above.
“Prove yourself right and me wrong;”
Sorry, it is not necessary for me to do that.
“in other words, prove me wrong that you aren’t a slimeball, and a stalker, and make the correction.”
I tis not necessary to do that either. The choices I make on the Odd Empire do not make me a slimeball etc simply because someone says so. I also do not allow people like, ….well this individual to dictate who and what I am. My demeanor is reflected by how I respond to challenges, as are everyone’s. If I behave like a slimeball it is because I choose to. If telling the truth is slimy to some people than by that standard I am proud to be a slimeball. Perhaps the reason that this person’s name is displayed next to her own rude statements is indicative of my idea that “rudeness has its own rewards.”
–Or, something like that.
“Do not respond to me, just make the correction, and do it now. If not, I will proceed with legal action.”
Oooh! Two legal threats!
But here we get sticky. Legal action for what? What is correct? In my opinion, those statements are already correct. Did Regan Lee posting as seaglow99@yahoo.com not make them? Are they lies? Can you prove the Regan Lee did not make those statements?I can prove that Regan Lee did indeed make those statements and many others. This kind of thing is only defamatory if —
- the plaintiff can prove that the statement cannot be attributed to the person named or
- The statements are false or taken out of context. In the honest opinion of the Odd Emperor the direct quotes reflected on the homepage of the Empire of the Odd are true, can be attributed to the people named and are completely in context. I feel that it is a public service to disclose the name of the person who wrote me that very rude verbiage.
You want to see the proof? You can always ask.
Besides; you failed to detail exactly what you believe is wrong. For if the name Regan Lee is incorrect, you have nothing to worry about. Whoever Regan Lee is can contact me, I will consider any reasonable changes to the Odd Empire as detailed on my IFAQ page that is to wit The Odd Emperor will respond to any polite inquiries and consider all requests as described on the disclaimer on every page of the Empire of the Odd web page.” The history of the page (should you bother to look) suggests that I do exactly that.
If the name is correct and the words were in fact uttered by Regan Lee than changing them would not be correct. Right?
Or should I obey your demand and not respond at all? Since the words “Do not respond to me” are part of this message I can’t be accused of promptly not responding–can I?
Which one do you want?
You might want to speak to a legal professioal before shooting crap like this at me again, you might also try communicating and not ordering. Communicating works, what you (Regan) are doing here just get you in deeper.
Oh yes, the terms “slimeball, and stalker” are not very polite, are they?
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These are questions that the Odd Emperor ponders for a very few moments as he watches the Hounds of Hell in their peaceful slumber. Soon however, he takes his leave on the dank Dungeon and climbs back into the light and his luncheon.