TomStone’s Techdirt Profile

"Since when do journalists take their orders from a PR Department"?. Pretty much since newspapers started taking advertisements. They have always gone very easy on big ad buyers and "Members of the club".
As to when it became formalized, that happened when newspaper ad revenue started declining. I'm in NorCal, Look at the SF Chronicle, SJ Mercury news, Santa Rosa Press Democrat and tell me that their PR department doesn't have a final say in what gets printed.

On the post: FISA Court Twists PATRIOT Act To Pretend It's Okay To Spy On Americans Based On Their Constitutionally Protected Speech

TomStone ( profile ), 29 Aug, 2014 @ 01:19pm

Re: Re:

I see that Judge Bates has decided that "A rose by any other name would smell of sanctity.".
Bless his heart!

On the post: Washington Law Enforcement Hides Stingray Purchase And Use From Everyone, But It's OK Because They're Fighting Crime

TomStone ( profile ), 28 Aug, 2014 @ 01:30pm

Re: Lawless

John, you have to follow the law because you will be crushed if you don't. And that might happen anyway if the Cops or some other part of our government needs to "Send a message". Laws are for the little people,not the King, his courtiers or his enforcers.

On the post: Thomson Reuters Thinks Not Responding To Their Email Means You've Freely Licensed All Your Content

TomStone ( profile ), 21 Aug, 2014 @ 09:24am

Thompson?Reuters

Dear Larry, I plan to use your private Hawaiian Island for the entire month of December 2014. If I have not recieved an Email explicitly denying me the use of your Island within 14 days I will presume I have the right to do so.
Merry Christmas, Tom

On the post: California Cops Seize Recordings Of Questionable Arrest, Claim They Have The 'Right' To Do So

TomStone ( profile ), 16 Aug, 2014 @ 07:14am

Re: charges?

Be very careful when taking pictures of the Police. The law doesn't matter, they can and sometimes do beat the crap out of people or kill them and then lie about it successfully. If there are other people witness and/or take video of you being shot or beaten, you or your heirs might recieve a nice settlement in a few years.
You are still crippled or dead. These tactics are meant to keep the rabble in line through fear, and they work most of the time.And it is escalating.
"The purpose of Terror is to Terrorize".

On the post: Language School's Blogger Fired For Writing A Post On Homophones; Director Fears Association With 'Gay Sex'

TomStone ( profile ), 01 Aug, 2014 @ 10:43am

Re: homophones

Most people would consider this a "Sound" reason to fire someone.

On the post: Killing The Golden Goose: Copyright Holders Demand More Cash Even As Streaming Music Services Struggle To Be Profitable

TomStone ( profile ), 28 Jul, 2014 @ 10:43am

78 RPM was good enough for my daddy and It's good enough for you!

On the post: Germany To Begin Formal Investigation Into NSA Surveillance — But Only Of Angela Merkel

TomStone ( profile ), 06 Jun, 2014 @ 06:42pm

Re: Merkel Surveillance

Merkel and Obama are Rulers. Rules are made by them for the little people.

On the post: Why Has Tom Cruise's Reputation Faltered? Pshh, Because Of The Internet, Of Course!

TomStone ( profile ), 06 Jun, 2014 @ 06:59am

Re: Tom Cruise

Nicholson's article makes sense if you think of it as an audition for a job as White House Press Secretary. If you can't suck a bowling ball through a garden hose without raising a sweat you won't get the first interview.

On the post: Another Former NSA Lawyer Says He Wouldn't Have Listened To Concerns About The Agency's Surveillance Programs

TomStone ( profile ), 23 May, 2014 @ 08:55pm

We have abandoned the Rule of Law and the constitution, now all power flows from the King. Many wealthy and powerful people like this, not realizing that the Rule of Law from the Magna Carta on was primarily to protect THEM from both the arbitrary actions of the King and to also quiet the peasants. How safe are the assets of the Walton family without the Rule of Law? They have as much wealth as the bottom 40% of Americans combined...when, not if, a successor to our current "elected" King decides they want that wealth...oops.

On the post: Head-In-Sand Approach: White House Bans Current & Former Intelligence Staff From Discussing Any Media Leaks

TomStone ( profile ), 09 May, 2014 @ 05:20pm

You people are REALITY BASED, and that's just not how the world works.

On the post: New NSA Boss' Understatement Of The Year: NSA 'Has Lost A Measure Of Trust' From The Public

TomStone ( profile ), 06 May, 2014 @ 05:50pm

Of course I'll respect you in the morning!

On the post: Los Angeles Police Department Claims EVERY License Plate Is Part Of An Investigation

TomStone ( profile ), 24 Mar, 2014 @ 06:58pm

LAPD

I thought that Bulimics were the only exception to the rule that "You can't have your cake and eat it too".

On the post: White House Was Aware Of CIA's Attempt To File Criminal Complaint Against Senate Staffers; Did Nothing To Stop It

TomStone ( profile ), 12 Mar, 2014 @ 07:41pm

Feinstein's outrage

DiFi's outrage shows that she is finally getting the glimmerings of a clue. When you abandon the Constitution and the Rule of Law there are consequences. Both of these came into existence to protect the upper classes from the unwashed hordes and from tyrants. Obama is not the first "Elected Tyrant" in history and won't be the last.
Congresscritters are addicted to power in a literal sense, they don't object to Tyranny. They only object to someone else having unfettered power.
And make no mistake, the USA has become a Tyranny ( Some refer to it as a Kakistocracy, but when the president can order what were once citizens to be killed without charge or trial, he is a Tyrant)

On the post: What The Intelligence Community Doesn't Get: Backdoor For 'The Good Guys' Is Always A Backdoor For The 'Bad Guys' As Well

TomStone ( profile ), 09 Jan, 2014 @ 06:11pm

Bipartisanhip

I doubt I am the only one who thinks the wide stance on backdoor access by both Dem and Republican "Representatives" is... curious.

TomStone 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (50)

On the post: Monkey Selfie Back In The News: Photographer Threatens Copyright Experts With His Confused Understanding Of Copyright

Monkeyshines

On the post: Stupid Patent of the Month: Who Wants to Buy Teamwork From Penn State?

Re: Re: "Teamwork, by Penn state"

On the post: Stupid Patent of the Month: Who Wants to Buy Teamwork From Penn State?

"Teamwork, by Penn state"

On the post: Two Top Intelligence Officials, Both Of Whom Admitted To Lying In The Past, Now Try To Rewrite History And Deny The Lies

Re:

On the post: CIA's John Brennan Refuses To Tell Senate Who Okayed Spying On The Senate

Re: CIA Spying on the Senate

On the post: Reuters Tries To Explain Away Its Refusal To Call Torture 'Torture'

Reuters is a PR department