Village Idiot of the Day, May 16, 2009: Jfenno,

Leave it to one of our resident wingnuts to link "radical extremist Islam" to stupid condo rules.

According to Condo board tells couple to remove flag honoring son in Army, the Central Commons Condominium Association in Perry Heights has ordered Marlene and Richard Gano to remove their Blue Star Flag from the window of their condo. The couple refuses. The Ganos claim they are breaking no rules since they are barred only from displaying anything on the outside of their condo. Inside doesn't count no matter how aggreived their neighbor Judy Clark, who filed the complaint, begs to differ.

Of course, anyone who has ever been subjected to the tinpot dictatorial powers of a home owners association knows there has to be more to it than this. And there is. Clark, we are informed rather rudely by "truck 655" is, in fact, the acting president of the condo association, a position that Richard Gano held before resigning for reasons unknown to us.

Thankfully, JFenno, knows what's really going on out in Perry and has been courageous enough to inform us:

JFenno:
According to the condo associations declaration filed with the Stark County Recorder, one rule says residents are not to hang or display anything outside of the units windows without the boards consent. The flag is on the inside of Ganos window.'

Case closed.

The display stays. It sounds like this condo association may be infected with radical islamic extremists' views or perhaps they just have no appreciation for the sacrifices our military and their families are being asked to make.

So, for warning us of the clear and present danger of Islamo-Fascism in the cloak of the Central Commons Condominium Association (above) we are proud to award the May 16, 2009 Village Idiot of the Day award to JFenno.

We also give IHC's coveted Gladys Kravitz Award for nosiness above and beyond the call of condo association duty to Judy Clark. May you continue to dictate well!

Village Idiot of the Day, May 15, 2009: stjoesgirl, Chet Zamilski, Canton Repository

Today's award is a bit problematic since its entwined with a Repository gaff of its own: the publication of a letter by "Elmer Sneed" IRL Chet Zamilski. (which name sounds phonier is debatable).

"Elmer" wrote a letter to the editor complaining about the recent passage of the Plain Township school levy: Continuing Levy in Plain Township Will Hurt Senior Citizens. A curious poster, "francosarto" did some checking and discovered that according to online Stark County public records sources, no such person exists, and posted that information on the thread. The Rep checked, and sure enough: no Elmer.

Editorial page editor Gayle Beck wrote a quick note to the affect, Writer used Phony Name on Letter to the Editor. She also posted a note on the letter and signed his real name to it. I Hate Canton knows from experience that virtually every newspaper in the country, when considering publication of a letter, contacts the writer to verify authorship and identifying information. The Repository definitely does. Verification is, of course, not foolproof. Zalmilski simply said he was Sneed and that was the end of it. Short of newspapers instituting a a mandatory REAL ID rule, these things will continue to happen.

"Phony name" generated a lively discussion on journalistic ethics and hypocrisy, the perceived double standard between Letters and Comments requirements, and the purpose and reasons of comment anonymity For the most part it was civil and engaging.

Expectedly, Octopuppet, in a new persona--stjoesgirl--arrived on the scene to...you guessed it...attack people who use their own names!

In Octo's world, those who stand by their own names are "egotists" who use the Repository site as "a cornerstone of their life is proving they have no life. " We wonder what it considers people are who create dozens of online smear mongering alter egos that post comments 24/7. Humble servants of the public good?

Here is the full text of stjoesgirl's comment:

Only an egotist would post under their real name. Those who are compaining just want to know peoples names so they can dig dirt one them. No other websites post using real names. I know a person named Leslie who writes under a phony name. This Leslie then makes fun of everyone else who uses a handle. What a hippocrite.

Besides anyone who makes this website the cornerstone of their life is proving they have no life. Anyone who uses their name is asking for trouble from a particular 'bunch'. They are vicious and play follow the leader. If they see you face to face they are all nice then get on this website and tear you up. I hope the Rep gets rid of a couple nasty posters once and for all, They should change their name from lunch bunch to snoop doggie dogs.

If this sounds familiar go back and read the the April 15 Village Idiot Award to "gusknows." In part:

To all of those people who use screen names that could be actual people, before you try and question a comment because of a screen name you are attempting to portray yourself as superior to others, and that is what upsets some on here, because you are just like anyone else an anonymus person with a screen name that anyone could choose.

"gusknows" has been on our list of probable Octopuppet personalities, but the name may soon slink over to the probable list.

But back to the topic! So what does the Rep do about a perfectly good discussion? Disable the comments!

Perhaps it was this comment from our resident parodist Old Fat Dumpy that did them in.

'Elmer' you're so dumb! You know the letters to the editor section wasn't meant for lies and slander. That's what the CANTONREP COMMENT SECTION is for. DUH! Next time put it in cantonrep. You can say anything you want in here, about anybody. Even if it isn't true. I
do all the time. Just make sure you don't say anything about the editors though.They don't mind if you lie about other people, just don't do it to them. Don't even tell the truth about them. So remember, if you want to use a phony name, or tenphony names, or if you want to call someone a thief, murderer, child molester,whatever...cantonrep is the place for you.

I Hate Canton was all the way with the Rep on this until the thread was sent to the shredder. Unfortunately, by disconnecting readers from the only source of discussion on the actions of Chet Zamilski and the larger issue of anonymity and accountability, the Rep jumped the award line today. With no further adieu then, (and cutting the Rep a break) we hereby grant the Rep a third place Daily Village Idiot Award for stifling genuine discussion on journalistic ethics to downplay its own easily understandable and forgivable error and the questions that followed.

We find Chet Zamilski a worthy second place winner just for being a jerk. We hope this liar and identity thief never darkens the door of the Canton Repository again. (He won't according to Gayle Beck). Elmer Sneed indeed!

And for the coveted first prize today...stjonesgirl.

I Hate Canton really hates awarding too many Village Idiot Awards to Octopuppet, but she so (naughty word bot) deserves it. Who else spends hours a day creating alternate Internet personalities to fascinate and titillate us? Does this fact alone NOT deserve an award? If OP cannot, on its own, get into the Guinness Book of Records, the least we can do is acknowledge it for the fame it so rightly deserves: that of a genuine and certified Village Idiot.

Village Idiot of the Day, May 14, 2009: Bummy, ProChoice Liberal

Things have been fairly quiet the last couple days. Octopuppet seems to be on temporary (forced?) leave, but as we learned in school, nature abhors a vacuum. Nature, or shall we say, "Bummy," quickly filled that vacuum with his/her succinct yet brilliant expose of political moderates:

GOP Leaders Seek Ideological Purity by Dumping Moderates.
Bummy

It's about time the GOP is awakened. Get rid of ALL Dems. hiding in sheep's clothing. A moderate is a fancy word for 'Traitor'.

We, therefore, award "Bummy" the Daily Village Idiot Award, May 13, 2009

I Hate Canton, however, cannot let the awards ceremony go by without giving honorable mention to "Pro Choice Liberal" for canceling the 2nd Amendment. For years we have attempted to avert our eyes from ProChoice Liberal's pulchritudal missives. Ms. Liberal regularly inhales the films of Michael Moore and exhales them in mind-numbing mantras such as "Our bodies, our rights." Lately, she's moved into gun control, or rather gun confiscation:

ProChoiceLiberal
Ideas that Boccieri Should Take Back to DC Include Opposing Universal Healthcare, Cap-and- Trade Plan

Gun ownership is not a right, it's a privelege & can be taken away if you're a felon, mentally unstable, etc. Back to topic, everyone needs health care. How can anyone be against helping other people w/their medical bills? One illness & you can be bankrupt!

On a side note, we congratulate Octopuppet's doppelganger, Old Fat Dumpy, for his send-up of the Mistress of Mean:

Old Fat Dumpy
Amish Teen Ticketed for Having Beer in His Buggy
I dated lots of Amish guys back in my day. I would leave a candle burning in the window when Mom and Dad were out on the town, and they would come calling with Amish wine and a big trail bologna.

Dumpy is the funniest thing to hit the Rep in years. Turnabout is fair play.

Public Service Announcement: Octopuppet Uncovered

Keeping a newspaper afloat today is a job that would give anyone Excedrin Headache #1. I Hate Canton is sure, then, that Editor Gauger, like newspaper editors everywhere, is sick to death of opening his mailbox only to find it jammed with daily kvetches from loyal readers regarding the obnoxious, offensive, and odilicious public comments of others.

The majority of these complaints, we are sure, are about our resident Repository multiple personality posting disorderly, Octopuppet, who has never heard that less is best.

Octopuppet unlike most Internet cranks, seems to thrive on the actual act of posting, not the attention it gets. Consequently, it never goes away, no matter how many people using common wisdom, ignore it. If it is ignored, it posts under different personalities and even argues with itself. Attacks are hardly ever based on issues, but instead on long-standing personal grievances, such as Octopuppet being disinvited from a social gathering by another poster. When Octopuppet's victims attempt to defend their good names, THEIR posts are often removed while the lies and smears--some of them actionable--remain. The attacks are frequently racist. It's no wonder, then, that some accuse Rep officials of granting special treatment to Octopuppet.

I Hate Canton finds it hard to believe that someone at the Repository would be a party to this nonsense, but there are too many examples to dismiss the idea completely. Some of Octopuppet's personalities brag about its connections to City Hall, the local Democratic Party, and Team Healy. Octopuppet's sudden interest in I Hate Canton coinciding with Rep officials, reporters, and the mayor's office learning about this blog and logging on to it repeatedly is indeed suspicious.

Octopuppet over the last few months has posted under at least 40 names.

As a public service to Editor Gauger, Rep staff, and Rep and IHC readers, we present a preliminary list the of names we believe Octopuppet uses. This list is open to corrections additions, and subtractions. We have a second list of online personalities we suspect are Octopuppet entities but are still under debate.

We hope Editor Gauger will use this list cheat sheet to cut off Octopuppet's tentacles and get the Rep back on track.

femdem
Sam Dawson
goldenone
Big Al Carter
Vincent Sholmi
cantonvoter
LeVar Burton
Steve-O
localperson
Painter
flowerchild
Bob Matthews
Caracticus Potts
The real BAC
Fawn Liebowitz
Carter
Carter 1
swordfisheez
concernedfather
alleson
Neptune37
demsndoes
FYMP
Mr Thompson1216
Theodore Donald Kerabatsos
princessofthehomerats
Shirley Jean
Poison Pen
Cal
jdurgen
Quckikzx9r
Nathan Jessep
john durgen
SupraPretty
Mary*
mary u parker*
Tina S
Fed-up
snoozie
Tom Dewey
pt king
Lady Shirl
Italian by Injection
denniso *

* attempts to hijack other posters names

An updated list will appear the first of each month.

Racism Returns

I Hate Canton should probably save this for the Daily Village Idiot, but sometimes something so "good" comes along it can't be ignored until tomorrow. Take "Legion" (please!) commenting about an hour ago on
It's Official: Stokes-Davis is McKinley High School's First Black Female Principal.

Some of our nom-de-plumes have been complaining that the notation of Ms. Stokes-Davis's race in the headline is irrelevant.

"Legion," writing with his or her left hand, explains why race is relevant to the story:

It is revelent to point out the fact that she is black because there are so few within the black race that actually work hard enough to rise above the rest and make something of themselves - as so clearly demonstrated here. Hopefully the majority of blacks will take this opprotunity to reflect upon her fine example. Congratulations, Ms. Stokes.

We are so glad that's been cleared up.

Now what about the pool rules? And we don't mean mean locking the fence either.


UPDATE: Sometime between 1:42 and 3:56 this afternoon the "Legion" comment was removed, as were four other who comments made by posters who took "Legion" to task. These posters specifically referenced the offending comment in their own comments and criticized the Rep for permitting them and in no way were racist. Interestingly, the Rep visited IHC at 3:25. We are happy that "Legion" was removed, but fail to understand the need to remove the other four. At least the thread wasn't locked down.

Could Hello Kitty Save Canton?

Sometimes Canton is just too much for I Hate Canton and we need some R&R. A short trip to the Big Apple (or as Taki calls it, The Big Bagel) hit the spot. There is absolutely no comparison between the two cities, of course. New York is safe and secure from crime, hookers, illegal minorities, tweakers, baggy pantsers, crooked cops, and corrupt city officials. To put it bluntly, Canton is a cesspool of what New York City is not.

I Hate Canton will be posting more today, but before those posts go up, we'd like to make a personal plea to Mayor Healy:

Jamie, (if we can be so bold as to addresses you on such intimate terms) take a page from the book of our hero, Rudy Giuliani: Hello Kitty.

A Hello Kitty store would fit right into the old Gay's shoe store, revitalize downtown, and make the city a safe, welcoming haven even for multiple personality poster disorderlies.

Just think, in a few years Canton could be known as the City That Hello Kitty Saved.

What kind of a loser would dare disrespect and dishonor Hello Kitty?

We implore the Repository to promote this "urban renewal" plan to City Hall. You won't be sorry.

PS I Hate Canton had a dream last night about Kobacher's. What does that mean?

Photos by I Hate Canton

Village Idiot of the Day, May 11, 2009: "Virtual Fence" Thread, Jim Jenkins, Qucikzx9r

NOTE: Just as this blog was going to press, the Virtual Fence discussion was shut down.

Just as I Hate Canton suspected would happen, Virtual Fence Planned Along US-Mexico Border has jumped to the top of the chart. It's enough to make us wish for another abortion or race bashing (that is, black people bashing) thread. We guess Reppies can't pat their heads and rub their tummies at the same time.

After reading yesterday's remarks on a couple dozen articles and having business to attend to this morning, I Hate Canton has summarily chosen the entire Virtual Fence thread as Village Idiot of the Day.

While none of yesterday's comments can equal those of May 10 winners otterk1 and sdsteelman1, we give props to two posters, who had they written earlier might have made the cut:

Jim Jenkins
There's a border? Learn Spanish, enjoy the tacos and adopt the children that are separated from their parents due to the parents committing felonies and not being able to speak English or more accurately 'Americanise'. To be politically correct, isn't 'undocumented' the proper term?

and

Qucikzx9r (who actually posted a few hours ago, well into today)

How much is it going to be to upgrade to the automatic gun turrents? We need to protect our borders and if the automatic gun turrents where let run for a while I think we might not have a virtual wall but a real wall of border jumpers thatmade their last jump. Ifthey would put as much work into fixing their country as they do in getting in to ours they might nothave any reason to come here.

Before we go, we also want to commend Gallimaugry for attempting to bring a bit of sanity to the insane. Gallimaugry, who has identified him or herself as a lawyer elsewhere, and always writes like one, wrote in part:

This thread is depressing, and this is coming from a supporter of stringent and stringently enforced border controls. Those of us asking for responsible border security would have a much better shot at persuading the centrist voters where majorities are won and lost if the wild-eyed racists weren't the most publicly visible and vocal advocates of the cause. Arguments about poverty, crime, and undercutting the social compact of the federal regulatory structure (wage, hour, and working condition protections) could have every bit as much traction without direct or coded references to Hispanics.

I Hate Canton Isn't the Only One....

...who finds it curiouser and curiouser that comments were disabled on Saturday's
Canton's Quarterly Magazine Produced in Partnership with Gatehouse-Ohio story.

Martin Olsen, who broke the Repository-Canton Connection deal back in March nearly two months before the Rep got around to it, has published two blogs in the last three days about the Connection connection. We recommend you read them both in full but here's a preview of each:


May 9, 2009
Rep Publisher Kampman Thinks Stark Countians are Stupid and Naive
Olson's leads off with what a lot of Rep readers are asking:

Will this commercial relationship between Canton and The Rep embolden Healy's effort to manage, massage and spin the news coming out of City Hall? The SCPR thinks so.

The SCRP has been questioning the dependability of The Rep's coverage of the Healy Administration ever since a source tipped The Report off about the impending deal between the city of Canton and the newspaper. Moreover, The Rep has always had a coverage and editorial romance going with Ohio legislators Oelslager and Schuring.

and follows through with a series of hard questions about the relationship between City Hall and the Rep that nobody at the Repository has the cajones or ability to ask their boss, publisher Kevin Kampman, (the same Kevin Kampman who blew off Don Cirelli's request for intervention with Octopuppet smears.)

May 11, 2009
Proof That Rep Will Not Separate Commercial Relationships from the News?
To the SCPR, this denial of opportunity to comment is evidence that the news operation at The Canton Repository. canton.com is not independent of its commercial operations contrary to Rep publisher Kevin Kampman's assertion in the story itself...

Publisher Kampman and Executive Editor Jeff Gauger (who, in the opinon of the SCPR grossly mismanages the Comments section) know full well that they are not going to get congratulations from Rep/CantonRep.com readers on GateHouse's blurring of the commercial operations with hard news operations.

So the solution?

Don't allow comments!

And speaking of comments...another curiosity:

I Hate Canton has been online since March 31, mainly for the entertainment of a small band of Rep Alienateds. As far as we can tell, Octopuppet had no knowledge of the blog, (and no Octopuppet, this is not all about you!) Yet within a very short time of Kevin Kampman, Jeff Gauger, a few Rep reporters, and a member of the mayor's staff being informed of IHC, a flurry of log-ons by Octopuppet began. We have no idea what this means exactly, but Octopuppet's interest in I Hate Canton is too great of a coincidence to be accidental--especially when he/she/it seems to have a special relationship with somebody at the Rep and a slavish adoration of Mayor Bill (Jamie to his friends) Healy. There's a rat somewhere. We hope it's not at 500 South Market. Personally we think it's a bit north.

Repository Drains the Pool: Water Park Comments Disappear

All Gatehouse newspapers publish pool rules. You can find them at the bottom of any article with enabled comments. We think they are good and reasonable rules. We don't mind obeying them, and actually appreciate the limits of behavior the rules lay out. The problem is (1) a small group of people believe pool rules are not for them and (2) the Rep doesn't enforce its own rules.

Specifically:

• No personal attacks. Don't bash anyone based on their race, creed, heritage, or orientation.
• Don't say anything here you wouldn't say in front of your mother at the dinner table.

Unfortunately, when things get too bad, instead of ejecting the vandals, (or sending them home to mom with a note) the Rep just pulls the plug on everybody.

The latest example is the shutdown of discussion on Canton's Water Park Plans Stalled. The discussion was going along swimmingly until "Italian by Injection" (aka Guess Who) started in with the inevitable reaction to follow. Instead of taking a few minutes to throw the intruder over the fence, the Rep drained the pool.

I Hate Canton dived in and rescued the post that set it off, but the rest slithered down the drain before they could be pulled out:

The city can't afford to maintane a pool right now. They can't even pay their bills, thanks to the do-nothings who can't get along with Mayor Healy. Besides, you know those people will just tear it up in about a month anyway.

Those people indeed!

I Hate Canton is sympathetic to the difficulties in guarding the integrity of public comments. We do not want the iron rule of Dave Kaminski to return. We, personally, also have a high tolerance for what passes for online debate, and find most moronic comments amusing in the same way that Truthers and The Weekly World News are amusing. We have no desire to see resident entertainers go away. We believe that "Comments" is a marketplace of ideas, not all good or decent. Though we doubt this is what Thomas Jefferson and George Mason had in mind, it's democracy in action, and that's OK with us.

We also believe that the Repository has a responsibility to its readers and advertisers (online and hard copy) to maintain a modicum of civility and control over its herd of cats. Unfortunately, trying to nanny one or two individuals (at least one with a multiple personality posting disorder) with a personal vendetta against other posters effectively is as impossible as growing a garden without a weeder. Pull out the pigweed and another pops up. Octopuppet, for instance, has posted under at least three new names in the last three days and drudged up a couple of old ones. We fear he/she/its head may explode soon with all those imaginary people banging around inside of it.

What happens when more than one needs to use the bathroom at the same time?

I Hate Canton really wants the Rep be a first class paper. To help Editor Gauger & Co we have assembled a long list of names we believe Octopuppet uses and we'll be posting that list soon. With so many unemployed in Canton, we're sure at least one or two dole collectors would be happy to sign on as official Canton Repository Life Guards. Their job would be simple: protect the swimmers from the octopuppet(s) and vendettaistas.

Village Idiot of the Day, May 10, 2009: Ottertk1, Bummy, dsteelman1, Frank Manello, Italian by Injection

This one is easy! For the following suggestions to the US government on how to curtail illegal border crossings from Mexico to the US: Ottertk1 takes First, desteelman1 Second and Bummy and Frank Manello bring up the rear for Honorable Mention. And a special Gold Star to one of Octopuppet's new entities "Italian by Injection." (Do we really want to think about that?)

Virtual Fence Planned Along US-Mexico Border
Ottertk1
Two 15 foot fences spaced 50 feet apart with land mines placed inbetween the fences should do it. Micophones could be placed along the fences so the border guards could hear the explosions and go and replace the mines that were detonated. Signs in Spanish can be erected facing Mexico stating that anyone seen climbing the fence will be shot on sight. All this so Americans won't be blamed for supplying the Mexican drug cartel with fully automatic weapons. Something every American knows is nothing but hog-wash. That's right, the elected officials in Washington are LIEING to us.

Bummy

Now, about that fence. If we will not enforce the borders now, why would we enforce them after the fence is up? If there is ANYONE out there that can REALLY understand all this crap that 'H' & his ILK say, PLEASE let the rest of us know. Thank you." type="hidden">

NO! I can not believe ANYONE would suggest that 'H' & his ILK would lie to we tax paying Americans!!! :)

Now, about that fence. If we will not enforce the borders now, why would we enforce them after the fence is up? If there is ANYONE out there that can REALLY understand all this crap that 'H' & his ILK say, PLEASE let the rest of us know. Thank you.

dsteelman1
Maybe we could add some motion sensor activated machine guns too Otter :)

But then again both parties WANT the illegals here. The repubs for cheap labor and the dems for voters , so were basically screwed

Frank Manello
Good ideas Otter and dsteel. You took the words right out of my mouth.

Italian by Injection
You may not be prejudice against Mexicans theame19 but I am not afraid to say I am. I just dont like them la cucarachas taking our jobs and bringing up all that dirt and diseases with them. No Taco Bell for me, no La Bamba. Sorry no more room for hispanics in this country. Americans only.

NOTE: It's not even 10 AM and the idiocy on this thread is growing by the minute. At this rate, we will have a wall of village idiots by tonight.