Elderly Amish Man Caught on Film With Prostitute, Blackmailed
When a 75-year-old Amish widower slept with a prostitute, he -- we feel certain -- felt pretty bad about it the next morning. As if that guilt weren't enough for the old man, the prostitute and her boyfriend demanded $67,000 from him, claiming that they had filmed the scene with wall-mounted cameras and would upload the recording to the Internet. The pair was later arrested and, we can only imagine, the Amish man abhorred technology more than ever.
Bank Robber Gets Away With the Help of Craiglist
In October, a bank robber -- wearing a safety vest, blue shirt, face mask and goggles -- eluded police with the help of Craiglist. Just outside the bank, while the robbery was in progress, stood a group of men who were responding to a Craiglist day labor opportunity. As the advertisement required, they were all wearing safety vests, blue shirts, face masks and goggles.
Nude New Zealander Arrested After Responding to Fake Sexy Text Message
Late in 2007, a Wellington, New Zealand man received a racy text message from two anonymous "ladies," giving him only an address and a request that he show up naked. Well, he indeed showed up naked... at the home of one appalled, unsuspecting New Zealander. Both the nude Romeo and the sadistic texter were arrested, though neither were prosecuted.
Fake Craiglist Ad Costs Man Most of What He Owns
Last Spring, a post appeared on an Oregon Craigslist board stating that the owner of a specific house was leaving all of his worldly possessions (still in said house) to whoever wanted them. When homeowner Robert Salisbury rushed home -- on a tip from a woman suspicious about the offer of a free horse -- he found his house being ransacked by 30 strangers. We suggest he take that horse and collect some vengeance Clint Eastwood-style.
17-Year-Old Jailed for Stealing Virtual 'Furniture'
When a 17-year-old Dutch boy hacked into several accounts on the Second Life-style site 'Habbo' in 2007, the the law got involved. The boy was discovered to have stolen $5,800 worth of virtual furniture and knick-knacks. Apparently, crime -- whether actual or virtual -- does not pay.
Phishers Going After Your Phones in New 'Vishing' Trend
Over the past year, sneaky spammers have begun to forsake the worn-out territory of e-mail in favor of cell phones' fertile frontier. The result? "Vishing." Get it? Voice mail phishing. It might be more ominous if it didn't sound like a James Bond villain saying, "Wishing."
Burglars Break Into Restaurant, Steal HDTV, Leave Money / Food Behind
Around Halloween of last year, a truckload of thieves drove into -- that's right, into -- a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant, where they -- apparently uninterested in the cash register -- stole a mid-grade 47-inch HDTV and fled the scene. We've all heard about how this generation is lacking in ambition, but this generation's thieves, too?
Second Life is becoming more and more of a mirror of the real world. Real estate, relationships, sex and commerce. Where there's commerce, there are lawsuits. The 3D virtual world now has its first, not-so virtual, copyright lawsuit. Kevin Alderman, owner of SexGen, is suing an avatar (virtual game character) named Volkov Catteneo.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Phoenix Psaltery said 8:36PM on 8-14-2007
The SexGen bed doesn't give a Second Life avatar genitalia. Those are sold separately [LOL]. The bed simply animates the two (or more) avatars in various sexual positions.
The point here is not whether virtual sex toys should be protected -- it's an issue of intellectual property rights. Alderman created and marketed the SexGen bed and the defendant in the suit essentialy violated a trademark, as if RC Cola marketed a soft drink and called it Coke. That's the issue in this case.
P2
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qverb said 2:44PM on 8-16-2007
Phoenix Psaltery is right on with this. The point of Second Life is that it is a virtual mirror of the one in which we live, with the excpetion that you can live out your fantasies in a totally safe environment. The fact that Linden Labs has made it such an open world environment where you can be inventive, copyright thoce inventions, and earn real world money is just the first step in the next evolution of business.
We, as in the majority of American society, need to broaden our minds and look past these stereo-types that we have placed on video games and virtual reality sims. Not all books are for children. Not all television, film, or music is for children. And just because it isn't for children doesn't mean that it is pornographic, derogatory, or any other negative that you can think of. Every year movies with mature themes and stories are nominated for various awards with the actors also winning these awards for their portrayal of the character.
Why then, this contradictory mindset with video-games? And I use the term "video-games" in the most loosest sense of the word. These games have grown up to fulfill a wide variety of adult tastes and desires. Instead of trying to ban one, try instead to talk to a wide variety of the gaming community. The people that play and are over there mid-twenties. The people that create the games and wish they didn't have to bow-down to the desires of their corporate financiers so they could make the master-piece game that they want.
Think, next time you criticize a game, or any other form of mass media, for presenting something of an adult nature, think of a movie that you truly love, a book that you cherish, that a child really wouldn't understand but that you do because YOU HAVE THE EXPERIENCE AS AN ADULT TO APPRECIATE ALL THE FACETS WITHIN IT. Sex and violence are part of the our world, part of our experiences. Trying to hide them under the rug only leads to ignorance and depravity. Education is the key. Supervise what your children do, what they play or watch. It is your job as a parent to know what your children are into, and it is your job to be informed if the material is appropriate to their age. The companies that put these products out there are more than happy to provide you with all the information you could want. So stop being ignorant and start educating yourself and your children.
Sorry 'bout the rant. I just can't stand oppression.
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Rich Aquilina said 2:57PM on 8-16-2007
I have been on Second Life for several months (Rich Lykin) ... I think this along the same lines as the 1963 Chiffons song "He's So Fine" and the George Harrison song "My Sweet Lord". The words were different but the tune was the same. George Harrison lost that case as I suspect the defendant will here in this one. You can't take someone else's property, package it as your own sell and keep all the profit without permission from the person who actually put the time and effort into creating it, no brainer - you don't need a court to decide what any moron would already know.
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indycote said 3:03PM on 8-16-2007
Yes he should be sued, and he should pay for it. As long as SexGen owns the copyright and can prove it was stolen and sold.
"What are you gonna do? Sue me?" What an idiot.
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6UL DV8 said 4:05PM on 8-16-2007
rosy palm sure has come a long way baby..since i was a teenager
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Hector Brown said 4:16PM on 8-16-2007
Hey sex has been with us a long time...and it ain't gonna go away. Get a life for christ sakes!
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AkashaCraven said 4:17PM on 8-16-2007
Oh my god is this for real? This has got to be the most stupidest thing I ever wasted my time reading! People its a freaking game! Do you understand the meaning of a game for christ sakes? Sex or no sex it aint even real!!!! Are you going to tell me that 2 cartoons getting it on makes a diff in your real life?? If that is the case then online games are so something you shouldnt be playing!!! GET A GRIP PEOPLE ITS ALL FAKE!!!
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Mandii said 4:46PM on 8-16-2007
Wow, whoever plays that game must be a loser. They can't get sex in real life so they must resort to "virtual" sex??? Pathetic. Sex is much better in real life. Such stupid games they're coming out with.
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Michele Beaver said 4:49PM on 8-16-2007
Sex on line or a video game isn't MY thing, but I guess it could keep you off the streets and you could'ny get an STD from it!!
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marshall said 5:01PM on 8-16-2007
we live a crazy world....
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Jack said 5:24PM on 8-16-2007
Wow, 58% of people are agreeing that it's OK to infringe the copyright (actual or intellectual) of a virtual object. I wonder if 58% of people think it's OK to take a copyrighted book and turn it into an online game without permission, or whether this is just a knee-jerk reaction of puritanical tapioca-heads who see the words "virtual sex organs" and automatically disapprove.
Open your eyes, people, you are p*ssing your freedoms away and not even paying attention....
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Karen said 6:53PM on 8-16-2007
Hey qverb..Philosophically you are probably right on all counts - but I have to say that the way the media (including internet) glorifies sex and violence is highly destructive. Their message is that sex is a good and positive thing - but only when violence and intrigue and anything else to help them get better ratings is involvd. I am VERY honest and positive about sex with my young girls - but I don't want them watching that crap. It is eroding the fabric of our society and teaching all the wrong things.
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Karen said 6:59PM on 8-16-2007
Hey again qverb. I forgot to add that while it's easy to say it's up to parents to monitor and supervise what kids do, it is not easy to do! It is "virtually" impossible these days. Technology has come to far and made everything far to accessible to prevent the messages from seeping through. All we can do as parents is try to stem the flow and try our darndest to make them believe that what the see on TV and computers is not necessarily true. No easy task when you consider how very prevalent the crap is.
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6UL DV8 said 7:44PM on 8-16-2007
rosy palm sure has come a long way baby..since i was a teenager
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maureen wheat said 8:18PM on 8-16-2007
Porno is just a chamillian of invitation to the vulnerable. High tech doesn't change a thing.
love, maureen
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maureenwheat said 8:25PM on 8-16-2007
When fantasy supercedes the dullness of everyday live with a spouse, the real question is WHY IS IT DULL? Imagination is atually a gift from God, according to St. Thomas Acquinas. HOWEVER, imagination unchecked is like a pet dog peeing everywhere, and you conveniently 'DONT' SEE IT'.
Mental lives are as toxic in destroying a family, as an ignored incontinent pet in your house. YES this is graphic: but no worse than families BREAKING UP=-WHEN THEY SHOULD NOT. L, M.
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Regman said 9:27PM on 8-17-2007
This post should be removed. The "reporter" obviously doesn't have the slightest clue what he is talking about and the only thing he seems to have gotten right is the names and the fact there is a lawsuit.
Perhaps we should leave the news reporting to people who at least do some research?
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Tom said 12:10AM on 8-18-2007
Such a short attention span, I doubt that the last postest to this even read the article. There is a lawsuit over the copyright of Virtual property. If this person created it, then no one else can profit from it without his permission. that is LAW. It is the same as if you Drew a comic and posted it online, some one sees that comic, downloads the pic, and then turns around and starts selling it to other people and making a profit of it. That is Stealing and violating the original persons copyright IF the person feels so inclined to follow up with a lawsuit. Some things people simply dont care about, but every time you take a picture and repost it, or use it as an avatar on a Message board, you run the risk that some one who made that picture, will get upset and excersie their right
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Marah said 10:25PM on 8-18-2007
what's that website called
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Rex Orbit said 5:16PM on 8-19-2007
Listen people... the fact is ... online relationships and other virtual experience can very rapdidly become more emotionally real than those in real life. And when time involved erodes into jobs and real life relationships...its a bad thing. I am cancelling my SL membership, not because its uninteresting... but because its too interesting. Maybe others can manage it... but as a red-blooded male who chooses to pursue Christian values... I don't find it conducive to living out my faith... or honoring my real life relationships. Its' not... just a game. - Rex
There are few real rules in SL. Hearts get broken and values get squashed. Take a word from the now wiser: invest your all in RL and
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