Our guest columnist is the Citizen Media Law Project, writing on Gadsden Light Bulb entrepreneur and Twitter fetishist Michael Patrick Leahy.

Michael Patrick Leahy, author and founder of “Top Conservatives On Twitter,” filed a lawsuit against blogger Stephanie Grasmick, Twitter user “Duke St. Journal,” and 25 anonymous Twitter users for libel, false light invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and tortious interference with contract.

Leahy, who appears to be handling the case himself, asserts that Grasmick posts on Twitter under the name StephanieInCA and is the operator of Teablogging, a site created “to chronicle the lead-up to the April 15 conservative hysteria Tax Day Tea Parties and to serve as a central repository for low-brow teabag-related sex jokes.” His four-count complaint alleges, among other things, that Grasmick libeled him in a blog post on May 13, 2009, in which she falsely stated that he is:

• a “major tax fraud”;
• a “delusional profiteering creep”;
• an “insane clown”; and
• a “member of some alien race of Lizard People.”

Read more »

After we very gently mocked the new Gadsden Light Bulb yesterday, our post got picked up in the wingnut Twittersphere. What kind of people rang the bell on the Lefty Attack? Let’s find out!

• @MikeMunzing, Aliso Viejo, CA: “I’m a Patriotic, Constitutional Reagan Conservative, who loves God & country. I’ll never die on my knees as we take our country back!”
• @KurtSchlichter, Manhattan Beach, CA: “Big Hollywood et al writer, ex-comic, Desert Storm/OEF (Kosovo) veteran, conservative, and the only right wing civil trial lawyer in LA. And so darn #caring.”
• @sc_swampfox: “Constitutionalist from Myrtle Beach,SC. Devoted to restoring a constitutional republic. USMC RVN vet. Honor, Courage, Commitment.”

Read more »

Bonus detail: It’s the local Fox affiliate.

Prosser Grabs Reporter’s Microphone, Quickly Hands It Back [TPM]

Well, the embedded video was working, and then it wasn’t, and we’re too busy victimizing patriot light-bulb companies to find a replacement, so just click through to Popular Science, or, better yet, throw an M80 down their toilet for putting us through this.

Fireworks + Explodables + Ultra-High Speed Phantom HD Camera = The Best Fourth of July Video [Popular Science, via Nerdist]

Why, yes, that’s a link to our post! And if we understand the Rules of Internet Engagement correctly, if we keep the feud going, everybody wins!

[Twitter]

Our guest columnist is unclear on the concept.

We’re scrappy entrepreneurs who don’t like having the federal government tell us we can’t buy or sell safe, inexpensive incandescent light bulbs. Our light bulbs are made in South Carolina, the same state that gave us the Gadsden Flag.

The Gadsden Light Bulb Company

“The Cuomo administration is expected to lift what has been, in effect, a [New York] moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, a controversial technology used to extract natural gas from shale, people briefed on the administration’s discussions said on Thursday.” A Cuomo spokesbot calls it “baseless speculation and premature”. [NYT]