“My original goal was to … to spare my wife and son the embarrassment of having this ridiculous story get wider dissemination.”
— Stefan Sharkansky, 8/28/07
Yeah, sure. And what better way to prevent wider dissemination of an obscure post on an obscure website than to splash it all over the front page of the most widely read political blog in the state? How’s that working out for you Stefan?
Apparently, not so well.
Is the “not so well” link to the article you intended?
Probably meant here: http://www.thestranger.com/sea.....oid=303575
I think we need to collect the data on the story and nominate Stefan for “Worst Person in the World” on MSNBC’s Countdown…
David, you never cease to amaze me with your deliberate disregard for actual facts.
I only mentioned this on my blog after the obscure blogger who I politely asked to remove his false and defamatory post responded instead by feeding it to the very widely read Blatherwatch, which posted it knowing that I deemed the story to be false and defamatory.
Also, SS made his idiotic comment in the future (9/28/07)?
:-)
Another TJ @1,
Oops. That’s what I get for blogging late at night, and then post dating it. Fixed it.
Found this on Slog — Seems that Stefan has not answered any of these questions over there:
“You continue to miss the point. The issue is not whether/when you deleted the posts, it’s that only a true asshole would have done what you did in the first place, regardless of what the waitress had said or posted.
Are you saying that you did not do all that research on this woman and post bundles of her private information on Sound Politics?
Are you saying that she is lying when she states that she was physically threathened in person by a relative of yours (the wife?)?
You apparently weren’t even present for that exchange, so how would you know anyway?”
I just hate it when I go to a restaurant to spend my money on a nice meal and have it ruined by a bunch of unruly kids!
Parents, if you can’t keep your kids under control, got to Chucky Cheese and stay out of good restaurants!
My interest is piqued. What “elite school” does a 5 year old get into?
Stefan @3,
Well isn’t that a classic example of one of your more common rhetorical tics: the deliberate conflation of fact with opinion. You accuse me of being dishonest — exactly the kind of character assault that you find so unbearable when aimed at you — when in fact the post in question contains nothing but opinion. (Unless you are denying that you actually wrote that quote?)
You claim your goal was to prevent the offending post from getting “wider dissemination,” and yet arguably, the exact opposite has happened. Surely you’re not claiming your efforts were an unqualified success?
Stefan:
You sound just like Senator Craig. “I am not gay”. “I am not a bad parent”. Same thing.
The truth is your ego got in the way (when doesn’t it?) and you spun this thing into a monster that you can’t control.
Shhhhh, listen…..do you hear that? That is the sound of any hope you have for political office going down the drain of a toilet that YOU flushed all by your lonesome. Right along with any hopes of credibility that you may have hopelessly harbored.
Stefan, you are a pompous and arrogant ass. You have done more to embarrass yourself and your family, with your reaction to this incident, than anyone else could possibly hoped for. You should have just shut the fuck up and let it die.
You still can’t do that.
Seems to be a gene that you conservatives share.
I can personally attest to the fact that Steve Sharansky is a vicious practitioner of the politics of personal destruction. And, once having discovered what is or can be twisted into a sort of talking point, will continue posting it and pursuing an individual with every little point he has discovered –in perpetuity — by himself and through his minions.
Which is why I never miss an opportunity to point out that Sharansky (the ‘Shar’ as he is better know) is an “over the top” (his words) RACIST.
Oh dear — It looks like Stefan’s in for another round. Bring out the popcorn and raisinettes…
He just doesn’t seem to understand that this isn’t about the indiscretion of an obscure waitress and the possible exaggerations or embellishments in her story. It’s about Stefan’s disproportionate response and now it’s a study in his unbridled self-righteous ego.
He’s one of those folks who think that if they just explain their point in ever finer detail and maybe a little louder, we’ll all eventually agree with him. The fact is, we got the essential points the first time around and they make him look like a vindictive prick. Repeating the story over and over just drives that point home.
How can someone who claims to be such an astute political observer not grasp this basic lesson of PR?
Sharanksy,
This story is getting more and more and more and more known!
Accept it.
And take a parenting class. No longer can you sip an apertif mulling over this or that right-wing trifle while your son runs wild through an eatery.
@8
My interest is piqued. What “elite school” does a 5 year old get into?
If you’ve ever read the comments by the right-wingers around here, you’d see that having their kid complete kindergarden is quite an accomplishment.
Shark (how apt..)-
Goldy had it right the first time…you really ARE a vindictive prick.
An “elite” school!!!!
A five year old! What a freaking laugh! Sharansky, I bet you’re one of those fools who send their kid to the Bush school and pay what? 15, 20 grand for KINDERGARTEN?
15, 20 grand so your poorly parented kid can disrupt the class at every turn?
Face it, Sharansky. With you chasing after Dean Logan to the point of harrassing him at his home and your wife chasing megabucks as a lawyer, your son didn’t very good quality parenting.
What a schmuck you are!!!
Stefan @ 3:
Who the fuck are you to “deem” it false? This is she said/he said. It was nothing until you gave it wings. How stupid can one man be. I am sure your wife got all wet in the nether regions over your manly display.
On the other hand, maybe it is you who tinkled your shorts when your wife went back to the Fremont Classic Pizzeria and Trattoria and stood up to the waitress.
You have something you want to tell us Stefan? This is the second time this week that a Republican caught in the midst of bad behavior has used that excuse.
BTW, didn’t Sharkansky promise to remove his derogatory posts in exchange for Ms. Bell’s apology and “retraction”? I see that Ms. Bell kept her part of the bargain and Stefan is happy to wave her statement around like a trophy whenever it suits him. However, all of the material Stefan promised to remove is now available again on his blog, plus more of his indignant blathering on the matter. So, apparently, Stefan’s word is worthless.
Let me save my SP friends from the trouble of pointing to blatherWatch’s continuing coverage of the incident and the subsequent spreading of the story to other blogs. I’ll only point out that Ms. Bell was not a party to any of those actions — and Stefan’s agreement was between him and Ms. Bell. The unrelated actions of others doesn’t free Stefan from his obligation to Ms. Bell.
Stefan:
One last comment for Stefan:
Just exactly what “actual facts” did Goldy miss? The one where you “deem” the story false? The quote that begins this post?
What facts are false?
She took part in a blog. You got your panties in a royal bunch. You got her fired. You posted that fact (woody intact) on your website. Three days later you are posting again. What facts got left out?
Your cries of “I wanted this story to die” fall on suspicious ears and you are surprised. I am sorry to make the comparison again, but Senator Craig is acting the same way.
Perhaps you have personal knowledge of Craig’s activities? Ever been to the airport in Minnesota?
Maybe Jane Hague can get rid of Bret Bader, and hire Stefan Sharkansky to help dig out of her own public relations hole? :)
LOL @ Richard @21
The sexist and authoritarian nature of right wing fanatics are clear in this flap.
Nate Gerard who chased this story and leaked it to blatherwatch didn’t seem to suffer much if at all.
But nooooooooooo. Minnow and his wife focus all of their attention on the waitress who had to hold down two jobs to support herself and her kids. They couldn’t pull their punches on the waitress and go after the blogger.
What a couple of sociopaths! I hope this dogs them for years and years to come. They deserve it!
This story keeps getting quieter and quieter:
http://blatherwatch.blogs.com/.....ck-th.html
In a post to SP (my first) I pointed out that it doesn’t much matter what the partisans that frequent his joint think (ours and his) because everybody, here and there, has people with, uh, strong feelings. What he really needs to be concerned about his how his conservative compatriots as a whole think of it all.
If it was an impulsive or compulsive reaction, well, I ‘spose everybody does that once in a while, and if it blows up in your face, you learn anger management if you survive.
If it reveals a serious flaw in judgmental processes, then his trial may just be beginning. I can’t imagine that the conservative community as a whole will be much thrilled by this saga, but that’s between him and them. It’ll be interesting to watch.
If you disagree with Stefan’s right wing opinions, he bans you from commenting on his pathetic blog.
Stefan is a pussy.
He is so wrong, he can’t defend his positions, and has to ban people for pointing out his hypocrisy, and lies.
Stefan, look up Don Siegelman if you want to get an education on election fraud, political prosecutions, and Karl Rove types running the justice department for the benefit of the “totally corrupt at every level” GOP.
The party you are a shill for Stefan, is nothing but an organized criminal enterprise. You are yourself guilty, because you are lying to cover up their crimes. I am talking about you crying like a baby about some homeless people voting, when you totally ignore the efforts by the GOP to keep tens of thousands of legitimate voters from being able to vote by illegal means. (See caging lists) See Katherine Harris; See Choicepoint; See Greg Palast; See Tim Griffin
The information is out there Stefan, please pull your head out of the sand.
Stefan, when are you going to wake up. Democrats are far from perfect, but compared to Republicons, they are practically godlike.
You are still a pussy.
Tell you what Stefan. Why don’t you email me at spammeherenow@gmail.com and let me know when you are going to let me comment on your right wing blog again, so I can slice, and dice you some more.
Coward?
You know you can’t, because you know I can refute you at will with the truth, and links…..
If there are any UW Communications professors following this, this would make a brilliant research paper or MA thesis topic for a student: the fluid genre of blogging and its interactions with established media (the conflation of personal/journalistic, fact/opinion, abuse/responsibility).
Given the disparity in power/authority/reputation between Stefan S. and waitron Bell, it would seem to me that much of the virtual ink spilled on this could have been avoided if Stefan S. had laughed this off and not deigned to take offense and respond to it at length. This was raised to a genuine controversy when it was acknowledged and picked up on Sound Politics. Look at at all the stuff on BlatherWatch about what a bunch of jerks the execs at KUOW radio are, you don’t see them freaking out about it–and the posts there are about the execs’ very reputation in public radio.
Public figures have to deal with this sort of thing all the time. That’s why us peons/trolls/cowards post anonymously. You run a blog, have some thick skin for cryin’ out loud.
@10 MLF
You certainly called it; if the man has aspirations for public office, he has certainly made his future campaign into a minefield. This will probably hang around for years, waiting like men’s room cop to rise up and grab him.
SiteMeter shows greatly increased traffic for both Horse’s Ass and Sound Politics for the last several days. David and Stefan will keep this waitress story going for as long as they are receiving increased advertising revenues from it.
@29
Horse’s Ass had increased traffic because of the Burner fundraiser.
LMAO..good point Goldy, good point!
Uh, Richard –
Aren’t you supposed to be running for office or something? Might be a good time to start making nice with the local bloggers.
Jeez, all this because Stefan is a lousy tipper and can’t control his kid?
Jeez, all this because Stefan is a lousy tipper and can’t control his kid?
Nah. All this because SS can’t control himself.
To the sycophants of Sharkansky & Goldy. Stop for a moment and ask yourself, if Goldy had been the one doing this would your current reaction and position be the same. I, for one, would be having the same reaction.
My first reaction when I saw the waitress’s post was and continues to be, to shrug my shoulders and think to myself, “That was tacky!” My first reaction to the Sharkansky’s response was, and continues to be, “WTF, that is way over the top for the offense given.”
If Goldy, or anyone else, had done this I would be just as critical. A person’s character isn’t just measured by how he/she treats people in an equal or superior social/economic standing but also how he/she treats people with an inferior standing.
If it was someone I knew personally, I would have tried to tell them it was a bad idea from the beginning. In fact, I would now be re-evaluating the level of my association with the person and examining whether this was an isolated incident or a pattern I had previously missed.
(also posted on Sound Politics)
36
A voice of reason cries out in the night.
Well said. I could not be more in agreement. I particularly want to commend you on this paragraph:
“If it was someone I knew personally, I would have tried to tell them it was a bad idea from the beginning. In fact, I would now be re-evaluating the level of my association with the person and examining whether this was an isolated incident or a pattern I had previously missed.”
Bravo!
In my post above, you can replace Goldy with Michael Hood or any other blogger/poster/journalist/person who has stated an opinion on the subject. Also, I have cross-posted the post on SP (as previously mentioned) and BlatherWatch. This isn’t a partisan politics issue, it is a “what kind of human being are you” issue.
@37
I had a very similar reaction to this when I was first told about it. I’m still not entirely clear why it’s such a big deal. Both the waitress and Stefan have acted like children in this whole thing. The waitress basically asked to be fired, but if Stefan’s true goal was to limit the publicity, he should’ve called the restaurant, alerted the owner to the post at Nate’s site and told them that if the post is not taken down within 48 hours, he will write on his well-trafficked blog about how the staff at that restaurant treats its customers. That threat would’ve been enough to end this quietly. Stefan let it get personal and vindictive and now it’s blowing up in his face.
@29: LOL, was wondering if there wasn’t an aspect of the bloggers laughing all the way to the bank on this. MA student, note well, a new chapter. :-)
#30 Lee says:
Get real. Increased traffic because of my trolling. Guess that makes me a shill for goldy. Hhmm, did you ever notice how many times I give goldy props for “letting” me post.
@40
I have to admit, you’ve convinced me that you’re smart enough not to really believe that.
@21 Anything, even Stefan, would be an improvement over Bader.
Hey Stefan! I know you read this blog! I just recommended you for a job (see #21). It’s time you did some work instead of living off your lawyer wife!
P.S., I hope you’re satisfied that, thanks to you, a single mom is now as unemployed as you are.
These fucking wingnuts might not be so quick to dump all the taxes on the working class if THEY had to work for wages once in a while.
Roger,
I’ve heard of one economist who says we should dump the regular tax code in favor of the alternative minimum tax. Think about it – none of those crazy deductions and write-offs. A more flat-rate system than the cyurrent mess. I like the idea!
What do you think, Mr. Rabbit?
I just gotta say it:”You’re doin’ a heckuva job, Stefan!”
Keep it up!.
Gee Tree Frog, haven’t heard from you in a long time. How have you been?
David, did you read Sharkansky’s post of yesterday? Did you see what Bell said about his son, about how she saw the child in ten to twelve years? It’s despicable and ugly.
I don’t have children, but when I saw that post, I understood Sharkansky’s overreaction.
I trust you hadn’t seen or heard that part when Barnett quoted you in The Stranger.
You’ve discussed your daughter on this blog, David. I hope nobody says anything ugly about her because they disagree with your politics. Keep children out of it.
Also, much fun is being made of Sharkansky’s alleged cheapness. David, you know I take a perverse delight in needling you. However, in all seriousness, let’s not forget that Sharkansky is a guy who won a award for volunteering as a tutor at an after-school program of The Urban League. Very few of us are that dedicated.
Luigi goldy is a cheap prick.and a begger who works 24 hours a month.i wonder if the prick pays child support probley not as he would have put the touch on his readers for that too.
I don’t have children, but when I saw that post, I understood Sharkansky’s overreaction.
So, when Rush Limbaugh called Chelsea Clinton the “White House dog” on his TV show, you would have understood if President Clinton had gotten Rush fired for that, and publicly complained during a press conference?
Or does IOKIYAR apply? (It’s OK if you are Republican)
Seriously?
No, it wasn’t OK for Ms. Bell to say that. It was classless, even if it was blowing off steam, and since she noticed who the dude was, she should have figured out that SS is the king of making mountains out of molehills (see: SS bloviating about election fraud in 2004, and Judge Bridges slapping those laughable arguments aside in 2005). So watching him and his wife go completely nonlinear and irrational on this is predictable, and I could see how you might lose your job if you do something like that.
But SS, once again, shows his complete lack of class, restraint and sense of proportion in drama queening this- and he’s being jaw-droppingly oblivious if he thought this was the way to “spare my wife and son the embarrassment of having this ridiculous story get wider dissemination”- or just plain dishonest about his motivations. (My armchair analysis is that he enjoys the traffic spikes and ego-boosting from sympathetic readers, plus gets satisfaction from getting his “revenge”- regardless of how petty it makes him look.)
Hey Berferd @ 49
You dumb motherfucker.
Just a question? Do you know what Goldy does for a living? Did your hourly total take into account time to prepare for each show? Typically for every hour spent on air there are at least two hours off air to prepare.
What a moron.
Luigi:
One last time. This is not about what she wrote anymore. This is about power vs. no power.
Stefan fanned this into a shitstorm of his own making. His public relations nightmare is all his. He owns it. No one else.
He can blame Goldy, God or Goose Gossage but the fact remains the same…..He did this to himself. He bent over and shoved his dick up his own ass. No one helped him.
He might want to look in the mirror and take a good long look at his ego. But he won’t. He is busy getting busy with his crack whore of a wife. She got excited to see him finally, after all these years, show some balls. Never mind that he hit a woman.
He is a pussy and so are you for defending him.
Fuck you!!
David, where are your post-primary endorsements and predictions? You committed to posting them on the afternoon of 08/22/07, eight days ago.
Except for a very early post yesterday, David, you didn’t post yesterday. Were you hanging that bad?
#8 Bill Anderson says:
Not sure about seattle (do they have ANY elite schools), but down here in la la land there are quite a few. Buckly school, Oakwood school, harvard westlake… Up to $20,000 for kindergarten.
#43 Roger Rabbit says:
What an ass you are rabbit. Getting stefan a job while doing nothing for the unemployed single mom. Typical democrat/liberal, use the poor, the unemployed, the single moms to attack publicans…
I challenge you, find her a job, help her out, do her right.
#41 Lee says:
Did you fail to notice I “appeared” at the same time Goldy was getting involved with other projects, Goldy was asking other bloggers to help out with articles, post numbers were dropping and ad revenue was slipping?
I. Right wingnut blogger subjected to unflattering remarks by waitress on obscure blog; elevates it to a major brouhaha; gets unknown and powerless waitress fired, proving that he is a man’s man.
II. Wingnut pundits explode regarding threat from nonexistent WMD’s; Claim “real men” want to go to Tehran; Send poor and powerless to fight their war and put it on the national credit card.
….hmmmm. I see a pattern here.
@55 That was a good one. I actually smiled at it and believe in giving props when they are due.
hehehehehehehhe
Another example of how you pussy liberals can dish it out but cant take it. Kind of reminds me of when the right was telling the truth about JF Kerry. The waitress wanted to be a player but in the end she got wacked, by the truth. Pussies!!! hehehehehe
my left foot are you lonley with one brain cell.and i forgot fuck you.
@33 “Libertarian says: Jeez, all this because Stefan is a lousy tipper and can’t control his kid? 08/30/2007 at 10:57 am”
No, all this because the sadistic prick got a poor person fired from her job because she complained about his very public failure to control his very publicly obnoxious kid.
@35 “Stop for a moment and ask yourself, if Goldy had been the one doing this would your current reaction and position be the same.”
It would never come up, because liberals don’t behave like this. Only conservatives behave like this.
@40 “Marvin Stamn says: Get real. Increased traffic because of my trolling.”
You have a grossly inflated concept of your significance on this blog.
@45 “Libertarian says: Roger, I’ve heard of one economist who says we should dump the regular tax code in favor of the alternative minimum tax. Think about it – none of those crazy deductions and write-offs. A more flat-rate system than the cyurrent mess. I like the idea! What do you think, Mr. Rabbit?”
I’ve never been rich enough to pay the AMT, so I’m not very familiar with it, but I’ve said all along on this blog that I’m in favor of a flat tax.
My concept of a flat tax works like this:
1. Exempt the income required for subsistance.
2. Tax everything else at the same rate.
3. Do not differentiate between various types of income; wages, capital gains, dividends, inheritances, etc., are all taxed the same.
4. Eliminate taxes on corporations in exchange for corporations giving up their legal “personhood,” which of course would make shareholders responsible for the company’s debts, torts, and crimes.
5. Make paying U.S. taxes a condition of American citizens doing business in, receiving income from within, or traveling or living in the United States. In other words, millionaires who live in offshore tax havens to avoid paying U.S. taxes would not be allowed to set foot in the U.S., and their money would not be allowed to leave the U.S.
@48 “You’ve discussed your daughter on this blog, David. I hope nobody says anything ugly about her because they disagree with your politics. Keep children out of it.”
Goldy didn’t get anyone fired for complaining about how his daughter behaved in a public place.
In fact, so far as I know, there isn’t any problem with how his daughter behaves in public places.
@50 “So, when Rush Limbaugh called Chelsea Clinton the “White House dog” on his TV show, you would have understood if President Clinton had gotten Rush fired for that, and publicly complained during a press conference?”
I don’t think Clinton should get Rush fired for that. I think Clinton should have gone to Florida and beat the crap out of Rush for that.
@52 “He did this to himself. He bent over and shoved his dick up his own ass. No one helped him.”
Bingo!
@55 “What an ass you are rabbit. Getting stefan a job while doing nothing for the unemployed single mom. Typical democrat/liberal, use the poor, the unemployed, the single moms to attack publicans…I challenge you, find her a job, help her out, do her right.”
Stamn, for once you’re right — I blew it this time! I AM an ass for trying to get Stefan a job as Jane Hague’s PR person. I should have offered that job to the waitress. Stefan deserves to rot.
@44:
What would YOU know about that hypocrit?
Berferd @ 60:
That is the best comeback that you could muster?
And you are worried about my brain cells?
OMG! The Stefan and the waitress saga has been picked up nationwide. Check this out:
http://tinyurl.com/ys2g5q
Stefan, you should have kept your mouth shut. Sometimes we are better served not to react at all.
@56
Did you fail to notice I “appeared” at the same time Goldy was getting involved with other projects, Goldy was asking other bloggers to help out with articles, post numbers were dropping and ad revenue was slipping?
Wow, I overestimated your intelligence! I will never do that again.
We were linked directly from the front page of Kos, Atrios, and a number of the most heavily trafficked blogs in the reality-based community all weekend. That’s why the traffic went up, not because of you.
@72
Marvin is a pompous ass who believes he is brilliantly insightful and that we attach great importance to his utterances. Like his egomaniac idol in the White House, he is a universe unto himself. Any attempts to disabuse him of his world-stunning importance will fail.
He remains a noted musician who objects to postal taxes. And he’s from Los Angeles, around which the world revolves. Give him the adulation he deserves.
What school is the feces tossing monkey boy going to? I want to make sure my kid doesn’t get punched in the face for not giving up her candy. First good reason I’ve seen for charter schools. Let’s keep these rogue elements out of the public school system. I really can’t blame the child though. Sharkansky is a bully and a cry baby, so I guess nurture does trump nature. Nature will eventually take its course when he becomes a Idaho state senator.
#72 Lee says:
Didn’t kos, atrios and the other blogs tell you, I was responsible for their heavy traffic too. Every where I go there is traffic, ever wonder why the traffic is so bad in los angeles?
@75
At least the part of your brain that controls your sense of humor still appears to be working.
#76 Lee says:
A bunch of years back I came up to seattle for a LAKERS sonicss game. Traffic was the worse in history it was reported. Instead of reporting my presence, the obviously liberal media spun it due to the wto riots. I was there, traffic was there. What else needs to be said?
#68 Roger Rabbit says:
Of course I was just having fun at your expense. But seriously, why don’t you help her get a job. She needs the help.
#62 Roger Rabbit says:
.
It would never come up, because liberals ignore liberals crimes.
I fixed it for you rabbit.
Shar, you are a prick. A worthless pisant of a prick. Your 3 inches ain’t worth my time. I’ll never date you again. You’ll just have to keep picking up paper in men’s rooms.
@43 Rodent:
You? Recommend him for a job and blame him for living off his wife? This out of you-a bloodsucking, unproductive, gov’t cheese recipient that doesn’t work either? They have a word for that Rodent-it’s called hypocrisy. Look in that big blue book called Webster’s if your tiny little mind can’t figure that one out. Thanks for the laugh though, you truly are amusing!
At the end of the day, things are “working out” ok for Sharkansky. Moon-butts can’t forever link has name with bad tipping or bad parenting as they would have had he not responded. At this point, we don’t really know what happened in the restaurant.
The bullying charges also fall flat. He didn’t try to get the waitress fired from either the restaurant or Amazon. He didn’t send a relative to the restaurant to intimidate her (that turned out to be the 14 year old sister, who went against Sharkansky’s advice to confront the waitress).
Meanwhile, Seattle Moonbutts have revealed themselves, particularly on the Stranger blog, to be the party of spitting (and worse) in people’s food. Now there’s a platform to run on.