Monty Python sketch?

“The trouble is I don’t understand the language. I don’t really understand what a Web site is,”

Well atleast we now know that he's been on the moon for the last 12yrs.

Even I, geezer that I am in my 58th year, knoweth what is a website.

The guy needs to be removed from the case.

Reminds me of my recent jury duty. The judge was about 147 years old and I'm pretty sure was either asleep or medically comatose during most of the proceedings.

Coming next, the trial judge is baffled by the meaning of jihad, murder, honor killings, destruction of Israel, Shari law, dhimmi, submission, etc.

He should disqualify himself from handling this trial, on grounds of incompetence.

I don’t really understand what a Web site is

He should spend a few minutes reading Kos for a good example of an anti-semitic website.

Medieval Tech Support

"the internet, your honor... you know, that thing al gore invented?"

Grim Milestone: Terrorist Death Watch

This table shows the number of dead terrorists, as identified by Allied forces, since January 1, 2006. It is a work in progress as time will be required to located the press releases and code them into the various tables. The source will be cited by a link and it will generally be a United States military one. Because the locals in both nations tend to be excitable, I won’t be relying on them for a count. I believe counts provided by our military will be the most conservative.

I never fell for that whole PC fad. I'm sticking with a dedicated Word Processor.

Is he familiar with the term clueless idiot?

OT!

Sorry - I'm OTing all over the place:

BOULDER HIGH SCHOOL says...
Have sex and do drugs!
In fact, gay sex is even better, just don't have sex with family members because studies have shown that incest can produce offspring with defects. And make sure when you have sex & drugs after school with your friends-- to stay " focused".

I
Kid
You
NOT.

[Link: www.khow.com...]

Ladies and gentlemen: the future of public education if the democrats remain in power.

"Well, you see your lordship, there are these tubes..."

Okay, well I assume they'll work things out, somehow. I'm afraid I don't grasp the significance, however. A judge is supposed to know about the law. Should a judge be an equal expert in everything? Honestly, there are so many stories of greater importance.

Recommendation: The Internet for Dummies
RRP: £14.99
Price: £8.99 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £15 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £6.00 (40%)

Read this earlier. I got the distinct impression the Judge was trying to get out of the case. This has already happened in a number of Muslim cases in Britain. They are scared.

Not the Nine O'Clock News (1980)
"The Judge"
with Rowan Atkinson

“The trouble is I don’t understand the language. I don’t really understand what a Web site is,” he told a London court during the trial of three men charged under anti-terrorism laws.

Is he familiar with the term "recuse"?

Society elevating our lowest common denominator into positions of power? Happens all the time.

my post 16 -- if you are interested in feeling disgusted: click on the first "click here to listen" icon.

#20 pat

scared? of the internet?

(couldn't resist... sorry)

I present to you Live Earth: The Book.

Just in time for some light summer propaganda.

A companion book to this summer's "Live Earth" concerts will come out June 26, printed, of course, on environmentally responsible paper.

"The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook: 77 Essential Skills to Stop Climate Change — or Live Through It," is a 160-page paperback release with an announced first printing of 200,000. It was written by David De Rothschild, founder of Sculpt the Future, a non-profit environmental foundation, and includes a foreword by actor-director
Rob Reiner Meathead.

Don't mention comment #14

Note for those confused by note 14. If you remember life when Heavy Metal was a popular music form (pre- Guns & Roses, pre- Pearl Jam), you should know what I meant. If both are ancient history to you, this note may help.

The halfway step between typewriters and PCs was something called a "dedicated word processor". In effect, it was a PC optimized for one application without having to worry about being able to install other applications.

Things have been moving pretty fast in this internet age. I recall something about scientific knowledge moving forward exponentially at an incredible rate for the last 20 years and the future promises to be even faster. This poses some problems for those in positions of oversight like the judge.

Just who says what qualifications one must have to adjudicate, manage, perform with regard to newer different technologies? If there is no basic understanding (and the pompous 'asses' will not want others to see this short-coming), will they make decisions based upon good looks? I see an opportunity for defense lawyers to appeal complicated stuff all over the place here.

#20 pat

This has already happened in a number of Muslim cases in Britain. They are scared.

I'm thinking you may be onto something there. Hmmm...

LONDON (Reuters) - A British judge admitted on Wednesday he was struggling to cope with basic terms like “Web site” in the trial of three men accused of inciting terrorism via the Internet.

So the courts in Britain aren't online. Dhimmi Watch indeed.

#27 Canadastani 5/16/2007 5:18:56 pm PDT

I had one of those. Nifty little gadget at the time. I believe I pawned it.

I'll admit, in my freshman year of college I had to ask one of my profs what he meant by 'web page'.

Of course, that was like 13 years ago...

Concluding Wednesday's session and looking ahead to testimony on Thursday by a computer expert, the judge told Ellison: "Will you ask him to keep it simple, we've got to start from basics."

This computer expert and the jury are in for a long, long day.

#29 Cartman
Some very prominent Judges too. "Too busy"

show the creaky old buffer THIS NEW SITE.

It seems that Omar Bakri Mohammed is planning another big demonstration in London...just to prove what nice, sane, rational, peaceful people those Islamist chappies are.

Canadastani,

I recall Wang Office.

Today, companies use Wang OFFICE to connect employees into their own proprietary electronic mail network. In the future, these same companies will connect to other companies' electronic mail networks. Although Wang would like to be the sole vendor of these systems, Appel says it isn't likely. "That's why our gateway products are increasingly important to us. We can provide integrated linkages into other OFFICE systems and other mail systems. You can form a comprehensive network with Wang OFFICE as the backbone, yet not be limited to Wang OFFICE.

"As we proceed into the next generation of offices, what's required is more integration, applications and exchange of information. For that to happen, there has to be some foundation architecture, designed to operate in all environments. We plan to make it happen."

“The trouble is I don’t understand the language. I don’t really understand what a Web site is,”

Well pal, you are in for a real treat with this case. Bring a barf bag.

#18 Salem

This story IS significant. This story is about more than just a silly judge. If judges and juries don't understand the modern concepts such as "website" or "wireless" communications, the state is going to have a hard time convincing the judicial system that Islamic terrorists are a threat. Thus we're going to have a REAL problem of catch-and-release of terrorists ( a real problem we've witnessed with Gitmo prisoners) and more unneccessary deaths by bombings. Remember, English cops had no idea that the train bombers were in play until after the fact. Also, remember the OJ jury. They just could not understand the concept of DNA evidence. Ignorance is as big of a threat to freedom and public safety as terrorist bombs.

#7 abolitionist

Well said!

14 Canadastani
I never fell for that whole PC fad.

You sound like Ken Olson, the once president of Digital Equipment Corporation (since bought out by COMPAQ that was bought out by Hewlett Packard).

DEC missed the boat because of his failing to believe in PC's. He was a visonary who became limited like this judge. Great company too !

/RIP DEC

#26 JammieWearingFool

Try this article..the Goracle must be tearing his hair out...or going for John Edwards.

#29 Cartman

I'm baaack! :)

I left you this on the almost-dead thread.

Boulder
12 Square miles surrounded by REALITY
Talk to the South Park Guys they know
Ward Churchill and PHDs in Underwater basket weaving. OH yeah and Coach McCarthy. What a waste of space.

He can just go ont "The Goggle" and look the terms up.

/GWB off

Judge Peter Openshaw broke into the questioning of a witness about a Web forum used by alleged Islamist radicals.

“The trouble is I don’t understand the language. I don’t really understand what a Web site is,” he told a London court during the trial of three men charged under anti-terrorism laws.

Dear Judge Peter,

I humbly present my 12 year old son to sit next to you and assist you with "the language"

"UK Judge Baffled in Internet Terror Trial"

There Charles, I fixed it for you.

20 pat

I got the distinct impression the Judge was trying to get out of the case.

I think thats very likely. His line does kinda sound like some lame-ass excuse a prospective juror might use to get out of jury duty.

Does he know what a gavel is? I think this guy used to be the CEO of my old company.

NY Nana,

I already included that link here.

I saw this elsewhere a while back. This isn't rocket science - if he doesn't understand the issues, he should recuse himself. Period.

Meanwhile, and wildly OT, Global effing warming.

Hat tip - Armybrat.

Holy crap!

“The trouble is I don’t understand the language. I don’t really understand what a Web site is,” he told a London court during the trial of three men charged under anti-terrorism laws.

Did they thaw this old fossil out of a block of Pleistocene glacier? I'm 53, and I know better that this guy.

If he doesn't understand what he is dealing with, he needs to recuse himself and get replaced with someone who has a clue.

#32 Chenzen,

I'll admit, in my freshman year of college I had to ask one of my profs what he meant by 'web page'.

Of course, that was like 13 years ago...

Yeah, but has your dad explained what a "rubber" is yet?

#36 JWF: I remember Wang fondly. Learning to use it took me from making $5 an hour to $9 in 1985, which was fairly decent money at the time for someone without a college degree.

I would have to say that this falls under the heading of, "Knowing when you should retire, already!"

#15 Jammie

Never said it better!

I believe this calls for: "Horace Rumpole of the Bailey".

I'm not sure what they mean by the Internet. All I know is there's this screen and my modem goes "deedle deedle". It's just like a regular computer except you get more than Solitaire and WordPad. Sometimes they bring up these pictures of naked ladies if you click the Wrong Thing.

What's the deal with pornography anyway? You might look at a picture of a naked girl and say "damn, she's pretty". But hey, it's not like she's going to jump off the monitor and give you a smooch. She's just a million dots of light.

Eureka, I think I just qualified myself to be a Law Lord.

#50 goodbye_natalie 5/16/2007 5:35:57 pm PDT

Yeah, but has your dad explained what a "rubber" is yet?

He didn't have to.

#10 kgt

omg, i was laughing so hard my stomach still hurts.

Who knows, perhaps the judge will recuse himself. At least he is appears to be honest, unlike an extremely high percentage of our "leaders".

Assuming this terrorist will be let off the hook because the judge is an idiot. Hey, even my 82 year old mother-in-law is computer savvy, posts in her favorite forums and emails us on a regular basis.

No excuse for this guy.

#47 JWF

Great blog! :) I love the whole thread. Carbon footprints...reminds me of a dinosaur.

So you're from Joisey? One of my sons, daughter in law and almost 5-year live in Maplewood.

BTW, I think I found the judge.

#22 Sharmuta

Is he familiar with the term "recuse"?

LOL. Let's invite him on over here and familiarize him with the term, "Sharmuta."

#55 observations

You called?

Don't be too hard on the judge. This may actually be a good thing. "See, there's this place where people hang about chatting and plotting how to kill us, your honor."

Maybe that would actually be better.

The judge just proves the old maxim of the 'Peter Principle'... being promoted to incompetence!

Many judges live in a kind of legalistic 'bubble world' totally divorced from reality. There they happily play their sill word games with like denizens of the legal system as the world flashes past them.

I think someone puts something in the water at law schools! Or perhaps it's a self selection 'thingie'.

Can't do maths, Don't want to know what a quark is, only marginally sure that putting forks into electric sockets is not a good idea, and can't program my video recorder. I can BS however and I love to drone on ad nauseum, especially when the clock is ticking and I'm paid by the minute... I'm must be lawyer material!

Well, the Internet is not a truck ...

#10 Killgore Trout

Thanks for the laugh...

i would hate to be stuck on jury duty for that trial

All too common - judges and or juries who can't quite figure out the facts or law involved in complex cases.

In this instance, the fact that the judge isn't familiar with something that we all take for granted - knowing what a website, online chatrooms or other Internet related entities are may result in a jihadi avoiding the sentence they deserve.

However, the prosecutors aren't doing their jobs either if they allow this to go down. They haven't sufficiently prepped the judge for the case either.

The judges have got to get up to speed on this stuff... their lives, and the lives of a whole lot of other people depends on them getting it right.

Just WOW.

Bailiff, bring me this man they call, Innernet. I require his scholarly counsel in this matter.

“The trouble is I don’t understand the language. I don’t really understand what a Web site is.

Oh geez. A person more oblivious to the most civilization-changing technology of the past 1,000 years than Dan Rather.

Truly amazing ... and disappointing ... and frightening.

#40 NY Nana

You are the best, hon! Much love passed along your way...

Never heard of the internet, what? Ah well, but his wig looks natty, I'll be bound.

/frowning a trifle quizzically at our forebears across the Pond

His honor doesn't know it's just a small section of a series of tubes?

This bonehead needs to be removed from the case, asap. These wannabe jihadis must be cackling incoherently.

"Judge no like internet! Judge smash!"

“The trouble is I don’t understand the language. I don’t really understand what a Web site is,” he told a London court during the trial of three men charged under anti-terrorism laws.

"You'll have to excuse me, I'm just a frozen caveman judge. I don't understand your "internet", or "websites"..."

#76

LOL

Methinks the schmuck doesn't understand the concept of reality as well.

#72 Cartman,

Here's back at you!

{{{ Cartman }}}

English judges are notorious for this type of "judicial detachment".

The image they wish to present to the court, the jury (when there is one present) and the world in general, is one of a man totally immersed in higher learning and the minutae of the law, and cannot possibly be expected know about mundane things like the internet. He tries to create an impression that he is above all these modern innovations by feigning ignorance of everyday matters and considers them trivial in comparison with the majesty of the law.

It is an affectation learned by English lawyers early in their courtroom careers, and continues down the generations.

Nauseating behaviour from those who should know better.

The "concept" of just what exactly a web site is is, indeed, hard to grasp.

Hey Judge, grasp this!

It's time to retire, my arcane friend.

My 86 year old mother is an internet fanatic. She didn't even have electricity when she was growing up. Do you realize what all she has seen change in her life?
Where has this guy been for the last 12 years? How does he even keep up with cases?

#82 Angel Cakes

I'm so proud of your mom. My mom is 87, and I took her a PC to use a couple of years ago. She couldn't master using a mouse.

This just points up how out of touch judges are in England. Dump the fruity wigs, and put someone who's technically savvy on the bench.

"I don’t really understand what a Web site is."

And he's 59 years old? My 80 year old uncle is struggling with Verizon vs Comcast HDTV and high speed wireless internet access in the 20 rooms in his home -- and he thinks he's clueless.

I've met many such people. Many are so arrogant that they feel learning about the internet 'and computers' will involve demeaning themselves in front of lesser mortals.
Sometimes its a rich boss who does not want some lowly clerk show him he knows more than he does on any matter.
Sometimes an academic whose ego forbids him from bowing to the superior knowledge of a lowly geek, so he buys a MAC.
Sometimes a writer who believes the only words worth reading or writing must come on a piece of paper.
All the kids i taught actually built their own computers from generic parts and went on from there.They are now flying high and are in control of their own machines.

Ah, the old rope a dope gambit. Feigning ignorance of real life.

#76

Note to self: "That's 'Unfrozen Caveman Judge'".

Note to self: "D-oh"

So do some bloody background reading. What do you think you get payed (handsomely) for, to sit and pull judgements out of your ass? Jesus.
This is a good thing in actuality. He could've just tried to wing it and let these men (I use the term loosely) off. Now I come to think of it, that's probably what'll happen anyways. Mustn't be too morally relativistic now must we?

#86,

It's the smarter ones who buy the macs anyway. Why should a user be an expert?

(ducks behind his mac)

Besides, I beleive Charles produces this blog from a mac.

There's nothing wrong with admitting ignorance, especially if you are willing to rid yourself of it.

That said, justice would be better served if the judiciary (American as well as British) took it upon itself to assign cases involving technology to jurists who have at least a working understanding of the technologies involved.

I suspect the judiciary prides itself on the fact that any judge is qualified to hear any case. Well they aren't. The myth that they are is a conceit that's doing real violence to the legitimacy of the judiciary, and to the rule of law.

What the hell? my 79 year old grandfather spends a ton of time on the internet, and my 55 year old father couldn't function in his job without considerable functional knowledge. When you're more ignorant about the basic facts of a case than the average member of the population, you have to recuse yourself.

This is about the class society in Britain. People of the right sort don't dabble in vulgar things like the internet. They show how high up the ladder they are by professing ignorance of operating basic machines or doing basic things that are reserved for servants or secretaries. So the subtext of his statement is probably that he is above all this distasteful riff raff in his courtroom, but at this point we're sort of past all that aren't we? He can actually say something like that in his position and this situation, and not feel ashamed. This guy is probably an still living in 1830, socially speaking. But he's not alone. They just don't understand that they are not going to keep people from blowing up London by inflicting the classic English snub.

I honestly do not know how the Brits are going to cope with the next century.

This is the irhabi007 trial. It would seem to make sense that they get it right the first time around.

A JUDGE stunned a court yesterday by admitting he did not know what a WEBSITE was.

Judge Peter Openshaw brought a shuddering halt to the trial of three men accused of internet terror offences as a witness was being quizzed about an extremist web forum.

He told shocked prosecutors at Woolwich Crown Court, South East London: “The trouble is I don’t understand the language. I don’t really understand what a website is.”

Here comes the judge:

www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007220614,00.html

images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2007221112,00.jpg

Oh, God! This is even worse than I thought. Are we absolutely sure that this 'judge' really exists? Please tell me it isn't true.

There is still hope for this case...

Labour councillor jailed for 3.5 years for vote fraud

Ex-councillor jailed for electoral fraud

Roxanne Escobales and agencies
Friday April 8, 2005

A former Labour councillor who pleaded guilty to postal voting fraud in local elections was today jailed for three years and seven months at Preston crown court.

Judge Peter Openshaw, called the case a "public scandal" and told Muhammed Hussain he was passing a stiff sentence on him as an example to others.

Hussain, 61, had arranged for the collection of blank ballot papers that had been posted out to homes in the ward of Blackburn, in Lancashire, where he was standing for office. His campaigners went from house to house asking voters to hand over blank ballot papers, telling them: "Don't worry we'll take care of them."

Hussain won a seat on Blackburn with Darwen council with 1,728 votes and a majority of 685 in the May 2002 local elections. But an investigation found 233 of his postal votes were fraudulent

He admitted conspiring to defraud the returning officer in the Bastwell ward of Blackburn.

The sentencing comes in the same week as six Labour councillors from Birmingham council were found guilty of postal voting fraud in winning two wards during elections for the city council last June. The judge in that case, Richard Mawrey QC, condemned the government for complacency in the face of fraud that, he said, would disgrace a "banana republic".

Silly old fart.

#93 Golden Brown

This is about the class society in Britain. People of the right sort don't dabble in vulgar things like the internet. They show how high up the ladder they are by professing ignorance of operating basic machines or doing basic things that are reserved for servants or secretaries. So the subtext of his statement is probably that he is above all this distasteful riff raff in his courtroom, but at this point we're sort of past all that aren't we? He can actually say something like that in his position and this situation, and not feel ashamed. This guy is probably an still living in 1830, socially speaking. But he's not alone. They just don't understand that they are not going to keep people from blowing up London by inflicting the classic English snub.

I honestly do not know how the Brits are going to cope with the next century.

Mate, what the hell have you been smoking?. Hehe... A judge is clueless about computers and the internet and it's a commentary on the class system?. Oh, please.

There are some very worrying people commenting on this!
The Judge has done the honourable and sensible thing of saying he does not understand something; asking for an explanation means you are smart, not dumb.
Perhaps people would prefer it if he had just gone on and perhaps made a wrong ruling?
But, no doubt American judges know everything and never make mistakes! They are obviously born omniscient; Kelo decision anyone?
Sorry Charles, but everytime there's a story about something over here, the Brit Bashers come out in force, and I've had enough of no-nothing dickheads.

Has he ever heard of a "glossary" and can't one of his interns create one for him?

It's bad enough that he has a knowledge deficit to begin with, but, okay, how about showing some problem solving skills?

I guess Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer is now a judge.

...BOULDER HIGH SCHOOL says...
Have sex and do drugs!
In fact, gay sex is even better, just don't have sex with family members because studies have shown that incest can produce offspring with defects. And make sure when you have sex & drugs after school with your friends-- to stay " focused"...

I was telling a friend the other day that if it was not for my cable internet then I would drop cable. WTF, station after station shows nothing but lezbeez and boyzbeez. If their was ever any question about liberals being in charge of the major media networks then this is it.