And why is there now a posted notice on the internet saying that DowntownDirt.org is not only back, but it has also somehow merged with its evil twin, The Sierra Madre Cumquat? (11:30 pm update: Once again the Mayberry Mafia - thanks Bip! - has pulled a Cumquat site, the third time this has happened. In its place there is now a newly designed DowntownDirt.org logo - sans The Cumquat - featuring the face of Curly from the Three Stooges. Appropriate given the players involved, though something that I'm sure would be of interest to the highly litigious Howard Family Estate as well. But here's a question, if these knuckleheads - to use Moe's nickname for Curly - are so embarrassed by being associated with The Cumquat, and always pull it down just as soon as it is discovered, why do they keep putting it up in the first place? Can it be these dudes have some kind of shame fetish going on?)
To see the art posted to the left in its original setting, click here. You can see that the following legend is spelled out in bold letters. "DOWNTOWNDIRT.org is back! Check back for updates on our launch schedule."
After discovering the relaunch notice for DowntownDirt.org /The Cumquat, I did a little search on Domaintools.org to see if an owner popped up. A domain owner being the person who owns the rights to a web name. Think of it as a patent, something registered to the individual possessing the site. And an owner did turn up in the search. A rather distinguished Sierra Madre gentleman to be exact. One holding a position of great trust in the community.
It turns out that the owner and administrator of DowntownDirt.org is a B.D. Howes. AKA Benjamin Duward Howes. Benjamin was born in 1957 and lives at 58 E. Laurel Avenue here in Sierra Madre. His company is identified as B.D. Howes, Inc. Also located at 58 E. Laurel Avenue.
And what makes B.D. "Benjamin" Howes a notable figure in this community? Here is a passage from a Coburn article entitled Sierra Madre Rotary Club's Dan Stower Award Competition 2008.
"At Cafe 322 on Monday night, Rotary President B.D. Howes introduced his fellow Rotarians the Sierra Madre Chapter's representative in the Dan Stover Music Competition. Selected to represent Sierra Madre Rotary was ..."
I'm going to cut to the chase here because this whole episode is making me kind of nauseous. Benjamin D. Howes is a President of the Sierra Madre Rotary Club. So why is a President of the Sierra Madre Rotary Club the domain owner and administrator of a website that is apparently in the process of relaunching the pornographic site known as The Cumquat? Why is he identified as the owner and administrator of DowntownDirt.org on Domaintools.com?
Here is how award winning L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez described The Cumquat in an April 2007 column entitled, "Sierra Madre fears for its treasure:"
"Another blogger, known as the Sierra Madre Cumquat, reported -- in one of the lamest stabs at satire I've seen in a while, that Councilman _____ ____ had opened a bathhouse for young men, superimposing his photo over what looked like a gay orgy. The same website made up a story that pornographic images of Measure V supporter _____ _____ had been released on YouTube."
And as for DowntownDirt.org? Lopez had this observation to make:
"When I told ____ that DowntownDirt.org didn't appear to be as satirical as other sites and instead seemed devoted to jabbing The Observer, she scoffed. Downtown Dirt has a space devoted to 'lively, spirited and civilized debate' on which a February entry by 'Cumquat' asked 'how long its been' since ____ 'had an orgasm.'"
Oh, one other thing, and maybe this is an important missing clue. B.D. Howes is a strong political supporter and close friend of Joe Mosca. Anybody surprised? I'm not. After all, there are many people in this town who claim to believe that Joe Mosca wrote much of the first incarnation of the pornographic site known as The Cumquat.
A friend stopped by to help me with some of the technical aspects of this post. I ran through what I discovered, and he scratched his head. "These people really aren't all that smart, are they?" No, they're not. Lowlife creeps? Sure. But definitely not long on intellect. After all, if they were, would they be attempting to return once again to the same losing strategy?
45 comments:
Steve Lopez isn't the only one. Personally, I think that these websites are not worth the time and effort it takes to pay attention to them. I've always recommended ignoring them. Then they implode on themselves and become exciting and interesting only to those who are already persuaded. Crap and always will be.
Wow. So the bourgies are looking to bring back their dirty little website? Or were looking to bring back their dirty little website. I suspect that now the anonymity factor has been removed the esteemed Rotary president and owner of "Smilefinder" dentistry will now wish to distance himself from his actions.
Creep.
It doesn't surprise me that the dirts would try to combat the influence of Sir Eric's columns.
My first reaction to this news was that of Mama Clem's.
I strongly recommend ignoring. Not worth your effort.
We are interested in truth, solutions to problems and the betterment of Sierra Madre.
I know one thing for certain.
Last time this filthy website appeared in 2006, then mayor John Buchanan, endorsed it. Endorsed it in the Pasadena Star News as "being good for Sierra Madre".
This looks like a desperate effort of Joe Mosca and his "friends" to get him elected to our city council again, next year.
Mosca, like his other pal, Susan Henderson, has brought nothing but grief to this town.
I wounder if they'll get 8,700 + hits today?
lol.
When is the last time you saw a dentist?
Call 1 800 Cum Quat and the Dirty Dentist will have your choppers shining like new!
This guy is a friend of Joe Mosca.
So was the late Jim Snider, whose name was (used) on the original Cumquat.
Joe Mosca has an insane jealousy of fellow council member and former Mayor Kurt Zimmerman.
Kurt is everything Joe wishes to be, but never will. This is quite obvious, even to casual observers.
I would bet money on the fact, Joe was one of the contributors of those Cuquat and Qunt websites. Anyone who read the constant obscene content of those websites would understand why.
This is really sickening.
Obscenity is only attention seeking behavior substituting for true wit and intelligence
Orleans is right on.
If everyone on this board IGNORES this website it will go away.
Let a small handful of hateful, depraved dirts read and post.
IGNORE IGNORE IGNORE....that's the smartest way to deal with this.
DISGUSTING.
From the Rotary Club:
The Four-Way Test
The test, which has been translated into more than 100 languages, asks the following questions:
Of the things we think, say or do
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
Surely B.D. Howe is no longer associated with the Rotarians?
I would hope not, SMBO.
He is still associated with our councilman, Joe Mosca, a man who wanted to be our mayor!
Mosca, idolized on downtowndirt and cumquat's junior high school boy's bathroom type humor.
I can't believe you dirts have resurrected the same name! Unbelievable!
Neuroblastfilms? May be have the video of Mosca's whine at the end of the last city council meeting.....this was the real Mosca, who obviously thought he was off camera and off audio, but wasn't!
As much as we want to beleive and think if we ignore it it will all go away, sadly it simply is not true. There will always be very sick and evil people in the world who use power in many different and disturbing ways! WE can ignore it. But THEY will always find someone to CONVINCE that they are right, that there way is the BEST way and that they are BETTER and SMARTER than EVERYONE. After all, the truth is that JOE and SUSAN did convince MANY of us on this very website that they were good, fair, truthful people who would "build goodwill and better friendships for the people of Sierra Madre." We all got sucked in. The saddest part of all is that Joe, Susan, John and the followers STILL believe they are!!
Retrospect is a wonderful friend. Ignoring will not make them go away. Proactive work on our part is essential. We cannot pretend that there is a magic wand somewhere that can make anyone or anything dissapear. We have to work against them through our wonderful, City Council and expose Joe and John's character and lack of integrity. Since the beginning of time, money and sex has always been used to sell the people. The weak, the jealous, the ignorant, the insecure, the irrational will always be drawn to the lowest common denomenator cuz it sounds easy....thinking and making decisions takes too much time.....and brainpower....
Interesting to see that the people who Susan Henderson refers to as "leading citizens" and "pillars of the community" are involved in resurrecting a smut site. It figures that when people of that ilk ran our city government they lost a million dollars. But they do seem to have a lot of time to hang around town. When the rest of us are working this is what they do, play at being Mayberry Larry Flynts ..
Well said George.
And about the money, losing a million, wasting a quarter of a million on RBF alone for the DSP, spending half a million on the Goldberg (but they didn't donate it!) Pocket Park, and .....resisting spending on an independent audit.
The white trash oligarchy. Hillbillies with an internet porn addiction. Sierra Madre has fallen into the hands of perverts.
I guess I now know why you folks call them Dirts. They sure do live up to the name.
Good Morning All,
I've got 17 count 'em 17 short clips from our city council meetings up for your viewing pleasure. With more to come all the time.
Neuroblast Films
I agree with Danny Dimas--in part. Ignoring the website will not make it go away, but then again, attacking it and discussing it only gives it much more stature than it deserves. If it has something to offer, then we could engage in some kind of serious debate. But until that time comes, I continue to think ignoring it is the best bet. I certainly don't have time to look at their facile efforts at commentary. Bogus!! Lame!! I can't be bothered.
Some attribute the demise of the Cumquat in its earlier incarnation to the death of Jim Snyder, a cartoonist and its self-proclaimed founder. However, after his death, we learned that the disgusting, pornographic website was really a group effort (i.e., the website could have continued without Snyder's "creative" input). I believe that the decision to remove the website can be attributed to public outcry. Recall that at several Council Meetings concerned residents complained about the vile website and took Council Member Buchanan to task for endorsing it. Accordingly, I also believe that remaining silent in the face of the website's eminent return does a tremendous disservice to Sierra Made as well as Council Members Zimmerman and Watts, who had to suffer in the face of its weekly calumnies. Please show up at the next City Council meeting and express your outrage. Let those responsible for the threatened return of that internet monstrosity know that you will not tolerate such filth in our town.
Poster 12:47 is right. We need to express our displeasure with the return of the website NOW. The reason things have changed for the better in Sierra Madre is because three of our Council Members are not afraid to speak out and have support from equally vocal and eloquent citizens. Keeping quiet is exactly what the dirts want you to do, and is the reason they remained in power as long as they did.
Mama Clem, did you ever read any of the articles on the Cumquat? I'm thinking of those that falsely accused our former Mayor Zimmerman, who did so much for our City and who happens to be the loving father of two small children -- with unspeakable conduct. If you read those articles, I don't think you would be saying "ignoring is best" It's obvious from your posts that you are very intelligent and eloquent. Please don't stick your head in the sand on this one. We need your help.
Sorry, but that one was just so stupid it had to go.
Can one start a blog like one can publish a book? ... One can write reviews, but the blog/book is still written and published. One needs to strategize the best way to minimize the exposure and effectiveness the blog/book. Thank you Eric for another informative exposé.
Silence is NEVER an option when there are people this cruel and senseless on the political attack. THANK YOU to all the above who understand that I never was talking about an attack. I do not want the BULLY to win, the Dirts try to use intimidation as political foder. None of us have to VIEW the website...........word of mouth is enough to know that the DIRTS did what they did. John Buchanan admited it at the CC meeting.
Yes, we cannot stick our head in the sand and we must somehow remind Joe and John that phonography is not in the best interests of anyone, and that as leaders they owe more as role models to the children and teenagers in this town! Have they no shame? It is apphalling!
I guess this is just another way they want to be remembered, wow!!
This guy Howes would be crazy to start that filthy site up again.
Surely there are some decent people amoung the downtowndirt crowd?
Stand up to Mosca and Lambdin and Perez, they are dragging you down in the sewer with them.
Sir Eric,
why don't you contact Howes and ask him for a Tattler interview?
Neuroblastfilms can tape it for YouTube.
Ask him if he plans to defame our new Mayor, MacGillivray or just keep defaming Kurt and Don?
I would be curious as to why this chucklehead is bringing this vile website back?
Someone who is titillated by pornography,including bathroom humor and related pathologies are simply victims of arrested development.They should be regarded as pitiful but they certainly should never be indulged.
You'ld be talking about Mosca, Lambdin and Perez, Lacy.
That's them!
If this man puts this terrible website/s up again, is there any way we can complain to the Rotary?
I'm sure they wouldn't want to be associated with anything so degrading.
The Rotary already is associated with it since ol' BD is their president. That is the secret to all this. It is the so-called "leading citizens" that have always been behind this kind of stuff all along. The Mayberry Mafia as I call them.
Wow, the Mayberry Mafia.
Is Bart Doyle the "godfather"?
Mosca is Fredo.
Okay, I'm all for eliminating evil and especially the type of evil that is represented by cumquat and that ilk. But try as I might I can find no way to actually do it--eliminate the evil. At one point, I went to the website that hosted cumquat and complained that the content was in breach of the terms of the contract and voila!! They got kicked off the host website. Victory? No, because there's always somebody with lower standards to take them on and they did. So they were off the air for about 15 seconds and then back in the atmosphere again. Can we do any kind of legal action? Nope, because the first amendment protects the right of free speech, not the right of responsible free speech. Is there a right to sue them for defamation? Maybe but the cure is as bad as the disease and the people depicted on the website are public figures and so that have less protection against defamation that private citizens will have. This is to allow discourse in the public domain about public issues. And of course, that can include this kind of crap. And one more thing about defamation, did it cause harm? With something that outlandish, it would be hard to prove so then what? I have seen some of their stuff (I'd call it something more accurate and descriptive and I'd be right, but Sir Eric would bleep it out--because unlike the dirtsites, he has standards) and it's hideous to the nth degree. But really, who actually believes that junk? It's an in your face type of thing that's just meant to make people angry that they can't do anything about it and that's why I say ignore it. Believe me, I've pursued this before and if I could find another way to get rid of it, I'd do it in a heartbeat, but I think we're stuck and that's why I concluded ignore it. If you don't get all riled up about it, you've deprived those losers of the only thing they get out of it--the joy of horsing people around.
Hey, I could be wrong and I don't mean to be intransigent, but I just can't find a way around it.
I think the point here is not the sites themselves, but who is behind them. Unfortunately in Sierra Madre this is how the Downtown Investors Club plays politics. They can't discuss issues because they have none. They're just interesting in wrecking the place for personal profit. The hypocrisy of their claims of caring about this town literally screams of their pathetic phoniness. So instead they conduct their affairs through porn sites and publications like the Loony Views News. It's sad but there it is. How else do you discuss joe Mosca and John Buchanan and all their cocktail party minions? The Cumquat is the metaphor for what they are. Low class pompous bourgie nitwits with entitlement claims as wide as their fannies.
I agree with Finewine, if you out the "respectable citizens," as Sir Eric did, behind the Cumquat and bring this crap to the community's attention at Council meetings, there is a chance that the website will remain down. The Cumquat was an albatross around Buchanan's neck the last time it was up and running and Mosca (if he has any political survival instincts) will not want to be associated with whoever owns the domain name; even, if that person is his Rotary buddy.
Hatred is ugly...'bout time insular thinking stopped!
9:34 - Mosca thinks that the Democratic political apparatus is going to save his butt no matter how badly he does his job. His faith in the Glendale phone bank and his patrons in Sacramento is unshakeable. A typical apparatchik. That's why in my opinion defeating him will be far easier than many think. Joe is not a spontaneous thinker, he's a party hack.
When are we going to start compaigning for Sir Eric for City Council?
Mama Clem for City Council, I will make the add spots!
Neuroblast Films
The downtown dirts:
Expose their dirty deeds!
Make sure none of them ever get elected to public office again in Sierra Madre!
Laugh at their stupidy!
We have superior minds such as Sir Eric and Mama Clem to keep a watchful eye on them, in case they cross the line.
Thank you Sir Eric and all the super posters here!
I suspect that creepy little Miquel Spigai Perez is behind this. He has brought back this filth before. He was working those original websites.
He is a vile little troll, and would be laughable except for the unfortunate fact that he is on our LIBRARY COMMISSION. John Buchanan, Joe Mosca and Enid Joffe made sure of that despite the objections of residents and the strong objections of Kurt Zimmerman and Don Watts.
Why the hell is this little thug on our Library Commission?
When you get dealt a cumquat make lemonade. You can't ignore a sore or injury, you need to treat it. The cumquat can be treated the same way, get the facts and print them. Information needs to be brought out. Information like who hung out with them and influences there writing. If we have facts about who these dirty players are, we just need to appropriately bring that to print, tell about it, no big deal, just the facts that should be told. Family members might have a bigger influence to not be acting so dirty in public with the family name. Just a thought, sort of like your doing on The Tattler, keep it up. Thank you.
you know what they say; keep your friends close and your enemies closer...
Fantastic investigative journalism, as usual!!
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