Panera Does Not Read Birmingham Blues, Does Not Want Its Patrons Reading Birmingham Blues
As far as blogs go, Pam Spaulding’s Birmingham Blues remains pretty tame.
Sure, she takes the piss out of anti-gay activists and may refer to anal sex or some other homo activity, but Kathy (not pictured, in younger years) ain’t a dirty birdy like some people.
Apparently, however, Panera Bread thinks she’s a nasty girl. The journo recounts a recent trip to the national chain:
I got my delicious chicken strawberry something or other salad and connected to Panera’s wireless network. Clicked on my link to the blog (yes, I was procrastinating) and got a message from something called Sonic Wall telling me my site had been blocked.Because it’s been classified as pornography.
That stinks, Kathy. Now that you’ve been labeled a pornographer, perhaps you should embrace it by posting some titties and willies?
[Correction: In our haste, we wrote that Panera banned Pam Spaulding's blog, when we should have said Panera banned Birmingham Blues. We've decided to keep Pam Spaulding's baby picture, however, because it's so damn cute!]
It’s Panera.
Not to be picky, but it wasn’t Pam or Pam’s site that was blocked, it was a blog called Birmingham Blues, written by a very gay friendly straight woman. She crossposted at Pam’s site.
Ahh, the new world of electronic censorship!
Don’t you just love it… how our employers can force us to not live our lives as we see fit, how they have the right to say what we can and cannot do IF WE WORK FOR THEM and now we have services associated with more Corporate GLUT telling us what we can and cannot read.
Aren’t we lucky to live in a FREE Country?
Actually, you were also right the first time, Pam’s website is pretty tame and the folks there not, as Joe Biden would say, sharp as a tack.
I submitted a request to have the Blues classified as “Political/Advocacy Groups” because that was the best match I could find, but it’s now been designated “Glamour/Society”. Who knows why, but I promise you won’t be seeing any posts about fashion models or rich heiresses. At least Panera Bread customers will be free to peruse the site now.
Thanks for the link! Oh, and thanks for keeping Pam’s baby picture. It’s much cuter than mine.