TOD'S TACTICS: False legal threats and cameras that take unusable pictures

Let me draw your attention to a line that truly deserves to be highlighted in "Tod Maffin's Official Manual Of Intimidating People You Don't Like":

"Later, when he spotted me taking pictures of the place ..."

What we can learn here, fellow students of journalism, is that you need not proceed directly back to your computer and blog some BS against someone you have a hate-on for.

You can actually sweeten the pain you want to inflict on your victims by using resources close at hand, and begin intimidating immediately!

Here we see Tod (who might just have left the establishment after loudly proclaiming "I'll never do business here again!"), returning to the scene of his injury - with a camera.
And we know that these days, nothing freaks people out more than a camera pointed at them, second only to a lethal weapon.

Tod is either not very good at working undercover, or he deliberately wants the owner to see him taking pictures.
And it worked.
He got some groveling out of it, pronto.

But when it comes time to piece together the actual post, Tod chooses not to use his own copyrighted photos but just grabs a frame from the offensive company's website.

We have to guess at why a techno-wiz like Tod didn't return home with a useful picture.
Is it because:
(a) the camera was one he got free in the mail for review by a CBC reporter and doesn't work?
or
(b) he just ran up the street to a novelty store, and it actually only squirts water?

Let us however put aside the incompetent aspect here, and focus on the tactic itself.
The primary goal is to create a state of fear in your victim at the earliest opportunity.
Taking full-frontal pictures is a great start.
But other, less complex tools can be employed.
Such as pulling out a pen and piece of paper and begin scribbling furiously.
Drive your point home by making a show of checking your wristwatch at different intervals as you write.
And if you've really got a ballsy attitude, ask for the correct spelling of your victim's name, along with any other vital stats that may indicate legal proceedings may be afoot.
Are you getting the picture?
Unlike Tod.

You may recall in an earlier post that I mentioned that Tod threatened to sue a friend of mine for something I said and that she published.
(Incidentally, she was just presented with the NEW YORK BLOG CRITIC'S AWARD - MOST TRUTH - Bantamweight, because she's awesomely brilliant!)

But Tod had no intention of actually suing anyone for defamation.
For one thing, he had no grounds.
What I said was true.
And, as I've pointed out, Tod can't afford a lawsuit.
He can only afford the threat of one.
(and lawyers generally don't deal in empty threats - that's small potatoes in their bank accounts)

So never fear a lawsuit from Tod, or having him take your picture.
There's really nothing going on to lose sleep over.

The same is true of all of Tod's displays of integrity.
They're phony.