Archive for April, 2011

John Yoo Calls the Kettle Black

Published 1, April 30, 2011 Constitutional Law , Courts , Justice , Politics , Supreme Court 31 Comments

Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama announced that he was considering an Executive Order that would mandate that all contractors who receive Federal money must disclose their political contributions.  Since I am not a big fan of Executive Orders and since President Obama was not a big fan of Executive Orders when he was a candidate, I was not especially enthralled about the possibility of another Executive Order.  However, once I read what the proposed Executive Order was going to do, I have to admit that I embraced it with open arms. Continue reading ‘John Yoo Calls the Kettle Black’

Will the Supreme Court’s Decision in AT & T Mobility v. Concepcion Bring an End to Class Action Lawsuits Against Large Corporations?

Published 1, April 30, 2011 Constitutional Law , Supreme Court 63 Comments

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger

Last Wednesday, the Supreme Court handed down its ruling in the case of AT & T Mobility v. Concepcion.  The justices split along ideological lines once again. The 5 to 4 decision came down on the side of corporations—and most likely eliminated the right of citizens to band together to bring class action lawsuits against large corporations.

The Concepcion case involved cellphones and a common type of contract that requires customers to press their claims through arbitration instead of through lawsuits. As reported by Robert Barnes in The Washington Post, these types of contracts “which mandate individual rather than group claims, are becoming standard for companies offering loans, cable service, credit cards and even employment.”

Continue reading ‘Will the Supreme Court’s Decision in AT & T Mobility v. Concepcion Bring an End to Class Action Lawsuits Against Large Corporations?’

‘Bama Finally Bids Jim Crow Adieu

Published 1, April 30, 2011 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Justice , Society 23 Comments

Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

Well, the Alabama Senate finally got around to it. A vote Wednesday eliminated Jim Crow laws and other segregationist measures in the State’s 340,000 word constitution that was adopted in 1901. The struck language eliminates requirements for separation of the races in educational institutions and the infamous polls taxes. The vote was 22-9 with all Republican senators voting in favor of the legislation.

Some Democratic legislators opposed the bill as too little, too late. Sen. Linda Coleman, D-Birmingham, said there were still racist problems in Alabama’s constitution, including schools that she said are not equitably funded. “This bill to me is a farce. It’s a smokescreen,” Coleman said. ” Jim Crow is still here…. We know there are disparities,” she added.  Continue reading ‘‘Bama Finally Bids Jim Crow Adieu’

Can Smartphones Be Searched Incident to Arrest?

Published 1, April 30, 2011 Constitutional Law , Criminal law , Supreme Court 21 Comments

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

In the 1969 case Chimel v. California, the Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, held that an “arresting officer may search the arrestee’s person to discover and remove weapons and to seize evidence to prevent its concealment or destruction.” The search also included “the area “within the immediate control” of the person arrested, meaning the area from which he might gain possession of a weapon or destructible evidence.” This case created the Chimel rule allowing warrantless searches incident to a lawful arrest.

Continue reading ‘Can Smartphones Be Searched Incident to Arrest?’

Killer Joe

Published 1, April 30, 2011 Media 6 Comments

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

This morning we present The Rocky Fellers in glorious STEREO!

China: Who Will Rid Us of These Meddlesome Monks?

Published 1, April 29, 2011 Criminal law , International , Politics , Religion , Society 7 Comments

After arresting hundreds of Christians for attempting to worship in unapproved services, the Chinese have turned to Buddhists for a crackdown that has reportedly taken the lives of two Tibetans. Chinese forces raided the Kirti Monastery (shown left) after accusing monks of disrupting social order and . . . wait for it . . . defaming their religion. That’s right, the government that occupied Tibet, killed Tibetan monks, sent the Dalai Lama in hiding, and destroyed countless temples has accused these monks of defaming their own religion.

Continue reading ‘China: Who Will Rid Us of These Meddlesome Monks?’

Carping Over Cosmetology: Spa Fights For Right To Use Flesh-Nibbling Fish in Arizona

Published 1, April 29, 2011 Bizarre , Society 11 Comments

The Arizona Court of Appeals heard an interesting argument this week that is newsworthy for two reasons. First, there is a legal dispute over whether spa can use live fish to nibble dead skin off the feet of customers. Second, a spa wants to use live fish to nibble dead skin off the feet of customers. The state insists that there is no way to sterilize the Garra Rufa fish, a tiny carp.
Continue reading ‘Carping Over Cosmetology: Spa Fights For Right To Use Flesh-Nibbling Fish in Arizona’

Homeless Mom Charged With Felonies After Lying About Her Address To Get Her Son In Suburban Kindergarten

Published 1, April 29, 2011 Bizarre 20 Comments

Tanya McDowell is a homeless mother who is criminally charged for the crime of lying about her address to get her son into a suburban kindergarten in Connecticut. She is now charged with felony larceny and conspiracy after Housing Authority lawyer, Donna Lattarulo, reported McDowell to the police after suspecting that she was using her babysitter’s address to get her son into the kindergarten.
Continue reading ‘Homeless Mom Charged With Felonies After Lying About Her Address To Get Her Son In Suburban Kindergarten’

Wal-Mart CEO: People Are “Running Out Of Money”

Published 1, April 29, 2011 Society 50 Comments

Not that we need signs of our economic crisis, but Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke made a chilling observation this week at an event talking about the company’s operations. Duke said his customers are simply “running out of money.”
Continue reading ‘Wal-Mart CEO: People Are “Running Out Of Money”’

Pet Companion Animal Peeve: Professor Calls For the Elimination of Such “Derogatory” Terms As “Pet,” “Beast,” “Owner,” and “Wildlife”

Published 1, April 29, 2011 Animals , Bizarre , International 32 Comments

This morning I kissed by co-human carer and fed my companion animal before sitting down to blog on the recent publication by the Revd Professor Andrew Linzey, a theologian and director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. Linzey has denounced the use of the word “pet” and “owner” as derogatory. Don’t even get him started on references to animals as “beasts” or “critters.”
Continue reading ‘Pet Companion Animal Peeve: Professor Calls For the Elimination of Such “Derogatory” Terms As “Pet,” “Beast,” “Owner,” and “Wildlife”’

Florida Police Mistakingly Raid Judge’s Home and Order Family Out of House at Gunpoint During Easter Dinner

Published 1, April 28, 2011 Bizarre , Courts , Criminal law 29 Comments

Broward Circuit Court Judge Ilona Holmes probably does not like bringing work back home with her, but sometimes works shows up anyway. Holmes, her sister and her sister’s family were ordered at gun point by several Broward Sheriffs Deputies on Easter Sunday in a botched police raid. The police went to the wrong address. Police were responding to a report of a break-in next door.
Continue reading ‘Florida Police Mistakingly Raid Judge’s Home and Order Family Out of House at Gunpoint During Easter Dinner’

Administration Shuts Down SETI Telescope Array For Lack of Funds — While Continuing Operations in Three Wars

Published 1, April 28, 2011 Academics , Bizarre , Politics , Science 21 Comments

While the Obama Administration has commenced a third war in Libya and is spending billions every week in military operations from Kabul to Tripoli, it is shutting down various domestic programs for lack of funds. The latest is the Allen Telescope Array — a large number of small satellite dishes that search for extraterrestrial life in Northern California. The prohibitive cost? $1.5 million dollars a year (an additional $1 million is used on data collection and analysis). In the meantime, the Administration is refusing to yield to the latest Afghan official insisting that the country does not want or need U.S. troops and yet another case of an Afghan soldier killing U.S. personnel — this time eight U.S. soldiers and one contractor killed by one of our allies.
Continue reading ‘Administration Shuts Down SETI Telescope Array For Lack of Funds — While Continuing Operations in Three Wars’

Video: Officers Accused of Excessive Force in Melee At Atlanta IHOP

Published 1, April 28, 2011 Bizarre , Criminal law 16 Comments

Atlanta Police are investigating an incident captured in the video below where an officer is shown first slapping and then punching a woman in an altercation. The woman and her friends insist that they were arrested without cause. The ACLU is calling the case a matter of excessive force.
Continue reading ‘Video: Officers Accused of Excessive Force in Melee At Atlanta IHOP’

Law Student Takes Parents To Court To Force Them To Resume Paying His Allowance

Published 1, April 28, 2011 Academics , Environment , Uncategorized 17 Comments

Having just given my final torts exam last night, this story caught my eye. In Madrid, a 25-year-old Spanish man from Andalusia sued his parents after they stopped giving him allowance money and demanded the resumption of $588 a month.
Continue reading ‘Law Student Takes Parents To Court To Force Them To Resume Paying His Allowance’

We’re The Government, We’re Here To Help You: Pentagon Releases Detains On How To Blow Up New Office Building

Published 1, April 28, 2011 Bizarre , Military 9 Comments

The Pentagon is being criticized for posting the online plans for its new office building in Alexandria, including details on what is needed to blow up the new building. The 424-page Army Corps of Engineers document explains to any web-surfing terrorist how the Mark Center was designed . . . and identifies its vulnerabilities to explosives.
Continue reading ‘We’re The Government, We’re Here To Help You: Pentagon Releases Detains On How To Blow Up New Office Building’

Something Seriously Wrong in Wight: Singer Arrested For Singing “Kung Fu Fighting”

Published 1, April 27, 2011 Bizarre , Criminal law , International , Society 48 Comments

We have previously followed the trend against free speech in the West ranging from anti-blasphemy laws (including a resolution supported by President Obama) to hate speech prosecutions for criticizing everything from religion to homosexuality to overweight people. England has been a focus of many of these stories. Now, on the Isle of Wight, musician Simon Ledger, 34, has been arrested after singing “Kung Fu Fighting” and a passing person of Chinese descent cried foul.

Continue reading ‘Something Seriously Wrong in Wight: Singer Arrested For Singing “Kung Fu Fighting”’

Aloha, Birthers: Obama Releases Long Form Birth Certificate

Published 1, April 27, 2011 Constitutional Law , Politics 722 Comments

It turns out Barack Obama is . . . is . . . a citizen. The White House has released President Obama’s long-form birth certificate to put the growing controversy to rest over his birth. Many of us have been critical of the birther conspiracy theories. However, I am not sure why the White House did not do this earlier since it addresses the allegations fully. It will be interesting to see that, now that Obama has produced the certificate, if the movement for state ballot laws declines. While it has been repeatedly stated that the laws are not about Obama, but we will see.
Continue reading ‘Aloha, Birthers: Obama Releases Long Form Birth Certificate’

Philadelphia Officer Chases Man Into His Home and Shoots Him in a Controversial Incident With Neighbor

Published 1, April 27, 2011 Bizarre , Criminal law 28 Comments

Philadelphia is dealing with a shooting of a man in a dispute with an off-duty police officer. Josh Taylor, 23, was shot in the chest by an eighteen-year veteran of the police force who has not been identified. The officer reportedly claimed that Taylor had a gun, though neighbors insisted that Taylor was on his way to a gun range and did not pull out the weapon.
Continue reading ‘Philadelphia Officer Chases Man Into His Home and Shoots Him in a Controversial Incident With Neighbor’

“Really an Aberration”: NY Officer Pleads Guilty To 100 Armed Robberies, Stealing 250 Kilograms of Cocaine, and $1 Million

Published 1, April 27, 2011 Bizarre , Criminal law , Lawyering 47 Comments

Emmanuel Tavarez, 31, was a one-man crime wave. He was also a cop. Tavarez is facing trial after using his NYPD connections to run a crew that dressed up as officers and stole drugs and cash. An eight-year NYPD veteran, Tavaraz is responsible for more than 100 armed robberies of narcotics traffickers. Yet, despite what he agreed was “overwhelming evidence of his client’s guilt, attorney Raymond L. Colon insisted “[f]or all intents and purposes he was a fine officer. This was really an aberration, I think.”
Continue reading ‘“Really an Aberration”: NY Officer Pleads Guilty To 100 Armed Robberies, Stealing 250 Kilograms of Cocaine, and $1 Million’

Throwing Logic and the Law Under The Bus: Texas Bus Driver Given $21,000 After Being Fired for Refusing to Drive Women to Planned Parenthood

Published 1, April 27, 2011 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Politics , Religion , Society , Torts 21 Comments

A bus driver in Texas received an extraordinary $21,000 settlement for conduct that justifiably led to his termination. Edwin Graning received the settlement from the Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) in Texas after he was fired for refusing to drive two women to a Planned Parenthood clinic last year. This seems a case of putting the CARTS before the horse in reaching a settlement before the other party has made a viable claim.

Continue reading ‘Throwing Logic and the Law Under The Bus: Texas Bus Driver Given $21,000 After Being Fired for Refusing to Drive Women to Planned Parenthood’

Can You Guess This Man’s Alleged Crime?

Published 1, April 27, 2011 Bizarre , Criminal law 14 Comments

The problem with being a “huffer” is that the paint can leave a fairly easy marker for police. Kelly Gibson took this mugshot on his 48th arrest for inhaling the toxic chemicals.
Continue reading ‘Can You Guess This Man’s Alleged Crime?’

Death in Truth or Consequences: Woman Mauled To Death By Four Pit Bulls

Published 1, April 26, 2011 Animals , Society , Torts 31 Comments

There is a tragedy in Truth or Consequences, N.M, where Margaret Salcedo, 48, was mauled to death by four escaped pit bulls. The case could present both criminal and civil liability for the owners.
Continue reading ‘Death in Truth or Consequences: Woman Mauled To Death By Four Pit Bulls’

Wisconsin Mayor Tells Agency Heads To Read and Discuss Book By Christian Author With City Employees

Published 1, April 26, 2011 Bizarre , Politics , Religion , Society 43 Comments

Waukesha (WI) Mayor Jeff Scrima promised fiscal responsibility in running for office, but he has drawn criticism for his decision to use city funds to buy books of a campaign contributor and Christian author — and telling agency heads to read and discuss the book with city employees.
Continue reading ‘Wisconsin Mayor Tells Agency Heads To Read and Discuss Book By Christian Author With City Employees’

HEY LOOK, THE WHITE HOUSE SEAL IS NOW ON THE TURLEY BLOG!

Published 1, April 26, 2011 Bizarre , Media , Politics , Society 50 Comments

Keith Cowing is a blogger on Space Ref, a science blog, and was surprised recently to receive a call from the White House. White House staffer Rick Weiss reportedly called to warn him that his inclusion of the seal of Executive Office of the President of the United States violated federal law because it could be viewed as a product endorsement. A review of the blog entry demonstrates the claim to be preposterous in my view and I am unsure why the White House is spending such much time searching for seal misuses rather than . . . let’s see . . . war crimes.
Continue reading ‘HEY LOOK, THE WHITE HOUSE SEAL IS NOW ON THE TURLEY BLOG!’

Illinois Woman Sues After Being Impaled By Tree Branch While Driving in Thunderstorm

Published 1, April 26, 2011 Bizarre , Society , Torts 9 Comments

In Waukegan, Illinois, Helen Miller is suing over what is traditionally viewed as an act of God: a tree branch that fell during a thunderstorm and impaled her in the stomach while she was driving. Such acts normally cut off proximate causation, but she is suing the Vista Health System Surgery and Treatment Center for allegedly failing to properly maintain the tree.

Continue reading ‘Illinois Woman Sues After Being Impaled By Tree Branch While Driving in Thunderstorm’

Guilt By Proclamation: Obama Violates Federal Rules By Declaring Bradley Manning Guilty

Published 1, April 26, 2011 Constitutional Law , Criminal law , Military 48 Comments

President Barack Obama this week stepped over the line of both protocol and ethics by publicly declaring Bradley Manning guilty of crimes. During a speech, Obama stated Manning “broke the law” to an audience in an act that could be challenged as undue command influence in the military system and violates a long-standing rule of presidents refraining from prejudicing trials. Manning is accused of being the source for the wikileaks material, which have shown that the Administration and prior Administrations have lied to the American people in various areas of policy.

Continue reading ‘Guilt By Proclamation: Obama Violates Federal Rules By Declaring Bradley Manning Guilty’

Meet Edward Reid: They Were Happy and They Clapped Their Hands

Published 1, April 25, 2011 Bizarre , International 17 Comments

For those of you still marveling over Susan Boyle’s surprise performance in 2009, meet Edward Reid who took nursery rhymes to a new level on “Britain’s Got Talent” this weekend.

Continue reading ‘Meet Edward Reid: They Were Happy and They Clapped Their Hands’

Supreme Court Denies Virginia’s Effort To Get Expedited Review

Published 1, April 25, 2011 Congress , Constitutional Law , Courts , Politics 10 Comments

As expected, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s effort to bypass the appellate court has failed with a denial at the United States Supreme Court. The Rule 11 motion was turned down — as it is in the vast majority of cases. The Obama Administration opposed the motion and is expected to continue to try to slow the momentum of the challenge.
Continue reading ‘Supreme Court Denies Virginia’s Effort To Get Expedited Review’

Public Safety or Prior Restraint? Quran-Burning Pastor Barred From Protesting In Front of Michigan Mosque

Published 1, April 25, 2011 Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Criminal law , Politics , Religion 99 Comments

Even for the most committed civil libertarians, it is hard to work up sympathy for Quran-burning Pastor Terry Jones. However, that is the plight of free speech advocates — you often end up supporting the most obnoxious members of our society. In Dearborn, Michigan, the order barring Jones from protesting utside of the Islamic American Center raises some constitutional concern.
Continue reading ‘Public Safety or Prior Restraint? Quran-Burning Pastor Barred From Protesting In Front of Michigan Mosque’

TSA Screener Arrested For Child Pornography

Published 1, April 25, 2011 Bizarre , Criminal law , Politics , Society 31 Comments

Various people had criticized the new groping searches by the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) as assault and, when done on children, something akin to molestation. According to police, one alleged child pornography addict found the TSA the perfect job. TSA Officer Thomas Gordon Jr. of Philadelphia has been arrested for uploading explicit pictures of young girls to an Internet site. What is astonishing is that Gordon posted a photograph of himself in his TSA uniform.
Continue reading ‘TSA Screener Arrested For Child Pornography’

GOP Michigan Senator Proposes Law To Require Foster Kids To Buy Only Second-Hand Clothes

Published 1, April 25, 2011 Bizarre , Politics , Society 41 Comments

Michigan’s Republican State Sen. Bruce Caswell wants the poor to dress appropriately to their station in life — that is, with second-hand clothes. Caswell introduced legislation to require children in the state’s foster care system to buy clothes at stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army under restrictive “gift cards” that would give $79 clothing allowance for the kids. Caswell is the chairman of the DHS Appropriations Subcommittee.

Continue reading ‘GOP Michigan Senator Proposes Law To Require Foster Kids To Buy Only Second-Hand Clothes’

Cacaccino: Civet Droppings Become World’s Most Expensive Coffee

Published 1, April 25, 2011 Bizarre , International , Society 20 Comments

How much do you want that really perfect cup of coffee? This article from Reddit caught me eye. It was not that Kopi Luwak is the world’s most expensive coffee at as much as $3000 a pound (though I have seen other bags offered for as little as $200 a pound, but then again, you have to ask yourself, is it pure civet poop?). It was the unique processing used to produce the beans.
Continue reading ‘Cacaccino: Civet Droppings Become World’s Most Expensive Coffee’

iPhone and Android Tracking You for Apple and Google

Published 1, April 24, 2011 Constitutional Law , Society 39 Comments

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

iPhones and Android smartphones regularly transmit their locations back to Apple and Google. The location information is used for the estimated $2.9 billion location-based services market. Location-based advertising targets consumers with location-specific advertising on their mobile devices.

According to research, the HTC Android phone collects location information every few seconds and transmits the data back to Google several times an hour.

Continue reading ‘iPhone and Android Tracking You for Apple and Google’

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Published 1, April 24, 2011 Society 25 Comments

Happy Easter to all of our bloggers and readers that are celebrating today. The bunny came last night for all four kids and even Molly got a basket full of bones and pig ears. The kids are already showing the signs of sugar saturation.

Continue reading ‘HAPPY EASTER!!!’

Gov. Rick Perry Wants Texans to Pray for Rain

Published 1, April 24, 2011 Politics , Religion 20 Comments

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) has proclaimed Friday, April 22, 2011, to Sunday, April 24, 2011, as Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas. He didn’t ask for any prayers to end the drought or put out the wildfires, he just asked for prayers for rain in the state of Texas. While looking at the weather radar tonight, it was raining somewhere in Texas, so I guess it worked. It’s a miracle.

Continue reading ‘Gov. Rick Perry Wants Texans to Pray for Rain’

Surfin’ Bird

Published 1, April 24, 2011 Media 7 Comments

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

Love it or hate it, here are The Trashmen in glorious (?) STEREO!

Sean Hannity, Bill Donohue, & The War on Easter: The Turley Blog Edition

Published 1, April 23, 2011 Bizarre , Religion 439 Comments

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger

All you Christian warriors out there best make ready for battle! Sean Hannity and the Catholic League’s Bill Donohue are now claiming that there is a war on Easter. “Oh no!” you say. “Who would do such a thing?” Why, Lady Gaga, comedian Ricky Gervais, and a few other dastardly demons—that’s who.

I even heard it through the grapevine that the CEO of Easter Bunnies, Inc., is hopping mad. I was told that he’s organized his bunny brigade and worked in co-operation with the president of Hatchling Chicks Corporation to devise a plan to go after anti-Easterites like Lady Gaga and Gervais.

Get your trebuchets ready! I’ll bring eggs. We’re planning to meet in Mister MacGregor’s garden tomorrow at the first light of dawn. We’ll shell the hard-boiled enemies of Easter ova and ova again until they surrender. They won’t know what hit them.

Continue reading ‘Sean Hannity, Bill Donohue, & The War on Easter: The Turley Blog Edition’

Dolphin Receiver Brandon Marshall Stabbed By Wife — Questions Raised Over His Own Possible Criminal Conduct

Published 1, April 23, 2011 Bizarre , Criminal law , Society 16 Comments

The wife of Miami Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall has been charged with stabbing him in the abdomen with a kitchen knife in Florida. The case could become even more complicated not just for Michi Nogami-Marshall, 27, but for Brandon Marshall.
Continue reading ‘Dolphin Receiver Brandon Marshall Stabbed By Wife — Questions Raised Over His Own Possible Criminal Conduct’

Senator Dick Durbin We Hardly Knew Ye

Published 1, April 23, 2011 Congress , Justice , Politics , Society 42 Comments

Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger

When I hear Illinois Senator Dick Durbin’s name, I usually think of a moderately progressive Democratic Senator.  What I don’t expect to hear from someone with Durbin’s pedigree are statements to the effect that cuts to Social Security are “on the table”.  But that is exactly what he said recently when asked about his work with the so-called Gang of Six. Continue reading ‘Senator Dick Durbin We Hardly Knew Ye’

Standard & Poor’s Downgrades Outlook On US Debt

Published 1, April 23, 2011 Politics 13 Comments

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

You remember Standard & Poor’s, they’re the credit-rating agency that blessed the fraud-based mortgage securities issued by Wall Street banks with AAA ratings, deceiving gullible investors around the world. Senator Carl Levin (chair of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations) recently named this company a “key cause” of the economic crisis.

Continue reading ‘Standard & Poor’s Downgrades Outlook On US Debt’

Ayn Rand and Christianity

Published 1, April 23, 2011 Politics , Religion 745 Comments

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

The GOP hearts Ayn Rand. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and his father Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), all mention the works of Ayn Rand as being influential in their lives. Even Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas references her work as influence in his autobiography. Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, is an acolyte of Rand’s thinking and knew her personally.

I would like to focus on one aspect of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism, and its implications for Christianity.

Continue reading ‘Ayn Rand and Christianity’

Then He Kissed Me

Published 1, April 23, 2011 Media 13 Comments

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

Today we offer The Crystals in glorious STEREO!

Ohio: Let Sleeping Police Dogs Lie

Published 1, April 23, 2011 Animals , Bizarre , Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Justice , Lawyering 12 Comments

Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

Twenty five year-old Ryan James Stephens will probably never be confused with actors Rex Harrison or Eddie Murphy but he may be the new Dr. Doolittle. Stephens has been charged with violating Cincinnati’s ordinance prohibiting citizens from “talking” to police dogs.

Continue reading ‘Ohio: Let Sleeping Police Dogs Lie’

Odor Of Marijuana Not Enough For Probable Cause

Published 1, April 23, 2011 Constitutional Law , Courts , Criminal law , Justice , Lawyering , Society 19 Comments

Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has issued an interesting decision concerning the prerogative of police to order a suspect to exit a car after smelling marijuana smoke coming from within. Seems the opinion turned on the Bay State’s decision to  decriminalized possession of less than one ounce of the wacky weed in 2008.
Continue reading ‘Odor Of Marijuana Not Enough For Probable Cause’

Corpus Delicti: California Gang Member Implicated In Murder By His Own Tattoos

Published 1, April 22, 2011 Bizarre , Criminal law 8 Comments

Anthony Garcia may be the ultimate example of corpus delicti evidence. The body of evidence in the case is his own body — or least the tattoos on his body that depict the 2004 murder scene where 23-year-old John Juarez was gunned down.
Continue reading ‘Corpus Delicti: California Gang Member Implicated In Murder By His Own Tattoos’

Fast Food, Slow Rescue: McDonald’s Employees Shown Standing By As Woman Is Repeatedly Attacked In Restaurant

Published 1, April 22, 2011 Bizarre , Criminal law , Torts 95 Comments

The disturbing video below shows a women being beaten by two other women as McDonald employees do virtually nothing to help her. While a manager makes a minimal effort to stop the fight, he then walks away and does not offer help to the woman on the ground. The girls then return and resume the beating. Other employees are shown doing nothing but watching the scene. The attack occurred in Baltimore, Maryland. The victim has now been identified as Chrissy Lee Polis, 22, who has been identified as a transgender woman. A manager at the Rosedale McDonald’s said she was “not allowed to speak to a reporter.”
Continue reading ‘Fast Food, Slow Rescue: McDonald’s Employees Shown Standing By As Woman Is Repeatedly Attacked In Restaurant’

Princeton Professor Commits Suicide After Termination of Contract — Raising Questions Over His Treatment By University

Published 1, April 22, 2011 Academics , Bizarre , Society 23 Comments

There is a very sad story out of Princeton where Professor Antonio Calvo, 45, has committed suicide after the university refused to renew his contract — a decision that not only meant the loss of his directorship of the Spanish program but his having to leave the United States since the move terminated his visa. He had taught at Princeton for ten years.

Continue reading ‘Princeton Professor Commits Suicide After Termination of Contract — Raising Questions Over His Treatment By University’

Liberté, égalité, beuverie! French Riot Police Threaten Strike . . . To Protect Their Right To Drink On Job

Published 1, April 22, 2011 Bizarre , International , Politics , Society 15 Comments

This is the quintessential French story. Anyone who has gone to France knows that you can expect that someone will be striking and shutting down parts of Paris. However, the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS) police force is taking a stand on a matter of French privilege — the right to drink while on duty. After all, if the French cannot have a glass of wine while fighting terror, the terrorists have won.

Continue reading ‘Liberté, égalité, beuverie! French Riot Police Threaten Strike . . . To Protect Their Right To Drink On Job’

British Tourist Catches Falling Baby in Florida

Published 1, April 22, 2011 Bizarre , International 9 Comments

Helen Beard, an English tourist in Orlando, caught more than a tan in Florida this week. Beard showed that legendary English backbone when she caught a 2-year-old child who fell from a fourth-floor balcony of at the Econo Lodge on International Drive in Orlando. Beard is an inspiration to us all and a fine representative of that stalwart people of Britannia.
Continue reading ‘British Tourist Catches Falling Baby in Florida’

Ensign Announces Resignation From Senate Due To On-Going Investigation Into Affair

Published 1, April 22, 2011 Bizarre , Congress , Criminal law , Torts 23 Comments

Two-term Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., has announced he is resigning from the Senate, effective May 3rd. This follows a prior pledge to remain in the Senate and a rather forced defense that he had not “done anything legally wrong” after he allegedly had an affair with the wife of his top staffer, Doug Hampton.
Continue reading ‘Ensign Announces Resignation From Senate Due To On-Going Investigation Into Affair’

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