Author: Darren Smith

Free Speech, Politics

Proposed Russian Law Set to Penalize Individuals for Internet Searches of “Extremist Content”

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Russia continues its will to control the thoughts and inquiries of citizens. Most recently the State Duma is voting to amend existing legislation to assess an administrative fine against individual internet users “searching for and gaining access to extremist materials.” Predictably the definition of Extremist likely will include anything the state considers objectionable and the targets will likely include its citizenry, not just the content providers or authors.

If adopted, individuals making unlawful internet searches could receive fines between three and five thousand rubles. ($38 to $64). Officials face fines of ten to twenty thousand rubles ($128 to $256) and for legal entities one hundred to two hundred thousand rubles ($1,280 to $2,560).

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Constitutional Law, Courts, Politics

Justice Department Files Complaint Against Board Members of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Accused of Usurping Office

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

On Tuesday the Justice Department petitioned for a writ of Quo Warranto against three individuals having served as board members of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting who were fired by President Trump yet allegedly continued to hold and exercise their office.

The complaint states “[s]ince April 28, 2025, Defendants Laura G. Ross, Thomas E. Rothman, and Diane Kaplan have been usurping and purporting to exercise unlawfully the office of board member of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (the “CPB”)… President Donald J. Trump lawfully removed each Defendant from office on April 28, 2025. As recent Supreme Court orders have recognized, the President cannot meaningfully exercise his executive power under Article II of the Constitution without the power to select—and, when necessary, remove—those who hold federal office. Personnel is policy, after all.”

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Free Speech, International, Media, Politics

Reddit Now Requires Age Verification in UK to Comply with Nation’s Online Safety Act

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

The news and social media aggregation platform Reddit now requires its United Kingdom based users to provide age verification to access “mature content” hosted on its website. Users must prove they are eighteen years or older to read or contribute such content.

UK regulator Ofcom stated “We expect other companies to follow suit, or face enforcement if they fail to act.” Internet content providers who fail to adopt such measures can face fines of up to eighteen million pounds or ten percent of their worldwide revenue, whichever is greater.

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Criminal law, Science

AI Generated Police Reports: A Tool for Law Enforcement or a Potential Concern?

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

The expanding adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is finding utility in nearly all areas of human thought and expression. Its speed, increasing sophistication and accuracy promises not only unique ideas but shows ability in automating ordinary processes which hopefully afford people savings in time and resources; enabling them to focus on the bigger picture and more important duties. There are however some worrying trends that can come up on the reliance of such technology in areas it is not yet suited. This article will focus on one area: police and criminal justice reporting. Continue reading “AI Generated Police Reports: A Tool for Law Enforcement or a Potential Concern?” →

Justice, Politics

A Chance for Hunter Biden to Make Amends for Navy Joan & Unleash His Inner Hans Holbein

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Facing a daunting child support case over his previously denied child, Navy Joan, world renowned artist and presidentially prodigal son Hunter Biden might finally have a solution to the costs associated with his progeny, and protect a family name he guards so jealously.  He only needs to channel the artist within to leave his hapless young daughter without….yet provided for.  Mr. Biden, summon your inner Hans Holbein!

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Justice, Politics, Society

An Island of Virtue Among Today’s Elected Officials: Water District & Sewer District Commissioners

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

I’ll go out on a limb and make a proposal, based mostly on anecdotal observations I have made during my adult life of both politicians and elected officials–there is a difference–and what these individuals have often gotten us into. I have come to the conclusion that among the various cultivars of politics, the two positions that for me have consistently remained the most benevolently virtuous, and least damaging to ordinary people, are not the high-profile, ostentatious seats in various houses of parliament, legislatures, or a presidency. They are often the more behind-the-scenes, yet foundationally necessary public service elected officials often known as Water District and Sewer District Commissioners.

They might not be the most well-known, which in itself is an admirable quality, but they serve for me as a model of how we would be as a society better off if politicians adopted the approach of these commissioners and not that of petty tyrants or worse that seem to be attracted to politics.

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Justice, Society

Honorable Civil Disobedience

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Having seen over the years protesters engaged in voicing their grievances in fashions ranging from the peaceful to the violent, I believe it is incumbent to provide guidelines in the hope of furthering a cause without the distractions that spill over into not only silencing important messages but preventing consequences that hurt others.

I propose the idea of Honorable Civil Disobedience.

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Bizarre, Free Speech, Science, Society

Phallus Saxa Loquuntur: Ancient Roman Insult Excavated In Northumberland
(C) The Vindolanda Charitable Trust

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

An archeological excavation at Vindolanda in Northumberland revealed again the notion that once an insult or offense is written into the public forum it can never be successfully retracted, often coming back to haunt despite efforts to bury the story.

The subject of this Roman insult, Secundinus, must have been so infamous of a cad to have invited such scorn from a nemesis; the latter resolved to carve into rock the insult “SECVNDINVS CACOR” along with a very prominent phallus.

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Bizarre

Weekend Photos: Teapot Dome Gas Station

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

On yet another road trip we happened along this strange form of filling station–a tribute of sorts to the Teapot Dome Scandal. It has been one hundred years since the ensuing investigation, which greatly embarrassed the Harding Administration and later sent Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall to prison on corruption charges.  In a twist, in 1985 the Department of the Interior added the station to the National Register of Historic Places.

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Bizarre, Politics, Society

The Eight Degrees of Ignorance and Stupidity

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Our host on numerous occasions makes a strong case in labeling today’s zeitgeist as “The Age of Rage”. It would certainly seem to be so if one focuses on what stereotypically comes out of the news media and political figures we lend our ears to. Yet I would go a step further and suggest the root cause of some of this rage is composed of two elements: power-lust and simple human stupidity.

I believe many people fail to recognize how intertwined is the lust for power and the enabling forces of stupidity. Stupidity can be manipulated to achieve that power. It is said that money is the blood of the powerful. Yet, why spend money when too many can be so easily controlled or recruited for free simply by instead appealing to ignorant or stupid individuals.

Both sadly and obviously however, ignorance and stupidity is not limited to the news or politics, it is manifest in human society generally. The trick is to recognize and extricate it from our lives whenever possible. So in a mostly cynical and possibly comical study of the problem, I propose there are levels and flavors of both ignorance and stupidity and to apply such a study is a first step toward minimizing its damaging potential.

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Military, Society

Weekend Photos: Tale of Two Cemeteries

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

In my travels over the past week I took to an occasional diversion I sometimes make by visiting small and noteworthy cemeteries that come by once in a while. The two I visited recently presented two different perspectives on how we as a culture lay our loved ones to rest. Each of these have their own virtues and like most things in life one is not necessarily better or worse, but is so often according to the views of the beholder.

Here we find two of the same; different but not opposed.

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