Now, this is a tort that can only be found in Japan. Yes (if you are wondering) there appears to be “good” and “bad’ blowfish testicles. Seven people have been hospitalized after eating the testicles prepared in the Japanese city of Tsuruoka by an unlicensed Fugu chef.
A chef needs a license to serve blowfish in Japan, which contains tetrodotoxin — a toxin 100 times more poisonous than potassium cyanide. He is being investigation for professional negligence. In the United States, it would be considered negligence per se in light of the prohibition. It is not a matter of assumption of the risk for the customers, since a chef with fugu license can prepare the meal safely (though in 1977 three people died from the dish).
In case you are unsure about whether you have eaten bad blowfish testicles, here are the symptoms of fugu poisoning:
The most common symptoms of fugu poisioning are tingling and burning of the mouth and tongue, numbness, drowsiness, and incoherent speech. These symptoms usually occur 30 minutes to two hours after ingestion of the fish, depending on the amount of toxin ingested. In severe cases, ataxia (the inability to coordinate the movements of muscles), muscle weakness, hypotension (low blood pressure) and cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) may develop, followed by muscle twitching and respiratory paralysis, and death can occur. In several cases, people died within 17 minutes after eating pufferfish.
For the full story, click here.
Prof, this post reminded me of this excellent book:
http://www.amazon.com/Fugu-Plan-Untold-Japanese-During/dp/083480350X
on Japanese attitudes towards Jews during WW2.
Jill,
I am with you, I am lost. However, the mere thought of eating any animals testicles makes me want to drink again.
Borrowed? I’m thinking rental. You’d have to have a REAL GOOD friend to borrow one. He’s a politician. How many real friends you think Teddy’s got, mespo?
Jill:
“Ted Stevens is calling for a mistrial because he ate the wrong testicle?”
*********
It wasn’t a gift, he only borrowed it!
take it to them Carl and Carlito
Ted Stevens is calling for a mistrial because he ate the wrong testicle?
Bomber’s Martyrdom Tape Renews Fears Over Consequences of Closing Gitmo
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
12 Dead
As President Obama pushes for the closure of Guantanamo Bay prison, the debate over where to house the terror detainees being held there is heating up.
An exclusive video of a former Gitmo detainee’s martyrdom tape, obtained by FOX News, is a reminder of the concerns that terror suspects — who have been held but released from Guantanamo Bay — are increasingly returning to the fight against the United States and its allies.
Abdallah Ali al-Ajmi was transferred back to his home country of Kuwait after his release from Guantanamo in 2005. Last April he blew himself up in a homicide attack that killed 12 people in Mosul, Iraq.
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Mr. Turley:
No doubt you will blame Bush for “releasing this terrorist in the first place” but for 5 years now human rights groups and volunteer attorneys have been filing appeal after appeal and making statements that we need to start believing this prisoners when they claim they were never a member of any terrorist group…..and now this.
Re: Senator Ted Stevens, Alaska, MISTRIAL!
Hey Turley is “everybody is entitled to a fair trial” amd why haven’t you spoken out about this? I guess in his world “fair” is a one way street if it goes to the LEFT:
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Did an FBI agent have a sexual affair with a key witness against Ted Stevens while giving testimony? Stevens’ attorneys leveled that accusation yesterday in court, and it could derail the federal prosecution of the former Republican Senator. An FBI whistleblower tipped off the defense:
Attorneys for former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) have accused an FBI agent involved in the Stevens corruption investigation of having an inappropriate relationship with a key witness in the case.
Based on a complaint by an FBI whistleblower, Agent Chad Joy, the Stevens defense team claims that Mary Beth Kepner, the lead FBI agent on the case, had a personal relationship with Bill Allen, the CEO of an Alaska oil services firm and a witness against Stevens.
Stevens’ lawyers state that Joy’s memo “strongly suggests that the inappropriate relationship was sexual.” Joy stated that Kepner “wore a skirt for Allen” on a day that he was to testify in the case.
Joy also charges that Kepner may have provided secret grand jury information to Allen about other ongoing federal investigations.
The affair may be the lesser of the concerns prosecutors have over this motion. Joy informed the prosecution of the relationship on or before December 2nd, but did not reveal it to the court on that day. That could represent prosecutorial misconduct if the judge rules that the information was relevant and germane to the defense — and it’s hard to argue that a sexual relationship between a key witness and an FBI agent wouldn’t go to credibility.
If Allen and one of the investigators had a sexual relationship, that decision certainly looks a lot less solid. Was the agent serving on behalf of the people, or on behalf of her boyfriend? That’s a question the defense had the right to raise at trial, and if the prosecution knowingly suppressed that information, then there should be hell to pay in Alaska.
We’ve used our quota of sexual double entendres in the contraception stimulus thread, but Stevens may have a good case to argue that he got railroaded — or at least did not get his full measure of justice.
Is there nothing sacred to trolls? Come on, its people eating testicles!
funny thing you should mention bad blowfish testicles and here comes Carl, coincidence…or some kind of cosmic synchronicity?
re: our TAX CHEAT Treasury Secretary
Who put his name forward…and insisted this tax cheat was the only guy he wanted as treasury secretary…….ahem…..Barry Obama…. the guy that went on Al Arabiya TV and apologized for America yesterday………
Imagine his first staff meeting when he instructs the IRS to crack down on deadbeats & tax cheats. They will all roll on the floor laughing.
Most techno-savvy White House ever can’t figure out e-mail
It’s more than 10 hours and counting now since the entire White House e-mail system went down.
The result is maddening for the new White House team, which already has been frustrated with the archaic communications gear they discovered when they arrived at their offices. …
Both outgoing and incoming mail are out, the result, an aide explained, of an outage with Outlook. The aide said the outage goes beyond the press shop. The first lady’s office is also without e-mail, as are other offices.
This follows on the heels of their inability to get the voice-mail system to re-open the White House Comment Line. Bush staffers got the blame for that, too. Last week, they were bitching to the Washington Post about having to use PCs instead of Macs:
Six-year-old Microsoft software? In other words, they didn’t upgrade from XP to Vista, a wise choice under the circumstances. Not only did it save the White House some money, it probably saved them untold headaches, too. Maybe someone on the Obama transition team should have checked the platform and started advising people to brush up on their PC skills.
Team Obama has been in office a week. At what point will they stop blaming Bush for their troubles and take some responsibility for themselves? 2012? After all, the supposed technological Neanderthals of the Bush White House managed to keep the Outlook servers and XP computers in operation until January 20th. (via David Knowles at AOL Political Machine)
Update: So now we have a Treasury Secretary who can’t figure out his own taxes and a White House that can’t deal with e-mail. So much for competence.
Funny thing you should mention Ted Stevens. It might be a mistrial:
Stevens Attorney: Agent, witness had sexual affair during trial
Did an FBI agent have a sexual affair with a key witness against Ted Stevens while giving testimony? Stevens’ attorneys leveled that accusation yesterday in court, and it could derail the federal prosecution of the former Republican Senator. An FBI whistleblower tipped off the defense:
Attorneys for former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) have accused an FBI agent involved in the Stevens corruption investigation of having an inappropriate relationship with a key witness in the case.
Based on a complaint by an FBI whistleblower, Agent Chad Joy, the Stevens defense team claims that Mary Beth Kepner, the lead FBI agent on the case, had a personal relationship with Bill Allen, the CEO of an Alaska oil services firm and a witness against Stevens.
Stevens’ lawyers state that Joy’s memo “strongly suggests that the inappropriate relationship was sexual.” Joy stated that Kepner “wore a skirt for Allen” on a day that he was to testify in the case.
Joy also charges that Kepner may have provided secret grand jury information to Allen about other ongoing federal investigations.
The affair may be the lesser of the concerns prosecutors have over this motion. Joy informed the prosecution of the relationship on or before December 2nd, but did not reveal it to the court on that day. That could represent prosecutorial misconduct if the judge rules that the information was relevant and germane to the defense — and it’s hard to argue that a sexual relationship between a key witness and an FBI agent wouldn’t go to credibility.
If Allen and one of the investigators had a sexual relationship, that decision certainly looks a lot less solid. Was the agent serving on behalf of the people, or on behalf of her boyfriend? That’s a question the defense had the right to raise at trial, and if the prosecution knowingly suppressed that information, then there should be hell to pay in Alaska.
We’ve used our quota of sexual double entendres in the contraception stimulus thread, but Stevens may have a good case to argue that he got railroaded — or at least did not get his full measure of justice.
“Bad Blowfish Testicles”: great name for a band.
Or the GOP.
Fugu torts.
Not the kind of phrase you’d like to rapidly repeat, especially when drinking.
RE: Fugu torts, a pyrrhic victory if I ever heard of one.
Yeah, I’ve had fugu (sans testicles I might add), but it was from a properly licensed and trained chef. It’s good. Like any white meat fish sushi. I didn’t find it gave a buzz like I was anticipating. The effects of the neurotoxin was more like Novocaine; numb lips, fat tongue, etc. But thanks for asking.
Buddha:
you okay buddy?
“In case you are unsure about whether you have eaten bad blowfish testicles, here are the symptoms of fugu poisoning:…”
________________________________
I envision precautionary mothers throughout America frantically taping those symptoms to the inside door of their bathroom medicine cabinets. Professor Turley, your service to humankind is indeed immeasurable and truly cosmopolitan.
Greatest….headline…..ever.