Month: October 2012

Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics, Religion, Society

Egyptian Teacher Cuts Hair Of Girls Who Failed To Wear Muslim Headscarves

We have yet another outrage by a devout Muslim who believes that she should not only require others to follow her views of morality but is willing to punish children deemed immoral. In Southern Egypt, a teacher in Luxor forced two 12-year-old girls to hold their hands above their heads for two hours and then cut off some of their hair in front of the class to punish them for not wearing Muslim headscarves or hijab.

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Academia, International, Society

Has Richard III Been Found?

Richard III may be the Rodney Dangerfield of sovereigns. He “got no respect” by Shakespeare (in my favorite play, Richard III) and appears to have gotten even less respect in his burial. Indeed, if a recent human skeleton recovered under a parking lot proves to be Richard III, he came close to be dug up and thrown out by a construction crew in the nineteenth century. Indeed, the Queen mother’s words to her hated son in the play appears to have been an omen: ““Bloody thou art, bloody will be thy end; Shame serves thy life and doth thy death attend.”

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Lawyering, Media

The Twit Made The Top Twitter Twenty!

I know that being a twit would pay off someday, no matter what my parents said. I was just sent this list of The 20 Biggest Stars on Twitter by one of our regulars who spotted my name. Our twitter numbers have been growing steadily with the traffic on the blog (indeed the number given on the listing is now higher). We are currently at around 6000 followers on twitter. I generally notify people of posting and occasionally (when I remember) of media appearances or gripes. You can join our merry group by hitting the follow button to the right of this story.

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Congress, Media, Military, Politics, Society

Report: Obama Administration To Negotiate To Prolong Presence of U.S. Troops In Afghanistan

While President Barack Obama again heralded his keeping his promise to pull out of Afghanistan, news accounts this week revealed that the Administration is again discussing the extension of U.S. troops in that country past 2014. The Administration is determined to stay in a country where U.S. citizens are increasingly attacked not only by the Taliban but Afghan troops. Afghan President Hamid Karzai stated inclinations toward the Taliban and harsh treatment of women. Then there was Karzai’s recent position that women are worth less than men — presumably even those American women keeping Karzai and his corrupt family and friends in power.

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Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Media, Society

ABC Wins Major Discrimination Challenge Over Casting Of “The Bachelor”

There is an interesting ruling in Nashville this week where U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger ruled that ABC and the producers of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” are protected by the First Amendment right in making casting decisions — even in the face of discrimination claims over the failure to cast minorities on the television series “The Bachelor.”

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Free Speech, Media, Politics, Society

Barring Bucksom Beauties: Leading Distributor in England Bars Sale Of Hunting and Shooting Magazines To Children

The largest distributor of magazines in Britain will now require people to show identification to confirm their age to purchase a new category of magazines that will join hard porn as potentially harmful to children: hunting and shooting magazines. After a campaign by animal rights groups, the retailer has agreed to restrict access to such magazines despite the fact that children can hunt and shoot in England.

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Bizarre, International, Politics, Society

French Government Moves To Ban Homework To Achieve Social Equality

French President François Hollande has attracted considerable international attention in his new tax policies including a 75% tax rate for super wealthy citizens. Now, Hollande is moving to eradicate another inequity between wealthy and non-wealthy families: homework. Hollande believes that homework exacerbates the unfairness since wealthier parents have greater ability to work with their children at night than do average working parents.

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Academia, Politics, Society

Waste Study Cites Academic Research Proving The Existence of “Gaydar”

Republican Senator Tom Coburn has issued a report on waste in government — a two hundred page report of excessive spending in the millions and as small as $300. As a former intern for Sen. William Proxmire (D., Wis.) who used to issue his Golden Fleece Award, I always find such reports interesting. However, one small item caught my eye: $30,000 to the University of Washington and Cornell University for a study that proved that “Gaydar” actually exists. Of course, you might ask why the government has an interest in such a study but do not be surprised if the next DoD budget has $30 billion in research and development of a stealth gay project for the evasion of Gaydar.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Politics, Society

Is Free Speech Thew in England? Manchester Jailed For Tee-Shirt With Anti-Police Writings

On Sunday, I ran a column in the Washington Post detailing how free speech is dying in the West. That column featured cases from England prominently as have many stories on this blog. Now we have yet another free speech case to add to our collection from our cousins across the pond. Barry Thew, 39, was arrested after he wore a handmade tee shirt with offensive anti-police words. He was given four months for his exercise of what should be protected free speech.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Society

With Friends Like This: Texas Woman Charged With Publishing Picture of Undercover Officer Found On His Facebook Page

There is an interesting case out of Mesquite, Texas this week. Melissa Walthall, 30, has been arrested for allegedly posting a picture of an undercover officer in a narcotic case — a picture available on the officer’s Facebook page. Walthall was upset with the officer who testified against a friend in the case and found the picture on the Internet. She has been charged with “retaliation” even though she is not a party to the case and saw the officer in a public hearing. I have serious constitutional reservations about such a charge, even though I understand entirely the concern and anger of the police in a move that could endanger the officer.

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Criminal law, Society

Brooklyn Officers Beat Down Drunken Man Found At Synagogue

The video below shows police officers pummeling a man found drunk and shirtless in a Jewish youth center in Brooklyn. The video shows slight resistance to being cuffed — followed by a virtual beat down by the officer, including one officer who appears to assume a boxing stance. The man has been identified by one site as Ehud Halevi.

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Environment, Politics, Society

Roughly Half of Republicans Believe in Global Warming

We have often discussed the disconnect of the two major parties with their bases. For Democrats, it is the disgraceful record on civil liberties left by Democratic leadership, including President Obama. For Republicans, it is often the environment. Polls show a high number of Republican voters are in favor of environmental laws that are routinely undermined by GOP leaders. Now a new Pew poll shows that roughly half of Republicans say there is “solid evidence” of global warming — a remarkable jump of 37 percent jump from 2009.

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Academia, Criminal law, Environment, Lawyering, Politics, Society

Fowl Crime: Two Berkeley Law Students Arrested For Allegedly Beheading Bird In Vegas Casino As Joke

Two University of California, Berkeley, law students have been accuse of a disgusting crime in which they tore the head off a 14-year-old Helmeted guinea fowl in the Flamingo’s wildlife habitat and then laughed about it. Security cameras reportedly caught Eric Cuellar, 24, and Justin Teixeir, 24, chasing the bird into the trees and then carrying out its body and severed head as some type of hilarious joke.

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