Month: November 2013

Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Free Speech, Justice, Lawyering, Politics, Society, Supreme Court

Internet Kill Switch Plan is Killed…For Now.

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Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw)-Guest Blogger

The Electronic Privacy Information Center recently won the first round of a court action asking that the Department of Homeland Security be required to disclose its plans to pull the plug on regional or national mobile telephone and internet communication systems pursuant to its Standard Operating Procedure 303.

“In the classicly-rendered case, DHS has argued that shutting down entire communication networks might be necessary in order to prevent the detonation of radio-controlled bomb or explosive device.

However, siding with the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), which brought a suit demanding more transparency for the DHS program known as “Standard Operating Procedure 303” (or SOP303), the federal judge at the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that because the release of the protocol could not reasonably be seen as harming law enforcement “investigative techniques or prosecutions” it’s cited reasons for keeping the details of the program secret did not hold up.” Common Dreams

The so-called SOP 303 could allow DHS to cut-off all internet and mobile phone communications at a regional level or a national level if it determined that there was a national security concern.  We have already seen this government tactic used in Oakland in 2011 and that alleged over reach by the Bay Area Rapid Transit authorities may be the reason for EPIC’s lawsuit.  Continue reading “Internet Kill Switch Plan is Killed…For Now.” →

Bizarre, Justice, Science, Society, Torts, Uncategorized

Worked To Death: Fatigue and the health professions, the dirty little secret.

Submitted by Charlton Stanley (aka Otteray Scribe), Guest Blogger

The dirtiest secret of all in the health care professions is not insurance. It is about tired staff.

Nurse Emblem Letha's MarkerOn March 16, 2013, Registered Nurse Elizabeth Jasper had just gotten off work. She was driving her small SUV eastbound on Ohio 50 when it left the road, going airborne, and hitting a tree. The wreckage careened into a parking lot. One does not need to be an accident reconstrucionist to know the crash was not survivable, by just taking one glance at the wreckage.

Beth Jasper, RN, is dead at the age of 38. She leaves her husband and two children. The preliminary investigation so far has revealed Nurse Jasper was supposed to work three 12-hour shifts that week, but had been held over to work extra doing specialized procedures. She is believed to have fallen asleep at the wheel.

Since that time, James Jasper, her widower, has filed a lawsuit against her employer, Jewish Hospital and its parent company, Mercy Health Partners of Southwest Ohio. As details of the lawsuit emerge, it shines a spotlight on a fact of corporate health care in this country which most people never knew.

Continue reading “Worked To Death: Fatigue and the health professions, the dirty little secret.” →

Constitutional Law, Religion, Supreme Court

School Bus Driver Fired For Praying

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

440px-school busGeorge Nathaniel III, a pastor of a church in Minneapolis and school bus driver in Burnsville, Minnesota, was terminated from his school bus driving job. Nathaniel said: “To fire a bus driver for praying for the safety of the children” is not right. It is wrong to fire someone for praying for the safety of the children, but Nathaniel is misrepresenting the facts to portray himself as a victim of the War on Christianity.

Continue reading “School Bus Driver Fired For Praying” →

Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Environment, Free Speech, International, Justice, Media, Military, Politics, Religion, Science, Society, Supreme Court

Selfish or Sociopath, Does It Make a Difference?

Submitted By: Mike Spindell, Guest Blogger

In recent years many studies have come out  that have made the case that a high proportion of CEO’s of major companies are sociopaths. At the end of this blog I’ll provide a number of links that discuss this, some from major conservative business magazines. We do know that from 1% to 3% of humans are sociopaths sharing all of these 10 characteristics:

#1) Sociopaths are charming. #2) Sociopaths are more spontaneous and intense than other people. #3) Sociopaths are incapable of feeling shame, guilt or remorse. #4) Sociopaths invent outrageous lies about their experiences. #5) Sociopaths seek to dominate others and “win” at all costs. #6) Sociopaths tend to be highly intelligent #7) Sociopaths are incapable of love #8) Sociopaths speak poetically. #9) Sociopaths never apologize. #10) Sociopaths are delusional and literally believe that what they say becomes truth.” http://www.naturalnews.com/036112_sociopaths_cults_influence.html

495px-Donald_Trump_by_Gage_SkidmorePaul_Ryan--113th_Congress--Mitt_Romney_by_Gage_Skidmore_7Now the problem with the definition of Sociopathy is that there can be a good deal of subjectivity in making the diagnosis, absent a clinician interviewing the subject. After all many people are charming, spontaneous, invent lies, try to dominate others and speak “poetically” and that doesn’t make them sociopaths. The subjectivity comes in trying to determine whether a given person is incapable of feeling guilt, shame, remorse and is delusional. A trained clinician may be able to do this via an intensive interview, but the nature of this disorder is such that even a trained clinician can be fooled by a sociopath. Rather than argue back and forth about the negative effects of CEO sociopaths on this society as the root of so much dysfunction, my readings this week suggest another theory that would provide a simpler explanation of why it seems that so many in this country have so little compassion and empathy for the less fortunate among us. We need not deem them sociopaths, but people who are simply removed from the misery that they inflict. The apocryphal story of Marie Antoinette’s “let them eat cake” may well characterize those who control most of this country’s wealth. It may be why some are sincere philanthropists, yet show such disdain and lack a sense of responsibility for the suffering that they cause. Let’s explore this further. Continue reading “Selfish or Sociopath, Does It Make a Difference?” →

Congress, Constitutional Law, Politics, Society

The Fix Is In: Can President Obama Grant An Effective ACA Waiver To Millions Of Disgruntled Citizens?

President_Barack_ObamaPresident Obama is taking a great deal of heat for the cancellations of millions of policies after he repeatedly told citizens that if you like your policy you could keep it. He recently apologized for what seems a classic bait and switch. However, Obama has now announced a fix that raises a more serious question in my mind. Most of us have become used to a relatively high level of dishonesty from our leaders in Congress as well as the White House. This blog has documented whoppers, even perjury, that results in little more than a shrug in today’s political system. However, the “fix” involves the President unilaterally changing that scope and timing of a law. This has been a recurring concern with this President and the rise of the “Imperial Presidency” that he has established within ever-expanding executive powers. I will be discussing this issue today on CNN.

Continue reading “The Fix Is In: Can President Obama Grant An Effective ACA Waiver To Millions Of Disgruntled Citizens?” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

No Returns: Ohio Parents Return Adopted Son . . . After Nine Years

300px-ReturnpolicyIf news accounts are correct, Cleveland and Lisa Cox may be the personification of a consumer society . . . to the point of treating their son as an unwanted or defective product. The couple is charged with abandonment after they took their 9-year-old son back to the Butler County Children’s Services where they adopted him at 3 months old. They are seeking the termination of their parental rights and responsibilities.

Continue reading “No Returns: Ohio Parents Return Adopted Son . . . After Nine Years” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Politics, Religion, Society

Oops, Our Bad: Syrian Rebel Group Pulls Wounded Soldier From Hospital, Decapitates Him, And Prances Around With His Head . . . Only To Learn He Is A Rebel Fighter

LiveLeak-dot-com-c8f_1384461393-article-2507424-196AB57900000578-150_634x348.jpg.resizedThe problem with being a murderous religious extremist is when you behead your own allies in one of your blood-soaked celebrations of hate. That is the problem facing the al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). The group held one of its signature beheadings with joyous killings and prancing around with body parts only to learn that the victim was a wounded anti-government soldier. Oops.

Continue reading “Oops, Our Bad: Syrian Rebel Group Pulls Wounded Soldier From Hospital, Decapitates Him, And Prances Around With His Head . . . Only To Learn He Is A Rebel Fighter” →

International, Society

A Soccer Player Shows The World The Meaning of Sportsmanship

For all the criticism that we give soccer for outdated policies, unfair calls, and unruly fans or players (here and here and here), this video redeems the entire sport. In this video of a game between Al Nahdha and Al Ittihad, Al Nahdha’s goalkeeper Taisir Al Antaif is afraid to take a goalkick because his shoe is untied and the game is on the line. An opposing team member (Brazilian by the name of Jobson) sees his dilemma and runs forward and ties his shoe. The ref then whistles that the kicker delayed the game and gives the opposing team a free indirect kick. What happened next is golden.

Continue reading “A Soccer Player Shows The World The Meaning of Sportsmanship” →

Bizarre, Criminal law

Alabama Police Officer Loses Job After Shown Drag Racing On Video With Another Motorcyclist

race14n-2-web A Montgomery, Alabama officer has resigned shortly before being fired after the release of a video shows him drag racing another motorcyclist. The other man, Lawrence Lee Spillers, recorded the encounter on his helmet camera and says that he never thought the officer would be fired in releasing the video.

Continue reading “Alabama Police Officer Loses Job After Shown Drag Racing On Video With Another Motorcyclist” →

Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Society, Torts

Virginia Police Under Investigation After Video Shows Man Being Tasered For 42 Consecutive Seconds

lantz-day_296120px-Police_issue_X26_TASER-whiteThere is an investigation in Fredericksburg, Virginia after the posting of a YouTube clip show police tasering, Lantz Day, 36, for what appears to be 42 consecutive seconds. On the video below, you can hear what sounds like the taser and Day screaming for them to stop. There is no reason that I can see why the tasering continued after Day was down and surrounding by officers, which leads to the concern that officers were punishing him for attempting to run. He was unarmed and under suspicion of property damage.

Continue reading “Virginia Police Under Investigation After Video Shows Man Being Tasered For 42 Consecutive Seconds” →

Animals, Environment, International

Indian Railway Officials Refuse To Slow Trains Through Elephant Reserve . . . Train Strikes And Kills Seven Elephants and Injuries Ten Others In Single Accident

220px-Tanzanian_Elephant220px-Narrow_Gauge_Train_at_RajimIndian railway officials have refused requests for years that it slow its trains moving through the famed corridor for elephant migration in the Chapramari forest in eastern India. Now, in a single accident, a train has killed seven elephants (including two calves) and injured ten others. The railway officials have yet to agree to the slower speeds even as workers try to clean up from the carnage.

Continue reading “Indian Railway Officials Refuse To Slow Trains Through Elephant Reserve . . . Train Strikes And Kills Seven Elephants and Injuries Ten Others In Single Accident” →

Bizarre, Politics, Religion, Society

A Bit Too Mavericky? Palin Declares Pope Francis To Be A Suspect Liberal

SarahPalin170px-Francisco_(20-03-2013)Former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin is warning people about Pope Francis. Palin told CNN that the Pope’s statements of tolerance and accommodation have “taken her aback” but that she hopes that it is just another misrepresentation by liberal mainstream media. We have discussed how inspiring Pope Francis has proven to Catholics and non-Catholics alike by shedding the trappings of the papacy and living a simple and humble life of a priest. More importantly, he has reached out to gays, atheists and others in a way that is truly historic. In this short time as Pope, he is credited with bringing large numbers of people back to churches in the West. However, Palin is uneasy with the Pope for the very same reasons that people are rallying around him.

Continue reading “A Bit Too Mavericky? Palin Declares Pope Francis To Be A Suspect Liberal” →