Category: Academia

Academia, Politics, Society

Obama: I Did Not Mean “Stupidity” As a Slight of the Cambridge Officers

225px-official_portrait_of_barack_obama180px-Henry_Louis_GatesAs expected, President Barack Obama attempted to backtrack from his statements yesterday denouncing the police for the “stupidity” of their arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates. In today’s statement, Obama insisted that when he referred to their stupidity he did not mean to malign them. While “stupidity” is not a term of endearment, it can apparently be used without any negative connotations for the arresting officers — even when linked with the nation’s history of racism and profiling abuses.

Continue reading “Obama: I Did Not Mean “Stupidity” As a Slight of the Cambridge Officers” →

Academia, Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Harvard Professor Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Arrested in Cambridge

pic-240-1211452Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr., University professor and director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Studies at Harvard, has been arrested while trying to break into his own house. A concerned neighbor called police when she saw Gates, 58, “wedging his shoulder in the front door [of Gates’ house] as to pry the door open.” Police say that he refused to give them his name, accused them of racism, and continued a loud altercation from his porch until his arrest for “exhibiting loud and tumultuous behavior.”
Continue reading “Harvard Professor Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Arrested in Cambridge” →

Academia, Bizarre, Criminal law, Media, Society

Student Takes Picture of Police — And Is Then Given a Fine By the Same Officers for Sitting in a Park

presence_autochtone1Concordia University student Brendan Colin Jones, 25, was sitting in a park when he took a picture of police confronting youths in a park. One of the officers then allegedly confronted him about the pictures and gave him a $628 ticket for sitting on park ledge.

Continue reading “Student Takes Picture of Police — And Is Then Given a Fine By the Same Officers for Sitting in a Park” →

Academia, Columns, Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Media, Politics, Society, Supreme Court

Retire the Ginsburg Rule: It is Time To Put Content Back Into Confirmation Hearings

225px-ruth_bader_ginsburg_scotus_photo_portraitIf this week’s hearings seem devoid of serious content, it is due to the little known Ginsburg Rule. Today’s column discusses how we can restore some serious content to confirmation hearings.

Continue reading “Retire the Ginsburg Rule: It is Time To Put Content Back Into Confirmation Hearings” →

Academia, Bizarre, Environment, Society

Oh Hail Our Monkey Overlords! Simians Move Closer to Operating Flesh-Eating Robots

DrzaiusAs many on this blog know, we try to keep track of who is likely to assert tyrannical control over the Earth so that the Turley bloggers can be the first to capitulate and curry favor. We now have two stories that, when combined, indicate that it will be our monkey masters. A report has surfaced that monkeys have proven capable of using robots with mind control devices. When combined with the recent story of robots capable of surviving on biomass, including human body parts, the meaning is obvious: our monkey overlords will soon be operating human-eating robots with their minds.

Continue reading “Oh Hail Our Monkey Overlords! Simians Move Closer to Operating Flesh-Eating Robots” →

Academia, Constitutional Law, Politics, Society

Seventh Circuit Suggests “Wisconsin Rule” Exempting Graduates From Bar May Be Unconstitutional

wisconsin flagposnerWhile going to law school in Chicago, many of us were envious of kids that graduated from Wisconsin law schools who were not required to take a state bar. It now turns out that we may have been victims of an unconstitutional discrimination against outside law schools. In an interesting opinion written by Judge Richard Posner of the United States Supreme Court, the Wisconsin rule was found to be a violation of the commerce clause.

Continue reading “Seventh Circuit Suggests “Wisconsin Rule” Exempting Graduates From Bar May Be Unconstitutional” →

Academia, Bizarre, Environment, Politics, Society

Creationism Goes Nuclear: Arizona State Senator Proclaims That Earth is 6000 Years Old

ALLEN_SArizona State Senator Sylvia Allen sits on the state’s Education Accountability and Reform Committee as well as the Natural Resources Committee. So, it was a bit scary to hear Allen display her knowledge of science and geology recently during her call for uranium mining. In the clip below, Allen casually explains that the Earth is 6000 years old and that it has done just fine without environmental laws of any kind for most of that time. She represents Snowflake, Arizona.
Continue reading “Creationism Goes Nuclear: Arizona State Senator Proclaims That Earth is 6000 Years Old” →

Academia, Bizarre, Criminal law, Religion, Society

Dean in a Moral Maze: Villanova Law School Dean Resigns After Being Implicated in Prostitution Ring

Mark Sargent Villanova Law Dean Mark A SargentVillanova Law Dean Mark Sargent has resigned after news reports that he was a customer of a prostitution ring. Sargent previously wrote a law review article entitled “Lawyers in a Moral Maze.”

Continue reading “Dean in a Moral Maze: Villanova Law School Dean Resigns After Being Implicated in Prostitution Ring” →

Academia, Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Courts, Religion, Society

Ave Maria Law School Invokes Status as Religious Institution and “Ecclesiastical Abstention” to Dismiss Law Professors’ Lawsuit

ave_mariaThe Ave Maria Law School in Naples, Florida has long been controversial. Dedicated to Catholic education and values, the school is the subject of a lawsuit by professors who are challenging the move from Michigan to Florida as well as management policies. The law school is now claiming in the lawsuit that all law professors are “ministerial employees” and that the school is entitled to “ecclesiastical abstention.”
Continue reading “Ave Maria Law School Invokes Status as Religious Institution and “Ecclesiastical Abstention” to Dismiss Law Professors’ Lawsuit” →