Category: Bizarre

Animals, Bizarre, Criminal law, Society, Torts

Man Strips Naked and Jumps Into Lion Cage . . . Zoo Kills Two Lions To Rescue Him

300px-Daniel_in_the_Lion's_Den_c1615_Peter_Paul_RubensDaniel in the Lion’s Den by Peter Paul Rubens is a painting that has inspired millions in capturing the moment of faith dedicated in the Bible. The same cannot be said about the scene this week in Santiago, Chile where a man stripped naked and jumped into the lion enclosure at the zoo in what is believed to be a bizarre suicide attempt. In order to save the man, the zoo was forced to shoot and kill the two lions. (Warning: disturbing video shot from YouTube below.)

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Bizarre, Courts, Lawyering, Media, Society

Federal Judge Finds Justice Department Lawyers Knowingly Lied And Orders Team To Take Ethics Classes

US-DeptOfJustice-Seal_svgJudge_Andrew_S._HanenUnited States District Judge Andrew Hanen issued a remarkable opinion yesterday that found that Justice Department lawyers not only lied to him and opposing counsel but “it is hard to imagine a more serious, more calculated plan of unethical conduct.” What is even more remarkable however is that, after finding such calculated and unethical conduct, Hanen ordered the lawyers to simply take ethics classes rather than refer them to the bar for suspension or disbarment. Many attorneys object that government lawyers routinely escape serious punishment for false or misleading statements. In this case, the judge found that the Justice Department misled him and opposing counsel in a case by Texas and 25 other states that sought to block President Barack Obama’s controversial immigration programs. Hansen blocked the program. Notably, the Justice Department is even opposing ethical classes as a sanction.

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Academia, Bizarre, Lawyering, Media

University of Wisconsin Law Graduate Wins Admission To Bar After Misrepresenting Grades And Credentials

Seal_of_the_Supreme_Court_of_Wisconsin.svgIt is not every recent law grad who can claim that he appeared before the state supreme court soon after graduation. Unfortunately, this is one appearance that University of Wisconsin law graduate Joshua Jarrett is unlikely to add to his resume. In a close vote, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that Jarrett could be admitted to the bar so long as he is supervised for two years. Bar officials sought to block Jarrett after concluding that he had misrepresented his grades and credentials in a job application.

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Bizarre, Society, Torts

Health Officials Raise Alarm Over “Sex Roulette”

There is a bizarre story out of Barcelona where people are engaging in activity called “sex roulette” where people have unprotected sex knowing that one of the group is HIV positive. For some reason, this adds an element of danger for such people in not knowing if they will contract a lethal virus. Putting aside the deeply disturbing psychological element, there could be some interesting legal elements for anyone who wants to sue. Presumably, this is the ultimate case of an assumption of the risk and plaintiff’s conduct as a defense. However, the party organizers could also be viewed as creating a type of ultrahazardous or abnormally dangerous activity. While defenses could still apply, the question would be law suited from family members or third parties.

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

“Erdogan Does Not Have To Put Up with the Expression of Certain Passages”: Hamburg Judge Enjoins Comedian From Reading Poem About Turkish President

We have been discussing the roll back on free speech rights in Germany and the recent controversy over Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to first apologize to authoritarian Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for a satirical poem and then approve the prosecution of the comedian is a shocking and chilling disgrace. The crackdown on comedian Jan Boehmermann has shocked many the West. Despite the global condemnations of Merkel and her government in its yielding to Erdogan, there is at least one German judge who shows the same Merkelian disregard for free speech.  A court in Hamburg banned Boehmermann from publicly reading his poem.  Indeed, the court ruled that only six lines of the 24-line poem could be recited.  It is an absurd case of prior restraint and a chilling example of how free speech is under attack in the West.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Politics, Society

Louisiana Legislator Under Fire For Jokingly Suggesting A Ban On Strippers Above The Age Of 28 Or Weighing More Than 160 Pounds

rep62350px-poledsc325Louisiana State Rep. Kenneth Havard is under fire this week for a measure that would have required strippers in Louisiana to be no older than 28 and weigh no more than 160 pounds. The amendment was . . . well . . . stripped from the bill after objections.

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Bizarre, International, Religion, Society

Iran Accuses Kim Kardashian Of Being Secret Western Agent

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards has denounced Kim Kardashian as being a Western agent. Of course, crazed fatwas and threats coming from the Islamic Republic is hardly news. However, in this case, a country is suggesting that Kim Kardashian has a job other than just being a Kardashian. The Kardashians are rightfully viewed as the death of American culture as a group of people without a single discernible talent. The Kardashians literally made being a celebrity as basis for celebrity status — without the need of actually being successful as a dancer, singer, or some other actual skill. The fact that the Iranians view Kim Kardashian as actively engaged in some substantive effort other than being Kim Kardashian shows how out of touch they really are with reality.

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Bizarre, International, Society

Stacked Up Traffic In China: Driver Avoids The Cost Of Driving Trucks Individually By Stacking Them

160517113224-china-three-trucks-2-exlarge-169Anyone who has been China returns with hair-raising stories of people driving on the sidewalks and trucks careening around with massively overloaded beds. However, even for China, this truck driver had people shocked after he tried to save money in transporting trucks separately and instead stacked them on top of each other.

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Bizarre, Congress, Society

Travelers At O’Hare and Other Airports Face Three Hour Delays While Thousands Miss Flights

We have been discussing the meltdown at airports due to the latest gross negligence by the Transportation Security Administration. At O’Hare, passengers are facing three hour delays with thousands missing flights and even having to rent hotel rooms when unable to make it to their gates in time. What is incredible is that Homeland Security Secretary not only denied that there was any crisis in grinding airports to a standstill but also seemed to blame passengers for failing to yield to the pressure to accept the expedited screening program called PreCheck. Many people object to the program as yielding privacy under coercion from TSA: share personal data or face hours of waiting as punishment. TSA admits that it assumed more passengers would yield to the pressure. They did not. It also admits to failing to properly staff security in a ten percent cut of screeners — a colossal blunder of under-estimating travel numbers. Yet, again, no one appears to be accountable for this massive failure that has left thousands stranded and airlines struggling to reschedule flights, including a separate TSA failure that resulted in the loss of thousands of bags.

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Bizarre, Politics, Religion, Society, Torts

The Whole (Food) Truth and Nothing But The Truth: Gay Pastor Admits That Gay Slur Cake Was A Hoax

imrs.phpWe previously discussed the suspicious claims made by a gay Texas pastor, Jordan Brown, who accused a Whole Foods store of changing his order for a cake reading “Love Wins” to “Love Wins Fag.” Various people seeing the cake immediately began raising questions over Brown’s claims and a videotape seemed to contradict his account. Whole Foods countersued Brown. Brown has now fessed up that he did alter the cake and made the whole thing up. After he dropped his lawsuit, Whole Foods has decided to drop the countersuit though a strong case could be made for seeking damages in such a hoax.

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Bizarre, Politics, Society

Tangled Webb: Virginia Congressional Candidate Posts Screenshot Of Computer But Fails To Close Pornography Tabs [UPDATED]

Screen Shot 2016-05-16 at 7.04.00 PM5707_1709211369322741_8312701898792710250_nMike Webb is running for Virginia’s 8th District but has run into a bit of trouble. First, he ran for the Republican nomination but lost. He then ran as an independent but people noticed something a bit odd on this website. A screenshot showed open tabs to what appears to porn sites on his campaign Facebook site. I checked and it was still on the site after various sites reported the sighting. Whatever “Ivone” and “Layla Rivera” are offering, it is not the usual fare for campaign promises. Update: Webb has responded as discussed below.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Politics, Religion

Iran Defends Holocaust Cartoon Competition As Expression Of Free Speech

250px-flag_of_iransvgOne of the most impressive characteristics of religious extremists is the ability to hold facially contrary positions without any sense of contradiction or hypocrisy. Saudi Arabia decries any limitations on Muslims worshipping in other countries while banning churches and public worship of non-Muslims in its own country. Iran is particularly prone to such contradictions like executing homosexuals while denying that there are any homosexuals in Iran or objecting to the treatment of protesters in the West while jailing, beating and killing protesters in Iran. This week Iran offered another such example. In refusing to censor a Holocaust-themed cartoon festival, Iran (which has ordered the killing of authors and cartoonists for insulting Islam) insisted that it had to stand with free speech and would not think of interfering with an author or cartoonist in expressing their views. The same week, Iran has called for the arrest and punishment of models who allow themselves to be photographed without religious scarves.  Likewise, it previously ordered the flogging of a model for a public kiss.

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Academia, Bizarre, Free Speech, Politics, Society

Black Lives Matter Activists Tear Down Statement Supporting Police In The Name Of Not Being Silenced

220px-Dartmouth_College_shield.svgWe previously discussed the protest held by Black Lives Matter at the library of Dartmouth — and the relative lack of any punishment from the college. Now, Black Lives Matter activists have torn down a display honoring police officers and then reportedly stood guard over the board to prevent the College Republicans from re-posting their memorial . . . in the name of not being silenced.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Environment, Media, Science

Three Men Arrested For Trashing Death Valley Park Area and Killing Endangered Fish

la-1463144937-snap-photoWe have been discussing the scourge of graffiti and destruction by vandals in our national parks. The lack of deterrence was vividly shown by the laughable fine given to actress Vanessa Hudgens for defacing a rock wall. An exception to this dismal enforcement may be the case of three men who were caught on video drunkenly vandalizing Death Valley National Park and possibly causing the death of an endangered Devils Hole pupfish. Steven Schwinkendorf, Edgar Reyes and Trenton Sargent are all facing felony charges including killing of an endangered species, destruction of habitat, trespassing, and destruction of property. One is charged with the crime of an ex-felon possessing a firearm.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Environment

Caught Red-Handed: Actress Vanessa Hudgens Defaces Natural Park . . . But Then Required To Pay Only $1000 To A Charity

vanessa-hudgens-vandalismWe have previously discussed the increasing appearance of graffiti in our national and state parks. As is well known on this blog, hiking is my passion and there is nothing more crushing than to see juvenile carvings and writings on trees and rocks in parks. Most recently, the Frame Arch was defaced by graffiti. I have written that the scourge of graffiti is due to the low detection rate and even lower penalties for those committing these crimes. The most recent case demonstrates vividly how the government still treats the crime as a minor matter. In a rare case of self-incrimination, Actress Vanessa Hudgens posted a picture of her carving of a heart into a red rock wall during a trip to Sedona, Arizona on federal park land. However, when nabbed by the federal government, they allowed her to walk with just $1000 donated to a charity.
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