Category: Bizarre

Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Military, Politics

Operation Voldemort: The War Which Must Not Be Named

220px-Lordvoldemort220px-B-2_spirit_bombingThere is an interesting dimension to the ongoing circumvention of the Constitution over our latest undeclared war. While some Administration officials are finally calling our attacks in Syria as a “war,” the discomfort over defining this indefinite campaign has led to equal discomfort over naming it. After two months of airstrikes and statements that the campaign will likely go on for years, the Administration still have not named this war. The choice would now seem obvious: Operation Voldemort, the war which must not be named.

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Bizarre, International, Media, Politics, Society

Nein Nachrichten: Germany Reportedly Considering Ban On Work Emails After 6 pm

Coat_of_arms_of_Germany.svg150px-(at).svgI have often praised Germany for its forward-leaning laws on the environment and other areas. However, Germany is following France in a move that I consider perfectly absurd: a ban on after-hours work emails. I will confess to attaining some Chicago school economic bias against certain forms of tax and regulatory policy. However, this is one area where the market should be left to its devices, literally.

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Bizarre, Torts

Oregon Judge Dismisses Product Labeling Lawsuit Filed Against Nike By Convicted Pimp

Submitted By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

sirgiorgio-clardy-croppedIt only took half an hour for an Oregon court to dismiss a $100,000,000.00 lawsuit filed against Nike by a convicted pimp who sued the company for allegedly not warning consumers its product could be used as a deadly weapon.

The lawsuit was originally filed in January by Sirgiorgio Clardy, who is serving a one hundred year sentence for an assault stemming from the use of his shoes.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law

The Laws Of Everett, Washington: The Unconstitutional And The Bizarre

Submitted by Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

everett-logoToday we feature the City of Everett, Washington, a city with a few rather interesting municipal codes. Several ordinances on the book should serve as both lessons in unconstitutionality and comic relief. From prohibitions on certain public gatherings, to regulations on ducks to criminal impersonation of crossing guards, Everett can bring an assortment of entertainment for the unsuspecting tourist.

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Bizarre, Society, Torts

Roller Coaster Decapitates Deer and Covers Riders In Blood

250px-white-tailed_deer250px-UltimateLifthillsNow this has the makings for an interesting torts lawsuit. Riders on what is billed as Europe’s longest roller coast in Ripon, England experienced an unexpected fearful element when their car hit a deer — covering the riders in deer blood. “The Ultimate” ride left many hoping for a bit less than the decapitation of a deer.

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Bizarre, Science, Society

Farrakhan: United States Developed Ebola and Other Means To Kill Black People While Sparing White People

ebola250px-FarrakhanLouis Farrakhan has long been dismissed by most people as a race-baiting crank. However, Farrakhan’s latest missive to his Nation of Islam followers is particularly incendiary. He suggests that ebola and other diseases were developed by the United States to “depopulate” the world of black people. What is dangerous is that thousands actually believe Farrakhan’s conspiracy theories. Notably, this conspiracy is very close to the one being spread among remote villages of Africa where health care workers are being killed because they are viewed as spreading the disease or working for those who created it.

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Academia, Bizarre, Criminal law

Wunderkind: Ohio State Student Stripped Of Full Scholarship After Football Stunt

Anthony_WunderOfficials have informed Ohio State student Anthony J. Wunder, 21, that he will be stripped of his full scholarship as a result of his running on to the field in the second quarter of the game between the Buckeyes and the Cincinnati Bearcats. The incident went viral with pictures of assistant Buckeyes coach (and former OSU linebacker) Anthony Schlegel tackling Wunder. It appears that linebackers never truly forget their techniques or training.

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Bizarre, Society

“Don’t Be Late And End Up In A Crate”: Airport Company Uses Man’s Death To Pitch Its Services

Doré_-_StyxI just saw this on Reddit and had to share it. A company issued a report of the death of a man at O’Hare airport, but it turns out that the company was using the death as a hook for more business. The company notes “[t]here could be many reasons for the cause of this man’s death but based on the story one possible reason could be stress. The process of arriving to the airport and boarding the plane can be very stressful.” The solution? The company of course. ParkSleepFly, which appears to be working on a new slogan: “Use Us Or Die.”

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Bizarre, International, Military, Politics

Killing Them With Kindness? Iraqi Pilots Drop Emergency Food and Ammunition . . . To Islamic State Militants

280px-AirdropcloseJan18haiti_editedIraqi pilots are rechecking their coordinate calculations after they mistakenly dropped food, water and ammunition to Islamic State militants rather than besieged Iraqi forces fighting the militants. It is the latest blunder by a military that, despite billions and billions in U.S. training and equipment, continues to face regular desertions and defeats in the field.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Religion, Society

Forever Young: Student Protest BYU Ban on Beards

200px-BYU_Medallion_Logo.svg175px-Brigham_Young_by_Charles_William_CarterThere is an interesting protest growing on the campus of Brigham Young University where students are opposing a rule imposed by the school. The subject of the protests is rather unique. No it is not a war protest or some other usual campus cause. It is facial hair. The university has banned beards, a curious rule to be sure for a school named after Brigham Young who would have been banned from campus due to his facial hair.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International

The Uber Cultural Defense: Driver Reportedly Insists That Woman “Asked For” Groping Due To Her Dress

botros09Uber taxi driver Ramy Botros has a curious defense after he allegedly put his hand down the shirt of a 25-year-old female customer: she was asking for it and in Egypt such assaults are considered justified for women wearing such outfits. This of course was in Orlando, but that did not seem to matter in this rather curious use of the cultural defense, something that I have discussed earlier.

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Bizarre, International, Religion

Welcome To Hell-Al: Orthodox Jewish Men Disrupt New York Flight By Refusing To Sit Near Women

220px-El_Al_Rhodes_041009Passengers on a flight from New York to Tel Aviv were put through what one passenger described as “an 11-hour long nightmare” on El Al after ultra-orthodox passengers refused to sit near women and demanded segregation of the sexes in line with their religion. The men in black hats and curly tendrils refused to take their previously selected seats for take off. They then jumped out of their seats and stood in the aisle protesting that women were near them . . . for 11 hours.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Media, Military, Politics

Semper Latte: Cup Salute Seems To Generate More Attention Than Undeclared War In National Debate

1411505445739_wps_3_Americans_weren_t_amused_It is being called “Semper Latte” and, if this is the biggest scandal that President Barack Obama has to worry about, his Administration is safe. Various people are denouncing the President for saluting his Marine guard while holding a cup of tea or coffee. From CNN to the Daily Mail to ABC to the New York Daily News to the Washington Post to the New York Post to NBC to CBS to countless others, the salute is generating heated comments across the country. YouTube clips show the salute over and over along with multiple postings expressing outrage. My reaction is a bit different. The President has launched another declared war that his aides say could last “years.” However, there seem more debate over this tempest in a tea [cup] than the fact that we are bombing another nation.

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