Category: Bizarre

Bizarre, Media, Politics, Torts

The Sliming Of Pete Buttigieg

Fox News reported on a disturbing allegation of an alleged effort by conservative activists to push a false claim that Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg sexually assaulted another man. The man denies the published account and says that he was coerced into signing a statement as part of an effort by lobbyist Jack Burkman and blogger Jacob Wohl. The story appears entirely false and represents a new low for this town even after such disgraceful stories as the Pizzagate.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics

Michael Cohen Now Claims Innocence Of Charges Despite Sworn Statements

I have previously written about Michael Cohen’s long and uninterrupted history of false statements, crimes, and unethical conduct (here and here and here and here and here). What was particularly impressive is that Cohen was told by Chairman Elijah Cummings that he would immediately be referred to the Justice Department for prosecution if he lied even in the slightest degree. In the view of many, Cohen proceeded to lie and Cummings decided to do nothing. Now Cohen is contradicting the sworn statements that he made in court as part of his sentencing is saying that the charges — and presumably his own statements accepting his guilt — were lies. Cohen reportedly told actor Tom Arnold last month that he is not guilty of the crimes that he told the court that he committed.

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Bizarre, International, Society

“Man-Tax” Cafe Goes Out To Business After Just Two Years

There is a long-standing theory that discriminatory practices are eventually squeezed out of a market since they add marginal costs not carried by non-discriminatory firms. Becker’s model predicts that in a competitive setting, discriminating employers ultimately are forced out of the market by forfeiting profits. (See Becker, G. S. (1957) The Economics of Discrimination, Chicago: Chicago University Press). Of course, society should not wait for such a long-term market adjustment and most support anti-discrimination laws to end such practices. Yet, a controversial café in Melbourne Australia might have succumbed to such a marginal cost. Handsome Her, a vegan caf, became an international focus with its imposition of a “man tax” of 18 percent for any men who try to eat at the cafe. It was supposed to reflect the
gender pay gap.” That overt discrimination however appears to have created a customer gap and the cafe is now going out of business after only two years.

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Bizarre, Free Speech, Media, Politics

Trump: New York Times Is “The Enemy of the People” and Should “Beg His Forgiveness”

President Donald Trump is again on Twitter attacking the media and frankly sounding strikingly authoritarian. On Tuesday, Trump said that the New York Times should “get down on their knees & beg for forgiveness” for its coverage of his presidency and again called the newspaper “the enemy of the people.” It is easy to dismiss such comments as Trump’s signature mantra but it is far more serious for a president to use such rhetoric to denounce journalists. As someone who has strongly criticized some coverage for biased reporting over the last two years, it is difficult to maintain a neutral viewpoint when the President is engaging in such hyperbolic and reckless comments. The President is justified in objecting to some of the coverage of the media, but he destroys any credibility in that position when he is tweeting diatribes of this kind.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Media

Trump Suggests Some Involved In Mueller Investigation Could Be “Traitors” And Still Be Brought To Justice

President Donald Trump appears intent on fueling calls for impeachment with unhinged statements calling some who worked with Special Counsel Robert Mueller as possible “traitors” and promising to “turn the tables” and to “bring them to justice”. While the President could simply relish the lack of findings of any criminal conduct, he has again adopted disturbing rhetoric that is reminiscent more of authoritarian regimes than American administrations.

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Bizarre, International

Poll: Seventy Percent Of Russians Approve of Stalin

The Russian proclivity toward strongman leaders is well documented. However, a recent poll shows that this historical preference not only continues but has led many to long for one of the most blood-soaked and homicidal figures in history: Josef Stalin. A shocking 70 recent of polled Russians now view the man who killed millions as an “outstanding leader.”

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Bizarre, Columns, Religion, Society

Islamic Cleric Instructs Men On How To Beat Their Wives “Out of Love”

We have previously discussed tutorials from Islamic clerics on how to beat your wife (here and here and here). The latest such grotesque lesson is from a leading cleric Abd Al-Aziz Al-Khazraj Al-Ansari in Qatar. Using a young boy as a stand-in for his wife, Al-Ansari, explains how to beat a wife “out of love” and how some women secretly want beatings because their want “violent and powerful husbands.”

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Bizarre, Criminal law

Florida Man Upset With Dogs Urinating On His Yard . . . Sprays Owner With His Own Urine

Florida continues to be an endless well of bizarre criminal stories. Joel Benjamin, 71, reportedly told police that he was not remorseful after he sprayed a woman walking her dog with his own urine. The reason? He was upset with dogs urinating on his lawn so he decided do retaliate with his own urine.

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Bizarre, Congress, Media, Politics

Sanders: Congress Not Smart Enough To Look At Trump Taxes

I am continually mystified by the Trump White House and its public responses to controversies — responses that often magnify the legitimate concerns of the public. That was case this weekend when White House Press Secretary Huckabee Sanders attempted to come up with some plausible rationale for Trump continuing to refuse to release his taxes — a departure from decades of tradition. Sanders declared that “I don’t think Congress, particularly not this group of congressmen and women, are smart enough to look through the thousands of pages that I would assume President Trump’s taxes will be.” It is an attempt to wrap an unjustifiable position within a raw insult to avoid the question. Trump has repeatedly promised to release his taxes but continues to cite the fact that he has been audited as a reason for not turning over the records — a position widely rejected by both tax and legal experts. Now it appears that the collective intelligence of Congress is a barrier to disclosure.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, International

“Deadnaming”: British Woman Arrested For Referring To Transgender Activist By Her Prior Gender

I have been a long critic of the hate crime laws in Great Britain which has devastated free speech protections with regular criminal charges against people deemed to be insulting or harassing to others. One case highlights how such speech codes have turned courts into micromanagers of manners and language used by citizens in public. It began with a mother, Kate Scottow (left), being arrested in front of her children for the crime of referring to a transgender woman as a man online. The alleged victim, transgender activist Stephanie Hayden, has now charged that she is being denied free speech after being accused of trolling on the Internet.

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Bizarre, Torts

The Astros’ Orbit Cuts Down Woman With Tee-Shirt “Bazooka”

I am in Houston today and this story caught my eye on the way to Utah (which appears a much safer place in the absence of roaming, battery-causing mascots). Yes, we have another mascot-related sports torts case. Jennifer Harughty alleges the Astros mascot Orbit “shattered” her finger during a July 2018 game in Houston when she was hit by a flying tee-shirt fired from a “bazooka style” cannon. It is an all-too familiar claim as fans find themselves on the wrong end of a mascot projectile. She is suing for $1 million.

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Bizarre

Totally Bananas: Company Given Copyright Injunction Over Banana Costume

We have yet another controversy over our ever-expanding copyright and trademark ruling. The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is looking at a copyright injunction issued to stop a company, Kangaroo Manufacturing, from selling certain costumes including a large banana.

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Bizarre, Lawyering

Prominent New York Lawyer Suspended For Bizarre Conduct

A prominent real estate lawyer who once described himself in a column as “jungle street skills and a passion for justice” has been suspended for bizarre and abusive conduct. Adam Leitman Bailey told a tenant that he should commit suicide as a worthless human being and even declared “now you’re my bitch.”  The problem is that the tenant recorded the call.

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Bizarre, Congress, Criminal law

Cohen Makes Wimpy Offer To Congress To Gladly Pay Later For A Delay Today

Michael Cohen seemed to morph into J. Wellington Wimpy this week when he asked for yet another delay in going to jail. Wimpy famously promised “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” Cohen is promising the same after declaring that he has suddenly discovered 14 million new files with evidence, including the promise of possible damaging information on President Trump. However, he explains, it will take him time to work through the material. Notably, the discovery seems to have occurred one month before he was to report to prison — one month almost to the day.

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Bizarre, Free Speech

California Woman Is Fired After Verbally Assaulting Elderly Trump Supporter At Starbucks

We have previously discussed the issue of when it is appropriate to punishment people for conduct outside of the work place. We have followed cases where people have been fired after boorish or insulting conduct once their names and employers are made known. (here andhere and here and here and here).  There is another such case out of California with a twist. Rebecca Mankey created a scene at a Starbucks by screaming at s 74-year-old man wearing a “Make American Great Again” hat in support of President Trump. Mankey posted the instant and said that she wanted to get him kicked out of every club and make his life a living hell. Instead, she was fired by her own employer for her rude and intolerant conduct.

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