The one thing that you can say about Leonard Richards, 75, is that he is not your ordinary politician. Where politicians often run on putting people into jail on a tough-on-crime platform, Richards started with himself and is currently serving a life sentence in a Minnesota prison. While that would bar him from running for a state office, he can run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Continue reading “Minnesota Murderer Runs For U.S. Senate From Prison”
We recently discussed the seemingly endless examples of binary gender stereotypes in our society, including the scourge of hot wings. Now Virginia Tech Professor Cara Daggett seems to have found a form of toxic masculinity that is actually toxic: “petro-masculinity.” Daggett has an essay entitled “Petro-masculinity: Fossil Fuels and Authoritarian Desire” in Millennium: Journal of International Studies. She warns that fossil fuels are actually combustible mixes of “masculine identity” and “authoritarianism” among men. It seems the favorite GOP slogan of “Drill, Baby, Drill” is sexist on multiple levels. Continue reading “Virginia Tech Professor Warns Of “Petro-Masculinity””
The wonderful thing about seeing all social and political conventions as expressions of gender bias is that there are endless number of subjects for academic exploration. University of Tulsa’s Emily J.H. Contois, for example, has found toxic masculinity served by the platter in programs like the popular YouTube show Hot Ones. Contois suggests that the host of the show, Sean Evans, has a “white, heterosexual, cisgendered, everyman brand of masculinity.” Continue reading “Toxic Hot Wings? Tulsa Professor Raises Concerns Over Chicken Wings As A Form Of Toxic Masculinity”
We previously discussed the irresponsible proposal to abolish the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) by a rising number of Democratic members and leaders. It is the Democratic version of the equally irresponsible proposal from Republicans to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This type of pandering, demagogic call however was answered this week when the Republicans called the bluff of three members and actually put their bill to abolish ICE on schedule for a vote. Reps. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, Parmila Jayapal of Washington, and Adriano Espaillat promptly declared the vote a stunt and said that they would vote against their own bill. Continue reading “ICE, ICE, Maybe: Democratic Members To Vote Against Their Own Bill To Abolish ICE”
We discussed the arrest of Stormy Daniels this week and the curious Ohio laws making any touching between strippers and customers a crime, even the touching of clothing. The arrest was part of an operation with four undercover officers. The later dropping of the charges only deepened questions over the need for the string operation and the arrest of Daniels, who real name is Stephanie Clifford. Continue reading “Daniels Charge Dismissal Deepens Doubts About Police Sting Operation In Columbus”
Brian R. McNaughton, a former associate professor at Colorado State University, has been criminally charged for his alleged faking of an offer of employment from the University of Minnesota to secure a raise. That $5,000 raise became a costly addition as part of a criminal charge of attempting to influence a public official.
It could be one of the most curious criminal charges of the year. Jonathan Crenshaw, 46, is an artist in Miami Beach who is accused of stabbing a tourist. However, Crenshaw paints with his feet because he has no arms. Continue reading “Armless Man Accused Of Stabbing In Miami”
Earle Stevens Jr., 69, had a novel defense in Florida when he was stopped by an officer on suspicion of drunk driving. According to the driver, Stevens insisted that that he had only been drinking at red lights and stop signs. The officer was not impressed by the claim that he was drinking then driving then drinking but never at the same time.
We have been discussing the controversy at the Red Hen in Lexington, Virginia where White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was forced out of a restaurant by the owner due to Trump’s policies. Now we have the inverse controversy at the Black Swan book store in Richmond, Virginia. Former Trump aide Steve Bannon went into the store to look at books when a woman began to berate him and call him “a piece of trash.” The owner, Nick Cooke, called 911 after trying to get the woman to leave. After he called, the woman left, but in her wake came a torrent of criticism for Cooke. Former longtime Hillary Clinton aide Philippe Reines on Saturday even posted the contact information of the bookstore.
Christopher John Czarnik, 45, is the focus of a novel criminal charge. The prisoner at Oaks Correctional in Michigan is serving time on a 2014 plea for the possession and distribution of sexually explicit images of children. He was then charged again with child porn in prison. The source? Czarnik himself. Guards found a drawing of a young girl engaged in sexual acts with an adult male. The drawings were upheld by the Michigan Supreme Court.
Travaile Speller has a curious case against Mecklenburg County Jail for depriving him of lunch. Speller is Muslim and was put on the traditional meal plan for Ramadan of two meals a day. Speller has sued for major damages for “intentionally eliminating one whole meal (lunch) which is cruel and unusual punishment directed towards all Muslims.” The problem is that Speller reportedly signed up to participate in the Ramadan schedule, including the skipping of lunches. He now wants a jury trial and $250,000 in damages. Continue reading “North Carolina Prisoner Signs Up For Fasting During Ramadan . . . Then Sues Jail For Withholding Lunch”
Kristoffer Welch, 19, allegedly made his first mistake in tearing up a corn field with his silver Ford truck in Maine. The second mistake was posting the act on Facebook.
Continue reading “Maine Teen Arrested After His Joyride Through A Corn Field Is Posted on Facebook”
We have often discussed the rising incivility and anger in our political discourse. That derangement was on display at a Whataburger in San Antonio when an unidentified man assaulted a teenager for wearing a Make America Great again hat. It was fortunately caught on tape and hopefully the culprit will be apprehended. However, a prior such assault by a University of California-Riverside student will not face jail time for an earlier assault on a student wearing a MAGA hat. In the videotape, the man throws a soda in 16-year-old Hunter Richard’s face before triumphantly walking out of the restaurant. Update: The man has now been arrested. The man’s name is Kino Jimenez, 30.
Talent agent Ken Kaplan has a curious way of celebrating the Fourth of July. According to James Wood, Kaplan used the holiday celebrating a nation committed to free speech and self-determination by publicly dropping the actor for his conservative views. He said dropping an artist for his political views makes him feel “patriotic.” Notably, none of the artists represented by Kaplan protested the discrimination against a fellow artists for political reasons. Continue reading ““Feeling Patriotic”: James Wood Allegedly Dropped By Agent For Conservative Views”
Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the latest rationale for opposing any nominee of President Donald Trump: that any nomination or confirmation must wait until the completion of the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. It is a claim being voiced by both politicians and academics despite the absence of constitutional or historical support.
Here is the column: