Category: Media

Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Environment, Free Speech, International, Justice, Lawyering, Media, Politics, Supreme Court, Uncategorized

If The TPP is Such a Great Idea, Why Keep it a Secret?

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Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw) Weekend Contributor

The Obama Administration has been pressuring members of Congress to pass the bill that will give President Obama the “fast track”  authority to negotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership(TPP) agreement without any debate in Congress.  Fast track authority would not allow for any amendments and the bill would remain secret until just before it is voted on.

“President Obama is currently pressing members of Congress to pass Fast-Track authority for a trade and investment agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). If Fast Track passes, it means that Congress must approve or deny the TPP with minimal debate and no amendments. Astonishingly, our lawmakers have not seen the agreement they are being asked to expedite.” Nation of Change Continue reading “If The TPP is Such a Great Idea, Why Keep it a Secret?” →

Bizarre, International, Media, Politics, Society

Erdogan Is Becoming A Control Freak

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By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

The bizarre world that churns inside Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s presidential palace reached a new zenith with the unveiling of surveillance control rooms inside, giving him unprecedented ability to personally spy on seventy seven million Turkish citizens. In a feat of technical engineering rivaling that of George Orwell’s Big Brother, the president will certainly enjoy the spectacle of his new spyglass.

According to Al-Monitor, the system has 143 displays that allow President Erdogan to tap into closed-circuit television systems in the streets of eighty one of Turkey’s provinces along with its government’s Mobile Electronic System Integration (MOBESE) and those used in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

With the system about to become live, Erdogan will now be able to personally watch all public demonstrations, city life, military and police operations, and other events he finds of concern.

Continue reading “Erdogan Is Becoming A Control Freak” →

Academia, Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Media, Politics, Society

Faculty Sign Letter Claiming Widespread Academic “Admiration” For Anti-Flag Resolution At UC Irvine

The_University_of_California_Irvine.svg200px-flag_of_the_united_statessvgLike many people, I was disappointed by the effort at University of California at Irvine to ban the American flag. Yet, as a university professor, I have seen some senseless efforts by students who can bring more heat than light to some issues. The response has been a bit overblown, including a call for a state constitutional amendment, when the ill-conceived and insulting resolution was vetoed by a later school board. Moreover, the resolution never involved a ban on the American flag from the school but just from one area of the school. However, the report of a letter from some UC faculty has left me baffled in its suggested support in among academics for the premise of the resolution. While we all have different political and philosophical viewpoints, the flag represents first and foremost the protection of such differing viewpoints and the right to express them. We clearly have our problems and historical regrets, but the flag is a unifying symbol of our values, including the free speech rights that allow us to criticize our government and our history.

Continue reading “Faculty Sign Letter Claiming Widespread Academic “Admiration” For Anti-Flag Resolution At UC Irvine” →

Criminal law, International, Media, Politics, Religion

Saudi Arabian Court Sentences Man To Death For Renouncing Islam and Insulting Mohammad

250px-Dira_SquareThe Saudi Arabian courts have a new judicial atrocity this week to their credit. A Saudi court has sentenced a man to death for renouncing his Islamic faith along with other reported acts of blasphemy. The man was subject to multiple crimes even carrying death under the medieval Sharia system followed in the Kingdom. Those capital crimes included renouncing Islam, ripping up a Koran, cursing Mohammad, and hitting a koran with a shoe. One death will apparently suffice in “Chop-Chop” Square (shown above) for the man engaging in what would constitute protected speech in the United States.

Continue reading “Saudi Arabian Court Sentences Man To Death For Renouncing Islam and Insulting Mohammad” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Media, Society

Two California Women Carve Their Initials Into Colosseum and Then Take Selfie

B_gm58PUYAA1H37.jpg-largeWe recently discussed the case of a Russian who was arrested for carving his name into the ancient walls of the Colosseum. Now, due to the actions of two California women aged 21 and 25, we must bear the shame of such a despicable act. The women used a coin to carve large letters of J and N into the site. We have also discussed stupid acts, including by Americans, where art has been damaged by accident. However like the graffiti by the Chinese tourist, on the Luxor temple, and the Russian tourist who carved a K on the Colosseum this was an intentional act of thoughtless destruction. He was not a stupid teenager, but a 42-year-old man.

Continue reading “Two California Women Carve Their Initials Into Colosseum and Then Take Selfie” →

Academia, Animals, Environment, Free Speech, Justice, Lawyering, Media, Politics, Science, Society

Cutting the Great Outdoors of Wisconsin, Along With Everything Else!

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Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw) Weekend Contributor

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the massive cuts to education and programs for the poor by the new Governor of Illinois, Bruce Rauner. In that article, I mentioned that Gov. Rauner seemed to be parroting the budget methods of Governor Brownback in Kansas and Gov. Walker in Wisconsin, both of whose state economies have been floundering under their respective austerity programs.

Well, it seems that in Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker has gone even farther in his attempts to balance the budget on the backs of the middle class by proposing massive cuts to the Department of Natural Resources, while attempting to wrest control of  various agencies from the public domain and capturing them in the Executive branch of government. Continue reading “Cutting the Great Outdoors of Wisconsin, Along With Everything Else!” →

Bizarre, Free Speech, International, Media, Society

Bank Of Canada: “Stop ‘Spocking’ Our Currency”

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By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

The Bank of Canada moved to protect its economy from a sudden spike spock in its currency.

The Canadian Dollar spocked in value following the death of Actor Leonard Nimoy a week ago. Currency traders marked the five dollar notes and in turn succeeded in initially increasing its value. This was then followed by a run on the bank notes prompting the Bank of Canada to intervene to protect the dollar’s value.

Continue reading “Bank Of Canada: “Stop ‘Spocking’ Our Currency”” →

Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Society

India Ministry Moves To Block Airing Of Documentary On Rape

tfi_a374ada7f4d26fb1c8aba2084f645c7aWhile China is moving to block the airing of a documentary on pollution, India is moving to block the airing of a documentary on the scourge of its country: rape. India has long been accused of having a rape culture where women are blamed for their own victimization and the caste system (and poor legal system) continues to frustrate efforts to hold rapists accountable. That dire situation for women led to the much acclaimed documentary by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin, “India’s Daughter.” The Indian government is so opposed to letting its citizens hear about such abuses that it is now threatening the BBC for airing the banned documentary.
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Constitutional Law, Courts, Media, Politics, Society, Supreme Court

Supreme Court Hears ACA Challenge Amid Dire Warnings From The Administration

Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court has decided to wade back into the controversy over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or “Obamacare” today with the granting of review of King v. Burwell, No. 14-114. I have previously written about the King case as well as the parallel case in the D.C. Circuit in Halbig. Today, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in King and there appears a rather transparent effort by the Administration to give justices sticker shock in considering the challenge, particularly Chief Justice John Roberts. [For full disclosure, I am lead counsel in the challenge filed by the United States House of Representatives to different ACA changes ordered unilaterally by President Obama in House of Representatives v. Burwell.

Continue reading “Supreme Court Hears ACA Challenge Amid Dire Warnings From The Administration” →

Bizarre, Media, Society

I’m Just Here For The Trademark: Lynch Files Claim Over Media Line

Marshawn_Lynch_Pro_Bowl_2013One of my colleagues sent me the latest example of people claiming common phrases or symbols as their own trademarked property. The latest trademark grab is by the normally taciturn Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch. We previously discussed how Lynch refused to speak at press conference until he was fine and then went and kept repeating “I’m just here so I won’t get fine.” You guessed it. He has claimed a trademark to the phrase.

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Academia, Bizarre, International, Media, Politics, Religion, Society

Saudi Arabian King Gives Controversial Islamic Cleric Top Award

220px-Dr_Zakir_NaikSaudi Arabia has long been criticized for its extreme religious beliefs as part of its devotion to Wahhabism. Now the Kingdom has generated more controversy by giving one of Saudi Arabia’s most prestigious prizes to Zakir Naik, an Islamic school who said that the Koran (Quran) “allows Muslims to have sex with female slaves” and seemed to support Osama Bin Laden, at least to the extent to which he was “fighting the enemies of Islam.” Saudi Arabia’s new King Salman gave Naik the King Faisal International Prize (KFIP) 2015 personally.

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Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Religion, Society

American Blogger in Bangladesh Hacked To Death By Islamic Extremists

Avijit_RoyAnother blogger has fallen victim to Islamic extremists. Avijit Roy, a Bangladesh-born U.S. citizen, was hacked to death during a walk with his wife in Dhaka as both were returning from a book fair at Dhaka University. How did he insult Islam? No, it wasn’t a cartoon or a satirical poem. He wrote about religious intolerance so they hacked him to death.

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Animals, Bizarre, International, Media, Society

South African App Helps Calculate Price Of A Bride

lobola-calc-1By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

If you have wondered how many cows your hand in marriage is worth, a new app may provide you with some important information–and more importantly, can you command More Cow (wedding) Bell.

Robert Matsaneng, a 26-year-old South African software developer, developed an app to measure how much Lobola the bride may expect from her potential suitor. Lobola is a custom in the Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi cultures where the bridegroom pays the family of the bride for her hand in marriage. Payment is made in the form of currency and live cows. The family of the bride sets the initial price.

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Academia, Environment, Media, Politics, Society

Snowed: Oklahoma Senator Mocks Global Warming Theories By Tossing Snowball On The Senate Floor

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Despite the fact that the Senate recently voted 98-1 that climate change is real and not a hoax, Sen. Jim Inhofe, who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee, was back on the floor mocking the notion of climate change this week. Inhofe voted for the earlier resolution but insists that man is not responsible for the changes. Those pushing for measures to combat climate change bring the overwhelming majority of scientists around the world to such debates as well as dozens of studies. Inhofe brought a snowball.

Continue reading “Snowed: Oklahoma Senator Mocks Global Warming Theories By Tossing Snowball On The Senate Floor” →

Academia, International, Media, Religion, Society

Islamic State Posts Video Of Destruction of Mosul Museum

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Yesterday, we discussed another massive book burning by Islamic State as well as reports of the destruction of ancient art pieces. The latter report appears true after ISIS posted a video of its militants taking sledgehammers and drills to ancient art work and statues going back to the 7th Century. The actions are reminiscent of the infamous destruction of the famous giant Buddhas of Bamiyan.

Continue reading “Islamic State Posts Video Of Destruction of Mosul Museum” →