Category: Society

Putin Government Reportedly Bans “Communist Monopoly” Game As “Anti-Russian”

Russia under Vladimir Putin has seen a dramatic rollback of civil liberties, including free speech and free press. The government has little tolerance for anyone voicing opposition views, but the most recent action after a board game reached a new low for the Putin regime. The game is Kolejka or “Queue” which widely popular as a type of “Communist Monopoly.” It requires players to fight for limited resources under the prior Polish communist regime. In an ironic move, the Putin regime has banned the game for its critical depiction of communism — thereby showing the striking similarity between Putin’s regime and the one depicted in the game.

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Japanese Fleet Kills 333 Whales Including 200 Pregnant Females

220px-Minke_Whale_(NOAA)125px-Flag_of_Japan.svgJapan continues to defy the world in its slaughtering of whales despite international prohibitions and a 2014 ruling of the International Court of Justice that its claim of “scientific research” is transparently fraudulent. The latest outrage involved the killing of 333 minke whales on a four-ship, 115-day expedition — death toll that included 200 pregnant females.

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ISIS Observes Easter By Reportedly Crucifying Indian Catholic Priest and Massacring Christian Women and Children At Playground

32844ABB00000578-0-image-m-18_1458819425622ISIS-linked extremists in Yemen has reportedly carried out their threat to crucify a captured priest, Father Thomas Uzhunnalil, 56, after he was taken hostage during a massacre at a Catholic home. Some 15 people were killed on March 4th after four Islamic extremists posed as visiting family members and then murdered the occupants, including four Indian nuns, two Yemeni female staff members, eight elderly residents and a guard. Also, in Pakistan, at least 70 people are dead in an ISIS attack during the Easter holiday that targeted a playground filled with mothers and children. A Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which has sworn allegiance to ISIS, took “credit” for the Easter bombing — using bombs loaded with ball bearings to maximize the killing of the children and mothers gathered in the park for the holiday. Islamic extremists who are willing to riot and kill for any slight of their religion have little problem with targeting religious buildings and holidays of other faiths. While such inconsistencies are hardly surprising for a group willing to crucify priests and shoot elderly nuns, the belief that such grotesque acts please Allah remains inconceivable to most people.

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Poll: Sixty-One Percent of Americans Favor Legalization of Marijuana

It has been fascinating to watch the rapid political and economic changes favoring the legalization of marijuana, including the growth of a market worth billions in sales and taxes. The most recent polling by Associated Press and the University of Chicago has found a record-high percentage of Americans — 61 percent.

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Saudi Arabia Ambassador Explains that There Is Nothing Hypocritical In Demanding Elections For Syria Since Saudi Citizens Are Content Not To Have Full Democratic Rights

Saudi Arabia UN Ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi has finally resolved the rather glaring inconsistency of the Kingdom demanding elections in Syria while denying full elections to Saudi Arabians. The reason is simple according to Al-Mouallimi: Saudi citizens are the happiest in the world and would not want a democratic choice.

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HAPPY EASTER!!!

Happy Easter to all of our bloggers and readers that are celebrating today. The bunny came to the Turley house and left baskets overflowing with chocolates and candies. He even left a basket for Luna overflowing with dog treats. We were in Chicago all week and returned to Virginia a day early so it was good that the bunny found us. He must have been up really really really late. He left riddles for the kids like “what gets bigger the more you remove from it?” (Answer below)

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Twelve Year Old Middle School Student Arrested For Battery After Pinching Boy’s Butt School Game

3273DCE900000578-3504348-image-a-6_1458652064703A 12-year-old girl, Breana Evans, from Milwee Middle School outside of Orlando, Florida was arrested and booked after she allegedly pinched a boy’s butt in school as part of a popular game. While the boy did not want to press charges, the boy’s mother reportedly insisted on criminal charges being brought against the girl.

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Emory To Identify Those Who Chalked Support For Trump On Sidewalks and Walls

495px-Donald_Trump_by_Gage_Skidmore220px-Emory_University_SealWe have been discussing how colleges and universities are expanding the range of micro aggressions and hostile or hate speech to troubling levels in terms of free speech and associational rights. Now the expression of political views in the presidential election has been added to speech that students have declared threatening. Someone at Emory chalked the name of Republican candidate Donald Trump around campus. Nothing unusual about that. Students often chalk up statements on sidewalks for causes or candidates. It would not be seen as in any way unusual and the next rain brings a clean slate. However, the statement of support for Trump has led to a protest calling for the supporter to be punished or expelled and for the President to express condemnation of such political affiliations. The students want a statement of support for Trump to be treated as the same as the writing of a swastika. The students have said that they feel threatened in the wake of the statements of political support for Trump.

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Seventh Circuit Reverses Forfeiture Of $271,000 Seized From Brothers Who Were Never Charged With A Crime

200px-Diane_Wood_in_2008.JPGThe United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has issued an unanimous opinion overturning a district court that had forfeited $271,080 in cash seized by the federal government, even though owners brothers, Pedro and Abraham Cruz-Hernandez, were never criminally charged. Pedro and Abraham contested the forfeiture under 18 U.S.C. § 983(a) and submitted affidavits attesting that the money is their joint savings. The entire panel rejected the decision of United States District Judge Joan B. Gottschall to uphold the abusive forfeiture. Judge Diane Wood (left) wrote the opinion below for the Court. I wrote a column on the increasing use of our roads by police to mine for cash and property to seize from vehicles. We have also discussed this trend in various blog columns.

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Texas Judge Sanctioned After Keeping His Own Divorce On His Docket

gavel2383rd District Judge Mike Herrera apparently sees nothing wrong in his action that led to a sanctioning by the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct. Herrera kept his own divorce case on his docket for months but insists that it “made no difference” that the case was before him even though he was one of the litigants. In reality, there may have not been any action taken but Herrera’s utter failure to see the conflict (and appearance) issues is rather shocking. The case itself shows a real mess in representation and conflicting accounts.

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Kansas Professor Cleared Of Racial Insensitivities In Use of The N-Word In Lecture . . . Then Asked to Undergo Retraining and Other Changes

Andrea_Quenette_OPT(1)We have been discussing the worrisome trend of professors being subjected to investigations and discipline for “micro aggressions” or hostile environment in classrooms. These actions raise serious concerns over academic freedom. One such case involves University of Kansas Assistant communication studies professor Andrea Quenette. Quenette was subjected to a four-month investigation after using a racial slur in class as part of her lecture. Now, she has been cleared of the offense but she is still being asked to comply with special training and remedial actions.

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Sixth Grader In New Jersey Subject To Anti-Bullying Investigation After Criticizing Vegetarianism Of Fellow Student

220px-ClassroomWe have been discussing the increasingly draconian rules in our schools under zero tolerance policies. Incidents that were once handled by a stern conversation or the calling in of parents are now more likely to result in a formal disciplining or suspension or even criminal charges of a student. A case in point is out of New Jersey where a sixth grade has been found guilty of bullying and given punishment for poking fun at a vegetarian classmate.

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“From Noah’s Flood To My Front Yard, How Much Better Can It Get?”: Texas Man Claims To Have Found Fossil From The Ark

Noahs_ArkWe have previously discussed the increasing difficulty faced by creationists who believe that the earth is just a few thousand years old or that dinosaurs walked at the same time as humans. However, Wayne Propst insists that he has proof and he had to walk no further than his front year. The creationist in Tyler, Texas insists that he has found fossils from Noah’s Ark buried in his yard. “From Noah’s flood to my front yard, how much better can it get?” Not much, Propst, not much.

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Introducing The RRS Boaty McBoatface

15583117-1458567987-640x360Democracy can be a tricky thing in presidential elections and ship namings. When the National Environmental Research Council decided to enlist the public in naming its new $300 million boat to be launched in 2019, the public was delighted. The top name? “Boaty McBoatface”. Yes, Boaty McBoatface could soon set sail and I for one cannot wait for the christening.

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A Matter of Free Speech or Privacy? Jury Awards Hulk Hogan $115 Million In Sex Tape Case

Gawker220px-Hulk_Hogan_Pointing A Florida jury has handed down a massive privacy violation award in favor of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea. The jury of four women and two men voted to give Hogan $115 million in damages against Gawker Media, Gawker founder Nick Denton and former editor Albert Daulerio for violating his privacy by publishing an excerpt of a sex tape. It is a shockingly large award when one considers that the jury could still add punitive damages on top of the award. Notably, Hogan was seeking $100 million in the lawsuit.

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