In a remarkable investigation, Brian Ross has uncovered extensive abuses within the military surveillance program operated out of Fort Gordon. The investigation includes interviews with two former employees who say that purely private conversations were intercepted between U.S. citizens, including phone sex tapes that were passed around for fun. I was interviewed for the story.
Continue reading “ABC Investigation: Government Intercepted Private Calls and Personnel Passed Around Tapes for Recreation”
Category: Uncategorized
In a potentially wide ranging decision a British immigration court has ruled that a Syrian young couple who converted to Christianity from Islam are entitled to asylum due to the likely threats against their lives. Some Muslim clerics insist that any such converts must be killed. Six Republican members of Congress encouraged the court to rule in favor of asylum.
Continue reading “British Court Finds that Muslims Converting to Christianity Qualify for Asylum”
In class, we often discuss the limitations on suing children for torts, particularly children under seven. Now, an Australian case represents the problem in dealing with kids who cause destruction. In this case, a seven-year-old broke into a zoo, bludgeoned lizards to death and fed them to Terry, a large crocodile.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is facing a discrimination action by a victim of drunk drivers, who claims that she was removed from public events due to her appearance. A drunk driver left Rose Harn with one working eye, brain damaged, and a shriveled, disfigured body as well as the need for a rag to catch her drool. She alleges that she was told that she was too disturbing to look at for a booth at a state fair in Idaho.
The Egyptian appeals court on Sunday upheld the conviction of Ibrahim Eissa, editor of the independent daily al-Dustor. His crime? He simply wrote about the health of 80-year-old President Hosni Mubarak and was accused of damaging national security by spreading rumors.
Continue reading “Egyptian Journalist Jailed for Writing About Mubarak’s Health”
An interesting case was filed against Disneyland in California over a dog bite. Lena Dickerson was 2-years-old when she was encouraged to pet a German shepherd-Labrador retriever mix named Hemmingway at the Disneyland petting zoo in October of 2006. She was severely bitten on the face and left with scarring.
Continue reading “For Whom the Torts Toll: Disney is Sued After Hemmingway Bites Girl”
In Kansas City, Dana Washington is leading the latest move to ban a book in America. Washington wants John Steinbeck’s classic “Of Mice And Men” removed from Washington High School’s 500 book reading list because it uses the n-word. It is a standard that would effectively ban most of the classics from that period. Parents insist that it is technically not a ban, but a mere removal action from the required reading list. Of course, we will still have to work on that sexist title.
Continue reading “Of Mice and People: Parents in St. Louis Seek to Ban Steinbeck Classic”
For a couple of days, I have not posted material due to the death of an uncle in California. I am back now and will resume posting entries from our ongoing selection of the profound and the profoundly bizarre.
The media is quickly moving to learn more about Gov. Sarah Palin. Now, the video below has emerged that gives a glimpse into her belief in the convergence of politics and divine prophesy. In a speech only a couple of months ago, Palin speaks at the Wasilla Assembly of God where she refers the Iraq war as part of God’s plan. For his part, Pastor Ed Kalnins is a controversial figure who has referred to political adversaries as presumptively damned and claims political allies as divinely blessed. Various policies on drilling etc are not just a plan from the GOP but GOD.
I have certainly heard from folks about my reference to Attorney General Michael Mukasey’s explanation for not taking action in the political hiring scandal as the “Elmer Fudd defense”, click here. Mukasey stated that, once again, he would not take action in this matter, but suggested it was due to the fact that the culprits left the Justice Department before he could take action. The problem is that he has blocked action in matters involving clear crimes with officials still in office.
Continue reading “Mukasey’s Elmer Fudd Defense”
Even after their gold medal finish, China is facing widespread suspicion that it forged documents to use underaged girls in the competition in violation of Olympic rules. Half of the team appear much younger than 16. After China used an attractive nine-year-old girl to lip sync the opening song because the actual girl singing was viewed as too homely (here), many people believed that the Chinese are perfectly capable of such deception. For my part, I am just relieved that there is finally a legal issue at the Olympics to talk about.
Continue reading “The Golden Years: China Challenged Over Age of Female Gymnasts”
Baltimore is dealing with a horrific death of a Javon Thompson, who was nineteen months old when he was allegedly starved to death because he would not say “Amen.” His mother, Ria Ramkissoon (shown here), and three others (Queen Antoinette, 40, also known as Toni Ellsberry or Toni Sloan; Marcus Cobbs, 21; and Trevia Williams, 21) all members of a religious sect known as 1 Mind Ministries. They found his remains in a suitcase left in a shed. Unfortunately, this is not a unique tale and children appear to be the ones who have paid for the religious extremism of their parents.
Internet sites have made a startling accusation. They are reporting that Lin Miaoke (林妙可)，the ultra-cute nine-year-old girl who sang “Paean to the Motherland” when the Chinese national flag entered the Bird’s Nest Stadium during the Olympics Opening Ceremony, was a fake. They claim to have an interview from a Chinese official admitting that they swapped out the real child for a cuter child to make the scene perfect. The real angelic voice allegedly belonged to Yang Peiyi (杨沛宜), a student of the Attached Primary School of Beijing University, who was not cute enough for prime time.
Thomas Neal, 20, of French Camp, California, stormed into a convenience sword wielding a sword. He reportedly wanted to be shot, but police had a few taser malfunctions.
There seems to be a sudden outbreak of roof driving arrests. Recently, we saw a newlywed husband charged with driving with his wife on the roof, here. Now, it is a grandmother, 54-year-old Brenda Bouschet, driving with her three-year-old granddaughter on the roof.
Continue reading “Florida Grandmother Charged with Driving With Three-Year-Old Girl on Roof”