The death of Irzen Octa in interrogation in Jakarta has raised an outcry internationally. What is a bit surprising is that his interrogators were not Indonesian police but Citibank employees. The company who proclaims “your Citi never sleeps” appears to harshly interrogated the man for hours in a tiny room over just $5,700 on his Citibank credit card.
Continue reading “Citibank Accused Of Killing Indonesian Man in Harsh Interrogation”
Louisiana regulators have decided to appeal a ruling in favor of casket-making monks that found a state law unconstitutional in giving funeral directors exclusive rights to sell caskets. The law has been criticized as a case of a powerful lobby getting politicians to snuff out their competition. Louisiana legislators caved into demands for the protective measures, but Judge Stanwood R. Duval, of the U.S. District Court in New Orleans found that the legislation did not even satisfy the low rational basis test. The regulators are now appealing to the Fifth Circuit.
It is getting to the point that you have to wear waders on flights these days. We just saw a recent case of Robert “Sandy” Vietze, 18, (a member of the U.S. Olympic ski Team) peeing on the leg of an 11-year-old girl. Now, famed actor Gerard Depardieu forced a plane to return to the airport after he relieved himself in the middle of the plane aisle in first class. The actor from Green Card and such masterpieces as Cyrano de Bergerac appears not to have been charged in contrast with other cases.
Lawyer Jorge Hernandez Marin had a novel alleged approach to an opposing expert in litigation on behalf of drug maker Baxter International: take this ticket, money, and don’t call me in the morning. Marin was reportedly caught on tape offering to double the fee of the opposing expert, accountant Rafael Aspuru Alvarez, and giving him a free ticket to Las Vegas or some other city if he made himself unavailable.
Four of the five largest U.S. tobacco companies have filed a free speech challenge to the new packaging for cigarettes. I have previously criticized the graphic images of corpses and diseased organs. If the case goes to the Supreme Court, it could resolve the long-standing debate over the scope of free speech rights held by corporations as opposed to individuals. In that sense, it could be the extension of the Citizen United case in adding elements of personhood to corporations in the free speech area.
Continue reading “Tobacco Companies File Free Speech Challenge To New Graphic Cigarette Labels”
It made for one of the worst movies of all time, but the plot of Armageddon is now the operational plans for the European Space Agency. The ESA plans to fire a satellite at an asteroid in 2015 to see if it can destroy (or change the course) of an asteroid. Since Armageddon almost destroyed the career of Bruce Willis, there is hope for ESA.
Continue reading “Will a Bad Movie Make For Good Science? Europeans Plan Mission To Destroy Asteroid”
One of my lifelong commitments is to go to my grave without having seen a single episode of Jersey Shore, a show that from all accounts represents the de-evolution of our species. In a reverse of the booming business of ad placement in television shows, retailer Abercrombie & Fitch has reportedly offered a “substantial payment” to the cast if they would stop wearing their brand clothing on air. The store fears that the obnoxious characters are dragging down their brand.
While some on our blog (including many regulars who I respect) disagree, I have never hidden my respect for Ron Paul. I have occasional lunches with Paul who is one of the brightest and most engaging minds in Congress. This segment by John Stewart does a great job in addressing the concerted effort to ignore Paul despite his almost winning the recent Iowa straw poll. Even “XXX” got more attention by Associated Press.
Continue reading “Is The Media Actively Erasing Ron Paul From Election Coverage?”
Sarah Palin had Thomas Muthee and John McCain had John Hagee and Rod Parsely and Barack Obama had Jeremiah Wright. For Rick Perry, his bizarre religious ally may be John Benefiel, the head of the Heartland Apostolic Reformation Network. Benefiel was one of the official organizers of Perry’s controversial The Response prayer rally. In this YouTube clip, Benefiel calls the Statue of Liberty a “demonic idol.”
Texas Governor Rick Perry has revealed one of the main distinctions that he sees between himself and Barack Obama. He insists that American needs a president who is “in love” with America. As someone who previously indicated that he was contemplating secession of his state from the United States, this appears to be a case of “separation secession making the heart grow fonder.”
The British government has formally asked China, Vietnam and other Asian countries to tell their citizens that rhino horn has no medicinal value to try to save the rhino from extinction. The belief that the horn holds medicinal value is deeply grained within Asian culture, as I discovered years ago in Taiwan.
Continue reading “Britain Calls On Asian Governments To Move Against Sale of Rhino Horn”
In Norwich, England, police are used to folks talking on cellphones while driving. However, they were not prepared for David Secker, 34, who allegedly was steering with his knees while talking on one cellphone and texting on a second cellphone.
Continue reading “Man Arrested After Driving While Using Two Cellphones”
And I cannot even figure out all of the standard options on my IPhone . . .
Continue reading “Meet Marco Tempest: IPod Magician”
This morning, I was stuck in traffic on 395 as police rounded up horses that had gotten loose. Upon arriving at the work, I found this story which is irresistible as part of the spontaneous cowboy theme this morning. The discovery of a book manuscript has led some to suggest that Butch Cassidy did not die with Robert Redford in Bolivia (Ok, with The Sundance Kid). To the contrary, it is claimed, Butch Cassidy died in 1937 as William T. Phillips, a machinist who in Spokane. Somehow dying in your bed after a second career as a machinist does not work quite as well as the shootout with Bolivian cavalry in 1908. I believe Cassidy is shown here sitting with the mustache and bowler on the far right next to the flowers.
Continue reading “Did Butch Cassidy Survive The Bolivan Shootout?”
The children of Rising Western Albemarle High School in Albemarle County, Virginia are finally safe this week after parents found a lurking danger in their school: a copy of the Sherlock Holmes story, A Study In Scarlet. Parent Brette Stevenson first brought the Victorian-era book to the attention of the school board as inappropriate for children. The book contains a harsh and erroneous view of the Mormon religion.
Continue reading “Sherlock Holmes Work Removed From School Library in Virginia”