A Gallop poll shows that fifty-two percent of Americans want a third party — a continuing majority from earlier polls showing as much as 58% who oppose the monopoly of power by the two leading parties. The question is how we can call ourselves a democracy when the two parties are able, through ballot barriers and other means, to prevent a major third party from emerging in the United States. I previously wrote about these barriers and the need for a third party.
Continue reading “Majority of Americans Still Want Third Major Party”
Jeff Hall, a Neo-Nazi leader in Riverside, California, was shot to death by his ten-year-old son in what police believe was an intentional shooting. The day before, Hall had given his son a gift of a leather belt emblazoned with a silver insignia of the Nazi SS.
There is an interesting case out of Oklahoma where the murder conviction of Kassie Lakei Bills was overturned due to the comments at trial by Judge Ray Elliott of Oklahoma County. Elliott told the jurors to reach a quick verdict and not be “hardheads” by keeping everyone at the court. I guess that is why they call folks in Oklahoma “Sooners.”
Continue reading “Sooner Justice: Oklahoma Murder Conviction Overturned Due To Comments By Judge That Jurors Should Not Be “Hardheads” In Delaying A Verdict”
We previously saw how police charged atheist activist Ellen Beth Wachs, 48, with unauthorized practice of law after she confronted local politicians over prayer at public meetings. Now, Wachs (the legal coordinator for the Atheists of Florida) has been arrested with a sexual performance in the presence of a child. The police, however, admit that no one saw any sexual act. Rather, she is accused of making sexual noises.
Continue reading “I’ll Have What She’s Having: Leading Atheist Arrested For Making Sexual Noises”
I just saw this video, which is a gem. The reporter is doing a story on how the Olathe Kansas HS coach hit the amazing blindfolded halfcourt shot. However, if you look at the original tape below, the reporter did one better.
Continue reading “Reporter Sinks Ultimate Story on Blind Halfcourt Shot”
A Los Angeles neighborhood is objecting after the Postal Service stopped all mail delivery to an entire neighborhood after a mail carrier was bit on hand by a dog at a home. It appears that the apparent collective punishment approach is not unique to this San Pedro neighborhood. Dozens of families have had suspended service due to the attack of Broxton owned by Gibran and Alisa Hawkins.
Continue reading “The Postman Never Rings Twice: Postal Service Suspends Door-To-Door Mail Service For Whole Neighborhoods After Separate Dog Attacks”
In light of the distasteful reminder of Monica Goodling and Alberto Gonzales today, it may help to clear the palate by voting for your favorite lawyers in the annual poll of lawyers by Law Dragon has begun. You can vote for your favorite lawyers and judges here.
Continue reading “FEED THE DRAGON: TOP LAWYERS POLL IS NOW OPEN”
In a little noticed action, the Virginia bar has reprimanded Monica Marie Goodling, the attorney at the center of the allegations of politicization of the Bush Justice Department. Many are complaining that the reprimand shows that the bar has little teeth in enforcing such ethical rules. On the other hand, the reprimand is still more punishment that John Yoo, Jay Bybee and others received for their support of alleged war crimes over the torture program. (Actually, Bybee was not just spared punishment by the Obama Justice Department but he was previously given a lifetime appointment as a federal judge).
Continue reading “Monica Goodling Reprimanded By Virginia State Bar”
Bingu wa Mutharika, the president of Malawi, sure showed his critics. After a cable was leaked showing that British High Commissioner Fergus Cochrane-Dyet was concerned about Mutharika’s intolerance of criticism, Mutharika responded by ordering the High Commissioner of Malawi to leave the country for the first time in history. That will show him for saying Mutherika cannot handle criticism.
Continue reading “Malawi President Responds To Claim That He Is Intolerant of Critics By Expelling Critical British High Commissioner”
In Meeker, Oklahoma, a homeowner thought things could not get much worse after he set up a camera to catch whoever has been lighting fires on his property. That is until the camera caught his wife, Sharet Renea Flick, 47, setting a well house on fire. She has now been charged with third-degree arson and endangering human life.
Continue reading “Husband Hides Camera To Catch Arsonist — And Incriminates Wife”
Where is Captain Quint and his boat The Orca when we need them? In a scene that could have been out of the movie Jaws, fishermen off of Martha’s Vineyard snapped this picture of a massive shark that was at least 20-feet long.
Continue reading “Jaws IV: Massive Great White Spotted Off Martha’s Vineyard”
For civil libertarians, there are few heroes who can match Baltasar Garzón, the Spanish judge who ordered the arrest of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1998 and later worked to identify human rights violations committed during the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship. He will be the first recipient of ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism. I will have the honor of serving as the interviewer of Judge Garzón at the award luncheon on Saturday, May 14th, and to explore his views of contemporary civil liberties issues as well as his famous career.
Continue reading “Baltasar Garzón To Receive Human Rights Award and Speak in New York”
Two Muslim religious leaders were tossed off a Delta flight in Memphis after a pilot refused to take off with the men on board. Imam Masudur Rahman and Imam Mohamed Zaghloul, of the Islamic Association of Greater Memphis were told that they could not reboard the flight after it returned to the gate. It is the latest example of discrimination against Muslims due to their appearance.
Continue reading “Flying While Muslim: Two Imams Thrown Off Flight To Conference To Discuss Islamophobia”
I have previously written about my concerns over the constitutionality of the Stolen Valor Act — concerns that led to the act later being struck down. This week, we have another faux warrior. After the killing of Bin Laden, the Patriot-News interviewed a minister, Rev. Jim Moats of Newville, Pa., who spoke at length about his service in Vietnam as a Navy Seal.
Continue reading “Seal Not Found in Moats: Minister Admits Lying About Military Service”
You will notice a slight difference between the famous photos from the situation room of the White House during the Osama Bin Laden operation: Hillary Clinton has been removed from one of the shots. The altered picture ran in the Ultra-Orthodox daily Der Tzitung, which does not allow pictures of women to appease Orthodox sensitivities. Once again, the striking similarities with Islamic extremists is inescapable.
Continue reading “Clinton Erased From Famous Photo By Jewish Orthodox Daily”