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”
I have previously written about the roughly two dozen states with criminal adultery or immorality provisions still on the books. Colorado joined the states refusing rescind such laws despite their presumptive unconstitutionality after Lawrence v. Texas. A Colorado committee refused to rescind two such laws by a one vote margin — a vote supplied by Democratic Rep. John Kefalas (D-Fort Collins) who joined the Republicans (except for one Republican member) in defeating the measure.
There are so many reasons to investigate Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from the killing of protesters to the support of terrorism to the backing of countries like Syria in crushing its own citizens. Iranian legislators, however, have accused Ahmadinejad’s aides of working with genies. Various aides have been arrested this month for magic and calling forth gjinns or spirits, including chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei.
Continue reading “Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s Aides Arrested For Sorcery and Consorting With Genies”
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin claims he has a “knack for numbers.” Not long ago, he unveiled his GOP budget proposal titled “Path to Prosperity.” Rachel Maddow criticized members of the media for their fawning coverage of Ryan and his
financial “magnum opus.” Said Maddow: “If the Beltway media could stop making out with Paul Ryan for long enough to look at what’s actually in his budget proposal, they might notice that some of the important numbers in it appear to be made up.” She added: “I doubt that actual numerically based fact based information will penetrate the smoochy smoochy love bubble surrounding Paul Ryan right now…there’s this cult of him being brave and bold and doing this difficult workout every morning. What he’s just introduced is not a feature on grit versus glamour in today’s GOP. It is not a pinup. It is not the brave story of a strong boy in a tough environment. It’s the official Republican Party budget for 2012, and the numbers in it are so wrong they are occasionally funny.”
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
Nearly three decades ago—when my daughter Sara was just three years old—I received a Mother’s Day gift that I will never forget. It wasn’t a piece of expensive jewelry, a gift certificate to a designer boutique, or a weekend at a beauty spa. No…it was a nondescript ceramic mug selected by my young daughter when her “daddy” took her shopping to buy me something special for that special Sunday.
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Induction is the type or reasoning from specific examples to general statements about reality. Induction is often used to justify the claims regarding the future. The problem of induction was first formulated by David Hume (left), though he didn’t use the term “induction.” The problem of induction occurs when we ask ourselves “how do we know that induction is a reliable rational tool?” The usual answer is that induction has worked in the past. But that answer justifies induction inductively, using circular reasoning (a logical fallacy).
How can we justify using induction to predict the future non-inductively?
Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Here’s a great legal war-story from U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson (via lawhaha.com) that needs no commentary:
“A very-veteran criminal defendant was about to be tried in federal court in Wyoming on bank fraud charges. The allegation was that, while in the county lockup on an unrelated stolen-vehicle charge, he had used the jail phone to call a local bank and, posing as a prominent wealthy individual, persuaded the bank to deliver a cashier’s check for $10,000 to the jail for the ostensible purpose of bonding out the man’s “nephew” (the nephew’s name, of course, being the defendant’s own).
Continue reading “Speak No Evil”
Happy Mother’s Day to all of our mothers and to the mothers of our regulars! I think it is no exaggeration to say that we could not have this blog without them and our blog mothers are widely viewed as the smartest, cleverest, and beautiful mothers in all of motherdom.
Continue reading “HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!”
Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Things must be awfully slow around the “Bored” Room of Hopewell Township (NJ) governing committee. An ordinance to limit chicken mating has caused quite a bit of clucking among the locals. Now the legislation has finally become law after three hours of emotional debate by the Town Committee. Twelve fearless citizens approached the rostrum and spoke both for and against the legislation. The law, as passed, would limit rooster contact with hens to just 10 days a year and would require them to prove they’re disease-free. A definite turn-off in the fowl world we live in.
Continue reading “Township Addresses Cock Crisis: Pullets Protected”
Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty,(rafflaw), Guest Blogger
This entire week the torture enthusiasts have been back on all of the news channels exclaiming their happiness that their “enhanced interrogation techniques” worked. Of course, they are talking about waterboarding and other methods of torture. Why are Michael Mukasey, John Yoo and other members of the George W. Bush administration once again declaring that torture is good policy and that it was successful in helping to get Osama Bin Laden? Continue reading “Torture is still Torture, and it is Still Illegal.”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Two Derby, Kansas police officers, acting as school resource officers, ordered Jonathan Villarreal, 17, to pull his pants above his waist. Jonathan was walking with friends to the bus after school let out, and he told the officers he would wear his pants how he wanted. According to Jonathan, one of the officers pulled him to the ground and both officers kneed him in the back and neck. During the struggle, Jonathan’s arm was broken and he was tased.
Continue reading “Cops Break Saggin’ Sophomore’s Arm and Taser Him”
Orthodox Rabbi Gavriel Bidany, 47, was convicted yesterday of molesting a woman on a flight from Tel Aviv to New York. The victim is a 23-year-old Israeli officer who was groped twice by Bidany during the flight.
Some Chinese may be steaming eggs in urine but Florida is about to grow its crops in such waste. After a heavy lobbying effort by industry, Florida is about to rescind a ban on the use of human waste to treat crops. Soon more than 90 companies will be pumping waste from about 100,000 septic tanks on to their fields — an estimated 40 million gallons treated with lime.
Continue reading “Florida House Approves Use of Human Waste To Treat Crops For Human Consumption”
In another example of the depths of anti-Muslim sentiment in this country, a Texas high school teacher has been placed on administrative allegedly telling a 9th grade Muslim girl in his algebra class “I heard about your uncle’s death” and “I bet that you’re grieving” the death of Osama bin Laden.
Continue reading “Texas Teacher Suspended For Allegedly Taunting Muslim Girl About Death of Her “Uncle” Osama Bin Laden”