Uncategorized

Scott Walker: A Fiscally Responsible Governor or a Politician Who Is Playing Favorites?

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger

There’s been a lot going on in Wisconsin in the past week. I hope most Americans are aware of the reason why so many Wisconsinites have converged on the state capital to hold demonstrations.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, a Republican, claims that the state is in financial trouble. He’s asking teachers, plow drivers, janitors, nurses, garbage collectors, and other public sector workers to contribute more to their pensions and to pay a larger amount of their health premiums. It appears many of those workers are willing to negotiate with the governor and to consider having more money taken out of their paychecks for their pensions and health insurance. What those employees are not willing to do is relinquish their right to collective bargaining.

Continue reading “Scott Walker: A Fiscally Responsible Governor or a Politician Who Is Playing Favorites?” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Politics of Contraband: Jerks Smuggle Jerky to Finance 34 Mile Trip

Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

Steve Martin’s character, Navin Johnson, has nothing on two West Virginia residents hell-bent to rescue a relative with car trouble. Hearing the plea for help, but without sufficient funds to finance the 34 mile trip from Somerset, PA to New Stanton, PA, cousins Michael Allen Graham, 37, and John Edward Barry, 35,  got  resourceful. Believing they could “live off the land,” so to speak, the Milton, WVa duo began an alleged shoplifting spree at gas stations and auto parts stores in the general direction of the disabled motorist.

Continue reading “Politics of Contraband: Jerks Smuggle Jerky to Finance 34 Mile Trip” →

Academia, Constitutional Law, Religion, Society

Religion Grapples With Sportsmanship In Iowa

Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
One hundred twelve pound Cassie Herkelman is a historic figure in Iowa high school sports. Though Iowa has allowed girls to compete against boys in wrestling for two decades, Cassie is the first to win a match in Iowa’s legendary state wrestling tourney. The problem, for some, is that she won by forfeit.

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Constitutional Law

Forget About Obama, Was Washington Constitutional?

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

The Constitution’s text on the issue states “No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President.” The problem arises due to a pesky comma. Does the clause “at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution” refer only to “a Citizen of the United States” or to both clauses including “a natural born Citizen?” It turns out that according to accepted rules of grammar in 1787, the pesky comma means that “at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution” refers to both antecedent clauses.

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Media

Battle of the Kung Fu Pandas

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

DreamWorks has been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit. Jayme Gordon filed his lawsuit in federal court in Boston claiming that DreamWorks is infringing on his copyrights on the idea of a chunky panda with kung fu prowess, as well as several other animal characters.

The complaint alleges striking similarities between Gordon’s work and DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda. The image at left is from the complaint and lends credence to that allegation.

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Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Justice, Politics, Supreme Court

Ethics and The Supreme Court

Submitted By Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw) Guest Blogger

 

Professor Turley has recently discussed the ethical problems raised by Supreme Court Justices Scalia and Thomas by their attendance and participation in fund raisers for conservative groups.  In addition, Justice Thomas’ wife has also come under criticism for working for a lobbying group that benefitted from the Citizen United decision.  With all of the potential conflicts of interest that these Supreme Court Justices are involved in, it looks like someone is finally attempting to rein in the Justices and make them subject to the Judicial Conference’s Code of Conduct which all other Federal Judges have to adhere to. Continue reading “Ethics and The Supreme Court” →

Criminal law, Politics

The Right’s War on Women Continues…at the State Level

Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger

On the National Level

In late January, I wrote a post titled Rape Redefined and Brought to You by the US House of Representatives in which I talked about members of Congress—mostly Republicans—who were attempting to “redefine” what the only REAL kind of rape is—that would be “forcible rape.” (I wasn’t aware there was any other kind of rape.) These Congressmen were proposing legislation that would no longer consider the following types of sexual assault as rape: The rapes of women with limited mental capacity and rapes in which women were drugged or given excessive amounts of alcohol.

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Media, Politics, Religion

Using Lara Logan

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

The Right is on a crusade to show that Islam is evil. The use of the attack on Lara Logan to further that agenda is despicable. The assault was almost certainly perpetrated by pro-Mubarak thugs who were sent out to rough up journalists and protestors. Now the Mubarak supporters here in the U.S. are using the attack on Lara Logan to further their own political agenda.

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Media, Science

$315 Million For “Boobs and Woo”?

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

The Huffington Post (HuffPo) was recently acquired by AOL for $315 million, $300 million of it in cash. That’s a lot of money for what’s been called “the Journal of Boobs and Woo.” The boobs are OK, the woo is not. In a recent David Kirby article, The Autism-Vaccine Debate: Why It Won’t Go Away, HuffPo keeps up the woo part. The short answer: because opportunists like Kirby have teamed with believers in the cult of pseudoscience to keep this manufactured controversy alive whenever it starts to fade.

In the article, Kirby defends the irresponsible and dishonest Andrew Wakefield.

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Uncategorized

Chicago Woman Accused of Fatally Hitting Man After Driving While Updating Her Facebook Account

A wrongful death lawsuit in Chicago has alleged another case of distracted driving . . . this time involving a driver, Araceli Beas, who is accused of updating her Facebook account on her cellphone just before she hit and killed pedestrian Raymond Veloz.
Continue reading “Chicago Woman Accused of Fatally Hitting Man After Driving While Updating Her Facebook Account” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Meet Harvey Updyke: ‘Bama Tide Fan and Alleged Tree Killer

Harvey A. Updyke, 62, reportedly really really likes the Alabama Crimson Tide . . . and does not think much of trees. Police arrested Updyke in the poisoning of the historic oak “Toomer’s” trees at Auburn where victories have long been celebrated by students and faculty.
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Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Wisconsin Man Charged With Child Porn After Altering Video of School Song To Look Like Kids Were Listening To Sexual Lyrics

Evan Emory, 21, is the focus of a curious case of pornography in Wisconsin. Emory convinced a first-grade teacher at Ravenna’s Beechnau Elementary School to allow him to come into her class and sing two kid-themed songs. He videotaped the songs and then went home and substituted sexual lyrics to make it look like the kids were listening to provocative songs. He now faces a potential sentence of twenty years for the crime.
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Bizarre, International, Military, Society

Iraq Demands $1 Billion And An Apology From U.S. For Damage To Baghdad

In an example of unparalleled hubris, Iraqi officials are demanding that the United States apologize and pay $1 billion for the damage done to the city. Officials are complaining that the blast walls installed by the U.S. to protect the public are ugly and that Humvees and vehicles have caused damage in patrolling the city and fighting insurgents.

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Bizarre, Military, Politics, Society

Congresswomen Moves To Stop Military From Spending $100 Million in NASCAR Endorsements

Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minnesota, has come up with an easy way to say $100 million: end military sponsorships of NASCAR. Most people might be a bit surprised to learn that we are spending $100 million for NASCAR endorsements, but that cost is quite modest when you consider that the military is willing to spend almost $500,000 for a flyover of a closed football stadium.
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