We have yet another case of a student being punished for remarks made on Facebook. Tenth-grader Donny Tobolski described one of his teachers as a “fat ass who should stop eating fast food, and is a douche bag.” He was promptly suspended.
Continue reading “High School Student Suspended For Insulting Teacher on Facebook”
After previously heralding the Egyptian protests as a triumph for democracy, the Iranian government has made it clear that such demonstrations are best viewed from afar. After cracking down on tens of thousands of protesters yesterday, Iranian legislators are calling for the leaders of the protests to be executed. This followed the announcement that the government will be opening special courts to punish journalists.
Continue reading “Iranian Legislators Call For The Execution of Protest Leaders”
Many local activists and politicians oppose the arrival of a Wal-Mart on the ground that it destroys small businesses, threatens historic sites, or introduces only minimum wage jobs. Brenda Speaks, a Ward 4 ANC commissioner in Washington, D.C., has a more novel argument against a store in the Capitol: her constituents (and particularly young people) will not be able to resist shoplifting and the store will generate as many plea deals as shoppings deals.
Continue reading “D.C. Commissioner Opposes New Wal-Mart On Grounds That Her Constituents Cannot Resist Shoplifting”
Ann Coulter may have finally found a country with that perfect mix of robust conservative values and restrictions on the free press . Only days after Ann Coulter was met with thunderous applause at CPAC after proclaiming “I think there should be more jailed journalists,” Iranian officials have announced the creation of a new court for media crimes. It is not clear whether the Iranians will name the new tribunals “Coulter courts” but they should be a real crowd pleaser for those who wildly applauded at CPAC.
Continue reading “Coulter Courts? Iran Creates A New Media Court To Jail Journalists”
Former USDA employee Shirley Sherrod has sued blogger Andrew Breitbart over the use of an edited video that made her falsely appear to be a racist. The case could prove quite burdensome for Breitbart, but will present Sherrod with some challenges as well.
Continue reading “Sherrod Sues Breitbart Over Misleading Video”
I was struck this morning by a quote from Ewen Murray, a commentator for Britain’s Sky Sports, that he saw Tiger Woods commit “one of the ugliest things you will ever see on a golf course.” While I do not golf, I had to find out what transgression Woods committed with images of those past call girls dancing in my imagination. It turns out that it was not some Splendor in the Grass but spitting. Woods has been charged and fined for spitting on the green at the Dubai Desert Classic.
Continue reading “Fouling the Green: Tiger Woods Fined For Spitting”
As a general matter, wild animals are not the basis for tort liability absent possession and control by a third party. However, the family of Sam Ives, 11, are suing the U.S. Forest Service after the boy was killed by a bear in 2007 in a the Timpanooke Recreation Area in Utah.
Continue reading “Family Sues National Forest Service Over Fatal Bear Attack”
Domonique Ramirez, 17, has filed a novel legal action to keep her crown as Miss San Antonio after pageant officials accused her of excessive consumption of tacos and insubordination.
Continue reading “Taco Belle? San Antonio Beauty Queen Sues Over Effort To Strip Her of Crown”
We have yet another citizen left to die in a waiting room in the United States. Witnesses say that a man was left for 16 hours to sit in the emergency room in the University Hospital in San Antonio until other patients informed the nurse that he had stopped breathing.
Continue reading “Man Reportedly Dies After Being Left 16 Hours in Texas Emergency Room Without Care”
Loretta Van Beek insists she is not a Canadian raspberry mule. Indeed, she is suing the United States government after she was questioned for hours and strip searched at the border. Van Beek, 46, had failed to declare a few raspberries discovered by our border police, who became suspicious that she was living illegally in the United States. Illegals are known to be partial to raspberries.
Continue reading “Canadian Woman Found With Undeclared Raspberries and Strip Searches and Barred From Country”
Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
I don’t think Barry Goldwater would recognize Conservatism or his Republican Party if he was alive today. Conservatism used to mean belief in safe and sound economic spending and freedom for all from governments getting too large and too restrictive on personal freedoms. Recently we have seen Republicans offer up a brand new and dangerous definition of rape in an attempt to restrict abortions and to restrict government money being used to pay for them. Now we are seeing another Republican attempt to restrict the use of contraceptives under the guise of ending the alleged use of Federal funds to pay for abortions.
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Just a reminder for those who may have forgotten. The JEOPARDY! Challenge is this coming week: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Check your local listings for time and channel.
This is a history making event. You won’t want to miss it. You can watch the NOVA episode “Smartest Machine on Earth”, here.
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Suzanne Mettler, professor at Cornell, has written an article in Perspectives on Politics that highlights the public ignorance regarding the benefits people receive from the state. Different government programs operate indirectly have made the extent of the US welfare state invisible. These government social programs are rarely stigmatized by equating them to welfare. Welfare, it’s not just for the poor.
The table, below the fold, is amazing.
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
And it’s getting more difficult with the introduction of DNA spray. DNA spray is an invisible mist dispensed from devices placed in high crime areas. The mist is harmless and visible under UV light and sticks to clothing and the crevasses of the skin. Even after three-a-day showers, the DNA will remain on an offender for weeks. DNA spray provides a unique signature that, after forensic analysis, can irrefutably place the person at the scene of a crime.
The system is popular in Europe and will be coming to the U.S. soon.
Continue reading “DNA Spray – It’s Hard Out There For a Crook”
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
The Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans has come up with an idea for celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War—known to some as the “War between the States.” The veterans group has proposed that the state of
Mississippi issue a series of specialty license plates commemorating the war. These specialty plates, planned for the years 2011 through 2015, would each have a different design.
What has some people upset is the specialty license plate slated for the year 2014, which would honor General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Forrest, a native of Tennessee, is considered by some to have been a military genius. Others feel differently about Forrest who is “reviled” by some for allegedly having lead a massacre of Black Union troops at Fort Pillow in his home state in 1864. It should be noted that Forrest also served as the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.