While Judge Jay Bybee has declined to speak before the Senate Judiciary Committee to explain his role in the Bush torture program, he is reportedly reaching out to Nevada delegation members to find an alternative forum “to tell his side of the story.” I discussed the story on this segment of Rachel Maddow’s show.
Continue reading “Bybee Reportedly Seeking Forum to Explain His Role in the Torture Memos”
While I first thought this was an item from the Onion, it appears that the Canadian Parliament has voted to mandate that Canadian Olympic athletes should wear wear a seal product — most likely seal skin — as part of their uniforms. This is the response to the opposition by the European Union to the Canadian seal hunt.
Continue reading “Canadian Parliament Mandates Use of Seal Products in Olympic Uniforms”
Todd Marcum, 41, in Oregon has been arrested for putting an electric dog collar on each of his four children and then shocking them because he “thought it was funny.”
Continue reading “A Real Scream: Oregon Father Arrested For Having Fun By Shocking Children With Dog Collar”
There is a story out this week that raises the interesting question: what does it take to be fired as a police officer in El Paso. Police Sgt. Raul Ramirez was captured on television arresting KVIA-New 7 reporter Darren Hunt and photographer Ric DuPont in April. The abusive arrests and use of excessive force by Ramirez appears to be insufficient to remove him from the force. Instead, he will demoted and allowed to continue to enforce the law.
Continue reading “El Paso Police Department Demotes Sergeant Filmed Arresting Television Crew”
The image of women walking down the runway in burqas sound like something from a skit on Saturday Night Live, but Saudi Arabia has launched its answer to beauty contests — Miss Beautiful Morals. Beauty contests have been declared “Islamically unacceptable” so in this contest women compete for the most morally perfect women.
My life long dream was to secure tenure and gradually become a non-productive burden upon by school and colleagues — achieving that perfect deadwood state of zero productivity with maximum profitability. It appears that Matthew Kim has achieved that sacred state. Kim has been paid a full salary and benefits for seven years to do absolutely nothing in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Better yet, this work is performed at home.
Continue reading “Academic Nirvana: California Teacher Paid Full Salary and Benefits to Stay At Home For Seven Years”
Brain Surgeons Dr. Thomas Milhorat and Dr. Paolo Bolognese at North Shore University Hospital have been suspended for roughly a month after they abandoned a patient in the operating room after she was anesthetized and prepped for brain surgery.
Continue reading “No Brainer: Two Leading Surgeons Suspended For Abandoning Patient on Operating Table”
Maine today legalized same-sex marriage — joining D.C. this week in the historic act.
Sheik Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan, the brother of the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates, Prince Mohammed, has been accused of additional acts of torture — as many as 25 such victims. The video of one such torture session is available here. In the meantime, on our own torture controversy, the Obama Administration again refused today to commit to a special prosecutor or independent investigation of torture by the Bush Administration. We lack the type of tapes in Abu Dhabi because CIA officials admit that they destroyed the evidence so it could not be used against them. I will be discussing the torture controversy tonight on the Ed Shultz show on MSNBC.
Continue reading “Serial Torturer: UAE Prince Accused of Additional Acts of Torture”
The students of the National High School Mock Trial are getting some real legal exposure this year with a claim of religious discrimination filed against the organization on behalf of the Maimonides School, an Orthodox Jewish day school in Brookline, Massachusetts. The organization has refused to change the calendar to allow the Orthodox students to compete on a day other than a Saturday.
Continue reading “Not-So-Moot Court: Jewish Students Challenge Schedule of National High School Mock Trial”
Rev. Albert Cutie, known in Miami as “Father Oprah” for his popular radio program, has been taken off the air after allegedly laying hands on a woman at a bar and the beach. Pictures were found of Cutie embracing a women in what is a bit strange for a Catholic priest.
Continue reading “Cutie Pictures: “Father Oprah” Taken Off Radio Disclosure of Pictures With Woman”
The ABA Journal is reporting on a case of a lawyer, Nina C. Baccala, 36, who was robbed while moonlighting as an escort. The recent graduate of New England School of Law and Massachusetts lawyer has been waiting for the results of her Rhode Island bar examination. She fought off the attacker who has a criminal record.
Continue reading “Massachusetts Lawyer Robbed During Work As Escort”
The D.C. Council passed a same-sex marriage law unanimously this week — sort of. Ex-felon and current Councilman Marion Barry voted for the legislation only to immediately object that he did not want to vote for same-sex marriage and insisted on a new vote. It passed 12-1.
Continue reading “D.C. Passes Same-Sex Marriage — Despite Do-Over by Marion Barry”
Nine members of a New Zealand family will stand trial for the death of Janet Moses during a gruesome exorcism rite of the Maori culture called makutu. The rite is supposed to lift a curse and involves pouring water down the throat of the subject and trying to suck the devil out of her eyeballs.
Continue reading “Makutu Murder: Family Charged With Manslaughter In Death of Woman During Exorcism”
Macon City Councilman and Internet blogger Erick Erickson has been listed as one of the 100 most influential conservatives in America (69 to be precise). He is also the editor-in-chief of the site redstate.com. Erickson is unapologetic for his postings on the retirement of Supreme Court Justice David Souter, where he called the jurist a child molester and bestiality deviate.
Continue reading “Republican Politician Calls Justice Souter a Child Molester and Goat Lover”