Bizarre, Society, Torts

Health Officials Raise Alarm Over “Sex Roulette”

There is a bizarre story out of Barcelona where people are engaging in activity called “sex roulette” where people have unprotected sex knowing that one of the group is HIV positive. For some reason, this adds an element of danger for such people in not knowing if they will contract a lethal virus. Putting aside the deeply disturbing psychological element, there could be some interesting legal elements for anyone who wants to sue. Presumably, this is the ultimate case of an assumption of the risk and plaintiff’s conduct as a defense. However, the party organizers could also be viewed as creating a type of ultrahazardous or abnormally dangerous activity. While defenses could still apply, the question would be law suited from family members or third parties.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, International

“Erdogan Does Not Have To Put Up with the Expression of Certain Passages”: Hamburg Judge Enjoins Comedian From Reading Poem About Turkish President

We have been discussing the roll back on free speech rights in Germany and the recent controversy over Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to first apologize to authoritarian Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for a satirical poem and then approve the prosecution of the comedian is a shocking and chilling disgrace. The crackdown on comedian Jan Boehmermann has shocked many the West. Despite the global condemnations of Merkel and her government in its yielding to Erdogan, there is at least one German judge who shows the same Merkelian disregard for free speech.  A court in Hamburg banned Boehmermann from publicly reading his poem.  Indeed, the court ruled that only six lines of the 24-line poem could be recited.  It is an absurd case of prior restraint and a chilling example of how free speech is under attack in the West.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Politics, Society

Louisiana Legislator Under Fire For Jokingly Suggesting A Ban On Strippers Above The Age Of 28 Or Weighing More Than 160 Pounds

rep62350px-poledsc325Louisiana State Rep. Kenneth Havard is under fire this week for a measure that would have required strippers in Louisiana to be no older than 28 and weigh no more than 160 pounds. The amendment was . . . well . . . stripped from the bill after objections.

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Media, Politics

Clinton Surrogate Ed Rendell Predicts Landside Of “Ugly Women” Voting For Clinton

Ed_RendellTrump supporters have repeatedly objected to what is viewed as a bias in the media in favor of Hillary Clinton, including the failure to recognize that Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton have previously said things that are now denounced as hateful or extremist. Now a Clinton surrogate has sounded positively Trump like in his criticism of Trump. Ed Rendell, the former Pennsylvania governor and Philadelphia mayor had a curious way of analyzing the impact of statements by Trump about women on voters. I will say it again: this election cannot get more bizarre.

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Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts

D.C. Concealed Gun Law Struck Down For The Second Time In Two Years

Richard_J._Leon_220px-CriminologygunglockI have been critical of the continuing refusal of the D.C. city council to adhere to the rulings of the United States Supreme Court on the Second Amendment. Nevertheless, the city continues to fund unsuccessful litigation that seems entirely detached from the controlling constitutional standard in cases like Heller. We previously discussed the prior defeat of the D.C. law curtailing guns rights. Now for the second time in two years, a federal court has enjoined the enforcement of the city’s concealed-carry law. In this case, the city imposes a standard that applicants must state “good reason” to carry a weapon in order to obtain a permit from police. In a 46-page ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon, the court declared the District’s gun-permitting system is likely unconstitutional. This law was the response to the court striking down the prior law in 2014.

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Bizarre, International, Religion, Society

Iran Accuses Kim Kardashian Of Being Secret Western Agent

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards has denounced Kim Kardashian as being a Western agent. Of course, crazed fatwas and threats coming from the Islamic Republic is hardly news. However, in this case, a country is suggesting that Kim Kardashian has a job other than just being a Kardashian. The Kardashians are rightfully viewed as the death of American culture as a group of people without a single discernible talent. The Kardashians literally made being a celebrity as basis for celebrity status — without the need of actually being successful as a dancer, singer, or some other actual skill. The fact that the Iranians view Kim Kardashian as actively engaged in some substantive effort other than being Kim Kardashian shows how out of touch they really are with reality.

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Bizarre, International, Society

Stacked Up Traffic In China: Driver Avoids The Cost Of Driving Trucks Individually By Stacking Them

160517113224-china-three-trucks-2-exlarge-169Anyone who has been China returns with hair-raising stories of people driving on the sidewalks and trucks careening around with massively overloaded beds. However, even for China, this truck driver had people shocked after he tried to save money in transporting trucks separately and instead stacked them on top of each other.

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Bizarre, Congress, Society

Travelers At O’Hare and Other Airports Face Three Hour Delays While Thousands Miss Flights

We have been discussing the meltdown at airports due to the latest gross negligence by the Transportation Security Administration. At O’Hare, passengers are facing three hour delays with thousands missing flights and even having to rent hotel rooms when unable to make it to their gates in time. What is incredible is that Homeland Security Secretary not only denied that there was any crisis in grinding airports to a standstill but also seemed to blame passengers for failing to yield to the pressure to accept the expedited screening program called PreCheck. Many people object to the program as yielding privacy under coercion from TSA: share personal data or face hours of waiting as punishment. TSA admits that it assumed more passengers would yield to the pressure. They did not. It also admits to failing to properly staff security in a ten percent cut of screeners — a colossal blunder of under-estimating travel numbers. Yet, again, no one appears to be accountable for this massive failure that has left thousands stranded and airlines struggling to reschedule flights, including a separate TSA failure that resulted in the loss of thousands of bags.

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Congress, Criminal law, Military, Politics, Society

Why Is The Iran Report On The Treatment Of U.S. Sailor’s Still Classified?

160113105251-01-iran-sailors-framegrab-large-169We previously discussed how the government has kept 28 pages classified in the 9-11 Report to protect Saudi Arabia from a public backlash of its alleged involvement (or at least the involvement of Saudi officials) in the attacks. Now, a report on the treatment of U.S. sailors by Iran in seizure of Navy boats earlier this year will reportedly remain classified for some time. That is rather curious since Iran already knows how it treated the sailors. Again, there is a suspicion that the Administration simply does not want the public to know the full details of the mistreatment, which Rep. Randy Forbes (R., Va.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, says are far worse than has been made public. Recently, the Navy fired the commander in the incident.

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Bizarre, Politics, Religion, Society, Torts

The Whole (Food) Truth and Nothing But The Truth: Gay Pastor Admits That Gay Slur Cake Was A Hoax

imrs.phpWe previously discussed the suspicious claims made by a gay Texas pastor, Jordan Brown, who accused a Whole Foods store of changing his order for a cake reading “Love Wins” to “Love Wins Fag.” Various people seeing the cake immediately began raising questions over Brown’s claims and a videotape seemed to contradict his account. Whole Foods countersued Brown. Brown has now fessed up that he did alter the cake and made the whole thing up. After he dropped his lawsuit, Whole Foods has decided to drop the countersuit though a strong case could be made for seeking damages in such a hoax.

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Bizarre, Politics, Society

Tangled Webb: Virginia Congressional Candidate Posts Screenshot Of Computer But Fails To Close Pornography Tabs [UPDATED]

Screen Shot 2016-05-16 at 7.04.00 PM5707_1709211369322741_8312701898792710250_nMike Webb is running for Virginia’s 8th District but has run into a bit of trouble. First, he ran for the Republican nomination but lost. He then ran as an independent but people noticed something a bit odd on this website. A screenshot showed open tabs to what appears to porn sites on his campaign Facebook site. I checked and it was still on the site after various sites reported the sighting. Whatever “Ivone” and “Layla Rivera” are offering, it is not the usual fare for campaign promises. Update: Webb has responded as discussed below.

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Animals, Criminal law, Society

Taking a Bite Out Of Crime: Suspect Tells Pit Bull To Kill Police Officers . . . Pit Bull Bites Suspects In The Butt

rndr_670x300Avery Davis, 26, appears to believe that a dog is a man’s best friend but there are just some things a canine will not do: like attack police officers to protect a suspected felon. After Davis told his pit bull to attack police trying to arrest him, the pit bull instead turned around and attacked Davis.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Politics, Religion

Iran Defends Holocaust Cartoon Competition As Expression Of Free Speech

250px-flag_of_iransvgOne of the most impressive characteristics of religious extremists is the ability to hold facially contrary positions without any sense of contradiction or hypocrisy. Saudi Arabia decries any limitations on Muslims worshipping in other countries while banning churches and public worship of non-Muslims in its own country. Iran is particularly prone to such contradictions like executing homosexuals while denying that there are any homosexuals in Iran or objecting to the treatment of protesters in the West while jailing, beating and killing protesters in Iran. This week Iran offered another such example. In refusing to censor a Holocaust-themed cartoon festival, Iran (which has ordered the killing of authors and cartoonists for insulting Islam) insisted that it had to stand with free speech and would not think of interfering with an author or cartoonist in expressing their views. The same week, Iran has called for the arrest and punishment of models who allow themselves to be photographed without religious scarves.  Likewise, it previously ordered the flogging of a model for a public kiss.

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Academia, Bizarre, Free Speech, Politics, Society

Black Lives Matter Activists Tear Down Statement Supporting Police In The Name Of Not Being Silenced

220px-Dartmouth_College_shield.svgWe previously discussed the protest held by Black Lives Matter at the library of Dartmouth — and the relative lack of any punishment from the college. Now, Black Lives Matter activists have torn down a display honoring police officers and then reportedly stood guard over the board to prevent the College Republicans from re-posting their memorial . . . in the name of not being silenced.

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Constitutional Law, Politics, Society

Alabama Joins Eight Other States In Banning State Contracts For Businesses Who Support The Boycott Of Israeli Products

israel1150px-Flag_of_Alabama.svgThere is a fascinating free speech case developing in Alabama where Gov. Robert Bentley approved a law banning firms that boycott Israel from doing business with Alabama state and local governments. It is a measure pushed hard by pro-Israel activists and is likely to replicated around the country. However, SB81, sponsored by Republican Sen. Arthur Orr, raises core free speech and associational rights. What is ironic is that it is a Republican measure that would seem to deny the type of free speech rights recognized in corporations in cases like Citizens United. If corporations have free speech rights like citizens, could a state bar anyone who was opposed to Israel from state employment or contracts? A court challenge would raise some very difficult and frankly close questions on the right of states to make such a distinction.

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