Bizarre, International, Media, Politics, Society

Thai Junta Proclaims 99 Percent Support From Public . . . In Its Own Poll

2014_0526_Thailand_coup_Chang_Phueak_Gate_Chiang_Mai_02Thai-coup-detat-2014-social-media-bannerWe have been discussing the continued rollback of civil liberties by our Asian ally, Thailand, including absurd prosecutions such as the recent arrest of a mechanic who merely “liked” a photo viewed disrespectful of the King’s dog. He appears however to be in the disgruntled one percent according to the military junta. The authoritarian government just released the type of poll that only a junta would find plausible: 99 percent of Thais are happy with the junta’s governance since it took power last year. Well, if you can’t believe a junta, who can you believe?

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Academia, Politics, Religion, Society

Former Ultra Orthodox Students Sue In Israel Over Lack Of Basic Education

We have previously discussed the investigation of Orthodox Jewish schools in the United States after former students were shown to be barely able to do basic English and math after being schooled primarily on religious texts. Now there is a lawsuit in Israel in which Avihay Marciano and 50 other former Orthodox students suing over their lack of basic education from an ultra-Orthodox school. What is most interesting about the lawsuit is that he is suing the government, which financially supports these schools.

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Criminal law, International, Military, Religion, Society

“If You Want To Kill Us, Then Kill Us”: Kenyan Muslims Shield Christians From Terrorists In Bus Attack

900px-Flag_of_Kenya.svgWe have previously discussed acts of heroism in the face of terrorism, including acts by Muslims who reject the violence and claims of morality by ISIS and others such as the Muslims who formed a human shield around tourists in Tunisia. We have another such case out of Kenya where Muslim passengers refused to identify non-Muslims when their bus was seized by the Islamic extremist group Al-Shabaab. The passengers reportedly told the terrorists that they would have to kill them all or let them all go.

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Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Media, Politics, Society

Federal Court Strikes Down Federal Provision Used To Bar Trademark Protection For Redskins and Other Controversial Names

723px-US-CourtOfAppeals-FederalCircuit-Seal.svgPatentTrademarkOffice-Seal_svgI have previously written about my disagreement with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office decision to rescind federal trademark protections for the Redskins as a racially disparaging name as well as the underlying law used to strip the team of its trademark protection. The law allows for a small administrative office to effectively dictate the outcome of a long simmering societal debate over the team name. More importantly, the standard for determining what names or words are disparaging remains dangerously undefined with striking contradictions as we have previously discussed in permitted and disallowed trademarks. One of the cases that I have discussed involves an Asian-American rock band called The Slants, which was also barred by the office. Now the band has won a major victory not just for itself but also the first amendment in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. The Court struck down the part of the law allowing the denial of the registration of offensive trademarks. The case, which is likely to appealed to the Supreme Court, will have a major impact on the Redskins controversy.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Society

Former Ernst & Young Executive Arrested In Largest Voyeur Case in English History

George-Thomas-m_3532337bThere is a truly bizarre case out of London where a former Ernst & Young manager was sentenced in what is viewed as largely voyeur case in the country’s history. Some 3,500 people were filmed by George Thomas, 38, who installed cameras in bedrooms and bathrooms in his own home, shower rooms and lavatories at his work place and bathrooms in a large number of coffee shops in central London.

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International, Military

Six U.S. Soldiers Killed On Patrol In Afghanistan Including Trailblazing Lesbian Major

10299090_921408087935267_5589202884605310747_nThe United States lost six more soldiers in Afghanistan when a Taliban terrorist rammed a foot patrol with an explosive-laden motorbike. One of those killed was already familiar to many lawyers. Air Force Major Adrianna Vorderbruggen was one of the first openly gay service members to come forward after “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was repealed in 2011. She was among a true “band of brothers” who represented the very best of this country in its diversity and patriotism. Vorderbruggen shows how gay and lesbian personnel continue to step forward to put themselves in peril in defense of their fellow citizens — even those who have long fought their effort to achieve equal rights.

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

Extremist Jewish Leader Calls For Ban On Christmas Celebrations in Israel and Denounces Christians As “Vampires”

220px-20121123_SantaClaus-ChicagoWe have been discussing the criminalization of Christmas celebrations by the Sultan of Brunei. Now, as if to show that Muslim extremists have no monopoly on crazy, Benzi Gopshtain (also reported as “Gopstein”), who heads the far-right Lehava organisation, has called for the same prohibition in Israel. Indeed, the statement of Gopstein and those of the Muslim clerics in Brunei seems almost indistinguishable.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, International, Politics, Religion, Uncategorized

The Bolkameister Meisterbolka: Sultan of Brunei Criminalizes Any Celebration or Association of Muslims With Christmas

Chancellor_of_UBD,_Hassanal_BolkiahUnknownIt often seems like some countries like Saudi Arabia are the first to respond to any slight or barrier to Islam in other countries, but routinely deny such accommodations for other religions in their own country. The latest such hypocrisy was shown by the Sultan and Muslim clerics in Brunei after the country criminalized celebrating Christmas. Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah previously was denounced for introducing the medieval Sharia law system to his kingdom. He has now ordered that anyone found illegally celebrating Christmas could face a five year jail sentence. While Bolkiah cuts the same comical figure of Burgermeister Meisterburger, he is not a bit comical for those who reject Islamic extremism.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Criminal law, International

Saudi Arabian Reformist Calls For An End To Political Repression . . . Saudi Court Responds By Jailing Him And Banning Him From Writing

200px-Coat_of_arms_of_Saudi_Arabia.svgSaudi Arabia’s medieval legal system is back in the news with another attack on free speech and free thought. A Saudi reformist writer, Zuhair Kutbi, has been jailed for four years and banned from writing for his calls to reform the Kingdom. Kubti had called fellow intellectuals “cowards” in failing to stand up for reforms. Rather than engage Kubti in debate over its alleged racist and repressive elements, the response of the Kingdom was to jail him and ban him from writing for 15 years.

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Bizarre, Criminal law

OK, Take Your Time, Can You Identify That Man Who Robbed You?

paul-wayne-terryPolice say that it was not hard to track down Paul Terry, 27, who allegedly forced his way into an Oklahoma man’s apartment and robbed him at knifepoint. The victim described one of the two attackers as having horns and the words “F**k Cops” on his forehead. That tends to stick in the mind of most witnesses at the scene . . . and most officers on the beat.

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Bizarre, Politics, Society

New York Times Removes Quote From President Obama Explaining His Lack of Initial Response To Massacres On A Need To Watch More Cable News

220px-Nytimes_hqPresident_Barack_ObamaThere is a bizarre story out of the New York Times where the newspaper printed an astonishing statement by President Obama that was immediately picked up by journalists and then removed by the newspapers under a claim that it was trimmed for space. The newspaper said that President Obama defended his criticized laid-back response to the Paris and San Bernardino massacred to not watching enough cable television. It was the most newsworthy part of the fairly generic article and yet it quickly disappeared as social media lit up with criticism of the President.

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Bizarre, Criminal law

Junk Mail: “Mailman Dave” Arrested After Delivering Mail To Law Firm Naked

david_goodman_double_mugThere is going “Full Monty” and now going full postal. Wisconsin mailman David A. Goodman, 52, was arrested after stripping naked to deliver mail to a law firm. He insisted that he did so to cheer up a secretary at the firm. However this was one package delivery that the firm declined and Goodman is now looking at lewd and lascivious behavior. The good news is that such a citation carries a $681 fine. If Goodman is looking for a more open recipient to such deliveries that may want to apply to be the postman for Mark Mertz in Massachusetts.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law

New York Taxi Driver Fined For Refusing To Allow Woman To Ride In Front Seat Due To His Islamic Beliefs

Tamsir Drammeh, a New York cabbie, has been hit with a $350 fine after he refused to allow a mother to sit in the front seat after she and her family piled into his cab at Penn Station. Drammeh reportedly said that the husband could sit in the front seat but that having a woman in the sit would violate Islamic values.

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Bizarre, Politics, Society

Magic Carpet Bombing? Poll Shows Surprising Number of People Want To Bomb Agrabah

250px-Robinwilliams_aladdin220px-B-2_spirit_bombingA poll by the Democratic Public Policy Polling outfit found that 30 percent of Republicans support the bombing of Agrabah. The only problem is that agrabah is the fictional home of Aladdin. Of course, few would sympathize with Jafar, Grand Vizier to the Sultan of Agrabah (particularly after his horrible conduct in the Cave of Wonders), there are other rather cute cartoon characters in Agrabah who should not be vaporized in the war on terror. Yet, the bombing of Agrabah seems almost tame when candidates are calling for the killing of the families of terrorists or pledging that, if they are allowed to go back in time, they would strangle the baby Hitler.

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Criminal law, Justice, Science, Society

Embattled Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli Resigns

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

turing-pharma-logoFollowing his arrest this week for alleged securities fraud, Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli resigned his office.

Turing garnered infamy for the 5000 percent price increase of Daraprim, a $13.50 medication indicated for patients requiring treatment of Toxoplasma gondii–an opportunistic pathogen afflicting the immune-compromised such as AIDS patients. Monthly treatment cost now associated with the drug can be upwards of seventy-five thousand dollars. See previous articles HERE and HERE.

Interim CEO Ron Tiles thanked the 32-year-old for “helping us build Turing Pharmaceuticals into the dynamic research-focused company it is today.”

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