Recent Cooley Law School grad Aminur Khan did not take long in locating a client: himself. Khan is suing a Michigan photography studio, Call Photography, for using his photo without permission to advertise its ability to retouch blemishes — showing Khan in before and after photos where his skin blemishes were removed.
It is time again to vent as part of the “Things That Tick Me Off” series — an arbitrary list that helps keep me sane by periodically raving at the world. This week’s addition is wi-fi charges, particularly at high-end hotels (though this remains the case with some mid-range hotel chains as well) I am staying this week at the Waldorf-Astoria while I speak at the ABA’s Legal Malpractice conference. Not only does the hotel charge $15 bucks for wi-fi in the rooms but $15 for each and every device such as iPads. The Waldorf-Astoria is a beautiful and historic hotel and it is certainly not alone in this practice. However, it is irritating to be clipped for such costs after checking in. This is less common in Canada and Europe hotels.
Continue reading “Things That Tick Me Off: Wi-Fi Charges At Hotels”
Kurt Kaiser has accused an unnamed prostitute in New York of stealing his stash of uncut diamonds after having sex in a hotel room. In the world’s most self-evident statement, Kaiser, 47, reported that “I woke and thought ‘I’ve been screwed.’”
Continue reading “Gem Trader Alleges Hooker Stole His Jewels”
I have repeated complained about the ludicrous scope of U.S. copyright and trademark laws in allowing people to claim common terms, symbols, and expressions (here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here). Now, R&B singer Trey Songz is in court in a dispute with Storage Wars personality Dave Hester over rights to profit from the word “Yuuup!”
Continue reading “Trademark Wars: Lawsuits Filed Over Ownership of “Yuuup!””
As a longtime critic of congressional junkets and travel, I am a bit confused by the effusion of shock and contempt by our congressional leaders in both parties over the recent Nevada conference by GSA employees. There is no question that the conference was outrageous and an abuse. However, these are the same people who have spent hundreds of millions on trips that have long been denounced as little more than paid vacations and long fought for the right to be wined and dined by lobbyists and other interests at swank hotels and restaurants (here and here and here). In the meantime, recent reports show that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has cost the taxpayers $860,000 to fly back and forth on weekends to his home in California. That is almost the exact amount spent at the Nevada conference. They sound like a city of Claude Rains, “shocked, shocked” by the allegations as they rush to make their private flights on government aircraft.
Continue reading “Stones Fly In City Of Glass Houses: Congress and the White House”
Like millions of people in this area, I was thrilled to watch the Discovery fly around Washington on its piggyback ride to the Air and Space Museum. The shuttle first flew directly over my car on George Washington Parkway at an extremely low altitude. It was amazing to see it from directly below at what seems like less than a 1000 feet. I then saw it from different spots while driving in D.C. It was awesome.
Police in Keyes, California are investigating why police officers killed an unarmed 32-year-man after first shooting him with a stun gun. Family members called police to tell them that George Ramirez was suffering from depression and threatening suicide. The Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputy is now on administrative leave. According to reports, Deputy Art Parra Jr. has been on the force for six years.
Here is your morning solar flare shot to get you started. The Sun’s “northwestern limb” gave us this incredible display this week with an arcing jet of super-heated plasma.
D.C. Circuit Judge Janice Rogers Brown has long been controversial since her nomination was opposed by many for what were viewed as extreme view as a member of the California Supreme Court. She was finally confirmed in a deal in the Senate that many denounced as a surrender by Democrats. Now Brown has used an opinion to denounce “powerful groups” and courts for limiting “Cowboy capitalism” that she says has been “disarmed” in America.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.” Juliet’s famous line seemed to have a more poignant meaning this week with the arrest of Fellony Silas, 30, for . . . you guessed it . . . a felony battery at a bar.
Continue reading “Charing Fellony: The World’s Most Unfortunate Name For A Criminal Defendant”
This corpus delicti was the key piece of evidence in the arrest by the FBI of alleged super hacker Higinio O. Ochoa. I am not sure why this piece of evidence caught the eye of FBI agents, but they used its posting on Twitter account of @MissAnonFatale to find Ochoa’s girlfriend and then Ochoa.
Continue reading “Keeping Abreast Of Crime: Hacker Traced By FBI From Picture of Girlfriend”
Even in a city full of lobbyists, John Bowles is a stand out. He is the new lobbyist for the American Nazi Party. With lobbyists from General Electric and Exxon, Bowles will work the offices on behalf of skinheads and antisemites. I can’t wait to see the gift baskets.
This is not exactly the picture you want public when you are invoking your Fifth Amendment Privilege Against Self-Incrimination. The picture shows General Services Administration official Jeff Neely enjoying a spa tub and wine as part of the $822,000 Las Vegas conference that is now the subject of a congressional investigation, as previously discussed. Neely, the GSA’s Public Buildings Service regional commissioner, invoked his Fifth Amendment rights in a hearing. His seat remained vacant at the hearing after his invocation.
Continue reading “What Happens in Vegas, Stays In Vegas: GSA Official Invokes Right To Remain Silent in Congressional Hearing”
One of the alleged culprits from the brutal attack on a tourist in Baltimore has turned himself into police. His name is Aaron Parsons, 20, and he was identified on social media posts over the past week. He is now charged with assault, robbery and other crimes. [Update: Bail has been reduced]
Continue reading “First Suspect Charged In Brutal Baltimore Attack”
George Washington has been named Britain’s greatest ever foe by the UK’s National Army Museum. There is one guy who has grounds to object that those little skirmishes of Battle of Trafalgar and Waterloo appear to be entirely irrelevant.
Continue reading “Excusez-Moi? George Washington Named Britain’s Greatest Foe”