News & Media
Talking to your kids about gay marriage
I used to have neighbors in Flori-duh, whose argument (to me anyhow) against gay marriage was “what am I supposed to tell my kids?” Louis CK had a funny reply to that. “It doesn’t have ANY effect on your life. What do you care? People try to talk about it like it’s a social issue. Like when you see someone
Public university censors student's fliers protesting censorship
Saginaw Valley State University, a public university located in Michigan, boldly and ironically censored a university student’s flyers about censorship earlier this year. (Source). SVSU recently adopted a new policy requiring that all flyers receive approval from the Student Life office prior to posting. The policy requires that, among other things, the flyers “be in good taste, free from profanity,
Killer Catfish!
Catfish, jumping out of the water to eat pigeons. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UZwPG_x6QEk] Source
Copyright in Tattoo Case: Escobedo v. THQ, Inc.
A tattoo artist sued THQ, Inc., the makers of a UFC themed video games, for copyright infringement. The artist tattooed a lion on Carlos Condit’s torso, and claims that it was his original creation. (Complaint at 12) The artist alleges that he created the original design, and owns a registration for the copyright to the design. (Compl. at 16). He
Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day
Funny to read about, sorta lame to do, I’d imagine.
One of the few reasons I couldn't emigrate to Sweden
They insist on trying to turn the world into a womens’ studies professor’s dystopian nightmare. Is it discriminatory and degrading for toy catalogs to show girls playing with tea sets and boys with Nerf guns? A Swedish regulatory group says yes. The Reklamombudsmannen (RO) has reprimanded Top-Toy, a licensee of Toys”R”Us and one of the largest toy companies in Northern
Looks like I picked the wrong time to leave Florida!
Python hunting contest in the Everglades! (source)
Pearl Harbor Day – Never Forget
On this day, in 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked the United States. We reacted by kicking the shit out of them. It wasn’t all a Frank Capra film. We made some little mistakes along the way, internment camps for Japanese and Italians, for example. But, for the most part, we went through the War with our ideals intact. In
New 'Faces of Meth'
By J. DeVoy The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office originated the widely known “Faces of Meth.” Eight years later, there are new faces in town. And they’re not for the squeamish.
Caption Contest!
This photo was taken this morning in The Castro. Help me caption it, or write your account of what happened!
Marc, would you ever file a defamation suit?
I get asked that question a lot. The answer is “it has to be the right case.” Most of the time, the conversation ends with me advising a potential client to spend their money elsewhere — like on a public relations campaign. I advise them of the Streisand Effect. I tell them that its going to cost a lot of
It’s a Beautiful Thing, the Destruction of Words.
First Amendment BAMF The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (“FIRE”) defends individual rights at American Colleges and Universities from the barrage of attacks on free speech and free expression. Every month, FIRE features an institution of higher learning that should be ashamed of itself for enacting a speech code that is, at best, terrible. This month’s honoree is the
Steubenville, Ohio: Gang Rape + SLAPP Suit
SLAPP suits are never pretty. This one is particularly troubling. A couple of members of the Steubenville, Ohio Big Red football team were accused of kidnapping and raping a 16 year old girl at a party. (source, source) A blogger, Alexandria Goddard, wrote about the incident. Naturally, she was outraged. She wrote another post, in which she also provided a
Press Prosecutions Relating to Occupy Movement Live On
By J. DeVoy Around this time last year, large bands of police descended upon “Occupy” encampments from coast to coast, seeking to decamp the rebelling hipsters once and for all. What you may not know, though, is that the Los Angeles Police Department radically changed their press policy immediately before its efforts to disperse the movement: only members of the
Lawyer disbarred over falsified tax returns to get financial aid
If true, this guy is a complete piece of shit. Bruce Paul Golden, a former partner at McDermott, Will & Emery, who has been practicing law since 1969, submitted falsified tax returns to get $25,000 in financial aid to send his kid to private school. (Source). For $25K, he got disbarred.
Anonymous Comes for Hunter Moore – Moore’s Man Card Revoked
Anonymous has now targeted Hunter Moore. In a release published today, Anon writes: Greetings citizens of the world, We are Anonymous. This is a call to all Anonymous worldwide, you have a chance to make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of bullied teenagers and protect them from real harm such as rape or stalking. Hunter Moore, Founder
Randazza v. Cox Arbitration Decision
Those of you who recall this post about Crystal Cox will find the following document of interest. Randazza v. Cox – Decision D2012-1525 Naturally, I would find the opinion to be a good one, as the Panel found in my favor. However, the Panelist seems to have really gotten the whole point of Crystal Cox’s extortion scheme — something that
Sticking up for the big guy: United v. Untied.com
I got this story in my inbox — that United Airlines was trying to bully a website that is dedicated to complaining about United Airlines – Untied.com. United Continental Holdings has sued a Canadian professor who maintains the 15-year-old complaint website Untied.com, which airs complaints from disgruntled United Airlines passengers and employees. Two suits filed in Canadian courts allege the