News & Media
Google Creates DMCA Time Machine
by Jason A. Fischer Until now, Google has managed to keep its development of a working flux capacitor under wraps, quietly rolling out the ability to send DMCA notices from as early as January 1, 1900. In other news, archeologists today announced the discovery of new cave drawings that include a text ad for Viagra.
Don't listen to other people
By J. DeVoy If I had listened to the advice of other people over the last five or so years, I’d have levered up and bought a house, gone to the local law school, started running marathons and stopped eating meat. In short, my life would have been ruined — actually and definitively ruined, stuck in an underwater house within a dying rust belt hellhole, as opposed to teetering on the brink of insanity and ruin as it is now. Individuals give terrible advice. Facts and hard data, where available, are superior; where they fail, experts suffice. All of the
Well wrap me up in semen and diamonds and lick me
by Tatiana von Tauber Supermodel Naomi Campbell is insulted at being compared to Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Bliss chocolate as in this ad. She’s considering legal action at its racist tone. If Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Bliss were white chocolate and compared to a white supermodel, I wonder if racism would come into the interpretation zone. Sexism might as who doesn’t love to lick chocolate and we could interpret that white chocolate subtly refers to creamy semen giving a whole new meaning to “milk bliss”. Interpretations are something interesting aren’t they?
The PROTECT IP act – a new name for COICA with the same uselessness for adult entertainment
By J. DeVoy I’ve previously written about the futility of federal proposals to further regulate the internet for copyright infringement. Fellow blogger and colleague Ron Coleman – who participated in a really awesome brief with Marc and I – took note of my prior musings about this topic, focused on the failed Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act, or COICA. I’ve been following the PROTECT IP Act since it was first announced, but write about it now because it has made it out of committee in the Senate. There’s not much new that I can add to the zeitgeist of
Osama Bin Laden is Dead — but He Won the War
So says Rogier Van Bakel (and he’s dead right). Look, I trust that Osama Bin Laden’s death was horrible and bloody and painful (albeit not nearly drawn-out enough), and I hope that I will never eat a fish or a crustacean that contains even one molecule of that vile, mass-murdering thug — my stomach might not be able to take it. But the maddening truth is, yes, he won. He turned my America — our America, surely — into a nation of mewling pussies who insist that Big Brother must keep us all safe no matter what the cost to
Copyright suit over Mike Tyson's facial tattoo
Interesting copyright issue reported in the New York Times: In “The Hangover Part II,” the sequel to the very successful what-happened-last-night comedy, the character played by Ed Helms wakes up with a permanent tattoo bracketing his left eye. The Maori-inspired design is instantly recognizable as the one sported by the boxer Mike Tyson, which is part of the joke. (Mr. Tyson makes an appearance in both films, playing himself.) But S. Victor Whitmill, a tattoo artist formerly of Las Vegas and currently from rural Missouri, doesn’t quite see the humor. Mr. Whitmill designed the tattoo for Mr. Tyson, called it
The Magic Underwear State vs. Sexytime
Utah, apparently a hotbed of prostitution, appears to have had some trouble enforcing its anti-solictitation laws. Under Utah law, “solicitation” is defined as follows: 76-10-1313. Sexual solicitation (1) A person is guilty of sexual solicitation when: (a) he offers or agrees to commit any sexual activity with another person for a fee; or (b) he pays or offers or agrees to pay another person to commit any sexual activity for a fee. (source) That wasn’t good enough for the Utah legislature. A new law that went into effect this month broadened the definition to include any person who indicates through
Peter Murphy should have stayed in retirement
I owned every Bauhaus album on vinyl back in the 1980s. I am the target demographic for his new album. However, this interview guarantees that I wouldn’t buy his warmed over dreck. “I’m not ashamed to claim that I’m the last and only star,” says Murphy, now 53, speaking by phone from his adopted home of Istanbul, Turkey. “I totally believe that. That’s how I live my life. People should witness it while I’m still gorgeous enough.” (source) Jesus, what an asshat. If that doesn’t turn you off, the sample from the album ought to make you barf.
D.C. Cir. – No Flashmobs in the Jefferson Memorial
By J. DeVoy Public lands are not necessarily public forums, or so the D.C. Circuit tells us in yesterday’s Oberwetter v. Hilliard, et al. decision. Case No. 10-5078, available here. Oberwetter and 17 friends conducted a silent dance in tribute to President Jefferson shortly before midnight on an April evening back in 2008. (Query whether the participants were University of Virginia alumni – the appellate record is silent on this point.) When asked to leave, Oberwetter asked for a lawful reason compelling her to do so. Oberwetter was then detained – allegedly with excessive force – and subsequently served with
The die has been cast
By J. DeVoy [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Az_7U0-cK0&w=425&h=349] Indeed.
Devaluing your competitor's brand
By J. DeVoy Trademark law provides brand holders protection from competitors or third parties infringing upon, diluting or tarnishing their business marks, but what happens when the damage comes from the actual market for the brand and the people who consume it? Every brand has negative connotations; Chevrolet is associated with poor quality and a dysfunctional company that couldn’t exist but for massive government bailouts, Brooks Brothers is perceived to be for old, boring white people, and Ed Hardy is accused to cater to obnoxious douchebags. Using market forces, these associations can be used to attack and devalue a competitor’s
Betas, Online Dating and Anonymous
By J. DeVoy At the limply beating heart of all things beta is a lack of options. Anonymous, ever the ingenious amorphous blob of misanthropy that it is, seized upon this and organized an “involuntary flashmob” in midtown Manhattan by using spoofed female dating profiles to lure men into appearing at the same place at the same time. Vice has the writeup. The entire affair was recorded on camera, and plenty of photos abound. It’s screwed up to do this to people, but it’s Anonymous, so: 1) we expect this conduct from them, and 2) the only thing injured was
A reason to swallow and a reason to spit
In his Valentine’s Day-themed editorial in Surgery News, “Gut Feelings”, Dr. Lazar Greenfield cited to a study that reported that semen has anti-depresseant and mood-elevating effects upon women. He concluded: “So there’s a deeper bond between men and women than St Valentine would have suspected, and now we know there’s a better gift for that day than chocolate.” So ladies, that appears to favor the swallow side of the equation. Of course, out come the feminazis, giving us a reason to spit. Feminist groups, who wished to remain anonymous, promised to protest any meeting or conference at which Dr. Greenfield
Tribute to motherhood
by Tatiana von Tauber I’ve been a mother for 13 years now and I’ve changed my mind about it. I used to fear it until I got the hang of it and then somehow I liked it. Of course, in the absence of thought during the like stage I decided to have another baby in my mid 30s. Yes, good ‘ol sex got in the way. I love my children and the meaning of family; however, motherhood is extremely exhausting and with 2 teens and a 5 year old I’m finding challenge in the once manageable balancing act of career
By the way
By J. DeVoy One week ago, I killed Santa. I’m telling the world now because I just confirmed that it was his DNA. I didn’t take any pictures, and dumped the body in the ocean before a third party could verify its identity, but just trust me. [N.B. – I do not doubt that Osama is dead. As noted in my last post, the special forces teams that took him out are worthy of our awe and commendation; their success is a glowing reflection on our national resolve and resources. But if you’re accepting the Government’s official story of any
Osama dead; Americans still gripped in fear
By J. DeVoy [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dKdBlKgquw&w=425&h=349] With Osama Bin Laden dead for a week and the DNA tests purportedly confirming his demise, it’s morning again in America. Surely the PATRIOT Act will be repealed, and Obama will channel Ronald Reagan to bust and disband the unionized, lecherous zealots of the TSA. The NSA’s taps on AT&T’s data lines will be removed post haste, and the no-fly list will be no more. Nevermind, I was daydreaming of living in a country where everyone’s not a huge pussy. The special forces operatives who executed this mission have a lot to be proud of,
Russians crack down on BitTorrent piracy
By J. DeVoy Russian authorities have shut down Pornolab.net, one of the largest adult BitTorrent websites in the world. The full story is available at XBIZ.
Litigation's so passé
By J. DeVoy For whatever reason, this makes me think of my experiences thus far in the District of Nevada: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mgjZK46_uw&w=480&h=390]
Is there anything more idiotic than Donald Trump's hair? YES!
His ideas. Donald is a well known birther. This interview with George Stephanopoulos takes the cake.
Man bursts into flames in porn store. You can't explain that!
The tides come in and they go out. You can’t explain that! Magnets just stick to each other, with no glue! You can’t explain that! Jagermeister goes in, puke comes out. You can’t explain that! And you sure as shit can’t explain a man bursting into flames while watching a porn movie in a sex shop. Could this bizarre incident be attributed to a higher power? “I believe so. I definitely believe so,” [Pastor Roger] Huang told AOL News, adding that he hopes the unidentified man is recovering from the burns. (source)