News & Media
My favorite Christmas Carol
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvkzd6xQKF8]
A Zombie Christmas
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UqEhUm2B_8]
A Gwar Christmas Carol
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY8Fr7bcLa8] H/T: Bob
I love Wisconsin: 17 U.S.C. § 505
By J. DeVoy Copyright law has some interesting game theory-like features, which is rational when considering that most producers of copyrighted content are more sophisticated than your average consumer. Thought experiment: Who’s more likely to be detail-oriented, someone who shoots video for a living or a person who slips in a puddle of water at Target? Thought so. These provisions in the U.S. Code play to an audience more likely to understand them. One such section, 17 U.S.C. § 505, provides for costs and attorney’s fees as a remedy for infringement. In any civil action under this title, the court in its discretion may allow the recovery of full costs by or against any party other than the United States
Rational Christmas Gift Appreciation
By J. DeVoy [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC1O50az108&fs=1&hl=en_US] H/T: D. Waite
Welcome to the Satyriconroll
I would like to welcome some new authors to the SatyriconRoll. Shit!!! Planet!!! Authored by the pseudonymous Metasonix, whose blogger profile lists one interest: “ABUSING YOU. He’s not all that abusive to us though. Well, he hates Charles Platt, but as I’ve often said, my admiration for people has little to do with how much I agree with them. Keep shitting, Metasonix, keep on shitting. Not Guilty. Authored by Mirriam Seddiq, who I have dubbed “Ms. Awesome.” The very definition of a female Alpha. Mom of twin boys, who I predict are going to be the coolest fuckers in history once they get to college. She thinks that I’m “fancy” because I don’t ever find myself at the jail on
Spain rejects US-authored copyright laws
By J. DeVoy Julian Assange may have dealt a blow to the international fight against content piracy. Cables released by Wikileaks reveal that a copyright bill pending before the Spanish house of representatives was authored by the United States, with significant influence from Hollywood studios. The proposed legislation would have outlawed the operation of file-sharing sites and services within the country. But, alas, it is no more. From BoingBoing: While they might have been willing to vote for the new copyright law if they could at least pretend to have written it, Spain’s legislators balked at enacting legislation that had been incontrovertibly conjured up by powerful foreign corporations against the interest of Spain’s own citizens. It is unsurprising that US
The Modern Story of the Nativity
(and it doesn’t even bash christmas) [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkHNNPM7pJA]
Advice to Law Students looking for a job — don't be a goddamned crybaby
Popehat has a bad-ass post on an “incident” at Syracuse University School of Law. The short version is this: Syracuse Law student Len Audaer published a blog satirizing his class, the administration, and public figures. From Popehat’s story. Somebody complained. Syracuse decided to appoint a “prosecutor” to investigate the blog and determine whether to bring formal charges against Audaer under the Syracuse discipline system. All of that — the fact that someone complained about satire, and that the school didn’t immediately reject the complaint — is appalling enough. But Syracuse, and specially appointed prosecutor Syracuse law professor Gregory Germain, are angry about the criticism and are doubling down. As is often the case, the attempted cover-up is worse than the
Phillip Greaves' Arrest Warrant and Affidavit
By J. DeVoy Following up on Marc’s earlier coverage of Phillip Greaves’ arrest in Pueblo, Colo., on charges brought by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, we now have the arrest warrant and affidavit. This document sheds a little more light on how the case was developed, including the affiant’s communication with Greaves under an assumed name to obtain a copy of The Pedophile’s Guide to Love & Pleasure.
What goes around comes around, Mr. Assange
I support Julian Assange and his Wikileaks project. More transparency in government is a good thing, and it appears that Wikileaks was not conducting its document dumps willy-nilly. Wikileaks seems to have vetted the content with responsible journalism organizations (source), and it has done more good than harm. Those who call him a “terrorist” are either stupid, servile statists, or just politicians who are desperate to appear to be tough-on-albinos. That said, I agree that Assange might not be the most sympathetic boy in the world. Yeah, he’s egotistical. Yeah, he’s narcissistic. But, as Jessica Christensen said, “Assange may be a narcissistic freak show, but so was MLK Jr. and Ghandi and Larry Flynt and … you name it. In
Charitable Satyriconistas
By Vaughn Greenwalt Keeping with the spirit of giving this Christmas holiday season, we at The Legal Satyricon are giving back to the causes we support. It is our hope that you, our readers, will also give back in any way you can. If you haven’t tucked one of those long-shaped cards (that every kid knows has money in it) under the shedding pine of an organization yet, here are some ideas from yours truly: Tatiana Von Tauber supports the Young Survival Coalition Savannah and is a driving force behind The Art Cure project. THE Marc Randazza will be donating to The Art Cure . Marc is donating to The Art Cure for no particular political reason. He just did
First Amendment Alert! Author arrested for writing a book
I’m the first to admit that Phillip Greaves is not the most sympathetic figure in America. Greaves wrote “The Pedophile’s Guide,” which was originally for sale on Amazon.com before the online retailer bowed to public pressure and pulled the book from its online shelves. I don’t necessarily have a problem with that. But, I have a big problem with today’s developments. The Orlando Sentinel reports that Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd had Mr. Greaves arrested in Pueblo, Colorado on obscenity charges. Lets remember that Grady Judd’s jurisdiction is home to meth labs, cops who diddle children, and (given the inbred nature of its residents) a pretty high incest rate. Despite the “real crime” in his jurisdiction, Judd instructed his detectives
Brit plan to "protect the children" by blocking porn
THE UK Government is to combat the early sexualization of children by blocking internet pornography unless parents request it, it was revealed today. The move is intended to ensure that children are not exposed to sex as a routine by-product of the internet. It follows warnings about the hidden damage being done to children by sex sites. The biggest broadband providers, including BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk, are being called to a meeting next month by Ed Vaizey, the communications minister, and will be asked to change how pornography gets into homes. Instead of using parental controls to stop access to pornography – so-called “opting out” – the tap will be turned off at source. Adults will then have to
Shock study: Increased availability of child porn results in lower rates of child abuse
By J. DeVoy A new study from the Czech Republic claims that the availability of child pornography has led to lower rates of child abuse. This result allegedly is consistent with similar observations in Denmark, Germany, Finland, Sweden and the USA. Here’s the research’s crux: The findings support the theory that potential sexual offenders use child pornography as a substitute for sex crimes against children. While the authors do not approve of the use of real children in the production or distribution of child pornography, they say that artificially produced materials might serve a purpose. The inference to be drawn from this research is that legalizing and further increasing child pornography’s availability would decrease the incidence of child abuse. The
Increasing the tax base
This editorial calls for the elimination of the charitable giving deduction. He says that the mortgage deduction is firmly in place, given the current housing market. I disagree. It would be a great time to yank that absurd deduction – even when I owned a house, I thought it was absurd that since I was wealthy enough to own my house, I got my living expenses subsidized by the poors who lived in the apartments down the street. While we’re discussing widening the tax base, perhaps it is time to end the deduction for cult-meeting houses, child-rape institutions, and shrines to ignorance and superstition churches.
