News & Media
"Some chicks marry chicks. Get over it."
by Tatiana von Tauber Nothing like the F word being appropriately used: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1amIrR-VMAI&feature=player_profilepage]
Neighbors taking Halloween too seriously
By J. DeVoy Via In Mala Fide: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVWVTc6dGaw&fs=1&hl=en_US] This happened in Trenton, but I was expecting rural Wisconsin or New York.
Miners reunited with wives and mistresses – simultaneously
By J. DeVoy The Chilean miners slowly being liberated from the underground cavern where they were stuck for more than 70 days are being reunited with their families and loved ones, only to discover that those classifications are not necessarily coextensive. For the freed miners, not only are their wives showing up to celebrate their freedom — their mistresses are as well. (source.) Did we mention it gets violent? “One miner has four women fighting over him in an effort to claim compensation offered to the families of those facing between three to four months underground until a rescue shaft can reach them,” the Telegraph in Great Britain reports. A Red Cross worker told the newspaper: “We had a big bust
Man denies crack in his ass is his
But, the weed, well that was his. Gotta love Flori-duh. Hat Tip to Supe for story and headline.
Sleazeball Alert – Judge Talmadge Littlejohn
Talmadge Littlejohn, a Mississippi Chancery Court Judge, held attorney Danny Lampley in contempt of court and sent him to jail because Lampley declined to recite the Pledge of Allegiance when ordered. (source) The judge’s order says: BE IT REMEMBERED, this date, the Court having ordered all present in the courtroom to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegience, and having found that Danny Lampley, Attorney at Law, failed and refused to do so, finds said Danny Lampley to be in criminal contempt of court. IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED, that Danny Lampley, Attorney at Law is in criminal contempt of court for his failure to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance as ordered by the undersigned Chancellor
Christine O'Donnell: "I'm not a witch!"
By J. DeVoy She could have made this ad two seconds long. In fact, it would have been better if she had. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxJyPsmEask&fs=1&hl=en_US] Other things that could have been better if stopped short: Avatar – which I have not seen – but would have been a great film if it ended after the military killed the aliens’ ridiculous home-tree.
Wisconsin, Diploma Privilege FTW
The Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously upheld the state’s “diploma privilege” granted to graduates of the University of Wisconsin and Marquette law schools. (source) For those of you not in the know, if you graduate from UW or Marquette, you don’t need to take the Wisconsin Bar exam: Just pass character and fitness after avoiding the very bottom of your class while taking a few classes you’d want under your belt anyway – criminal procedure, administrative law, advanced constitutional law and the like – and BING! You’re a member of the Wisconsin Bar. I have taken three bar exams. I can tell you with all honesty that each bar exam was progressively more convincing evidence of the uselessness of the entire
Special Delivery
by Marc J. Randazza The Gloucester Daily Times has a funny story for us: A woman claims that she left her cell phone on her mailbox. A mailman was later caught with the cell phone. In the few minutes that the mailman had the phone, he had time to drop his pants, take pictures of his penis, and then send the pictures to someone in the woman’s address book. (source)
Thank W.F. Price
By J. DeVoy Programming note: I’ve recently become a contributor for the men’s rights publication The Spearhead. While The Legal Satyricon will remain my primary focus, a few times a month I’ll be gracing them with some of my more, uh, “unique” social commentary. In contrast, my rants here will be more focused on legal matters like the scourge of filial support laws. (Don’t we have enough young-to-old value transference in this country on the federal level?) My first post, about online anonymity, is up here.
Aqua Teen Hunger Farce
By J. DeVoy For almost a decade, I’ve been a fan of the cartoon show Aqua Teen Hunger Force (ATHF). I even convinced Marc to heavily quote the show in a recent USPTO filing. Beyond being pointlessly amusing, though, the show has offered some real-life intersection with the law. Most memorably, the residents of Boston thought that LED displays of the shows more memorable characters – the Mooninites – were bombs. Panic ensued, and a city once considered annoying solely for its accents defused and ruined a costly public relations campaign. To avoid possible criminal charges or civil claims, Time Broadcasting Systems and Interference Inc., responsible for the Cartoon Network, its Adult Swim brand of programming and this stunt, agreed
Guatemala has regrettable, sloppy hookup with United States
By J. DeVoy And all it got to show for it was Syphilis and Gonorrhea! No, this isn’t some tribute to Larry Flynt and Hustler’s famous ad about Jerry Falwell; we actually did this. Consistent with the CIA’s penchant for involuntary testing of chemicals – such as LSD on Americans and the French, and extreme plutocratic capitalism throughout Central America – this time an unnamed branch of researchers infected hundreds of Guatemalans with gonorrhea and syphilis without their knowledge. (source.) Naturally, Hillary Clinton and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius fell over themselves to over-apologize. “The sexually transmitted disease inoculation study conducted from 1946-1948 in Guatemala was clearly unethical,” according to the joint statement from Clinton and Sebelius. “Although these events
Injustice and § 2257 problems abound in Duckburg
By J. DeVoy [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmpAx8Z5z40&fs=1&hl=en_US] A-woo-oo!
Excellent question, Carl
By Tatiana von Tauber Often I’ve been told America is and was founded as a “Christian nation”. As a devoted human being to all the people and roles in my life I attend to, I don’t have the time to research everything I want or should know. Good this post in the Huffington Post came up to remind me of some facts about American history and prompted my memory bank to dig up these beautiful words by Carl Sagan as written in “A Demon Haunted World” (pg. 428): “When we consider the founders of our nation – Jefferson, Washington, Samuel and John Adams, Madison and Monroe, Benjamin Franklin, Tom Paine and many others – we have before us a list of at least
Suicide note rights and liabilities
By their very nature, suicide notes are controversial documents. Nobody likes to think or talk about them, despite accompanying many – probably most – of the suicides that occur in America. There were 34,598 reported suicide deaths in 2007 alone, making it the fourth leading cause of death for adults aged 18-65. So, where to begin? Who owns the note A Slate article from 2008 states that either the medical examiner or sheriff “controls the contents” of a suicide note. While true, Eugene Volokh notes that this does not resolve the issue of ownership. The imperative to investigate deaths grants the government custody over the note, but not title to it; the note, like other personal property, becomes part of
Big pot joints big labor
By J. DeVoy Despite the decline of organized labor in the United States with sagging manufacturing, construction and transportation sectors – areas long associated with unionized workforces – the Teamsters union has made inroads with medical marijuana growers. (source.) The Teamsters added nearly 40 new members earlier this month by organizing the country’s first group of unionized marijuana growers. Such an arrangement is likely only possible in California, which has the loosest U.S. medical marijuana laws. But it’s still unclear how the Teamsters will safeguard the rights of members who do work that’s considered a federal crime. “I didn’t have this planned out when I became a Teamster 34 years ago, to organize marijuana workers,” said Lou Marchetti, who acted
Octomom offered $500k to do porn
By J. DeVoy Vivid Entertainment has offered Nadya Suleman, commonly known as Octomom, $500,000 for a single one-hour-long scene. Based on her recent bikini photos, Suleman has recovered nicely from her extreme pregnancy, and such an offer is not unrealistic. I think Vivid could have offered something in the $100-300k range, but what do I know? It’s probably not in the company’s best interest to be seen as lowballing vulnerable quasi-celebrities who are facing foreclosure.
The Hoyts
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy8hOOvM0t0] Off topic, but epic win.
In Savannah we ask and we tell
By Tatiana von Tauber It’s terribly difficult seeing the truth that sits before me. In the #2 spot for romance and weddings in the U.S., love on the whole seems to be elusive rather than understood. “The City of Savannah is considering extending benefits to same-sex couples. Do you think the extension is a good idea?” Yes: 21.1 % No: 68.4 % Not sure: 10.5% (source) Sorry to disappoint you Lady Gaga. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG5VK2lquEc]
