News & Media
Yeah? Well I have a pussy too…. AND a gavel!
Jennifer LaPenta, 19, spent 48 hours in jail because she entered a courtroom wearing a shirt with the message “I have the Pussy, So I make the Rules.” Apparently, traffic and misdemeanor court judge Helen Rozenberg did not approve of the message. And, presumably by having a pussy of her own, she was immune to LaPenta’s magic pussy power. She
A Supreme Court decision that I would love to see
Brought to you by the Onion.
Frontline echoes The Legal Satyricon
By J. DeVoy For several years, this blog has been shrieking about the utter worthlessness of higher education — or at least that its purported benefits are oversold. Finally, the mainstream media has begun to notice. Tuesday’s Frontline episode, College Inc., was no exception. The upshot: For-profit colleges enroll 10% of all students. Yet they receive 25% of all Federal aid
And the homophobe circus continues
As yet another anti-gay demagogue gets busted with a male escort. (source)
And Now For Something Completely Different
In the City of Brotherly Love, Philly fans boo the tasing of an asshat running on the field. Then there is no pleasing you, Philadelphia. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riCu3LJOgmk]
Response to the Harvard e-mail controversy
By All Hands Last week, one Harvard law student forwarded a fellow classmate’s six-month old e-mail to people guaranteed to take offense to it. The original e-mail’s damning line, which has been seized upon by Above The Law, Eugene Volokh and others, is this: “I absolutely do not rule out the possibility that African Americans are, on average, genetically predisposed
Rape charges defeated by skinny jeans
By J. DeVoy Apparently juries have a problem convicting men of rape when their alleged victims are wearing skinny jeans. The pants are so narrow and hard to get on or off that reasonable minds believe “collaboration” is necessary for their removal. An Australian man was acquitted of rape Friday when a jury ruled there had to be “collaboration” to
It's true, the Catholic church ain't all bad
Nicholas Kristof shines a positive light on the beleaguered Catholic world. [T]here seem to be two Catholic Churches, the old boys’ club of the Vatican and the grass-roots network of humble priests, nuns and laity in places like Sudan. The Vatican certainly supports many charitable efforts, and some bishops and cardinals are exemplary, but overwhelmingly it’s at the grass roots
I wonder if anyone's considered this angle yet
by Jason Fischer A new law in Oklahoma requires women who seek an abortion — including when the pregnancy results from incest or rape — to (i) have an ultrasound performed; and (ii) have the fetus described to them (source). (Apparently, a few Oklahoma lawmakers have been watching too much television, where everyone goes all gooey as soon as the
What the First Amendment is all about
Judge William Downes of the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming ordered the University of Wyoming allow William Ayers speak on its campus with this explanation: “This court is of age to remember the Weather Underground. When his group was bombing the U.S. Capitol in 1971, I was serving in the uniform of my country,” Downes said. “Even
Belgium Bans Burkhas
Belgium has banned the burkha. (source) One might think that this is an intrusion on civil liberties — and I suppose that one could credibly argue that it is. You ought to be able to wear a burkha if you want to. On the other hand, I question how many women wear burkhas voluntarily. I bet that sub-group of burkha-wearers
Nostalgia rush
By J. DeVoy If you’ve ever wondered how much easier it would be to beat Super Mario Brothers with characters from other Nintendo classics, you’re not alone — and now you can indulge your fantasy. In Super Mario Crossover, you can play through Super Mario Brothers as Mario, Link (Legend of Zelda), Bill R. (Contra, pictured above), Simon Belmont (Castlevania,
"We would prefer a caucasian waiter, mkay?"
If this is true, it’s pretty nasty. Rodney Morgan, and his family (visitors from the U.K.), recently stayed at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Floriduh. According to the Naples News, “they made it clear they didn’t want to be served by a black waiter or one with a foreign accent.” (source) Okay, there’s WTF #1. I’ve asked for strange things at
Charlie Crist Leaves Republican Party
It looks like Charlie Crist is going to run as an independent. (source). Given that Charlie is a relatively level-headed and mentally stable guy, it seems like a rational move to leave a party that has been taken over by bat-shit-crazy-Palinite teabaggers, which is the constituency that is lining up to fellate Marco Rubio right now.
From the "Thank God Congress Has Nothing Better to Do" Desk: Four U.S. Senators Write Stern Letter to Facebook
by Jason Fischer Plenty of whiny types are up in arms over Facebook’s recent “personalization” improvements, which automatically link fan pages for companies, bands, television shows, etc. to users’ profiles, based on their self-proclaimed favorites. Also, when a user specifies their favorite music, movies, books, and the like, that information may now be accessed more readily by parties not in
Massachusetts School District Says "Why Bother?" To a Stupid Clothing Rule
Here’s something you would never see in Flori-duh. A Central Massachusetts school committee considered a proposal that would ban the display of cleavage, bare midriffs, and exposed underwear — and shot it down. (source) Wait… Jesus Christ on a crutch! They want our kids to be PORNOGRAFIED??? No, that’s not it at all. The Tantasqua School Committee shot down a
"Show Me Your Papers!" – Not new law…
by: Jonathon C.A. Blevins The sky is not falling… The new AZ law requiring law enforcement to inquire as to the legal status of its population is a hot button issue. The reason the issue is so hot is that the law is targeted at illegal immigrants, undocumented workers, aliens, or whatever politically correct noun is currently popular. I will
Legal blogger Ann Althouse gets skewered
By J. DeVoy, Madison’s second most famous blogger In the land of big egos and petty catfights known as the legal blogosphere, Ann Althouse looms large. Beginning her blog in 2004, when the internet was a barren wasteland devoid of YouTube and easy file embedding, Althouse’s commentary on law, politics and life now garners more than 500,000 viewers per month.
Thinspiration: Still legal in the U.S.!
By J. DeVoy While not all speech protected by the First Amendment is palatable, it is valuable. Almost two years ago, France tried to stifle the spread of information about anorexia and bulimia. The bill proposed to the country’s legislature provided steep penalties for promoting these diet and lifestyle choices. [The bill] would take aim at any means of mass
Largest. Class. Action. Ever.
Yesterday the Ninth Circuit upheld (mostly) a California District Court opinion certifying a nationwide class action against retail giant Wal-Mart. The classes and sub-classes could encompass as many as 1.5 million current and former female employees of Wal-Mart, who may be entitled to billions in back wages and punitive damages. Not to mention the attorney’s fees and costs. The case