Scattershot 2009-03-25

Things I would have tweeted about if I used twitter…and had more than 140 characters:

• Crimlaw blogger Ken Lammers, now with 50% more badass.
• Must not hate all cops…must not hate all cops…
• Sex offender registration—not just for sex offenders anymore.
• Apparently, shaking hands is now reasonable suspision:

The undercover officers, located approximately 10 to 20 yards away from the three vehicles, were unable to see any money or narcotics exchanged. Detective David LaRoche, however, testified that, based on his experience as a “buy” officer on undercover narcotics investigations, the purpose of touching closed fists is to keep anyone from seeing the exchange of money and narcotics during the drug deal. Likewise, Detective William Best, who also witnessed the fist bump, described it as “typical–you can conceal heroin, crack cocaine, anything in the palm of your hand. Real quick drop it off. Pick up your money same hand and you’re out.”

• I’ve been listening to CSPAN coverage of the AIG hearings in Congress. What I’ve learned is that members of congress don’t seem to understand what a retention bonus is. When you need an employee to finish a task for you, but you plan to fire them as soon as they finish, they will start looking for another job. And if they find one, they’ll quit to take it, leaving your task undone. So you have to pay them extra to stay to the bitter end. If leaving the task undone could lose your company billions of dollars and contribute to the collapse of the national economy, you have to pay them a lot.
• That doesn’t mean the AIG bonuses are reasonable, but that’s why they go to “the people who got us into this.” Because those are the people who know the way out. It sucks, but how much money do you want to lose on principle?
• The winner of the online contest for the name of the new space station module is the write-in entry “Colbert.” Second place goes to the balloted name “Serenity.” Sounds like Colbert Report fans v.s. Firefly fans.
• “Police say woman used fake ID to get fake breasts.” But of course.
• Now playing: Defending People 2: The Impactening.