The Washington Post has a fascinating anonymous op-ed by someone who received a national security letter (NSL). These letters are demands for information by the FBI (or other agencies, I presume) that have not been approved by any court and which come with a gag order prohibiting their disclosure to anyone. According to a report by the Justice department's inspector general, … [Read more...] about A Few Words from an NSL Recipient
Links I Get
As a blogger, I like it when people link to me. It sends me both visitors and search engine link juice, and I appreciate that. So I make a point of checking out who's linking to me. Sometimes I get a surprising reminder that the World-Wide-Web is really world-wide, as with this link. Thanks for the link, Ms. Maximova, I hope you said something nice. (Actually, according … [Read more...] about Links I Get
Comic Genius / Comic Giants
While I was surfing for info on my last post on the TV show Rules of Engagement, I came across someone else's review of the show. They referred to David Spade as a "comic genius". Really?? David Spade? Some might argue that the phrase comic genius is an oxymoron, but it got me to thinking about who I would consider a comic genius or as I prefer to call them - comic … [Read more...] about Comic Genius / Comic Giants
Truth In Trial
Over at Crime & Federalism, Norm Pattis has been explaining why defense attorneys are not much interested in the guilt or innocence of their clients. In a followup, he defends the adversarial process against the accusation that it leads to disrespect for truth in court proceedings. I have only a layman's familiarity with the legal system, but I know a little bit about … [Read more...] about Truth In Trial
Stay Away From Brooksville!
Brooksville, Florida is apparently being run by fascists: According to the proposed ordinance, a vehicle owner must pay a parking fine within 72 hours if a meter maid claims his automobile was improperly parked, incurring tickets worth between $5 and $250. Failure to pay this amount results in the assessment of a fifty-percent "late fee." After seven days, the city will place … [Read more...] about Stay Away From Brooksville!