Tuesday, November 04, 2003
While representing a client charged with shooting a police officer in Montreal, a defense attorney was heard singing Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff" as he walked out of the courtroom. If you're wondering, his client was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
A Tennessee judge ruled today that a driver who flashed his lights to warn oncoming traffic of a speed trap was protected by the First Amendment guarantee of free speech. Maybe now we can address other "drivers rights" issues such as the invasive nature of universal vehicle searches at sobriety checkpoints and methods used in speed traps which exceed defensible justification (e.g. feigning to be a disabled vehicle while disguising their true identity and preying on the curiosities and concerns of motorists).
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The favorite of many pundits to win the Democratic nomination for President, the Rev. Al Sharpton will host Saturday Night Live on December 6, the NYT reports.
The new host of the "Ladies Man" sketch??
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The BCS, with the release of the updated standings on Monday, confirmed any and all misgivings about its ability to accurately produce a hierarchy of football prestige. What a joke.
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Two interesting stories mentioned on NPR's Morning Edition this morning:
First, an analysis of Ebay ethics (or lack thereof).
For those who are not aware, there are companies who serve as auction mercenaries...these "snipers" develop software packages which, when hired by a customer, will place winning bids in the closing seconds of an auction. Opponents of this practice (mostly those with a dial-up connection and a life which demands their attention somewhere other than the computer 24-7) argue that this defeats the advantages of Ebay and go so far to say that it's unethical and, at the very least, unfair.
One company cited in the story: E-Snipe
Second, on this Election Day (yes, that's right...today is Election Day) Oregon voters face a ballot initiative which would authorize a hostile takeover of a subsidiary of Enron. If adopted, a public utility district (PUD) would be created in place of the region's utility provider PGE.
More information:
Oregon Public Power Coalition; grassroots group supporting public takeover.
(Please excuse this HORRIBLE excuse for a website. It hurts to even look at it. Here's a related website which is a bit more tolerable.)
[In the interest of equal time, I tried to find a website for the advocacy group which opposes the takeover (Citizens Against Government Takeover) but it appears that the group thought it unnecessary to have a website. *tsk*tsk* ]
If you are not aware, ballot initiatives are (in business terms) a "booming sector" of the election industry. It ranges from the absurd to very serious and powerfully democratic as it is one of the most fundamental exercises of citizen power over representatives. It is the modern form of the Athenian Senate (with the small difference that women and non-land owning males are now -- in principle -- allowed to participate), direct democracy in all its glory and misery.
For example, keeping with the Oregon theme, a passionate citizen has filed a ballot initiative (not certified by the Sec. of State, what a shock) called the "Anti-Blowhard Act of 2004."
The initiative would punish candidates who (a) campaign on a platform to reduce "wasteful" or "exessive" public spending, and (b) do not provide "a complete accounting" of the alleged waste. If the candidate fails to provide said accounting within the time limits (7 days -- or 24 hours if statement is made within 30 days of an election -- following the allegation), the Secretary of State would insert the word "BLOWHARD" after the candidate's name in the official voter's pamphlet and/or full-page and cable TV announcements detailing the offense.
Decide for yourself to which category this belongs (absurd or important).
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I strongly dislike Blockbuster Video.
There are many reasons, none of which individually could fully express my strong dislike. Instead of continuing to feed this beast, my wife (hehe...still getting used to it) and I have enrolled in Netflix. If you are not familiar with Netflix, it is a web-based DVD mail-delivery service. The concept is in high demand and business model sound. For a flat monthly rate, Netflix will deliver DVDs of your choice to your residence. No late fees, no hidden charges, etc. Check out the details at the website.
I tell you this because I will be the guinea pig. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm just as skeptical as you are.
In the meantime, any suggestions? I know many of you are film connoisseurs and are full of recommendations. If so, hit me!
A Tennessee judge ruled today that a driver who flashed his lights to warn oncoming traffic of a speed trap was protected by the First Amendment guarantee of free speech. Maybe now we can address other "drivers rights" issues such as the invasive nature of universal vehicle searches at sobriety checkpoints and methods used in speed traps which exceed defensible justification (e.g. feigning to be a disabled vehicle while disguising their true identity and preying on the curiosities and concerns of motorists).
-----
The favorite of many pundits to win the Democratic nomination for President, the Rev. Al Sharpton will host Saturday Night Live on December 6, the NYT reports.
The new host of the "Ladies Man" sketch??
-----
The BCS, with the release of the updated standings on Monday, confirmed any and all misgivings about its ability to accurately produce a hierarchy of football prestige. What a joke.
-----
Two interesting stories mentioned on NPR's Morning Edition this morning:
First, an analysis of Ebay ethics (or lack thereof).
For those who are not aware, there are companies who serve as auction mercenaries...these "snipers" develop software packages which, when hired by a customer, will place winning bids in the closing seconds of an auction. Opponents of this practice (mostly those with a dial-up connection and a life which demands their attention somewhere other than the computer 24-7) argue that this defeats the advantages of Ebay and go so far to say that it's unethical and, at the very least, unfair.
One company cited in the story: E-Snipe
Second, on this Election Day (yes, that's right...today is Election Day) Oregon voters face a ballot initiative which would authorize a hostile takeover of a subsidiary of Enron. If adopted, a public utility district (PUD) would be created in place of the region's utility provider PGE.
More information:
Oregon Public Power Coalition; grassroots group supporting public takeover.
(Please excuse this HORRIBLE excuse for a website. It hurts to even look at it. Here's a related website which is a bit more tolerable.)
[In the interest of equal time, I tried to find a website for the advocacy group which opposes the takeover (Citizens Against Government Takeover) but it appears that the group thought it unnecessary to have a website. *tsk*tsk* ]
If you are not aware, ballot initiatives are (in business terms) a "booming sector" of the election industry. It ranges from the absurd to very serious and powerfully democratic as it is one of the most fundamental exercises of citizen power over representatives. It is the modern form of the Athenian Senate (with the small difference that women and non-land owning males are now -- in principle -- allowed to participate), direct democracy in all its glory and misery.
For example, keeping with the Oregon theme, a passionate citizen has filed a ballot initiative (not certified by the Sec. of State, what a shock) called the "Anti-Blowhard Act of 2004."
The initiative would punish candidates who (a) campaign on a platform to reduce "wasteful" or "exessive" public spending, and (b) do not provide "a complete accounting" of the alleged waste. If the candidate fails to provide said accounting within the time limits (7 days -- or 24 hours if statement is made within 30 days of an election -- following the allegation), the Secretary of State would insert the word "BLOWHARD" after the candidate's name in the official voter's pamphlet and/or full-page and cable TV announcements detailing the offense.
Decide for yourself to which category this belongs (absurd or important).
-----
I strongly dislike Blockbuster Video.
There are many reasons, none of which individually could fully express my strong dislike. Instead of continuing to feed this beast, my wife (hehe...still getting used to it) and I have enrolled in Netflix. If you are not familiar with Netflix, it is a web-based DVD mail-delivery service. The concept is in high demand and business model sound. For a flat monthly rate, Netflix will deliver DVDs of your choice to your residence. No late fees, no hidden charges, etc. Check out the details at the website.
I tell you this because I will be the guinea pig. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm just as skeptical as you are.
In the meantime, any suggestions? I know many of you are film connoisseurs and are full of recommendations. If so, hit me!
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