Some terms (and in this I include brand names) are based on people’s names, either the full names or abbreviations or other variants — czar, Mirandize, Ford, watt, HP, and so on. Some of those terms are used in relation to the programming or use of computers (though they need not be used solely in […]
Archive | October, 2009
Libertarianism and Culture, Round II
Kerry Howley has responded to my post criticizing her essay on libertarianism and culture. I don’t think her response actually answers most of my main points, however. Kerry criticizes me for asking for a “bright line rule” about what cultural values libertarians should care about: The lack of libertarian tolerance for ambiguity is an unfortunate […]
Some Friendly (Really) Advice to JStreet
JStreet, which bills itself as a “pro-peace, pro-Israel” lobby, and aims to be a progressive counterpart to AIPAC, is having its convention starting tomorrow. Unlike some in the pro-Israel community, I’m not hostile to JStreet. First, I know one of the bigwigs in JStreet, and though he and I don’t have much in common politically, […]
From the Volokh Archives: Touchy Canadians
Originally posted Dec. 2003. Just came across it, and though it was worth reposting in light of recent controversies over hate speech prosecutions in Canada: Some Canadians are rather touchy about criticism from Americans regarding freedom of speech in Canada. The irony of this touchiness is that the Canadian Supreme Court has based its free-speech […]
Libertarianism and Culture
Reason has a debate about whether libertarians should “care about cultural values.” Kerry Howley argues that libertarians should place far more emphasis on combating cultures that supposedly undermine freedom, while her critics (Todd Seavey and Daniel McCarthy), are skeptical. To my mind, there is no question that libertarians should care about some cultural values. However, […]
Borgen on Bilder on Mining He-3 on the Moon
My Opinio Juris colleague Chris Borgen has a post up commenting on a new paper by Richard Bilder on SSRN on legal issues involved in mining for Helium 3 on the Moon. The paper, which I’ve just read while on a plane, is fascinating, and Chris provides an excellent introduction to it (go there if […]
How Much of a Difference will the Administration’s New Policy on Prosecuting Medical Marijuana Cases Make?
Many critics of the War on Drugs, myself included, were happy to see the Obama adminstration’s new memo urging federal prosecutors not to pursue cases against medical marijuana users in states where such use is legal under state law. The administration’s policy could potentially offset some of the negative effects of the Supreme Court’s 2005 […]
Product Liability Lawsuit Against Louisville Slugger, Because It’s Designed to Allow Hit Balls to Go Very Fast
The case is apparently going to trial in Helena, Montana: Brandon Patch, 18, was pitching to a Helena Senators hitter, who was using an aluminum Louisville Slugger bat, when he was struck in the temple by the ball on July 25, 2003. Patch died at a hospital about four hours later. Debbie Patch’s attorneys argue […]
Mark Kleiman Guest-Blogging
I’m delighted to report that my colleague Prof. Mark Kleiman — one of the leading criminal justice policy scholars in the country — will be guest-blogging next week about his new book, When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment (Princeton University Press, 2009). Readers of this blog and of Prof. […]
Speaking of Copyright and Public Performances
The BBC reports: A shop assistant who was told she could not sing while she stacked shelves without a performance licence has been given an apology. Sandra Burt, 56, who works at A&T Food store in Clackmannanshire, was warned she could be fined for her singing by the Performing Right Society (PRS)….
Copyright Infringement in Playing Loud Music to Soften Up Guantanamo Detainees?
CNN reports that “A coalition of top musicians, including R.E.M. and Pearl Jam, want to know if their music was used by the U.S. military as part of controversial interrogation methods at the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.” I don’t know whether such information is discoverable using the Freedom of Information Act, but my […]
Craigslist Not Liable for Prostitution Ads
So held a federal district court in Dart v. Craigslist, Inc. Here’s what plaintiff, the Cook County, Illinois, Sheriff claimed: [Sheriff Dart] … alleges that the “erotic” (now “adult”) services section of Craigslist’s popular Internet classifieds service facilitates prostitution and constitutes a public nuisance…. The webpage located at “chicago.craigslist.org” … displays Chicago-related listings arranged by […]
Defending Yourself Against Attack by Threatening Force Is a Crime in Kansas
That’s what the Kansas Supreme Court just held, interpreting Kansas Stats. § 21-3211. The statute reads, (a) A person is justified in the use of force against another when and to the extent it appears to such person and such person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to defend such person or a third […]
Andrew Sullivan on Human Rights Watch–Ignorance is Bliss
Sullivan quotes me: “I suggest that if Yglesias and similarly-situated bloggers want to address the root causes of R. Bernstein’s obviously painful decision to denounce the organization he founded and nurtured, they read this comprehensive report by NGO Monitor” (by the way, I’ve since heard from a very reliable source that R. Bernstein in fact […]
Profs. Embuggerance & Feisty
From Google Scholar: The linguistics of laughter E Embuggerance, H Feisty – English Today, 2008 – Cambridge Univ Press Glossographia explains how this came about. Thanks to Language Log for the pointer.