From a job posting at the City College of San Francisco: RE: INSTRUCTOR – ASTRONOMY (GENERAL) … EMPLOYMENT QUALIFICATIONS: (State Minimum Requirements) … 2. Earned Master’s Degree in Physics, Astronomy, or Astrophysics from an accredited institution; OR THE EQUIVALENT; OR … Hold a fully-satisfied LIFE California Community College Instructor Credential in Astronomy and Astral Physics […]
Archive | 2010
As Predicted, New Justice Department Policy Didn’t Stop Federal Medical Marijuana Arrests in States Where Medical Marijuana is Legal Under State Law
Back in October, the Obama Administration Justice Department issued a memorandum that seemed to constrain federal enforcement of laws against marijuana possession in states where medical marijuana is permitted under state law. I welcomed the memo as a small sign of progress, but pointed out that it doesn’t really constrain federal prosecutions in any meaningful […]
“Despite High Court Skepticism, Advocates Defend Privileges Clause Push”
In the National Law Journal, Tony Mauro has an article on the possible impact of the petitioner’s tactical decision to focus on the Privileges or Immunities Clause in McDonald v. City of Chicago. I think it’s just too early to know, as the decisions haven’t been written yet. If I had to guess, though, my […]
“Evolutionary Astrology”
Not a combination of words that I had expected to see together — yet, as I learned today, it’s apparently something of a movement. (As one might gather from the second word, the first word isn’t exactly being used in a scientific way.)
The Quintessential TV News Story,
with thanks to Language Log for the pointer:
Federal Marijuana Prosecutions and State Medical Marijuana Laws
A very interesting (but legally unsurprising) decision from a federal district court in United States v. Stacy (S.D. Cal. Mar. 2, 2010): From June 2009 until September 2009, Defendant operated what he claims was a “medical marijuana collective” called “Movement in Action,” located at 1050 South Santa Fe Avenue, Vista, California. According to Defendant, he […]
Insult-to-Religion Prosecution in Poland
By Eugene Volokh on March 10, 2010 4:27 pm in "Hate Speech", Freedom of Speech, Religion and the Law
From Gazeta Prawna, with many thanks to my father Vladimir and brother Sasha for the translation from Polish: The Gdynia district prosecutor’s office has accused Adam Darski, the leader of the death metal band Behemoth, of defamation of religious sensibilities…. The decision to accuse the musician was announced … Monday by Gdynia District Prosecutor’s Office […]
My Contribution to the NYT ‘Room for Debate’ Blog on the AQ7 Argument
By Kenneth Anderson on March 10, 2010 2:08 pm in Counter-Terrorism Policy, Public Interest Law, War on Terror
I’ll post up something fuller on my views about the AQ7 debate, but for now, here is my contribution at the New York Times’s “Room for Debate” blog. (Like Orin, I’m a signer on the original letter objecting to the AQ7 ad.)
Putting Lipstick on the Health-Reform Pig:
An interesting article in the Chronicle of Higher Education (I’m not sure if it is subscriber-only) raises some excellent points about the health-reform legislation that hadn’t really occurred to me previously. One point that I should have thought of myself but didn’t occur to me is the peculiar incentives created by the mandate to cover […]
Josh Wright on Behavioral Economics in the Obama Administration:
Josh Wright has an interesting comment on the WSJ’s article the other day on the apparent waning of the influence of behavioral economics in the Obama Administration. In fact, Josh observes something that I noted about the article as well–the example given of the supposed influence of BE (the divergence of interests between landlords and […]
Heritage Foundation Program on “Protecting Consumers in the Financial Marketplace: Thinking Outside the Boxes”:
I’ll be part of a lunchtime program tomorrow at the Heritage Foundation in DC on “Protecting Consumers in the Financial Marketplace: Thinking Outside the Boxes.” Program and registration info is here. I’m looking forward to hearing New Jersey Congressman Scott Garrett who is also on the program and is very knowledgeable about financial reform issues.
Lawyers, Treason, and Deception: A Response to Andrew McCarthy
Over at the New York Times Room for Debate Blog, Andrew McCarthy comes close to accusing pro bono lawyers for Guantanamo detainees of treason. In his words, such lawyers, “assist[ed] the enemy . . . against the American people during wartime.” McCarthy writes: Here is the legal profession’s message for the American people: “We’re just […]
Epstein Contra Krugman
Richard Epstein responds to this Paul Krugman column criticizing Republican positions on the estate tax, unemployment benefits, and health care reform. For Krugman, Epstein argues, “it seems, scarcity has become a dirty word.” (HT: Tom Smith)
Democracy and the Appeal of Socialism
Economist Bryan Caplan wonders why socialism ever developed any broad appeal, given the weaknesses of the idea of the “New Socialist Man”: The classic argument against socialism is that it gives people bad incentives. What’s the point of working, conserving, saving, quality control, and/or taking out the garbage if they don’t pay? The classic socialist […]
The State of the Union Clause
It does read, “He [the President] shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient” (emphasis added). So it’s actually unconstitutional for the Justices to show up. Shame on them! They should go back […]