Moving day...

Morning world,

As you may have noticed, this one has been on hiatus since about April. Lot of real world betwixt then and now, notably a bar exam and getting killed at work. As a result, this little corner of madness has been pushed aside.

Love you, Johnette

I've missed it, yet I realize that it is untenable in its current form.  But, in typical compromise fashion, I've decided to try a different approach. One that will allow me to dump some short term thoughts and the like on willing victims.

So, I'm moving to Tumblr for the foreseeable future. Predictably, the URL is http://gothlaw.tumblr.com Come pay me a visit, I'll pour you a drink, and we can share some thoughts. But, for now, 'tis moving day...hope to see you soon.

Did I mention that my new digs are cozy?

-d.s.

Can't read law news anymore...

It's a shit show, for real. Terrible rulings/actions the past few days. Kentucky ruled that the State Bar can restrict an attorney's public expression; South Dakota is trying to remove a judge who called cops racist for profiling Indians; the 9th Circuit ruled adversely to homeowners seeking just compensation for regulatory takings....


...ugh....Just a bad week.

So, let's tone this down a notch, with an Emo Alpaca.

Bring it, cruel world...

h/t Jonathan Ivanco

.d.s

Sighday is here...

Couldn't come a second too soon, either.

Long, weird, wild week. Like a microcosm of Bipolar disorder: Ups, downs, never level...often in the same day. Holy shit, am I exhausted.

No one describes it better than the Man in Black.

Trent Reznor, okay, I get it...this is yours

But, no way is it cooler than Johnny Cash.

There are few things that are.

.d.s.

WWII in one 5 minute animated .gif

Reality, you've been trumped.

 

Truth is Truthy...

.d.s. 

Coolest Mug Ever...

Not too much into the accumulation of stuff...But, I do love some coffee, and more particularly, I love coffee mugs.

I have found a new one to add to my collection, and, I'd more than willing to bet some you folks would rock this bad boy too.

Pure awesome...I especially like the notch for cookies.

H/T Neenz

Mug available at Uncommon Goods for less than $20!

.d.s.

Fuck Yea! Thursday

Got some great news today...personal, legal. Still, it felt good.

Now, just need to find a way to get off the Island, and back to the mainland. That, however, is a story for another time.

What shall we play today, lads and lasses? How about...

Fuck yea!

.d.s

Wednesday's Geeked Over Playoffs...

Tonight, out long national nightmare concludes. The Stanley Cup Playoffs finally begin. In it's honor, I have begun the PLAYOFF BEARD, the most venerable of Lord Stanley's traditions...

Max Talbot, of my beloved Penguins, rockin' a great playoff beard...

My efforts aren't quite as impressive; however, I am only 7 days into my Playoff Beard...

Not too shabby. Not too shabby at all...

But, this morning I'd like to share with you two of my other favorite things about the Stanley Cup playoffs, one so happens to be of the musical variety, the other, awesomeness....

FIRST, the Penguins Goal Horn....

BWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

SECOND, there's nothing like listening to the Blackhawks' iconic "Chelsea Dagger", particularly when it comes at the expense of the choking  perpetually choking Vancouver Canucks.

Schadenfreude never gets old...

Anyway, have fun kids and let's hope for a helluva' lot of fun over the next few weeks!

.d.s

Truly good news for the Planet...

Sunrise in Eden was rocked out today, and, for good reason. I found the most kick-ass, feel-good story ever today. One that should make the Earth pretty pleased (or, at least somewhat optimistic)...

You mean you do love me?

According to the Guardian, Bolivia is about to make serious, serious history-changing law with the passage of A Ley de Derechos de la Madre Tierra (The Law of Mother Earth) 

The country, which has been pilloried by the US and Britain in the UN climate talks for demanding steep carbon emission cuts, will establish 11 new rights for nature. They include: the right to life and to exist; the right to continue vital cycles and processes free from human alteration; the right to pure water and clean air; the right to balance; the right not to be polluted; and the right to not have cellular structure modified or genetically altered.

Controversially, it will also enshrine the right of nature "to not be affected by mega-infrastructure and development projects that affect the balance of ecosystems and the local inhabitant communities".

"It makes world history. Earth is the mother of all", said Vice-President Alvaro García Linera. "It establishes a new relationship between man and nature, the harmony of which must be preserved as a guarantee of its regeneration."

 Hmmm, I wonder where I've heard this before...

Oh, I'm sure the proposal/law will be plenty ridiculed and patently ignored by those who want to exploit Bolivia's natural resources (cuz that's never happened before *wank*). And, let's face it, the legislative preamble is all kinds of flaky

 She is sacred, fertile and the source of life that feeds and cares for all living beings in her womb. She is in permanent balance, harmony and communication with the cosmos. She is comprised of all ecosystems and living beings, and their self-organisation.

But, as a first step, and an eye-opening first move? I'll absolutely take it. You know who else would?

Dumpster Muffin, that's who...

.d.s.

 

100% Topical Tuesday, promise

This may seem like an odd choice. Edenbridge's "Sunrise in Eden"...but, trust me, later on it's gonna' make a helluva' lot more sense.

Not to mention, the guitar work in the jam-bridge this one is fantastic. Think about "so good, you'll weep".

Beautiful, beautiful song.

Beautiful, beautiful musicianship.

.d.s.

Sad news for the First Amendment*...

*lest I rehash this here, my feelings on creepers are pretty well set. I am however, much much more worried about abuse of the legal process for a quick, cheap political kill. 


Philip Greaves, world-class creeper and author of the notorious "Pedophiles Guide" (a/k/a a code of conduct for creepers to stay within the boundaries of the law), was -as you may remember, the subject of an attempted indictment by the State of Florida. A cheap, grand-standing political prosecution, based upon "obscenity", was set up for a quick-kill and cheaper political points.

Well, it worked.  Greaves pleaded no-contest/nolo in exchange for two year probation, to be served in his home state, and not having to register as a sex offender. The result of the settlement/plea means that he will continue to keep on, keeping on: nothing has changed, except that he's now considered a criminal, whereas previously he had no criminal record.

Defending pedophiles isn't my bag. But this was just horseshit from the word go. Carry on with your regularly scheduled march to the police state and brain-dead, uncritical populism.

Full story at BBC

.d.s.

Blue Monday...

Both a theme, and an excellent 1983 tune from New Order. 

Yep, waaaay better than Orgy's cover of the same.

.d.s

I defy you to not laugh...

Ladies & Germs, this week's absolute win...Have a drunken/stoned/debaucherous weekend miscreants.

Where is your god now, mofo?

.d.s

Fuck a Nebraska Judge right in the ear...

In the srsly wtf category, via agitprop literature American Bar Association Journal comes this heart-felt story of judicial emphathy

Advocates for rape victims are raising concerns about a Nebraska judge’s threat to jail a 24-year-old woman who is refusing to testify about alleged childhood sexual abuse.

Huh? Por qua? Que? What the fuck?

Judge Paul Merritt Jr. of Lancaster County said the woman would be held in contempt of court and jailed for 90 days if she doesn’t testify, the Lincoln Journal Star reports. His order was stayed pending the woman’s appeal, which argues she will face disgrace and humiliation if she testifies.

Do it, goddamit. Do it!!!

What kind of horseshit is this? Lady doesn't want to testify to horrific abuse. The prosecutors may have to find additional evidence to make their case absent her cooperation. Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot...she's already made their fucking case for them:

The alleged victim cooperated with investigators last August, reportedly getting Riensche to admit to inappropriate touching in a recorded conversation, the Associated Press reports. In March, however, she refused to answer questions in a deposition. 

So, let me get this straight. She cooperated with investigators, gave them enough to get the creeper to essentially hang himself, and now, because she no longer wishes to aid in the investigation, via deposition, then she will  be jailed? Lookit, I understand the Defense gets an opportunity to depose the lady. I do. But, the guy has already admitted to molesting her.  Why doesn't the defense counsel do the right fucking thing here and settle/plead out this piece of shit.

More importantly, why issue jail time to a woman who's having to relive trauma which all-but assuredly fucked her up...at the risk of imprisonment. Inherent contempt powers can be tailored much more narrowly than this. So, why not?

Whether you're 24 or 7, it all hurts, Fuckface.

-d.s.

Friday: So far, so good....

Now, enjoy a fucking hilarious, yet brutal start, to your day...

...and yes, I do have some things coming. What? I have no idea, but there are about 12 things half-done, so I'll pick 2 or 3!

Fuck and Yes, please.

.d.s.

Fuck Thursday...

Started by waking up too early, then another quake in Japan, followed by a fight (which, I fear, will not be the first of the day, but hopefully the only one with this person).

Not particularly angry. Just apathetic. And, tired of being spoken to as though a child.

So, have some thumb-sucking for your shit Thursday.

Fuck it. 

We all deserve this...

.d.s.

Tribute to the first Horror Film.

The German Expressionist film, 1902's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. 

If you're so inclined you can Google all of the wonderful (and occasionally supremely flaky) discussions of German Expressionism contained therein, and the impact that the film had on later noir film-makers.

Or, just follow this link (cuz I'm a sweetheart) --> http://tinyurl.com/455rdeu

Anyway, enjoy, and I'll see you kids later.

Sleep tight.

.d.s.

Guess what? Mind. Blown.

Humanity may, just may not be the center of the universe. Hate to break the news to anyone still living in pre-Renaissance feudal Europe.

I wish I could embed this fantastic Flash piece  Portugese site, HTwins.net. Therein you get the true scale of the Universe, and all life, features and matter (hypothetical or otherwise), from the impossibly micro (Quantum foam), to the boundaries of this plane of existence (930 million light years across).

Please, go now. You won't be disappointed, although you might be humbled...rightly so.

The universe is so vast in scope that our frail simian brains cannot even fathom it without caving in ourselves.

No petty description of hell or heaven or eternal delights or silly superstition puts humanity more in its place than pondering the imponderable that is our universe...and possibly our multiverse.

H/T Felice Fawn

Wednesday is NOT winning...

All but won my arbitration yesterday, thank you limine hearings. But was a long, long day.

Wednesday here is gloomy, raining and otherwise humpday 'meh'. Still, that's cool, maybe people will leave me the fuck alone and I can get my work done (or just get drunk in the office).

Let's have some appropriate apathy/self-loathing music, shall we? From New Orleans hails the progenitor of the Southern Sludge style: Crowbar. These guys are living legends, never mellowed one bit, and importantly, their lyrics are solely based on pain, self-loathing, anger, anger over pain, pain over self-loathing and self-loathing over anger (I believe you get the point now).

This little ditty has the appropriately uplifting title, "I have failed".

Do not listen to these lyrics if you've just been fired.

Trust me, I did it once...surprised I'm still here to tell the tale.

-d.s.

Congrats to Rogue and Jess of the Cruxshadows...

What a cute couple...

Jess Rogue and Rogue from the Cruxshadows are owed a great big Shadow Shout-Out. After living in sin for over a decade, the two got married last September. But, this weekend, even larger news to report...The couple had a munchkin. And goodness is she cute :)

Well, she wasn't cute then...

Seriously, congrats to the pair. They've made great music and a great relationship for a decade. What happens to the Cruxshadows is anyone's guess. I suppose there will be a real quick maturation process and some introspection. But, no matter what happens, even if the ride ends with us, their journey is just beginning....

36 hours? Fashionably late aren't you young lady?

.d.s.

Our species is doomed. DOOMED!

Why today, you may ask?

boobs.
breasts.
tits.
tatas.
teats.

 Gaugin wants to know what's the big deal with breasts?

Whatever you call 'em, they are clearly evil...at least to one deranged nutjob at the National Museum in Washington...

From the Washington Post

Screaming “This is evil,” a woman tried to pull Gauguin’s “Two Tahitian Women” from a gallery wall Friday and banged on the picture’s clear plastic covering, said Pamela Degotardi of New York, who was there.

“She was really pounding it with her fists,” Degotardi said. “It was like this weird surreal scene that one doesn’t expect at the National Gallery.”

Want to see the "EVIL"? Of course you do...It's Gaugin's "Two Tahitian Women", and so clearly trafficks to our base, prurient interests that it has no artistic merit. Whatsoever.

pr0n

There is some good news to the extent that some people (mainly ones visiting museums) don't take kindly to the attempted destruction of an international treasure...

“She was really pounding it with her fists,” Degotardi said. “It was like this weird surreal scene that one doesn’t expect at the National Gallery.”

The woman who allegedly attacked the painting was “immediately restrained and detained” by the museum’s federal protection ser­vices officers, who charged her with destruction of property and attempted theft, Ziska said in a statement.

The painting’s alleged attacker was “tackled by a guy who was visiting the gallery,” Degotardi said. She described him as a social worker from the Bronx.

So, well done Bronx social worker. And, well done to save the painting. As of this writing, no damage has been reported.

...of course that does nothing to diminish the fact that our entire species is well and truly fucked.

h/t Kleph

.d.s