January 2011

If You Don’t Pay This Tax, We’ll Kill This Dog

The Associated Press reported last week that local officials in the Swiss village of Reconvilier, apparently tired of people not paying the $50 annual dog-ownership tax, have taken a reasonable, measured approach to enforcement by threatening to kill any dog whose owner…



TSA Worker Gets Two Years for Planting Logic Bomb

Wired magazine reports that a 46-year-old TSA data analyst has been sentenced to two years in prison for loading "logic bomb" software on the system at the TSA’s Colorado Springs Operations Center. The CSOC system is responsible for screening TSA workers…


Man Claims Emotional Distress Due to Bird Insults

The AFP reports that a Taiwanese man has sued his neighbors claiming that they trained their mynah bird to swear at him and that the bird's relentless taunting caused him serious emotional distress. Few details were available, but it appeared that…


Next Wave of Litigation: Ear Candling?

On Point News reports that a Kansas woman has sued Wild Oats Markets and an "ear-candler," alleging that she was injured by a procedure, which she apparently specifically requested, that involves having someone stick a hollow candle in your ear…





Good Reason to Kill #12: Tried to Hide His Facebook Profile

As FindLaw's headline for this item suggests ("Despite Facebook Stabbing, Couple Stays Friends"), this actually ended reasonably well, as these things go. Reportedly, the argument was caused by a 22-year-old Indianapolis man's refusal to let his girlfriend see his Facebook page. The report…


Crocodile Dundee Planning to Sue Australia

“Come and get me, you miserable bastards,” was Paul Hogan’s response a couple of years ago to the news that he was being investigated for tax evasion. The Australian government said he owed it a lot more money, but Hogan,…