November 2011

No Winner in Tomahawk-Speargun Battle

So you're driving along in your patrol car at the end of a long day when you notice a gentleman out on the lawn holding a tomahawk over his head. Upon further observation, you notice another gentleman on a nearby…


Pope Sued

According to the German newspaper Westfälische Rundschau, a new lawsuit asks the question, "Gilt auf dem Papst Benedikt XVI die Anschnallpflicht im Papamobil?" If like me you don't speak German, that apparently means something like, "Is the Pope legally required…


Man Sues Couple He Kidnapped

“The couple gained [their kidnapper’s] trust by eating Cheetos and drinking Dr. Pepper with him while watching the movie ‘Patch Adams.'” Then, they violated that trust.



A Few Things I’m Thankful For

That I am lucky enough to not have to shop on "Black Friday." See, e.g., "Customers hit by pepper spray at Wal-Mart describe scene of chaos," Los Angeles Times (Nov. 25, 2011, 2:26 am) (describing a "pepper-spray attack by a…


Tear-Gas Filibuster Fails in South Korea

One of the many things I will be giving thanks for tomorrow is the South Korean legislature: Just to be clear, this wasn't tear gas "fired at S. Korea lawmakers" by some outsider – it was fired at them by…


Playground Covered in Pillows for Safety Reasons

Not quite, but one parent suggested this may be the next step in a Toronto school’s stupid, stupid plan. Phase one was to limit the children to “sponge or other soft balls” because things like baseballs, soccer balls, footballs, and…


Swiss Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Nude Hiking

Fed up with repeated incursions by German nacktwanderen (naked hikers), in 2009 a northern Swiss canton passed a law making such hiking illegal. See "New Swiss Law Aims to Halt Invasion of Naked Germans," Lowering the Bar (Apr. 26, 2009). A man…



Kellogg Settles “Toucan Sam” Dispute With Archaeologists

As I reported previously, Kellogg North America sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Maya Archaeology Initiative in July, complaining that the non-profit group was using a toucan on its logo that some might confuse with Kellogg's "Toucan Sam." MAI's lawyer responded that…