Archive for 2010

CLAYTON CRAMER: Lessons from McDonald v. Chicago: “I have enjoyed basking in the glory of being cited in a U.S. Supreme Court decision for the second time, but this was not a conservative victory . . . but a libertarian victory.”

WELCOME TO ROME.

I’M KEEPING MY HIGHLANDER: Wind-Powered Car Proves Naysayers Wrong: “This is Blackbird, it’s a wind-powered car designed by an aerodynamicist to end a longstanding internet debate, namely, ‘Can you go downwind faster than the wind?’ Using high-tech designs and precise instrumentation, Blackbird proves you can.”

I have to say that this explanation isn’t very persuasive: “Cavallaro explained the car is able to move faster than the wind because the propeller is not turned by the wind. The wind pushes the vehicle forward, and once moving the wheels turn the propeller. The propeller spins in the opposite direction to that expected, pushing the wind backwards, which in turn pushes the car forwards, turning the wheels, and thus turning the propeller faster still.”

REMEMBER THE GULF: “Starting today, a team of respected energy, environment, homeland security and response experts are traveling to the Gulf region. Over the coming week, we’ll investigate what is and is not working and what more needs to be done (or in many cases, where the federal government should simply step out of the way), and we’ll report our findings back to you. Why are we doing this? Because it has now been 77 days since the Deepwater Horizon platform exploded, killing eleven workers, and setting in motion the spill still gushing today.”

OVERDRESSED FOR SUCCESS? “What if a young associate dresses better than the partners? That question was obliquely posed on Corporette.com, a fashion blog for professional women. In a recent post, a summer associate at a big firm in Singapore asks whether she should carry her Birkin to work. (For those who are too embarrassed to ask, a Birkin is an Hermes bag that’s become an uber-status symbol; the price starts close to $10,000.)”

Should the answer be influenced by the fact that, although hideously expensive, the bag is also really ugly?

J. CHRISTIAN ADAMS: DOJ Opponents of Race-Neutral Law Should Explain Themselves. “Today, I testified to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights about the Department of Justice’s hostility to race-neutral law enforcement. I hope these hearings spur those responsible to explain their actions to Americans. . . . It would be good if the Department of Justice did more than talk about a commitment to enforcing the Voting Rights Act in a race-neutral fashion. America would prefer some action. Your turn, General Holder.”

BLACK PANTHER SCANDAL UPDATE: On a special InstaVision, I interview Justice Department whistleblower J. Christian Adams about the politicization of the Justice Department, and the effort to silence or smear critics. Plus, Eric Holder was in the decision loop? Do Justice Department lawyers understand the implications of racial favoritism? Adams will be testifying before the Civil Rights Commission today. (Bumped). If you like these videos, please consider subscribing to PJTV.

RADLEY BALKO: Watching the Watchers: “Last week I interviewed a law enforcement official for a forthcoming article on recording the police. In arguing that it should be illegal for citizens to record on-duty cops, this official said he couldn’t think of a single example where video taken by a citizen bystander showed a police officer to have lied on a police report. There are plenty of such incidents, of course (just browse Carlos Miller’s website), but here’s one from just this week.”

A MUSICAL question.

THE HILL: Veterans Affairs head blasts administration over hospital incident.

The Democratic chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee lambasted the Obama administration over its handling of an incident at a St. Louis VA center in which more than 1,800 veterans were told they may have been exposed to HIV.

“It’s outrageous, one, that this happens, but even worse is this secretive, almost cover-up mode that they go into when something like this happens,” Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.) said on CNN Monday.

That does seem to be the pattern, doesn’t it?