CIVIL RIGHTS PROGRESS: Recording police likely OK, attorney general says. “Marylanders appear to have the right to record interactions with police officers with devices such as video cameras and mobile phones, according to an opinion by the state attorney general’s office. The advisory letter was issued as several people face or have been threatened with criminal charges for taping police. It’s unlikely that most interactions with police could be considered private, as some law enforcement agencies have interpreted the state’s wiretapping act, wrote Assistant Attorney General Robert McDonald. The conclusion is based on prior rulings and opinions of courts in other states.” This statement of the obvious shouldn’t be news, but, sadly, it is.
Archive for 2010
August 1, 2010
JOHN HINDERAKER: Citizens vs. The Political Class.
CAR LUST on the cultural psychology of the BMW 3-Series. “Frankly, I think much of the negativity directed at Yuppies was more a product of the entertainment industry’s political leanings than anything else. . . . As I say, there is probably some truth to the association; that’s what marketing does and BMW has certainly marketed their cars to the more affluent among us. But I think most of my ire has been a dose of misplaced class warfare, aided and abetted by a media-entertainment complex with an axe to grind. Thus, I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to all those BMW drivers out there for all the bad thoughts I have directed at you over the years based solely on the car you choose to drive.”
CHICAGO: Where Criminals No Longer Fear The Police. Well, the city’s firmly in the grip of their own kind, so . . . .
PREDICTABLE: NYT Blogger Who Knocked Fox News’ Audience Diversity Has the Same Problem. “Interestingly, though, the media site where Stelter primarily blogs (New York Times’ Media Decoder) suffers from the lowest percentage of African-American readers (4.6%) when compared to comparable media sites like Mediaite (5.8%), Gawker (6.4%), Mediabistro (9.2%), etc., according to Nielsen Media Research. Maybe he should have checked that first?” Nah, that would spoil the fun.
FOLLOWING THE PRESIDENT’S ADVICE, AND TALKING ABOUT RACE “AROUND THE WATER COOLER,” COULD GET YOU SUED:
I certainly agree that it would be good for people to discuss racial issues in a truthful, mature, and responsible way. But I’m pretty sure that discussing such issues around “water coolers” is pretty dangerous advice, at least if one really wants a discussion in which people aren’t afraid to air their views.
1. To begin with, any arguments that some might see as racist could lead to complaints and even lawsuits about a supposedly “racially hostile work environment”; and while such lawsuits are hard for plaintiffs to win, no employer wants to have to fight them, and no employee should want to have his speech be the subject of such suits.
As one Sixth Circuit decision put it, “In essence, while [harassment law] does not require an employer to fire all ‘Archie Bunkers’ in its employ, the law does require that an employer take prompt action to prevent such bigots from expressing their opinions in a way that abuses or offends their co-workers. By informing people that the expression of racist or sexist attitudes in public is unacceptable, people may eventually learn that such views are undesirable in private, as well. Thus, Title VII may advance the goal of eliminating prejudices and biases in our society.” When some judges (not all, fortunately, but some) take such a view, smart workers ought to be careful about any speech that some might perceive as “expression of racist … attitudes” at work; and even someone who is trying hard to be “truthful and mature and responsible” in discussing race might certainly say things that some offended listeners view as racist.
Read the whole thing.
July 31, 2010
PAYBACK? Snooki complains about tanning tax, gets arrested the next day. Coincidence? Of course. Don’t even joke about the alternative.
PRINCE CHARLES believes he has been sent to save the world. Uh huh.
AT AMAZON, markdowns on electronics.
TEA PARTY TO PEGGY NOONAN: It’s not “rage,” but disgust.
EDDIE MUNSTER finds true love.
KINDLE WI-FI: Has Amazon Won The E-Reader War? Despite the price cut on the new Kindle, I think there’s a long way to go before that war’s over.
SCOTT JOHNSON: Whatever happened to the Constitution?
PANICKING OVER phytoplankton.
THEY HEAR, BUT WILL THEY LISTEN? My Popular Mechanics piece on photographers’ rights got quoted in the Homeland Security weekly newsletter. I hope it’ll get some attention.
STEPHEN KRUISER: I Don’t Give A Damn About Chelsea Clinton’s Wedding.
WHAT EVERY LAWN NEEDS: A Garden Zombie. (Link via Rand Simberg, who will never be allowed near my flower beds . . . )
BECOMING A LAW PROFESSOR: A Candidate’s Guide. (Bumped).
CLAUDIA ROSETT: Where In The World Is Imam Feisal?
FASTER, PLEASE: In the Future, We’ll All Wear Clothes Made by 3D Printers.
IN THE MAIL: Darkling Fields of Arvon.
