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by Kevin on (#PEHT)
I've been in the process of designing a new site for a while now and am just about ready to launch it. Exciting, I know. Anyway, here are a few minor things about the upcoming transition. Once the transfer starts... Related StoriesNewsA Shameless Request for VotesMOM! I'm Representing Myself, Okay?! God!
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Lowering the Bar
| Link | https://www.loweringthebar.net/ |
| Feed | http://feeds.feedblitz.com/loweringthebar |
| Updated | 2025-07-31 22:01 |
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by Kevin on (#PSV2)
Other states may have their crustaceans, but only D.C. would have an amphipod. Which is also a crustacean, but still. And D.C. isn't a state, but also, still. Related StoriesD.C. Prepares to Name an Official AmphipodCostumed Bear Harasser Wanted by Authorities, EvolutionThe Octopus: Honorary Vertebrate?
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by Kevin on (#P9FM)
As I mentioned back in April, although the District of Columbia is not a state it has adopted a few official things just like all the states have. At the time of that post it had limited itself to an... Related StoriesCostumed Bear Harasser Wanted by Authorities, EvolutionThe Octopus: Honorary Vertebrate?Official State Crap: District of Columbia
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by Kevin on (#PSV4)
The Ninth Circuit made it just a little less likely that officers will try to yank something out of your butt without a warrant. Related StoriesGood News: Cops Now Slightly More Likely to Lube You FirstCleveland Police Agree to Stop Hitting People on the Head With GunsGod's Class Action Dismissed
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by Kevin on (#P2HQ)
Some things are funny because they're funny; other things are funny (at least to me) because they're so outrageous that the brain realizes the alternatives are fury, depression, or maybe furious depression, and it does what it can to channel... Related StoriesCleveland Police Agree to Stop Hitting People on the Head With GunsGod's Class Action DismissedProgress on the Police-Filming Front
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by Kevin on (#PSV6)
Say—weren't there six to eight million oranges here just a minute ago? Related StoriesUpon Further Review, I Don't Know What to ThinkTIP: He's Probably Not Going to Show Your Snake to His GirlfriendBumbling Australian ATM Thief of the Week
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by Kevin on (#NSNS)
A Florida man (no surprise there) has been charged with stealing some oranges, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture. Mostly oranges, anyway; depending on the mix and type of fruit he took, the number of oranges involved was probably... Related StoriesUpon Further Review, I Don't Know What to ThinkTIP: He's Probably Not Going to Show Your Snake to His GirlfriendBumbling Australian ATM Thief of the Week
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by Kevin on (#PSV7)
At least if you paid them to Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., good news: you might be getting that money back. Of course, this is probably much better news for your lawyers, but still.
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by Kevin on (#NJV3)
I'm always usually behind on stupid legal developments for various reasons including the huge amount of stupid source material. But I've been further behind than usual lately because I am redesigning the site (yes, again) and preparing to move it... Related StoriesA New WebsiteAssorted Stupidity #79A Shameless Request for Votes
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by Kevin on (#PSV9)
Sixth Circuit holds that ICP and affiliated Juggalo plaintiffs have standing to try to vacate the FBI's classification of Juggalos as a "gang." Whoop whoop! Related StoriesBREAKING: O.J. Simpson FreedJudge: Hulkster Limited at Trial to "One Plain Bandana"Donald Trump Sued Scotland
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by Kevin on (#NBED)
At least if you paid them to Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., good news: you might be getting that money back. Of course, this is probably much better news for your lawyers, but still. This chapter of the long-running legal saga involving... Related StoriesGod's Class Action DismissedPlaintiff: Disney Promised to Help Me Build an X-Wing. Court: No It Didn'tCopyright Office Weighs in on Monkey Pictures
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by Kevin on (#N4P1)
Last Thursday, the Sixth Circuit reinstated the lawsuit by ICP and certain Juggalos (the group's fans) challenging the FBI's classification of Juggalos—collectively—as a "hybrid gang" in its 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment. (NBC News, link to decision). More specifically, it... Related StoriesBREAKING: O.J. Simpson FreedJudge: Hulkster Limited at Trial to "One Plain Bandana"Donald Trump Sued Scotland
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by Kevin on (#MRYM)
The really interesting site Atlas Obscura has an article this week on Alice Springs, a town of about 28,000 that is smack in the middle of Australia. Americans may have heard of it because there is a U.S./Australian satellite tracking... Related StoriesPlease Read This Before Bombing New Mexico"Game of Thrones" Fan Demands Trial by CombatFrozen Guru Update (June 2015)
by Kevin on (#PSVA)
Science solves the mystery of why more people are stabbed in the thigh in Alice Springs, Australia, than anywhere else in the world. Related StoriesPlease Read This Before Bombing New Mexico"Game of Thrones" Fan Demands Trial by CombatFrozen Guru Update (June 2015)
by Kevin on (#MNP6)
As you've probably heard (Dallas Morning News, Washington Post, Popehat, everybody else who gets up earlier than I do, which is apparently everybody), police in Irving, Texas, have announced that they will not bring charges against 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed. This... Related Stories"Arabic Terror Message" Actually Said "Welcome Home" in HebrewKansas Senator: Terrorists Could Infiltrate Fort Leavenworth by ... Submarine?The Torch Has Been Passed
by Kevin on (#MGHW)
I've written about anti-saggy-pants legislation several times, but this is an argument I'd never considered before. It was made in Dadeville, Alabama (pop. 3,200 and falling), where the city council is about to regulate not only pants height but also... Related StoriesCostumed Bear Harasser Wanted by Authorities, EvolutionWet Willy and Mr. NubTIP: He's Probably Not Going to Show Your Snake to His Girlfriend
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by Kevin on (#M61A)
... from uncertainty as to how the Nevada Supreme Court will rule in his case, because it denied his appeal yesterday. Sorry—now that I look at that headline, it seems a little misleading. I need to be more careful about... Related StoriesTeens Charged With Exploiting ThemselvesWet Willy and Mr. NubNorwegian Inmate Slowly Paddles to Freedom
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by Kevin on (#M4Q9)
In a split decision on August 31, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that Big Mountain Jesus need not move to a different location. If, like me, you assumed that "Big Mountain Jesus" was a DJ or band of...
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by Kevin on (#KZ14)
According to Travel Sentry, Inc., it "creates and manages standards that improve travel security" in cooperation with agencies like the TSA. It doesn't make luggage locks, but locks made to its standards are "officially recognized and accepted" by the agencies.... Related StoriesAssorted Stupidity #78Trumpet While DrivingAssorted Stupidity #77
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by Kevin on (#KSFY)
Tara Monroe is a college student in Texas who has gained some notoriety for her response to a DWI arrest in March. Monroe, whose "license was automatically suspended after [she refused] a breathalyzer test after a Waka Flocka concert," then... Related StoriesFormer Giant Tased After Drunken Scooter Chase
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by Kevin on (#KFA6)
Not only is there nothing wrong with destroying documents as a matter of course, everybody should be routinely destroying documents and other data they don't really need. See Arthur Andersen LLP v. United States, 544 U.S. 696, 704 (2005) (noting... Related StoriesAll-Purpose Order Denying Motion to SealOrder on One Millionth Discovery DisputeObjection: Annoying
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by Kevin on (#KBYK)
Let me just warn you in advance that the following sentence will make no sense at all: After a 16-year-old Fayetteville girl made a sexually explicit nude photo of herself for her boyfriend last fall, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office... Related StoriesWet Willy and Mr. NubNorwegian Inmate Slowly Paddles to FreedomTIP: He's Probably Not Going to Show Your Snake to His Girlfriend
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by Kevin on (#K7W9)
The story of the failed gerrymander attempt in Columbia, Missouri (see "Gerrymanders Miss One Person" (Aug. 31)), has been extremely popular, and not just in the United States. The famous Taiwanese Animators have now turned it into a video starring... Related StoriesDanny Trejo Does a Lawyer AdA Bit of Parliamentary Jiggery-PokeryDefendant Pleads Guilty to Kicking an Owl While Paragliding
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by Kevin on (#K6TE)
"A judge will now have to decide whether the six-year-old can be held legally responsible for her actions," says the Telegraph about a case pending in Austria. According to the report, the accident she's accused of causing "took place on... Related StoriesHome of Throwed Rolls Sued for Throwin' RollsIf New Horizons Hit My Car, Could the Insurance Company Raise My Rates?Donald Trump Sued Scotland
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by Kevin on (#K0KT)
As you probably know, "gerrymandering" is the practice of redrawing the borders of a voting district for a specific purpose, usually if not always to make sure it has more of your supporters than opponents in it. This is nothing... Related StoriesThe Taiwanese Animators Notice Missouri's Failed GerrymanderYou Think So?Fight Over Alcohol Ban Ends When Town Learns It Doesn't Have One
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by Kevin on (#JN3T)
Guys, a topic that is kind of interesting but that you should still not bring up on a first date is how the NFL's instant-replay system is similar in some ways to the courts of appeal. Both systems use a... Related StoriesWet Willy and Mr. NubCops: We "Expected Privacy" Because We Tried to Smash All the CamerasTIP: He's Probably Not Going to Show Your Snake to His Girlfriend
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by Kevin on (#JEKQ)
If you see something, say something! Unless you're an idiot: The Rapides Parish [Louisiana] Sheriff's Office ... and KALB were contacted by several residents who were concerned about the signs and that they might have been [a] terror message written... Related StoriesKansas Senator: Terrorists Could Infiltrate Fort Leavenworth by ... Submarine?The Torch Has Been PassedAirport Security Seizes Three-Year-Old's Fart Gun
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by Kevin on (#JE6Q)
It's not too unusual, or so I hear, for a client to be unable to recall every meeting and phone call with a lawyer. I would guess that the recall rate goes down as the billing rate goes up, generally... Related StoriesCriminal-Defense Attorney May Be Criminal Defense AttorneyOkay, Who's Gonna Go Argue That the Nun Threatened National Security?Court: Obligation to Make Sense May Not Be Delegated to Client
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by Kevin on (#J3F7)
As you know, President Obama is determined to close the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, which he promised to close in 2007 and has desperately been trying but failing to close since his second day in office. See Executive Order... Related StoriesThe Torch Has Been PassedCops: We "Expected Privacy" Because We Tried to Smash All the Cameras"Arabic Terror Message" Actually Said "Welcome Home" in Hebrew
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by Kevin on (#J317)
But more about Donald Trump later. The Expert Institute is running a contest for Best Legal Blog, and I've known this for a while now but I sort of assumed that they were really only interested in blogs written by... Related StoriesMOM! I'm Representing Myself, Okay?! God!UPDATES!Other Things to Read!
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by Kevin on (#HX5A)
A thoroughly pissed-off Gen. George Washington to British Lt. General Thomas Gage (Aug. 19, 1775): I have taken Time, Sir, to make a strict Inquiry, and find it has not the least Foundation in Truth. Not only your Officers, and... Related StoriesKansas Senator: Terrorists Could Infiltrate Fort Leavenworth by ... Submarine?"Arabic Terror Message" Actually Said "Welcome Home" in HebrewAirport Security Seizes Three-Year-Old's Fart Gun
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by Kevin on (#HRVT)
For once I'm not going to be criticizing the TSA, but that's only because the TSA wasn't involved here in any way. Although it wouldn't surprise me if they have been meeting with their Irish counterparts supposedly to exchange nonsensical... Related StoriesTSA: Terror Sorority Alert"Arabic Terror Message" Actually Said "Welcome Home" in HebrewKansas Senator: Terrorists Could Infiltrate Fort Leavenworth by ... Submarine?
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by Kevin on (#HMB9)
Well, this happened: [Alaska Fish & Game official] Lou Cenicola reported that around 7:30 p.m. Monday, a man in a "realistic-looking" bear costume ran through a group of people standing on the side of the road bear-watching. The man ran... Related StoriesWet Willy and Mr. NubTIP: He's Probably Not Going to Show Your Snake to His GirlfriendMan Says He Danced on Police Car's Roof to Summon Aid Against Vampires
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by Kevin on (#HDJ9)
Really for hittin' a gal in her cornea and whatnot after them rolls was throwed. But there's lawyerin' afoot now, that's definite. Lambert's Cafe was founded in Sikeston, Missouri (in the "bootheel") in 1942, and now has three locations due... Related StoriesNapping Fan Sues ESPN and MLB for Allegedly Mocking HimKansas Senator: Terrorists Could Infiltrate Fort Leavenworth by ... Submarine?Cops: We "Expected Privacy" Because We Tried to Smash All the Cameras
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by Kevin on (#HA80)
You might have thought that our nation's court system would not have to trouble itself with the act commonly known as the "wet willy," but if so, you were sadly ... well, actually you were mostly right. But not entirely.... Related StoriesTIP: He's Probably Not Going to Show Your Snake to His GirlfriendMan Says He Danced on Police Car's Roof to Summon Aid Against VampiresCleveland Police Agree to Stop Hitting People on the Head With Guns
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by Kevin on (#H6RB)
Sources (e.g., Above the Law, Techdirt) report that Judge Charles Breyer (N.D. Cal., brother of Justice Breyer) recently issued an order refusing to seal certain documents on the grounds that they were already heavily redacted, and so who cares. Or,... Related Stories"Game of Thrones" Fan Demands Trial by CombatThings Not to Say to Employees #1-5Led Zeppelin Admits "Exceptional Talent," Denies All Other Allegations
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by Kevin on (#H3HY)
As you can probably guess, they didn't get all of them. When it's ok for a masked man to steal your TV About a week ago (ars technica, Orange County Register), some of the officers who raided a medical-marijuana shop... Related StoriesJudge: Hulkster Limited at Trial to "One Plain Bandana"DEA Agent: If You Legalize Pot, Rabbits Will Get HighTwo More Drunk-Driving Excuses to Cross Off the List
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by Kevin on (#GRQ7)
So, this happened: This was once relatively common, but not in the last half-millennium and not on Staten Island, so it's newsworthy at this point. The defendant, Richard Luthmann, made this demand in a reply brief he filed in Richmond... Related StoriesJudge Criticizes "Behemoth Pleadings""The Cause of Action is Denied as Unintelligible"Please Read This Before Bombing New Mexico
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by Kevin on (#GNNR)
Listen, I get it. A policy of throwing most offenders in high-security prisons is counterproductive and doesn't benefit anybody but the people who run prisons. Especially where drug offenses are concerned. That's my belief. And although we obviously need prisons,... Related StoriesTIP: He's Probably Not Going to Show Your Snake to His GirlfriendJudge Orders Defendant to Draw HimMan Says He Danced on Police Car's Roof to Summon Aid Against Vampires
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by Kevin on (#GHHV)
Here's a nice item from the Crime Blotter in the Columbia, SC, Free Times (thanks, Dedman): Craigslist Bandit: Authorities are looking for a man who has been stealing items from people when he meets up with them via Craigslist. First... Related StoriesMan Says He Danced on Police Car's Roof to Summon Aid Against VampiresNorwegian Inmate Slowly Paddles to FreedomJudge Orders Defendant to Draw Him
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by Kevin on (#G20E)
Number of lawsuits filed during 2014 in the U.S. District Court in Tucson: 3,772. Number of those lawsuits filed by Dale Maisano: 2,995 (79.4 percent). Number of lawsuits Maisano has filed in the District of Tennessee: over 1,800. Most lawsuits... Related StoriesTrumpet While DrivingAssorted Stupidity #77Assorted Stupidity #76
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by Kevin on (#G2NR)
Well, this seems to have happened in January but didn't receive the publicity it deserves until the WSJ's Law Blog covered it recently. Obviously I need better sources in Prairieville, Louisiana. That's the home of the Dobra family, whose youngest... Related Stories"Game of Thrones" Fan Demands Trial by CombatDanny Trejo Does a Lawyer AdEric Holder Begins New Career in Comedy
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by Kevin on (#G238)
Seriously, I'm already way behind on other stuff—could the TSA stop doing stupid $&*# for maybe 48 hours? Is that possible? Today's report (thanks, Erika) is that thousands of passengers were delayed for hours at Hobby Airport in Houston, many... Related StoriesNew TSA Administrator to Explain How Agency Will Fail Differently From Now OnTSA Can Improve Aviation Worker VettingI Should Stress That TSA Detected Well Over Four Percent of The Fake Threats
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by Kevin on (#FYSV)
"Approve of the meat industry and you approve of Auschwitz. There is no difference." Here's something else the new TSA administrator needs to prioritize: the investigation into the recent alleged groping of Morrissey's junk at San Francisco International Airport. On... Related StoriesEric Holder Begins New Career in ComedyI Should Stress That TSA Detected Well Over Four Percent of The Fake ThreatsNew TSA Administrator Explains, Part II
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by Kevin on (#FYMD)
Update: I did watch the rest of the hearing yesterday (see "New TSA Administrator to Explain How Agency Will Fail Differently From Now On" (July 29)), although to be honest I just sort of listened to it in the background... Related StoriesNew TSA Administrator to Explain How Agency Will Fail Differently From Now OnEric Holder Begins New Career in ComedyLegislator Admits Voting While Under Influence of Facebook
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by Kevin on (#FTTM)
Good news, you guys—the TSA finally has a new administrator, a man who is said to be a smart and capable leader who should be able to develop new and creative ways in which the agency will fail. Vice-Admiral Peter... Related StoriesTSA Can Improve Aviation Worker VettingI Should Stress That TSA Detected Well Over Four Percent of The Fake ThreatsTown Says It Will Prosecute Official Who Did Something Useful
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by Kevin on (#FR6V)
Update: The Simolaris Incident was still infuriating people at this week's board meeting, according to a more recent report by the Lowell Sun. Simolaris and town manager John Curran argued about who had committed the greater sin, and the forum...
by Kevin on (#FPZJ)
George Simolaris is a member of the Board of Selectmen (the town council) in Billerica, Massachusetts. According to him, some of the crosswalks around town have become unsafe because the paint has faded, and it's been taking forever to get... Related StoriesCourt Holds Wedding Ring Is Not a "Weapon"Of Course We Have No Ticket Quotas, But ....Legislator Admits Voting While Under Influence of Facebook
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by Kevin on (#F843)
According to the BBC (thanks, James), a judge in Northern Ireland has agreed to give a 16-year-old "one last chance" after the boy failed a drug test that showed he had (gasp!) consumed cannabis. After the boy's solicitor argued that... Related StoriesMan Says He Danced on Police Car's Roof to Summon Aid Against VampiresU.S. Government: Lasers are EvilNaked Rambler Loses Another Appeal
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by Kevin on (#F0E9)
As always when I mention attorney advertising I'm only endorsing (or mocking) the ad itself, and don't have a position about whatever it's advertising. So having said that, I think Danny Trejo is awesome and that this is a pretty... Related StoriesA Bit of Parliamentary Jiggery-PokeryDefendant Pleads Guilty to Kicking an Owl While ParaglidingMUGABE SPOKESMAN: Even Jesus Would Have Tripped
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