Reason Morning Links: An Unexpected Tea Party, an Unhelpful FEMA, and an Unproductive New Program

- A rally for Barack Obama's health care plan becomes a rally against it.

- A federal report accuses FEMA of housing Katrina refugees in toxin-laden trailers then reacting too slowly when it learned about the problem.

- The cash-for-clunkers program starts today.

- 2009 is shaping up to be a bloody year for journalists around the world.

- How strong is the copyright claim retained by the authors of legal briefs?

- A succession crisis in Ireland.

Comments

[robc]

Paula Anderson is an idiot.

(see first link)

[kilroy]

I'd vote to replace the POTUS with a goat any day.

[Anonymous]

How strong is the copyright claim retained by the authors of legal briefs?

Fucking right-wing radical. You're going to destroy the country! Don't you have any compassion? If you don't vote for the lubricated goat, you're racist.

[Jim Stewert]

Hit and run baby, ht and run

RT
http://www.privacy-tools.tk

[PantsFan]

Also, Drudge is claiming Obama's approval rating has dipped below 50%.

[P Brooks]

Shorter FEMA: "Well, yeah, we're completely incompetent. But we'll do it right next time. Honest. We just need more money."

[Rich]

It is so unfair to treat clunkers as stereotypes, not individuals. With its leaking gas tank my car gets less than 7 MPG, but the official website says it doesn't qualify for the program! 😉

[Warty]

"I'm just amazed they are so strong in what their beliefs are," Anderson said of the Tea Party members. "With people being without health care, it's just hard to imagine people could be so against the plan [President] Obama is trying to put in place."

Oh, for fuck's sake.

[P Brooks]

"I'm just amazed they are so strong in what their beliefs are," Anderson said of the Tea Party members. "With people being without health care, it's just hard to imagine people could be so against the plan [President] Obama is trying to put in place."

Oh

My

God

Those people are, like, totally crazy! Obama wants this- it *has* to be a good idea.

[Xeones]

Jeez, Paula Anderson is kind of retarded, ain't she. "I didn't know people might disagree with something i like! Why would they do such a thing? Waahhh!"

[kilroy]

"With people being without health care, it's just hard to imagine people could be so against the plan [President] Obama is trying to put in place."

I'm shocked someone like that left out the honorific. Maybe His popularity is dropping universally.

[BakedPenguin]

On the good news side, it looks like the anonymity guy is getting really tired. Maybe he could get some government cash to trade in annoying us for annoying some people at another website with less milage.

[SugarFree]

What comes before it is funnier:

Meanwhile, the person who organized the opposition in Dallas, one Q Coleman, a Tea Party member, estimated the crowd swelled to at least 200. "The vast majority of people here didn't want this," Coleman said. "We beat them 10 to 1. ... We all agree that health care needs reform. We're just opposed to the government taking it over." (Sandlin writes in an e-mail to Unfair Park that "I think there were about 200 people in attendance -- 20 of whom were affiliated with Moveon.")

A Gallup survey released today shows that since September 2008, an estimated 5 million people have lost their health care coverage.

"I'm just amazed they are so strong in what their beliefs are," Anderson said of the Tea Party members. "With people being without health care, it's just hard to imagine people could be so against the plan [President] Obama is trying to put in place."

Yeah, no bias evident on that middle paragraph. Just flows smoothly with the whole piece. Jeebus.

[Enough About Palin]

I heard through the grapevine that using the N-word on H&R will get you banned. Unless of course you're TAO, in which case you can use it with impunity.

Reason: Free Markets. Free Minds. Double Standards.

[P Brooks]

September 2008, an estimated 5 million people have lost their health care coverage.

Could this have anything to do with a 9.5% unemployment rate? Or with the idiotic linkage of health insurance to employers?

Or should we just assume evil corporate insurors have been punishing people for daring (due to circumstances beyond their control) to become ill?

[P Brooks]

*Since* September 2008*

[BlueBook]

Does the goat-king have any real power, or is he just a figurehead? Also, does he claim dominion over the entire island, or is the North excluded? These are important points which should have been covered in the article, dammit.

[Hugh Akston]

BakedPenguin,

Maybe we can get [President] Obama to institute a cash-for-troll-clunkers program. LoneWhacko isn't even trying anymore, and joe has been recalled to his alternate reality. We need some fresh trolls around here, and the anonymitybot just isn't cutting it.

Plus, he's probably not carbon-neutral.

[R C Dean]

A Gallup survey released today shows that since September 2008, an estimated 5 million people have lost their health care coverage.

Oddly, that is about the same number of jobs that have been lost. Funny that in pushing for one Obama program, they didn't note that the stated need for it was the failure of another Obama program.

Of course, the counterargument, that Obama can't fix the economy overnight all by himself, rather opens the door to questioning whether he can fix the healthcare system all by himself.

[Xeones]

Plus, he's probably not carbon-neutral.

But he'll make up for that once he reaches Singularity, bootstraps himself up to weakly godlike intelligence, and exiles 90% of humanity to other planets through artificial wormholes.

[Thought crime tester]

Obama is a ni.. ni.. ni.. ni
.
.
.
.
.
.
ni
..

.

nice guy

[Gilbert Martin]

"Those people are, like, totally crazy! Obama wants this- it *has* to be a good idea."

Agreed.

The inside of her head is about as close as you can get to a perfect vacuum.

[P Brooks]

Maybe we could hire the King of Ireland to keep trolls away.

[brotherben]

We'll see how FEMA does with the large(7.2+) earthquake coming to the bay area this weekend. Hayward fault is what I'm feeling. May be as early as today.

[William]

"With people being without health care, it's just hard to imagine people could be so against the plan [President] Obama is trying to put in place."

Trying to understand the knee-jerk demonization of everything the government does is like trying to understand the mentality of a cago cult.

[Xeones]

William = Morris/Lefiti/Edward?

[William]

Xeones = Hitler/Hitler/Hitler?

[+]

I heard through the grapevine that using the N-word on H&R will get you banned

If that's true, I think it all depends on intent and execution. Good satire is welcome, tho' don't make it too dry. Denser folks here will call you a racist. And they'll swear at you in very unflattering ways and stomp their feet and whine like lefties. Anyway, let's test your theory. Nigger. Carry on.

[Lamar]

"How strong is the copyright claim retained by the authors of legal briefs?"

This is an issue I've wondered about for awhile. The lawyer makes some good points and some disingenuous points and some scary points (you know, like any good appellate brief would).

Good point: why does Lexis/Westlaw get to make money selling copies of briefs written and paid for by other people? And why shouldn't the share the revenues with the authors? It could be a revenue stream for voluntary and public interest law groups.

Bad point: Making briefs available online allows lawyers to "crib" from the hard work of others (who probably cribbed part of that work). However, the briefs are public documents once filed. Just because you restrict making copies doesn't mean you can restrict access to public files. Lawyers will still be able to "crib" from your work. And, oh by the way, 90% of the garbage filed in courts today is cribbed from others.

Scary point: Conner wants a cut of the profits. No problem, right? Maybe not. A lawyer has a duty to zealously represent his/her client. That duty is called into question once you introduce a revenue stream from documents filed on that client's behalf. Am I doing all I can to win your case? Or am I looking to write a generic treatise on your particular issue? It calls into question just who the client is.

[P Brooks]

Where's that drunken goat when you need him?

[SugarFree]

Where's that drunken goat when you need him?

That is some fantastic cheese.

[Enough About Palin]

"If that's true, I think it all depends on intent and execution."

So Reason has an Intention Czar?

[P Brooks]

That duty is called into question once you introduce a revenue stream from documents filed on that client's behalf.

But he'll rebate part of that revenue to the client for whom he wrote the brief, originally, right?

Right?

[William]

2009 is shaping up to be a bloody year for journalists around the world.

Don't worry, Jesse, pretend journalists are safe.

[brotherben]

P Brooks, I know it's friday and all, but idn't it a tad early to be that tore up?

[Tomcat1066]

"I'm just amazed they are so strong in what their beliefs are," Anderson said of the Tea Party members. "With people being without health care, it's just hard to imagine people could be so against the plan [President] Obama is trying to put in place."

Doesn't that just sum up the progressive mindset perfectly?

[William]

STOP SPOOFING ME!

[Spoonman]

Doesn't that just sum up the progressive mindset perfectly?

Yep. "This is terrible! The government will do something, and if you oppose what the government does, you obviously don't realize how terrible it is!"

[Mike M.]

Also, Drudge is claiming Obama's approval rating has dipped below 50%.

Openly displaying so much contempt for your people isn't good for your long-term popularity.

Here's hoping he keeps right on going down this road of his.

[Xeones]

Xeones = Hitler/Hitler/Hitler?

Awesome! I guess that answers my question -- Edward lacks even such a rudimentary sense of humor.

"Hitler/Hitler/Hitler?" would also be a sweet name for a punk song.

[Enough About Palin]

"Also, Drudge is claiming Obama's approval rating has dipped below 50%."

It'll be even worse once the polling includes all of the cops and cop sup[porters he has offended in the last twenty-four hours.

[Mad Max]

OK, students, here is a sentence from the Irish goat-king article. Fill in the blank and then see how well your answer corresponded to the article.

Ready? Let's begin:

'Traditionally a male goat is caught in the mountains of Kerry in southern Ireland and paraded through the town of Killorglin where he reigns for the three days of Puck Fair, a centuries-old festival of _______, music and dancing.'

[comrade]

Paula Anderson is living proof that women progressives cannot stop thinking with their hearts and start thinking with their heads.

[SugarFree]

Joe Biden says something smart unstupid for once.

Was this posted already and I missed it?

[Mike M.]

It'll be even worse once the polling includes all of the cops and cop sup[porters he has offended in the last twenty-four hours.

Not to mention all those pediatricians he accused of conducting predatory tonsillectomies for profit.

[Nick]

Mad Max, is it "revelry?"

I like to think it would be drinkin' or whorin' but I don't know which one it should be.

[The Angry Optimist]

I heard through the grapevine that using the N-word on H&R will get you banned. Unless of course you're TAO, in which case you can use it with impunity.

Now wait a second, I would never say "nigger" in a hateful way; I just don't think we should shy away from saying it in a factual context. For example, the other day some friends and I were having a conversation about what they used to call Brazil nuts, and no one wanted to say it. I don't get that: it's a word - that's all.

[Xeones]

They're Irish, Nick. Without doing any research, i can promise you it's "drinking."

[bookworm]

William:

"Trying to understand the knee-jerk demonization of everything the government does is like trying to understand the mentality of a cago cult."

Like trying to understand why leftists like William think anybody who is opposed to big government intrusion in our lives are like "Hitler/Hitler/Hitler".

[Xeones]

For example, the other day some friends and I were having a conversation about what they used to call Brazil nuts, and no one wanted to say it.

You are obviously not friends with my grandmother.

[The Angry Optimist]

X - do we share grandmothers? The funny part about that is, is that my grandmother was a Freedom Rider and still calls them "niggertoes" - I guess that's just what you said back in the day, I dunno.

[Mad Max]

Nick,

Let's ask our distinguished panel of judges . . .

No, sorry, the correct answer is 'drinking.'

'Revelry' is too generic.

'Whoring' would have been correct if this had been a question about the culture of American journalism. But this was a question about *Irish* culture.

Thank you for playing Irish Jeopardy. Since you didn't get the right answer, you won't be going home with a lifetime supply of Guiness, but as a consolation prize, please accept this lucky three-leaf shamrock.

That's all the time we have left, so I just want to thank our audience for coming out, and to thank our sponsor, Lucky Charms Cereal. Because *any* cereal tastes good if you pour in whisky instead of milk.

[Ska]

So Brazil nuts were once called nigger nuts?

[Enough About Palin]

@ TAO,

Toes of color?

[PantsFan]

SugarFree, being of Ukranian descent myself, I can assure both you and VP Biden that Ukranian women are indeed hot until they've had 2 kids or turn 45.

Then it goes to shit.

[R C Dean]

Mad Max, I was going to go with "poetry readings." Too late?

[bookworm]

"We need some fresh trolls around here, and the anonymitybot just isn't cutting it."

Where did Chad and Tony go? I havn't seen them around here lately.

[Mad Max]

Xeones,

I see we have a winner!

Just tell us where you want the Guiness truck to deliver your prize.

[Mad Max]

R C Dean,

You must be confusing this with Welsh Jeopardy.

[SugarFree]

that Ukranian women are indeed hot until they've had 2 kids or turn 45

FTFY

Quote to me no outliers, it is a steep-sided bell curve and you all know it.

[bookworm]

"SugarFree, being of Ukranian descent myself, I can assure both you and VP Biden that Ukranian women are indeed hot until they've had 2 kids or turn 45."

"Then it goes to shit."

Like women everywhere.

[R C Dean]

Wow. If the Ukrainian women can keep it hawt until they hit 45, they have an advantage over most.

[Warty]

"Hitler/Hitler/Hitler?" would also be a sweet name for a punk song.

I went back in time and voted for Hitler.

Ukrainian babes get lots of good press, but Slovak and Polish babes are seriously underrated. See Kyla Cole and Eva Wyrwal for reference.

[Enough About Palin]

Researchers Use 'Decapitating' Flies to Create 'Zombie' Fire Ants:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,534375,00.html

[BlueBook]

Isn't it about time the big news media players start using robotic probes for reporting from dangerous locales? They'd be similar to those already used by the military, but armed only with a camera, a microphone, and an over-styled hairdo. Hell, they've been using robotic anchors for years now.

[Rich]

"... it's just hard to imagine people could be so against the plan [President] Obama is trying to put in place."

It's easy if you try.

[Tomcat1066]

Rich: Not in her world. Ours? Absolutely, but hers? Not a chance.

[Paula Anderson]

No one I know voted against the health care plan!

[Gilbert Martin]

"Trying to understand the knee-jerk demonization of everything the government does is like trying to understand the mentality of a cago cult."

Ineed it really is terribly puzzling why someone might not be in favore of the government stealing even more of their money than it already does to give even more handouts to even more people.

Why it's almost as if people don't understand that the purpose of their lives is to serve the goals of the state as defined by the DEAR LEADER.

[Clich? Bandit]

Lamar, about your first point:

Good point: why does Lexis/Westlaw get to make money selling copies of briefs written and paid for by other people? And why shouldn't the share the revenues with the authors? It could be a revenue stream for voluntary and public interest law groups.

I disagree, Lexis/Westlaw is not charging for the content they are charging for the cataloguing, indexing, and easy computerized reference ability provided by their servers (books back in the old days). This is a service. You can do it all yourself for each case if you would like but (most likely) you don't have the time.

*In honor of hmm's fantastic business buzzword rant several days ago I am going to include a clich? in every post.

Efficiencies of Synergies

[Clich? Bandit]

For the record Moscovite chicks are the absolute hottest (and I have searched the globe). PLUS, they outnubmer the men three to one.

Low hanging fruit

[The Angry Optimist]

Good point: why does Lexis/Westlaw get to make money selling copies of briefs written and paid for by other people?

I see some of this has been covered by Cliche, but I'll point out further that it's actually the act of harvesting these briefs that entitles (yeah, entitles) Westlaw and Lexis to the money. They really do amazing work: I feel bad for those poor cube-lawyers in Montana or Wyoming or wherever it is who get paid six-figures to catalogue that shit all day - I would probably kill myself.

[stuartl]

it's a word - that's all.

TAO, certain words have deeper effects than other words. Apparently swear words trigger connections to areas of the brain associated with rage and pain. Swearing is analogous to a cat's squeal when someone steps on its tail. Steven Pinker wrote extensively on this in the book "The Stuff of Thought", see this for a short explanation.

[SugarFree]

TAO, certain words have deeper effects than other words.

Like "autobukkake" or "assdrizzle."

[Lamar]

"I disagree, Lexis/Westlaw is not charging for the content they are charging for the cataloguing, indexing, and easy computerized reference ability provided by their servers (books back in the old days)."

Regardless of how it is characterized, Lexis/Westlaw derive an economic benefit from posting copies of other people's work online. Didn't Napster and Grokster get nailed for centralizing and making copyrighted material easily searchable? I essentially agree with Cliche Bandit and TAO, but I think the courts would find otherwise.

[R C Dean]

As far as I know, all documents filed with a court are public record, and are thus available to any member of the public (except whatever the court puts in a sealed record, of course).

I'm not sure how you can have a copyright in something that any member of the public is entitled to. Some courts (notably SCOTUS, I believe) put briefs on-line. I'd love to see the SCOTUS decision ruling that SCOTUS had been violating copyright law, and ordering itself to pay damages.

[Lamar]

RC Dean - I actually agree with you. My concern is really the conflict issue. Just whom are you serving? I posted this at Volokh: Let's say it is in your client's best interest to settle after trial. Do you advise them to settle or do you tell them to appeal so that they can underwrite your mini treatise writing operation?

[Tulpa]

I heard through the grapevine that using the N-word on H&R will get you banned.

What a bunch of niggards*.

* meaning a stingy or uncompassionate person.

[Enough About Palin]

"I'm not sure how you can have a copyright in something that any member of the public is entitled to."

What about when a senator asks that something with a copyright (e.g., a chapter or two from a book) is added to the record (without objection, so ordered)? does that nullify the book's Auithor's copyright?

BTW IANAL (obviously)

[Warty]

assdrizzle

FUCK YOU

[Lamar]

"F*CK YOU"

How about we start with dinner and a movie?

[PantsFan]

Like "autobukkake" or "assdrizzle."

The Aristocrats!

[robc]

On an interesting (to me) Irish beer related issue, according to Stewart Cink, the Claret Jug holds 2.5 Guinnesses.

[Xeones]

Like "autobukkake" or "assdrizzle."

Sweet'n'Low, you cuntsnort, you made curry come out of my nose. And i finished eating an HOUR ago.

[Troy]

TAO, certain words have deeper effects than other words.

Sphincterlips. As in, "Oh man, I'd like to suck on her sphincterlips.

[Lamar]

Troy,

I initially read "sphincterclips" You know, like, "You see, Mr. Bond, we have ways of making you talk...."

[Troy]

Sphincterclips does have a much greater buttpucker factor. Noted.

[Enough About Palin]

"On an interesting (to me) Irish beer related issue, according to Stewart Cink, the Claret Jug holds 2.5 Guinnesses."

Why so little?

[Spartacus]

OK, students, here is a sentence from the Irish goat-king article. Fill in the blank and then see how well your answer corresponded to the article.

Ready? Let's begin:

'Traditionally a male goat is caught in the mountains of Kerry in southern Ireland and paraded through the town of Killorglin where he reigns for the three days of Puck Fair, a centuries-old festival of _______, music and dancing.'

I was going to go with "buggery" but I see time's expired.

[R C Dean]

Lamar, I think proper resolution of the copyright issue (namely, there isn't any) solves the conflict of interest issue as well (no copyright, no income).

[Mad Max]

You know, Spartacus, that isn't always the answer.

[JD]

From http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/wgnam-cash-for-clunkers-starts-072409,1,4413815.story :

Listed for $14,485, the Musinskis drove it home for $8,259.62 after discounts and the rebate.

"They hit the jackpot on that," Burgess said. "That's what this program was set up to do."

Someone thinks the program was designed to be a "jackpot" for people? Bread and circuses, folks, bread and circuses...

[Spartacus]

Mad Max--

Then you're asking the wrong questions.

[Lamar]

"Lamar, I think proper resolution of the copyright issue (namely, there isn't any) solves the conflict of interest issue as well (no copyright, no income)."

No doubt. I'm just adding my additional argument on top of the others.