Are you concerned that the goth and/or punk look are going mainstream? Do you worry that nothing is edgy anymore? Do you wonder where the line is between us and them? Apparently, it is dog collars.
Personally, the spiked-collar look is a little too NCIS lady for me. 
Though some spiked collars can be quite lovely. Recently, I saw a young art student sporting a three-tiered spiked collar. It worked for her. And this link has a spiked collar and outfit I like very much.
Today the Washington Post reports:
According to the WSJ,
Let’s hope the European bats have the cure. In the meantime, if you notice more insects this summer, you know why.
I never get to work on cases like this.
In September 2009, Jonathon Doyle decided to film himself dressed as Bigfoot atop Mount Monadnock. ”To execute his planned filming of Bigfoot, Doyle purchased a costume resembling an ape and then climbed the mountain with his girlfriend. At the top, he put on the Bigfoot costume and filmed conversations he had with other hikers.” He did this for fun and so that he could post his video on YouTube.
Apparently happy with how his hoax went, he decided to do it a second time. This time he publicized that he would be climbing the mountain dressed as Bigfoot. He also brought with him Yoda and a pirate. But when Doyle and his buddies returned to the mountain to film the YouTube video they were informed by park rangers that they needed a special-use permit and that Bigfoot, Yoda, the pirate and others would have to leave the mountain. The permit, but the way, cost $100 and required proof of a $2 million insurance policy.
Doyle sued for his right to have fun by dressing up as Bigfoot on the mountain and filming it.
Last week, the New Hampshire Supreme Court held that the permit requirement violated the right to free speech because it was over broad. Free speech “does not permit such a panoptic regulation because, far from being narrowly tailored, it applies in numerous circumstances that have no relation to [the park's] significant interests,” the court ruled. The court noted that its ruling is narrow — “It rests on the assumption that Mount Monadnock is a traditional public forum. … [and] that it is possible that the regulation at issue here could be permissible as applied to [other] properties that are not traditional public forums, and that in any event [the park] may adopt regulations consistent with the right to free speech, which will require [the park] to take into account the character of the property it regulates.”
This is a great case and ruling. There is absolutely no reason why an amateur filmmaker needs a $2 million insurance policy before filming in a state park. Not to mention, fighting this guy and his ape suit is just plain stupid. State parks are underused and underfunded. Instead of spending time and resources litigating this case, the New Hampshire park system should have teamed up with Doyle and his ape costume and filmed some videos to promote New Hampshire parks. That would have been awesome.
So in honor of Doyle and his ape suit, I’m planning to hike in New Hampshire this summer in full elf costume.
Random anecdote — While hiking one time, my friend spotted someone apparently dressed up as The Crow running up the side of Mount Bonnell in Austin Texas. When my friend reached the top, there was no sign of that person. It is stories like this that make hiking totally worthwhile.
Source — Associated Press via How Appealing
A copy of the court’s ruling can be found at this link (via How Appealing)
Well, at least it is for New Yorkers who want to be buried alongside their their animals.
This is quite a different take than that of the Ramones.
Tiny top hat tip — Siouxsie Law’s Mom
Named plaintiff Sarajane Blum rescuing a duck via GourmetCruelty.com
Last week, the Center for Constitutional Rights (“CRC”) filed a complaint challenging the constitutionality of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (“AETA”). The suit, titled Blum v. Holder, alleges that the AETA violates the First and Fifth amendments. The CRC explains –
Passed by Congress in November 2006, AETA is aimed at suppressing speech and advocacy surrounding certain industries by criminalizing First Amendment-protected activities such as protests, boycotts, picketing and whistle-blowing. The statute punishes anyone found to have caused the loss of property or profits by a business or other institution that uses or sells animals (or animal products), or has “a connection to, relationship with, or transactions with an animal enterprise.”
The five plaintiffs maintain that the statute is too vague and as a consequence, the statute could “be read to criminalize anyone who causes a business to lose profits. Activists from any social movements could be subject to prosecution as terrorists if their advocacy, if their lawful protest, affects the bottom line of a business” that sells or uses animal products. [source]
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are animal-rights activists from New York, Minnesota, and Maryland. They run websites such as Rabbitwise.org and GourmetCruelty.com.
The lawsuit, in my opinion, has a good chance of succeeding.
“One of the ways the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act silences free speech is that if one obtains that footage and then brings that footage to the public about how animals are suffering on factory farms, it might affect the profits of that farm,” explained Ryan Shapiro, one of the plaintiffs. Plaintiffs Sarahjane Blum and Ryan Shapiro, for example, made a film in 2004 called “Delicacy of Despair,” which documents the farming of ducks for fois gras. Plaintiffs maintain that “simply bringing that information to the public and trying to educate individuals is now prosecutable as a terrorist act under the law.” [source]
Plaintiffs aren’t the only ones to have raised these constitutional concerns. Earlier this year the New York City Bar demanded the repeal of the statute arguing that it is both overbroad and vague.
I can’t decide whether this is amazing, or really mean. But I might have to try this tomorrow with my dragon.
Bracken bats heading out for the night.
Bracken Bat Cave in Austin, Texas is the summer home of the world’s largest urban bat colony. Millions of Mexican free-tailed bats live in the cave. At dusk each summer night, spectators can watch more than a million bats pour out of the caves. The Enclycopedia Gothica lists this site as one of the top 13 places to go before you die (or afterwards).
Bracken Cave
But the worst one-year drought in the history of Texas now threatens this colony. The extreme dry conditions have have dramatically reduced the numbers of insects. The bats rely on those insects for food. To cope, the bats now emerge from their cave before dusk so that they can travel farther to find food. But by leaving the cave before sundown, the bats become easy prey for natural predators. Some theorize that without sufficient food the bats will not produce offspring or that the pups will die.
At least some experts are optimistic that the Texas bats will rebound. Texas A&M biologist Mike Smotherman says,
Source — USA Today
Bonus video –
I recommend turning the volume off on YouTube and instead, listen to the Birthday Party’s “Release the Bats.”
Bracken Bats photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenbooks/.
Bracken Cave photo courtey of http://www.flickr.com/photos/deegephotos/.
Don't shoot huskies.
Betting on attorney Marc Randazza makes anyone look smart.
As predicted on this blog, a Florida court shot down a dog shooter’s SLAPP suit against a blogger. The dog shooter, Chrisotpher Comins, was caught on camera shooting two pet huskies at close range, and then sued a blogger, Matthew Van Voorhis, who criticized the shooting.
In yesterday’s first-of-its-kind ruling, a Florida court held that because Comins failed to comply with Florida law governing libel and slander actions, the lawsuit is barred. The relevant Florida statute states:
Before any civil action is brought for publication or broadcast, in a newspaper, periodical, or other medium, of a libel or slander, the plaintiff shall, at least 5 days before instituting such action, serve notice in writing on the defendant, specifying the article or broadcast and the statements therein which he or she alleges to be false and defamatory.
Pre-suit notice is required to give the defendant a chance to correct or retract statements and to provide an opportunity to settle the case without going through expensive litigation. But Comins didn’t bother do this.*
Comins theorized that the Florida law should only apply to newspapers editors or newscasters and not bloggers. The Court rejected this interpretation outright, and explained that the Florida law is much more broad than Comins’ characterizations. This ruling is the first one in Florida to hold that blogs and bloggers are covered as “other media” under the pre-suit notice provision. The Court’s opinion is here.
Congrats to Mr. Randazza and his client Matthew Van Voorhis. This case is a great victory for bloggers, especially those in Florida. (Van Voorhis, by the way, filed an abuse of process counter claim against Comins. That claim is ongoing.)
Some important lessons can be taken from this case — don’t go around shooting dogs; if you do, don’t sue those who criticize the shooting; and don’t go up against Randazza.
After a great victory like this, the only thing left to do is to get your groove on to George Clinton’s Atomic Dog.
*That did not stop Comins attorney from claiming the notice had actually been filed at the hearing on Mr. VanVoohis’ motion to dismiss. There was no factual basis for this claim. This representation by counsel seems to be the only reason that the court did not initially dismiss Comins’ SLAPP suit.
Photo Courtesy of Re-ality.
Cat ears are not only cute, they are big business.
For nearly a decade, cosplay model and designer Yaya Han has designed and sold cat ear products. Ms. Han’s kawaii designs are known for their particular size and shape of the cat ears, and also for the feathers and embellishments she adds to them. Ms. Han’s designs are registered with the United States Copyright Office.
Last year, Ms. Han discovered that a company, Happy Sun Enterprises, was selling cat ears substantially identical to hers.
See for yourself:
In a lawsuit filed last year, Ms. Han sued Happy Sun Enterprises for copyright infringement. During discovery, Happy Sun revealed that it had used Ms. Han’s cat ears to develop a competing line in Korea. Happy Sun then imported approximately 51,225 cat ears into the United States, and undercut Ms. Han’s price. Ms. Han believes that since 2008 Sun Enterprises has sold over $230,000 worth of cat ears.
Last week, Ms. Han and Sun Enterprises settled their dispute.
Ms. Han modeling a cat woman costume that she designed.
If Ms. Han looks like the cat that ate the canary, she should. Although the details have not be released, Happy Sun Enterprises agreed to stop manufacturing its line of cat ears and will refrain from selling any remaining in stock.
Source — Convention Fans Blog
Bonus video:
For more kawaii goodness, check out Neurowear’s set of cat ears that move with your emotions (personally, I prefer Ms. Han’s designs):
