PETA: cruelty to turkeys
By Dave Gottlieb | November 19, 2008
PETA released undercover footage of turkey-factory workers punching and stomping turkeys to death. PETA has an image problem, because their image-management is stupid, but they do important work.
Workers are seen smashing birds into loading cages like basketballs, stomping heads and breaking necks, apparently for fun, even pretending to rape one.
On the tape, one worker describes losing his temper at a tom who pecked him, marking its head with a pen so he could find it again, fetching a broomstick, ramming it down the bird’s gullet and holding it up in the air while shouting “Let this be a lesson to y’all” at the rest of the flock.
I hope the brutes are punished but it seems unlikely.
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HDCP headaches
By Dave Gottlieb | November 18, 2008
New Apple laptops won’t let you watch iTunes content on external displays unless those displays are HDCP-compliant. Link. This is a copy-protection scheme that’s supposed to prevent you from piping video out of your computer for copying. It makes sense as part of an overall DRM strategy, but it looks like a huge pain in the ass, and an unpleasant reminder of what Big Content and its handmaidens will put you through if you dare to buy your content instead of pirating it.
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Portrayal Of Obama As Elitist Hailed As Step Forward For African Americans
By Dave Gottlieb | November 15, 2008
Link.
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Philip Roth interview on Indignation
By Dave Gottlieb | November 15, 2008
There’s a pretty cool interview with Philip Roth on public radio, about his newest novel, Indignation, as well as other topics. (Of some interest to me was a brief discussion of the anger at Roth for being a “self-hating Jew” or even an anti-Semite!) Interview’s about 20 minutes.
I think it tends to support my reading of the novel, over for example the WaPo’s; their reviewer insisted on condescending to the protagonist, Marcus, and so couldn’t share his indignation at the enormity of what was done to him.
not that my reading says so very much
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Excommunication is less bad than being defrocked
By Dave Gottlieb | November 15, 2008
I never knew. Excommunication is usually a temporary measure, and excommunicated priests still get salary and benefits.
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Canine receives Juris Dogtor
By Dave Gottlieb | November 13, 2008
Here.
Topics: Law, dogs, Animal Law | No Comments »
Feline-Americans hate the troops
By Dave Gottlieb | November 11, 2008
There’s a wonderful story in the Times about service dogs for injured veterans (adorable slideshow!). Can you possibly imagine cats doing that? No, I didn’t think so.
UPDATE: How to tell if your cat is trying to kill you.
Topics: dogs, cats | 2 Comments »
Today is Kristallnacht
By Dave Gottlieb | November 11, 2008
Some out-of-context words from my dad:
happy krystallnacht anniversary!
there’s no alternate sideparking in NYC today. NYC’s become v ecumenical, no.
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Pretty good analysis of whether Frodo could have flown to Mt. Doom by eagle
By Dave Gottlieb | November 9, 2008
Here. This scenario featured in a recent Family Guy (seek to 02:45).
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The Vermeule Heresy (terminology)
By Dave Gottlieb | November 9, 2008
Professor Sunstein says “The Vermeule Heresy” to refer to the view that “there is no non-delegation doctrine” (a view of which Adrian Vermeule is a major proponent). Oddly, however, this phrase has never been used on the Web, and doesn’t appear in any scholarly articles.
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