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What's Your Take: Do Pets Have a "Subjective Value?"
After nearly three years of litigation (!), the case of Dexter has come to an end. When Doreen Houseman and Eric Dare ended their relationship in May 2006, a New Jersey court ruled Eric could keep their pug since it was in his possession at the time. However, earlier this year, an appeals panel reversed the decision saying the judge neglected to consider the dog's "subjective value", making him more like a family heirloom or work of art that cannot simply be awarded to one party for a face-value payment — Doreen received $1,500 — no one can measure Dexter's exact worth.
Real or Fake: Weird American Sex Laws
From it's illegal to have sex inside a toll booth in Harrisburg, PA, to single women can't parachute on Sundays in Florida, there are a lot of so-called sex laws in the US. Most of them can't be proven and are probably urban legends, but I've dug up a few and done my best to verify them. See if you can spot fake-weird sex laws from the real weird.
Librarians to Patrons: Shhhower!
Have any of you Bay Area readers ever been to the Berkeley Public Library? It's a beautiful historical building, but some days has an acquired smell that can't exactly be attributed to old books.
Well, Schaumburg Township District Library in Illinois has now added "offensive bodily odors" to the forbidden list, which already includes talking, running, and beverages!
To Curb Drinking, UK Mandates Smaller Wine Glasses
UK officials are hoping that a simple swap of the dishes will be the quick fix for some of the country's social problems. According to official figures, 43 percent of middle-class professionals exceed safe alcohol guidelines. Experts are putting the blame on the upward size trend of wine glasses.
Lead Testing Law: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?
H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), was passed by Congress last year and requires retailers to test merchandise for lead. This pertains to any item for children 12 and under including toys, clothes and jewelry.
NY County Has to Remove DWI "Wall of Shame": Fair Move?
Drunk drivers are losing part of their 15 minutes of shame after a judge's ruling deemed that New York's Nassau County had been violating due process by posting the mug shots of DWI suspects on its Internet "Wall of Shame." The county began posting the mug shots of DWI arrests on Memorial Day, and has since been sued by one woman who was pictured. She said the online gallery was unconstitutional as it was posted before her trial.
The Scoop: House and Senate Pass PA's Puppy Mill Bill!
Bow wowee! I'm super duper pleased to announce that both the Senate and the House of Representatives approved the "Puppy Mill Bill" in Pennsylvania yesterday! Affecting any commercial breeder selling or transferring more than 60 dogs per year, the main change in the approved bill is that owners get three years to comply with the long list of regulations to make their kennels more humane .
German Faces Five Years in Prison For Holocaust Denial
The trial of a 72-year-old former left-wing terrorist group founder, and current neo-Nazi, began today in Germany. Horst Mahler is accused of posting documents online denying the Holocaust. Mahler likes trouble, as he received an 11-month sentence last year for delivering the Nazi salute at his prison booking for a previous conviction.
Guilty Simpson On Own in Jail, Focused on Coming Appeal
After being found guilty of kidnapping and robbery, OJ Simpson is being being held away from other prisoners for his own safety, and is planning a motion for new trial. He's waiting to see if he'll be released on bond pending that appeal, a move considered unlikely due to the seriousness of the crimes he was convicted of. His attorney said Simpson will be alone, is planning not to do media interviews and is allowed to see only family members and a few friends.
Man Fined For Taking "Unchivalrous" Photo: Snap Judgment?
Ever been tagged in an embarrassing Facebook pic? In the UK you might just have a legal leg to stand on to stop those pictures from ever being taken. One 28-year-old mailman was just fined $200 for snapping what the judge deemed an "unchivalrous" photo of a woman.
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