McCarthyism with a Politically Correct Smile

April 5, 2014

Brendan Eich, resigned under pressure as CEO of Mozilla, the maker of the Firefox web browser, after two weeks because of a political donation in 2008 in support of a California Proposition to ban same-sex marriage. Perhaps I should begin this piece with a loyalty oath.  “I am not now, and never have been, a member of any group that seeks to impose its political viewpoints on anyone else who is now politically correct or fashionable.”  Hopefully my quarters in […]

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James Madison and the Bill of Rights

March 1, 2014

I recently finished reading James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights, by Richard Labunski.  It is generally not well-known that the Bill of Rights was enacted separately, and later than the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, and that opinions were deeply divided over whether or not a Bill of Rights was even necessary.  Many people, including initially James Madison, thought that there was no need to restrain the new federal government from intervening with individual rights, because […]

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Estate Administration in Pennsylvania for ‘Dummies’

February 15, 2014

The death of a loved one or family member often means that, after the remembrances of a funeral are completed, there is an estate to administer.  You may be picked for this job.  You may have little idea of what is involved.  Fear not – when you are done reading this, you will at least have a few clues.  The “estate” of a deceased person is a legal entity, much like a corporation, which exists with a separate legal existence. […]

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John Locke, Political Power and Locke’s Law of Nature

December 22, 2013

Political Power According to Locke Lock’s First Treatise of Government is dedicated to ‘detecting and overthrowing the false principles of Sir Robert Filmer,’ advocate of the divine right of Monarchs, and necessarily, one whose view of mankind is anything but egalitarian.  After shredding Filmer at length, Locke moves to his Second Treatise of Government, setting up the true origin, extent and end of civil government.  Although one would like to start with Locke as a primary and unblemished source, take […]

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Public Defenders and Private Defense Counsel and the Rights of Criminal Defendants

December 10, 2013

When it Comes to the Quality of Representation for the Indigent, Location Matters The New York Times reported recently that a federal judge in Washington State issued an unfavorable ruling concerning the public-defense systems of two towns in the state of Washington, finding them so inadequate that they violate the Sixth Amendment right to the assistance of counsel in criminal prosecutions.  Calling it “little more than a ‘meet and plead’ system,” U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik excoriated the cities of […]

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How Great Are the Philadelphia Eagles in the Snow!

December 9, 2013

This post has nothing to do with the law, politics or anything serious! Just Philadelphia sports.  But how great a victory was that for the Eagles, over Detroit, in the driving snow?   I’ll tell you – really great!  And I’m completely objective.  Not only were the weather conditions horrible, but Nick Foles couldn’t find the handle on the ball to make a pass, and who could blame him?  DeSean Jackson couldn’t run east-west, you couldn’t see him if he […]

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Age Discrimination for Baby Boomers at Rutgers

December 7, 2013

Age Discrimination at Princeton The New York Times recently printed an article about four older employees at Princeton, all baby-boomers, being dismissed from their positions or suffering adverse employment actions, as a result of management changes in Princeton.  The four administrators were fired or demoted when a new Chief of Staff for the Universityy President was brought in. Email to the NY Times In response to the article, I wrote an email comment, along the following lines.  I am an […]

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The Developing Conflict Between China and Japan over Senkaku Islands

December 5, 2013

The Senkaku Islands (China) also known as Diaoyu Islands (Japan) are the Excuse, not the Reason The Senkaku Islands, also known as the Diaoyu Islands, are a group of uninhabited islands controlled by Japan in the East China Sea.  There is no civilian population and no economic assets are located on the islands.  Japan obtained control of them from the U.S., who had assumed control at the end of WWII.  There may be some undersea oil assets nearby, but then again, maybe not. They are located roughly due […]

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