Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Pranks

Posted on October 7, 2003 by Michael Froomkin

Zug is a bit hit and miss, but when it hits, it really hits. Commuters everywhere will love the new Turnpike Prank. But even that's not as funny as my all-time favorite: The Credit Card Prank, a hypo-filled joke that resonates especially well with law professors.

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Retreat In Order To Better Advance

Posted on October 7, 2003 by Michael Froomkin

We are about to undergo a “Retreat” next weekend to discuss fundamental issues about the law school's future direction and advancement. This worries me.

I've only ever been on a workplace “Retreat” once before, and that one was badly organized—or rather it was not organized at all, and it ended in disaster. This one at least has a written agenda and professional, trained facilitators, who understand the academic legal environment. So there's some reason to hope that this one might not be a disaster. Nevertheless, I'd be very interested in any advice any Retreat survivors could point me to about what to do or not do, to hope for, or to fear.

I take it, for example, that I should not wear my demotivator t-shirt to the meeting, nor propose to decorate the meeting room with a suitable poster or two.

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Posted in Law School, U.Miami | 1 Comment

Jointhedebate.org

Posted on October 7, 2003 by Michael Froomkin

The People Speak: America Debates its Role in the World is a program to encourage public debates about foreign policy. The idea is that events should be held all around the country, primarily between the 5th and the 18th of October (i.e. now). You know they have to be doing something interesting if they can get the simultaneous endorsement of The United Nations Foundation, The Open Society Institute, The League of Women Voters, The American Enterprise Institute, The Jesse Helms Center [!!!], and lots of other do-good groups.

They've actually put together an ideologically balanced but nonetheless meaty debate package (MS Word document). And they offer micro-grants to groups that want funds to help stage an event.

Impressive.

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Posted in Politics: US | Comments Off on Jointhedebate.org

The Second Time As Farce

Posted on October 6, 2003 by Michael Froomkin

Beautiful Horizons is where I go to find the Latin American stories that the local newspapers miss. Today's is a doozy: Cuba and Bioweapons. The jist of it is simple: the Adminstration is accusing Cuba of being Up To Something with bioweapons…but it has no evidence of anything. That's what's so suspicious, explains an Administration source: “It's a question more of them exciting suspicions by not being open. I don't know of any tangible stuff that shows yes, they are making anthrax [or anything else]. There is stuff we don't know about.” Yes, Castro is not inviting us in to see everything he's got! He's up to no good!

If it sounds like you've heard something like this before about some other country…you probably have.

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Posted in Politics: International | Comments Off on The Second Time As Farce

Scandal Fatigue?

Posted on October 6, 2003 by Michael Froomkin

The Florida blog wonders why so few people, and so few newspapers, seem excited about the highly curious decision of the Florida Pension fund (Jeb Bush, future presidential candidate, proprietor), to bail out the financially unsound Edison Corporation (privatized-schools-'r-us) by buying 96% of its soon to be worthless stock, paying off its debts, and providing a line of credit for operating expenses.

I suppose Governor Bush likes the irony of using public school teachers' pension funds to prop up the folks trying to reduce if not eliminate the public schools. But that doesn't excuse making what appears to be at best a highly risky sweetheart investment, and at worst betraying a fiduciary duty.

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Israel Attacks Inside Syria

Posted on October 6, 2003 by Michael Froomkin

Someone please explain to me the difference between Israel's violation of Syrian sovereignty and the US's apparent violation of Syrian sovereignty?

I suppose that one difference is that the facts on what happened in the second incident are less easy to come by. UPI reported that the US raid 'penetrated more than 25 miles into' Syria but the closest thing to major media to pick up that story seems to have been the Washington Times. It's clear that the US forces shot at Syrian troops and wounded or killed some of them, then held them for a few days before finally returning them. It's possible therefore that the second incident did not in fact involve a violation of Syrian territory if (and only if) the Syrians were on the wrong side of the border. It's odd though, that if they were the US didn't make more of that violation at the time. Then again, the Syrians clearly decided not to press the issue either once their people were returned.

Note that by asking this question about possible equivalence I'm not trying to suggest that if one is OK, it follows the other must be, but rather the opposite.

Posted in Law: International Law | Comments Off on Israel Attacks Inside Syria