Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Governor’s Budget Abandons the Homeless

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Michael Froomkin

Governor Voldemort targets the homeless:

Last year, agencies that help Florida’s homeless received nearly $7 million in state funding to assist more than 74,000 people.But that money was wiped out of the budget unveiled by Gov. Rick Scott on Monday, which called for elimination of the state’s Office of Homelessness.

via Miami Herald, Gov. Scott’s budget cuts could hit needy.

Yes, that’s almost $95 per person served that will no longer be wasted on homeless people, saving each Floridian almost 37 cents.

Posted in Florida | Comments Off on Governor’s Budget Abandons the Homeless

Nixonian Dirty Tricks Are Alive and Well and Living at the Chamber of Commerce

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Michael Froomkin

Crooks and Liars (yes, linking to them again), has a justifiably angry posting relating to revelations that ThinkProgress, SEIU and Others Targeted by US Chamber of Commerce for Smears.

It’s worth reading in full — this is ugly and subversive action by the Establishment trying to discredit critics. The more this is institutionalized, and the less there is accountability for it, the more hobbled our democracy. And so far, there is no accountability.

Posted in Politics: The Party of Sleaze | Comments Off on Nixonian Dirty Tricks Are Alive and Well and Living at the Chamber of Commerce

Justice Thomas’s Disclosure Problem

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Michael Froomkin

Crooks & Liars goes to town on the unfolding Supreme Court disclosure scandal: Clarence Thomas “Forgot” 20 Years of Disclosure? Really?. The author argues that there might even be felony exposure under 18 USC § 1001. I’m a little dubious, although it’s not the sort of law I do so I welcome comments from those who know this stuff.

And even if it’s theoretically right, there’s surely about a zero percent chance that the Obama Justice Department would act, or that the Tea Party House would indict.

Although I have to say that this all reminds me of the classic Steve Martin routine

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt9y1Dv7T4c

(Apologies for the silly cartoon version, but it is all I could find on YouTube.)

Posted in Law: Ethics, Law: The Supremes | Comments Off on Justice Thomas’s Disclosure Problem

3D Printing of Settlers of Catan is Probably Not Illegal

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Michael Froomkin

A useful and cool discussion of the issues in Public Knowledge, 3D Printing Settlers of Catan is Probably Not Illegal: Is This a Problem?.  (Note that a key move is that the pictures on the tiles are not being copied.)

Spotted via boingboing’s Is it legal to print Settlers of Catan tiles on a 3D printer?.

Posted in Law: Copyright and DMCA | Comments Off on 3D Printing of Settlers of Catan is Probably Not Illegal

First GOP Congressman Resigns From Office

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Michael Froomkin

And, no, it’s not David Rivera (FL-25). It’s Chris Lee (NY-26). See Rep. Chris Lee Resigns From Office: ‘I have made profound mistakes’. Details about the tawdry scandal at Gawker.

Posted in Politics: The Party of Sleaze | Comments Off on First GOP Congressman Resigns From Office

Egyptian Humor

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Michael Froomkin

I’ve finally heard a funny joke about events in Egypt:

An army commander told Hosni Mubarak: Everything has come to an end, you should write a farewell speech for the people.

Mubarak: oh! Where are they going?

Any others?

Posted in Completely Different | 3 Comments