TresSugar

BYU Yanks Degree From Men on a Mission Calendar Maker

CitizenSugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:00:40 -0700

Ding-dong! And that's in the metaphorical and literal sense, I suppose. A whole calendar of Mormon missionaries shirtless? Yes - though the hotness of the bell-ringing men depicted has landed its creator in some hot water with his alma mater, Brigham Young University.

Chad Hardy graduated from BYU and created the calendar called "Men on a Mission" aimed at shaking up the boring or cookie-cutter stereotype of the LDS lads. After selling more than 11,000 copies featuring the missionaries in shirtless beefcake poses, last month Hardy received a letter saying that there had been a nonacademic hold placed on his degree. He'd been excommunicated from the church, and that "If in the future you are reinstated as a member of the church in good standing, you are invited to contact my office regarding your possible eligibility for the awarding of a degree." He plans to fight the decision "tooth and nail."

Reasons for the excommunication include the calendar as well as failure to pay tithing and other religious obligations. The 2009 version is on sale now. The controversy is all well and good, but want to see the missionaries sans shirts? Then without further ado, read more.

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Dubai: Pumping Sewage, Jailing Lovebirds, and Growing

CitizenSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Dubai is everywhere. Well, not everywhere, it's specifically on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf and one of the seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates and the most populous city of the UAE. On the plane to the RNC I read Ben Mezrich's new book, Rigged: The True Story of an Ivy League Kid Who Changed the World of Oil From Wall Street to Dubai. It's excellent and piqued my interest for this rapidly expanding city blending western ideas deep in the heart of the Middle East. Then my dad forwarded a photo taken from the top of the construction of the world's tallest skyscraper being built there. Seems like Dubai is a glittering paradise?

Sort of. To see what I mean, read more.

The mix of a Vegas-y feel of Western excess within a Middle Eastern climate of expectation has led one British couple to be imprisoned for three months for allegedly having sex on the beach. Literally. They're appealing their sentence. In the meantime, discussion has been sparked as to what is, or is not, acceptable behavior in the Muslim state of Dubai. Oh, and that huge skyscraper? It turns out giant buildings like that require giant infrastructure. That hasn't quite kept pace with Dubai's growth - they're having a little bit of a raw sewage problem on the beaches. As soon as they get that straightened out, I could be down for a visit.

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Court Case Against God Tossed Out For Lack of Address

CitizenSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:00:55 -0700

Ernie Chambers, A Nebraskan State Senator has been issued a setback in his lawsuit against God. That's right. God. He says the Lord Almighty has made threats against him and his electorate in Omaha and is responsible for "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants." His setback however, hasn't come in the form of a lightning bolt or a plague of frogs but rather from the court itself. It turns out that the judge has thrown out the suit because no home address could be furnished.

The lawsuit, Senator Chambers says, was filed to make the point that all persons should be able to have access to the courts regardless of wealth. Regardless of the reason, Douglas County District Court Judge Marlon Polk was steadfast: "Given that this court finds that there can never be service effectuated on the named defendant this action will be dismissed with prejudice." Not being dismayed by the law . . . or reason (?) Chambers believes he has a hole in this ruling: "The court itself acknowledges the existence of God. A consequence of that acknowledgment is a recognition of God's omniscience. Since God knows everything, God has notice of this lawsuit."

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9/11 Guantanamo Defendants Denied Access to the Internet

CitizenSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:00:40 -0700

Five defendants, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed professed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, are being denied Internet access as they prepare for their death penalty trial. The men are being held at the Guantanamo Bay Naval base for the 9/11 attacks on the United States and are facing charges from conspiracy to terrorism. The no-net ruling was handed down by a US military judge siding with prosecutors who argued at a pretrial hearing last month that providing these “high value” defendants access to extra-prison communications would pose a security risk.

Among the other items refused to the inmates by their captors were printers and the ability to speak with their families by telephone. They were, however, given laptops installed with a legal dictionary, the US Constitution and the Geneva Conventions. Three of the five awaiting trail are representing themselves although the Pentagon is providing standby counsel should they wish assistance.

Is the ruling fair? Can they fairly and adequately prepare without Internet access - or is even considering giving it to them, ridiculous?

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Front Page: Fed Cuts Interest Rate, Judge Orders 17 Freed From Gitmo, Russia Begins Georgia Pull-Out

CitizenSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:58:30 -0700

Fed Cuts Interest Rate:
In an effort to shore up the global market slide, the Federal Reserve and six other major banks worldwid cut interest rates. The Fed downgraded from 2 percent to 1.5 percent. Banks in the UK, China, and Canada followed suit after five days of tumbling stocks. The Fed's action will reduce borrowing costs immediately to US borrowers whose home-equity loans are tied to the prime interest rate.

Judge Orders 17 Freed From Gitmo:
A federal judge ordered the Bush administration to free 17 Guantanamo Bay detainees by the end of the week, the first such order in seven years of disputes over the detentions. The 17 men have been held since 2002 and are members of a western Chinese minority. The judge says, “I think the moment has arrived for the court to shine the light of constitutionality on the reasons for detention."
Russia Begins Georgia Pull-Out:
Russia says its troops are leaving the so-called "buffer zone" around South Ossetia and five of the six checkpoints have been dismantled. Under a ceasefire deal, Moscow has to pull troops out of other areas around South Ossetia by Friday, though they will keep 8,000 troops in areas they've recognized as independent states. The move is part of the deal brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in August.

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Guilty Simpson On Own in Jail, Focused on Coming Appeal

CitizenSugar — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 12:53:11 -0700

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.

Simpson will be held in Clark County Detention Center until his early December sentencing, then it's thought he'll be transferred to state prison. His lawyer says, "He is in isolated custody and being protected from other inmates. The jail is taking very special precautions to make sure he is safe." Surprised at the guilty verdict? Do you think it was payback by the jury? Are you into the OJ saga - or is the juice just not worth the squeeze?

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Judge Throws Out Case Against "Ladies' Night": Right Call?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:15:54 -0700

A judge in New York City has thrown out a lawsuit alleging that "Ladies' Night" pricing at bars and nightclubs discriminates against men. The lawsuit was brought by an attorney known for his fight against gender-specific constructs like suing Columbia University for its Women's Studies department. (Have you heard the one about the Men's Studies department? It's called "History." But I digress.) Now the gender-equalizer is taking his fight to the $3 cosmo.

The judge tossed the case saying that bars and nightclubs have a right to price their product any which way they'd like because they're not acting as representatives of the state. The attorney's case tried to prove that through the state-run liquor license program, it does just that. After losing, he called the judge a feminist and said that the toss-out was right on par with the deeply embedded gender discrimination in tons of American institutions.

It makes one wonder if this crusading lawyer has ever gotten his hair cut or clothes dry-cleaned. I reckon he makes back the difference in "Ladies' Night" at the bar right there . . .

Does any gender preference signify discrimination? Drinks aside, is the lawyer fundamentally wrong?

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Front Page: Bin Laden Driver Sentenced, 13 Dead in Texas Bus Crash, Iraq Proposes Timetable

CitizenSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:54:43 -0700

Bin Laden Driver Sentenced:
A panel of military officers have sentenced the convicted former driver of Osama bin Laden to five and a half years in prison. Ignoring the prosecution's pleas for a strict sentence, the 66 month decision means that the first detainee convicted of a war crime in court could complete his punishment by the end of the year. The military judge said he had already planned to give credit for the 61 months the detainee has already served.

13 Dead in Texas Bus Crash:
A charter bus carrying 55 church members rolled on its side killing 13 instantly and sending 24 to the hospital. A blown tire caused the bus to run off a highway overpass. The passengers had been on their way to a religious festival honoring the Virgin Mary.

Iraq Proposes Timetable:
Iraqi negotiators have decided on October, 2010, as the deadline when combat troops will have left the country. US troops will begin to withdraw from the streets in the middle of next year, and be gone by 2010, though some support units would stay on. If agreed upon by President Bush, the schedule will be close to the proposal of Barack Obama.

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Want to Know if There's Anyone You Can Sue? Find Out!

CitizenSugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:00:10 -0700

Slipped on a pile of goo and wondering if you have a case? If you have the Internet, starting next month you can log on to WhoCanISue and see for yourself. Started by a Florida lawyer, the website will help prospective litigants figure out whether they have a case as well as find a lawyer in one fell click. (Legal disclaimer: the lawyers will pay an annual fee of $1,000 to appear on the site.)

Though there are similar services out there, this one is the first that offers real-time access to attorneys. After a brief questionnaire, those with promising grievance will instantly be put in touch with an interested attorney. Easier access to the legal system seems like an improvement, but there might be a downside. To see what it is, read more.

One Miami attorney said services like this can create a court backlog:

As if there aren't enough lawyers out there inventing lawsuits, now we're going to invite the public to do so. It encourages, if not creates lawsuits. Our country's courts are clogged with unnecessary and frivolous lawsuits which delay, if not obstruct, the access to courts of people that really need to get there, that have serious legal grievances.

The website's creator disagrees. "With our system they can either find a lawyer or find out by talking to our lawyers that they don't really have an interest in that case. I don't think WhoCanISue.com is going to, by itself, increase the number of lawsuits there are, but it may make people more aware of what their rights are."

How do you judge this kind of service? Is easier access good, or does it just encourage sue-happy crackpots?

Verdict Issued in Trial of Osama bin Laden's Driver

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:40:57 -0700

The military jury's verdict in the Guantanamo Bay trial of Osama bin Laden's driver is in: he has been found not guilty in the more serious count of conspiracy to aid terror, and guilty of material support of terrorism. The sentencing phase of the trial begins this afternoon. The prosecution's case did not prove that he intended to do harm, but that he aided the al Qaeda network in accomplishing acts that caused harm. This was the first war crimes trial since WWII.