Jurisprudence@drupal.org's blog

(so, I'm a substitute teacher and have seen a lot of truly bizarre things in the classroom. I thought it might be fun to tell some of these stories like an old film noir, just of course, not on film. regardless, each one will recount some experience I've had in front of the chalkboard, or perhaps cowering behind a desk. some will have a higher motive, like this one will talk about why we need better teachers. others will possibly be just for fun, like when I tell about some of the antics I've seen displayed by hormone enhanced highschoolers. I hope you enjoy these stories - and if nothing else, you read this one, because it is the most important of all.) 

[Intro]

A glance at recent days' headlines is sobering indeed. North Korean leaders have decided that the time is right (or at least not overtly wrong) to continue testing on their ballistic missile program. After their self imposed moratorium in 1999, North Korea abruptly restarted their research with the launch of six single stage SCUD missiles (fundamentally identical to the V2 rockets of WW2 fame) and one widely discussed two stage attempt at an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile, the Taepodong-2. (It was the Taepodong-1 that flew over Japan in 1998). The Taepodong-2 suffered a failure during the period the frame would be under the most stress - 40-50 seconds - prompting many physicists and rocket scientists to theorize that the North Koreans had been weakening the frame to increase the range of this latest attempt. They also have frequently noted that the failure occured during the first stage of two stages of the missile (American missiles entered into service even 45 years ago had 3 stages and a range of over 10,000 kilometers. North Korea has yet to launch a missile of a greater than 1000 km range. Even a successful Taepodong-2 would need a light payload to come close to Alaska, ~6000km) The North Koreans seem hard pressed to escalate the issue in both visibility and seriousness. (see <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/06/AR2006070600208.html" target="_blank">this article</a> for the latest from the washington post) On Monday 7/03/06, North Korean state controlled media told the world that if the US were to pre-emptively strike North Korean interests, the DPRK (official name for N. Korea) would respond with an annihilating response using Nuclear Weaponry.  On Thursday 7/06/06 North Korea has attempted to escalate the situation even further, announcing that it will continue to test-fire missiles as a deterrent to military action against it. "If anyone intends to dispute or add pressure about this, we will have to take stronger physical actions in other forms" the statement continued. The world is left with the following question - what to do about North Korean hubris?

I love Grey's Anatomy. I think it is fantastically well written, interesting, compelling television. The skill of the writers in combining a story, (pseudo)medicine, and social commentary on the human condition is just brilliant.

But, it's not the only television show I love, or recognize as being a brilliant, well written series. Take for example, Battlestar Galactica. The writing there is phenomenal, again with abundant social commentary. The whole struggle with what it means to be human, what role religion has in our lives, social and military pressures... wow, I'm just taken aback by the wonder that is Battlestar Galactica. However, no Emmy nods. Nor was there one for Gilmore Girls. Or Lost, or Desperate Housewives. I mean, seriously, "Two and a Half Men" is better than "Desperate Housewives"? Are you kidding me? I don't like Desperate Housewives that much and think it is overrated. That doesn't change the fact that "Two and a Half Men" is about the dumbest, most puerile television on the airwaves.

[Foreword]

Just as a quick note, I think it would be EXCELLENT if on the Last Viewed and Recent Posts lists we could see the author! that's why I added the "~jurisprudence". I know that when I open an article the first thing I check is the author.

[Intro]

The attachment at the bottom of the page is the full paper I wrote for a class I took this past semester (Philosophical Problems in Law). For this paper I chose to write about Good Samaritan laws - those laws that compel individuals to provide aid to people in distress. For example, if somebody has fallen off the docks and you have the option of throwing in a life preserver to save his life, you would be compelled by law to do so. Anyhow, I'll provide an excerpt, but I really recommend you read the entire paper. Well, sort of recommend. I wrote it while I had a 103 fever, and took advil when I started. The quality of the paper increases as I go on, simply because my fever was steadily going down. I just don't like going back and re-doing papers. Oh yeah, and if you use this for a class, or claim any part of it as your own, I'll be very upset.

[Intro]

Out of sheer respect for tradition I'm writing this like my usual posts, bold intro and everything. However, this isn't really a usual post where I try and dissect a hot button issue. Instead, this is a genuine question: What Makes a Good Relationship? I lead a highschool/college youth group at my church and asked those in attendance the same question tonight. I just ended a very meaningful relationship recently, and thought it would be good for some people to talk about what had been successful for them thus far.

[Intro]

Effective tomorrow all Virginia college students will have their personal informaiton handed over to police to be cross checked against sex offender lists. Both public and private colleges will have to send state police our (yes, I'm a University of Virginia student) names, gender, Social Security numbers, and birth dates. This was an add on to a larger, heavily favored bill that increased punishments for, and increased monitoring of sex offenders. This is a poorly concieved law, and will only end up being a detriment to students. While you may not live in Virginia, the possibility of this spreading to your state is real - I highly recommend you read the arguments I will present on both sides, so that you might intelligently speak out against this should it spread to your state.

[Intro]

A new Book, The One Percent Doctrine by Ron Suskind, sheds light on many of the mysteries of the Bush administration. In this book review (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/19/AR2006061901211.html?sub=AR) Barton Gellman fills Washington Post readers in on one particular incident that has set the tone for the "Shadow War", and the Bush administration's strategy for handling the "War on Terror". This of course is the subject of my title - torturing the mentally ill.

So, I thought it would be wise to quickly note that I do not pick up all of my ideas out of thin air. Most of the factual information stated in my blog has been a result of classes I've taken from Professor John O. Wheeler (COMM 341: Commercial Law 1) and Professor A. John Simmons  (PHIL 206: Philosophical Problems in Law) at the University of Virginia. I also have received immeasurable guidance and information from Haywood Torrence, Instructor in Social Studies, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.