Today's New Blawgs

Noting some updates in the Judicial category:

• Update to Justice Bedsworth's link.


• Additions of Judge Alex Kozinski's 1996 Slate Journal [via J. Craig Williams] and classic humor (presented in weblog form) from Judge Jerry Buchmeyer [via Ernie Svenson].

Another Reason You Wish You Were In Boston This Week

[Update: CBS News Sunday Morning will cover the Ig Nobels on Sunday, October 12.]

From Ig Nobel central: "The 2003 Ig Nobel Prize winners were announced on Thursday evening, October 2, at the 13th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, at Harvard's Sanders Theatre. Click here for details."

Slashdot sums up the winners:

• Engineering: the inventors of the Murphy's law.


• Physics: authors of 'An Analysis of the Forces Required to Drag Sheep over Various Surfaces' report.


• Medicine: the scientists who discovered that London taxi drivers are smarter than average London residents.


• Psychology: authors of the 'Politicians' Uniquely Simple Personalities' report.


• Chemistry: a Japanese scientist who studied a bronze statue strangely ignored by pigeon population.


• Literature: the author of more than 80 scientific reports on amusing statistical information.


• Economics: the man who viewed the entire country of Liechtenstein as a large convention center.


• Interdisciplinary: authors of 'Chickens Prefer Beautiful Humans' study.


• Biology: first documented case of homosexual necrophilia in the mallard duck species.

California's Legal Swiss Army Knife Sprouts A New Blade, Takes A Swipe At Microsoft

I keep having these wonderful "small world" moments courtesy of J. Craig Williams. This time, he has news of what sounds like a fascinating lawsuit filed by a local lawyer I know from way back, Dana Taschner. Dana is suing Microsoft under—hey! there's that statute again—California Business and Professions Code Section 17200. The suit is a representative action, brought by an individual on behalf of the general public, seeking damages and forced security improvements as the result of an identity theft alleged to have been caused by Microsoft OS issues. Declan McCullagh recently reported on the difficulties in pursuing products liability claims related to software problems. ("A legal fix for software flaws?") Dana's lawsuit tries a different approach, and thus could break new ground in this area.

Craig posits a defense that would liken software to firearms, which is both insightful and, in my twisted little brain, funny. (I can just see the t-shirt: Windows Doesn't Kill People, 2600 K1Ll5 p30PlE.)

Aaron Swartz Meets Justice Kennedy

All in all, he seemed like a relatively normal guy (with a vast knowledge of the law) who was just trying to do what seemed right and fair. He talked about how he never wanted to lose touch with the actual people behind all of his cases, and how he really wants to be a trial judge so he can be listening to people's actual problems (he says he never had the political power to get the job). I think this is why he's often the "swing vote" — he doesn't care so much about political battles or overarching doctrines, but just doing what's right by the law and what's fair for the people.

A full report on his talk and the event follows.

Aaron does an excellent job reporting on Justice Kennedy's talk at Northwestern this week, definitely check it out.

Flawking To Boston

If bloggers flock, then blawgers of course must flawk! (Sorry David...well, not really. ;)) Anyway, looks like the blawg world will be well represented at BloggerCon:

• Bob Ambrogi


• Frank Field


• Sherry Fowler


• David Giacalone [Update] Please send your good thoughts and wishes David's way, he's under the weather and sounds like he'll have to be among the transcendental attendees.


• David Maizenberg


• Glenn Reynolds


• Derek Slater


• Doug Simpson


• Eugene Volokh

The following folks or the blogs with which they're affiliated also grace the blawgroll here, and will be on hand for the fun:

• Cameron Barrett


• Eric Folley


• Matt Gross


• Joe Jones


• Jenny Levine (Nice new look!)

Who'm I forgetting?