Law and Magic Blog

BigAppleCOR Good Without God Ads Will Adorn New York Subways

Reports CNN, groups calling themselves the Big Apple Coalition of Reason have commissioned ads to appear in the New York subway system beginning October 26 with the label: "A million New Yorkers are good without God. Are you?"

According to the Metro Transit authority, it will accept ads that don't contain nudity or offensiveness. Other than that, its walls are open.

According to the BigAppleCOR (get it?) website, the organization that make up the coalition are

[C]ommitted to a more compassionate world; we are working for a more reasonable citizenry and a higher level of discourse; we are striving to increase the quality of life for all; and we find fellowship an integral part of the human condition. Theists and nontheists alike are the same people: we go to work everyday; we have families and friends; we are involved in our communities, state, and country; and we care deeply about life.
 
Big Apple COR aims to inform New Yorkers that there is a community of people who share a rational basis for their worldviews, who attend intellectual public lectures, enjoy philosophy discussions, and socialize. We invite you to visit our various websites, to contact any of those in which you are interested, and to feel free to attend the public gatherings of any of our organizations.

One supporter of the BigAppleCor is magician Jamy Ian Swiss.

Freemasonry and Free Association

On NPR's All Things Considered, discussion with Mitch Horowitz, author of Occult America, of Jay-Z, and his interest in things metaphysical. There's something of a link, says Mr. Horowitz, with the Freemasons, and with our Founding Fathers, although it might be tenuous. Interesting.

Staring At Goats, Big Screen

The Guardian's Andrew Pulver has this "first look" at George Clooney's adaptation of Jon Ronson's "The Men Who Stare at Goats," which premieres at the Venice Film Festival, and is set to open wide this fall. The film centers on a U.S. army unit that investigates (and seems to believe in) psychic powers.

Hostile Environment

CNN reports that some Hong Kong employees are trying to get back at the boss by paying for someone to put a curse on him or her. Starting cost: only six dollars a pop. Problem: the curse is non-reversible.

Some Burger King Restaurants In Memphis Area Claim Global Warning Is "Baloney"; Corporate Asks Them To Take Signs Down

A Burger King franchisee in Tennesee has expressed its opinion of global warming: "it's baloney." See here; here's a CNN story. HQ has asked the franchisee to take down the signs, since Burger King corporate doesn't agree with that sentiment. 

Another Interesting Blog...

Swallowing the Camel.

Justice Souter and the Realm of the Unproven

The Blog of Legal Times points out a gem in retiring Justice David Souter's opinions, suggesting that we should read his work more closely than we have been. Justice Souter believes in giving a lot of leeway to the plaintiff when she states a claim, as in the Iqbal decision, recently released.

The sole exception to this rule lies with allegations that are sufficiently fantastic to defy reality as we know it: claims about little green men, or the plaintiff's recent trip to Pluto, or experiences in time travel. That is not what we have here.

Citing Twombly, he goes on, "Under Twombly, the relevant question is whether, assuming the factual allegations are true, the plaintiff has stated a ground for relief that is plausible. " Justice Souter finds no suggestions analogous to the little green men kind in the allegation that Attorney General Ashcroft et al., might have known of and condoned the policy complained of by the petitioner.

Must be that New Hampshire pragmatism. It will be missed.

 

Secret Societies, Just In Time For "Angels and Demons"

From MSNBC.com, a look at some secret societies, including the Illuminati. Turns out that group was started by a professor of canon law named Adam Weishaupt. Oh, those wild and crazy law professors!

Secular Coming Out Parties

From Laurie Goodstein of the New York Times, this article about how atheists are "coming out" all over the country. Ms. Goodstein focuses on a particular group of non-believers in Charleston, South Carolina and their discovery that they are not alone.

I find the specialty license plate business of particular interest. In South Carolina one can have a Christian license plate, or a secular plate that reads "In Reason We Trust." Herb Silverman, interviewed for the article, has one. He also notes that the local Habitat for Humanity group would not let local secular humanists do work for the group while wearing "Non Prophet Organization" t-shirts. Do groups like HFH generally vet all the checks they receive in donation to make certain their donors hold appropriate religious views? I wonder. As Vespasian said to his son Titus, Pecunia non olet (Money has no smell).

For more on specialty license plate law see Helen L. Norton's Not For Attribution, 37 University of California (Davis) Law Review 1317 (2003/2004) and Marybeth Herald's Licensed To Speak, 72 University of Colorado Law Review 595 (2001).

Are You Positive?

In this week's eSkeptic, an article by Steve Salerno on the "postive thinking movement."