Law and Magic Blog

Jacob Loshin Discusses "Crush Videos" (U.S. v. Stevens)

Lawyer/magician Jacob Loshin discusses the recently argued case United States v. Stevens here. The case involves free speech and animal cruelty, specifically "crush videos."

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.

"Your Call Is Important To Us: Please Select Your Preferred Greeting From the Following Menu"

When I first heard this news story via this week's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, I thought it was certainly from The Onion and that someone had misunderstood the satire. But, no--it's apparently true. The owner of the Kingsville, Texas, flea market convinced his county's officials that "Hello" is an improper way to address the public, since after all, the word "Hello" contains the word "hell." He suggested an appropriate alternative is "HeavenO". That's not a Real Word. But the county government agreed. Employees must now use that made-up word. In addition, it's not clear who actually made up that word. It might have been Mr. Leonso Canales, the flea market owner, but there are others in contention, including the Kids in the Hall. If the latter, then somebody really didn't get the joke.

Now, seriously. Hello doesn't derive from any association with a place called "hell." In English, as opposed to American usage, it's sometimes spelled "Hallo" or "Hullo." What's the derivation? Obscure, but perhaps Old French, from Latin, o (hey) and la (there)--thus, hey, there. Not every word with the letters h-e-l-l in it has an association with the place people would rather not end up after death.

I keep hoping I'll come across evidence that this entire story is a hoax, or satire, but look at this: emails from Mr. Canales to people asking about the HeavenO greeting.

So, assuming that if a greeting has some kind of magic power, and if the government has some sort of responsibility not to endorse the use of that greeting, how does the use of the word "hello" enter into any of this? HeavenO--now, there's a lawsuit waiting to be filed.

Mr. Deity Season Three

The third season of the hilarious Mr. Deity series has launched. Episode one, Mr. Deity and the Virgin, is really funny. I have to say that I didn't find it as amusing as some of the earlier episodes, maybe because of the particular point that it's making (stoning women to death is happening now), but it's still funny. Warning, as with any of the Mr. Deity episodes, it's not for people who are easily offended. If you like and are able, consider donating to support the cause. BTW, here's an interview with Mr. Deity himself.

An Interesting Law and Science Blog

Check out the Neuroethics and Law Blog, which discusses the relationship between neuroscience and law (and related, really interesting things). Recent posts: Baloney Psychic Detectives; Neuromarketing, Subliminal Messages, and Freedom of Speech (with a mention of Harry Potter); The Prisoner, the First Amendment, and the Brain (with a discussion of false memories). By the bye: I've written on The Prisoner elsewhere.

Teen, Mom, Return Home; Judge Will Make Decision On Treatment Tomorrow

Daniel Hauser and his mother have returned to Minnesota and he is set to go before a judge tomorrow, who will make a decision regarding his medical treatment. The pair returned home courtesy of a chartered aircraft yesterday morning, and the judge has revoked the arrest warrant for Mrs. Hauser. Read more about the Internet church that the Hausers follow here.

Mother Convicted In Faith Healing Death

In another trial involving faith healing, a Wisconsin jury convicted a mother accused of reckless homicide. Leilani Neumann was convicted in the death of her daughter Madeline. Her lawyer says she will appeal. I blogged this story earlier this year.

Judge Orders Evaluation, Possible Chemo, For Teen Suffering From Cancer

A state court judge has ordered that a teenager be evaluated and if possible, conventionally treated, for his cancer, even though both he and his family oppose such treatment, preferring alternative medicine as a route, since they even don't think he's ill. Judge John Rodenberg found that Daniel Hauser's parents had "medically neglected" him and told them to get him to a hospital for X-rays to see if chemotherapy could still help him, or if his cancer had grown to a point that chemo would be useless.

This case is yet another one of those very sad ones in which a loving family with one view of what is best for its child seems to be pitted against the state and health care specialists, equally devoted to the child, with another view of what is best. The family puts its faith, and in what it holds dearest--the health and welfare of a child--in the approach that conventional medicine considers has not been shown to have much efficacy if not combined with traditional medical techniques. In the Hauser case that approach is "herbal supplements, vitamins, ionized water, and other natural alternatives" as well as prayer--the Hausers are Roman Catholics. I'm not entirely sure why the family chose this type of treatment for Daniel, though. He did try one course of chemotherapy, before rejecting it. He told the judge it made him so ill he "couldn't walk" and he would resist the health care providers physically if they tried to treat him again. Apparently, they believe him. Daniel's physician said he wasn't sure how he would administer the chemo if he found it would still help him. However, the family now claims it chose the alternative medicine route because of its faith. But if the Hausers don't even think he's sick, why are they treating him? Are they hoping that the one course of chemo he did have is keeping his cancer at bay? Do they think that the alternative medicines they are giving him are harmless, so that they are at least doing no harm, if they are doing him no good?

In most, if not all of these cases, the parties discuss and argue. The patient's condition's is likely to deteriorate. What these patients do not have is time. What is particularly sad about Daniel Hauser's case is that his cancer is Hodkin's lymphoma--which is highly curable if caught early and treated as recommended. Chemotherapy is unpleasant, no question, and it can have side effects. But it saves lives. There are also treatment options. (See also the National Cancer Institute page).

Ana Veciana-Suarez weighs in in an opinion column from the Miami-Herald here. 

Update: Mrs. Hauser and her son have failed to show for a court hearing today; the judge has issued a bench warrant for her arrest.

Atheist Bus Ad Campaign Hits Snag In Bloomington

The Atheist Bus Ad Campaign had hoped to launch in Bloomington, home of Indiana University, but alas, the Bloomington Transit Company refused to accept the ads, saying they were "too controversial." So, the group sued. Here's a link to the complaint. The ACLU has taken up the cause. Here's a link to the group's website.

But, ads are going up in South Bend, home to Notre Dame University, where President Obama is giving the commencement speech this Sunday.

Update: The South Bend campaign has hit a snag too. Although the company that handles the advertising for South Bend's Transpo (the bus people) cashed the check for the ads, the bus company itself thinks the ads are too controversial (because of what's going in Bloomington) and so has deferred deciding to run the ads until it meets on Monday, after the President has left town.