The Seamless Web: A Blog on Law, Popular Culture and Related Issues

Feline Adventurer Turns Up At JFK

Jack the Cat, who escaped from his pet carrier at JFK on August 25, has turned up hungry, and probably quite annoyed, in the customs area. Search personnel have taken him to a vet to get checked out. American Airlines released a statement saying it will fly him to his human, Karen Pasco, who has since relocated to California with her other feline, Barry, where they were headed when Jack started his adventure. More here from ABC News. October 22 was Jack the Cat Awareness Day at JFK Airport.

Were Hanna and Barbera On To Something?

The Flintstones had their pet Dino. Jurassic Park scared some of us silly. But could humans and dinos really live (or have lived) at the same time? Or is such a thing just the result of Hollywood's magic? Science fiction is sometimes prescient. Check out this episode of Monster Talk. And consider the unintended consequences of allowing some mad scientist to clone long dead reptiles and allow them to run around and munch on us. Time Magazine posed the question seriously in an article in 2000. Don Glass discusses the issue, and the difficulties, here for Indiana Public Radio in 2007. Now some scientists are discussing woolly mammoth cloning. Even if we can, should we? Is this issue one for the legislators, informed by science and philosophers? Or for the scientists, driven by their curiosity and informed by ethicists?

Captain Gunn: Make It (Work Just) So (Or Maybe Not)

Tim Gunn discusses Star Trek fashion here and here.

Do It Yourself Superheroes

Some real life vigilantes have taken their devotion to comic book heroes, and intention to help local law enforcement, a little too far. In separate incidents, Seattle's Phoneix Jones, who has been running around the city in a superhero costume, was arrested for pepper-spraying four citizens. Mark Wayne Williams, a Michigan man known for his Batman costume (Bruce Wayne, anyone?) got probation after he scaled the side of a building in Petosky and ended up dangling from a roof. As a condition of that probation, he must also refrain from wearing the costume. FindLaw's Javier Lavagnino reports that someone calling himself "Shadowhare" is trying to help out police in Cincinnati. TMZ reports that the bounty on Shadowhare is ten bucks--offered by his official arch-enemy. This situation is getting seriouser and seriouser by the minute. Now tell me. Is Shadowhare connected in any way to the devilbunnies? I'm just asking....

Check real (fictional) superheroes here.

Who Does Superman Stump For?

From Mental Floss magazine: what are Superman's politics? I always thought he was apolitical, but what do I know?

Another Female TV Lawyer

Joining the parade of female legal eagles on tv this fall season: Kristen Johnston ("3d Rock from the Sun") as a divorce attorney who rents out an apartment to her clients, who include Wayne Knight (also formerly on "3d Rock", although interestingly commercials for the program mention him as a "Seinfeld" alum). The show is The Exes, and debuts November 30 on TVLand.