Comics I Don’t Understand

Forget his divisive politics or the fact that he has a reputation for being a bully: this week, people are discussing whether at about 300 pounds, New Jersey governor Chris Christie is simply too heavy to win a presidential election.

Yes, William Howard Taft outweighed him probably by about 30 pounds –but Taft ran for president well before the media age, before a candidate’s image and appearance were as important as they are today.

During the last gubernatorial election, one of Christie’s opponents ran an ad in which Christie was accused of “throwing his weight around,” accompanied by a clip of Christie emerging from a car, in super slo-mo, his belly struggling to stay in sync with the rest of his body. (Way to stay classy, New Jersey)

Filed in Bill Bickel, Chris Christie, New Jersey, politics, polls | 37 responses so far

English Restaurant Owner in Trouble for Displaying Anti-Gay Bible Passages

Cidu Bill on Sep 29th 2011

(Of course, things are rarely as simple as they seem…)

There’s a YouTube version of the article as well as a print version: I needed to make sure I knew how to do it (thanks everybody for your suggestions last week), so I figured I might as well try it out in a real-world situation.

Filed in Bible, Bill Bickel, CJA, polls | Comments Off

Back in the High Line Again

Cidu Bill on Sep 28th 2011

Should New York City be held liable for this accident?

Filed in Bill Bickel, CJA, lawsuits, polls | Comments Off

Capital Punishment or Life Without Parole

Cidu Bill on Sep 26th 2011

There’s a movement in California — for the sake of saving money as much as for any other reason — toward eliminating the death penalty in favor of LWOP. According to one poll, most Californians already support it. Article

Filed in Bill Bickel, CJA, LWOP, capital punishment, death penalty, polls | Comments Off

Should a Killer Be Treated More Leniently If the Murder CAN’T Be Proven to Have Been a Hate Crime?

Cidu Bill on Sep 22nd 2011

My thoughts about the killer of James Byrd who was executed last night, and the killer of James Byrd who won’t be

Filed in Bill Bickel, CJA, death penalty, hate crimes, polls, racism | Comments Off

Should jury questionnaires be made public?

Cidu Bill on Sep 21st 2011

The media argues The Public’s Right to Know — but what about the jurors’ privacy, and the court’s interest in jurors answering the questions honestly?

Filed in Bill Bickel, CJA, First Amendment, juries, polls | Comments Off

Texas Supreme Court Upholds ”Pole Tax” on Strip Clubs

Cidu Bill on Sep 19th 2011

Putting a price on constitutionality

Filed in Bill Bickel, CJA, First Amendment, polls | Comments Off

Is the ”Jewish or Not Jewish?” app anti-Semitic?

Cidu Bill on Sep 16th 2011

And would a “Gay or Not Gay?” app be homophobic?

Filed in Bill Bickel, CJA, France, anti-Semitism, apps, iPhones, polls | Comments Off

Doctors and Guns

Cidu Bill on Sep 15th 2011

A new Florida law prohibits doctors from asking patients, without good cause, whether they own guns. Is this actually something that happens often enough to require legislation against it? Article

Filed in Bill Bickel, CJA, First Amendment, guns, polls | Comments Off

The National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act

Cidu Bill on Sep 13th 2011

Congress begins hearings today: If you have a concealed carry permit in one state, should all other states be required to honor it? The article

Filed in Bill Bickel, CJA, guns, polls | Comments Off

Clinging to Their Guns and Multiple Wives

Cidu Bill on Sep 12th 2011

Constitutional arguments for unrestricted gun use and polygamy

Filed in Bill Bickel, CJA, Constitution, First Amendment, Second Amendment, freedom of religion, guns, lawsuits, polls | Comments Off

Exxxotica Faces Lawsuit Over Free Women

Cidu Bill on Sep 6th 2011

Porn expo Exxxotica is being sued for offering free admission to women

Filed in Bill Bickel, CJA, Exxxotica, lawsuits, polls | Comments Off

Muslims Fight Police in Amusement Park

Cidu Bill on Sep 1st 2011

Is there any way to satisfy both safety concerns and religious accommodation?

Filed in Bill Bickel, CJA, Islam, polls, religion, safety | Comments Off

Should the government remove ”dangerously obese” children from their homes?

Cidu Bill on Aug 29th 2011

An editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association argues that the government should remove “dangerously obese” children from their homes and placed in protective custody.

More information and your thoughts (link fixed)

Filed in American Medical Association, Bill Bickel, CJA, children, obesity, polls | Comments Off