Novalawcity

24 days until the Annual Meeting!

 

Dealing with depression in higher ed

Although it focuses on the undergrad experience, NPR has an interesting story about college students coping with depression with the added pressure of their studies.  The sidebar includes some tips and some advice for getting a feel for your school's mental health services.

Hat tip: Touro Law Center Office of Student Affairs

Message to Ike: stay away from the Hebert boxes!

But what's a Hebert box, and why should Ike stay away from it? 

Hebert boxes are two 335x335 mile areas, one on each side of the Caribbean.  They get their name from National Hurricane Center forecaster Paul Hebert, who observed that hurricanes that pass through them are more likely to hit South Florida hard. Conversely, many hurricanes that have appeared to be targeting South Florida that go around the Hebert boxes have a tendency to swerve and miss south Florida at the last moment.  However, it's not a hard and fast rule: 1995's devastating Hurricane Andrew tracked just outside a corner of the eastern Hebert box. 

From a 2001 Miami Herald article:

Hebert himself acknowledged that the boxes are not a guarantee of hurricane landfall either way, but cautions that if a hurricane passes through one, "really, really pay attention. We worry plenty in August and September when one goes through that box, and we have a certain comfort level when one misses the box.

It looks like we could get lucky with Ike, whose predicted path seems safely above 20 degrees north latitude for the moment, but it's still not a bad idea to fill up your gas tank and make sure your hurricane kit is fully stocked this weekend.  There's still another three months of hurricane season, and Tropical Storm Josephine is on the map!

AARP: Isn't it ironic?

ABA Journal reports that the AARP is being sued for age discrimination.

Speech Wars

In case you're undecided about the upcoming presidential election, or curious to compare the candidates' use of words, Ben Reis has compiled a neat website. Speech Wars allows you to search speeches given by John McCain and Barack Obama for specific words to see how often they have been used over the course of their respective campaigns.

Hat tip: Library Stuff

"My name is a footnote in American legal history...

...which I’m perversely kind of proud of," George Carlin said in an interview in February. 

In memory of Carlin, here's a link to Oyez's presentation, including the written opinion and audio oral arguments, of F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation 438 U.S. 726, the 1978 Supreme Court case that resulted from a New York radio station's afternoon airing of Carlin's "Filthy Words" monologue.

A transcript of the monologue itself is available at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law's Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: Regulation of  Indecent Speech webpage.

How to stop cellphone text spam

Cellphone text message spam is especially annoying because in addition to having to delete it, those of us without unlimited texting plans have to pay for it.

Fortunately, some of the major carriers have created ways that you can block text messages from the Internet, the main spam source, while still receiving text messages from friends and family with cell phones. Check out Pogue’s Posts for information on each provider and step by step directions for stopping this annoying intrusion.

Note that if you want to prevent voice spam, aka telemarketers, you may also register your cell phone number at the National Do Not Call Registry.

Photo: The Spam Mascot by dalangalma

National Museum of Crime and Punishment

The current issue of ABA Journal features a profile of the new National Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington, D.C:

The new National Museum of Crime and Punish­ment—opening May 22 in Washington, D.C.—will focus on that nation­al fascination with exhibits that chronicle both our history of bad be­haviors and our sometimes cruel and ingenious ways of reproving them.
. . . .
In addition to a variety of interactive exhibits on activities such as safecracking and crime scene photography, the museum also tries to explore the legal consequences of crime and punishment by devoting part of its ex­hibition space to constitutional rights and notable U.S. Supreme Court rul­ings, including Miranda v. Ari­zona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966).

It sounds both fascinating and macabre.

Are you ready for hurricane season?

June 1 marked the official start of hurricane season.  If you're new to Florida and need to start a hurricane kit, or just need a reminder to replenish your kit with fresh supplies, I recommend taking a look at Broward County's Hurricane Kit Shopping Guide [pdf].

The guide contains a supply list for a family of four broken down into 8 weeks to make it easier to fit into your grocery budget.  It also features a pet survival guide, first aid kit checklist, and planning tips.

The Sun Sentinel reported last week on the Mason-Dixon poll indicating that 67% of residents in hurricane-vulnerable states don't have a hurricane kit and are otherwise less than enthused about getting prepared for a storm.  It's not something to slack about.  Although the last couple years have been quiet, 2005's Hurricane Wilma left a large area around NSU without power and thus without easy access to groceries for at least two weeks.  Don't wait till the last minute to stock up on supplies, and remember to fill up your gas tank before a storm too!

Stimulus payment schedule

Find out when you'll receive your economic stimulus payment from the IRS here.  The dates are determined by the last two digits of your social security number.  Note the difference between payments for those who signed up to receive their tax refunds via direct deposit vs. checks--for those of us with high numbers, it's nearly two months!

Got questions about the economic stimulus program?  Check out the FAQ.