What weird news stories make you either laugh out loud, or just say "huh?'

[Rowan MacD]

  I want to see this go to a Jury, where they will lose.
  Then I want to kids' family to counter-sue. 
  This why we need legal reforms to make it so the plaintiffs and the lawyers both have some skin in the game. If the plaintiff loses, they should have to pay the defendant 1/2 the amount they were suing  for.
  To be fair (and to discourage the lawyers from filing frivolous lawsuits in the first place)  the lawyers should be liable for 1/2 the amount their clients owe.   
   Right now is costs them nada to bring a frivolous lawsuit, waste taxpayers' money, and tie up the courts to try to make a quick buck.   
   

[Archer]

  I want to see this go to a Jury, where they will lose.
  Then I want to kids' family to counter-sue. 
  This why we need legal reforms to make it so the plaintiffs and the lawyers both have some skin in the game. If the plaintiff loses, they should have to pay the defendant 1/2 the amount they were suing  for.
  To be fair (and to discourage the lawyers from filing frivolous lawsuits in the first place)  the lawyers should be liable for 1/2 the amount their clients owe.   
   Right now is costs them nada to bring a frivolous lawsuit, waste taxpayers' money, and tie up the courts to try to make a quick buck.   
   

<shrug>  People come up with strange ideas that further limit the poor man's key to the courthouse.  If you worry about wasted taxpayer money, you're looking at the smallest cut of the entire bleeding system.   The large bleeding would be in other locations.  The "third" branch of government is just a slow drip.   Look for the larger bleeding areas to apply pressure to the wound.   

[Merlin the Elder]

I'm not sure the issue is the "poor man's keys to the courthouse" as much as it is some poor slob being talked into a contingent lawsuit. The plaintiff has no risk, but the defendant has to shell out money to fight a ridiculous lawsuit. Sometimes a deep-pocketed attorney for the plaintiff can hang in there longer, and that's the only requisite for a win.

You know it as well as I do, Archer...not all attorneys are straight-shooters.

[KeeperoftheBar]

You know it as well as I do, Archer...not all attorneys are straight-shooters.

                   "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers"

      William Shakespeare
       Henry the Sixth, Part 2, Act 4, Scene 2

[Rowan MacD]

    Considering that nearly all the 'lawmakers' are lawyers... I don't expect the system that is their bread and butter to change anytime soon.   Right now it's a win/win situation.  They can sue all day long for nothing more than their time investment, and even if there is a counter suit, the plaintiff takes the fall, while the lawyer walks off.   

    However, if reforms are to be made:  I would ask that the lawyers and plaintiffs bringing these frivolous lawsuits risk something besides wasted time.
    It costs money for the defendant to defend himself, and to be fair, the least the plaintiff/lawyer team can do is pay all or some of the legal fees for bringing the suit if they lose it. Furthermore, this should be be a default judgement, and not subject to a second lawsuit by the defendant to sue for legal fees (the way it is now), since trying to recover the court costs from the plaintiff  'poor'  is just about nill, of which I'm sure the lawyers are aware.

  To provide for the truly wronged poor, there could be a bond system (similar to a bail bond), that holds money in escrow should the suit be unsuccessful, but would provide a way to continue to allow the 'poor' to sue if warranted. The point would be to make the plaintiff/lawyers aware that they are taking a potentially expensive risk, and perhaps reconsider bringing a case to court that might be better off mediated elsewhere, or better yet, settled between the two parties without a lawyer involved at all.
   

[Rowan MacD]

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/man-bites-dog-eats-dog-high-spice/story?id=16660512


Gah! People are Morons. 

[Archer]

misconceptions float around out there.  A typical nursing home neglect or abuse case takes more than the attorney's time (which is quite valuable) but also his money.  A typical nursing home case prosecution will require an attorney to put up in excess of 20k out of his own pocket (in middle America) and it will be tied up there for about two years (which includes his time).   It is high stakes gambling to play this game.   Alot of folks whine about it while knowing nothing about how it works;  never did  one themselves and never would have the kahunas to do it themselves .......... to benefit or to  help another person who could not do it for themselves.  Ignorance is soooo bliss.

[BubbleWright]

This is an honest to God Ebay listing. Read the whole description... you will be rolling on the floor laughing. As Benjamin Franklin said "Fart Proudly". Can't wait to see your comments on this one!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FART-GONE-Flatulence-Deodorizer-Pad-GOES-UNDERWEAR-LET-EM-RIP-/270939971385?_trksid=p4340.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D555001%26algo%3DPW.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D7%26meid%3D440720524169622696%26pid%3D100009%26prg%3D1004%26rk%3D3%26

[Merlin the Elder]

As Jumpin' Jack Flash would say, "It's a gas, gas, gas!"

I truly am speechless on this one, but I let one rip as I laughed....

[Rowan MacD]

  That's great ^_^.  I heard about these a couple years back-they are very popular in Japan, a country known for being seriously uptight about 'personal noises and odors'.
  Unsurprisingly, these haven't caught on in the US or most of Europe.

   Note: Japan is also were you can find public ladies restrooms that have loud music or bird chirps to cover natural sounds.
  They had to do that because some women would constantly flush the toilet to cover the sound of making water or whatever else might happen.  It was was so prevalent, that the water bills were of concern. 
    Carbon filters for flatulence was a natural progression.
   

[Rowan MacD]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2012/jun/04/orvillecopter-flying-helicopter-dead-cat

Ok, the Dutch have weird ways of remembering dead pets.   
  I ran across this one when looking for Roger Corman's 'Bucket of Blood' on a dare.

[Lady Kett]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2012/jun/04/orvillecopter-flying-helicopter-dead-cat

Ok, the Dutch have weird ways of remembering dead pets.   
  I ran across this one when looking for Roger Corman's 'Bucket of Blood' on a dare.

That is a little creepy!

[Baron Frederick]

Wonder if it can fly  ??

[Rowan MacD]

Wonder if it can fly  ??

According to the site; yes.
   It has 4 props, I figure it hovers, but not much else.
    He would need to adjust the pitch of the rotors to move laterally.

[Baron Frederick]

Or put another rotor in a certain place