Does a Law Exist if it Isn’t Enforced? – Why Bill Cosby Shows the Sister Wives Case is Wrong

Many are familiar with Kody Brown and his four wives from the TV show Sister Wives. If not, this is a polygamous family (which is why they got their own TV show) from Utah which then moved to Nevada to avoid potential criminal prosecution for polygamy. Technically, I believe Kody Brown has one legal wife filed with the state and contracts or “religious” marriages with three other women.

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In Utah, polygamy is illegal – used to be legal when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was populating the state – but as a condition for state hood Utah how to explicitly outlaw the practice. Tens of thousands of Utah residents still secretly engage in the practice of having multiple wives.

After gay marriage rulings swept the country and eviscerated the basis for a “traditional” marriage between one man and one woman, the Brown family sued to have the Utah law declared invalid. In Utah, not only are having multiple marriage licenses outlawed, but so can simple co-habitation that is effectively a plural relationship.

So, you can live with one person and have sex with then, but not two other people. (What is the government doing in people’s bedrooms anyway?)

The Utah federal district court agreed with the Browns, ruling the multiple marriage license and co-habitation provisions invaded the Brown’s rights of privacy and religious freedom. In effect, it legalized polygamy in Utah.

A court of appeal just tossed that ruling.

Did the court rule polygamy was illegal? No.

Did the court rule privacy was not invaded? No.

Did the court rule there was no invasion of religious freedom? No.

Instead, the court ruled that since a Utah prosecutor said he would not criminally prosecute the family for polygamy (unless they also did something else wrong) the Brown’s could not sue because they did not face actual criminal prosecution.

Say what?

A law is on the books that makes people afraid to do something for fear of going to prison, even moving out of state, and they cannot sue to invalidate the law unless they are actually subject to criminal prosecution?

So now polygamy is illegal again in Utah, and in order to challenge the law you have to risk going to prison for many years.

That’s called intimidation. It creates a chilling effect. In the age of 5-4 Supreme Court rulings who can know what is ultimately constitutional anyway? You’re going to risk the rest of your life in prison based on a possible 5-4 vote? No one would do that.

Now, maybe I am not thinking this through correctly (which apparently is a problem, and bigger issue than I realized – and thank goodness for spell check to help get me through this post), and my head hurts just thinking about the ramifications (and it just hurts in general these days), but I guess it’s open season for the government to issue draconian and abusive laws. The laws can then be selectively enforced. If someone might overturn a law the government can just say it wasn’t going to enforce the law against them anyway and that shuts down their lawsuit. Meanwhile, everyone else cowers in fear from the law.

Is a law legal or not?

Every citizen should have the right to challenge whether a law is constitutional or not.

But who are we kidding – this country ceased being a free country long ago. You can only do what the government allows, and continual road-blocks are placed in front of anyone challenging government authority. Like the Browns.

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Is there a promise or court order saying the Browns will never be prosecuted for polygamy? No. Even if there were just think of Bill Cosby. He was given a promise of no criminal prosecution years ago by a district attorney. A new one comes into office and decides to prosecute – conveniently after Cosby gave damaging deposition testimony only because he believed he was no longer subject to potential criminal prosecution. (Story here)

You cannot trust the government and those in power over your life. Just because one prosecutor said he would not try and send the Browns to prison does not mean another one, or the next one, will do the same. Just ask Bill Cosby, now forced to spend a fortune to try and avoid spending his last years in a prison cell.

The government should not be able to condition your ability to challenge a law by imprisoning you if you lose.

Wit and Wisdom of Hillary Clinton

There is an ebook I wrote, well, maybe I should put “wrote” in quotes last year called The Wit and Wisdom of Hillary Clinton. I just decided to update it for 2016. Whew! Those updates took a long time, but it is finally finished.

Yeah!

120 pages of awesomeness.

Wit and Wisdom Hillary Clinton

120 blank pages because, unfortunately (or may that should be fortunately) Hillary Clinton has never said anything witty or smart.

Other than that, it’s a real tear jerker. You’ll laugh and cry about the Bernie Sanders reference. Somewhere in the 120 blank pages is a final page with an “easter egg” picture hidden somewhere on it. Any idea who would have lent their picture to a book about Hillary Clinton?

Well, do you?

I know the suspense is killing you …

How much is this incredible book going to set you back?

99 pennies. Cheaper than 99 red balloons. Cheaper than one second of a Hillary speech to Goldman Sachs.

Here is how to order your gag gift for immediately download as a PDF file:

Wit and Wisdom of Hillary Clinton

Sacramento Grocery Stores With Gift Cards

Here is a review of gift card options at Sacramento grocery stores. The ability to buy a gift card online, email it to someone, and use your PayPal account is nonexistent. Grocery stores, frankly, have a lot of catching up to do to other industries. Since they are walk-in local stores, they probably do not feel the need to make additional money by offering convenient Internet options.

SMART STORES – EGIFT CARDS AVAILABLE TO USE IN STORES THAT CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE WITH PAYPAL

CVS – Yes to gift cards, yes to egift cards, and yes to PayPal. CVS is a wonderful breeze to use and get a quick gift card. Too bad its not a real grocery store.

Gluten Free Specialty – Yes to gift cards, yes to egift cards, and yes to PayPal.

ALMOST AS GOOD – MOBILE GIFT CARDS THAT CAN BE PURCHASED WITH PAYPAL

Target – Gift cards are available and PayPal is an online purchase option. egift cards can only be used online at target.com and not in stores. (Dumb) However, mobile gift cards sent to a phone can be used in stores. (go figure)

WOLVES MASQUERADING IN SHEEPS CLOTHING

Walmart – Gift cards are available and egift cards can be purchased online. There is a PayPal purchase option, tried it a couple times and it does not work. Had to be refunded.

Kmart – Gift cards are available, including egift cards and PayPal is an option. Except it mostly doesn’t work. Out of 3 orders only 1 went through. Customer service was non-responsive and eventually had to file payment disputes. Will someone please pull the bankruptcy plug on Sears / Kmart (again) and put these awful businesses out of their misery.

EGIFT CARDS AVAILABLE WITH A CREDIT CARD

Whole Foods – Gift cards and egift cards are available. There is no PayPal purchase option, only credit cards.

YOU CAN GET GIFT CARDS BY MAIL OR IN THE STORE WITH A CREDIT CARD

Raleys – Gift cards are available but can only purchased in the store. No online egift cards. No PayPal purchase option.

Winco – Gift cards can only be purchased in store.

Albertsons – Gift cards available, but not egift cards. No PayPal option.

7-11 – Gift cards can only be purchased in store.

CircleK – Gift cards are available but egift cards are not. There is no PayPal purchase option.

WHATEVER

Safeway – No gift cards. The gift cards option on their website is for buying third party gift cards, like itunes, at Safeway.

Grocery Outlet – No gift cards.

Save Mart – No gift cards.

Koreana Plaza – No gift cards. Can’t even call their website a website. How embarrassing.

Food Maxx – No gift cards. Another completely horrible, waste of space website.

Nugget Market – Website won’t load, so who knows.

Smart & Final – No gift cards.

Trader Joes – No gift cards.

Tower Market – No gift cards.

Was Peyton Manning Injured During the Ravens Playoff Game?

After thinking about the divisional playoff game between Denver and Baltimore, and the sequence of plays and events leading up to Baltimore’s double overtime win, I have concluded Peyton Manning was injured.

In the third quarter Manning was sacked twice and fumbled on each. When he wasn’t fumbling Manning was only 3 for 7 with a long toss of only twelve yards.

In the fourth quarter, except for the touchdown pass that went for 17 yards, Manning was not throwing the ball farther than then yards. In overtime, it was again all super short passes of then yards or less, with no attempt to stretch the field or get a big play.

For all intents, the Broncos second half of the game was spent throwing passes of a length I could throw.

By comparison to last year, against Pittsburgh, Tim Tebow completed passes of 80, 58, 50, 40, 31, 17, 15, and 13 yards. Tebow also ran for 50 yards and was not sacked. Then, Denver was using that throwback read option stuff San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington are now running. It would have come in real handy, especially after Knowshon Moreno left with an injury and the running game was hindered.

With the season on the line, with one of the supposed greatest quarterbacks of all time, someone being paid $95,000,000.00, and with an opportunity to ice the win, the Broncos’ coaches would not let Peyton throw a pass. This gave Baltimore time to tie the game, and they did. Then, with 31 seconds left, timeouts, home field, a tired Ravens defense, and the thin air where the Broncos once tried a 73 yard field goal, a coin flip was deemed a better option than letting Peyton Manning air it out to try and win.

Obviously, Peyton was injured. No one could possibly be stupid enough to call those plays with a healthy QB.

Worst Song Ever

The worst song ever made is Rock Lobster by the B-52s. I happen to like the B-52s, at least the songs where the girls have the lead. Although Rock Lobster is somewhat famous, I’m not sure why. It is truly horrible and ranks in my book as the worst song ever made.

China Avoids US Control Freak Regulators

There is a recent story about Chinese companies withdrawing from United States stock exchanges. They still want investors and the exposure from being listed on the NY Stock Exchange or other major index.

What they do not want is US control and expense.

“[A] deadlock between Beijing and Washington over whether U.S. regulators can oversee their China-based auditors…. Withdrawing also eliminates the cost of complying with American financial reporting rules.”

In other words, first the US wants to “oversee” Chinese auditors.

Second, the strangling cost of US regulations outweighs the benefits of a US stock listing.

While some could claim this helps root out fraud and gives value and trust to US stock listings, the fact is the US is a control freak on the world stage, wanting to impose its oversight, laws, and regulations on everyone – whether it be copyright, taxes, or stock listings.

Someday the Chinese stock exchange may be the most important in the world, because everyone is sick and tired of unending, intrusive, and expensive Big Brother “oversight.”

Gillette is a Dangerous Monopoly

I was at the store today and needed razor blades. Gillette’s Mach 3 blades were 10 for $26. I didn’t feel like paying $2.60 a razor. My tough beard eats up razors fast. Just a couple uses and they’re done.

Keep in mind a Mach 3 is an OLD razor. There has since been the Mach 3 Turbo, then the 4-blade, and now the 5-blade. Each of those was even more expensive.

I thought – there must be a cheaper alternative. There was – 10 plastic handle blades for $1.97. By Gillette. Virtually everything was by Gillette.

I decided to try the 20 cent blades. Sure, the shave will not be great because Gillette wants everyone to pay several dollars for a razor. I thought even if I get just one shave out of a razor it would be a deal.

Was I wrong.

Gillette should be sued for disfigurement. What an incredibly terrible shave that left me a bloody mess.

There is no question in my mind Gillette could offer a good shave for a decent price. But they don’t. They don’t have to. They have a monopoly on razors.

Maybe I’ll go through 3 cheap blades per shave. It would still be a deal.

Gingrich Out to Destroy Republican Party – Again

In the 1990s Newt Gingrich destroyed himself, Bob Dole’s Presidential campaign, and Republicans everywhere through personal narcissism and a desire for hostility and battles against everyone.

Do I need to mention his affair, and then after his wife was diagnosed with a disease his request for a divorce, at the same time he was pilloring Bill Clinton for the Monica Lewinsky fiasco?

One funny statement I saw online – Newt had asked why people instantly dislike him, and he was told because it saves them time.

Which is too bad. He has a sharp tongue, quick wit, and insightful understanding of many complex issues. If only the good could be isolated.

Hearing the unbelievable attacks against Mitt Romney personally this week in Florida, it seems nothing has been learned. Time has blunted the mistakes of the past, so they are to be repeated. We will see what happens. It could be a long campaign. But is there a point in destroying Romney to try and be such a tainted nominee yourself there is no hope of defeating Obama?

I was reading that Gingrich said he could not debate against someone who answered questions dishonestly in a debate. But it was Gingrich recently caught lying about hi marriage and offering witnesses to ABC News in response to questions at a CNN debate. Gingrich flat lied. (Not even a political exaggeration, just a flat lie.) Then with a straight face criticizes anyone who does that.

That is apparently what the Republican Party faces. No wonder Democrats are running ads in Florida against Romney in an attempt to help Gingrich! (If the parties were reversed the Republicans would be doing the same

Warren Buffett Pays .001 Percent for ‘Increased Taxes’

The joke that Warren Buffett is unfortunately becoming continues to play out in the media. After challenging Congressional Republicans, but not Democrats, to voluntary pay more in taxes to pay down the $15 TRILLION US debt (about $50,000 for every man, woman, and child in the US, and about $135,000 for every taxpayer), Warren said he was writing a check to the US treasury to back up his challenge.

His check: $49,000.

Or about .001 percent of his $40 BILLION dollar net worth.

I, for one, am not impressed.

By the time it takes you to read this, the national debt will have increased by almost $100,000. Thanks Warren. Your check will save about 25 seconds off the national debt.

How I Saved Ten Bucks

Is there intelligent life in the media?

A new story by Adam Clark Estes of The Atlantic Wire proclaims “The Great Martin Luther King Copyright Conundrum” in trying to explain why it costs $10 to watch Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech.

Estes says it is the fault of US copyright law and “It’s not the Martin Luther King estate’s fault….”

Really????

US Copyright law does not require that a dime be paid.

The $10 fee is the King family greedily making use of copyright law to charge, just as the family has demanded extortionist fees for just about anything else related to Dr. King, such as monuments.

To call a spade a spade, this is a media story purposefully dishonest. If you don’t like the $10 fee, lay blame where 100% of the blame lies: with the greedy Martin Luther King family.

Myself, I have saved ten bucks.