links for 2009-11-06

• PHOTOGRAPHERS' RIGHTS: Cops break law by forcing man to delete picture of cop's dead son who died, possibly due to drinking and driving
  You have the CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to photograph ANYTHING that happens in the public view. How do you think the papparazzi make a living? Police don't understand this, and flagrantly violate people's rights.

  It seems like this is a recipe to make money in a lawsuit. Take pictures, get arrested, sue, win. How many times will our tax dollars have to pay for these lawsuits before police — who are supposed to uphold the law — start to follow it themselves?

  Photographers' rights is an important technology war issue. Cameras are not just for the government. They are for the people. Besides, the government is supposed to be by, of, and for the people *anyway*.

  Here's hoping Antonio Amador gets a healthy heap of cash due to Joseph Martin Zapushek apparent drunk driving (assuming the evidence linking alcohol to the crash pans out).

  (tags: politics TechnologyWar photographers'Rights cameras photography AbuseOfAuthority ConstitutionalRights rights FreedomOfPress freedom 1stAmendment FirstAmendment AntonioAmador accidents deaths ACLU JustinMulcahy public JosephMartinZapushek police BaltimoreCityPoliceDepartment Baltimore MarylandGazette HowtownGlenBurnie GlenBurnie news articles)
• CATS: Sick Iowa Kitty Had Swine Flu
  Yup. You can give swine flu to your cats. Oh joy.
  (tags: diseases flu swineFlu H1N1 animals cats fromRyanSomma ferrets swine turkeys)
• PSYCHOLOGY: Thinking negatively can boost your memory, study finds
  Yay pessimism! Yay cynicism! Yay the power of negative thought!
  And this article coming out not too long after another one I had posted which talked about the possible evolutionary advantage of depression. Very interesting.

  The study also found that sad people were better at stating their case through written arguments.

  (tags: science psychology pessimism thinking negatively Reuters Sydney Australia badMoods gullible memory judgment JosephForgas UniversaityOfNewSouthWales attention research studies experiments Yahoo news articles)
• INJUSTICE: In Controversial Scent Lineups, a Dog’s Nose Picks Out the Perp
  Having a frickin' *dog* decide whether you go to jail is NOT a good thing!

  This practice is still legally valid in Alaska, Florida, New York — and of course Texas, the state that will do anything to put a black man in jail. Inevitable lawsuits ensue, but nothing can pay you back for time spent in jail due to a damned dog.

  (tags: politics AbuseOfAuthority injustice poorEvidence evidence animals dogs scents scent scentLineups lineups CurvisBickham lawsuits Alaska Florida NewYork Texas FBI InnocenceProject junkScience USA freedom justice DiscoverMagazine news articles)