City's defense to a breach-of-contract claim: contracts aren't valid because the mayor was drunk when he signed them. "Them" being nine separate contracts worth about $1 million. "Again," the mayor said in a deposition, "this was after two or three…

A Twitter response to a post I wrote for Forbes.com about "Caylee's Law" being a bad idea: "what a STUPID article by @loweringthebar [link] STUPID!" I stand corrected. After being told by a judge that your latest mistake shows you are…

Doctrine of Proportionate Response: "Reed told police that he sat behind Willis and initially planned to attack him with a hammer, but fearing that would kill him, chose to light him on fire instead." Ladies and gentlemen, the complimentary peanuts…

Colorado now proposing to regulate doll diversity, number of blocks per child and the proper manner of labeling and application of sunscreen at child-care centers in that state. Puppetry authorized but not mandated. Merry-go-rounds and, terrifyingly, "sea saws" are prohibited. Also, "googly…

How do you hide a mink coat in your underpants for three days? It's not a riddle, I really don't know. I've read this report several times now and I can't visualize how this might have worked. And for that…

Finally, someone is standing up for the rights of the Great Hamster of Alsace. Via Popehat: the very funny site WTForever 21, which sometimes praises but usually mocks the fashions sold by Forever 21, is now being threatened by that…

Wall Street Journal: "Blago Takes Stand, Says He Can Spin Basketball on Finger." Your Honor, we have reached a verdict. Once again, if you believe public scrutiny is causing someone emotional distress, filing a lawsuit over the situation might not…

"I instantly thought of you when I saw this headline," wrote the submitter. That headline: "West Virginia Man Accused of Killing Neighbor's Goat While Wearing Women's Underwear." Can't be that many people in the world who would find that comment…

The BBC reports that a Welsh police force has begun posting its responses to Freedom of Information Act requests. Among other things, its website reveals that over the past few years citizens have reported seeing 36 "big cats" or suspected big cats, 26…

A woman in Vermont may be trying out a "just kidding" defense to a charge of attempted robbery, reportedly telling police that the incident at a gas station was a "joke" and a "misunderstanding." According to the clerk at the…