I am kind of surprised that a law professor would write such a thing, and that a legitimate law review would publish it, but apparently the Michigan Law Review has done so. Here is the abstract what seems to be a fully serious analysis of Harry Potter and its comment on structures of government. This Essay examines what the Harry Potter series (and particularly the most recent book, The Half-Blood Prince) tells us about government and bureaucracy. There are two short answers. The first is that Rowling presents a government (The Ministry of Magic) that is 100% bureaucracy. There is no discernable executive or legislative branch, and no elections. There is a modified judicial function, but it appears to

courtesy of Craig’s List. My personal favorite:Just to clear things up, the following are NOT defenses to criminal
charges:

“I thought the cop was a prostitute.”

So I got cable for the month so I could watch the olympics. That means I’ve been watching a whole lot of TV and not doing much else asside from reading. That said I found something worthy of actually posting amid all those other things going on (also the Olympics are done this weekend so I shall, probably, return to posting again).

Hang On, Stevens [mirror], apparently aired on the Al Franken show on Air America (but I found it through a legal blog, so I’m just assuming that from the original URL).

…and international politics, presented in one act form.

Well it had to happen eventually, I mean after so many lawsuits wouldn’t you get fed up too?

Good to know our engineers were having fun during the Cold War.

I had the morning off today for the best reason a class has ever been canceled: two years ago my professor couldn’t get a baby sitter for his son on Colombus day. Ergo, we got the Thursday after Colombus day off this year; works for me.

Not-quite-as-entertaining-explaination: The Law School is not closed for Colombus Day, my Prof’s son’s day care is. So two years ago he had to stay home and take care of his son and thus canceled class. For the two following years his mother-in-law has taken his son on Mondays, but he has forgotten to take the canceled class off