This is only within Slaw’s remit by the merest toenail — that of traffic laws. But because it’s (still) Friday, I thought the ROC might enjoy watching Torontonians experience their very first “pedestrian scramble” at Dundas and Yonge St. Click on the image to see a time lapse video by Sam Javanrouh of how the controlled chaos is working.

Calgary, of course, had a scramble first. And I seem to recall from a childhood visit that Medicine Hat had what was then called kitty-corner or katy-corner crossings way back…then.

[via Spacing Toronto] . . . [more]

Today’s fillip merely pokes a stick — well, a baton, really — at a very large and fabulous creature, one that would take all the Fridays in an era to get to know properly, if such were ever really possible. I’ve touched on music before, that non-verbal language that satisfies as well as, or better than, the abecedarian kind. Today I want to play a bit with what I’m calling “the player and the piano,” though, these fillips being the associative rambles that they are, I’ll go beyond even that general limit.

What got me going this time was a . . . [more]

Blogging lawyers are not like ordinary bloggers. Most bloggers don’t have to worry about the issue of conflicts of interests and client confidentiality. Lawyers, on the other hand, have to worry about legal ethics. Since I started blogging more than three years go, it’s been an issue that I’ve always had to keep in the back of my mind every time I even think about a blog post. With the plethora of blogging lawyers, I am surprised that I haven’t seen much discussion on the topic. (If there has been, please point me to it!)

I blog primarily in the . . . [more]

The Law Librarian blog has an interesting entry this morning, “Is it time for a uniform digital identity?”. Some of the content is a tip to a longer article by Erick Schonfeld on Techcrunch, but the Law Librarian blog riffs off his ideas, and is worth seeing as well.

I was particularly struck by a term used in the post- “Omnivellance”. Pretty easy to suss out what is meant here, and a little depressing. I thought that our privacy contributors might be interested, and look forward to reading their thoughts. no pressure . . . [more]

A recent Techdirt (one of my favourite blogs) post referred to a NY Times article “noting a return to having even software and internet developers practice building physical things as well, in part just to get them to start thinking outside the (computer) box when thinking about how to design digital things. Think of it as cross-training for the digital developers mind.”

The article gives several examples of tech companies having workshops for its employess where they create things in the physical world.

“At Stanford, the rediscovery of human hands arose partly from the frustration of engineering, . . . [more]

Courtesy of PC Magazine, here is a list of a gross of sites that has something for everyone.

Here are three snipits:

TripIt takes the hassle out of travel itineraries. Simply forward your travel confirmation e-mails to its e-mail address and TripIt will build you a master itinerary, complete with flight/hotel info, maps, driving directions, weather reports, and much more. TripIt is also rolling out automated travel guides so you know what to expect once you get there.

Want to know what’s going on in the chambers of the highest court in the land? Scotusblog is an excellent blog

A very brief fillip today. I’m running out of time… Just as at times your printer runs out of toner. Or says so, at least.

Apparently, some printers lie. Well, at least they exaggerate. Slate has an interesting article that explores this phenomenon: “Take That, Stupid Printer! How To Fight Back Against The Lying, Infuriating, Evil Ink-And-Toner Cabal,” by Farhad Manjoo. Seems that Brother laser printers, the author’s model at the time of writing, have an evil eye that senses when the toner falls below a certain level and causes the machine to down tools. A tiny piece . . . [more]

Number 10 Downing Street recently launched a website, Number10.gov.uk,… in self-proclaimed beta! That’s a bit of a head scratcher: it’s not as though creating a website is so complicated that you’ve got to announce to the world that “We may not get this right, folks, the first time around, so stand by for patches…” And this for a site about the Prime Minister of the U.K.

There are some interesting things about the site, though, gamma or not. They’ve made considerable use of social media to keep things interesting and up-to-date: so you’ll see links to Number 10’s pics . . . [more]

♫ All I know is I expected so much more
I don’t know what to say…♫

Words and Music by Graham Greer, recorded by the Barstool Prophets.

On Monday, The Right Honourable Joseph Jacques Jean Chretien QC gave the breakfast speech to open the Canadian Bar Association’s Canadian Legal Conference in Quebec City. I was looking forward to a distinguished speech by one of Canada’s foremost politicians and lawyers on something like the Rule of Law, the Charter or the like. Unfortunately, very quickly into his speech he could not resist making a few jibes at his old nemises, Allan . . . [more]

Michael Kirby, Mr. Justice Kirby of the High Court is known to love the limelight and he doubtless was tickled when the latest issue of Australian Business described him as the Rock star of the bench.

In a wide ranging account drawn from a speech to university students he talked about the organization of judgments:

“I know the real reason you love me,” Justice Kirby said.

“Headings. Headings. Sub-headings. Sub-sub-headings. Indent dot points. That’s the real reason.”

Kirby had some other helpful hints for those who find his judgments time-consuming. “You don’t communicate ideas if you write High Court . . . [more]

Richard A. Posner, the outspoken justice on the Seventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals and University of Chicago law professor, has written a short piece for The New Republic, entitled “In Defence of Looseness,” in which he takes the U.S. Supreme Court to task for its decision in District of Columbia v. Heller [PDF], the case involving the second amendment to the U.S. Constitution dealing with arms and militias. As always, Posner is enjoyable to read because his mind is good and he expresses his arguments well. If you’re interested in constitutional or statutory interpretation, you’ll . . . [more]

Sometimes — or more often — it’s hard to let go of that gravitas thing that stops you from floating off into complete and perfect silliness. But it’s a Friday in August, clients are all on holiday, and no one’s looking: it’s time for something completely different. And really quite silly.

Who better to bring you this than Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy, Vampire Slayer? Now he’s back and he’s bad! Hell, he’s Dr. Horrible. Thanks to the TV writers’ strike, Whedon was prompted to write a three part movie series for the internet. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is the . . . [more]