(Batman’s) advice for new law students, part VI: “always mind your surroundings”

By Ira Nathenson on March 10, 2010

One common mistake of new law students is conclusory argumentation, as discussed in this post on avoiding “Monty Python” argumentation.  Another common mistake is incomplete analysis.  An essay answer might include analysis that scratches the surface but doesn’t explore deeper.  But it’s crucial to consider the strengths and weaknesses of any argument, and to explore [...]

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1934: Building a brick & mortar archive

1934: Building a brick & mortar archive

By Ira Nathenson on March 7, 2010

The logo I’ve always used for the site is an image of the National Archives Building.  Amazingly, Congress did not approve such a building until 1926.  The architect was John Russell Pope, who also designed the Jefferson Memorial and the National Gallery of Art.  Ground was broken in 1931 and the building was mostly completed [...]

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The hindsight of archives: “Popular Science” & incorrect technology predictions

By Ira Nathenson on March 5, 2010

Sci-fi and tech site IO9.com reports that Popular Science Magazine is now making its archives available online dating back to 1872.  The archives can be searched either at the magazine’s website or via Google Books.  In the archive, I was able to quickly find articles of historical interest, each showing a technological prediction that didn’t [...]

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The most valuable course I ever took

By Ira Nathenson on March 3, 2010

As one description of this YouTube video suggests, those of us under 40 may not remember a world where book reports, term papers, and essays were written on typewriters. But I do. My Bar Mitzvah gift was a typewriter, a Smith Corona with a removable ribbon.  At that time, removable ribbons were a [...]

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Star Trek & Star Wars similarities

By Ira Nathenson on May 31, 2009

This video might make an interesting final examination question.

H/T to IO9.com.  Vid from CollegeHumor.com.

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Did statutory damages destroy the music industry?

By Ira Nathenson on August 3, 2009

Have statutory damages become a narcotic that helped to destroy the music industry?  As reported elsewhere, file-sharer Joel Tenenbaum was found liable for $675,000 by a jury for copyright infringement of 30 songs.  The basis for the damages is the statutory damages provision of the Copyright Act, which permits copyright owners to seek between $750 [...]

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Abe Lincoln, inventor

By Ira Nathenson on February 14, 2009

In connection with this week’s bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, U.S. News and World Report has a great article on Lincoln’s interest in technology such as the telegraph.  Suggests the article, were Lincoln alive today, “he would fight just as hard to keep his BlackBerry as President Barack Obama did.”  Also turns out that Lincoln [...]

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Google Book Search settlement

By Ira Nathenson on October 28, 2008

Here’s an excerpt from today’s press release:
The Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers (AAP), and Google today announced a groundbreaking settlement agreement on behalf of a broad class of authors and publishers worldwide that would expand online access to millions of in-copyright books and other written materials in the U.S. from [...]

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