All comics by arbi

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by arbi
1-23-06
This just in: only a week after oral argument, the Supreme Court has reversed and remanded, 9-0, Wisconsin Right to Life v FEC, a case about whether congress can bar free speech about issues.
This is a big win for James Bopp of the James Madison Center. It suggests that we have 20 years ahead of us arguing case by case exceptions to McConnell. That's how Jim gets rich.
It's not an ultimate ruling in the case, which could still go either way. It only lets the case move forward.
The timing has to do with O'Connor's retirement. If Alito is confirmed, this was her last case. Out with a bang!
A key passage: "Right to Life is not a sham. We will not wait for Sam I am. Jimmy Bopp we will not stop. The case moves on and does not drop."
You've been reading too much Alison Hayward again.

 

by arbi
1-24-06
between alito, free speech in wisconsin, free speech in minnesota, that state sovereignity case, the real story is being overlooked.
This just in: the Supreme Court denied certiorari in the case of Two Buck Chuck v Napa Vallley
Under california law, if you call your wine "Napa", it has to actually come from Napa. Under federal law, you can call it what you want.
The makers of Two Buck Chuck wanted to call a wine Napa something, that wasn't mostly from there.
They lost.

 

by arbi
1-24-06
On remand from the Supreme Court in Doe v Chao, Doe got his costs but lost most of his fees.
The court had ruled that a person who can't prove damages in a Privacy Act case for disclosing a social security number, can't even get the $1000 the act says applied "in all cases."
hat tip: how appealing blog
The government argued since Doe didn't get his $1000, he shouldn't get costs or fees either. After explaining why the government was wrong, they stole the guy's fees anyway.
It's no big deal, we just wanted to set up a doe v chao panel.

 

by arbi
1-27-06
Hammas has swept the palastinian elections, displacing Fattah.
http://www.leasticoulddo.com/ index2.php?date=20060127
PETA denied involvement in recent ELF arrests over property damage to developers.
Hammas and PETA, two great tastes that taste great together.

 

Alito confirmed today, 58-42, following yesterday's 72-28 cloture vote to end a filibuster.
He'll be sworn at later today.
by arbi, 1-31-06

 

http://www.zombietime.com/mohammed_image_archive/
by arbi, 2-05-06

 

by arbi
2-12-06
OK, I haven't been around much lately. For the first year, I made a strip every day. Lately, few and far between.
You're seeing another strip? Busy with work? Had that donkey flu that was going around? Keeping up your many blogs and slashdot karma?
Been having adventures. Burglaries, police, prosecutors, who won't even take a report. They said go home and call it in. I went home, the burglar came back, annoyed I had his car towed.
I'm writing this from another city while I make certain plans and arrangements. At least this time I had a getaway car handy.

 

by arbi
2-13-06
http://www.boingboing.net/2006/02/13/ ten_ways_dick_cheney.html
Just as I feared.. step away from the computer for a day (there's cable here) and all the good Cheney jokes get taken.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ content/article/ 2006/02/13/AR2006021301303_3.html
http://www.stripcreator.com/comics/ alcoac14/337761/

 

by arbi
2-14-06
Brokeback mountain - they aren't gay, and those aren't cows, but otherwise it's a pretty good gay cowboy movie.
I wish i could quit ewe
wtfayta?

 

by arbi
2-21-06
Today the court hears argument in a case about whether a mud puddle is a wetland
and whether the corp of engineers can take mud puddles without paying compensation under the takings clause.
How will Roberts and Alito rule on environmental issues?
Maybe we get some clues today. Maybe not.
Meanwhile the latest briefs are in in Marshall v Marshall.
i.e. Anna Nicole.

 

by arbi
3-01-06
it's been a long week since my last comic. back in indy. looking for a place to live not in the ghetto.
today: woke up in my car, french roast for breakfast, found a parking place, got to the library.
niswander.net
yesterday: got insurance and overcharged for a haircut. got a parking ticket while surfing the web. went to kareoke, heard dan niswander doing "surfing with jesus"
the hotel i hoped to stay at was closed so i...
...headed back to the club, recently reopened after some arson.
there's a lot of that going around. which is why i'm getting insurance.

 

by arbi
3-01-06
http://www.moresoftmoneyhardlaw.com/ news.html?AID=631
While arbi was offline, the court's been busy.
our friend neal randall's case was heard, and the buzz is he might win both parts of his bid to strike down Howard Dean's campaign censorship act.
www.askmen.com/women/ models/59_anna_nicole_smith.html
they also heard a case about texas redistricting, but the main focus is on marshall v marshall - anna nicole might win this round.
several new opinions are out. the court ruled, again, that abortion protesting is not racketeering.
http://www.coreyfeldman.com
The colorado redistricting case is on again. I don't think I can explain the limits to the Rooker-Feldman doctrine in one panel, but that was the decisive issue. We'll spend today catching upon scotus
The flaw in that plan is that 3 hours sleep isn't enough fuel for a day online.. fading fast.

 

by arbi
3-06-06
In FAIR v Rumsfeld, the Chief wrote for a unanimous court that congress can withhold funding for law schools that ban bigoted recruiters.
It's the right result, and was expected, but there is some text that might narrow what the First Amendment means about expressive conduct and association.
* see www.stripcreator.com/comics/alcoac14
The government cannot insist the schools go along with prejudice, but the goverment doesn't have to fund PC-ness.
A victory for the politically uncorrect*?
Once again, "fair" is code for ivory tower outoftouchness
While "Rumsfeld" is code for assorted asshattery.

 

by arbi
3-22-06
www.varley.net
Today went well. Yesterday I spent snowed in at the hotel, sick, fighting the rats (squirrels?) and roaches for the last few scraps of food. Luckily I had the John Varley Reader to kill time with.
If I'd had my car and an alarm clock, I could have started my new job today, as it is it will be a few more weeks.
Today I rode the bike 5 miles uphill thru the snow, caught a bus to the shop where my car was - the truck had broken down while the car was in the shop, so I'd been stranded and worried.
My mechanic, who is the crackhead who lives in my garage, said the car was ok, and we looked at the truck and he thinks it's just the fuel pump, so we'll tow it in and he'll fix it.
I was able to get online at a coffee shop, feeding both addictions, so I'm feeling perkier.
... if still hacking up gobs of phlem

 

by arbi
3-22-06
Another week? Another $70.
The room is cold, there's roaches and rats, it was last cleaned 6 months ago, the light bulbs burn out in three days, the bathroom is one big rust stain, there was broken glass...
I actually like the family that runs the place. But it is the filthiest hotel room I've ever stayed in, and supports the stereotype of Indian-owned hotels.
... I had to vaccuum the ceiling, there's no phone or tv, and the microwave caught fire.
which is ok by me, because it's also the cheapest hotel room I've ever stayed in.
We'll take that out of your deposit.

 

by arbi
3-23-06
http://www.rustletheleaf.com/
serendipitously, i've run into a couple new webcomics. rustle the leaf is about a talking leaf, by the guy who did the racoon creek logo for us. hey, it's a better webcomic than mine
... not that that's saying much.
roguerobot.com, amoryabbott.wordpress.com/
and yesterday i was at cornercoffee.com, the local coffeehouse/free internet shop, and the barista was showing off his cool new tablet pc
... he's actually pretty talented. i havent had time to go thru the archives yet and find out if it's funny, but it's at least welldrawn.
www.cornercoffee.com
i mostly spent today on hold using up my minutes, arguing with the cable company, the cops, the electric and gas companies. i -hate- phones, but made some progress.
it took 4 layers of managers for the cable company to admit they can stop billing for the hookup to my already-stolen computer, without my giving them a ssn. - petty, but worth it.

 

by arbi
3-24-06
A sharply divided Supreme Court decided that a "consent search" is no good if the wife consents but her cokehead lawyer husband doesn't.
Chief Roberts, Scalia, and that other guy dissented. Everybody wrote an opinion.
We havent actually read them - can't get enough computer time lately.
The majority was right - the scope of the consent exception should be narrow. Too often, it's "consent or else!" which is of course, not really consent.
We'd like to see consent need to be in informed and in writing, like a miranda warning.
The cop asked if we understood our rights. We said no. So they arrested and tortured us. Long story.

 

by arbi
3-24-06
roguerobot.com
So we were reading this webcomic by the barista at our local corner coffee shop.
It's about these two guys, and their robot, who make cynical wisecracks and beat people up.
cornercoffeeINDY.com
There's something somehow familar about it, but I can't quite place it.
They, and steven segal, work on a movie set as PA's, whatever that is.
pennyarcade.com
I'm strangely drawn to it.
I'll agree, you're strangely drawn.

 

by arbi
4-03-06
Thanks for plugging Rogue Robot, it was fun to get to work this morning and see your comic up on the computer. I should tell you though, (only for Corner Coffee's sake) corner coffee's URL is actually
www.cornercoffeeindy.com you forgot the "indy" not that it really matters because who knows where are readers are, eh? Right on. Good commentary, we're trying to take the comic in a mew direction, mor
more week-long story lines, and introducing more characters since it's pretty boring to just have the two comic creators as the only ones. How much has that been done, right? Anyway, good to see you
like our comic (I'm assuming you do). And on a further note- I think the guys at Penny Arcade would like your strip too.
a mew direction!
See, when I left thecoffeeshop last night I left my last comic up where the roguerobot guys would see it - my little scheme worked.

 

Ringo 3:16: Jesus swept.
by arbi, 4-03-06

 

by arbi
4-04-06
AccentuateNegative/344378
Maybe I ought to blow this place...
Legumes are a good source of fiber.
maybe it has something to do with that forum thread on inside jokes
It's an inside joke, and I'm on the outside.
Or as they say in stripcreator, wtf are you talking about?

 

by arbi
4-04-06
It's tuesday by now. I've been making to do lists and checking them off. I was annoyed delaware street was blocked off for no apparent reason.
Did somebody say Checkoff?
Now I see from the newspaper a windstorm tore up a skyscraper. 23 dead in tennesee.
At the hotel, it was more like a nice breeze.
A Beautiful Mind
I forgot to go to the free johnny cougar concert sunday -80,000 people came - or i would have been able to see it happen.
After George Mason lost the semifinals, I didn't care about the big dance. I stayed inside and read a book about a smart crazy guy - I can relate.

 

by arbi
4-04-06
Something's happened in the Padilla case, but we're not sure quite what.
Padilla is an american citizen - a gangbanger from chicago - who was first arrested in a dirty bomb scare, and then held indefinately without charges.
His military detention had been upheld by the 4th circuit, but the Supreme Court (we think?) had agreed to take the case, at which point the government caved and sent him to a regular jail and filed c
charges. So what we think the court ruled, 6-3, was that the case should now be dismissed as moot.
ok, a nyt article helped. what happened was, in a rare move, 3 of those who voted not to take the case filed an opinion explaining why. ginsberg wrote a dissent to the denial.
it's the second time the case has come to the high court - the government keeps moving him around, playing games.

 

by arbi
4-05-06
Still rough around the edges, but I added some stuff today. Donors should be able to add any users' comics to their sets. Add to sets quickly from underneath comics. And drag and drop rearrange comic
And drag and drop rearrange comic sets (can't promise it'll work in every browser.) Let me know when you find bugs.
new set added - other people's comics - actually funny
www.stripcreator.com/arbi/faves
What's up Doc?

 

by arbi
4-05-06
I'm enough over my cold this week that I've been running around trying to get things done. A little progress, and a lot of frustration.
E.g. today I filled out change of address forms and yelled at the post office for stealing my mail. I reopened my bank account that they'd arbi-trarily closed, and ordered checks. I made my 8th trip..
to get homeowner's insurance and it's still not ready, grr. I need homeowner's because there's an arsonist trying to burn me out - don't tell my insurance guy.
Yesterday I learned that the guy who tried to kill me 3 years ago is Lonnie Hall. Today I learned he's up on murder charges - maybe I should have killed him after all. I had a lot of angst about that.
I'm a busy bee today.
I emailed city hall about being unconstitutionally searched yesterday when I went to look up the lonnie info.
I didn't make it to the tax clinic before it closed. I got lost looking for my new lawyer's office and got there right after it closed. I found him online tho.

 

by arbi
4-05-06
http://www.stripcreator.com/comics/ UnknownEric/344497/
What do we want?!
We don't know!
When do we want it?!
Soon!

 

by arbi
4-10-06
Oh rats I forgot to sign in, so I'll lose this comic.

 

by arbi
4-10-06
Another long day of collecting rent and fighting city hall.
I was threatened with arrest for disorderly conduct for asking to see whatever written regulations govern the search and seizure when one enters the building.
They wouldn't answer the question, took my necklace. The Public Records lady wouldn't meet we me. I got more reports on Lonnie, but the court closed early so I didn't get to see his file.
Maybe the day feels longer because the people next door had the tv up loud all night. So far, a good day. Toothache.

 

by arbi
4-10-06
A pair of twins isn't sure which of them shot Dick Cheney in a 1990 hunting accident. "Plausible deniability."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ html/nationworld/ 2002922725_webcheney10.html
ow
http://www.courttv.com/onair/shows/ hollywood_heat/articles/ 060410buckycovington_feat.html

 

by arbi
4-11-06
Today went pretty well I guess. The battery ran out on my phone, the one day everybody tries to call me. My 2O'clock rescheduled for 6, but I finally got a security deposit - they moved in last nov.
We evicted one non-payer, and she tried to get her boyfriend to come do a driveby, but Anna talked him out of it
I spent the day at court #1 and the prosecutor's office. The local gangster who tried to kill me a few years ago has been convicted on 4 counts of murder, with sentencing coming up, so I will get to
have input. He was tried as an adult and will get many years.
Regular readers, both of you, may recall I started this as an art therapy thing - nearly getting killed, and some other hassles, had made my depression flare up. I gave myself a rest cure and have
been doing a little better lately. I still hallucinate being an aardvark, or was it being a lawyer?

 

by arbi
4-20-06
ok, i know, i havent been making daily comix lately. i'm sure i've lost my 9 former regular readers.
but it's hard to keep up with everything. new job, long commute, still packing and unpacking, no new computer yet, some deadlines looming in my cases, personal life a shambles
Luckily, nothing much has happened at the Supreme Court lately.
Woof.
I tell ya, this "having a life" thing is really cutting into my internet porn addiction.

 

by arbi
4-20-06
The new job involves grading papers, and due to nondisclosure agreements, I can't discuss it, so I can't mention that the following panel was an actual student response, or I'd get fired.
Why did the wildlife biologist need to keep physically fit?
To catch that fucking monkey!

 

by arbi
4-20-06
I've been somewhat productive lately, although it's taking me months rather than hours to get moved.
I found a job, found a place to live, keep up with my election lawyer gossip list, hunt and gather, make dreaded phone calls.
Today he submitted a guest editorial to the local paper about theircoverage of the voter ID case.
Howard Dean and the aardvark are on the same side for once.
I haven't gone through my bills in months, and they are getting ready to turn stuff off, and the insurance is overdue as well.
At the new place, I can do some actual gardening this year instead of just a few pot-ted plants.

 

by arbi
4-21-06
Yesterday I ran into one of my friends who is an avid dumpster diver. We'd rather dive than play golf.
He stumbled onto the refuse of what must have been a pretty big growing operation, big bags of stems and shake.
The timing was a bit ironic.
Because 4/20 is Hitler's birthday?

 

by arbi
5-31-06
I feel like rip van winkle... about a pound of pot later, i'm back.

 

by arbi
5-31-06
man, this must be some good sh$t; you look pink.
better?

 

by arbi
5-31-06
better?

 

by arbi
5-31-06
oh wait, i remember now. it wasn't drugs, it was work. i've been working for a month.
chained to a computer all day, I don't get much time in to make comics.
otherwise i'd be telling you about this week's supreme court decisions.

 

by arbi
5-31-06
According to Lyle Denniston, in Garcetti v. Ceballos, the Court ruled 5-4 that "the First Amendment does not provide protection for comments that a public employee makes in the course of performing...
oral sex?
performing regular duties, even if the comments alleged corruption or government wrongdoing
The case had been argued in October, but the Court evidently was split 4-4 on it after Justice Sandra Day O'Connor retired. It was reargued March 21. O'Connor's successor, Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr.
didn't the court issue one of those unanimous opions last week?
i was in bermuda

 

by arbi
6-07-06
i was going to make a comic yesterday about beast day, but some guy at the coffeehouse needed the computer more.
The job's going ok i guess. It ranges from drudgery to being like getting paid to play videogames. One ticket, one flat tire, not much sleep, no way to run daytime errands, but it's ok.
My big problem right now is writer's block. The statute of limitations runs out any day now, but when I can even get to a computer, I surf webcomics instead of writing.
I've been here before.. this is why college took 12 years.
My writer's block started in 3rd grade... it was this assignement about christopher columbus. I still get nervous around italians looking for gold and slaves.

 

by arbi
6-07-06
our neighborhood, instead of taxes, has an annual yard sale. in the first hour i made $100 for a few hundred pounds of vintage electronic gear.. i'm feeling a little seller's remorse.
But I used the money to get a computer, printer, bike, freezer, hose, light fixtures, snapdragons, and a nice set of revereware, so i did ok.
I try not to be too attached to material goods, but i likes my revereware.

 

by arbi
6-07-06
where i live now is this little community of victorian mansions smack dab in the middle of the ghetto, across from the women's prison.
It's nice to have neighbors who recycle and garden and say hi when they walk their dogs.
But it's still the ghetto... last thursday i heard a 21-gun salute that turned out to be a mass murder of a hispanic family. it's been front page every day since then.

 

by arbi
6-07-06
I've been having a bit of an existential crisis lately. This strip began a couple years ago as an art therapy experiment when my human author was coping with a nervous breakdown. Lately, he'd been ..
http://www.monkeylaw.org/ index.php?date=20060515
... doing enough better, maybe he didn't need an imaginary friend/crime-fighting alter ego.
But the writers block fixed that again.. he always goes a little crazy around deadlines, so I'm back, for now anyway.

 

by arbi
6-15-06
this random panel reserved for future bitching about my job.

 

by arbi
6-15-06
On Monday, I learned that a guy who tried to kill me got 55 years. And city hall stole $3,700 from me... hope it doesn't take another lawsuit to get that back.
On tuesday I got the lawsuit filed against the company that runs the jail where I was tortured.
And learned that the IRS has taken all my money out of the bank, so I didn't have the $350 filing fee.
On wednesday, I went back to work, did the dishes and laundry and went to the club.
* latin for broke-ass
Thursday, I got laid off at noon till tomorrow, so I'm at the library making webcomics, er, revising my motion to proceed in forma pauperis*

 

by arbi
6-15-06
To do today:
city hall elections office. cash paychecks. pay rent. get truck back.
more laundry, more dishes. make a better list. sweep up a bit.
call in theft report re credit card
note: not on list: read slashdot, lounge around in drugged stupor
revise fees memo, print and file. make appointment with that lawyer guy.
come back and fix this comic.

 

by arbi
6-15-06
The supreem court announced 4 cases today. This late in the season, they hand down cases on thursdays as well as mondays.
We haven't read them yet.. stay tuned.
5-4, the court narrowed the scope of the exclusionary rule in a no-knock warranted search case.
the other three cases are too boring to discuss, except the lineups were unusual -
big split between breyer and ginsberg.
4 down, 19 to go before recess.

 

by arbi
6-19-06
http://www.stripcreator.com/comics/ knighthunter/356037/
there's a new split on the supreme court in today's epic wetlands decision.
Kennedy is the new O'Connor
http://www.stripcreator.com/comics/ mycatdrinkswine/356023/
Roberts Alito Thomas and Scalia on one side, Kennedy in the middle, all the others in dissent.
So for now wetlands cases are on a case by case basis.
Hammon v Indiana, also decided today, involved testimony in domestic violence cases.
Full employment for lawyers.
Water Law was my lowest grade in law school. a 72.

 

by arbi
6-19-06
Next on Fox, Kennedy in the Middle.
A mild-mannered supreme court justice thwarts evil, or something.
Now back to those winter Olympic hilights.

 

by arbi
7-02-06
Sincere congrats to Jim Bopp of Terre Haute Indiana
and to Neil Randall and the Vermont Libertarian Party.
Big win upholding parts of Buckley v Valeo and striking down Howard Dean as unconstitutional.
We'd like to be out in Portland Or covering the LP convention, but it's too far to fly.
Boy are my arms tired.

Showing page 14.

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