Zoning regulations are problematic for tiny-house buyers

Tiny-house buyers have to cope not only with the challenges of living in a smaller space. There are also zoning regulations that make it difficult to find a spot for the homes.

In densely populated areas and most other areas, zoning regulations typically don’t allow full-time living in temporary structures such as RVs or movable tiny houses, the New York Times reports. The zoning laws also may specify a minimum lot size that it too expensive for a tiny-house buyer.

Some municipalities—including Fresno, California, and Nantucket, Massachusetts—have changed their zoning laws to accommodate homes that share land with existing homes. In another nod to the tiny house movement, the International Code Council has adopted a model code for such structures.

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Supreme Court adds 11 cases to 2017 docket

The US Supreme Court [official website] granted certiorari in 11 cases [order list, PDF] on Thursday.

Dalmazzi v. United States [cert. petition, PDF] Cox v. United States [docket], and Ortiz v. United States[cert. petition, PDF] are three cases that will be consolidated and will be given one hour each for oral argument. These cases deal with whether active-duty military officers can serve on the Court of Military Commissions Review (CMCR). The petitioners were members of the Air Force who were convicted [SCOTUSblog report] of different crimes in a military court. They are appealing their convictions on the grounds that only members of the military can preside over a military court, and the judges in the petitioners’ cases were civilians because of their CMCR position.

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Iowa’s Supreme Court Hears Dispute Over $75 Speeding Ticket

A dispute over a $75 speeding ticket has climbed through the levels of Iowa’s court system, reaching the lofty heights of the Iowa Supreme Court for oral arguments.

Marla Leaf got a speeding ticket because a camera allegedly caught her driving 68 mph in a 55-mph zone on an interstate freeway through the city of Cedar Rapids in February 2015.

It’s not typical for the state’s top court to hear small-claims cases. But in her case against the city of Cedar Rapids, Leaf argues that her constitutional rights and state law were violated because the city delegated police powers to the private company that maintains the speed cameras.

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Federal judge overturns Massachusetts city law regulating drones

In the first federal court ruling (PDF) concerning attempts by city and state jurisdictions to regulate the use of drones, a judge denied a requirement by a city near Boston regarding local registration and significant bans on where and how low they can fly.

The law giving the Federal Aviation Administration responsibility for regulating the use of drones, while allowing some non-federal say over their use, preempts the city of Newton from requiring registration beyond the agency’s own such requirement; from banning flights below 400 feet; and from requiring an owners’ permission before flying over public or private property. Newton’s requirement that drones can’t fly below 400 feet clashes with FAA rules which say drones must be operated below an altitude of 400 feet from the ground or a structure.

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Copyright and Algorithms

While in 2011 the “case of the macaque[monkey] selfie” went viral on wordwide social networks, recent exchanges between the Luxembourg Federation of Authors and Composers (Fédération Luxembourgeoise des Auteurs et Compositeurs), the Association of Authors, Composers and Musical Publishers’ Successor Advisory Committee (Commission Consultative des Ayants Droits de la Société des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Editeurs Musicaux or SACEM’s CCAD) and the Culture Ministry in 2017 push us to ask ourselves about the possibility of an algorithm being a copyright holder for its creations, and thus becoming a member of an association for authors and composers.

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No, I have nothing to do with leagle.com

For some time a crazed individual online has claimed that I have some sort of relationship with leagle.com. This is untrue. I do not now nor have I ever had any relationship with that web site.

Out of curiosity, I looked up some court records and it appears as though the owner’s name really is (or at one time was) Don Johnson. You can read more about regarding leagle.com’s ownership by browsing the criminal case filed against an individual who allegedly tried to hack the site to take down unflattering information that he didn’t want on the internet, courtesy of courtlistener.com: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/7470470/united-states-v-jahanrakhshan/

For instance, see here: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/7470470/80/united-states-v-jahanrakhshan/

Jerry Steinport Orchestra

If you found this page because you found a recording (record album or tape or any other type of recording) of the Jerry Steinport Orchestra, please contact me at steinport@fastmail.com.

Band Members:

Front row (left to right): Tenor Sax – Herb Beam, Alto Sax – Elaine Shaw, Alto Sax – Leroy Clements, Tenor Sax – Bob Castilano, Piano – Betty Philipus

Back row (left to right): Trombone – Dick Reme, Trombone – Mugsy Seagul, Drums – Dick Hoag, Trumpets: Milford Monitor, Shorty Whitney, Warren Roatz

Standing – Conductor, Jerry (Gerald) Steinport (RIP)

Jerry (Gerald) Edwin Steinport passed away on April 14, 2016. (RIP)

This memory was copied from here [archive]:

Does anyone remember the Jerry Steinport Orchestra. Jerry played every Saturday night at the old Phil Oosterhouse Ballroom above Moore’s Hobby Shop across from Herpolsheimers on Division and Fulton. The band was comprised of students from many of the area high schools, and we received $6.00 for playing four hours. Afterwards, we would go to Hattems for Chicken In the Rough. Those were good days.

Roger Plafkin–Plafkin Farms