Social Econ Blog

The Smoking Gun points us to the most awesome federal judge, ever. Kudos to judge Lief Clark, who was so underwhelmed by a lawyer's brief that he quoted from Adam Sandler's, "Billy Madison." Specifically he quotes one of the judges responses to Billy Madison's "superficially reasonable" but "lacking in substance" description of "The Puppy Who Lost His Way" in the final competition for Madison Hotels:

Mr. Madison what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response was there anything that could even be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

Let's get this guy on the Supreme Court.

P.S. Don't take my amusement at this comment as any sort of reflection on the quality of your first paper assignments.

Although, one of the recommendations that comes up at grading workshps is to have a sheet which describes the shorthand used in margin comments. I don't make margin comments any more, but can you imagine a coming across a margin comment that is "Billy Madison" and you look over at the translation and see the above quote. I think that would be pretty funny, but then, I derive an enormous amount of sadistic pleasure thinking up ways to torment students about grades. Some other time I will describe some of my other schemes (none of which I ever actually implement).