Links for June 18th through June 24th

Sometime between June 18th and June 24th, I thought this stuff was interesting. You might think so too!

• SCOTUSblog » Today’s Decision in Doe v. Reed: "By a broad eight-to-one majority in an opinion by the Chief Justice, the Supreme Court today held in Doe v. Reed that signatories of referendum petitions generally do not have a constitutional right — i.e., a right that would trump state open government laws — to keep their identities private. But the Court held — again, by the same broad majority — that courts should consider in any given case whether a particular referendum presents sufficiently unique circumstances that anonymity is required. It therefore permitted the claim to anonymity in this case, which involves a referendum on gay rights, to proceed in the lower courts. But their chances of prevailing appear very slim, as five members of the Court either expressed significant doubts about their claim or expressly rejected it."
• Supreme Court on R-71: Names on Anti-Gay Rights Petition Public: "The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the names of people who signed petitions in an attempt to overturn a new gay rights law in Washington must be made public, a victory for state officials who said the case was a test of open government laws."
• My Four-Year-Old Son Plays Grand Theft Auto: "At this point my son was familiar with the game's mechanics and hopped into the ambulance. As he put the crime fighting behind him, he wondered aloud if it was possible to take people to the hospital. I instruct him to press R3, and then he was off to save a few lives. He was having a blast racing from point to point, picking up people in need, and then speeding off to Las Venturas Hospital. During one of his life saving adventures, he passed a fire house with a big, red, shiny fire truck parked out front. He didn't want to let his passengers down, so he took them to the hospital and then asked if I could guide him back to the fire truck."
• "Login" Is Not a Verb: "Despite what many people –mostly in the computer field– think, 'login' is not a verb. It's simply not. Whether or not 'login' is a word at all may spark a debate in some circles, but assuming it is then it may act as many parts of speech, but not as a verb. I will repeat the important part for clarity: 'login' is not a verb. It's simply not."
• The iPad: A Near-Miracle for My Son With Autism: "My son Leo's life was transformed when a five-dollar raffle ticket turned into a brand-new iPad. I'm not exaggerating. Before the iPad, Leo's autism made him dependent on others for entertainment, play, learning, and communication. With the iPad, Leo electrifies the air around him with independence and daily new skills. People who know Leo are amazed when they see this new boy rocking that iPad. I'm impressed, too, especially when our aggressively food-obsessed boy chooses to play with his iPad rather than eat. I don't usually dabble in miracle-speak, but I may erect a tiny altar to Steve Jobs in the corner of our living room."