Joshua Engel, Esq.
@joshuaaengel.com
Civil Rights & Appellate Attorney | Fmr Prosecutor | Father & Husband | Friend of Collies | Long-Suffering Cornhuskers Fan
Wilmington, Ohio has a referendum on rezoning of land to build a data center — a direct test of the electorate’s view of issue isolated from partisan politics
September 28, 2026 at 1:26 AM
Wilmington, Ohio has a referendum on rezoning of land to build a data center — a direct test of the electorate’s view of issue isolated from partisan politics
Lady Macbeth gets a double f-bomb when MacBeth forgets to leave the daggers at the murder scene (Act II, Scene 2):
Go get some water
And wash this filthy witness from your hand.—
Why did you bring these daggers from the place?
For fucks sake, they must lie theret… You had one fuckin’ job.
Go get some water
And wash this filthy witness from your hand.—
Why did you bring these daggers from the place?
For fucks sake, they must lie theret… You had one fuckin’ job.
September 27, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Lady Macbeth gets a double f-bomb when MacBeth forgets to leave the daggers at the murder scene (Act II, Scene 2):
Go get some water
And wash this filthy witness from your hand.—
Why did you bring these daggers from the place?
For fucks sake, they must lie theret… You had one fuckin’ job.
Go get some water
And wash this filthy witness from your hand.—
Why did you bring these daggers from the place?
For fucks sake, they must lie theret… You had one fuckin’ job.
I was informed — by the very best and most credible journalists — that wearing pins and pocket squares with the text for the First Amendment would solve the whole problem!
September 18, 2026 at 8:03 PM
I was informed — by the very best and most credible journalists — that wearing pins and pocket squares with the text for the First Amendment would solve the whole problem!
3/ The OSHP colonel acknowledged this fact, and responded only, “yes, but people expect troopers to look a certain way”
September 16, 2026 at 12:05 PM
3/ The OSHP colonel acknowledged this fact, and responded only, “yes, but people expect troopers to look a certain way”
2/ Someone smartly illustrated the lack of relationship to fitness to do the job by stating, “you mean the starting linebackers for Buckeyes — who would not meet the weight requirements — can’t run down a bad guy?”
September 16, 2026 at 12:05 PM
2/ Someone smartly illustrated the lack of relationship to fitness to do the job by stating, “you mean the starting linebackers for Buckeyes — who would not meet the weight requirements — can’t run down a bad guy?”
Penn used to sing a version of John Brown's Body/Battle Hymn of the Republic starting with the line "Hang Jeff Davis on a sour apple tree"
The song is mostly retired now (the lyrics were mostly vulgar nonsense), but presumably anti-secessionist sentiment remains strong
youtu.be/onL_7cD6tTk
The song is mostly retired now (the lyrics were mostly vulgar nonsense), but presumably anti-secessionist sentiment remains strong
youtu.be/onL_7cD6tTk
Hang Jeff Davis (2006)
YouTube video by The University of Pennsylvania Band - Topic
youtu.be
September 12, 2026 at 12:38 PM
Penn used to sing a version of John Brown's Body/Battle Hymn of the Republic starting with the line "Hang Jeff Davis on a sour apple tree"
The song is mostly retired now (the lyrics were mostly vulgar nonsense), but presumably anti-secessionist sentiment remains strong
youtu.be/onL_7cD6tTk
The song is mostly retired now (the lyrics were mostly vulgar nonsense), but presumably anti-secessionist sentiment remains strong
youtu.be/onL_7cD6tTk
Great example of why “time doesn’t exist, yet it controls us anyway”
September 6, 2026 at 12:20 PM
Great example of why “time doesn’t exist, yet it controls us anyway”
I suppose there’s no point in observing that the bar exam is an antiquated custom that tests mostly irrelevant knowledge which should be abolished
July 29, 2026 at 3:12 PM
I suppose there’s no point in observing that the bar exam is an antiquated custom that tests mostly irrelevant knowledge which should be abolished
Maybe I am one of the last free speech absolutists, but after watching the video this preaching seems mostly harmless
A marketplace of ideas sometimes means putting up with annoying speakers; a brief sermon while waiting to deplane is pretty low down on list of indignities suffered while flying
A marketplace of ideas sometimes means putting up with annoying speakers; a brief sermon while waiting to deplane is pretty low down on list of indignities suffered while flying
July 28, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Maybe I am one of the last free speech absolutists, but after watching the video this preaching seems mostly harmless
A marketplace of ideas sometimes means putting up with annoying speakers; a brief sermon while waiting to deplane is pretty low down on list of indignities suffered while flying
A marketplace of ideas sometimes means putting up with annoying speakers; a brief sermon while waiting to deplane is pretty low down on list of indignities suffered while flying
Being on an airplane when a lot of people are watching a big game is a unique communal experience — there is less conversation and the otherwise quiet hum of the aircraft gets punctured by cheers, groans, and oooohs
July 19, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Being on an airplane when a lot of people are watching a big game is a unique communal experience — there is less conversation and the otherwise quiet hum of the aircraft gets punctured by cheers, groans, and oooohs
Colorado … because of both Coach McCartney and Ralphie
July 18, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Colorado … because of both Coach McCartney and Ralphie
But, but, but… some journalists had the audacity to wear First Amendment pins and pocket squares to the WHCD
I mean, they still attended to dinner… but they showed everyone that they *actually* value freedom over access, right?
I mean, they still attended to dinner… but they showed everyone that they *actually* value freedom over access, right?
July 16, 2026 at 10:29 AM
But, but, but… some journalists had the audacity to wear First Amendment pins and pocket squares to the WHCD
I mean, they still attended to dinner… but they showed everyone that they *actually* value freedom over access, right?
I mean, they still attended to dinner… but they showed everyone that they *actually* value freedom over access, right?
Really admire the beagle courage and confidence: “I don’t know what is in this hole… but whatever it is, I can take it!”
(Meanwhile, our golden retriever is afraid of the baby pool)
(Meanwhile, our golden retriever is afraid of the baby pool)
July 3, 2026 at 4:41 PM
Really admire the beagle courage and confidence: “I don’t know what is in this hole… but whatever it is, I can take it!”
(Meanwhile, our golden retriever is afraid of the baby pool)
(Meanwhile, our golden retriever is afraid of the baby pool)
When you “Move fast and break things" sometimes things just get broken…
I think this is why the reflecting pool story resonates so strongly with a lot of people
I think this is why the reflecting pool story resonates so strongly with a lot of people
June 28, 2026 at 7:11 PM
When you “Move fast and break things" sometimes things just get broken…
I think this is why the reflecting pool story resonates so strongly with a lot of people
I think this is why the reflecting pool story resonates so strongly with a lot of people
I am going to try the same argument the next time a school tries to expel one of my clients for using AI for a paper or exam
I guess expelling *these* students from school would also deny them access to the community and the support, monitoring, and oversight to overcome *their* ethical lapses
I guess expelling *these* students from school would also deny them access to the community and the support, monitoring, and oversight to overcome *their* ethical lapses
June 10, 2026 at 7:48 PM
I am going to try the same argument the next time a school tries to expel one of my clients for using AI for a paper or exam
I guess expelling *these* students from school would also deny them access to the community and the support, monitoring, and oversight to overcome *their* ethical lapses
I guess expelling *these* students from school would also deny them access to the community and the support, monitoring, and oversight to overcome *their* ethical lapses
The inverse is also true -- very few journalists know how to effectively cross-examine a witness
Ex: journalists rarely correctly impeach with prior inconsistent statements; they just ask someone to explain a shift in views, which gives the illusion of being a "tough interview" but allows easy out
Ex: journalists rarely correctly impeach with prior inconsistent statements; they just ask someone to explain a shift in views, which gives the illusion of being a "tough interview" but allows easy out
June 7, 2026 at 3:51 PM
The inverse is also true -- very few journalists know how to effectively cross-examine a witness
Ex: journalists rarely correctly impeach with prior inconsistent statements; they just ask someone to explain a shift in views, which gives the illusion of being a "tough interview" but allows easy out
Ex: journalists rarely correctly impeach with prior inconsistent statements; they just ask someone to explain a shift in views, which gives the illusion of being a "tough interview" but allows easy out
Now I feel that not naming our intramural basketball team in law school “Beyond Contempt” was a real missed opportunity
June 5, 2026 at 6:52 PM
Now I feel that not naming our intramural basketball team in law school “Beyond Contempt” was a real missed opportunity
Good point!
I have observed that one of the primary skills people with “leadership” degrees develop is fluency in the type of business-speak BS (SWOT, Six Sigma, etc…) that is especially appealing to the types of people who now tend to, as you observed, make up much of governing boards
I have observed that one of the primary skills people with “leadership” degrees develop is fluency in the type of business-speak BS (SWOT, Six Sigma, etc…) that is especially appealing to the types of people who now tend to, as you observed, make up much of governing boards
May 24, 2026 at 11:50 PM
Good point!
I have observed that one of the primary skills people with “leadership” degrees develop is fluency in the type of business-speak BS (SWOT, Six Sigma, etc…) that is especially appealing to the types of people who now tend to, as you observed, make up much of governing boards
I have observed that one of the primary skills people with “leadership” degrees develop is fluency in the type of business-speak BS (SWOT, Six Sigma, etc…) that is especially appealing to the types of people who now tend to, as you observed, make up much of governing boards