May 21, 2013

Is it legal to...

Here's how Google tried to complete the search for me:
Is it legal to carry a knife in Wisconsin
to make moonshine in Iowa
to make moonshine
to flip off a cop
to own a fox
Is that special for me? In fact, none of those guesses is correct. I'd say "own a fox" is closest. Photos coming soon will reveal what my question was, and I would not actually do what I was wondering about.

ADDED: We've got a turkey that seems to be taking up residence in our backyard:



Untitled

95 comments:

Amartel said...

Is it legal to work at Fox?

bagoh20 said...

"I would not actually do what I was wondering about."

Riiiiiiight. That's what they all say ma'am.

Nonapod said...

Mine came up:

to make moonshine
to own a fox
to grow tobbacco
to carry a knife

John Borell said...

Mine (strange, I'm not interested in any of these either):

is it legal to make moonshine for personal use

is it legal to make moonshine

is it legal to carry a knife in Ohio

is it legal to grow tobacco in Ohio

John Borell said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sharc said...

Is it legal to own a hedgehog in ohio
Is it legal to make moonshine
Is it legal to carry a gun in ohio
Is it legal to make moonshine for personal consumption


So, definitely personalized. (They know me well.)

Nonapod said...

I'm guessing the fox thing is about those domesticated Russian foxes that everyone's been so interested in.

Yu-Ain Gonnano said...

Isn't is a bit sad, that the law has become so clutered with malum prohibitum (instead of malum in se) that the presumption now is that you have to ask that question?

Synova said...

I get... carry a gun in New Mexico... ask someone for their password... and make moonshine.

Mark S said...

In Arizona:

record a conversation
carry a knife
own a hedgehog
own a fox

I'm a little curious about the hedgehog one.

bagoh20 said...

Nice Amartel. And as for the answer, well:

"There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware

I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind

I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down"

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Funny. Since I'm in the Evergreen State the first thing mine came up with was "is it legal to smoke weed in Washington?". How could you not know? Sort of speaks to the whole low-information voter thing, which we have entire counties of.

Unknown said...

I get:
open carry in Utah
film police " "
carry a gun " "
make moonshine

I wonder why they think I'm so concerned about Utah? Maybe that's the closest geographical area they monitor from. Nobody gives a rat's ass what happens in Wyoming.

Kevin said...

Hedgehogs are due to all the cute hedgehog videos on youtube.

Moonshine has be baffled though. People still make moonshine? (play on words not intended)

bagoh20 said...

My first suggestion came in as:

"Is it illegal to jailbreak?"

Really, people ask that?

Why no, it's perfectly fine if you get away with it. Didn't you see "Shawshank Redemption"?

rehajm said...

I noticed a few months ago Google's suggestions became less relevant. It was during election time and some of the searches seemed less like just missing the mark and more like manipulative political propaganda. But my tinfoil hat feels kind of tight from time to time, too.

Anonymous said...

In Connecticut:

-own a tank
-own a hedgehog in Connecticut
-make moonshine
-dumpster dive in CT

answers:
- yes
- yes
- no
- kind of (there can be trespassing charges)

Anonymous said...

In Connecticut:

-own a tank
-own a hedgehog in Connecticut
-make moonshine
-dumpster dive in CT

answers:
- yes
- yes
- no
- kind of (there can be trespassing charges)

bagoh20 said...

As soon as the guards see you outside the fence, they just wave and wish you well.

In a way, that's actually true.

rehajm said...

to grow tobacco (MA)

Meade said...

Here's a hint. Recently in the news:

Prime Minister of _____.

Irene said...

One choice: "Is it legal to eat yourself."

Kate Danaher said...

I live in Ireland. I get:

...own a monkey in Ireland
...smoke weed in Ireland
...own a sloth in Ireland
...smoke weed in Amsterdam

Kevin said...

Jailbreaking is referring to unlocking cell phones from the original contracted vendor.

Amartel said...

Google "Is it legal"

to make moonshine in California
to carry a knife in California
to drive barefoot in California
to open carry in California

Bing "is it legal"
to make moonshine in California
to buy prescription drugs online
to download Youtube videos
to download music from Youtube
to record a conversation
to buy marijuana seeds
to travel to Cuba

Meade said...

Here's another hint:

Is it legal to take an umbrella and ____ _ _____.

rcommal said...

I also got ones about owning hedgehogs, monkeys and foxes (in a couple different states); making moonshine in a couple (in a couple different states); and carrying knives (in a couple different states). The last two appearing in the mobile window had to do with writing on mone and driving barefoot (no specific states).

The knife stuff was interesting not because of me (though I sometimes carry a smallish Leatherman in my purse), but because my husband always carries at least one pocket knife and my son often did in Iowa, but I'm more restrictive here in this one.

It'll be fun to figure out what you were researching.

Pastafarian said...

Huh, that's weird. Mine comes up:

to f*ck a hedgehog
to f*ck a fox
to give a hedgehog moonshine
to have a threesome with a fox and a hedgehog

I think someone else has been using my computer. Probably my hedgehog, he does some crazy stuff when he's drunk.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Wy sis,
It's probably because Utah carry permits are such a hot ticket in other states, since Utah ones have so many reciprocating states.

Pastafarian said...

With an umbrella? Jesus, Meade, that's animal cruelty. Leave that fox alone.

bagoh20 said...

"Is it legal to carry a knife in Wisconsin"

It's a funny thing about knives. Every single person has dozens of them in their kitchen within reach of children and anybody, yet walk out the front door with it, or even worse walk into a school or airport with one and you are going to jail, if you don't get shot first. You can be legally killed for holding the same thing in your hand in public as you do in your home in front of your kids

Is there anything else with that strange cultural dichotomy to it?

Nomennovum said...

Is it legal to take an umbrella and ____ _ _____.

Blanks = "leave without paying."

Meade said...

Pasta, sometimes an umbrella is just an umbrella.

And sometimes it's a semi-automatic assault weapon.

Pastafarian said...

With all of these partial queries about moonshine, walking barefoot, and domesticating indigenous wildlife, I no longer wonder why Honey Booboo was such a popular show.

It's like Ellie May Clampett bred with Jethro Bodeen and populated the entire internet.

rcommal said...

About the other states? None included the one in which I actually live now, but rather states adjoining it. I thought that was mildly amusing.

Nomennovum said...

"Is it legal to smoke in NYC?"

"Is it legal to kiss a girl without her permission while on campus?"

"Is it legal to call your wife a lying bitch?"

1. Probably not.
2. Probably not.
3. Probably not.

Meade said...

You are getting warmer. ...then one day he was shootin' at some food...

bagoh20 said...

"Jailbreaking is referring to unlocking cell phones from the original contracted vendor."

Thanks. I had no idea. I thought it was just called "unlocking". My faith in Google users is restored... for now.

Irene said...

Is it legal to use a Marine to hold an umbrella over a foreigner?

rhhardin said...

I have a sabre in the basement somewhere.

SJ said...

I get
"is it legal to" ... "own a wolf in michigan"
... "open carry in michigan"
... "carry a taser in michigan"
... "make mooonshine"

Google must know my State of residence, and think that I am likely to search for these things about Michigan law.

campy said...

Is it legal for a fox to flip off a cop while making moonshine?

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Mine is open carry

Make moonshine

Own a hedgehog

Carry a sword

Irene said...

Or, is it legal for a uniformed Marine to hold an umbrella:

"The sight of uniformed Marines holding umbrellas is "extremely rare" due to regulations that prohibit them from using the devices while in uniform, Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Greg Wolf told CNN.

The regulation exists because holding an umbrella makes it more difficult for Marines to salute.

The Marines were allowed to handle the umbrellas Thursday, however, because the President requested it, Wolf added.
"

bagoh20 said...

Jethro Bodine's show business name was "Beef Jerky" when he was trying to be a Hollywood producer, playboy, and social sophisticate.

One of my favorite trivia facts, and proof that being a comedy writer is great gig.

Anonymous said...

on Bing, I got:

"it it legal to drive barefoot"

rhhardin said...

Nobody has mentioned umbrella steps in the SCOTUS game of May I.

rcommal said...

Bagoh20: Right on about the knives! And it leads to funny situations. I remember a couple of years back someone being shocked that my son had a small cub-scout type pocket knife, and I thought it was hilarious because that very same person had previously been do impressed with my kid's kitchen knife skills (and we have very good ones, which he's allowed to use: you know, properly sharpened chef's knives, etc.). People are funny, but then, I suppose we all are in one way or another.

MadisonMan said...

If you had a dog, that turkey wouldn't come calling.

bagoh20 said...

A turkey can be kept off of your property with a bowl of gravy left in plain view.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Do you have wild turkeys in Madison? We have a ton here in NH.

Expat(ish) said...

@ann - if you want to get rid of a turkey, buy a turkey gun, camouflage, expensive scent remover, and several thousand dollars worth of calls. Practice for years to perfect the calls. Then hunt turkey.

You will neer see a turkey again.

During season, anyway.

-XC

Irene said...

Be careful when you go out to pick up the mail. Those birds have big claws.

Meade said...

Is it legal - if, say, the president is visiting Madison, Wisconsin and stops by to request a bowl of turkey soup - to hunt and kill a turkey in your own back yard?

How about if you hunt and kill the turkey with an umbrella? At the request of the famished POTUS?

Nomennovum said...

Is it legal to feed a bear riding a bike a monkey on a stick?

Googles answer: Yes it is

Dr Weevil said...

I tried Binging it and got exactly the same list as Amartel's 3:17pm Bing list except mine did not include "in California". The next three, which Amartel did not list, were more interesting:

"Is it legal to charge a credit card fee"
"Is it legal" [sic!]
"It is legal to own a sloth"

All I can say about the last is that I'm grateful it's legal to be a sloth in my state, or I'd be in big trouble. If I ever write my memoirs, I'm going to title them Beastly, All Too Beastly: Memoirs of a Five-Toed Sloth. Of course, if I ever write my memoirs I will have ceased to be a sloth.

Wow! I just checked again to make sure I wasn't misquoting Bing by omitting question marks, and owning a sloth is up from #10 to #9.

LuAnn Zieman said...

It's only legal to shoot a turkey in Wisconsin during the season, which occurs beginning in April through May, but one needs a permit for a specific week. How do I know. I'm married to a retired conservation warden. On the other hand, one can't discharge a firearm within the city limits either. You're out of luck! (Had you asked the question.)

Ann Althouse said...

LuAnn -- Thanks! I'd already found these rules:

http://dnr.wi.gov/files/PDF/pubs/wm/WM0430.pdf

So elaborate! How do normal people figure out what they are allowed to do?

Anyway, we would never shoot anything in our yard. We're practically downtown, in what you call the "inner ring" of suburbia.

But I was more imagining just catching it somehow. Not that I had any concrete plans. It's just... come on... there is a turkey in the yard!

fivewheels said...

I got the same results except for state names. Interesting that so many people got tobacco and I didn't, since I actually ordered seeds for a tobacco plant on the internet once upon a time (didn't get around to growing it, but thought it might be cool to try it as a houseplant).

Left Bank of the Charles said...

"If confronted by a wild turkey that has lost its fear of humans, an open umbrella may help steer it out of your path."

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/turkey.html

Scott M said...

I haven't checked lately, but did they ever repeal the law that would allow me to shoot whales from a moving car in Oregon?

Palladian said...

New York City:

Is it legal to carry a knife in nyc
Is it legal to make moonshine
Is it legal to carry a knife in nj
Is it legal to own a fox
Is it legal to carry a knife
Is it legal to own a tank
Is it legal to grow tobacco
Is it legal to own a wolf
Is it legal to record a conversation
Is it legal to carry a sword

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I had a funny reaction myself when I was looking something up yesterday... so much so I took a picture and meant to mention it but I think I forgot.

How do I

I'm thinking Google has me diagnosed as bipolar ;)

MadisonMan said...

How is it hunting the turkey if it's in plain sight in your back yard?

They could probably arrest you for a firearm discharge, and DNR would probably try to get you for hunting out of season. But sitting on your back porch and shooting something that comes into your yard isn't hunting IMO.

So if I shoot the squirrel that I saw eating green strawberries in my garden this morning, that's not squirrel hunting. Just so you know. Of course, the neighbors might be alarmed to hear the shotgun go off.

Lezer said...

what is the silliest ... gives, among other things: what is the silliest question ever asked?

Sorun said...

That's a hen, and they're not legal to hunt in the spring anyway. Usually the hens travel in groups. That one might be lost. I recommend chasing after it with a big cardboard box. After you've caught it, bring it to then nearest park. Then post the video.

Meade said...

"How is it hunting the turkey if it's in plain sight in your back yard?"

Okay then call it "stalking".

And I didn't want to shoot it. I just wanted to scare it to death with an umbrella.

Widmerpool said...

We get lots of these in our yard. The best is when the male shows up and struts.

traditionalguy said...

A good idea would be to stage fights between wild turkies and Canadian Geese. Meade can build the ring with chicken wire to keep them in untl the winner can crow over the dead duck.

I bet $10 on the turkey.

Crunchy Frog said...

Is it legal to...

carry a knife
open carry in California
own an owl in California
own a hedgehog in California

Sorun said...

I take it back - it might be a very young male. That would explain why it's alone.

edutcher said...

The answer to the question as is would be, "No".

According to the Choom Gang. Only what they do is legal.

Whatever it is.

Anent the turkey, next time you see him, ask to see his IRS ID.

Lipperman said...

You will get fined for killing a hen turkey during the spring hunting season - you can only kill Tom (mature), or Jake (juvenile) male turkeys, and you'll need a tag. If you apply for, and get, a fall turkey tag, then hens are also game. Of course, no hunting in city limits anyway!
Pretty neat to have a hen on your property. If she's taken up residence, you can bet she is sitting on eggs right now. If she flies up a tree a night to roost, she probably isn't.

Crunchy Frog said...

Jethro Bodine's show business name was "Beef Jerky" when he was trying to ...

...star in a porn film?

bagoh20 said...

Don't fall for this trap. If you just find it in your oven where it gets accidentally cooked by unnamed people, then the current Administration will be offering you a job. Don't take the job; it's a dead end.

Rabel said...

Similar results here except for this one:

Is it legal to eat your cat

Shanna said...

Why is everybody googling the legality of moonshine and foxes?

Mine came up:

to make moonshine
to open carry in arkansas
to make moonshine in arkansas
to own a fox in arkansas

Conclusion? Google knows where I live.

missred said...

Shared Blessings
The Turkey is the symbol of sacrifice.
It give life so others may live.
Many saints and mystics have Turkey as a totem.
 With a Turkey totem, you have transcended self.
You act and react on behalf of others.
This act is not a sense of moralism or guilt,
but a deep knowledge that all life is sacred.
What you do for others, you also do for yourself.
To have a Turkey totem is a true gift.
Its gift may be spiritual, material or intellectual.
Through giving to others will you reach your own goals.
The Turkey is linked to the third eye,
the seat of feminine energies within us, and the center for higher vision.
Turkey is also the symbol of the Mother Earth and her abundant harvest.
All of Earth's blessings and the ability to use them to their greatest advantage
are part of Turkey's teachings.

LuAnn Zieman said...

Our daughter used to drive to the home of an elderly gentleman to cut his hair. He told her how he trapped turkeys. He dug a narrow trench with a sloping entry, put some corn at the bottom and waited. The turkey, once it got to the corn, was unable to back out because its feathers pointed back. It couldn't turn around because the trench was too narrow. Also, some blacktop gentlemen from northern Wisconsin told us that people "Up North" trap turkeys in bedsprings. They sprinkle corn in the bedsprings and the turkeys trap themselves. Not that I would suggest doing any of these evil things!

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I just wanted to scare it to death with an umbrella.

Is it legal to feed turkeys in Wisconsin?

FleetUSA said...

I played the game "is it legal to" and one item was "own a tank". How ambiguous is that!

Big Mike said...

It's just... come on... there is a turkey in the yard!

Be grateful it's not a black bear.

Yu-Ain Gonnano said...

So elaborate! How do normal people figure out what they are allowed to do?

They don't. That's the point of the regulations: to scare of any but the most dedicated into not even bothering.

Dr Hubert Jackson said...

Remember the 3 S's when it comes to nuisance animals that may or may not be legal to get rid of.

Shoot, Shovel, Shut up!!!

MadisonMan said...

Meade, the turkey is stalking you!

wildswan said...

own a hedgehog in Wisconsin
open carry in Wisconsin
ride in the bed of a truck
grow tobacco
carry a sword
refuse to hire a white male

Michael said...

Have-a-heart trap if you want to dispatch it manually at Thanksgiving. Bait with corn or doughnut. Alternatively a net.

wildswan said...

Doing Google phrase look up is kind of fun, like torturing Siri by putting on little children

I did "After the" then each letter of the alphabet.
After the Apocalypse
After the burial
civil war
deadline
end
fall
gold rush
holocaust
italian surrender in August 1943
jump
kiss
love is gone
music stopped
night Linda Howard
after the offer, before the deal
party
quake analysis
rain
storm
tribulation
umbilical cord falls off
uprising of October 10, 1911
ultimate reset
Vietnam war
wedding
x factor
after the XYZ affair Congress voted
year of the snake
zombie apocalypse

Kate J said...

I'd fatten that bird up. Then see about the hunting regs.

CharlesVegas said...

Turkeys don't come in ones.

Mark said...

There's a turkey in the yard
There's a turkey in the yard
Like the con man flips the card
Just like Titus likes it hard
There's a turkey in the yard.

Anonymous said...

Earlier post:
"You know you’ve built a pretty good robot when nature itself has been fooled."
"And a group of robotics researchers at the University of Maryland got that compliment last month, when their robotic bird, dubbed 'Robo Raven' was attacked by a hawk."

We now have Robot Turkey Surveillance Unit fully Operational.

Unknown said...

In GA i didn't get the moonshine one but I got "to ship alcohol."

Apparently no one in GA worries about getting in hot water over making moonshine but we're very curious about whether we can legally profit by shipping our moonshine to all of the Yankees who have googled and found out that they're not allowed to make their own.

bgates said...

Is it legal to

I get "the law is irrelevant".

ken in tx said...

Mine came up like many others, about foxes, knives, and moonshine. Around here, there are several small distilleries getting federal licenses and making moonshine legally. Many of our mountain people came down the great wagon road from Pennsylvania after the whiskey rebellion in the late 1700s. Their families had already left northern Ireland to get away from the king's revenuers, and they moved again to get away from George Washington's. These days, some of them are branching out into growing marijuana.