Tag: Legal

The Lasting Legacy of Heaven’s Gate: A Cult’s Continuing Online Presence | February 28 2026, 04:09

Remember the American cult that had 39 members simultaneously self-extinguish in a mansion near San Diego, believing that they would be picked up by aliens? Well, their website is still up and running. The earliest version of this site from 1999 is virtually indistinguishable from what’s on the site now. The only difference is the ® symbol, which was after the name of the cult in 1999, but not now.

I Googled what’s up with their trademark registration. Just recently, in 2020, the company “The Evolutionary Level Above Human Foundation” registered (or renewed) rights to this trademark. The category is indeed listed as Lace, Ribbons, Embroidery, Fancy Goods, but the name of the company leaves no doubt that they are thinking about aliens.

I Googled some more. Turns out, this foundation, The Evolutionary Level Above Human (TELAH), acts as the “guardian of the legacy of the group ‘Heaven’s Gate'”, and has sued Stephen Havel and other defendants for copyright and trademark infringements, accusing them of illegally distributing archival materials and selling themed merchandise. The last update shows the parties are obligated to hold a meeting by the end of March 2024 to try to negotiate confidentiality and authentication of evidence without further judicial intervention.

Specifically, the foundation consists of real people from Arizona, Mark and Sara King, and the organization is registered as a corporation. They respond to emails and send out books and cassettes if you transfer them money.

Other former members are trying to challenge their “right” to use cult materials, such as recordings on tapes in court.

In short, some kind of life goes on there.

That is, the next time you think of Flat Earthers as “some pranksters pretending to be weirdos”, remember these folks, maintaining their website and selling books by their “prophets”.

Unraveling the True Meaning of “Admission to the Bar” | October 14 2025, 01:20

It turns out that the phrase “barristers must gain admission to the bar” is not at all about bars and baristas, as I would have thought, had I not read that it’s actually about lawyers in the US. Admission to the bar” — is the official admission to legal practice (for barristers). And a Barrister” is a lawyer who represents clients in court. There’s also Solicitor” — a lawyer who works with clients and documents.

Historically, bar” literally means a bar (barrier) in court, separating the area where the judges and lawyers sit from the rest of the hall. Being called to the bar” means being called to the barrier,” i.e., being admitted to represent cases in court. Today, the bar” refers to the legal profession as a whole or the legal community.

Actually, it all started when I saw the title (professional designation) “Esq.” with a guy’s name and realized I didn’t understand any of these letters often listed after names. There are a lot of them, and you’ve probably seen PhD, M.D., or CPA numerous times.