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Friday Open Thread: And in Other News

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 11:16:10 AM EST
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A federal court in Virginia today will hear arguments on what to do with the data on the MegaUpload servers.

Jury selection is underway in the John Edwards trial. The witness list was released late yesterday. Not surprisingly, it includes Rielle Hunter and Andrew Young. The Judge told prospective jurors:

"This is not a case about whether Mr. Edwards was a good husband or politician," U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles told the jury pool. "It's about whether he violated campaign finance laws."

....“You can watch 'Law & Order’ and 'CSI’ 24 hours a day,” she said. “I know this will shock you, but they make stuff up.”

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

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    Friday Open Thread: And in Other News | 46 comments (46 topical)

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    Funny story from our Hawaii vacation (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by Dadler on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 12:07:26 PM EST
    Stayed in Kona last week.  Great trip, tho the sun made itself far too scarce, which bummed out my wife to no end.  On Wednesday, however, we took a tour of the Hilo side of the island with a local guide we had used previously (if you're ever on the Big Island, and want a tour of pretty much anything, give Warren Costa a holla at Native Guide Hawaii), and at the end of the day, we decided to make our way to a Puna beach park where there was a natural hot spring back a bit from the beach.  With me and my wife and our eleven year-old son behind him, our guide trudged over some rocks to the pool, only to find that it was occupied by a pair of naked young lovers in the middle of, well, being naked young lovers.  Disappointed, and a tad disgusted, our guide led us away, said we could hit another pool up the road. I turned to my son and said, "Well bud, at least now we don't need to have that birds and bees conversation we've both been dreading. I think you're pretty much set. Any questions?"  My son slugged me, as he should have.  Mahalo.

    For some reason, I thought of you (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by oculus on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 12:23:27 PM EST
    when I read the lede to this book review:
    Ted Heller

    Parent
    I have a question... (5.00 / 2) (#17)
    by kdog on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 02:06:08 PM EST
    did the little man ditch you to go see the rest of the show? ;)

    Reminds of the story of a family vacation to St. Maarten back in the day...Pops hit the Pick 4 straight and off we went to El Caribe.  I think I was 12 or 13, and was fiending to do some snorkeling...so we go to buy some gear and the guy said Cupecoy Beach had the best snorkeling.  What he neglected to tell us was Cupecoy was a nude beach.  So we arrive to a sea of twigs and berries, coconuts and clams...Moms and big sis were mortified, Pops was amused, and I was a pig in sh*t.  Little bro was too young to make heads or tails of it, he was most concerned that I let him use the new flippers.

    Long story short, I got my snorkeling in while the girls stared at the sand for 2 hours, and Pops went looking for beer.  I saw more of the wild then I ever thought possible that afternoon;)

    Parent

    He was mortified (none / 0) (#19)
    by Dadler on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 02:41:15 PM EST
    Swears he saw nothing, but that was technically impossible with the view we had.  Still bruised where he slugged me.  Our guide say he would've thrown rocks at them if he were alone.  Only because it's really a public pool, and since there isn't a skimmer there to clean things up, well, you get the idea.  The locals at the beach were more amused, actually, at the sight of my uber-gringo white feet.  I told them I'd been in a farm accident and had to have a double foot transplant, with a deceased albino being the only donor available.  They laughed hard, a little too hard sometimes, but I'm a good sport.

    Parent
    Mortified by... (none / 0) (#24)
    by kdog on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 02:58:34 PM EST
    his old man's comments, not the show, that's my bet;)  

    Rocks is pretty harsh, and dangerous, does Hawaii have a stand your ground against exhibitionists law?  

    Thanks for reminding to start going barefoot to try to get my own pair of uber-gringo dogs tanned for my long-awaited postponed Mexico jaunt...if not I'm stealing your albino double-foot transplant line, I too fight embarassment with heavy doses of self-deprecation.  Laughing with is always better than being laughed at.  Well played sir, and glad the fam had a good time and got a good story out of it, that will bring the gift of laughter for years to come.


    Parent

    Hawaii's vice laws concerning sex ... (none / 0) (#38)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 09:08:31 PM EST
    ... and public nudity are surprisingly quite puritanical, which is yet another unfortunate legacy of the American Protestant missionaries, I suppose.

    But given that 75% of the state population lives on my home island of Oahu, which is not exactly one of the bigger islands, and are further to be found mostly along that island's south shore, you'll note that overwhelming majority of our islands' lands is actually quite rural and sparsely populated.

    (Check out this full-color NASA satellite photo of the main Hawaiian Islands, and then click on it to expand it to full size. It'll give you a pretty good idea of how rural the islands actually are.)

    The Big Island of Hawaii is nearly seven times the size of Oahu in surface area, yet its population density is a little less than 40 persons / sq. mi., while Oahu's is nearly 1,800 / sq. mi.

    Further, about 78,000 of the Big Island's population of 175,000 reside in Hilo and its immediate vicinity -- which is where I am right now -- on the east side of the island. Another 37,000 live over in Kona on the west side, 100 miles away. About 19,000 live in the Waimea and Kohala districts on the north side, and the rest are scattered about in various small towns and villages around the island.

    Therefore, suffice to say that if you're out in the country on the Big Island, the chances of you getting busted by the police in the type of personally compromising position which you wouldn't want your own mother to see, are somewhere between slim and none.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    speaking of jury selection (5.00 / 3) (#22)
    by desmoinesdem on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 02:45:42 PM EST
    heard a funny story from an acquaintance in a different state. Charge is conspiracy to distribute base cocaine. Judge asks prospective jurors if anyone knows the prosecutor, defendant, or any of the attorneys. One prospective juror says yes. Who do you know? The defendant. How do you know him? I bought crack from him.

    Judge dismissed the entire pool...

    Hilarious! (5.00 / 2) (#23)
    by jbindc on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 02:47:26 PM EST


    Parent
    Honest to a fault... (5.00 / 2) (#26)
    by kdog on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 03:19:25 PM EST
    he/she coulda maybe led the jury to the promised land of jury nullification and gotten some free rock outta the deal.

    Or perhaps it is a very clever get out of jury duty fib, for the whole pool!

    Parent

    Skittles art of Zimmerman titled (5.00 / 1) (#46)
    by Angel on Sat Apr 14, 2012 at 06:11:25 PM EST
    titled "Fear Itself" created by a Denver artist.

    http://tinyurl.com/Skittles-art

    Is Colorado (none / 0) (#1)
    by TeresaInSnow2 on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 11:54:39 AM EST
    Is Colorado worth seeing in early June?  Planning a photographic trip.

    I think so - still very green (none / 0) (#3)
    by ruffian on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 12:18:38 PM EST
    and wildflowers are still out. Much later than that and the brown takes over.

    Still can be a little chilly though, but that is unpredictable.

    Parent

    I have wonderful memories (none / 0) (#5)
    by Towanda on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 12:44:59 PM EST
    of the Fort Collins area in June -- and in many other months of the year, when our family had a horse ranch near there.  Yes, per the other comment, it could get cool in evenings and on the  trails as we went up the mountains or in shade, but that was fine compared to the hotter sun.  (However, I did learn about mountain sun and loved it, as my burn turned into a tan there, but I only burn and then peel, ugh, elsewhere.)

    The scenery was wonderful-to-breathtaking, no matter whether green, still brown and not yet in bloom, or gray (the rocks).  And the sunrises and sunsets provided many other hues for your photos.

    Estes Park, though . . . it's tundra, anytime.  I do think that you might like to plan for photos there, anyway, as tundra flora are fascinating.

    Parent

    I'm sure that would be news... (none / 0) (#21)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 02:43:32 PM EST
    to the fine folks in Estes Park.  Perhaps you are thinking of Rocky Mountain National Park?

    Parent
    Really? Estes offers "tundra tours" (none / 0) (#33)
    by Towanda on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 07:13:24 PM EST
    and similar such tundra-named activities, I see from The Google.  

    I checked because it has been decades since I was there -- the memory is that marvelous that I can see the views from the tour in my mind's eye -- and you are a Coloradoan now, of course.  

    Anyway:  To Teresa, if you're heading toward either Estes or Rocky Mountain parks, I recommend trekking through the tundra, with lenses or f-stops or whatever for both the majestic views and close-ups of tiny tundra flora and more.  

    Parent

    Yes! Trail Ridge Road through the RMNP (none / 0) (#34)
    by ruffian on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 08:21:58 PM EST
    is a must-drive. That is where you get high enough to see the tundra. Estes Park is the town near one of the entrances to RMNP, and while there is not tundra right in town, it is pretty close!

    Parent
    I am showing my laziness ....there are probably (none / 0) (#35)
    by ruffian on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 08:23:19 PM EST
    probably hiking trails to the tundra too, but I have only ever driven there!

    Parent
    And all my life (none / 0) (#36)
    by CoralGables on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 08:35:18 PM EST
    I thought the tundra was at Lambeau National Park.

    Parent
    Yep. (none / 0) (#37)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 08:55:23 PM EST
    Trail Ridge is the highest continuous highway in the US.  12,183' at its highest point--well above tree line.  Lots and lots of trails to get you up that high in RMNP too.  

    Estes is the eastern gateway to the National Park. Lots of outfitters and tours are based out of town. Aside from that and its over abundance of elk running around town, it is known for being the home of the Stanley Hotel, which was the hotel in The Shining.    

    On the western side of Trail Ridge is Grand Lake.  A little less touristy than Estes, it is historically the Summer playground of Denver's old, old money. Great place for seeing moose as well as blue bloods.  

    Parent

    Colorado is always worth seeing.... (none / 0) (#6)
    by christinep on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 12:47:30 PM EST
    In early June--depending upon where your plans carry you--it is more than worth considering a hike up to Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon. Spiritual refreshment together with photographic rewards. (see any number of tributes & memories of Hanging Lake from everywhere visitors via Google, etc.). The runoff should still be good at the lake, and on the convergence of the Colorado & Roaring Fork Rivers. Staying for a night or two in Glenwood Springs can be a delightful way to imbibe it all...topped off with a wonderful swim in one-of-the-best-pools known (in line with my childhood sentimental favorite in PA's Knoebels' Grove) at the Glenwood Springs. (Check out the history & present day reality of these Indian curative springs at Glenwood's website/webcam.). Down the road, about a forty-five minute drive along the Crystal River, is Aspen...photographic & interesting Aspen.  BTW, an alternative to driving from Denver to Glenwood is  the morning train from downtown Denver near the historic Oxford Hotel.

    Many, many things to do in Denver in early June...from the early summer art festivals to the end-of-season concerts meeting the beginning of summer concert series.

    If time in the mountains is short, a good combo of city & front range experience that can easily be tasted in a short day is the hour-west drive on I70 io the Bakersville area just this side of the Continental Divide exiting at Herman's Gulch.  There, in about a half day & a moderately easy hike about one to one-half miles, one can experience the reality of being engulfed by Rockies, fishing stream, & a jaunt up to the emerald-hued lake under a craggy cathedral of the divide...with the open mountain meadow below a serene place for cheese & bread...and return to Denver in time for dinner.

    I love rambling on about the expanding joys of Colorado....

    Parent

    Supposed to be the best rafting (none / 0) (#7)
    by oculus on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 12:51:37 PM EST
    for the non-faint-of heart.  

    Parent
    The Colorado through Glen Canyon? (none / 0) (#20)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 02:42:18 PM EST
    Yeah, that's not bad.  My vote would go to the Arkansas through the Royal Gorge though.

    Parent
    Brown River? Hearsay as to me. (none / 0) (#31)
    by oculus on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 06:17:36 PM EST


    Parent
    Arkansas River is my favorite (none / 0) (#27)
    by ruffian on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 03:51:40 PM EST
    lots of great trips there ...Royal Gorge, and other parts of the river.

    Also the Roaring Forks in the Aspen area...

    lots of fun to be had

    Parent

    Oh, yes (none / 0) (#14)
    by sj on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 01:36:35 PM EST
    Just... yes.

    Parent
    I hope you get a chance to read this (none / 0) (#40)
    by TeresaInSnow2 on Sat Apr 14, 2012 at 09:58:53 AM EST
    I knew it, I knew it!  I knew that if I posted something like this, I would get a wealth of information back.  

    Now I have to sit down and figure out what of all of this wealth incorporates into our schedule.

    We have a wild dream of going to down to Utah slot canyons and salt flats, over to Colorado, up thru Yellowstone and then finally to my niece's wedding in Missoula.  With any luck, we can get some semblance of all of it accomplished.  With your help, I may now know  where to go!

    Thanks all.
    Teresa

    Parent

    For oculus... (none / 0) (#8)
    by kdog on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 12:56:28 PM EST
    selling mini Eiffel Towers without a permit...off with their heads!

    At least it wasn't a child's permit-less lemonade stand getting raided this time.

    Strange. The first article I read (none / 0) (#9)
    by oculus on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 01:04:33 PM EST
    gave the weight of the mini towers seized vs. the weight of the real thing.  

    Parent
    Them socialists don't f8ck around... (none / 0) (#10)
    by kdog on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 01:08:31 PM EST
    with requiring "authorization" to hawk some souvenirs to obnoxious Americans...you'd think it was brain surgery or something.

    I wonder if "authorization" is really about price-fixing.

    Parent

    Probably about money due to the government. (none / 0) (#30)
    by oculus on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 06:14:26 PM EST


    Parent
    Wanna give some props... (none / 0) (#11)
    by kdog on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 01:13:41 PM EST
    to the shop owners who took time out of their bnusy lives to bang their head against the authoritarian wall in defense of their constitutional rights and their livelyhoods.

    "I feel like we are being railroaded here," said Sean Quinn, the pony-tailed owner of Matoska Spirits in upstate Newark. "They are violating our constitutional rights."

    Igor Broos, co-owner of the Shining Star Enterprises tobacco shop in Albany, said he's been losing $1,000 a day since the ban was imposed on March 28.

    "We limit mass buying. We try to be as responsible as possible as sellers," Broos told Administrative Judge William Lynch. "Stupidity, you cannot prevent."

    Damn right fellas...stupidity in power especially can't be stopped.  Deafer ears are hard to find.

    TV lawyers (none / 0) (#12)
    by CoralGables on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 01:15:47 PM EST
    strike again.

    The law firm of the husband of the Judge in the Zimmerman case has signed on to do legal commentary for CNN.

    And Jeralyn (none / 0) (#13)
    by CoralGables on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 01:28:13 PM EST
    has put up a  new post on it
     HERE

    Parent
    Not the lawfirm (none / 0) (#15)
    by gyrfalcon on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 01:47:40 PM EST
    I don't think, just an individual, Mark Nejame, and he was doing commentary on this case for CNN since well before the judge was assigned.

    He himself brought up the potential conflict of interest as a problem when he learned who the judge was that was assigned.

    Parent

    I may have phrased it poorly (none / 0) (#16)
    by CoralGables on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 01:59:41 PM EST
    The husband of the judge works for Mark Nejame's law firm. Also the Zimmerman family discussed with  Nejame about taking the case and it's being reported that Nejame opted for the CNN gig instead and recommended O'Mara.

    Parent
    Nejame is doing CNN (none / 0) (#32)
    by gyrfalcon on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 06:26:10 PM EST
    and turned down Zimmerman.  There isn't necessarily a cause-and-effect here.  A trial like this one is going to take an enormous amount out of everybody involved.  He didn't want to do that.  TV commentary is basically stress-free and only takes a few hours a week.

    Parent
    Anonymous Hacker Busted... (none / 0) (#18)
    by ScottW714 on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 02:25:40 PM EST
    ...by FBI who tracked the GPS data of photos he posted of his girlfriends... attributes used to taunt authorities.

    TOO FUNNY.

    It's official... (none / 0) (#25)
    by kdog on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 03:04:24 PM EST
    I'm never getting a "smart" phone.

    Tough break for the alleged hacker, but needless to say I like his style dude.

    Parent

    Hackers In Gerneral... (none / 0) (#29)
    by ScottW714 on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 04:16:54 PM EST
    ...have a real style about them, outlaw nerds, but I would think forgetting about the meta data in a photo has got to be some sort hacker no/no.  It's easy to remove and so egregious it makes me wonder if he really was part of Anonymous or if he, or the FBI, just thinks he is.

    And sorry, but all phones will eventually stamp the location data on all photos.

    Parent

    Not if you have (none / 0) (#43)
    by Zorba on Sat Apr 14, 2012 at 02:44:16 PM EST
    a "stupid" phone like mine, which does not take photos.  (Yes, it's a pretty old cell phone.  My kids laugh at me with this phone.  Hey, it works!  For calling people up and receiving calls- that's all I care about.)

    Parent
    no, this cannot be! (none / 0) (#28)
    by cpinva on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 04:16:27 PM EST
    but they make stuff up."
    Coachella... (none / 0) (#39)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Apr 13, 2012 at 09:29:06 PM EST
    streaming live here.  Line-up here

    Be careful (none / 0) (#41)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Apr 14, 2012 at 12:08:54 PM EST
    of holding hands with your child in TN. You might be judged a pedophile.  

    The Gibb's have had more ... (none / 0) (#42)
    by sj on Sat Apr 14, 2012 at 01:15:12 PM EST
    ... than their share of pain.  Wishing the best for Robin.

    Cubs beat Cards 9-5. (none / 0) (#44)
    by caseyOR on Sat Apr 14, 2012 at 04:19:49 PM EST
    I doubt I will have many chances to cheer the victories of my beloved Cubs this season. This win, over the dastardly St. Louis Cardinals, in the Cards season home opener, is especially sweet.
    Sorry, Zorba. :-)

    GO, CUBS!!!!!

    Boo, Cubbies, boo! (none / 0) (#45)
    by Zorba on Sat Apr 14, 2012 at 04:58:54 PM EST
    I take some consolation from the fact that the Cards just beat the Cubs 5-1, however.  ;-)

    Parent
    Friday Open Thread: And in Other News | 46 comments (46 topical)

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