Supreme Court Victory for Video Games

Today SCOTUS decided that California cannot ban sale of violent video games to minor. The ban would have carried a $1,000 fine for violators.

Supreme Court overturns California ban on violent video game sales or rental to kids - The Washington Post

What makes this one of the most interesting SCOTUS decisions of the year for me is that Justice Scalia and Justice Thomas are on opposite sides of the the decision. I love when they split, as it shows that there is still principled discussion and difference at the Supreme Court, even on the right.

Spell Check Poem

Thanks to my friend Jerry for this. As a grammar lover, a teacher, and massive fan of Eats, Shoots & Leaves, this struck my funny bone. Enjoy!

Eye halve a spelling chequer

It came with my pea sea

It plainly marques four my revue

Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word

And weight four it two say

Weather eye am wrong oar write

It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid

It nose bee fore two long

And eye can put the error rite

Its rare lea ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it

I am shore your pleased two no

Its letter perfect awl the weigh

My chequer tolled me sew.

--Anonymous--

JJ Abram's Super 8

Hollywood has been incredibly disappointing for the last few years, or maybe I'm just getting old and jaded. Or both. JJ Abrams is one of the few bright spots left in Tinsel Town, and his latest effort, Super 8, brought me out to the movies again.

Take a father-son relationship story, fold in first love and a coming of age tale, and top off with an angry alien that just wants to go home and you have a quality summer outing. Abrams is a story-teller, and this semi-autobiographical yarn recalls the innocence of youth, the purity of love, the joy of friendship, and all that we risk losing once we grow up.

Set in the summer of 1979, Super 8 is the story of five friend making a zombie movie. Charles (the Abrams character played by Riley Griffiths) is the writer and director; Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) is his best friend special effects and make up guru; Carey (Ryan Lee), Martin (Gabriel Basso), and Preston (Zach Mills) round out the main gang. The introduction of Alice Dainard (Elle Fanning) as the wife of the detective changes everything. When they sneak out to film a scene and unexpectedly witness a train crash, their lives will never be the same.

Best of all are the performances of the young actors. Ryan Lee was my favorite, probably because he reminded me of so many of my students from my teaching days. He's the kid with the energy to make the battery powered bunny look lazy. His infatuation with fireworks, guns, and cars is the very definition of boy-ness. Its just one example of Abrams' deft touch with his writer's pen.

Super 8 is part ET, part Stand By Me, part Goonies, and all fun. Bring the kids or leave them at home, either way you're sure to enjoy the show.

Wolverine is a Union Fan

So it would seem that Wolverine aka Hugh Jackman is a fan of the Philadelphia Union. Last night he was at the game, kitted out in home jersey and SOB scarf, standing right below the River End. A ripple went through the crowd when he arrived, and we started chanting "Wolverine...Wolverine." It might have been the best thing about the 0 - 0 draw.

More on Jackman and other celebs attending the game at The Brotherly Game.

DHS in a nutshell

This is my new favorite quote regarding everyone's favorite Federal bureaucracy, the Department of Homeland Security. Too bad it is from a fictional POTUS, in the novel The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry.

"'The monstrosity of government called homeland security,' the president said, 'is absurd. I have yet to find anyone who knows how much it costs, how many are employed, how many programs there are and, most important, how much duplication there is. Best I can tell there are nearly 1300 separate organizations working homeland security or foreign intelligence. That's on top of nearly 2000 private contractors. Nearly 900,000 hold a top secret clearance. How could anything possibly be kept secret with that many eyes and ears?'"

At least in the fictional world someone in government understands what a disaster George W. Bush authorized after 9/11.


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