Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is challenging the restrictive prison SAMS (special administrative measures) BOP imposed on his prison communications, including those with his attorneys. The ACLU filed this Amicus Brief today.

Among the restrictions: Defense attorneys have to pre-clear any documents they want to show Jahar with the Government. The Boston Herald reports:

In an affidavit attached to the filing, one of Tsarnaev’s lawyers stated that during a prison visit he was forbidden to show Tsarnaev photographs related to preparing his defense because they contained images of family members, which he is barred from seeing.

[More....]

I've got court today. Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

Here's an interesting take on the removal of Judge Schira Scheindlin from the stop and frisk case by the Second Circuit.

Open Thread.

The Amato (John Amato of Crooks and Liars) and Armando Show for this NFL Sunday.

Our picks (disagreements in BOLD) Kansas City Chiefs -4 over Buffalo Bills, St. Louis Rams +3 (A),Tennessee Titans +4 (J), Seattle Seahawks -17 over Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers -11 over Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns +3 over Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers +7 over New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers -1 over Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys -10 over Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints -6 (J), New York Jets +6 (A), Philadelphia Eagles +3 (A), Oakland Raiders -3 (J), Carolina Panthers -7½ over Atlanta Falcons, Indy Colts -3 (J), Houston Texans +3 (A).

Open Thread.

The picks (2 units unless otherwise indicated) Oklahoma State +1½ over Texas Tech, Michigan State -5 (3 units) over Michigan, Navy +16 over Notre Dame, Iowa State +17 over Kansas State, Boise State -7 over Colorado State, Nebraska -6 over Northwestern, Ohio State -32 over Purdue, Auburn -7 (4 units) over Arkansas, Wisconsin -10 over Iowa, TCU -13 over West Virginia, Virginia Tech -5 over Boston College, Florida State -21 over Miami (Florida), Georgia Tech -10 over Pittsburgh, Nevada +21 over Fresno State.

Go Gators!

You can see this week's Amato and Armando Show here:

Open Thread.

The view from my new balcony.

In the news: Edward Snowden writes Washington seeking clemency. His letter is here.

Tech companies say they are fighting back harder against Government snooping.

[More...]

Open Thread.

Alex Pareene:

[T[his is a dumb way to give people health insurance. This is a program that, by design, is going to annoy literally millions of Americans immediately. It will improve most of those people’s lives, but it will do so in a way that feels as coercive as possible. It didn’t have to be that way! No one is ever annoyed that they qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. People may hate paying the taxes that fund those programs, but people always appreciate direct benefits.

The way the ACA deals with people [...] illustrates nearly every problem with attempting to design conservative, “market-based” ways to do things best done by straightforward government programs. It exposes the flaws in both the technocratic wing of the Democratic Party — a too-clever solution to a very simple problem — and the centrist third-way wing — making legislation intentionally worse to shield Democrats from increasingly ineffective accusations of liberalism, or to pick up Republican support that, in this environment, is never coming. So we end up with a program that hides many of its best and most important features, and loudly advertises its most coercive element.

More . .

I'm still catching up with work and life, so here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

I might write again in 2013, but not today.

Open Thread.

Sad news. Lou Reed has died of liver disease at age 71.

I remember him more from the days of the Velvet Underground than his later solo work. In addition to Heroin("I don't know just where I'm going, But I'm goin' to try for the kingdom if I can") I still listen to "Sweet Jane" and "I'm Just Waiting for the Man."

R.I.P. Lou Reed.

The New York Times has an article about DOJ notifying a criminal defendant in Colorado that it intends to use warrantless surveillance obtained under FISA in its case against him.From the Notice:

...the government intends to offer into evidence or otherwise use or disclose in proceedings in the above-captioned matter information obtained or derived from acquisition of foreign intelligence information conducted pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, as amended, 50 U.S.C. 1881a.

The case is an interesting one. I wrote about it here. [More...]