Friday Night Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 08:12:49 PM EST
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More Olympics tonight? It starts with ski-jumping.

Snowboarder Scotty Lago, winner of the Bronze medal in the Snowboard half-pipe, has voluntarily left the Olympics after photos of him inappropriately using his medal last night surfaced online.

What are you looking forward to watching tonight?

In other news:

Insanity defense likely for the Alabama professor. The state says it's ready for it.
FBI is undertaking a criminal investigation into a Pennsylvania school that gave students laptops with webcams and then watched them while they were at home.
Some analysis of the OPR Torture report. The ACLU calls for an expanded criminal investigation.

[More...]

Sean Penn charged with misdemeanor battery over a paparazzi fight. Charlie Sheen's lawyer says he didn't commit a felony and won't plead to one, but plea negotiations are ongoing. He also won't use his wife's drug problems to attack her credibility. She reportedly checked into drug rehab in Malibu the day after the couple's court appearance last week.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

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Friday Night Open Thread | 47 comments (47 topical)

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Finally saw Avatar in IMAX 3D (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by andgarden on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 08:30:08 PM EST

The story was nothing the write home about, and it was too long, but damn, what a sensory experience.

Yeah, but Sam Worthington is so (none / 0) (#9)
by observed on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 09:05:16 PM EST

not hot in blue. :(


Turns out that PG-13 means something (none / 0) (#12)
by andgarden on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 09:11:40 PM EST

He's not my type anyway.


This is the first time I've (none / 0) (#17)
by observed on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 09:19:54 PM EST

questioned your judgment.


: Hey, no accounting for taste! (none / 0) (#18)
by andgarden on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 09:43:30 PM EST

heh (none / 0) (#11)
by andgarden on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 09:08:19 PM EST

I'm proud of the fact that I've never watched that movie.


And I thought I was the only one who have never (none / 0) (#14)
by Angel on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 09:12:57 PM EST

seen it!


: Add me to the list . . . (none / 0) (#16)
by nycstray on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 09:15:10 PM EST

haven't seen ET either ;)

: Me, too. (none / 0) (#28)
by scribe on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 02:08:59 AM EST

Cameron's stuff is so much crap, IMHO.

Add me to the not Titanic (none / 0) (#30)
by caseyOR on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 02:40:43 AM EST

viewing crowd. I never had any interest in that movie. And I rally have no interest in Avatar. Guess I'm not a Cameron fan.


Your critique of the story reminds me of (none / 0) (#20)
by Militarytracy on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 11:41:19 PM EST

Joshua's two year old critique of Titanic. His sister watched it constantly back then...twice on weekends. She was twelve though. Joshua called the movie "Boat". Would ask if she was watching Boat all the time.


Thank you! (none / 0) (#21)
by gyrfalcon on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 11:58:03 PM EST

I could not sit through it.

Not least because the old black and white movie about the Titanic was so good, I had no need for it in technicolor with hot young stars providing a romantic storyline. Blech.


: There have been (none / 0) (#37)
by brodie on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 09:12:38 AM EST

several quality b&w movies about the event. The best was the Brit production from the 50s that stayed close to the known facts about how and why the boat went down and was more focused on that rather than on character development. The more romanticized Hollywood film from the same decade, with Barbara Stanwick and Clifton Webb, iirc, was more passenger-centric.
I liked them both, but I also liked Cameron's Titanic, which developed a decent love triangle story line -- including the lovely Kate Winslet -- that nicely complemented the spectacular special visual effects. Only in the Cameron movie, because of advances in movie-making technology, do you get the sense of watching people move about on this gigantic lavishly appointed boat.
And it was a neat touch by Cameron to bring back that very elderly actress who first made her mark in the 30s but who'd been out of action for decades and mostly forgotten.
Saw Titanic on the big screen and it's probably one of those massive visually stunning productions -- like 2001 -- which lose a great deal if seen only on the home teevee.

Try seeing "Crazy Heart" (none / 0) (#22)
by desertswine on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 11:59:35 PM EST

Jeff Bridges = Acting

One scene was filmed in my favorite restaurant, right down the street from my house.


: Love, just absolutely love, Jeff Bridges. I want (none / 0) (#36)
by Angel on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 08:44:41 AM EST

to see this movie, maybe will try this weekend if I can get away from all the other stuff I need to do. I hope he gets an Oscar! He is one of those who have been long underrated but is very deserving.

My son is blind in one eye (none / 0) (#25)
by cpresley on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 12:06:54 AM EST

so he cannot watch 3d movies. I was watching the local news tonight and they said you could tell if you have vision problems by your inability to watch 3d movies. I didn't catch what the signs where, but they said if you couldn't watch a 3d movie you should see an eye doctor.

Just some friendly medical advise.


"Inappropriate use of a medal" (5.00 / 1) (#29)
by scribe on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 02:18:34 AM EST

If the snowboarder using his medal to get chicks offends you, you belong on the IOC and you probably don't want to know what Lord Stanley's Cup has seen or been a part of. This pool party at Mario Lemieux' house the morning after the Pens won last year was/is just the start of the Cup's long off-season of hijinks.

I know hijinks... (none / 0) (#33)
by kdog on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 08:20:28 AM EST

and Lemieux' pool party doesn't rate as hijinks...unless it got crazy when they put the kids to bed.

Even Lago's hijinks doesn't rate, unless it got crazy when they left the bar. Either way I don't see how its anybody else's business, he won the medal fair and square didn't he? If he wants to sell it to buy some pcp that is his right.

I really can't believe he had to leave the Olympics over that. What's wrong with these Olympic people? Having fun produces too much dopamine in the brain for the anti-doping agency's liking or something? Good grief.


: True. But how many major trophies (none / 0) (#46)
by scribe on Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 01:12:25 PM EST

actually float?
And, I agree, floating The Cup in Super Mario's pool is kind of on the light end of the scale. But, remember, that was the morning after they'd won The Cup, and its off-season peregrinations were just getting started.

The neat thing about the cup (none / 0) (#38)
by jimakaPPJ on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 09:48:34 AM EST

is that the players get to pass it around.

What a concept... reward for those who succeeded.


I can't say that (none / 0) (#4)
by Zorba on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 08:54:13 PM EST

I'm exactly dripping with sympathy for Ms. Siwik-Daniels. I'm not in any way excusing Woods (who acted like a world-class jerk, IMHO), but she knowingly slept with a married man and then she's upset because he "had other mistresses"? Pardon me if I have less than no concern for her, and I think that Allred is not covering herself with glory here, either.

: Leave it to Gloria... (none / 0) (#34)
by kdog on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 08:24:40 AM EST

to make all the other players in this soap opera look downright wholesome.
I'm waiting on Gloria to announce her and Tiger used to romp together:)

Actually, I approve. (none / 0) (#7)
by observed on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 09:01:48 PM EST

This whole apology stunt is nothing but a move to protect Tiger's commercial interests and those of his sponsors. I'm not sickened by Tiger's affairs, but the tawdry, groveling falseness of his apology does get at me---and the club throwing, of course.

Is that Honolulu, Kenya? I"m confused. (none / 0) (#8)
by observed on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 09:02:27 PM EST

THX-1138 (none / 0) (#10)
by jimakaPPJ on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 09:06:35 PM EST

Gryfalcon - Got the DVD. It's a good sci-fi story. Thanks for turning me on to it.

: Glad you liked it (none / 0) (#24)
by gyrfalcon on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 12:02:58 AM EST

I thought the scene where they first made love, having to go only on instinct and what they felt because they'd never even heard of such a thing, was just a knock-out, deeply moving.

She's a piece of cake. Gloria is really good at (none / 0) (#13)
by Angel on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 09:11:57 PM EST

advocating for those poor little skanky victims who choose to sleep with married men and other assorted creeps.

I'm still twitching over the laptop (none / 0) (#15)
by nycstray on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 09:14:01 PM EST

issue. O.M.G. W.T.F were they thinking?! And I don't buy the excuse of tracking lost laptops. Sorry, not in this America.

Still watching the Oly and packing . . . all I can say is "thanks big spotty b*tch in the sky" for giving me sports right now :) Spring training may be underway, but it's not going to give me the background I need for packing, lol!~

Anyone want to weigh in on this?

The judge issued a writ that prevented the city from even telling people that there were services available anywhere in the community. It prohibited the city from waiving trap rental fees for trap-neuter-release programs. It ordered city shelters to stop releasing feral cats to rescue groups.
The court even went so far as to tell city shelters they could not change any laws that would allow any kind of TNR initiative in the future. The order oversteps the authority of the court, telling legislators they can't pass laws. It also violates California's Hayden law, which explicitly gives rescue groups right to take those cats who are going to be killed.
The ruling is so far-reaching that all the shelters were ordered to remove from their premises any literature that even expresses support for TNR, including independent magazines in the shelter waiting rooms. We think this order is unconstitutional, and we are going to make that argument in court.

and one note about rescues taking in ferals. It does not necessarily mean they are releasing these cats on the streets. I got 3 litters adopted. If you get the feral kittens young enough, they can become house pets. Same with some adults. Those that can't, make great barn cats etc. NYC is actually supportive of efforts regarding feral cats that have been TNRed. They also keep the rat population down ;) I personally have 2 17yo former ferals. I call them "once wild, now just shy with strangers". Since I TNRed the cats in my backyard, the population has never grown. My elderly LL takes care of the 4 remaining in memory of his wife who loved them. He always has made a safe shelter in the winter months and makes sure they have food and water. This is not uncommon in my 'hood, or many places for that matter. But I am also disturbed by the directive that shelters and rescues have to censor their literature . . . A little education (and free speech!!!) goes a long way . . . . Oh and on the trap rental fees, it's common for shelters and rescues to wave fees for indie rescuers. The shelter in my 'hood does it all the time and the ASPCA spay/neuter van works with them on low cost (extremely low cost) s/n for release to colonies or adoption. I'm pretty sure our city shelters do it also. Just like they don't charge fees to rescues. They consider it "help!", which is desperately needed.

: We have a feral cat (5.00 / 1) (#27)
by cpresley on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 12:33:07 AM EST

That came in the dog door 2 years ago. We feed her and she will rub up against my leg when she wants to be fed, but she will not let us pet her. She does sleep with our dog and rubs against her every chance she gets, but will not let us touch her.

: What???!!! (none / 0) (#26)
by gyrfalcon on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 12:13:02 AM EST

This is insane and barbaric! What's the point of this ruling? It make zero sense. TNR is the solution to feral cat colonies. What does the court, and the plaintiffs, whoever they are, want, that feral cats should be rounded up and killed?
You don't have a link here, so I'm totally baffled by this. Is somebody going to appeal it? Which court was this?

: Crazy (none / 0) (#31)
by Militarytracy on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 06:55:32 AM EST

Our cat is about half feral. Alabama is full of feral cats. He had been abadoned very young but belonged to someone at some time and had some vague memory. He lives in between worlds. He comes indoors for a few hours a day, then outside. He can't stand to be inside all the time. He is neutered. I didn't know what to expect from him when we rescued him from his dumpster diving at around six months old. He was hard to catch. He still does everything his way too, but he's a good cat. He is super cat smart. Probably had to be to manage to make it those first months abandoned.

A great story of a winter Olympian (none / 0) (#19)
by Cream City on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 11:25:08 PM EST

of days of yore, watching the Olympics now -- and apparently, despite Alzheimer's, still able to enjoy seeing the spectacle that the games have become. A long way from the hard way he got there:

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/etc/84756532.html?sort=last%20to%20first#comments

Btw, another local story a while ago showed him meeting our hometown gold medalist, Shani Davis, at the local Olympic-level rink. And this weekend, the junior speed-skating competition there is said to be showing great gold medalists coming up for the next winter games . . . young 'uns who await Davis' return, as he promises to hold a special workshop for them as soon as he is back in town.

That's the Olympic spirit.

Gloria represents (none / 0) (#23)
by gyrfalcon on Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 11:59:50 PM EST

several of these Tiger babes, actually. This one is just the latest.

: Uh-oh (none / 0) (#41)
by ruffian on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 03:21:19 PM EST

How many are needed for a class action suit?

But they really aren't watching (none / 0) (#32)
by jimakaPPJ on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 06:58:27 AM EST

In a new paper published in the Feb. 19 issue of Science, the Northeastern University physicist and his colleagues describe how they used data from 50,000 anonymous cell phone users to study human mobility, or where we are and when. Their work reveals that our movements follow a pattern, whether we are homebodies or frequent fliers.

That Penn. school story... (none / 0) (#35)
by kdog on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 08:34:26 AM EST

is downright creepy...who in their right mind could think spying on children in their bedrooms is ok?

It's official, if I ever plant a seed I'm homeschooling that sprout. Though most educators are decent people, the system itself has become far from decent. Sending your kids off to be molded by this system could be called child abuse.

It is horrifying (none / 0) (#39)
by Cream City on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 10:14:28 AM EST

and I would bet that all over America, people are putting masking tape or duct tape or post-its or something over those innocuous little spycam holes in our computers. And not just for kids; I sent my spouse to the story when he was working on his laptop last night, a laptop from his office . . . and we both looked at each other and said that it was time to look for the duct tape.


Thats why I'm rooting for Saints (none / 0) (#43)
by Jen M on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 07:58:14 PM EST

a piece of clay

And what bright light thought it was a smart thing to show the parents the picture when snitching on the kid?


: *I* didn't put that topic (none / 0) (#44)
by Jen M on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 07:58:55 PM EST

on there. I don't know what happened

The birthers are no more ludicrous (none / 0) (#42)
by jondee on Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 03:38:10 PM EST

than those who assume - or pretend to assume - that nothing remotely like whats transpired since the inauguration would have occurred had another Democrat gotten the nomination..

Or those ... (none / 0) (#45)
by Yman on Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 11:32:40 AM EST

... who assume - or pretend to assume - that they know that "another Democrat" would have been just as bad (or worse) than the current POTUS.


Possibly just slightly better (none / 0) (#47)
by jondee on Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 01:58:40 PM EST

..but not enough better.

We passed into President-primarily-as-figurehead (for the Wall St - Pentagon complex), a few decades ago, imo.

But then, you're the one who "had no problem" with the NAFTA and the WTO..which isnt exactly an expression of Rooseveltian solidarity with working people in this country..let them eat cheap sh*t made in China and shutup, eh?


Yeah, we know ... (none / 0) (#48)
by Yman on Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 03:10:43 PM EST

If only the imaginary True Prog unicorn candidate would finally show up and somehow convince an American public that is not nearly as progressive as the true progs wish them to be, everything would be so much better.

Got it.

BTW - "Let them eat cheap sh*t made in China"? Not my opinion, but then again, I prefer to deal with facts, rather than true prog fantasies. (Just to make it easier for you, the CBO metaanalysis of all of the major NAFTA studies concludes that "NAFTA had little or no impact on aggregate employment."


What about "aggregate" wages (5.00 / 1) (#49)
by jondee on Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 03:50:00 PM EST

"aggregate" hours spent away from families, "aggregate" worker protections and "aggregate" environmental impacts etc

Walmart's the number one employer in the U.S right now: I suppose if yuppie Clintonistas wanted to, they could (try to) twist even that phenomenon into a positive development; given the right macroeconomic analyisis tools..After all, this is about numbers and the articles of faith of the investor class (Free Trade now, Free Trade forever!), not quality-of-life impacts on flesh-and-blood human beings.


What about them? (none / 0) (#50)
by Yman on Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 08:51:59 PM EST

Are you trying to suggest that NAFTA and WTO did have some negative effect on hours spent away from families, worker protections and environmental impacts. Love to see the data, unless, of course...

... it's just made up, ,,,

... like the strawman Walmart argument.

BTW - Love the holier-than-thou platitudes with attitude... unmistakeable mark of a true prog. Although I bet, if you really tried, you could have worked an angle about kids, our future, etc.


If you're claiming that (none / 0) (#51)
by jondee on Mon Feb 22, 2010 at 11:20:31 PM EST

outsourcing manufacturing and lowtech jobs and replacing them with service sector jobs dosnt entail a decrease in average wages and more people working two and three jobs to make up the difference (hence more time spent away from their families), then I'd have to say you've passed from the hysterical protect-the-leaders-legacy-at-all-costs stage to outright, utter denial of reality and or, blatant dishonesty.

Yeah, Walmart (what, do you have Walmart stock?) is "a strawman", a blip on the radar..no indicator at all..lol


: Talking about kids or the future (none / 0) (#52)
by jondee on Mon Feb 22, 2010 at 11:51:43 PM EST

would be an obvious waste of time with someone whose scope of concern probably extends to how grateful they were to be able to jump on that investor-friendly outsourcing train..