Stu News and Photos

I am pretty upset about the latest Supreme Court ruling of Montejo v. Louisiana. For those who don't know the story, Mr. Montejo was suspected in the murder of his former boss. They arrested him, mirandized him, then started questioning him. Here's the NY Times summary of the rest of the story:

"At a preliminary hearing, a judge ordered that a public defender be appointed. The timing is in dispute, but at some point Mr. Montejo was read his Miranda rights again and agreed to accompany detectives to locate the murder weapon, which he had indicated that he had thrown into a lake.

During the trip, he wrote a letter of apology to the victim’s widow, using paper and pen provided by the detectives. Only upon his return did Mr. Montejo meet with his lawyer, who was furious that his client had been questioned in his absence, and was further incensed when the letter was admitted as evidence at trial."

Let me get this straight - The guy is informed of his right to counsel, but is transported by the police to search for the murder weapon, disregarding the availability of the lawyer for the accused. And then they get him to sign a letter of apology to the victim's mother. All without his attorney present. - And when the High Court hears this, the majority decide that the police weren't obligated to have their interactions with the accused monitored by a defense attorney at all times.

This seems like they are suggesting that the law is only there to protect people who are smart enough or savvy enough to keep their mouth's shut and let their lawyer represent them. Isn't this why the 6th Amendment was written, to protect the citizens from the power of The State? Are we not morally and ethically duty-bound to protect those who are unable to fully protect themselves? Doesn't the US Constitution clearly establish safeguards for an accused?

This is a very dangerous precedent. The minute we start to chip away at the structure of the Constitution, we provide our government with far greater power over us. Now the burden upon our heads is far greater - we citizens should be able to take sanctuary in the law, not have to arm ourselves against it.

Where is justice born, in the heart or in the head?

I've been a fancier of Gahan Wilson's work since I was about twelve or thirteen. At present, I'm becoming a bit of a completist (in that I'm attempting to at least view, if not own, a copy of each of his cartoons). His work is as valuable to our culture as Rene Magritte's.

I'm just now getting around to watching the movie 1408. It's a 2007 film based on a Stephen King short story, and it stars John Cusack - I'm a big fan of Mr. Cusack's body of work.

Anyway, I've been into movies since I was a kid, and when I moved out to Los Angeles, one of the things I noticed was how interesting it was to be living in a city that served as a backdrop for so many films. And since moving here, I really enjoy watching a film and recognizing one of the filming locations, especially if it's a place I have frequented (such as the strand on Venice Beach)...

Well, as I'm watching 1408 unfold, much to my utter delight, a chunk of the first 15 minutes is filmed in and around the beaches of my home in the South Bay. The beaches of El Porto, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, the streets and post office of Hermosa Beach, all places I recognize instantly, places where I've spent some quality time. There's even a scene that is shot at Scotty's, a restaurant on the Hermosa Beach strand where Leslie and I have had endless salads and sandwiches. A delightful moment in my life - which gives me the chance to say this: If you dream small some of the time, some of the time your dreams come true.



**Here's a link to a page with screen grabs of the film and details about their respective locations.

My daughter came up with a great hack for remembering the combination on her locker padlock while it spent a summer unused - this was just published by Parent Hacks

This tune is, arguably, the birth of the idea of bebop. Recorded in 1939, Coleman Hawkins was exploring possibilities in jazz, fostering a larger space for improvisation. Listen to the solo here - after four bars, the melody is transmuted into a wholly new idea:

For those who aren't aware, I still write a weekly essay for the parenting website GNMParents - my latest essay is about my daughter. Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Sunday night. Watching television. The beginnings of an earthquake start to rumble. At first, a simple vibration and rumble, one I've experienced many times. But then the intensity picked up, followed quickly by a boom, a peak much higher than normal. We heard glass rattle somewhere, and then quiet. Leslie and I looked around, but nothing broke - in fact, the only sign of anything was that our front door had blown open.

Turns out that the epicenter for the 4.7 magnitude tembler was very close to our house, about 7 miles as the crow flies. That's by far the closest, and certainly the most powerful. Very interesting, quite a bit exciting. When I talked to the kids, they said it was intense. I agreed, telling them that while we don't live in a flood zone, earthquakes will be the natural occurrence of their childhood. Interesting stuff indeed.

Thanks to those who checked in, very sweet of you.

I present to you my opinion that Chuck Palahniuk is among the best American authors working today. If you haven't heard of him, if you enjoy Stephen King, Palahniuk is worth a chance. If you haven't read any of his work, try Fight Club, his best effort to date. And if you've already read Fight Club and would like to delve deeper, consider Diary. If you've gotten that far, please leave a comment.

How do you feel about the government seizing land in PA to create a 9/11 memorial? Read this story and see if you feel comfortable with it.

Favorite Internet Show To Date: The Show by ZeFrank, a daily show done Monday through Friday for a year, back in 2007-07. ZeFrank is now a noted technology speaker, and the following episode of his show (recorded in February of 2007) is clear evidence of his prowess:

If anyone seriously objects to gay marriage, avert your eyes. For the rest of you, here's a brilliant spoof of the NOM anti-gay marriage advertisement. First, for those who haven't seen it, NOM, The National Organization for Marriage, created the following ad:



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Ok, so first, yeah, pretty ugly stuff. There are many ways to combat this type of bigotry, and among my favorites is humor. So here's the spoof, starring Sarah Chalke (from Scrubs), Alicia Silverstone (Clueless), Lance Bass ('N Sync), Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill), Mike Hitchcock (Waiting For Guffman), Daniele Gathier (MadTV), George Takei (Star Trek), and Jane Lynch (Best In Show).