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Valentine's Day Movies (Part Deux)

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:13:00 -0500

1. The New World

2. Never Let Me Go

3. Drive

4. Wuthering Heights (1992)

5. The English Patient

6. An Unfinished Life

7. Circle of Friends

8. Crazy Stupid Love

9. Inventing The Abbots

10. The Adjustment Bureau

11. New Waterford Girl

12. Submarine

Juror’s Tweets During Death Penalty Trial and Sentencing Deliberations Reverse Conviction

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:14:46 -0500

Juror’s Tweets During Death Penalty Trial and Sentencing Deliberations Reverse Conviction:

kohenari:

A juror who tweeted during a murder trial, and while he and his fellow jurors deliberated, led the Arkansas Supreme Court to reverse the conviction of a 26-year-old death row inmate.

Amazingly, the judge had foreseen this problem somehow and told jurors not to tweet about the case:

“When you’re back in the jury room, it’s fine with me to use your cell phone if you need to call home or call business. Just remember, never discuss this case over your cell phone. And don’t Twitter anybody about this case. That did happen down in Washington County and almost had a, a $15 million law verdict overthrown. So don’t Twitter. Don’t use your cell phone to talk to anybody about this case other than perhaps the length of the case or something like that.”

But that didn’t stop Juror #2 from tweeting such gems as ”Court. Day 5. Here we go again,” “Choices to be made. Hearts to be broken. We each define the great line” and “The coffee sucks here.”

Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and the like all seem to thrive thanks in no small part to people who can’t understand that they aren’t required to broadcast everything they think. This, of course, also applies to someone like me.

But here’s the thing: I don’t usually forget that I’m in charge of what I post online and, thus, that I don’t have to post absolutely everything that I do or think in a given day. I don’t tweet twenty times a day; I don’t automatically kick my tweets or my blog posts over to my Facebook profile; and I understand that there are times when and places where it would be inappropriate to fiddle with my iPhone.

A capital murder trial, where someone has already died and someone else might soon be sentenced to die, is pretty clearly such a time and place. Or, to put it another way, the fact that technology now enables us to be incredibly narcissitic and to overshare beyond what any reasonable person would consider acceptable doesn’t mean we have to act this way.

"If Newt Gingrich is the smartest guy in the room, leave that room."

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:10:40 -0500

“If Newt Gingrich is the smartest guy in the room, leave that room.”

- Joe Scarborough (via politicalprof)

kateoplis: Cole Barash (Tumblr)

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:07:37 -0500

kateoplis:

Cole Barash (Tumblr)

Penn State Scandal Timeline

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:21:00 -0500

There is compelling evidence in the Penn State scandal showing at the very least: willful neglect and at the most, a conspiratorial cover-up. McQueary was looking out for his career, Joe Paterno and the other higher ups were looking out for Penn State’s reputation. It’s just that simple.

Joe Paterno HAD to know what happened in 1998. When the person you’re grooming to take your place after you retire…retires before you, after allegations of misconduct towards a child, you store that information and never forget it. So when 4 years later someone says that same person was having sex with a boy and they SAW it, you’ll remember the previous incident. And if your superiors do NOTHING, you involve outside authority.

This whole line of bull….’i didn’t know, i heard inappropriate touching, i didn’t understand the gravity of what was seen…etc’ by Joe Paterno and Co is not only outrageous, but the fact that some people are naively believing this, is frightening.

WHY did the DA in 1998 not share important info w/ child services, who were ALSO investigating the claim? WHY did that DA turn up missing/dead in 2005? WHY didn’t Joe Paterno do more after hearing Sandusky’s locker room access was taken away? WHY does Joe Paterno say McQueary only said something of a sexual nature? Not anal sex?

Are we to suspend belief and think that McQueary didn’t fully disclose what he saw to these officials in detail? And then, McQueary does NOTHING to follow up on the horrific thing he witnessed…he gets promoted to assistant coach though.

1995: Sandusky requests 15 year old Matt, whom he meets through the Second Mile program, to stay w/ him. While living there Matt tries commit suicide. Sandusky later adopts Matt. Matt is NOT named as a victim.

1998: Sandusky investigated after boy says he showered with him. Mother notifies authorities. There was another boy in the shower, but never came forward. DA conducts sting operation when Sandusky and boy’s mother meet. Saundusky says to the mother ‘i wish i were dead’. DA never shares this info with Centre County Office of Children and Youth Services, who were also investigating case. Both dismiss accusations.

1999: Sandusky retires at 55. Odd because he was to heir apparent to Joe Paterno.

2000: Two Janitors see Sandusky in locker room showers with boys on different occasions. Unclear if they reported it.

2002:McQueary witnesses Sandusky having anal sex with a 10 year old boy.

According to the grand jury, then, here is how McQueary’s eyewitness account became watered down at each stage:

McQueary: anal rape.
Paterno: something of a sexual nature.
Schultz: inappropriately grabbing of the young boy’s genitals.
Curley: inappropriate conduct or horsing around.
Spanier: conduct that made someone uncomfortable.
Raykovitz: a ban on bringing kids to the locker room.

2005: DA from 1998 disappears, presumed dead.

2008: Sandusky accused by boy of misconduct after mother, principal, and school officials notice strange behavior. Sandusky’s access to school revoked.

2010: Sandusky retires from Second Mile.

2011: Sandusky charged.

celeb street style, part 1: Kate Hudson in fringe wedge Uggs,...

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:08:23 -0500

celeb street style, part 1: Kate Hudson in fringe wedge Uggs, bright red skinny jeans, thick beige sweater over a white top, and red sunglasses. I don’t follow Kate Hudson’s style because I don’t think she has any. BUT when I saw this picture I was impressed. It’s hipstery without trying to be and it breaks out of the usual black, white, grey rut that is attributed to rocker chic/hipster style. It might be time to invest in some red skinny jeans.

Camilla Belle in Gucci at the LACMA Art+Film Gala. The long...

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:59:51 -0500

Camilla Belle in Gucci at the LACMA Art+Film Gala. The long golden fringe gives the dress a jazz feel and the sharp geometric inspired pattern is reminiscent of the 80s. Great collaboration of styles from two distinct periods, all in one dress. And of course Camilla pulls it off effortlessly, with light make-up and unfussy hair.

Amy Adams in Gucci at the LACMA Art + Film Gala. the event was...

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:54:24 -0500

Amy Adams in Gucci at the LACMA Art + Film Gala. the event was sponsored by Gucci, which is why so many of the actresses were wearing Gucci. this dress was one of my favorites. Very soft, feminine, and glamorous without trying too hard.

Selena Gomez in Marchesa at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2011....

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:51:30 -0500

Selena Gomez in Marchesa at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2011. She looks ethereal and angelic. Not a great choice for a music awards show, but she looks so divine, it hardly matters.

surferdude182: Georgia Aquarium (by Kien Tran)

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:36:36 -0500

surferdude182:

Georgia Aquarium (by Kien Tran)

politicalprof: Indeed. h/t: JI

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:35:37 -0500

politicalprof:

Indeed. h/t: JI

i wonder why nothing gets passed in Congress for the needs of...

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:00:57 -0400

i wonder why nothing gets passed in Congress for the needs of the 99%, aka the average american. oh wait….

According to a Roll Call analysis of Congress members’ financial disclosure forms, the collective net worth of American lawmakers jumped 25 percent to over $2 billion in just the last two years — with 50 of the richest Congressmen and women accounting for 90 percent of the increase.

Politicalprof: There's no such thing as "American" oil

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:24:01 -0400

Politicalprof: There's no such thing as "American" oil:

politicalprof:

So at one point of the Republican “debate” last night, the mutually-interrupting blatherings of the various candidates turned to the Republican shibboleth that the United States has vast untapped resources of oil and gas and that if we just drilled for them—often in environmentally sensitive…

omg :) ffffood: Baked Red Velvet Cake Doughnuts. (via Baked Red...

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:59:08 -0400

omg :)

ffffood:

Baked Red Velvet Cake Doughnuts. (via Baked Red Velvet Cake Doughnuts | How Sweet It Is)

Photo

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:57:41 -0400

Photo

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:49:30 -0400

kateoplis: Follow the Money: Behind Europe's Debt Crisis Lurks Another Giant Bailout of Wall Street

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:03:27 -0400

kateoplis: Follow the Money: Behind Europe's Debt Crisis Lurks Another Giant Bailout of Wall Street:

If Greece goes down, investors start fleeing Ireland, Spain, Italy, and Portugal as well. All of this sends big French and German banks reeling. If one of these banks collapses, or show signs of major strain, Wall Street is in big trouble. Possibly even bigger trouble than it was in after Lehman…

Photo

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 23:23:51 -0400

politicalprof: It turns out a lot of “job creators” get paid...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:22:31 -0400

politicalprof:

It turns out a lot of “job creators” get paid even when they’re bad. Golden parachutes for failed executives.

From The New York Times

A MAZ ING kateoplis: Geoffrey Johnson

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:16:45 -0400

A MAZ ING

kateoplis:

Geoffrey Johnson