Monday Quick Hits

I don't have any really coherent thoughts for a Monday, so here's a few unconnected ramblings (most of which came as I read the local section of the paper earlier):

-I watched the Billy Bob Thornton remake of Bad News Bears over the weekend, and it was pretty good (at least at 2 AM, under a heavy haze of alcohol, but really, that's how all Billy Bob Thornton movies should be watched.) It was a great retelling, with Billy Bob retaining much of his edge from the equally terrific Bad Santa, turning Morris Buttermaker into a borderline sociopath. The end gets a little "soft" for my taste (reformation seems inevitable in any film like this), but I still highly recommend it.

-Faxman dodged jury duty last week. This Wilmington woman tries to make it more interesting--by insulting and yelling at the jurors? That's the kind of excitement I can live without. Thus far, in the 6 years I've been a permanent resident of Delaware, I've avoided the call for jury duty. When it inevitably comes, I hope I'm not in this broad's orientation group.

-Local business owners want to install cameras in a neighborhood that's near some pretty dicey areas. What a surprise, the ACLU is against a crime prevention measure.

American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware Executive Director Drew Fennell said she is concerned whenever she hears of a new camera surveillance program. "Depending on the technology, they could invade private spaces such as the interiors of buildings or cars -- or violate people's expectations of privacy on the street," she said.

If a cop sees something illegal going on in a house or car from the street, that's called "probable cause", Drew. Why should it be any different if it's seen through a camera aimed at a public place?