Secret Court Files: Soviet Russia? No, Present Day Florida

I find the recent reports as to the existence of 100s of secret, hidden or otherwise super-sealed court cases, which "have been hidden from public view on secret dockets since the late 1980s...most of them in Broward County" to be extremely disturbing. Miami Herald (10-16-06). ***

These practices are contrary to constitutional guarantees and Florida public policy regarding the openness of public institutions, and I am appalled that they are transpiring in our courts. I have never had the opportunity to get a case "hidden", and would be curious to know the procedure for doing so. Why is this information not generally available to everyone? ***

The paper misanalyzes the issue in noting that "[m]any cases involved the divorces of politicians, judges and high-profile businessmen, raising questions about whether the powerful were getting special treatment." It is not whether the powerful were getting special treatment, but the extent to which they already are receiving preferential treatment. ***

Admittedly, Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Lewis is conducting an inquiry into the sealing of such court records, and I commend him for that. While there may be some very narrow circumstances that might justify secret files (e.g. witness protection program participants) I hope that the inquiry ultimately ends the practice; merely refining it or coming up with new rules which lead to the same de facto results are not acceptable.

Egregious Admission: Some of Justin Timberlake's Songs Are Pretty Good

Long dismissive of him of a quasi-silly boy bander, I must admit that that his pop/dance songs are incredibly catchy (thanks, admittedly, in no small part to the production, and his ballads I still have no patience for). "Rock Your Body" from his first album and "SexyBack" (you can hear it on JT's myspace page) are, indeed, some well-done pop tunes that have a way of getting stuck in your head. Even though Al Gore has already made fun of JT's stated aim of "bringing sexy back", the song is still fresh and I, in an egregious admission, am a bit of a fan.

Food & Dining: Shoji Sushi

Sushi Shoji

I recently had the opportunity to dine at Sushi Shoji on Miami Beach after having only been there once a few years ago. It is definitely one of the best sushi spots in town. The menu has vastly expanded since the last time I was there, and includes ceviches and carpaccios. The fish is tasty, the rolls are inventive and the selection is quite impressive. Overall 4 out of 5 stars.

Consumption: New Computer Part II

While still very happy with the performance of my IMac, I am not so happy that it does not come with a word processor (even a basic, simple one). Accordingly, I will now have to get either Microsoft Office, Word or AppleWorks in order to do any kind of word processing at all. Obviously I would prefer to avoid the expense, but to the extent I can absorb it the main complaint is that I did not know that a word processor did not come preinstalled with the computer.