Can Juries Handle Patent Issues?

"The United States is the only country that has a jury decide patent dispute. . . many outside the United States find this 'laughably quaint.'" [Patent Fight Brings Science Into Courtroom, via Law.Com] My personal take on this is juries and courts can and do understand even the most esoteric of issues, as long as the attorneys understand them, and are skilled and diligent enough to translate their understanding in a straightforward way.

Gift It Up

The Shagmart is open. "Shoplifters will be prosecuted."

Getting To Know Them

Frank's been busy!
Anita Rowland
Gretchen Pirillo
Papa RageBoy to come --

All Wet

These two are close relatives of the manta ray I met last Sunday somewhere right about here, many thanks to Byrd and Kim with Ed Robinson's. Plenty of gray sharks too, hanging out over here. Forbes, with a straight face, calls scuba diving one of "The World's Most Dangerous Sports," right up there with base jumping, street luging, bull riding and big wave surfing (uh, ok, guess I'll be throwing myself off the top of tall buildings any day now). For yet more aquatic sensationalism, it's tough to beat Celebrity Shark Week starting this Sunday on the Discovery Channel (join Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath and others as you "watch great whites on TV, and track attacks online," and play the "Ring of Death game").

"What A Great Way To Have Fun With Your Friends"

Plenty of chances to decorate the family car with fake bullet holes: for less than a buck on eBay, or grab the "rapid fire" model from Bullet-Holes.com. Psst -- real thing, free, right here, no shipping delays. (See also The Los Angeles River Tour.)