* Got Hillary back from AstroCamp yesterday, and sounds like she had lots of fun. There was the zip line / rock wall kind of fun, but also the “getting to see the moon through a telescope in the clear air of the California mountains” kind of fun, too. We’re glad to have her home.
* Malibu was the place to be early yesterday morning when Dodgers’ owner, Frank McCourt, came to terms with Manny Ramirez to keep him wearing Dodger Blue for a couple more years. I think L.A. and Manny are a good match.
* The infamous “McDonald’s hot coffee” case came up in Torts class yesterday, and Dean Gash explained the parts of the story beyond the headlines to us. Wasn’t simply a woman trying to get rich over spilled coffee. For starters, she was badly, badly burned in an awfully private way. But beyond that, discovery uncovered the fact that McDonald’s was making its coffee twenty degrees hotter than everyone else so they wouldn’t have to give as many free refills in the restaurant. In other words, the extent of her injuries came from McDonald’s trying to bilk a few more bucks out of millions more Americans.
* Dean Starr is arguing before the California Supreme Court today regarding the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8. Controversy abounds.
* Late night report said T.O. is out in Dallas. The Roy Williams (wide receiver) trade suddenly looks better. Plus, we have Kitna. Heck, maybe we’ll be as good as Detroit’s whole team someday!
* It was kind of a coldish, rainy day in Malibu yesterday. Thankfully, today looks brighter already. Speaking of, noticed L.A. on The Weather Channel’s “Top Ten Places to Beat the Winter Blues.” Here’s what it said:
Where else can you drive with the top down all year round, rub elbows with celebrities at the supermarket, delight in glamorous escapades by night, and go for a morning surf in the Pacific? Only Los Angeles offers all of these sun-kissed splendors come winter. The incomparable weather mixed with the allure of Hollywood has been attracting visitors for decades yet the second largest US city maintains its cool with a collection of inventive hotels, cutting-edge restaurants, and posh nightclubs. From celebrity spotting at sidewalk cafe’s to window-shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, you will quickly become part of the scene and get a taste of Angelenos – laidback lifestyle. Stroll the Walk of Fame, hit the bars on Sunset Strip, tour Hollywood, explore the city’s museums, or join the perpetual traffic along the Pacific Coast Highway, where a sweet ocean-side drive will take you to the surf-swept beaches of Malibu and Venice; you won’t mind the trek with the wind in your hair, the radio blasting, and the sun shining when you think about the winter weather you’re missing back home.
Minutes to Memories 
I also thought that the rest of that “hot McDonald’s coffee” case was quite interesting. As I understand it, the vast majority of that massive bill the court stuck McDonald’s with for the reasons you mentioned was made up of punitive damages which go to the state’s coffers… not the victim’s bank account.
And here’s to hoping Dean Starr has a bad day today, eh? But that’s just me.
All the best!!
The Starr thing prompted a really interesting Con Law conversation in our Contracts class this morning (our prof is a Con Law scholar – and a centrist). According to him, Starr’s argument is a slam dunk winner – if the Cal Supremes ignore it, it’ll be ugly in a legal sense. However, Prop 8 is destined to go down soon (next election cycle probably), so in effect (if I understood correctly), Starr’s argument that the people have spoken will in the long run be friendly to those who are screaming at him right now.
All I know is that I’ve decided I want to take Con Law under Professor McDonald. 🙂