Legal Briefs

1. Season 3 of "Battlestar Galactica" started on Friday night. The writers are getting a bit preachy with hamfisted parallels to the war in Iraq (they even refer to the rebels as "insurgents"), but on the whole I give the first episode of the new season 3.5 out of 5 stars. I particularly enjoyed the internal discord among the cylons themselves. The one truly scary aspect of this season is the prospect of an infinite number of Lucy Lawless clones, none of which can act. Fortunately, the eye candy more than made up for the fact that Ms. Lawless "can't act her way out of a paper bag" (or so the saying goes).

2. Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion. The co-founders of YouTube, Chad and Steve, must be kicking themselves for missing the Star Trek auction at Christie's by 2 days!!! I know I would be. Having all that money and not being able to buy a tribble, a tricorder or Quark's ears must be like that Twilight Zone episode where Mickey loves to read but doesn't have time until he's the last man on earth. Only then, once he's got the time, he breaks his glasses.

3. This year New Jersey banned smoking in public spaces. Also, 2 New Jersey municipalities banned beer pong from being played within city limits. Now the state wants to ban french fries. Stupid liberals - why can't they recognize my right to over-indulge?

4. Yankees suck, but blaming Joe Torre or Alex Rodriguez is extremely short-sighted.

5. Happy Columbus Day!