Sure. They're illegal in Los Angeles, and for good reason. You don't mess around with brushfires in LA.

*And* that she doesn't have any useful skills to speak of; she's the sort of person who'll end up sitting in front of a computer reading and sending useless memos all day.

I'd bet a nickel that she ends up working for the government.

Merriwhether said her son knew why he was being arrested, but didn't know that what he was doing was against the law.

Translation: "Merriwhether said that her son was a *@#$%&# idiot."

During an initial court appearance Monday, Judge Morton Denlow set Carter's bond at $4,500 and put him under the supervision of his mother. He was instructed to not use any broadcasting devices.

Interesting. So he can't use wifi? I wonder what the judge's order actually said.

This isn't exactly Pump Up the Volume, frankly. Interfering with transit operations is a pretty dumb and dangerous thing to do (though I might be a bit paranoid given that I'm a Boston resident). Glad they got the guy.

Nah. One can be clever without being smart; consider a person who possesses a superficial wit, an aptitude for puns, and a tendency to pull clumsy yet effective pranks. Alternatively, consider a person who always manages to land on his feet, can bafflegab his way out of any situation, and who manages to survive no matter what gaffes he commits. Such people may not be terribly bright, but they *are* clever.

Feynman was clever and smart. Noam Chomsky is smart (just going by his work on linguistics and leaving politics aside) but not particularly clever. Lots of politicians are clever but not smart--I'd put both W Bush and Sarah Palin in this category. (No doubt there are Democrats too, but I can't think of any at the moment. Biden, maybe, but I don't think he's particularly clever. Barney Frank?)