Christmas Day has arrived, and I hope you’re all having fun.

I got up early this a.m. to find a nice email from Amazon.com offering “year end deals” in cameras.

As someone who has shopped Camera, Photo & Video at Amazon.com, you might want to know about our best deals in top categories such as digital cameras, camcorders and more. Now’s the picture-perfect time to capture an amazing price on a belated gift or that camera you’ve had sitting in your Wish List.

Of course, I bit. Clicked through to the list of “specials”. And, lo and behold, the prices were higher than they’ve been in the past week, at least for several items that I’ve watched while “eye buying” in the run-up to Christmas.

Take Canon’s G10 camera. Up through yesterday it was $399, today’s “special” is priced at $413.86. In overall terms, it’s not a bad price but it represents a price hike from yesterday, not a “best deal” as described. Perhaps there are other real deals buried in the list, but I would say shoppers should take care.

Don’t miss Damon Tucker’s ho ho ho experience getting rousted by police while taking photos to document ADA compliance issues at the Pahoa Post Office on the Big Island.

Let’s see. In Connecticut, a federal judge upheld a state law banning campaign contributions by lobbyists and contractors, according to the Hartford Courant. The story includes a link to the judge’s 98-page ruling in the case. Not a bad Christmas present.

Maybe it’s not Christmas reading, but Planet Kauai has a good entry gathering up case citations of decisions on sovereignty challenges to state court jurisdiction. It’s definitely worth setting aside for future reference.

And this little bit of good news came out mid-year, but I just became aware of it recently.

Beginning Monday, May 12, 2008, transcripts of proceedings before the U.S. District Judges and Magistrate Judges in the District of Hawaii prepared by Official Court Reporters, per diem court reporters, and court approved transcribers will be filed electronically. Transcripts will be e-filed no later than three (3) court days following the delivery of the transcript to the original requestor and will be available for viewing at the Clerk’s Office public terminal, but may NOT be copied nor reproduced by the Clerk’s Office for a period of 90 days. During the first 90 days, copies can only be obtained through payment to the court reporter(s) or transcriber(s) at the court-ordered copy rates. After 90 days, the transcript will be available remotely for viewing, downloading, or printing a copy from PACER (www.pacer.psc.uscourts.gov) at $.08 cents per
page or from the Clerk’s Office at a rate of $.10 per page.

That may not be a big thing for most people, but if you’re into using court records as an investigative resource, this is huge.

Somewhere around ten years ago, when my mother was about 85 years old, she announced that she had cooked her last big meal.

“I’m too old to be doing all this work,” she said firmly.

Luckily, that resolution didn’t take hold.

We gathered last night at my parents’ house with my mom and my sister, Bonnie, who has been here for several months helping out. It’s now just a few months before my mom’s 95th birthday, and she produced another Christmas Eve feast. A baked ham with a slew of sides, including sweet potatoes, baked apples (or were those pears?), pineapple, a plate of assorted olives, rolls, and for dessert, home-made gingerbread (from scratch). She complained that her favorite well-honed gingerbread recipe had gone missing from her recipe book and she had to rely on an untested commercial version. She was not satisfied, although it was wonderful (trust me on this).

We visited my dad earlier. He’s got a mini-Christas tree in his room and a few useful presents to enjoy, although I’m not certain that he connects it all with Christmas happening right now.