Recently, some film critics have noted a resurgence in "feel good films," the sort of fun, mindless entertainment that one watches when things are starting to get difficult in the real world.

Citing the inexplicable popularity of Beverly Hills Chihuahua, some suggest that the stalled economy has left moviegoers yearning for the kinds of films that will enable them to forget about the difficulties of everyday life.

Admittedly, there is a fair bit of evidence to back up this idea. The top ten movies over the past month or so have skewed heavily escapist, with goofy comedies, sex farces, children's films, and violent fantasy flicks all doing quite well. In fact, even the few movies set in the "real" world were either civics lessons that peaked around the time of the elections (Oliver Stone's W) or period pieces, like The Secret Life of Bees and Changeling. As far as contemporary America was concerned, it basically has served as the background for unrealistically redemptive, feel-good comedies (Soul Men, Role Models, Sex Drive) or romances (Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Nights in Rodanthe).

Okay, I'll just admit it -- I'm a citizenship geek. Unlike more than half of my fellow Americans, I really, really get into the trappings of participatory democracy. I don't just love to vote; I actually save my "I Voted" stickers and keep pictures of my wife and me grinning broadly after casting our ballots. The last time around, we even took our daughter with us, which almost knocked my family over the Frank Capra/Mr. Smith Goes to Washington edge.

Despite my best efforts, I've never been given jury duty. Personally, I blame this on the fact that my last home was in a very rural area, where my lack of "kin" automatically discounted me from taking part in the judicial system. Seriously, I knew honest-to-goodness Hatfields and McCoys and I have a feeling that their lawyers were gaming the jury selection process.

At any rate, I'm hoping that New York City will be able to make better use of my Solomon-like decision-making skills and insane sense of patriotism. With that in mind, I was particularly disgusted by a recent jury duty scam that criminals were using to commit identity theft. Basically, the thief, claiming to represent the local court, calls the victim and claims that he or she has failed to show up for jury duty. After threatening arrest, the thief asks the victim for his or her social security number, birth date, and other key materials. Using this information, the thief then assumes the victims identity.

The FBI has already issued a warning about this scam, noting that the judicial system does not ask for confidential information over the phone. Unfortunately, there really isn't very much that you can do about this scam, apart from not falling for it. In the meantime, though, keep your eye out for that jury duty notice!

Bruce Watson is a freelance writer, blogger, and all-around cheapskate. While he's not a big fan of Saudi-style justice, he thinks jury scammers should probably have their ears cut off.