Sotomayor

Undoubtedly, this will be an interesting confirmation process. Let's just say for now, I am a big, big fan of this selection. I'll have more to say on this a little later, but for now, to help you wade through the shrill media I give you this.

http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/judge-sotomayors-appellate-opinions-in-civil-cases/

It's spring time, so naturally a man's thoughts turn to...

Emile Hirsch.






What?



Yes, that's right, I have been thinking about Emile Hirsch. Actually, to be more accurate I have been thinking about "Into the Wild" and Emile Hirsch.



I just watched the movie again on DVD the other night, I had seen it in the theater, and I really, really liked it even more on the second viewing.



I read the book a number of years ago and just bought a copy to read again because my I either gave my first copy away, it got destroyed, or I lost it at any one of a thousand strip joints or burger places I have visited in the last 10 years.



In watching the film again I was struck by the fact that Emile Hirsch, occupying the screen by himself for a fair portion of the movie, not only didn't bother me but actually did an admirable job in a very challenging role. Pretty impressive for the guy that heretofore was only known to me as the kid in "The Girl Next Door."

So the question, or questions, to which I do not think there are answers are as follows:

Was "Into the Wild" an excellent film because of Emile Hirsch or in spite of him? Is it great because Sean Penn is a great director, or just because the source material for the film is so fascinating? Or, is it simply cool to watch because of the breathtaking landscapes?

These are the questions keeping me up at night.

It is my opinion that this actually doesn't mean much, but anyway.....

Father Hennepin, JD

Just Because.....

I was in the bookstore this evening browsing through the newsstand and amongst all the tripe (I mean c'mon, it's 2009, why are there six magazines that have something freaking "Star Wars" related on the cover? How many magazines dedicated to knitting outfits for teddy bears does the world need?) I saw that Neko Case was on the cover of "Acousic Guitar" magazine. I tried to find the image online but was unable to find that particular picture. You should be able to see it if you click on the link.

She was also on the cover of "Paste" a month or so ago.



It's no secret, except to maybe Neko herself, that I am truly, madly, deeply, hopelessly, and irrevocably madly in love with Neko Case. I saw her twice in the last six months. Once at First Ave. back in the fall and just recently at the State Theater. The former show was better than the latter but I was in Neko bliss on both occassions nonetheless.

"It was so clear to me
that it was almost invisible.
I lie across the path waiting,
just for a chance to be a spiderweb
trapped in your lashes.
For that, I would trade you my empire for ashes.
But I choke it back,
how much I need love..."

Breaking News

I can't say I am shocked, or even surprised, just maybe a little disappointed. Manny Ramirez has tested positive for PEDs and will be suspended for 50 games.



Please let Albert be, and remain, clean. I would like to retain a little bit of a spirit of innocence.

The NBA playoffs

Hopefully once it gets to conference finals time I'll be able to watch a fair amount of the games and do some in depth basketblogging. For now, my take on the playoffs thus far and what they mean to be can be best summarized by the advertising department at Nike.




WE ARE ALL WITNESSES.

Follow up

Slate ran a companion piece to that FP article of best films dealing with international relations that I referenced earlier.

Awesome Linkage: The Album Cover Edition

About 10 years ago I discovered jazz. I guess it's better to show up late to a party than not to make it at all.

Like any jazz listener, Blue Note Records plays a huge role in my fandom. Aside from the music, what makes recording released by Blue Note great is the awesome pictures and designs on their albums. These very album covers played no small part in my decision to start collecting vinyl last year. They look and sound superb. I give you some examples:

Dexter Gordon.






Art Blakey and one of my 5 desert island albums.




Larry Young. (I think this was also made into a t-shirt that Blue Note sells. My birthday is in September, reader.)




And finally, a couple from my man Lee.
















So anyway, if you weren't already familiar, you get a sense of the style of Blue Note album cover art. Well, today on the internet I found, via SFJ, a graphic designer who designed album covers for Wu-Tang clan if they were released by Blue Note.

My contribution to a list in which I was not asked to submit a contribution.

Stephen Walt at Foreign Policy submitted a list of the best films dealing with issues of foreign policy. It's a decent list with some excellent choices (Syriana) and some less than excellent choices (Independence Day?).



I offer a few additions to the list.

1) The Battle of Algiers Occupation....it doesn't work

2) Breaker Morant Colonialism....it doesn't work.

3) The Original Star Wars trilogy. Oversight of an Empire is extremely difficult, made more so if it spans multiple galaxies. How hard do you think it was for the imperial powers that be to secure the border of Alderaan or collect taxes on Tatooine?

4) Path to War. An incredibly well made for television movie on President Johnson's decision to withdraw or escalate in Vietman. What is it they say about the what the road to hell is paved with?

5) No Man's Land: UN folly.

6) Thirteen Days: If you can overcome the Costnerness, it's quite well done.

(Note: After writing this, I noticed that most, if not all of these, were mentioned in the comments section of the article. I have never been accused of being an original thinker)

Let's not be prisoners of the present

There is a great deal to admire about the Kansas City Royals in general, and the story of Zach Greinke specifically.




But, Sports Illustrated, c'mon. Really? Best pitcher in baseball?

Without even trying:
Santana, Peavy, Halladay, Lincecum, Haren, Webb, Lester, Hernandez, Hamels, Oswalt.......

The Scarlet Letter

To celebrate Earth Day last week Popeye's Fried Chicken had a one day special on chicken, which was something like 8 pieces for $4.99. (How exactly a special on chicken is related with the ethos of Earth Day is a connection I am unable to make.)

Anyway, here in the great state of Minnesota we have only one Popeye's Fried Chicken location which is located on Lake Street. Apparently this sole Popeye's chose to celebrate Earth Day in another fashion and decided not to offer the "Popeye's Fried Chicken Earth Day Super Special Deal On Chicken Extravaganza," a deal that was advertised on national television.

Chaos ensued.

(Please watch the accompanying video, it is so worth it)

Ever since this story broke and we all felt its horrifying aftermath I have been pondering something. No, I have not been considering the implications of corporate-franchisee relationships or the legality of claims of false advertising or the ramifications of celebrating Earth Day via chicken.

I have been thinking over the past week about how I could really go for some fried chicken.

Though I am not nearly as bad as I was, say 10 years ago, I am still a fast food afficiando. I have an intimate knowledge of the fast food locations in the Twin Cities. I know which locations to seek out (Wendy's on Xerxes in Edina) and which locations to avoid at all costs (Subway, downtown St. Paul.) My brain is like Mapquest for fast food. I can tell you what is where and how to get there with Rainman like recall.

I was driving to work this afternoon, thinking that before I went through my daily routine of checking my soul, dreams, hopes, and aspirations at the door of my place of employment, I would grab some lunch. I was had it in my mind that I was going to stop at a place that shall remain nameless, but let's just say they serve "Noodles."

As I drove I saw a place that I have driven past 1000 times in my life, which never evoked any reaction in me at all. I passed a KFC.

Mmmmmm. Chicken. Fried Chicken.


I looked a little closer and saw that this particular KFC offered a lunch buffet. All-you-can-eat.


Double Mmmmm.

Before I knew it my reflexed took over and, using "Bandit" like manuevers, I whipped a u-turn and pulled into the parking lot. My day went been downhill from there.

I gladly paid my 8 bucks for my plate and before I was able to proceed to the Kentucky Fried offerings, I was informed that I needed to get "stamped."

"I need to stamp your hand" the guy behind the counter said in cool, businesslike, professional manner.

I meekly offered the back of my hand and with a little more ceremony than I thought necessary, the counter guy raised the "stamper" up behind his ear and stamped my hand, in bold, black, capital letters: BUFFET.



I felt like I had been branded with a scarlet letter, or in this case, a scarlet word. Although also in this case, not scarlet but black. Anyway, you get the metaphor. I never have actually read Hawthorne. Gimme a break.

For the rest of the day, and part of the next I was branded. Getting a stamp from the buffet at KFC puts a label on you. It may as well have said:

"Unhealthy"

or

"Lacks any sense of taste"

or

"Completely, Totally, and Hopelessly Unsophisticated"

or

"Inevitable Coronary"

I was going to go into detail about how awful the food was-- the layer of "skin" on the baked beans, the crusty mashed potatoes, the item in the buffet I literally could not identify, the fried chicken that seemed to be missing the part that was supposed to be chicken....

But I'll spare you those details.

Let's just say I had a bad day and it was in no small part due to my ill-advised foray to the land of KFC. I also had the scarlet letter as a reminder of my shame.

This just in from the "Same as it ever was" desk

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=290429121

Michele Bachmann Links Swine Flu To Democrats, Gets History Wrong (VIDEO)

Michele Bachmann Links Swine Flu To Democrats, Gets History Wrong (VIDEO)

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Hello

Testing 1-2-3. Hello? Can anyone hear me? Hello?

The blog is alive. As am I...mostly. Content to follow.

Hey, it's only been a month

Lot's going on: debate tonight, I am afflicted with Twins fever, Palin, bailouts, our new bridge in Minneapolis is open (and so far has not fallen into the river), I am swamped with school, and today at work I had to actually write the word "pooping" into a legal memorandum.

In addition to this seldom used, and even less seldom read, blog, I now have a presence on two other website, Library Thing (which I love) and Facebook (which I hate).

If you look over there--------------------------------------------------------->
you can see a random sample from my Library Thing, but I prefer to call it "Library Thang."

New Year, New Me

And yes, I know I stated previously that I would be posting more, and I will...I promise. It's just that in the last week I started a new job and classes started today.

Today I began more third and final year of law school (19th grade) and I am glad it has begun, only because that means that it will eventually end.

When my summer clerkship ended I was able to secure an internship for the school year at a big company in a ridiculously big building. The work itself is ok, thus far the biggest challenge has been finding my desk. That isn't a joke. I can't find my desk. The other interns I work with have expressed the same concern.

I know what floor I work on and I know sort of what wing my area is, but when you enter the building with the maze of cubicles and halls and virtually no signs telling you where you are, it is easy to get turned around. I go back tomorrow after being away for two days so buckle up, it could be a bumpy ride.

Who is it gonna be?

My top two choices would be Seblieus and Richardson, but everything seems to be pointing to Bayh or Biden. I think it will be Bayh. I actually like Biden a lot more than most people seem to. His foreign policy experience and judgment are quite sound and I think his straightforward, no b.s. persona will register well with blue color voters. Plus, it's important to get Delaware's three electoral votes locked up.

I am one of those people who will be getting a text message from the Obama campaign announcing the selection. As soon as we know, I will post and have some sort of ill-thought out, poorly worded, and vapid commentary. The problem is that I often don't know where my phone is or the ringer is on silent. So the chances that the rest of the world learns of the selection before I do are quite high.

Sunday Links

Here are a few noteworthy thing I have come across in the last few days, ranked in order of importance.

1) Natalia Antonova on Russia and Georgia. Under the best of circumstances (i.e. no artillery shelling between countries) eastern European politics are a vast mystery to me. I have been trying to read up on this South Ossetia situation. Ms. Antonova has an interesting commentary. (h/t: Sarah)

2) Prophet Muhammed Novel Scrapped. Regardless of its quality (or lack thereof) or its possibilty to offend (and it seems that this book would be offensive) it is a terribly sad and frightening day when art of any kind is stifled, or in this case, halted, on dual grounds that someone might find it offensive or there may be violent repercussions should that art be exhibited. For society to not only progress, but to even survive, there must be the free flow of the exchange of ideas, and that includes ideas that can make us uncomfortable.

3) Sherman Alexie, for reasons I still don't quite understand, gave testimony in support of keeping the Sonics in Seattle. He wrote about it and gives us the quote for today:

" If a country were governed like the National Basketball Association, we'd be sending in UN peacekeeping forces."

In case you were wondering

Most of the people who read this blog know me, as in like know me in real life. But there maybe some of you reading this that may not know me and may wonder what I look like. Well, I found a recent picture taken of me and my significant other at a sporting event. Wonder no more.

Interestingly, I am not even that big of a fan of #3 per se, that numeral is just the way my back hair naturally grows.

I'm not dead, I just live in the midwest

To much fanfare, I return. I have neglected this blog and I apologize, I undoubtedly lost the two or three readers I had due to my hiatus, but we return anew.

I have little to say other than that I will try to post more often. I did have a number of posts that I had started to write over these last few months but never could find the time or motivation to complete them. In fairness I have been crazy busy this summer. I took a class, have been working full time, and I have been drinking.

Some of the topics covered in these incomplete postings were:

1) Why I think Kathleen Sebelius is the right VP choice
2) My review of "The Dark Knight"
3) My late night trip to the porn shop.
4) "What's wrong with the Cleveland Indians?"
5) An Open Love Letter to the tattoed girl who works at this little bookstore I recently discovered.
6) "The Starbucks Closings: A Good Start"

Sadly none of these posts came to fruition, but as I said, we start anew. Check back again, won't ya?