The Times is reporting that President Obama has selected Judge Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee for the Supreme Court seat Justice David Souter will be vacating when he retires at the end of this term. From what I’ve read this seems like an excellent choice, though I was also excited about the prospect of a couple of his other short-listers, Dean Elena Kagan or Judge Diane Wood, being picked. I hope that I’m right in believing her record shows her to be more likely to side with the powerless than the powerful; it’s also very exciting to have the first Latino on the court.
Month: May 2009
Signal Boost: There Must Be Accountability
This is mainly me doing my paltry best to boost signal for Teh Portly Dyke’s post on the necessity of investigations and prosecutions for the war crimes committed by the US government over the past eight years (a subject I’ve mentioned before).
Launching a war of aggression is a war crime. Torturing prisoners is a war crime. Refusing to investigate and prosecute war crime is itself a war crime. And if the rule of law means anything, it means the mighty are bound by the same laws as the small, and president, ministers and CEOs may not be excused for their misconduct on grounds of expediency anymore than pickpockets or junkies.
PD has issued a pledge and a challenge to write letters weekly until investigations commence. I don’t know whether I will manage to do that — it often takes me months to write a single blog post — but I will try, and I encourage you to as well.
The Nicest Thing Anyone's Ever Done For Me*
So, a little while ago there was this thread over at Shakesville, where standard mockery of a wingnut’s absurd hyperbole quickly devolved into a barrage of our own absurd hyperbole. Note that “quickly” here means “by the second comment.”
In the course of the thread, Jen said,
No fair. Scott’s got his hyperbole shield on. It’s like he wants to destroy us all with snappy comebacks while remaining immune himself. SCOTT MADIN IS THE EBOLA VIRUS OF THE INTERNET.
To which I responded, as anyone would, “I want that on a plaque.”
Reader, I did not have to wait long!
No Tears for the Duke
There has been much wailing, gnashing of teeth, tearing of hair and rending of garments in the online video game press the past few days — you’d think someone died.
And you’d be right. It was this guy:
Duke Nukem
And, not to put too fine a point on it, I come to bury Nukem, not to praise him.
