Archive for Archive for May, 2009
Exit, The King
Even those of you who care not a whit for sports, and who may indeed consciously try to avoid all such “news” are likely aware by now that tennis star Rafael Nadal was defeated – thumped, really — today at the French Open. Nadal had never lost here, having played and won for four consecutive [...]
Bon Bons
“Let’s Form A Big, Strong Line”
That invitation is made towards the end of “Dancing in the Streets” (By now-Detroit Citycouncilwoman Martha Reeves and “the Vandellas”) and reminded me that little nuggets are often hidden at the end of songs.
At the end of “Rock the Casbah,” Clash vocalist Joe Strummer shouts “You know he [the sharif, [...]
How Full the Glass?
As I explained in my two posts on the Prop 8 decision (analyzing the majority and dissenting opinions), I was disheartened by the court’s retreat from the principle of equality it had so eloquently championed in In Re Marriage Cases. Dale Carpenter, among others, agrees with me on at least this point.
Not everyone sees the [...]
Justice Moreno: Prop 8’s Lone Dissenter
I think that Andrew Sullivan summed up the views of many people (some fair-minded, some not) to yesterday’s prop 8 decision with this statement:
“For my part, I will leave the fine legal analysis to those trained in these matters (and link to them).1 Politically, this seems to me the perfect decision. It would have been [...]
Analysis of Prop 8 Decision
Here’s a good background to today’s decision on Prop 8 (Strauss v. Horton) if you need to get up to speed before reading my layperson’s analysis of the court’s holding today.
First, the results: The court, by a 6-1 vote, has ruled that this ballot initiative was a valid exercise of the process to amend the [...]
Reaction to Prop 8 Decision (Analysis to Follow)
The California Supreme Court just dropped the bomb whose ticking has been growing louder over the past few months. By a 6-1 decision (with Justice Moreno in lonely dissent), the court decided that Prop 8, the ballot initiative that revoked the right of same-sex couples to marry, was a valid amendment to the state’s constitution. [...]
The Sotomayor Attack Squad
While we’re waiting for the Prop 8 decision, a few quick words about Sonia Sotomayor, Obama’s pick to replace the retiring Justice Souter on the Supreme Court.
First, absent some kind of totally unexpected revelation on the order of Satan worship, expect her confirmation to happen. But that doesn’t mean that the red-meat Republicans won’t try [...]
Kick ‘Em to the Curb
A story in Friday’s NY Times speculated on the possible connection between high-level social interaction (playing bridge) and the ability to ward off the dementia that typically accompanies old age. Although the point wasn’t as clearly made as it might have been, the author seemed to be saying that only one in 200 people lived [...]
Prop 8 Decision Set for Tuesday, May 26: One More Thought
Well, this time it’s really happening: Next Tuesday, we’ll return from the holiday weekend to face the (probably funereal) music, as the California Supreme Court has announced the filing of its opinion in the Proposition 8 case for that date (see embedded link).
Just a couple of days ago, speculation that the opinion was about to [...]
The Conversation that Wasn’t?
According to the website Towleroad, the Prop 8 decision was to have issued tomorrow, but San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom reached out to the California Supreme Court and asked for a delay. The reason, supposedly, was the mayor’s concern about releasing the opinion on the 30th Anniversary of the White Night Riots in San Francisco; [...]