Good ol' Clarence and Ginni

I want to read this Jeffrey Toobin article on Clarence and Ginni Thomas, but I am afraid it will be so enfuriating that I won't be able to sleep; I will be forced to stay up all night reading and re-reading while eating popsicles and nursing leftover Tecates. Is it worth it? I will report back.

If anyone is interested in a refresher course on how, until recently, the individual mandate was a conservative healthcare policy goal, achieved by Mitt Romney in Massachusetts with the help and endorsement of G. W. Bush, please see here.

The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia

A few nights ago at Mike's I stumbled upon this riveting, hilarious, horrifying documentary, The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia.



I am not sure if the film is exploitative, though it does seem to be glorifying and possibly encouraging illegal, unhealthy, self-destructive behavior. That being said, I suggest you watch it on a weeknight or a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Mike and I disagreed over the films best (or most telling) moment. In my eyes, the film is captured by (SPOILER ALERT) the scene where Kirk, still in the maternity ward after delivering a baby girl, crushes up some pills (Oxy? Percs? Vic?) with her friend and snorts them. She is subsequently shocked and devastated when Social Services decides she is unfit to have full custody of the child.

Mike's favorite scene was when Mousie, recently released from jail, tracks down her estranged husband Charles Green, removes him from his pregnant girlfriend's house, and forces him to kiss her int he back of a truck while her young son Wimpy is present. They then take a trip down memory lane, to the drug store where they were married; luckily, the pharmacist on duty one night was also a pastor, and after picking up some pills and snorting them, they were escorted to the flower section and married.

There were many sad scenes in the movie, but I was most struck by the fact that this is a dysfunctional family where everyone is making bad decisions, but the women keep everything from totally falling apart. The women keep the family going (literally), picking up relatives from jail, from the hospital, and from court. Clearly they could be doing a better job, and I am amazed the state of West Virginia hasn't evicted them yet. Consider how much money the state of WV sinks into this family every year, between welfare payments (their main source of income aside from selling drugs), time spent in the criminal justice system, and interventions by child and family services.

You blew that one, too

NYMag has a brief interview with Bill Maher. I like it almost as much as the look on Zach Galifianakis' face in that picture.

Judicial Activism

QUESTION FROM BARRY LOGERSON: Sometimes i just wanna grab a hold of Roberts’s smug, arrogant, ass and punch him right in the puss! How’s that for judicial activism?

Paging Steinbeck

The first leg of California's high speed rail will be built in a no man's land in the Central Valley, with stops in Fresno and Hanford. This area is called "New Appalachia" by the LAT. Ouch! I guess they have to start somewhere. Also, I think it is more appropriate to call the area a new Dust Bowl or something that reflects issues of environmental and economic collapse, but they didn't ask me.

Ginni Thomas finally reads my blog!

Thank you Ginni for finally deciding to GTFO. See ya never, I hope.

Preemptive Strike

I thought California had all the good propositions this year, but I totally underestimated the wackos in Kansas and Oklahoma.

Oklahoma, at the urging of Newt Gingrich, passed a "measure blocking judges from considering Islamic or international law when making a ruling." Note: read the comments on that post at your own risk.

Kansas, following the adage better safe than sorry, changed their state constitution to remind themselves that they have the right to bear arms.

Karl Rove must be proud!

Virginia Thomas!!!

I have said it before and I will say it again: Clarence Thomas can go jump in a lake, and his wife should hop in right after him.

First Whitman v. Brown Debate

I have a hard time taking Meg Whitman seriously because I feel like she is wearing one of George Washington's wigs.





But, I have to take her seriously because she has a fighting chance of winning the November gubernatorial race against old kook Jerry Brown.

Last night was their first debate, and I think it was more informative than these events typically are. Though, as Steve Lopez points out here, we don't have any concrete plans for how to prevent California from becoming one large privately-run prison.

Prop 8 Overturned (for now)

Great news! Now, I am waiting or backlash and further appeals.

Immigration Chat

I found this Q&A about immigration issues in the US very interesting; it even mentions California's tragic Prop 13.

Goodbye Marty Ginsburg

RIP. If you want to be inspired and saddened at the same time, please take a look at this illustrated essay on visiting the SCOTUS and Ginsburg in particular.

Related: Did you know that Akin Gump has (or sponsors?) a SCOTUS blog? There is an item about who the real "activist judges" are; I haven't read the whole thing yet, but I hope it gives me a reason to stop hating Clarence Thomas so much.

Still Related: When Thomas bails I guess I can start hating Alito more.

Violent felons wearing body armor pose a dangerous threat to our communities

What about violent felons not wearing body armor? No threat? Great news.

Vote No on Prop 16

I trust Laura's mom and I don't trust PG&E, so I am voting No on Prop 16 on Tuesday June 8.

Casino Jack

I want to see this movie about lobbyist/criminal Jack Abramoff. The director Alex Gibney also created "Taxi to the Dark Side" and "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room." The Enron movie is great, and especially worthwhile to anyone affected by the rolling blackouts in California in 2003 and the recall of Governor Gray Davis as a result.

"Taxi to the Dark Side" is too much for me to bear; after reading these excellent articles by Jane Mayer, I don't want to know anything more about extraordinary rendition.

Get the heck out of here ... This man is a lunatic

Words from the greatest direct mail marketer of our time, Karl Rove!

Clarence Thomas GTFO

I've said it before and I am sure I will say it again: Clarence Thomas go home! Resign, bail, whatever.

The Autobiography of an Execution

Last night I listened to the Fresh Air interview with David Dow, author of Autobiography of an Execution. If the Amazon reviews are accurate, the book may not be a great read, especially if you are looking for info on the death penalty (in Texas, the most active by far of all dealth penalty states). But I found the interview to be very interesting, and recommend it (I do not, however, recommend listening to that interview, followed by this one about a little girl's advice for her unemployed dad, and then watch an episode of Intervention. I did that, with catastrophic, tearful results).

And if you want to learn more abotu the death penalty in Texas, and probably cry, you should definitely read this New Yorker article by David Grann. It is amazing and terrible.

Alternatively, if you feel that we don't have enough capital punshment, move to China!

Watch out, Barbara Boxer

Carly Fiorina and her army of devil sheep (or demon sheep according to LAT) are coming to get you!



The Tom Campbell sheep reminds me of Maleficent.


Thanks to Laura for sending me the Wonkette link.

Meg Whitman for Governor

Until I heard this interview, I didn't have strong feelings on Meg Whitman's run for California Governor. I feel that anyone who wants to tackle the horrific mess that is CA's budget and school system deserves admiration.

Her top 3 priorities make sense:

• Create and keep jobs in California
• Get government spending under control
• Fix our K-12 education system

However, if Whitman believes that suspending California's climate change bill AB32 is going to bring down unemployment in a meaningful way, she is clearly delusional.

Her new book is here.