Ignatz

music - July 14, 2005

If you are at all a fan of traditional southern American fiddle music, or are open to being one, you should check out the debut record of Brittany Haas, which my friend Bruce Molsky just sent me. It will blow your mind -- just the right mix of technique, adventure, tradition, and taste. And then there's the fact that apparently Ms. Haas is still a teenager, which is even more mind-blowing.
http://sheldman.blogspot.com/2005/07/music_13.html

Supreme Court and Justice O'Connor - July 12, 2005

With characteristic bluntness as compared to my characteristic whateveritisness, Nathan Newman compellingly discusses Justice O'Connor's voting record on labor and employment matters.
http://sheldman.blogspot.com/2005/07/supreme-court-and-justice-oconnor.html

criminal law strategies - July 11, 2005

Interesting article in the Bham News about the Scrushy trial. It discusses a long pre-indictment memo that my old friend Donald Watkins, Scrushy's lead counsel, presented to the prosecutors laying out exactly how and why any trial would lead to an acquittal. His predictions turned out to be exactly right, and the prosecutors walked the unsuccessful path laid out before them. Of course, it's
http://sheldman.blogspot.com/2005/07/criminal-law-strategies.html

Cooper, Time, Miller and Rove - July 11, 2005

This article about Matt Cooper's near-jail experience to protect his "source," Karl Rove, makes the whole thing seem extremely odd to me. If I'm reading correctly, Rove really had (as we were all led to believe) signed a document waiving any confidentiality privilege and giving his permission for any reporters to testify about conversations they had with him. And so first odd thing is that
http://sheldman.blogspot.com/2005/07/cooper-time-miller-and-rove.html

random prediction - July 10, 2005

A random and pessimistic prediction. If Chief Justice Rehnquist does retire soon, then President Bush will nominate two people whom his spinners can portray as a compromise of the sort I mentioned below (i.e., one Rehnquist-like, one O'Connor-like), but whom they actually think and hope will be further right than that. In other words, one truly far-out and extremely divisive (e.g., Brown or
http://sheldman.blogspot.com/2005/07/random-prediction.html

music - July 10, 2005

On Monday, go see French Toast at Fort Reno if you are in or near DC. link plays music.
http://sheldman.blogspot.com/2005/07/music.html

something entirely trivial - July 10, 2005

Have you seen the new version of the nickel, with a new picture of Jefferson and the word "liberty" in his handwriting on the front, and a buffalo on the back Very cool.
http://sheldman.blogspot.com/2005/07/something-entirely-trivial.html

Supreme Court - July 8, 2005

I am hereby on record as saying that, if the Chief Justice retires in the next few days as widely expected, it will be a good thing. This has nothing to do with the Chief Justice himself, but is instead about the process. Two vacancies right now would be better than one not only because (as many have pointed out) it creates at least the greater possibility of some compromise (with one nominee
http://sheldman.blogspot.com/2005/07/supreme-court.html

question of the day - July 6, 2005

Is President Bush really annoyed with the right wing of his party for pressuring him about the Supreme Court nomination Or is he acting annoyed for some political reason If he is really annoyed, that will be fun to see. It will have its roots in the Terri Schiavo circus, and his recognition that he was taken too far out on a limb that time. But I am not so naive as to think that
http://sheldman.blogspot.com/2005/07/question-of-day.html

a refresher course on some judicial confirmation bs - July 4, 2005

We've all been over these things before, but as a quick refresher: Republicans will say, in regard to the confirmation hearings for a Supreme Court nominee, that it is improper for Senators to ask, and for the nominee to answer, questions about the nominee's legal views on specific topics. In part, the assertion always is that a nominee cannot ethically answer such questions because, if he or
http://sheldman.blogspot.com/2005/07/refresher-course-on-some-judicial.html