(The Return of) Ignatz, by Sam Heldman
Monday, April 25, 2005
holy cowThe Supreme Court granted cert this morning in my case about the standard for awarding fees upon a successful motion to remand. Previously discussed here.
posted by sam 10:47 AM6 comments
Sunday, April 24, 2005
still not deadA mystery: why is it that, unlike last year when Manischewitz matzoh-ball soup mix was widely available in a low sodium variety, this year it has been completely unavailable even though I've looked in several grocery stores several times over the last month? I blame Tom DeLay.
posted by sam 11:58 AM
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Ignatz not deadNot dead, just busy with the actual practice of law and a 40th birthday.
In exciting news, my 5-yr-old was one of the artists contributing to the high-level visual art project associated with the indie-rock festival Coachella. His work is not online yet at the relevant page, but I hope it will be before long.
And, today is the debut of the online left law journal discussed in the post immediately below this one.
posted by sam 10:34 AM
Thursday, April 14, 2005
new law journalI learned today of a new online law journal, a journal "of the legal left," created by some students at Harvard Law. It will debut next Wednesday, and is called "Unbound". The name, I gather from the mission statement, is not just a joke about the lack of printing and binding, but also is a reference to the creators' desire to make a journal that is truly "left," not just establishment-liberal, and that therefore is not constrained by the need to seem palatable to middle-of-the-roaders. Should definitely be worth checking out. Again, next Wednesday, Unbound.
posted by sam 11:50 AM
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
music benefitIf you live in or near DC and like Afrobeat music, or just like to have fun, you should go to the Afrobeat Against Autism benefit on April 30 at Cada Vez on U Street. The music will be great, there will be food and drink, and you will be doing good with your $.
posted by sam 2:04 PM
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
man datesThat article in the NYT the other day, about how some men feel odd about going places with other men, was either (a) the stupidest article ever about a made-up thing, or (b) an article about a pathetic aspect of many men's psyches. Not sure which, but Ezra Klein does a good job of responding, and says what I would say if I weren't being curmudgeonly about it.
I can add this: my friend Hank Bates and I went to see Gatemouth Brown and Vassar Clements play, in a bar in Cambridge about 20 years ago. An old blues guitarist-fiddler and an old bluegrass fiddler, respectively. I think it was the aging-jazzy-fiddlers-on-cocaine tour of 1985. Anyway, Gatemouth was so wired on whatever that powder around his nose was, that instead of playing he decided to make jokes based on his perception that Hank and I must be gay because there we were sitting at a table together.
So, the "man date" problem is Gatemouth's problem, not mine.
posted by sam 8:31 PM
good advice
From a lawyer friend in Alabama, words to live by:
REDNECK TIP OF THE WEEK:
Next time you are too drunk to drive, walk to the nearest pizza shop,
place an order, and when they go to deliver it, catch a ride home with
them
posted by sam 7:45 PM
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Now that's a good bunch of sentences.In honor of the Powerline nuts' attempt to erase their subconsciously-homoerotic nicknames, and by general acclaim, the NTAGS award goes to Ezra Klein for this post, which has a bunch of great sentences. Such asArguments are created on the fly, accuracy is unimportant so long as the product accuses the "MSM" or Democrats of some cardinal sin that'll leave Powerline's sycophantic readers moaning with the exquisite pleasure that comes only from having one's biases expertly stroked.
posted by sam 2:54 PM
still here
sorry for the radio silence. have been busy. back soon.
posted by sam 7:31 AM
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
copyrightI am no expert in copyright law, but it seems to me that the recent decision from New York's highest court, described here and available here, is mighty big and bad news from the point of view of those of us who love CD reissues of great old 78 rpm recordings. It seems to say -- if I am reading it right -- that under New York law all "sound recordings" are in copyright until 2067. Will this shut down all the little labels that reissue the great old stuff? Or just the ones based in New York? Please reassure me that this is not the end of such reissues.
posted by sam 8:04 AM
advantage blogo ... whatever
You read it here Friday, now you can read from the Washington Post about the Archives' (now abandoned) attempt to shut down a forum on Social Security at the FDR Library.
UPDATE: Be sure to read this Kos diary for more information and related fun.
posted by sam 7:49 AM
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Gogol BordelloHow often have you said to yourself, "The thing that would make my life complete would be if I could find a band that sounds like an Eastern European version of the Pogues"?
A friend of mine who has seen every band, ever, told me that one of the best live shows he had ever seen was Gogol Bordello. Unfortunately, every time they have come to DC since then, my alter ego of Asthma Boy has taken over, so I haven't been able to confirm. But yesterday I downloaded from EMusic a live show. And it is wicked awesome.
posted by sam 2:56 PM
Cornyn
You have heard about Senator Cornyn's outrageous remarks on the Senate floor, drawing a connection between anger at so-called liberal judicial activism (an anger that he vociferously shares) and murderous violence against judges. You can get the text of his speech from Howard Bashman here, and it really is as bad as reported. It's appalling.
And no one should be under the illusion that a standard political "clarification," or even a political "apology," would be enough to undo the damage here. That's the thing about murderous behavior by insane people; it's reasonable to believe that many of them take encouragement from remarks of this sort, and I know of no reason then to believe that any such person would say to himself, upon reading some political "clairification" or "apology," "gee, I guess on second thought, now that I understand his remarks better, it would be wrong ..."
posted by sam 10:27 AM
Monday, April 04, 2005
Howell Heflin and Roy MooreVery busy day today, but I do have time to bring this report from one of Ignatz's Alabama-based correspondents, who attended Judge Heflin's funeral:
"it was amusing that roy moore came and then snuck out before speaking
to anyone. as if there was anyone there who would have."
posted by sam 4:26 PM
Friday, April 01, 2005
Can't talk about Social Security at the FDR LibraryI have heard from a friend in New York state, and it is confirmed here, that the National Archives has required the cancellation of a forum on Social Security sponsored by the League of Women Voters and similar groups. The forum was to take place, fittingly enough, at the FDR library; if you can't talk about Social Security at the FDR library, where can you talk about it? But the Archives says it can't be allowed to take place, because it's a partisan event. Partisan? Well, maybe in the sense that no Republican elected official can be found who has anything to say in support of the President's pseudo-plan, although all local Republican members of Congress were invited ...
Loyalty oaths soon to follow.
BELATED UPDATE: Related thoughts here.
posted by sam 9:32 PM
April Fools brush with greatness
See this NYT article about the 1985 Sports Illustrated April Fool's article about a (fictional) pitcher named Sidd Finch. The SI article was written by George Plimpton. The Times says that only a few people were "even slightly aware of what the magazine was up to" before the issue was published.
This makes me very important indeed, because one of the pictures accompanying the SI article was taken in my college dorm room, and I knew all about it.
Also, I was once in an elevator with George Plimpton and a chimpanzee.
posted by sam 7:19 AM
