DOORR

So today marks the new term of the Supreme Court. According to this preview from NPR, there are lots of interesting cases on the docket.  And now some awesome office-inspired photos to counterbalance the news.

Source: 1, 2, 3

Sometimes I read an article about interior design, and instead of pulling away the finer points of “Island-Living Style,” I’m stuck focusing on which editor thought including the insensitive tidbits romanticizing post-colonial Caribbean life was a good idea.   In the latest edition of Lonny Magazine they cover an Englishman’s vacation home on Harbour Island.  I think what tipped me over the edge was the “cinematic nostalgia” oil painting of an old black servant hanging above the homeowner’s desk (see below).  Whether intentional or not, the author (and the owner of the home) are looking upon a time of privilege, racial tensions, sugar and tobacco plantations, and poverty in a way that is only “nostalgic” to colonists.  Even the relatively harmless line in the beginning that proudly mentions that the original builder’s great-grandsons performed the renovations to the house makes me uncomfortable.  Of course, the line could suggest that the builders’ family have an excellent reputation for construction and architecture; but it could just as easily suggest the family was never able to move past the profession of heavy manual labor.  Am I over-thinking this?  I hope so.
Source: Lonny Mag

Recently, I’ve found myself considering women’s rights issues more than usual.  In my colloquium on the constitution and society, I read articles examining transitional justice forums and whether local level courts would be more apt to address war crimes, such as rape.  In school,  I helped coordinate the women’s law group’s participation in SlutWalk, a global campaign against victim-blaming in sexual assault and rape cases, and organized a bake sale to raise money for the Advocacy Center, a local domestic violence nonprofit.  And just yesterday, a good girl friend emailed me an uplifting New York Times article about readers’ Mother’s Day donations which help to found the Kibera School for Girls in Kenya.  Today, I’m seeing Catherine MacKinnon speak at my school.  Heart women’s rights.

Scalia, it seems your prediction is coming true.  As the definition of marriage continues its 21st Century transformation, the TLC Sister Wives family may temporarily shift the national spotlight from gay marriage to polygamy–or rather, a Utah law, which makes it a crime “if a married person purports to marry or cohabits with another person.”  At first blush, I’d say the Utah law looks like an unconstitutional restriction, so I’m anxious to see who will win this battle. 

Source: NYMag – Should Polygamy Be Illegal?

YES. PLEASE.

Happy Holiday Traveling, everyone!  To intrusive body-scanners and the season of giving!

On October 20, 2010 people are encouraged to wear purple for “Spirit Day” to show support for LGBT youth and remember the many recent gay suicides in the U.S.

NPR has a really interesting article remembering the Towers and those who died nine years ago today, the planned and then cancelled Quran burning in Gainesville, FL, and the protests of both pro and anti-mosque groups that will go on at the Park51 site today.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-august-16-2010/mosque-erade

I mean really take 9 minutes out of your day and watch this.

My two cents on the Sex and the City 2 movie via a long email that I sent to my coworker a few days ago in response to a review that he sent me.  Spoiler: I didn’t quite agree with the review in my email.  Also this commentary is mainly for Strout.

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 Oh, you, Ms. Kagan.  I woke up this morning and there you were–everywhere.  Nominated for the Supreme Court.  NBD.

Some facts I learned:

• If confirmed by the Senate, she would be the youngest person on the Supreme Court at age 50.
• She would become the nation’s 112th justice.
• “Her presence would result in 3 female justices on a nine-member court for the first time in history.” (NPR)
• She would be the fourth female to serve on the court.
• She would be the first justice nominted to the court in 40 years without prior judicial experience.
• She was a domestic policy advisor for the Clinton administration.
• Both Kagan and Obama taught at the University of Chicago Law School.
• As Harvard Law dean, she signed a friend-of-the-court brief arguing that law schools did not have to allow the US Military to recruit on campus because of don’t-ask, don’t-tell.
• Lawrence Lessig argues that Kagan has the power to “make majorities,” and could persuade more conservative members of the court.

More Elena Kagan at NPR, HuffPost, WSJ, Gawker

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