Some Odds and Ends

It is still early, even after a handful of episodes, to determine the reboot of Night Court is a misfire. I noted it and will again that the original took years to really get into a groove, the "standard cast" not there the first couple of years.  Still, have not found the show that good so far though overall it is relatively non-painful.  On some level, that's what you ask for at times.  

Talking about old shows that had a reboot, this time a few years back now on another platform, I noticed one of the retro stations airs Mad About You.  This would be around midnight when you can see Friends on three channels (local Channel 11 & for some reason I have East/West feeds of Nickelodeon).  This is a show that I think has three categories of episodes: charming, okay, and a bit cringe.  The naming of their child "MABEL" (look it up!) has a bit of each.  

[T]he only nation in the world built on an idea. The only one. Other nations are defined by geography [and] ethnicity, but we're the only nation based on an idea. That all of us, every one of us, is created equal in the image of God. 

While listening to the SOTU -- which at first I wasn't going to do, but then (though I missed the beginning) I did anyway and it had some charm -- the "nation based on an idea" trope threw me.  

I doubted that was true. Hey, what about Vatican City!  Michael Dorf, the person at that blog that I usually generally agree with [Sherry Colb was sorta me too but not quite so] does a good job attacking the wider claim.  We have our myths and sometimes it is good to examine them.

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The Supreme Court ethics story clearly has legs with more reporting about it, now a deep dive of sorts over at the Washington Post.  The headline is that they have (not always only behind the scenes though there are clear signs the article has some sources inside) discussed a code of conduct for years now, but cannot agree upon a solution.  Ah to be a fly on the wall.

One fascinating bit of history cited -- I don't recall this before but I would think this isn't the first time we saw it -- is a recusal statement signed in 1993 by seven justices.  Justice Blackmun, whose daughter was a lawyer at the time, clearly came within its terms. Nonetheless, he along with Souter (don't know about close family members on that front) did not. 

The article does not say why.  Souter? I can see.  Blackmun was a bit of a dissenter too (he wasn't a big fan in 1980 to stop saying "Mr. Justice"), but still. Hmm.  I love this sort of thing -- you have a book or article that covers ground that some are familiar with, but there is that extra bit of detail, like the extra material in a "best of" CD/tape, that gives you more.  

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It is partially me, maybe it's a lot me, but there seems to be a somewhat dull feel about things these days.  Time goes by and what new things happen? I'm ready for something really big to happen. We did have Republicans gain control of the House, but there seems to likely be a lot of stupid without much significant happening. Of course, that is also a loss of opportunity.

And, we are moving toward mid-February and baseball season. Elsewhere, I asked "is it 2024" yet, but before you know it, well it won't be too much of a joke. We already are having people announce they are running in 2024, and multiple Republicans announced in some form as presidential candidates.  

We are chugging along holiday-wise too, moving toward Valentine's Day, past Groundhog Day and now it's almost time for Lincoln's Birthday.  Charles Darwin also gets a day too, since he was by chance born the exact same day.  His birthday is in part a celebration of reason.