We Have a Winner

Congratulations to Ron Samul for correctly identifying the man in the white suit as James "Whitey" Bulger, "retired" leader of South Boston's Winter Hill Gang. "Whitey" incorporated FBI agents and others in law enforcement to do his bidding while at the same time convincing them that he was their informant. This notorious case is still pending since all the resources of the federal government have been unable to capture this seriel killer. He is on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list along with "UBL" Osama Bin Laden. It seems the government probably doesn't want to capture either man, because the information they would reveal would certainly not be in the best interests of the nation.

Good work Ron!

Stay tuned for the next "person of interest."

Does She or Doesn't She: Unqualified Judge Now Qualified

BRYANT


According to the Hartford [Connecticut] Courant, Connecticut Superior Court Judge Vanessa L. Bryant who was determined by the American Bar Association to be "unqualified" to be a United States District Court Judge is now "qualified."

That is good news for all you Cynics out there. Once again the political machinations of our government are at play. Here's how this one played out:

January 2006, Bryant is nominated to be a federal judge by Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell.
That nomination is supported by both Connecticut Senators Dodd and Lieberman, and the Attorney General for the state.

The ABA and the Connecticut Bar Association investigate Bryant by confidentially interviewing lawyers, other judges and probably politicians.

Both organizations slam Bryant as unqualified and infer or state that she is rude, obnoxious and in the usual legalize, "lacks the judicial temperment" to be a federal judge? [Apparently now one considered that if that were true, perhapes she shouldn't be a State judge either].

With dismal prospects the confirming body, the United States Senate, let Bryant's nomination sit, the Congressional session ended and she was done.

But wait! In an act very few judges of Bryant's demeanor perform, she gets a second chance. Rell and company get the President to nominate her again in January 2007. The "unqualified" judge is given a "second bite at the apple."

Why? Because she is black and a female and someone wants to make sure Connecticut is the first state in New England to appoint someone with those "credentials."

The arm twisting begins and...whaala! Bryant, like the Lord herself, is resurrected by the ABA. A judge who was unqualified a year ago is now qualified.

Perhaps she spent that time in judicial "Rehab." Did Bryant's demeanor, expertise and judicial temperment transform over the year she was hung out to dry? Unlikely.

According to the ABA, "We don't simply readopt the prior rating. We re-examine the professional qualificaions of the nominee, which was done in this case." The ABA would not say why the rating changed.

However, Governor Rell somehow knew the inner workings of the ABA review process. In a startling revelation of the comprehensive review process she stated, according to the Courant, "The ABA's change of heart is encouraging." So armed with the same information that led to an unqualified rating the committee apparently got together the second time around joined in a group hug, sang songs and had a change of heart.

Well, isn't that special. Federal judges get ABA ratings based on the big hearts of people even most lawyers never heard of.

So the answer to the question: What qualifies anyone to be a United States District Judge? Simply wait it out and see if the ABA will have a change of heart. Which means the entire process is bull.


Antisthenes Now's advice to Bryant. If you don't get confirmed this year just wait it out until next year, resubmit, get another "change of heart" and you will then be "well qualified" the ABA's highest rating.

WELCOME TO MY WORLD

Today is the first day of this blog. If not now, when? So let's get going.
As you may have noticed from the title and description, this blog intends to enlighten, ridicule and make you laugh. None of this can happen without your input. When you see something wrong point it out, Antisthenes would. Not only that, he would make sure he followed the tenents of ethical intellectualism. Here is the short list:

1. Virtue can be taught.

2. Only the virtuous are noble.

3. Virtue is itself sufficient for happiness, since it requires "nothing else except the strength of a Socrates."

4. Virtue is tied to the deeds and actions, and does not require a great deal of words or learning.

5. The wise person is self-sufficient.

6. (My favorite) Having a poor reputation is something good, and is like physical hardship.

7. The law of virtue rather than the laws established by the polis will determine the public acts of one who is wise.

8. The wise person will marry in order to have children with the best women.

9. The wise person knows who are worthy of love, and so does not disdain to love.

From The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy 2/27/2007


Is this a wise man?
Don't recognize him? Would you like to meet him?
Maybe have a few drinks and talk about "Southy" with him. Maybe ask him if wants to talk to the FBI? Maybe ask him how many people he has murdered?
Still not sure who he is?

He was last seen leaving a movie theatre in San Diego, California after watching the Oscar Award winning movie, "The Departed."

He's Irish.

He's on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted List."

His brother is a politician.

Send in your answer. If you're correct you will win a free lifetime subscription to this blog!!