The lateness of the hour and my laconic attitude conspire to limit my post. Thus I'm reduced to listing a few things that captured my attention and waterboarded me. Figuratively, ya know.

Twisty over on I Blame the Patriarchy has some pointed research about Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' wife, Jane Sullivan Roberts. Plus Puppy Watch '05: Still Cute.

It also doesn't surprise me to learn that John Roberts has belonged to the Federalist Society, a group of lawyers and judges dedicated to rolling back our legal system to the year, oh, 1800 or so. Here's an MSNBC story about it. Here is a Democracy Now! story: Bush Met With Judge Roberts One Day Before Crucial Ruling on Guantanamo Military Tribunals.

Then there is that Brazilian fellow who was shot dead in London. There's a news clip I saw on Democracy Now! that had the most incredible quote from Sir Ian Blair, the (London) Metropolitan police commissioner. Unfortunately I can't find the quote online so I'll have to paraphrase. He said that the shooting of the wrong person was a tragedy but what if he had been a suicide bomber and he hadn't been killed. Then there would have been a larger tragedy. What if? What I found astonishing was this facile assumption that the killing of the wrong person was an unavoidable cost of preventing terrorism. The justification of this action as an unpleasant side-effect, an annoying incident, is appalling.

That's it for now. Stay frosty.