I did not watch as much of the Olympics the second week. I guess that overall it was not as exciting as the first week of competition. Also, I usually could find out the results online before they showed the event that night, making the watching of the events seem less exciting.
Track and Field
Overall, it seemed pretty boring. The main stories seemed to be about Jamaicans instead of Americans, which made watching the events even more boring. I miss the days of Michael Johnson. I also miss the days of Jeremy Wariner being coached by Clyde Hart. The sad thing is that I don't think that Jeremy Wariner learned his lesson though. I am sure there is something that went awry in their relationship, but the change in coaches hurt Wariner. He definitely did not look as relaxed in the 400 final. The US guy that dove over the finish line was crazy though. Awesome.
Gymnastics
The events finals were ... well, boring. I guess that is what happens when you have seen the same routine over and over and over again. Plus, the "controversy" surrounding the age of the Chinese competitors is pretty boring too. The IOC is not going to do anything about it even though it is obvious that there are underage girls competing. The Chinese explanation about them being smaller than Americans and Europeans is laughable when you look at the Chinese divers who are obviously 16 and much bigger than their gymnastics counterparts. But, nothing will be done about it so stop complaining already!
Water Polo
I watched water polo one night because I was having trouble falling asleep. Let me tell you ... water polo becomes an x-rated late night event when they show the underwater camera and the players are tugging at each other's suits. I decided I did not like watching water polo very quickly. On that note, I think it is time that water polo and diving go to the biker short type speedos instead of the traditional speedos.
Diving
I like the Australian guy that beat the Chinese just because he beat the Chinese. It was awesome. I do not like the Chinese divers because they are too perfect and do not mess up enough. It takes the excitement out of watching.
Men's Basketball
If you missed the gold medal game, you missed a lot. It was great. Of course it was played at 1:30 in the morning, so unless you have DVR or still tape things the old way on the VCR, you probably missed it. It almost made me like Kobe Bryant. Then I remembered that it was Kobe.
Watching with Little Kids
On Friday I was able to watch the Olympics while babysitting an 18 month old little boy. There is nothing like watching the Olympics with a little kid around!!! He was hilarious! When the track and field relays were going on, he would look at the TV, bend down in the start position, and run laps around the couch and loveseat until the race was over. Anytime they showed anyone in a swimming pool, he would start yelling "googles!" When the Chinese diver would grunt while diving, he would grunt and jump with each replay. An otherwise boring night of the Olympics was made entertaining by watching him watch the Olympics!
Closing Ceremonies
I think I was just tired of China by the time the closing ceremonies came around. It was kind of a depressing show though. The "Bejing Bejing" song made me laugh, as did Jackie Chan. The coolest thing about the closing ceremonies was the awarding of the marathon gold medal at the closing ceremonies. And maybe Jimmy Page playing the guitar.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Fun Times on Wood St.
Last night a truck ran a car (I think it was a parked car) into the front of my neighbor's house. I am not sure how that happened, but it messed up their front porch and broke a window and their front door. I am also not sure how the truck hit their house and not mine (although I am grateful that it took the course it did). Fortunately, the vehicles took out the annoying yard art out in their front yard. I wonder if homeowner's insurance covers that?
Olympics - Week 1 and Weekend 2
Last week was a crazy week at work so I did not get to watch as much of the Olympics as I wanted to. Here are my thoughts about what I watched.
Michael Phelps
The guy is amazing, incredible, and just about any other good superlative and/or descriptive adjective you can come up with. However, by the end of the week, I was tired of the commentators worshiping Michael Phelps. As far as I am concerned, they can interview him and his mother all that they want, and I am interested. When the commentators start just talking about him all of the time as if he is the only American at the Olympics, it gets a little old. That having been said, I am sad that swimming is finished because Phelps was the highlight of my day each day last week.
Gymnastics
I guess in college I realized that the judging was never going to be fair (or as fair as the commentators seem to think it should be ... and since they are the experts, that is all I have to rely on). Since that time, gymnastics has lost its appeal to me. I am still amazed, but I do not look forward to watching. I didn't even watch all of the all-around, but that was because it was on so late and I fell asleep. Gymnastics is like ice skating ... too subjective.
NBC's Coverage Choices
Someone needs to inform NBC that we are not China. I do not care how the Chinese men feel that it is their destiny to win, and I do not care to watch them win in gymnastics. Hello NBC! We had an American team in the men's competition. Apparently they were doing pretty good, although we (AMERICANS) did not get to see half of their performance because we were watching China thanks to NBC. It is bad enough that the live coverage is so late at night (something NBC can't control), but show us our own country instead of another one. And while I am on the subject of coverage choices, it would be nice if NBC would replay things like the Spitz-Phelps interview that I accidentally slept through although I did try to stay up for it. That is definitely more interesting than the marathon ... which leads to my next subject ...
Marathon
On Sunday, was it really necessary to show the entire women's marathon? I guess I am the idiot that watched, of course I was waiting to see a Michael Phelps interview (not people talking about him).
Redeem Team
I finally watched one of the basketball games. USA v. Spain. I enjoyed the game, and that surprised me. Plus, I found out that I don't have to wait until October to watch Chris Paul, and that made me happy. Still not as good as the original, but still highly entertaining.
Michael Phelps
The guy is amazing, incredible, and just about any other good superlative and/or descriptive adjective you can come up with. However, by the end of the week, I was tired of the commentators worshiping Michael Phelps. As far as I am concerned, they can interview him and his mother all that they want, and I am interested. When the commentators start just talking about him all of the time as if he is the only American at the Olympics, it gets a little old. That having been said, I am sad that swimming is finished because Phelps was the highlight of my day each day last week.
Gymnastics
I guess in college I realized that the judging was never going to be fair (or as fair as the commentators seem to think it should be ... and since they are the experts, that is all I have to rely on). Since that time, gymnastics has lost its appeal to me. I am still amazed, but I do not look forward to watching. I didn't even watch all of the all-around, but that was because it was on so late and I fell asleep. Gymnastics is like ice skating ... too subjective.
NBC's Coverage Choices
Someone needs to inform NBC that we are not China. I do not care how the Chinese men feel that it is their destiny to win, and I do not care to watch them win in gymnastics. Hello NBC! We had an American team in the men's competition. Apparently they were doing pretty good, although we (AMERICANS) did not get to see half of their performance because we were watching China thanks to NBC. It is bad enough that the live coverage is so late at night (something NBC can't control), but show us our own country instead of another one. And while I am on the subject of coverage choices, it would be nice if NBC would replay things like the Spitz-Phelps interview that I accidentally slept through although I did try to stay up for it. That is definitely more interesting than the marathon ... which leads to my next subject ...
Marathon
On Sunday, was it really necessary to show the entire women's marathon? I guess I am the idiot that watched, of course I was waiting to see a Michael Phelps interview (not people talking about him).
Redeem Team
I finally watched one of the basketball games. USA v. Spain. I enjoyed the game, and that surprised me. Plus, I found out that I don't have to wait until October to watch Chris Paul, and that made me happy. Still not as good as the original, but still highly entertaining.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Jury Duty
I had jury duty this morning. The joke around the office is that if I touch a case, it settles. I have only made it through two days of trial before the case settled - none of the cases I work on have gone to the jury. Apparently that holds true even if I am a potential juror. Too bad it didn't settle before I had to drive to the courthouse.
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Type of Witness We are Supposed to Be
I have been amazed at the interviews of the Chapman family that took place late last week. I am even more amazed by this video clip of Larry King. This is a reminder of how we are to be an example to all in the midst of all we go through.
The whole Larry King episode can be seen through the videos posted here.
The whole Larry King episode can be seen through the videos posted here.
Fried Oreos and Candy Bars
Last night several of us got together and started frying all sorts of foods. This was Sky's idea, although I did provide the small fryer and milk. I have to say that I tried almost everything, and it wasn't that bad (in fact, some things were surprisingly good):
* Cracklings -- made with salted pork. Salty (to the point that I think I am preserved for all time), but good.
* Gouda cheese -- probably needed more of a dough batter than a cornmeal batter, but very yummy! One of my favorite fried things all night.
* Cheese sticks (the pre-prepared kind)
* Pickles -- The batter seemed to be missing something, but fried pickles are surpringly good
* Squash -- can't go wrong
* Reese's Peanut Butter Cups -- Sky has been wanting to fry candy bars for a while, which was the inspiration for the evening. He chose peanut butter cups, and battered them in a pancake batter. Again, suprisingly good. I was impressed. The pancaked batter kind of tasted like beignets, which gave the fried Reese's a fried pie/stuffed donut type taste.
* Oreos -- I think that someone had mentioned frying oreos to Sky, which is why he wanted to fry a candy bar. They used the same batter as for the Reese's and the oreos were pretty good. Not as good as the Reese's, but I did like how frying the oreos made them cake-like.
* Apples -- I did not taste this one, but I did eat the remainder of the apple, which was one of the best apples I have had in a while.
Since my fryer has a lid, we did not make that much of a mess. All in all, it was a pretty interesting evening for the taste buds. Nothing like fried candy bars and the Olympics.
* Cracklings -- made with salted pork. Salty (to the point that I think I am preserved for all time), but good.
* Gouda cheese -- probably needed more of a dough batter than a cornmeal batter, but very yummy! One of my favorite fried things all night.
* Cheese sticks (the pre-prepared kind)
* Pickles -- The batter seemed to be missing something, but fried pickles are surpringly good
* Squash -- can't go wrong
* Reese's Peanut Butter Cups -- Sky has been wanting to fry candy bars for a while, which was the inspiration for the evening. He chose peanut butter cups, and battered them in a pancake batter. Again, suprisingly good. I was impressed. The pancaked batter kind of tasted like beignets, which gave the fried Reese's a fried pie/stuffed donut type taste.
* Oreos -- I think that someone had mentioned frying oreos to Sky, which is why he wanted to fry a candy bar. They used the same batter as for the Reese's and the oreos were pretty good. Not as good as the Reese's, but I did like how frying the oreos made them cake-like.
* Apples -- I did not taste this one, but I did eat the remainder of the apple, which was one of the best apples I have had in a while.
Since my fryer has a lid, we did not make that much of a mess. All in all, it was a pretty interesting evening for the taste buds. Nothing like fried candy bars and the Olympics.
The Olympics - First Weekend
I love watching the Olympics. I think that I like the Summer Olympics more than the winter, and I predict that my TV will be tuned into the Olympics a large portion of the time over the next few weeks. Here are some thoughts on this first weekend:
Opening Ceremony
WOW! I think I was mesmerized for the entire time (except the parade of nations). There was just so much to watch and to see. It was incredible. The lighting of the torch was highly entertaining. The people in lighted suits that were making all sorts of designs, including a human replica of the Bird's Nest were phenomenal. The scroll, artists, drummers, ... I could go on and on. This show definitely beat all of the others that I have seen.
Best quote of the night: [the announcer was talking about the United Arab Emerates or some other middle eastern nation at the time] This is the first time this nation has had women on their Olympic team. However, it is of note, that the two women on the team are the daughters of the prime minister.
Worst outfits of the night: Hungary's women. No one looked good in that dress. Whoever thought a white dress from the 1920s with huge red flowers all over it and a huge hat looked good needs to be fired. It was hideous.
Saturday's Events
I love watching Michael Phelps swim. Thankfully I will have plenty of chances to watch him in the coming days. He is amazing. I definitely was excited for his first gold medal swim.
I watched my first badmitton match (do they call them matches?). I am still confused. It was entertaining for about 7 minutes, but I got bored. I did not know that they could hit that birdie so fast though.
Sunday's Events
Men's freestyle relay. Not much more needs to be said. I think I got as excited as I do in football games that come down to the wire. I do not think I have been that excited for a non-contact sport ever. I like swimming.
I pretty much spent the rest of the night complaining about how long I was having to wait to watch Michael Phelps again. Gymnastics was mildly entertaining. Diving was boring (it isn't fun when you know who is going to win and it isn't even close).
Random comments
Although it is kind of cool that we can watch things live such as the swimming races because of the time difference, it is also a bit nerve racking. I usually claim that I do not want to know the results beforehand (and that is generally true for gymnastics), I usually end up cheating and finding out the results to things like swimming. It is driving me crazy that I cannot find out the swimming results until they happen!! However, maybe that accounts for my increased excitement during the races.
It is hard not to think, as I watched the nations march by and see the nations all competing with each other, about how our different races bring glory to God, and how heaven will have all different tribes, tongues, and nations in it. The big plus to heaven - we will all get along.
Opening Ceremony
WOW! I think I was mesmerized for the entire time (except the parade of nations). There was just so much to watch and to see. It was incredible. The lighting of the torch was highly entertaining. The people in lighted suits that were making all sorts of designs, including a human replica of the Bird's Nest were phenomenal. The scroll, artists, drummers, ... I could go on and on. This show definitely beat all of the others that I have seen.
Best quote of the night: [the announcer was talking about the United Arab Emerates or some other middle eastern nation at the time] This is the first time this nation has had women on their Olympic team. However, it is of note, that the two women on the team are the daughters of the prime minister.
Worst outfits of the night: Hungary's women. No one looked good in that dress. Whoever thought a white dress from the 1920s with huge red flowers all over it and a huge hat looked good needs to be fired. It was hideous.
Saturday's Events
I love watching Michael Phelps swim. Thankfully I will have plenty of chances to watch him in the coming days. He is amazing. I definitely was excited for his first gold medal swim.
I watched my first badmitton match (do they call them matches?). I am still confused. It was entertaining for about 7 minutes, but I got bored. I did not know that they could hit that birdie so fast though.
Sunday's Events
Men's freestyle relay. Not much more needs to be said. I think I got as excited as I do in football games that come down to the wire. I do not think I have been that excited for a non-contact sport ever. I like swimming.
I pretty much spent the rest of the night complaining about how long I was having to wait to watch Michael Phelps again. Gymnastics was mildly entertaining. Diving was boring (it isn't fun when you know who is going to win and it isn't even close).
Random comments
Although it is kind of cool that we can watch things live such as the swimming races because of the time difference, it is also a bit nerve racking. I usually claim that I do not want to know the results beforehand (and that is generally true for gymnastics), I usually end up cheating and finding out the results to things like swimming. It is driving me crazy that I cannot find out the swimming results until they happen!! However, maybe that accounts for my increased excitement during the races.
It is hard not to think, as I watched the nations march by and see the nations all competing with each other, about how our different races bring glory to God, and how heaven will have all different tribes, tongues, and nations in it. The big plus to heaven - we will all get along.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
The Holy Land Experience
Are you kidding me? I wonder how much that cost to build. TBN never ceases to surprise me. I also wonder how many missionaries could have been sent to the world so that people can experience the new Jerusalem instead of a recreated old Jerusalem.
Last Tyler Perry Movie ... for now
I hope that I do not have to wait too long for him to come out with another, but I think that I have now watched all that Tyler Perry has written/directed so far. He needs to do more!!
Madea's Family Reunion was a another great movie by Tyler Perry. He definitely took on some tough issues in this movie including various types of abuse. The movie was actually so-so to me until the portion where the family reunion is occurring at a plantation. WOW! Cicely Tyson and Maya Angelou had some powerful things to say. I am not sure how much of that was written by Tyler Perry or how much Tyler Perry allowed those women to determine what to say, but it was incredible. This is coming from someone who is not a fan of Angelou (but only probably because she is endorsed by Oprah so much). When Tyson is talking about how much black men are needed, it makes you want to stand up and say amen. It is strange how Tyson can get away with saying some of the things she said, but Bill Cosby outrages society by saying some of the same things.
Perry is a gifted film maker and I hope that he continues to create movies that attack some of these issues. I know that I am a fan.
Madea's Family Reunion was a another great movie by Tyler Perry. He definitely took on some tough issues in this movie including various types of abuse. The movie was actually so-so to me until the portion where the family reunion is occurring at a plantation. WOW! Cicely Tyson and Maya Angelou had some powerful things to say. I am not sure how much of that was written by Tyler Perry or how much Tyler Perry allowed those women to determine what to say, but it was incredible. This is coming from someone who is not a fan of Angelou (but only probably because she is endorsed by Oprah so much). When Tyson is talking about how much black men are needed, it makes you want to stand up and say amen. It is strange how Tyson can get away with saying some of the things she said, but Bill Cosby outrages society by saying some of the same things.
Perry is a gifted film maker and I hope that he continues to create movies that attack some of these issues. I know that I am a fan.
Brett Farve
As a long time football fan, I am disgusted to read the stories about Brett Farve. One thing that I do not like about sports is that there is no loyalty to teams that have built the athlete up and paid them way too much. I have never been a Farve fan. There is just something about him that I like to dislike. However, he is the face of Green Bay football. Now, he looks like a whining baby. If I were a cheesehead, I would be tempted to burn all Farve jerseys ... but the ironic thing is that they still love him and blame the Packers. I am not saying that the Packer management does not have any blame in the situation. I am sure that there are things that they could have handled better. However, he retired, and when he saw that the Packers were going to play without him and not beg him to come back, he decided to pull the "just kidding." Didn't he learn any lessons from Joe Montana or Michael Jordan? Sure, some people will remain loyal fans, but it is not going to be the same as it was. When you retire and come back, you are just not as good as what you used to be. Plus, chemistry between the quarterbacks and the players has to develop over time. Packer fans should be thinking good riddance and get ready for the next generation. Jet fans should be moaning because they already had quarterback woes, and now added a disgruntle old quarterback to those woes. Other quarterbacks should be watching this and taking notes (hint, hint Peyton Manning ... stick with the Colts then retire).
I wish someone would bring the concept of loyalty back to sports. Now, owners fire coaches because of one "bad" season. What happen to the days of people like Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi where a coach was expected to be there for years? Sure, there are still some Joe Paternos and Steve Spurriers in the world, but unfortunately it appears that they are a dying breed. I do think it is time for some coaches to go after a few years (after some truly bad seasons), but I also think that organizations tend to fire too quickly. If the organization is not going to be loyal to players and coaches, maybe we should not expect players to be loyal to organizations. I think it is a problem all around.
I wish someone would bring the concept of loyalty back to sports. Now, owners fire coaches because of one "bad" season. What happen to the days of people like Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi where a coach was expected to be there for years? Sure, there are still some Joe Paternos and Steve Spurriers in the world, but unfortunately it appears that they are a dying breed. I do think it is time for some coaches to go after a few years (after some truly bad seasons), but I also think that organizations tend to fire too quickly. If the organization is not going to be loyal to players and coaches, maybe we should not expect players to be loyal to organizations. I think it is a problem all around.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Tyler Perry's Movies
I am a bit behind on my reviewing of movies on my Netflix list, in part because I have been so busy then so tired in the past few weeks. I have discovered in recent weeks though that I really enjoy watching movies done by Tyler Perry. Here are my reviews of the ones I watched recently.
I started with Diary of a Mad Black Woman. I knew that it was the first movie that he had made, so I thought it was a good place to start. I do not know what I was expecting, but it wasn't the movie I watched. However, I was surprised at how much I still liked the movie. I think I expected it to me more comedy and less serious, but it was more of a drama with enough comedy thrown in to keep you from getting too uncomfortable. I liked the movie enough that I thought I would give some more of Perry's movies a try.
The next Perry movie that I watched was Meet the Browns. I now realize I am watching the movies out of order (although that does not take away from the movies). Loved it!! I think that since I knew what to expect, I enjoyed this movie even more than I enjoyed Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Although the movie was predictable, it was entertaining from start to finish. Another thing that I realized after watching this movie is that Perry's movies are relatively clean. The language is mild. Sex is not shown. Sure, the movies deal with some difficult issues, but violence is kept to a minimum. At this point, I decided I needed to watch all of his movies.
This is one of the best movies I have seen in a while. I think that this movie more than any of Perry's others really tackles some of the issues with our culture today (not just African-American culture). Again, the language is mild, sex is implied instead of shown, violence is present but not bloody. This movie goes a long way to explain some of what is happening in the drug culture today. This movie would be an eye-opener for some who have not watched many things that happen in this movie happen in the real world.
I usually do not make it home on Wednesday nights to watch House of Payne, but the few times I have seen it make me a fan of the show. I do not know how long the show has been on, but the few episodes I have seen have been great. I think that the DVDs of this show need to join The Office DVDs on my shelf at home.
I think that there are one or two more movies of Perry's left for me to watch. I know that I hope he writes more. I have not mentioned the plots of the movies much in this review, in part because the plots almost give away too much of the story (yes, they are that predictable). However, the movies are definitely worth watching because part of the appeal is the struggle of the characters to get to the result you know they are going to get to.
I started with Diary of a Mad Black Woman. I knew that it was the first movie that he had made, so I thought it was a good place to start. I do not know what I was expecting, but it wasn't the movie I watched. However, I was surprised at how much I still liked the movie. I think I expected it to me more comedy and less serious, but it was more of a drama with enough comedy thrown in to keep you from getting too uncomfortable. I liked the movie enough that I thought I would give some more of Perry's movies a try.
The next Perry movie that I watched was Meet the Browns. I now realize I am watching the movies out of order (although that does not take away from the movies). Loved it!! I think that since I knew what to expect, I enjoyed this movie even more than I enjoyed Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Although the movie was predictable, it was entertaining from start to finish. Another thing that I realized after watching this movie is that Perry's movies are relatively clean. The language is mild. Sex is not shown. Sure, the movies deal with some difficult issues, but violence is kept to a minimum. At this point, I decided I needed to watch all of his movies.
This is one of the best movies I have seen in a while. I think that this movie more than any of Perry's others really tackles some of the issues with our culture today (not just African-American culture). Again, the language is mild, sex is implied instead of shown, violence is present but not bloody. This movie goes a long way to explain some of what is happening in the drug culture today. This movie would be an eye-opener for some who have not watched many things that happen in this movie happen in the real world.
I usually do not make it home on Wednesday nights to watch House of Payne, but the few times I have seen it make me a fan of the show. I do not know how long the show has been on, but the few episodes I have seen have been great. I think that the DVDs of this show need to join The Office DVDs on my shelf at home.
I think that there are one or two more movies of Perry's left for me to watch. I know that I hope he writes more. I have not mentioned the plots of the movies much in this review, in part because the plots almost give away too much of the story (yes, they are that predictable). However, the movies are definitely worth watching because part of the appeal is the struggle of the characters to get to the result you know they are going to get to.
Life on the Mississippi
Life on the Mississippi by Mark TwainMy review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, but other than that classic, I have not read much Mark Twain. Now that I am off of my Jane Austen kick (with only one or two more books to go through her writings), I decided to turn to Mark Twain.
I love the Mississippi River. There is just something about that River that gets in your blood. I know that in part it is the connection to New Orleans, but I get excited any time I cross any part of it (which is usually just NO, Baton Rouge, or Memphis). Some day I want to walk across the Mississippi, which means a trip to Minnesota will have to be planned at some point in my life. Because of my love for the Mississippi, I decided to read this book first in my journey through Mark Twain.
I love this book! The way that Twain describes the steamboat life makes me want to live in the 1800s during the highpoints of the era. Usually I would get bogged down in descriptions of things, but I guess my love of the River made me interested in every bit of information. The sarcasm and wit mixed in with the almost factual accounts made the book a delightful read from cover to cover. Sure, I had to pull out a dictionary and map at times, but the book was definitely worth reading. If Mark Twain had not written this account, an important character in our nation's history would have been lost forever - the steamboat captain.
This book makes me want to take a ride on a steamboat from the start of the line all the way down to New Orleans. The book also makes me love the Mississippi even more. I feel like this book is an important part of American history and should be required reading, at least for those who are close enough to the Mississippi to love it. The journey from the peak of the steamboat era to the almost mourning of an era gone by is something that many of us can relate to - especially those in contact with the River. The constant changing of the River also reminds the reader of the constant change we face in life. Mark Twain is one of the most brilliant authors America has ever been privileged to claim. I think that this book should be required reading before the reading of Huckleberry Finn because that book now makes so much more sense to me.
View all my reviews.
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey ToobinMy review
rating: 4 of 5 stars
I do not remember why I ended up buying this book, but I am glad I did. It was a very interesting read about one of the most mysterious and prestigious positions in our country -- the Supreme Court. This book takes you through the recent history of the Court and shows how the changes in ideology on the Court have shaped our laws today. The author is more liberal than I typically like to read, but he does not attack the Court for its decision in most cases, except the Bush v. Gore decision. It is interesting to read about the personalities behind the judges. Of course, Scalia lets you know what he is like through his opinions, but many of the other justices on the Court remain a mystery. This book does a great job of personalizing the justices. Also, it is an interesting look at the balance of power that our country and our constitution is based upon.
For persons who are not interested in legal matters, this book is not for you. For people who do not really know how the legal system works, I think that the book would be easy enough to read with a few internet searchs to figure out what some legal terms mean. At times the book drops names that apparently the author thinks the audience should know, but I didn't, so it can seem a bit elitist at times. However, all of that did not take away from the book. It was an easy read because of the way the storyline was woven together, although the author did not dumb down the book. In fact, in an interesting way, the author seemed to choose language to describe the justices that the justices would approve of -- i.e., big, grand words for Scalia. All in all the book was worth reading, and the four stars is probably because of the disapproval of the conservative takeover of the Court which is subtly attacked throughout the book with a few explicit attacks that are not quite incendiary enough for me to not recommend the book.
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