Let's play a lovegame

I'm loving the aps on my original, non-3GS-but-almost-as-good I Phone. Been happily tapping away to Gaga's Lovegame. Can't wait to see her next month!

So Jin and I met Zhengx today for a sort-of-farewell tea-thing at this cozy place at Sixth Avenue. They have the most delectable scones and the drinks were pretty good too, although I'm afraid our conversation was morally corrupting (it has this Miss Clarity-esque Christian theme you see...)

Zhengx noted - as 'endearing' - my consistent talent for taking hold of a conversation on any given subject and somehow managing to end up steering it to a topic about or related to myself. I swear its not something I do consciously, and while I do enjoy indulging in a bout of self-aware narcissism every now and then, I know its not a good habit. Besides, when you put Zhengx and Jin together, everyone else should just shut up and listen to them, because their banter is always amusing, often hilarious, and occasionally intense.

Has been a while since I've bothered to comment on issues of social import, but I shall allow myself one. Is anyone else... taken aback... by the pretense also known as the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for Sonia Sotomayor?

It saddens me that even in the age of Obama, Washington is as cynical and politicized as ever. Instead of using the hearings as an opportunity to really suss out the calibre and qualifications of the nominee, these proceedings have descended into what the New York Times has rather appropriately termed the 'well-rehearsed dance that senators and the nominee are now forced to perform'. What a shame.

This is certainly not an indictment of the intellectual capacity of Justice Sotomayor (I wouldn't dare!). In fact, I almost sympathize with her situation - having to rattle off banalities about the Constitution being 'immutable' (GIVE ME A BREAK) and merely applying the law to the facts (which you could probably train a monkey to do), in order to avoid being Bork-ed.

Regardless, this charade makes a mockery of the entire process, with senators from both parties often looking beyond the actual confirmation hearings to the future, more concerned with setting the parameters for any future nominees than the task at hand. All a bit too politicized for my liking.