Interesting comment on the upcoming Supreme Court nomination

Spotted on the BBC Website:

"It is indeed an oddity that the court absent Stevens consists of 6 Catholics and 2 Jews. I have joked in the past that it's a fair offset for the overrepresentation of WASPs in the Congress (and until 2009, the presidency)."

That does seem rather surprising. Perhaps an unusual number of Catholics took to the law in the USA 40-50 years ago? A sort of 'Kennedy effect' we didn't know about?

Not really that surprising. Both Catholicism and Judaism have traditions of legal interpretation (canon law for Catholicism and Talmudic interpretation in Judaism). Protestantism in most of its forms looks to the Bible as the one and only source. You don't have the same tradition of dispute and resolution.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/2010/04/obamas_supreme_court_choice_wi.html#P95209647

Celtic vs Rangers at Gillette Stadium

This summer? Could it be true?

I'd imagine there would be a lot more Celtic fans around here, but it would be interesting to see how many Rangers fans come out of the woodwork:

http://boston.com/community/blogs/less_is_more/2010/04/old_firm_to_play_at_gillette.html

Donald Clarke, Irish Times film critic, asks "Are Americans stupider than Europeans"

He asks the question in jest, of course, regarding the fact that European film names are sometimes changed when they are shown in the US.

I would add the counter-example of the Pauly Shore "classic" Encino Man which was renamed "California Man" in Europe because Europeans may not know the significance of Encino.

Here is the article - the comments are worth reading.

Irish book of the decade

My vote goes to Netherland by the Cork-born Joseph O'Neill. Many of the other books are quite "worthy", but Netherland has the advantage of being a good read.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0414/breaking42.html

Google Maps places a bank branch right on the Red Line

Quick - where is the TD Bank branch at 579 Boylston Street? Near Copley Square, right?

Bing gets it right:
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=42.350421999999995~-71.07665500000002&lvl=15&sty=r&where1=579%20Boylston%20St%2C%20Boston%2C%20MA%2002116-3601

Google Maps, on the other hand, reckons that this particular TD Bank branch is located right on the Red Line train tracks heading south from South Station, or perhaps it is in the Fenway.

Best by February 1912

Seen on a Stop and Shop frozen vegetables packet: