My brother swears that one of the best gifts my parents have given is NM museum membership, because they partner with so many places in Alabama he can take the boys anywhere for under a couple bucks. Which he tries to do every weekend. Discovery centers, air and space, motorcycles...

It's really a good gift you gave, Allyson. To the kids, you parents and the kids' parents.

good kids know that penguins are a great gift.

and I love the last photo

Penguins are quite magic. Cute pics, Allyson.

Thanks for the birthday wishes. I have been having a monster migraine the past few days, and having one on my birthday felt like even more work than normal, so I've been mostly curled up in a ball trying not to think about work. To which I had to go today, so not the best of plans.

It happened with Souter.

I knew there was a recent example! It just wouldn't come to me, since I've paid no attention to the national goverment for years.

I actually think there's a good chance the phenomenon is still live, for the same reasons inexperienced political candidates like Obama and Hillary are the front-runners: less history, less to oppose. Someone you know like Alex Kozinski or Posner will never be nominated.

Yeah, I thought you were talking about Alex Kuczynski, who will really never be nominated....

Timelies all!

Quiet day here.

Souter is the example I always hear. While I am NPR-following the presidential elections, the last two have depressed me enough to not want to emotionally engage in this one at all.

I think Nixon didn't get quite what he was expecting out of Burger, either.

I wonder if newer folks were vetted more diligently?

To that point -- Clarence Thomas. Feh.

Happy Birthday+2, ita.

Oh, hey, look at that - original Star Trek on the CW. Awesome.

A gray and rainy, yet not as cold as it has been, day here.

I didn't have the fortitude to watch debates last night. Bad citizen, no biscuit.