First Monday in October

...aka Nina Totenberg day.

What a delight to be Nina Totenberg, NPR's fly-on-the-wall inside the Supreme Court. For over 20 years, Totenberg has had the enviable job of reporting on the nation's highest court by re-enacting the proceedings "Bazooka Joe Theatre" style -- that is, by acting out all the parts.

Here's an example in which Totenberg plays the Justices in the midst of making the sausage. (3 mins in)

Did she think this up herself? Was she watching the sketch artist, thinking, "why paraphrase all this? Why not just repeat it?" No, wait, I should say...

Totenberg: "Why paraphrase? I can just repeat it. It's more fun anyway."

O'Connor: "Sssh. It echoes in here."

Seigel: "Ain't I...folksy."
Schorr: "I'm incomprehensible!"

Here's a non-sequitor Supreme Court gag called "Justice Ginsberg Extreme Makeover." After making the graphic, I couldn't take that gag anywhere.

Did Totenberg ever think her beat would cross paths with Anna Nicole Smith? Doubtful.
On the other hand, in looking for an audio clip to link, I have to say I found a surprising number of cases featuring defendents from Alabama. So maybe she should have.

Don't you wish an acronym like SCOTUS was used throughout the course of your work day?

Incidentally, my local station is offering the "Nina Totin'bag" in return for a minor pledge.

never drink and blog. I regret this already