I sometimes love reading Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) judgments, because sometimes they bicker over things ordinary people find nonsensical and laughable. But in the legal context, sometimes, a word really could make thousands of dollars of difference.
Take the judgment released today about what exactly Congress means by 'extension'. I mean, 32-pages of single line documents to analyse only what 'extension' means. 32-pages of words because of 'one word'!
Anyway, after Ginsburg died last year, Amy Coney Barrett was rushed to be appointed to SCOTUS, solidifying the conservative control on the supreme court. I resented her. But recent judgments show that she's much more centrist than I initially presumed, and she's beginning to earn my respect. And damn, she's one hard textualist, and a very technical one.
I mean, in today's judgment, which she dissented, I can literally feel her blood boiled. Read it yourself.
HOLLYFRONTIER CHEYENNE REFINING, LLC, ET AL. v. RENEWABLE FUELS ASSOCIATION ET AL.
In the end, I agree with her:
'Boiled down, the Court’s position is that HollyFrontier wins because its reading is possible. But I would ask, as we typically do, how the term “extension” “is most naturally read.” - Barrett, J.
It's been one and a half year since I'm trapped in Singapore, and during this period I've explored virtually every part of Singapore.
I seriously need suggestions as to what I should do during my free time.
I do not enjoy shopping nor dining. I used to like to eat a lot, but now I'm controlling because it's becoming a nasty habit and I'm making progress so I don't like food hunting anymore.
I do enjoy some outdoor exercise but I've explored parts of Singapore worth exploring, including most of the parks and the connectors. The only ones I haven't explored is Sungai Buloh and the off islands because they are hard to reach. Else, the rest, you name it, I've been there.
It's a very tiny island and I'm bored. I need new stuff to do.
I've considered volunteering, but covid-19 restrictions put most to a halt. Even beach-cleaning isn't available.
What the hell should I do?
Oh God, I never knew this show existed!
I googled for TV series recommendation and some websites recommend Peaky Blinders. I searched for it on Wiki and learnt that it's a gang-themed show which is set around 1920s. Shows set in the past aren't a thing for me because I do not like history, but I really wanted to watch a British show so I gave it a try.
My first thought after watching the first episode? Okay, when people say British actors can act better than Hollywood actors, people aren't kidding. The gap in acting quality is humongous and apparent. British actors really can act better.
Then, I thought the first episode started off a bit slow and boring. Pilot usually starts slow. So I gave the second episode a try. And I ended up finishing the first season in 3 days. To be fair, there were only 6 episodes in one season (typical of English drama), but they were working days - days I were superbly busy.
I especially like Thomas and Aunt Pol. No joke, I mean, the characters are fascinating, but seriously Cilian Murphy and the late Helen McCrory really were class actors. They have class. Real quality that is absent in Hollywood actors. Then, the characters are fascinating at their own. Thomas, the smart leader who is enthralled and besotted with Grace, the barmaid who is actually an undercover cop but mistakenly fell for him. Aunt Pol, the lady head of the family who is often in loggerheads with Thomas but respects him ultimately. I sincerely love these two characters. I also like Grace, but it's because she's beautiful not because she's an outstanding actress. She's good, but just not as outstanding as Cilian Murphy and Helen McCrory.
Anyway the show was good. It was really entertaining. There were 4 more seasons for me to watch (and an unaired 6th season), but the first season didn't disappoint. Also, I learnt Helen McCrory passed away April 2021. This is really sad, I hope she rests in peace.
p/s: British accent > American accent, by an infinite magnitude.