In "Her Honor," writer and former Latina editor in chief Sandra Guzman paints a warm portrait of Justice Sotomayor, shedding light on her humanity, humility, commitment to family and keen intellect. Using friends and family testimony in lieu of a formal discussion with Sotomayor, Guzman shows a whole new side of Latina's "woman of the decade."

Sotomayor Likes to Party

On the night before her official seating, the 55 year old justice rolled into an Irish bar in Chinatown, commandeered the jukebox, and headed to the dance floor with her family.

The Bronx-born justice's family and friends start a round of karaoke and as Sister Sledge's '70s classic "We Are Family" starts booming, Sotomayor and her mom are pulled to the makeshift stage to join the rest of the group.

She Doesn't Forget The "Little People"

Often, Sotomayor takes the time to remember the people who put in much work for little reward.

At a lavish dinner thrown in her honor last August by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony at their Long Island mansion, Sotomayor asked to meet those who had prepared the exquisite meal filled with Puerto Rican delicacies. With Ricky Martin, New York Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly present, Sotomayor thanked all the cooks and staff, and took a photo with the group of 20. The picture is one of head chef Ricardo Cardona's most precious momentos.

"I prepare dinners all the time, for dignitaries and stars, and never has this happened," Cardona says. "She showed us - all these Latino immigrants who were in the kitchen working to make the meal special - that she is one of us."

She Wants to Be Seen as Normal - Or As Close To It As Possible

A couple weeks before her private swearing in as the 111th associate justice of the Supreme Court, celebrated Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrera offered to make her a one-of-a-kind outfit for the big day. Though touched by the generous offer, Sotomayor politely declined it, not wanting other women to feel like she was no longer one of them. She instead opted for an off-the-rack white suit by Tahari, one of her favorite labels.

She Uses Her Diabetes as an Opportunity to Educate Others

A year before her dad died, Sotomayor was diagnosed with diabetes. Since then, she's had to take one insulin shot before each meal - she isn't discreet about it, either. She'll pull out her needle kit and meds and place them on the table in front of you, always taking the opportunity to share some fact about how common the condition is, especially among Latinos.

Her Measured Perspective Includes the Matters of the Heart

The article discusses Sotomayor's sadness at the toll work has taken on her romantic relationships. Counter to modern narratives, Sotomayor's love life as a working professional woman is rich and varied. Her first marriage to a high school sweetheart ended in 1983, and she maintained a relationship leading to an engagement before splitting in 2000. After that, Guzman writes "Rather than diminishing her willingness to love, the breakup seemed to open her up to love - on her own terms." The next relationship Sotomayor entered was a friends with benefits situation. Through all her experiences, she was able to develop an realistic view on the nature of love.

[Sotomayor] told me that we have been wrongfully taught the Cinderella fairy tale as a paradigm for what happy relationships are supposed to be. And when we fall short of that, we suffer for it.

To find happiness in love, she said, we have to make up our own rules. It's not easy, but it's doable. The process may involve unlearning what we have been taught and then figuring out what makes us happy. There are all types of relationships and arrangements to choose from. Of course, the trick is finding a companion who shares those values.

She Will Not Forsake Herself for Her Position

The Obama Administration prepped Sotomayor to tone down anything remotely controversial during the confirmation hearings. Sotomayor acquiesced - until the day of the reception celebrating her appointment.

Sotomayor asked the President to look at her freshly manicured nails, holding up her hands to show off her favorite fire engine red hue. The President chuckled, saying that she had been warned against that color.

She sure had, but Sotomayor was not finished. She then pulled her hair back behind her ears, exposing her red and black semi-hoop earrings, a beloved accessory among Latinas across America - from the South Bronx to Houston to East Los Angeles.

Obama joked that she had been briefed on the size of the earrings as well.

Without skipping a beat, Sotomayor replied: "Mr. President, you have no idea what you've just unleashed."

Official Site [Latina]

The decision was unanimous, but Justice Clarence Thomas declined to join the part of Justice Sotomayor's opinion discussing why the cost of allowing immediate appeals outweighs the possibility that candid communications between lawyers and their clients might be chilled.

In a concurrence, Justice Thomas took a swipe at his new colleague, saying she had "with a sweep of the court's pen" substituted "value judgments" and "what the court thinks is a good idea" for the text of a federal law.

Nice to see things are starting off friendly.

However, I must admit I cheered a bit when I saw what other thing Justice Sotomayor managed to do, besides piss off Justice Thomas:

Justice Sotomayor's opinion in the case, Mohawk Industries v. Carpenter, No. 08-678, marked the first use of the term "undocumented immigrant," according to a legal database. The term "illegal immigrant" has appeared in a dozen decisions.

And with good reason. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists launched a campaign back in March 2006 asking the media to "stop using dehumanizing terms when covering immigration," explaining:

NAHJ is concerned with the increasing use of pejorative terms to describe the estimated 11 million undocumented people living in the United States. NAHJ is particularly troubled with the growing trend of the news media to use the word "illegals" as a noun, shorthand for "illegal aliens". Using the word in this way is grammatically incorrect and crosses the line by criminalizing the person, not the action they are purported to have committed. NAHJ calls on the media to never use "illegals" in headlines.

Shortening the term in this way also stereotypes undocumented people who are in the United States as having committed a crime. Under current U.S. immigration law, being an undocumented immigrant is not a crime, it is a civil violation. Furthermore, an estimated 40 percent of all undocumented people living in the U.S. are visa overstayers, meaning they did not illegally cross the U.S. border.

In addition, the association has always denounced the use of the degrading terms "alien" and "illegal alien" to describe undocumented immigrants because it casts them as adverse, strange beings, inhuman outsiders who come to the U.S. with questionable motivations. "Aliens" is a bureaucratic term that should be avoided unless used in a quote

.

Language matters. The framing of issues matters. And it is amazing to see that Sonia Sotomayor is going to start reframing how we discuss and debate these types of issues, one pen stroke at a time.

Sotomayor Draws Retort From A Fellow Justice [NY Times]
NAHJ Urges News Media To Stop Using Dehumanizing Terms When Covering Immigration [NAHJ]

Nubian representatives say that the line compares black Egyptians to monkeys, and are suing the singer, her record label, and the songwriter. • The man charged with the kidnapping of Shaniya Davis has also been accused of raping and asphyxiating the 5-year-old South Carolina girl. Mario McNeill is being charged with first-degree murder and rape of a child. • Amanda Knox broke down in tears today in court as the prosecution closed their case against her, saying she "harboured hatred" for Meredith Kercher and "killed her to take revenge." • Amanda Knox's parents are so confident she'll be acquitted that they've already bought her a plane ticket home to Seattle. •  The British man charged with strangling his own wife on a camping trip was found not guilty on account of a rare disorder, which caused him to murder Christine Thomas in his sleep. "You are a decent man and a devoted husband. I strongly suspect that, not withstanding the circumstances here, you may well be feeling a sense of guilt about what happened that night. In the eyes of the law, you bear no responsibility," said the judge. •  Reporter Michael Crowley sat down in a restaurant the other night and found himself sitting two tables away from Sonia Sotomayor. Naturally, he sent out a Tweet, which read: "She left her purse on a chair; stern-faced security guys came back for it about 30 min later." •  Soldiers in Sweden are fighting for flame-retardant underwear. The Swedish Conscription Council claims that the female soldiers were promised appropriate bras and panties years ago, but the armed forces has failed to deliver. • Selma Aliye Kavaf, Turkey's minister for women's affairs, says, "The mentality change regarding women's participation in business or political life would take time. Legislation or laws are not enough for women to become active in business life." • A dad from Minnesota claims that during the first three years of his son's life, he spoke to him only in Klingon. The dad says it was part of an experiment, to see whether his kid would pick up the fictional language. He says he stopped when it became clear his son, now 15, preferred English. •  Warning: This story is disgusting and highly disturbing. Short version: a gang in Peru has been accused of murdering people in order to collect their fat, which is then sold on the black market for cosmetics. • The highest court in New York has rejected an attempt to throw out two government orders to recognize the rights of same-sex couples married in other states. While this is good news, the ruling was based on a technicality, and did not address the broader human rights issue at stake. • A team of researchers have made headway in understanding how the body metabolizes date rape drugs. They hope that the breakthrough "may provide new clues on how to counteract the drug's effects, or to enhance its metabolism and decrease toxicity for chronic abusers or victims of sexual assault." • A study from the Harvard School of Public Health found a woman's risk of developing multiple sclerosis during her lifetime is doubled if she was obese at age 18. This is the first time MS risk has been linked to obesity. The research was based on the Nurses' Health study, but doctors say "There's no reason to believe that the biological mechanisms would be different." • Ohio State University researchers found that alcoholics over the age of 60 have more than 40 alcoholic drinks a week on average, compared to between 25 and 35 drinks a week on average for younger alcoholics. The findings suggest older alcoholics have developed a tolerance and need to drink even more to get drunk. • A North Carolina doctor could lose his medical license for allegedly poking a patient's thigh and calling her fat and irresponsible for being unemployed and using taxpayer's money to pay for another pregnancy. The doctor admitted he told her that her fat thighs and diabetes could make her go blind. • Could "real" America's love affair with Sarah Palin be coming to a close? In this video an angry mob boos her and calls her a quitter after left a an event in Noblesville, Indiana without signing the books of about 300 families who had been waiting for more than three hours. • A few Indian travel agents are pushing "divorce tourism," package deals designed to help couples salvage their relationship. Viresh Hirjee, chief executive of a Mumbai travel agency, has been sending customers of vacation along with marriage counselors. "We are trying our best to bring the couple together," he said, but warned, "We are not destiny changers." • School officials in Orange County, California warned kids that if they skip school today to see New Moon they'll be marked truant. • The business information analysis firm IBISWorld says that the growing popularity of online dating sites is responsible for Australia's sex industry losing $67.6 million in the past year. "The rapid growth in online services means it has never been easier for like-minded individuals to organize casual liaisons for little or no cost," said IBISWorld analyst Edward Butler. • Barbara Ann Radnofsky, Democratic candidate for attorney general in Texas, says a clause in a 2005 constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages accidentally banned all marriages in the state. The clause reads: "This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage." Backers of the ban say she's reading too much into the clause for political reasons. • The city of Auckland, New Zealand paid $74,000 to give a 66-foot fiberglass Santa statue a facelift. One of his mechanical eyes had been drooping and people were worried it would scare children. His face has been bandaged and the repairs will be unveiled on Sunday. •

• After being passed over for a promotion at McDonald's because of her pregnancy, Rhonda Floyd started a support group of sorts to benefit women in the hospitality industry. "McDonald's is very male-dominated," she said, as are many businesses in the leisure and hospitality sector. • British cops recently caught three woman and a man who were trying to pimp six girls aged 14-23 at a West London hotel. They were also offering a 12-year-old virgin for up to £50,000. All four have been arrested and are facing criminal charges. • According to Nicola Pease, the very same laws designed to protect women in the workplace are actually holding us back. Pease says there is no more sexism in the finance sector, except that which the ladies bring upon themselves by having babies and demanding maternity leave and other unreasonable things. • Author and women's activist Malalai Joya on Obama: "He must criticize how the United States helped turn Afghanistan into a safe haven for fundamentalist terrorists and now helps prop up a corrupt regime and a powerful drug mafia... If I ever do have the chance to meet President Obama, I will try to convey to him these points and tell him very clearly that U.S governments have betrayed the Afghan people enough." • Ximena Hartstock is the acting director of D.C.'s Department of Parks and Recreation, but she may be forced out because of her race and gender. She claims that at a recent city council meeting, Councilmember Marion Barry raised questions as to whether Hartstock could relate to African Americans or if she could do the job as well as a man. •  Kim Ng may become the first female General Manager in baseball. She was spotted having lunch with Padres owner Jeff Moorad, and has previously interviewed for GM positions with the Dodgers and the Mariners. •  As part of a charity event a group of men from New York state put on some pumps and walked a mile in women's shoes. The money raised by the walk has been donated to Alternatives for Battered Women, which operates a shelter for victims of domestic violence. •  A television show/internet competition that has been described as a "cross between Sports Illustrated and Next Top Model" has come under attack from feminists, who think the bathing suit-based contest is sexist. • Researchers have found that new mothers spend 20% more time awake than they did before giving birth. The resulting "postnatal insomnia" can often lead to depression and anxiety problems for stressed parents. Doctors advise that women suffering from postnatal insomnia seek help as soon as possible. • Quinceañeras — lavish parties given by Latino families to celebrate a girl's 15th birthday and transition into womanhood — are gaining popularity in America. Michele Salcedo, author of a book on the practice, says, "It's a way to push back a lot of the negativity that a lot of Latinos feel is directed at Latinos. It is a way for people who have recently arrived, or maybe not so recently arrived, to say 'I have done well here.'" • In a speech at Morehead State University, author bell hooks said, "God is a feminist because if we accept that God is a god of love then we know that God fully intends for females and males to be self-actualized, self-empowered and full of self esteem." • Just one of many problems for working moms is the fact that many of them continue to see child care as coming out of their paycheck alone, not their family's overall income. Nora Bredes, director of the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women's Leadership, says, "Our belief as a society is that mothers are responsible for the care of children, not the couple. We give lip service on how it's a family priority, but it really is all on her." • Québec's fashion industry has adopted a charter to help promote healthy body image, including resolutions to "encourage healthy eating and weight-control habits" and "discourage excessive weight-control practices or appearance modification." • The success of New York police and prosecutors in using DNA to catch rapists in cold cases has lead to a greater push to use DNA evidence in the investigation of other crimes. "It is a tremendously powerful tool that allows us to protect the rights of victims," said California District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert. • 

Oh dear.

According to the trial record, Marcus ran a Web site that featured photos he had taken of women who acted as "sex slaves" and were subjected to varying levels of physical abuse. The woman at the center of the case — identified only as "Jodi" — had met the defendant in 1998 and agreed to participate in his commercial activities.

At issue was whether Marcus took the relationship too far and held Jodi against her wishes. Prosecutors claim he manipulated and forced the woman to undergo the punishment, then write about it for the Web site. The incidents took place at various locations between 1999 and 2001.

Attorneys for Marcus said the relationship was consensual, even enjoyable, and that Jodi had signed an employment contract and was provided for through the for-profit Web site, which had paying members and advertising. They also said that while the public may find the details unsettling, it was done in the privacy of homes.

The woman testified she felt like a prisoner and she could not escape her situation. Her head was shaved and the word "slave" was written on her stomach by Marcus with a knife. She claimed she was whipped regularly, hung by her arms from posts, and subjected to a range of humiliating poses.

Marcus was initially sentenced to nine years in prison. However, the appellate court overturned the previous ruling, deeming that the law used to prosecute Marcus - the 2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act - was not in effect during the time of some of the offenses.

Much of the press interest in this case revolves around Justice Sotomayor's role in the appeals process, where she was among the justices who voted to overturn the conviction.

Supreme Court To hear Case About 'Sex Slave' Web Site [CNN]

SCOTUS has a full year ahead with an interesting docket. Some of the cases are truly gruesome:

Among the most anticipated cases so far are two that raise the question of whether it is constitutional to sentence juvenile offenders to life without parole. One of the defendants was just 13 when he raped an elderly woman in her home - an appalling and brutal crime, but one that did not involve homicide. We should not be giving up on a person for an act committed at 13. A few years ago, the court ruled that the death penalty for juvenile offenders amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. It should extend that reasoning to these cases.

Others deal with how much business can influence politics:

The most important business case, however, is one the court heard last month. In Citizens United v. F.E.C., the court could wipe out a longstanding ban on corporate spending on federal elections, which would allow big business to swamp democracy. We hope the court will avoid such recklessness, and rule narrowly.

The news about Sotomayor is mostly speculation. The Washington Post asked various experts (only one of whom has worked with Sotomayor in any capacity) about what to expect when she takes the bench. Most of the experts parroted ideas we've already heard before - that Sotomayor's experience will be a welcome addition to the court, or that Sotomayor's presence will not ultimately shift the balance of power. Sotomayor's acquaintance from law school provides a bit more of a glimpse into Sotomayor's style:

GERALD TORRES

Professor at the University of Texas School of Law; counsel to Attorney General Janet Reno; knew Sotomayor when she was a law student

We can expect a careful judge — and I use the term judge purposely. As a federal prosecutor, federal district judge and federal appellate judge Sonia Sotomayor was not merely a justice-in-waiting. She comes to the role of justice having served more than a perfunctory appellate court apprenticeship, from a long exposure to the importance of facts and their role in constructing the meaning of law. This training has produced sensitivity to how law affects the lives of the people before the court. Principles live through people, not the reverse.

Her questioning of the parties in the first case she heard, Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, reflects these commitments. In one question, she asked if the court would be "cutting off" the "future democratic process" if it ruled broadly, deciding to answer a question not properly before it in order to treat all corporations as natural persons. It was the right question, especially because it was a judge-made rule that created the problem the court was addressing. For Sotomayor, perhaps, it is the wise people who ought to lead rather than the courts.

(Torres was also the only expert to refer to a specific example of what Sotomayor has done recently.)

But more of the speculation is about Sotomayor's actual beliefs.

For the most part, however, all eyes will be on Sotomayor. Most of the court handicappers will be watching for early signs of how she might depart from the liberal voting record of her predecessor. Originally a Republican nominee to the trial court (though later put on the appellate court by President Clinton), Sotomayor was suggested as a nominee for President George W. Bush and has a more conservative voting record than Souter. If she votes the way she voted on the appellate court, liberals will lose ground with her selection.

In other news, USA Today contacted Sandra Day O'Connor and asked about her opinions of the current Court:

Asked how she felt about the fact that the current court had undone some of her rulings, the nation's first woman justice responded, "What would you feel? I'd be a little bit disappointed. If you think you've been helpful, and then it's dismantled, you think, 'Oh, dear.' But life goes on. It's not always positive."

O'Connor, appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1981, was a moderate conservative who often brokered compromises among justices and across ideological lines.

Since she retired in 2006, the court has become more conservative and retreated from some rulings in which she crafted consensus, including on abortion rights, campaign finance and government race-based policies. [...]

Asked about regional diversity, she said, "I don't think they should all be of one faith, and I don't think they should all be from one state." On the court are now a record six Catholics; two are Jewish; one, Protestant.

The Kid's Post (a supplement in the Washington Post) has a cute way of explaining the Supreme Court to the young ones:

Ever get into a fight with your sister, say, over who spilled the soda on your iPod? Your sister blames you and claims you bumped her into the soda, causing the spill. You blame her because her elbow knocked over the soda. You ask your little brother what he thinks. He blames you. You ask your babysitter what she thinks. She also blames you. Finally you ask your mom, the highest authority in the house, what she thinks. She decides that because you were running in the house breaking the rules, it's your fault.

That is, in a way, how the U.S. court system works. Your mom is like the U.S. Supreme Court, which has the final say in court cases. Today, the Supreme Court begins its 2009-2010 session.

Much of the discussion of the Supreme Court revolves around the men of SCOTUS, with Justices Kennedy, Roberts, and Alito all being lauded as ones to watch. Though some court experts believe that Roberts and Alito are going to the take the lead setting the court's tone, others are not so thrilled:

Some discord was on display during Sotomayor's confirmation hearings, where liberal Democratic senators excoriated Roberts and Alito.

"For all the talk of modesty and restraint, the right-wing justices of the court have a striking record of ignoring precedent, overturning congressional statutes, limiting constitutional protections, and discovering new constitutional rights," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said in a typical complaint.

While most reports are mentioning that 89 year old Justice Stevens may actually retire, opening a new position on the court, there is much that remains to be seen.

The Supreme Court Returns [New York Times]
Justice Sonia Sotomayor's free-speech tests [LA Times]
Sotomayor's First Term [Washington Post]

Sandra Day O'Connor says rulings are being 'dismantled' [USA Today]
EVER WONDERED how the Supreme Court works? [Washington Post]
For Roberts, Alito, a New Visibility [Washington Post]
Supreme court term has major gun rights, business cases [Reuters]

In an interview that makes her sound extremely likable and charmingly humble, Sotomayor tells C-Span about the bizarre experience of waiting around for Obama to call. She says that her family had boarded planes to Washington before she got the final answer from Obama. She had been told Obama would be making the call that day, but at 5:00 p.m. Obama still hadn't called. Her family was anxious, so she told them to go on ahead.

Sick of waiting, Sotomayor called up the White House and asked, "Well you're getting my family to Washington, have any of you given any thought about how I'm going to get there? And:

"And they stopped and said, 'Oh I guess we should figure that out, shouldn't we?' Literally, that was the response. What I was told was that the president had gotten distracted with some important other business that was going on at the time, and that he would call me at about 8 p.m. but that I should go home and pack to come to Washington, and that they would prefer that I didn't take a plane."

The Washington Post notes that the other business Obama was busy with his Memorial Day appearences and North Korea's decision to detonate a nuclear device, so we suppose he has a good excuse. But in a strange way, the rest of the story sounds kind of like a particularly nerve-wracking first date. Sotomayor recalls holding her hand over her chest, "trying to calm my beating heart, literally," right before she got the call. And once she did? She admits to breaking down in tears: "And I said to him — I caught my breath and started to cry and said, 'Thank you, Mr. President.' That was what the moment was like." We can only imagine.

Sotomayor Describes Day Of Supreme Court Selection For C-Span [Washington Post]

[Washington, D.C., September 16. Image via Getty]

US Supremem Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor (C) stands as US President Barack Obama recognizes her as he speaks at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute 32nd Annual Awards Gala in Washington, DC, September 16, 2009. AFP PHOTO/Jim WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

[Washington, D.C., September 8. Image via Getty]

WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 08: U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor (R) poses with her mother Celina (2nd L) and stepfather Omar Lopez (L) during a photo-op after an investiture ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court September 8, 2009 in Washington, DC. Sotomayor is the 111th justice who serve at the Supreme Court. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

• Sandra Bullock is allegedly helping Ryan Reynolds get through a rough patch in his marriage to Scarlett Johansson. Hopefully her advice doesn't include "watch All About Steve together." [ShowbizSpy]

• "Sandra told Ryan the most important thing is that he and Scarlett need to make time for one another, even though they both have busy schedules," says a source, "She told him, ‘There is no substitute for togetherness.' Sandra pointed out that she and Jesse take quick vacations together - just hopping on the back of his bike and hitting the road.Ryan listens to Sandra because he has tremendous respect for her as a person and an actress." [ShowbizSpy]
• DJ AM's girlfriend, Haley Wood, gave a moving speech at his memorial service last week: "I will never be the same without him. A part of me has passed away with him. Even the warmest of days will never compare to the warmth I felt when I touched him. He was my soulmate, and now he is my soul. He was my amazing grace." [People]
• Your Daily Mail Headline Of The Day: "Sienna Miller Goes Public With Another Man...But At Least This One's Not Married." [DailyMail]
• "I am single and a workaholic and very lonely. But I'm good. Me and my vibrator are very happy."-Lady GaGa [TheSun]
• "I was surprised and pleased by how extremely knowledgeable about fashion and articulate Lindsay Lohan was. She's very young and can be portrayed in ways that aren't all together flattering, and she was a true statesperson and really weighed in on the designers and what they were doing exceptionally well. And it was really a thrill to have her."-Tim Gunn on Lindsay Lohan's guest spot on Project Runway. [IOL]
• Former Real Housewife of Orange County Lynne Curtin has been accused of stealing $5000 worth of furniture from a home she moved out of last week. [TMZ]
• Kelsey Grammer is throwing a Studio 54-themed 40th birthday party for his wife, Camille. A source claims the theme was "inspired by Camille's days as the principal dancer on 'Club MTV.'" [PageSix]
• "'There's nothing funny about someone who's completely secure. Vulnerabilities and cracks in the armor are what's funny. And what's really funny is someone who's attempting to hold a shield up to those things and thinking that they're pulling it off.''-Jason Bateman [NYTimes]
• A source claims that Paula Abdul hopes to "destroy" American Idol with a TV version of her one-woman show: "Paula believes she's got the draw of a Cher or Bette Midler and she's determined to rub the noses of the ‘Idol' bosses in her success. She's funneling her anger and resentment into making this project a hit. She wants to strike back." [ShowbizSpy]
• "I honestly don't know. What he said is he's trying to get what's best for him and best for me. He said it had nothing to do with talent. And I'm just going to go on that. That was his only explanation. He's looking at the whole mix of the show and maybe he feels that what I bring would be better served on a sitcom. They hired two new gals [Jenny Slate and Nasim Pedrad] that I think are going to be exquisite."- Michaela Watkins on Lorne Michaels firing her from Saturday Night Live [EW]
• Rosie Perez and Jennifer Lopez are reportedly battling for the rights to bring Judge Sonia Sotomayor's life story to the big screen. [DailyExpress]
• O.J. Simpson will remain in prison: a judge has denied his request to be let out of jail while he appeals his convictions for armed robbery and kidnapping. [DailyExpress]
• Want to hear John Krasinski read a bedtime story? You're in luck: he's recorded a reading of "Aladdin" for Speakaboos. [E!]
• Khloe Kardashian is reportedly dating L.A. Lakers star Lamar Odom. [E!]
• "I would never want the responsibility of being the prettiest girl onscreen. Growing up with a mother like mine gives you a skewed idea of what a mother should look like. My mother's jeans are smaller than mine!"- Rumer Willis [ShowbizSpy]
• Kanye West was caught on tape screaming "Don't follow me!" at a paparazzi, who proceeded to apologize to Kanye...and then followed him anyway. WHY WON'T YOU LET HIM BE GREAT, PAPARAZZI?!?!? [ONTD]
• "God, I really wish I could go loose on this one. He's like Napoleon and he wants to create this insane, infamous mad-man reputation. He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is. So he's a nightmare to work for but when you get him away from set, and he's not in director mode, I kind of really enjoy his personality because he's so awkward, so hopelessly awkward." -Megan Fox on Michael Bay [JustJared]

Justice Sonia Sotomayor will sport her own version of her "judicial collar," in the session beginning September 8.

[Washington, D.C., August 12. Image via Getty]

US President Barack Obama and Justice Sonia Sotomayor laugh during a reception in her honor at the White House on August 12, 2009. Sotomayor was sworn on August 8 in a public ceremony as a US Supreme Court justice, becoming the first Hispanic justice on the nation's highest bench. AFP PHOTO/Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

[New York, August 6. Image via Getty]

NEW YORK - AUGUST 06: Puerto Rican native and Sonia Sotomayor supporter Miriam Gonzales looks on with her dog Reina August 6, 2009 in New York City. Gonzales said, 'I support her 100 percent. I hope Americans will support her. I hope they accept her, as Puerto Ricans we need somebody like that.' The U.S. Senate confirmed Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic justice of the U.S. Supreme Court today. Sotomayor is the daughter of Puerto Rican parents and grew up in New York City. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

[Washington, August 5. Image via Getty]

WASHINGTON - AUGUST 05: Supporters attend a rally endorsing the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court near the U.S. Capitol August 5, 2009 in Washington, DC. The full U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the nomination sometime this week. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

This line from Cheryl Thompson's Washington Post piece is probably a good indication.

Benjamin has never been married and has no children.

And we all know what that means, right? Right? Why, if she's not married at her age, she must be a lesbian

But, oh, ho! Not so! She was a cheerleader and wore dresses!

Friends describe Benjamin as the girl who wore pretty dresses when everyone else was wearing T-shirts and blue jeans. A cheerleader, she was one of the most popular girls at the integrated Fairhope High School, where she was active in the drama club, student council and the honor society.

In case you were wondering, why, yes, Benjamin is a practicing physician, the recipient of a MacArthur genius grant and honors from Pope Benedict and one inspired by Mother Teresa.

Also, she went to her high school prom with a boy.

Earl Packer, Benjamin's longtime friend and high school prom date, called her nomination for surgeon general "well deserved."

Well, so, that's settled, much like how the White House made sure everyone knew the currently-single Sonia Sotomayor was divorced and was thereafter affianced. Now we can get back to debating the important issues, like whether or not she's too heavy to serve.

Surgeon General Pick's Stance on Abortion May Clash With Church's [Washington Post]

Related: Sotomayor: A Single Supreme? [Washington Post]

Earlier: Female Nominees Continue To Face Scrutiny Over Their Size, Weight

Givhan's analysis stems from the fact that the fashion industry has deemed sheath dresses (which are oh-so-flattering on every shape) equally authoritative as business suits and suggested that all women eschew stockings in the summer. And instead of complying with the fashion industry's advice — or, at a minimum, wearing a wrap dress — Sotomayor did what any sensible judicial nominee ought: she dressed both for her audience and the event, i.e. the Senate and a confirmation hearing. And thus she earns Givhan's opprobrium for not being feminine enough.

Her wardrobe, as she sat for her daily grilling by the Senate Judiciary Committee, did not reflect the fashion industry's constant refrain. In fact, it did not even appear to have been influenced by the 21st century. Instead, Sotomayor's clothes evoked authority in the manner of a 1980s lady power broker.

And while a wing of the fashion industry has been enraptured by the styles of the 1980s, its focus has been more on embellished military jackets, harem pants and jersey dresses that look as though they might spontaneously combust on a particularly hot day. That is not the part of 1980s fashion history Sotomayor was channeling. She embraced that period in fashion when femininity had no place in the executive suite.

Um, what? Either Robin Givhan and I experienced two different decades, or two different hearings. Sotomayor's suits, above, had hardly the big shoulderpads nor the boxy jackets of that (thankfully) bygone era, and I'm certain her skirts were either A-lines or flared, unlike the 80s ubiquitous pencil skirts. They weren't paired with high-necked silk shells, floppy bows of any kind or even button-down shirts. In short, they looked nothing like this.

In fact, by my count, Sotomayor wore a pink suit as well as a pink shell under her black suit; cuts that were flattering for her figure; exposed her collar bones and — for the first day — even wore a suit with a styled color and an asymmetrical line. But despite the skirts, the deliberately feminine color choices (pink, red, bright blue and a wide black pinstripe paired with a pink shell), the three-quarter sleeves and the stockings Givhan derides as being unfashionable (though a smart choice in what I guarantee was a frigid hearing room), Givhan says Sotomayor wasn't feminine.

Her single notable accessory was a slim bangle on her right wrist. Her neck, so exposed by her jewel collars, was bare.

Aside from her decision to emphasize skirts instead of trousers and the shoulder-length dark curls framing her face, there was nothing in Sotomayor's style that acknowledged her femininity in a significant way.

She, in Givhan's words, left her gender at the door.

Opening a Conventional Closet In Quest for a Supreme Robe [Washington Post]