Setting the Stage
Originally uploaded by Gus Dahlberg

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.

I was away from my desk for much of yesterday, so even though my boss excitedly told me that Obama would be announcing his nominee for the Supreme Court yesterday morning, I still didn’t see it until later that afternoon.  Judge Sotomayor’s name is vaguely familiar to me (I think perhaps I’ve read one of her decisions somewhere, but I can’t say where), but beyond that and what the NBC Evening News last night and Morning Edition on NPR this morning had to say about her, that’s the extent of my knowledge of the nominee.  


And then I sat down for lunch here and thought I’d at least skim through the news while I ate my soup.  This was the first story on the MSNBC ticker on MSN:

GOP faces delicate task in fighting Latina pick

All-out assault on Sotomayor could alienate Hispanic and women voters

President Obama nominated federal judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court yesterday, putting her in line to become the nation’s first Hispanic justice and creating a difficult political equation for Republicans as they weigh how aggressively to fight her appointment.

An all-out assault on Sotomayor by Republicans could alienate both Latino and women voters, deepening the GOP’s problems after consecutive electoral setbacks. But sidestepping a court battle could be deflating to the party’s base and hurt efforts to rally conservatives going forward.

In introducing Sotomayor at the White House yesterday morning, Obama hailed the 54-year-old appeals court judge as an accomplished and “inspiring” individual with a compelling life story. She would replace Justice David H. Souter, who was appointed by President George H.W. Bush but became a reliable member of the court’s liberal wing.

Senate Republicans responded with restraint to the announcement yesterday, and their largely muted statements stood in sharp contrast to the fractious partisanship that has defined court battles in recent decades. Leading conservatives outside the Senate, however, did not hold back, targeting a pair of speeches in which Sotomayor said appellate courts are where “policy is made” and another in which she said a Latina would often “reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”

Critics also targeted her support for affirmative action, with Rush Limbaugh calling her a “reverse racist” in his syndicated radio program, citing a case in which she ruled against a group of white firefighters who claimed discrimination in hiring practices. 

Waiting at the Shake Shoppe
Originally uploaded by Gus Dahlberg

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.

Wake Up With the King
Originally uploaded by Gus Dahlberg

Or, as I told Val, “because when I’m buying Burger King (TM) brand Onion Rings or Ketchup & Fries potato snacks, the first thing I worry about is how much transfats are in the bag, and not that I’m buying ONION RINGS IN A BAG.”

It is pouring in Columbus and I am worried about my grandmother. This made me smile in spite of that:

Obviously from the giant Cornhole All-Stars graphic, we’re bringing the game of Cornhole to the iPhone. I’ll quickly throw in that this is anything but an ordinary game of Cornhole….

…We are based in the great city of Columbus, Ohio. That’s right I said it: Columbus, Ohio. Our fine state lays claim to the origins of Cornhole. Don’t even give an ear to Kentucky who thinks they invented the game. It all started here. One only has to drive through the OSU campus to see lawn after lawn filled with Cornhole players. You get a feel for its popularity and tend to wax reminiscently on the game’s origins. The religious experience of Cornhole is spreading like wildfire. It seems to have found its way to the suits of downtown Brooklyn, who are rumored to participate in “Corporate Cornholing” and to Scottsdale, AZ, where they host the Worldfest of Cornhole.

That said, we did not set out to recreate a game for the iPhone because of popularity, rather, Chuck and I just wanted to create a fun, social game that showed some Ohio pride with a twist. So, we put our heads down and teamed up with expert designers and developers (Corn fed- Columbus grown I will add). And with local pride blowin’ under our wings (don’t forget Ohio gave birth to flight), we began to conjure up visions of corrupt sheriffs, scurvy-infested pirates and rickety crypt keepers who would dominate western towns, pirate ships and graveyards…

Much more, including development notes and concept art, at Graphic Conversation.

Ye gods, this place needs cleaning. I think maybe it’s time to scrap the old design and start fresh. Thoughts?

IMAGE_254.jpg
Originally uploaded by Gus Dahlberg

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.

Jackets down low!
Originally uploaded by Gus Dahlberg

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.