LegalJargon

blogging

2008-12-18T21:59:00.000-08:00

So mostly I have stopped blogging and now pretty much do my updates via facebook. Which is more akin to a twitter than a blog. This is all interesting stuff. I am right now looking for a fulltime W-2 job. Hopefully the economy will get better.

Sarah Palin

2008-10-02T19:02:00.000-07:00

I know this is off topic with tonights vp debate, but I was wondering if her youthful looks were possibly the result of bo-tox? Here's what the experts say:

http://www.makemeheal.com/news/sarah-palin-plastic-surgery/550

Yes Men

2008-04-25T15:09:00.001-07:00

So there is the group of people called the "Yes Men." They set up a website that looked sort of like the WTO websight and started getting invitations to speak on behalf of the WTO. They have since branched out. Here is a copy of a speech that one of them gave about HUD's secretaries ideas for new directions to take in New Orleans. It is hilarious, especially when you look at the other article that deals with HUDS adament denial.

http://www.theyesmen.org/en/hijinks/hud

Elias is here....

2008-03-31T19:03:00.001-07:00

Our son Elias came on his due date March 23, 2008 at 12:18 am. See pictures at Bruce's Blog -
http://galactic-patrol.spaces.live.com

April Fool Hoaxes!! How I love them

2008-03-31T19:00:00.000-07:00

The top 100 April Fools Hoaxes of all times!!!

http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool

All for child safety

2008-03-14T08:55:00.002-07:00

I am all for child safety but really this is crazy. She was no more than 30 feet from the car, it was in her line of vision. I know there is a line, but I don't think she crossed it. Although, refusing to give your name and info to the police, maybe not the best decision, they were out of line. She was scared.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080314/ap_on_re_us/mom_on_trial;_ylt=AvbSQS409GxCmS.OPlDCduxvzwcF

All for child safety

2008-03-14T08:55:00.001-07:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080314/ap_on_re_us/mom_on_trial;_ylt=AvbSQS409GxCmS.OPlDCduxvzwcF

Seriously

2008-03-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

Eliot Spitzer Attorney Genral, Reformer, Politician. Seriously how does a former attorney general, turned governor do something this stupid? He knows better. He was the former attorney general for christ sake.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080311/ap_on_re_us/spitzer_prostitution

Never Ever Give Gift Cards...

2008-03-06T14:41:00.000-08:00

This really upsets me as a consumer advocate. Do people read the fine print on these? http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/03/06/gift.cards.worthless.ap/index.html

$75 milion paid for but soon to be gone. I would be livid. There are dozens of lawsuits about these cards anyway, because most of them eat their own balances after time or outright expire.

THE Magna Carta

2008-03-03T20:49:00.000-08:00

I sincerely hope, I get to visit the national archives while it is on display. $20 million, I wonder how much that would be in 1215 money? The only thing that would be better is if it were the Doomsday Book!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/03/magna.carta.display/index.html

Could thieves be more dumb?

2008-02-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

I think not.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/28/biker.meeting/index.html

I wonder what went through their minds when they realised what was up. I mean besides the pain.

Shouldn't there be a statute of limitations....

2008-02-21T18:34:00.001-08:00

On capturing escaped prisoners. Seriously, if they have done as many of these people seem to have done and turned themselves into productive members of society who have put crime behind them and work hard like the rest of everyone else. It seems as though they have completed all of the rehabilitation and deterence rationales that people put behind jail. I have read three or four cases like this recently and I wonder how many man hours are put into catching someone over 38 years or so? Couldn't there be more productive use of the time? Especially if these people are living clean enough to stay off the radar...

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=5971071

Vanna White v. Samsung

2008-02-15T09:05:00.001-08:00

The naked cowboy sues...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/02/14/naked.cowboy/index.html

I totally remember the Vanna White as a robot case. If stars don't have their personas, they can't make money. As ridiculous as a naked M & M is I think he will win. Probably not retire though, he probably likes the lime light.

The nice old man down the street.

2008-02-14T19:35:00.000-08:00

80 year old WWII vet sends attacker to the hospital. Take that!

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa080214_lj_hawes.bfc57dff.html

What do you get your SO for Valentines day?

2008-02-13T12:40:00.001-08:00

A free divorce of course....
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1120ap_odd_valentines_divorce.html?source=mypi

Why request a new attorney....

2008-02-05T16:58:00.000-08:00

When you can just fly at your old one in a rage and plant one on him?

http://www.wlextv.com/global/story.asp?s=7823864

Contracts 101

2008-01-31T15:35:00.000-08:00

Legal Yes, Heartless even more so.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1120ap_odd_cable_bill.html?source=mypi

Katrina Suit Tossed

2008-01-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

Amen. My father was at basic training in Missisippi, during the late sixties. He said even back then people in New Orleans were saying it was inevitable that there would be a storm that would wipe out the city. A Level five hurricane? I don't know if you can protect against that, levees or no levies. This definitely has the ring of SOMBODY NEEDS TO PAY! (as my torts professor used to say) to me. Sometimes tradgedies happen. That doesn't mean that the army corp of engineers should pay 4 quadrillion in damages.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080131/ap_on_re_us/katrina_levee_suit

Career

2008-01-29T17:21:00.000-08:00

Today someone asked me if I ever planned to go back to work fulltime. I quickly answered no. I am not sure why but the thought of returning to an office 8-12 hours a day at any point is wholly unappealing. I think after my kids are in school I will become a business owner. I already have several interests that are occupying my time. I am not good at being bossed, but I wonder if I would make a good boss? My only experience at being a manager was as a shift supervisor for one of the restaurants I worked for. It was not very fun. Of course the employees were all 18-24 years old, unmotivated, for the most part uneducated and pretty crazy. Add to this a slimy corporate and two managers who weren't really there ever. Who knows?

Remiss

2008-01-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have been horribly remiss about posting. Between pre-school, kindermusik, gymboree, playdates and pregnancy I find myself sleeping around 8:30pm most nights, which as you may know eliminates the prime blogging hours. We have some updates obviously:

1. Lucy is very happily attending an inhome montessori this year. She really seems to like it. I like the teacher, and she is there 2 days a week for the time being and probably 3 or four next year.

2. Violet and I are using this time to bond. We go to a gymboree class all by ourselves. She has turned into the most independent two year old.

3. Baby C - we are expecting a little boy. I don't know what we'll do with him - I have started a rocketship/space themed nursery. We just hung a solar system mobile last night. It lights up and you can use a remote to make the planets orbit the sun. Way cool!

4. Our building project is almost finished the first of two houses anyway, it should be ready to go on the market in Early March (just in time for spring). I will post a link to pictures as soon as it does. We spent this weekend out there cleaning up mdf dust. What a fun day!!!

Besides that all is status quo. I have no great plans to do any legal work right now, but I am thinking after the house project, I would try to subdivide a piece of land. Just for fun :)

BTW

2007-10-07T20:54:00.003-07:00

Bruce and I are expecting an addition to our family come March. I will update once we know more about the little bean!

RIAA Does it again

2007-10-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

I have been ignoring my blog... I know. I feel bad, but this one makes me want to puke. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/1700AP_Downloading_Music.html

Single mother of 2 making $39,000 a year receives a judgement against her in the amount of $222,000. Yes for 24 songs at $.99 each she will be forced to pay $222k.

Will we elect a Mormon President?

2007-05-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

I sure as heck hope not. Sorry, the Mormon's lost me when some missionaries told me that you couldn't go to the highest level of heaven if you weren't married.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2005/0509.sullivan1.html

I am wondering how this will wash with the evangelical republican base.

The worst real estate investor ever.

2007-05-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

www.iamfacingforclosure.com

I think the usa today article is pretty hilarious. My sister pointed out that this guy was young and really had nothing to lose, but my gosh is it crazy! Might I add he is a total idiot.

Bill Vendall is Sanjaya

2007-05-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

What is up with this?

http://www.tmz.com/tmz_main_video?titleid=909923402

Bizarre.

Emotional Damages for loss of a cat?

2007-05-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002268301_yofi09m.html

$45k for a cat, makes me want to go down to the animal shelter and adopt..... Only in Seattle.

Tommy Tu Tone Hey Lenny?

2007-05-20T10:59:00.002-07:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070519/ap_on_fe_st/odd_phone_number_fight;_ylt=AlAmvxZACrcDt1f8ofwj4gnMWM0F

Plumbers are currently waging a legal battle to use the coveted 867-5309. Tommy Tu Tone has opted not to get involved, though I agree he could likely take the number away from both of them. I always wondered who you'd get if you called that number...

It's been awhile

2007-05-20T10:59:00.001-07:00

It has really been a while since I have posted. I am hereby re-dedicating myself to actually posting to my blog occassionally.

Dorlyn Williams

2007-04-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

As many of you may have heard my mother-in-law Dorlyn Williams passed away on April 3rd. We (me and the girls) had the gift of being with the family when it happened. We attended her memorial yesterday April 14th here in Harpers Ferry. Below is her obituary, for those of you who never met her, Dorlyn was an outstanding human being. We are very sad she is gone, but greatful to have been given the last 3 years with her.

Dorlyn Ewing Williams, 60, an optometrist with wide-ranging interests and countless friends, passed away Tuesday, April 3, at her home in Harpers Ferry, W. Va., after a three-and-a-half-year battle with cancer.
Ms. Williams practiced optometry for more than 21 years, retiring in 2003. She served in the Army for eight years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Fort Leonardwood, Mo., and Fort Myers in Arlington, Va. Moving to private practice, she worked in Prince William County, Va., and Winchester, Va.
Ms. Williams studied optometry at the University of California at Berkeley and became a doctor in optometry at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry near Philadelphia, Pa. Prior to that she received a bachelor of science degree from the University of California at Davis.
Her thirst for knowledge, however, extended beyond optometry. She completed a course in leadership and team-building skills in the Army’s Combined Arms and Services Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and obtained a masters degree in management from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo. She completed six months of training with the Medical Service Corp., in San Antonio, Tex. She also took an intensive Spanish language training course in Guatemala.
Always on a quest for adventure and fun, Ms. Williams traveled extensively. She was born in Chanute, Kan., on April 13, 1946. But during the course of her life, she lived in 13 states as well as Germany and traveled to every state in the U.S., all of the provinces in Canada, and many countries overseas, including Malawi and South Africa.
In 1978 she completed a marathon race of more than 26 miles in Charlottesville, Va., and in 1991 she hiked the 2,160 mile Appalachian Trail with her husband, Bob.
During the mid-1990s, she and a friend decided to attend services at every church in Jefferson County, W. Va., where Harpers Ferry is located. They worshiped at all of the 105 churches in the county over a period of many months.
In 2006, she and Bob criss-crossed the country visiting family and friends. Their travels took them to Seattle, Texas, Minnesota, New Orleans, where she had her picture taken with Chef Paul Prudhomme, Maine, and Newfoundland, where the sun first rises along the east coast of North America.
Ms. Williams was an avid reader and loved word games and crossword puzzles. Possessing a keen intellect, she never tired of exploring ideas and complex issues. She enjoyed photography, became a master of rug braiding, and pursued many other interests.
Her greatest gift, however, was her ability to make friends with almost everyone she met, drawing them into her family and recruiting them for various adventures. She nurtured relationships, helping one friend fight an addition to alcohol, tutoring a colleague’s son and encouraging him to follow his musical interests, and opening up her home and hospitality to many family members and friends for extended periods of time.
Her favorite color was yellow, a symbol of her enormous warmth and compassion. She touched everyone she met and left a lasting impression, which will help them endure her loss.
Survivors include her husband of more than 40 years, Bob Williams of Harpers Ferry, daughter Jenny Williams and grandchildren Paco Cathcart, Whitman Clark, and Clementine Williams of New York City, son Bruce Williams and grandchildren Lucy and Violet Williams of Kirkland, Wash., two sisters, Joyce Burnett of Olympia, Wash., and Karen Coomber of Tacoma Wash.; and a brother, Glenn Ewing of Maple Valley, Wash.
A memorial service is to be held Saturday, April 14, at 2:00 pm at the Camp Hill Wesley United Methodist Church, with Pastor Alexis Coleman officiating. A reception will follow in the social hall of the church. Please wear something yellow.

Sorry for the silence

2007-03-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a long while. As many of you know my mother-in-law has been very ill for the last few years. I have been in Harpers Ferry, WV for the last month. Bruce's mother Dorlyn is on hospice at this point and sleeping most of the day. It is really hearwrenching to see someone slowly die of cancer. So far in my life I have watched two people wither from cancer. There is good along with the bad. You get to say I love you and all those things you don't say until you know its the end. You were a great friend/mom/brother/sister. I'll miss you. You get a chance to process what is happening, warning that death is impending. It doesn't make it any less horrible, but maybe a little more palatable than a sudden death where you are just deprived of a persons presence suddenly without warning or closure. Anyway, we will be back in Washington the 4th of April, until then, we are just hanging out, spending what time we can with my mom-in-law, father-in-law and my parents.

Vacation Ideas

2007-01-25T18:02:00.000-08:00

I am looking for good vacation ideas for people with kids preferably. Any out there?

iPhone

2007-01-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

This should be an interesting case. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/299215_ciscoapple11.html

Cisco suing apple for use of iPhone, which is the same name given to cisco's Voip technology.

Pillow Angel

2007-01-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

If you haven't read this story you ought to.

http://ashleytreatment.spaces.live.com/blog/

It is about parents of a child whose brain development was stunted at 3 months. They gave her estrogen treatments, had her breast buds removed, gave her a hysterectomy and removed her appendix. They state that this will improve her quality of life dramatically. I don't know what I think about this. It should be left to the medical ethicists, but WHAT a SLIPPERY SLOPE.

Daughter's Birthday

2007-01-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

Lucy is three. I can hardly believe it. Here is a great short of her father and sister at her birthday party, which was held at one of those inflatibles places. So much fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qZSfkcgrPE

Global Warming

2006-12-16T22:16:00.000-08:00

I have no proof it is from global warming, but come on! Seattle has a snow storm a few weeks back, we are stuck at home for 3 days. Now a giant wind storm that wipes out basically all the power for 100 miles. They say it will be 2 to 4 days until we get power back. Pshaw, Bruce and I are safely in a hotel about 5 miles from Portland, OR. We headed south as soon as we knew we wouldn't be getting any power soon.

There has to be something going on! If it is global warming perhaps we can have a longer summer or something slightly more desirable.

Both our girls have RSV which is this nasty chest cold and I couldn't bear to rough it in Kirkland. No heat, no water, no telephone, no way!!!

A burrito is not a sandwich

2006-11-11T13:05:00.000-08:00

Duh. I wonder how much they spent on this one?
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1120AP_Burrito_or_Sandwich.html

Stress

2006-10-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

Why is it the older you get the more stress you have? I need to develop better coping for day to day stress. You know, the dress the kids, get to activites, cook the meals, clean the house, pay the bills kind of stress. Any suggestions would be helpful! I am already looking into Yoga and kick boxing.

Metronatural

2006-10-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

$200k worth of investment and this is the new slogan of the Seattle Tourism industry...

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/289518_metronatural21.html

I am sorry I hate it, why not just stick with the Emerald City or one of the other contenders? I also liked the "Life is different here" because it is...

And now they will spend $300k to promote it.

American Families

2006-10-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061015/ts_alt_afp/afplifestyleussociety

Interesting article on what is to come with regard to shape of the American family. Wonder if this will shake up trusts and estates law? Remember the academics asking whether t & e law was law trying to shape families or adapting to the shape which they take?

fees for nothing

2006-10-03T17:18:00.000-07:00

Today I was shocked after initiating a stock trade in my FUN stocks account and having over $300 disappear. In addition to the enormous loss I took on the FUN stocks - (FUN stocks are not necessarily a good investment!), I found out something new about ETRADE. If you do not make a trade each quater or have a balance higher than $10k they charge you $40 per quarter. I haven't made a trade in roughly two years, so they ate up $300. Would it have cost me $40 to make a trade each quarter? No. It would have cost me $20, but because I did not trade I was penalized. Needless to say I am closing this stock account and moving it over to Fidelity, where I will most likely roll my 401k over as well, that way they won't charge me in addition to the general losses I take on my FUN stocks. For those of you who don't have FUN stocks I encourage you to try buying some. Take a company whose product you like and use/or have read about and buy some stock! My parameters are simple. No more than $500 in any given stock and no more than $10 a share. I have had winner like Netflix and losers like ROXIO (Napster), in all I like the process - except for the fact that once again, I find myself having spent $300 on NOTHING!

Japanese Proverb

2006-09-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

Fall down seven times, stand up eight.

Sit on a log theory of learning

2006-09-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I miss that part of lawschool. Having no client to answer to you can really sit and think about outcomes free from bias. I had an "old" friend from my lawschool section this week. She had an interesting will issue we discussed. The will was drafted like a good law school exam. There was an incorporation by reference issue, a might-be rule against perpetuities problem, there was an executory promise made by the testator, that was completely unenforceable, all of the persons appointed as PRs had conflicting interests... Just the kind of will I strive not to draft. Anyway it reminded me how much I liked that process.

John Doe Modern Style

2006-09-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

I am sure you have seen it. Heck I know you have Roe v. Wade is a great example. To avoid privacy concerns a name is changed to Doe in a court case or in the famous example above Roe, but this is a new twist!

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_WA_DNA_Charges.html

Not knowing the name of a rapist, the Prosecutor files using a DNA profile instead of a name. How bizarre, but creative! No statute problems for me.

Ahoy Matey! Happy Talk like a Pirate Day

2006-09-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

I love this random, and not widely observed holiday!

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/about.html

Why is it?

2006-09-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

Why is it that when people are in legal disputes they all envision it as a time to get rich, or screw someone over? I don't understand why reason and fairness leave peoples minds completely. I know this sounds harsh. It does I admit it. Mediation (and therapy) would work so much better in so many civil cases rather than what is our adversarial system. It would also be cheaper in economic terms. Just my two cents.

Immigrant children more likely to drowned

2006-08-24T18:20:00.001-07:00

This is really interesting. I never thought much about swimming as a cultural phenomenon. My mother was a nonswimmer so she made sure we could all swim by the time we were 4...
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/282382_drown24.html

Carolene Products Footnote no. 4

2006-08-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

Who would have known a footnote could be so important? http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?navby=CASE&court=US&vol=304&page=144

Inlaws are now on there way

2006-08-07T21:49:00.000-07:00

They left yesterday after 10 days here. We had a fortieth anniversary picnic on Saturday. It all went really well. We retook their wedding photo with the attendants in the same places (at least those present). WOW do people change in 40 years!

Inspirational Words.to the Entrepreneur

2006-07-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

“ Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. ” Thomas Edison

random

2006-07-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

but none the less cool. Do people ever come like this?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060714/ap_on_sc/rare_lobster

Photo Line-up at PD

2006-07-13T18:32:00.000-07:00

So my photo line-up was today. I went to the police station, got my visitor's pass to wear around my neck. Note that the Seattle U.S. Attorney's Office has very similar visitors passes to the local PD. I sat in the waiting room for awhile while officer S was in his afternoon briefing.

He took me into what is normally an interrogation room I think. He told me so as not to taint my opinion that the suspect may or may not be the person I saw and that he may or may not be in the pictures I was to be shown. He then showed me 6 pictures. I was pretty sure when he put number 3 down that it was number 3 but he said to look at the rest. I said it was number 3 or he wasn't in the photos I was given.

Then he writes out what I am saying then I signed it and then he revealed that after one month or more I was able to pick the perp! He was number 3! Sweet.

This actually concluded their investigation.

I do believe I have gained some kharma for this because I was pulled over today for expired tabs and could not produce proof of my insurance, and the officer gave me a warning and let me leave. I avoided a $600 ticket!

A Paperclip for a HOUSE!

2006-07-09T23:16:00.000-07:00

He did it. He traded a paperclip for a house. I am so impressed.

http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/

Deceptive Advertising

2006-07-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

We went to see Click, the new Adam Sandler movie last night. In the trailers it looks to be a light-hearted Adam Sandler typed movie. It was really sad and mostly depressing. I feel ripped off by the advertising. I am out 19.50 on movie tickets and will likely need therapy for the clinical depression I am now suffering as a result of the film. Is there someone out there who would take my case? *grin*

Called for a photo line up

2006-07-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

Well it happened I was called to come in for a photo line up for the hit and run I witnessed. I am going in Thursday, I will post more when its done!

Holidays

2006-07-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

Why is it that holidays and holiday vacations are less fun and more stress than your average weekend?

Good Debt v. Bad Debt

2006-06-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

I have recently been dealing with creditors and the fair debt collection act. I am amazed at how little most people understand everyday economics and live way beyond their means. I can't get over it. I was brought up in a household where if you didn't have cash you didn't buy it.

Don't get me wrong, I understand there is good debt and bad debt. Mortgages are good debt. Owning a home is the major investment for most people, besides which you get a hefty deduction for interest paid on a mortgage. Student loans are usually good debt. Education can increase lifetime earning in addition to making you more marketable to employers. The real problem I have seen is credit cards.

I have no problem with credit cards per se. More with how people use them and the enormous balances they have. Two of my close friends have balances roughly equal to half a years salary for them. How does that happen? I hate to be paternalistic, but how do these companies justify giving people such great amounts of credit.

How do people expect to ever retire? I don't get it.

My kind of law.

2006-06-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

Now here is the kind of law that the government should be passing. One that really gets to the heart of problems that exist today. Does it tackle the homeless problem? Does it help law enforcement? Does it provide better public education? Of course not, it does however prevent physicians from writing prescriptions in cursive. I mean come on.....

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/274707_cursive21.html

I am sure thousands of taxpayer dollars went into this. Couldn't doctors figure this one out for themselves?

Cops

2006-06-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

Did you ever have a week where your life felt like you were watching the TV show cops. Whatcha going to do when the come for you?

In the lastweek, in addition to a friend of a friend going to jail, another friend of said friend, got charged with felony theft. This friend, of my friend, happens to be an attorney who is a self-professed "lousy business woman." In otherwords she is unable to keep her trust account correctly to the tune of $50k. This allegedly goes beyond simple malpractice. I shudder to think what the real story is. I am doubtful that $50k for a solo practitioner is a simple case of mistake and I know they wouldn't charge her if this was the only incident.

Then today I witnessed a hit and run. This is a first for me. I watched a white four door sedan hit a grey SUV. A young blond man got out of the car and surveyed the damages. He looked not quite twenty. He then got into his car pulled up alongside a friend and left. This wasn't a little scratch but rather a REALLY big dent in the hind quarter of the car. I saw this and so did another woman. The other woman got the license plate number. I wrote it down and she ran to the police office.

The officer looked up the license plate we had taken down and it turns out the offending car was stolen! The officer took my statement and told me that since I got a good look at him, if they compile a list of suspects that I might need to look at a photo montage or do a line-up.

First time in Jail

2006-06-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

I did not get arrested but rather a friend of a friend got arrested. Of course it happened on a Friday night and they could not get arraigned or bonded until Monday morning. As a super-friend it was my responsibility to visit said friend of a friend in lock-up, because of course non-attornies were not allowed to visit.

If you didn't know, I am not a criminal attorney. I have never, ever, even once wanted to be involved in a criminal case. That being said, my first experience visiting a jail went well well. I was buzzed in, produced my id and bar card (who would have known I would have ever used my bar card for something), and then I was buzzed into the room with the glass where you can sit across from someone and talk on the phone. I only interacted with someone briefly, besides the person I was meeting. Mostly I talked through little speakers in the wall to the jailers. (Are they called jailers anymore) Overall, quite an interesting experience.

The most interesting part is that in the local jail, the inmates are actually dressed in scrub typed outfits with GIANT BLACK STRIPES, just like in the old movies! Although they do wear long sleeved orange shirts underneath. In any case the most interesting part of my weekend by far was going to jail. For the record, I did not pass go or collect $200.

Joyce Copyright case

2006-06-12T23:02:00.000-07:00

It will be interesting to see how this one comes out. I personally think that scholarly works are completely beyond the pale of the copyright clause, but in reality the legality of it is somewhat in the air.

It bothers me completely that the same people who believe in limited government want it to expand in the direction of protecting copyrights to the detriment of the public good.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060613/ap_on_en_ot/james_joyce_lawsuit

Smoke-Easies

2006-05-31T16:02:00.000-07:00

Notice no one has introduced a Constitutional ban on Smoking. I wonder if that is coming. Maybe people realise now after the 18th and the 21st amendment that might have been the wrong way to curtail bad habits.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/272211_smokeeasy31.html

Lasik

2006-05-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

My husband Bruce got lasik this week. I am so jelaous. He has 20/15 vision now. I on the otherhand am breastfeeding still which prevents me from being able to be assessed to see if it is even possible for me to get lasik.

I watched the whole procedure through a window, it was all projected and magnified on a screen above where the procedure was happening. They used a laser to cut the flap. This is apparently the most modern procedure, many places still use a knife for this portion of the surgery. Little bubbles of air bubbled under the flap, which they peeled back. Next they took us to an area where we waited until the air went out from under the flaps. It took all of 11 seconds per eye for the actual laser surgery. How cool is that!?! I can't wait to get my eyes done now. If you are wondering, they gave Bruce adavan and some eye drops that numbed his eyes two or three times before the surgery. He didn't feel a thing and was fine after a few hours.

Online Gambling a class C felony in WA

2006-05-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

I don't gamble online. I rarely gamble at all. We used to occassionally play poker with some people we knew, since having kids this has all but stopped, but I think this is an overstep by the legislature. It is not illegal to gamble in the state of Washington - There are numerous poker rooms on the I-5 corridor and also on the reservations to the north and south here. Why make it a class C felony to gamble online? Is there a lobby that has courted this legislation? I am just awe struck by this.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/271844_internetgambling27.html

Right v. Wrong

2006-05-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

Alright even if you are the most morally depraved person in the world how could you do something like this?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/05/23/homeless.scam.ap/index.html

I had one criminal case while I did the whole government job thing, where a 70 year old woman had stolen 500k from a union benefit plan and then used the money to buy cruises, facelifts, chatchkees, etc. I couldn't believe then and can't believe now that someone of that age would do something like that. By the way she got 58 months in prison which was 36 with good behavior. I hope they throw the book at these grannies!

SC Ban on Confederate Clothes

2006-05-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060522/ap_on_re_us/confederate_clothing

It is always interesting to ask what people think about bans on dress or political activities associated with schools and workplace environments. What do you think? Should schools be able to ban wearing emblems like the confederate flag or swastikas? Where is the line?

Personally, I think a school is a unique government environment in that its primary function is to educate and once items of clothing get in the way of that mission it is fine to ban them.

Reliving the 80s 90s etc

2006-05-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

This is Hilarious. I don't normally post these types of things, but I swear it is worth 6 minutes of your time. Take a peak, let me know if you remember the shopping cart and the lawnmower.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg

Death by Molasses

2006-05-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

An article in Wired this month talked about a molasses flood in Boston in 1919. Twenty-one people died. Can you imagine being killed by a giant wave of molasses? Here is a personal injury case if I have ever heard one.

Wow.

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/molasses.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_molasses_disaster

Building a House or two or three or four

2006-05-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

So here it is. In keeping with the crazy Seattle real estate boom - Bruce and I signed escrow yesterday to purchase and build a lot in Jackson Park by Jackson Hole Golf Course in Seattle. We will be building two houses for fun and profit. I didn't want to post about it until we signed the papers - everything can go wrong up to that point. This is the third deal I have tried to close this year the last two didn't work out for one reason or another.

We have purchased one lot and are under contract for the second. (Why build just one house when you can build two?) It turned out there is a sewer main on the second lot and the current owner has agreed to apply for the buildover and do the necessary work to make it buildable. I have been really interested in the real estate market here and have decided to do some speculation. I'll let you know about it as it progresses.

Most over-priced housing

2006-05-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

To those of you unfamiliar with left coast housing costs, I offer my new favorite blog. Housing bubble? Pshaw...

http://overvalued.blogspot.com/

Pop Quiz who gets sued?

2006-05-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060518/ap_on_re_us/missing_cruise_passenger;_ylt=AmvG8wbdjKfgNYcj7rlOvK.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlYwM5NjQ

Sounds like the cruise line is preparing for a lawsuit uncovering all of the badness these passengers were up to...

Last Names as First Names

2006-05-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed the trendiness of traditionally last names as first names? I am really agape at some of the names I have heard in the last week. Today I met a Landon, recently my daughter befriended a Taylor. Then of course there is Madison, Parker, Whitman, Mason, Riley, etc. There is something oddly yuppie and very pretentious about this phenomenon. I just don't get it I have to admit, let me know parents of Parkers and Landons, why????

Maybe its because I have young children

2006-05-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_WA_SCOW_Sex_Offender_Messages.html

But I wholeheartedly agree with any means that is used to catch and detain anyone who is a pedophile. I had a discussion with someone recently who was really upset that someone could be arrested for having indecent pictures of children on their computer and that the FBI sets up websites containing similar materials for the express purpose of catching these individuals. I have no problem with this whatsoever. a) as a former government employee I know how government resources are allocated which means to me that they don't go after people who are not beyond a shadow of a doubt guilty and b) if this is the only means to catch these individuals then so be it. I might have taken a different stance on this one before I had kids, who knows.

Poor Diddy

2006-05-09T12:38:00.000-07:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060509/ap_en_mu/people_diddy_support

Every once in awhile someone asks me the rationale behind child support and I try to explain that the child support is meant to ensure that the child lives at the same standard of living that the parent lives at and that the child has no economic disadvantage from living with the custodial parent.

I just don't think whoever paying the support generally "gets it." They don't want an ex to have the ability to spend any of the money. Anyway, they could always make a choice in the beginning. Don't get involved with someone if you can't handle the consequences.

Wouldn't you love to trade a paperclip for a house?

2006-05-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

See how one industrious young man is doing just that. What a great idea!

http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/2006/04/one-afternoon-with-alice-cooper.html

Reeks of classism

2006-05-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060502/ap_on_go_ot/college_grants

I know, I haven't posted in awhile

2006-05-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

We are on "vacation." It is a "vacation" and not a vacation because we are visiting family. As you all know, there is not the same sense of freedom when visiting as there is when truly vacating one's life!

As part of our trip we helped Bruce's mom celebrate her 60th birthday in great style. They rented a rustic typed inn (sleeping about 35) at a state park here and we and another 30 or so close friends all went out there for two nights. The kids all loved it and everyone seemed to have a good time. I am beat. I pitched in cooking dinner for about 40 one night and 25 the second. All in all it was very fun, but I am truly exhausted.

As for Bruce's mom she is doing as well as one can expect. She seems frail and is very thin now. She can't stand or even sit up for too long, it is extremely uncomfortable to sit because she has no natural padding anymore. Mentally she is still extremely sharp. She is in really good spirits and we are hoping she will get well/strong enough to start chemo again soon, but I am not really sure what is going to happen. She doesn't seem ready to give up on getting better, so I am sure she won't give up. Whatever happens I am sure we will appreciate our extended stay here and the time we are able to spend here with both Bruce's mom and dad.

South Park wins Peabody

2006-04-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you guys have followed the whole south park v. scientology battle, but this is an interesting new development!

http://www.peabody.uga.edu/news/pressrelease.asp?ID=134

Netflix sues blockbuster

2006-04-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

Oh to be a fly on the wall...
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/265522_dvdsuit05.html

Successive time and date

2006-04-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

Got this from someone I know:

On Wednesday of this week, at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06. That won't ever happen again.

Retirement savings and the ORP

2006-04-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/265338_retiresavings04.html

ORP refers to teh Ordinary Reasonable Person for those of you not yet in the know. In law it is the standard you are held to if someone thinks you've been negligent. What would the ORP do? In the case of retirement savings apparently not enough.

This article points that most persons are not saving enough toward retirement. I attribute this to a failure in our schools to teach classes in personal finance. They should be required of all Freshmen in college. I have seen so many people ill equipped to retire. The sad part is the earlier you start saving the less you have to save. Most people don't think about retirement until 10 years before they are set to retire and by then they have lost the whole benefit of compounded interest.

I find it really ironic that people want our retirement system fully privitized, but want to make it mandatory??? Whatever.

I'll say it again

2006-04-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

Cancer sucks.

I am remarkably sad today. This morning at 8 am we got a phone call. I knew it was Bruce's parents. No one calls us at 8 am unless it is bad news. Bruce's mom has been battling cervical cancer for the past two and a half years. The cancer has metastisized it is in her lungs now. She was staged 3b when the whole ordeal began. We didn't know what to expect in the beginning.

We went through this two years ago with Bruce' cousin Ben. www.benjacobson.com He died of pancreatic cancer at age 32. It was really hard on us all. Especially the last few weeks. Basically, in the end they recommended palative care and Ben came home to die. Hospice came. They put a hospital bed in the living room. Famiy came. Friends came. You had to fight for your five minutes to say goodbye, to make your peace, to say I love you. Ben had great grace and dignity even at the end. I think he did it for us more than himself.

They called this morning to say that the doctor was recommending discontinuing chemotherapy, which in so many words means that she is most likely dying. If they do her time will be "measured in months" whatever that means. I am remarkably sad and trying to plan for whatever is to come now, which is in fact a giant unknown. We are planning to go east in a couple weeks and I probably can assess this all better in person. We will see what is to come.

Car Accident

2006-03-31T21:09:00.000-08:00

So I posted yesterday that I hit someone with my van yesterday. It was in a parking lot, they were not even in the car when I hit it. I waited there for a quarter of an hour, because I wanted to speak to them rather than just leave a note. I felt so bad about it. After they came out of the store I explained to them that I had hit their car. I apologized profusely and generally begged their forgiveness. There did not appear to be much/any damage aside from a minor scratch, but I still felt really bad. I told them that if it wasn't going to be much money I would be happy to write a check to avoid reporting it to my insurance. I figured at the most it would be a few hundred dollars for the scratch which was barely visible. There was also another dent in the car farther up on the side, not where I hit them. Most likely from a previous accident it was an older car.

I called my insurance, to see what I needed to do if they needed to make a claim, while I was still in the parking lot. I told them exactly what happened. The person I hit called me about 1 hour and a half later. They told me they had gotten not one but two estimates that were within $20 of each other. They said it would be $1300. to fix their car. I was taken aback. (two estimates within two hours twenty dollars apare for $1300? ) What part of this sounds unbelieveable to you? I told her in that case she should go ahead and file a claim with my insurance.

This morning the spouse of this person calls and says that he doesn't see any damage and they don't want to pursue a claim!

This person totally tried to scam me. Honestly if they had not been so greedy and kept it under $500, I probably would have written them a check. What a horrible world we live in.

What a week....

2006-03-30T19:43:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Toilet stopped flushing correctly...What could it be? Apparently you are not supposed to put toys down a toilet, this prevents it from flushing correctly. Plumber tried to snake - next step new toilet. Monday, Kitchen sink faucet breaks. Try handling meat when you can't wash your hands!!!! (Alright there is a half-bath nearby but it is NOT the same). Plumber replaces faucet. Today backed my mini-van into an explorer. Totally my fault. Can't blame it on anything but misjudging the distance behind me and a very tight parking lot. Bad things come in threes hope this is the end of my lucky streak.

*Sigh*

Mandatory Licensing??

2006-03-28T17:15:00.000-08:00

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/264523_ebaycase28.html

Wouldn't it suck if patents were weaker and generic drugs were cheap enough that healthcare costs were cut in half?

Alternate spelling names

2006-03-26T20:22:00.000-08:00

WHAT are people thinking? Isn't it bad enough my sister picked the name Zane for her son? No she had to spell it Zayne. When did Haden become Hayden? What's next K-H-A-Y-T-E-L-Y-N-N-E instead of Kaitlyn? Alysyn, Lyndsy? These poor children......

The funniest cartoon

2006-03-25T13:18:00.000-08:00

Bruce sent this along to me, I thought it was hilarious. http://minimumsecurity.net/toons2006/6034.htm

The main problem I have with outlawing abortion has to do with women and self-determination. How can you force someone to be pregnant for 9 months and then have a baby? I find abortion really hard to stomach and don't think I could ever choose it for myself, but I find the thought of the government interfering with something so personal even more repugnant. Needless to say, I am boycotting South Dakota (I know I am giving up a lot here *snort*).

why would anyone put this in writing?

2006-03-22T17:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/02/16/2_e_mailers_get_testy_and_hundreds_readevery_word/?refresh=true

Large law firms

2006-03-22T17:37:00.000-08:00

I really don't understand why large lawfirms cannot proof read things before they leave their office. Cut and paste should not be an excuse for sloppiness.

My laptop, fried again

2006-03-22T17:33:00.000-08:00

I bought a new laptop this year - for less than $1000. I figured if it lasted a year that would be worth the price. Twice this year it has broken costing me $500 the first time and another $300 to fix it this time. Of course I will buy another computer rather than pour any more money into a computer that is now, not even a year later somewhat obsolete. I can't help but be annoyed, both times the warranty did not cover the repair! What does parts and service mean anyway!

Argh

Blackberry settlement

2006-03-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

Although I was expecting a settlement in this case, I wonder if our own Intellectual Property Law hasn't turned into a mandatory licensing system via the courts. Is that really what IP is about? Protecting the economic interest of corporate entities? Apparently, in this case the Judge questioned whether NTP was acting rationally in refusing to settle. That was enough to spur a settlement. Does it really matter whether they were acting rationally? Isn't it their perogative not to settle? NO. It isn't, they have to answer to sharholders as does everyone else these days.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/1700AP_BlackBerry_Battle.html

Sarah Vowell on the daily show

2006-02-26T21:32:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else love the daily show? I swear, I get 90% of all news from reading the paper online and watching the daily show at night. I was catching up with a cache of shows on our TIVO and caught an interview with Sarah Vowell. She was there to promote her new book, which I may have to read now. At the end of the interview Vowell was talking about how she cried when Bush was being inagurated at the time she cried because she thought Bush would ruin the economy and muck up the drinking water, now she said she doesn't understand how uncreative her pessimism had been. Hilarious.

Why give cash?

2006-02-26T20:26:00.000-08:00

I am all for giving gifts. That is why Christmas is my very favorit time of year. This however, is troubling....
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/260931_giftcards27.html

Who Do You Sue?

2006-02-23T00:10:00.000-08:00

Alright, here it is. The most bizarre death I have heard of lately.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060222/od_nm/singapore_guitar_dc;_ylt=AuqEgAwdR8d6hWSh3N1mfPms0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3NW1oMDRpBHNlYwM3NTc

I remember very distinctly while I was in law school, I became desensitized to most deaths. I remember one case about some alcoholics that were in a rehab facility who broke into the office and drank ditto fluid mixed with tang. Needless to say one of them died and one when blind, and the other was severely injured. I could not stop giggling because they called it the "Ditto-tang" solution. The family of the decedent and the two others sued and won by the way.

Today I heard on the radio that a 25 year old fell to his death climbing out of an elevator at a new $500 million complex. I thought to myself WOW there is a lawsuit coming and who will they sue. Then I started wondering what he was employed at because that will determine in part the amount of actual damages in the case.

The Daily Rant

2006-02-15T16:50:00.000-08:00

I am not an unreasonable person, at least I don't think I am unreasonable. I got really angry about something today and my husband Bruce told me it would be helpful to rant on my blog. So here goes... I went out to my minivan today and it was covered in dirt. There was a 1/2 inch of grime covering the entire thing. I was really puzzled, but then I realised our neighbor is having work done on her house. They are putting in new doors and crown and base molding. The workers are cutting it all in her driveway. The wind had coated my car with saw dust. The workers obviously knew this was happening. They all disappeared inside as soon as I came outside.

What bothers me is that I would have GLADLY moved my car had they indicated I ought to do so. Ring my doorbell already! I will happily move my car! Instead I am thinking of passive aggresive ways to get back at the workmen. Any ideas would be gladly appreciated.

Duty to Read Rule and then some

2006-02-14T21:26:00.000-08:00

Always read the fine print...

http://carcino.gen.nz/images/index.php/00b9a680/2a815ff6

dead man's blog

2006-02-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/259237_webpages13.html

This article is about the increasing web presence of victims of violent crimes. A personal webpage is just that - personal. I wonder if these reminants won't make crime victims more human to some degree. Interesting article, anyway.

Wacky Video

2006-02-02T00:15:00.000-08:00

Loved this. Just really bizarre.

http://gprime.net/video.php/tornmime

Increase your lawfirms collections by 20%

2006-01-28T23:21:00.000-08:00

I laughed outloud while I was reading this probably the innanity of it all. Anyway, I really needed the laugh, and hopefully you do to!

http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/archives/1999/apr-99-improve.htm

Student Loans - The American Way

2006-01-26T10:15:00.000-08:00

So many people I know live pay-check-to-paycheck. It isn't who you'd think it be. These are young professionals in their thirties. Most have had substantial student loans and a mix of credit card expenditures on grocery bills and course books. It's amazing how this kind of debt can be debilitating. I saw this article in the PI today and identified with it immediately.

My requirements for law school: Good (in the top tier 50 schools) and cheap (under 15k a year). I ended up at University of Georgia, where after paying out of state tuition for one year, I got instate tuition. For about $5k a year I completed my law degree. I became a visiting student at a private school in Seattle where I paid 10K for one semester. Actually my employed husband paid it for me. It is easy to see how student loan debt could become unmanageable very easily.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/257094_studentloandebt26.html

LegalJargon

blogging

Sarah Palin

Yes Men

Elias is here....

April Fool Hoaxes!! How I love them

All for child safety

All for child safety

Seriously

Never Ever Give Gift Cards...

THE Magna Carta

Could thieves be more dumb?

Shouldn't there be a statute of limitations....

Top Ten Survival Stories

Vanna White v. Samsung

The nice old man down the street.

What do you get your SO for Valentines day?

Why request a new attorney....

Contracts 101

Katrina Suit Tossed

Career

Remiss

BTW

RIAA Does it again

Will we elect a Mormon President?

The worst real estate investor ever.

Bill Vendall is Sanjaya

Emotional Damages for loss of a cat?

Tommy Tu Tone Hey Lenny?

It's been awhile

Dorlyn Williams

Sorry for the silence

Vacation Ideas

iPhone

Pillow Angel

Daughter's Birthday

Global Warming

A burrito is not a sandwich

Stress

Metronatural

American Families

fees for nothing

Japanese Proverb

Sit on a log theory of learning

John Doe Modern Style

Ahoy Matey! Happy Talk like a Pirate Day

Why is it?

Immigrant children more likely to drowned

Carolene Products Footnote no. 4

Inlaws are now on there way

Inspirational Words.to the Entrepreneur

random

Photo Line-up at PD

A Paperclip for a HOUSE!

Deceptive Advertising

Called for a photo line up

Holidays

Good Debt v. Bad Debt

My kind of law.

Cops

First time in Jail

Joyce Copyright case

Smoke-Easies

Lasik

Online Gambling a class C felony in WA

Right v. Wrong

SC Ban on Confederate Clothes

Reliving the 80s 90s etc

Death by Molasses

Building a House or two or three or four

Most over-priced housing

Pop Quiz who gets sued?

Last Names as First Names

Maybe its because I have young children

Poor Diddy

Wouldn't you love to trade a paperclip for a house?

Reeks of classism

I know, I haven't posted in awhile

South Park wins Peabody

Netflix sues blockbuster