Car Accident

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....

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??

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

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

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?

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

Large law firms

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

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

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

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?

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?

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

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

Always read the fine print...

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

dead man's blog

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

Loved this. Just really bizarre.

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

Increase your lawfirms collections by 20%

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

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

Who needs Starbucks?

When I was in Athens, GA home to REM, the B-52's and many other alternative bands, there was a huge controversy about a Starbucks opening two doors down from an arty coffehouse called Blue Sky.

People were worried that Blue Sky would not survive the starbucks. It didn't occur to them that different types of people frequent Starbucks and those arty coffee houses with Open Mike nights and Poetry reading. Can they co-exist. I think so. Here is a very funny website from someone who supports those arty coffee houses.


http://www.delocator.net/index.php

Oregon Suicide Law Upheld

Interesting decision. Notice Roberts in the dissent with Scalia and Thomas. It's times like this I wonder WWRD (What Would Renquist Decide?).

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060118/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_assisted_suicide

I don't think I would ever take my own life even if I were dying, but then again I have never had a degenerative disease, cancer, or anything else that was life threatening.