October 7, 2008
Who won the debate, my friends? That one.
Dear Sen. McCain:
With all due respect, I'm not your friend. I'm a voter. Every time you say, "My friends" I think you're trying to sell me something I don't want to buy. It gets a little sleazier each time you say it.
I don't want you to be my friend and I don't want to be yours. I don't want you to attack the opposition and dance around questions: I want to hear about your policies, and I think most American's do, too. It would appear you're all out of ideas and since the Straight Talk Express went over the cliff some time ago, all you've got left is a bottle of vitrol you're trying to sell us as a campaign.
Please, give it a rest, my friend.
-Dave!
Posted by Dave! Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Bailout? Shmailout.
Wait a minute. So you mean to tell me that, even though jackasses in the media insisted that the bailout was necessary to save us all from doom and that our puny middle class brains couldn't understand the gravity of the situation. Or that even though jackasses in the administration insisted that without the splurge our economy was in the crapper. And even though the fools in Congress bought into it all, and against the will of their constituents, passed a fundamentally flawed piece of garbage "bailout" bill, that we weren't greeted as liberators!? the market is still tanking?!?!
God, what is the world coming to, when I'm starting to think Lou Dobbs makes a lot of sense.
Posted by Dave! Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 5, 2008
Book Review: Your Witness
Your Witness: Lessons on Cross-Examination and Life from Great Chicago Trial Lawyers
Edited by Steven F. Molo and James R. Figliulo
368 pages; Law Bulletin Publishing Company
Disclaimer: The publisher provided a free review copy of this title for review. My policy for this blog is not to accept any form of compensation for reviews, but I will accept review copies--which per my policy, I will then share, free of charge with a law student interested in reading the title. If you're a law student, interested in reading this book, contact me via e-mail: first reply receives the book via snail-mail.
The first thing to note about Your Witness is that it made me want to be in a courtroom. As nervous as I was in Trial Advocacy, I did enjoy it on many levels. Trial is a combination of performance, battle, and intellectual pursuits that make being in a courtroom something very unique--and highly addictive.
I also have a confession... I read this book while studying for the bar exam. This is important for two reasons: first, I passed, which means I managed to retain some sanity with the study breaks this book provided; second, it's an easy read, not too distracting. Each of the fifty chapters is contributed by a 'who's who' of Chicago trial lawyers. The common thread is that they are offering advice about cross-examination techniques and lessons from their years of experience.
The quality of each chapter, accordingly, varies quite a bit. Unfortunately, sometimes great skill in the courtroom really don't translate into great skill at the word processor. Since I'll soon be practicing in Chicago, I won't burn any bridges here, but I'd say out of 50 chapters, there are probably 10 which are really outstanding, another 30 well worth the time, and 10 which could have been cut without missing anything from the book. There are probably five authors who could easily write enjoyable books of their own, and maybe, if I run into them around town I'll suggest it. And there are a few others that I might not want to be up against in court, but that I think should put down the word processor and walk away slowly. I'll leave it up to you to figure out who the editors probably just included to save face in the Chicago legal world, but there are a few of them.
The styles of the chapter, as well as the topics covered, vary as much as the personality of the individual attorneys themselves. Some offer straight up lessons, with examples thrown in to punctuate a point. Others write largely anecdotal war stories, but still offer some insight into cross-examination as the 'moral of the story'. Those are my personal favorites. Some of these attorneys have some incredible 'tales from the trenches' that carry along with them valuable lessons on a variety of subjects relevant to cross-examination, including depositions, experts, witness preparation, advocate witnesses, hostile witnesses, liars, etc.
Even though some of the chapters are less valuable than others, the format of the book lends itself to skipping a chapter here and there if you find a particular author not to your liking. Additionally, since each chapter stands on it's own, it is an easy read. You can pick up a chapter waiting on the train, standing in line somewhere, avoiding another Barbri test set.
If you've every taken Trial Ad and enjoyed it, I think you'll enjoy this book. If you plan on being in a courtroom (representing someone, that is) in your career, you'll enjoy this book and hopefully get something out of it as well. And even if you don't practice in court, but just want some insight into what makes those members of the trial bar tick, I think this book is worth a read.
Posted by Dave! Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
October 2, 2008
Fools Rush In...
So, the Senate approved the "Splurge" last night... 74 to 25. Now it's the House's turn... what will they do? I suspect they'll turn tail and pass it. Sad.
Look, I am a middle class guy, living in a middle class suburb, working a middle class job. I understand the nature of the "crisis". I understand the importance of credit markets. I understand something must be done. But I also understand this is an ill-conceived, rushed solution and that there are other alternatives that should be considered and offer a better solution to the American people.
I can hardly believe it, but Sen. Shelby said it best:
"Many around here are finding comfort in the notion that 'something is better than nothing.' I believe that is a false choice. The choice we faced was between pursuing an informed response or panic. ... Unfortunately, we chose panic."
All of our elected officials seem to be running around like Chicken Little, crying about the falling sky. We don't need "bailout" plans with little to know accountability which need $150 Billion of additional pork in order to "entice" Representatives to vote for it. We need our elected representatives to sit down, gather expert opinions and formulate a rational response. I know, I'm a dreamer. Instead, we get a bad piece of legislation, so bad that one house of our Congress essentially has to bribe the other into supporting it.
Disgusting.
Posted by Dave! Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
October 1, 2008
Hallelujah!!!
Dear Mr. Gulbransen,
We are pleased to advise you that you have passed the July 2008 Illinois bar examination.
Posted by Dave! Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)
September 4, 2008
Questionable Music Choices...
Okay, so I watched both the DNC and the RNC... and I have to wonder who the idiots who program the music are??
Seriously, I know her nickname is "Sarah Baraccuda" but c'mon. I mean, the lyrics to the song include:
If the real thing dont do the trick,
No, you better make up something quick,
You gonna burn burn burn burn it to the wick,
Ooooooohhhh, barracuda.
Um, not on message. And the Democrats weren't any better. With Melissa Etheridge out there, singing "Born in the USA"... it's like no one ever listens to the lyrics to that one either:
Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years down the road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go
I'm a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A.
Although, while both choices are plainly stupid, nothing could be as bad as that "Raisin' McCain" song. I think I threw up a little in my mouth.
Posted by Dave! Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
August 29, 2008
Palin Problems
Okay. Let's set aside the facts she is pro-life, a lifetime member of the NRA... Palin is a disaster of a choice for vice president. Here's why:
1. Does McCain really think Palin will appeal to Hillary voters? Seriously?? It's ridiculous for someone who really believed in Hillary to support McCain in the first place. If you believed in Hillary's policies, McCain is not your man. But Palin? See my first sentence. She's a pro-life (and doesn't even support rape/incest exceptions) and lifetime member of the NRA. How on Earth does that appeal in any way to someone who supported Clinton??! When Palin gave her line about the glass ceiling, my wife turned to me in disgust and said, "That is such blatant pandering. How stupid do they think we are?"
2. I think there is some (not a lot, but surely some) validity to the argument that Obama lacks experience. However, Palin was the Mayor of a city with a population of less than 6,000. She's the Governor--only for two years--of a state with a population of less than 700,000. Palin was elected Governor after receiving 114,697 votes. Last February, my wife won her primary election here in Cook County with 302,347 votes. My wife got nearly three times as many votes in a local election. With no disrespect to Alaskans, I'm not saying the Governor of Alaska isn't an important job, but it cannot be compared with serving as a Senator for the fifth most populous state in the United States.
3. The experience thing is a big deal. I wish John McCain no ill will, but we have to acknowledge that he is 72 and will be one of the oldest presidential candidates in history. I think it's even more critical that his vice president choice is someone who can readily step into the role of President. Sarah Palin is not even close. Obama might have "little" foreign policy experience--Palin has none. She doesn't even have any national policy experience.
4. Did McCain really only meet her in person once??! That, to me, is even worse than her lack of experience. I'm sorry, I'm a pretty good judge of people, but I don't hire systems administrators without two or more interviews. He met her once?? You can talk all you want about her status and her accomplishments, but if it is true that McCain only met her once in person before making this decision then McCain definitely doesn't have the judgment to be President.
Here's the other problem--I can't believe no one has mentioned it. Everyone defending her seems to be saying, "Oh, but it doesn't matter that she's not experienced. She's an outsider! She's not some good ol' boy with 30 years in politics." I even heard one of McCain's spokespeople say that he chose a reform minded outsider while Obama chose a typical Washington insider. But, um, what is McCain??? He's been in Washington for 26 years. He's not that much of a maverick--he's a rich, old, white guy who has been in Washington for decades. I'm sorry, you can't have it both ways.
I will be very interested in seeing how Palin performs on a national stage. I think the national press and the pressure of a national presidential campaign are going to eat her alive. Of course I could be wrong, but this choice has really left me scratching my head.
Posted by Dave! Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)