Thankfully, I live in Chicago, so my pizza options are boundless. However, I’m led to believe that in some parts of the country, people must resort to ordering pizza from a “hut”. Well, last night, I saw a very disturbing Pizza Hut ad for a new pizza they are touting as “The Natural”. It features (get this!) “all natural” pepperoni and “all natural” sauce. *shudder* So… up until now, apparently Pizza Hut pizza’s have featured unnatural pepperoni and unnatural sauce.
Conspicuously left out of their ad was any mention of the cheese. Guess that is still not of this world.
The “Natural”
January 14, 2009 by
Blogging and Fatherhood
December 14, 2008 by
I’ve wanted for some time, since the birth of my daughter really, to blog about my experiences as a new father.
I think writing in general provides a path to clearer thinking and new ideas. That’s been my experience with blogging in general. However, in blogging about fatherhood, I also wanted to create a running diary of the changes I’m going through as a new father and the changes my baby is going through as she’s growing up.
That’s where the problem comes in.
I’m pretty open about my life here on the blog. I do reserve intimate details about my personal life and I rarely blog about work (I said I was open, not stupid). I don’t mind because, well, it’s my life and I’m in control of it.
However, when it comes to blogging about my daughter, I’ve been very conflicted about it. I don’t want to expose her life on the Internet in the same way, for a myriad of reasons.
First, it’s not my life–it’s hers. I don’t want to say things that, while true, might needlessly embarrass her. Second, I don’t want to expose her to, well, the Internet. Whole lotta creeps out there. Third, I want to be able to be completely honest, and not worry about censoring myself because of who might be reading the blog, or because she might read it someday accidentally.
For all those reasons, I’ve decided to blog about my baby and fatherhood anonymously. Or at least, as anonymously as anyone can ever really be.
I’ve set up a new blog under a pseudonym where I can blog about my family. In fact, I’ve already got two weeks of posts up over there. I’m not going to link it here (duh). I know that someone, with enough effort could probably track it down and link it to me, but for the most part, there’s nothing that links it with me here.
Now, if you know me and are interested in reading it, send me an e-mail and maybe someone will send you a link. Otherwise, continue to read about me, my rants and such right here.
Trust me, I’m a lawyer…
November 7, 2008 by
No, seriously… I’m a lawyer!!!
I was sworn in yesterday by Thomas R. Fitzgerald, Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. The long journey through law school is complete, I can now practice law in Illinois.
Frightening.
Yes… We Did!!!
November 4, 2008 by
First, I am absolutely giddy… not just because “my candidate” won the election, but because this is an historic milestone in the history of a great democracy.
Second, my wife and I had the pleasure of meeting President Elect Obama at a backyard barbecue fundraiser for his Senate campaign. It was a great experience and I need to give my wife credit… after we left that afternoon, she said, “Someday he’s going to be President.” She called that one…
Third, Obama probably voted for my wife! She was on the ballot in Cook County… unopposed. 🙂
Updates:
The Speeches. I thought John McCain’s concession speech was magnanimous and very sincere. It’s the first sincere thing I’ve heard come out of his mouth since the primaries. If he had been that open, that honest during his campaign, instead of pandering to the religious right with the Palin Pick, and launching his negative attack ads, etc. this might have been a very different election. Or at least a lot closer. Palin was a pit bull, all right, but America wanted candidates who could speak to the issues, not just parrot attack talking points. I also thought it was telling that when McCain mentioned Obama, the crowd booed… but not Obama’s crowd when he mentioned McCain. I hope the vitriolic supporters of McCain take heed in this election: *America* is tired of hateful, divisive politics. Keep up the hate mongering, and you’ll destroy your own party from within.
The Grand Old Party. Republican’s have some real soul searching to do. The core of the party are white, conservative, evangelicals… not exactly a growing demographic. On NPR this morning, a Republican strategist noted that the fastest growing voter demographics in America are blacks, latinos, and young voters–all of who overwhelmingly supported Obama. Not good for the GOP future. Maybe it’s time to return to a Republican party of old: the one that was less concerned with what women did with their bodies and more concerned with not inflating the national deficit. McCain’s Palin pick was clearly targeted to deliver the base, which it did, but this election showed pretty clearly that the Republican base ain’t all it’s cracked up to be… you can’t win an election in America without the center.
Hoosiers!! CNN hasn’t called it yet, but with 99% of precincts reporting, Obama is up 50% to 49% (by about 23.5k votes). Hooray for Hoosiers!!
North Carolina. Liddy Dole learned what hateful, untrue attack ads get you: booted. Congrats to Kay Hagen. Another lesson for the Republican party: American’s are tired of the B.S. and want some politicians who address the issues instead of attacking the opponents.
Minnesota. According to CNN, with 100% of the precincts reporting, Coleman is only beating Al Franken by 572 votes?! Wow… Recount anyone? I am disappointed that bat-sh*t crazy Bachmann didn’t lose her race. After her McCarthy-esque comments, I wanted to see her go down.
Alaska. Are they nuts up there? Seriously, Alaska, you’re making Florida look downright reasonable these days. Are your brains frozen?? With 99% of the precincts reporting, it looks like Alaska may have elected a *convicted Felon* to the Senate. I think ice must be clogging Alaskan’s brain tubes.
Finally, I was *really* disappointed that not a single person who was featured using CNN’s new “hologram” technology said, “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi; you’re my only hope.”
Everyday is Like Sunday…
November 2, 2008 by
So, I’m watching the Bears… not something I would normally be doing (I grew up in Indiana… where basketball is king). Anyway, a commercial came on for NFL.com, and I noticed the background music sounded familiar. So I rewound and replayed it… sure enough, it was Everyday is Like Sunday, by Morrissey. I am an alternative child of the 80s, so Morrissey and the Smiths were a huge part of my high school existence. I understand whoever picked the tune was being cute… it’s not Morrissey’s version, and they conveniently fade out after the lyric “everyday is like Sunday…” which is a good idea, since the next line is, “everyday is silent and grey.”
Blawg Review #182
October 19, 2008 by
Just when I though it was safe to pack up the practice tests, I found out that passing the Illinois bar exam was only the first step. There is no reciprocity in the jurisdiction of Blawg Review!
You will be given three hours to complete this Blawg Review. Your score will be based on the number of questions you answer correctly. It is therefore to your advantage to try to answer as many questions as you can. Use your time effectively. Do not hurry, but work steadily and as quickly as you can without sacrificing your accuracy.
Blawg Review has information about next week’s host, and instructions on how to get your blawg posts reviewed in upcoming issues.
Joe, the plumber?
October 16, 2008 by
Like many of you, I suspect, I thought both McCain and Obama’s constant invocation of “Joe the Plumber” to be rather gimmicky. However, there are some important issues that have come up since, related to Joe, which kind of make Joe the Plumber look a little questionable:
1. He’s not a plumber. Turns out, he’s not even a licensed plumber in the State of Ohio, or the county, or city where he works. I think Joe just made a lot of enemies from actual, licensed plumbers in Ohio. And probably some customers.
2. Joe’s taxes would only have gone up $900. I would also add that frankly, if Joe is making $250-280k per year, *I* would consider that to be doing quite well and I think he could afford another $1k in taxes. That is, if he were actually a plumber. John McCain can take his smarmy “You’re rich, Joe” comment and shove it. In these uncertain economic times, I know a whole lot of people who’d be very pleased to be making $250-280k.You know who *is* rich? John McCain. So stop with the feigned indignation, Senator McCain.
It seems to me to be quite clear that what Joe really needs isn’t McCain’s tax plan. He needs an accountant. I would be willing to bet that if he’s figuring his own taxes, given his failures to obtain a plumbing license, he’s probably overlooked some valid deductions, and that a good accountant could probably erase that $900 increase… maybe even _lower_ his taxes. That is, if he were actually a plumber.
Disclosure: I have a plumber in my extended family. A *licensed* *union* plumber.
Who won the debate, my friends? That one.
October 7, 2008 by
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!
Bailout? Shmailout.
October 7, 2008 by
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.
Book Review: Your Witness
October 5, 2008 by
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.