Saturday OT - 11/1/25: Odds an Ends
Good morning, good people! Don't know about you guys, but I got to sit in comfort this week, watch deer graze, spot a big raccoon eating something or other in the pasture, and made progress in making a friend out of the feral cat that hangs around the yard and barn.
I got in an hour of mandatory legal ed regarding legislative updates on criminal law. Well, our Texas legislative branch is curtailing the judicial branch for the second or third year. A war. This is similar to what is happening at the federal level. No balance of power for us!
Balance is good. Just take a look:
A friend here needed some advice about a legal situation concerning a family member who may be suffering from dementia. I found an attorney in Tucson and he called me Thursday evening, and the chit chat about the friend I was helping out turned into a friendship forever. Corporate guy who remains dedicated to protecting the assets of an elderly person over his own. Our talk about ethics and law and purpose our income being secondary was just heart warming. He refused to bill me, preferred to have me as a Texas contact and a welcome friend to visit him anytime. My fee for this effort was to ask for a sweatshirt featuring some famous French landmark or person, etc...
Then, on the same day, I sent some Texas probate documents to an attorney in Washington state to help his family with a probate matter. He insisted on paying me for my time when I knew he was doing his work for nothing. My fee? A sweatshirt featuring a picture of Mt. Rainier. So, folks tend to hate lawyers. In one day, 3 of them from 3 different states proved lawyers do, indeed, serve a purpose. They care.
A reason I went to law school:
Oh, and music played a part in influencing me:
Another reason:
The results?
Friends, this is an open thread, open to all topics any of you good people what to pass along to any of your friends here.
I just have no words to express my feeling of camaraderie with these two courtroom warriors. I sometimes feel my approach to my profession is just me, and on a single day, I hooked up with two comrades in arms. My hope soars!
Your turn, friends. Do your thing!
Comments
Happy Saturday, good people!
I hope nobody got poisoned by doctored Halloween candy. Seriously.
Lots of news going on, and I know you are finding it, so I encourage you to post it so we can all share.
Let 'er rip!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Hey Texas gal
.
Glad you have positive feelings
for the roots of your profession.
Every little bit helps.
Another gorgeous fall day here,
albeit gusty. It is refreshing to see
the sun smiling.
Agree how music can be inspiring.
Thanks for posting the OT!
Zionism is a social disease
Good morning, Cap'n!
I heartily agree what music does inspire us.
It was sunny and warm for a while this morning, now it is hazy and chilly. I have dressed accordingly 3 times this morning.
I suppose what floored me the most was the Tucson lawyer. Big firm, he has been a judge, and he is chatting away with me about how my friend can save on attorney's fees. And this call was in the evening when he should have been spending time with his family!
We intend to go grocery shopping this afternoon. I want to do my best tomorrow to get prepared for the dreaded time change. Fall Back time. Ridiculous, unnecessary, despised by all. Well, when did government do anything sensible, much less helpful?
Have a great weekend, one spent in good health, good cheer, dear friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Good morning...
Wonderful story of legal cooperation.
Our fall colors are beginning to crank. Chilly 38 F mornings the last two days. Halloween marks mid-Autumn. More cold weather to come.
Have a great weekend, and thanks for the OT!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good afternoon, LO!
Very few fall colors here, but what do you expect from pine trees? We haven't dropped below 43 deg. In fact, we are expected to have some highs up to 87 deg. this week and next.
My law school now offers classes about billing and maximizing profit. Let's face it, I am beyond Old School, I am actually old and resistant to changing my behavior. I did read an article about how EBTs have made big profits for Safeway, Costco, and Walmart. No doubt, they are putting pressure on their elected officials to get the money ball rolling again. I find myself buying groceries for the future because every week i delay, the prices rise. Today they are as cheap as they will ever be.
Enjoy your Trades Day and have a great weekend in the holler, dear friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Good morning otc, thanks for the OT. Nice story.
Learned long ago that lawyers come in all shapes and sizes and all degrees of good and bad, so respect for you three. Pro-bono types weer an essential part of the movement back in the day.
Part of today's chore list is replacing 2 bulbs in the range hood. Only had one spare halogen stashed so had to get more, new ones are LEDs. This disrupts things because we set bread dough out overnight under the range hood lights to rise and I'm certain that the LEDs will be far, far cooler than the halogens. Time to devise another solution. Since both bulbs were dead when I made bread Friday, I used heating pads wrapped in towels, but there must be a better way. I'm wondering if the oven is enough insulation that I could get by with the hot water bottles from our camping days.
Farmers' market today and I don't have my menus done yet, so time to het that sorted, more or less. For sure, both chili and spaghetti carbonara, maybe fish tacos, maybe a pizza (there's that overnight dough issue again) or leek and potato soup, and whatever comes to mind mid-week.
Computer still a bit uppity, I think part of it is probably service provider and/or internet grief, but that shit is just locked in, so nothing to do about it on this end. Sometimes it is simply a question of patience. Example, the lst 2 days FireFox told me I wasn't authorized to visit certain pages of c99p, like new essay and my account, and would not let me sign in either. Today everything is just fine and dandy and all as if nothing eveer happened. Whatever, that's why I run 4 browseres, after all, at least one has to work ;-).
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Good afternoon, el!
I don't remember the last time I bought a halogen light bulb. Nobody stocks them. Good luck with that.
Pro bono attorneys come out of the woodwork after a disaster. After that deadly flood up in The Hill Country, the place was crawling with pro bono attorneys. The effort was much praised by the State Bar. Kudos to them.
Your menu sounds wonderful! I want to cook up a soup or stew to take to work next week. I have a full kitchen there, but the phone rings off the wall during lunch because that is when working people are free to make phone calls.
I don't know what's up with the internet. A few months ago, my Outlook email account I use for business changed my sign in. It is a real process to get into the account. I open it in the morning, do not close it until I head out the door at 5 o'clock. Why? I've had the account for over 20 years. I always blame Mossad.
Good luck with the warm dough and menu. So far, it sounds wonderful!
Enjoy your weekend, dear friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Legal Comity
I was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in November of 1977. I quit active practice at the end of 1992 and my current status with the Texas Bar is suspended for non-payment of dues and non-reporting of Continuing Legal Education. Nevertheless, the State Bar keeps track of me and sends me a summary of my status every year.
While serving as General Counsel to UFCW Local 540, I became personal friends with some of the management lawyers. The key fact of life for them was and still is: Without unionization, they had no job. Many were candid about it. In those days it was socially acceptable to have a drink with lunch -- and I did a lot of day drinking with the guys I negotiated and resolved union grievances with.
I had better relationships with company lawyers than with union lawyers, who tended to be hard to hang out with.
When I got fired in 1985, I filed a lawsuit against my old union buddies and the UFCW International union. I drafted and filed the Petition in Dallas County and before long I retained a guy named Hugh Smith -- he was a union busting lawyer who specialized in fighting off union organizing drives.
I considered him a friend, but I discovered, shortly into our pressing of the case, that he did not know how to try a case. He was a master of National Labor Relations Board regulations, but he totally screwed up the first deposition we took, and I got other lawyers to help me with the four years of litigation that culminated with a three part settlement with the UFCW totaling $124,000.
I became personal friends with two different management guys that continued for many years after I had moved on from the jobs where I first met them.
As best I can tell, my old barroom negotiation schtick has gone the way of a good union wage. I find it ironic that today, with no adversity to speak of between most union reps and the lawyers hired to keep us at bay, labor relations professionals don't hang out together like we did half a lifetime ago.
It is nice to see human warmth still exists among mouthpieces.
I cried when I wrote this song. Sue me if I play too long.
Good afternoon, fwf!
WhI went to South Texas College of at law school did you attend? I went to South Texas College of at law. STCL is now affiliated with Tx A & M, but still aims at working people who attend classes in the evening and sometimes Saturdays. My classmates were paralegals, union electricians, veterans, teachers, and the goal was to get you prepared to swear in, then try a case the next day. Moot court, mock trials, internships, etc...
Truthfully, if you had your license re-instated, it would be because you attended continuing legal classes that drill you in the magic use of AI to increase your profit. You would gag.
You retired at just about the right time, friend.
I have settled my fair share of cases over a couple of beers. Good times!
Enjoy your weekend, my friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I went to UT Austin
and was given a rigorous drill in how to read an appellate court decision, virtually unsullied by any practical utility. What paid the rent from 86 through 91 was my retainer with the Texas State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, which also provided me with on-the-job training at how to litigate. And it nearly killed me.
Thus my Mid Life Crisis in Austin from 1993 to 1998 telling jokes on open mike night at the Velveeta Room.
I cried when I wrote this song. Sue me if I play too long.
The buzz about UT's law school back in the 80s
was it is where you go to school to become a judge or politician, not a career lawyer.
Seems to me that if you were a good stand up comedian, you really would have been a great courtroom warrior!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Like sex
collaboration is always free. The only two things in life that is free.
Have an atmospheric river coming our way. We don't have to go to the river, it comes to us.
Have already removed all the Halloween decorations and put them in the garage to dry out before storing them in tubs for next year. We stash them in the attic.
Next up, Thanksgiving decorations.
Might as well get the Christmas decorations down while I'm up there.
Leaves and temperature are falling. We are all stocked up with firewood and food supplies, ready for winter.
Hoping everyone enjoys the coming holidays.
Thanks for the OT.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Good afternoon, e1!
Hmmm...Lots of street prostitutes and massage parlor workers don't want to hear about free sex! Collaboration should be free, but it is rare. The cops just busted a massage parlor for prostitution in an adjacent county. Bet the undercover cop has some story to tell!W parks.
Well, I stopped holiday decorations 50 years ago because I didn't want to store them. Still, I enjoy our town square at night during the Christmas season.
I am re-filling the propane tank next week. Otherwise, we don't do much winterizing.
Well, e1, I hope you and yours are swimmers or that you have a little boat.
We typically vacation and catch some concerts, but the drs. schedule will soon switch from 2 times a month to every day for 5 weeks. We have to stay put. The concerts will be there next year. And so will we.
Enjoy your weekend, my friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Little known fact: "The Hanging Tree" is a movie theme
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hanging_Tree_(film)
"Marty Robbins performed the title song that was nominated for best song at the 32nd Annual Academy Awards and the 1960 Golden Laurel Award for Best Song.[6] The lyrics contain a short reference to the film's story. It was released on the reissue of the album Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (1959) by Robbins. A known cover-version is by Frankie Laine who performed this song at the 32nd Academy Awards."
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
We just watched
that old movie a couple of weeks ago. That is a beautiful song and a great old western movie.
My parents bought that very album you mentioned. My family were big fans of Marty.
Enjoy your weekend, chica, and I hope it includes something fun!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
You're in good company OTC
Enjoyed hearing about yourself and your colleagues. I hope you had the opportunity to provide your example to your juniors in the bar. The world could use more attorneys like you.
語必忠信 行必正直
Thanks, soryang!
Years ago, I mentored a young lawyer for a couple of years just after he got his license. He is now the District Attorney in my county. What goes around, comes around. I get treated like royalty in his office when I am discussing evidence in my cases, and it is not uncommon to have clients tell me that my name was often mentioned in that office if they needed legal assistance.
Enjoy your weekend. I think I read in some comment of yours that you have decided on a new location to settle down. I hope it meets your every need, friend.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Just for fun
.
hanging out at the local Texas bar
in walks the devil in a Stetson
and his sidekick angel of justice
with stretch jeans and big boots
they look around and see no easy marks
so order manhattans and gin martinis
with extra olives
the bartender is aghast
sorry pardner, all we's got is beer and
maybe a jug of wine somewhere in the back
undaunted, the devil curses the joint and rains
down hellfire upon all the patrons
just another day in paradise
Zionism is a social disease
QMS I get the feeling
...that there is more to this tale. Sorry we only have beer is something I had to say at the pub for years. No wine either!
語必忠信 行必正直
An Update on Trump's nuke-testing threat
...from Axios:
.
The President's lies are both obvious and very shameful:
Trump claimed that the U.S. has more nukes than any other country. Russia has the largest stockpile.
Trump falsely claimed the U.S. has completed its modernization efforts. They are, in fact, very much still in progress. Have they even begun?
Trump lied that China would catch up to the U.S. "within five years." Experts doubt that. According to Jon Wolfsthal, the Federation of American Scientists' director of global risk: "By no calculation can China be considered having parity with us or a nuclear peer." China has, at most, 300 warheads.
Then Trump claimed his biggest lie: "Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately."
No one in the Administration knows what he is talking about. The U.S. hasn't conducted a nuclear test in decades. The Defense Department, which conducts missile flight tests, referred an Axios inquiry to the White House. The Energy Department, which oversees explosive nuclear testing, did not respond to questions.
.
By the numbers: Nine countries — including China, France, India, North Korea and the U.K. — possess a total of roughly 12,240 nuclear warheads, according to Federation of American Scientists analysis. Moscow and Washington control approximately 90% of them.
.
The President should be hospitalized as a matter of national security.
not sure there is a mental
.
straight jacket big enough to contain his mind
would be good to muffle his bloviations but
assume this asinine activity will continue indefinitely
Zionism is a social disease
Well, you know how Dr. Stranglove ends.
That's where we are, with the consent of US voters.
yee haw
.
gd dummies have no clue
as to what they are up against
not in my name
ride 'em cowboys
Zionism is a social disease