No Damn Cat

But there are books - starting at fifty cents. Can't beat that.

Check it out, it's the Paradox Book Store in Wheeling, West Virginia.

"Oh, and there's also "no phone, no fax, no e-mail, irregular hours, indifferent service, murky lighting and breathtaking selection," among other things."

My kinda place. And the owner of the book store bought it for $300 in 1974. That's a 3 and two zeros. Three oh oh.

Seriously.

- - -

I pulled the above from an article by Steve Stephens in the Columbia Dispatch.

You may know I'm compiling a list of 1,000 posts to read before you die. They're not my posts - they're yours (well, a small number of them are mine) - and I'm picky. You can read them all here. I don't quite have a thousand yet, but they're definitely adding up, so get some coffee, relax, and of course - read them. The above is the most recent.

I went out walking (but not after midnight)

Hubby and I went for a walk in the heat (every day - but this day was a new path).




Saw some welcoming signs.




And some cheerful waving little guys.




Our shoes made all the difference. My new tennies are so comfortable. I get a new pair about every 5 years-- my hubby gets a new pair about every 6 months. This is due largely in part because I buy sandals and dress shoes for me .. often.

Corrupt Law School Admissions? Shhhh.

Have to say .. this is no real shocker to me. Nor this.

According to Tara Malone, Sara Olkon and Jodi S. Cohen, writers at The Chicago Tribune, there's an admissions scandal looming - involving the University of Illinois Law School.

Apparently, the law school was (is) under pressure to admit "clouted" students .. students that have lobbyists and government officials working on their behalf.

(There's an idea - hire myself a damn lobbyist).

And, of course, the former governor "G" supposedly put "pressure" on the dean and other people in admissions to scoot in whoever he wanted in.

Emails are surfacing ... secret admission policies... testimony will be taken ... interviews galore happening.

Where is the ABA?

Silent as far as I can tell. Shhh... this story will go away.. it usually does.

- - -

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.. students who dream of the law still knocking on the door of justice can't get in the door because of the crowd of politicians' kids, lobbyists efforts, the handful of geniuses who really deserve to be in... mainstream "less than desireable" mid 40 moms with no political connections and no trust fund money backing them? -- not really big chances of making it against the odds of corruption.

Now that would be a story.

Bitter? Little bit.

Everything But A Child of God

One can only assume Mississippi doesn't have a corner on the market for injustice . . . there's always hope (and, of course Illinois politics.. and then there's South Carolina governors and Nevada Senators, but I digress).

Say it ain't so.

Well, this morning, while poking around my usual suspect list for interesting tidbits and to generally keep myself informed of the ongoings of my surroundings, I found something.

As is my usual, I scrolled down the right portion of my blog to read the "usual reads." These are snippets of blogs of my prior choosing (would that be chosings? plural) with their most recent blog postings titles/first few lines.

One my usual reads is a blog authored by a Mississippi lawyer in Oxford - nmisscommentor.com. Sometimes this blog has law/politics "stuff" that peaks/picques (pick one) my interest - and today was one of those days. The snippet that caught my eye read as follows:

NMissCommentor - Calling a Mississippi Supreme Court opinion everything but a Child of God - I want to start by noting that the opinions expressed in pleadings
quoted in this post do not represent the opinions of the author of this post or
the owne...

I read Supreme Court opinions like most tired moms read trashy novels. I'm just wired that way. So, I hopped over to read what the fuss was about in this "opinion".

Turns out, all but one Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court voted to strike some language from a recent Court filing ( a recent motion filed by a Jackson attorney who has been practicing 45 years - not exactly a young knucklehead smart ass just out of the gate law school grad set on making some sort of name for himself).

Why did the Mississippi Supreme Court want to strike language from a motion filed before it? Well, because they didn't like the language. Why didn't they like the language? Well, because it makes them look bad. Why does it make them look bad? Well, because it is bad. Why is it bad?

Well, it's bad because they reversed a jury verdict -- a few years ago -- in a case where the Plaintiffs won (some kids of a man who died after just having purchased a life insurance policy from Prudential). The man had purchased the policy, paid for the policy, policy had been issued, then the man stroked and died shortly thereafter. You can guess where this is going . . . Prudential, of course, didn't want to come clean with the million dollar policy since the man up and died just after buying the policy.

That's why the kids sued Prudential. Case went to trial, lasted a while, lots of witnesses, lots of documents, lots of back and forth . . . 12 jurors unanimously decided that Prudential should pay up as promised.

Prudential appeals to the Mississippi Supreme Court. Mississippi Supreme Court rules for Prudential. Case closed. Kids don't win after all.

Turns out .. now Prudential, who has now miraculously gotten the State Supreme Court on their side, wants the kids to pay a cost bill of half a million dollars!

Ok, let me get this straight. Man buys insurance policy. Pays money for it. Contract is signed. Policy is issued. Man strokes next day. Man dies weeks later. Prudential says 'doh!' - uh we're not paying for that. Kids say osur (southern for oh yes you are). Prudential says so sue us. Kids say we will. They did. Prudential didn't. Kids win - jury says so. Prudential cries, Supreme Court of Miss give them a hankie, and says ok, you don't have to do it.

Years pass, a couple things happen in lower court involving rules of civil procedure and a couple things happen involving appellate rules of procedure ...

Travel to the future - Bam - Prudential says - 'ok kids' now that we don't have to pay you after all, we're gonna make you pay us - and that'll be $500,000 dollars please. Hand is out, waiting for cash to be placed in it.

Kids say - you gotta be jokin'. Kids' attorney (practicing a scant 45 years now) says - you gotta be jokin'.

Kids' attorney writes a motion. Kids' attorney writes a blistering motion. Kids' attorney writes a motion and calls names (names that are a bunch of things, but none of which are a child of God).

Kids' attorney is flat out pissed. Any normal human being would be so justly pissed.

This is what the kids' attorney wrote.

Now, the Supreme Court of Mississippi is pissed. They don't like what the kids' attorney wrote. Makes 'em look bad. It officially became a pissing match. The Mississippi Supreme Court voted to "strike the language" of kids' attorney's language in his motion (all but one Justice did that):

In Re: The Prudential Life Insurance Company of America, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Patty M. Mace Stewart, Sally Stewart Hester, Giles Stewart and Larry
Stewart; Hinds Circuit Court 1st District; LC Case #: 251-02-1269-CIV; Ruling Judge: Bobby DeLaughter; Disposition: Third motion for rehearing on the merits
filed by counsel for appellees is dismissed as not properly before this Court. Rule 40(a) of the Mississippi Rules of Appellate Procedure clearly states that “[a]fter a motion for rehearing has been denied, no further motion for rehearing shall be filed by any party.” This Court finds that appellees’ third motion for rehearing is prohibited by the rules and is frivolous.

The Court further finds that this motion for rehearing filed by counsel for the appellees contains language showing disrespect for this Court. Pursuant to Rule 40(c) of the Mississippi Rules of Appellate Procedure, the Court finds that this motion for rehearing should be stricken.

The motion for rehearing filed by counsel for appellees is hereby stricken.

Graves, P.J., does not join the order because he is of the opinion that the motion for rehearing should not be stricken.

Kitchens and Pierce, JJ., not participating. Order entered.

Emphasis with italics was added.

- - -

More thoughts.

I had known nothing about this case until this morning. I had known nothing about kids' attorney. I know not a lot (but slightly more) about Mississippi Supreme Court Justices.

I know much about anger though - and I understand why this attorney wrote what he did. And I'm glad he did it.

There is a place for anger. Temperance yes, and I'd say most of the time it needs to be shown. There is a place though to say what you need to say.

Say what you need to say.

- - -

A regular commentor over at nmisscommentor.com is named "A Friend of the Law". I do not know who that person is - although I've suspected for a while he/she is a judge somewhere, maybe not .. but I usually (probably more toward the always) appreciate his/her comments.

This was A Friend of the Law's comment on this story at the other blog. And I thought it was appropriate. I just have a slightly stronger twist of opinion, although not really alot different.

" . . . I have read the Response and believe that it is way over the top.

While I admire Alston’s passion, and agree with his negative opinion re the Court’s previous decision (written by Easley, someone who I personally know from previous dealings to be an idiot and less than honorable), I don’t think he did his clients or the Bar/state he serves any favors with this type of verbal assault upon the MS Supreme Court in a filed court document.

It is one thing to express one’s opinion on a blog, in public discourse, etc., but yet another to interject the same into a filing with the highest state Court (or any MS Court, for that matter). I am certain that if it were not for the Supreme Court’s respect for Alston’s years of experience and honorable service, he would have been sanctioned by the MS Supreme Court.

Most any other lawyer in MS who did the same thing would have been sanctioned. He should feel fortunate that he wasn’t and that the offending portions of the pleading were stricken from the record. Aside from the inappropriateness of the manner of delivery, I find little to disagree with in Alston’s assessment of the situation.

Had he said this on this blog, I would have provided a big harummpff in agreement.

Like I said above, I truly admire his passion. At a time when government and court actions are eroding our traditional constitutional rights at an alarming pace, many of us are going to have to be more outspoken and passionate in our objections to such actions.

Apathy leads to tyranny.

Personally, I don’t intend to be a silent victim.

Me neether.

Me neether.

Here's to Alex J. Alston, Jr. And here's to A Friend of the Law. May you always say what you need to say, and may you always remain faithful to the rule of law.

Here here.

What One Family Is Doing This Summer

Check it out here. They're driving down the Mississippi River day by day on only $150 (each day).. 2 adults and 2 little kids..

and they're having fun.

Something that should be read

Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce tribe - a new book review.

Gestapo Behavior

Look folks, this is getting downright ridiculous, and scary.

The SEC is flat out trying to take personal inherited property of young woman - and she hasn't even been tried yet in a court of law. And - they're being sneaky about it. At the least, unethical - at the most, downright corrupt.

In the SEC appointed receiver's motion where it is set out to seize assets of the corporate defendants - her house is not listed. In the appendix to the motion though, her house and other personal inherited property is listed.

Her lawyer - (real lawyer this time who has been acting like her real lawyer) says a judge will rule on this (probably in a month).

Her trial is in July. Assuming she's innocent, which is what we do - right?! She'll come out from the trial and have nothing left - because the government decided before hand that they wanted it all - to give to somebody else (themselves).

This whole thing stinks of corruption. A scapegoat is needed, and she is absolutely being fed to the wolves every single day - by her ex-bosses, ex-lawyers who never really were her lawyers, government officials, and the media - you name it.

Frog Shaped Ice-lolly

You may know I'm compiling a list of 1,000 posts to read before you die. They're not my posts - they're yours (well, a small number of them are mine) - and I'm picky. You can read them all here. I don't quite have a thousand yet, but they're definitely adding up, so get some coffee, relax, and of course - read them. Here's the most recent:

Thanks to TC who recommended this one. She truly has the soul of a writer.

- - -

Jenny Adamtwaite lives in East London and writes of home and her dad who often bought her a frog shaped ice-lolly.

Please go over and read all her post, but here's a wee portion . . .

I passed the shop where my Dad and I would go to buy me a frog shaped ice-lolly (his was a Strawberry Split) and the bench where we would sit to eat it. I passed the houses of hundreds of people I knew at school, the church where I went to Brownies and finally, the street where I grew up, the street where I once knew the name of someone from every house.

Get Up and Be a Raw Beast

... and speaking of novelists ... this one has a new novel, The Signal.

It's a story of love lost, Wyoming mountains, and the search following a signal from a downed aircraft. A journey with a mystery twist.

The article linked here, is about author Ron Carlson. It's really a great article. You'll find it at the Victoria Advocate dot com and it's written by Peter Larsen for the Orange County Register.

Here's a snippet:

Ron Carlson writes in the morning, when the mind still is quiet, before the world and all its distractions intrude. Before the coffee is finished brewing, he slips out the kitchen door, crosses the small patio behind his Huntington Beach bungalow and settles into his desk in an office carved out of an old garage.

"You need your time, and you need to find out what you're thinking before you talk to anyone else," says Carlson, author of five novels and five collections of short stories. "What you need to do is get up and be a raw beast and go and type," he says. "Be as dirty as you can. And if you do that for 20 minutes, you'll be great.

"You can clean your house in the evening. If you want your book, you've got to be ferocious about your draft."

I get this - because I write in the mornings when it's quiet and the day is so fresh. Although, like the young eighth grader new novelist that I wrote about earlier today, I get most of my best ideas right before I go to sleep.

I'm so inspired today.

Kind of Inconvenient

It's not so much the actual article here that I adore - it's what its about . . . an eighth grader at Beaver Lake Middle School in Washington has published his first novel.

Now that's something.

His name is Karan Sunil, and word is that he's working on his next novel already!

A quote from him that I thought was precious (because I too deal with this most inconvenient truth):

“I get most of my ideas for stories right before bed, which is kind of inconvenient... "

I'm so glad I found this today. It feels good to smile in the mornings and start the day knowing - really knowing - that our kids can do wondrous things, like dreaming, writing them down, and sticking with a project.

Heck, I have trouble doing that.

Thanks goes to Lauren McLaughlin, write at the Sammamish Review dot com for sharing this piece with all of us.

Another Day Another Dollar

Thought I'd post a photo I shot a few days ago at the park. This was one of those days when my husband was running ... and I was not.

But I was walking.

I'm up to six miles a day now - that's saying something. My legs are toned, my breath is back, my spirit soars (well, you get the picture... I may have - really did - exaggerate with the word 'soars').

This poor tired trailer hasn't had a workout in a while. I believe it served its good purpose probably many times though.

There's hope for me.

I'm off to work now in the diamond mines.

Catch Me If You Can

Before I was married (and I've been married over 20 years), I watched my fiance, now husband, run in a race. He was in college. So was I (the first time I went to college).

He was fast. Really fast. He won most every race he ran. And, he was a fit & trim fellow (and of course oh so handsome!).

Then, he graduated (we got married sometime in there), he kept all the medals, news clippings, photos . . . put them in a box and stored them under the bed, occasionally pulling them out to re-tell story after story to our children.

---

Last year, my daughter decided to run cross country for her school. Mind you, she'd never run before (in a race). She just wanted to run.

My husband, the former track star who hadn't raced in over 20 years and who was not quite as fit & trim as the former fellow he was - decided he simply had to train our daughter to be the next star.

And he did. And she did. They began training together last spring, running every day, doing laps, charging up and down steps at the local stadium . . . stretches, push ups, sit ups, timed dashes, and the list goes on and on.

Every once in a while, I'd be invited to join along - and I'd say, 'um - no.'

Much too much for me.

- - -

Over the course of a few months, my husband lost 50 pounds, became fit & trim beyond belief almost and my daughter was the school's fastest runner - she beat the boys! She ran with the high school - and beat most of their boys!

The girl is fast.

The husband is fast.

- - -

Husband this spring decided he'd join in a race himself at an event sponsored by some national track club thing - he could tell you all about it, however, I cannot recall the name. Most track people know what I'm talking about, but I'm not a 'track' person.

Husband raced his race - having not run competitively since 1983 or so ...

And he won 2nd Place! In two events!

Now that's amazing.

Johnny and Willie

This is just so darn good I can't stand it.

I can't stand it I tell you.



I wish I could bottle the magic and start a collection of - well, vintage magic.

Take These . . . Don't Let Them Steal Your Soul

This is Chris & Thomas. They make my soul hear the sound of all that is and will be - me. Take a listen and a respite...



From NPR (National Public Radio):

The folk-pop duo Chris and Thomas formed when the pair was enrolled at art school in Liverpool, where they played shows while earning music degrees in film composition. After a stint running a traveling cooking show out of an old utility van, the duo relocated to Los Angeles and self-released the Vista Street Sessions EP. A whirlwind of touring and recording followed, as buzz built for a follow-up.

Vista Street Sessions laid the groundwork for the new full-length Land of Sea in more ways than one — the new disc repurposes five of its six tracks — but Land of Sea builds on its promise with remarkable new songs, gorgeous harmonies (think Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) and crisp production by renowned producer/engineer Mark Howard.

Put the Dogs Up - The Fleet Foxes are in the House

This is good stuff.. I wouldn't lie.

She Loved The Sound of Music

This is the most beautiful thing I've read in a while ...

About a real woman who lived a real life - and died. But, the way this piece is written reflects upon the writer's absolute and most precious love. That is beautiful.

Part Three - Shop Class as Soul Craft

Here's yet another book review of Matthew Crawford's seemingly chart topping new book . . .

This review is by Steve Weinberg, a contributing editor to The Dallas Morning News.

An excerpt:

As Crawford explains, often with anecdotes from his own experience as an electrician and motorcycle maintenance expert, physical labor is also cerebral. At one point during his unusual career arc, Crawford ran a think tank in Washington.

He refers to that unhappy interlude when he writes, "Even on the relatively primitive [motorcycles] that were our specialty, some diagnostic situations contain so many variables, and symptoms can be so under-determining of causes, that explicit analytical reasoning comes up short.

What is required then is the kind of judgment that arises only from experience – hunches rather than rules. I quickly realized there was more thinking going on in the bike shop than in my previous job at the think tank."

Hunches, rather than rules. Experience makes those - good hunches, that is.

More - Shop Class as Soul Craft

For the linksters out there looking for more related to Crawford's Inquiry into the Value of Work - Shop Class as Soul Craft ... go here.

It's some questions/answers. Very interesting stuff. It's an article by Mike Allen at Popular Mechanics dot com.

Interesting ... from Crawford:

Another thing that prompted the book is the year that I spent teaching high school Latin, which I was barely qualified to do. There's some simile here to be made with fools rushing in. At any rate, the kids were being told that they had to take this course to get their SAT scores up —because everyone has to get into college.

The class was a something of a disaster: Half of them were jacked up on Ritalin just trying to stay awake. I felt like if I had been able to take some of these kids aside, and say "Hey, let's build a deck," or "Let's overhaul an engine," they would have perked right up.