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Archives: Dec. 15 - 31, 2007 |
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Saturday, December 15, 2007
Holiday Music: Two new releases that are worthy of a listen this month couldn’t be more diametrically opposite. “Every Time It Snows” from Olivia Newton-John & Jon Secada is a sweet song that seems especially appropriate as I watch the snow fall this morning. Meanwhile, I’m not sure that “appropriate” should be used in the same sentence with “Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday” by Brad Paisley. The song panders to the reactionaries. However, it does make a good point about taking things a bit too far. Most of all, though, its impromptu lyrics (including the timing of its “bleep” tones) are quite humorous.
Movies: My son Michael and I went to see Will Smith’s “I Am Legend” yesterday. The first half of the movie was truly excellent and thought provoking. Then, . . . the movie’s brilliance faded away into second-half mediocrity. Kind of like the University of Illinois’ men’s basketball team, lately.
Legal Disclaimer: Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, the U. of I.’s Bruce Weber remains the most outstanding coach in college athletics today, in my opinion.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Running: I hope I can stay with my current program for a while. This morning, I put in 60-minutes of continuous “jogging” in my office building. It’s a program that will have to supplemented each week by some sprints and some long runs elsewhere, outside and at an area indoor running track.
Book Recommendations: Most important book that I read in 2007: “Duel In The Sun” by John Brant . . . for the excellent insight that it offers on maladies such as depression and drug dependency. Next on my reading list: “My Maggie” by Rich King, a love story. Both works are non-fiction. (I usually don’t do well with fiction).
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Running: I struggled through a difficult 90-minute indoor workout this morning, and now (late in the afternoon) I’m feeling tired.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Running: It was a little easier for me this morning during 60-minutes of continuous running. I won’t say it actually felt “good” - just a little better than it has in a while. We had a “Bunch Lunch” get-together today at Noon at Pizza Man in Effingham with several local runners present. At said lunch, one Doug Thomas did proceed to bare a leg (by request) thereby displaying an “Ironman” tattoo in commemoration of his successful triathlon quest in Florida last month. Way to go, Doug!
In The News: While searching through the Decatur Herald & Review newspaper’s on-line “archives” earlier today, I found this intriguing copyrighted news article dating back more than 10-years ago. Lots of memories.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
A quick thought for the day: “Enthusiasm . . . without it nothing great was ever achieved.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Running: There’s nothing like a challenging run with a good friend to help pick you up after a long day at work. Dr. Michael Brummer and I jogged through several local neighborhoods this evening, logging more than 90-minutes of continuous running altogether. We may wind up competing together in a marathon in one of the southern states in early ’08.
Friday, December 21, 2007
My two cents: I usually find myself possessing no faith - none whatsoever - in anyone who labels himself / herself as a “conservative.” Once upon a time the conservative label might have meant something, but today it’s usually not a very good sign and often indicative of a person who: is overly judgmental, simplistic and selfish; can’t relate to the experiences of others; and one who doesn’t play well with others.
Artifact of alleged “hipness” exposed again: Ever since I can remember, Rolling Stone magazine has been somewhat of a fraud perpetrated upon people who are subject to certain proclivities. Its music “reviews” have always had the appearance of a “paid for” joke: pay homage to a couple of has been legends; support a financially-backed “struggling” artist; and then throw in one or two Black people (never any more) for good measure. Well now, the purported “music” magazine has been exposed once again as the sham advertising tool that it is . . . and always has been . . . for pulling in an unhip, unhealthy and overly Caucasian target audience.
Criminal law issues in the Jamie Lynn Spears situation: A number of criminal prosecution scenarios appear self-evident in this matter. However, “statutory rape” charges rarely are brought in celebrity circles in the USA. CNN’s web site offers a very informative article on these issues. In Illinois and in many other states, Ms. Spears’ 19-year old suitor potentially could face not only felony charges, but also a mandatory sex offender registration requirement. As an attorney, I recently challenged the constitutionality of a state statute that severely, criminally, and permanently punishes teenagers who engage in mutually consensual sexual experimentation when similarly aged. Not every undesirable act should be subject to criminal proscription and sanction. That’s going too far . . . no pun intended.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Christmas Music: As I “blog,” I am listening to holiday songs on the radio - some good and some “not so much.” My least favorite selection is “Christmas Wrapping” by the Waitresses. It’s just kind of obnoxious. Click here to see how your favorites fared in recent “listener preference” research.
‘Tis The Season: The Washington Post reported yesterday - to no one’s surprise, I hope - that telephone calls to attorneys who concentrate in First Amendment issues typically “spike” during the months of November and December. Of course, the big issues here are “freedom of religion” and freedom from government endorsement of one particular religion. My views were briefly summarized in this journal back on December 1st. I don’t believe that Jesus ever insisted upon an endorsement of religion on government property or mandated public prayer. He offered some strange notion about a “prayer closet,” as I recall. But, oh well, I’m sure the politicians know better . . .
I believe it’s also important to consider whether we often send a “message of inferiority” to people of other faiths at this time of year by a goofy insistence that all pay homage to our politically popular religion, purportedly in the name of religious freedom. Must be my misguided belief that liberty has to do with freedom for the individual.
Music City: I am looking forward to a quick trip to Nashville tomorrow, including a Tennessee Titans football game.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Jamie Lynn Spears: Just a thought . . . how screwed up are the “moralists” of our society - at Christmas time - in their criticism of a 16-year old girl who is expecting a child? Plenty. They’re missing the point.
Seems to me, young Ms. Spears could have taken the easy way out and that society would have been none the wiser . . . . Oh, but mustering criticism is so much easier for the holier-than-thou types.
Nashville: Titans win! Playoff hopes still alive! But the highlight for me yesterday was walking to the stadium via the Shelby Street pedestrian bridge. It’s the bridge featured prominently in the music video for “Moments,” a touchingly real song, the performance of which is meriting serious Grammy Award consideration now for the group Emerson Drive.
Worthy of a mention: Lee Ann Rimes performed an outstanding rendition of the “Star-Spangeled Banner” prior to the kickoff at Sunday’s Titans game.
Another thought for today (and tomorrow): Christianity is not about making demands upon people that force them into saying the words “Merry Christmas” in order to meet the standard in some sort of rude and inappropriate litmus test.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Just in case you were wondering: “Jingle Bells” and “We Three Kings” have been designated as 2007’s “Co-Christmas Carols of the Year” . . . not by me, but by some purported expert. Tomorrow, these songs and others will magically disappear.
My Aunt Barb, my son Robert, and I volunteered together today at Effingham’s annual Christmas Dinner at the Rosebud Theatre, delivering meals, performing cleanup tasks, and even doing a little singing (which included the above-identified selections and - a few too many - more). Later, I produced a short (mp3 file) report on the event for radio stations WXEF-FM (97.9) and WKJT-FM (102.3).
Merry Christmas to each of you out there in internet land who bothers to read this purportedly useful blog!!! Feedback is always welcomed . . . or . . . well, almost always, at: attorney@effingham.net
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
I’m back at work today, but on somewhat of a limited “holiday hours” schedule through early January. Anyone trying to reach me should just leave a message at 217-347-4900.
Alcohol-Related Legal News: More and more judges are ordering “no consumption of alcohol” as a standard term of probation . . . for young offenders and older offenders alike. Now, a new ankle monitoring device is gaining the attention of defendants who used to simply ignore such court-ordered provisions.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
The Athlete I Most Admire: Some people might find it unusual, but for some time now the athlete whom I (as a man) have come to admire most is a female marathon runner. Deena Kastor captured the bronze medal for the USA at the Olympics in Athens in 2004 and more recently won the Chicago Marathon in 2006, among other events. To the best of my knowledge, few athletes work harder than - or show such outstanding poise, eloquence and sportsmanship in their quests as does - Ms. Kastor. Her latest athletic venture was a “fun run” recently with regular everyday runners, which must have been one outstanding experience for her fans who were present.
If I appear to be a little bit groggy today . . . there’s a reason. I was busy watching episodes of “The Office” with my 15-year old daughter, Brigette, this morning . . . at about 2:30 a.m.
Friday, December 28, 2007
“Do You Know Why I Pulled You Over?” As an attorney, I have seen law enforcement officers come up with a number of creative “reasons” for stopping motorists. To be fair, however, one possibly legitimate aspect to this phenomenon was offered up recently in a news article attributed to AOL Autos. It seems that a large number of strange state driving laws can be found on the books today throughout the USA. For example, in California “no vehicle without a driver may exceed 60-miles per hour.”
A more realistic view of what is happening out there is provided in an excellent Illinois State Bar Association publication titled "DUI And Traffic-Related Decisions" (2006) by the Hon. Judge Daniel M. Locallo. I highly recommended this publication as a primary resource for anyone who is involved regularly in traffic law proceedings.
In times of world difficulties such as the current situation in Pakistan, it’s good to be able to count on legitimate news operations such as CNN to intelligently report the facts. I don’t think I’ve ever watched “Fox News” or, lately, CNN’s “Headline News,” the channel to which I now refer as “Fox Jr.” Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, Nancy Grace, and all of the other lightweight drama queens - no thank you. I just don’t have the time.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Because It’s The Law, That’s Why: Tons of new state laws take effect in Illinois on January 1st. My personal favorite is the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, the passage of which will truly bring about a breath of fresh air for many people. Smoking is pathetic.
Although no list is necessarily exhaustive, a fairly thorough summarized list of new state statutes (and statutory changes) appeared recently in the Peoria Journal-Star newspaper. . . . Hundreds of new laws take effect each year, so nobody can really be expected to be aware of all of the changes. Nonetheless, one should consider that rather well known and somewhat annoying legal doctrine: “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”
Sunday, December 30, 2007
“Fit” For Office: It’s hard to gauge which presidential candidates are fit for office and which ones are not. Witness for example the election of one GWB. I questioned his abilities prior to his unfortunate election in 2000, and my opinion hasn’t changed much since that time:
"Rarely is the question asked, ‘Is our children learning?’" - GWB, Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000.
Left or right click here for a not-so-rare mp3 audio highlight. See also: Funny YouTube compilation.
Of course, physical fitness is another matter entirely. According to USA Today, several of the current candidates seem to be in exemplary health.
Happy Anniversary: The Mrs. (Joy Ella Ealy) and I are marking 24-years since our wedding ceremony on December 30, 1983. The pre global warming afternoon high temperature that day was a toasty 5-degrees Fahrenheit above zero.
Sometimes, my colleagues in the legal profession embarrass me . . . when they file bizarre or meritless lawsuits, for example. Other times, however, I count myself fortunate . . . to live in the same world as attorneys who take a stand for something important in life - sometimes a literal stance. Today, I count myself fortunate to be a member of the same profession as my colleagues in Pakistan and the president of the American Bar Association . . . for they have stood at the forefront early on in one of life’s most important battles.
Monday, December 31, 2007 [The Early Edition]
The Final Countdown? Back in the “olden days,” we used to struggle through all of the static and drift in an effort to pull in “The Big 89 Countdown of 19__ (whatever year it was)” on WLS-AM (890), the former “MusicRadio” station from Chicago. As each New Year dawned, the unveiling of the number one song almost always brought disappointment as some stale, overplayed record hit the airwaves . . . one more time. But then again, what were we expecting? It was an experience that we shared with hundreds of thousands of people from all over, and it was kind of fun. Maybe even interesting. Otherwise, we would not have kept coming back for the punishment year after year. This was an example of broadcasting in the truest sense of the term.
As the New Year approaches - in our high-tech world of greater “choice” - there will be no comparable choice. Even on television, the so-called “music” tier of channels will be offering only fake partygoers at best or, at worst, re-running marathons of fake “reality” shows.
Admittedly, at least one “music” channel ran its yearend countdown program weeks prior to New Year’s Eve. But even on XM satellite radio - with all of its capabilities - “ain’t nothing goin’ on” tonight but the usual and ordinary, at least as far as I can tell.
Sometimes, our brave new world of narrowcasting leaves a lot to be desired.
Maybe I’ll just ring in the New Year by catching a few ZZZZZZZZZZs. That’s probably the smartest way to prepare for 2008 anyway, as well as for tomorrow morning’s half-marathon fun run in Newton, an event for which I will be woefully unprepared in more ways than one.
[Addendum: Later, I learned that WXEF-FM (97.9) offered American Top 40’s Yearend Countdown Special (Seacrest), and I tuned in to that program as I hit the pillow for the last time in 2007].
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