One of my motives in starting this blog was to create a space in which I would try to examine my life honestly. So it seems appropriate that this anniversary post should contain a Rate My Life Quiz:
| This Is My Life, Rated | |
| Life: |  4.1 |
| Mind: | 4.3 |
| Body: |  3.3 |
| Spirit: |  6.4 |
| Friends/Family: |  2.3 |
| Love: |  0 |
| Finance: |  7.5 |
| Take the Rate My Life Quiz | |
As you may recall, I spent my Saturday back in the retro activity of babysitting. Our night was filled with all kinds of adventures, such as the "can I let the girl go swimming at a birthday party" dillemma, the "how do I get her to eat anything but candy" challenge and the "I can't believe I didn't realize she needed to go to the bathroom" shameful moment. All of these things are, of course, very common in parenthood, but very exotic and foreign to me. I don't have many photos from the evening because I was too busy trying to dodge landmines, but here are the few I took:
Nora showing off her talent, as May watches:
The magic behind the scenes:
On the way to pick up Claudia from a birthday party:
Sunday night was quite fun, as it was the first time my dog Kip and I have ever been to a baseball game together, thanks to the Texas Rangers' "Dog Night." Here is the "doggie will call" line:
Our neighbor in line was a devoted Rangers fan:
Unfortunately, I did not think ahead to obtain Cubs paraphenalia for Kip to wear, but I'll show you in a bit what he did wear.
Here he is inspecting one of the pools provided for the doggies:
Yes, that's a Texas Rangers scarf that was tied on his neck before I could stop the friendly greeters. And, yes, the exposure on this photo is jacked up--a "professional" photographer on the scene used my camera to photograph Kip and I together and changed the settings in such a way that several pictures turned out way too dark, until I caught it and changed the settings back.
Kip in his "seat," checking out the field:
I think he said, "uh bawl pork reely iz beeuteeful."
A neighbor dog:
The game gets underway:
For everyone I told I was bringing Kip to the game who has actually met Kip, the response was a horrified look and the query, "Why aren't you bringing Orley instead?" But Kip really did behave beautifully at the game--the only time he was a little excited was in the doggie will call line, when a nice but silly lady behind us gave him one treat, then kept pretending she was going back to the well for more treats--something that would drive any treat-loving dog crazy. Here, he makes friends:
And, to make it up to Orley for not going to the game, I gave her this baseball scarf that my friend's mom was sweet enough to make for the dogs:
This burly guy and his oh-so-cute dog amused me:
She did not leave his lap during the entire game, and watched it so intently that I think she had a tiny scorecard she was keeping on her owner's other knee:
Kip and I were joined by a friend of mine from work and her adorable dog:
Here, Kip and his new friend watch the game:
Before getting to know each other in the way one does while watching a baseball game:
The place was perfectly set up for dogs to take the necessary breaks, and there were no lines outside on the grass! But there was a "dog crossing":
Water--pant!--water--pant!--water!:
Kip said, "Eez Dayv reeli uz foonie uz hee lookz un teevee?"
There were lots of tiny dogs there, and lots of big and medium-sized ones, too--here's a tiny one:
This guy on the bottom right watched with his dog balanced on his legs, just as I'm sure he does at home:
It was a really beautiful night:
I can't think of a better time I've had with Kip. He seemed delighted by the outing and never seemed bored, with so much noise and so many people and dogs to greet and watch. I will definitely take him to Dog Night next year--what a great event!
I guess this is the appropriate time to confess that I have not kept one of my vows--well, actually, multiple vows, but I'm only writing about one this morning. Yes, one of the vows that was about being kind to myself. The one about not visiting a certain web site that gets me totally riled up.
I knew I should leave it, but there is a really nice segment of the community there that does a Saturday morning home and gardening blog--and I love communing with them. Once there for that purpose, it's easy to get sucked into other diaries. I did so yesterday, and the jerks there have now made me cry. Yes, you read that right--some assholes on the internet made me cry, and not in a good way.
I am embarrassed that it has come to this. I am disgusted that these are the kind of pricks who are supposedly "on my side." It makes the knee-jerk part of me want to never give another dime to progressive causes. But then I'd be hanging out with a totally different kind of prick, making up stories about the existence of WMDs and listening in on the first kind of pricks' telephone calls with each other, in which they crow about driving yet another member of the DKos community away because she disagreed with them about Wal-Mart.
It's a vicious circle, isn't it?
So, now, I am backing away from my keyboard, erasing my history of visits so that I cannot easily go back there through the miracle of auto-complete.
I need your support, people!
I thought this was interesting. It's the story of a local start-up evangelical church (actually, not so start-up anymore, judging by their now-fancy web site). I know of this church because a former co-worker attempted to recruit me to visit it; one glance at their by-laws and rules, which were rife with important roles for men and only lowly servitude roles for women, provided all the evidence I needed to know this was not the church for me.
Apparently, two of this church's members spoke to the minister in what they intended to be a confidential manner about their struggle with adultery. The minister, plucking a passage out of the Book of Matthew in the Bible, decided that the appropriate way to deal with their confessions was to intervene one-on-one and, when that didn't work, to involve other church member and intervene in a group and, when that didn't work, to send letters to church members, the two individuals' employers and others in and out of the church in an attempt to shame them into changing their conduct. A few weeks ago, the two were able to obtain a temporary restraining order stopping the letters; however, an Associate Judge recently dissolved that order, permitting the dissemination of the letters.
I realize that the separation of church and state in the U.S. generally requires that the government not intervene in church affairs (no pun intended). But it seems to me that church affairs cease to be "off-limits" when they reach beyond the walls of the church. If an individual decided to send letters about her best friend's affair to anyone who would open them, I'm guessing the law would provide some sort of remedy to the best friend. I would also think an church may not lawfully commit murder or rape in the name of religion. Thus, in my off-the-cuff, haven't researched it on this early Friday morning view, the church should not be able to invade a person's privacy or commit other tortious conduct in the name of the Book of Matthew. My two cents.
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Oh, maybe you thought the title of this post refers to this, the story of the Lay and Skilling convictions in the Enron trial?
Here's my take:
Yes, right now my main mission in life is to bill by the hour, for as many hours as I can. Many, many depositions and other fun law-related tasks lie between me and the end of June. Accordingly, this weekend isn't looking too promising on the fun front, except for:
(a) Saturday night, when I babysit my friends' three girls while they go to a wedding--apparently, I am expected to come up with fun activities for the evening--so far I have games like "Lets Toss Knives," "Lemon Sucking Extravaganza" and "Who Can Repair Lisa's Living Room Ceiling More Quickly" in the hopper (I KID, I KID!); and
(b) Sunday night, when I take Kip the Dog to the Rangers game (yes, you heard me correctly).
(Kip is on the left)
In other news, if you missed it, the Cubs played the White Sox (AKA "Bitch Sox," which really requires no explanation if you saw the games) this weekend, in what is always a heated matchup between cross-town rivals. This was the first such regular-season matchup since the Bitch Sox won the World Series last year. There are only two things you need to know about that: (1) on Sunday, the Cubs beat the Bitch Sox; and (2) on Saturday, Cubs catcher Michael Barrett punched Bitch Sox Catcher AJP (his name is too difficult to spell) after AJP barrelled into him, knocking him over, then slapped home plate like a little child and lumbered menacingly in the direction of Barrett for no apparent reason, which punch kicked off a brawl in the best tradition of professional baseball. And if you missed that brawl, you should definitely not miss this reenactment of it, in Legos, which reflects the true artistry of Batgirl, a Minnesota Twins fan after my own heart.
What do you recommend?
(I typically go to the Angelika-Dallas or the Landmark Magnolia, both of which are on the list at the left of the linked page).
UPDATED: Okay, so I saw Friends with Money, which none of you recommended. My reasons for seeing it were twofold: (1) I was in the mood for a chick flick; and (2) it has been at the Magnolia longer than the other movies and I wanted to be sure to see it before it goes away. Much to my surprise, I found that I (at least, the I of late) was a featured character in the movie. I'll leave it to you to decide which character, as it is not something of which I am proud. The movie overall felt very familiar to me, like my favorite brown soft sweater that I love to pull around my shoulders in the winter time. Afterward, I had a fabulous dinner and two excellent margaritas. Sleepy now. But I promise I'll see all the movies you suggested very soon.
Once a month, the Dallas Museum of Art opens its doors on a Friday for a "Late Nights" event, in which the museum stays open from 6:00 p.m. until Midnight. Last night was such a Friday night and the DMA had a full lineup of activities prepared. I have always wanted to go to one of these events, but because it's easier to go home, drink wine and whine about how there is nothing to do in Dallas on a Friday night than to actually make plans with a friend and go out in public, last night was my inaugural visit. And, oh, how I was glad that I went!
I'll try to add my sad little camera phone pictures later (next time, I'm bringing my real camera), but here's the short list of what we encountered:
You may have heard of Batgirl, the proprietess of one of the best baseball blogs, in which she covers her favorite team, the Minnesota Twins. It is aptly titled, "Batgirl."
She has outdone herself this week, with a post on Kyle Lohse, a Minnesota Twin who is best known for beating the crap out of his manager's door last season in a fit of anger. Lohse was demoted this week, and while Batgirl could not capture the destruction that resulted live, she was kind enough to photograph the Lego reenactment. Enjoy!
As many of my friends, including regular readers of this blog, are well aware, I have struggled periodically with whether I want to continue working as an attorney. There are so many negative aspects involved in the practice of law and the positives sometimes feel few and far between. But there certainly are times when the satisfaction of a well-written brief, the sincere appreciation expressed by a nice client or a hard-won victory make it seem worthwhile.
Yesterday I experienced all of those kinds of moments at once. I had a morning hearing on behalf of two clients, who were interested enough in the outcome to attend and watch. Apparently, the gallery (the benches in the court room where people sit to watch the lawyers and judge speaking in the open area in front of them) was fairly full for this hearing, but I didn't notice because I was focused on the argument. The hearing was on a motion that I filed, one in which we asked the judge to do something that is not very commonly done. I knew it would be a hard decision for her to make, though I felt very strongly that my client was entitled to that finding. The hearing was very intense and lasted nearly an hour; at the end, the judge ruled in my clients' favor, delivering a ruling that could very well significantly affect the outcome of the case.
Afterward, while my clients and I waited for the elevator, they shared their appreciation and complimented the way in which I had handled the argument. We were all very excited about the outcome, which was a significant victory within our case. While we were talking, a woman approached us and asked my name. I told her my first name and, not satisfied, she asked for my last name. After I gave it (a bit nervously, as I felt as if I was about to be reprimanded by someone else's parent, given her tone of voice), she said, much to my surprise, "You were excellent in there! While we listened to you, I turned to my husband and said, 'SHE is the kind of lawyer we needed!" She went on for a bit, until I sheepishly said, as any good lawyer would, "Would you like my card?"
A small moment, to be sure, but it does feel good to believe from time to time that I am good at what I do and that it matters to others. Even if it isn't quite at the level of freeing someone who has been wrongfully held at Guantanamo or helping someone gain asylum here because they are being persecuted in their home country or putting a stop to our Administration's relentless assault on the human rights of American citizens and others.
And finally am home from work in time to respond!
Here you go, Jay . . . written in total stream of consciousness, without filtering my answers:
I AM destined to do something different with my life than I am doing now.
I WANT to make a difference in a way that truly alters the course of people's lives.
I WISH Al Gore had won. I wish John Kerry had won. I wish GWB had never existed.
I MISS feeling attractive and desired.
I HEAR that major human rights violations are happening at the hands of the current White House and its henchmen.
I WONDER what would have happened if I had said yes when my law school love asked me to be with him.
I REGRET not being more sweet to my Dad in the last weekend I saw him alive.
I AM NOT my mother's ideal daughter
I DANCE alone when I'm happy.
I AM NOT ALWAYS a person who thinks before she speaks.
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS photographs that I love and of which I am sometimes proud.
I WRITE to feel creative, to force myself to observe and to connect with others I enjoy.
I CONFUSE his needs with my needs.
I NEED to lose weight.
I SHOULD work out and eat healthfully on a regular basis.
I START certain projects only after overcoming my procrastinator tendencies.
I FINISH sentences for those who speak slowly, though I try not to.
Jenn, I tag you!
on this blog, but I can't start writing several other things I want/need to write.
But as long as I'm here, read this: Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity
This is the chorus of the Eminem song "Lose Yourself," which Jodie Foster quoted when she spoke at Penn's graduation this week. How cool is Jodie Foster?
To seize everything you ever wanted-One moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?
I'm sure that everyone has certain icons who shape their memories of childhood. Not the big movie stars, but rather local celebrities who take you home in a heartbeat. For me, there are few bigger home-grown icons than Siskel and Ebert, who were the movie-rating pair extraordinnaire for all of us watching Chicago television:
(Siskel is on the right)
Sadly, Siskel died almost eight years ago of complications related to treatment for a brain tumor. He was always my favorite and it was very sad to see him die so young and so quickly.
So imagine my surprise when I ran across these three clips of behind-the-scenes action (via Gaper's Block), or rather interaction, between the pair while they recorded promos for their show. Be sure to watch all three clips. Otherwise, you'll just be sad after the first one, while the third one brings you back to hope and ends with a killer line by Siskel. Don't miss it!
In other fun video news, check out this clip of a driver the BBC mistakenly interviewed in place of his intended passenger (a music industry expert), on the topic of the Beatles' win over Apple in a recent lawsuit. The expression on the guy's face when he realizes they are interviewing him on TV is wonderful.
I am beginning to be concerned that I may be the cause of the Cubs' current situation. "Why," you ask, "o self-important one?" Well, I have seen or listened to every Cubs loss and did not hear the entirety of their only recent win. Desperate to hear a baseball game in which the team I want to win actually wins, I just tuned in (virtually, via MLB.com) to listen to tonight's White Sox game against the Twins. "Yes!", I cheered to myself, as the White Sox scored 3 runs in the top of the first inning to take an early lead . . . "this is what I've been missing!" But then the Twins, the lowly 17-19 Twins, scored 7 runs in the bottom of the first against Mark Buehrle, the best pitcher on the 23-12 White Sox. Do you see what I'm saying?
I also realized today that I need the prospect of future travel to look forward to. I have baseball tickets for the July 14th weekend in New York, but had no flight or hotel plans in place. Well, now I do--have hotel plans and a flight on hold, while I consider my airport and date/time of arrival preferences.
In other news, as you may know, today was Mother's Day. I have a complex relationship with my mother, one that I have dealt with for the last year by minimizing the occasions on which I actually speak with my mother. I don't want to regale you with my list of grievances against my mother, but rather wish to share my immense guilt at not calling her today. I actually purchased a nice present for her in advance of the day, but failed to mail it in time, so resorted to sending an e-card telling her of the gift's impending arrival and wishing her a happy day. But now I'm worried that, in an effort to keep the phone line open for my call, she has not logged into her email and does not know there is a card there for her. Ah, the tangled web we weave when we are a bad daughter who permits her personal angst to overcome the "must do's" in American society that involve familial relations.
P.S. I don't mean to make light of this--I actually do feel quite guilty and, having lost my father unexpectedly at a relatively young age, I have no excuse for taking for granted a parent's presence in one's life. But I don't know how to get past this barrier with my mother, which I think actually lies within myself, and desperately want to figure it out.
I'm deep in a Cubs funk . . . they seem to find a kaleidoscope of ways to lose games. Just when one thinks every way to lose has been exhausted, a new one springs up. There are no words.
This week marks the beginning of what I hope will be a long period of treating myself well. Today, that meant massive house-cleaning, tidying and several loads of laundry so that I will enjoy my home while I'm here. It also meant a long-overdue pedicure, at my favorite nail place that now is officially perfect, having installed the new kind of spa pedicure chair that includes a lovely, deep tissue massaging back:
I hold this chair responsible for giving me the zen-like sense of calm that enabled me to survive today's 9-0 Cubs loss. This will also involve making time to work out daily and finding a way to leave work at work so I will make time to do things for myself when I'm at home.
Have been reading the book, "Reading Lolita in Tehran" by Azar Nafisi and it finally has lured me in, with the beginning stages of our relationship being of the "I know it's good for me" type.
Off to continue the cleaning campaign, procure food and finish up a brief to be sent to the client tomorrow.
Have a fabulous week!
to photoblogging . . . see here.
I'm exhausted. Going to sleep now. More later in the weekend (I hope).
Oh, AND it's beginning to look a lot like Fitzmas . . .
UPDATE: Fitzmas, Part II!
UPDATE II: While you're waiting for Fitzmas (be patient, children!), watch this bittersweet skit by Al Gore on Saturday Night Live.
And, I have updated my links (to the right ----------------------->) . . . check them out, as there is good stuff there!
Yes, the Cubs' losing streak has ended at eight. Apparently, the key to them winning is for me to be so tired I cannot stay awake for their late West-coast game, as I missed most of this one while sleeping. While the Cubs won 8-1 over the San Francisco Giants, an added bonus is that Barry Bonds was homerless. There is nothing I would like to see more (well, except perhaps for a Cubs World Series championship) than for the Cubs to not share a page in history with Barry Bonds.
Here is the winning pitcher from last night's game (picture from a San Diego game of last weekend):
I'm off to Atlanta--back Friday (quick trip!). I promise to write something of substance this weekend!
Will my beloved Cubs ever win another game?
Tonight's loss makes 7 in a row . . . and counting. I am verklempt.
that can adequately describe the beauty of the California coast. So I will let this small sampling of photos whet your appetite for the (many) more to come:
No, I'm not talking about two consecutive 11-inning games that ended in a loss for the Cubs. (It is probably better if I do not talk about those games.) What I am referring to is my encounter today with the man I dated ten years ago. Before I talk about that, though, perhaps this is an appropriate time to explain how I came to meet my friend Jim.
Ten years ago, I had a business trip that brought me to Torrance, California. It was a truly wonderful business trip, in that my colleague--who was also a law school friend--and I had to review a number of boxes of documents and, regardless of how long that process took, had to be there when some other lawyers came to review the documents a week later. When the "had to be there" place is a gorgeous beachside community, there are more difficult assignments one could draw. To make it even better, the client insisted that we stay in the Portofino Bay hotel, which was at the foot of the strand (a long sidewalk) that runs along the ocean; my room faced out onto the ocean. Anyway, to make a long story short, my colleague/friend and I cut short our big Saturday night out in L.A. during our "forced weekend stay" when we realized that drinking and driving in an unfamiliar town, especially one with steep hills and crazy traffic, is a really bad idea. We reluctantly returned to the hotel, hoping to find other entertainment within walking distance, and stumbled (not literally) upon a post-wedding reception wedding party playing poker and drinking beer in the hotel lobby.
Apparently recognizing our desperate looks for what they were, one of the poker players/beer drinkers--Jim--invited us up to join them. Next thing we knew, my colleague was playing poker and drinking beer and I was, well, drinking beer and watching them play poker. I saw that Jim's roommate, whom I shall call "M," had a particularly handsome look and, yes, I'll admit, a manner I found extremely charming. Next thing I knew, I was dating him, which meant lots of longing long-distance phone calls, lovely gifts received, camping in the Redwood Forest with friends, etc. And for some reason, there in the Redwood Forest, I decided that he was not the guy for me. I have no idea how I reached that conclusion, just that I was very sure of it.
So ended our romance, though my friendship with his roommate Jim continues to this day. I am responsible for Jim meeting the woman he has dated for more than two years. I consider him one of my most trusted friends, and we speak fairly often. From time to time, he puts M on the phone, as they now work together. We have nice, friendly chats every so often when Jim thrusts us together.
Today, M joined us for the Cubs game as I had two extra tickets beyond those that Jim and his girlfriend and I were using. Jim invited him without asking me, I'm sure thinking that I would enjoy seeing our old friend, as we haven't seen each other since we dated 10 years ago. I thought I would as well, but was really surprised to find that a strange je ne sais quoi was still there. I think I was confused when he said he had looked at photos of our camping trip of 10 years ago before joining us for the game today. He cut right to the heart of things--at least my heart--by giving me a hard time about my working "against the man" in my work and immediately drew out my plans to do something different as soon as I can make that happen. I found that there were lots of things I wanted to say to him about life in general, but didn't, as the time and mood were not right. Maybe another time. We were mistaken for a married couple by our bartender at the after-game place. Geez.
Anyway, a whole lot of nothing is what this means, I'm sure. But I stumbled over some odd, forgotten feelings today and could not have been more surprised.
Because my apologies for not posting are becoming tiresome (at least to me), I will simply let you know that I do not expect to be able to write as much over the next few weeks. I just landed in
· Arrive early enough for the Friday night game to thoroughly inspect Petco Park for the first time, taking in batting practice and the like—how could one ever have a bad time at a ballpark with that name?
· spend the weekend rooting for my Cubs to score a run—just one!—to avoid yet another shutout, darn it!
· Meet for the first time the woman my friend Jim has now been dating for two years, whom he knows solely because of me (cute, but long, story for another day)
· Hang out with Jim and Barbra and their friend in Encenitas, where there is a yogi I believe has nothing to do with the well-known bear, then log some much-needed beach time in the afternoon, perhaps on
· Enjoy some kind of drinks at sunset with the aforementioned crowd, plus another old friend of ours, before taking in Cubs/Padres Game 2 on Saturday night
· Explore the fabulous (so I hear) Gaslamp District of San Diego, including its wine offerings
· Brunch with friends Sunday before seeing Cubs v. Padres Game 3, unless the Cubs have placed me in such an utter state of despair by this time that I opt to spend the afternoon at the beach instead, before flying home Sunday evening.
In addition to this fine travel experience, there is business travel, too. Thankfully, my Tuesday trip to
This morning, my favorite radio guys (other than NPR) were talking about school kids, and it made me think back: what was I like in school? While I don't have the elephant-like memory that some do about those days (Beth, this means you!), I was able to remember a little bit when I put my mind to it.
Through my younger grade school days (which I spent in public school), I was quiet and studious, but also friendly. In the very early days, my friend Brian would come over for lunch or snacks after morning kindergarten, and we fed our hot dogs to the dog, finding that funny. A few years later, I experienced the joy of chicken pox, thanks to Brian passing it along as a party favor at his birthday party. More than the academics, I remember things like the fluoride treatments, the book fairs (my FAVORITE event of the year!) and the kids who were my closest friends.
In the fifth grade, I transferred to a Catholic grade school. There, my academic bent came into greater focus. Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed to the Supreme Court and I thought for the first time that I might want to be a lawyer. The "Fifth Grade Movie" for girls-only was stunning to me, because my mother had not taken it upon herself to break the news to my privately about what women deal with on a monthly basis. Accordingly, my reaction was to faint during the movie, overwhelmed by the many years of inconvenience and ickiness that lay before me. Our class was small (rarely more than 20 kids or so), and even so, they had a small breakout math group for two of the boys and me. My love for sports bloomed as I participated in summer softball and school basketball. I was still studious, was less quiet and started what would be a long history of spending more time hanging out with guys than girls.
So you can imagine my dismay when my mother determined that I would attend a girls' Catholic school, rather than my local public school. What--school without boys?!?! But after I became used to it, I loved my new school, including the fact that I didn't have to think about what to wear (uniforms!), wore no makeup to school and realized the sky was the limit as to what I could accomplish there. I believe it was in that setting that I truly came into my own (for better or for worse) as the outspoken and ususally confident person I am today . . . I still remember one nun's pronouncement: "Lisa [last name], you have the MOST obnoxious laugh!"
Thanks for indulging me on my trip down memory lane . . .
As you know, my day began very early today at the courthouse. I arrived well before my hearing time and was able to admire the view of downtown Dallas from the newly-built wing of the courthouse. You see, there were no windows of any kind from the waiting areas in the old courthouse, but this new wing sports a wonderful glass wall.
You may have heard of this "Kennedy Assassination" that happened in Dallas? Well, this is a view of the Kennedy Memorial (the white thing to the bottom right corner of the photo), which is Dallas' apology for that event:
Turning westward, we have a nice view of "Old Red," the long-ago (i.e., well before my time) former courthouse for Dallas, which is built in a very interesting architectural style and is now being renovated to serve as a convention and visitors' bureau (I believe), among other things:
Peeking out behind Old Red is the Texas Schoolbook Depository, which you also may have heard about in history class (or an Oliver Stone movie).
And, to conclude our tour, you will see the lesser-known half of the grassy knoll, that on which Kennedy was not traveling at the time of his assassination:
And now, sixteen hours later, I am wrapping up a long day of work, gazing at this piece of "art" on my wall and dreaming of moving I'll-bet-you-can guess-where:
what the typical big Texas law firm looks like? Here's one example:
Believe it or not, this is an advertisement for the law firm, found at Dallas Love Field Airport. I don't know what else to say about this.
In other law firm news, I have to wear an actual suit to work today, which is depressing. We are a business casual office, but I have an 8 am hearing and, of course, the Courts are not business casual. In a true act of rebellion, I will bring more comfortable shoes to change into after my court appearance.
Now that I'm on a roll of law-related updates, did you see the two important U.S. Supreme Court decisions issued yesterday? In one unanimous decision, the Court said that Anna Nicole Smith may continue to battle for her share of the estate of her elderly (now dead) husband, J. Howard Marshall. Here she is, celebrating with Justice Scalia and a friend:
(Just kidding!)
And in another unanimous (and probably more jurisprudentially important) decision, the Court found that a trial court cannot prohibit a criminal defendant from introducing evidence that a third party was actually responsible for his alleged crime based solely on the "strength" of the state's evidence. One would think this would be common sense, especially in a case like this, in which the defendant argued that he had been framed by the police. But then, common sense does not necessarily rule the day in South Carolina, apparently.
Off to court . . .
