Attorney in the Del.

Just Right

2007-12-08T20:19:00.000-05:00

Looks like we couldn't have picked a better tree.

Child Of The Corn

2007-10-02T20:54:00.000-04:00

Bee Good

2007-07-12T23:19:00.000-04:00

Here's one for Karen from Saturday's hike. On the state flower, no less.

We're Moving!

2007-01-17T18:05:00.000-05:00

We're moving out of the city tomorrow. I leave you with this until we get settled:

Escaped Chimp Gets Snack, Cleans Bathroom

By Associated Press

Published January 17, 2007, 7:41 AM CST

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- An escaped chimpanzee at the Little Rock Zoo raided a kitchen cupboard and did a little cleaning with a toilet brush before sedatives knocked her out on top of a refrigerator.

The 120-pound primate, Judy, escaped yesterday into a service area when a zookeeper opened a door to her sleeping quarters, unaware the animal was still inside.

As keepers tried to woo Judy back into her cage, she rummaged through a refrigerator where chimp snacks are stored. She opened kitchen cupboards, pulled out juice and soft drinks and took a swig from bottles she managed to open.

Keeper Ann Rademacher says Judy went into the bathroom, picked up a toilet brush and cleaned the toilet. Rademacher says the 37-year-old Judy was a house pet before the zoo acquired her in 1988, so she may have been familiar with housekeeping chores. Judy wrung out a sponge and scrubbed down the fridge.

It took a couple of tries, but the zoo sedated the chimp, who fell asleep on top of the refrigerator with half a loaf of cinnamon-raisin bread she had pulled out of the freezer.

I'm Stuffed

2007-01-16T20:40:00.000-05:00

Big boys eat with big spoons.

Not Interesting

2007-01-13T07:43:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed that most of my photos lately have come from indoors. Unfortunately, I've been too busy to take many pictures outside. I'm in the process of moving, so most of my weekends have been spent in the new house painting. As usual, it never fails that when winter temperatures reach into the 70's, I'm stuck inside unable to enjoy them. We'll be finished moving by next weekend, so hopefully there will be more of interest here (and probably by then the winter temperatures we'd expect). Thanks for your patience!

Missing The Point

2007-01-09T19:33:00.000-05:00

Handles

2007-01-06T08:13:00.000-05:00

Holy Wine

2007-01-05T20:46:00.000-05:00

From one of my favorite California wineries. You can't go wrong with "holy" wine.

Candles

2007-01-04T16:21:00.000-05:00

There are actually four candles in this shot. One stubbornly wouldn't light, and so missed its chance to shine.

Circles

2007-01-02T20:04:00.000-05:00

Found

2006-12-31T08:11:00.000-05:00

WMD found in Iraq, discarded.

Champions!

2006-12-31T07:54:00.000-05:00

And I'm a winner too, because my Purdue graduate wife didn't even make me sleep on the couch afterwards!

Terps Win Champs Sports Bowl 24-7 Over Purdue
Maryland contains Boilers' vaunted offense

Dec. 29, 2006

Final Stats Notes AP Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Maryland methodically and meticulously put away Purdue - and looked nothing like the team that ended the regular season with two lopsided losses.

Sam Hollenbach passed for 223 yards and two touchdowns, Lance Ball rushed for 98 yards, and the Terrapins won the Champs Sports Bowl 24-7 on Friday night.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-22T06:37:00.000-05:00

Straight from the horse's mouth!

How To Respond To Your Critics

2006-12-21T07:50:00.000-05:00

Boll grabbed the microphone. "[Bleep!] critics!" he bellowed. "I hit them so hard they have brain damage! They love my movies now!"

PS: I love how "bleep" is used as a print description of an expletive. Hilarious.

Swallow Your Coffee...

2006-12-13T21:53:00.000-05:00

...unless you want it coming through your nose. The last sentence of this post is priceless. Read the whole thing first.

Not Ideal

2006-12-13T21:45:00.000-05:00

I noticed last year, no matter how many times Redskins D coordinator Gregg Williams blitzed, we could never seem to touch the QB. When the QB has all day to throw, bad things happen. Somehow, through what seemed like smoke and mirrors, the Skins ended 2005 with one of the best defenses in the NFL and a miracle playoff appearance. In the offseason, the pundits praised Gregg Williams to high heaven. I couldn't understand why. The Skins seemed like they were always a step from disaster. Somehow the D always held up, even though they could put no pressure on the QB. How long could this last? Long enough for Williams to get a huge contract, a promotion, and pre-season hype that the Skins could make the Super Bowl.

Then reality struck: the 2006 season started. The defense has been terrible. Not just any old terrible, but putrid, near record breaking terrible. Ugh.

To those I told so before the season, it bears repeating that I told you so.

Producing "Prompt And Highly Motivated Escape Behavior"

2006-12-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

The ultimate sunburn.

Note To Self...

2006-12-05T08:07:00.000-05:00

...don't smoke crack naked near a pond full of alligators.

You're Getting Sleepy...

2006-12-02T13:33:00.000-05:00

Look into my eyes! You're getting sleepy... Sleepy...!

Cluck like a chicken. Good!

Now...you're feeling the urge to buy some presents using the links on this website... Every purchase from a link on the ads to your rights nets a small portion of the sale to the author of this site. Good... Maybe you'll buy some of the new photos on my photo site... Good boy/girl.

Now when I clap my paws, you will awake and have no memory of this post.

Clap!

Survival Tips

2006-12-02T13:29:00.000-05:00

You never know when you'll be stranded in a life or death situation. Click here for some good survival tips.

Busy

2006-12-02T13:27:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posting lately. Between trying to buy/sell a house, the holiday season, work and raising a small baby, it's tough to find time or inspiration to post. I'll try to be better about it in the future. For now, posting may be light.

Water, Water Everywhere!

2006-11-22T16:26:00.000-05:00

With all the rain the Atlantic seaboard has been getting the last couple of days, it's only a matter of time before we'll need an ark!

Everglades Mangrove. Everglades National Park, FL. January 2003.

Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss

2006-11-21T19:55:00.000-05:00

New Congress, same trivial waste of time and taxpayer money:

According to news reports, if the owners of the San Francisco 49ers go through with their plan to move the team to Santa Clara, Senator Feinstein (perhaps abetted by Speaker Pelosi) will introduce legislation preventing them from using "San Francisco" as part of their name.

Geometry

2006-11-20T20:27:00.000-05:00

Along Wacker Drive. Chicago, IL. October 16, 2006.

Doing Our Duty

2006-11-20T20:24:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you have to wonder who is more challenged: the lawyer who took the case, or the client who proposed it:

A spicy sausage known as the Welsh Dragon will have to be renamed after trading standards’ officers warned the manufacturers that they could face prosecution because it does not contain dragon.

The sausages will now have to be labelled Welsh Dragon Pork Sausages to avoid any confusion among customers.

Jon Carthew, 45, who makes the sausages, said yesterday that he had not received any complaints about the absence of real dragon meat.

Lawyers: protecting the stupid from themselves since the days dragons roamed the earth. (h/t Overlawyered.com)

The Leaders We're Stuck With

2006-11-15T19:49:00.000-05:00

It couldn't be a more inappropriate time to use the following analogy, nor could it come from a more inappropriate mouth:

Wearing a dark suit and a blue tie spotted with white ducks, [Democrat Senator Charles] Schumer marched on Mr. Reid’s right side and made no effort to conceal his utter elation. “I felt like one of three generals who had liberated a country,” Mr. Schumer later said.

“Chuck! Chuck! Chuck!” the crowd chanted when Mr. Schumer was introduced by Mr. Durbin as “our hero.”

“If we can keep our focus on the average family, we will stay a majority for a generation,” Mr. Schumer said. “That is what we aim to do.”

These people have no shame.

The Next Two Years In A Nutshell

2006-11-15T19:47:00.000-05:00

Dean Barnett nails it: "Is it just me, or is it becoming increasingly apparent that the Republicans and Democrats are determined to engage in a two year dumb-off?"

Results vs. Process

2006-11-13T20:24:00.000-05:00

In the recent oral arguments before the Supreme Court on the challenge to the federal partial birth abortion ban, Justice Ginsberg allowed a brief glimpse into the workings of a liberal justice's mind in the exchange below. Justice Scalia, per usual, nails the issue on the head:

JUSTICE GINSBERG: Because your time is running out I did want to ask you about a feature of this legislation that hasn't come up so far, and that is perhaps stimulated by Stenberg. But up until now, all regulation on access to abortion has been state regulation and this measure is saying to the states, like it or not, the Federal Government is going to ban a particular practice and we are going to take away the choice from the states, in an area where up until now it's, it's been open to the states to make those decisions. How should that weigh in this case? And it is something new.

GENERAL CLEMENT: Well, I mean I don't think it should figure in this Court's decision. I mean principally because the other side in neither case makes a challenge based on the Commerce Clause, and I suppose there is two reasons for that. That legal reason that they don't bring the challenge is because there is a jurisdictional element that I think would address the challenges as a doctrinal matter. The practical reason I think is because this isn't the only instance in which the Federal Government has gotten involved to address issues related to the abortion context.

JUSTICE GINSBERG: Well I know, when it is a question of funding -

GENERAL CLEMENT: Well but also access to clinics, in the the face act, which is also -

JUSTICE SCALIA: The best example where government has gotten involved in overriding what the states want to do is Casey. It seems rather odd for this Court to be concerned about stepping on the toes of the states.

With a liberal judge, the outcome is what matters, not the process. Justice Ginsberg, a former ACLU lawyer and Clinton appointee, is a reliable pro-abortion vote on the Supreme Court. Roe vs. Wade, which she has consistently voiced support of, is a prime example of federal overreach into state matters. Here, however, when given the chance to strike down a law banning a particularly hideous type of abortion procedure, she suddenly sees the light and asks whether the federal government is overreaching. The sudden epiphany has nothing to with a change in judicial philosophy. It is only a cynical, and guaranteed brief, change in heart to protect one of her pet issues from losing some ground.

I wonder how she can rationalize that it is federal overreach to take one procedure away from the toolkit of abortion doctors, but not overreach to hand them the whole toolkit in the first place, in spite of the states' rights. Justice Scalia has taken out his own hammer from his rhetorical toolkit and bonked his fellow jurist right on the head with it.

ADDENDUM: Notice in the official transcript above, Solicitor General Paul Clement is referred to as "General Clement." Is the Solicitor General a "general" or a "solicitor"? This is one of my all-time pet peeves. See Orin Kerr's discussion of the phenomenon here. The man is just an attorney, not a commissioned military officer. The "general" in the title, as I understand it, refers to his status as lawyer who handles general legal issues on behalf of the government. He's a jack of all legal trades, not a master of strategic battle planning.

The one "general" position that has taken this "general" business a step too far is the Surgeon General. He/she actually wears a military uniform.

Victory! Pt. II

2006-11-13T20:09:00.000-05:00

If you can believe it, it happened again! Twice in one season, we beat a storied program, giving the fans a reason to rush the field. Last weekend's victim: the Miami Hurricanes, national champs four years ago, perennial contenders. A 14-13 nail-biter on national television.

Some context: according to the ESPN sports ticker, Maryland is the first team to beat both Florida State and Miami in the same season since 1985...and we did it in a matter of three weekends. Our next opponent is Boston College. We lead Boston College in the ACC standings, but must beat Boston College, and likely the surprise division leader Wake Forest in the season finale for a berth in the ACC Championship game versus Georgia Tech. Dare we believe it's possible after cardiac wins in each of the last five weekends?

The photo on the left isn't a duplicate from my earlier post. It's another spontaneous outbreak of Terrapin fever! Catch it before you miss it! See you in College Park in a couple of weeks...

Maryland Beats Miami. College Park, MD. November 11, 2006.

Reverse Midas Touch

2006-11-07T23:35:00.000-05:00

When it comes to voting, I have the reverse Midas touch. With the exception of President Bush and Maryland Governor Bob Erhlich, I can't remember the last time any of the major candidates for whom I voted actually won. With another poor showing tonight, looks like I'm doomed to several more years of not being represented (and engaging in spirited debates with my neighbors). Sigh.

Election Day

2006-11-07T07:58:00.000-05:00

Get out and vote!

(Oh, and if you have the opportunity, Stop Shuler! We don't need him stinking up DC again.)

Waterboarding

2006-11-04T16:20:00.000-05:00

With all the controversy surrounding waterboarding (the alleged torture technique), do you really know what it involves? A Fox News reporter willingly submitted himself to it. Look here for video.

It's A Bird! It's A Plane!

2006-11-04T15:43:00.000-05:00

It's two workers putting up a new telephone pole.

Wilmington, DE. November 4, 2006.

Victory!

2006-11-03T21:21:00.000-05:00

Lest you thought I'd have nothing to say about Maryland's huge win over Florida State last weekend, I have plenty! Unfortunately, the baby is asleep and I'm typing in the dark so as not to wake him. I'll have to keep it brief.

Be assured, however, that I was shocked. Shocked that the team I watched for years fumble, stumble, and generally fall short of accomplishing anything of significance (sorry, I was in law school during coach Friedgen's amazing first three years as head coach) had finally beaten a team of significance when it mattered. By beating FSU, the Terps became bowl eligible (6-2).

Most importantly, I was on hand for the first and only game in any sport where my team won the big game and the fans rushed the field or court. Dozens and dozens of games attended where futility ruled, and mediocrity was the norm. Finally some real excitement!

I took the above photo with my camera phone after Maryland blocked the potential game-tying field goal with 40 seconds to go and held on for victory. I think the feeling of sheer pandemonium that followed is accurately portrayed above. Love it!

UPDATE: Those of you who have been around a couple years may remember when Maryland first beat FSU. I had just started my first blog, live from the unemployment line in Chicago. That year I had planned to go to one Maryland game: at home versus FSU. Unfortunately, having lost my job, I couldn't afford to fly back. Instead, I gave my ticket to my little brother. Naturally, the Terps won, the fans stormed the field, and my brother was in the thick of it. He was a freshman in high school at the time. That's kind of like when the young, bald-faced kid with the college degree takes a management position with diploma fresh in hand, while the long-time workers who toiled for years in the trenches get passed over for the position. It's just not fair.

Saturday's win, being the second against the Noles probably isn't nearly as sweet at the first. But for me, it was the first. I'll never forget it!

Upgrade

2006-11-03T21:00:00.000-05:00

Took a stroll past Wrigley Field's updated "Bud Light Bleachers" while in Chicago a couple weeks ago.

It's going to take more than a beer sponsorship to keep the rest of the stadium from crumbling. Is a naming rights deal with "Band-Aid" too far off?

Wrigley Field Bleachers. October 16, 2006.

"Not Cool" Not A Legal Argument

2006-11-03T20:57:00.000-05:00

So says Judge Hoover of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals Circuit III.

Terrorist Sighting In Chicago

2006-10-31T20:28:00.000-05:00

I saw Khalid Sheikh Muhammad in Wrigleyville a couple weeks ago...plastered to a wall. Not sure exactly what this is supposed to mean.

You decide.

Not Your Typical Poll

2006-10-31T20:20:00.000-05:00

During the 90's, Navy football always seemed to finish with no more than three wins each season. Florida State was a perennial championship contender, usually finishing in the top 5. Considering the foregoing, which I grew up considering the norm, this week's computer rankings are a shocker.

46. Florida State
47. Navy
48. Purdue

Wow.

Catholic Heaven vs. Protestant Heaven

2006-10-26T20:34:00.001-04:00

Courtesy of the Simpsons (and Roman Catholic Blog). Sinfully funny.

Harvest

2006-10-24T17:32:00.000-04:00

The combines are in the field as the popcorn crop is harvested.

White County, Indiana. October 20, 2006.

Redskins vs. Colts: Sideline View

2006-10-24T13:09:00.000-04:00

My wife (Colts fan) and I (Redskins fan) attended the Colts/Redskins game in Indianapolis on Sunday. Bragging rights, and maybe the future NFL allegiance of the Little Apprentice, were riding on this game.

Our tickets' quality eclipsed any others I have had in the dozens of sporting events I have attended in my lifetime, bar none. From our nearly perfect vantage point (just off midfield by a yard or two), my wife cheered her Colts to yet another win. I, on the other hand, brooded over the futility of attending Redskins road games. Maybe I'm a sucker for punishment. But I'd prefer a close loss to a complete embarassment. I had a taste of both the former (1st half) and the latter (2nd half) Sunday. Unfortunately, from moments into the second half to its conclusion, embarassment overtook respectability.

Having a near perfect view of the playing field, I feel well positioned to answer the following burning questions:

Q: How do you stop these guys (Manning, Addai, Harrison, Wayne)?

A: You don't. You only hope to contain them. Good luck with that.

Q: Which one of these two back-up QBs for the Skins should not be holding a clipboard on the sideline?

A: Take your pick. That bald guy with the towel would probably be an improvement over Mark Brunell.

Q: What is this NFL Hall of Fame coach thinking?

A: "With my team so far behind in the standings, what changes should I make to get them in the race before it's too late to bring them back to championship form?"

Back Home

2006-10-24T10:44:00.000-04:00

We're back from vacation in Indiana. Purdue football wrap up to come (as long as the baby cooperates).

Family (Rivalry) Vacation

2006-10-12T18:58:00.000-04:00

We're about to embark on our first family vacation. The climax of the trip will take place on the 22nd at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis,
in: Redskins vs. Colts.

The author of this site is a lifelong Redskins fan...his lovely wife is a native Indianan, and lifelong Colts fan (to the extent Indiana had a pro football team during her childhood). The marriage is about to endure its greatest test to date.

Forget the TO/McNabb hype of last weekend, this is the real thing. It's a civil war. Family versus family. Husband versus wife. The Delaware Duel!

On what side does the Little Apprentice come down in this intrafamily family feud? Born five months ago an agnostic, the Little Apprentice is already the target of an intense lobbying campaign. The Colts side of the family has the inside track. With politician grandpa accustomed to campaigning, a unified family love of the Colts brought to bear by the lifelong Indiana natives, and plenty of brand new Colts gear to choose from, the pressure on the Indiana side is crushing.

On the other hand, there is dad's family. A Navy brat with brothers and sisters born up and down the East Coast, there is no clear cut "home team." One brother says, "Go Carolina!" A sister threatens to turn him into (gag) a Cowboys fan. Grandmom has a soft spot in her heart for her native Philadelphia Eagles. Granddad is a DC native, but hasn't been to a Redskins game since Eisenhower was president.

Dad's balkanized family can bring to bear only half-hearted steering in the direction of the Redskins. Mom has an army. Dad has at best a small squad of Canadian peacenik defectors and French troops.

It also doesn't help that Mom's team has Peyton Manning at QB, while Dad's team fields Mark "Roll Right, Throw Out of Bounds" Brunell at its most important position. It's much more painful to watch the Redskins play. But Dad likes the underdog.

And at least we have Joe Gibbs.

But what chance does Dad have to mold his son into a proper, Redskins loving kid when the Little Apprentice lives in Eagles country and is showered with gifts from the relentless Colts lobby?

Sigh.

Wish I knew which way he was leaning...

Random Click

2006-10-10T18:45:00.000-04:00

Hey, Hey, Good Bye!

2006-10-08T10:34:00.000-04:00

The Detroit Tigers knocked the Yankees out of the playoffs yesterday. Poor overpaid babies.

Note From The Little Apprentice

2006-10-07T10:26:00.001-04:00

Think Before You Speak!

2006-10-07T09:45:00.000-04:00

Fox News reported this morning that the Navy would be christening the newest aircraft carrier in its fleet today, the USS George HW Bush. One of the newcasters described it as being as tall as the Empire State Building. This set my BS meter off the charts. Image the size of the ship building facility that would be required to build such a ship! It would have to dwarf the building on its own. In addition to that, the flight deck would probably be in length a few times the height of the ship. In other words, you'd have a ship big enough to float the entire naval air wing. I would think there would be more hype about a boat that big!

So I did a little fact checking:

Size

Towers 20 stories above the waterline with a 4.5-acre flight deck

1,092 feet long: nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall

That's big...but not quite so big. You would think a little reflection on what it would mean for a ship to be as tall as the Empire State Building would prompt the newscaster to check into the facts a little. Makes you wonder what other whoppers they're reporting every day.

Underside

2006-10-03T20:20:00.000-04:00

Washington Street Bridge. Wilmington, Delaware.

Second Chances

2006-10-03T20:17:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder why a chameleon can lose its tail and grow a new one to replace it, but humans can't do the same with their lost limbs? Looks like limb regeneration might be coming to a science lab near you soon. If successful, I'd be fascinated (and probably a little grossed out) to see how it works.

Sports Weekend...Not

2006-10-03T08:19:00.000-04:00

I was not pleased with Philadelphia area TV last week. First, lame Comcast sports lost its signal during a thunderstorm just in time for the 7th-9th innings of Oriole Danny Cabrera's near no-hitter against the Yankees. ESPN2 broadcast the game nationally, but it was blacked out in our area because the game broadcast on our local Comcast station. No relief there. But the most frustrating part was no station broke into coverage to show the 9th inning; not ESPN, ESPN2 or Comcast Philly (which was showing a blooper reel during a Phillies rain delay). So I had to watch the ticker at the bottom of ESPN News to see whether Cabrera accomplished the feat. The text told me he didn't.

To add insult to injury, later in the weekend I found out that the Philadelphia area was getting the New England/Cincinnati NFL game on Sunday afternoon, rather than the Redskins game. As you know, we're much closer to New England and Ohio than we are to DC and nobody up here in the shadow of Philadelphia cares about the NFC.

I forgot about all of this when, in bonus coverage after the Pats/Bengals game ended, I was able to see a total of three Redskins plays, the final one resulting in a long, overtime completion for a game winning touchdown from Mark Brunell to Santana Moss. Victory was sweet.

Now let's never let this happen again.

Shapes Pt. II

2006-10-01T18:39:00.000-04:00

Whither the American Ostrich?

2006-09-28T20:44:00.000-04:00

Living in a country in which emus, kiwi, ostriches and virtually all flightless birds don't run free, I was struck by this news today:

U.S.-Mexico border fence may harm animal migration

A plan to fence off a third of the U.S. border to stop illegal immigration from Mexico may harm migration routes used by animals including rare birds and jaguars, environmentalists and U.S. authorities warn.

The House of Representatives passed a bill this month authorizing the construction of about 700 miles (1,120km) of double fencing along the 2,000-mile (3,200-km) border, which was crossed by more than one million illegal immigrants last year.

The proposal, which the Senate is expected to vote on in coming days, seeks to build continuous barriers separated by an access road for patrol vehicles on long stretches of the border in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Environmentalists and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wardens say the barrier would disrupt the migration of scores of species from jaguars to hawks and humming birds along a wildlife corridor linking northern Mexico and the U.S. southwest known as the "Sky Islands."

Not surprisingly, environmentalists are up in arms about a massive construction project. Also not surprisingly, environmentalists care more about the safety of humming birds than their own species and fellow Americans.

What did surprise me is that I am supposed to be persuaded that a land borne fence is going to stop hawks, hummingbirds, and other flying birds from migrating. Assuming that fence isn't going to be built high enough to disrupt air traffic, am I to believe that a noble avian species such as a hawk is not going to be able to fly over this thing? Even low flying birds like humming birds shouldn't have too much trouble.

A wall like the border wall separating Israel from Gaza is probably what we have in mind. This post from Michael Totten's trip to Israel during the Hezbollah uprising contains a few photos of how our wall will likely appear and be sized. Again, birds won't be able to get past this thing? Are you kidding me?

Like I emailed my father after reading this story:

Natural selection would seem to dictate to me that any bird species that can't fly over a fence probably doesn't deserve to escape extinction.

Changing the Calculus

2006-09-28T20:38:00.000-04:00

Robert George makes the case at First Things that for Catholics, voting Republican is usually the only moral option. But he dreams of being able to vote on matters of importance other than abortion.

I wish that it were possible for pro-life citizens legitimately to support Democratic candidates. I wish that the party of my parents and grandparents had not placed itself on the wrong side of the most profound human rights issue of our contemporary domestic politics. I wish that the killing of embryonic and fetal human beings by abortion and in biomedical research were resolutely opposed by both parties so that we could cast our votes based on our assessments of the candidates’ and parties’ competing positions on taxation, immigration, education, welfare, health-care reform, national security, and foreign policy.

I think this is a wish held by most Americans who desire what is best for their country. Our democracy would be much healthier if the broad range issues weren't so necessarily trumped in many voters minds by this single, sad issue.

Shapes Pt. I

2006-09-25T21:00:00.000-04:00

Seen around the Wilmington skyline...

Consequences

2006-09-25T20:45:00.000-04:00

An interesting theory:

Civilization was invented so that ordinary folks could leave the tasks of vengeance and justice to a state who would presumably dispense it impartially according to laws enacted by common consent. But as states fail to do their job, and as the "International Community" gets reduced to impotence and symbolic acts by the dead weight of political correctness, a growing number of people are finding themselves living in a world of increasing anarchy. Paradoxically, the amount of real civilization in the world -- as represented by actual security and effective governance -- is declining in direct proportion to the increase in the number of filigrees and curlicues in the treaties, declarations, understandings and covenants that the "International Community" has barricaded itself with. Two parallel universes begin to coexist. An imaginary universe obsessed with Global Warming, multiculturalism, world governance and image inhabited by bureaucrats and intellectuals, and a real universe shot with poverty, rife with ethnic hatreds, chaos and inhabited by militias; with the imaginary universe pretending it is in control of the real universe.

I certainly saw evidence of this on my last trip to the Philippines.

Boilered Up

2006-09-24T09:31:00.000-04:00

Someone's happy about Purdue's 4-0 start to the football season!

Function Over Form

2006-09-20T20:35:00.000-04:00

This architectural monstrosity sits atop the hill a block from my Wilmington house.

Though I'm sure one could pack the cars into this garage as well as any other in the city, I'm equally certain the designer of this soulless checkerboard of drab concrete didn't receive any artistic awards.

Forgiveness

2006-09-20T20:24:00.000-04:00

Some important words regarding forgiveness from Roman Catholic Blog, a site that is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Shapes

2006-09-19T07:41:00.000-04:00

Sunset Over Wilmington

2006-09-17T15:00:00.000-04:00

The sun put on a nice show last night as it headed below the horizon.

Another Walk in the Park

2006-09-16T13:59:00.000-04:00

The weather turned out much nicer today than expected. In order to placate a cabin-fevered baby, we took a walk through the Brandywine Creek park to get some fresh air. These photos make Wilmington look like not such a bad place after all.

Everything Isn't Enough

2006-09-15T17:38:00.000-04:00

If you owned a private park and wanted to disclaim any responsibility for anything possible that might happen to your visitors, how would you draft your disclaimer? This is a great start:

WARNING

Nature is unpredictable and unsafe. Mountains are dangerous. Many books have been written about these dangers, and there's no way we can list them all here. Read the books.

Nelson Rocks Preserve is covered in steep terrain with loose, slippery and unstable footing. The weather can make matters worse. Sheer drops are everywhere. You may fall, be injured or die. There are hidden holes. You could break your leg. There are wild animals, which may be vicious, poisonous or carriers of dread diseases. These include poisonous snakes and insects. Plants can be poisonous as well. We don't do anything to protect you from any of this. We do not inspect, supervise or maintain the grounds, rocks, cliffs or other features, natural or otherwise.

It goes on for nine additional, even more comprehensive paragraphs from there.

And they still had to shut down their rock climbing operation for fear of litigation!

Random Roll

2006-09-09T18:48:00.000-04:00

Just had another roll of film developed. As usual, pictures were taken over the course of several months. Some random photos from another random roll...

Not a Day at the Beach

2006-09-08T20:12:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, we made our first foray into New Jersey for a long weekend in Atlantic City. Literally following in the massive wake of Tropical Storm Ernesto, our first day at the beach was anything but. High water blocked several roads, and some hotel parking lots on the bay side were literally under water. Debris from trees lay scattered about, and the huge nylon sign overlooking the front entrance of a Quality Inn hotel cracked lazily in tatters in the wind. Pretty impressive for a storm that was supposed to have been only a "remnant."

Like usual, my brother in Wilmington, NC, suffered a direct hit, so I'm sure these photos don't impress him. But in upper Mid-Atlantic, this is rare stuff.

Of course, being in the North East, there has to be some measure of overlawyered absurdity thrown into this display of nature's fury. I'm lucky to have fired off the few photos I have posted here. Mere moments after I walked onto the beach, I was accosted by a member of the local fun police who told me I was not permitted to be there because it was "too dangerous." Thanks, mom. As you can see from the photos, the water boiled furiously beyond the beach, but only a moron would be stupid enough to take a dip in that cauldron of chaos. Anyway, I was clad in blue jeans and a fleece vest, not a candidate for a swim. The only danger for those of us with our wits might have come from getting a piece of flying sea foam in the eye. Big bubbly tumbleweeds rolled atop the sand here and there at the whim of the remaining wind. Not exactly the stuff of nightmarish accidents.

Nonetheless, and despite pleading that it was and is communist and absurd to tell a person that he cannot go on a public beach with dozens of yards of open sand left between the dunes and the beach because of "danger." Please. But there always has to be some government lackey to tell us what's advisable for us to do. Good old fashioned common sense won't do anymore. Heck, the better policy is, if you're stupid enough to try to get in the water, you're on your own buddy. They could even post a sign to that effect.

I took a couple photos and was ushered away, fuming. I get the feeling more and more these days that maybe the Soviet Union did prevail after all and we're just slowly edging into the same government heavy abyss. Then again, I'm a lawyer, so I shut should up. What credibility do I have when my profession is giving the public hardest shove over that ledge?

The final day of the weekend turned out to be the best of the three. Ernesto finally a distant memory, the sun a current companion, and the breeze just right for a prototypical "day at the beach." I ran in a sandy five mile race along the just retreated Atlantic at sunrise (placed a pathetic 129 of 170) then joined the family for what would be our four month old son's first taste of the ocean. What could ruin such a perfect confluence of circumstances?

You guessed it. The good old fashioned government tax collectors. Want to enjoy nature's bounty on a state beach in New Jersey? Apparently, that privilege will cost you a cool $5.oo per person.

Arrggghhh!

Karl Marx is smiling in his grave somewhere. I knew there was a reason it took me this long to venture into New Jersey.

I Hereby Dispose of Myself

2006-09-07T20:37:00.000-04:00

Looking through some form wills today, I came across a provision that struck me momentarily off balance. Imagine walking into a law office expecting to sign a document setting forth the framework for disposing of your property in the event of your untimely death, and walking out having arguably signed your own death warrant. Only poor legal drafting could result in such an unintended consequence, but it happens. The offending provision states as follows:

I authorize and direct that my body shall be cremated and my ashes scattered over the garden of the residence where I am living immediately prior to my death.

Why wait until you're actually dead to be cremated and scattered with the wind? And is there a provision setting forth who has the authority to declare at what time death will occur so that preparations can be made for such preemptive cremation and scattering?

If you find this provision in your will, better hope Justice Scalia never hears your case.

Not Savvy

2006-09-05T22:29:00.000-04:00

We bought a Linksys wireless router several months ago. Worked like a charm for several weeks until I tried to turn on the security feature. Suddenly, no more internet connection. After spending several hours on the phone one night with a Verizon representative in what I think was India, we made no progress and I decided that those several hours of my life we not worth fixing the router problems. Tonight I decided to waste several more hours of my life on the same project.

I tried everything. The Linksys website, various diagnostic tools, turning everything off...then on, restarting the computer, changing passwords, connecting different wires...I even enlisted an old DSL box that hasn't seen action since I lived in Chicago.

And finally...success (I think)! The last trick in my book was to try basically turning an ethernet cable around. I remembered somewhere in law school I became aware that some ethernet cables have "male" and "female" ends. I dared to act on my hunch, and voila, I'm finally again able to access the internet through the wireless router. The real test will be in a few minutes when I go downstairs and see if my laptop can access the internet through the waves in the air.

Fingers crossed...(as you can tell, I am the definition of a layperson when it comes to technology, if turning the machine off and on doesn't solve the problem, I'm in for several long hours of misery).

Soaked

2006-09-05T22:21:00.000-04:00

Prior to Ernesto's arrival on Friday, the thought of building an ark never crossed my mind. August's sun baked everything in our front yard to a crispy brown. Now, after several days of hard rain, and at least one more to go, I'm considering swimming to Home Depot tomorrow to get a few cubits of wood.

In memory of dryer days, a photo of Wilmington along the Brandywine.

Friday Bug

2006-09-01T08:05:00.000-04:00

One more bug to top off your Friday. Elkton, MD. August 12, 2006.

Wacky Weather

2006-09-01T07:59:00.000-04:00

A couple days ago a siren went off in the city warning residents that a tornado was in the area. The firm directed everyone into the hot, lower level stairwells for 15 minutes while we waited for word that the tornado threat had passed.

Today we begin the first of a couple of days of pounding rains from Ernesto. Six inches or so are forecast after an August that was so hot and dry that my front yard looked like brown brillo pad until the rains of the last few days. Naturally, we're headed to the beach this weekend for what looks to be a washout.

At least there is some excitement here in the Del. for once.

Bug Eat Bug

2006-08-30T07:58:00.000-04:00

Awesome!

Shoo Fly

2006-08-28T08:01:00.000-04:00

This is a guy you probably wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. Elkton, MD. August 12, 2006.

Rivals

2006-08-26T00:46:00.000-04:00

A bee and a wasp race to find the good stuff. Elkton, MD. August 2006.

Moneyball

2006-08-26T00:32:00.000-04:00

If you ever read the baseball book sensation Moneyball and wondered what happened to all of Billy Beane's much bally-hooed draft picks, Yahoo Sports has a follow up.

Deeper Pockets

2006-08-25T08:05:00.000-04:00

Obviously this camper never went to law school:

"While finding a place to relieve himself, plaintiff walked off the unguarded and unprotected cliff falling approximately 20 to 30 feet to the creek bed below," reads the complaint. And so Jerry Mersereau is suing the United States of America, which maintains the Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon where the mishap occurred.

The very first thing they teach you in torts is to sue up the chain, go for the deepest pockets. Who has bigger pockets than the U.S. Treasury you ask? Why, the Creator of the universe, of course! If this guy is going to sue the U.S. Government (good luck!) for merely failing to put in a guard rail, why shouldn't he sue God for defective design in strict liability? After all, the Bible clearly states that riches in heaven cannot be imagined on this earth.

As my wife stated, I have already blogged about the result of litigation like this here. Click on the October 2004 archive of my old website and scroll down to see a series of pictures highlighting the most absurdly overlawyered state park I have seen. If Mr. Mersereau gets his way, Mt. Hood National Forest could soon look the same.

Bug Blogging

2006-08-17T23:03:00.000-04:00

Blogger hasn't been too good lately about letting me post pictures, so I'm back to an old software product that only allows me to post one picture at a time. Unfortunately, I hoped to do some extensive bug blogging, but now you'll have to be content with a single picture cuz I'm tired and need some shut eye.

Playing Tag. Elkton, MD. August 12, 2006.

Get Bent

2006-08-17T22:52:00.000-04:00

I live in the #6 "angriest city" in the U.S. I can't believe Wilmington even qualifies as a "city."

Sadly, I also lived four years recently in the 4th angriest city: Baltimore. Man, I need a break.

Worried About the Economy?

2006-08-17T22:49:00.000-04:00

You know you're living in the richest country in the world when teenaged bears are eligible for dialysis treatment.

Headline from today's Delaware News Journal:

Ailing 15-year-old of Bear still missing
Girl, last seen Sunday, needs regular dialysis

Moon Over Elkton

2006-08-13T17:05:00.000-04:00

A spectacular moonrise over Elkton Saturday night. August 12, 2006.

Israel/Hezbollah Ceasefire, In a Nutshell

2006-08-13T10:53:00.000-04:00

Dean Barnett at Hugh Hewitt's site correctly posts:

1) What would happen if all the Arab nations and their terrorist proxies like Hezbollah set down their arms and gave up their ambitions to drive Israel into the sea?

There would be peace in the Middle East.

2) What would happen if Israel disbanded the IDF, junked its nuclear weapons and declared to its neighbors that she would do anything to live in peace?

Israel would be annihilated, millions of its citizens killed. The term genocide could be used to describe the ensuing holocaust, but since that term has been so hopelessly debased by American academics, a new term would have to be created like super-duper-mega genocide to really capture the nature of things.

9) Where is the Bush White House in all of this?

That’s the $64,000 question. There are two possible theories. One is that when Olmert lost the stomach to continue the fight, the Bush administration gave him diplomatic cover by pressing for a ceasefire. The other is that the ceasefire was the Bush administration’s brainstorm and Olmert simply couldn’t resist. I think the former is the more likely of the two. And I pray I’m right, for if it turns out that the Bush administration thought a ceasefire was the right play here, I’ll be rendered speechless. And nearly hopeless.

10) So where does this leave the Hezbollah-Israel struggle?

Lebanon officially becomes Hezbollah-land. Hezbollah will rightly be considered the victor for withstanding the IDF’s onslaught. And the battle will resume at a time and place of Hezbollah’s choosing.

Binge Drinking

2006-08-13T10:36:00.000-04:00

If true, this is probably the worst case (pardon the pun) of binge drinking on a college campus I have every heard of. But a couple things about this story just don't make sense.

If you drink 30 to 40 beers a day:

1. How are you still living and breathing?

2. As a college student, how do you afford drinking at that rate? If you conservatively estimate that each beer cost $0.75, then, on beer alone, Mr. Boone was spending between $22.50 and $30 each day. If each semester is about four months long (120 days), that's between $2500 and $3600 each semester, $5000 - $7200 per school year! What college student has that kind of money? I can understand occasionally drinking 30-40 beers in a day...but each and every day? That doesn't sound physically or financially possible.

Familiarize Yourself

2006-08-13T10:19:00.000-04:00

With college football's kickoff just around the corner, familiarize yourself with the new rules for 2006.

Some sample rules from my 2006 Attorney In The Del college football handbook:

Rule #1: Cheering for Maryland is mandatory. But don't get belligerent. If you get belligerent, stay home.

Rule #11: Cheering for Notre Dame is forbidden unless you (a) have actually graduated from the university with a four year degree, (b) attend Catholic Church every Sunday, (c) consider Guinness the only true beer, and (d) have at least 25% Irish blood pumping through your veins. An Irish surname may be substituted for letters c and d.

Rule #473. Steve Spurrier teams cannot be cheered for until he renounces his practice of giving Duke a vote in every year's preseason Coaches' Poll. Duke is absolutely pathetic year in and year out. The 'Ol [College] Ball Coach (sorry, his coaching skills in the pros mirror the Blue Devils' skills on the field) should be banned from participating in the poll.

Barons of the Alternative Fuel Industry

2006-08-13T10:06:00.000-04:00

My wife's family owns a farm on which they grow corn and raise hogs. In light of the increased focus on ethanol and stories like this, one can dream of farming some day becoming the next boom industry.

If on my next visit to the farm, I find my father in law sitting in a top hat and monicle while puffing on a Cuban at the wheel of a Rolls Royce combine, I'll know that the promise of these alternative fuel sources has finally matured.

Something Random

2006-08-11T23:12:00.000-04:00

Another week is over. Why not enjoy a random photo from the archives?

St. Anthony's Church. Wilmington, DE. June 11, 2006.

Sick

2006-08-10T20:09:00.000-04:00

That's the only way to describe this practice, and the people shallow and morally bankrupt enough to seek it.

The Alligator In My Apartment May Be The Least Of Your Worries

2006-08-10T19:58:00.000-04:00

In law school I remember the rare case in the casebooks with a humorous fact situation that broke the monotony of the litany of dry legal decisions our professors forced us to analyze. Hopefully this warrantless search case somehow makes the cut for future law students. For a taste:

At midnight, NYPD Captain Michael Polito interviewed Yates's brother Aaron, who said that Yates had both a fully-grown tiger and a large alligator living inside his apartment. Aaron also said that on the night before, he had opened the door to his brother's apartment, thrown in several pieces of raw chicken and watched as the tiger came toward the food....

Harbor

2006-08-10T08:04:00.000-04:00

Annapolis Harbor, Annapolis, Maryland. July 30, 2006.

Parenting Tips For Catholics...

2006-08-10T08:02:00.000-04:00

...from the Old Testament.

Whole Hog

2006-08-08T19:48:00.000-04:00

Our son Jack weighed over 17 pounds at his three month check up. For those of you without babies, that's big. 95th percentile big. At three months, he wears 6+ month sized clothes. This heavy boy is a tough one to carry around. Dad's getting tired.

How did he get this way? Well, see for yourself.

Forget bacon, why not just take a bite out of the whole hog?

Saturday Bug Blogging

2006-08-05T13:48:00.000-04:00

Home for the weekend for once, I decided to take care of some long overdue yardwork. In the process of wacking some weeds, I disturbed the fellow on the left. He seems to be inquiring about his missing leg.

Hope I didn't "trim" him along with the weeds...

What's Missing?

2006-08-02T21:24:00.000-04:00

I snapped the photo to the right on Sunday in Annapolis. This picture represents just a slice of the downtown area of Maryland's capital. Annapolis is only the second largest city in Maryland behind Baltimore, but boasts no big city buildings and is not nearly the center of the state's commerce.

If you click on the photo, you can enlarge it (and if you hold the cursor over the enlarged photo for a couple seconds until the little box appears in the lower right corner and then click that box, you can enlarge further).

Now look at the enlarged picture. There are a total of six small buildings in the picture. Let's do an exercise in comparisons: Wilmington, DE versus Annapolis, MD.

Wilmington is, of course, the biggest city in Delaware. It is the center of commerce in the state. It is the seat of wealth. It boasts many buildings over 12 stories in height. Surely we'll need to handicap this comparison to give little Annapolis a fighting chance.

Wrong.

I'll give it away: Annapolis beats Wilmington hands down in nearly every comparable category (probably with the sole exception that Wilmington boasts being the location of much of this country's corporate law).

Using the photo, let's look at what Annapolis has that Wilmington doesn't offer.

Starting from left to right:

1. A downtown hardware store. Not a big thing, but it would probably be useful. (Full disclosure: not in walking distance, but there is a Home Depot about a five minute drive from downtown...so maybe this is a wash.)

2. Souvenier shops. Quite honestly, there is nothing that says "Wilmington, DE!" Except maybe DuPont teflon. Otherwise, I don't see what they could possibly market as a souvenier of Wilmington, DE. A crack pipe maybe?

3. A nice little antique shop. I'm not one for antiquing, but the only shops that I would identify with Wilmington are probably wig stores and nail salons. Maybe corner liquor stores, too.

4. Armadillos (a nice little restaurant with outdoor seating). It's not so much that Wilmington doesn't have any restaurants with outdoor seating...but off the top of my head, I can think of maybe three (Cavanaughs, Mezzanote, Costas). Off the top of my head, I could name more than that in the 2 1/2 block walk from Fleet Street to the scene of this photo. And where are the downtown Irish bars? With the exception of the Trolley Square area (a neighborhood on the other side of I-95), I don't think there are any located in Wilmington. How un-American (that's a joke, by the way).

5. An ice cream shop. We don't have ONE in downtown Wilmington. I was told there are SIX in downtown Annapolis. Lucky duckies!

6. Starbuck's. Say what you will about Starbuck's, but I continue to believe Starbuck's is an economic indicator. If you have one (or usually several), you're doing just fine. If you have none, like Wilmington, economically your town might was well be Beirut. They even have a "Starbucks" in Afghanistan for crying out loud!

7. Moes's (chain food joints). Wilmington has plenty of mom and pop eating establishments, but only one downtown chain eatery: Quizno's. Again, say what you will about chain food establishments, but they are chains because they make food people overwhelmingly enjoy. Just like Starbuck's, they also act as economic indicators. Moe's is a yuppie Southwestern-style food chain. You're most likely to find them in suburban strip malls. Annapolis is so yuppie, they have one downtown. Wilmington, by contrast, is so lame, we don't even have a McDonald's downtown! That's right, no McDonald's. I hear there is one not far from downtown, but it's in a neighborhood you are unlikely to want to find yourself. And it's definitely not like McDonald's can't be found downtown because we're just too good for it. Just take a walk down the main shopping drag, Market Street, and you'll see what I mean.

8. I'm cheating here, but just off the screen to right is a sushi restaurant, one of several in downtown Annapolis. There is a sushi joint in downtown Wilmington, but it is a place that calls edamame "pop beans." Does that really count?

9. Finally, I think it's unfair to compare the sailboats and pleasure craft in Annapolis harbor to what you'd find in Wilmington since Wilmington's showcase downtown park, Rodney Square, doubles as a public transportation depot and riff-raff magnet. I'll just note that the photo accompanying this post was taken on a Sunday and the downtown area is packed with weekend revellers. Contrast with Wilmington where downtown is generally a ghost town on weekends and any time after 6pm on a weekday. Sigh.

Just wanted to give a little flavor for what it's like here in Wilmington compared to one of my favorite towns in America. I just can't get over what a soulless place this city is. If only it had a fraction of the character of Annapolis, this might be an attractive place to live and work. In fact, if we could just replicate the six building stretch shown in the photo here in Wilmington, we'd be making some serious progress.

Buy My Photos!

2006-07-31T19:43:00.000-04:00

As we head into the last full month of summer, now is the perfect time to buy some of my photos! I know I have maybe one or two readers, so this appeal is basically a cry into online oblivion. But I get a cut of the price you pay, which would make continuing to blog worth at least a few pennies to me.

While in Annapolis over the weekend, I snapped a few photos at the Naval Academy, and in scenic downtown. Hopefully you'll find one you like and give me a little "tip" by buying one.

I have never grovelled for money before, so now I am going to take a shower to get the dirty feeling off me. While I'm away, feel free to support this site!

Anchors Aweigh

2006-07-30T22:07:00.000-04:00

We spent the weekend in Annapolis and were treated to a parade of plebes during a stroll around the Naval Academy campus. It was nice to hear Anchors Aweigh played by the band. Brought back memories!

Headline of the Week

2006-07-28T07:54:00.000-04:00

Apparently, the Hezbollah/Israeli conflict is affecting not only Muslims and Jews, but bears.

Bear family home safe from Mideast

When asked about the accomodations provided by our government during the evacuation, Papa Bear simply replied, "Grrrrrrr!"

Final Salute

2006-07-28T07:52:00.000-04:00

If you haven't done so already, please take an hour to read this story about Marine Corp casualty notification.

They are the troops that nobody wants to see, carrying a message that no military family ever wants to hear.

It begins with a knock at the door.

For the past year, the Rocky Mountain News has followed Maj. Steve Beck as he takes on the most difficult duty of his career: casualty notification. As Beck and his comrades at Buckley Air Force Base keep constant watch over the caskets of the men they never knew, the Marines also comfort the families of the fallen, and choke back tears of their own.

It's all part of a tradition that started in 1775: Never leave a Marine behind.

After the knock on the door, the story has only begun.

All's Fair

2006-07-27T22:04:00.000-04:00

Some of the many visually pleasing sights at the Delaware State Fair.

Ripped From the Headlines...Not

2006-07-26T22:13:00.000-04:00

Three years after initially passing the bar, I made my first appearance in court today as an attorney. Let's just say, the drama of a Law & Order episode was noticeably lacking.

Let's Play Two!

2006-07-26T21:41:00.000-04:00

Perfect night for Jack's first baseball game. Looks like someone had a good time!

Step Right Up

2006-07-24T20:14:00.000-04:00

There are plenty of prizes to be won at the Delaware State Fair.

Poker Playing Chimp

2006-07-24T20:12:00.000-04:00

Looks like one of our neighbors from Elkton, MD is headed to the World Series of Poker. This is news because Mikey's a chimpanzee. The video is well worth watching.