Happy Logic Day! #BertrandRussell
Put a man on the edge of the abyss and – in the unlikely event that he doesn’t fall into it – he will become either a mystic or a madman… Which is probably the same thing… Bertrand Russell
Stare Decisis and The Problem Of Encouraging Lying
Are we supposed to believe that the Justices who have signed on to the draft opinion shouting that Roe was “always” “egregiously wrong” – since it was decided in 1973 (almost fifty years ago) – were truth-telling during their confirmations when they praised Roe as “important” precedent that they’d never really thought about? If so, […]
The Importance Of Fully Litigating Discovery Responses
San Diego County is appealing an $85 million verdict obtained after it with-held discovery from the plaintiff and was sanctioned for it by the judge. Just before trial, lawyers for the family said that the county had acted improperly by not turning over key evidence, including a training video on how to apply restraints that […]
Happy Day Christopher Hitchens (wherever you are)!
Civics and manners are in decline, as is our ability to agree on facts (things that are empirically and scientifically true). I don’t know what to do about that. But it makes debate much more difficult. Toronto Star Article on the legacy of Christopher Hitchens
“You can’t be afraid and do your job.”
You can’t be afraid and do your job. Meryl Streep Bobby Bonilla used to smile every time he walked into the batter’s box. We do it like that.
Mudlarks United
I watched the American Bar Association’s recommendation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court. It all made sense. She’s highly qualified. We can all celebrate that she served as a public defender, tried civil rights cases, and served as a trial judge before being elevated. These are qualities that are historically underrepresented […]
The Ambassador Club (For St. Patrick’s Day)
The year was 1951. According to Myrtis Smith, they were running numbers and gambling down at Ambassador Billiards on Avery Street. Bob Null, the Justice of the Peace, dutifully took the complaint, carefully transcribing Myrtis’ words: “something that happened in her family in relation to the losing of some money” by her husband, Emerson. Null […]
Contrary Quotes (Stoics Edition)
By striving to do the impossible, man has always achieved what is possible. Marcus Aurelius To pursue the impossible is madness: but it is impossible for evil men not to do things of this sort. Also, Marcus Aurelius I don’t know what to make of this.
“It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials.”
Bruce Lee said it: strip away the distraction of things you don’t need and you make room for what matters. This principle applies to business and life as well as it does martial arts. This exercise may feel unproductive (it is not) – you can’t distinguish the wheat from the chaff while multitasking or juggling […]
Last Leaf On The Tree
One lesson I continue to learn is the value of preparation and diligent research. The temptation to cut corners is a constant in modern life. Technology makes surrendering to rote copy and pasting even easier than when I was in school. It is never a good idea. President’s Day reminded me of a story about […]