Hey folks,
It's presently 5:42, and I have a stack of approximately 60 files staring at me on my desk that demand immediate attention. I would have addressed them at some point this morning, or yesterday morning, save for the fact that I was stuck in court enduring small talk and bickering over sentence length. I know I shouldn't bitch, and believe me, I still love what I do, but I just wish I could actually get some more time to work. Hence the late night.
And hence the Sbux via. Courtesy of the ever-thoughtful LLK, I am now the proud owner of a very professional leather laptop bag (is that how you accurately describe it other than awesome?) that conveniently holds a lot of files and was equipped with a lot of little goodies- including the Starbucks instant coffee, which despite a strong opposition from one DA who will remain nameless and a weiner, is actually very good.
And now, as I sort through my piles and allow the caffeine to elevate my mood a bit, I am getting a little more motivated. This happens. Things accumulate all to quickly in the life of a public defender, and it can get overwhelming. But with the appropriate playlist, a hot beverage from a loved one, and a little elbow grease, I think I may get out of this alive.
Now to interject a random thought:
Why can't we have Thanksgiving style food more often? Is it too heavy, or too difficult to prepare? Seriously, some answers here people. At least hook a brother up with a thanksgiving sandwich on the occasional July afternoon. (I know the Prolific Oven has a version, and other places do too, but I think it should be more wide-spread.)
Other random thought:
Clients having an email address is a double-edged sword. Especially when they have smart phones. (I know, there's a missing piece in that equation, but I'm too flabberghasted to follow that train of thought in to the station.)
Final random thought:
Turkey sandwiches should always be paired with a pig meat of some sort. Acceptable products: salami, bacon, prosciuto, suckling piglet.
Back to work!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
This Week's 'Ripped from the Headlines...'
So, as I sit in my office working up a case that I'm none too thrilled about, I have decided to dedicate this post to celebrity criminal gossip...
And the obvious target, at least according to TMZ, is the Charlie Sheen debacle. And with good reason- there's coke, a hooker, and the basic shennanigans we have come to love from Emilio's bro. The only thing missing is that stupid kid from 2.5 men doing rails off of another hooker and stabbing a hobo. Then, and only then, I suppose I would dive in to the drama.
As it stands now, however, I'm going to let TMZ continue to cover that a few (nine hundred) times a day.
Of course, I could also lend a legal opinion in the ongoing Mel Gibson saga. But, sadly, I am far from a family law expert. As the saying goes, family lawyers represent good people acting on their worst behavior, and criminal lawyers represent bad people acting on their best. I am the latter, and I am not going to pretend like I know anything about that aspect of practice.
(I will continue to listen to any and all voice mails from Mad Max, nonetheless.)
And then there's everyone's favorite African American vampire slayer, Wes Snipes who is undergoing some tax problems. Yes it's criminal, but I'll be frank with you, readers: I know nothing about federal practice, let alone federal criminal tax cases. So in an effort to avoid looking like a moron, I will abstain.
I thought I had nothing, until, like a vision in my dreams, I came across this story:
Jim Morrison to be considered for a Gubernatorial Pardon
Now, let me be frank yet again- I am by no means a "The Doors" fan. Yes, I suppose they were a good band, and yes they were influential, but I just never got that in to them.
Still, post conviction relief is always interesting to me, and especially for a charge that if similarly situated in my state of practice would be a life sentence.
The misdemeanor to which I am referring is California Penal Code Section 314(1), or indecent exposure. Us attorneys with no class refer to it generally as "weenie waggling." Yes, yes we are mature.
In any event, in order to be guilty of this charming little offense, the District Attorney is required to prove that you:
1. Willfully exposed your junk in the presence of people who would be offended. I guess this would be the "stripper exception," and
2. When exposed, you acted "lewdly" by intending to direct public attention to your junk for the purpose of sexually gratifying yourself or sexually offending another.
Yes, this is a misdemeanor offense, but as I mentioned above it is a life sentence because if convicted here in California, you are required to become a sex registrant, for LIFE. Which is a serious commitment, because, you know, it's for life.
I would assume the Jim Morrison avoided this requirement as his act happened in Florida.
Still, people were clearly offended at the time, and I'm sure he copped the plea to the misdemeanor just to get it over with.
Now, however, in an extremely belated effort to seem "hip with the kids," Governor Crist seems to want to unburden the ghost of the rocker.
Don't get me wrong, I love it when post-conviction relief happens, just because it is so rare. Sadly, a lot of defendants can't stay out of trouble, and even if they do, sometimes expungement, or in the rare case a pardon, is a steep uphill battle.
So I guess what I'm hoping is that even though this little tidbit is more or less a superfluous story, it impacts those intricately involved in the system to reevaluate the role of government in recognizing those who truly have been rehabilitated.
And the obvious target, at least according to TMZ, is the Charlie Sheen debacle. And with good reason- there's coke, a hooker, and the basic shennanigans we have come to love from Emilio's bro. The only thing missing is that stupid kid from 2.5 men doing rails off of another hooker and stabbing a hobo. Then, and only then, I suppose I would dive in to the drama.
As it stands now, however, I'm going to let TMZ continue to cover that a few (nine hundred) times a day.
Of course, I could also lend a legal opinion in the ongoing Mel Gibson saga. But, sadly, I am far from a family law expert. As the saying goes, family lawyers represent good people acting on their worst behavior, and criminal lawyers represent bad people acting on their best. I am the latter, and I am not going to pretend like I know anything about that aspect of practice.
(I will continue to listen to any and all voice mails from Mad Max, nonetheless.)
And then there's everyone's favorite African American vampire slayer, Wes Snipes who is undergoing some tax problems. Yes it's criminal, but I'll be frank with you, readers: I know nothing about federal practice, let alone federal criminal tax cases. So in an effort to avoid looking like a moron, I will abstain.
I thought I had nothing, until, like a vision in my dreams, I came across this story:
Jim Morrison to be considered for a Gubernatorial Pardon
Now, let me be frank yet again- I am by no means a "The Doors" fan. Yes, I suppose they were a good band, and yes they were influential, but I just never got that in to them.
Still, post conviction relief is always interesting to me, and especially for a charge that if similarly situated in my state of practice would be a life sentence.
The misdemeanor to which I am referring is California Penal Code Section 314(1), or indecent exposure. Us attorneys with no class refer to it generally as "weenie waggling." Yes, yes we are mature.
In any event, in order to be guilty of this charming little offense, the District Attorney is required to prove that you:
1. Willfully exposed your junk in the presence of people who would be offended. I guess this would be the "stripper exception," and
2. When exposed, you acted "lewdly" by intending to direct public attention to your junk for the purpose of sexually gratifying yourself or sexually offending another.
Yes, this is a misdemeanor offense, but as I mentioned above it is a life sentence because if convicted here in California, you are required to become a sex registrant, for LIFE. Which is a serious commitment, because, you know, it's for life.
I would assume the Jim Morrison avoided this requirement as his act happened in Florida.
Still, people were clearly offended at the time, and I'm sure he copped the plea to the misdemeanor just to get it over with.
Now, however, in an extremely belated effort to seem "hip with the kids," Governor Crist seems to want to unburden the ghost of the rocker.
Don't get me wrong, I love it when post-conviction relief happens, just because it is so rare. Sadly, a lot of defendants can't stay out of trouble, and even if they do, sometimes expungement, or in the rare case a pardon, is a steep uphill battle.
So I guess what I'm hoping is that even though this little tidbit is more or less a superfluous story, it impacts those intricately involved in the system to reevaluate the role of government in recognizing those who truly have been rehabilitated.
Monday, November 22, 2010
In the Midst of the Holidaze....
Well, folks, as the cold grips in (and yes I'm seriously about the cold), it's becoming more and more apparent that it is the Holiday season.
Let me first air my general malaise with this season, this week in particular. Sadly, it will mark the 5 year anniversary of losing my father, Mike Coughlin, aka "Daddy Doo-Doo." I don't revisit the events that lead up to his passing enough, and I suppose I should. Mostly because it's a healthy thing to do, and introspection is pivotal in growth, blah blah blah, but perhaps more importantly because I have a lot to be grateful for. I have my Boobah, my health (despite my desperate need to visit Healthsport), my friends, my families, a job (somehow) and as noted in my last post, good television. Hell, even the Eagles are doing well. Hell, even my apartment is clean. Things can be, and as of five years ago, were, much worse.
Still, it's an event that impacted me dramatically, and since it occurred when I still an immature moron, I probably could stand to grow up a bit. With that in mind, if I seem at all like an asshole in the next week or so to any of my faithful 4-7 readers, I apologize. As I tried to stress above, I do have a lot going on for me, and I am certainly avoiding the ever cheerful pity party. I also don't mean this week to be a carte blanche for me being a dick. I will do my best to channel any and all rage to those who deserve it (like Nazis).
And with my background out of the way, let me divulge some of the initial highlights and things I'm looking forward to of this holiday season.
Diwali 2010
I celebrated Diwali this year w/ LLK and her family in Sunnyvale. I know it seems weird that a Diwali party would occur in this clearly homogeneous community, but it managed to get off the ground. And it was awesome. Now, I could stumble through and try to explain what Diwali is, but as noted above, I'm still a moron, and will simply direct any and all seeking more information to the mecca of quick knowledge fixes.
And keeping the moron theme active, and specifically the moron of the "large" variety, it should not surprise anyone that one of my favorite things about celebrating this holiday was the food. Oh, the food. Oh, the delicious awesome non-bland food that can only be described with made up adjectives like "tastetastic!" And, as noted in a previous post, it was all vegetarian, so I was able to maintain my commitment to part-time vegetarianism.
And of course, the other thing that really cemented the celebration of this holiday: fireworks. To me, any holiday that combines good people, good food, and blowing shit up is something that should be cherished.
I genuinely hope that I get to share in celebrating this holiday with amazing people for many years to come.
(Sadly, I tried to find the Youtube clips from the episode of "The Office" about Diwali, but NBC put the stop on that mess. I would strongly encourage all to watch the season 3 episode highlighting the holiday. Michael Scott of course makes thing ridiculously awkward and hilarity ensues.)
Veteran's Day 2010
Not that I'm anti-The Troops, but this is not a holiday I generally get juiced for. Except when I finagle a four day weekend out of it. This Veteran's Day was very awesome and some highlights included: visits from my brother, an interesting trip to Fairfield, beer fests that involved randomly running in to people, visits from awesome people from San Diego, and a lovely brunch where I drank too much coffee.
Here's what I'm looking forward to this holiday season:
Thanksgiving 2010
It will be w/ great people, I'm sure the food will be awesome, and hopefully snow will not impede my ability to get down!
Friendsgiving 2010
This year, and quite ingeniously, LLK has suggested the annual Friendsgiving occur on Black Friday (a day in which little is done save 4 am shopping sprees), and where everyone brings leftovers. Which is brilliant b/c leftovers are usually awesome for Thanksgiving.
Xmas 2010
Sadly, my favorite person will not be in the USA for Xmas this year, but I'm hoping to get down to the OC (yeah I called it that) and see some family/friends and truly enjoy where the true commercial nature of the holiday gets highlighted the most. With no snow to get in the way, people can focus on the true materialism of Jesus' birth. I jest, but OC is an interesting place to spend Christmas. With its Megachurches and rampant mall culture, there's a paradoxical mix of Christmas spirit that no iconic Bing Crosby special can hold a candle to.
NYE
I am definitely looking forward to ringing in the new year (and new decade) with someone special, and hopefully getting better suited to find employ that will bring me closer to Yay Area. (Spoiler Alert: It's on of my New Year's resolutions.)
Let me first air my general malaise with this season, this week in particular. Sadly, it will mark the 5 year anniversary of losing my father, Mike Coughlin, aka "Daddy Doo-Doo." I don't revisit the events that lead up to his passing enough, and I suppose I should. Mostly because it's a healthy thing to do, and introspection is pivotal in growth, blah blah blah, but perhaps more importantly because I have a lot to be grateful for. I have my Boobah, my health (despite my desperate need to visit Healthsport), my friends, my families, a job (somehow) and as noted in my last post, good television. Hell, even the Eagles are doing well. Hell, even my apartment is clean. Things can be, and as of five years ago, were, much worse.
Still, it's an event that impacted me dramatically, and since it occurred when I still an immature moron, I probably could stand to grow up a bit. With that in mind, if I seem at all like an asshole in the next week or so to any of my faithful 4-7 readers, I apologize. As I tried to stress above, I do have a lot going on for me, and I am certainly avoiding the ever cheerful pity party. I also don't mean this week to be a carte blanche for me being a dick. I will do my best to channel any and all rage to those who deserve it (like Nazis).
And with my background out of the way, let me divulge some of the initial highlights and things I'm looking forward to of this holiday season.
Diwali 2010
I celebrated Diwali this year w/ LLK and her family in Sunnyvale. I know it seems weird that a Diwali party would occur in this clearly homogeneous community, but it managed to get off the ground. And it was awesome. Now, I could stumble through and try to explain what Diwali is, but as noted above, I'm still a moron, and will simply direct any and all seeking more information to the mecca of quick knowledge fixes.
And keeping the moron theme active, and specifically the moron of the "large" variety, it should not surprise anyone that one of my favorite things about celebrating this holiday was the food. Oh, the food. Oh, the delicious awesome non-bland food that can only be described with made up adjectives like "tastetastic!" And, as noted in a previous post, it was all vegetarian, so I was able to maintain my commitment to part-time vegetarianism.
And of course, the other thing that really cemented the celebration of this holiday: fireworks. To me, any holiday that combines good people, good food, and blowing shit up is something that should be cherished.
I genuinely hope that I get to share in celebrating this holiday with amazing people for many years to come.
(Sadly, I tried to find the Youtube clips from the episode of "The Office" about Diwali, but NBC put the stop on that mess. I would strongly encourage all to watch the season 3 episode highlighting the holiday. Michael Scott of course makes thing ridiculously awkward and hilarity ensues.)
Veteran's Day 2010
Not that I'm anti-The Troops, but this is not a holiday I generally get juiced for. Except when I finagle a four day weekend out of it. This Veteran's Day was very awesome and some highlights included: visits from my brother, an interesting trip to Fairfield, beer fests that involved randomly running in to people, visits from awesome people from San Diego, and a lovely brunch where I drank too much coffee.
Here's what I'm looking forward to this holiday season:
Thanksgiving 2010
It will be w/ great people, I'm sure the food will be awesome, and hopefully snow will not impede my ability to get down!
Friendsgiving 2010
This year, and quite ingeniously, LLK has suggested the annual Friendsgiving occur on Black Friday (a day in which little is done save 4 am shopping sprees), and where everyone brings leftovers. Which is brilliant b/c leftovers are usually awesome for Thanksgiving.
Xmas 2010
Sadly, my favorite person will not be in the USA for Xmas this year, but I'm hoping to get down to the OC (yeah I called it that) and see some family/friends and truly enjoy where the true commercial nature of the holiday gets highlighted the most. With no snow to get in the way, people can focus on the true materialism of Jesus' birth. I jest, but OC is an interesting place to spend Christmas. With its Megachurches and rampant mall culture, there's a paradoxical mix of Christmas spirit that no iconic Bing Crosby special can hold a candle to.
NYE
I am definitely looking forward to ringing in the new year (and new decade) with someone special, and hopefully getting better suited to find employ that will bring me closer to Yay Area. (Spoiler Alert: It's on of my New Year's resolutions.)
Friday, November 5, 2010
Dark Mornings...
Are killing me.
Seriously, 7:45 up here and it's still dark out. Not cool. I've been on record many times in the past stating that I don't mind it when it's dark at five (I know...), but this is brutal.
Which segues (kinda) in to my topic for this morning. I was listening to NPR (I know.....) and there was an interesting tidbit on how TV ratings drop dramatically when daylight savings begins in April and then spikes more or less after this weekend, when daylight savings ends.
With that in mind, I will now go over my prime time choices for this time of year!
NBC programming:
Community- I'm very much enjoying this show as of late, and it's getting better and better. I like how self-referential this show is getting, and my only concern as of late is that it runs the risk of getting a little too cutesy. Still, the characters in this show are solid, and it's fast-paced, topical, and awesome.
30 Rock- What can I say? It's still awesome, still cohesive, and still (in my opinion) dominates the Thursday lineup.
The Office- Sadly, I can't say that I love this show anymore. There's too many reasons, but quite simply, the show has faded in to a Limbo of mediocrity.
Outsourced- I don't want to give up on this show, but I haven't lol'd either; I'm hoping it'll be like a Parks and Rec where it will just get better and better.
FX:
It's Always Sunny- Still ridiculous, and I'm still loving it!
Archer- Anxiously awaiting its return!
ABC:
Modern Family- Everyone needs to watch this show. It's borderline flawless in its heart, hilarity, and plot-lines and character development. If you haven't watched it yet, I strongly encourage you to give it a shot.
Cougar Town- I'll admit, I don't watch this show regularly, but as LLK would tell you, it's a very solid show. It makes sense, too, with veteran actors, and I believe a lot of veteran "behind-the-scenes" types.
Better off Ted- Of the air... :( It hurts too much to write about, but if you have netflix, indulge in this little gem.
CBS-
How I Met Your Mother- Another one I haven't been honestly watching religiously, but from what I have seen, it's still solid, albeit dragging out its title's premise.
Big Bang Theory- The only critique is that the show still has a laugh track. Without it would be superb for some weird reason to me. As it stands presently, it's still awesome.
Amazing Race- I need to catch up, yes, but this show always delivers for your reality buck. I would recommend it to anyone and highly recommend it over any other primetime reality show.
Ugh, I know this only scratches the surface of my boob-toob addiction which is in part sad. However, as noted above, since it will be getting darker sooner, I will be vindicated in my vice!
Seriously, 7:45 up here and it's still dark out. Not cool. I've been on record many times in the past stating that I don't mind it when it's dark at five (I know...), but this is brutal.
Which segues (kinda) in to my topic for this morning. I was listening to NPR (I know.....) and there was an interesting tidbit on how TV ratings drop dramatically when daylight savings begins in April and then spikes more or less after this weekend, when daylight savings ends.
With that in mind, I will now go over my prime time choices for this time of year!
NBC programming:
Community- I'm very much enjoying this show as of late, and it's getting better and better. I like how self-referential this show is getting, and my only concern as of late is that it runs the risk of getting a little too cutesy. Still, the characters in this show are solid, and it's fast-paced, topical, and awesome.
30 Rock- What can I say? It's still awesome, still cohesive, and still (in my opinion) dominates the Thursday lineup.
The Office- Sadly, I can't say that I love this show anymore. There's too many reasons, but quite simply, the show has faded in to a Limbo of mediocrity.
Outsourced- I don't want to give up on this show, but I haven't lol'd either; I'm hoping it'll be like a Parks and Rec where it will just get better and better.
FX:
It's Always Sunny- Still ridiculous, and I'm still loving it!
Archer- Anxiously awaiting its return!
ABC:
Modern Family- Everyone needs to watch this show. It's borderline flawless in its heart, hilarity, and plot-lines and character development. If you haven't watched it yet, I strongly encourage you to give it a shot.
Cougar Town- I'll admit, I don't watch this show regularly, but as LLK would tell you, it's a very solid show. It makes sense, too, with veteran actors, and I believe a lot of veteran "behind-the-scenes" types.
Better off Ted- Of the air... :( It hurts too much to write about, but if you have netflix, indulge in this little gem.
CBS-
How I Met Your Mother- Another one I haven't been honestly watching religiously, but from what I have seen, it's still solid, albeit dragging out its title's premise.
Big Bang Theory- The only critique is that the show still has a laugh track. Without it would be superb for some weird reason to me. As it stands presently, it's still awesome.
Amazing Race- I need to catch up, yes, but this show always delivers for your reality buck. I would recommend it to anyone and highly recommend it over any other primetime reality show.
Ugh, I know this only scratches the surface of my boob-toob addiction which is in part sad. However, as noted above, since it will be getting darker sooner, I will be vindicated in my vice!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Sigh....
http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_16521036
It appears that it may be 2-3 weeks until our little District Attorney situation gets resolved.
Le crap.
Time to bury myself in work and keep my fingers crossed.
It appears that it may be 2-3 weeks until our little District Attorney situation gets resolved.
Le crap.
Time to bury myself in work and keep my fingers crossed.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
This Week's "Ripped from the Headlines"
You really can't make this stuff up:
Why can't my clients be more like this guy?!
Dude is dressed as a breathalyzer, and gets popped for a DUI?! Zomg, I really can't think of anything better. I've dealt with hundreds of DUI's at this point, and yes, there have been some good ones. But this tops the cake.
And I don't care what the blood alcohol content is with this guy, if he were my client, I would BEG for him to take it trial. And wear the costume.
While I'm talking about professional goals, I'll share some others:
- take a drunk in public to trial, because they're generally stupid cases.
- take a driving on suspended license to trial and win, because they're generally impossible to win.
- do an entire afternoon pretrial calendar imitating Christopher Walken.
- Exclaim in court that the "whole damned system is out of order."
- Bow ties.
- Make a DA cry in open court.
Why can't my clients be more like this guy?!
Dude is dressed as a breathalyzer, and gets popped for a DUI?! Zomg, I really can't think of anything better. I've dealt with hundreds of DUI's at this point, and yes, there have been some good ones. But this tops the cake.
And I don't care what the blood alcohol content is with this guy, if he were my client, I would BEG for him to take it trial. And wear the costume.
While I'm talking about professional goals, I'll share some others:
- take a drunk in public to trial, because they're generally stupid cases.
- take a driving on suspended license to trial and win, because they're generally impossible to win.
- do an entire afternoon pretrial calendar imitating Christopher Walken.
- Exclaim in court that the "whole damned system is out of order."
- Bow ties.
- Make a DA cry in open court.
Weathering the Storm...
(Let me first air my chagrin- I had written feverishly last night a list of cataloged thoughts on a number of election issues, boiling down a lot of the propositions and saved it. Google begs to differ, and now I am forced to start from scratch. [In the style of LLK]: Le Boo.)
http://www.co.humboldt.ca.us/election/results/2010/2010nov-final-report.pdf
The above link preserves my sanity.
And without getting in to the nitty-gritty, and without getting hyper political, I can confidently say that the people in my office, and the community in general, needed the incumbent to win the District Attorney's race.
I can also say that even though this a mid-term election, and my fourth or fifth one (?), it was the most exciting, because it had the most bearing on me personally. (Ok, yes, that's a bit ego-maniacal.)
In any event, it was a nasty race, that had a lot (too many) names dragged through the mud, including the victims of crime that were essentially postured for political points. Yes, it was that ugly. It's over, thank God, and now the fine citizens of Humboldt County can sit back and wait until the recall effort gains momentum. Sigh...
The other big thing that I was keeping my eye out on was, yes, Proposition 19. Now, the thoughts I wrote last night on everything else were indeed salient, well thought-out, and the prose would make even the most esteemed writer weep. (God, the ego-mania just doesn't stop.) But now that I have the opportunity to simply boil down my election thoughts, I think that these two issues that I should discuss. And to be honest, it's simply because they're the only ones I'm really qualified to discuss.
So let's dive in to the anti-prohibition project. I wanted 19 to pass, and believe me, I didn't really expect much from it's return. The fiscal predictions were just too speculative. And yeah, any revenue is better than no revenue, but again, it was just too nebulous.
My interest in its passing were threefold:
1. I personally feel that marijuana is an appropriate recreational drug. It's less harmful than alcohol, especially if ingested without carcinogens (smoking), and just anectdotally from my experience, it has never lead to violence. Alcohol does. In fact, I'd say in the overwhelming majority of cases involving alcohol, alcohol and or meth is involved. Not pot. The only situation in which I see marijuana being dangerous in that respect is if I have to listen to a drum circle for more than fifteen minutes and end up going nuts on every Phish-head involved.
2. The prohibition of marijuana paradoxically creates violence. Kinda like how the prohibition of alcohol created or at least strengthened organized crime, the prohibition of marijuana fuels a lot of the "bigger" cases up here in Humboldt. For obvious reasons, I cannot get in to the details, but again, it's my personal opinion that if marijuana weren't illegal, people would be less inclined to rob grow operations, front pounds of weed and then rob people, or the like.
3. I think that marijuana can be safely legislated. Now, this is probably why 19 failed in my opinion. The language was a bit vague (what do you expect from a voter initiative), and there were some pretty serious gaps. I think the appropriate thing to do would be to push the California legislature as well as make significant pushes with the federal Department of Justice. Without their consent, any legalization movement would be moot. That's what we heard with 19, and I'd imagine Eric Holder's position would not change, nor would any other Attorney General. And that's something activists need to think about when they push for this again. It's not enough to get 20 million Californians to agree. There will have to be significant movement at the federal level, which by my prediction is the much steeper uphill battle. Put down the bong, and get to work, hippie.
Well, those be my thoughts on November 2. Oh, one last thought. I think that election day NEEDS to be a federal holiday. Actually, November 3. That way, you can stay up late, party, or drown your sorrows when Palin wins!
http://www.co.humboldt.ca.us/election/results/2010/2010nov-final-report.pdf
The above link preserves my sanity.
And without getting in to the nitty-gritty, and without getting hyper political, I can confidently say that the people in my office, and the community in general, needed the incumbent to win the District Attorney's race.
I can also say that even though this a mid-term election, and my fourth or fifth one (?), it was the most exciting, because it had the most bearing on me personally. (Ok, yes, that's a bit ego-maniacal.)
In any event, it was a nasty race, that had a lot (too many) names dragged through the mud, including the victims of crime that were essentially postured for political points. Yes, it was that ugly. It's over, thank God, and now the fine citizens of Humboldt County can sit back and wait until the recall effort gains momentum. Sigh...
The other big thing that I was keeping my eye out on was, yes, Proposition 19. Now, the thoughts I wrote last night on everything else were indeed salient, well thought-out, and the prose would make even the most esteemed writer weep. (God, the ego-mania just doesn't stop.) But now that I have the opportunity to simply boil down my election thoughts, I think that these two issues that I should discuss. And to be honest, it's simply because they're the only ones I'm really qualified to discuss.
So let's dive in to the anti-prohibition project. I wanted 19 to pass, and believe me, I didn't really expect much from it's return. The fiscal predictions were just too speculative. And yeah, any revenue is better than no revenue, but again, it was just too nebulous.
My interest in its passing were threefold:
1. I personally feel that marijuana is an appropriate recreational drug. It's less harmful than alcohol, especially if ingested without carcinogens (smoking), and just anectdotally from my experience, it has never lead to violence. Alcohol does. In fact, I'd say in the overwhelming majority of cases involving alcohol, alcohol and or meth is involved. Not pot. The only situation in which I see marijuana being dangerous in that respect is if I have to listen to a drum circle for more than fifteen minutes and end up going nuts on every Phish-head involved.
2. The prohibition of marijuana paradoxically creates violence. Kinda like how the prohibition of alcohol created or at least strengthened organized crime, the prohibition of marijuana fuels a lot of the "bigger" cases up here in Humboldt. For obvious reasons, I cannot get in to the details, but again, it's my personal opinion that if marijuana weren't illegal, people would be less inclined to rob grow operations, front pounds of weed and then rob people, or the like.
3. I think that marijuana can be safely legislated. Now, this is probably why 19 failed in my opinion. The language was a bit vague (what do you expect from a voter initiative), and there were some pretty serious gaps. I think the appropriate thing to do would be to push the California legislature as well as make significant pushes with the federal Department of Justice. Without their consent, any legalization movement would be moot. That's what we heard with 19, and I'd imagine Eric Holder's position would not change, nor would any other Attorney General. And that's something activists need to think about when they push for this again. It's not enough to get 20 million Californians to agree. There will have to be significant movement at the federal level, which by my prediction is the much steeper uphill battle. Put down the bong, and get to work, hippie.
Well, those be my thoughts on November 2. Oh, one last thought. I think that election day NEEDS to be a federal holiday. Actually, November 3. That way, you can stay up late, party, or drown your sorrows when Palin wins!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Part Time Veggie
Hey readers,
Well, I know it's not the new year, or bikini season, but sometimes, just sometimes, the lulls of the year are the best time to evaluate your "life choices."
(And sometimes it helps to have a catalyst. In this case, a very special reader has decided to lead the way.)
That catalyst? Going vegetarian.
I know- most of you that know me would scoff at the idea of me giving up bacon, beef jerkey, buffalo wings, club sandwiches, most any sandwiches, etc.
So, in the spirit of compromise, I've decided to devote at least 1-2 days per week being vegetarian.
And no, not because I think eating animals is wrong (they're delicious!), or for religious reasons, but mostly because it's healthy, and well, it affords me the opportunity to appreciate meat even more. (Absence makes the heart grow stronger- especially if there's less red meat clogging it.)
So, with that goal in mind, I've decided to share some veg-friendly links!
First, a recipe tht I used this past weekend in honor of H-Ween, Pumpkin Risotto:
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/roast-pumpkin-and-feta-risotto/Detail.aspx
Feel free to use any hard squash in lieu of pumpkin and I would strongly recommend homemade veggie broth!
Next, a book bought for LLK (that selfishly I'm sure I'll enjoy from too):
http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Vegetarian-Meatless/dp/0764524836/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1
This book seems good for those interested in being vegetarians, even if they are meat-eaters. It's non-pretentious, and the recipes explore a lot of different genres of food, and breaks down dishes in their most basic elements. I would suggest it to anyone, regardless of whether they're veggies or not. The rationale is that like my decision, I think everyone can benefit from eliminating meat from a few meals a week. Even if you're in tip-top shape, it provides a different perspective, is less expensive, and the bottomline is generally more healthy!
I'll be posting more recipes that I use incorporating my part-time veg game-plan!
Happy eats, everyone!
Well, I know it's not the new year, or bikini season, but sometimes, just sometimes, the lulls of the year are the best time to evaluate your "life choices."
(And sometimes it helps to have a catalyst. In this case, a very special reader has decided to lead the way.)
That catalyst? Going vegetarian.
I know- most of you that know me would scoff at the idea of me giving up bacon, beef jerkey, buffalo wings, club sandwiches, most any sandwiches, etc.
So, in the spirit of compromise, I've decided to devote at least 1-2 days per week being vegetarian.
And no, not because I think eating animals is wrong (they're delicious!), or for religious reasons, but mostly because it's healthy, and well, it affords me the opportunity to appreciate meat even more. (Absence makes the heart grow stronger- especially if there's less red meat clogging it.)
So, with that goal in mind, I've decided to share some veg-friendly links!
First, a recipe tht I used this past weekend in honor of H-Ween, Pumpkin Risotto:
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/roast-pumpkin-and-feta-risotto/Detail.aspx
Feel free to use any hard squash in lieu of pumpkin and I would strongly recommend homemade veggie broth!
Next, a book bought for LLK (that selfishly I'm sure I'll enjoy from too):
http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Vegetarian-Meatless/dp/0764524836/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1
This book seems good for those interested in being vegetarians, even if they are meat-eaters. It's non-pretentious, and the recipes explore a lot of different genres of food, and breaks down dishes in their most basic elements. I would suggest it to anyone, regardless of whether they're veggies or not. The rationale is that like my decision, I think everyone can benefit from eliminating meat from a few meals a week. Even if you're in tip-top shape, it provides a different perspective, is less expensive, and the bottomline is generally more healthy!
I'll be posting more recipes that I use incorporating my part-time veg game-plan!
Happy eats, everyone!
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