f/k/a archives . . . real opinions & real haiku

If you wonder why Carolyn Elefant is so passionate about making

a law practice and a life that has plenty of time for her children,

take a look at this great photo (and don’t miss Frisky the dog,

either). 

 

 

“CarolynKidsG”  orig.

 

just enough:

one wheelbarrow

two sisters, three pumpkins

 

    dagosan  

 

Getting organized and staying on task is not always easy for many

lawyers — myself most definitely included.  Indeed, I know very few

lawyers who get anything completed (started?) before a deadline is

imminent.  As a weblogger, I can also say it has been very difficult

for me to color within the lines — to pick a realistic schedule or

time commitment and stick to it, no matter what is posted else-

where or what arrives as a Comment or email.  That’s why I can

appreciate Carolyn’s new routine, which keeps weblog posting out

of normal work hours. 

 

night out

my wife and I discuss

the kids

 

    Tom Painting  

 

One more Elefant pointer on a related topic: see her post  

“Practicing Law on a Full Stomach.”   It quotes a GP Solo

article, which makes the important observation that clients 

need their lawyers to be emotionally healthy  — and we must

therefore tend to our own emotional wellbeing to be our best

as a person and advocate. 

 

winter hike

the baby’s breath

warms my neck

 

   Tom Painting  

 

I do want to make one quibble with the author of the article,

Robin Page West.  In a list of recommendations, Robin says

we should “adopt the attitude that we deserve to be happy.”

I believe that thinking you deserve happiness — as opposed

to thinking that you are worthy of it — can be a sure recipe for

frustration that prevents happiness.  It’s better to banish any

notion that you are somehow unworthy of happiness (due to

flaws) or that you cannot be happy until certain prerequisities

are met in your life. Then, be open to finding happiness in what

is around you — and in what you can reach with a little effort.

 

my toddler

helps pack her travel bag —

co-custody

Tom Painting    

from his haiku chapbook piano practice 

 

 

 

November 1st —

All Sales Day

in the candy aisle

 

 

 

 

 

 

under her sheets –

the sleepy ghost

hides a Snickers bar

 

 

   dagosan  

    [Nov. 1, 2005]

 

  potluck

After spending the week telling their viewers how danger-

ous Halloween is nowadays, due to sexual predators —

and trumpeting the rigid parole restrictions placed on the

them by the Government — our local tv stations all led

the news on Halloween (at 5, 6, 10, and 11 PM) with the

sexual predator story.  So, we got to hear more parents

say how much they appreciate the restrictions, and more

politicians and police officers saying all they did last

night to keep those predators in place. 

 

Naturally, there was not even one mention that no one 

on parole for sex predation has committed such an offense

on Halloween within the memory of any official across the

nation.  (see our prior post)

 

One lone voice of wisdom on the topic on our local  

airways was the owner of The Costumer, in Schenectady,

who told Capital News 9:

“The thing that frightens me is the sex offender

that hasn’t been caught yet. He’s still out there,

and how to prevent that kind of involvement —

mother and father.”

Also, the New York Civil Liberties Union told Channel 9  that

“The public would be better served by comprehensive and

effective means of protecting children from sexual predators

on the other 364 days a year and not just on Halloween.” On

balance, I think the tv stations are guiltier than the politicians

for milking this non-story and using unjustified scare tactics. Of

course, it was government officials who decided to waste the

resources required to pull off this great Halloween sham.