Today is Carne Vale, or Mardi Gras. Everyone knows that Mardi Gras is Fat Tuesday, but Carnival is actually carne vale.... good bye meat day (Carne= meat, vale= goodbye)! Today is the last day that a Roman Catholic could eat meat for 40 days. The meat fasting used to last all of the Lenten season, but now is just Ash Wednesday, and Fridays.
So enjoy your meat today!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
Why Criminal Attorneys have ZERO credibility
From the Buffalo News today, regarding a criminal defendent who pleaded guilty to a murder and slash job:
"Following the court appearance, defense lawyer Andrew C. LoTempio said his client told him he had initially walked up to McCabe to ask him if he could borrow his cell phone; police said Kelly was attempting to steal the phone and McCabe resisted.
When McCabe refused to let him use the phone, LoTempio said, Kelly became angry and he mistakenly pulled out his knife and stabbed McCabe in the heart before slashing LaBarre. "
How does on mistakenly pull a knife and stab someone in the heart. Ooops...sorry I made a boo-boo!?!?!?
This is why criminal attorneys often have no credibility. Maybe LoTempio should have just said nothing????
"Following the court appearance, defense lawyer Andrew C. LoTempio said his client told him he had initially walked up to McCabe to ask him if he could borrow his cell phone; police said Kelly was attempting to steal the phone and McCabe resisted.
When McCabe refused to let him use the phone, LoTempio said, Kelly became angry and he mistakenly pulled out his knife and stabbed McCabe in the heart before slashing LaBarre. "
How does on mistakenly pull a knife and stab someone in the heart. Ooops...sorry I made a boo-boo!?!?!?
This is why criminal attorneys often have no credibility. Maybe LoTempio should have just said nothing????
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Random Useless Thoughts of the Day...Lupercalia
Hello all...
As today is St. Valentine's Day, I thought I would discuss Lupercalia, the ancient Roman festival in February. As many people know, Roman Catholic festivals and holidays often coincidentally coincide with Pagan Roman festivals. Thus, Saturnalia and Christmas for example, and Lupercalia and St. Valentine's Day.
Think about how hard it would be to convert people to a religion that supposedly fights the oppression of the downtrodden by promising that death will release you from those burdens. That could be a tough sell. Whereas the pagan religion promised to release you from your oppressions during multiple and various festivals. In fact from sociological point of view, Saturnalia was about the inversion of social status in order to relieve the social pressures. Thus master became slave, and slave became master during this festival.
Ah, I digress... so... anyways... to help convert pagans to Christians, as they would be more properly called from a historian's perspective, or that funny sect of Jews, as the Romans would have called them, those Christians needed good-time festivals in the here and now. Thus they co-opted some of the Pagan calendar, and put their own festivals in place at about the same time...
Thus Lupercalia, February 15th, and St. Valentine's Day, February 14th... fall so closely together.
Now, what is Lupercalia? See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupercalia
Interestingly, they both devolved into fertility rights. You doubt me? Those ancients were getting whipped with pussy willows, and how many of you hope that romance leads to some boot knockin'?
So Happy Lupercalia to you Pagans and Wiccans. Happy St. Valentine's Day to you Roman Catholics.
As today is St. Valentine's Day, I thought I would discuss Lupercalia, the ancient Roman festival in February. As many people know, Roman Catholic festivals and holidays often coincidentally coincide with Pagan Roman festivals. Thus, Saturnalia and Christmas for example, and Lupercalia and St. Valentine's Day.
Think about how hard it would be to convert people to a religion that supposedly fights the oppression of the downtrodden by promising that death will release you from those burdens. That could be a tough sell. Whereas the pagan religion promised to release you from your oppressions during multiple and various festivals. In fact from sociological point of view, Saturnalia was about the inversion of social status in order to relieve the social pressures. Thus master became slave, and slave became master during this festival.
Ah, I digress... so... anyways... to help convert pagans to Christians, as they would be more properly called from a historian's perspective, or that funny sect of Jews, as the Romans would have called them, those Christians needed good-time festivals in the here and now. Thus they co-opted some of the Pagan calendar, and put their own festivals in place at about the same time...
Thus Lupercalia, February 15th, and St. Valentine's Day, February 14th... fall so closely together.
Now, what is Lupercalia? See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupercalia
Interestingly, they both devolved into fertility rights. You doubt me? Those ancients were getting whipped with pussy willows, and how many of you hope that romance leads to some boot knockin'?
So Happy Lupercalia to you Pagans and Wiccans. Happy St. Valentine's Day to you Roman Catholics.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Flirting: Strict Liability Offense or Mens Rea Required
Is flirting a strict liability offense, or do you think it is one with a specific mens rea?
The hubby claims I am a flirt because I look people in the eye, smile, and talk to them, even strangers.
I say that is being polite. I say since I lack a mens rea it is not flirting.
He says it is like sexual harassment: all in the perception of the recipient.
I say that men think any breathing female that merely acknowledges their existence is flirting, and that they are wrong.
The hubby claims I am a flirt because I look people in the eye, smile, and talk to them, even strangers.
I say that is being polite. I say since I lack a mens rea it is not flirting.
He says it is like sexual harassment: all in the perception of the recipient.
I say that men think any breathing female that merely acknowledges their existence is flirting, and that they are wrong.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Applied-- But Little Hope
Ok peoples. I like my job, as much as I could like any private practice job. But anyone who knows me well, knows I am better cut out to be a professor or a law clerk for a judge.
I applied to a federal court clerkship. Probably no chance, but hey, you can't win it, unless you are in it. Fingers crossed, people!
I applied to a federal court clerkship. Probably no chance, but hey, you can't win it, unless you are in it. Fingers crossed, people!
Sometimes It All Does Come Down to Gender ;)
Big spider web in corner of office door. Need man to get rid of. Phew...done!
Friday, January 26, 2007
Bombarded, but not complaining
So, I haven't gotten anything done because I have been bombarded with interruptions. I hate these days because putting out the fire one after another means I forget to write each fire down. Hear the billable hours sinking?
Ah, my favorite topic: billable hours. Just wait 'til I have time to actually discuss that odious topic.
Ah, my favorite topic: billable hours. Just wait 'til I have time to actually discuss that odious topic.
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