Contract Attorney World

Morning Glories

2006-07-22T08:19:00.000-05:00

Morning Glories

First thing
summer mornings

I would come out
to the porch,
tiptoe down the steps,
pad barefoot
across the grass

stand behind the trellis
and look up to see
how many of her
morning glories
had opened.

They were so blue
and pure, beaded
with dew

as if miniature
gateways to the skies
had swayed open

allowing me
to ramble
into infinity.

By Norbert Krapf

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The Chilean Poet Pablo Neruda

2006-07-08T20:44:00.000-05:00

I discovered his poetry recently and I think others should be aware of this talented poet.

"Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) - Original name Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto"

"This Chilean poet, and diplomat, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. His original name was Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto, but he used the pen name Pablo Neruda for over 20 years before adopting it legally in 1946. Neruda is the most widely read of the Spanish American poets. From the 1940s on, his works reflected the political struggle of the left and the socio-historical developments in South America. He also wrote love poems. Neruda's Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair (1924) have sold over a million copies since it first appeared."

If You Forget Me

I want you to know
one thing.

You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.

Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.

If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.

If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.

But
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine.

Pablo Neruda

Happy July 4th!!!!!!!!

2006-07-02T08:14:00.000-05:00

YOU AND YOU

EDITH WHARTON

November, 1918

TO THE AMERICAN PRIVATE IN THE GREAT WAR
Every one of you won the war—
You and you and you—
Each one knowing what it was for,
And what was his job to do.

Every one of you won the war,
Obedient, unwearied, unknown,
Dung in the trenches, drift on the shore,
Dust to the world's end blown;
Every one of you, steady and true,
You and you and you—
Down in the pit or up in the blue,
Whether you crawled or sailed or flew,
Whether your closest comrade knew
Or you bore the brunt alone—

All of you, all of you, name after name,
Jones and Robinson, Smith and Brown,
You from the piping prairie town,
You from the Fundy fogs that came,

You from the city's roaring blocks,
You from the bleak New England rocks
With the shingled roof in the apple boughs,
You from the brown adobe house—
You from the Rockies, you from the Coast,
You from the burning frontier-post
And you from the Klondyke's frozen flanks,
You from the cedar-swamps, you from the pine,
You from the cotton and you from the vine,
You from the rice and the sugar-brakes,
You from the Rivers and you from the Lakes,
You from the Creeks and you from the Licks
And you from the brown bayou—
You and you and you—
You from the pulpit, you from the mine,
You from the factories, you from the banks,
Closer and closer, ranks on ranks,
Airplanes and cannon, and rifles and tanks,
Smith and Robinson, Brown and Jones,
Ruddy faces or bleaching bones,
After the turmoil and blood and pain
Swinging home to the folks again
Or sleeping alone in the fine French rain—
Every one of you won the war.

Every one of you won the war—
You and you and you—
Pressing and pouring forth, more and more,
Toiling and straining from shore to shore
To reach the flaming edge of the dark
Where man in his millions went up like a spark,
You, in your thousands and millions coming,
All the sea ploughed with you, all the air humming,
All the land loud with you,
All our hearts proud with you,
All our souls bowed with the awe of your coming!

Where's the Arch high enough,
Lads, to receive you,
Where's the eye dry enough,
Dears, to perceive you,
When at last and at last in your glory you come,
Tramping home?

Every one of you won the war,
You and you and you—
You that carry an unscathed head,
You that halt with a broken tread,
And oh, most of all, you Dead, you Dead!

Lift up the Gates for these that are last,
That are last in the great Procession.
Let the living pour in, take possession,
Flood back to the city, the ranch, the farm,
The church and the college and mill,
Back to the office, the store, the exchange,
Back to the wife with the babe on her arm,
Back to the mother that waits on the sill,
And the supper that's hot on the range.

And now, when the last of them all are by,
Be the Gates lifted up on high
To let those Others in,
Those Others, their brothers, that softly tread,
That come so thick, yet take no ground,
That are so many, yet make no sound,
Our Dead, our Dead, our Dead!

O silent and secretly-moving throng,
In your fifty thousand strong,
Coming at dusk when the wreaths have dropt,
And streets are empty, and music stopt,
Silently coming to hearts that wait
Dumb in the door and dumb at the gate,
And hear your step and fly to your call—
Every one of you won the war,
But you, you Dead, most of all!

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2006-05-29T18:59:00.000-05:00

WHY MOST DC "LIBERALS" GIVE ME A HEADACHE

I have not done a top ten list for a while...so here it is.

1.) These so called "liberals" have little societal concern. They may rant about the poor, etc. but dare someone ask them to contribute towards a cause or donate five minutes out of their "busy schedule", you would think you were asking for a kidney donation. So many of these types will brag about the "volunteer" work they are going to do (especially if they hear someone else reference what they DID), but mostly it is to try to make themselves seem "good." Either do it or pleaseeeeeee shut up about it.

2.) Resentfulness towards those who are involved in any type of volunteer work. I have come across so many of these types (in temp world especially) who will be very dismissive of anyone who dares to take a day or two a year to help others. Yet they make certain they take their expensive trips and eat out 3 times a day.

3.) Little to no tolerance of other opinions on ANY issue. These libs claim they are Pro-choice or pro individual but dare you express an opinion different from them, they quickly become outraged and even belligerent.

4.) Out to "bilk the system." I have seen so many of these libs feel "entitled" to take 2 hours for lunch or errands yet account for only 0.5 hrs on the time sheet? What gives? How is their time more valuable that anyone else's? I saw one woman get caught and when she did she ranted about now having to run her errands on her time now. I was stunned at the arrogance.

5.) Little if any financial sense. I heard one lib say that her father told her that spending (not saving) an additional "10 dollars a day amounted to nothing"...yet she claimed that her father was in the financial business. I think these are some of the same people who say they are up checking their bank accounts at one minute past midnight to see if their temp check was deposited. GO TO BED!!

6.) Always out to "impress." If another attorney is bragging about their "wealth", 9 times out of 10, it will be a liberal. Why is that?

7.) Little fashion sense (especially the women). Wearing a skirt seems to be an "outdated concept." Why do so many of these women either want to play the dingy /wanna be tomboyish actress girl or the butch acting agressive female who would not be caught dead in a skirt? And here is a reality check: if you are over 25, no one is going to "discover" you and make you a movie star. Grow up!!!

8.) Self-centeredness. Did you ever notice that most libs think the world revolves around them and the whole world is supposed to stop and take notice?

9.) Disorganization. It seems to be a major effort for some of these people to get their clothes ironed and get to work at a reasonable time. Normal work hours do not include rolling in at 3 or later every day.

10.) Aging teenagers who will never grow up. Step up to the plate and start acting like adults. Worktime is not playtime all day long. And for a few select temp guys, this may be why certain women will not pay attention to you. Being responsible is sexy...not being hungover at 40.

Poems for Spring

2006-04-09T09:52:00.000-05:00

For winter's rains and ruins are over,
And all the season of snows and sins;
The days dividing lover and lover,
The light that loses, the night that wins;
And time remembered is grief forgotten,
And frosts are slain and flowers begotten,
And in green underwood and cover
Blossom by blossom the spring begins.

Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837–1909)
Atalanta in Calydon (1865)
*********************************

I sing of brooks, of blossoms, birds, and bowers:
Of April, May, of June, and July flowers.
I sing of Maypoles, Hock-carts, wassails, wakes,
Of bridegrooms, brides, and of their bridal cakes.

Robert Herrick (1591–1674)
Hesperides (1648)

POETRY SUNDAY-Edgar Allan Poe

2006-04-01T22:39:00.000-05:00

Today is Poetry Sunday. A lot of people are not aware that Edgar Allan Poe also wrote great poetry in addition to his creepy tales. Annabel Lee is one of my favorite poems.

ANNABEL LEE

by Edgar Allan Poe
(1849)

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;--
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
She was a child and I was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea,
But we loved with a love that was more than love--
I and my Annabel Lee--
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud by night
Chilling my Annabel Lee;
So that her high-born kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,
Went envying her and me:--
Yes! that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of a cloud, chilling
And killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we--
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in Heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee:--

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I see the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride,
In her sepulchre there by the sea--
In her tomb by the side of the sea.

-- THE END --

Poe, Edgar Allan {poh}

"Best known for his poems and short fiction, Edgar Allan Poe, born in Boston, Jan. 19, 1809, died Oct. 7, 1849 in Baltimore, deserves more credit than any other writer for the transformation of the short story from anecdote to art. He virtually created the detective story and perfected the psychological thriller. He also produced some of the most influential literary criticism of his time -- important theoretical statements on poetry and the short story -- and has had a worldwide influence on literature."

Early Life and Work

"Poe's parents, David Poe Jr. and Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins, were touring actors; both died before he was 3 years old, and he was taken into the home of John Allan, a prosperous merchant in Richmond, Va., and baptized Edgar Allan Poe. His childhood was uneventful, although he studied (1815-20) for 5 years in England. In 1826 he entered the University of Virginia but stayed for only a year. Although a good student, he ran up large gambling debts that Allan refused to pay. Allan prevented his return to the university and broke off Poe's engagement to Sarah Elmira Royster, his Richmond sweetheart. Lacking any means of support, Poe enlisted in the army. He had, however, already written and printed (at his own expense) his first book,Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827), verses written in the manner of Byron."

"Temporarily reconciled, Allan secured Poe's release from the army and his appointment to West Point but refused to provide financial support. After 6 months Poe apparently contrived to be dismissed from West Point for disobedience of orders. His fellow cadets, however, contributed the funds for the publication of Poems by Edgar A. Poe ... Second Edition (1831), actually a third edition -- after Tamerlane and Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems (1829). This volume contained the famous To Helen and Israfel, poems that show the restraint and the calculated musical effects of language that were to characterize his poetry."

Editorial Career

"Poe next took up residence in Baltimore with his widowed aunt, Maria Clemm, and her daughter, Virginia, and turned to fiction as a way to support himself. In 1832 the Philadelphia Saturday Courier published five of his stories -- all comic or satiric -- and in 1833, MS. Found in a Bottle won a $50 prize given by the Baltimore Saturday Visitor. Poe, his aunt, and Virginia moved to Richmond in 1835, and he became editor of the Southern Literary Messenger and married Virginia, who was not yet 14 years old. "

"Poe published fiction, notably his most horrifying tale, Berenice in the Messenger, but most of his contributions were serious, analytical, and critical reviews that earned him respect as a critic. He praised the young Dickens and a few other contemporaries but devoted most of his attention to devastating reviews of popular contemporary authors. His contributions undoubtedly increased the magazine's circulation, but they offended its owner, who also took exception to Poe's drinking. The January 1837 issue of the Messenger announced Poe's withdrawal as editor but also included the first installment of his long prose tale, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, five of his reviews, and two of his poems. This was to be the paradoxical pattern for Poe's career: success as an artist and editor but failure to satisfy his employers and to secure a livelihood."

"First in New York City (1837), then in Philadelphia (1838-44), and again in New York (1844-49), Poe sought to establish himself as a force in literary journalism, but with only moderate success. He did succeed, however, in formulating influential literary theories and in demonstrating mastery of the forms he favored -- highly musical poems and short prose narratives. Both forms, he argued, should aim at "a certain unique or single effect." His theory of short fiction is best exemplified in Ligeia (1838), the tale Poe considered his finest, and The Fall Of The House Of Usher (1839), which was to become one of his most famous stories.
The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) is sometimes considered the first detective story. Exemplary among his musical, mellifluous verses are The Raven (1845) and The Bells (1849)."

"Virginia's death in January 1847 was a heavy blow, but Poe continued to write and lecture. In the summer of 1849 he revisited Richmond, lectured, and was accepted anew by the fiancee he had lost in 1826. After his return north he was found unconscious on a Baltimore street. In a brief obituary the Baltimore Clipper reported that Poe had died of "congestion of the brain.""

Robert Regan

Donate Your Old Fur to PETA

2006-03-27T20:23:00.000-05:00

Did you know that PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) will accept donated furs and you are also entitled to a charitable deduction for it? So, if you have inherited a relative's fur coat or bought one before you were "enlightened", break the cycle and donate it to PETA. PETA uses the furs in educational efforts, etc. After all, didn't the fur look best on its original owner? Unless you live in a cave and need it to keep from freezing, there is no longer a legitimate reason to wear fur. If you still want to go the "vanity" route, there are lots of trendy fun options in "fake" fur. Also, did you know if you have purchased a fur recently, you might also be wearing Kitty Fluffy or Doggie Rover since China exports such companion animals skins as "fur." Go to www.furisdead.com/donate.asp for more info as to where to mail your fur.

And one more note: J-LO GIVE UP THE FURS!!!!!!!!!

The Life of Paul Cezanne

2006-03-26T11:23:00.000-05:00

Paul Cezanne: Transitional Artist/Post Impressionism

Below is the best info I could find on the web on Paul Cezanne. It gives more of a personal overview of his life. It is also interesting to note the different stylistic periods that he as well as all artists experience in their lives. The painting (House on a Hill) above is by far my favorite of all his works since it really shows the raw beginnings of cubism.

"The French painter Paul Cézanne, who exhibited little in his lifetime and pursued his interests increasingly in artistic isolation, is regarded today as one of the great forerunners of modern painting, both for the way that he evolved of putting down on canvas exactly what his eye saw in nature and for the qualities of pictorial form that he achieved through a unique treatment of space, mass, and color.
Cézanne was a contemporary of the impressionists, but he went beyond their interests in the individual brushstroke and the fall of light onto objects, to create, in his words, ``something more solid and durable, like the art of the museums.''

"Cézanne was born at Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on Jan. 19, 1839. He went to school in Aix, forming a close friendship with the novelist Emile Zola. He also studied law there from 1859 to 1861, but at the same time he continued attending drawing classes. Against the implacable resistance of his father, he made up his mind that he wanted to paint and in 1861 joined Zola in Paris. His father's reluctant consent at that time brought him financial support and, later, a large inheritance on which he could live without difficulty. In Paris he met Camille Pissarro and came to know others of the impressionist group, with whom he would exhibit in 1874 and 1877. Cézanne, however, remained an outsider to their circle; from 1864 to 1869 he submitted his work to the official SALON and saw it consistently rejected. His paintings of 1865-70 form what is usually called his early ``romantic'' period. Extremely personal in character, it deals with bizarre subjects of violence and fantasy in harsh, somber colors and extremely heavy paintwork."

"Thereafter, as Cézanne rejected that kind of approach and worked his way out of the obsessions underlying it, his art is conveniently divided into three phases. In the early 1870s, through a mutually helpful association with Pissarro, with whom he painted outside Paris at Auvers, he assimilated the principles of color and lighting of Impressionism and loosened up his brushwork; yet he retained his own sense of mass and the interaction of planes, as in House of the Hanged Man (1873; Musee d'Orsay, Paris)."

"In the late 1870s Cézanne entered the phase known as ``constructive,'' characterized by the grouping of parallel, hatched brushstrokes in formations that build up a sense of mass in themselves. He continued in this style until the early 1890s, when, in his series of paintings titled Card Players (1890-92), the upward curvature of the players' backs creates a sense of architectural solidity and thrust, and the intervals between figures and objects have the appearance of live cells of space and atmosphere."

"Finally, living as a solitary in Aix rather than alternating between the south and Paris, Cézanne moved into his late phase. Now he concentrated on a few basic subjects: still lifes of studio objects built around such recurring elements as apples, statuary, and tablecloths; studies of bathers, based upon the male model and drawing upon a combination of memory, earlier studies, and sources in the art of the past; and successive views of the Mont Sainte-Victoire, a nearby landmark, painted from his studio looking across the intervening valley. The landscapes of the final years, much affected by Cézanne's contemporaneous practice in watercolor, have a more transparent and unfinished look, while the last figure paintings are at once more somber and spiritual in mood. By the time of his death on Oct. 22, 1906, Cézanne's art had begun to be shown and seen across Europe, and it became a fundamental influence on the Fauves, the cubists, and virtually all advanced art of the early 20th century."

My Email is: Contractattorneydc@yahoo.com

2006-03-24T15:10:00.000-05:00

Any suggestions for future posts? Any comments? Email me! Do not email me if:

1.) you are a scientologist and want to recruit me
and/or
2.) you have "issues"
and/or
3.) you want to know my identity.

As Dr. Phil says "It's time to get REAL!!!"

Scientology Thoughts ;)

2006-03-24T08:57:00.000-05:00

Since Kirstie Alley is a practicing Scientologist, why did she need to go to Jenny Craig to lose weight? Couldn't she have just hooked up a Scientology "e-meter" and got rid of a couple of her bad "thetans"? I wonder how much a Thetan weighs? ;)

Thought for the Day :(

2006-03-22T20:24:00.000-05:00

Did you ever notice that the women who typically yell the loudest about being "pro choice", will nine times out of ten be the first to criticize a woman who CHOOSES to have a large family? They are also the first to rant about running into soccer moms with their "noisy brats" in public. I guess by pro choice they really meant their Choice (NO children) and not the individual's choice after all. :(

Thought for the Day--"AWESOME DUDE!!" ;)

2006-03-19T11:52:00.000-05:00

I am always entertained by several attorneys who use this phrase which has to be about twenty years out of date. One day I actually counted and three attorneys (not recent graduates and over 30 years old) used this phrase 51 times in an hour. If you are not a 10 year old surfer boy from California or Bart Simpson, try another phrase on occasion. Not every mundane thing is awesome. You sound just plain silly! ;)

What is Lent?

2006-03-16T20:58:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Lent
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI FOR LENT 2006
“Jesus, at the sight of the crowds, was moved with pity” ( Mt 9:36 )
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Lent is a privileged time of interior pilgrimage towards Him Who is the fount of mercy. It is a pilgrimage in which He Himself accompanies us through the desert of our poverty, sustaining us on our way towards the intense joy of Easter. Even in the “valley of darkness” of which the Psalmist speaks ( Ps 23:4), while the tempter prompts us to despair or to place a vain hope in the work of our own hands, God is there to guard us and sustain us. Yes, even today the Lord hears the cry of the multitudes longing for joy, peace, and love. As in every age, they feel abandoned. Yet, even in the desolation of misery, loneliness, violence and hunger that indiscriminately afflict children, adults, and the elderly, God does not allow darkness to prevail. In fact, in the words of my beloved Predecessor, Pope John Paul II, there is a “divine limit imposed upon evil”, namely, mercy ( Memory and Identity, pp. 19ff. ). It is with these thoughts in mind that I have chosen as my theme for this Message the Gospel text: “Jesus, at the sight of the crowds, was moved with pity” ( Mt 9:36).
In this light, I would like to pause and reflect upon an issue much debated today: the question of development. Even now, the compassionate “gaze” of Christ continues to fall upon individuals and peoples. He watches them, knowing that the divine “plan” includes their call to salvation. Jesus knows the perils that put this plan at risk, and He is moved with pity for the crowds. He chooses to defend them from the wolves even at the cost of His own life. The gaze of Jesus embraces individuals and multitudes, and he brings them all before the Father, offering Himself as a sacrifice of expiation.
Enlightened by this Paschal truth, the Church knows that if we are to promote development in its fulness, our own “gaze” upon mankind has to be measured against that of Christ. In fact, it is quite impossible to separate the response to people's material and social needs from the fulfilment of the profound desires of their hearts. This has to be emphasized all the more in today's rapidly changing world, in which our responsibility towards the poor emerges with ever greater clarity and urgency. My venerable Predecessor, Pope Paul VI, accurately described the scandal of underdevelopment as an outrage against humanity. In this sense, in the Encyclical Populorum Progressio , he denounced “the lack of material necessities for those who are without the minimum essential for life, the moral deficiencies of those who are mutilated by selfishness” and “oppressive social structures, whether due to the abuses of ownership or to the abuses of power, to the exploitation of workers or to unjust transactions” ( ibid ., 21). As the antidote to such evil, Paul VI suggested not only “increased esteem for the dignity of others, the turning towards the spirit of poverty, cooperation for the common good, the will and desire for peace”, but also “the acknowledgement by man of supreme values, and of God, their source and their finality” ( ibid. ). In this vein, the Pope went on to propose that, finally and above all, there is “faith, a gift of God accepted by the good will of man, and unity in the charity of Christ” ( ibid. ). Thus, the “gaze” of Christ upon the crowd impels us to affirm the true content of this “complete humanism” that, according to Paul VI, consists in the “fully-rounded development of the whole man and of all men” ( ibid ., 42). For this reason, the primary contribution that the Church offers to the development of mankind and peoples does not consist merely in material means or technical solutions. Rather, it involves the proclamation of the truth of Christ, Who educates consciences and teaches the authentic dignity of the person and of work; it means the promotion of a culture that truly responds to all the questions of humanity.
In the face of the terrible challenge of poverty afflicting so much of the world's population, indifference and self-centered isolation stand in stark contrast to the “gaze” of Christ. Fasting and almsgiving, which, together with prayer, the Church proposes in a special way during the Lenten Season, are suitable means for us to become conformed to this “gaze”. The examples of the saints and the long history of the Church's missionary activity provide invaluable indications of the most effective ways to support development. Even in this era of global interdependence, it is clear that no economic, social, or political project can replace that gift of self to another through which charity is expressed. Those who act according to the logic of the Gospel live the faith as friendship with God Incarnate and, like Him, bear the burden of the material and spiritual needs of their neighbours. They see it as an inexhaustible mystery, worthy of infinite care and attention. They know that he who does not give God gives too little; as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta frequently observed, the worst poverty is not to know Christ. Therefore, we must help others to find God in the merciful face of Christ. Without this perspective, civilization lacks a solid foundation.
Thanks to men and women obedient to the Holy Spirit, many forms of charitable work intended to promote development have arisen in the Church: hospitals, universities, professional formation schools, and small businesses. Such initiatives demonstrate the genuine humanitarian concern of those moved by the Gospel message, far in advance of other forms of social welfare. These charitable activities point out the way to achieve a globalization that is focused upon the true good of mankind and, hence, the path towards authentic peace. Moved like Jesus with compassion for the crowds, the Church today considers it her duty to ask political leaders and those with economic and financial power to promote development based on respect for the dignity of every man and woman. An important litmus test for the success of their efforts is religious liberty, understood not simply as the freedom to proclaim and celebrate Christ, but also the opportunity to contribute to the building of a world enlivened by charity. These efforts have to include a recognition of the central role of authentic religious values in responding to man's deepest concerns, and in supplying the ethical motivation for his personal and social responsibilities. These are the criteria by which Christians should assess the political programmes of their leaders.
We cannot ignore the fact that many mistakes have been made in the course of history by those who claimed to be disciples of Jesus. Very often, when having to address grave problems, they have thought that they should first improve this world and only afterwards turn their minds to the next. The temptation was to believe that, in the face of urgent needs, the first imperative was to change external structures. The consequence, for some, was that Christianity became a kind of moralism, ‘believing' was replaced with ‘doing'. Rightly, therefore, my Predecessor, Pope John Paul II, of blessed memory, observed: “The temptation today is to reduce Christianity to merely human wisdom, a pseudo-science of well-being. In our heavily secularized world, a ‘gradual secularization of salvation' has taken place, so that people strive for the good of man, but man who is truncated…We know, however, that Jesus came to bring integral salvation” ( Redemptoris Missio , 11).
It is this integral salvation that Lent puts before us, pointing towards the victory of Christ over every evil that oppresses us. In turning to the Divine Master, in being converted to Him, in experiencing His mercy through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we will discover a “gaze” that searches us profoundly and gives new life to the crowds and to each one of us. It restores trust to those who do not succumb to scepticism, opening up before them the perspective of eternal beatitude. Throughout history, even when hate seems to prevail, the luminous testimony of His love is never lacking. To Mary, “the living fount of hope” (Dante Alighieri, Paradiso , XXXIII, 12), we entrust our Lenten journey, so that she may lead us to her Son. I commend to her in particular the multitudes who suffer poverty and cry out for help, support, and understanding. With these sentiments, I cordially impart to all of you a special Apostolic Blessing.
From the Vatican, 29 September, 2005.
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

Fashion "Don'ts" For Contract Attorneys ;)

2006-03-15T20:58:00.000-05:00

Please note that these tips are not needed for the majority of contract attorneys. These fashion tips may also not be applicable to those of us of currently assigned to a boiler room or basement. But someone needs to shout the following to a few of you all!!!

1.) Ladies AND Gentlemen: A belt is a fashion accessory. Its purpose is to hold up your pants/slacks and give them a finished look. A belt is NOT a place for the following: large key chain rings with 2 dozen keys; cell phones, or any other similar items. Hard working cable employees and electricians have a legitimate business need to attach such items to their belts...you do not.
2.) Tennis Shoes. If you are working in a law firm or in any sort of non-basement setting, your old dirty tennis shoes will not make you seem athletic, hip or young. They just make you look sloppy.
3.) Ladies: Wearing all black day in and day out will not make you "hip" if you were not born that way. It simply shows a lack of imagination. How much trouble is it to add a sweater or shirt in a color other than black? In addition, after a few washings, black fades worse than any other color and begins to look old.
4.) Ladies: Skirts are not the enemy of any woman. Virtually any woman looks decent in a skirt. Wearing a skirt on occasion will not make you weak or helpless or cause Gloria Steinem to chase you down the hallway with a meat cleaver for setting back the women's movement. If she does, you should be able to outrun her anyway.
5.) Hose. If you wear a skirt, PLEASE wear hose. It looks like you are playing dress up in your mommy's clothes and you forgot something. The look is not finished. And if you are working in a cold building, the hose have the wonderful property of keeping your legs warm!
6.) Color. Men who wear pink are not sissies...unless they are wearing pink tafetta dresses...just kidding. Dress shirts in nice colors other than the standard "I am as interesting as Dilbert" blue are a good thing.
7.) The safari khaki look went out long time ago. Even when it was in, it was scary. Avoid it at all costs.
8.) Wear your clothes and not vice versa. I recall working with a woman one time who bragged constantly about her fashion expertise. But she was so overdressed in overly "trendy" clothes that she always stood out in a negative way.
9.) Pleaseeeeeeeeee if you are over 25, leave the backpack at home. You are not still in school. Guys, try a cloth type satchel/briefcase if you do not want a formal look briefcase.
10.) Dress to blend in with the other contract attorneys but still be unique. This is not a money issue. Expensive can still look bad if you make the wrong choices.

I had a hard time distilling this list to only ten items. More items may follow in the future. This list is also not meant as a green light to pick on the 65 year old lady contract attorney who wears tennis shoes because her feet hurt. I am sure your feet will hurt too when you are 65.

Copyright 2006 by Anonymous Contract Attorney

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Post a Greeting this Week to your Fellow Contract Attorneys!

2006-03-11T20:37:00.000-05:00

This Friday is Saint Patrick's Day. The History channel website at www.historychannel.com has great info on Saint Patrick including a history of Ireland quiz (I just barely got two thirds correct).
"Who Was St. Patrick?St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling."
"Taken Prisoner By Irish Raiders -It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.) Guided By Visions-After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice—which he believed to be God's—spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland."
"To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation—an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission—to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland.) Bonfires and CrossesFamiliar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. (Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion). The Irish culture centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. When this is considered, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick's life became exaggerated over the centuries—spinning exciting tales to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life ." One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. This stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day. The St. Patrick's Day custom came to America in 1737. That was the first year St. Patrick's Day was publicly celebrated in this country, in Boston.

Grant Wood ("American Gothic" painting) Exhibit opens at the Renwick this Friday** Go See it!!!

2006-03-08T13:06:00.000-05:00

I know everyone is talking about the big Cezanne exhibit at the National Gallery of Art but I think an even better exhibit opens at the Renwick Gallery this Friday. Grant Wood's "American Gothic" painting (1930) will be there as well as many other pieces related to his life. The "American Gothic" painting of a farmer and his daughter is truly a high point in American Art. Wood asked his dentist and his sister to pose for this painting. When the painting was first exhibited, it caused quite a commotion. This is the first time the painting has left the Chicago Art Institute in 40 years. The Renwick Gallery is part of the Smithsonian museum. So take a break from temp work and GO See It!!! :)

Thought for the Day... ;)

2006-03-08T13:03:00.000-05:00

I recently overheard a woman asked what her religion was. She replied she was a "Wiccan" (I am not kidding and neither was she). I thought....isn't it funny... how all those "wiccan women"... kind of....look alike? ;)

Need Common Sense Advice?

2006-03-05T13:30:00.000-05:00

Post an issue or question.

Top Ten "Interesting" Contract Attorney Types I have Observed in the Wilds of the DC Metro Area

2006-03-04T17:42:00.000-05:00

The ones who are fabulously wealthy. This includes the women who tell me they shop only at Nordstroms (but I recognize their sweater and slacks on sale at the GAP for $29.99 :)) This also includes the woman who told me she had the biggest house in Potomac, Maryland. 2. The ones who will tell you about their good "celebrity friends" or relatives that are celebrities. I met one who regularly had the Washington Redskins over for dinner weekly!
3. The "busybodies." These are temps who do not have much of a life or interests outside of temp world so they will regularly run around gossiping all day long about the most mundane things (I would like to say they usually get cut early on in a project but this does not always happen). 4. Let's not forget the temps who will latch onto another temp and want him/her to be their new best buddy. They will often try to copy the way the other temp dresses and speaks and IM them at home every time they get online. Do not give them your real EMAIL address !!! 5. And now for the catty ones who will try to gang up on one or two people (usually out of jealousy and/or because these temps decline to hang around with the negative catty ones). I think Freud would have had a field day with these people. 6. Beware this category more than any!! The Drama QUEENS (includes males and females). These people cannot enter a room without the whole room knowing that they have arrived . And, if they are sick, they want the whole group/workroom to know about their doctor appointment and how sick they are. Of course, they will be loud and chipper sounding but still find, by the grace of God the strength to run errands on their "extended" lunch time and then, via still another miracle, go out after work. These people may also be "wanna be" performance artist types who never seem to have any real artist related commitments. 7. The occasional office "party boy" who will quickly gain the reputation of hitting on every female in the group. He never realizes that most of the females know what he is doing. He will email 2 or more women in the same hour and invite them out. These guys remain clueless as to why the nice females run in the other direction and the always free at the last minute "party girl" accepts their invitation. This "party boy" may also exhibit the behavior of bringing along a "wingman" to help him chat up each female, typically in a hallway. He is also careful only to speak to the various females away from the main group so the other females will not observe his behavior. He and his "wingman" (typically with the "wingman" doing most of the talking) will try to convince the unsuspecting female as to what nice guys they really are. 8. Now for equal time...Let's include the office "party girl" who plays up to every guy in the group and none of these guys get the fact that they are not "unique" and "special" to her. It is about quantity (not quality) and competition. Unlike the office "party boy", she typically runs arounds in a clique of guys (usually not the best looking guys in the group). The majority of the males tire of her behavior and lack of substance after a few weeks or months and then may attempt to reconnect with one of the nicer female temps. However, by this time, the nicer female temps have tired of these shallow guys and have moved on. 9. There are of course the occasional contract attorneys who will take your head off over the simplest question and seem to harbor a great deal of resentment if you are even remotely happy in your life. They typically come in late most days, put in the least amount of hours and resent the ones who are consistently at work on time. They may suddenly explode with little notice and may verbally attack the nice and/or quiet temp whom they think will accept their behavior with no response. 10. Now this category is truly my favorite. It includes the more quiet than not and hardworking contract attorneys who are simply there to work and not treat anyone badly. They show up on time, treat the work as a real job and do not cause any trouble (unless forced to stand up for themselves). To the ones in this category, I truly like ya ALL!!!

Welcome to Contract Attorney World

2006-03-04T17:33:00.000-05:00

The purpose of this blog is to showcase in a somewhat humorous but accurate manner the "interesting world" of attorney temps. I have secretly studied the behaviorial habits of captive attorney temps, how they use tools, make signals and seek comfort. This blog does not focus on different legal temp agencies and law firms. I am a nice anonymous contract attorney who is pursuing her PHD in interdisciplinary studies on contract attorneys. I believe that the best things in life are the simple things. So if you have an interesting story about your life in or out of temp world, feel free to post it here but keep it clean :)