Friday
Wednesday
Friday
Starve the inmates and get rich...
Amazing piece about this sheriff, finally jailed for essentially starving his inmates. Bear in mind, he spent less than $1.75 per day to feed them.
this is the guy...
this is the guy...
Sunday
Thank you Canada...
So it seems we're getting a very warm reception in the dead of winter north of the border.This, today's nice nod from the Globe and Mail...
CTV Raising the Bar (Jan. 9) Shades of Perry Mason: There are still signs of life in the TV legal drama. First broadcast on the U.S. cable channel TNT last September, this series hails from iconic TV producer Steven Bochco. Revisiting his days of L.A. Law, Bochco romanticizes and idealizes the lives of a handful of capable lawyers working opposite ends of the legal system – the district attorney's office and the public defender's office. Former Saved by the Bell star Mark-Paul Gosselaar, whom Bochco tapped to replace Rick Schroder on NYPD Blue several years back, takes on the central role of Jerry Kellerman, idealistic public defender drawn to hopeless cases. Jerry has an even more earnest boss, Rosalind, played by Canadian Gloria Reuben, and a formidable courtroom opponent in Nick Balco, played by another Canadian, Currie Graham, who succeeded Gosselaar on NYPD Blue (Bochco likes to work with the same people).
Former Malcolm in the Middle mom Jane Kaczmarek is grand as a hardball judge. The show was well-received and highly rated upon its U.S. debut, even with the distraction of Gosselaar's incredibly girly hairstyle.!
Shades of Perry Mason? I'll take that.
Thursday
Wednesday
Behind the Times...
Finally, the New York Times has gotten hip to passive solar homes, publishing, (a few days ago) The Energy Challenge - No Furnaces but Heat Aplenty in Innovative ‘Passive Houses.’ The piece is reasonably good, though it sadly, omitted Josef Kiraly, the architect of passive solar homes I pitched four years ago and profiled for Lexus in 2006.
And so while I'm sad they didn't include Josef, who is huge in his field, I'm glad they're giving the technology its due.
Oh, and Happy New Year All...
And so while I'm sad they didn't include Josef, who is huge in his field, I'm glad they're giving the technology its due.
Oh, and Happy New Year All...
The wisdom of pardons -
This first person account highlights both the importance of pardons and the continuing tragedy of Bush's failure to use them.
Tuesday
'Tis the Season to Be Generous
And what a wonderful thing it is to be recognized by a spot on The Nation's year end donation list. A big shout out to Katha, for including the Bronx Freedom Fund (of which I am a board member) in this year's list. We were even #2! How cool is that? And what does she say?
2. Bronx Freedom Fund. This year-old organization posts bail for indigent people awaiting trial on misdemeanor or nonviolent felony charges in New York City's poorest borough. These are men and women who without the fund would languish in jail for perhaps six months for lack of $500, including many who are innocent and would plead guilty just to be free. Of all clients bailed out, 95 percent have returned for every court appearance and half have had their cases dismissed. Bonus: money used to post bail is returned when the cases are over, so a single gift can keep on giving. Address: 860 Courtlandt Ave., Bronx, NY 10451;
To donate, Just go to BronxFreedomFund.org and click the "Donate Now" button.
2. Bronx Freedom Fund. This year-old organization posts bail for indigent people awaiting trial on misdemeanor or nonviolent felony charges in New York City's poorest borough. These are men and women who without the fund would languish in jail for perhaps six months for lack of $500, including many who are innocent and would plead guilty just to be free. Of all clients bailed out, 95 percent have returned for every court appearance and half have had their cases dismissed. Bonus: money used to post bail is returned when the cases are over, so a single gift can keep on giving. Address: 860 Courtlandt Ave., Bronx, NY 10451;
To donate, Just go to BronxFreedomFund.org and click the "Donate Now" button.
Defiance Rocks...
I just watched the screener of DEFIANCE, and it's terrific. Nothing I love more than some bad-assed fighting jews, struggling with moral questions in a forrest during the second world war. Really a must see. And sure Daniel Craig doesn't look jewish, but you know what? I was willing to accept his pretty blue eyes after about 15 minutes. As far as the guys who brought us 30-something? Amazing. Absolutely great stuff.
Saturday
Tuesday
Season One DVD...
In a few days, I'm off to LA again. Why? To record a bonus track for the DVD of Season 1 of RTB. I'm actually really looking forward to it. Somehow the physicality of a DVD set makes the whole endeavor seem very real and far more permanent.
Meanwhile, my program at the law school is fast approaching, and I'm trying hard to juggle everything. What suffers? This blog.
I'm hoping to post more soon, ideally on my new favorite target, those assholes who run the infomercials offering cash for gold. There should simply be a law preventing any precious metals dealer from paying a consumer less than 85 percent of the spot market price for fillings and jewelry. The idea that these folks send in valuable pieces for "ready cash" that represents a small portion of a tradable commodity's value is just outrageous...
Friday
Nightmare at Day Care
Over the years, I've read several accounts of the Wee Care case, but but this one, by Lona Manning does a fine job of exposing the reality of these awful cases.
Monday
Scooter Libby Pardon Countdown Clock...
With his approval rating hovering at historic lows, Bush 43 has little to lose by doling out political favors to his allies as he walks out the door. And if there is anything we've seen time and time again from this administration, it's the naked political rewarding of friends and punishment of enemies. Even though this president has no political capital left, fear not, he's going out a deficit spender. It is in this spirit that I hereby inaugurate the Scooter Libby Pardon Countdown Clock, which will count backwards until 4:25 PM Eastern Standard Time January 24th, 2008, at which time, I predict president Bush will Pardon Libby and perhaps a few others...
Saturday
Citing Workload, More Public Defenders Are Refusing New Cases
As the economy continues to go south, and budgets continue to get slashed, we're in for a long hard fight to try to maintain even the barest of minimum standards. What's strange, of course, is that politicians don't see how arrest and enforcement patterns are the problem. Anyway, this has been a long time coming.
My favorite bit of the piece:
"On one day in April, Ms. Weber had 13 cases set for trial, so she had to arrange for delays in all but one. That same day, James A. Simons, 59, who was in jail on child pornography charges, was offered a plea: one year in prison. Ms. Weber said she simply had no time to discuss the offer with him, but that he would have accepted it and ended his case.
Not receiving an immediate agreement, prosecutors gathered more evidence and rescinded the one-year offer. Mr. Simons ultimately had to accept a five-year sentence. “My client suffered and it makes me feel terrible,” Ms. Weber said"
Who among us hasn't been there?
My favorite bit of the piece:
"On one day in April, Ms. Weber had 13 cases set for trial, so she had to arrange for delays in all but one. That same day, James A. Simons, 59, who was in jail on child pornography charges, was offered a plea: one year in prison. Ms. Weber said she simply had no time to discuss the offer with him, but that he would have accepted it and ended his case.
Not receiving an immediate agreement, prosecutors gathered more evidence and rescinded the one-year offer. Mr. Simons ultimately had to accept a five-year sentence. “My client suffered and it makes me feel terrible,” Ms. Weber said"
Who among us hasn't been there?
Friday
Monday
That's all folks...
Tonight marks the end of Season 1 of Raising the Bar.
Hope some of you enjoyed it. We've got 15 more on the way...
Hope some of you enjoyed it. We've got 15 more on the way...
Thursday
Been a while...
Sorry for the delay in posting. It's been a busy few weeks--a week in California breaking stories and starting to figure out the longer character arcs for season two. There has also been lots of work at the law school getting next semester's courses staffed and scheduled. (And of course there is my obsessive checking of Fivethirtyeight.com and pollster.com.) So sorry about that. It's my hope that I will return to a bit more personal blogging in the next few months.
For those of you that have written to be or posted comments about the show, thanks so much. It seems from an initial bout of skepticism, there is a growing sense of approval and appreciation, which, of course, I greatly appreciate. So thanks for your thoughts and comments.
Tonight, I'm off to South Georgia for the "Big Pig Jig" a massive BBQ competition that my friend Pete (a proud member of the "prime time swine" BBQ team) describes as "redneck mardi-gras." Should be a pork-filled load of fun. I'll post pictures if I can, and meanwhile, enjoy the RTB marathon monday where TNT will show every episode back to back...
For those of you that have written to be or posted comments about the show, thanks so much. It seems from an initial bout of skepticism, there is a growing sense of approval and appreciation, which, of course, I greatly appreciate. So thanks for your thoughts and comments.
Tonight, I'm off to South Georgia for the "Big Pig Jig" a massive BBQ competition that my friend Pete (a proud member of the "prime time swine" BBQ team) describes as "redneck mardi-gras." Should be a pork-filled load of fun. I'll post pictures if I can, and meanwhile, enjoy the RTB marathon monday where TNT will show every episode back to back...
Sunday
Friday
Tuesday
Kenya Detains U.S. Author Critical of Obama - NYTimes.com
Paperwork can take a while. So I wonder whether they'll deport him on, say, November 6th or so.
Thursday
Socializing Risk, Privatizing Profit...
Ok, it's off topic, but I have to weigh in on this bailout situation. It's not that I'm against injecting liquidity into the economy, it seems clear that's necessary, nor am I even dead set against the idea of buying some bad securities. What I'm against is allowing greedy billionaires to suck down more cash like its Schlitz in a frat house beer bong.
Our government needs to learn from Sweden, which back in the early 90's put about 4 percent of it's GDP into a bailout. The thing is, it took equity positions in the places it saved, requiring banks and other distressed companies to hurt shareholders and rich directors as well.
Now personally, I wouldn't mind seeing the FBI compile a list of the 25,000 people who profited most from this--the biggest conspiracy to defraud in several generations, and offer everyone on that list amnesty in exchange for disgorging 20% of the money they've made in the past four years from all this. But as usual, the calls to "just move on" will leave the Billionaires safe on their yachts swigging vintage champagne, while the hard working people of middle america mortgage their children's futures to pay for yet another case of Cristal.
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my controversial book about a day in my life as Public Defender in the South Bronx is finally available for Kindle and Ipad.
