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February 8th, 2013

Of Damsels in Distress & Lawyers, Part II

Following up on yesterday’s flamethrowing broadside…This morning Sherry and I visited with her legal counsel, “Attorney B.”

Let’s just say that communication is important if you want people to know what you are thinking and doing. Sherry had been communicating, but had Attorney B?

Attorney B admitted that (it turned out) his files were incomplete, that there was no record of Sherry having paid her bills (she had), her contact information was inexplicably incorrect, all of his letters and document copies to her were going to the defendant (!) and not to her…man, it read like a Murphy’s Law of what can go wrong will go wrong with your case.

But, Attorney B apologized earnestly, kept his head on straight, didn’t get defensive, got his file straightened out, and is now moving forward. He called me (and Sherry) not long ago to apologize again and commit to making sure the case is properly handled going forward. Good guy. He impressed me, because so many professionals, including and maybe even especially attorneys, cannot accept or admit their own mistakes.

Attorney B, if someone asked me what you are like, I’d say you are a true professional. Mistakes happen, even bad ones. The question comes down to how they are rectified. It’s kind of scary for all of us to have reached this particular point in this particular case, but you got Sherry redirected in the right direction. You ate your humble crow pie like a man. Frankly, you’re an inspiration to me, a guy who has to eat humble crow pie more than your average dude because of my own gregarious and informal personality.

The nice ending to this is that Sherry goes home after a long week of working hard, snuggles up with her man and a glass of wine, and can rest easier, knowing that her advocates are going to bat for her and making headway. Three cheers to good people all around.

Now for my own glass of wine….

By Josh • Posted in Fruit of Contemplation • No Comment
February 6th, 2013

Incompetent Lawyers, Take Notice

Sherry cleans our home. She is a working lady, a nice lady, and she is going through a divorce with a man who stole her identity in order to make money illegally.

Two years ago Sherry retained a local attorney for $2,000, to handle the divorce.

Two years later, the attorney has done exactly zero for her. When I called the Dauphin County Prothonotary’s office this afternoon to determine the status of Sherry’s divorce proceedings, I was shocked to learn that “Attorney B” had literally done nothing but take her money. Making matters worse is the fact that every time she calls Attorney B to find out what he has done for her, he sends her a new bill. And then he does…nothing.

So here we go again: Loser man takes advantage of vulnerable woman. Only this time it’s the attorney who is supposed to represent her.

Naturally, as those of you who know me would expect, I called Attorney B’s office and breathed fire. Sadly, he wasn’t available to talk to me, and his assistant, Rita, a nice lady, had to listen to it. She also had to listen to Sherry, who broke down and cried on the phone. Sherry lost her home, her possessions, her credit rating to her thieving husband. Lawyer failure was the icing on the cake.

Refund Sherry’s money and withdraw as counsel, I demanded. Anything else, and I am coming after his law license. Committing legal malpractice is one thing. Committing fraud on a legal client is another thing altogether, and I will not stand by and let it happen.

Am I wrong?

And one more thing: This is what happens when guys like me do when we hear women like Sherry crying. We go nuts, in defense of them. In a combat situation, if I were to hear Sherry crying out in pain from a wound, my instinct to protect her would take over, or it would be in competition with my instinct to carry the fight forward to the enemy. For you proponents of women in mixed combat units, this is one of the main concerns out there. Men are naturally wired to protect and defend, and sometimes the best defense is a good offense. But rushing to someone’s defense can compromise that good offense and place the mission at risk.

Back to Attorney B: Take notice, you dirtball. Do the right thing, or your law license becomes my cause celebre. And note to your Of Counsel, Bill, whom I like: Do you want this to become an election issue? Get it solved, gentlemen.

By Josh • Posted in Fruit of Contemplation • No Comment
February 5th, 2013

Why I am against “gun control” in a nutshell

I am against “gun control” because it has no correlation with crime control.
Police are not required to protect individual citizens from harm, but rather to provide for the general peace.
So now we have government officials who want to remove my ability to defend myself. But they will not provide for my defense, nor will they be accountable for either failing to protect me, or for eliminating my ability to protect myself.
This is the definition of failed government. It is all about control, and nothing about serving the citizens that give it legitimacy.
This is the situation in England, where law-abiding citizens are disarmed, and self-defense is punishable and is actually often punished more harshly than the criminal act that initiated the defense.
British activist Piers Morgan pretends to be a journalist, but he is an advocate for policies that clearly violate America’s Constitution, a document created to protect Americans against people like Mr. Morgan.
That’s why I am against “gun control.”

By Josh • Posted in Government Of the People... • No Comment
February 3rd, 2013

Freedom! Braveheart Arrives in Pennsylvania

What joy to buy beer at Giant. What freedom!
Why shouldn’t a free people be able to buy beer easily, especially for a celebration like SuperBowl Sunday?

Historically, beer and spirits were widely available in early America. Ben Franklin quipped that beer was proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. How could a nation conceived in liberty become so shackled?

Last week Pennsylvania took a step toward more freedom, when governor Tom Corbett proposed to liberate alcohol from the clutches of government stores. America is based on competition and free enterprise, and government has no business doing business, so it’s a good thing to see this issue finally floated in a meaningful and substantive way.

Pennsylvania is one of only two states nationwide to be in the alcohol business. Obviously there’s no strength in those numbers.

Some political observers say this is about a public employee union. Say what? Who with a straight face can argue that the citizens are best served under this current state of state control? All other issues fade away, vanish, under real considerations.

Good luck, Guv.

We who join Ben Franklin in his observation that a beer or tip o’ the cup are part of being human tip our cup to you, Governor.

By Josh • Posted in Government Of the People... • No Comment
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