Pamela Casella: The Italian Renaissance
July 3, 2026
Would you rather speak to a crab boat operator or an opera singer? … More Pamela Casella: The Italian Renaissance
Author: markpattersonlaw
Born on the hottest day in 1958 in a hospital about a mile from my practice, son of a lawyer who was a lot like Atticus Finch, I have been appearing in court since I was a teenager. The people of my hometown are just plain folks who really dont understand how the outside world has made their lives complex. Thats where I have found work for I am schooled in the secret knowledge of lawyers. Enough about me, I now am told I should use this space to disclaim that anything I have said here or on any blog should be taken by the individual reader to constitute legal advice. Instead, if you think you have more than a passing interest in any topic I touch on, you should consult an attorney.
Ride of the Valkyries
June 7, 2026
There is nothing quite as thrilling as pressing the accelerator in whatever car you drive, and heading up the on ramp to the freeway, particularly if the car stereo plays the right music. Back when I had my old 1970 Mustang we called it the “Jump to Lightspeed”, borrowing a term from Star Wars. The … More Ride of the Valkyries
Uncle Steve Served in Vietnam
April 12, 2026
Stephen R. Patterson gave up a National Merit Scholarship to join the US Marines and fight in Vietnam.Judging by the ages of my sister and myself, this was likely taken before his unit was surrounded by the North Vietnamese in 1968 at Khe Sanh. The family home, Bellevue Idaho near the Wood River. Steve was … More Uncle Steve Served in Vietnam
Time Famine
January 1, 2026
It’s New Years again. The odometer of our lives rolls over and there doesn’t seem to be anyway to slow it down or stop it. The brake pedal has gone spongey and the accelerator is stuck. We never have enough time. Instead, we live in a time famine. I sense someone has hit the fast … More Time Famine
Parking in Seattle is an Existentialist Crisis
November 9, 2025
In Seattle the motorist is lost in a vast uncaring world and only finds meaning when he reaches the city limits on his way out. Street parking is dangerous. One can be easily trapped by those who park around your car when you have left it believing escape will be available at a moment’s notice. … More Parking in Seattle is an Existentialist Crisis
The Spring Races
April 13, 2025
The young know no limits. … More The Spring Races
A Soliloquy Upon the Eve of Trial
February 17, 2025
The night before a trial is a particularly poignant moment. I find I cannot organize what I am thinking for this post without some reference to antiquity, and recall those who also find it hard to sleep before such a battle. The soliloquy Upon the King from Henry V comes to mind. As William Shakespeare … More A Soliloquy Upon the Eve of Trial
John Hartman Patterson: The Dude Abides
January 19, 2025
Whatever you do, don’t work the middle school dance night. … More John Hartman Patterson: The Dude Abides
Christmas in England
December 22, 2024
There is nothing more delightful than Christmas in England. It is a peaceful time of joy and hope, and as I have come to believe, it is the experience of the British as a people that makes it so. This thesis has been long incubating in the back of my mind. Christmas dinner two years … More Christmas in England
The Pope’s Old Ford: Lessons in Simplicity
December 1, 2024
Fr. Karol Józef Wojtyła drove an ancient Ford Escort with a 1.1 liter engine and a 4 on the floor manual shifter. He kept a small tin for mints on the dashboard with an image of Our Lady on the lid. In this most holy expression of unassuming transport, he completed the journey from Poland … More The Pope’s Old Ford: Lessons in Simplicity
Lawyers Road Review 