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.
We chose to go to the moon. We did so because we had faith in our leadership, our will, and our abilities. And we won. A clean win, no critical review, just plain victory. We beat the Russians there because we were better. We should remember that time.
Out where the handclasp’s a little stronger, Out where the smile dwells a little longer, That’s where the West begins; Out where the sun is a little brighter, Where the snows that fall are a trifle whiter; Where the bonds of home are a wee bit tighter; That’s where the West begins. Out where the … More Out Where the West Begins
Here is what President Reagan said at the Brandenburg Gate thirty years ago this June about the Berlin wall: “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down … More Mr. Trump, Tear Down This Wall!
Men in the rough–on the trails all new-broken– Those are the friends we remember with tears; Few are the words that such comrades have spoken– Deeds are their tributes that last through the years. Men in the rough–sons of prairie and mountain– Children of nature, warm-hearted, clear eyed; Friendship with them is a never-sealed fountain; … More Men in the Rough
Winston Churchill – then Prime Minister for less than a month, then gave a taste of his courageous leadership in the House of Commons, June 4th, 1940, following the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk: We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas … More Fight on the Beaches
The prairie zephyrs have dropped to rest, And the dust-clouds settle down; The sun dips low in the golden west, O’er the mesa bare and brown. The wearied riders come loping in, As the hills grow dim and strange, And the songs of the insect world begin– ‘Tis a night on a cattle range. The … More A Cattle Range At Night
It is remarkable how many cultural icons began with television in the 1960’s. The first six notes of Giligan’s Island brings to mind a silly plot line yet we watched it. One merely has to say “phasers on stun” and we all recall Star Trek. And who can forget the introduction of The Outer Limits? There is nothing wrong … More Do Not Attempt to Adjust Your Television Set
Recently, in my homey podcast studio, I was pleased to invite a remarkable local talent in to talk about his career, life and the best a man can offer, an individual guitar style that leaves the listener with the knowledge that it is all going to turn out OK. Like a music locomotive Ford … More Ford Giesbrecht – Guitarist
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by, And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking, And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn … More Sea Fever
My children grew up in Lynnwood, Washington. I am afraid it didn’t have the same epic warm feeling to it as Robert Redford’s A River Runs Through It. Lynnwood is not Montana and there is no fly fishing there. By the time I heard lawyer Jeff Tolman of Poulsbo Washington tell us he had driven … More Lynnwood; Where My Children Were Raised: A Freeway Runs Through It
Lawyers Road Review 