In case you’re new to f/k/a, we wanted to point out that we’re not always cranky and dissatisfied around here. Here are a few positive things we saw online today:
Prof. Mark Liberman at Language Log, while discussing
concocted debates and some nasty stereotyping of scholars
(explained by White Bear in “are academics bitchy?“), gives
us all a great reminder of what it takes to make good conver-
sation. Mark says he appreciates discussions — even if
virtual — that have “the characteristics that Russell Baker
identifies as ‘classic conversational etiquette’:”
“Both participants listen attentively to each other; neither
tries to promote himself by pleasing the other; both are
obviously enjoying an intellectual workout; neither spoils
the evening’s peaceable air by making a speech or letting
disagreement flare into anger; they do not make tedious
attempts to be witty.”
Mark concludes with a point that the the f/k/a Gang needs to
keep firmly in mind: “The blogging format tends to encourage
speechifying, I guess; but otherwise, the people that I respect
come out pretty well according to this standard of evaluation.”
Linda Greenhouse reports on a much less argumentative and less
stressful tone at the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts
(NYT, “In the Roberts Court, More Room for Argument,” May 3, 2006)
The justices are so much more patient with counsel and eachother
in court sessions, that: Practitioner Carter G. Phillips notes “You have
to be ready now to make some kind of affirmative presentation” in the
opening minutes of an argument, he said.
While we’ve been lamenting the failure of leading politicians to call
for energy conservation, it is very good to see that consumers (at least
the ones who can afford to buy or lease a new car) are doing something
about it: See Washington Post, “Car Buyers Scaled Down Last Month:
With Gas Prices Soaring, Small Cars Trump SUVs,” (May 3, 2006):
“Consumers reacted sharply to rising gasoline prices last month
and turned away from large sport-utility vehicles and other trucks
in favor of small cars and gas-electric hybrid vehicles.”
The Vatican, in what is clearly a gracious act of charity and
other-check-turning, is doing everything it can to make the movie
version of the book The DaVinci Code a huge success. (Reuters/Yahoo!,
“Boycott DaVinci Code film”: top Vatican Official, April 28, 2006) [Ed. note:
Prof Yabut snuck this blurb into this post.]
If you came here today hoping to improve your lawyering at depositions,
while thoroughly enjoying yourself, you win: learn about court reporter
Lucius Friedli in Jacob Stein’s latest “legal spectator” column for the
Washington Lawyer Magazine (May 2006). Weblogger heads-up: you’ll
find lots of quotable material in Stein’s column (as usual).
update (May 3, 10 PM): This is too good to wait until tomorrow: You can get a
sneak peak of “Antitrust in the USA, A Primer,” by Albert Foer, president of the
American Antitrust Institute, at the AAI website (AAI Working Paper No. 06-04,
May 3, 2006). The Working Paper is a draft chapter in a book to be published by the
Indian consumer organization CUTS – CCIER (Consumer Unity & Trust Society
— Centre for Competition, Investment and Economic Regulation), to be titled
Competition Regimes of the World – A Civil Society Report (Pp 670, Rs.1500/
US$150, ISBN 81-8257-064-6). The book “is a compilation that maps out com-
petition regimes around the world from the civil society perspective.” It covers
more than 100 countries. (brochure)
“quotemarksRS”
Foer’s 12-page (pdf.) AAI Working Paper provides an introductory overview of
antitrust in the U.S.A. [You can find annotated links to many other antitrust
primers in the AAI’s Guide to Antitrust Resources on the Web, at its Primers
Page].
spring rain
a bruise on my arm
from donating blood
lengthening shadows
a stray dog
joins the picnic
cherry blossoms
today the courage
to speak to her
almost dusk
an open door
to the lighthouse
long shadows
many places
to cross the creek
paul m from The Heron’s Nest
“sping rain” (April 2004)
“lengthening shadows” – (May 2004)
“cherry blossoms” (April 2003)
“long shadows” (Dec. 2003)
“almost dusk” (Dec. 2003)
May 3, 2006
something positive to say (really)
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