Put this tale in my Only in Schenectady (I Hope) File:
John McKeraghan’s obituary says that he “passed away unexpectedly Oct. 25, 2007 at Ellis Hospital, Schenectady.” (“John J. McKeraghan, 23,” cnylink.com, Oneonta, NY, Oct. 25, 2007). McKeraghan was a 23-three-year-old, self-employed welder, from Earlville, NY, who had moved back to Schenectady a couple months earlier. His death was surely “unexpected” and shocking for his family and friends, but was not surprising — after he was stabbed in the back by a friend (32-year old Joseph Bell) during an argument that Thursday night in Schenectady.
While murder is a rare result, it’s surely not unusual for two young men dating two sisters to have words and issues. One of the men living behind the other’s apartment building in a van might create more opportunities for conflict to arise; and the stress of a life that includes frequent meals at the City Mission could aggravate their other issues. Still, this mid-argument murder seems especially sad and tragic, when you consider what the men were ostensibly arguing about: how to care for the long-time girlfriend of the murder victim, while she was having an epileptic seizure. (See “Police say bad blood led to stabbing death,” WNYT13, Oct. 26, 2007)
mid-argument–
a bumblebee
stumbles in clover………………….. by Matt Morden – from Stumbles in Clover (Snapshot Press, 2007; order form); orig. pub. The Heron’s Nest (Oct. 2001)
According to the Albany Times Union (Oct. 27, 2007): “Less than 24 hours after police say he plunged a kitchen knife into the back of a young man who was assisting a sick woman, a bleary-eyed Joseph Bell Jr. insisted Friday the slaying was an accident.”
Confessed murderer Joseph Bell
“This is for the record,” Bell . . announced to a reporter and two correction officers in an interview at the Schenectady County Jail. “I didn’t mean to kill him. I just wanted scare to him. One thing led to another and that happened. I’m sorry that happened.”
Police and witness told the TU:
“Shortly before 6:30 Thursday night, McKeraghan’s ex-girlfriend, 39-year-old Bette Lewinski, suffered a seizure on the back porch of Bell’s Summit Avenue home, according to police and Lewinski. McKeraghan, familiar with Lewinski’s illness, came to her aid, she said.
“For reasons that remained unclear Friday, McKeraghan and Bell quarreled over whether Lewinski should be treated inside or outside the home, Schenectady County District Attorney Robert M. Carney said.”
” . . . The dispute allegedly culminated with Bell grabbing the knife and stabbing McKeraghan once in the back.”
The article notes that McKeraghan had just returned to the home after having dinner at the City Mission on Hamilton Street, where an altercation between Bell and another person “may have agitated Bell before the incident.” Ms. Lewinski [referred to in press accounts as his girlfriend, ex-girlfriend, fiancee and ex-fiancee] would not discuss what had triggered the fight, “other than saying there had been a rivalry between McKeraghan and Bell, who police said was dating Lewinski’s sister.”
There was a candlelight vigil held outside the apartment building the night after the murder, with much praise for the victim. “He was a beautiful, wonderful person and he didn’t deserve what he got,” a tearful Lewinski said of McKeraghan. “We came here to start a new life, and his ended before it got started.” Lawrence McWalker, who helps maintain the apartment building, said he knew the two men haven’t been getting along, but didn’t think one would end up allegedly killing the other over how to help someone.
“Joe and John they’d take their shirts off for anybody, they’d help anybody, it’s just real sad,” [McWalker] said.
mid-argument
the touch of a child’s hair
soft from rain
death register
nothing fills the silence
as the ink dries
quiet afternoon
the office ant escapes
the office spider
mountain wind
the stillness of a lamb
gathering crows
…………………………………….. by Matt Morden
“death register” & “quiet afternoon” – Stumbles in Clover
“mountain wind” – New Resonance 2
Coming Soon to f/k/a: A field-full of poems from our friend Matt Morden‘s first full-volume collection of haiku and senryu — Stumbles in Clover (Snapshot Press, 2007), whose title poem can be found near the top of this posting. Trust me, you won’t want to wait for my mini-review before ordering this even-better-than-expected haiku tome. Many selected haiku have appeared at f/k/a over the past three years. Use our search box or click on the links on Matt’s archive page to find them. And, find much more Morden at his weblog Morden Haiku.
mid-argument –
Her Honor
catches me staring
two squirrels race down
the fire escape –
mid-argument, we smile
mid-argument
the senior partner has
a senior minute
……………………………………………….. dagosan
It may be of small consolation to the loved one’s of John McKeraghan, but I’d like to pass on some tips on how to treat a seizure victim, in his memory. Reading the story of his death made me aware that I would not know what to do for someone having an epileptic seizure. Click for the Epilepsy Foundation description of seizure/convulsion. Here are some guidelines for its treatment:
First Aid for Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures
* Prevent further injury. Place something soft under the head, loosen tight clothing, and clear the area of sharp or hard objects.
* Do not force objects into the person’s mouth.
* Do not restrain the person’s movements unless they place him or her in danger.
* Turn the person on his or her side to open the airway and allow secretions to drain.
* Stay with the person until the seizure ends.
* Do not pour any liquids into the person’s mouth or offer any food, drink, or medication until he or she is fully awake.
* If the person does not resume breathing after the seizure, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
* Let the person rest until he or she is fully awake.
* Be reassuring and supportive when consciousness returns.* Note: A convulsive seizure is usually not a medical emergency unless it lasts longer than five minutes, or a second seizure occurs soon after the first, or the person is pregnant, injured, diabetic, or not breathing easily. In these situations the person should be taken to an emergency medical facility.
For more information, see “How to Treat Someone Having an Epileptic Seizure” from eHow.com’s Health Editor, who adds:
Overall Tips & Warnings
* Check to see if the person has any medical identification readily available that indicates that she has epilepsy. Some people wear special jewelry, such as bracelets, that are clearly visible for these situations.
* Call 911 immediately if you believe this is the first time the person has ever had an epileptic seizure, if the person is in immediate physical danger, such as in a swimming pool or body of water, or if the person is pregnant. You should also seek immediate emergency care for the person if the seizure’s length is longer than five minutes or if a second seizure occurs while the person is still unconscious.
Finally, if you are a visual learner, see the video on First Aid Basics for Seizure, by First Aid instructor Amy Pearson.
at the height
of the argument the old couple
pour each other tea……………….. George Swede – Almost Unseen (Brooks Books, 2000)
On the steps of the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan, “Catherine Christian, president of the New York County Lawyers’ Association, said Pakistani lawyers ‘are showing the world what it means to be a lawyer — fighting for liberty and an independent legal system.'” And, “Kathryn Madigan, president of the New York State Bar Association, also called for lawyers to speak ‘with one voice in defense of the rule of law” in Pakistan.” “
[AP 
The Albany, NY, rally took place on the front steps of the highest court in the State. I drove about 18 miles from Schenectady to be there. When it started, about 30 people were there, and a few more straggled in later. The weather was “fair & breezy,” with the temperature in the low 50’s. Unlike 
I was happy that the speakers took the US Administration to task for its lukewarm reactions to the Pakistani crisis. However, to be honest, I was a bit turned off by the self-congratulatory air of some who attended, and by the refusal to say anything negative about the vast numbers of private and government sector lawyers who work in Albany but could not be bothered to show up. The NYCLU rep said he was thrilled with the turnout. I was not.
David Lat at 
The Washington DC Rally was pretty anemic, when you think about how many lawyers were in that compact city around noon today. Terry Carter, writing for the ABA Journal, reports “More than 300 lawyers marched today on Washington in solidarity with lawyers arrested in Pakistan.” Writing for the organization that sponsored the march, Carter says “They were among thousands of U.S. lawyers galvanized by photo and video images of Pakistani lawyers battling in the streets in protest of the state of emergency—de facto martial law—imposed by Gen. Pervez Musharraf.” See “
Apologies to those who count on f/k/a for a regular serving of haiku. Events have kept me from finding new poems to post today. I just realized, looking at my 
Speaking of pests and red things, I was going to tell you today about Eric Turkewitz’s debate, 
Finally, if you’re a law firm or lawyer, one way to make your own good luck is to read and ponder the entire Richard Susskind 
“The new wave of investors and managers will surely find that individual law firms are over-resourced; and, further, that the legal profession itself is over-resourced. They will quickly recognise that, within and beyond law firms, there is enormous duplication of effort and reinvention of the wheel; and, in turn, that there are too many lawyers and too few smart systems.”
………………….…. by David G. Lanoue – from 
In his new book 
In addition, if the conduct in question involves commerce — and especially internet-assisted commerce — or (as with lawyers or politicians) a special position of government-assisted trust or authority, the person has taken the matter out of the realm of his or her “private life.” Therefore, I’m going to tell you the story of my highly unsatisfactory consumer interaction with an internet seller named Derek Daniel Buckner of St. Louis, Pelvey, Arnold, and many other addresses in the State of Missouri, USA. It includes a description of my mistakes as on online consumer, along with some tips and links for avoiding internet sales fraud (and, naturally, a spattering of one-breath poetry). Let us know in the Comments section whether you think my giving this account is appropriate and helpful — and, whether forever is too long for this information to haunt Mr. Buckner.
Are you considering the purchase of a product online from Missouri “
This mug is up at 
Here’s what happened: After at least three decades saying I wanted to learn Spanish, I finally started a Spanish for Beginners Adult Ed class the last week of September, and went online looking for inexpensive student resources that I could use at home. I had only recently heard about 
Why Destinos? Presented in the 52 half-hour installments, Destinos is an immersion-style Introduction to Spanish, structured as a “telenovela” (Spanish soap opera), with native speakers in many countries participating in an entertaining story purportedly filled with adventure, mystery and romance. As WGBH 
Update (Nov. 12, 2007): While I was resting up from watching hundreds of participants in yesterday’s 
The WSJ article tells us that “Yet, in the palette of human temperament, a rose-colored view of the future is the dominant hue, regardless of culture or nationality. Psychologists puzzle over this basic bias for the bright side.” It drew Roberta’s attention, and made her think of her fellow Sicilian curmudgeon, because the “One Career” referred to in the headline is law. Thus, we’re told:
……………………….. by 
I must be an optimist. I actually believe the great new service from 
[art by 
More important, having read his book, I want to sound the alarm Dan has raised, and I can now cite a respected and knowledgeable law professor if credentials are helpful. As Seton Hall Law Professor 
Confession: I even enjoyed reading many of the reviews of FoR, and I’m going to quote from and point to a few of them in this post. Inspiring thoughtful reviews is often the sign of a valuable book. The Future of Reputation is doing that, and many members of the public who wouldn’t be likely to pick up and peruse the volume will benefit from their summaries of the issues and themes, as well as their constructive criticism and suggestions for further study and inquiry. I hope Dan will continue to 
Therefore, The Future of Reputation insists that a balancing of free speech and privacy issues is necessary, and “speech of private concern should be given less protection than speech of public concern.” Among the many pertinent points made by Solove in FofR, you’ll find:
In her review for the New York Sun, “
It’s rare that I want a non-fiction book to be longer, but The Future of Reputation would have been more satisfying if it went into more depth on many of the issues it raises (and especially on the solutions offered) — if only in appendices for readers needing further explanation. For example:
Gossip: the Movie 
p.s. On a related topic: I’ve been meaning to point you to the NYT article 
If I wore one, I’d be taking my hat off this morning to the Pakistani lawyers who’ve been literally standing up by the thousands — despite the very real immediate risk of physical injury and arrest — “demanding an end to emergency rule and vowing to keep up their dissent until President Pervez Musharraf resigns.” “
NYT photo, via 
ABA President William Neukom did come out with a Statement yesterday urging “President Musharraf to rescind these actions immediately,” and noting that “shutting down a nation’s lawful institutions of justice will hurt, not help, the fight against terrorism.” But, even from a safe distance in America, Neukom and the ABA won’t even ask for civil disobedience, but instead call “on all governments, bar associations and other civil society organizations to support the rule of law, by using every peaceful, legal means to persuade President Musharraf to restore justice to the people of Pakistan.” “
Although 
Japan’s Haiku Master, 
McNally vs. Cholakis 
[
“I like to call myself a lunch pail lawyer.” 
Of course, I do not even want to speculate on what a “lunch pal lawyer” might be.
“Hot dog lawyering and courtroom histrionics are the mark of an unprepared prosecutor. Blather and bluster do not win convictions; good sound case building, diligent preparation and vigilant watch for the unexpected wins convictions.” (And see, 
Frankly, Rich’s explanations left me with an unclear picture and more questions — especially after visiting 
Or 
Will he work late a lot and need an old-fashioned 
Or, although McNally contrasts himself with D.A. DeAngelis, and insists he will follow the rule of law, with justice more important than any convictions rate, is he secretly a 
but surely not a 
………………………………….. by dagosan 
Baseball: 1) 
“Adrien is the definition of a lunch pail player. He fights for every rebound, every loose ball, and puts his heart into everything he does on the court .”
tennis – Jim Courier [
Tracking the public’s use of the term has given me a better understanding of the “lunch pail” moniker. It symbolizes hard work, out of the spotlight, without flash. And, always with deep blue-collar roots.
“That gives him name recognition, but Greg Cholakis, in our view, isn’t running on his family name.”
I come from a family of eight children; I have five sisters and two brothers; Our parents worked hard to provide for us. Raising eight children was not easy. We weren’t by any stretch of the term “wealthy”.
Afterthought (Nov. 9, 2007): Troy, NY, where the new D.A. of Rensselear County will have his office, is the home of 
to Petta, DiCerbo & Hughes: SORRY, GUYS, I’m a Democrat, but . . .
Affable 
By the Way: The 
Here’s a Sunday antidote to stale, rudderless, spine-challenged Schenectady pols: some new, hearty poetry by Schenectady’s most-honored haiku poet, Union College’s Professor 
That’s an interesting — and healthy — contrast to the fearful ways in which Euro-centric peoples relate to death. Even when we do remember the dead, it is often with dread, with a fervent need to worry about and pray/bargain for their salvation, or with a bit of self-pity for our own losses associated with their dying. For example, the superficially similar custom of the Celts, described in The Writer’s Almanac‘s 
“Although many cultures see death as a cause for sadness rather than celebration, the cultures that observe Los Dias de Los Muertos do not: Death is not seen as something to be faced with fear but as the doorway to other levels of existence. It is believed that during Los Dias de Los Muertos the souls of the dead return to visit the living – a cause for celebation — just like the welcome given a dear friend or relative who visits after a long time away.
That’s why I applaud 
Otherwise, I confess that I have not yet thought things through (e.g., where to be laid to rest — which city, much less which cemetery). Except, I surely hope that one or more of my talented friends will sing “
…………….. by 
GE finally has good news for Old Dorp
“The most important thing is symbolically. You’re seeing a major investment and a strategic decision by GE to put this operation, which could have gone anywhere – to Atlanta, Florida, the south — and it’s coming right here.”
p.s. Maybe I’m being too negative about the progress and prospects of our La Piccola Italia. A new business did recently open just a few feet up South Street from the Little Italy strip. It advertises itself as being “in Schenectady’s Little Italy,” and it was touted in the literature for The 
“Kids and adults alike will enjoy the tiny hotdogs from Little Italy’s newest restaurant, ‘Dinky Dogs’.”
