We adopted Ripley about 14 years ago from the Orphans of the Storm animal shelter about 10 miles north of Chicago. We had been thinking of getting a kitten, but we decided to get an adult cat, in part because most people pass them over in favor of kittens, but mostly because when you get an adult cat, what you see is what you get. If you adopt an adult cat, the way they are … [Read more...] about Ripley R.I.P.
Drug Kingpins With Badges
A few years ago, I was complaining about what I called "profitable punishment" -- any type of criminal or administrative punishment that makes money for the government imposing it. The ostensible purpose of imposing punishment for crimes is to discourage people from committing crimes, but when municipalities and police departments can enrich themselves with fines and … [Read more...] about Drug Kingpins With Badges
Fitzgerald’s Law
Over at Simple Justice, Scott Greenfield has been smacking around former federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, because Scott's not happy with the advice Fitzgerald is giving to some corporate clients. At times, Scott seems puzzled by the things Fitzgerald is saying (although I suspect Scott is faking to highlight the outrageousness).Here are some summaries of what … [Read more...] about Fitzgerald’s Law
1-800-LAW-REP-4
Here's a phone number worth memorizing if you live in Chicago: 1-800-LAW-REP-4 It sounds like marketing for some kind of cheesy lawyer, but it's actually an 18-year old program that is supporting our Sixth Amendment right to counsel by filling in some of the gaps surrounding the Supreme Court's decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, which was handed down 50 years ago … [Read more...] about 1-800-LAW-REP-4
Poking Holes In the Cat
So, lately my wife and I have been poking holes in one of our cats.Our brown tabby, Ripley, is getting on in years, and we've noticed he's been resting more, eating less, and generally just slowing down. We figured it was just old age, but in January he suddenly got much worse, so we took him to his vet, who figured out that he was suffering from something called immune … [Read more...] about Poking Holes In the Cat