If this is the right guy, maybe he did make a mistake.
I have found in my experience as a lawyer and writer, that arrogance usually is behind bringing down the bad guys, kinda like Goldman Sachs.
Honk If You're...
9 years ago
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Arson at the Courthouse
Apparently, an arsonist is loose in Martinsburg. Eventually, people like this make a mistake, let's hope he or she has already made one, so the police can catch them before someone gets hurt badly.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Surkamp indicted by grand jury
Thank goodness someone is finally calling Jim Surkamp on his outrageuos behavior over the years.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Martinsburg Mall makes Wall Street Journal
"Back to School for Failing Mall" was the headline for a short article in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal. The story explained how Mountain State University purchased the mall from the receivership holding the mall, Jones Lang LaSalle.
Does Martinsburg get any good press? The last big national article was in the New York Times about Martinsburg High School and the Times certainly made it sound like Martinsburg High was failing. Those of us who live here know better, but it's still irksome.
The attitude of the big media is that if it's in West Virginia, it's failing.
Does Martinsburg get any good press? The last big national article was in the New York Times about Martinsburg High School and the Times certainly made it sound like Martinsburg High was failing. Those of us who live here know better, but it's still irksome.
The attitude of the big media is that if it's in West Virginia, it's failing.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Baseball
Baseball is back, and the Washington Nationals are at .500.
What more can I ask for?
Well, it would be nice if Ryan Zimmerman's hammy heals up quickly and if Jesus Flores could make it back and be injury free. But for now, things are looking up for my favorite team. Great pitching by Livan Hernandez today to beat the Mets 5-2.
If you want in-depth Nats blogging, go here and here.
Go Nats!!!
What more can I ask for?
Well, it would be nice if Ryan Zimmerman's hammy heals up quickly and if Jesus Flores could make it back and be injury free. But for now, things are looking up for my favorite team. Great pitching by Livan Hernandez today to beat the Mets 5-2.
If you want in-depth Nats blogging, go here and here.
Go Nats!!!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Hack Writing
Hack writing is a journalist's survival mechanism. And there's nothing wrong with being a hack writer, sort of . ...
Many famous writers have done the hack writing gig, they take the salary and write editorials they don't believe. Example: Michael Foot, later the leader of the British Labour Party, did this early in his career. He wrote for Lord Beaverbrook's conservative papers for many years.
I wrote hack editorials for The Journal of Martinsburg for many years. Give me a topic, a point of view and I could dash out a decent editorial quickly. I much preferred my columns, where until the last year or so I could write as I pleased. The last publisher I worked with though, didn't believe in standing up for his writers and I had to constantly self-censor for the last year or two I was employed by what I hesitate to now call a newspaper.
But back to hack work ... other hack work includes writing pieces quickly just to earn a few bucks and make sure there's cereal, milk, potato chips and tuna around to munch on.
Like a lawyer, a good writer is a chameleon, taking on the job whether he likes his client, or topic, or not. In fact, it's usually weak writers who get all high and mighty about the subject of hack writing.
Yet, in the end, your writing is better if you believe what you write. Orwell wrote in the essay "Why I Write", that his writing didn't really reach its potential until he wrote for a cause, and wrote what he believed. In Orwell's case, that cause was democratic socialism. Whatever a writer's cause, I think Orwell, as usual, was correct. If you really plan to make a mark as a writer, you must move beyond the hack work and take chances.
You have to believe, and you have to write as you please.
Many famous writers have done the hack writing gig, they take the salary and write editorials they don't believe. Example: Michael Foot, later the leader of the British Labour Party, did this early in his career. He wrote for Lord Beaverbrook's conservative papers for many years.
I wrote hack editorials for The Journal of Martinsburg for many years. Give me a topic, a point of view and I could dash out a decent editorial quickly. I much preferred my columns, where until the last year or so I could write as I pleased. The last publisher I worked with though, didn't believe in standing up for his writers and I had to constantly self-censor for the last year or two I was employed by what I hesitate to now call a newspaper.
But back to hack work ... other hack work includes writing pieces quickly just to earn a few bucks and make sure there's cereal, milk, potato chips and tuna around to munch on.
Like a lawyer, a good writer is a chameleon, taking on the job whether he likes his client, or topic, or not. In fact, it's usually weak writers who get all high and mighty about the subject of hack writing.
Yet, in the end, your writing is better if you believe what you write. Orwell wrote in the essay "Why I Write", that his writing didn't really reach its potential until he wrote for a cause, and wrote what he believed. In Orwell's case, that cause was democratic socialism. Whatever a writer's cause, I think Orwell, as usual, was correct. If you really plan to make a mark as a writer, you must move beyond the hack work and take chances.
You have to believe, and you have to write as you please.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Tragedy in the Mine
How is it that despite the Mine Safety and Health Administration, all sorts of regulations, and after the Sago mine disaster, it could happen again?
Massey Energy has blood on its hands, the Big Branch Mine had a history of safety violations, as reported here. The attitude is the same as ever, miners are expendable. You know what should be done? Shut the mine down, permanently, shut Massey down. No matter how much Massey donates to local communities, it can never erase the blood shed by 25 miners.
Yet, it's not just Massey, but the politicians who support coal who are to blame. They fight for an industry because they say they value jobs. Apparently, these politicos don't value lives as much as jobs. Again and again, problems in the mines are ignored until it is too late.
Why? Because to really make the mines safe it would cost too much money for the coal companies and might cause job cuts. The politicians want to have it both ways, protect the industry, protect the miners.
And we shouldn't forget the friends of Massey and Don Blankenship, like John Yoder, who is running for a place on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. Yoder accepted money from Blankenship during his last state senate campaign.
Massey Energy has blood on its hands, the Big Branch Mine had a history of safety violations, as reported here. The attitude is the same as ever, miners are expendable. You know what should be done? Shut the mine down, permanently, shut Massey down. No matter how much Massey donates to local communities, it can never erase the blood shed by 25 miners.
Yet, it's not just Massey, but the politicians who support coal who are to blame. They fight for an industry because they say they value jobs. Apparently, these politicos don't value lives as much as jobs. Again and again, problems in the mines are ignored until it is too late.
Why? Because to really make the mines safe it would cost too much money for the coal companies and might cause job cuts. The politicians want to have it both ways, protect the industry, protect the miners.
And we shouldn't forget the friends of Massey and Don Blankenship, like John Yoder, who is running for a place on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. Yoder accepted money from Blankenship during his last state senate campaign.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Monday
Wow, I haven't had a day this bad in a long time. Sorry, I can't come up with a new post today. I'll have one up tomorrow.
When I finally got out the door today, not feeling too well, I went to the post office. The line was long, very long. Another reason to quit selling on eBay.
One thing I've learned during my recent hard times is that you really find out who your true friends are... you also learn who your enemies are.
I owe my sanity (maybe they don't want the responsibility for that questionable thing) to Gina, Misty, Pamela, Craig and Robin, the Judge, Maria and a few others.
No need to mention former friends.
Finally writing again and happy about it, I still put the law first, but I'll always write.
When I finally got out the door today, not feeling too well, I went to the post office. The line was long, very long. Another reason to quit selling on eBay.
One thing I've learned during my recent hard times is that you really find out who your true friends are... you also learn who your enemies are.
I owe my sanity (maybe they don't want the responsibility for that questionable thing) to Gina, Misty, Pamela, Craig and Robin, the Judge, Maria and a few others.
No need to mention former friends.
Finally writing again and happy about it, I still put the law first, but I'll always write.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Happy Easter
Happy Easter to all my Christian friends.
I hate to link to The Journal, my former employer, but this is one of my best religion pieces http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/504936.html
Unfortunately, they own the rights to the piece and I am not about to discuss buying the rights back.
I hate to link to The Journal, my former employer, but this is one of my best religion pieces http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/504936.html
Unfortunately, they own the rights to the piece and I am not about to discuss buying the rights back.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Byrd and Rockefeller bring bacon to Romney
Sens. Robert Byrd and Jay Rockefeller doing what they do best, bringing home federal money to West Virginia. The Romney Fire Dept. has obtained a $100,000 grant http://rockefeller.senate.gov/press/record.cfm?id=323565
I've got no problem with this, the system is what it is-the two men do well for their constituents.
The two senators are even better at something else, being liberals in a fundamentally conservative state, protecting coal and other industries, being pro-gun and walking a host of other political tightropes this complex state offers to aspiring politicians.
I'd much rather they bring home the bacon than spend time expanding the scope of government.
I've got no problem with this, the system is what it is-the two men do well for their constituents.
The two senators are even better at something else, being liberals in a fundamentally conservative state, protecting coal and other industries, being pro-gun and walking a host of other political tightropes this complex state offers to aspiring politicians.
I'd much rather they bring home the bacon than spend time expanding the scope of government.
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