The First Thing We Do Kill All The Lawyer Blogs

210px-King_Henry_VI_from_NPG_(2)When Dick the Butcher declared in Shakespeare’s Henry VI “The first thing we do let’s kill all the lawyers,” he may have been prophetic. Jones Day partner Mark Herrmann has written on his blog that his unscientific survey shows that legal blogs tend to have a lifespan of less than a year.

We may have typos and trolls, but we are still here after roughly two years. That should count for something.

For the blog story, click here.

121 thoughts on “The First Thing We Do Kill All The Lawyer Blogs”

  1. Howdy scribadiva!

    I am pleased that you got a chuckle out of my nonstandard English. You portray yourself as a fine Lady; therefore, I assign my sole copyrights’ to you allowing for your unencumbered use of the aforementioned “add hominy” or ‘ad hominy’ to your little heart’s content, in perpetuity.

    We have enough high-falutin’ Philadelphia Lawyers here on this blawg and I bet they could draw up one of them ‘coddiciles’ to make it official, pro bo-know, of coarse.

    I am further pleased that you find the time to post to this blawg to help distract you from the multifarious vicissitudes of life. As a ‘dinosaur’ one-time Army Medic, I understand some of what you are going through.

    Good Night Lady.

  2. Hello. I regret losing it about my own situation, and I’m sorry. I’ve been keeping up with emails, and using my reader to catch up on JT’s articles and downloading them.

    I actually do have a legal question, but I’m taking lottakatz advice and looking it up, because someone must have looked into this.

    I’m only replying now because I want to ask if Former Federal Leo has a copyright on “add hominy”–with your permission, I want to use that. That is one of the funniest posts I’ve ever seen. Granted, I’m a dinosaur that set up a Bulletin Board, so up ’til now, I’ve avoided chats.

    I think it’s up to the Professor who stays and goes; as lottakatz said, you all are a breath of fresh air to me, and I don’t want anyone to leave, save JT’s judgment.
    glucose too high; can’t see what I’m writing. Just wanted to tell FFLEO I got a real chuckle from that.
    Sweet tides,

  3. Listen up ya ornery cusses; they aint no way ya cain stay away from the Turley blawg for mor’in a’ coupla days so doncha a’go a’gittin’ barred by ‘or ‘rish Barrister Bard for a month ’cause of yourn add hominy posts a’gain no reglars ner no foul cussin’ ’bout nobodies whose a’vistin’ shearbouts….

  4. I have made my decision:

    I will be staying.

    AY – My special friend agreed with you. She said if I was going to stay here I should make time to write a book. She’s got some very convincing methods. A persuasive gal. We should all be glad she was never interested in law school or she could be the Queen of Earth by now. She may end up there yet. I look forward to being the royal concubine.

    Bob – You are indeed turning into my very own Mr. Duke on this blog. Just stay away from the big knife and the grapefruit and we all might get out of here alive. If the bats don’t get us first. I’d also like to thank you for catching my chemistry gaffe. Not only was I thinking sodium, “Na, pun intended” was simply artful. Bravo. Now where’s the last of the ether . . .

    Mike A. – You sir are a fine fellow and I would be horribly remiss to loose contact with you. In fact, should I get to Florida, I’d like to buy dinner for both you and Mike S. just because it’d be a blast.

    CEJ – Thank you so very much. You made me blush. You have been a long time ally/supporter and I do appreciate it.

    Jill – You were the first to address me directly when I came here and even though we disagree on occasion I want you to know I don’t just like you. I respect you for being a fine person. You have a good heart.

    Lotta – Sorry I haven’t been as engaged with you lately as you merit. I am glad your kitty clans are doing well and I hope the specific health and financial situations for your family and friends improves. Like Jill, you have a good heart and I can only imagine IRL you are wonderful conversation for an afternoon tea (or any time). I’ll be sending happy thoughts your way. And my kitties said to tell you “meow”. They said you’d know what they mean.

    Byron – Signed copy? You bet. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I hope you’re still interested in reading it if I go fiction. It’s good to have you back, Red.

    bdaman – I’m back in the saddle. Now try to do the right thing, man. I’m pulling for you.

    Last but most certainly not least . . .

    Prof. Turley and mespo – I hold you both in the very highest regard and despite our recent adversarial exchanges I want you both to know that has not changed one iota. I’m not going to exaggerate, but I do feel like in some ways we are brothers in arms. Like all brothers (and sisters too, ladies, it’s just a turn of phrase) we may have occasion to fight amongst ourselves but at the end of the day, at the bottom line, I hope we can always get back to brotherhood. I apologize humbly and sincerely if I have caused any permanent offense for none was intended.

    And Prof.? In re paintball, in the immortal words of Peter Falk in The In-Laws, “Serpentine, Shel! Serpentine!”

    I have also decided to release an e-mail address. It’s a blind, not my primary, I won’t lie, but it will allow any of you wanting to contact me directly out of camera to do so while allowing me to filter out trolls/attackers. It also takes the onus off the Prof to be an e-mail address broker in addition to his many other duties.

    buddha_is_laughing@email.com

  5. Buddha,

    Glad to see your “greenness” there is no doubt your book would be a great hit! Please keep us company as your work is in progress.

    I’m trying again with this song cause the horns are so good-

  6. Professor Turley,

    A toast Ching! Ching!
    Thank you for running what is still the best cyber salon!

    “Kind & Generous” by Natalie Merchant

    You’ve been so kind and generous
    I don’t know how you keep on giving
    For your kindness I’m in debt to you
    For your selflessness, my admiration
    And for everything you’ve done
    You know I’m bound to thank you for it
    I want to thank you
    Show my gratitude
    My love and my respect for you
    Thank you thank you thank you …

    For all of us who come to sip here may we strive to be civil.

    “Break Your Heart” by Natalie Merchant

    People downcast, in despair
    See the disillusion everywhere
    Hoping their bad luck will change
    Gets a little harder every day

    People struggle, people fight
    For the simple pleasures in their lives
    But trouble comes from everywhere
    It’s a little more than you can bear

    I know that it will hurt
    I know that it will break your heart
    The way things are
    And the way they’ve been

    And the way they’ve always been

    People shallow, self absorbed
    See the push and shove for their rewards
    I, me, my, is on their minds
    You can read about it in their eyes

    People ruthless, people cruel
    The damage that some people do
    Full of hatred, full of pride
    It’s enough to loose your mind

    I know that it will hurt
    I know that it will break your heart
    The way things are
    And the way they’ve been

    Don’t spread the discontent
    Don’t spread the lies
    Don’t make the same mistakes
    With your own life

    You know a little love survives

    Don’t disrespect yourselves
    Don’t loose your pride
    Don’t think that everybody is going to choose your side…

  7. Buddha:

    If you write a book and I hope you do, can I get a signed copy? You need to go find an objectivist intellectual to write the book with you, say John Lewis or someone of his stature. You make your case and he makes his and then counterpoints, that would be a book to read.

  8. lottakatz,

    Not too much info. I asked and I really do care how you’re doing!

    I’m glad you’re on this blog now because I screwed up. The trust I mean isn’t blind, it’s an irrevocable trust. The best thing is to ask someone skilled in this area of law and accounting. It’s true that you will learn everything you need to know about something after you finished doing it!

    I’m very happy to hear the new kitties are doing better and sorry, (but not suprised) that each crew isn’t thrilled with the other.

    As to aliens. They have “learned all they can from the anal probe”! Over and out!!! 🙂

  9. To All,

    I will continue my self-imposed 1-month-long moratorium from contributing written comments to this blawg. Perhaps after a month’s hiatus, Ms. C and I will understand the real value of the topics *and* the good people here and then vow nevermore to disrupt the proceedings. I think that a barring of 1-month is a sufficient ‘penalty’ or censure to help “get one’s mind straight” (paraphrased from Cool Hand Luke).

    Professor Turley makes it difficult to keep one’s opinion to oneself as a lurker/reader. I swear that he purposely taunts and tempts us poor, barred souls with topics he knows we are chomping at the bit to respond. Please Prof, no more atheism threads for a month (I was none too bright to state that, was I?)

    When Ms. P.C. returns, perhaps she will share her legal and medical knowledge with us in strong, reasoned debate.

  10. Jill,

    Thanks for the kind words and the financial advice. The kitties are fine- the two camps (mine:forever and mine:new) are still at odds and one of the new kitties has diabetes but he’s on insulin and antibiotics now and doing much better.

    Blind trust? I’ll have to research that and pass that along, at some point she’s going to have to consult a professional so it should be the correct one. Consulting professionals is not a new thought to me, I dealt with them as peers and consulted them regularly for my own needs. During the last 6 years of medical problems in my family the thought of calling a lawyer was pretty routine considering the level of institutional incompetence I ran into but non-damaging poor or incompetent care is pretty standard I believe- you can’t sue everybody 🙂

    You just have to know what to look out for and head it off at the pass. It’s like building something the first time- you make every mistake possible but learn as you go. With luck you don’t hurt yourself with a new power-tool and the project still passes inspection.

    (Completely out in left field) The fact that I have a small group of very long-time e-friends has been something I’ve been musing about for a short while now and I find the entire situation exceedingly perverse. I got into the subject because the plight of this one e-friend has touched my emotions deeply and she actually stands out among the rest because we have exchanged tangible items at one time in the past. But her ‘realness’, and the realness of the other 7 is to me odd.

    It seems to me that what we- or at least people of certain generations- recognize as real in our human interactions is no longer appropriate. Real v. theoretical always had to do with certain tangible proofs, reality was subject to our senses. I’m not talking about math at rarefied levels or theoretical physics and cosmology and the like but the nature of proving existence.

    Trees falling in forests don’t make a sound unless there’s someone to hear them but (I have read) that ‘hear’ has been redefined to include surrogate devices which record what we perceive as sound, but are actually no more than localized and silent disruptions of various molecules. The point being that we translate that disruption into an auditory signal. The only sound it has is that which we give it by processing it. Weird stuff. (No, it’s too early for me to be having a beer but that’s sounding kinda’ good too.)

    As an adolescent I had pen-pals in about a dozen countries. We corresponded, sent each other pictures and exchanged little tokens of friendship on significant holidays. I could smell the ink on their letters and the fragrance of their drawer sachets on the paper they wrote on. At least for a couple of the girls.

    You could also buy special, nearly tissue-paper thin airmail sheets for a flat fee from the post office- one sheet that gave you a front and back to write on and folded up to make an envelope with the postage printed on the face. A couple of pen-pals used those and so did I on occasion. If you held it down with a lot of pressure to write on it your fingertips would distort the paper- I could could see the act of their writing, and they could see mine. Their existence could be confirmed by fundamental, sensory attributes.

    We have moved beyond that now. Entire relationships of long standing and deep emotional attachment can be carried on with no more than sight (or a surrogate) and faith. That strikes me as an evolutionary shift of some kind. We have crossed the boundary between being able to live in your body OR in your mind. Greatly weird.

    These e-friends, 8 of them, range in age from the late 30’s to late 60’s and are scattered across the globe. The global recession has hit 4 of them hard- lose your job and lose your business and not be able to send your kid to college hard. I’m as invested in their problems as one can be for not being a neighbor in the real physical world. It’s like having a family that includes ghosts that visit regularly.

    Maybe too I’m just slow on the uptake. I’ve been on-line for 30 years, The change in the way we can live, globally and with as much investment as we used to in a small town, is not something I begrudge, I’ve been reading about the tools since I was about 9. I think it’s a wonderful thing. It’s a natural evolution given the electronic tools we can devise. I’ve never really thought about it as an event having boundaries and attributes so majikly and profoundly different from what we are by nature. Did the first apes with opposable thumbs ponder their new dimension and what it meant. Even if you are predisposed to watershed changes, anticipate them gleefully and embrace them at their leading edge is it ‘normal’ to fail to recognize them as they actually happen?

    Just musing. In the last couple of weeks I’ve had a massive dose of culture shock or the longest delayed flashback on record 🙂

    [old sci-fi story: for whatever reason an alien culture beams a signal toward earth. The signal interferes with brain function and people are as they are now. Over time, as the earth and our solar system rotates along the galactic plane out of the influence of the beam everybody starts getting smart, we begin to reach our unsupressed potential. The veil of ignorance falls away. We see things differently and think about them differently. In any event, I’m kinda’ feeling like that about my e-friends today. And trippy 🙂 ]

    Ummm, too much information? 🙂

  11. Buddha:

    Every author needs editors. Who better than we … and especially for “one [who] lives to be of service”?

    Welcome back!

  12. Buddha,

    Dr. Gonzo: [trying to escape the rotating bar] When’s this thing going to stop?

    Raoul Duke: Stop?

    Dr. Gonzo: Stop it!

    Raoul Duke: It’s not ever going to stop, man!

  13. Don’t make time then. Stay if you have the time. Write the book or stay or do both.

  14. To The Speakers of Kindness,

    Given the change in circumstance, I have taken the requests to stay under advisement. I’ll render a final decision sometime this weekend. In light of the exchanges leading up to my decision to leave, my lady friend has recently been urging me to redirect the energy I use here into writing a book, either a novel or non-fiction. After last night, she was adamant about it. And quite colorful. I am also taking that under advisement. Chance occurrences often provide a window for re-assessment. As Socrates notes via Plato, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

    Regardless, I’d like to say welcome back Bron. I’m fairly certain I know who you are now that I know you’re back, but I’ll just leave it at that.

Comments are closed.