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August 22, 2015
I think I'm turning GOP. I really think so.
Sorry. But I thought Ronald Reagan was a type of rare alcohol-fed Irish houseplant that was somehow taught to smile, speak and sign its own name.
Help me figure this out. The first time I could vote, I held my nose a little and voted for George McGovern. Soon after that I worked for Gaylord Nelson (D-Wis) for a spell. Two cycles ago I raised money for Hillary Clinton, who I like and see as a competent and uber-practical if not exceptional manager with a fine mind. In 2003 and 2004, and on a dumb whim, I bypassed John Kerry and raised money for moderate Democrat General Wesley Clark.
(In the summer of 2005 I ran into a blue-blazered Kerry, who was hanging with Joe Biden--cooling it seated a few feet away in blue jeans and shades--in the ACK airport. While Kerry and talked about a rash of US Airways delays, I felt so guilty I almost blurted my disloyalty out.)
I have never voted for a Bush. And never would--they give me the creeps--except for maybe Jeb. And although I never voted for Obama either time either, and once worked for an honest fiscally brilliant moderate Republican congressman from Ohio, I thought Ronald Reagan was a type of rare Irish houseplant that was somehow taught to smile, speak and sign its own name. I still can't get over the fact that genius bluesman Ray Charles, who died the same week as Reagan, didn't merit a bigger funeral.
I do miss Wild Bill Clinton and would be very jazzed if he could live in the White House another 8 years (I bore easily and he never bores me) but at this point I don't see Hillary Clinton's campaign getting past the Benghazi attack, emails and the apparent paralysis of her campaign. Save GOP Ohio Governor John Kasich, who still lacks cred with conservatives and Republicans who watched him use Obamacare's increased federal funding to strengthen Medicaid in his state, at this point I don't see any candidate--R or D--who can go through the American presidential election process without falling apart, seize the nomination and win. But I am open to suggestions. But I think it needs to be a sane R. Or possibly Joe Biden. The pickings are slim.
In the meantime, and for reasons only partially touched on here, I think I'm turning GOP.
Republican. I really think so.
Posted by JD Hull at 04:20 PM | Comments (0)
August 19, 2015
I'm a man. I'm sensitive.
Venting here. I can't help the way I look. For decades now I've tried hard to be a serious lawyer-lobbyist-writer--and to be taken seriously. However, women and men alike continue to think of me one way. I continue to be crudely objectified, or viewed as a decorative object. That's all. Thanks for listening
American Tragedy: J.D. Cocker. Sexually objectified. Valued solely for his looks.
Posted by JD Hull at 11:01 AM | Comments (0)
August 18, 2015
China Law Blog: Make contracts with Chinese companies enforceable.
We do prize blogs by experienced practicing lawyers who know what they're doing. Today Dan Harris' peripatetic law partner Steve Dickinson of Seattle-based Harris Moure tells you how to make Chinese deals work in "China Contracts: Make Them Enforceable Or Don’t Bother" at the enduring and always useful China Law Blog. Excerpt on jurisdiction provisions for disputes.
The contract should be enforceable in a Chinese court with jurisdiction over the defendant. This normally means jurisdiction in a court in the district where the defendant has its principal place of business. China has excellent domestic arbitration panels with extensive experience in resolving sino-foreign disputes. But litigation is usually a better alternative for several reasons.
First, in disputes with smaller Chinese companies, there is a concern that the company will dissipate assets before a judgment can be obtained. Chinese courts can order a prejudgment writ of attachment that prevents this. In addition, a prejudgment writ will often convince a smaller Chinese company to resolve the matter quickly.
Second, the plaintiff in a dispute with a Chinese company will often want an order instructing the defendant to take some action such as ceasing to infringe IP rights, return molds or tooling, or appointing a manager or officer of a company. In other words, what would be called injunctive relief in a common law system. Simply stated, a court has the authority to issue such orders while an arbitration panel does not.
Steve Dickinson
Posted by JD Hull at 02:54 PM | Comments (0)
August 17, 2015
The Happiness and Life Hack Industry.
One of the best tech things in my life is my Zite aggregator/curator for media. Zite, however, is not always perfect in anticipating my reading tastes. An alarming number of unwanted articles and posts I receive these days reflect how lame and helpless and confused and lost and unhappy we Westerners are. We all have wonderful instincts about making ourselves happy that do not require explanations about the importance of waking up every day, breathing, peeing, eating, mindfulness, overcoming shyness and social ineptitude, the faux pas of screaming your own name during lovemaking, reading books that aren't garbage, brushing our teeth and drinking more water. Jeez. Get the net, people.
Vinz Clortho (a/k/a Louis Tully), Key Master of Gozer. Vinz/Louis needed all the life hacks he could get. But do you? Image: Columbia Pictures.
Posted by JD Hull at 09:52 AM | Comments (0)