Monday, December 31, 2001

Happy New Year! This has been quite a year: a year of many changes and a good one. Hopefully 2002 will be nice in Colorado Springs.

Thursday, December 27, 2001

Ok, everyone, I have to choose between Dayton, OH, and Colorado Springs, CO, for my base assignment. Dayton is closer to home and friends (in OH and IN) and is in the Midwest (good people) but boring. Colorado Springs has outdoor activities galore (and I do love skiing and climbing), but it is farther away and has very little culture. I have to decide by Monday, Dec. 31. Prayer, please, and let me know what you think.

Tuesday, December 25, 2001

Join me in celebration of the birth of Christ, come to redeem the world, to offer salvation to all sons of Adam and daughters of Eve.

Yesterday, I was accepted into the Air Force JAG Corps. Today, I found out I did not get Scott Air Force Base (just outside St. Louis). There is a list of other bases with vacancies I can choose from, but the closest is in Ohio. I have built a life in St. Louis, and now I should leave it? I have not yet made a decision and joined the Air Force. I have until Dec. 31 to decide. My training would begin on Feb. 11, and I would be gone for 2 years before I would have another chance at Scott. Needless to say, your prayers are appreciated.

Thursday, December 13, 2001

This essay is an excellent critique of the academic liberal Left. It was published in the National Review Online, which is my favorite site for thoughtful, and relatively neutral, news coverage. In fact, I might go so far as to say that no better site exists for insightful reporting and intelligent commentary. Needless to say, it is not for the average person, content with slogans and soundbites.

Remembering Pearl Harbor.

Also, my soap box was built by the book The Death of Common Sense: How Law Is Suffocating America by Philip K. Howard. It is excellent and should be required reading for anyone involved in the political or legislative processes. I would send it to all of you if I could afford to do so.

Monday, December 3, 2001

The concert went well; it was fun. I have the Christmas spirit.

My homepage is moving!!! I don't know when this will be taken down, but the new address is:

http://myweb.accessus.net/~rwinfrey/default.html

Sunday, December 2, 2001

I have a Christmas concert this afternoon, which I'm looking forward to, because I enjoy listening to Christmas music, and I enjoy performing Christmas music even more.

Tuesday, November 27, 2001

I'm considering a career change: patent law or Air Force JAG. I've applied to the Air Force JAG, and my 3 hour interview went well today (though the 45 minutes with the colonel was the most important part). However, competition for the JAG is quite fierce right now, so God only knows how it will all turn out.

Thursday, November 22, 2001

Happy Thanksgiving!

"To pursue the concept of racial entitlement, even for the most admirable and benign of purposes, is to reinforce and preserve for future mischief the way of thinking that produced race slavery, race privilege and race hatred. In the eyes of government, we are just one race here. It is American."
 -Antonin Scalia

Gramp and Gram are doing all right, and the trip went well. It's nearly midnight, and I have to be up at 5am, so I shall abed if you don't mind. One thing: The "Why" is more important than the "What", but the "What" still matters. And also: Innocence is not enough.

Thursday, November 15, 2001

My family and I are driving to Des Moines this weekend to see my Dad's parents. My grandfather recently had a quadruple bypass, so it is time to visit.

Sunday, November 11, 2001

Thank you, brave souls, for our freedom.

My concert went well today, so the Saturday morning rehearsals I was grousing about paid off.

In other news, a surgical procedure is now being tested on humans that will correct vision to 20/10 with no adverse side effects. I believe this will be the very first time we are actually able to permanently improve on our original design.

Friday, November 2, 2001

Great Halloween party, Scott! I wore a dark, charcoal gray suit, my goatee, horns and a tail and went as a lawyer!

Saturday, October 27, 2001

Well, my new job is as tedious as I feared (they used the word sweatshop 6 times in orientation), but I like my coworkers and the flexibility of the hours. It's not why I went to law school, but it'll do for a few months, until the project is completed.

Monday, October 22, 2001

Family Camp was terrific, thanks for asking. I start my new job tomorrow morning! Nothing too exciting, though: I'll be working at Thompson Coburn, supporting a class action lawsuit (read: doing document review). Unfortunately I'll be at their Belleville, IL, office (50 minute commute), but that's the breaks.

Friday, October 19, 2001

Hey, I'm off to Family Camp for the weekend! Also, congratulations to Tim (you know-Tim), who just tied the knot!

Does a disabled person have the right to sit wherever he wants in a vehicle for paid transportation (bus, taxi, airplane)? Next to the emergency exit in a plane, even if he takes an extra 5 minutes getting the exit open and through it? Common sense (and the FAA) says no, but advocates for the disabled insist their rights have been violated. Minority groups are constantly attempting to sacrifice the good of the many for the good of their few. [Yes, this does signal a return to the soapbox.]

Tuesday, October 9, 2001

I had a great time at Homecoming. Seeing old friends and classmates made me realize how much I miss college. Helping my sister Sunday afternoon with a philosophy paper due on Tuesday made me realize how much I don't miss classes. Still, I would rather be back at Taylor. You must realize, though, that I really enjoyed my years at Taylor, and since then the only things I've done are law school, which I often hated, and my job, which I grew to despise. Taylor seems that much better by comparison.

Thursday, October 4, 2001

Today I leave for Taylor Homecoming and my 5 year class reunion! Yay! I'll be back Monday night.

Ben Franklin said something that I see as particularly relevant today: "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Let us be on guard for our freedoms even as we gird ourselves against our enemies.

Friday, September 28, 2001

You know what's weird? In a few decades, this will be the turn of the century - now instead of 1900. Then we'll all be those old people from a less advanced time; we'll be thought of the same way we think of those who lived in the early 20th century.

Monday, September 24, 2001

Well, one of the two cats peed in a bag of my clothes. You know how I discovered this? I put them on - and they were damp - so I pressed them against my face to smell them. Washing one's mouth out with soap is just as bad as you remember. I only wish I know which cat did it...

Wednesday, September 19, 2001

It has been a week that no one now living will ever forget.

In other news, I've been house-sitting for friends who are on vacation in England. They get to see knights and castles; I get to give pills to a cat that does not want to take them.

Also, CONGRATULATIONS, JOEL, ON PASSING THE BAR!!!

Monday, September 10, 2001

We've been saying "Good morning" since the 15th century, but "Hello" was not used until just after the Civil War. Also, one state has a dead animal on its license plate: Maine (a red lobster). Finally, the most common street name in the US is Park Street. Yes, I did just play a trivia game game; why do you ask?

Thursday, September 6, 2001

Happy Birthday, Mom!

On an Internet form for a generic free service, I saw the oddest prefix/title. They had the usual "Mr.", "Mrs.", and "Dr." but also "Prof.", and "Eng."  What in the world? Can someone enlighten me as to the meaning of Eng?

Tuesday, September 4, 2001

Howdy. I'm back from visiting a good friend in Memphis. Notable accomplishment: consuming an entire 20 ounce cheeseburger (and some fries and a milkshake) - it's true - the restaurant even put my picture up on the wall along with everyone else who had done it.

With one-person discrimination claims, there is usually only one act that gave rise to the claim: a decision to fire or promote. The aggrieved employee bases his or her claim on performance, intangible attitude, and casual remarks made by the employer over the past several years. The employer defends, claiming proper and legal motivation.
Stringing people up for an impure heart has lead to some black moments in history with the Inquisition, the Salem Witch Trials, and many modern discrimination claims; often turning on a feeling, a politically incorrect statement, an overheard comment.

Tuesday, August 28, 2001

From the Box: Several years ago, Glen-Gery Brick Factory near Reading, PA, laid off several workers during a slow period, strictly on the basis of lack of seniority, and then was sued for discrimination by one of the workers, who had a disability. What does that do to Glen-Gery's incentive to hire disabled workers in the future?

Saturday, August 25, 2001

Still standin' tall and shoutin' loud. From the Kennedy School of Government, discrimination claims as extortion: a minority secretary refused to show up for months at a time at her government office, and when she did, she performed sporadically at best. She was warned repeatedly. At the end of the year, she demanded a promotion and sat in her supervisor's office, suggesting she would accuse him of racial bias if he did not write her a glowing recommendation. He did relent, because he could not face the hearings and procedures required if she did make such a claim.

Wednesday, August 22, 2001

[SOAPBOX ALERT] Teachers and administrators in public schools have little authority to punish miscreants for fear of a lawsuit. Plus, they are buried under mountains of paperwork. The solution is not to pay these people more money to do a job they hate but to make the job better by relieving them of pointless reporting requirements and giving them more freedom in the classroom. Yes, this carries some risk of abuse of power, but at this point that is a risk we must take.

Oh you lucky people - just as I was dragging out my box, my family and I all hopped in the car and went to Six Flags St. Louis. (I don't know when they changed the name, either.) It had been nearly 10 years since I has last visited, and it was a blast! Batman the Ride rules! No, no, wait - make that RooLZ! It's that good. ;-)

Friday, August 17, 2001

Ok, brief respite from the soap box, but I'll be back!

Wednesday, August 15, 2001

I'm still up here on this box, and I don't know when I'm coming down.
Drew, a multihandicapped boy from rural Georgia, suffers from infantile autism and severe mental retardation. Although the state provided an extensive education program, including an expert in autism, Drew's parents were dissatisfied. They heard about a new school out of town, and demanded that the state pay for him to be sent there, so now Drew is being schooled at the expense of the state in Tokyo.

Tuesday, August 14, 2001

I am in danger of stepping up onto a soap box, but I am resisting! Can't hold out much longer...

My law school indirectly encourages racial discrimination. What?! Yes, by hiring a professor who is a nice man but not a very good teacher, but he is black. Many students left his class only with a not so rarely stated notion that white people achieve a position on the basis of their accomplishments while black people achieve it on the basis of their skin. Talk about undermining the Civil Rights movement. Affirmative action is building up a huge backlash that will drive the races even further apart. Ironic, no? I don't know what the solution is, either, but I'm open to suggestions.

Friday, August 10, 2001

Everyone's favorite toaster pastry has a homepage. Also, Jim now has a theater in his basement. All he needs to do is figure out the seating, and he can charge admission.

Both grandparents are doing fine, and my lips are nearly healed.

I have a new email address:

mwinfrey@accessus.net

Primary Network was acquired by MPower who, in turn, was acquired by Access US. I should receive email at my primary address through the end of August.  When I find out where this is going, I'll let you know.

Friday, July 27, 2001

My maternal grandmother had a stroke today and is in the hospital. No word yet on how bad it is.

As promised, details on the blow.

Wednesday, July 25, 2001

This has been an exceedingly odd day; so much so, that I entered it here rather than wait my customary couple of days after yesterday's post. An old friend from high school called me this morning to invite me to go flying with him that afternoon; Jim and Sylwinn gave me an outrageous knife for helping so much with their wedding; I went to a fantastic gypsy band concert this evening; and tonight I was punched dead in the mouth for no reason.  More on this last point later.  Also, to follow up from yesterday, my grandfather is recovering nicely after an apparently successful surgery, and thank you for your prayers.

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

My good friend Joel is taking the Bar today and tomorrow. It is the hardest thing I ever did in law school. Please pray for him. And since we're all praying anyway, my paternal grandfather is undergoing quadruple bypass surgery today, and we're all concerned about that.

Why aren't there any superheroes, or, rather, vigilante crimefighters? I think it's because crime is surprisingly difficult to find without actually being involved in it.

Saturday, July 14, 2001

Congratulations, Jim and Sylwinn! May the Lord smile upon the hour of your union, my friends.

Tuesday, July 10, 2001

Cornerstone was fantastic! Also, I did not touch a computer for an entire week! To put that in perspective, that has only happened 4 other times since January, 1993. I also had 427 emails upon my return.

Monday, July 2, 2001

Well, a lot has been happening, but I have to go to Cornerstone now, so I'll tell you all about it Sunday, when I return.

Each year, lawyers must attend 15 hours of Continuing Legal Education.  Much to my surprise, I discovered last Wednesday that the CLE year does not coincide with the calendar year but instead ends on June 30! Luckily, the only 1 day complete CLE seminar was being held in St. Louis last Friday.  So last Friday, I attended a 15 hour seminar on the law, from 7:30am to 10:30pm, with only a 30 minute break for lunch, a 30 minute break for supper, and two 10 minute breaks otherwise.  Long, boring, long day.

Also, in spite of what you may hear, V-8 is a tasty and healthful beverage.

Tuesday, June 19, 2001

On Driving III: if someone is behind you in the left lane, then you're driving too slow - they made a whole other lane for you people.

I had an interview today with the largest law firm in St. Louis. You know, I think I've only given two bad interviews in my life, but unfortunately, the second one was today.

Tuesday, June 12, 2001

I read this recently, and I think there's something to it.

"You can't choose who you fall in love with, but you can choose who you hang out with."

Saturday, June 9, 2001

Happy Birthday, Dad! You've certainly learned a lot over the years.

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. - Mark Twain

Sunday, June 3, 2001

On Driving, II: My philosophy on driving is two-fold: never cause anyone to slow down, and get there as fast as you can.

On driving: a yield sign is not a stop sign; an on ramp is also called an acceleration lane; turning or changing lanes is an occasion to be celebrated with a turn signal.

Friday, May 25, 2001

I just cleaned out my email box (after backing it up, of course), and it was a little surprising:
messages deleted - 40,084
space they occupied - 152.1 meg
This was only since October, 1999!

Tuesday, May 22, 2001

A leader must impart vision to those he would lead. Vision is purpose melded with passion. People follow vision.

Wednesday, May 16, 2001

Many hearty congratulations, Jeff and Faith!!!

May you always recall these anxious, joyful, trembling moments, as with awe and trepidation, you usher tender and helpless life into this world.

Friday, May 10, 2001

Once again, I'm very sorry - I thought I had updated my homepage before I left for Costa Rica. Hey, I took a business trip to Costa Rica (I know - "Yeah, right, 'business trip'.") I'll have you know I spent three days in a resort on a promontory above a beautiful beach, and not once did I go swimming - not once! Argh! Anyway, I returned this morning. The trip was good and bad, and I don't have the space, except to note that my tally now stands at 27 - and I'm exhausted, so goodnight!

Tuesday, May 1, 2001

Hey, I unexpectedly got bumped up a level in martial arts! My instructor's master was in town for a seminar this weekend, and Saturday afternoon's session was on advanced techniques that I assumed I was not ready for - until my instructor signed me up! (I think he really just did that so I could learn from the master and not that I was ready to be promoted.)

Hey, I'm going to be in a movie trailer. Jim and company shot the trailer for The Wonder Show Movie this weekend, which they hope to use to secure financing to shoot the whole movie this summer (a common route for independent films).  I play the evil villain who's trying to take over the world, and I should be getting a copy of the trailer in a few weeks.

Friday, April 20, 2001

Advice unsought is advice unheeded.

Tuesday, April 17, 2001

Who said, "There's no such thing as a stupid question,"? He was an idiot who was no doubt derided for his own inane queries, and he probably responded the only way he could (short of acquiring knowledge) - with an erroneous argument pawned off as a shoddy maxim.

Friday, April 13, 2001

About 2,000 years ago, Creation was redeemed. It is a long story, full of love, betrayal, courage, good and evil, and truth. I don't want to belabor this, but I don't think I am overstating things by saying nothing of more importance has ever happened. We must do our part, though, for a gift requires both a giver and a receiver.

What happened to Spring? We seem to have skipped it, and now it's already too hot!

Thursday, April 4, 2001

Ok, I officially miss being a student. Russ has many student friends, and one of them is at his apartment right now practicing the oboe. Earlier today, one of his other student friends took some of those law books off my hands. He's an art major, so no doubt something interesting will come of it. Me? I'm at work. Thinking about going back to school. Oh wait - loans! Back to work.

Monday, April 2, 2001

Lately, I've been thinking that computer games are a waste of time (no smart-aleck comments, thank you very much!). This past year, I've realized that my time is limited, and if I'm going to spend a couple of hours inside alone, then I think I would rather read a book.

Congratulations on a successful party, even if no one would know it from your homepage.

Friday, March 30, 2001

Thank you, Charlie and Tracey, for your wisdom.

Wednesday I found out Webster University was giving away a few of law books, so I called and reserved them.  Today I took our van to pick them up, and when I got there I found out "few" is a relative term.  There were 86 boxes! I couldn't fit them all in the van! And they're very heavy! And I don't know what I'm going to do with them.

Kudos to Jim for hosting a rockin' Oscars party! Comments: What is Bjork wearing? Helloooo Jennifer Lopez! Russell Crowe is going to kill Steve Martin. Why is Danny DeVito eating a carrot? Did Susanna Hoffs agree to sing in that key? Maybe they should go with a wide shot for Bob Dylan. Not Gladiator!

Saturday, March 24, 2001

Why do people get upset about cell phones in restaurants? Is it the perceived mildly arrogant attitude that goes with it? If the cell phone user talks in a normal voice, I don't really see a problem with it. I hate my cell phone as much as the next person, but come on, it's just someone having a conversation. Of course, I don't really encounter it very much, so maybe I'm just unaware of the extent of what no one is calling the greatest evil to plague modern society.

Wednesday, March 21, 2001

Does anyone really like their job? Do you know anyone who looks forward to going to work each day? I'm sure there are such folk, but I think most are resigned to their work. I also think it has to be that way for most people, since there aren't enough fantastic jobs to go around.

Sunday, March 18, 2001

Whenever I despair, I remember that the way of truth and love has always won. There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fail. Think of it: always.   -Gandhi

Thursday, March 15, 2001

I'm sick again; I think it's my work. But I probably won't die.

(Here is a blatant plug for my friend's business.) Travel plans involving airplanes? Go here.

Sunday, March 11, 2001

I think the 1st world countries should forgive the debts of the 3rd world countries. That would give the poorer nations a chance at real economic growth (and thereby improved conditions for its people) with very little harm done to the lending countries. Surprisingly, there is a celebrity who champions this rather unsexy cause in a very earnest and non-celebrity-like fashion.

Wednesday, March 7, 2001

The next time someone does something upsettingly stupid, you can pity them instead of seething with rage. Incompetent people do not realize they are incompetent, since it requires competence to recognize incompetence (pointy-haired boss). Instead, incompetent people estimate their own performance at any given task to be not average but rather above average (again). At least read through the juice story.

Sunday, March 4, 2001

I've been sick since Friday, hence the lack of updates.

Why is insider trading illegal? Also, what is the difference between being a good businessman and creating a monopoly?

I think fame is drastically overrated. Sure, it would be neat to have that 15 minutes, but I think widespread fame on any sort of ongoing basis would become crushing. I wonder if the other two members of the triumvirate (wealth and power) are as bittersweet?

Monday, February 26, 2001

This is an emergency posting for a friendin need of some guidance:

Do NOT watch Highlander 2: Renegade Version! It is probably the worst movie I saw in 2000 (which for me was "Year of the Obscure Video Rental" (translation: year of many bad movies)) and one of the top contenders for worst movie of the decade. No matter how low your expectations are for this film, they are not low enough. Ed Wood made better movies, really.

Saturday, February 24, 2001

Just in case you were wondering, there really is no such thing as easy money. Unless you inherit it. Or win the lottery. Or discover gold in a creek on your property. But otherwise not so much.

Tuesday, February 20, 2001

I got back from Memphis late last night. I went to visit a good friend for a few days. Good visit.

Also, today I got a big scratch on my nose in martial arts. Right there on the end of my nose. Not a cool bruise or black eye but a goofy scrape. Oh well, skin heals.

Thursday, February 15, 2001

Gosh, did I miss Valentine's Day?

Happy Belated Birthday, my friend! (Hm, now do I link to the journal or the homepage? (Yes, I realize I just "solved" it, but what about my next friend-with-an-online-journal/homepage's birthday, huh? What do I do then?))

Sunday, February 11, 2001

I've got nothing, but I needed to change the entry, so...

Well, ok, in Rebel Without a Cause, for the knife fight between James Dean and Buzz, they used real switchblades but wore chainmail under their clothes.

This is what I have learned recently, at great price:  Postulate: One must have and implement a backup plan for all aspects of a business.  Corollary: Don't put all your eggs in one basket

Friday, February 2, 2001

After much cajoling, I am posting this. Russ visited the St. Louis Art Museum and was quite taken with a particular painting entitled: "We don't have problems with disco door-waiters. If they don't let us in, we don't let them out."

Tuesday, January 30, 2001

Well, the Russians finally did it. I don't know why we're not doing it.

Friday, January 26, 2001

My youngest sister, Sarah, is home from England and Scotland!  She spent a month there studying English literature through a program at Taylor University.

Tuesday, January 23, 2001

The meetings went well. I am sooooooooooooooooooo tired (you can tell because I used a trite gimmick like repeating the o's to make my point). I think this job might be killing me. Or at least making me sooooooooooooooooo tired.

Friday, January 19, 2001

I'm sorry - I thought I had updated this on Monday.

Also, tomorrow I'm flying to Reno, NV, of all places, for a big meeting between us and one of our major competitors.  I'll be back late Tuesday night.

Friday, January 12, 2001

A friend suggested that forcing people to work with the "less fortunate" would generally be beneficial, while picking up trash will embitter anyone.

In other news, you, and by "you" I, in fact mean "everyone," need to go see Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Excellent movie.

Do you think snobby people could be "rehabilitated" through enforced community service? Or would they just become bitter? Basically, does community service benefit all participants or only those who participate willingly?

Saturday, January 6, 2001

"You don't choose your destiny; your destiny chooses you."

          - Martin Landau, Rounders

So you choose your character, and your destiny chooses you based on your character...

Tuesday, January 2, 2001

Happy New Year/Millenium!

"A man's character determines his destiny."

          - Sarah Michelle Gellar in Simply Irresistible

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