"Court Case Friday" Watching Adult Porn as Part of My Job In 1978, a police department asked the O.C.D.A. to prosecute an adult film producer. My office section was assigned to review the films in light of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case on obscenity and the First Amendment. (Miller v. California (413 US 15, … Continue reading Adult Pornography Trials – A thing of the past
"Poetic Wednesday" Langston Hughes (1901-1967) is a famous African American poet. (African American poetry, born from the "heart in conflict with itself," is better appreciated when read out loud in your best actor's voice.) HARLEM What happens to a dream deferred? Harlem Does it dry upLike a raisin in the sun?Or fester like a soreAnd … Continue reading “Harlem” – What Happens When our Dreams are “Deferred”?
"Fun Facts Saturday" Over the years, I have given hundreds of talks. But I have received only one standing ovation. It was a patriotic Fourth of July speech to the families of several Masonic Lodges. I finished the talk with the powerful story of the same-day deaths of my heroes Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. … Continue reading My One-and-Only Standing Ovation
"Court Case Friday" "Dial-a-Drunk" Breathalyzers With early breathalyzer devices, the officers set the alcohol level at zero before starting the test. Dishonest cops set the initial level higher. Nothing in the machine prevented this. Those devices were nicknamed, "Dial-a-Drunk." Current machines have multiple fail-safes, and they are very accurate. The Ignition Interlock Device: A New … Continue reading “Dial-a-Drunk” Breathalyzers & Ignition Interlock Devices
"Poetic Wednesday" Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) was a major English Romantic poet. (His wife, Mary Shelley, was the author of Frankenstein.) “Ozymandias” is about hubris/arrogance. Ozymandias I met a traveler from an antique landWho said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stoneStand in the desert... Near them, on the sand,Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, … Continue reading “OZYMANDIAS”- Famous poem about “Arrogance,” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
"Sunday Sermon" The Bible is the most inspired, influential, profound, and important book ever produced. No other book compares. The Bible is the pinnacle of truth and wisdom, and the monument of literature. Moreover, it IS the word of God. Christian belief in infallibility Some Christians go further and claim that the Bible is “complete, … Continue reading Is the Bible “Infallible?”
"Fun Facts Saturday" On the first day of my LDS mission in Wales, a man answered the door and asked, “What do you think of our country?” I smiled and replied, “I really like it here in England.” Huge mistake! The man turned red with anger and roared: “Sir, this is Wales, not England! Unfortunately … Continue reading Don’t ever call a Welsh, Irish, or Scottish person -“English”
"Court 'Case' Friday" Driving for Yellow Cab of Anaheim After my first year of law school, my wife and I returned to Orange County to earn money for the next school year. I got a job driving taxis for Yellow Cab in Anaheim. I worked 12-hour shifts, six days a week. I started at 4:00 … Continue reading Driving Drunks (My Taxi Experience)
(Because of a recent Deseret News article promoting prayer in school, I am reposting this) In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that prayer in the classroom violated the religious Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. (Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962)). This case caused a firestorm of criticism. The Court explained, “There can … Continue reading Prayer in Public Schools: The Practical Problems
“Poetic Wednesday” “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother/sister is born for adversity.” (Pro. 17:17) SHAKE HANDS, WE SHALL NEVER BE FRIENDS Shake hands, we shall never be friends, all's over,I only vex you the more I try.All's wrong that ever I've done or said,And nought to help it in this dull head.Shake … Continue reading “Shake Hands, We Shall Never Be Friends.” A poem about old friends in need, by A.E. Housman
The London Edition 