Social Security Has Nothing To Do With The Deficit

Any politician who says you can cut the deficit by cutting Social Security is either stupid, or else thinks you are. Which do you think is more likely? It's a simple fact that the Social Security budget is completely separate from the federal budget that is currently in deficits. You might as well try to fix your family's budget by cutting the budget of someone living next door.

4freeCLE: Your Free CLE Newsletter! December 30, 2012

4freeCLE: Your Free CLE Newsletter! December 30, 2012

In This Issue 3 Bundles of Free On-Demand Credits Webcast CLE In California In Massachusetts In Minnesota In Ohio Past Issues  On-Demand Recordings   Turn an idle hour into CLE credit with your choice of dozens of free recordings, available to you anytime, on-demand! Learn more at 4freeCLE's On-Demand Page.

Top 3 Bundles of 20+ Credits of On-Demand CLE  On-Demand CLE Can Help You Earn Credits! In many jurisdictions, attorneys can use free, on-demand recordings to earn CLE credit before year-end. At the request of several Washington State attorneys, 4freeCLE has put together 3 bundles of free, On-Demand CLE eligible for more than 20 credits in that and many other states. Top 3 Bundles of Free On-Demand MCLE for Washington Attorneys and Others   Find more on-demand programs at 4freeCLE's List of On-Demand CLE. If you're looking for help with a particular state, contact the publisher - we can help! Webcast CLE Share Webcasts With Staff And Colleagues! Get ready for the new year by calendar a few free programs! January 9: The Eighth Amendment and the Mentally Ill on Death Row. Also presented in-person (Cleveland). By Case Western Reserve School of Law. January 9: Five Legal Liability Issues for Schools.Key issues related to safety and security problems in elementary, middle and high schools. By TASA Group. January 16: Protecting Your Company...Wage & Hour Law 2013. Wage and hour litigation is the fastest growing category within employment law today. By LexisNexis.  January 18: Social Media Ethics for Lawyers. Ethical violations from online activities. By Attorney Protective. January 22: Student Safety Door to Door. An overview of student safety while being transported from home to and from school. By TASA.  January 29: Residential Lending after the Crash: An Update on How Dodd-Frank and the CFPB Have Changed the Rules of Home Loan Origination. Dodd-Frank amendments to the Truth-in-Lending Act (TILA) and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), rulemaking by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and more! Also In-Person (San Francisco). By Practising Law Institute.  January 30: Tobacco Control: Comparing U.S. and Australian Labeling Regulations. The announcement does not state that CLE credit has been applied for but appears to meet requirements in many jurisdictions. Also In-Person (St Paul). By Hamline University.   Find more webcasts at 4freeCLE's Web-Based CLE. Plan Ahead For Your 2013 CLE Campaign! In-Person CLEs State-by-State Continuing Legal Education can be a burden or it can be an opportunity, depending on whether you plan ahead to integrate it into your practice and other professional activities. If, as an attorney, you're accustomed to planning other professional activities months in advance, it's not too soon to be planning to CLE campaign as well. California January 15/San Francisco: Introduction to Landlord Tenant Training. By Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) . January 15/San Francisco: Housing Negotiation Project Training. By BASF. January 16/San Francisco: Introduction to Family Law Training. By BASF. January 29/San Francisco: Residential Lending after the Crash: An Update on How Dodd-Frank and the CFPB Have Changed the Rules of Home Loan Origination. Dodd-Frank amendments to the Truth-in-Lending Act (TILA) and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), rulemaking by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and more! Also Webcast. By Practising Law Institute.  Massachusetts January 14/Boston: VLP Training - Unemployment Insurance Appeals. By Volunteer Lawyers Program.   Minnesota January 9/Minneapolis: Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN) New Volunteer Orientation. By VLN. January 22/Saint Paul: The Future of Gun Rights. By Hamline University.  January 30/St Paul: Tobacco Control: Comparing U.S. and Australian Labeling Regulations. Also webcast. By Hamline University.   Ohio January 9/Cleveland: The Eighth Amendment and the Mentally Ill on Death Row. Also webcast. By CWU.  Wisconsin January 17/Milwaukee: Judicial Campaigns, Money and the Future of Justice. By American Constitution Society.  Need More By Year-End? As the year winds down, many professionals face a need to earn credit quickly at little cost. If this is your situation, email the editor and I'll see if I can locate something helpful. If you are able to use online recordings, you should be able to get much of your need satisfied. About 4freeCLE 4freeCLE is delivered weekly and will always be free!Please forward to your fellow professionals so they may benefit; if this was forwarded to you, get your own subscription for free by signing up now!  If you are interested in providing free CLE, contact the editor and I'll be happy to help with publicity. I may also have a few ideas for making your program available more widely, based on what I've learned from reviewing more than 1000 (one thousand) free CLE offerings..

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?

"Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?" is one of the most fun books to read aloud ever!

There isn't really any "plot"; the main character is the titular Mr. Brown, who has not only the ability to make a great many noises, but the will to go around doing so, calmly and seriously! 

What kid doesn't love the idea of a grown-up making silly animal noises? Many will join in the fun as you read it with them. This means learn to read takes place without boredom! 

As with so many of Seuss's works, there is some deep pedagogical stuff going on beneath the playful surface. Take the word "Moo" in the title. Children who know that cows go "moo" don't have to be told that two o's together make an "oooooo" sound; many will see the cow, see the letter M followed by some letters, and unconsciously figure out that this is the sound "Moo"! You can ignore all that if you like. It's a fun book that many children will enjoy having re-read to them until they can read it themselves, and what could be better?

The Amazing Dr. #GOP Explains It All For You!

Are you worried that the good jobs have been shipped to China?
Is it too hard to find things "Made In USA" ... or jobs making them?
Remember the economic collapse in 2008 ... wasn't that something to do with bankers gambling with our money?
Could it be that the millionaires running our economy don't really care about you?
Don't worry! Dr. GOP has the solution to your worries. Just looking into his Hypnotic Spiral and repeat along with him the soothing forumulas.
You'll never be burdened by thinking again!

Free, On-Demand #MCLE For Last-Minute Education

In many jurisdictions, attorneys can use free, on-demand recordings to earn CLE credit before year-end. Here's a selection specifically designed to satisfy Washington State's maximum allowance of 22.5 AV credits per three-year period. It should also be useful for attorneys in many other states; PLI and Lexvid courses in particular are usually accredited in most mandatory CLE states.

1. Ethics

The elusive ethics credit is called by a variety of names in different states, e.g. Professionalism.

• Alternative Fee Arrangements & Pro Bono Service. 0.5 ethics credits. By Lexvid.
• Current Developments in Conflicts of Interest. 1 ethics credit. By Lexvid.  
• Emerging Trends in Legal Ethics and Professionalism. 2 ethics credits in several states. By Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois.
• Getting In, Getting Out, Getting Paid: Fee Agreements, Withdrawal as Counsel, and Fee Arbitrations. 2 ethics credits. By Lexvid. 
• Substance Abuse & the Legal Profession. 1 ethics credit. By Lexvid. 

2. Any Subject (But Only 2 Credits)

If you want your free CLE to address a particular subject matter, you can find the broadest possible selection from two providers who offer a free program just for registering with them. Programs after the 1st one will cost you, but I just don't see a downside to trying these offers!

• MCLEz.com: offers one free program (1 credit) just for registering! 
• NACLE.com: offers one free program (1 credit) just for registering!

3. Subject Matter Potpourri

Here are more than 20 credits from free, On-Demand MCLE accreditted in Washington State and several other states.

• Advocating for Veterans: the Basics on Benefits, Discharge Upgrades & Cultural Competency. 6 credits. By Practising Law Institute. 
• Bankruptcy, Mortgages and Foreclosure: What Bankruptcy Can and Can't Do for Borrowers in Distress. 3.25 credits. By Practising Law Institute.
• Blogging and Tweets: Social Networking in the Workplace. 1 credit. By Lexvid.
• Can Content Survive Online? 1 credit. By Intellectual Property Colloquium. 
• Chapter 11 Reorganizations: A General Overview of Bankruptcy and Bankruptcy Terminology. 1 credit. By Lexvid. 
• Derivative Work. 1 credit. By Intellectual Property Colloquium. 
• Hot Topics in Commercial Leasing. 1.5 credits. By Lexvid. 
• Immigration Straight Talk: What Employers Really Need to Know About I-9's, ICE, & E-Verify. 1 credit. By Lexvid.
• Mediation Panel Discussion. 2 credits. By Lexvid. 
• Open Source Exposure via Your Software Supply Chain. 1 credit. By Black Duck. 
• Privacy in a Networked World. 1 credit. By Intellectual Property Colloquium.
• Shepard Fairey v. Associated Press. 1 credit. By Intellectual Property Colloquium.
• Tax, Credit and Other Financial Consequences of Foreclosures, Short Sales and Mortgage Loan Principal Forgiveness. 3.25 credits. By Practising Law Institute. 

Your Long Internet Essay Really Changed My Mind!

One up side of the internet is that anyone can speak their piece and get an audience of some sort.

One down side is that most of us don't know how to speak persuasively. Piling on more words feels good and doesn't work.

Sure, there are subjects that require a lot of words to express. That's why you go to school for years to learn how to do math and science and stuff. But they have to be the right words, and that takes a lot of time to craft.

Luckily, there are always cats to help explain things!

A new golden era of short form writing

ANSWER: Diapers for the baby, chocolates for the mother, and an order of child support for the missing father. QUESTION: What did the Three Wise Women bring?

the internet is bringing a new golden era of short-form writing, as writers are now rewarded with instant publication, audience, and feedback on the quality of their work. Facebooks statuses alone spawn endless short adventures in fiction or comedy! My little Xmas joke above may have been heard by five or ten people in the old days, but now it's seen by hundreds, and a few give feedback.

4freeCLE: Your Free CLE Newsletter! December 23, 2012

4freeCLE: Your Free CLE Newsletter! December 23, 2012 In This Issue Ethics Credits On-Demand 2 Free CLE On Almost Any Subject 20+ Credits of On-Demand CLE Webcast CLE In California In Massachusetts In Minnesota In Ohio Past Issues  On-Demand Recordings   Turn an idle hour into CLE credit with your choice of dozens of free recordings, available to you anytime, on-demand! Learn more at 4freeCLE's On-Demand Page. Ethics Credits On-Demand  Can You Fulfill Ethics CLE Requirements Right Now, For Free? Yes, you can earn ethics credits between now and year-end! Alternative Fee Arrangements & Pro Bono Service. 0.5 ethics credits. By Lexvid. Current Developments in Conflicts of Interest. 1 ethics credit. By Lexvid.   Emerging Trends in Legal Ethics and Professionalism. 2 ethics credits in several states. By Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois. Getting In, Getting Out, Getting Paid: Fee Agreements, Withdrawal as Counsel, and Fee Arbitrations. 2 ethics credits. By Lexvid.  Substance Abuse & the Legal Profession. 1 ethics credit. By Lexvid.  2 Free CLE On Almost Any Subject Free CLE On Almost Any Legal Subject? Yes! If you want free, on-demand CLE and are very picky as to subject matter, you can find the broadest possible selection from two providers who offer a free program just for registering with them. You can find programs on almost any legal subject. Programs after the 1st one will cost you, but I just don't see a downside to trying these offers! MCLEz.com: offers one free program (1 credit) just for registering!  NACLE.com: offers one free program (1 credit) just for registering! 20+ Credits of On-Demand CLE  All You Need For On-Demand CLE Is Your Time And The Internet! Yes, you can earn over 20 credits between now and year-end! Advocating for Veterans: the Basics on Benefits, Discharge Upgrades & Cultural Competency. 6 credits. By Practising Law Institute.  Bankruptcy, Mortgages and Foreclosure: What Bankruptcy Can and Can't Do for Borrowers in Distress. 3.25 credits. By Practising Law Institute. Blogging and Tweets: Social Networking in the Workplace. 1 credit. By Lexvid. Can Content Survive Online? 1 credit. By Intellectual Property Colloquium.  Chapter 11 Reorganizations: A General Overview of Bankruptcy and Bankruptcy Terminology. 1 credit. By Lexvid.  Derivative Work. 1 credit. By Intellectual Property Colloquium.  Hot Topics in Commercial Leasing. 1.5 credits. By Lexvid.  Immigration Straight Talk: What Employers Really Need to Know About I-9's, ICE, & E-Verify. 1 credit. By Lexvid. Mediation Panel Discussion. 2 credits. By Lexvid.  Open Source Exposure via Your Software Supply Chain. 1 credit. By Black Duck.  Privacy in a Networked World. 1 credit. By Intellectual Property Colloquium. Shepard Fairey v. Associated Press. 1 credit. By Intellectual Property Colloquium. Tax, Credit and Other Financial Consequences of Foreclosures, Short Sales and Mortgage Loan Principal Forgiveness. 3.25 credits. By Practising Law Institute.  Find more on-demand programs at 4freeCLE's List of On-Demand CLE. Webcast CLE Successful Lawyers Plan Ahead For 2013! Get ready for the new year by calendar a few free programs! January 9: The Eighth Amendment and the Mentally Ill on Death Row. Also presented in-person (Cleveland). By Case Western Reserve School of Law. January 9: Five Legal Liability Issues for Schools. Key issues related to safety and security problems in elementary, middle and high schools. By TASA Group. January 16: Protecting Your Company...Wage & Hour Law 2013. Wage and hour litigation is the fastest growing category within employment law today. By LexisNexis.  January 18: Social Media Ethics for Lawyers.Ethical violations from online activities. By Attorney Protective.  Find more webcasts at 4freeCLE's Web-Based CLE. In-Person CLEs Let You Network As You Learn! In-Person CLEs State-by-State In planning your free CLE calendar for next year, consider your role in the process. Do you take in-person CLEs passively, or do you actively prepare by considering: What do I want to get from this program? Who am I likely to meet there? What impression am I likely to give them of me, my practice, and how we might work together? How can I maximize my use of my time at the CLE with prior preparation both for the formal education and the informal networking? These are not trick questions; they are the same preparation you would make for any any potential client meeting or networking opportunity. Invest a few minutes of preparation so that when a door opens, you're ready to walk through!  California January 15/San Francisco: Introduction to Landlord Tenant Training. By Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) . January 15/San Francisco: Housing Negotiation Project Training. By BASF. January 16/San Francisco: Introduction to Family Law Training. By BASF. Massachusetts January 14/Boston: VLP Training - Unemployment Insurance Appeals. By Volunteer Lawyers Program.   Minnesota January 9/Minneapolis: Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN) New Volunteer Orientation. By VLN. Ohio January 9/Cleveland: The Eighth Amendment and the Mentally Ill on Death Row. Also webcast. By CWU.  Need More By Year-End? As the year winds down, many professionals face a need to earn credit quickly at little cost. If this is your situation, email the editor and I'll see if I can locate something helpful. If you are able to use online recordings, you should be able to get much of your need satisfied. About 4freeCLE 4freeCLE is delivered weekly and will always be free!Please forward to your fellow professionals so they may benefit; if this was forwarded to you, get your own subscription for free by signing up now!  If you are interested in providing free CLE, contact the editor and I'll be happy to help with publicity. I may also have a few ideas for making your program available more widely, based on what I've learned from reviewing more than 1000 (one thousand) free CLE offerings..

Merry Catmas And Happy New Purr

When Mother-in-Law called for me to bring my camera, what to my wondering eyes did appear?  It was three puzzled cats, one at a time, with a hat and a beard! Next time, I think I'll give them catnip before we try something like this, but they didn't protest much; they didn't howl or try to scratch, they just made it clear that they wanted the hats off as soon as possible or sooner. I printed a few copies of the picture to distribute as our holiday greeting. It's a silly form of creativity, I suppose, but it's all our own!

Conserving Happiness by Gluing The Tree

Glue, Cannister and Tree
Celebrate A Different Kind of Christmas Story

Last year, I broke the base off a resin Christmas tree with built-in snow globe that, when you wound it up, played a tune while the branches turned. Replacing it probably wouldn't cost much, but I didn't want a replacement; this one had come from my mom. Also it seems wasteful to toss stuff that can be mended. I put the problem off but finally when we hauled out the holiday decor I gifted myself with the problem of how to fix it.
I've had good luck with "Gorilla Glue"; it seems to have most of the virtues of old-school Superglue and few of the disadvantages. But gluing works better when the pieces are clamped together for the glue to cure; how the heck do you clamp a cred to the base?

The solution was to insert the tree into a cardboard oatmeal cylinder. The tips of the tree dug likely into the cardboard to hold its position. I stacked a couple of cans of soup on top, and that proved the force to hold the piece together while the cylinder kept things aligned.

I then let it all sit for a day and cure. The process worked, and the ornament now looks almost new.

I had resisted the impulse to through it away because:

• It was shiny
• It moved
• It played music
• It was a gift from my mom.

But through this I Learned A Valuable Lesson: a little glue and a little ingenuity can reduce waste and conserve resources. I don't know if that's a traditional Christmas message, but saving an ornament (and a little cash) it may be something to balance against the Gospel Of Consumption.

Beef Stroganoff Soup

Only a little soup left ... want some?

Sunday at Big Al Brewing we had a little soup contest. The mandatory ingrediant was "beef" and there were four entries, ALL of them very tasty! The winner was Kris' Beef Stroganoff soup, and here's the recipe:

Let a handful of dried mushrooms go swimming in a cup of sherry for a day

Get:

• 1 pound chunk of beef with a bone in it and heavily marbled (noticable fat)
• 4 medium sized parsnips
• 1 large sweet Walla Walla onion

Put all the above into cast iron Dutch oven or casserole if you aren't lucky enough to have one.

Cook 4 hours at 300F
Remove from oven
Dredge out bones and gristle
Transfer carmelized veggies and meat to 2nd pot

Add:

• half cup sherry
• half tablespoon of marjoram
• half tablespoon of salt (or to taste)
• 2 and a half cups water
• 1 cup sour cream. We used  a Mexican style sour cream from the Savon store in White Center; it has extra flavor!

Simmer for 45 minutes on medium high

You can add a quarter cup of chopped pickles, if you like that in your Stroganoff. We didn't do that this time.

Serve and stand back!

4freeCLE: Your Free CLE Newsletter! December 16, 2012

4freeCLE: Your Free CLE Newsletter! December 16, 2012 In This Issue 2012 Webcast CLE 2013 Webcast CLE On-Demand Recordings In California In Massachusetts In Minnesota In New York In Ohio Past Issues  On-Demand Recordings   Turn an idle hour into CLE credit with your choice of dozens of free recordings, available to you anytime, on-demand! Learn more at 4freeCLE's On-Demand Page. Webcast CLEs: Accessible Whereever You Have A Web Connection! 2012 Webcast CLE Live credit, in many jurisdictions, can be earned in the convenience of your home, office or vacation cabin! December 17: Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Update. Free for General Counsel, Corporate Executives and Law Firms.By ALM Media Properties.  December 18: Ethical Issues in Pro Bono Representation 2012.Recent developments and on-going issues in ethics and professional responsibility arising out of pro bono and public interest practice. Also in-person (NYC). By PLI. December 19: Japanese Litigation: A Primer for Foreign Companies. The increase in litigation in Japan and general procedures for Japanese litigation. By The American Lawyer. December 20: Best Practices: Prior Art Search.Manage your patent prosecutions and searches more effectively and efficiently. By Legal Advantage. 2013 Webcast CLE Plan Now for 2013! Why not calendar next year's learning now, to start the year off right! January 9: The Eighth Amendment and the Mentally Ill on Death Row. Also presented in-person (Cleveland). By Case Western Reserve School of Law. January 18: Social Media Ethics for Lawyers. Ethical violations from online activities. By Attorney Protective.  Find more webcasts at 4freeCLE's Web-Based CLE. On-Demand CLE  Learn What You Need, When You Need It, With On-Demand CLE! Learn and earn credit on your own schedule! Alternative Fee Arrangements & Pro Bono Service. This two part program covers (A) practical and ethical considerations of alternative fee arrangements and (B) ABA's stance on pro bono service and corporate pro bono work. By Lexvid.  Calculating Child Support for Clients with Reduced Income. Training for the Washington State Bar Association Moderate Means Program. Elder Financial Abuse. How to recognize financial elder abuse, and how to remedy it. By Legal Aid Association of California.  Human Trafficking: What Judges Need to Know.While aimed at judges, this program should be of interest to attorneys and the public. By National Judicial College. Selected Ethical Issues for Litigators & Business Attorneys. A trio of ethical issues for litigators, in-house counsel, employment lawyers, and business attorneys. By Lexvid.  Working in the Cloud: It's the Latest, It's the Greatest, Or Is It? This cloud computing primer for lawyers addresses benefits, disadvantages, and ethics of working in the cloud, including internet-based software as a service (SaaS), financial and case management benefits. By The Florida Bar. Find more on-demand programs at 4freeCLE's List of On-Demand CLE. Remember to Bring Business Cards To In-Person CLEs, So You Can Network As You Learn! In-Person CLEs State-by-State Most in-person events are great places to meet your colleagues, share experiences and make your interests known. A question prepared ahead of time, if both relevant and succinct,can both address a problem you encounter in practice, and show yourself to the speaker and to the audience as someone worth knowing. A conversation during a break can lead to future opportunities, especially if you are prepared for that conversation! In-person event are often eligible for credit in multiple states either by application or reciprocity.   Do you know of an event offering free CLE? Send us information about free CLE and we'll publicize it for free! California December 18/San Francisco: Restraining Orders. By ALRP.  December 19/San Francisco: Introduction to Family Law training. By BASF.  Massachusetts December 17/Boston: Intro to Guardianship of Minors VLP Training. By Volunteer Lawyers Program.   Minnesota January 9/Minneapolis: Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN) New Volunteer Orientation. By VLN. New York December 18/NYC: Ethical Issues in Pro Bono Representation 2012. Recent developments and on-going issues in ethics and professional responsibility arising out of pro bono and public interest practice. Also webcast. By Practising Law Institute. Ohio January 9/Cleveland: The Eighth Amendment and the Mentally Ill on Death Row. Also webcast. By CWU.  Need More By Year-End? As the year winds down, many professionals face a need to earn credit quickly at little cost. If this is your situation, email the editor and I'll see if I can locate something helpful. If you are able to use online recordings, you should be able to get much of your need satisfied. About 4freeCLE 4freeCLE is delivered weekly and will always be free!Please forward to your fellow professionals so they may benefit; if this was forwarded to you, get your own subscription for free by signing up now!  If you are interested in providing free CLE, contact the editor and I'll be happy to help with publicity. I may also have a few ideas for making your program available more widely, based on what I've learned from reviewing more than 1000 (one thousand) free CLE offerings..