Read this blog entry from the South Florida Lawyer's blog:
http://southfloridalawyers.blogspot.com/2008/04/some-days-you-eat-bear-some-days-beart.html
It's all about how my profession runs on fear, and I totally agree.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
I'm just saying.......
If your boyfriend wears tight red jeans and flat irons his hair, you should be concerned that he "plays for the other team," if you know what I mean.Ashley, you're on notice.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Rock of Love 2 reunion special
So this weekend in between purchasing many gifts for friends, running tons of errands, working out like crazy, socializing, and celebrating Passover, I managed to catch the Rock of Love 2 reunion show. Here are some thoughts:
Why must Heather try to dress like a rock star? I think she actually looked like some type of modern day Janis Joplin, only prettier and sluttier. You can take the girl out of the strip club, but you can't take the strip club out of the girl.
Frenchie--she's just gross. I don't think that even Bret wants to see her naked.
Daisy--Change your name, it sounds like a stripper name. Oh, that's right she is a stripper, and a perfect advertisement for plastic surgery gone wrong.
Destiny--Reported that her Dad dies 2 weeks ago. Everyone cried, even me a little. I think I was just in a crying mood. That happens sometimes.
Why must Heather try to dress like a rock star? I think she actually looked like some type of modern day Janis Joplin, only prettier and sluttier. You can take the girl out of the strip club, but you can't take the strip club out of the girl.
Frenchie--she's just gross. I don't think that even Bret wants to see her naked.
Daisy--Change your name, it sounds like a stripper name. Oh, that's right she is a stripper, and a perfect advertisement for plastic surgery gone wrong.
Destiny--Reported that her Dad dies 2 weeks ago. Everyone cried, even me a little. I think I was just in a crying mood. That happens sometimes.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Traffic slowdown
There was a tiny bit of a snarl in the traffic pattern this morning. It seems as though there was a body in the middle of 95, the main road that takes you into downtown Miami. But even with that it only took me about 75 minutes to get to work today. And even though I got in at 9:30, I'm still leaving at 5.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
It's happened again.
Another person I was never friends with sent me a friend request on Facebook. She, like the other non-friend, that sent a friend request is very choosy about who she's friends with. She has 310 friends. The other guy had 491 friends. There's NO way you have that many friends. I don't even think my cell phone holds that many numbers.
So, I went to law school with this person and although she was in my section 1st year, I don't think I ever had a single conversation with her. AND, I saw her at my gym last year and she acted like she didn't even have the energy to say hi. Bitch. I confirmed her anyway. I don't want people to know I don't like them until they are my opposing counsel and then I can release my dislike of them guised as "I'm advocating for my client."
So, I went to law school with this person and although she was in my section 1st year, I don't think I ever had a single conversation with her. AND, I saw her at my gym last year and she acted like she didn't even have the energy to say hi. Bitch. I confirmed her anyway. I don't want people to know I don't like them until they are my opposing counsel and then I can release my dislike of them guised as "I'm advocating for my client."
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The pregnant man
Ok, so everyone has been talking about the pregnant man and now it's my turn. I would have written about him sooner but someone forgot to TIVO Oprah for me after I asked my Dad to record it several times.
Anyway, because of that I had to do actual research which took me all of about 2 minutes.
Ok this is confusing. So the guy used to be a lady, and the lady wanted to be a man so she got rid of her boobs and started taking man juice. As you can see from the picture the man juice worked because look at all of that hair in manly places. And do you know what else the man juice did? It turned her clitoris into a mini penis, and now he can have small penis man sex with his wife. I'm sure the wife really enjoys that because, well, who doesn't like a small penis. And, oh yes, the wife is a lesbian, and she doesn't really like man parts at all, that why she's a lesbian! Is everyone following me so far?
So the lady wanted to be a man so much that she kept her internal lady parts because he/she thought that maybe one day he'd have a baby. Then they found a sperm donor and DECIDED TO DO THE ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION AT HOME BY THEMSELVES. If I was Oprah, my follow up question would be "and did you save the turkey baster to show it to your child when he or she begins to ask about where babies come from?" Honestly how the hell do you artificially inseminate yourself? And, no, I don't want to try it at home. I guess the man/lady would have to have a vagina??? OMG this is so confusing, and if I actually saw what it looked like in his downtown region I might throw up.
Now, I am cursing Oprah for not asking this question: "With all of that confusing stuff you've got going on down there, where on earth is the baby coming out of?" Maybe his nose. Or ear. That would be my first, and second guesses.
I have so many unanswered questions. I think Oprah should have the pregnant man on for a follow-up after the baby is born. I'll make the demand on behalf of the viewing audience.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Why is it that I'm never that shocked when the U.S. government does something stupid?
A 22 year old gets a weapons contract from the U.S. government. Please tell me which government bureaucrat did the due diligence investigation on this guy. And then fire him. This is pathetic.
Read this article from the Miami Herald.....
___________________________________________________________________
Weapons dealer had minority status
A Miami Beach company under investigation for selling faulty munitions to the U.S. Army erroneously appeared as a minority-owned company on millions of dollars worth of government weapons contracts.
Posted on Fri, Apr. 11, 2008
Efraim Diveroli, the 22-year-old Miami Beach arms dealer, is already under investigation for allegedly selling banned Chinese munitions to the U.S. government.
Now Diveroli's firm, AEY, is being singled out as an example of fraud and mismanagement in how the federal government awards contracts to small and minority-owned businesses.
Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, said AEY won as many as 50 contracts worth $298 million, in part because of its designation as a small disadvantaged business -- a status reserved for people belonging to certain minority groups who can prove their net worth is under $750,000.
There's no evidence that AEY ever asked for the special status or would have been eligible. Diveroli's grandfather is Italian -- not one of the minorities singled out under the program.
The incident sheds light on what some business advocates contend are efforts to inflate contracting numbers in order to exaggerate the government's commitment to small and minority-owned firms. Since 1995 there have been 13 government investigations and two private studies that have turned up abuse and mismanagement in the federal contracting system.
Kerry sent letters to the Department of Defense, the State Department and the Small Business Administration Thursday asking about the error.
''Lack of oversight of contracting programs within the federal government is allowing companies like AEY Inc. to erroneously access hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts as an SDB,'' Kerry wrote to SBA Administrator Steven Preston. The lapses are ``undermining a program created to level the playing field for small disadvantaged businesses.''
The SBA in Washington says it has no record that AEY ever applied for SDB status.
AEY would not comment, and Diveroli's lawyer did not immediately return calls.
A review of the Federal Procurement Data System, which provides information on government contracting, found AEY was first identified as an SDB in June 2006 by the State Department and Army. It ultimately received the SDB designation 33 times on contracts worth $224 million. The company received another 19 awards during the same period without being labeled an SDB.
In the past, government auditors have blamed such errors on ''miscoding'' and typos.
''That's the same excuse the government has been using for the last six years,'' said Lloyd Chapman, president of the American Small Business League, which follows contracting issues. ``It's not accidents, it's not data entry errors, it's a well-orchestrated attempt to misrepresent the volume of contracts that go to small businesses and minorities.''
The government has the goal of channeling 23 percent of all contracts to small firms and 2.5 percent of contracts to SDBs. SDBs are usually owned by blacks, Hispanics, Asians or Native Americans. Other ethnicities can qualify only if they show a ''preponderance of evidence'' that they are disadvantaged.
While the government routinely misses its small business goal, it has done better hitting the SDB target.
In fiscal 2006, the most current year available, SDBs won $23 billion worth of contracts, or 6.8 percent of all government contracts.
But Chapman said there's evidence those figures are bloated with firms like AEY.
''For everyone that's caught there are hundreds that get away with it,'' he said.
Similarly, a 2005 investigation by The Miami Herald found that of the top 20 small-business contractors in Florida, more than half exceeded the SBA's basic definition of a small business.
AEY hit the news last month when an Army contract worth up to $300 million was suspended after it was discovered the company was allegedly passing off aging Chinese-made ammunition as Hungarian.
The bullets were destined for Afghanistan, but the transaction may have violated a ban on sales of Chinese munitions to the U.S. government. Now Diveroli is under criminal investigation and expected to appear before a congressional committee later this month.
''Faulty contracting procedures and deficient safeguards are no excuse for putting troops in Afghanistan and Iraq in greater danger,'' Kerry wrote. ``The Bush Administration needs to explain how and why this mistake occurred . . . and what steps they are taking to make sure that it never happens again.''
Read this article from the Miami Herald.....
___________________________________________________________________
Weapons dealer had minority status
A Miami Beach company under investigation for selling faulty munitions to the U.S. Army erroneously appeared as a minority-owned company on millions of dollars worth of government weapons contracts.
Posted on Fri, Apr. 11, 2008
Efraim Diveroli, the 22-year-old Miami Beach arms dealer, is already under investigation for allegedly selling banned Chinese munitions to the U.S. government.
Now Diveroli's firm, AEY, is being singled out as an example of fraud and mismanagement in how the federal government awards contracts to small and minority-owned businesses.
Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, said AEY won as many as 50 contracts worth $298 million, in part because of its designation as a small disadvantaged business -- a status reserved for people belonging to certain minority groups who can prove their net worth is under $750,000.
There's no evidence that AEY ever asked for the special status or would have been eligible. Diveroli's grandfather is Italian -- not one of the minorities singled out under the program.
The incident sheds light on what some business advocates contend are efforts to inflate contracting numbers in order to exaggerate the government's commitment to small and minority-owned firms. Since 1995 there have been 13 government investigations and two private studies that have turned up abuse and mismanagement in the federal contracting system.
Kerry sent letters to the Department of Defense, the State Department and the Small Business Administration Thursday asking about the error.
''Lack of oversight of contracting programs within the federal government is allowing companies like AEY Inc. to erroneously access hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts as an SDB,'' Kerry wrote to SBA Administrator Steven Preston. The lapses are ``undermining a program created to level the playing field for small disadvantaged businesses.''
The SBA in Washington says it has no record that AEY ever applied for SDB status.
AEY would not comment, and Diveroli's lawyer did not immediately return calls.
A review of the Federal Procurement Data System, which provides information on government contracting, found AEY was first identified as an SDB in June 2006 by the State Department and Army. It ultimately received the SDB designation 33 times on contracts worth $224 million. The company received another 19 awards during the same period without being labeled an SDB.
In the past, government auditors have blamed such errors on ''miscoding'' and typos.
''That's the same excuse the government has been using for the last six years,'' said Lloyd Chapman, president of the American Small Business League, which follows contracting issues. ``It's not accidents, it's not data entry errors, it's a well-orchestrated attempt to misrepresent the volume of contracts that go to small businesses and minorities.''
The government has the goal of channeling 23 percent of all contracts to small firms and 2.5 percent of contracts to SDBs. SDBs are usually owned by blacks, Hispanics, Asians or Native Americans. Other ethnicities can qualify only if they show a ''preponderance of evidence'' that they are disadvantaged.
While the government routinely misses its small business goal, it has done better hitting the SDB target.
In fiscal 2006, the most current year available, SDBs won $23 billion worth of contracts, or 6.8 percent of all government contracts.
But Chapman said there's evidence those figures are bloated with firms like AEY.
''For everyone that's caught there are hundreds that get away with it,'' he said.
Similarly, a 2005 investigation by The Miami Herald found that of the top 20 small-business contractors in Florida, more than half exceeded the SBA's basic definition of a small business.
AEY hit the news last month when an Army contract worth up to $300 million was suspended after it was discovered the company was allegedly passing off aging Chinese-made ammunition as Hungarian.
The bullets were destined for Afghanistan, but the transaction may have violated a ban on sales of Chinese munitions to the U.S. government. Now Diveroli is under criminal investigation and expected to appear before a congressional committee later this month.
''Faulty contracting procedures and deficient safeguards are no excuse for putting troops in Afghanistan and Iraq in greater danger,'' Kerry wrote. ``The Bush Administration needs to explain how and why this mistake occurred . . . and what steps they are taking to make sure that it never happens again.''
Monday, April 14, 2008
Monday morning
I usually am fine with mornings. I would even say that sometimes I am a "morning Person." But that was not the case this morning. You see, I'm really tired. I hit the snooze button 5 times. I did not want to get out of bed, which left me with a very short amount of time to get ready for work. I didn't want to come to work at all, but I have a lot of things to do and since I am responsible I didn't pretend I was sick.
Oh yes, and mystarvation vacation diet officially started yesterday. That might be another reason why I'm so tired. I woke up starving. And now I'm drinking metabolism revving green tea and eating my lower sugar oatmeal still not feeling energized. I'm already wondering what time I can leave the office so I can go to the gym and run on the treadmill for as long as I can. Cry.
And FYI--I didn't see the Rock of Love 2 finale because I fell asleep. Crap. And I think my computer is broken, again. Great. How am I supposed to charge my I Pod now?
Oh yes, and my
And FYI--I didn't see the Rock of Love 2 finale because I fell asleep. Crap. And I think my computer is broken, again. Great. How am I supposed to charge my I Pod now?
Sunday, April 13, 2008
One word and a post script
YUM.
Of course, I still prefer my bf over Mr. Jackman, and especially after this weekend.
Friday, April 11, 2008
TGIV
That's right people....thank God its Vacation!!!! After much discussion, we've finally made a decision! We're (me and the bf) going to the Dominican Republic! Yea! I can't wait.
Sun, sand, pool drinks, uninterrupted time with the bf, me in a bathing suit. Wait, did I just say "me in a bathing suit?" Holy crap. The
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Just for laughs
Hi All. I am super f&^%ing busy today and don't really even have time to write this. So, I'm going to post an e-mail from one of my neighbors to the former president of the HOA, which was then forwarded to me as the President of my HOA. I'll also post my response. Let's just say I am a stickler for the proper use of grammar and punctuation. And, I also like to spell things correctly. Having said that, after reading this e-mail from my neighbor, I really wished she had paid attention in elementary school. Have fun reading:
_____________________________________________________________
hi Former HOA Pres i clled you afew weeks back you were not homei spoke with your relative what happened is myplayrrom front room downstairs was leaking fromceiling into wall i called my roofer which was done 1yr ago they checked it it turns out it was the frontsiding of the structure of the house it is totallywarped in and cracked ubder the other upstairs bedroomwindow the rrofer said it was the stucco i have anuncle big into construction he will look at it andrefer someone to usat this point we nnedd to all meetthanx for your time hope your well -Neighbor that has a 1st grade education
_______________________________________________________________
Now, the fact that I understood that e-mail enough to respond to it is something that I'm not proud of. Here's my response:
Dear neighbors,
Unfortunately the problem you are experiencing is not covered by the Home owner's Association. Each individual homeowner is responsible for the building that lies on your property's legal description. The legal description of your property can be found on the Broward County Property Appraiser's website, and also probably in the following locations: your mortgage documents, the title to your home, and the deed to your home.
The Association is only responsible for common areas such as the pool, etc. If you would like further information on the items for which each homeowner is responsible, I will be happy to photocopy the applicable sections of the Association By-Laws.
Therefore, if you need to repair your property, do not look to the Association for financial contribution.
Love,
Curlatini, Esq.
____________________________________________________________
If they understood my response I'd be shocked.
_____________________________________________________________
hi Former HOA Pres i clled you afew weeks back you were not homei spoke with your relative what happened is myplayrrom front room downstairs was leaking fromceiling into wall i called my roofer which was done 1yr ago they checked it it turns out it was the frontsiding of the structure of the house it is totallywarped in and cracked ubder the other upstairs bedroomwindow the rrofer said it was the stucco i have anuncle big into construction he will look at it andrefer someone to usat this point we nnedd to all meetthanx for your time hope your well -Neighbor that has a 1st grade education
_______________________________________________________________
Now, the fact that I understood that e-mail enough to respond to it is something that I'm not proud of. Here's my response:
Dear neighbors,
Unfortunately the problem you are experiencing is not covered by the Home owner's Association. Each individual homeowner is responsible for the building that lies on your property's legal description. The legal description of your property can be found on the Broward County Property Appraiser's website, and also probably in the following locations: your mortgage documents, the title to your home, and the deed to your home.
The Association is only responsible for common areas such as the pool, etc. If you would like further information on the items for which each homeowner is responsible, I will be happy to photocopy the applicable sections of the Association By-Laws.
Therefore, if you need to repair your property, do not look to the Association for financial contribution.
Love,
Curlatini, Esq.
____________________________________________________________
If they understood my response I'd be shocked.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Um, how do I say this politely?
Dear Whitney,
You have a lot of money. And, presumably, your appearance is important to you. So, don't try to scrimp and save when it comes to how you look. You have cheap breast implants. Get some that don't look so fake.
Love,
Curlatini
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Update on big deadline
After working relatively hard all day long, I have a preliminary draft of my response to a motion for summary judgment.
Now I know all of you non-law people are wondering if that is a big deal. And, I don't mind telling you that, yes, in fact, I do rock and I can get loads of work accomplished when I actually try and concentrate on what I'm doing.
And the fact that I worked so hard today will work out very well for me because tomorrow I have to drive all the way to West Palm Beach to prepare a client for a deposition on a BS case. So, I will be in the car for hours. Fabulous. Hopefully when I get back to the office my secretary will have typed up my very long dictation tape and I can make revisions and have a second draft of the thing by tomorrow night.
I amaze myself sometimes, really.
Now I know all of you non-law people are wondering if that is a big deal. And, I don't mind telling you that, yes, in fact, I do rock and I can get loads of work accomplished when I actually try and concentrate on what I'm doing.
And the fact that I worked so hard today will work out very well for me because tomorrow I have to drive all the way to West Palm Beach to prepare a client for a deposition on a BS case. So, I will be in the car for hours. Fabulous. Hopefully when I get back to the office my secretary will have typed up my very long dictation tape and I can make revisions and have a second draft of the thing by tomorrow night.
I amaze myself sometimes, really.
Well that is f%&$#ing great
Ya know what I just realized? I'm not going to make my bonus in May. We have to bill 2000 hours at my firm--1000 from December-May and 1000 from May to November. I just pulled my hours from December until now and I don't think I'm going to make it unless I somehow bill 200 hours a month for the next 2 months. That's fucking great. So, now I won't get my incentive bonus of $2000 for meeting my 1000 required hours for both 6 month periods. Shit. So that's like 3-4K I'm not going to make this year because my firm has me doing so many worthless non-billable projects. I think I hate it here. I definitely hate the commute.
I guess I'll just have to pretend that my $2700 tax refund is my bonus.Crap. This is really not working for me. I'm not happy.
I guess I'll just have to pretend that my $2700 tax refund is my bonus.Crap. This is really not working for me. I'm not happy.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Big deadline
I have to draft a reply to a Motion for Summary Judgment and hand it into my boss by Friday, and I didn't do any work on it this weekend. Do we think that's possible? If I finish, you can call me Supertini:)
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Rock of Love 2 review
I am in love with this show. I think that VH1 should just film this show nonstop, instead of making me wait for months because we all know that Bret is not going to find love, and season 3 will be forthcoming. That's just a given. I know that Bret will not stay with the chick he chooses this season either. He should just go back with skanky Heather from last season. Even I think she's hot.
I am so looking forward to the followup show.
I am so looking forward to the followup show.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
And speaking of ugly couples........
Hulk, with your skin that color, do you really think you need to spend time in the sun? And please, for the sake of anyone that ever has to look at you, put on a shirt, and a hat, or better yet, just don't leave the house. And the 80s Michael Bolton look is really not working for you. You're bald, does having long hair make you feel better about not being able to grow any on top?
And this chick, besides your money, what is she so attracted to? Oh yeah, nothing. She just likes your money.
There is not one thing that is right with this picture. My apologies.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Injury
I think I have a major injury. I bruised my elbow. It really hurts. Maybe I can file for worker's comp or something. I'm sure I hurt it while at work. I've been at the office maybe 87 hours this week. I'm delirious. That's why I got to work today at 9:03 instead of the required 8:45. And I had to feed the cats. And I have to feed my sister's cats tonight. And do I have a story for you about those guys. But you'll have to wait until later b/c I'm busy now. Late.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
News flash--Mariah is nuts
On the way into the office this morning I listened to an interview with Mariah Carey. She did not utter one comprehensible sentence. The woman can sing great, but when she's not singing she should just keep her mouth closed. Just some advice from one diva to another.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Name calling is not just for kids
Judges like to do it too! For more information, read below. And, Judge Tobin, did you really kick Spechler out of the courthouse? That's brilliant! The guy never seemed to do anything but play on his computer anyway.
_________________________________________________________________
JudiciarySources: Spechler reassignment, resignation came after disparaging remarks about fellow judge's sexual orientation
April 01, 2008
Longtime Broward County judge resigned after he was reassigned to hear traffic cases in a satellite courthouse and barred from entering the main Fort Lauderdale courthouse.
Courthouse sources said County Court Judge Jay Spechler’s reassignment came after he got into a verbal altercation with fellow County Court Judge Peggy Gehl and made disparaging comments about her sexual orientation. Calls to Gehl were not returned by deadline. Her judicial assistant said she was out for the day. Rumors have circulated in the legal community for months that the state Judicial Qualifications Commission was looking at Spechler and several other local judges. Gehl is a member of the JQC. The Broward Sheriff’s Office and the Fort Lauderdale police department said there were no police reports regarding any incidents involving Broward judges. Judge Spechler sent a three-sentence letter of resignation to Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday, effective the same day, saying it was “an honor and privilege” to serve the county and state. He started a new job today with a North Miami mediation firm. The abrupt job change was in response to his reassignment, which amounted to a demotion. Spechler’s sudden reassignment and resignation – which was not explained – has been the talk of the courthouse. Chief Circuit Judge Victor Tobin sent Spechler a letter last Thursday assigning him to outlying civil traffic and parking ticket cases. “You are not to return to the Central Courthouse except at my direction,” Tobin said in the letter initially reported today in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The letter offered no explanation for Tobin’s action. Spechler and Tobin did not return calls for comment by deadline. Attorney Michael Ahearn, a friend of Spechler’s, said the former judge has joined the Center for Conflict Resolution in North Miami, which was founded by former Bay Harbor Islands Mayor Thomas Glick and Rosanne Shore in 1997. Spechler had been courted by mediation firms for a while, and his judicial reassignment demonstrated the need for a change, Ahearn said. “It was a game of chicken, and Jay had an out: a lucrative job offer he jumped at and hadn’t looked back,” Ahearn said. Broward Circuit Judge Thomas Lynch echoed Ahearn’s comments that Spechler had been considering moving into mediation. He said Tobin’s letter prompted Spechler to take the job sooner rather than later. “He had an offer on the table for a long time. You could say the abrupt transfer made the decision easier for him,” Lynch said. Lynch and Spechler have been longtime friends, surfing buddies and former law partners. Representatives at the Center for Conflict Resolution confirmed Spechler has joined the firm. Spechler, who was elected judge in 1988, led the county court for 12 years. He resigned from his administrative post last May, a week after former Broward Chief Judge Dale Ross announced he was leaving the court’s top judicial post. Spechler served as chairman of the county court’s civil division for four years. He oversaw many cases involving United Automobile Insurance, which sought to remove him from its personal injury protection accident cases before him. “Jay will be sorely missed,” Lynch said. Ross resigned following a series of controversies involving Broward judges accused of everything from pot smoking in a park to insensitivity on the bench. The incidents came to a head last March when Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice R. Fred Lewis flew to Miami to meet with minority bar leaders.
_________________________________________________________________
JudiciarySources: Spechler reassignment, resignation came after disparaging remarks about fellow judge's sexual orientation
April 01, 2008
Longtime Broward County judge resigned after he was reassigned to hear traffic cases in a satellite courthouse and barred from entering the main Fort Lauderdale courthouse.
Courthouse sources said County Court Judge Jay Spechler’s reassignment came after he got into a verbal altercation with fellow County Court Judge Peggy Gehl and made disparaging comments about her sexual orientation. Calls to Gehl were not returned by deadline. Her judicial assistant said she was out for the day. Rumors have circulated in the legal community for months that the state Judicial Qualifications Commission was looking at Spechler and several other local judges. Gehl is a member of the JQC. The Broward Sheriff’s Office and the Fort Lauderdale police department said there were no police reports regarding any incidents involving Broward judges. Judge Spechler sent a three-sentence letter of resignation to Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday, effective the same day, saying it was “an honor and privilege” to serve the county and state. He started a new job today with a North Miami mediation firm. The abrupt job change was in response to his reassignment, which amounted to a demotion. Spechler’s sudden reassignment and resignation – which was not explained – has been the talk of the courthouse. Chief Circuit Judge Victor Tobin sent Spechler a letter last Thursday assigning him to outlying civil traffic and parking ticket cases. “You are not to return to the Central Courthouse except at my direction,” Tobin said in the letter initially reported today in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The letter offered no explanation for Tobin’s action. Spechler and Tobin did not return calls for comment by deadline. Attorney Michael Ahearn, a friend of Spechler’s, said the former judge has joined the Center for Conflict Resolution in North Miami, which was founded by former Bay Harbor Islands Mayor Thomas Glick and Rosanne Shore in 1997. Spechler had been courted by mediation firms for a while, and his judicial reassignment demonstrated the need for a change, Ahearn said. “It was a game of chicken, and Jay had an out: a lucrative job offer he jumped at and hadn’t looked back,” Ahearn said. Broward Circuit Judge Thomas Lynch echoed Ahearn’s comments that Spechler had been considering moving into mediation. He said Tobin’s letter prompted Spechler to take the job sooner rather than later. “He had an offer on the table for a long time. You could say the abrupt transfer made the decision easier for him,” Lynch said. Lynch and Spechler have been longtime friends, surfing buddies and former law partners. Representatives at the Center for Conflict Resolution confirmed Spechler has joined the firm. Spechler, who was elected judge in 1988, led the county court for 12 years. He resigned from his administrative post last May, a week after former Broward Chief Judge Dale Ross announced he was leaving the court’s top judicial post. Spechler served as chairman of the county court’s civil division for four years. He oversaw many cases involving United Automobile Insurance, which sought to remove him from its personal injury protection accident cases before him. “Jay will be sorely missed,” Lynch said. Ross resigned following a series of controversies involving Broward judges accused of everything from pot smoking in a park to insensitivity on the bench. The incidents came to a head last March when Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice R. Fred Lewis flew to Miami to meet with minority bar leaders.
Not so good morning
This morning didn't start out so well. I actually thought about turning around and driving home when I pulled into my parking spot. Instead I just sat there and cried for a few minutes. I am a little stressed out. I am very worried about a lot of things right now. Once I actually got into the office and started being a little productive I felt a little better. But I still hate the job, the commute, and pretty much everything else right now.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Something that's been bothering me for a while
Oh hi. So, I have been thinking for maybe that past 2 years that I don't take good pictures anymore. I know, it's not a big deal. But I am sick of looking at pictures and saying to myself "wow, you really look like crap."
We just got the proofs back from the photographer for the firm website. I look like crap in every single picture. Cry.
I am getting rid of my hairdresser. She's gone. After that I will re-evaluate the picture taking situation and report back to everyone. That is all.
We just got the proofs back from the photographer for the firm website. I look like crap in every single picture. Cry.
I am getting rid of my hairdresser. She's gone. After that I will re-evaluate the picture taking situation and report back to everyone. That is all.
Facebook--I don't get it
I usually do not go on those dumb websites like Facebook, My Space, and Friendster. But if someone wants to "add me as a friend," I usually go on the site and check out their profile. So, today I check my e-mail and someone who I hardly knew in high school and don't consider a friend sent me a friend request. Um, why? Does this person not remember that we weren't friends? Well I didn't want to seem like a bitch, because I used to be much nicer back in high school, so I confirmed the request.
But I don't get that site. Maybe it's because I don't make the most of it and do the stupid things you can do on the site like take some dumb movie quiz, or send a flower to a friend. Maybe it's just me, but the whole thing is juvenile. For reals, yo.
But I don't get that site. Maybe it's because I don't make the most of it and do the stupid things you can do on the site like take some dumb movie quiz, or send a flower to a friend. Maybe it's just me, but the whole thing is juvenile. For reals, yo.
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