Things and Stuff (Oh Titles) in Book Six: Trying to Hold On 2019

My dreams are really starting to piss me off.

Last night? I dreamed.... RANDOM TANGENT
Prosebox Spell check says dreamt isn’t a word… from GRAMMARLY apparently, DREAMT is “more often used in Britain while DREAMED is used in most other English-Speaking places. To this I said, damnable upbringing. I grew up with things like ‘dreamt’ and ‘grey’ and ‘theatre’. I adore the British parts of my upbringing (how many Iowan Children were raised with Proper Service Rules of Dinning from birth) but it comes out in strange ways. ANYWAY

Last night? I dreamt that I was still working for the damned Chinese. I could still feel the weight in my chest, the depression of existential depression, and the horror of working for these folks… but I was trying my best to keep my team upbeat because I was now in charge of the “peons.” White Boss did the law… Chinese Boss did the marketing… and I did the “run the office, answer questions, deal with shit, etc.” So I was trying to keep the team happy. One of our off-site guys came in with a client and was reporting a problem… it was a Civil Trial wherein the Client was being sued for serving fish that had gone bad. The Client had come to Chinese Attorney, shared the business paperwork and everything, and she had taken the case under “Chinese Privilege.” Well, our off-site investigator had discovered an abundant shit load of evidence that implicated the client in a business scheme whereby he knowingly and intentionally purchased older fish products on the down low to save on costs. A significant portion of his product was bad by the time he even purchased it. Our team went into “Holy Shit” mode… because everyone knew Chinese Attorney’s stance. It is our client, it is our responsibility to make sure he’s protected. So we started brainstorming. Technically, we’re legally allowed to NOT disclose what we found. So how do we prevent Plaintiff from discovering this?! While we were freaking out, Chinese Attorney came in with a New Client to try to show off our firm. I recognized the client (a young, attractive white woman) and re-introduced myself. As I shook her hand, the team behind me (wisely and with practice) swept everything we’d been working on out of site and Off-Site Employee started schmoozing the Chinese Client as he escorted him from the room. Chinese Attorney looked suspiciously at New Client and said, “How do you know Chris?” The New Client had a look of guilt and said, “I’m not sure I do. I think he may have mistaken me for someone else as I can’t remember ever meeting you.” I smiled and gave a “don’t worry about it” expression. “It’s okay. We may have met in an acting program or music program or something with far too many faces to remember. It’s perfectly all right.” I excused myself to go find Chinese Client and heard Chinese Attorney start disparaging me as “someone with no real focus growing up.” I found the client inside a MASSIVE Chinese Food Market. Then I woke up.

There are a number of reasons why this might come to mind.
(1) I needed to (and just did) e-mail Chinese Firm to tell them to mail me my Tax Information
(1.1) HA to verify e-mail address, I checked their website. When I quit, Muse quit right after. They hired people. They had Two Attorneys (Chinese and White) and 4 employees (working paralegal, secretary, intern, and accounting). CURRENT staff page? 2 employees. NEITHER OF WHICH were part of the original 4. So… yeah. Turn over seems to be quite the problem there!
(2) Things are getting intense here. We’re looking at some SERIOUS cases of mine coming to the forefront in March.
(3) As it relates to China, I heard a bunch of Marketplace Reports recently on the Cultural Problem in Business in China. “Win at all costs. Success is the only justification one needs. If you are successful, whatever means employed to get there are acceptable.” And I thought… YEAH my time in the Chinese Firm proved that… whether it was the Firm itself or the clients!
(4) The Chinese New Year was February 5th and while I did not celebrate it this year (by choice or force) it was still a big news story. Especially as we have entered The Year of the Pig. This month, I’ve been getting a lot of press from AnimeIowa and, as you may get, AnimeIowa’s Mascot is a Pig… usually wearing an Anime Costume. Last year, it was Goku Pig. This year, it appears to be, Ash Pig carrying a Pikachu Pig.

So there’s that.

In other news, MORE snow last night. GR! Made the drive here more difficult. Thing about that is… I have to go back to IF over lunch to grab my Sleep Study Headgear. Luckily, my boss said “You have court at 11 and then nothing all day. Have your Surface on for e-mails but you don’t need to worry about driving back.” So… hooray.

Now… if you’ll indulge me… I’d like to get an opinion from the ‘verse.
NOTE: Anarchy and Lawlessness are never acceptable. So if you are the type to say “Fuck the police! The only good cop is a dead cop!” I honestly don’t want to hear your opinion. If you are the type to say “Only violent crimes should be penalized”… sorry I think you fundamentally misunderstand the justice system and I can’t quite respect your opinion. All others… I have two scenarios (names and details changed for security) that I want to post to you and get some input on.

SCENARIO 1
The police are called for an accident. A 17 year old has lost control of his vehicle on the icy roads and the car is stuck in a ditch. There are no injuries and the only vehicle involved in the accident is the one the driver was in. As per routine, the officer asks for License, Registration, and Proof of Insurance. As the child gives the paperwork to the Officer, the Officer recognizes that the Insurance has expired. The child is driving without proof of insurance which is a $700 traffic ticket (all fines, court costs, etc totaled together). The officer writes the ticket and cites the boy. Two quick important factors: (1) In Iowa, it is incredibly important for people to have Insurance on their vehicles because without Insurance, too many people who are the victim of a car accident would never see justice. (2) In Iowa, we have a “graduated” driving license scheme. Which means that any child under the age of 18 does NOT have their “official license free and clear.” Instead, things like “too many speeding tickets” or “an accident” or other offenses can result in suspension of driving privileges.

This child’s father calls me. He admits that it was his car and that he accidentally allowed the insurance to lapse. He is asking me not to punish his son for his error. Asking that we can work something out because this would negatively impact the son; despite it being the father’s error to retain insurance. FURTHER ISSUE: Typically, my deal is “Provide proof of updated insurance, and we’ll dismiss with a small Civil Penalty.” In short, you’ll be punished but you’ll have insurance and it won’t be a criminal record issue. HOWEVER, they’ve already junked the car. So getting insurance on a car they no longer possess doesn’t make a lot of sense. BUT they also do not have car insurance and are thus unable to drive any vehicle still.

My conundrum:
The child absolutely broke the law. Therefore, I have no moral or legal obligation to do anything. He was factually driving a vehicle was not properly insured. If he had struck another vehicle, there would have been no insurance in place. These are facts. I could simply sit on my hands and say “Deal with it.”
The child was not the responsible party. The owner of the vehicle has an obligation to keep the vehicle insured. The owner did not fulfill that obligation. However, Iowa Law only punishes someone for DRIVING without that insurance. So, technically… even though it is the father’s “responsibility” the illegal action can only be placed upon the child under Iowa Law.
So… I could dismiss the entire thing and make them pay a $60 fine instead. This way, I’m not potentially suspending the Child’s license for the Father’s neglect.
BUT is that justice? The law was broken. There is no question that the law was violated. Further, there is no question that (under Iowa Law) the wrong doer is the child. The child broke an Iowa Law in a textbook case.
SO… I’m struggling between what I think is Lawful and True versus what I think is Compassionate and Kind. A question I often ask when considering plea deals: Which master do I serve?

SCENARIO 2
I like good lawyers who are “good lawyers” not because they get their clients off but are “good lawyers” because they know how the system works and appreciates that Prosecutors aren’t assholes looking to ruin lives but are simply lawyers trying to do their jobs. This is one such lawyer.
His client was pulled over and they found drugs on him. No worries, that is already resolved. But they also found brass knuckles. This… already creates some interesting, uncomfortable grey areas of the law. Are brass knuckles considered “a concealed, dangerous weapon” under Iowa Law. Yes and No, there are rules and precedent cases on both sides of the issue. Further, possession of a “concealed, dangerous weapon” is only a crime if the individual does not have a PERMIT to carry. This gentleman did not have a permit… on him. As the NRA has made it unlawful for The State to “obtain or maintain” an active database (state or federal) of who has valid Concealed Carry Permits; if a person is not carrying their permit, we can’t say confidently that they HAVE a permit. So… he was technically breaking the law. He was carrying a concealed, dangerous weapon without carrying a permit allowing the carrying of the concealed, dangerous weapon. He has since shown us the permit.... which he was not carrying with him that night. SOO
Do I require him to plead to carrying the concealed and dangerous weapon unlawfully? Because he totally was.
Or do I dismiss the charge of carrying the concealed and dangerous weapon unlawfully? Because despite the fact that he totally was DOING THAT, it is a paperwork matter that, had the man been carrying his permit, would not have been charged.

These are the genuine inner struggles I go through. In trying to determine lawful from compassionate from justice from righteous.... as much as Defense Attorneys try to say that I, and other prosecutors, are just bullies abusing our power.... THIS is what I actually go through. I’m not a bully trying to fuck everybody unfortunate enough to get arrested; I’m honestly trying to figure out where lines of justice, morality, compassion, and law exist. Sure, I could be the monster that says “Nobody gets any plea deals, everybody needs to admit to their crimes.” But.... think about that. That’s the kind of mentality that (1) costs taxpayers literally billions of dollars every year; (2) creates so much backlog in our courts that nothing of any importance ever actually gets done; and (3) creates sadistic scenarios… the guy that steals 40 cents worth of penny candy would receive the same sentence as the guy that stole $90 worth of alcohol..... and frankly that doesn’t sound like justice.

5 Classic Romantic Comedies That Teach Questionable Lessons
Comedies, and Rom-Coms especially, I think are excellent (if atrocious) Time Capsules on human behavior and human stigmas as reinforced by media and society. Note: That doesn’t make them right nor acceptable.... something that was illegal then that was also encouraged by media was the idea of “sex while a woman is passed out due to drugs and alcohol.” That shit was illegal and awful in the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, and today. BUT society reinforced the behavior by treating it like a joke or, disturbingly, romantic. This collection views 5 Movies that treated behavior that we CERTAINLY view today (and many that were/should have been viewed back then) as truly inappropriate… only made appropriate because “RomCom/MeetCute/TrueLove” movie bullshit.
Frankly, there are a billion RomComs that can (and should have been) analysed by this article… and if I ever have the time (stupid doubtful) I may even do my own article on the topic)
Movies Discussed
Two Weeks Notice
Shallow Hal
She’s All That
There’s Something About Mary
Sleepless in Seattle

27 Head-Scratching Reasons For The Names Of Common Stuff

Try To Read Meghan Trainor’s Press Release And Not Cringe

6 Crazy Facts You Didn’t Know About Famous Historical Events
Some great stories in this! Love “In WWII, British Sailors Took A Reindeer Aboard A Submarine Out Of Politeness”. Love “Two Enemy Naval Commanders Chose Friendship Over WWI”.

And now for something completely different:
I don’t like Ariana Grande. I acknowledge that she has some vocal talent (that she rarely gets to use in her pop bubble gum songs-written-for-her autotune career) but as a person, as an actress, as an individual who gets interviewed… I do not like her. Thus… it was with crushing realization when the news came out today:
“Ariana Grande ties Beatles and makes chart history”. Now, in at least one area of note, Ariana Grande is “the best musical act since the Beatles”. And I’m very unhappy about that. As someone whose preferences trend towards David Bowie, Prince, Queen, Michael Jackson (and yes, some newer bands)… Ariana Grande being “the best since the Beatles” in something is.... bothersome.

AND since you can’t click on a fucking Ariana Grande news article without Pete Davidson coming up that story lead to Kate Beckinsale is clapping back over Pete Davidson. I only recently found out these two were dating (shoot me, I hate Celebrity Worship and Celebrity Gossip)… and I was conflicted. Mr. Davidson is clearly (and has openly stated that he is) a man with Mental Health Issues. And just because you have mental health issues does NOT mean you don’t deserve love… it just means you have to be more careful and make sure that you are seeing your therapist, taking your medications, taking care of that mental illness. WHICH CAN BE MORE DIFFICULT when you are “in love” or “in a happy relationship.” Anecdotally and statistically, I cannot tell you how many times people say, “Oh, I’m in love! I’m so happy now! I don’t need my meds.” THAT IS WRONG AND TERRIBLE but happens often. So it is a concern. Then you also have the idea that Kate Beckinsale is 45 and Peter Davidson is 25. I’m all for Age Differences and fuck if a Man can do it so can a Woman… but I’d say this to a man OR a woman.... if you are over 40 and your boyfriend/girlfriend JUST TURNED OLD ENOUGH TO LEGALLY RENT A CAR.... maybe that isn’t a great choice? I don’t know. I’m a lot more comfortable with a 30 year old dating a 50 year old (or 40/60, 50/70, 60/80, 70/90, 80/100) than I am with this. Personal Opinion, not expecting people to share it widely. But seriously.... a successful, seemingly intelligent adult actress dating a 25 year old mentally ill comedian known for being a man-child… just… seems disturbing.

As the news seems to be telling “related narratives”, the next thing to pop up is Trump can hate on SNL all he wants, but he won’t stop watching. Before reading the article… I get it, Trump has no self-control whatsoever. I know people like that, they aren’t fun to be around… as everyone in the White House can attest to. But here’s a fun story: After people like Will Ferrell and Maya Rudolph left the show, I stopped watching. And started watching via YouTube (lately) only the parts I actually wanted to see. But (again pre-article read) I’m guessing the issue is that Trump can’t turn off Media about himself. Because he is such a narcissist in such fundamental ways that harm him AND the country. After reading the article… just more upset and angry about the state of our nation. The President of the United States (who himself has been a public figure for more than 3 decades) is “furious, fuming, and calling for retribution” because “people are making fun of him.” AND PEOPLE CALL THIS GUY A STRONG LEADER?! What the actual fuck? He’s a sniveling man-child that doesn’t understand the very laws of the land he is supposed to be running. “Professional comedians and satirists are making fun of people in power; THAT ISN’T NICE!” cries the President of the United States, a man with the power to launch Nuclear Weapons and has used his role to traumatize children and enrich himself on other people’s tax dollars. What a whiny bitch.

Last news bit from the day: Bat-Pope is being run after by Cardinals telling him “You’re doing things wrong” which strikes me as hilarious considering these same asshats are the first ones to quickly and passionately demand “The Pope is infallible” when a Protestant asks why the Pope’s word should be considered God’s Word.
Here’s the story:
Pope Francis is trying this new thing of preaching in love… he isn’t saying “Homosexuality is pure, and beautiful, and the preferred way to be!” He’s saying essentially, “God loves us all. God loves the thief and accepts him as a Child of God. God loves the child rebelling against his parents. God loves the homosexual. The church, then, should love them as well.”
ALSO the Pope finally had the stones to oust some of the most egregious Child Abusers in the Catholic Church.
The Cardinals are now yelling at the Pope that his “God loves the Homosexual” talk is a direct threat to abused children because it was HOMOSEXUALITY that abused these kids. In other words, it wasn’t a Catholic Priest abusing his power and sinning.... it was “the demon” Homosexuality.
Allow me to say: you fucking idiots! Let’s deal with things in a different way for a moment!
The Catholic Church has long been a church demonizing homosexuality. Another church that has basically made it their holy mission on this world to demonize homosexuality? The American Southern Baptist Church. Strange… there was a recent discovery of a long running, horrid scandal of Child Sex Abuse coming out of the American Southern Baptist Church recently!! SO… maybe “God loves the homosexual” is the right path since preaching hate, shame, and disgust actually seems to be potentially related to Men becoming Holy Figures (to cleanse themselves of their shame and guilt), abusing their power (something that isn’t being discussed in the Church), and then succumbing to their shame and guilt by abusing vulnerable children hoping that by targeting children, they can keep their shame more of a secret. MAYBE that has something to do with the issue??

I’ll publish now.

I want to write some more about somethings. There are certainly things I want to write about. But I can’t exactly write all about them on the Work Server. Thing is I do want to write more. There’s this whole bit about dealing with my own hypocrisy that I really want to investigate via writing… there are these sexual fantasies and sexual ideas I want to investigate via writing… but again… not appropriate at work, through the work server. But when I go home? The demands there (not demands, because that sounds out of my control) take up time. I haven’t even really played video games much lately.

Things at home have largely been domestic.
Shoveling, Grocery Store Runs, Cooking Dinner, Doing Dishes, Exercising, spending time with Wife. It doesn’t give me a whole lot of time to write personal bits at home… or really do much of anything at home by myself. I don’t exactly mind, I appreciate Wife wanting to spend time with me and wanting to spend time with someone as she’s so often in the house by herself most of the day. But as far as (1) writing, (2) watching my own programs, (3) video gaming, (4) even catching up on work at home… that stuff is kind of “back burner.” And it needs to be. March is going to be HEAVY in the “Dammit, Wife, I need to spend my time prepping for this bullshit trial!” So I’m hoping “being available” now will buy me some understanding later. Just… kind of where I am right now with things.