f/k/a archives . . . real opinions & real haiku

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been naughty or nice since your last visit to f/k/a, you

deserve an encore from Carolyn Hall (and I need one):

 

Here are three haiku selected as winners in 2003 by the Haiku Society of America: 

 

 

cremated
in her favorite kimono—
small green plums

 

                  spring rain the cat’s pink nipples

 

 

getting acquainted

I learn another name

for wild radish

    

 

Carolyn Hall from Frogpond XXVII: 1 

credits: “cremated” – 2003 Henderson Haiku Competition, 3rd Place

“spring rain” – 2003 Henderson Haiku Competition, Hon. Mention

“getting acquainted” – 2003 Brady Senryu Competition, Hon. Mention

 

• 
  
  by dagosan 

fogged window –

too cold

meets too hot

                                   [Dec. 15, 2004]

 

•  Lawyer Sanctioned for Word Processing Abuses: A Florida appellate court sanctioned a lawyer last week for
  
  a pattern of non-compliance with formatting requirements — all of which crammed more words into his briefs.
  
  
  The court ordered that $500 “shall be paid by counsel and may not be charged by counsel to his clients.” 
  
  
  Weeki Wachee Springs, LLC v. Southwest Florida Water Management District, ___ So.2d ___ (Fla. 5th DCA,
  
  
  No. 5D04-2808, 12/10/2004).  (via sunEthics)

Last night, Ted Koppell on Nightline focused on “the reasons so many are willing to hire illegal employees.”

One guest kept “explaining” that the law is not enforced because it is “a weak law.” I kept thinking: It’s not enforced because too many government lawyers have illegal domestic workers or have friends who do.

This morning, the Baltimore Sun continues that theme (“Parents often turn a blind eye, hiring nannies illegally in U.S,” by Ellen Gamerman, Dec. 15, 2004; free reg. req’d), saying:

The issue of illegal nannies only seems to come up around Senate confirmation time. But in fact, illegal nannies are commonplace in cities where affluent two-career couples are raising children. Around Washington, people are especially aware of the political risks of employing an undocumented domestic worker, but that often doesn’t stop them from hiring them.

“I was just at a party, and we were talking about the Kerik thing and two of our friends immediately volunteered, ‘We’re never going to go for a Cabinet position,'” says Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University law professor, referring to the new D.C. code language used by those employing illegal domestic help. “You have very conservative, law-and-order parents who do not hesitate to violate federal law.”

… ” The blurring of the law can present opportunity for illegal workers but also expose them to poor pay, physical mistreatment and few protections. Still, while hiring an undocumented nanny is illegal, not everyone considers it a real crime.”

[see Dec. 16, 2004, update below] Despite the Washington Post’s “Correction” yesterday, stating that Lani Guinier “had no such [domestic worker] problem,” the Sun notes that Law Professor Guinier “was Clinton’s pick to direct the Justice Department’s civil rights division, and though Clinton cited her legal writings on race for ditching her nomination, she too failed to pay taxes on a domestic worker.” (See our prior post.)

• update (Dec. 15, 3 PM) Newsday.com has issued a Correction, based on a release from a Harvard Law School spokesman concerning Prof. Guinier. In part, the Correction says “A spokesman for her at Harvard Law School said there was no such problem, and the White House never indicated that there was.” A similar NYT Correction is available here.
• update (Dec. 16, 2004): The Philadephia Inquirer issued this erratum on Guinier today: “In some editions of Sunday’s Inquirer, the Associated Press erroneously included Lani Guinier on a list of high-level White House nominees who had run into problems involving hired help. Guinier’s problems stemmed

  from her writings on racial issues.”

• update (Dec. 16, 2004, 10 AM): Commentor “Barb” has provided us with the text of a letter from Prof. Lani Guinier to the Baltimore Sun requesting a Correction, although that Letter was not online at the Sun‘s website as of 10 AM, the Baltimore Sun article (free reg. req’d) described above has been edited to remove Lani Guinier’s name from the list of nominees with domestic worker problems. The text of Prof. Guinier letter can also be found at our prior post.

A few days ago, your Editor opined that intentionally hiring an illegal domestic worker and/or failing to pay Social Security taxes for the employee should be grounds for disbarment — as misconduct under Model Rule 8.4. What do you think?

cold winter sky–
where will this wandering beggar
grow old?

………….. ISSA, translated by David G. Lanoue