f/k/a . . .

May I use a few pixels for a pet peeve?  It’s time for the Antitrust Division of the        

U.S. Department of Justice to polish up its Antitrust Enforcement and the Consumer

“brochure,” which was last revised when Joel Klein was still the Assistant AG, and

which weighs in at about five black on white, word-processor-produced pages of text. 

It looks exactly the same in pdf. form as in html — which is to say, boring.

 

This request for an updated Consumer-Antitrust brochure is inspired by the brand new,

multi-color, image-filled and professionally-designed European Union e-brochure

entitled EU competition Policy and the Consumer — 30 lively and informative pages

that might actually motivate the consumer-citizen to become interested in antitrust

and competition policy (a goal much supported by your Editor).

 

The EU competition guide ”explains how the European Commission, together with

national competition authorities, aims to ensure that there is free and fair competition

in the European Union.”  It explains how they:

• take action against business practices which restrict competition;

• examine mergers to see if they reduce competition;

• open up competition in areas previously controlled by State-run monopolies;

• vet financial support given to companies by EU national governments;

• cooperate with other competition authorities around the world.

So, come on, R. Hewitt Pate (Asst. U.S. AG for Antitrust), where’s your spirit of innovation

and rivalry?  If you’re not moved by the better product offered to European consumers, 

check out the Federal Trade Commission’s slightly snazzier and much more informative,

plain-English guide called “Promoting Competition, Protecting Consumers.” 

  For example, the FAQ page in the FTC Guide gives several examples of

situations many Americans complain about — e.g., gasoline prices, drug-makers

with no generic competition, local cable monopoly — and explains why they

may or may not violate the antitrust laws.

Maybe a visitor to the f/k/a who is graphically talented could offer to assist the Assistant

Attorney General for Antitrust in producing some better public relations materials. The

American public needs to know how competition is protected by antitrust laws and

how smart competition policy can help bring consumers and businesses the benefits of

an innovative, customer-oriented marketplace, while ensuring that Government action

interfere as little as possible with marketplace dynamics.

• 
  
  Right now, you can also find annotated links to resources on Antitrust and Consumers,
  
  
  and Primers, in the Guide to Antitrust Resources on the Web, at the American Antitrust
  
  
  Institute website.

 

as far as the light goes

my daughter goes

after the firefly

 

                 Gary Hotham from breathmarks:

 

 

Imagine William Shakespeare penning a sonnet for George at A Fool in the Forest,

or Willie Gary serving as guest-blogger for Evan’s Underground.  That feeling is

almost as good as my being able to introduce Gary Hotham as the newest Honored

Guest here at f/k/a. 

 

I can only say that Gary’s volume breathmarks: haiku to read in the dark       

is my favorite single-poet book of haiku, and I have used it often to introduce the people

dearest to me to the genre.   Here’s what Dr. Lee Gurga, past president, Haiku Society of

America, says about breathmarks:

“What we have all been waiting for a selection of the finest poems by a

true master of American haiku. Gary allows us to see, hear, and touch

the world around us as if for the first time. These poems are true classics

of American haiku.”                                  

If you’re interested in Gary’s philosophy of haiku, please see his Why Haiku?

But, first, do what I’d rather do — enjoy some of his haiku:

 

 

fog

sitting here

without the mountains

 

I lean

into the soup’s steam…

snow flurries

 

 

distant thunder–

the dog’s toenails click

against the linoleum

 

Gary Hotham from breathmarks: haiku to read in the dark 

(Canon Press, 1999)

 

• 
  
  by dagosan  [sure, make me follow Gary Hotham!]

her migraine

lingers -

nine (shopping) days ’til Christmas

                                                        [Dec. 16, 2004]

 

• I’m happy to see that preachers, priests and rabbi are learning to laugh at
  
  themselves, even if some lawyers refuse to laugh at lawyer jokes.   
  
  
• 
  
  
  

  Thanks to RiskProf for pointing to The Top Ten Unfounded Health Scares of 2004 

  
  

  – “stories that warned us of exaggerated or mythical risks, often based on brief,

  
  

  hyperbolized or misinterpreted medical research.”
  
  
• 
  
  
  

  
  

  In case you missed them, there have been several updates on the Lani Guinier

  
  

  story — Letters by her and Corrections by newspapers.  See here.

Imagine William Shakespeare penning a sonnet for George at A Fool in the Forest,

or Willie Gary serving as guest-blogger for Evan’s Underground.  That feeling is

almost as good as my being able to introduce Gary Hotham as the newest Honored

Guest here at f/k/a. 

 

I can only say that Gary’s volume breathmarks: haiku to read in the dark       

is my favorite single-poet book of haiku, and I have used it often to introduce the people

dearest to me to the genre.   Here’s what Dr. Lee Gurga, past president, Haiku Society of

America, says about breathmarks:

“What we have all been waiting for a selection of the finest poems by a

true master of American haiku. Gary allows us to see, hear, and touch

the world around us as if for the first time. These poems are true classics

of American haiku.”                                  

If you’re interested in Gary’s philosophy of haiku, please see his Why Haiku?

But, first, do what I’d rather do — enjoy some of his haiku:

 

 

fog

sitting here

without the mountains

 

I lean

into the soup’s steam…

snow flurries

 

 

distant thunder–

the dog’s toenails click

against the linoleum

 

Gary Hotham from breathmarks: haiku to read in the dark 

(Canon Press, 1999)

 

• 
  
  by dagosan  [sure, make me follow Gary Hotham!]

her migraine

lingers -

nine (shopping) days ’til Christmas

                                                        [Dec. 16, 2004]

 

• I’m happy to see that preachers, priests and rabbi are learning to laugh at
  
  themselves, even if some lawyers refuse to laugh at lawyer jokes.   
  
  
• 
  
  
  

  Thanks to RiskProf for pointing to The Top Ten Unfounded Health Scares of 2004 

  
  

  – “stories that warned us of exaggerated or mythical risks, often based on brief,

  
  

  hyperbolized or misinterpreted medical research.”
  
  
• 
  
  
  

  
  

  In case you missed them, there have been several updates on the Lani Guinier

  
  

  story — Letters by her and Corrections by newspapers.  See here.

The New Times, of Broward-Palm Beach, Fla., has a feature story on the success of the 800-PIT-BULL 

campaign by the Fort Lauderdale law firm of Pape & Chandler — fueled by the Florida Bar’s publicity-

generating attempt to ban the ads and logo. (The Newtimes, “Don’t Hide the G-r-r-r,” Dec. 16, 2004)

(see our dog bites bar; and pape & chandler: pit bull papers)

 

New Times reports:

   Not only has the bar association’s suit been knocked down but business is booming

at Pape & Chandler. The firm’s senior partners, J.P. Pape and Marc Chandler, University

 of Miami School of Law graduates, are a pair of Harley-riding free spirits with, as Chandler

puts it, an up-close understanding of “the dynamics of a motorcycle accident.” They’ve

been deluged with calls from all over the country seeking their services, all courtesy of the

publicity generated by Sperando’s complaint. “We even had a call from a law student in

Montana who said she had written a paper about us,” Chandler says. “She said we were

her heroes.”

After noting that the complaint against Pape & Chandler was made to the Bar by Marie Sperando, a partner

in the Willie Gary Law Firm, the reporter checks out Gary’s garish website  and opines: Nothing unethical there,

… but it veers awfully close to ‘voracious’ and ‘greedy’.”

 

                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                      in full color here  

 

 

high tide line

two dogs sniff

the same bitch

 

            Carolyn Hall from Frogpond XXVII: 1 

 

 

 

snow falling–
a dog passes through
the great temple gate

      

                           ISSA, translated by David G. Lanoue     

The New Times, of Broward-Palm Beach, Fla., has a feature story on the success of the 800-PIT-BULL 

campaign by the Fort Lauderdale law firm of Pape & Chandler — fueled by the Florida Bar’s publicity-

generating attempt to ban the ads and logo. (The Newtimes, “Don’t Hide the G-r-r-r,” Dec. 16, 2004)

(see our dog bites bar; and pape & chandler: pit bull papers)

 

New Times reports:

   Not only has the bar association’s suit been knocked down but business is booming

at Pape & Chandler. The firm’s senior partners, J.P. Pape and Marc Chandler, University

 of Miami School of Law graduates, are a pair of Harley-riding free spirits with, as Chandler

puts it, an up-close understanding of “the dynamics of a motorcycle accident.” They’ve

been deluged with calls from all over the country seeking their services, all courtesy of the

publicity generated by Sperando’s complaint. “We even had a call from a law student in

Montana who said she had written a paper about us,” Chandler says. “She said we were

her heroes.”

After noting that the complaint against Pape & Chandler was made to the Bar by Marie Sperando, a partner

in the Willie Gary Law Firm, the reporter checks out Gary’s garish website  and opines: Nothing unethical there,

… but it veers awfully close to ‘voracious’ and ‘greedy’.”

 

                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                      in full color here  

 

 

high tide line

two dogs sniff

the same bitch

 

            Carolyn Hall from Frogpond XXVII: 1 

 

 

 

snow falling–
a dog passes through
the great temple gate

      

                           ISSA, translated by David G. Lanoue