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

Just yesterday at Blawg Review #34, Phosita‘s Doug Sorocco revealed that

“David Giacalone never ceases to amaze me with the stories he

finds, and this is a gem.”  In a Comment to Doug’s post, I confided that

most of my stories are just picked from the news here in New York’s

Capital Region.

Well, from that very source, comes a story that has gone national,

because it seems too amazing to be true: Sarah and Mary Chamberlain were

injured (including a cut on Sarah’s head needing nine stitches

and a chipped tooth) by a giant M&M balloon during Macy’s Thanks-

giving Day Parade last week.  Nonetheless, despite the sympathetic

case, two deep-pockets defendants, and the Mayor Bloomberg’s

immediate appointment of a holiday balloon safety task force — her

dad, Stephen Chamberlain, has stated that he does not plan to sue

Macy’s or New York City.  According to the Albany[NY] Times Union,

Mr. Chamberlain (staff director for the New York State Public Employees

Federation) stated:

“It was an accident,” . . . The close-knit family feels extremely lucky, he said. “Looking to profit from something like this” borders on dishonesty, Chamberlain said.

Asked whether they should sue, Suzanne Chamberlain, mother of Sarah and

her bruised older sister Mary, added “What for? They’re OK. And that’s

the most important thing”.  Albany Times Union, “Sisters cope with their

accidental fame,” Nov. 26, 2005; NYNewsDay, “They still love a parade,” Nov. 25, 2005; via Overlawyered.com

Their refreshing and surprising lack of litigiousness has garnered

the family more publicity and plaudits than they could have ever imagined.

Macy’s treated the family to a performance of the Rockettes and promised

reserved bleacher seats for next year’s parade.  Many tv shows and news-

papers have wanted interviews.  And, Sarah got her wish — to be on the

Ellen DeGeneres Show, which airs today, Nov. 29th, on CBS, at

4 PM EST.  (WRGB.com, “More exposure of Chamberlain sisters,” Nov. 29,

2005)  Meanwhile Walter Olson’s weblog fans seem a bit incredulous, but

would like to nominate the Chamerlains for sainthood.

If the Chamberlains start a trend, there will be more p/i lawyers being laid off (see RiskProf, “Hey, Whaddaya Know?,” Nov. 29, 2005)  Of course, attitudes like this are even more likely to lead to associates losing their jobs.

instant update (Nov. 29, 4 PM):  A pointer at Overlawyered just led me to a very

good column by NY Daily News columnist Michael Daly: Greed Didn’t Suit Him

(Nov. 27, 2005).  Daly invites us to compare Stephen Daly’s attitude to an

“. . advertisement in the lead car of an uptown No. 2 train

that rumbled directly underfoot yesterday morning.

“Accidents happen. And when they do … INJURYLAWYER.COM …

1-800-LAW-KING … Recent settlements: $10 million, $6.25 million,

$2.5 million, $2million*

Daly advises: “The father’s words should be inscribed on a plaque and affixed to the base of the pole, memorializing a place in the city where a mishap occurred and nobody went to court.”

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birthday balloons the one that doesn’t burst

ed markowski

autumn wind —

trying to keep myself

under my hat

John Stevenson

from Upstate Dim Sum (2005/I)

fierce wind

street sweeper has

another coffee

statues in the square

the raised hand of the war hero

fills with snow

the anger from work

in my son’s birthday balloons

the gull with one leg       soaring

George Swede from

Almost Unseen: Selected Haiku of George Swede

in the freezer,

three starter snowmen —

cloudless sky

dagosan