.. from Gasoline Alley to the Arctic Circle . .
freezing wind–
the body builder pumps gas
in a muscle shirtalpine meadow-
kneeling to photograph
white heather…………… by billie wilson [who went from Indiana to Alaska]
“freezing wind” – First Prize, The Gerald Brady Award for Senryu (2001); Frogpond XXV:1 (2002); “alpine meadow” – The Heron’s Nest (October 2000); for more see Alaska Haiku Society.
It’s been several decades since I’ve followed the adventures of Walt, Skeezix and the gang in the Gasoline Alley comic strip. It seems I’m not the only one who has outgrown the “gentle, good-natured continuing story of four generations of Wallets.” Earlier this winter, the readers of the Schenectady Daily Gazette voted to eliminate Gasoline Alley from the paper’s comic strip page, and to replace it with Arctic Circle, which King Features introduced in August 2007, and which will appear for the first time tomorrow, March 11, in the Gazette. See “Gazette comics page gets a little cooler” (March 8, 2008). Written by British-born New Zealander [Ms.] Alex Hallatt, the strip sounds like it will soon be a favorite of the f/k/a Gang.
“The strip centers on the friendship between three charismatic penguins, Oscar, Ed and Gordo, who move to the North Pole to escape mistakes they made in Antarctica. Other characters who round out the engaging cast include a cynical middle-aged polar bear, a gullible lemming, an intellectual snow bunny and a ruthless Arctic tern.”
Far as I can tell, hug-seeking Oscar would have appreciated our Leap Day posting, and a cynical polar bear is a potential goombah or role model for our Prof. Yabut. If any of our readers are Arctic Circle fans, please let us know.
that whale I could have touched
surfaces again
in my mind……………………………… by billie wilson – Mariposa 15 (2006)
Speaking of polar bears, there’s a pair of them on the cover of the new March issue of Washington Lawyer, along with the cover story “Animal Law.” The tabloids have been filled with animal-related stories lately — from Michael Vick to Ellen DeGeneres. And, this article tells about the “growing number of lawyers who battle within the legal system on behalf of animals.” In addition to bar association committees and reports:
“Animal law also is a growing presence at law schools and law firms across the country and has come to encompass almost every area of law you could think of— administrative, constitutional, criminal, disability, environmental, international trade, torts, and trusts.”
Don’t plan on making it a full-time job just yet, but you’ll find lots of pro bono opportunities in the field of Animal Rights — along with political battles, and frantic opponents fretting over slippery slopes and spinning worse-case scenarios: “if we give animals rights, then do we have to give them the right to vote and to drive cars?” At least our animal friends without opposable thumbs won’t be yacking on cell phones while driving.
retreating glacier–
how long since we’ve heard
the black wolf’s song……………………………… by billie wilson – Modern Haiku 38:1 (2007); echoes 1 (2007)
Female lawyers are definitely not an endangered species, but their rights and interests are the focus of the brand new issue of The Complete Lawyer (Vol. 4 #2, March 2008; cover art by Polly Cook). Asking “What do women lawyers really want?“, the National edition alone of TCL has nine articles that try to answer that question. For example,
- “Women Really Want A Level Playing Field,” by Cathy S. Wright
- “Women Attorneys Share Work-Life Balance Tips,” by Judi Craig (who says “To counter the unrealistic ‘you-can-have-it-all’ mindset, most women give themselves a heavy dose of reality.”)
- “Cultivate Work-Life Synergy: A Guide For Women Lawyers,” by Arnie Herz of Legal Sanity.
–
In her piece, “Women Are Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands,” Holly English, President of the National Association of Women Lawyers, says her colleagues are still complaining about unequal pay. We’re still eschewing lawyer-ethics punditry, but if you scroll down our posting “short but tart” (Nov. 29, 2007), you’ll find some concerns expessed over the recent NAWL survey on the income gap between female and male lawyers, and “the perils of advocacy group statistics.”
mid-February 
choosing the sunniest spot
to fill my tank
……………….. by Hilary Tann – The Heron’s Nest VIII:2
whalebone
from a beach near Savoonga–
winter rain
overdue hunters–
the Coast Guard cutter’s wake
reaches shore
……………………………… by billie wilson
“whalebone” – First Place, Harold G. Henderson Award, 2003; Frogpond, 2004; “overdue hunters–” – Mariposa 15 (2006)
by the statue
of the polar explorer
lingering snow
………… by George Swede – The Heron’s Nest (May 2002)
snowdrift
news of a missing dog
from pole to pole………… by yu chang – Upstate Dim Sum (2004/II)
rising gas prices–
an attendant changing numbers
in a pouring rain
…….by Michael Dylan Welch – Modern Haiiku (2005)
p.s. Who can you trust? In the blogisphere, people looking for resources on building trust, turn to Charles H. Green’s Trust Matters weblog. Today, those in the know are checking out Charlie’s version of Blawg Review #150, to find links to some of the very best recent work at law-related weblogs. And, because we’re so grateful that he pointed his readers to our “snowjobs” post on electoral campaigning, we’re not going to complain too strenuosly that he linked to this atrocious collection of so-called “Budweiser-related haiku.” Where are the haiku police when you really need them?