Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Be candid but not too candid.

Merriam-Webster provides four definitions of the word candor, They are: (1) whiteness, brilliance; (2) freedom from prejudice or malice; (3) kindliness; and (4) unreserved, honest, or sincere expression.  The first and third definitions are described as obsolete and archaic, respectively. In other words, no one means the first or third definitions when they use candor in a sentence. The third definition is not discussed in Garner's Modern American Usuage and if anyone ever meant kindliness when they used the word candor in communicating with me, I am unaware of it. The fourth definition is the one with which most people are familiar.

The example Merriam-Webster uses for the fourth definition is a quote from Aldous Huxley, "the candor with which he acknowledged a weakness in his own case." It is kind of amusing that the example mentions a weak case because a lawyer offering an opinion on their case can get into all kinds of trouble.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

The news, like rust, never sleeps.

Since January 20, I have been trying to avoid the daily national news cycle because the national news frequently has the effect on me of creating a lot of anxiety and if I am going to worry about things I can't control, I would rather worry about things closer to home (which I also can't control but that is a separate issue).  This tweet by Dana Linzer explains why following the daily news cycle can be exhausting.


Monday, May 8, 2017

Is President Trump really any different than President Obama?

The answer to the question in the title, is 'yes, of course he is."  But there is one area one key area, where it might appear that President Trump and President Obama are perfectly aligned.  Specifically, just like President Obama, President Trump has inexplicably failed to make either Mr. Torvik or me a federal judge.