Covert Operations

When the field unit members decided to squander their bonuses in Havana and Port-au-Prince, we knew it was time to get back to discipline and core values. They returned, unwashed and dysenteric, to find shiny new badges,

utility belts,

and resident directors ordering vice raids in every quadrant. They were also reminded to peruse the Ten Most Wanted list before hitting the streets:

1. Blawger Enemy No. 1 is an honest to goodness blogging member of the judiciary (we're keeping a close eye on William Bedsworth to see if he crosses the line). / 2. Blogging legislators: a slippery bunch, still undocumented in the wild as far as we know but it's just a matter of time. / 3. Blogging law firms: first offenders appear to be Larry Sullivan and William Slawski (Delaware Law Office), but copycat crimes are bound to ensue. / 4. Blogging legal secretaries or court reporters: must be hiding out with the legislators. / 5. Blogging current or former heads of state, or their spouses (Bill Clinton's bound to blog). / 6. - 10. Of course, the unit can't ignore its stock and trade: the lawyers and recovering lawyers, lawyers-in-training, academics, law librarians and legal technolgy buffs already crowding our detention facility.

Thus, with a renewed sense of purpose, the agents got to it. Here are the early fruits of their efforts:

Practicing: Hensley writes i330.org, is primarily a plaintiff's lawyer, and gets search hits for "sniper t-shirts" and "underage sex." Need we say more? (Except keep up the good work, Agent Harris.)

Jeralyn Merritt is a criminal defense attorney in Denver and the author of a blog about the politics of crime, Talk Left. Agent Bradley snagged Jeralyn.

Learning The Craft: Agent Cooper left The Tarheel Pundit John Branch in the dead letter box (where he thrashed about and made quite a ruckus). John imparts sad tidings that the last episode of Dennis Miller Live will air on August 30, and much other "news, views and commentary, all in Carolina Blue..."

Iowa law student Jason Steffens somehow has time for two blogs (including a candidate for Agent Bradley's TheoBlawg collection), and was brought in by Agent Bashman.

And last but by no means least, JCA (Sua Sponte) will commence studies at Hastings in the fall, with extra funds in her pocket courtesy of a newly awarded academic scholarship. JCA is no stranger to blogging or the Web, although Sua Sponte seems to be a fresh effort just for her law school persecution experience. I knew JCA and I were going to get along when I read one of her early posts about buying law books: "Yesterday I bought my first law book: a legal style guide by someone named Garner, which looks like the type of tome to which I'll eventually refer by the author's name alone, à la Strunk & White. 'Oh, that's in Garner.' 'Check Garner on that one.' And so forth." (Regarding JCA's mom's concerns about the effect of the performance incentive aspect of the scholarship, a quote sent my way by another law student seems worth passing along: "After the first two weeks in law school, if you haven't found out who the jerk is in your class...it's you." [Anon. professor during 1L Orientation Week]). Though new to the ranks, JCA seems destined for Blawg Patrol decoration and commendation, as she aced her Academy courses on counterespionage (stay tuned).

Be careful out there. (And do stop by Katie Stahl's place with words of encouragement, but not lengthy or interesting ones because she really needs to study; the Bar Exam's almost here.)

Word

Typical raucus Saturday night around here: early dinner, catch up on laundry and reading, bed by midnight -- briefly interrupted by bulletins concerning the Blawg Patrol vice raid (more later) and an HBO program that said, "Back away from the pile of socks and camisoles, sit down and give me just half an hour to blow your mind." This voluble show was HBO's Def Poetry Jam: eight performance poets who each took the stage and belted forth the powerful. (Here's Def Poetry's home page; there's also a related book.) All were inspiring in their unique ways -- this must be what the Ferlinghetti era was like -- and all had great wit, but Big Poppa E was unabashedly hilarious. Here's his online journal and check out these MP3s of his work, including a version of the Wussy Boy poem from the show ("No, Dad, I'm not gay, I'm just a little sensitive"), and Chain Record Store Blues: a four minute guffaw, but pretty raunchy so be warned.

Rare Loss

Ed Heafey raised great kids, was a friend and mentor to my father for nearly forty years, at the top of an unforgiving professional discipline, a voracious intellect, and a master of the well-placed, sardonic, conversational shotgun shell. One of the most harrowing things for Ed about his battle with cancer, lost this week, must have been the unfamiliar experience of confronting an adversary that no amount of hard work, cleverness and sheer force of will could give him the tools to dismantle. Jahna Berry writes more in the Recorder. [Via Law.com]

"A man is a summons and challenge."
--Walt Whitman, Song of the Answerer

We'll remember.

Google! DayPop! This is my blogchalk: English, United States, California, Newport Beach, Denise, Female, 36-40!

NIEDOBRZE MI

The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.
-- Voltaire

Marek and Daniel: speedy recoveries.