Who says Law School is Boring??!

Extract from this week's "Law of Evidence" lecture transcript, by Professor D.F, who is known, and appreciated, for his one-liners in the midst of high-standard lectures:

" Expert evidence was given for the defence by Dr S, a psychiatrist who had never examined C, to the effect that C suffered from alcohol dependence and polysubstance abuse, an anti-social personality disorder and a “borderline personality disorder”. That combination of talents probably qualified him as “Tasmanian of the Year”

I keep cracking up laughing as I read this!

This from the lecturer who has also in the past said:

"Provocation is no longer a defence against a charge of murder, so if you find your wife in bed with another man you cannot shoot your wife, the man, or his seeing-eye dog!"

NAZI FELINES

www.catsthatlooklikehitler.com Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the mincing diminutive Germanic fascist with a love of dressing up in butch militaristic uniforms has cats that look like him.

I guess the advantage is that a Hitler cat does not need to be taken to the vet for an operation, as he/she is already nonfunctional in that department.

I abhor violence to animals, so I am glad I never had a cat that looked like Hitler. I would have spent much of my time tormenting it. Then again we only had electric ovens.

I read recently that Auschwitz is a major tourist attraction, and even has a McDonalds nearby. I expect the German government consider building the camp to have been a profitable investment...

UNI HOLIDAYS in twelve days!!!

Many DVD's will be watched--here are some examples of my all-time favourites...

My Favourite Poem

I hate bad poetry.

On a few occasions I have experienced a sensation of having something inside that needs to be expressed. I am subsequently stunned by what flows from my hands.

Here is a poem I wrote some years ago. I recently forwarded it to many people in my office as I was feeling frustrated with the manipulative, deceitful and passive -aggressive behaviour I was observing. One person replied "Thank you your poem was very meaningful".... quite clearly she missed the point given the spirit in which it was sent:

Just Imagine
Stuart, 1999

Just Imagine for a second
That we were honest with each other
And we said without hesitation how we feel
Unafraid to be authentic
Not hiding behind pretensions
Saying, doing and being that which is real

Could we stand to let our Selves
See the blazing light of day
Unprotected by the images we portray
Of who and what we’d like to be
To impress those around that see
Images that are little more than clay

Would this honesty leave us weak
Or would it give us what we seek,
Promoting closer ties with those around.
The sensitivities we possess
No longer seen as some weakness
But giving insight into humanity’s common ground

Would it scare me if I knew you
Or frighten you if you could see
The aspects that give me my life and being?

Or would the natural genuine way
We self-expressed at work and play,
Be experienced as something beautiful and freeing.

Just imagine for a second
We banished harshness from our tongues,
And simply said directly how we felt
Reconciling with those we’d fought,
Speaking words with greater thought
Discouragement and cold bitterness to melt

Just imagine that a man
Put his heart into a poem,
Seeing ways in which he was in need of striving.
Hoping that these words when read,
Would transform others’ hearts and head
With a thirst to be more human not just surviving.

Since writing this I have felt challenged to be authentic in how I live. This means I now express emotions even when embarrassing...and mostly people respond in some unexpected and beautiful ways.

Imagine what could happen if we actually told people, even acquaintances, how much we enjoy knowing them...

I must need to start speaking more clearly.

I have been told in the past that I sometimes mumble. I suspect it is becoming a problem, in that people are misinterpreting what I say.

This was evident today during an otherwise friendly conversation with an acquaintance. I mentioned that I was studying Law...apparently I did not say this clearly because judging from his reaction what he heard me say was:

" I AM A SERIAL CHILD MURDERER AND RAPIST
PLEASE TREAT ME WITH THE CONTEMPT THAT I DESERVE!!!"

..things went downhill from there...he was suddenly too busy to talk with me.

I was surprised by how much this threw me. I am used to little jokes being made about my studies, including the backhanded compliment that I am "too moral a person to become a lawyer!"

I found the sudden shift from "Hey you seem like a decent enough guy" to "All lawyers are bastards and you are one-in-training" to be very unsettling.

Ultimately I love my studies and look forward to completing the degree...but the ignorance, bigotry and simplistic thinking of many in this world gets to me at times. I look forward to being a credit to the profession.

THIS IS ME ON THE RIGHT ONCE I GET FIT

BWAHAHAHA!!

I am looking forward to Uni holidays so I can get back to exercising again...

It staggers me that the media and our government make all the fuss about "childhood obesity."

I think if you look at the parents and they are overweight, perhaps you should not be stigmatising the child, telling them to get out and exercise.

As someone who is overweight, and who within my limited time as full-time worker, part-time law student makes tangible efforts to address it, it seems only fair to accept responsibility for my life choices. The alternative, to criticise or complain about the consequences, to me is unacceptable and irresponsible.

Thankfully my kids are active, and do not often eat junk food, so perhaps their future is more positive than mine in body terms...!!!

ACHIEVING LASTING CHANGE PART 3

While misguided dillpickles engaged in street violence in Australia, thankfully enough intelligent people exist who actually made the effort to engage in constructive action.

Much to my surprise (I am quite happy to have been wrong) the United Nations managed to persuade the Israeli Government to hold off on further aerial assaults for the next two days. Having just killed twenty four or so CHILDREN in the last assaults perhaps some degree of humanity has entered their perspective.

As one who loves the Jewish people I am saddened by the actions of the Israeli government over many years. They have reason to fear their neighbours.....but provocation and antagonism seems to be used even when diplomacy would yield greater benefits.

Having survived millennia of persecution....most noticeably at the hands of the German people and their government (neither of whom have YET shown genuine remorse)...I had hoped they would rise above the barbarism of their persecutors. Sadly they appear to be seeking to outdo them.

I find it harder to argue with people's anti-semitic views when they start to talk about Israel.

I hope Israel will one day find the SHALOM it seeks.

My ancestry

I love this photo---my great great grandparents and their children. It was taken in 1900 in premises on George Street, Sydney.

My Great grandmother Jane Briton is the top left at the back.
Beside her are her sister Margaret and brother William--I have been fortunate to have contact with descendants of both Margaret and William.

Genealogy is an area one is either passionate or apathetic about...so many genealogists I have met say their family think their interest strange...some even undermine their efforts out of concern for finding out "family secrets."

I would hate to think that my children's grandchilden may not even know each other...