Sadly not, Havoc Dinosaur.

Spring Cleaning 2013

2013-04-25T10:49:10Z

I’m not vert tidy. In college, I was once issued a warning regarding the condition of my dorm room. There was a fear that it might constitute a fire hazard. The picture above, of my desk earlier this year, will help you assess how far I’ve grown as a person since then. I now try to avoid stacks on the floor…

Anywho, this posting is about cleaning of the digital variety. A while back, I upgraded my blog’s database. In the transition, a few special characters got lost in translation. For example, instances of the pound sign (£) and curly-q quotes (“) found themselves transformed into � symbols. This prompted me to go back through and correct these errors. While there, I removed the “justified” alignment from many of my earlier post. I rescaled some images and videos to better fit the blog’s new layout, and I overhauled the blog’s categories. I didn’t reread every article, but I did occasionally correct typos. However, if I made any substantive changes to content, I used [bracketed text]. If you don’t trust me, check the Internet Archive.

If you’re curious what that awesome desktop art is on my Mac, it’s a wonderful distillation of geekyness created by Mike Mayhew and Rain Beredo. You can check it out over on deviantART. As for the book peaking out from my papers, it’s Jeffrey Toobin’s The Nine.

The Land of Contracts

2013-04-22T19:29:35Z

Recently, my wife and I have been reading each other bedtime stories. We started with The Hobbit, next it was The Princess Bride, and currently we’re working through The Phantom Tollbooth. Coincidentally, all of these books included a map. This got me thinking about how much I love maps, and that got me thinking about the map above. I penned it with a great deal of help from my law school classmates back in my 1L year.

The map was our section’s gift to contracts professor Ward Farnsworth. At the time, I shared a poor-resolution image over Facebook, but the nostalgia conjured by my bedtime reading and their maps quickly transferred to nostalgia for those heady days and nights studying away at the law tower–hence this post. You can click on the image above or here for a closer look. The original was framed and given to Professor Farnsworth, and this cell-phone picture is the best image I have. In fact, it’s not even a picture of the final version as we added at least one case (showing travel in a covered wagon) after snapping it.

The map depicts a land of Contracts, with territories mapping roughly to the topics covered in class. Cities bear the names of cases, and occasionally items such as the Peerless are what they were (e.g., two ships bearing the same name). The cases were drawn from a book Professor Farnsworth was preparing on the subject, and it occurs to me that should he like to include such a map in future editions, I would gladly pen one.

The Case Law

To provide some context, here’s a brief tour of the territories, with links to more on the relevant cases. To my fellow classmates, if you think there’s anything I’m missing, please share in the comments below.

Starting in the north-west corner and moving east, you happen upon a marooned ship, the Richmond. Directly south of the Richmond, west of Estoppel Bay, in the territory of Consideration, you find the town of Schnell v. Nell, to the south-west, the hamlet of Webb McGowin and to the south-east, Hamer v. Sidway. In the waters to the west and east of Consideration, you will see two ships Peerless.

South of Consideration, across the Straight of Jurisdiction, which is bordered and guarded by the Isles of Easterbrook, you find the territories of Offer and Acceptance.

Even further south, the territory of the Written Word extends eastward, bordered by the Range of Impossibility and Frustration. North you find the territory of Breach and the city of Normand v. Orkin Exterm. Further north, you happen upon the thriving cities of Jacob & Youngs v. Kent and Ruxley v. Forsyth.

In the north-eastern corner you’ll find the territory of Remedies and the world-known metropolis of Hawkins McGee, made famous in popular culture by this opening scene from The Paper Chase:

So Long and Thanks for All the the Fi[lm]

2013-04-22T19:28:19Z

Jamie Nichols, winner of the First Annual Phylm Prize.

Since 2007, I’ve run the Annual Phylm Prize. Pronounced “film,” a portmanteau of physics and film, the prize aimed to spur the creation of physics videos on the web. It’s a name I’ve given a number of physics/film projects–including a curricular unit for physics teachers. I presented the unit at the 2003 summer meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers. After moving to teach physics in Edinburgh and becoming a YouTube user, I launched the Phylm Prize to help the lesson’s spirit live on while I taught away from my home school.

This year, I’m sorry to say, I’m throwing in the towel. Last year’s prize didn’t attract a critical mass or entries, and I fear that without promotion beyond my means, the same would be true this year. That’s right, the Phylm Prize is on an indefinite hiatus. That being said, the goal of the prize was to foster the creation of quality educational content on the web, and I am happy to say that a few of the prize’s alumni have risen to the level of minor Internet celebrities. That being said, I thought I’d take this blog post as an opportunity to remember where we’ve been.

Fourth Annual Grand Prize Winners

Henry Reich and Derek Muller

For the first time, the prize was shared between the two top videos. Both Derek and Henry are producing more content, and it’s worth checking it out on their respective sites (i.e., Derek’s videos, Henery’s video). As a former physics teacher, I can’t help but appreciate the thought that Derek puts into his work. Henery too!

Henry Reich (MinutePhysics)

Derek Muller (Veritasium)

Third Annual Grand Prize Winner

Terio Ruiz

According to Terio’s physics teacher Sean Kepple, Terio a student of his in the LA public schools, just came in one day with this Relativity Rap. Mr. Kepple asked if he could enter it into consideration for the phylm prize, and the rest is history.

Yes, I know Terio left the units off of his numerical value of the speed of light. Terio’s response when confronted with this was something along the lines of “it didn’t fit,” and as a judge we decided to let it slide just this once. ;)

Second Annual Grand Prize Winner

Colin Stuart

This piece was made by Colin when he was still in University. Last I heard he now works as a science communicator and freelance astronomer. More of his early videos can be found on his YouTube channel Science Made Fun.

First Annual Grand Prize Winner

Jamie Nichols

Jamie was the winner of the first ever Phylm Prize, and he has continued to make science videos under the Slightly Mad Science moniker. You can find them here.

A Scout is Reverent; A Scout is Brave: What to Do About the Ban on Gay Scouts

2013-04-20T17:57:01Z

As a boy I considered becoming a priest. A large part of the appeal was the example set by my pastor, Father Dan. A Jesuit and former English teacher whose homilies referenced Calvin and Hobbs, Father Dan was an intelligent and compassionate man who made you believe you could be better than you were. I came to know Father Dan outside of mass through scouting. Although my troop met across town at a Methodist church, Father Dan helped several of us earn our Ad Altare Dei, an award presented by the Catholic Church to scouts for study of their Catholic faith. I would later receive my Eagle on the same spot where I first received communion.

The Ad Altare Dei is one of many such awards earned by scouts, and I remember thinking at the time how inclusive the Scouts were. If I had been Jewish I could have studied and received the Ner Tamid, Hindu the Dharma, Islamic the Name of God, Baha’i the Unity of Mankind, Buddhist the Sangha, or Baptist the God and Church. In total, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) recognizes awards from a little over three dozen faiths and faith affiliations (such as the Protestant and Independent Christian Churches). Many of these faiths disagree over the nature of God, not to mention, the details of how best to live a moral life. Yet, their members proudly proclaim themselves scouts, alongside those they might otherwise condemn. Why, because they believe in something bigger, scouting’s mission to provide youth with the tools to realize their potential.

In a little over forty days, the BSA will convene its National Annual Meeting in Grapevine Texas, and delegates from across the nation will vote on whether or not to remove a national ban on homosexual members. Thanks to the BSA’s organizational structure, if you are involved in scouting, there is a good chance you know a delegate. You may have attended a local meeting on the subject or received a survey.

The vote will be close, and I suspect few minds are opened to change. However, I’d like to make a case for opposing the ban, a case that holds regardless of your views on homosexuality, a case based on the final point of the Scout Law. Since the BSA’s reaffirmation of the ban in July 2012, I’ve been talking with fellow Eagle Scouts, adult leaders, past scouts… Both sides see it as a struggle for the soul of scouting, and in the middle sit nearly three million youth members.

Proponents of the ban raise questions about youth safety and moral instruction, but in the shadow of the Supreme Court arguments for and against Gay Marriage, it seems clear the evidence fails to support the fear that exposure to homosexuality is a threat to children’s well-being, and those who fear homosexuals are more likely to abuse youth ignore the evidence. The true question seems to be one of morality. If you believe homosexuality is immoral, it is unlikely I can change your mind. However, opposing homosexual behavior and opposing the ban are not mutually exclusive.

On March 25th, two of the BSA’s faith-based chartering organizations, the United Church of Christ & Unitarian Universalists, endorsed the mission of Scouts for Equality, a group working to end the ban. In so doing, they reminded me that no one religion dictates the morals of the BSA. As a scout, I have taken an oath to God and country, a country in which the freedom to worship is among our most precious rights. A scout is reverent, but scouting is not a monolith. We welcome members from communities who disagree on the most fundamental questions of conscience–whether or not there is one or many gods, whether Christ was the Messiah, a prophet, or a man. These disagreements are larger than sexual orientation. If we can overcome them, surely we can avoid the use of scouting as a pawn in the culture wars.

I have often observed that aside from my family and the Church, scouting is most responsible for the man I am today. Because of scouting, words like duty and honor mean something to me. Because of scouting, a four-eyed 90lb kid with braces learned that perseverance pays off and helping other people is not something to compartmentalize. It is something to live. For those worried about the moral education of America’s youth, remember, a vote to end the ban is a vote to expand the reach and influence of scouting.

A scout is brave. So be honest, is someone’s sexual orientation more important than the nature of God, the role of good works, the divinity of Christ? If not, then why this line, why this ban? We live in a pluralistic society, and scouting is an important part of that society. We need not agree on all things. However, we can no longer ignore this issue. The era of Don’t Ask Don’t tell has passed. There are faiths that embrace homosexual members and perform homosexual weddings. The current printing of the Scout Handbook compels scouts to be honest in their dealing with others, honest about who they are and what they believe. Removal of the ban allows gay scouts to live up to that obligation, and it secures for them the opportunities only scouting can provide.

A scout is reverent, not only to God as known through his faith, but to the faith of others. If we take seriously the proposition that scouting is dedicated to the betterment of all youth regardless of creed, the ban must not stand. We must be brave.

What’s In a Name?

2013-03-24T15:19:53Z

I’ve known since college that “sadly not havoc dinosaur” is an anagram of my full name, and I’ve been a bad blogger for many years. Only recently, however, did it occur to me that I could combine these two things.

So today, I am unveiling SadlyNotHavocDinosaur.com, my re-branded blog. Does this re-branding signal renewed interest on my part and perhaps more frequent postings… Only time will tell.

George Washington Riding Atop a Bald Eagle…

2013-04-20T19:56:51Z

Last week’s doodles gave birth to this. For an explanation and a larger image, click here or on the image below.

My Week In Marlborough

2013-04-20T19:57:08Z

Dave with his aviators, striking his best pose.

I’ve been out in Marlborough this week for training at the Best Western. Our days have been packed full of classes on the Fifth Amendment, addiction, car stops, and field sobriety testing. It’s a reunion of sorts for the attorneys who started at CPCS back in October of 2011, and I’ve been happy to reconnect with my training cohort, including a few classmates from BU. Of course, when faced with day-long training sessions, it’s important to develop strategies to help take everything in. I happen to be a big doodler, and there’s at least some evidence to suggest this is a good thing. Luckily, the Best Western provides us with fresh note pads everyday.

Tom and Jeff, guys with glasses and great hair.

Anywho, one of my old classmates, Dave from BU, started things off by handing me a still life he drew of his sun glasses. This prompted me to capture the essence of the candy bowl and water pitcher on our table (see below). He then asked for a drawing of himself, and the flood gates opened. A fellow table-mate, Charu, suggested that I share the doodles somehow, hence this posting. Actually, she suggested that I share all of this week’s doodles, but I decided against it as the majority of Monday and Tuesday’s doodles were variations on George Washington riding atop a bald eagle while battling robots. Trust me; It’s a thing (read through to the bottom). I consider the Washington image a work in progress. So I’m not ready to share it yet, but don’t worry, its time will come. [Update: It's here.]

Meredith talking to us about car stops.

Molly diligently taking notes.

This was my original still life reply to Dave’s sun glasses, picturing bits of Celeste and Dave. The glass to the right of Dave’s thermos was filled with some gunky “smoothy residue,” hence the odd splotches.

My apologies to Adrian (pictured above). This isn’t the best likeness. However, the eye patch makes it haRRRRRRd. “Yes, I wear an eye patch, and I’m interested in hearing any original pirate jokes.”
–Adrian

Lost in Translation: Defense Attorneys and Google Translate

2013-04-22T21:08:34Z

What to do when you show up to a meeting with a client who requiers a translator and the translator hasn’t arrived yet? Well, I wouldn’t suggest this for conducting an interview, but it could be helpful in dealing with more mundane issues. Also, Josh (the engineer on the right) is an old friend. FYI, the app is also available for the iPhone.

The Longest Run

2013-04-20T20:01:49Z

A few weeks ago, I ran the farthest I’ve ever run in my life, and almost every week since, I have done the same. As you may know, I’m running the Boston Marathon for charity, but after passing the longest run milestone (as of this posting, I’m up to eighteen miles), I wanted to take a moment to share a few thoughts about what it all means to me on a personal level.

First, thank you for your support. Without it, I wouldn’t have gotten through today, and I certainly won’t make it through marathon day. There’s something to be said for an endeavor named after an event in which the first participant died. Honestly, that’s part of what attracted me, the idea that with proper preparation, even I could tackle such a grand challenge. It plays into a very human desire to control one’s fate. We want to live in a world where hard work and playing by the rules is enough to make people captains of their fate. Working to make this wish reality, humanity has struggled to transcend a million petty and superficial differences. Unfortunately, the world still isn’t fair. What keeps me running, however, is the belief that we can do something about that. Those of us lucky enough to live a life where running is recreational have the opportunity to help those who must run to survive.

When I look back on the many blessings in my life, I realize that my education is among the most precious. I was never the strongest, the fastest, or the smartest, but hard work and a quality education have given me some measure of control. It didn’t have to be that way. We hear a lot of talk about a crisis in American education, but the truth isn’t that we aren’t doing right by the nation’s children, it’s that we aren’t doing right by all of the nation’s children. If you look at those international tests people are always citing and eliminate American children living in poverty, things look very different. America’s educational crisis is one of the haves and the have nots. More than 50% of children from low-income neighborhoods start first grade up to two years behind their middle and high-income peers. When people talk about an achievement gap in America, this is where it starts. Jumpstart is a charity working to close that gap, and I am proud to be part of their marathon team.

If you’ve made a donation already, thank you. If you’ve been thinking about it, please take a minute, and do it now. Just follow this link: http://www.davidcolarusso.com/jumpstart/

Thank you again, and for those of you planning to watch the marathon, let me know where on the route to look for you by leaving a comment here: https://www.facebook.com/events/189979511100975/

Defense Attorneys and Google Voice: Should I Give My Cell Number to Clients?

2013-04-22T21:13:27Z

As a public defender, I know attorneys who think it’s a bad idea to share their cell numbers with clients, and I’ve heard enough stories about clients with boundary issues to understand why. Consequently, many attorneys make calls exclusivly from their office phones, or if they have to use their cell, say to make a call from court, they block its caller ID. This imposes limitations on how they interact with their clients and what they can do for them. Google Voice offers an alternative. Consider:

2) Clients can’t reach an attorney who’s away from her desk without going through some intermediary, like an office mate who relays messages. This can lead to long games of phone tag.

3) Attorney’s can’t text with clients. At first you might ask, “Why would an attorney want to text with clients?” To which I would offer that in my experience, texting makes communication easier which leads to better representation. For example, I’ve had a hearing impaired client for whom texting was a must. I’ve had clients who never pick up the phone when I call but always reply to texts. Some clients never check their voicemail, and some clients always have a full voicemail box. Some of you may be concerned about there being a record of texts, but ask yourself if the same concern stops you from leaving or accepting voicemails. I don’t use texting for extensive conversations or sharing confidential information, but it’s great for reminders and quick questions. Of course, your client has to have a cell phone and texting for this to matter, but again, in my experience most do.

Ideally, the state could provide us with work cells. We could turn them off at the end of the day or before we went to bed, but I imagine the chances of such an expenditure are quite small. This is where Google Voice comes in. It helps address all of the issues above while providing a few added perks, like the ability to forward calls and transcribe voicemails.

Google Voice is billed as way to replace multiple phone numbers with a single number that goes where you want it to. At its base, it’s a call forwarding system. You sign up for a Google Voice account, choose a Google Voice number, and set up forwarding to your phone(s). Your Google Voice number can ring your office, home, and cell all at once if you like. Or it could just ring one phone, allowing you to take advantage of its other offerings. It works with texts too. So even if you don’t have a cell, now you can send and receive text messages from your computer.

You can set up call screening based on your contact list and control if a call is forwarded to you or sent straight to voicemail. You can schedule times of the week or times of day when forwarding is okay, and times when it is not. There’s a lot to play with.

To screen a subset of your contacts, adjust the settings under “Groups.” To set up a schedule for when calls are forwarded, click “Edit” for the phone in question, and make the desired changes under “advanced settings.”

2) It allows you to make and receive calls and texts from your smartphone or your computer, and the number that comes up on caller ID is your Google Voice number. So you aren’t sharing your cell number.

3) It can transcribe your voicemails and send them to your email, text them to your phone, or display them on your smartphone. This is great when you’re in court and can’t leave to listen to voicemails. The transcription isn’t perfect, but at least you can see who called and get a sense of what they need.

4) It offers conference calling.

5) You can even block Callers.

If you’re interested, Google Voice is free. So there’s no harm in checking it out. Simply visit: http://www.google.com/voice
If you already have a Google Account (e.g., Gmail), you can add Voice by signing in. However, you may want to consider creating a work account to keep your private and professional lives separate. After all, that’s probably why you aren’t just using your personal cell. To set up a new account, make sure that you aren’t logged into any Google services, and follow the directions on screen.