Tag Archives: Athens

Greek to Taki

20 Saturday Jul 2019

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Good old Taki compares his Athens, the then to the now.

ATHENS—Standing right below the Acropolis, where pure democracy began because public officials were elected by lot, I try to imagine if random political selection today would be a good thing. The answer is a resounding yes. Both Socrates and Aristotle questioned fundamental norms and values, and if they lived today they would certainly question the acceptance by us of career politicians who have never had any other profession. (Corbyn, Biden, I could go on.) Socrates was skeptical about many things, especially the arts, because he believed they led us away from the truth. Yet so-called “artists” today influence public opinion as never before. Even numbskull rappers have a say and can alter public opinion, hence election by lot should be a must.

Old Socrates was obsessed with the truth, and politics is all about the propagation of falsehoods. Aristotle believed that many people are slaves by nature, and the proof lies in the blind obedience of those hatchet-faced people who scream abuse on TV to leftist dogma. (Aristotle would not get invited to chic parties were he around today; he opposed homosexuality, believed women to be biologically inferior, and despised rule by the many.) The ancient Greeks may have invented everything useful, but they did not invent socialism, the system that makes theft legal. They were too smart to fall for its Siren-like attraction because they knew it would eventually kill all initiative. Yet politicians nowadays demand more socialism, even after the examples of the Soviet Union, Cuba, and Venezuela. Go figure, as they never said in old Athens.

Who, really, knows better than a frightened and angry mob of illiterates? Damned near anyone, just ask the guys at the bowling league (if you can find them).

A Frankly Embarrassing Protest

10 Thursday Nov 2016

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Peaceful protest is part of the American political fabric. I saw some pro-Trump folks protesting Hillary near my home last weekend. Last night anti-Trump protesters gathered on 5th Avenue in New York. Sometimes people get a little carried away but overall it’s a positive action regardless of cause.

Last night several students gathered for a anti-Trump protest at the UGA Arch.

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Henry Taylor / The Red & Black.

I applaud these young people for bravely making their voices heard while others around the country demanded a day off to cry. Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation, that. Fortitude too.

The anti-Trump demonstrators got ahold of a plastic Trump flag or sign and lit fire to it. The police were nearby and as the flame got smaller they put it out with a cup of water.

They put the protest down with a coffee cup full of water…

Whaaa? Come on, Athens! make us proud. No arrests. No property damage. A cup of water? What kind of weakness is this? Back when UGA used to win football games, fans made considerably more forceful statements at hotels and condos all while drunk and dead tired.

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Disposable Paper Coffee Cups.

The students of the University of Georgia can do better than this. I hope. I haven’t had boots on campus in a while so things may have changed. I’ll say no more lest I hurt some feelings. Go Dawgs!

New Hampshire Nullification

20 Monday Jun 2016

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They are serious about “Live Free or Die”in the Granite State. A buddy of mine just bought a house there and I’m sure he will appreciate the following “leave me alone” news.

The New Hampshire House passed a bill that would make it the first state in the nation to require courts to inform juries of their right to vote not guilty when the verdict would produce an unjust result. This right, which all juries possess but may not be aware of, is called jury nullification. The bill is now awaiting approval in the Senate.

Yes, all juries in the United States possess the right and authority to nullify a law as it affects a particular defendant via a not guilty vote. Think of it as a vote of conscious. Here’s an example from a case that really happened. An underaged, teenage girl took some naughty selfies and sent them to a friend. Kids do stupid things like that. Governments do worse. The state where she lived (actually happened in multiple places) charged her with manufacturing and distributing child pornography – pictures of herself. The government even acknowledged her as both the suspect and the victim. This is near the absolute height of stupidity. A conviction would put such an innocent (if silly) girl on the sex offender registry, which is supposed to protect innocent (even silly) people from real predators. Supposed to. Really, it’s just another state scheme for power.

If such a stupid case ever made it to a jury, the jury could (regardless of the technicalities of the law) return a verdict of “not guilty” as a guilt verdict (even if correct under the law and by the facts) would be an injustice to the young girl – the victim also, remember.

The Free Thought story goes on:

Even if government has proved that someone is guilty under its law, a jury can let the person go free if it disagrees with the law and the punishment. This is one of the few ways in which citizens have power within the system to counter the irrational tendencies of centralized bureaucracy.

New Hampshire currently allows the defense “to inform the jury of its right to judge the facts and the application of the law in relation to the facts in controversy.” However, the House bill would have judges explain this right to juries which, according to the Tenth Amendment Center, makes it “more likely that a juror will consider this option.”

Judges would be required to make the following statement:

“Even if you find the state has proved all of the elements of the offense charged beyond a reasonable doubt, you may still find that based upon the facts of this case, a guilty verdict will yield an unjust result, and you may find the defendant not guilty.”

…

If the New Hampshire bill makes it through the Senate and past the governor, it will be an historic moment in the American justice system. The current legal system is hostile to the idea of jury nullification, with judges threatening “secret juries” and police defying injunctions by removing activists.

However, in past times, jury nullification was viewed as a primary and necessary function of juries. As the Cato Institute points out:

“You can’t find references to “jury nullification” around the time of the American Revolution. That’s because it was considered to be part and parcel of what a jury trial was all about. If jurors thought the government was treating someone unjustly, they could acquit and restore that person’s liberty. Jury trials were celebrated–and explicit provisions were put into the Constitution so that the government could not take them away.”

Perhaps New Hampshire can remind the nation that we are not bound by the dictates of government, and we still have the power to protect our fellow citizens from state-sanctioned injustice.

Openly hostile is putting it mildly. A few states indirectly dance around the issue. For instance, the Georgia Constitution expressly says juries are the judges of the facts and the law. However, in reality in the Peach State – as in most jurisdictions, the judge declares himself the arbiter of what the law is and how the law applies to a given case. Judges give “charges” on the law to a jury at the conclusion of evidence and arguments. Some, most charges are “pattern” and are given preemptively by the judge right out of a handbook (complied by other judges in conference). The parties can make special suggestions. But, in no case, will it be permitted to tell the jury they can find a defendant not guilty because they disagree with the law.

Judges put people in jail for contempt and even jury tampering for even trying to get the word out about nullification. That’s hostility in an attempt to preserve power. As CATO points out, this is part of the traditional system for juries. Not just in America and England but all the way back to Athens and Rome. The violent prevention of nullification knowledge is just another part of the near-terminal decline of the trial by jury.

republicbroadcasting.org.

New Hampshire is often in the vanguard of freedom fighting in the U.S.A. Let’s hope the Senate and Governor feel as strongly about decent legal tradition as the House did.

…well…

I did a little follow-up research and discovered that the Senate did not follow through. Instead, on or around May 5th they let the Bill (HB 1270) die a procedural death. Very noble of them. Perhaps more than a few members will suffer a similar electoral fate come November. Anyway, there’s always next session. Live free or nullify.

A Dichotomy Of Arms

18 Sunday Oct 2015

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A man in Wyoming was out riding his bicycle. According to him he was attacked by a vicious German Shepherd (Belgian Malinois). Fearing for his life he shot the dog to death with his trusty revolver. It’s a story you may have missed. It only made the news because the dog in question was a former military service dog, a Bronze Star recipient, no less. I find the story interesting because it sheds light on a schism amongst the American people.

Mike was a nine year old dog who previously served two combat tours in Iraq. Upon his retirement Mike was adopted by Matthew Bessler, a retired Army Ranger. Both veterans suffered from PTSD; they provided each other with beneficial companionship.

Bessler went hunting. He left Mike in the care of a friend. Mike wandered off and encountered the cyclist – with deadly results. There, the news story ends.

The cyclist was not charged, his use of deadly force deemed by police to be justifiable self-defense. A GoFundMe page has been set up in order to provide Mike with a military burial.

A sub-controversey surrounds the fact the lethal shot hit Mike in the rear or back. I discount this factor. Attacking dogs move very fast. Shooting scenarios move fast too. A shot in the back does not, by itself, disqualify self-defense, especially concerning an animal. The old, false adage that retreat is better if possible is dangerous when one crosses a predatory animal. Withdrawal might trigger a chase or hunt instinct which could be worse than the initial confrontation. Like everyone else, I was not present and I can only go by the shooter’s account, tempered by reasoned thinking.

On the surface I find this story sad all the way around. I regret Mike’s death. I regret the cyclist felt his life was endangered to the point of resorting to shooting. I’m sorry Mike and Bessler suffered PTSD. I’m sorry their conditions were the results of the government’s inexplicable and indefensible war in Iraq. It’s terrible some think we need that government.

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Mike, another victim of the State. Daily Mail, UK.

Based on the bare facts reported by the (British) press, I support the cyclist’s account of the incident and his use of force. I can see a dog with PTSD (even if usually docile) becoming aggressive around a stranger. It happens.

I also hold Mike blameless. Even a vicious, dangerous animal is still just that, an animal. Mike was utterly blameless, too, regarding his military service and resulting illness. A human soldier with a conscious can object to illegal wars of aggression. A dog can’t.

Any blame here rests with the friend who was supposed to watch Mike. Large dogs should be leashed or fenced. Maybe there is no one to blame. Mike could have escaped a reasonable containment. Dogs do things like that. Maybe this was just a bad thing that happened – like a tornado or a freak accident.

At any rate, all of this is merely supporting background for my story. I noticed themes in the comments which accompanied the news which, upon further consideration, formed my titular dichotomy.

There were hundreds of comments which roughly divided into two camps. The first was supportive of the cyclist. They found the shooting justified. Most of these also held a pro Second Amendment bias. The other group was mortally offended at the death of a military hero, albeit a dog.

The former group fully supported the individual right of self preservation even if they found Mike’s death lamentable as I do. The latter hold the shooting of a military veteran indefensible under any circumstance.

There were a few other reactions. Some found the existence of the subject firearm the problem. I suppose some might hate bicycles or hate dogs. These opinions are outliers and safely factor out of my analysis.

Some pro-shooter comments:

Should have been on a leash.

…

Too bad for the dog but most communities have leash laws for a reason…and yes, many joggers and bicyclists are bitten by uncontrolled dogs, that’s why pepper spray is a good idea.

…

“Park County Sheriff Scott Steward said: ‘Essentially, if you feel your life is in danger or threatened by an animal, you can act against it.’ Exactly

Pro military, no matter what:

Sounds like another Democrat got there hand’s on a gun !!

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this cyclist had no business killing this dog. Charges should be brought against him immediately.

…

I would not blame or feel bad at all and I would even back the dog owner if he wanted to take fatal retaliation against the cyclist. It is just. What the hell is wrong with people that want to kill a dog like that…This soldier has one more mission to accomplish! …huh rah!

…

I hope the shooter gets hit by a car and suffers a long painful death

These views show a division between otherwise aligned interests. Most of the folks are likely “conservative” by political philosophy, perhaps a few libertarian. “Liberals” would abhor the gun itself.

I see this as a difference of opinion between “red staters.” I suspect the majority of both sides generally support the carrying of individual arms. Both likely support justifiable self-defense. Here’s the division: the first group seems to support self-defense regardless of the aggressors status. They find a man free to act when illegally threatened. Period. I’ll call these the people “freedom lovers.” The others support self-defense unless the aggressor is a member of the hallowed legions of the state. I’ll call them “government lovers.”

The government lovers are more extreme. Not only do they want the cyclist prosecuted, they want him dead – by a “long painful death” – for a situation they did not witness. But, to them, the facts do not matter. They are more worshipers than mere lovers of the state. The government and its uniformed agents (even dog agents) must not be challenged – ever.

The worship of the state may be increasingly seen in American churches, particularly Evangelical protestant churches. Government has seemingly replaced God for many. Much of this stems from an overzealous but false interpretation of Romans 13. Paul was only speaking to legitimate state authority – authority not acting against God’s Natural Law.

The Nazis, acting under Hitler’s “legal” orders, carried out the murder of dissidents and other war crimes. Were these too God-sanctioned acts of official authority? I think not.

The statists see it otherwise – at least concerning the American government.

If American soldiers kill innocents overseas, regardless of conditions, it’s acceptable collateral damage. If the police shoot a dog it’s okay, even if the police are breaking their own laws during the shooting. The same standard applies to police shootings of innocent civilians. No matter the cause, no matter the circumstance, the government is never at fault.

In the odd event the government is at odds with one of its servants the lovers will throw the individual under the bus without thought or hesitation. The false god of the almighty state suffers NO challenge.

This highlights both a disdain for individuality and a lack of logic among the parishioners of official authority.

For those of us who value freedom over safety this dichotomy and this particular example illustrates both a dire problem and a hazardous solution for liberty. It reminds me, for some reason, of the Melian Dialogue (with a twist).

A bit of archaic history: In 416 B.C. Athens was perhaps the most powerful military force in the known ancient world. The Athenians sought to subjugate the small, peaceful island state of Melos. The Athenian navy arrived at Melos. The dialogue went something like this:

Athens: “Surrender and join us.”

Melos: “No.”

The Athenians then proceeded to exterminate the Melians and seize their island.

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Ruins of Melos. Google.

Many in the freedom camp rightfully seek to resist the evil of the modern state. However, as to outright martial confrontation, they see no hope. Maybe they are right. The American military and police state is almost powerful beyond measure. Outright rebellion would be almost impossible.

It may though be possible to indirectly oppose state oppression. An individual might be able to resist a single agent of the state and legally get away with it. Such resistance is still fraught with gravest danger. After such an incident the individual will be faced with resentment and hatred of the government’s unthinking masses. Hatred to the point of murder in revenge.

A safer if slower strategy might be to seek out those of the opposing camp and convert them to the truth of freedom. If they can think and reason this may be possible. They can be armed without an army. They can be safe and secure absent official structure. They can act as individuals. They can regard God as God and alone the Supreme source of authority.

All of this is open for consideration. What say you?

 

Fall Of The House Of Gibson

14 Wednesday Oct 2015

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As time passes by I have noticed happy memories are occasionally tinged with sorry. So it is lately. I learned recently of the passing of a great institution, a dynasty if you will, in Athens, Georgia.

Several years ago, unbeknownst to me at the time, George Gibson’s Menswear closed its doors after half a century of servicing the Classic City.

George Gibson’s Menswear closed its doors Monday after almost 50 years of doing business in Athens.

Owner Thomas Hinson, who bought the business after the founder’s son died in 2008, said Monday was their last day as a full-service shop. Employees will be on hand to fill pre-made orders and hand over clothing dropped off for alterations for the rest of the week, he said.

…

He said the decline in business could be partially attributed to the economic recession, but also increased competition in a market of changing tastes.

“There’s increased competition in town, with the opening of some other men’s stores, and I think a changing in trend in how men dress,” Hinson said. “We live in an age where men dress more casually than they did even 10 years ago. You go the bank, and you can see that. Ten years ago, the guy at the bank wore a suit. Now, you don’t see that.”

The store opened in 1964 in the Beechwood Shopping Center, but moved in the mid-2000s to Baxter Street. Hinson said he started working at George Gibson’s in the 1990s while going to college and rejoined the shop in 2006.

He said he looked forward to coming to work every day.

Athens Banner Herald.

Gibson’s was a classic Menswear store. It was a fine shop which catered to fine gentlemen. One would find only the best clothes, shoes and accessories inside. Polo and Nautica were to common and, thus, were excluded. The front of the original store was filled with buffalo skin dress shoes, hand-crafted pocket knives and sportswear by the likes of Ike Behar. The back was reserved for suits and business and formal wear – all of which could be tailored on-site. It was a place where money did not matter (expensive) because the goods were worth it.

It was a men’s store. No women’s section. No children. Men only. Gentlemen only. At a time when even Brooks Brothers became Brothers, Sisters, Kids, and Everyone Else, Gibson’s held the line.

Few stores like this have survived. Given the increasingly obese and slovenly direction of America’s males the store seems a relic of the genteel past, a more formal and civilized age.

One can still catch a glimpse of Gibson’s grandeur here at their old Facebook site.

Times have changed. I write this with face bearded and shirt untucked. Yet, I am one of few who still, from time to time, dons a suit, who still weighs an appropriate number of pounds and who can still lift more than he weighs. Maybe I too am a relic of the old America.

I know much about Gibson’s and mourn its demise because I was a customer there long ago. For a short time I was also an employee. During my final summer at the University of Georgia I spoke to Andy Gibson, son of the founder, of my future plans and search for my first “real” job. He offered me part-time work while I searched. I only worked there a few months as I soon landed a position with real estate powerhouse Trammell Crow. My short tenure was, however, enjoyable and memorable.

Andy had taken over his father’s business a few years earlier. He strived, with great success, to keep things just as they were. He was a dedicated businessman and a wonderful person. He always smiled. He was always happy. He always shouldered the burden. He was a mentor, a friend, a big brother.

I continued to shop at Gibson’s years later as a budding attorney. My last visit was some ten years ago. I was going to a PGA tournament and needed something special. With my young daughter’s assistance I found it – a subdued, casual but elegant sports shirt. On a beer run at the links I actually bumped into the young man who sold me the cloth. Magical.

I knew that Andy died in 2008, much to young for so vibrant and dedicated a man. The picture below is the only one I could find of him – from his obituary. I don’t like it. It’s him but not at all as he was. The image is conservative enough but I remember him as more mature yet exuberantly happy.

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Andy.  Athens Banner-Herald.

Mr. George Gibson died in 2013. His lovely wife, who ran the alterations department in the back of the store, is also gone. I only met Mr. Gibson once maybe; I saw Mrs. Gibson regularly. She was a sweetheart.

Following Andy’s untimely departure the store was purchased by long-term employee, Thomas Hinson. I don’t remember him but it seems he held the helm admirable until the end. A year after Gibson’s closed Hinson died at the too young age of 35.

It’s all gone now. I have been in similar men’s stores from Atlanta to New York to Boston. None of them have the same feeling. None is special. Most of my better clothes these days come from Joseph A. Banks, a nice store but a chain store. I guess some things belong in the past.

Gibson’s will be missed and not just by me.

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George Gibson’s Baxter Location, circa 2010. Facebook.

Trial By Combat

27 Wednesday May 2015

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Not too long ago I wrote about my experiences with the American Jury system in the 21st Century.  It is broken.  End of story.  Any acquittal you read about is an anomaly – a celebration of truth and luck in a world gone wrong.  Juries are no longer the last check against tyranny they were intended to be in ancient Rome or Athens.

Most people plead guilty to criminal offenses.  Most of the rest elect to the convicted (not just tried) by a state appointed and employed Judge.  The small few who make it before a jury – not of their peers – are usually found guilty.  Everything goes the state’s way. Many celebrate this fact. I do not.  We were supposed to have due process and equality under the law.  This is especially important to the little person facing the endless resources of the government.  It is also, now, a fiction.  We have none of it.  Just convictions.

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(Temple of doom.  Google.)

The defendant in the Boston Bombing trial, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was convicted and sentenced to death.  His was one of the oddest trials I have ever heard of.  It lacked even the plausible credibility of some Soviet-era show trials.  In June Tsarnaev learns whether the judge will condemn him to die.  He surely will be executed.

If, indeed, he did commit the alleged terror attack, Tsarnaev deserves to die.  However, as I have noted before, there is amble evidence to suggest a government link to the plot. If the government is involved in any way, there is usually a plot participation.  This might not excuse Tsarvaev but it would implicate others.  It won’t though.  There was absolutely no mention or murmur of this in court on Tsarnaev’s account.  Alarmingly, there was no murmur at all from the defendant.  There was no defense whatsoever.

In a way the defense strategy made some sense.  They knew, as do I, there is no hope for honest truth or justice in an American court.  Accordingly, they adopted an approach which plead Tsarnaev guilty while attempting to shift the blame to the defendant’s dead brother.  The ultimate attempt was not to evade a conviction (a given) but, rather, to avoid the death penalty.  The approach did not work.

The government opened with a sympathetic case – no-one likes terror attacks on innocent people.  The defense then opened by acknowledging the crime and the defendant’s participation therein.  “Yeah, he did it. But…”  They closed the same way.

Then, the government called witnesses.  These were victims who had survived the attack.  They told the jury and court of their terrible injuries.  Terrible as they are, they do not establish, at all, any criminal culpability.  No mind – Tsarnaev had already admitted guilt. In most cases these statements of victims come at the very end of the trial – after guilt has been adjudicated.  They are usually used to determine what level of punishment is deserved of the convicted.  This case saw all phases conveniently wrapped into one show.  No challenge or examination at all was conducted on behalf of the accused.

I, as a defense attorney, could have lessened the blow of these witnesses but asking them if they had ever seen (in person) my client before.  None of them had.  They had no way to link Tsarnaev to the crime scene.

That tenuous link came from a video and pictorial collage presented by the government. Cameras are everywhere these days and there were numerous shots of the Tsarnaev brothers at the Marathon.  Nothing showed them setting off or planting the bombs. Then again, the defendant had already admitted his guilt.

No challenge came to this presentation.  There was equal evidence of former government employees – current “security” contractors at the event – with the same backpacks and in the same places as the accused.  The difference was that several (not presented) photos showed the brothers leaving with laden backpacks while the agents walk away unencumbered.  Nevermind.  Guilt admitted, remember.

The government presented weak findings as to how the alleged bombs were made.  A good munitions expert could have dissected these as ridiculous.  None did.  All evidence was submitted without protest.  There was then the matter of an alleged admission written on the walls of a hideout boat.  No objections.

Given what they were presented with the jury rightly found the defendant guilty.  He lost his gamble as to the jury’s recommendation of death.  That should have come as no surprise.  To the open-eyed and open-minded it should come as an alarm as to where the system has settled.

This is no system in which to place any faith of fairness.  The prosecution will get whatever it seeks in most cases.  Nothing will change.  There are efforts to reform the game but it is too far gone.  There is no public support for such efforts.  Thus, any alternative seems logical, if it be at all feasible.

Before I go further let me state that everyone is entitled to a defense at trial in cases of alleged criminal offense.  Ages ago several British soldiers were tried and acquitted in the Boston Massacre.  Their attorney believed in justice, no matter how unpopular the accused.  His name was John Adams.  You may have heard of him, he served as our second President.

There is an older, if more archaic, alternative to the jury system in criminal or civil cases.  You have never heard of it.  No American lawyers understand it nor would they encourage it.  The Courts will surely be averse to it though it has never been stricken from the codified law (like that matters anymore).  No law school will teach it.  No agent of the state would wish to face it.  No right-minded person would assert the alternative. But, it is there.

There is (or was) a thing called Trial by Combat.

Trial by combat (also wager of battle, trial by battle or judicial duel) was a method of Germanic law to settle accusations in the absence of witnesses or a confession in which two parties in dispute fought in single combat; the winner of the fight was proclaimed to be right. In essence, it was a judicially sanctioned duel. It remained in use throughout the European Middle Ages, gradually disappearing in the course of the 16th century.

Wikipedia (May 27, 2015).

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(Fighting it out.  Google.)

Wikipedia says this was a Germanic legal tradition, which is true.  However, the custom was known to many other ancient cultures.  Also, it continued into the somewhat modern age.

The defense continued in regular practice into the Seventeenth and even Eighteenth Centuries.  The accused or defendant would assert or demand his right. The prosecutor or plaintiff or a chosen champion would then join the accused in singular combat.  This was to the death or to a submission – usually death.  I cannot imagine too many district attorneys, police officers, or offended ex-wives going along, willingly, with such strategy. Then again, I cannot see most fat, lazy Americans demanding such a right let alone conducting such as trial.

In 1774 an attempt was made in Parliament, partly in response to the Boston Tea Party, to abolish the practice.  This and all other reform efforts failed.  No bill or law has ever rescinded the ancient right.  The right was in place, part of the English Common Law, when the American colonies declared independence from the King.  Thus, the right remained available to Americans.  Mostly, such spectacles took form in gentlemanly duels – outside of the courts.  Alexander Hamilton participated in one of these with fatal consequences.

Still, no state or Congress has ever formally repealed the practice.  The courts have not definitively ruled on it either.  This is the case in old England as well as in America.

As recently as 2002 a demand for trial by combat was made in Britain.  In Suffolk a man made the demand as his defense in an administrative hearing concerning the local DMV. The magistrates in charge, deeming, him deranged at best, ignored him and fined him a small sum for failing to register (or de-register) his motorcycle.  No appeal was made.

You would likely never assert this right as a defense or alternative course of trial.  Nor would I.  However, if facing severe criminal charges and punishment, trial by combat might mean the difference between prison and a mental hospital.  Which seems better to you?

If, though, you should succeed in joining a wager of arms, you may count yourself among the fortunate, even mythical, few.  In a federal criminal matter you may consider yourself Fingolfin doing battle with Melkor himself.  May the honor and victory be yours.

Misguided Education

20 Saturday Apr 2013

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A while back I wrote a piece about my journey through undergraduate school at the University of Georgia (“UGA”).  I recently dredged up my transcripts from that experience and thought I would share the same with you – with commentary!  Here follows a hilarious, self-deprecating look at the mistakes I made in Athens.

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(UGA.)

As I related before, I majored in the wrong things and failed to realize my mistakes until it was too late.  My grades reflected accordingly – I graduated with a “C” average.  Considering how I felt about studying and how little I did, that “C” seems like a miracle.  Also, I unofficially majored in girls, beer, and trail running/weight lifting; I worked full-time the last two years as well.

UGA is a great school, one of only 21 schools in America which received an “A” based on their required core curriculum.  I think the requirements were a little different when I was there – last century – but I still had the opportunity for a first class education.  My point here to two-fold: first, I want to entertain you by making fun of my foibles in college; second, and more importantly, I hope some of my younger readers may benefit from my mistakes so as to prevent a few of their own.

Fall Quarter, Year 1

I got a “B” in English 101 (composition).  I write a lot and read well so this was no surprise.  I recall the professor was a hot ex-business executive who decided she wanted to teach English.  I got a C in Sociology.  I hated this class and was terribly bored throughout.  I gave it no effort – which, if I recall, was all it warranted.  I made my only F, ever, in College Algebra.  I can’t remember why I had to take this class in the first place.  I did fairly well in math in high school.  I think it was a weed-out class and it almost got me.  I understood most of the crap in the classes but the tests were all administered by a computer with an incomprehensible software system.  I suppose it was designed that way.  Anyway, I learned a valuable lesso … actually, I learned nothing.

Winter Qtr, Year 1

I made a C in Eng 102 – the teacher was nearly as hot as the one from 101.  Surprisingly, I made a C in American Government.  Actually, I was not surprised.  The professor was a nearly brain-dead liberal who “taught” straight from the New York Times, to which we were required to subscribe.  I bet this is how the Times stays in business.  I think my grade would have been higher had I made my term paper more politically correct.  I wrote about American intervention in Bosnia – from my unique perspective.  I wrote the whole affair off as illegal and unnecessary.  Turns out, in hindsight, I was right.  Still got a C.  I got another B in a Geology class of all things.  It was actually fairly interesting … I think.

Spring Qtr, Year 1

The transcripts say I took another Geology class.  Or was it Geography???  I flopped through Microeconomics without much impressive success.  I also took Anthropology 10whatever.  The whole class was devoted to the study of a bunch of primitives in Africa.  It might have featured Barry Sotoro, not sure.

Summer Qtr, Year 1

I met a super hot girl in the Obama class whom I started dating.  She was entirely too good for me and later we broke up.  Okay, she broke up with me.  I deserved it.  Anyway, she was a year ahead of me and I decided to take summer classes in order to try to graduate with her.  I took Western Civilization (to 1500 AD), a class I really liked.  The professor was a righteous dude!  I retook the evil algebra class had no problems this time.  They implemented a new software, just for me!  I started an Intro to Cinema class thinking it would be easy and fun.  It was not.  They expected me to watch movies (that I did) and then analyse all sorts of weird entertainment theories and such.  I dropped it.

Fall Qtr, Year 2

I studied Macroeconomics with the same success as Micro.  Blah.  I took Business Law, which I really enjoyed.  I took a business major-related Pre-Calculus class (trigonometry?) and did much better than in the weed-out crap class.  There was no computer involved.  At the time, I absolutely hated computers, regarding them as evil, silicon-based lifeforms sent to make us miserable.

Winter Qtr, Year 2

Having quit the movies, I took a Theater class.  I recall none of it but the transcripts say I got a B.  I also got a B in MIS (Management Information Solutions??).  We learned there was some sort of new thing on the horizon called the “internet.”  Ever heard of it?  Other than that, all I can recall is the professor stuttering his RRRRRRrrrrrrssssss…  I almost got an A in Calculus!  I should have got the A but I was quite happy with my B(+?).  I was not sure why I didn’t get an A, seems I had a theory at the time.  My secret to success was actually learning the material!  I had to because the professor spoke not one word of English.  I became intimately acquainted with the book.  Everyone was required to take a PE class, pass or fail only.  I took “Walking” because all of the cool classes like scuba and jousting were full.  Turns out “walking” meant speed walking.  I was the only man in the class and was always dead last behind the ladies.  I had a theory.  Anyway, passed it … barely.

Spring Qtr, Year 2

I started and withdrew from a Business Statistics  class, which was the most dreaded class in the Terry School of Business.  It was another computer-driven weeder.  I took Accounting 1 and hated it.  Hated it.  Trying out one of my elective credits, I took  Philosophy 101.  I am philosophy!  I loved it and made my very first A!  I discovered there, that when you love something, it does not feel like work and seems to require no effort.  I wish I had woken up and that point and made better use of my time.  Onward…

Fall Qtr, Year 3

I did not take any summer classes – hottie and I had gone our separate ways.  Anyhow, as the leaves turned I endured another useless Accounting class.  I also muddled through another econ class – Money and Banking.  I liked it (you know I write about monetary issues often) but I did only average, academically.  For another elective I took a Classics class – Roman Culture.  I absolutely loved it!  As with Calc, I narrowly missed an A – I think I overslept for the final exam and only finished part of it.  Anyway, this should have been another wake up moment.  It wasn’t.  However, given my constant recitation of Cicero and Sallust, by the power vested in me, by me, I hereby elevate my grade to an A!  Haha!

Winter Qtr, Year 3

This was a miserable waste of a quarter.  I found myself in a Marketing class.  The high point was discovering the Professor was an avid hiker as was I.  I forced my way through that Statistics class.  Did you know that 60% of all statistics are wrong?  True fact, that.  At some point I walked into the Professor’s office and just asked for a D.  A D and there would be no trouble from ol Perrin.  She, perceiving my blight and perhaps my wrath, consented.  “D” stands for DONE!  My dad was a psychologist.  I am not.  I started a Psychology class and dropped it after being unnerved by the lab experiment – whatever the hell it was…

Spring Qtr, Year 3

The transcripts say I took “Prin of Prod.”  I do not recall what that was.  I didn’t do well, whatever it was.  It matters not at all.  This quarter I took my first major class, Real Estate something.  I only got a B.  that should have told me something.  I’m sure it did but, at the time, I wasn’t listening.

Fall Qtr, Year 4

By only studying the manual which accompanied my fancy calculator the night before the final, I breezed through Finance!  I still have the calculator!  I also did well in some sort of Organizational Behavior (?????) class?  I do not remember it at all.  Unless, it was the one where I interviewed a local business owner (a “Republican” type) only to discover she was a government-loving zombie…  My calculator trick did not work quite as well in my Real Estate Finance class but I made it through.  Another flag ignored.

Winter Qtr, Year 4

I wasted away in another Management class and two Real Estate classes.  I was upset about my grade in RE Development – the only time I ever cared.  Professor C.F. Floyd, a local legend, gave me a B.  I had an A all through the Quarter and had the highest grade on the class project (complete with glowing reviews).  However, Floyd graded my final exam rather low – even though it was a completely subjective essay matter.  Afterwards, when I protested, he said he just didn’t like my subject matter.  I really respected the man but I went to the Dean with an appeal.  The Dean, whose name I do not recall, told me Floyd was the senior-most teacher in all of UGA and I was out of luck.  Sorry, Jack.  I am not.  I hereby elevate my grade to an A! +!  I now have the power and you can just kiss my shrinking ass, buddy.

Spring Qtr, Year 4

This quarter I got my only A in my major (not counting the above post-fact elevation).  It was in Corporate Real Estate.  At the time, I liked the class and thought I had done a great thing.  I since revised my opinion.  Out in the real world, I discovered the class actually did me a grave dis-service.  Based on what we studied, we all seemed to think we would immediately start out in Donald Trump’s shoes.  None of us did.  We were introduced to the “entry-level” world.  Seems I took yet another unremarkable management class and something called “Interviewing” – who knew.  

Summer Qtr, Year 4

Most of my friends took 5 or 6 years to graduate.  With the help of one more summer session, I did it in the traditional four.  Apparently, I took something called ADM Practices.  Does anyone have the slightest idea what that is????  I also took two more Classics electives – Greek Culture and Mythology.  Only at this last hour did I realize my business major mistake.  For an hour or two I contemplated switching majors (or double majoring, maybe) to (in) something more classical – a real education.  I regret not doing so to this day.  Foolishly, I determined I had done all I could and accepted by BBA as was.  Foolish.

I would like to say I have benefitted from that degree but I have not.  It was completely useless.  A friend of mine remarked the other day an undergraduate degree is a certificate which indicates you can sit still and concentrate on something for four years.  It is nothing more – at least a BBA isn’t.  It did not help me get a good job.  It didn’t matter in law school.  It doesn’t matter at all.

BBA

(A real BBA.  Google.)

Should you find yourself in a similar situation, get out now!  Either change what you’re doing or just drop out.  You’ll be glad you did.  You won’t have to sit and stare at your transcripts some day wondering what the hell “ADM” means…

Perrin and the Rich and Famous

09 Tuesday Apr 2013

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The idea for this post came to me today.  I suppose it was because it’s Masters time and everyone is on the lookout for the rich and famous.  I’ve met numerous famous people during my lifetime.  People love celebrity stories so I thought I would bore you with some of mine.

I’ll start with the two whose autographs I asked for and received.  Not being an autograph hound, the idea usually doesn’t come to me.  I’m not counting the ones who have signed books for me, those are numerous.

Don Knotts

I met Don Knotts at Mississippi State University in the early to mid 1980s.  He was in Starkville to give a comedy-laden speech about his life and career.  He was genuinely one of the funniest and down to earth person I’ve ever encountered.  The demeanor he exhibited on Andy Griffith and Three’s Company was him, unless he was hamming it up the night I saw him.  I can’t recall anything he said but I remember it was fascinating.  He signed a picture of himself for me.  I lost it.

Vince Dooley

Any good old boy from Georgia would be compelled to get the coach’s autograph.  So I did one afternoon.  The funny thing was, I had him sign a baseball.  I was at a baseball game in Athens and decided to go get a hotdog.  On my way out of the stands a pretty girl in a UGA outfit gave me a UGA baseball.  I put it in my pocket and proceeded to the concession stand.  While I was waiting in line I happened to look behind me and there was Dooley.  He had a pen, I had a baseball.  The rest is concession stand history.  He was overly gracious.  I have since misplaced the ball.

Suzanne Yoculan

I has working out (back when I was in super-shape at the brand-new UGA athletic facility (we called it the SPACE Center, it has a different name now).  Being a dumbbell I was hanging out with my kin.  I noticed an extra attractive blonde next to me.  It was Yoculan.  We had a nice chat between sets about gymnastics and fitness in general.  So, I think I’ve met UGA’s most famous coach and their winningest coach.  Yoculan was very nice.  Almost all the celebrities I’ve ever met have been very nice.  Not so many looked as good as her though.  I think I was on a flight to L.A. with the hottie who played Princess Ardala in Buck Rogers but I’m not sure.  She may have just been a hottie.

Kenny Rogers

I met a slew of famous folks in and around Athens, as you can gather.  I had a girlfriend who managed a Hallmark card shop.  I was hanging around one Saturday, being a general nuisance.  I found the name tag maker and made myself a name tag – “Bubba.”  In walked Rogers and his beautiful then-girlfriend, now wife.  He stood around like an average ordinary dude while the woman shopped.  I recall she ran up a good-sized tab, which Rogers paid (with cash).  I jumped behind a register and acted like I worked there.  One of the girls pushed me aside.  After the payment, the Misses decided she wanted to shop some more.  Kenny had enough and headed out to sit in the car, which turned out to be a mini-van.  I strolled out and talked to him for a minute or two about his music and his chicken franchises (remember those?).  I might have him autograph something but I can’t remember; if I did, I lost it.

Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro

Daddy taught at MSU when I was young.  We went to almost every home game – football and baseball.  During the 1984 or 85 season he got me a ball autographed by the entire team (including Ron Polk).  I think Brantley or Thigpen or someone was in one of his classes.  He pulled rank, not me – therefore, I don’t count this encounter as one where I sought the autographs.  By the way, I have that ball under glass on a shelf at home.  It turns out a good friend of mine was on the team the year before.  I showed him the ball once and he went into a time-warp memory trance.  Autographs are powerful.  Anyway, I think it was the evening the team got back from an unsuccessful world-series run or maybe it was on their way out).  The media were gathered and many interviews occurred concurrently.  Clark and Palmeiro had no trouble taking a moment or two to humor little me.  Great men.

bball

(If you’re a MSU or MLB fan, I might consider selling the ball.  $erious offer$ only…)

Michael Stipe

This really doesn’t count as a meeting so much as a random funniness.  A friend of mine and I were visiting with my doctor in .. you guessed it – Athens on morning.  The Doc was developing a bar/apartment complex on Clayton Street.  He had invited us over to look around.  Anyway, we were all standing out on the sidewalk when this bald-headed skinny guy in a sweat suit came jogging by.  One of us said, “It that Michael Stipe?”  The second said, “That looks like Michael Stipe.”  Then third said loudly, “That’s Michael Stipe!”  Stipe glanced nervously over his shoulder and then bolted off at a full sprint.  Funny if you were there.  I was.

Aurelian Smith, Jr.

You know Smith better by his ring name, Jake “The Snake” Roberts.  He was the first of the many wrestlers I’ve met and the first of two I’ve worked out with.  I was pumping serious iron at the Gold’s gym in … Athens on morning when I noticed this tall guy on a bench (bench press bench) reading the paper.  I took a second look and determined it was Roberts.  About that time he noticed me and asked for a spot.  We talked a good deal about his life and things generally.  I had just seen him on the Benny Hinn show and had some questions about Hinn’s performances, which, honestly, look as scripted as anything from the WWF.  Roberts assured me that Hinn was a sincere Christian and that he exuded an uncanny “electric” presence – one that could be felt physically.  He and I worked out quite a few times and talked frequently in the parking lot.  Jake drove a rotating variety of older vehciles.  He was a great conversationalist and as un-snake like as could be.

Marcus Bagwell

Marcus is better known as Buff Bagwell.  I met him in the Gold’s Gym in Woodstock, Georgia.  This was during one of my short-lived attempts to get back in shape.  Buff was in great shape, naturally, and his encouragement and friendliness helped me during the run.  The poor guy was in a bad automobile wreck not too long ago.  A lot of the wrestlers I’ve known, including Jake, have had problems later on.  Sad, but I guess it comes with the territory.

Joe Penny

When I was a teenager I worked out at another of Bill Smith’s great clubs – Bodytalk.  On summer day I was milling around and saw Penny. You may remember him from Jake and the Fatman and Riptide.  His dad was a local school principal and Joe came for a visit.  Like Jake he requested a spot and we struck up a conversation.  I naturally get along with most people and since I’m not a pop culture nut I suppose I don’t annoy the celebs as others might.  Anyway, he was a very quiet but personable fellow. 

Jimmy Carter

I worked in and around the Georgia General Assembly during the last year of law school.  The former President came to town and gave a speech one day.  I attended and found what he had to saw inspiring and common-sensical.  I don’t really recall what he talked about but it was interesting.  After he talked and was shaking hands with the resident ticks, I made my way down to Governor’s private door.  I figured that’s where Carter would exit.  I was right.  After a few minutes he and Rosalynn came along with one or two Secret Service agents and some State Troopers.  He stopped for a second, shook my hand, and made pleasant small talk.  It’s funny; I don’t generally view his Presidency as a particular success but I was very pleased to meet him.  He’s the only President I’ve ever met.  The next best person is John Anderson.  He was a professor of mine in law school and is now a friend.  I’ve met so many other politicians, they don’t faze me anymore (I do keep my hand on my wallet though…).

Steve Forbes

This is one of the few cases where I heard a famous person talk about something and remember what he said.  Forbes spoke to the Federalist Society’s 2001 national conference about the ridiculous monetary policy of the Federal government.  While not outright calling for a return to the gold standard, he advocated SOME standard so we at least know where we stand.  He analyzed it to a carpenter trying to build a house when his tape measure changes units every day.  After he spoke I mosied up and we talked for a little while about the subject.  I asked him how we could ever got back to a sane system.  He said all we could do is to keep hammering the point over and over.  Ron Paul did a great job of this.  Forbes was by far the wealthiest person I ever met yet one of the absolute nicest.

Kenneth Starr

I first met Ken at the same Fed-Soc function where I met Forbes.  I’ve since met him many, many times again.  Our second meeting was at Ted Olson’s Virgina home the next summer (I once ran with the elite…).  I saw Ken and his wife and guided my wife over for an introduction.  He saw us coming and walked over.  He actually remembered me and said, “Hello, Perrin!”  The wives were happily introduced and we went on drinking champagne and doing snooty country club stuff.  How cool is it to be recognized by a celebrity, whatever you think of his professional work?

Cigar Royalty

Through my cigar connections, I’ve met many of the biggest names in the cigar world.  I won’t name names here.  Like politicians, to me they are a dime a dozen.  However, unlike the ticks, I consider these folks my friends (in real life and on Facebook!).  All are exceptional and kindly.  ALmost everyone in cigarland is that nice.

My favorite celebrities are my beloved readers – you!  Maybe I’ll write some funny snippets about you someday!

Muddling Through College

11 Monday Mar 2013

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Given the popularity of my postings on the law, generally and regarding specific topics, and given the inclination of so many people to ask me about becoming a lawyer and what it’s like, I thought I would write something about legal education in America.  It won’t be pretty but it will paint a good overall picture of the modern training lawyers undergo.  First, however, I thought I would write something about the undergraduate experience which precedes law school.  That’s what this article concerns.  It is mainly drawn from my experiences at the University of Georgia in the early – mid 1990’s.

As my personal collegiate experience is somewhat dated (ugh….), I have tried to incorporate a little news concerning more modern college education as well.  So, this piece is really about my personal muddling with an updated, universal background.  I hope it serves as a guide of sorts for those entering college or already there and struggling to decide what to make of the situation.  For those you who have already completed your formal education, I hope this resonates with you.  It’s up to us to enlighten the younger generations so that they may achieve their full potential.

College today is much the same as it was back then.  Modern students have a wealth of on-line information to assist them in picking the right school and program for them.  I wished we had had that.  I recently stumbled across a fantastic website that goes beyond the normal rankings and summary guides.  Check out this site: http://www.whatwilltheylearn.com/.  It’s an initiative from numerous alumni to assess what, if anything, colleges teach these days.  The results are eye-opening.  Of the 1000 or so schools surveyed only 21 got an “A” based on required core curriculum.  I’m proud to say my alma mater was among them.  Several famous and pricy schools did not fare so well.  Watch their video too.

cap

(Google Images.)

Back to yours truly.  I started college in 1993 immediately after graduating from high school.  I applied to and was accepted to three colleges (I think it was three, I’m lazy).  I got accepted to Mississippi State University (in my original home town) and the University of Georgia, where many of my relatives attended.  I think the other school was UVA; I attended classes for a week as a high schooler and was most impressed. 

MSU offered me a scholarship, I think it was a full ride.  My dad had been a professor there and apparently they needed someone from Georgia.  I probably should have accepted but, given my poor choices in college, I would have likely lost the scholarship anyway.  In the end, I went to UGA.  The Georgia HOPE scholarship was recently enacted at the time.  My high school grades were excellent and so I would have qualified.  Unfortunately, my parents made something like 50 cents over the family income maximum.  The next year they raised the maximum but by then my grades were so dismal it didn’t matter.  I must say I had a great time in Athens.  The city is overrun with bars and hot girls and there is always something to do.  Oddly, none of that matters looking back.

I have since analyzed why I did as poorly as I did in the early half of my college career.  I used to blame the school and several professors in whose classes I did poorly.  I have come to the conclusion though that any failings (pun intended) were my fault only.  I had considered that perhaps I was not ready for college.  Then again, I’m not sure what I would have done instead at that time.  I wanted to continue my formal education, I just went about it all wrong.  I was not true to myself.

I have devoted a whole chapter in The Time Given (not long now….) to being true to yourself.  My understanding of the concept comes from my own self-betrayals.  In high school and for the first few years I was at UGA I was under the delusion of the great “American dream.”  George Carlin once said, “it’s a dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.”  I know what he meant.  The dream went something like this:  You go to college to get a valuable degree.  The degree gets you a ticket to work for a big corporation for 30 or 40 years.  By working hard for your employer you get rich and enjoy a comfy retirement.  You can vacation in Destin, Florida and such.

I tried to take the dream to its extreme conclusion.  I just knew I had to major in business in order to get that golden job ticket.  I started out as a general business major and then switched to a speciality in real estate.  UGA’s real estate program is excellent and I did learn some things in my concentration classes which came in handy at Trammel Crow and in my brief real estate sales career.  I also found some of my advanced economics classes fascinating – but only from an academic standpoint.  The rest of the core business classes bored the ever-loving hell out of me.  My grades reflected this.  I recall mornings when I remembered I had to drop classes I had not attended all semester – on the last day possible.  Still figures into some of my nightmares.  I recall passing finance my reading the booklet for my fancy calculator the night before the final exam.  I wasted a semester in a business MIS class that covered things like floppy disks and the new-fangled internet, whatever that was.  That all says something – I’m not sure what…

The “hard” problem I found with an undergraduate business degree was that you studied based on scenarios only a CEO would encounter.  Then you get into the job market and discover only entry-level jobs are available.  It’s kind of depressing.  I really lucked out with Trammell Crow and it took me months of interviewing for scores of other positions to find.  Another problem is that once you’re on the job, they retrain you completely.  I’d say only 10% of what I managed to learn ended up being useful on the job.

If you want to enter business, I think it’s best to get an MBA. It also helps to study something you have connections to (the family business, etc.). Otherwise, you’re wasting your time.  I wasted a lot of the stuff.

The “soft” problem I had was that I didn’t really want to be a business major.  I look like a businessman but I have the heart of a history professor or a latter-day dragon slayer, neither of which benefit from a class in marketing.  This was made clear to me during my senior year.  For whatever reason I finished most of the required classes and had an abundance of electives to take.  Out of curiosity I wound up in a number of classics (ancient Greece and Rome) and philosophy classes. 

Suddenly, I was immersed in subjects that spoke to me about eternal issues I could relate to everyday American life.  I also got “A” after “A” and it wasn’t hard to do.  I liked the programs.  I identified with the programs.  I dig ancient wisdom and logical discourse more than ROI statements and accounting baselines.

It occurred to me a little late in the game to change majors and stick it out.  I probably should have done that.  At the time though, the same stubbornness that got me into my plight held me there.  I made excuses like “I’m almost done.  I need to settle, get out, and get that dream job.”  Ha!  The job I got was great.  I foresaw myself rising in the ranks and becoming a developer, another Donald Trump.  I was good at it.  I thought I could even open my own business and build skyscrapers.  Then, they called me one day and thanked me profusely for my hard work.  I smelled a raise.  Then they said the division was closing and I was no longer needed.  More depression followed.  This is the real American dream – you lie to yourself, waste time and money, and end up getting laid off after giving 150%.  Well, it was the dream.  I think most people have to settle for permanent unemployment or food stamps these days.

After a year of flopping around I headed to law school.  It was my attempt to right my ship.  It almost worked.  I know now that while I love the concept and theory of law, present and historical, these are not good reasons to go to law school.  I’ll have more on this in my coming column on the legal education racket.

I should have gotten a Ph.D. in political theory or history.  Then I would have been primed for a happier career in higher education, pondering the big ideas and helping young people seek questions and answers.  I’m currently trying to re-route myself that way.  This blog is a grand outlet for my academic pursuits.  I’m delighted by the support I have received so far.  I plan to press forward regardless of what kind, if any, formal institution I end up in.  I don’t mean an “institution” where I weave baskets…

Counting the four years I was locked up in high school, it’s been about 24 years getting around to being honest about my ambitions.  I have been extremely lucky in the alternative.  I’ve had the opportunity most people don’t get in the business and legal fields to interact with academics, statesmen, titans and ticks of all stripes.  I have also been able to strike a few blows for freedom over the years.  Everything happens for a reason and I have accepted my long way home.

I hope you, dear readers, find and accept yours too.  Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you.  I genuinely like helping people.  It’s really why I’m here.