Hubbard's Xanga

Monday, September 26, 2005

Mon, 26 Sep 2005 18:20:24 GMT

Quaker Parrots

I couldn't get close enough for a good picture before I scared them off, but here is a photo that I took in my yard on Saturday morning. Those are three "Quaker parrots" that are feeding at one of my feeders. There is a group of a dozen or so of them in my neighborhood, and there are in fact several other groups of them around town in Dallas. I see them and hear them all the time, but it has taken me a while to get them to my feeder. This is only the second time that I have seen them feeding. They are apparently descendants of escaped pets. They are not native to Texas, although they clearly thrive here.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Thu, 08 Sep 2005 04:22:53 GMT

KATRINA EVACUEES IN DALLAS

While I was walking to my part-time job at legal aid in downtown Dallas today, I noticed something different. There are many African-Americans just kind of walking around downtown in a daze. You can tell that they aren't going to work, and you can tell that they aren't homeless (those are basically the two groups downtown). You can just tell by looking at them that they are evacuees. We have 15,000 of them in Dallas.

I am very proud of Dallas for doing such a good job of helping all of those people. We are starting to have them show up at legal aid now. God bless them.

What a terrible ordeal. I have been to New Orleans many times, and it is a special place for me and for my wife, Margie.

Our government let those people down. They are poor people and had no place to go, and no way to get there.

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Thu, 07 Jul 2005 21:53:42 GMT

THE THRIFT STORE JACKPOT

I love going to thrift stores, and there is a very good one in my East Dallas neighborhood. It's called "Garland Rd. Thrift". Now, I have never had much luck in the used shoe/boot category, at any thrift store.

Until yesterday. I found this pair of Lucchese boots, size nine, and they fit me like a glove. For any non-Texans, Lucchese's are hand-made boots that have been made in Texas since 1882. They are so expensive that I've never had a pair, and I've had plenty of Cowboy boots.

I paid $19.19 for these. Yee ha! Next time I have to go to court in Ft. Worth, I'll have something decent to put on my feet.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Wed, 15 Jun 2005 03:44:04 GMT

HOWDY

I haven't written anything on Xanga in a long time. I'm pretty busy with my law practice, and I just haven't spent much time online lately.

This is what my law practice consists of:

1) misdemeanor criminal court appointments in Dallas, Texas. This can be anything from theft to unlawful carrying of a weapon to prostitution to possession of marijauna to failure ot ID......etc.

2) court appointments to represent children removed from their families by Texas' Child Protective Services;

3) court appointments to represent juveniles in parole revocation hearings; these kids are everything from car thieves to registered sex offenders to murderers;

4) court appointments to represent adults in parole revocation hearings; only mentally ill or mentally retarded inmates get attorneys appointed to represent them;

5) private practice criminal representation;

6) private practice divorce/family law;

7) private practice general civil litigation;

8) simple wills;

9) demand letters;

10) and for the last five and one half years, I've been a part-time contract staff attorney for legal aid. I interview indigent applicants and determine their need for legal services. These are often domestic violence cases. I've probably interviewed over five thousand applicants. It takes about thirty minutes per applicant.

11) and other stuff.

Maybe that's why I'm still up, staring at the wall. I think, now that it's cooled off a bit, I'll go outside and do some of what I call my "midnight gardening".

I wonder what my good friend Fauquet thinks about of all of this? His site is my favorite on Xanga. I feel as though he is my friend.

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Thu, 27 Jan 2005 17:00:34 GMT

NAMES

Here are several first names that I have run across in my criminal and family law practice:

"Malice", "Demon", "Diabolique" and "Nefarious". I also ran across a guy named "Cocaine".

I never cease to be amazed by this stuff.

My wife, not an attorney, ran across a good one yesterday: "Richard Weed".

Jeez.

Friday, December 31, 2004

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 17:37:28 GMT

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here is my new little friend that I found in my bird feeder today:

He certainly didn't act very scared of me. In fact, I went over and touched his tail after I took this photo; only then did he scamper off.

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Tue, 07 Dec 2004 05:29:20 GMT

WELL, I WANT SOME NOW, FOR SURE

I just read a pretty funny on-line news article regarding the "Hardee's" fast-food chain. It seems that they have unveiled a line of burgers called the "Monster Thick Burgers" and they are just absolutely huge. They have two one-third pound hamburger patties, four slices of bacon, several slices of cheese, etc. And so all the anti-meat and all the healthier food type proponents are just incensed about it, and all the head people at "Hardee's" are just saying HA HA HA HA all the way to the bank.

But the funny part was this: a spokesperson for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington based think-tank, called it "food porn", and the "fast-food equivalent of a snuff film". What a hoot!

I'm going to "Hardee's" tomorrow.

P.S. My bid for the Restuarant Hall of Fame includes this anecdote: I worked at the first "Chili's" restuarant in the world when I was 18. It's still located at the corner of Greenville Ave. and Meadow Rd. in Dallas, Texas. And at that first "Chili's" there was an insane burger on the menu that was taken off before they became a chain. I can't remember what it was called, but it was two HALF-POUND burger patties with two full size (not sliced) smoked sausages, like a bratwurst type of beef sausage. It came with barbecue sauce on it, and onions, and when someone ordered it, everybody in the place would say, "that big fat guy got a (whatever it was called")". It was a ridiculous burger. I couldn't eat one, and I was 18 and could eat damn near anything.

Thursday, August 19, 2004

Thu, 19 Aug 2004 03:23:56 GMT

I LOVE MY WIFE

I'm so proud of her for finding a good job. She is so responsible, and such a a hard worker. They are going to love her like I do and be so happy that they hired her!

I have never doubted my wife or her abilities for one second.

I'm proud of you, Margie!

Sunday, August 08, 2004

Sun, 08 Aug 2004 13:05:44 GMT

YABBA DABBA DOO !

I finally figured out what it is: it's Fred Flintstone's lawnmower.

Thursday, August 05, 2004

Thu, 05 Aug 2004 01:43:55 GMT

LOOK WHAT I FOUND

I found this on the side of the road today. It was placed in front of someone's house for "bulk trash pickup". It is probably the heaviest thing that I have ever managed to put into my truck by myself. It appears to me to be a home-made device for tamping down the sand in a concrete form before you place the concrete in. It is itself made of concrete and it rolls as you push it along with it's metal handle. Somebody really went to a lot of trouble to make the thing. It feels like it weighs about 500 lbs. Anybody care to guess how I got it into my truck?

I like the look of it: these home-made tools are a lot like folk art to me.

What will I do with it? I'm thinking about taking it to the family law courts tomorrow for my contested divorce hearing and squooshing the opposing party with it: just literally rolling over him. I might have a hard time getting it through the metal detectors, though...........