Navy cool

This is cool.  I wonder when we will see it deployed.

Airline news

The modelwife works for Southwest Airlines. (A great commpany)  Thus we have an interest in airline related news.  Here are two unrelated airline stories.

First, SWA is getting sued because a female passenger made repeated passes at a 14 year old boy.  The story is here.

In another story, a flight attendant was arrested for stealing from passengers as they slept on Air France flights.  The story is here.

Innocence

There ought to always be an actual innocence exception to a bar on challenging a conviction.  The Ninth Circuit says otherwise.

Interesting lawyers

I don’t know this lawyer, but he may have too much time on his hands.

Collection law news

Two recent decision, one by the U.S. Supreme Court and one by the KY Court of Appeals are of interest to collection lawyers.

The U.S. Supreme Court case, found here, makes clear that the FDCPA exception for bona fide error does not include mistakes of law.  This is important to retail collection attorneys since up to now there was a split among the lower courts as to whether this was the case.  Interestingly enough, the Supreme Court refused to answer the underlying question, namely, does demanding that any dispute be made “in writing” violate section 1692(g) of the FDCPA.

The Kentucky Court of Appeals just handed down a decision here, regarding CR 15.04 and what trial courts can do regarding supplemental proceedings in an effort to enforce judgments already entered by the trial court.  While the facts of the case are unique, the language contained in the decision will probably be helpful to collection attorneys in Kentucky in the future.

Ouch!

As an attorney I am willing to admit that I lost a District Court trial to a pro se defendant. (It was “home cooking” and I won on appeal.)  However, some high priced attorneys in California lost an appeal at the 9th Cir. to pro se defendants.  Read the opinion here.

Magazine review: World Model Aviation February and April 2010

World Model Aviation Feb. 2010

I need another monthly modeling magazine like I need a hole in my head.  Thus, I was less than thrilled when I heard that a new modeling magazine was coming out of England.  Resist as much as I might, I bought two of the early issues of World Model Aviation.  Luckily it turns out that I’m not going to have to take out that fifth mortgage on the house in order to get yet another model magazine subscription. (Besides, in this environment, I am not sure the bankers would give it to me.) 

This isn’t to say that the magazine is not a good one.  The production values are good.  The photos are excellent, and the articles are well written.  In fact, I’d say that the photographs are some of the best you’ll see in a model magazine other than maybe AiR.  There is a nice balance between photos and text and the photos complement the articles nicely.  They are not as in depth as some you will see in the IPMS/USA Journal, but they are more detailed than those in SAM or SAMI.  The February issue had no real content of interest to the 72^nd scale modeler, though the April issue had a nice article on the B-2 and the new Airfix Hawk.  For me, the real issue isn’t that there is anything wrong with this magazine, but it just doesn’t add anything to the magazines I already get every month.  I’ll pick up an issue from time to time when I see an article of particular interest, but this won’t be one of my must have magazines.

World Model Aviation April 2010

Way cool

This is way cool.  Lets hope it saves some lives.

Restaurant review: Lucy’s

Lucy’s, on Shamain Island in the Pearl river in Guangzhou China, is an American style diner, located just down the street from the White Swan Hotel.

Map of Shamain Island

Lucy’s is a godsend for American’s traveling in China.  At any time of the day, the patrons found in the restaurant are almost all Americans and most are adoptive parents staying at the White Swan Hotel down the street.

By normal standards, Lucy’s would be an average resaurant at best.  Its prices are normal by American standards, but expensive compared to most restaurants in China.  The reason that Lucy’s exists is to supply familiar “American” food to travellers who have endured a week or more of sometimes strange asian fare.

On our first trip to China the modelwife and I ate at Lucy’s several times since we were staying in the White Swan.  This last time, since we were at a different hotel, not on the island, we only ate there once.  I had the fish and chips and it was good.  Not great, but good.  The modelmoppet enjoyed her onion rings and Gnat continued her love affair with french fries.

If you are in Guangzhou and hungry for food from home, Lucy’s is one of the places you must visit.

Modelfamily at Lucy's in Guangzhou

More Iowahawk creamy goodness

Read it here.