On the "Hot Seat"-Feisty Christina's Five Question Interview

Just got the questions from Feistygirl -it's now 11:30 P.M. EST. I grab a splash of Jack Daniels Green Label and a cold Bud Light to chase it with and it's off we go. I will first present the questions as posed, clear up any embarrassing hyperbole and false assumptions, then give my answers. It may be a little long-winded, but WTF-I have a law license and these drinks are tasting damn good.

1. YOU HAVE A VERY DISTINGUISHED LEGAL CAREER, AS WELL AS SERIOUS HOBBIES SUCH AS WOODWORKING, FISHING AND LISTENING TO DAMN GOOD LIVE MUSIC-HOW ON EARTH DID YOU GET INTO BLOGGING AND HOW DO YOU FIND THE TIME AND MATERIAL?
First, before my friends read the first 7 words and throw their heads back in a full-throated "horselaugh," let me clear that up first. I graduated from law school at Wake Forest Univ. in 1980 and for the next 11 years I was a mediocre general-practice street lawyer at best. I despised it for 10 years and 9 months and was about to place the gun barrel in my mouth when a good friend became the elected District Attorney and offered me a job-actually I begged him to give me one to get me the hell out of private practice.
Through some hidden trial talent, some great uber-talented mentors, some good fortune to be assigned some heinous cases and an ability to convey a sense of righteous indignation to a captive audience of 12 citizens, I have had a great run for almost 14 years as a career prosecutor. I believe that the innocent victims of crime deserve the best lawyers and I am proud to have represented their interests and put some despicable characters in prison or on the death row conveyor belt. I thank God for the talent and my co-workers and mentors for showing me the way.
In addition to the above hobbies, my other true passion is building custom fishing rods as viewers of my site can tell.

I got into blogging by being a fan of bloggers. I started reading a lot of politically diverse ones during the run-up to the presidential campaign and through the various sidebar links, I found others. I discovered that I enjoyed the non-political ones much more-in my opinion people take politics way too seriously-I'm certainly never gonna let the outcome of a presidential or gubernatorial race ruin my day for even a minute. I don't have kids so I have more than enough of time for blogging and all my other hobbies, even during court weeks. The only thing that stands in my way is a tendency to be lazy and procrastinate. As for material, a lot of it is shamelessly glommed and linked from other sites and some comes from my lifetime experiences. I don't read fiction because I find real life to be far more interesting-I admire those that can write fiction but I have never had the talent or attention span to make shit up out of whole cloth and tie it all together in the end. As you can also tell by scrolling through my archives, I'm also a big fan of the coastal area where I now live and I never tire of photos of birds, dolphins and fish. Plus it's a no-brainer way to post when I don't feel like typing.

2. IF YOU COULD ONLY DO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING FOR A LUCRATIVE CAREER (TO THE EXCLUSION OF THE OTHERS): LAW (PROSECUTION), WOODWORKING, FISHING AND FISHING ROD BUILDING, BLOGGING OR MUSIC BAND GROUPIE, WHICH WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

First of all, I am a male about to turn 50 in 6 weeks, so the term "band groupie," is a little troubling. I will take it to mean going places to hear live music and not assume it requires me to get on my knees backstage or in the bus after the show!
OK, now that that's cleared up, the answer is easy- Law (or in my case prosecution). I do that because I love the adrenaline rush of a verdict; the inherent theatrics, showmanship and gamesmanship of the trial; the power of standing up in front of a jury and a crowded courtroom and telling it like it is to a captive audience- and the daredevil in me craves the excitement of having 12 strangers watch you do your job and pass judgment on how well you did it, aware that at anytime during the trial there is always the remote possibility that I will publicly crash and burn. Plus the pay is good.
All the other passions mentioned are just that. I do them to stay somewhat sane. You should never confuse work with hobbies. If you make your living by doing your hobbies, the hobbies become a job and are not satisfying. When I was young, I loved to play golf. I got my dream job in a golf shop. I was around golf so much that when I got off work, the last thing in the world I wanted was to play golf or even see another golf ball. My passion had become my job and was no longer my passion. I'll stick with the law, thank you.

3. WHO WAS THE SINGLE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOU WHEN YOU FIRST BEGAN BLOGGING AND WHY?
That's easy-it's always been James Lileks. I'm constantly amazed at his insight, his phrasing, his intellect, his humor and his daily output of high-quality writing. I wish I had a tiny bit of his immense talent.

4. DO YOUR REAL-WORLD, NON-CYBER FRIENDS KNOW ABOUT YOUR SITE? IF SO, WHAT IS THE TYPICAL REACTION TO YOUR BLOGGING ACTIVITIES?
I make sure they are aware, partly to make sure my Site Meter stats look good and because they are frequently mentioned in my own postings. Their usual reaction-"why don't you write less and just link to more funny shit!" I promise them a happy medium.

5. IF YOUR BLOG WERE A SONG, WHAT SONG WOULD IT BE?
What the hell is this? The Miss America Pageant?The answer probably would change weekly depending on what my mood is. Right now it would be the song, "Duct Tape" by a kick-ass Texas band called Buster Jiggs :


WELL ONCE I MET A RICH MAN,I WAS JUST SEVENTEEN,
SAID MISTER HOW'D YOU DO IT, YOU WERE BORN A POORMAN,
NOT TOO DIFFERENT THAN ME.
HE SAID "SON YOU'VE GOT TO WORK HARD ALL YOUR LIFE,
THEN THE GOOD LUCK WILL HIT YOU RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES."

IT TAKES SOME DUCT TAPE AND SOME FISHING LINE,
CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR THE FIRST TIME,
KICK OFF THE GROUND , THINK YOU'RE DOING GOOD,
WHEN IT ALL COMES CRASHING DOWN , YOU DID THE BEST YOU COULD.

I GOT A GOOD JOB IN A ROCK AND ROLL BAND,PLAYING MY GUITAR,
GOT AN OLD P.A. AND A RUSTED-OUT VAN,
I THINK WE'LL GO REAL FAR.
HE SAID "WHOA NOW SON, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A DIFFERENT LIFE,
BUT WHO KNOWS, THE GOOD LUCK COULD HIT YOU RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES."

IT TAKES SOME DUCT TAPE AND SOME FISHING LINE,
CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR THE SECOND TIME,
KICK OFF THE GROUND, THINK YOU'RE DOING GOOD.
WHEN IT ALL COMES CRASHING DOWN, YOU DID THE BEST YOU COULD.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY WILL ALWAYS RING TRUE,
WHEREVER YOUR PATH MAY LEAD,
A RICH MAN, POOR MAN, THE WRITER OF THE SONG,
A BOY OF SEVENTEEN

IT TAKES SOME DUCT TAPE AND SOME FISHING LINE,
CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR THE THIRD TIME,
KICK OFF THE GROUND, THINK YOU'RE DOING GOOD.
WHEN IT ALL COMES CRASHING DOWN, YOU DID THE BEST YOU COULD

IT TAKES SOME DUCT TAPE AND SOME FISHING LINE,
CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR THE VERY LAST TIME,
KICK OFF THE GROUND, THINK YOU'RE DOING GOOD
WHEN IT ALL COMES CRASHING DOWN YOU DID THE BEST YOU COULD.
WHEN IT ALL COME CRASHING DOWN, YOU DID THE BEST YOU COULD.

(Written by Brett Kastner/Knee Deep Music/BMI)

A great song by a great band!
Thanks for the questions Christina!