Former Miami federal criminal defense lawyer, Mexicana Airlines cargo station rep and oh yeah, Saudi Arabia.
Our Culture, Today
Budgeting Litigation
Few companiesβespecially those surprised by litigationβhave a litigation budget. They don’t realize how expensive the judicial system can be. Company execs believe that litigation is but an annoyance until their defender passes a proposed β¦
One Thousand Tons of Chicken
It is a lot easier to steal chicken if there’s no chicken to steal.
Hunter Biden Laptop Story Sponsors Stripped of their Clearances
21 January 2025
Trump just issued an executive order stripping the security clearances of the 50 or so who signed the letter saying that the Hunter Biden laptop story was Russian disinformation. I assume that includes (text redacted).
I don’t β¦
Let There Be Strife
Lawyers: today and every day, say the non-denominational lawyer’s prayer:
“Raise up dissension amongst thy people; let there be strife.”
The Nicaraguan Route
I worked for the Panama Canal Commission from 1981 through 1985. The first two years constituted the “transition period,” during which the Canal Zone became a part of the Republic of Panama. For the first two years the Canal Zone β¦
Not that Safe
Three-pronged British electric plugs are touted as safer than US flat plugs. Brit plugs contain a fuse that is supposed to protect the user. Tried to unplug one today. Somehow it was live. 220v shot up my arm.
I guess they’re not as safe as β¦
How to Find Bank of America E-mail Addresses
Red State or Blue State, if you need to contact Bank of America customer service by email, the sole monitored official channel is Twitter.
If Twitter is shut down, how will Bank of America provide customer service to its account holders?
You mean, β¦
Donβt Forget the Chicken
Yesterday, I suggested a careful response to a Dutch blackmailer whose victim is a Saudi woman. Despite our efforts to help him upon his release from jailβhe announced to all and sundry that he was in the haram areas of Meccaβisnβt all Mecca β¦
Beware of Spies
Following the publication of Tinder, Sailor, Hooker, Pimp in the Navy Times, https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/06/16/tinder-sailor-hooker-pimp-the-us-navys-sex-trafficking-scandal-in-bahrain/the police cracked down on a few β¦
Test
A test.
110 v. 220
Voltage in Saudi Arabia
Lately, I have had little success with cooking in Riyadh. My appliances, an air fryer and a coffee maker, simply did not work. A few days ago, I did find out, though at the moment Iβm lacking instrument confirmation, why my β¦
Austin Tice
As of a year ago, Austin Tice was held in the basement of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, the same one bombed by the Israelis months later.
The US was not interested in this intelligence at the time.
Strange.
Nothing said about Austin Tice in the β¦
USA
My fellow obese citizens: Americans overseas are afraid to express nationalism. Own your idiosyncracies: insist on ice in your water and 8x11 paper, tip freely, put pineapple on your pizza, Half & Half in your coffee, write m/d/y, guzzle β¦
Revisiting Half and Half
Returning to Bahrain. The street they call the American Alley, near the US Naval Base, a place of interest to the Islamic Republic of Iran, just a short way across the Persian Gulf. Spies from a hundred countries try to capture overheard β¦
Revisiting Half and Half
Returning to Bahrain. The street they call the American Alley, near the US Naval Base, a place of interest to the Islamic Republic of Iran, just a short way across the Persian Gulf. Spies from a hundred countries try to β¦
Paying Attorneys Fees with Story Rights
D.C. Bar Rule 1.8(c) says,
" (c) Prior to the conclusion of representation of a client, a lawyer shall not make or negotiate an agreement giving the lawyer literary or media rights to a portrayal or account based in substantial part on β¦
SIBOR
“SIBOR” or sometimes “SAIBOR” means the Saudi Arabian Interbank Offered Rate. It is a measure of the interest rate at which large banks can borrow from one another on an unsecured basis. Like any Interbank Offered rate, it is β¦
Donβt Back Down
When youβve submitted the work as per contract and youβre asked for an additional discount, donβt back down, even though youβre tempted to do so. The siren song of βadditional work in the futureβ is very strong.
It’s easy to say, “you β¦
A Curious Case
A Colombian woman was indicted in 1995 or so on a historical cocaine conspiracy case. While several co-defendants named along with her were arrested, extradited and went to jail, she stayed in Colombia and avoided extradition. Let’s call her β¦
It practically writes itself.
Truman Capote, Jane Bowles
Truman Capote on Jane Bowles.
Yes, that
Jane Bowles.
More Austin Tice
When information concerning Austin Tice’s whereabouts were offered to the USG in June, 2023–at that time in a cell in the basement of the Iranian consulate in Damascus–they said, “we’re not interested.” β¦
Austin Tice
As of one year ago, Austin Tice, American law student, journalist and former Marine officer, was imprisoned in the basement of that consulate.
\#AustinTice
Autorenewing Subscriptions
I just got off the phone with my bank. They put a hold on my credit card because, at 0800 EST, there were three declines. All were from an effort to renew a subscription on Substack. This subscription autorenewed with my old information–and an β¦