Week 10 EOC: Robert Kearns’ vs Erin Brockovich

I think Erin Brockovich had a lot of intimacy with the clients that she represented and/or supported. Robert Kearns’ had, what I think more intimacy about his case than Erin did. Erin dealt with clients in a class action law suit, while Robert fought for his own cause. I think both stories were tremendous ethical battles. There is no difference with the way how these major companies with large budgets tried to manipulate the little man. These large corporations try to use their large budgets and room full of in house attorneys to bully the little man. Robert Kearns fought for over 2 decades while Erin Brockovich fought for a few years at most. Robert Kearns was trying to protect his invention patent and he was an inventor. I think most inventors who cracked something new would be paranoid about their inventions, and would be very apprehensive about sharing their invention. Erin on the other hand just developed an unknown compassion about the people she represented. I think Erin was not as interested in the ethical battle as much as Robert was. Robert ended up dragging his whole family into the ordeal, while his life passed him by. Also, Robert pretty much represented himself, so he had to learn how to somewhat represent himself in a way that would negatively affect the outcome of the case. To him it really was about the ethical principle about what happened and it wasn’t about the money. He had to turn down a $30million offer and ultimately was awarded only $10million plus the gratification of his invention. Ford wrongfully stole his invention and called it their own. I think Rober Kearns case was way bigger than Erin Brockovich’s. Roberts case was on a world wide scale, Erins Case was, at the most, state wide.

Week 7 EOC: 10 Lawyers with websites

Robert West - http://www.robertwest.net/
Craig P Kenny - http://www.cpklaw.com/
Randolph H Goldberg - www.randolphgoldberg.com
Lloyd Baker - http://www.bakerattorneys.net/
Joh Peter Lee - http://www.johnpeterlee.com/
Henness & Haight - www.hennessandhaight.com
Naimi and Dilbeck - www.naimidilbeck.com
David R Fischer - www.davidrfischerassociates.com
Thagard & Brown - www.trllp.com
Turco and Drascovich - www.pahrumpinjury.com

Week 7 EOC: Intelectual Property Question

1. In what ways would the engineer that chose the rebar at the Harmon building at City Center be held liable? Can he be sued civilly?

2. How would I protect an original piece of audio and prevent people from performing it live?

3. If an interior designer specs out a specific piece of furniture or flooring, and the item injures someone. Can he or she be held liable?

4. If a drafting contract was documented for a design and the company lost ownership, can I still be compensated?

5. If I propose a design for a potential client and they refuse the design but use it regardless what can I do?

6. If I work on a video project with a partner and it was free, but they sell it later can I be compensated?

7. Are the penalties for offenses similar in all states?

8. If production work is created using a popular program, am I allowed to make money off of it?

9. If a building is formed from a plan, and it doesn’t hold up well who is blamed?

10. If a film I worked on is produced and shown in theatres, and my name is left out of the credits is there anything I can do to be compensated?

Week 6 EOC: Ilicit: What Do I Think Of It

There is definitely and deliberately a huge illicit network. Trafficking knock offs of all kinds, all over the world. It seems that the black markets drive is plain old money. The rich gets richer, and, coincidently the poor get poorer. However in some cases the poor population get an opportunity to provide for their family. It controls a lot of the hard money. Since most of this world have gone wireless in terms of currency. It is easy to see that the mafia is controlling the black market. Funding whatever they need to survive as an entity. As with everyone who is involved in the trafficking of illegal goods, they are all doing it to survive. I can remember bootleg goods since the beginning of my time. For as long as there was goods, there was illicit goods. So this whole black market is dictated by the demand of any of the black market products. I have first hand experience with the tip of the ice berg of the black market. Coming from Hawaii, which is in the middle of the pacific, not only that it is a major military post for the US. It is also a major shipping post of half of the world, the Pacific Rim. As a child I wonder how do we get so much illegal fireworks, year after year. Before statehood of Hawaii, the Chinese have been shipping through Hawaii. A lot of illicit material, including fireworks where illegally smuggled into the state. It brought a modern Hawaii tradition to display fireworks during new years. A tradition that is custom of Chinese. I didn’t think nothing of it growing up on the island. It brought an opportunity to make money among families who easily had both parents working 2 jobs each just to survive. Just like downloading a song, it seemed harmful in the moment. But unconsciousness takes its toll and the effects goes unnoticed and overlooked.

Week 5 EOC: Lawyers Looking for Fame

I think it is an interesting battle between experts and amateurs. The statistics show an increasing number of experts filing for supreme court cases within the past 30 years. And there is definitely a connection between that and what law shool’s are specializing in. http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/10/10/us/politics/10lawyers-graphic.html?ref=us

Maybe the schools know that new justices have been appointed within a few decades and they are realizing the fact the supreme court justices traditional nature may not be the same. However it seems that those who are expert advocate are the ones who see a revolution of some sort and are leading the way. It may be true that the advocates or lawyers have to compassion towards any of their clients. Rather they are more interested in the case being in the supreme court itself. Like I said in previous blogs, they would only take a case that interest them, knowing that they will win because that’s how they get paid. Although their clients are poor, like the Humberto Fernandez-Vargas case. It will give them priceless experience by handling a case in the supreme court.

“But there was a catch, and then a controversy. The catch was that the Washington lawyer, David M. Gossett, would take the case only if he could argue before the Supreme Court himself.”.

It may seem that the supreme court justices may have become more objective in recent years. It also seems like the lawyers are battling back with numbers because of that. The more objective the lawyers would be, coinciding with objective justices the more the law takes its course in a more natural path. The Lawyers would simply be predetermining the outcome of a case even before it is presented before the supreme court. By defending people with no money it gives them a sustainable business. Supreme court clients are merely tools in the market for them to achieve a higher state, higher pay or a better reputation in the courts.

Since cases only make it to the supreme court only if they are complex, I wouldn’t mind at all if I was proposed by a lawyer to handle my case for free in the supreme court. If Im willing to fight for something in court and a lawyer took up my case I would be delighted knowing that the nature of my case is that important and complex, I would let the law take its course. We are pawns in this game, lie to me lie to the justice, just win my case!

Week 4 EOC: Deathrace Jeopardy

I thought this game was rather nerve racking. I totally understand why it is called deathrace jeopardy. I learned what Large Entity is, in terms of USPTO filing. It is a for profit company that has over 500 employees. I also didn’t know what a Parent Application was. A regular patent application is turned into a parent application, when other applications such as; divisional application, continuation applications is filed under the parent application. I also didn’t realize what abandonment of patent application meant. It is considered abandonment if the applicant fails to respond in a timely manner to actions or requests intiated by the USPTO.

I enjoyed playing this game even if it was nerve racking. It seemed to be on a class curve type of learning because we were somewhat teaching each other. And the best is that it is pretty much open book and on terms and/or definitions. I like how it also gave us some additional bonus points toward our midterm exam. It gives us enough time to study for the exam even if we didn’t really open the book. Im not saying I didn’t open the book, Im just saying for someone who didn’t even open the book, it gives them a chance to study with the class. It was for the most part a review of the entire chapter. I just hope that the items covered on during the deathrace jeopardy is sufficient for the exam itself. Reason being is because the deathrace jeopardy games were student driven and the exam is instructor driven. The game gave me 42 points to start the exam so it should be a good start. Im pretty sure with more review I will get a somewhat good grade on the midterm. I hope we play this again for the other chapters. It encourages learning all these terms.

Week 3 EOC: Jeopardy - Challenges and Oppurtunities

I think that jeopardy should be played for every class where a lot of definitions, terms and/or concepts etc. will be overviewed. It not only promotes the ‘maker’of the jeopardy game to search for definitions and/or learn them. It gives the ‘maker’ the opportunity to make an in depth dive in to whatever the hell he/she is placing in the jeopardy boxes. It is at the very least 20 things of whatever chapter we are on, in which we can be somewhat experts in. We don’t want to make it too easy or to hard. So searching for great box items is essential. By doing this we sometimes look into a subject, or two, or three, and ultimately disregard it as a box item because it is to easy or to hard. We in turn review more then what seems to be just 20 items to place in boxes J.

The whole challenge is to think of items to review, and make sure that it is relevant to our own major, that also serves as an opportunity for studying terms that which we wouldn’t bother to study if it wasn’t for the game. Another Challenge is that making the game requires a lot of time researching depending on how rich you want the game content be. Now the kicker I would think is definitely an opportunity. The fact that we will share jeopardy games will probably be an ultimate study/chapter review of progressively the key points of the chapter. Also, the fact that it is a game and that everyone gets the opportunity to answer in what seems to be against other students. We tend to grasp definitions better if they are correlated into an interactive game.

Formulating the game was quite simple. The key for me was to break the categories down and finding things within that category. The book that we are using is easy to understand, which makes ‘making’ the game easier than expected.

Week 2 EOC: What I Think Of Lawyers

What I think of Lawyers

I think Lawyers are absolutely experts at their field. They must give expert advice on the specifics on whatever legal issues may be. They are hired on a commission that they only get if they win. Their object of work is to win. I think they are good only if they win. Good lawyers will do their homework and know the outcome before it is presented before the justice, since the law will persist in the justice. I also think the lawyers are only available on their own business climate. For example you are not going to find an entertainment lawyer in a place where there is hardly entertainment. In the same token you will find an abundance of entertainment lawyers in Hollywood or Las Vegas. That is why we see a lot of traffic lawyers or related traffic lawyers in Las Vegas, kind of how insurance company works. But lawyers aren’t as blood sucking as insurance companies. They only get paid if you win, which means, they are commission, which means they share the same interest as who they represent, to a certain extent however. You see a win, they see dollars. Things would change in their practice if they worked out on a flat rate. Maybe they would not fight for you the same way? Who knows, it is set up like that for a reason. Some attourneys work for 40% which are good ones or interested in your case, and some work for 20% which are no so great, or not so interested in your case. You really cant tell. However, I would have to personally say that lawyers are great when it comes to dealing with legal issues. Most likely If they take your case you are already a winner, especially a traffic case here in Las Vegas… wink wink

To be continued…

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

Can you imagine your life without your sense of hearing?  For myself that would be my private hell.  I study Audio Production at the Art Institute of Las Vegas, where the basis is ʻsense of hearingʻ.  I grasp any knowledge I can with every relating field of audio production, it just intrigues me.  I am currently on my Second year in my program. My favorite class so far at the Art Institute of Las Vegas was and  still is BROADCASTING, the most intensively progressive, hands on class yet.   Of course, the single most intense project is still Big Buck Bunny or the equivalent of.

Right now my humble perosnal audio/musical gear includes;  my trustee MacBook ver. 10.5.6, 2 Ghz, 4GB RAM.  Yes, I still run the origninal MBOX(with the focusrite preʻs) which is still aive after almost 10years!  400GB Hard Drive(ahem, art institute issued of course).  MXL 990 Condensor Mic mostly for vocal pick up and such, and MXL 991 Condensor Mic mostly for instrument  pick up.  I am a rare owner of the Yamaha QY100 MIDI Music Sequencer, I use it for lame sounds (dont laugh).  I do my listening on Event Project Studio 6 Monitor, while mixing, and Sennheiser 280HD while editing.  Although I know that these are not top of the line products but this will give me a bassline sound for any end user environment such as the home stereo or the car stereo.  I have experience with the Control 24 and Pro Tools HD, up to ver. 8.0.  I also had the previledge to mix on an SSI Duality, a similar one to the one we have here on campus.  I also had the chance to record on several API boards.

I record folley every chance I get using my Tascam DR1 recorder.  I record such things as ambient sound, natural sounds, office sounds.  I have also taken my recorder to local live shows and  have done recordings for a local band around town including such places as Diabloʻs Cantina, Hard Rock, House of Blues, Straight Up Gaming, BB Kings Jazz lounge.

I am currently working on a recording project for a Female Vocalist  named Lady Reiko.  I do a descent amount of  vocal recording, editing.  I also practice mixing for the project too.  I would like to step into the live sound reinforcment also, particularily reggae style.  I am also a bass player for her live band.  I own a variety of instruments from a five piece drum set, congas, bongos, bass guitar. 

Before I moved to Las Vegas, I was a technician at Intel Corporation.  There I held a Tech Two position, where I gained expert level knowledge in a veriety of machines.  I would perform software, and hardware maintenance, troubleshooting, repairt, upgrading duties.  I was a part of a four person, 24hr X 7days a week operation.  Our goal was to keep all of assigned machines up and running with the lowest possible down time (green to green) as quick as possible, keeping company cost low and of course without hindering quality work and above all safetest work possible.

I know what it is like to be under a lot of pressure and deadlines.  I believe I have been successful on many occasions.  I am definitely a team player.  Very seldom that I am placed into a team environment and dont come back with my share of the work.  Very seldom do I come back with less then 110 percent as well.  I am goal oriented!  And know how to measure success.  I believe goals and success works hand in hand.  In order to measure success, you must; set a goal or milestone, and within a defined deadline, hit that goal and or milestone.  I believe in doing so you willfully earn the right to be successful in anything you do. 

I am proficient in both Windows and Mac environments.  I grew up using both.  The first computer I ever touched was a Macintosh apple IIe.  It was very lame, with a black and white screen, command line interface (like DOS).  My first hands on programing class was back in the Third grade on these systems!  Then the migration of the Windows era came in the early 90ʻs... My next platform that I had, a Windows 3.11 system.  A baby step up from the Mac IIeʻs but better applications.  Then... the whole world went balistic, including me, over the Windows 95 platform... OMG!  One of the first mouse user friendly sytem the world has ever seen!  Now if I only knew, to buy Steven Jobs(MAC) stocks when everyone was buying Bill Gatesʻ(Windows) stocks, I would have been a millionare by now.  Few years after that, I was plaqued by viruses and could not keep up my computer healthcare bill payments, I threw up on Windows XP, delightedly switched back to Mac.  Now that I have been virus free on my computer for over 2 years, I am sold on Macs.  However, I can still hold my own on Windows, I just think its easier using a Mac in the long run, the resale value is far greater and you are imune to laptop viruses.

Sounds really complicated my life?  Not really, I am an easy going guy.  I still own the same caro in which I have been driving for over 10 years.  It still gives my 30 miles a gallon and still takes me where ever I want to go.  My trustee 95 Honda Civic.  No outstanding recalls, and the best thing about it? Paid off.  Oh yeah, Im putting the club on my steering wheel and secretly killing the fuel pump with numerous switches.  If they really want to steal my car, they would have to tow it.  My plans our big for my car, I have been imagining the final product for my car ever since I got it.  BTW, did I mention that I am the first owner of it?  And it already has 200 thousand miles.  I first want to make atleast 300 thousand on my stock motor, then start going goofy on it.  I plan on burning E85 instead of unleaded gasoline.  Better for the environment, and at the same time I support some US corn growers!  Not to mention I can run full boost on my turbo system without worrying about my engine going pop.  E85 fuel burns much cleaner and smells better too.  Hopefully when that happens to my car I will be exempt from any smog checks J.

I support Obama.  Happy to say, I am down for some change, or even lack of it.  In that chair, whats the difference?  I am just interested of how this nation reacts to an African-American president, we wont feel it until he is out of office, but I know he will make a dramatic impact on the current situation.  I supported him ever since I learned that he is from Hawaii.  That is my native land.  I am from filipino descent and my grandfather migrated to the US in search of work in the Sugar Cane, and Pineapple industries.  He was one of the first groups to migrate from the Phillippines.  I am proud of where I came from and so eager to see where I end up.