Mindfulness meditation can provide a practical tool for busy legal professionals to quiet the mind, enhance clarity and professional effectiveness, and restore a more peaceful balance to their lives. This program will include meditation instruction and practice, and will explore the interplay between contemplative and legal practices and the role meditation can play in the professional and personal lives of lawyers, judges, law professors, law students, and other legal professionals. There will be periods of silent meditation, lectures, and group discussions concerning skills training and the ethical practice of law..

The Center for Contemplative in Society has offered retreats for legal professionals for ten years, offering annual retreats in California since 2004. We are pleased to return to the East Coast to present this special program.

This retreat is co-sponsored by the City University of New York School of Law.

September 11-14, 2008
(Thursday evening through Sunday afternoon)
Menla Mountain Center, Phoenicia, NY
4 hours of MCLE Credits

I subscribe to a number of GOP email thingies, for fabulous, free entertainment informational purposes.

Today, I got a notice about a talking-points conference call, and thought it might be of interest here, so I'll paste it, over the fold; mind the staple.

I think it's been about two three hours since KY was called for Hillary.

I got an email a little while back from Barack Obama, speaking of his upcoming encounter with John McCain, and I would usually have expected to receive the email from the HRC campaign by well before now, talking about the Convention.

but - crickets...

wonder why...? follow me over this little fold - mind the gap staple...

Hillary Clinton-backer, former kossack and smear-merchant extraordinaire L.C. Johnson claims, on his site, that

I now have it from two three four sources (three who are close to senior Republicans) that there is video dynamite–Michelle Obama railing against "whitey" at Jeremiah Wright’s church. Republicans may have a lousy record when it comes to the economy and the management of the war in Iraq, but they are hell on wheels when it comes to opposition research. Someone took the chance and started reviewing the recordings from services at Jeremiah Wright’s United Church of Christ. Holy smoke!! I am told there is a clip that is being held for the fall to drop at the appropriate time. The last thing Barack and Michelle need is a new clip that raises further questions about her judgment and temperament.

me, right now...? this:

2005 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz-Cabernet

The 2005 Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet is a classy red with many layers of aromas and flavors including red plum, tart pie cherry and a hint of cocoa on the long finish. Though it's not a big wine, I think it can hold its own with hearty fall foods such as braised meats and roasted lamb or pork shoulder.

right now, it's holding its own through this edge-of-seat evening, quite nicely, along with an occasional soupçon of skunky, 2008, from my regular guy.

This is a recent op-ed, reprinted with the author's permission

by Tom De Luca

Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean was right on Monday when he said that either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama should drop out of the race for President - for the good of the party - after the last votes are counted on June 3. When the time comes, he predicted, the untenable candidate will simply know that it's all over. "They don't need any pushing from me," he said.

On that point, I'm afraid, he's wrong.

(more)

"Keeping faith with those who serve must always be a core American value and a cornerstone of American patriotism. Because America's commitment to its servicemen and women begins at enlistment, and it must never end."

   -- Barack Obama, Speech in Kansas City, MO, August 21, 2007

Many people are squarely on the side of our fighting men and women, and have always fought for the rights and benefits that the vocal "support the troops" Republicans think are unnecessary - but few have done so as strongly as the next POTUS - Barack Obama.