Question to web comic strip creator(s): Why aren’t you in newspapers?
Answer (excerpt):
“Without question this is the most common question we’re asked, often preceded by the nice compliment, “Your stuff is as good or better than the strips in my newspaper.” And it’s a good question, for which I don’t have a particularly short answer. Here’s the long one.
Today is Oregon’s birthday and the Oregon Historical Society and Portland State University have teamed up to bring you the Oregon Encyclopedia as a gift.
From the Oregon Blue Book:
“… For months the fate of Oregon statehood floated on shifting political coalitions distrustful of changing the fragile balance of power in Congress. It was known Oregon would be a free state, yet its newly elected senators–Joseph Lane and Delazon Smith–were proslavery Democrats. Finally Congress acted and on February 14, 1859, President Buchanan signed the bill. Oregon joined the federal union.”
And, here’s a story on the Oregon Encyclopedia from the 2/14/08 Oregonian, “Call it Oregon-Pedia”
You may have heard about the groundbreaking Public Library of Science (PLOS) …
but have you heard about the Public Library of Law (PLOL)?
These are all works in progress (isn’t all learning a work in progress?), but wonderful all the same. The PLOL is sponsored by FastCase.
Legal writers take note: Can you say it in Six-Words?
From the smithmag/six-word memoirs web site:
“Six-Word Memoirs: The Legend
This Oregonian “Complaint Desk” article from 2/10/08, “Handling inspectors and inspections is tricky,” was interesting:
What do you do when you believe that the home inspector hired by a potential buyer of your house managed to damage your house in the course of the inspection?
Excerpt from the article:
The topic for today’s OPB’s Thinking Out Loud will be Finding a Home for the Criminally Insane. To participate in the discussion, visit the Thinking Out Loud site for links and instructions.
I previously posted on Criminalizing the Mentally Ill.
Public law librarians are frequently asked how a stepparent can adopt a child. Non-attorneys think this is a simple legal procedure and all they need are “forms.” (And no, no, no … a name change will not accomplish the same purpose.)
It is not simple (repeat, IT IS NOT SIMPLE). If you prepare and file the wrong documents, at best you need to prepare and file again (and pay the fees again); at worst, everything (repeat, EVERYTHING) goes wrong and the parties who you intended to benefit from the transaction may end up paying the price, in ways too excruciatingly sad to contemplate.
But do contemplate what could go wrong and PLEASE consult an OREGON attorney before you prepare and file any paperwork. If you use an unseen, untried online service, make sure you read ALL THE FINE PRINT and consult an Oregon attorney.
On a day of grappling with other digital publication contract issues, I saw this:
‘Is It OK for a Library To Lend a Kindle?
Norman Oder — Library Journal, 2/7/2008
• Terms of Service say no
• Amazon hasn’t requested that Sparta PL stop
• Beyond that, is it worth it?
The Beer and Blog dot com gathering is weekly at the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne, Portland, Oregon.
Their motto: Bloggers helping bloggers over beer. They are even working on a logo.
Now if only we can get a few more Oregon lawyers in on some blawging fun ….
Repeat after me: Don’t believe most of what you hear, old wives do tell tall tales, and THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SINGLE, COMPREHENSIVE criminal records database. This essay by Genie Tyburski, may make the point for those who haven’t gotten it so far: To Catch a Thief
Excerpt from To Catch a Thief:
“The myth of a one-stop shop for criminal records is not new to Lawyer X. He has heard other lawyers and clients alike ask for national criminal searches. He has even listened to expectations that include getting such information quickly and cheaply. Lately, he has had to debunk myths about a low-cost option known as the National Criminal File (NCF).
Lawyer X doesn’t mind explaining all of this to his friend. Contrary to popular belief, criminal background checking is a complex type of research and much about the field is changing.”
To Catch a Thief was written in 2004 and has not been updated, but the point it makes is still valid. Click on Genie Tyburski in this list for more updates and articles on public records searching and visit other sites that describe how to search criminal records searches, including but not limited to here, here, and here.
Oregon Legal Research Blog