Advocacy v Paperwork

Practicing law is a great thing, in fact, you could say it's a vocation, or at least you could have said that.

Working within the parameters of law to further your client's interests can be a very satisfying pursuit, particularly if the stakes are high and the subject matter is interesting.

I love the people contact, meeting them face to face, working through the problem, looking at the angles. I particularly enjoy advocacy.

Today I dealt with an unusual matter where the stakes were high, it involved the cross examination of witnesses and really keeping on my toes.

The sad fact of life is that advocacy doesn't figure to highly in my job. I'm generally sat at my desk, dictating letters, dozens and dozens of them. It's a massive paper chase and the little advocacy there is is usually spoilt by the Case management Conference or Application being held by telephone.

It's a sad fact that today's lawyer's don't get to traipse up to the local county court to bump into all and sundry and have to sit nervously across the desk from the 'learned' District Judge.

Law sadly seems to be more about administration than justice these days.

So, how do I get my fill of advocacy? Yet more exams to convert to the Bar? Hmmmppph.

Getting older

I went to the opticians a week ago for a check up. I hadn't been in ages.

The optician spent over an hour with me and said to me 'I'm sorry to tell you this, you've got blood vessels growing behind your eye'

I just shrugged my shoulders. So what? I've got loads of blood vessels.

Apparently I'd been wearing contact lenses for too long - 23 years from morning to night without a break. My eyes were sore, drying out and I needed to rest them.

The optician mentioned to me that my eyes had beens starved of oxygen with long term contact lens wear and if I carried on I could lose my sight.

Blimey.

I've got to be honest, I hated glasses years ago as I was so vain when I was a kid. Now, I'm 40 and just happy not to feel completely whacked out a the end of an evening. My eyes are incredibly valuable to me, and I don't want to lose them.

Glasses it is then! With very occasional contact lens wear.... very occasional

....actually they're really nice RayBan ones and I quite like 'em.

Lost in translation?

This is my Adam Buxton inspired reworking of "A Gaelic blessing"



;-)

When does no mean no?

...I suppose you could ask most females that question and they'd answer with aplomb.

I expect I know the answer to the question - "why does the male dominated populus of EU ministers not know the answer then?"

I place on record my distrust and general concern over most things EU. I go so far as to say I am a complete Euro-sceptic.

When you take the right of a referendum away from a country that's undemocratic and wrong, not just cynical of all things Euro.

When you have a country vote 'No' to the Lisbon Treaty - Ireland being the latest, you don't then question their integrity, talk about booting them out because you don't like what they say or simply look for a back door to ignore a democratically settled answer. Equally, I cannot understand the gall of our English Parliament ignoring the rights of its people to even have a referendum. At least Ireland took a vote - Brown simply signed the papers without a second thought. How's that representing a people? Knowing there's massive disquiet about the treaty, and simply swanning off without a bye or leave to sign the document quick before anyone notices? The worrying thing is, we all noticed.

When I represent a client at court and have a guilty verdict or Judgment against my client, I don't stand to my feet and say "Best of three your honour?" or decide to settle the dispute following Judgment by a game of paper, stone, scissors or noughts and crosses.

I studied EU law and was incredibly concerned about the things I learnt, from the legal perspective. European law demands - yes, demands sovereignty. National law has it's place - and it's below the whim of Europe.

Don't bother doing a Google search or looking at some half - wit's interpretation on Wikipedia. I'm not trying to be rude, but most of the garbage I hear people talk about that is Europe related is just that; garbage. Europe isn't about straight bananas and dusty books, it's insidious and now essentially entirely undemocratic....... and we're allowing this nonsense to happen. Talk about Europe in sceptical terms, and the right on gang snootily try to make you feel as though you're insulting the disabled.

Study it, or work in it for a year or point to a recognised scholarly article and then talk to me. So many people have such little interest or knowledge and it aggravates me. The things that millions fought for are being written off in the stroke of a pen. Why are we not screaming from the roof tops about this?!

I'm fiercely English first (before you shout, ask a Welsh or Scotsman that question), British second and do not consider myself in any way European. What do I have in common with a Latvian, Bulgarian or Polish person? The answer is simple - the same that an American has in common with someone from Venezuala, Peru or Chile. What? They're both from the same continent...

Why can't we all be proud of our heritage and fiercely protect our national pride? I do not want to be subsumed into a soup.

I'm sick to death of the fact that our Government is slowly but surely eroding our rights without taking a blind bit of notice of what the national voice says. Even if we say no, we can see that carries little or no truck. I don't want to live in a Totalatarian state. 1984 was 24 years ago.

In brief, the UK allows the EU to have sovereignty for the time being. We operate a dualist approach where we channel EU law into our system. If we don't want it, we walk away. Germany have the same approach. I think I've blogged this before... some academics suggest we're entrenched. I say we let the people decide once and for all with hopefully a much improved Government as quickly as possible.

I'm waiting for someone with a strong enough voice to kick Europe and it's bullying ways into touch. If not, sorry, I'm off.

The Orange Lights

I saw a fabulous band play at the Barfly some months ago. There were very few folks that stayed around and Chris wanted to get off after his support. I think there were around seven of us left. I could see from the equipment on stage that the band that was to play obviously knew what they were up to.

I heard the Orange Lights play, and I was mesmorised by them.

The Orange Lights are one of those bands that just deserve better, like Hollow Horse. They're an amazingly tight, stupendously good set of lads who just make brilliant music.

You can see the band at KCRW - an LA radio station at this link here.

I really wish these lads well. I hope they break into the big time, they deserve it. The Keys player was with the Lighthouse family. I hope they make it even better and bigger. I Love 'em.

I've mailed them to ask permission to play them, but nothing at the moment, shame that.... if a network of a few dozen podcasters played with between 2,000 - 20,000 audience per week that's a heck of a lot more listeners than 5 or 6 at the grimy stage of the Barfly in the back of Birmingham.

I wish guys who played in great bads understood more about podcasting. We're not all in it for the money...

Loving Phreadz

Loving this!

Send me your comments and files in the drop box to the left

I love producing the podcast and keeping the blog and can't believe I'll be into my fourth year in December.

To everyone who has listened, contributed, taken part or even argued with me - thank you so much for taking the time.

You'll notice that I've added a link to the side of the page where you can drop files to me directly. Please feel ever so free to drop me your pic, comments, mp3's.

I can't believe I haven't put a mail link on the blog - until now! Keep your comments, files and everything else coming - I'd love to feature them in the show.

...and thanks again.

podcast173 podcastpaul.com

Download the MP3 direct from here

Oops! Something went wrong with the feed / upload.

The show is right here, at the link at the top of the text.

Sorry about that!

;-)

podcast 173, PodcastPaul.com

Download the show direct from here

Well praise the Lord and pass the party hats.... It's that special time again.

A fireside chat from yours truly with some corking music from the following artists:

The Working Title - Under the Ground.
Ethan Stone - Too Late
Robin Stine - Shy Boy
Jim's Big Ego - Stress
Ari Shine - Try a little harder

All music from the podsafe music network save for The Working Title who were lovely enough to send the track to me directly, thanks Jake!

I'm overwhelmed at the number of downloads of the show that are peaking at 10,000 per week /40,000 a month - thanks so much for listening and keeping it all worthwhile kids!

;-)

please send an email - paul@podcastpaul.com

musings

I've woken up really tired today. I'm working from home and this afternoon will start the cumbersome, tiresome and tiring revision for exams next week. I've just three left; 10th, 13th and 19th June.

Yesterday lunchtime I went to the gym and swam. I haven't done that in an age. I really enjoyed it, but felt bushed around 8pm.

I think I'm going to try really hard to get to bed earlier, get up earlier and see if I can get to the gym before work. Even as I type, I know that this is a fated plan.. how do you keep motivated? It strikes me that I've kept up 4 gruelling years of uni - thre hour lectures twice weekly at the scabby campus in North Birmingham after a full days work. So how hard, in comparison is getting up a litle earlier and doing something I actually enjoy?

I can't work it out. Any answers? Does anyone who reads this actually have a gym regime? Are you able to keep the exercise up?

Listeners to the show...

I knew I had some American fans, but didn't realise they were in such high places...

The British Public definitely cannot spot talent.

I watched the finals of Britain's got talent. I'm frankly staggered at the result.

We had four absolutely incredibly top musicians playing some of the best performed classical music I've ever heard in a wonderfully contemporary style, a superb 12 year old with a voice to die for - and the winner was...... a pretty good kid dancer with a sob story? What a pile of festering poo. What an anti-climax.

I'm either incredibly thick or very perceptive and rightfully cynical. The British public either voted for the 'nice poor young lad with the smiley face' or something was really wrong with the voting system.

Whenever I source music, I look incredibly closely at the integrity of the music and the production values. I'm not dictated to in any way by what I think will be popular. I like a fraction of popular music. I think most of it is mass produced carp with all the fishy values attached.

Sorry. Is it me?

Is it?

I need to pinch myself.

Dolphins

I've created a movie of the boat trip that Sue, harry, Jack, myself and our extended family took in Polperro just last week.

We bumped into some dolphins - they were beautiful animals that certainly weren't shy.

Have a look at this - I love it! The link is right here

Back from holiday

I'm back from a week away in Cornwall - a great week away with some shocking weather and a real mishap - the wheel came off the caravan on the way down! Luckily there seems to be relatively little damage.

We had one day of great weather and took a boat trip that turned out to be something really special. half a dozen dolphins wowed us for a good 10 - 15 minutes in a rare showing. They seemed as intrugued with the boat as we were with them, coming within a foot or so of us. I've some amazing video of them and when I get chance I'll put up some on site.

Cornwall is just an amazing place, good or bad weather, it's a peaceful place I've loved all my life. I hope to get back to there really soon.

Brand New Podcast show - Ask Harry

Download the MP3 of the show here directly

This is absolutely brilliant!

I asked folks on Twitter to give me some questions to put to my 7 year old; Harry. The results are... well, have a listen

One of my best mates...

..is my little boy; Harry, aged 7.

I love all of my children, right up to my eldest lad; Michael who's 19.

If kids could stay around aged 7, it would be bliss. They're wide eyed, innocent, loving, lovely and really, really funny. I'm seriously thinking about doing a podcast show with him. Some of the things he says just makes me wet myself laughing.

pillowtalk7

Download the mp3 direct from here

Pillowtalk 7 podcast - Sue and I talk about all manner of nonsense all wrapped up in a 5 minute audio show. Produced on Garageband using the internal mac mic. 

Perfect to drink your tea to...

podcast172 back from burglary

Download the MP3 of podast 172 direct at this link here

Back from burglary...


podcast 172 is now uploadedfor your listening pleasure - corking music and great chat from your host; paul nicholls.

I talk about the break ins, Buma, Iron Man, The Eye, Johnnie Walker, the weird shadow and loads more. Just have a listen eh?!

alll music from the podsafe music network save for Hollow Horse. Thanks Ken!

Great sax

Here's a quick shot of my mate;Steve warming up on the sax.

Steve is a great sax player and fantastic to play along with.

nuts and sax.

I took this photo at the cinema sweet shop this evening.

Mental... milk chocolate Brazil nuts bearing the warning "products may contain nut traces". Really?

videoblog #1

Ok, I give in! Here's my first video blog in mp4 format - perfect for mp4 players and iPods.

The link is right here

I'm going to try to use the video a bit more. It's much easier oddly than audio... the audio show is not going away - fear not - 'twil be back!

A walk in south Birmingham

I'm just back from taking the dog for a walk.

People who aren't familiar with Birmingham are usually surprised by the amount of green that's about the place. Living in South Birmingham, we're on the edge of the Hereford and Worcester borders, so there's some fantastic outdoor space right on our doorstep.

I'm taking the camera with me mostly wherever I am. As rubbish as I am at photography there is usually a snap or two that turns out reasonably good. Have a look at these from our walk up the "Lickey Hills"

What?

My faith in society ever weakens.

We were burgled again last night. This is getting behind a joke. Is this the fifth or sixth time now?

Fortunately, or not as you look at it,because I'm now incredibly paranoid and not sleeping at all, I think I caught the scum in the act and they legged it, either that or they'd gone empty handed. They had gone through Sue's car like the vile filthy parasites that they are, turning everything over in the hope they could find something. I think they were after the sat nav for the third (or fourth, I've lost count now) time.

I'm confident that the diseased vermin will get what's coming to them. What comes around goes around.

I'm not letting the scum upset me, I'm past that. To show any emotion towards them means they've won. I'm completely indifferent to them. Indifference conveys the utter contempt and hatred they deserve.

I really do believe that it's the same people. To scrape to the gutter level of going through anothers belongings is just as base as you can go. You cannot have any social skill to take from another, particularly not even having the decency to leave them be after dumping on them previously.

I would say I almost feel sorry for them, but I can't be bothered to feel anything towards something so inhuman.

creature of comfort seeking change

I don't feel like typing much, which in itself is a sad thing - I love keeping this blog and expressing my thoughts

I just feel like I need a new challenge, I feel quite unsettled and I'm pretty sure I have the burglary to thank for that.

Hopefully things will just settle back into a routine and I don't feel so distracted and bothered.

I want to say more but just feel exhausted. Sorry, that all felt a bit pointless.

The wind from the sails has gone...

Well, it has temporarily.

Sue and I were burgled for the fourth or fifth time (I've lost count) last Tuesday morning while we slept.

The heartless individual(s) who did this took Harry and Jack's computer consoles and games apart from the camcorder, laptop, camera, sat nav and goodness knows what else.

The scum that did this turned the place over going through drawers, files and papers.

My podcasting software and mp3's have all gone including the draft of the novel that I had spent hours and hours writing. No, you guessed correctly, I didn't back the files up.

How can people be so hateful?

I am trying to muster up the energy to record again, but without a laptop or the software it all just seems too much trouble.

I'm sure I'll get the sails up again, at the moment I just can't seem to gather any energy I'm afraid.

Tribute

I attended the funeral today of an old friend who took her own life because of the physical pain that she was in. I have no idea what drives a person to take their own life, and cannot begin to imagine the dreadful, dark place that she must have been driven to. Her family were devastated. One member said he felt cheated that she had been snatched from him.

I stood in the crematorium, bewildered by how my friend had touched so many lives. There were at least 300 people crammed into the circular chapel, there were nearly 200 standing, packing the place out. Cars were parked everywhere, in every conceivable space and beyond.

A few weeks ago I attended the funeral of my best mate's dad. I'd known Adam's dad; Walter for nearly thirty years, a gentle, lovely soul, and a real enigma. Walter was one of the brightest men I ever knew. He would complete the Telegraph crossword in less than 10 minutes and have a wonderful turn of phrase and an entirely dry sense of humour. Walter was 78 when he died, but was still a very good mate. I loved the times I would just sit with him and hear him reminisce. He was a great talker, and a gentle listener too. One of the old school who dearly loved his family.

Listening to the last tributes of a life is an inspiring and insightful thing. All the problems you think you have are suddenly put in perspective.

We live life, dangling by a precious and delicate thread that can so easily be broken. I realise, as time goes by how much I love my family. I would do anything to protect them. I relish the times that Harry, my 7 year old cuddles up to me and know, instinctively I would do anything to keep him from harm.

I don't want to sound morose, far from it. I want to capitalise on the time I have here and not waste it. So many people ask why I do so much. I just don't want to miss out on things, but then again I don't want to do all the wrong things.

I want people to attend my funeral when that fateful day comes, and have my mates hear that I lived life to the full and left some sort of legacy. I want my kids to be proud of me and remember me for the right reasons.

Life is definitely for the living.

Some things my dad, a minister, taught me as a child mean so much to me now:

1. Keep a short account with God. You may not be particularly religious, or have any faith at all. I do, and I'm proud of it. I'd like that beautiful scripture to be something I would yearn for "Well done, my good and faithful servant"

2. Live for today, plan for tomorrow.

I need to keep reminding myself that we're here for just a season, and that as bad as things get, there are some wonderful experiences to be had. Things should never be taken for granted and I would hate to sit in a bath chair at the end of my life full of regrets and unfulfilled wishes. I'm determined I won't.

An author's lot...

.... is actually quite a happy one. I'm certainly not professing to be an author in the real sense of the word, but the fact I am writing a novel at least gives me the opportunity to have a dalliance with the title.

I've wanted to write a semi-autobiographical novel (is there even such a thing?!) for around five years now. It has, so far, been a real joy to do, but it's time consuming and time isn't something I have a great deal of at the moment.

I'm around 8,000 words into about 100,000 words and the third chapter. I love getting lost in the writing and find it therapeutic to see words form into a sentence, and eventually a complete chapter.

I'm learning lessons endlessly. I've created a dramatis personae (list of characters) that grows endlessly. I'm really going to have to keep a file, or, better still lists pinned to a wall of character traits and plots.

The comments I've had are all positive but range widely from "too much detail and too little dialogue" to "a great balance" to "More detail and commentary please, I love the insight you bring"

I'm really pleased with chapter 2, so pleased in fact, I feel like entirely re-writing chapter 1. You can find the novel at both http://podcastpaul.com and Http://lawnovel.blogspot.com Please feel free to subscribe.

A chapter will be published every fortnight and I would welcome your feedback, either on the blog or at podcastpaul (dot) gmail (dot) com

Thanks for listening!

Chapter 2 - A law unto myself

Download the MP3 here

Nick Poulson receives instructions on a case he isn't himself sure of...

All rights reserved

pillowtalk6

Download the MP3 file here

oops... something went a bit weird with last post!

Here it is again - pillowtalk6 for your litening pleasure!

podcastpaul.com Pillowtalk 6

Download MP3 here.

Paul and Sue wax lyrical in pillowtalk6.

Coughs, rustles and knocking into the recording equipment provided by Sue. Discussion and gravitas provided by Paul.

Please send your email:

podcastpaul@gmail.com