Fun: Application For A Night Out With The Guys!

APPLICATION FOR A NIGHT OUT WITH THE GUYS

Name of Husband / Signifigant Other: ____________________
RE: I request permission for a leave of absence from the highest authority in my life for the following period:
Date: _____________________
Time of departure: _____________________
Time of return NOT to exceed: _____________

Should permission be granted, I do solemnly swear to only visit the locations stated below, at the stated times. I agree to refrain from hitting on or flirting with other women. I shall not even speak to another female, except as expressly permitted in writing below. I will not turn off my mobile after two pints, nor shall I consume above the allowed volume of alcohol without first phoning for a taxi AND calling you for a verbal waiver of said alcohol allowance. I understand that even if permission is granted to go out, my girlfriend/fiancé/wife retains the right to be pissed off with me the following week for no valid reason whatsoever.

Amount of alcohol allowed (units):
Beer: _____
Wine: _____
Liquor: _____
Total: ______

Locations to be visited: _______________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Location: ______________________________
Start: ________
End: _____________

Location: ______________________________
Start: ________
End: _____________

Location: ______________________________
Start: ________
End: _____________

Location: ______________________________
Start: ________
End: _____________

Females with whom conversation is permitted:
Name: ______________________________________
Reason: ____________________________________

IMPORTANT CHEATING CLAUSE:

Notwithstanding the female contact permitted above, I promise to refrain from instigating or persuing any activity in any form with another individual other than the that which is granting me permission with this contract. Violation of this Cheating Clause shall be grounds for immediate termination of the relationship and fortfieture of all personal rights and possessions.
I acknowledge my position in life. I know who wears the trousers in our relationship, and I agree it’s not me. I promise to abide by your rules & regulations. I understand that this is going to cost me a fortune in chocolates & flowers. You reserve the right to obtain and use my credit cards whenever you wish to do so. I hereby promise to take you to the concert/play/event of your choice, should I not return home by the approved time. On my way home, I will not pick a fight with any stranger, nor shall I conduct in depth discussions with the said entity. Upon my return home, I promise not to urinate anywhere other than in the toilet. In addition, I will refrain from waking you up, breathing my vile breath in your face, and attempting to breed like a (drunken) rabbit.

I declare that to the best of my knowledge (of which I have none compared to my BETTER half), the above information is correct.

Signed - Husband / Signifigant Other: _________________________________



Request is (circle one): APPROVED DENIED



This decision is not negotiable. If approved, cut permission slip below and carry at all times.

Permission for my husband/signifigant other to be away for the following period of time:
Date: ____________________
Time of departure: ______________________
Time of return: _____________

Signed Wife / Signifigant Other: __________________________________________

A Nice Quote...

Current Event: Ford to Pay

I had a humanities class we had to write a 'Current Event' for:

According to an Associated Press release, a woman won a case against Ford Motor Company in a suit filed because her Ford Explorer rolled over 4 ½ times when she swerved to avoid a metal object in the road. The plaintiff was awarded $369 million in punitive damages, which is one of the biggest personal-injury awards ever against an automaker.   Prior to this verdict, and within only a few days earlier, a San Diego County jury ordered Ford to pay $368.6 million dollars in total in punitive and compensatory damages to another woman and her husband, respectively, for damages in their rollover case.

This is a monumental case, and we may be seeing more of these types of awards in the near future, as manufacturers are being held accountable for design flaws in their consumer products. The woman offered to knock $100 million off the damage award if Ford corrected the design flaws in their Explorer that she says left her wheelchair-bound, while Ford insists that the Explorer is safe, and meets or exceeds all federal safety standards.

While Ford may believe and promote that their Explorer design passes standards, then there may be an issue with the failure rating system in general.  Products are produced and sold, some which have high failure ratings, thus endangering consumers, however, the numbers of instances are considered negligible.  When you are talking about failures resulting in a person’s death, how can death be considered negligible?  Should any product be allowed to be mass-produced that has a failure rating? And what are the guidelines?  What are the standards used to figure the percentages for each product that is considered acceptable, and who monitors these standard-makers?  That is the question.

If manufacturers of goods are left to decide the fate of their consumers, there may be several issues that develop.  An ethical dilemma may arise as to make a design change that costs the company $200,000 to make, and directly affects bottom line costs, or to let the project move forward and hope for the best case scenario, that no one will be injured or killed if a failure of the product occurs.  Money is usually the deciding factor instead of safety.  

Current Event: Social Responsibility

I had a humanities class we had to write a 'Current Event' for:

There is a very fine line regarding social responsibility in a society as a whole that has become even more prominent since the tragedy that occurred on 9/11.  If one had prior knowledge of this tragic event, knowledge of exactly when and how it was going to occur, and how many lives would be affected, shouldn’t one report it to the proper authorities?  No matter how the information was discovered.  If one doesn’t tell anyone, and the event occurred as it did, with almost 3,000 people dead or missing, could a responsible person have lived with themselves knowing how many people’s lives were affected?  If America’s well-being is being threatened, and someone knows of the threat in advance, then not doing something would be even more detrimental than any pre-emptive measure would be.  What would have happened if an injured party or family of the injured party had discovered this prior knowledge and knew that the person with that prior knowledge still allowed the event to happen?  People are being prosecuted for the 9/11 travesty, why should the results be any different when applying this same methodology to a business, or an individual?

On an individual level, people are so far removed from each other that it takes an increased effort to create a relationship where none exists.  Look around the neighborhood.  How many of your neighbors do you know by name?  Are there block parties anymore, neighborhood potlucks?  No.  Why?  “I don’t want people that I don’t know in my house.  Do you?”  People don’t know their neighbors, because that takes too much effort.  If one doesn’t introduce themselves right away, then when?  If one waits, how easy is it to approach someone at a later time and introduce yourself?  “Hello, I have lived next door to you for four years now.  My name is Kari.”  Not appropriate anymore, is it?  All relationships take effort, even family relationships.  How many friends do most people socialize with?  When you’re young, one may have six to eight friends to ‘hang out’ with.  As one gets older, that number dwindles to about half, or even less, because one may choose to be content with partners and family members, and maybe a few close friends.  Those close friends would be the ones that are sent email, called, or make social plans on a regular basis.  If one stops emailing, calling, and planning events with them, how long would that friendship last?

               On a business level, it is interesting how people say that reading another employee’s email is an invasion of privacy.  But Oh! In this case it is okay because it saved people’s lives!  Where does one draw the line?  It either IS or it IS NOT an invasion of privacy without regard to what the content is.  If the content does involve or include information or plans that may be a detriment to others in any manner, specifically a criminal manner, is it okay for the company to step in and take measures to protect what is theirs; for example, employees?

               On that same business ideology, what if the information is not a criminal threat; however, it is an imminent threat to the business, like the Coca-Cola recipe?  This is intellectual property that belongs to the company.  Individuals and companies alike should be able to protect what is theirs, and protect the public at large as well.  The two should work in conjunction, not in opposition.  The public should not have to suffer for a company policy.  If there is a known factor or product that fatally affects a sector of the public, but only about a 4% rate, is it still okay to move forward with that design flaw still in place?  What would the families of that 4% say?  I believe that companies have a social responsibility to uphold.  Companies should set an example, and not accept the percentage, any percentage of harm, however minor it may be.  Since when is death a minor event?

Current Event: Florida Seniors Not Graduating

I had a humanities class we had to write a Current Events for:

In an article released in June via the Fox news network, an estimated ten percent of Florida’s high school seniors did not pass the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and were kept from receiving diplomas last month (May, 2004).  This percentage is an estimate, as State officials have not officially released the final numbers for the total amount of non-graduating students.  In April, however, the State officials speculated that nearly 10 percent, about 14,500, of the state’s 12th-graders were to be denied diplomas for May’s graduation ceremonies.

Although the number of non-graduating students is higher than last year’s quantity of 13,000, it is unclear as to whether the performance of the students has decreased, or if the increase in the number of enrolled students is a factor.

Also stated in the Fox news report are comments from Orlando representatives from both the Senate and the school board regarding using alternative testing results, such as from the with passing scores on the SAT and ACT tests (which are standardized college entrance exams). The FCAT may not be the best test for everyone. This possibility gives senior students more options for fulfilling graduation requirements.

About 10 percent of Florida's senior high school students had low test scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, resulting in their diplomas being held from

them. The move comes amid a last-minute effort by the Legislature to ease testing rules so the seniors could graduate instead of being held back. Fox News reported that state officials have not yet released the final numbers, but in April, they speculated that nearly 10 percent — or about 14,500 — of the state's 12th-graders were to be denied diplomas for May graduations because they failed the FCATs.

That's a higher number than the approximately 13,000 seniors who failed to pass the tests last year. Officials said the increased figures were partly due to higher mandated scores on math and reading portions of the test. Others say an increase in Florida's school population contributed to the higher number of non-graduating seniors, said Fox News.

Critics of the FCATs say the test is not an accurate measure of a student's learning ability and unfairly put minority students at a disadvantage. Of the 13,000 seniors who did not get diplomas last year, a majority were Hispanic and black.  

 If the quantity of students enrolled in Florida’s schools is higher than last year’s figures, then it would lead to a higher quantity of non-graduating students, however, it could possibly be a lesser percentage - which is the manner in which the test results are released.  The State should make every effort to ensure that the information is compared apples to apples (% to %), as in this case, it could very well be simply a matter of apples to oranges (% to quantity).

          

Journal: Gun Control

I had a humanities class. We had to journal what we were reading:

     

Dating back to the early sixteen hundreds, the black, poor and minorities have been discriminated against for their freedom to bear arms as pertained in the 2^nd Amendment of the Constitution of these United States.  The rights of the people have been outweighed by the racist and controversial government dating back to the birth of America and the continued controls of the American people with gun control.

Keeping arms away from blacks has always been a concern of the government and lawmakers.  The first mention of blacks in gun control law was in Virginia of 1644 where the law barred blacks from owning firearms and the first laws were solely enacted to prevent blacks, poor and the minorities from owning firearms.  The first national gun control law that included blacks was in 1792 to disarm the black slaves.  This was indeed an insult because these same blacks just ended the fight against the British to free this nation from a tyrannical government.  The law served one purpose, that was to deny blacks their right to exercise their second amendment to keep and bear arms. It was ironic that the British tried to enslave the black colonists as well by attempting to disarm them and that the gun laws were legislated to allow the slave owners to hold on to the slaves.  Slave owners knew that just like the British that if the black slaves ever gotten arms that there would be an uprising of the slaves against their owners and this fact would have indeed ended slavery in a heartbeat.

Following the Civil War, several legislatures adopted laws and regulations which were known as the “Black Codes”, because faced with a race war and retribution, the sight of a black person with a gun was terrifying to the whites.  These laws denied the newly freed men many of the rights that were enjoyed by the white population.  In fact that in 1867,  the Special Report of the Anti-Slavery Conference noted that under the Black Codes, that blacks were forbidden to own or bear firearms, and thus were rendered defenseless against assaults.  By example, the Mississippi Black Code contained the following “Be it enacted…that no freedman, free Negro or mulatto, not in the military.. and not licensed to do by the board of police of his or her county, shall keep or carry fire-arms of any kind, or any ammunition.. and all such arms or ammunition shall be forfeited to the former..”

Legislative intent to disarm blacks can also be found in the voiding of a 1941 conviction of a white man, where a Florida Supreme Court Justice stated that the gun control act was passed for the purpose of disarming the Negro laborers and that it was never intended to be applied to the white population.  But blacks aren’t the only ones who legislatures wanted to disarm, in fact in the nineteenth century, southern states also placed restrictions on gun-ownership for certain undesirable whites.  For example, the 1911 Sullivan Laws were passed to keep guns out of the hands of immigrants, mainly Italians that during the first three years seventy percent of those arrested had Italian surnames.  But why did they single out foreigners, we could see the answers from the pages of the newspapers at the time such as the New York Tribune for example, they said that about pistols found “chiefly in the pockets of ignorant and quarrelsome immigrants of law-breaking low-browed foreigners.”

                        

Grad School: Quality Leadership Interview - Louis Bovasso

I did an assignment on my father for Grad School:

    For this interview, the subject I chose to interview is my father, Louis Bovasso, who happens to be one of the leading Intellectual Property Attorneys in the United States.  My father's impact on the decisions I have made to continue my education and his influence in other areas has been from the examples of his own lifestyle choices and career path.  Education has always been held in high respect in our household and continues to influence all of his children (four of them) in their adult lives.

________________________________________________________________

                                                              Interview Questions

I.         Name, position, length of time with firm (and last firm).

           

            Name: Louis Bovasso

            Position: Shareholder/Partner, Greenberg Traurig

            Length of Time with firm: Presently, 10 months

            Last firm: Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly

            Length of time with last firm: 30 Years

II.        Interview questions:

1.         KB:  What does quality mean to you?

            LB:  Do the best job you can at a reasonable price.  You can go overboard and work a case to death. Proofread (your work) carefully – judges and clients hate spelling mistakes.

        KB:  How does your firm compete on the level of quality?

            LB:  The firm has an excellent worldwide reputation for quality.

KB Note:  Greenberg Traurig’s teams of lawyers strive to establish GT as a premier international firm and build on its reputation as a leading law firm.  According to their website at www.gtconsulting.com, GT “uses Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) strategies to resolve most disputes.  ADR refers to a broad range of strategies and techniques for resolving and avoiding disputes, separate from traditional methods. ADR methods include mediation, arbitration, and internal and neutral claim evaluations.”

            GT also states that they use ADR to assist companies in handling even complex claims and                  disputes with a non-adversarial approach.  ADR Strategies were created “to assist                                companies by designing and administering tailored programs that will resolve mass claims                  and recurring disputes in a cost-effective, timely manner while maintaining customer                            relations and their business reputation.”

            Also on GT’s website, they state that ADR Programs Provide:

• Easy, efficient and predictable administration.
• Clear and easily applied guidelines.
• Strategies for efficiencies.
• Realistic projections of time frames and costs.
• Quality assurance of evaluators and neutrals through careful selection, intensive training, and monitoring of performance.
• Broad customer acceptance by providing a fair review and meaningful solutions and relief.
• Customer communications that are effective and enhance customer relations.
• The Benefits of ADR Strategies
• Resolves large numbers of claims and recurring disputes efficiently and economically.
• Avoids the uncertainty of the judicial system and the expenditure of large amounts of time, money and resources that are part of traditional litigation.
• Provides experience in areas in which in-house counsel may lack experience and time.
• Fosters customer relations, rather than fueling the hostile relationship that often arises in the adversarial environment of litigation.

3.         KB:  Could you describe your education and it’s relationship to your success?

            LB:  Obviously, a law degree is critical to being a lawyer, but I also have an engineering                      degree which helped me get into the patent field even before I became a lawyer. 

           

            KB Note:  Lou has a Juris Doctorate degree from the Catholic University of America School              of Law, 1966, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the                            Mechanical Arts, Newark College of Engineering, 1961.

4.         KB:  You’ve described the importance of education to your success.  Could you now                           briefly describe your career path chronologically?

            LB:  B.S.M.E. in 1962, J.D. in Law in 1966, then I joined the U.S. Patent Office in 1962  as               an examiner right out of engineering school.  After I received my law degree I joined Shell                 Oil in San Francisco in 1966 (I was there for four years).  I then went to Los Angeles                            and joined a private law firm in 1972 - Poms, Smith, Lande, and Rose.  Poms, Smith, Lande,             and Rose merged with Oppenheimer Wolff and Donnelly (OWD) in 1990 and OWD                           closed their California operations in 2003.  I moved to Greenberg Traurig in April of 2003.

5.         KB:  Which career assignment contributed most to your development as a patent                                  attorney?

            LB:  Obviously, that would have been going to the U.S. Patent Office as an examiner                           with a technical degree.  I realized if I wanted to move up career-wise in the patent office                     that I had to have a law degree.

6.         KB:  Can you cite an individual who has been particularly influential in your                                         development? (i.e. work, family, school)

            LB:  My mother.  She pushed all of the boys ((not the girls) I have two sisters and four                         brothers) to go to college.

           

7.        KB:  Have you ever experienced a major setback, obstacle, or significant adversity in                          your career?

           LB:  Closing the Los Angeles office at OWD after being in, essentially, the same place   for 30            years.

8.         KB:  How do you stay abreast of developments in your field/area of expertise?

            LB:  Continuing my education.  A MCLE is required in California for all lawyers.  Also,   my             fellow attorneys keep each other abreast by email of new developments and cases.

           

            KB Note:  The MCLE is ‘Minimum Continuing Legal Education,’ licensing by the State Bar               of California.

9.         KB:  What do you feel are the most important qualities of leaders?

            LB:  Respect, Consistency, Fairness, and Knowledge.

10.       KB:  If you had to do it all again, would you do it differently?

            LB:  No, I have been very lucky career-wise.

11.       KB:  What advice do you give to people early in their careers?

            LB:  Listen to the advice of those above you; those who have advanced further in their                         careers. Look at what a client looks for in a lawyer.  For example, a pet peeve of clients is                   that their lawyers do not return phone calls, so I return all calls immediately. 

12.       KB:  It’s been said that anyone who consistently puts in 70-plus hours per week is either                     incompetent or unable to delegate.  Do you agree?

            LB:  No.  In our practice, it is not unusual to work long hours.  For myself, 40 hours is                         enough.  It really depends on what you are doing.  Litigation may involve 70 hours or                           more.

13.       KB:  How do you maintain a balance between your professional and personal life?

            LB:  Never work nights or weekends, and don’t take work home unless you are working           at home (I try to do that one day a week).

14.       KB:  Any other insight or comments you would like to offer?

            LB:  Just know that there are a lot of good books on leadership and management that                           encompass quality and customer service. 

Lou Bovasso’s Biography:

Louis Bovasso counsels and litigates a broad range of intellectual property matters focusing his practice on obtaining, enforcing and licensing both U.S. and foreign patents and trademarks. Previously, Louis served as an examiner in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in mechanical arts and was employed for four years as a patent attorney with Shell Oil Co. in San Francisco.

Areas of Experience

• Patents
• Trademarks
• Intellectual property litigation

Significant Representations

• Successfully obtained a motion for summary judgment against a client charged with patent mismarking. Resulted in a reported leading case in that area.

• Represented small inventors in successfully selling products to large companies and have obtained many patents in the aircraft industry.

• Successfully stopped infringement on a cruise ship client's name both in the U.S. and abroad.

Professional and Community Involvement

• Past President, Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association
• Member, Board of Directors, California Bar Association, Intellectual Property Section
• Century City Bar Association
• Member, Board of Directors
• Co-chair, Patents, Trademarks and Copyright Committee
• Editor, Century City Lawyer
• Executive Editor, Journal of the Century City Bar Association
• Editor, International Bulletin, International Committee of the U.S. Trademark Association
• Editor, New Matter, State Bar of California’s Intellectual Property Section
• Member, Editorial Board, Trademark Reporter
• International Trademark Association
• Member, Editorial Board
• Member, Bulletin Editorial Board Subcommittee
• Co-editor, R & D Strategist (an Auerbach nation-wide publication), 1990; 1991

Articles, Publications

• Author of numerous articles on trademark law in Trademark World Magazine

Education

• J.D., Catholic University of America School of Law, 1966
• Member, Law Review
• B.S.M.E., Mechanical Arts, Newark College of Engineering, 1961

Admitted to Practice

• California
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

________________________________________________________________

Greenberg Traurig Press Release:

Leading Intellectual Property Attorney Joins Greenberg Traurig LLP in Los Angeles LOS ANGELES, CA -- May 9, 2003 -- The international law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP today announced Louis J. Bovasso has joined the firm as a Shareholder in the Intellectual Property practice in its Los Angeles office. Bovasso counsels and litigates a broad range of intellectual property matters focusing his practice on obtaining, enforcing and licensing U.S. and foreign patents and trademarks. Previously, Bovasso served as an examiner in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in mechanical arts and was employed for four years as a patent attorney with Shell Oil Co. in San Francisco. Bovasso holds a law degree from the Catholic University of America School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Newark College of Engineering. Bovasso is on the board of governors of the Century City Bar Association, and co-chair of the Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights Section. He is past president of both the Century City Bar Association and the Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (LAIPLA). He is a member of the International Trademark Association and an editor on the editorial board of its Trademark Reporter. Bovasso also serves as editor of Century City Lawyer and is a past editor of New Matter, published by the State Bar of California’s Intellectual Property Section, of which he is a past member of the board of directors. "Louis’ experience complements and builds on the experience of the diverse Intellectual Property Group we have built in the Los Angeles office," said Richard F. Davis, Los Angeles Managing Shareholder.

__________________________________________________________________

Related Reports:

EXCLUSIVE REPORTS by Stephen Van Drake in South Florida’s The Business Journal, from the October 26, 2001 edition:  CEO at Greenberg Traurig honored for firm diversity

“Diversity is the right thing to do, but it's also a winning business strategy.” That's the mantra, message and model of Cesar Alvarez who is gaining recognition and awards as he leads 800-lawyer Greenberg Traurig. The excerpt also states that Greenberg Traurig was ranked number 1 for employing the highest number of Hispanic lawyers nationally.

Lawyer Cesar Alvarez was named lawyer of the year and stated: "It's personally gratifying to be recognized for this," he said. "I have fought all my life and want to make sure that all minorities make it to the top ­ not just bringing them into the firm or profession, but making sure they have the opportunity to reach every level of the firm." He eschews tokenism and wants his lawyers to be role models for young people, who need to be convinced, "I can do it; I can get there because other people have done it." Clients care, too.  Diversity also remains vital to many of the firm's clients, he said.

__________________________________________________________

Conclusion/Insights:

The entire time I was completing my degree at DeVry, people kept asking me what ‘job’ I was working toward and when I would answer them that ‘I’m not,’ they would look at me funny.  I would always have to follow that answer up with a spiel about me – that I had already completed my Associate’s Degree and that all I wanted was to complete my Bachelor’s Degree and then move on to my Masters Degree – and all it is really for is me.  I had a professor once talk about having a ‘Plan A’ and a ‘Plan B’ to fall back on.  I think I am working on my ‘Plan E’ or ‘F’ now.  You can plan for a lot of what happens to you, but there can still be situations or events that occur that you have little or no control over that impact your life greatly.  For example, I have a friend who went to massage therapy school for eighteen months to become a masseuse.  Within the first four months after completing the school and working as a masseuse, she had a customer fall on her twisting her arm and wrist so badly that she could no longer work as a massage therapist.  Her ‘Plan A’ is out the window.  She is now operating off of her ‘Plan B,’ and is working on a ‘Plan C’ as backup now.

No matter what happens in my life, I firmly believe that an education can only help you and can never hinder or hold you back.  Even if you start your own business that takes off and runs smoothly in and of its own accord, the general education courses (and in my case a Masters Degree in Business Administration), can only benefit the business overall.  I always want to strive to be the best that I can be; put 110% effort into the tasks at hand.  I hope that this attitude will only help my business to be a success as well, as I hope to create a quality environment for my clients and customers.    

____________________________________________________________

References:

Interview, Lou Bovasso, February 5, 2004. 10:30 a.m., both written and verbally.

Greenberg Traurig Websites, http://www.gtconsulting.com and http://www.gtlaw.com, February 5, 2004.