Week 11 Final Evaluation: Forced Choice

For this final evaluation I have chosen these people in this order for the people I feel that were most successful to least successful with their final projects:

1 Howard, Brett Carroll http://accudraft45.blogspot.com/

2 Angel, Renferd K http://angelaudioproduction.blogspot.com/

3 Valencia, Eduardo http://eduardov425.blogspot.com/

4 Hardy, Tyrone http://cajogi.blogspot.com/

5 Schmidt, Chase M. http://colorblindproduction.blogspot.com/

6 Lucero, Chelsea Elizabeth http://chelzzlucero.blogspot.com/

7 Lee, Sean Anthony http://primarydesign702.blogspot.com/

8 Chambers, Everett Warren http://vegasinteriors.blogspot.com/

9 Bowman, Robert B. http://bowmanlifestudios.blogspot.com/

10 Casey, Daniella Erin http://daniella-casey.blogspot.com/

11 Hearty, Raymond http://raygamepro.blogspot.com/

12 Terheide, Melinda M http://terheidedesigns.blogspot.com/

13 Uy, Maria Feinila D. http://madeirich.blogspot.com/

14 Smith, Cary Keola http://kotcc.blogspot.com/

15 Orton, David Wayne http://vemg.blogspot.com/

16 Cordova, Jake Charles http://jakenstein151.blogspot.com/

17 Hayford, Kristin http://rockabillybabydesigns.blogspot.com/

18 Spencer, Randi J http://boysgrowup.blogspot.com/

19 Silvera, Richard Michael,, Jr http://rmsfilms-richard.blogspot.com/

20 Lopez, Osvaldo http://ozzy702.blogspot.com/

21 Hasson, Keith http://keithhassonailvmma.blogspot.com/

22 Beymer, Eric D. http://ericbeymerphoto.blogspot.com/

23 Hernandez, Edwin Jess http://mogulvision.blogspot.com/

24 Ferreira, Charles Edward http://champf.blogspot.com/

Week 10 EOC: Robert Kearns vs Erin Brockovich

So how do you compare these two individuals in some ways they are the same in their pursuit of justice, but in reality they were two totally different individuals. Erin was a woman who started investigating a real estate case that turned into one of the largest court cases this country has ever seen. Robert was an inventor who thru a flash of genius invented the intermittent wiper which is used today in every car made. Robert however was wronged by the ford motor company who stole his invention that opened the flood gates for every other car manufacturer to use his invention. Robert did however triumph in his pursuit of justice, just as Erin did in her case. Erin however was an individual who became a stronger individual who was upbeat and became a leader. Robert went the opposite direction and became an individual consumed by his need to be recognized for his invention. However these two both had the same drive which was for the wrongs to be righted and it wasn’t about the monetary results. They both were presented at the beginning of their pursuit with a small monetary settlement and they both made it clear that they were not interested and wanted only justice to be served. This just goes to show you that it doesn’t matter whether your male or female educated or uneducated, if you find that you or someone you care about are being harmed or mistreated it is within yours or mine abilities to right those wrongs. Another important observation is that when presented with these situations we have to decide how far we are willing to go in our pursuit for justice, can we get justice and not lose our way and everything we hold dear on a personal level like Erin Brockovich did. Or do we let it consume us until we turn around one day and realize we have driven those we love away and lost most of what we hold dear in our pursuit because of our obsession like Robert Kearns did. Which one of the two did it the right way well that is for you to decide, in my opinion they both did it the way they needed to and could do to get what they wanted most. Justice

Week 7 EOC: 10 Lawyers and Websites

1. Weide & Miller, ltd http://weidemiller.com/
2. Morishita Law Firm, L.L.C. http://www.morishitalawfirm.com/
3. McDonald Carano Wilson LLP http://www.mcdonaldcarano.com/index.html
4. Watson Rounds http://www.watsonrounds.com/
5. Law Offices of Philip A. Kantor, P.C. http://thekantorlawfirm.com/
6. Parsons Behle & Latimer http://www.parsonsbehlelaw.com/PracticeAreas/Intellectual-Property-Litigation.asp
7. Odunze & Kang LLP http://www.aok-law.com/
8. Weiss & Moy, P.C. http://www.weissiplaw.com/
9. Hankin Patent Law http://www.hankinpatentlaw.com/
10. Howard & Howard http://www.howardandhoward.com/

Week 7 EOC: Intellectual Property Questions?

1. What is the first step someone should take if or when they find someone else using their intellectual property without permission?
2. What is the best way(s) to protect your intellectual property?
3. What is the best way to protect my intellectual property when working under contract for someone?
4. What is some common legal issues while doing freelance work?
5. Do all states deal with intellectual property the same? How do they differ?
6. Do you know the rough percentage of cases that are found in favor of the original creator concerning intellectual property?
7. Doe intellectual properties stay the same in digital vs. printed form?
8. When is it necessary to trademark an Intellectual property?
9. At what point of change to an intellectual property does that intellectual property become your own?
10. What is a typical time frame of intellectual property case to be settled?

Week 6 EOC : Illicit

What do you think of when you think of the black market? What kind of people do you associate when you think of the black market? The black market has changed drastically over the years and in today’s marketplace the trade of illegal goods ranges from drugs and firearms to merchandise like purses, sunglasses and computer or automotive parts. Some of the goods being illegally traded are nothing more than knock offs of the real items made in back shops and warehouses. Many of these places are man powered by people who could be considered modern day slaves. Many people buy these goods on the streets of major cities never giving a second thought to the networks of criminals behind the movement of these goods. Have you ever bought a knock off watch or a pair of sunglasses with a logo of an expensive brand for a cheap price from a peddler on the street? Did you ever stop to think that you could be in a way funding mass organized crime? The war on this type of criminal activity is reaching astounding levels. The scary thing about it is that governments around the world are losing the battle, with only a few victories in-between. These networks of criminals have reached out to more than you would think corrupting individuals in power and in high places. Sometimes even corrupting those who have been elected to enforce the laws and crack down on this type of activity. If this sounds like the plot of a Hollywood block buster it’s not it is real everyday life happening around the globe on a daily basis. National Geographic put a special together on this very subject and if you get the opportunity to watch it I think it would be as eye opening for you as it was for me. To think that some of the items many people need to function on a daily basis like medical drugs are being made in back rooms and shops made with any combination of chemicals to look like the real thing and then being packaged and sold is a very scary thing.

Week 5 EOC: Lawyers Looking For Fame

In today’s world many people are out for fame and fortune, included in this bunch of individuals are the lawyers who are taking cases that they think will land them some face time in front of the nine justices of the Supreme Court. Many of these new breed of lawyers are finding cases that they think will give them the chance of a lifetime. Some might ask why it is a bad thing to want to present a case in front of the Supreme Court. To that I would say it isn’t a bad thing if done for the right reasons. However this was a statement in a New York Times article on this subject “There’s one and only one reason they’re interested,” Barry A. Schwartz, a criminal defense lawyer in Denver, said of many of the dozen or so lawyers who called him after he had won an appeals court decision on an issue that was likely to reach the Supreme Court. “It’s not because they love your client or believe in the legal principle your case presents. They want to get the case into the Supreme Court.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/us/10lawyers.html?_r=1)
Barry may be on to something with more and more lawyers wanting to try cases in the Supreme Court hoping to bring in bigger clients to their firms. In fact, in another article I found relating to this subject “David Mills, 33, was on the partner track at Jones Day but decided to set up a solo practice focused on federal appeals cases. Only two years into operating The Mills Law Office, he's about to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.” (http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/10/young_cleveland_lawyer_to_argu.html) Looking over the article you can make your own opinions as to whether David took on the case for the right or wrong reasons. You have to wonder though was it because he believed in her case or was it because he believed that her case could get him in front of the Supreme Court justices to argue on her behalf? Which in the end it did just that.
At the Stanford law school one can partake in a clinic designed for the purpose of getting one’s self ready to be one of these so called elite lawyers. “Stanford’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic—the first of its kind at any law school—gives students the opportunity to explore a realm few lawyers experience in their careers: the Supreme Court of the United State.” (http://www.law.stanford.edu/program/clinics/supremecourtlitigation/) This just goes to show you where the practice of law may be headed if you and a student looking for fortune and fame. I do not think that all those who want to argue before the supreme court do it solely for the purpose of money of fame, but after looking through a few articles it seems that there are a few that want to do it for that sole purpose whether they admit to it or not.

Week 4 EOC: Death Race Jeopardy

So what is Death Race Jeopardy? Death Race Jeopardy was a game we played in class tonight using the jeopardy games we created last week. We broke into team and played three different stages of the game. Each stage of the game we switched teams around and made smaller groups each time. The final game was the death race match in which we all got to gamble on the final outcome before the game started, the ending result was that we all got bonus points to put towards our midterm grades. Having studied before hand and then with the game I feel better prepared for the midterm, even if the competitiveness of the game withdrew some of the study reinforcement, At least for me that is. I think overall this game benefited those who did not complete the assignment and didn’t previously study as well. Some of the terms used in people games were things like misuse of patent, teach the invention, and world intellectual property organization. I enjoy when teacher use different or unconventional ways to teach student things that otherwise would bore you out of your mind. I mean there are literally 120 plus pages of definitions in the chapter we are studying for the midterm. So having to spend the time to read through the terms to find ones we wanted to use in our games was a great and fun way to learn many of the definitions and to learn a few new things about patents.

Week 3 EOC: Jeopordy - challenges and opportunities

This week’s assignment is to build our own version of the game jeopardy or at least design the questions for the game using the 120 pages of definitions from the book. This is a way for us to not only learn the definitions but teach others definitions’ as well. In some ways this will be a good teaching method for those who are able to read and retain what they learn, it will also benefit those who are visual learners. In other classes where I’ve seen this type of thing used most people did benefit from it but in my opinion you learn very little long term outside the terms or definitions you research on your own. On the other hand it is a great way to involve everyone and try and get everyone to study the definitions in the book, most people would not study these definitions the way they should otherwise. Besides that it turns a rather boring subject into a fun interactive way to teach and learn the subject. The hardest part of the whole process the whole game design is writing the terms that you want to use so that others can answer the questions. I started designing my categories by trying to find definitions I could reword fairly easily which are turning out to be harder than I first imagined. Some of the things you think will be the easy things to define like acronyms are not as easy to do after all, besides that looking around it looks like a few other people were thinking the same thing. Not wanting to do the same thing as anyone else, which will probably be nearly impossible in a class this size, I’m off to greater learning and defining as I create my masterpiece.

Week 2 EOC : What I think of lawyers

What I think of lawyers is that the majority of them are only out to help those who they can make the most money off of, granted there are a few that are honest hard working individuals who do genuinely care for the people they work with. I think that most lawyers become what they are by the cases they work on. Some are not out to earn a million dollars or become famous for what they do, others seem to only want to be recognized for the cases they win. Theses lawyers will carefully hand pick the people they will work with so that they can maximize the money they make. I recently went through bankruptcy this last year and the lawyer we used was all too happy to take our money and file our claim. Once our case was finalized the lawyer we were using did not feel the need to help us or even pass on important information that we needed having to do with our mortgage company. Needless to say our mortgage company nearly foreclosed on our house and we ended up having to pay a lot of extra money to keep from going to court over the whole thing. So some types of lawyers I really do not like and have very strong feelings (in the negative) about, while others like a few of my friends who are lawyers I do think very highly of. In my opinion I think it comes down to the type of law that the lawyer practices and about their personal integrity. Most lawyers forget about the integrity part after the first few years of their practice. The special ones, and yes there are a few of them out there, never forget about their integrity and still manage to have a very successful career.

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

I am a freelance photographer who specializes in landscape, nature and life's little moments. I am also in the process of starting a studio to be able to shoot portraits, still life, food, and a variety of other things in a controlled environment. I have also shot weddings and other events. My passion for photography started at a young age watching programs like National Geographic and reading the magazines, or looking at all the photographs. I also grew up in the outdoors and have a passion for preserving the outdoors for others to see and admire as well. It is my goal to one day work for National Geographic.  A photograph documents a moment in time, that moment can be something like a couple’s wedding or a never before seen animal or plant. As a photographer my goal is to help others see things in nature or themselves in a way they have not been able to before. As a freelance photographer I plan on working for National Geographic and when I’m not traveling the world I will be working for myself in my own studio.