The Closing ceremonies of the 2014 Olympics were a spectacle of light and movement. I, like many others, obsessively watched as many events as I could, or more realistically, as many events as were broadcast.  During commercial breaks, I , probably unlike many others, scoured various news outlets for up-dates on Ukraine and Venezuela.  At first little mention was made of the events in these places, but the media finally started catching up. A huge disappointment was NBC's dredging up the Kerrigan/ Harding affair. Seriously?!?!?  With all that was going on around the globe and a slew of other stories they could have shared, this is what NBC chose to waste an hour on?  I much preferred to see their shorts on some of the athletes and how they got to the Games. That is the sort of story I would share with my students, not the Kerrigan/Hardy old news.  While the media is focused on Olympic athletes at the moment, we know from past experience that one will be hard-pressed to find coverage of most of these Winter events between now and the next Winter Olympics. On to the next shiny thing!  ~ The Wife, Elise

This is the wife, again. I am on a bit of a rant about the Olympic coverage in the U.S. You would think that with 4-5 channels available to NBC, we would get to see everything like we did with the Summer Olympics. Such is not the case! We are not getting to see complete events, especially some of the trials.  As you have probably noticed, I am an Olympic-aholic. There is not an event I do not enjoy. I want to see everything, because when it is over, it's over. Watching on the computer is not the same for me. I want to see all the competitors, not just the favorites to win. Half the fun is in seeing the 'underdogs' represent their countries out of pride, not because they expect a medal. There have been many firsts,  like Turkey and the Philippines in Figure Skating.  Enjoy!

Olympic gold medal winners on February 15, 2014 will receive special medals embedded with pieces of meteorite! 

See complete article here on Space.com.       http://www.space.com/24675-winter-olympics-meteorite-medal.html 

It's me again, the wife. Still enjoying the Olympics, especially the underdog stories. I mentioned one yesterday, the male figure skater from Philippines. In addition to the heart and drive these athletes show, the audience shows an open heart by their reception of them.  When an athlete is not from the home country, hasn't a chance in the world of  earning a medal, and still gets a standing ovation for their efforts, that is the Olympic spirit!  ~The Wife, Elise

I am developing a new appreciation for our forefathers who had to survive long winters trapped indoors. This ice event has been brutal for some areas of the US Southeast. We have been lucky in that we have not lost power and I have been able to enjoy the Olympics. There is not a Winter Olympic event I do not like!  One that I find particularly exciting is the Skeleton. Humans throw themselves onto a flimsy sled and race face-down in a death-defying race for gold. That takes guts!  Another aspect that I love are those athletes that stand no chance of earning a medal, but who are representing their countries the best they can and who truly appreciate the Olympic experience.  One such athlete is the young man skating for the Philippines.   Michael Christian Martinez is a first, for the Philippines and for Southeast Asia. 

I hope that everyone is safe and warm in this weather and having the opportunity to savor the Olympic experience from the comfort of your couch! ~ The Wife, Elise

    Looking at more than an inch of ice and sleet at the moment. While Sochi has had warmer weather and issues with some of the venues thawing, in the Southern U.S. we are expecting hours of sleet, snow, and freezing rain. You know it's projected to be bad when Jim Cantore comes to town!  Our world pretty much shut down by midday Tuesday in anticipation of this event. One of the newscasters said it was like walking on Nerds or PopRocks.  This will be an appropriate backdrop for the Winter Olympics, as long as the power does not go out! 
    While Michael is working here at home, I plan to enjoy the Olympics with a cup of hot apple cider. Stay safe and warm! ~ The Wife

While Michael is draining the swamp, the DVR is working overtime recording events for him to watch later. We both love Winter Olympics! There are very few events we do not enjoy watching. We got into Curling several Olympics ago and sit on the edge of our seats yelling "Sweep! Sweep!" like we can help.  New event, Team Figureskating, has been great to watch. I like that we get more than one opportunity to see the Figure skaters.  What is it about the Winter Olympics that everyone loves so much?  I think it is the speed!  People on skis, luges, bobsleds, or skates go ever so much faster than people running! One finds oneself holding that last breath as the athletes plummet down a snow-covered hill or trust to a small sled (luge) to take them through an icy course. Even cross-country skiing seems more exciting than a summer marathon. Enjoy the Olympics and may your teams do well! ~The Wife

This is the exception to my “shorter” blog posts.  Somehow, this hit me as something worth the time, so here it is.....:  Personally, I’m now glad the Olympics are in Sochi, Russia, because it drives home a lesson.  When my book first came out, I caught some flack from a critic that thought I was a little too hard on Russians in my book.  She opined that I was being a little too American, as opposed to being a “globalist” in my views in the story.  When the news broke the other day on CNN about the accommodations in Russia, I couldn’t help but smile and feel just a little vindicated in my alleged “jingoism.”  It isn’t that we’re without fault, problems, or issues of all sizes and shapes, it is just that many don’t realize how the “globe” isn’t in great shape either.  Granted, the last time I was actually in that particular neighborhood, we still had things like the “Iron Curtain” and “Checkpoint Charlie.”  Still, this critic had me thinking that perhaps I was being a little too harsh on our “friends.”  Especially now with the “new and improved” Russian Federation, as opposed to the stark old “USSR.”  Thank goodness for Sochi. ~Michael S. Pauley

 Borrowing a short phrase from our Declaration of Independence, “[w]hen, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary. . .”, to shorten blog posts, to seek mental refuge from the vagaries of time constraints, and to obtain a handle on all the crap required in life, the individual poster should assume that time must win, and then recover what sanity is left available to him. In essence, the amount of things required for work are far exceeding the amount of time left for posting to the blog. I am not giving up; however, I am going to be posting far shorter posts, and they will probably be less frequent, at least in the short term. The trial schedule is building, the hearing schedule is built, and I might be out from under the required deposition schedule sometime in a few months. Having said this, I would encourage anyone to provide feedback, ask questions, or even a guest blog posting. ~ Michael S. Pauley

Today the posting is very short, and pretty much to the point.  We’ve survived another Super Bowl, and now I’ve got to deal with a “day job” issue.  The next several weeks will be hectic for me, but I will do my best to drop a post once in a while.  In the meantime, if anyone has questions, this would be the time to ask them.  I’m happy to discuss anything related to the book, defense, or even the practice of law.  If you have a question, drop me a line, and we’ll definitely respond.  In the meantime, have a great day. ~ Michael S. Pauley