news of the day [email to Pito]

This past Monday was the latest round in my DUI matter.  I hope that it's an auspicious start to my career, since I pulled one out that really exceeded my expectations.  I was pretty sure that my client wasn't going to show up, since he hadn't been answering my calls or replying to my emails, so I had some worries about what was gonna happen at the hearing.  But even without him being there, I got him the best outcome possible.  I did a good job of talking it up with the DA and was proactive by finding the office of another DA in a judge's chambers in another part of the building.  So I was happy about that.  The next listing is not until March, but this past date has, I think, put us over the hump.

So I plan on celebrating some Christmas this Sunday, and you should come by if you're able to.  Movies and holiday cookies will be in abundance.

This week has been busy with holiday parties and other stuff.  This past Monday night we had our holiday party for Hudson, and some coworkers and I got a chance to get a photo with A.J. Feeley, the Eagles QB.  David Akers, the kicker, was also there; as he was walking out of the bar, I yelled to him to "beat the Saints!"  I'm sure he really appreciated that.

I'm getting toward the end of the autobiography of Miles Davis, and so I just bought "The Age of Reason" by Jean-Paul Sartre with the gift card that you gave me -- thanks!  I also picked up a great cd: Ozomatli, a Latin fusion group from L.A.  The cd I picked up beat out Amigos Invisibles for Latin Grammy for best alternative album back in 2005, I think.

Anyway, that's about all for now.  Hope you're having a good week before the holiday.  See ya!

good news [email to Pito]

i passed the nj bar exam.  also had a great day for my birthday: my co-workers got me an ice cream cake and sang happy birthday to me during lunch.  then a few of them invited me out for drinks after work.  it was a really nice day.

FAITH [email to Paul]

Paul,

Anthony is with you today, just as he is with you every day.  He is still very much alive with us and within us.

You've sometimes mentioned to me the frustration of the question "why?".  The way I look at it is this: at your job, you trust the company's CEO to do whatever is best for the company, even if you don't understand or agree with his decisions.  But of course, the CEO very likely knows a lot more than you do about what's best for his company, and you lack the perspective he has and the information that he has available to him.

God is the same way, but God created everything, including that CEO and you and me and Anthony.  God's perspective, as the Creator of everything, is higher up than anything or anybody else.  And not only that, the amount of information available to God is limitless and infinite, so God can make the most informed decisions possible in the interest of what's best for His "company": everything, all of existence.  And of course, God is perfect, so that totally and completely reinforces every decision.  Even if you and I can never understand those decisions.

In both cases, we put FAITH in those who are in positions of power and authority.  And God is the ultimate power and authority.  Our only mission is to serve God, wherever we are and wherever He sends us, in this lifetime and beyond.

God bless you Paul.  You're like a brother to me.  And so, we'll both be thinking of Anthony today.  Peace and Love, [...]