a penny for your thoughts

The accounting of funds by an attorney must be exact. I have run into a recurring problem in this regard, when probating estates. What to do about the odd penny(s) left over after the distribution to the beneficiaries. I am right now closing an estate which required 3 years of work, and resulted in a specific Order of the Court to disburse the funds to almost 50 distant relatives of the deceased, in specific shares. But I have a penny left over. I can't keep it. I can't give one beneficiary more than his or her share. I can't write it off, as trust accounting must be precise. I can't go back to the judge over a penny. Does anyone have the ultimate, ethical solution? I may be able to pay one penny as a consulting fee to the person who provides me with the right answer (in my sole discretion).

Delaware history quiz

Who is this man? Soldier; U.S. Representative; Governor; U.S. Senator.

delaware history quiz

What antislavery newspaper was founded in 1854 by Delawarean Mary Ann Shadd Cary?

sluggish car sales(persons?)

I have recently been shopping for a replacement vehicle, spurred on by the upcoming conclusion to a lease and the low/no interest financing available with some vehicles. Even though it is clear that the economy is squeezing the new car industry I have experienced the following examples of "squeezing back":

A local GMC salesman denies having a vehicle that was on sale in the newspaper, even though that same salesman rode on a test drive with me and my wife in that vehicle. Yes, I could make a stink. But I just want to buy a vehicle. I am not looking for a lawsuit - I work with lawsuits every day and they are just that...work;

A very local Dodge salesman located a minivan that met my needs, at another dealer in Pennsylvania, but couldn't afford to bring the vehicle here unless I bought it first, sight unseen. I was given the option to drive an hour to the other dealer to inspect the vehicle, or to even buy the vehicle from that other dealer. He was pleasant about it - he just was so far down he couldn't dig out;

My local Honda salesperson doesn't need to sell. For $1000 in advance, they will order a minivan for me to test drive in a month or two. None were available for me to view at the dealership. No sale, no incentive, no special deal, no discussion. They are apparently immune from the squeeze.

I was pleased with the folks at Sheridan Ford. They had plenty of information, without pressure, and decent incentives. Unfortunately, I don't think their vehicles suit my current needs. My wife and I did however see a really nice Thunderbird convertible there that excited our imagination. With kids, that kind of a car is only imagination.

I recommend not giving name and phone number information to salespersons, unless you want to be called.

anti-spam enforcement

Utah has a new anti-spam law, and it appears that the first case to test it involves a class action suit against Sprint. Utah's law requires that "ADV" appears in the subject area of the email, and a full name and address, as well as a legitimate way to remove the receivers from getting future mailings at no cost to them. It's possible that 100,000 people in the state received an unsolicited commercial email from Sprint.

Delaware has an anti-spam law that is regarded as one of the strictest in the country. But, as recently as a couple of months ago, a statement from the Attorney General's office was made that no one had ever been prosecuted under the law. Delaware does define civil procedures for bringing an action against people sending unsolicited commercial email. If the case in Utah is successful, perhaps someone in Delaware will be inspired to pursue one of those civil remedies.

saving internet radio

Doc Searls takes a long and impassioned look at the demise of small internet webcasters:

The other side's purpose is plain. They want to turn the entire world into an extension of Hollywood, where nothing happens until leagues of lawyers "clear rights" to every imaginable piece of intellectual property that might show up in a movie, a musical recording or some other "content" that will flow from a few huge producers to millions of "consumers" through government-regulated and industry-controlled distribution pipes. They want to tear up the Internet's commons and replace it with the same cartelized piping system that controls television, movie distribution and commercial radio.

He then offers a number of links to sites that have more information about how you can help prevent this from happening.

initiative and referendum

Is the greatest burden that the effort to legalize marijuana for medical uses faces one of perception? An ABC news article examines that question. Are Representatives and Senators hesitant to vote on this issue because of concerns about their image? To make this point, ABC mentions processes that have taken the decision out of politician's hands:

So NORML has appealed directly to voters to overcome the congressional gridlock. Via the initiative and referendum process, nine states have approved the legalization of medicinal marijuana and 12 states have passed laws that decriminalize the responsible possession and consumption of pot — turning what was previously an arrestable offense into a ticketable misdemeanor.

States passing medicinal exceptions include California and Arizona in 1996, Alaska, Washington and Oregon in 1998, Maine in 1999, Colorado and Nevada in 2000, and Hawaii in the last legislative year.

The 12 decriminalized states are California, Arizona, Alaska, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Maine, Nevada, Nebraska, Colorado and Mississippi, with bills in the works in Vermont and New Hampshire.

What I find interesting about this look at medical uses of marijuana isn't so much the arguments over whether or not it should be legal, but rather the initiative and referendum processes. The Initiative and Referendum Institute is one organization that is trying to share more information on how these processes work, and their site makes for some good reading.