caucus99percent

free-range politics, organic community

The Economics of Eating

There's been lots of talk of a possible global famine due to the fertilizer shortage as a result of the closure of the Hormuz Strait. That might be the case, but it is also because our food system is designed for corporate profit. There's plenty of misunderstanding among the taking heads. I heard one commentator saying the soybean crop in Brazil is under threat due to the urea shortage. Soybeans are legumes. They can fix atmospheric nitrogen and don't need urea. Possibly the accompanying sulfur shortage could damage bean yields. Sulfuric acid is used to make phosphate more available. However, my point today is if we had a better agriculture system none of this would be problematic. Let's look at alternatives below the fold as well as the week's news.

Afternoon folks!

It's a grab-bag this week. Starting off we've got an album from slide guitarist Louisiana Red, followed by an album from blues mandolin player Yank Rachell backed by a jug band. After that is an album from Leon Redbone. Moving on to some blues-rock is a great album from Creedence Clearwater Revival and we finish off in the rock department with an album from Devo.

Enjoy the tunes and have a great weekend!

Good morning, good people! Hope this OT finds y'all in fine fettle!

This is my latest invitation to a continuing legal education course: The 7 Deadly Sins of Clients Using AI - Privilege, Pitfalls, and Preventative Lawyering

Topic:
Your client sends you an AI-generated 'case analysis' based on confidential data. A witness uses ChatGPT to prepare for testimony. An expert gives AI instructions to write a report that is skewed. Opposing counsel then asks for the prompts, chats, uploaded documents, drafts, and AI-generated output. Are your engagement letter, client instructions, litigation hold, expert-retention practices, and discovery strategy prepared for that moment?

Generative AI is rapidly becoming part of how clients, witnesses, experts, and employees communicate, investigate, draft, and prepare for litigation. But casual or unregulated use can create privilege and confidentiality risks, preservation obligations, discoverable evidence, impeachment material, expert-disclosure issues, and avoidable disputes with opposing counsel. This practical webcast identifies seven common and consequential issues in client and witness AI use - and gives lawyers preventative tools to reduce the risk before a damaging prompt, upload, or AI-generated document becomes an exhibit.

The program will address questions such as:

• When does a client's use of AI waive privilege?
• What AI-related materials are discoverable?
• How do different AI systems impact privilege and discoverability?
• What should you tell clients, employees, witnesses, and experts about AI use?
• How should you respond to AI-generated materials from clients and other counsel?
• What issues arise when an expert uses AI?

Attendees will learn how to:

• Revise engagement letters to address AI use.
• Create a practical client-and-witness AI-use protocol for active matters.
• Update litigation-hold notices to preserve AI prompts, chats, and related data.
• Draft and defend discovery requests directed to an opposing party's AI use.
• Respond to client-created AI-generated memos, chronologies, witness statements, or legal analysis.

Does this sound like Perry Mason? Like Gregory Peck in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

Happy Friday everyone. Well, we made it through another week of endless wars, rising inflation, a collapsing economy, and a country on the brink of financial disaster. Not to mention an environment that's slowly burning up the planet. As bad as it is, it's not all doom and gloom 24/7. Tell us what you did this week to put a smile on your face and forget about the doom and gloom. My go to is to get out with the camera and take photos. What's yours?

While I did get out with the camera this week, these photos are from an evening visit to the San Diego Velodrome a few weeks ago.

That day, twenty five years ago, the America I grew up in changed forever.

It was September 11, I'll never forget it. I turned on the TV that morning before work to catch some news, CNN I think, the first tower was on fire, smoke billowing against the background. The announcer said a plane had hit it. I was wondering about the poor people that were in the building, especially the ones above the fire. I watched longer than I should and I needed to go to work. I reached to shut off the TV and then the second plane hit the second tower. I pulled my hand from the knob. I knew immediately that this wasn't coincidence, and I also knew, almost immediately, that it was a terrorist event. I stayed home from work, and like many across the country that fateful day, I was glued to the TV.

I was as cynical then, as I am now. I knew something was off from the beginning. The 60s had taught me a deeply ingrained distrust of the government, and even though I had no idea what really was going on, the surreal event I was witnessing sent my mind reeling into a cloud of doubt, and fear. Are we under attack? Was this a coup?

Then the towers fell, straight down, into their own footsteps.