Things I've NOT been doing while NOT blogging

The problem with being a lawyer and a blogger is that, sometimes, the need to tend to my law practice requires that I not spend time here. I can seldom talk about matters on which I'm working -- as you would expect -- and a lot of my day to day issues, problems and frustrations get... well... repetitive.

My computer is old. And slow. How many posts can you put up about that?

I have issues with money. In this economy, who doesn't?

Credit card interest rates are outrageous -- sure -- but how times can you write how the government bailed out the banks with our money and, now, the banks are paying back the government with our money?

So, rather than trot out an old warhorse, I thought I'd share with you some of the things I've NOT been doing while I've NOT been blogging.

I've not been sailing round the Isle of Wight with Tony Hayward.

Apparently BP's Tony Hayward likes a fresh ocean breeze now and then because, as soon as he could get away from America, he went sailing with his son "on his $270,000 (£182,000) Farr 52 racing yacht, 'Bob,'" at the JP Morgan Asset Management Round The Island Race.

Of course, I wasn't there only because my yacht hasn't come in yet. A lot of people are waiting for their ship to come in; at this point, I'd settle for a dinghy.

I haven't been watching the World Cup.

I found this picture of the World Cup Trophy, though, in Wikipedia. I'm now thinking I may watch the last couple of minutes of the final game so I can see the trophy awarded to the winning team. I'm curious: How are they going to carry this using only their feet? Or will they have the goalie carry it for them all? (I wouldn't want to try heading this thing; that's for sure. It looks heavy.)

I haven't been sitting in Judge Zagel's courtroom watching the Blagojevich trial.

This Tribune photo shows Rod Blagojevich and his wife Patti getting out of a giant SUV at the Dirksen Building on their way to another day of the trial. Patti once ate a giant bug while living in tropical jungle as a contestant on a reality show. Rod was supposed to be the contestant, but Judge Zagel wouldn't let him leave the country for the for the shooting.

Why don't high profile criminal defendants ever take the subway to court? There's a subway entrance right there on Dearborn Street, too. Wouldn't you think that one's man-of-the-people image would be burnished by riding the train with the rest of us "small people?" (Yes, that's another BP reference. Sometimes I can't help myself.)

The Blagojevich trial will be interesting today as the lawyers try and concentrate on the testimony while trying to read the Supreme Court's opinion this morning in Skilling v. United States. That link will take you to 114 pages of opinions, concurring opinions and a dissent -- but, cutting to the quick, the court held that the "honest-services statute," 18 U.S.C. §1346, proscribes only bribes and kickbacks. Blagojevich is charged under this statute.

Jeffrey Skilling, by the way, the Skilling of Skilling v. United States, is the former Enron CEO and the brother of beloved Chicago TV weatherman Tom Skilling.

Whether Blago will benefit from Skilling is to be determined. But Conrad Black, or Baron Black of Crossharbour, as he is known to his closest friends, the man who looted the Chicago Sun-Times and inflicted wounds on that newspaper that may yet prove fatal, unquestionably has benefited from today's decision in Skilling. See, Black v. United States, also released by the Supreme Court this morning.