Often times I am busy at my glamorous job as a LitSupport person (see previous posts) and don't have time to work up the righteous indignation necessary to spew another rant on OMFGAK. Mostly it's mindlessly mindful work, feeding huge collections of legal documents into digital scanners but I also do very complex computer work that absolutely demands 100% of my attention. Thus sometimes why I am quiet. That being said there are also times that I can sneak a quick peek at facebook or do a quick mini-spew with afterburners on to the blog... or check email.
One thing however I know for certain is that I have personal ethics. I have worked on Alaskan cases that would turn your hair gray (see my facebook profile picture) or curdle milk. But always -- always, always, always I will never leak or disclose anything about those cases. I fully understand attorney/client priveledge. I understand the risks of breaking that confidentiality. So I refrain. If it is Palin related I have officially recused myself from working on it with both the owner of the company and my direct supervisor. I just say no, sorry. Because I do NOT want to open myself up to accusations of unethical behavior or unlawful disclosue. Thus far it has worked. Vaguely speaking at this moment, "I heard some things", but those things were never within my sight nor control. Thus why I can stand up against your average "freeper" or Neotheocon and look them square in the eye with an absolutely straight face and proclaim that I truly do not hate Sarah Palin, I do not have a vendetta against her personally nor have I ever (or will I ever) use inside information to discredit either her or her legion of minions. I don't have to. Their saga of ineptitude practically writes itself. I'm just the conduit. As are many of my fellow progressive Alaskan bloggers (see the blog roll to the right).
Personal responsibility and ethics prevent me from even looking at any Palin related cases after the fact. Besides, when half a million pages of OTHER legal documents are staring at you, begging to surrender themselves to a scanner, you do NOT have time to read anything. Seriously. I've got deadlines, obligations and responsibilities. And even though I sometimes come off as a smart ass, I take my job quite seriously. So those confidential things you will never see here, not even alluded to in a sideways manner. That's just the way I'm wired as a Buddhist.
Although I do have some knowledge of the players in this enormous traveling dog and pony show, ney 'circus', we call Alaskan politics, I am sworn to confidentiality. Sure I've met Tim Ptumenos. Ate breakfast at Humpy's a couple of times while seated across the bar and his daughter (who is studying to be a social worker I believe) was taking my order. We didn't talk and I'm not sure he even knows who I am or even of my existence. Nor do I care much, really. He's got his job to do, I've got mine. His daughter is a sweetheart and quite beautiful and I am glad to know her even if it is only at a customer to bartender level. Though if she could not be quite so perky at 11AM when I may or may not be in the thrall of a wicked hangover on a Sunday morning BEFORE I've had had any coffee, that would be great. "Thanks, Krista. More coffee? Yes, please!"
You see, all it really amounts to is that I don't want to be "that guy". I do not want to be "an anonymous source" or "Deep Throat". No way. My role, at least as I see it, is to use the power of search engines, the internet and direct conversations to my elected representatives and other government officials to basically get to the root of what pisses me off personally. I've already stated here and elsewhere it is essentially "writing therapy" from a writer perhaps desperately in search of a good editor. And then to blow THAT up, all technicolor and 3D into the bombast that sometimes is OMFGAK in the form of a string of prose similar to what you now hopefully consume with eyeballs and higher brain functions hungry for exactly this.
And yes, that's a self-referential link back to this very article. Why? Because I'm whacking this medium like an overloaded two-bit mule. Because I can.
No actual mules were harmed during the creation of this post.
-Laz
Cancelling My LA Times Subscription
6 days ago
To be an ethical person you must be able to draw clear boundaries and keep issues/info in their proper boxes. Congratulations to you for being able to clearly define work and blogging (not that blogging isn't work) and keep them separate.
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