For many months now, a US based Welsh lawyer, commenting under the name of Dr Christopher Woods has 'embellished' this blog with frequently delivered opinions and some fairly shameless touting for business. I've found this 'cookoo-like' activity to be a positive addition to my own opinions, homilies, and observations on passing traffic. I'd feel deserted (desolate even) if Dr Woods 'did an Oscar' and disappeared. But not all of my visitors feel the same. Some are starting to be very rude about him, and in at least one instance, I thought the rudeness was being directed at me - which led to some hump-taking, firstly on my part and then on Oscars. So what's to be done.
This is a bit like one of those 'tests' prospective candidates are put through when being assessed on their suitability for inclusion on an 'approved list'. I don't want to lose him, or his opinions - but I don't want to lose visitors either. (At this moment, please imagine sound effects of man scratching head)....."I know. I'll do what Tony Blair used to do - just lie and pretend. If I say that I'm going to limit Dr Woods to one comment per post each day, everybody will think I'm 'tough on crime'. It looks as if I'm putting heavy shackles on a transgressor, while it actually allows dozens of posts every day - even if I were to enforce it. And I'm the man who's in charge of moderating. And all this discussion of a perceived 'problem' may well lead to Dr Woods exercising restraint. Brilliant. I won't have to do anything at all. Of course, he might just take the hump and b****r off. I do hope not.
7 comments:
I'm not going anywhere Glyn! I really like your blog and I find you to be a thoroughly decent Welshman who deserves to win Montgomeryshire. *slaps my wrist for #2 post today ... how about I limit myself to one post per thread (admittedly very hard to do given that I am a Friary Centre trained typist (no formal qualification, just classes spent typing on a QWERTY keyboard - and I must say, I am a fan of the Friary Centre (in Cardiff 'downtown') ... Hip Hip Hurray for the Friary Centre in Cardiff Central!
It’s all “off a duck’s back to me”. I get a kick when someone has a go at me because I am marketing myself with the aim of getting work. So yes, this Welshman readily admits to shamelessly and unabashedly touting for patent/IP business on your blog (albeit with your kind, very generous and patient permission).
Btw, my name is Dr. Christopher Wood, I have an earned doctorate degree in Chemistry from Glasgow University and I am also a licenced lawyer in the USA (JD from "University College of Law", DePaul University, Chicago - 2001) - did law classes at night, through one or two summers, and some weekends, took around 4 years because I worked full time throughout. I think the drop out rate was around 30% in the first year of law school. I passed the Bar in 2002 and the patent Bar some months later.
I am from a very modest Welsh family - father from Cymmer (a village "over a mountain" from Port Talbot, my grandparents were Welsh, my mother's parents were from the Bedwas and Llanbradach areas, my grandparents, like my father, went to London in search of work, where my mother was born, but they moved back to Wales while my mother was still very small, so she remembered nothing about Streatham, London where she was born (her mother was in service - she met my mother's father on Streatham common where was slept after work, and where she took her masters children to watch over them and play. I was born in Cardiff.
This "Oscar business" is sort of funny, Oscar wrote a very nice piece about me on his blog back in January 2008:
http://thoughtsofoscar.blogspot.com/search/label/making%20of%20a%20labour%20man.
“Below is a posting I came across from from Dr Wood, fascinating potted history of the man, and also explains how we become who we are.
Wonderfully written.
We are our past, no doubt about it.
He speaks with such passion, I envy his style of writting.
Dr. Christopher Wood said...
It's a reflection of my background Glyn, my first memories are kipping on the floor of my father's parent's lounge (my mum would take the cushions off the settee and lay them out on the floor and tell me to sleep), and I remember the flickering oil heater in the middle of the room (which as a scientist-chemist-microbiologist I now realize was not working properly (inefficient combustion) and probably producing CO (carbon monoxide), my mother claims it was not on very often, but I wonder about that), my parents were essentially homeless and later got 'their' first house on a housing estate in Llanishen, and from there they moved to Trowbridge (Cemaes Crescent) and after my father lost his job so he decided to move the family to London, but we ended up on a horrible council estate just east of London (via a council house exchange, a Welsh family in London wanted to move back to Wales) - I remember being separated out as being stupid because I must have been stupid because of my strong Welsh accent and I remember being victimised for it, not just by the other children, but by the teachers who kept me back by putting me in lower classes despite the fact I could do long-division and read properly, my mother was for her time well educated (won a place at a Grammar school half way between Bedwas and Newport - and then to a council house in Streatham (but almost in Tooting, where I went to school along with my two brothers) and finally back to Caerphilly (Lansbury Park, then Churchill Park) ... so I know all about life on council house estates, my next door neighbour's kid (he was 15 or 16) on Llansbury Park in Caerphilly (not exactly well thought of by the locals) was found guilty of murder (too young to get an adult sentence so he served "at her Majesty's pleasure" (what a waste I thought, and so bad for his loving mother), I have seen fights with knives, a boy's back slashed from top to bottom in a large inner London comprehensive school, I have seen terrible sights and conditions and seen a great deal of hopelessness, this kind of thing leaves a stamp on one's heart, so I became a Labour man, I didn't see Conservatives caring about the ordinary lives of souls in desperate conditions - I still remember working one Christmas delivering mail as a student on a large council house estate in Caerphilly - I will never forget family men coming up to me clearly distressed that I had not delivered a Giro through their letter box. I lived in for a while in Glasgow where I did a chemistry PhD and seen poverty and hopelessness that is hard to fathom and teenagers acting in terrible ways, alcoholism on a scale hard to fathom, fighting outside pubs over stupid stuff, drugs and shootings related to drugs, but I saw even worse in Chicago, parts of DC you will not believe, East St. Louis is just terrible. By fluke I became a Chicago lawyer (worked full time, went to law school at night, and graduated with a law degree from the same law school as the current Mayor of Chicago); I now work out of my own law firm office near DC (but since I am ‘a boss’ I telecommute to save on gas and time otherwise spent in traffic). So I know about Obama (hails from Chicago) and seen a lot of very dirty politics, criminal acts, many of my law school buddies work in Chicago so I keep up on Chicago and Illinois politics. I have seen the mob in action, they are very clever how they work to snare up and coming politicians and business people. I nearly got side-swiped myself because someone got to know me and suggested that we meet up in a downtown 'joint', he said he knew the bouncers, one of them was his best friend. It was a mob club, I only guessed when he told me a few things about the club, but lots of business people and high flyers go there, perhaps unaware of the mob connection. I can't stand dirty politics or scum-bag politicians or a public-school-educated twit who know nothing about squalor and hopelessness. I have many good public school educated friends, I am now a product of a "private school", so I suppose technically speaking I am now a public school boy twit, but I lack having a rich family and all the benefits that entails. Cameron is silly to think he can come up with instant solutions to getting people back into work who are in desperate circumstances. I don't understand why he has chosen to take this position, maybe he is ill advised. Yes, we need to get people in desperate circumstances back into work and that can be done, but its going to cost money and resources and I don't hear Cameron talking about providing any such resources; Cameron's a clever man, so I don't think he's pig ignorant about what it will really take to get these folks back into the work force, so I wonder "what his game is". Does he see a big whole in his plans for the economy should his party win the next election, is he trying to say something to the right wing of his party, or is he doing an army-Gordon, treating the poor souls as if they are sub-humans?”
Christopher - that'll teach 'em. You'll have to communicate with Oscar directly now ,since he's abondoned this blog. I wonder whether his visitor no's are going up?
Well, I for one enjoy Dr. Woods' comments. Whilst I rarely agree with his politics, I, nevertheless find them an interesting and well written read, despite their occasional long-windedness. The statistical information sometimes brings about a glazing over of the eyes but the scroll button soon provides welcome relief.
I would respectfully suggest to Dr. Woods' detractors that if they find his comments wearisome, then they have the same scrolling option available to them. Alternatively, they could bugger off.
Anyway, this is Glyn's blog and we all comment here by the grace of Glyn's kind hospitality and irrespective of our differing views, moderation is, thankfully, rarely imposed.
I frequently have much disagreement with Glyn's politics and opinions, nevertheless, he has usually addressed my largely pointed comments in generally straightforward manner.
(Note to Glyn, has your researcher finished the paper on UNUM yet? I may have some more awkward questions soon).
I say support Dr. Woods' endeavours. At the very least, it clearly shows that he has a brain that is in operational mode, so unlike some of his detractors.
Whilst I'm here, a suggestion for Dr. Woods.
You may have read my comments on Valleys Mam's blog regarding the dearth of credible leadership candidates to succeed the outgoing Rhodri.
May I respectfully suggest, having made your pile in the USA, that you return to Mother Wales and enter politics.
Whilst I agree with little of what you say, I would venture to suggest that you possess more character, style, general and specific knowledge, life experience, credibility, leadership qualities and charisma in your little finger than any of the Turkeys that currently scratch around at the Assembly, warming the seats and the air.
This, of course, emphasises our fervent clarion call to all eligible electors at future Elections:
Vote None of These Turkeys.
Rock on Doc.
Your pal.
johnny.
Vote for Doc. Woods
He'll deliver the goods
And 'though he's mixed it with the hoods
He'll cut through all the would'ves and shoulds
To produce a feast of political foods.
You heard it here first. jf.
Very kind words Johnny. I was blown over when I read them. Thank you very much. Yes, it is my dream to return to mother Wales.
Yours,
Christopher D. Wood, PhD, JD
http://www.woodeisenberg.com/
Verbosity is not a boon
far from a read its a swoon
learn the value of precis
make it relevant make it racey
Blogs are that not dissertions
Lets have shorter and good relations
Ok so I am no poet but I would like to see short sharp comments that can lead to more debate.There isnt need all the time for essays.
Chris Woods - do you have your own blog??????
OK, boys. Just carry on and use me. Now, who said that.
Glyn: apart from you, I don't know.
Yours,
Christopher D. Wood, PhD, JD
http://www.premierpatents.com/
http://www.woodeisenberg.com/
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