McCarty Law - Reg's Articles

The Economy is in a Downward Dog (Franchise-Copyright Law)

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 14:00:00 GMT

For a while now, the U.S. has been in the midst of an economic downturn. During periods of recession, folks tighten their purse strings. As a result, many businesses suffer. However, some industries are thriving during these difficult times.

Gaga Over Lawsuits (Health Law)

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 14:00:00 GMT

My kids never cease to amaze me. The other day, we were watching the news and learned that Lady Gaga got punished for rude behavior at a New York Mets game by being moved to Jerry Seinfeld's luxury box. My kids told me that they liked Lady Gaga. I was surprised that they even knew, let alone were fans of, the pop star known for her outrageous outfits and apparently, even more outrageous behavior.

The Plane, The Plane (Health & Transportation Law)

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Snakes on a Plane is a cheesy movie that lives up to its name. While it certainly did not win any Oscars, it was an action-packed entertaining flick. Samuel L. Jackson plays FBI agent Neville Flynn who is tasked with protecting a key witness who is testifying against a mobster in his murder trial. Flynn must escort the witness on the red-eye Pacific Air Flight 121 from Hawaii to Los Angeles to the trial.

FMLA (Employment Law)

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 14:00:00 GMT

One of my daughters best friends was born in Russia. My wife and I went to high school with her parents, and when we had their family over one night they shared with us the story of her adoption. They had put together a beautiful scrapbook containing pictures of their daughters orphanage, biological parents, hometown and other local landmarks.

Little Pink Pill (Pharmaceutical Law)

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Growing up, I used to love watching The Golden Girls with my mom. Many teenage boys would never admit such a thing, but it was a funny show.

Thicker Than Water (Consumer Protection Law)

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 14:00:00 GMT

I love free stuff. That's why in high school, I signed up to donate blood to get a free t-shirt and CD. Everything was going great until they stuck a huge needle in my arm and I watched my blood flowing out of my body through a little plastic tube. Suddenly the room got hotter by about 50 degrees and started to slowly spin. The nurses told me I turned as white as my new t-shirt and they did not allow me to leave. I did get free cookies and orange drink, though.

Headed in the Wrong Direction (Personal Injury Law)

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Dumb and Dumber is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. While it certainly wasn't up for any Academy Awards, the goofy antics of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels made it a fun, entertaining film. The movie documents the dim-witted duo's journey from Providence, Rhode Island, to Aspen, Colorado, and one of its funnier scenes involved Jim Carrey's character, Lloyd Christmas, driving a sixth of the way across the country in the wrong direction.

This Fad is Bad (Freedom of Expression Law)

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 14:00:00 GMT

When I was a kid, I remember that neon was a hot fashion statement. We wore neon shoelaces, wristbands, sunglasses and hats. When neon went out, then came safety pins with beads on them that you stuck through your shoelaces. After that we wore buttons on jean jackets. I had Gumby buttons, Spuds McKenzie buttons and Buckwheat and Alfalfa buttons. Some of my buddies and I even started wearing plastic batting helmets backwards, but that one never caught on.

Blockbuster Investment (Securities Law)

Sat, 29 May 2010 14:00:00 GMT

I think it's no secret that I love movies. I would love to be a movie buff, but like Seinfeld's George Costanza, I'm not sure what you have to do to become a buff.

Charity Can Be Taxing (Non-Profit Law)

Sat, 22 May 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Earlier this month, my favorite celebrity, William Shatner, hosted his 20th annual Hollywood Charity Horse Show. Shatner conceived the event after watching an exhibition put on by Ahead With Horses, a charitable organization that works with handicapped children by using equine-therapy to help them learn to adjust to their challenging lives and become more mobile.

Whiz Kid (Consumer Law)

Sat, 15 May 2010 14:00:00 GMT

When I was a kid, I remember loving to go on family trips. We would go to Milwaukee quite often, to either visit the zoo or the museum. However, we never got there too quickly because of my familys notoriously small bladders.

The Most Noble Profession (Education Law)

Sat, 08 May 2010 14:00:00 GMT

In 1984, the heavy metal band Van Halen released the song Hot For Teacher. It was a great song with an even greater video. Sixteen years later, I married the woman of my dreams, who also happens to be a teacher. Accordingly, my license plate reads HT 4 TCHR.

Payday Groans (Consumer Protection Law)

Sat, 01 May 2010 14:00:00 GMT

My senior year of college, a bunch of my buddies decided to go to Panama City, Florida, for Spring Break. When I found out my future wife and her friends were planning on going, I quickly signed up. We didn't start dating until I was in law school, and since I had a huge crush on her, I was hoping we could spend some quality time together. Especially if she was going to be in a bikini.

Comin' Right at Ya! (Consumer Protection Law)

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 14:00:00 GMT

In 1983, my buddy, Pearl, and I went to Treasure of the Four Crowns, the first 3-D movie I ever saw. The movie is about J.T. Striker, a soldier of fortune who was hired to assemble a team of professional thieves to steal gems hidden inside two of the remaining four Mystical Crowns. I remember being blown away by the 3-D effects and dodging swords and snakes in my seat.

Census Taker (Constitutional Law)

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:00:00 GMT

On Valentines Day of 1991, Anthony Hopkins introduced us to Hannibal Lecter, the brilliant but psychotic killer featured in The Silence of the Lambs. Hopkins won an Oscar for his role, as did Jodie Foster for her portrayal of FBI Agent Clarice Starling. The movie also won an Oscar for the years best picture.

Death and Taxes (Tax Law)

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Spring has finally arrived. The weather is warm, birds are singing, flowers are blooming and the long, cold winter is a fading memory. Alfred Tennyson, who was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign, once said that, In the spring, a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. Of course, Tennyson wrote this before the IRS imposed its deadline for U.S. citizens to file their taxes in the spring.

Not So Happy Meal (Health Law)

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Becoming a father is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. I am so blessed to have such healthy, smart and fun kids who I just adore. Plus, when McDonalds offers Star Wars toys with its Happy Meals, I dont look so strange ordering so many of them if my kids are with me.

Lights, Camera, Action (Tax Law)

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 14:00:00 GMT

In junior high, my buddies and I went to Back to School, the comedy starring Rodney Dangerfield. In the 1986 movie, Dangerfield plays Thornton Melon, the millionaire owner of a chain of tall and fat clothing stores, who attends Grand Lakes University with his son, Jason. The movie is a classic, not only because of Melons Triple Lindy dive that wins the school's championship swim meet, but also because it was filmed in Madison. It was fun to look for buildings we recognized on the UW campus.

Rasslin In Court (Constitutional Law)

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Growing up in the 1980s, I was a huge fan of professional wrestling. One of my favorites was Bret the Hit Man Hart. Hart was trained by his famous father, Stu Hart, who trained dozens of professional wrestling champions in the basement of his mansion in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dubbed The Dungeon, the walls and ceilings of the basement were riddled with holes from body slams.

It's a Good Law (Morality Law)

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 14:00:00 GMT

When I was a kid, our family took a vacation to visit my dad's Marine Corps buddy, Jackson, in Nebraska. Jackson happened to own the J Bar J cattle ranch, where I got to live out every kid's dream. I rode a horse all week, I helped round up the cattle at night so they wouldn't be attacked by coyotes, I watched all the cattle get branded, and I played with the sheepdogs. The only way it could have been better was if I could have holstered a pair of six-shooters.

Big Brother (Constitutional Law)

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Last fall, my alma mater, Westside Elementary School in Kimberly, celebrated its 40th birthday. My wife, who teaches there, and my kids, who now attend, and I attended the party and had cake and punch.

Mean Pinball (Gambling Law)

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Growing up in the 1980s, one of my favorite things to do with my buddies was heading to the mall and hanging out at the arcade. With five bucks, we could play our favorite games, such as Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Dig-Dug and Gauntlet all day.

New Salt Law (Consumer Protection Law)

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Two peanuts were walking on the bad side of town and one was a salted.

Performance Tax a Cheap Trick (Tax Law)

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:00:00 GMT

When I was little my sister and I would love to play board games while listening to Top 40 hits on WKAU. My sister loved to call up DJ Billy Pearl to request Shaun Cassidys Da Doo Ron Ron.

Here We Go Again (Employment Law)

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:00:00 GMT

In the early 1990s, a man earned one of the most coveted jobs in the world. He enjoyed tremendous success in this position, but retired after 17 years. The job was given to a young man who had waited on the sidelines for years, waiting to get his chance.

Hats Off (Anti-Trust Law)

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:00:00 GMT

When I was in first grade, my mom bought me a blue and gray winter coat and to match, a Detroit Lions stocking cap. And so, a lifelong love of the Lions (second only to my love of the Packers) began.

New NFL Rules a No Brainer (Health Care Law)

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:00:00 GMT

When I was a little kid, if I couldn't grow up to be a lawyer like my dad, then I wanted to be Matt Vanden Boom. Boomer lived down the street from me and happened to play safety for the Wisconsin Badgers.

Gin and Health Tonic (Alcohol Regulation)

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:00:00 GMT

My favorite singer of all time is easily Frank Sinatra. The Voice, as he was known early in his career, sang using real emotion, as though the lyrics were the prose of his life and not just words on a page.

Textual Discrimination? (Constitutional/Employment Law)

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Being old school can be a cool thing, but sometimes it just means living in the past. When it comes to technology, I am definitely old school.

Public Enemy No. 1 (Health Care Law)

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:00:00 GMT

In the mid-1950s, Elvis Presley burst onto the music scene. He was immensely popular with teenage Americans, even though radio stations refused to play his devil music and parents decried him as an obscene degenerate. All this did was probably add to his popularity.

Costly Transgressions (Family Law)

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:00:00 GMT

For Christmas in 1978, my family got the Atari 2600. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of my dad, sister and I sitting in front of our 26 inch Zenith and competing in Air/Sea Battle and Combat. Activision even made a bridge game for my mom to play on it.

InterDragnet (Copyright Infringement Law)

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:00:00 GMT

For the Public Good (Constitutional Law)

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:00:00 GMT

One of my favorite movies is easily Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn. The film stars the late Ricardo Montelban as Kahn, a genetically engineered superman bent on enacting revenge on William Shatners Captain Kirk for abandoning him on a barren planet years ago. At the movies climax, Kahn detonates the Genesis Device, a powerful weapon that will destroy the crippled Enterprise with Kirk on board.

Shiver Me Timbers (Video Game Piracy/Intellectual Property Law)

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:00:00 GMT