Week 4 EOC: Death Race Jeapordy

This exercise was interesting, It was actually fun.  This is a very boring and uninteresting subject but playing the game made better. I am someone that learns by repetition and there is a lot of that. I learned about employed to invent, I learned that an employer has the right to use an idea or something that has been created on the job for their gain and not yours. I’ve learned that the process of receiving a patent is a very long process unless you have deep pocket. Its seems unfair that all these patent applications are sitting on a desk somewhere and are there waiting for approval.

It seems just as in life it’s all you know and how rich you are to influence others to get applications pushed through quickly. Mr. Pinto spoke of how ford is attempting to get a new patent on their batteries, and how they will not have to wait like the rest of us because they have patent lawyers to push these through.

I didn’t   however agree with how the extra credit points were given out. I was on a team that gave up and we never got any points. I received a total of only 9 points and other people received up to 46 points just they happened to be in a group that actually cared. It doesn’t seem to fair.

Nonetheless this experience was one I won’t  soon forget

Week 3 EOC: Jeopardy- Challenges and Opportunities

I have been in this school for 2 years now and I think this is one of the best ways that any instructor has approached the subject of learning definitions. I have a hard time remembering definitions especially terms that don’t interest me that much. The subject of patent law is probably of the most boring subjects to learn definitions. The challenges of the jeopardy game are trying to figure out what goes first. I keep getting confused on asking the question first. My mind wants to do it the other way around.  Trying to come up with funny or clever titles is another challenge. The example of another student game helped. The student had very funny titles for her categories, just like the real life game. One of the titles was “my lawyer is on line 1”, that’s just funny. One of the other titles was “hey you can’t do that”. Both of these titles are very clever, I’m going to have to step my game up.  The opportunities are that I might actual learn these definitions; learning for me is helped by repetition and I am going have to do a lot of repetition. Some of these word and definitions are definitely new to me. There are so many aspects of the law and we won’t be able to go over everything in one class. I look forward to using such words as patent owner which is usually the inventor unless the invention and patent rights were assigned.  I always wondered what Patent Pending meant when I had seen it on products, now I will have the knowledge that patent pending is when a patent application has been filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark office. If it wasn’t for this activity I really don’t think I would retain any of these definitions.

Week 2 EOC: What do I think of Lawyers?

What do I think of lawyers?

                From all of my experiences with lawyers, I am not a big fan. There have been a couple of times where I had to hire a lawyer. I understand that they have to make a living but I think that a lot of them are just greedy. The media does not portray lawyers in a true and actual light. Lawyers will not take a case unless they think they will win, even if the client is right and they have the law on they’re side.

                When I had to hire a lawyer I felt like a number and not a person that they were truly interested in what I was saying or feeling about my case. I think that lawyers need some customer service skills. Even if it’s all BS I think it would change my and the public’s opinion of lawyers. In this specific case I was accused of assisting a hotel guest get a hooker. The allegations were completely false, but I was scared and I had to hire a lawyer.  My wife was pregnant with my first child and this all happened the same week of her due date. As you can imagined I was a little stressed out about the whole situation. After having my initial consultation the lawyer told me that he needed a retainer of $5000.00. He made me feel like I was not important and that he didn’t believe me. I came up with the money and gave it to him. While I was in still in the office he made a phone call to the detective. He explained that I had retained legal counsel. After talking with the detective for like 5 minutes, that was it. I never heard from the detective again. Effectively I paid $5000.00 for a phone call! That is why I hate lawyers.

Week1EOC: My Voice

Design,

This is something that I’ve always loved; I just never discovered that till my first purchase of a home. When I purchased that house I found myself wanting to spend every working moment designing and picking out furnishings for each room in the house. I think back to when I was growing up to all the times I would sketch houses and designs of cars. After years of making excuses, I finally made the plunge. I went back to school at the ripe old age of 39. I am learning something new every day and have met some amazing people in school. I am inspired every day by my surroundings. I work at the Wynn, where Roger Thomas has created an amazing space. From a design aspect I couldn’t pick a better place to work. My favorite type of design is a cross between contemporary and modern with a touch of Art Deco. Everywhere you go you will find something in that space that a designer has designed.  My feild touches people's lives in various ways everyday. Whatever furnishings, or paint, or even the fabric on a pillow that I spec out for a space can envoke many different emotions. I don't take that power lightly. The power a Designer has to create beauty is a wonderful thing.