Sunday, October 26, 2014

Players - Bennie Sonsang

Due to the fact that County Attorney Bennie Sonsang has for the last several years sent me Father's Day cards containing the statement, "Studies show that children who receive financial and emotional support from both parents do better in school and life", (which I completely agree with) I wrote him asking him if he sends similar cards to Spring.  What followed is series of almost surreal correspondences with Mr. Sonsang where he, in my view, clearly incriminates himself as a corrupt official. Judge for yourself

Sunday, October 19, 2014

What Makes A Marriage Last

Randal S. Olsen wrote an article titled, "What makes for a stable marriage?"
on a study by Andrew M. Francis and Hugo M. Mialon of Emory University titled, "‘A Diamond is Forever’ and Other Fairy Tales: The Relationship between Wedding Expenses and Marriage Duration" highlighting the seven most significant factors for making a stable marriage. 

The article was discussed on Slashdot.

Oddly, my marriage to Spring fell into lowest divorce risk category for nearly every measure and not one was high. The statistic the study did not measure, which I think would be enlightening, is disparity of income. Spring made significantly less money than me. This was by choice as the vocational evaluation said she could make just as much as me if she wanted to. Given the way the divorce system works, she had little risk of losing money and a good chance of coming out set for life. (which sadly is exactly what happened) Even her legal costs were paid for by my income so she could out-litigate me without spending a dime of her own earnings. 

In a more equitable marriage (and don't think for a moment that Spring was the primary caregiver to the children as even the custody evaluator ruled parenting was joint and to say she was a homemaker is just wrong) there would be financial hardship to obtaining a divorce. For Spring, she had everything to gain and little to lose. Other than her relationship with her children but for Spring that simply wasn't a factor. 

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Aparently It Is Not much Better in Canada

One would think Canada would be more in line with the majority of western democracies than the United States when it comes to divorce but according to this opinion in the National Post apparently not.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Players - Father Goodhue

I added a new page for Father Goodhue, the last person Spring and I received counseling from for our marriage.  Unlike our attempts with Lisa Guider and Pastor Kurt, for which we had many meetings, we only had a few sessions with Father Goodhue before Spring, as she did with the previous counselors, walked out.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Power Really Does Corrupt

There must be something in human nature, at least most human natures, that lusts after power and control. There is a well known adage that power corrupts, however, there has always been a question as to whether positions of power tend to corrupt individuals or whether corrupt individuals are attracted to positions of power.

Innovative (and entertaining) research led by John Antonakis at the Université de Lausanne in Switzerland as described in AlphaGalileo  shows both are important but even honest people tend to become corrupted by power. Antonakis concludes, "We think that strong governance mechanisms and strong institutions are the key to keeping leaders in check. Organizations should limit how much leaders can drink from the seductive chalice of power."

Judge Mearly is probably the poster child for this in my case. He is almost a comedic caricature of a power hungry and arrogant judge. His total lack of respect for common courtesy, truth and the law is incredible. 

The lawyers, especially Nelly Wince and to a lessor extent Jon Wurst, are also prime examples of people in positions of power who have no hesitation using it in order to hurt others. In their warped view, trampling others makes them seem more important. But it is the institutions that allow for such corruption that are the real problem. As I have said many times, there will always be bad people. A good society not only has good laws but laws that are respected and followed. That the divorce system, not only allows for but rewards behavior that is illegal and highly detrimental to civil society is the real issue. 

Spring is another example of how power corrupts. I think she clearly wanted to control me (as well as the children) and the fact that I am now legally bound to work until I die for her benefit no doubt gives her great satisfaction. The very fact that she lied, committed perjury and fraud shows just how detrimental power is. The fact that she able to get away with it is sad evidence of just how corrupt our institutions have become.  





Saturday, October 4, 2014

Players - Pastor Kurt

I have added a page to the Players section for Pastor Kurt, the second marriage counselor we met with. Pastor Kurt is a good person, who unfortunately was probably in a no win situation given Spring's state of mind at the time.