I gather the USPTO is seeking comments about patent subject matter eligibility.
I am a patent attorney. I continue to believe that patents are necessary to a healthy economy and to encourage innovation. I continue to disagree vehemently with those who contend that patents impede innovation, e.g. in the software area.
Patents do prevent some people from using what other people developed, but this does not impede innovation. It encourages innovation by rewarding innovators rather than thieves.
The actions of the Supreme Court in finding new areas of research to be unpatentable subject matter are deplorable, rooted in ignorance, and damaging to our country and our economy.
To the extent that the PTO can do anything about this, I would hope they would lobby Congress to say that they disagree with what SCOTUS has done.
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Sunday, October 16, 2016
"Drinking Habits" 10/6-23/16 at the Clove Creek Dinner Theater
I am really pleased to be appearing for the second time at the Clove Creek Dinner Theater. I love this place. They put on very funny productions, which are also family friendly. Also, they choose scripts with lots of roles for women, especially older women. I appreciate that. Also, the food is good.
"Drinking Habits" is a seriously hilarious play. We're in the second weekend of a 3 weekend run and already we've sold more tickets than any previous production at this theater. My congratulations to everyone involved.
As usual, click on photos to enlarge
review of play
FB post embedded from Theater:
In the women's dressing room before the show, taking advantage of Pat's long arms as our selfie stick
Outside the theater with crew:
Outside the theater, cast -- posing in scene from the end of act I
Rehearsal photo
Program: (click to enlarge -- also true of photos above)
*******
Addendum: 10/24/16
On set after our closing show:
In front: Teresa Gasparini, artistic director of the Clove Creek Dinner Theater. Also pictured (approximately left to right) Joseph Gasparini (director); Brandon Patterson (George); Amanda Baumler (Sally); Patrick Manning (Father Chenille); Anna Fagan (Sister Mary Catherine); Bernadette Pikul (Mother Superior); Michael Esposito (George); Amy Gustin (Sister Philamena); Me; Katherine McDonald (stage manager); Tyler Dolack (stage crew)
This was a very fun experience -- amazing script. Great people. Loved it.
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Obamacare -- some issues
I tend to run in a liberal crowd. I'm not sure I'm consistently liberal, but somehow I end up there. I see a lot of my liberal friends saying they want me to support Obamacare.
I really like the idea of Obamacare. I feel I should want to support it, but for me it has not worked out at all.
For the self-employed and small business owners it has meant a doubling of premiums.
Also, I used to get my health insurance from the NY State Bar Association (NYSBA). Obamacare disqualified them as a group, so I am forced to buy my own insurance.
This year I bought a more expensive plan that wasn't on the exchange because it was the only one available to individuals that Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (where my oncologist is) is participating in. This plan will no longer exist in 2017. Currently, there are no plans available to individuals who are not low income that Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is participating in.
If Obamacare hadn't made the NYSBA no longer a group, I wouldn't be having this problem.
Can we at least change that about Obamacare?
I really like the idea of Obamacare. I feel I should want to support it, but for me it has not worked out at all.
For the self-employed and small business owners it has meant a doubling of premiums.
Also, I used to get my health insurance from the NY State Bar Association (NYSBA). Obamacare disqualified them as a group, so I am forced to buy my own insurance.
This year I bought a more expensive plan that wasn't on the exchange because it was the only one available to individuals that Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (where my oncologist is) is participating in. This plan will no longer exist in 2017. Currently, there are no plans available to individuals who are not low income that Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is participating in.
If Obamacare hadn't made the NYSBA no longer a group, I wouldn't be having this problem.
Can we at least change that about Obamacare?
Saturday, October 8, 2016
updates 161007
I’m currently appearing in the farce “Drinking
Habits” as Sister Augusta at The Clove Creek Dinner Theater, in Fishkill, NY. This is a really funny show. You should come. Tickets available here http://www.clovecreekdinnertheater.com/whats-playing
I have also appeared again with the improv team
“Spooky Doings” Performance photos here
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Photos from Spooky Doings 161001
These are photos from the Spooky Doings performance of October 1, 2016 -- thanks to Rick Guzman I'm in blue-- though perhaps it looks a bit purple in these photos -- and bright socks
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Pets, puppy mills, rescue animals, animal shelters
So I read that communities in Westchester County, NY are requiring people who want pets to take them from shelters rather than from breeders. I am opposed to this legislation.
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/2016/09/16/puppy-mill-laws-expand-across-county/90414656/
First, let me tell a story about a cat I had.
I got this cat through a rescue operation. I had him for 8 years. During this time, he vomited frequently, always on the best rugs. I was not able to train him to go to the bare floor. He also destroyed virtually all of my bed linens. I had him declawed thinking that would help, but he was destroying the linens with his teeth.
I also tried all manner of cat foods, including special ones from the vet and various expensive brands, both dry and canned. None of these seemed to help with the vomiting.
Ultimately, I decided that having to constantly replace all of my bed linens was too expensive, so I tried to get rid of him.
I learned that all the shelters in Westchester were no kill shelters. Therefore, they were over-full and could not take animals that were not salable. A middle aged cat with health and behavior problems was not considered salable.
I tried to take the cat to a kill shelter in the Bronx, but they said they would not take him, because I was not an NYC resident.
I learned that it was illegal to release a cat into the wild in Westchester, as well. I doubt it would have worked, as the cat was micro-chipped. It was also illegal to euthanize your own cat. Only a vet could euthanize the cat. It was not entirely clear whether vets would euthanize a cat that was not terminally ill. Also, vets are expensive.
Personally, I consider this situation unconstitutional. If you have a child that you can no longer take care of, you can put the child up for adoption, and the child will be taken off your hands. If you have a pet that you can no longer take care of, there is no way of getting rid of it in Westchester.
In other words, my punishment for taking in a rescue cat, was that all my bed linens would have to be perpetually in rags -- and that there was no legal remedy at all for this.
The cat was also destroying pillows and footwear in a closet that it was creeping into.
During this process, I learned that many cats have digestive issues, because really they are supposed to be eating mice, and commercial cat food is not made from mice, because there is no supply chain for mice: no farms that raise them, no machines that could process them into cat food, etc. One cat expert posited that the cat's chewing behavior was due to being ill from inappropriate food and trying to make himself vomit.
One friend recommended I try food made from bison meat. I didn't get that far. The friend found a family who wanted a middle aged cat and would be willing to deal with the issues that I was not willing to deal with any more. That was a great relief to me.
However, I came to the conclusion that rescue cats may not be good house pets. Perhaps they descend from pets who were put out, precisely because they had health or behavior problems that made them poor pets.
By contrast, pets that are bred by a breeder, were, presumably, conceived from animals who made good pets.
If we require people to own pets who came from rescue shelters, we may make pet ownership impossible. These animals may not be suitable for living in homes at all.
Also, the law needs to changed so that people actually can get rid of unwanted pets. Taking in a pet should not be slavery. You should be able to get rid of it, without paying to get rid of it.
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/2016/09/16/puppy-mill-laws-expand-across-county/90414656/
First, let me tell a story about a cat I had.
I got this cat through a rescue operation. I had him for 8 years. During this time, he vomited frequently, always on the best rugs. I was not able to train him to go to the bare floor. He also destroyed virtually all of my bed linens. I had him declawed thinking that would help, but he was destroying the linens with his teeth.
I also tried all manner of cat foods, including special ones from the vet and various expensive brands, both dry and canned. None of these seemed to help with the vomiting.
Ultimately, I decided that having to constantly replace all of my bed linens was too expensive, so I tried to get rid of him.
I learned that all the shelters in Westchester were no kill shelters. Therefore, they were over-full and could not take animals that were not salable. A middle aged cat with health and behavior problems was not considered salable.
I tried to take the cat to a kill shelter in the Bronx, but they said they would not take him, because I was not an NYC resident.
I learned that it was illegal to release a cat into the wild in Westchester, as well. I doubt it would have worked, as the cat was micro-chipped. It was also illegal to euthanize your own cat. Only a vet could euthanize the cat. It was not entirely clear whether vets would euthanize a cat that was not terminally ill. Also, vets are expensive.
Personally, I consider this situation unconstitutional. If you have a child that you can no longer take care of, you can put the child up for adoption, and the child will be taken off your hands. If you have a pet that you can no longer take care of, there is no way of getting rid of it in Westchester.
In other words, my punishment for taking in a rescue cat, was that all my bed linens would have to be perpetually in rags -- and that there was no legal remedy at all for this.
The cat was also destroying pillows and footwear in a closet that it was creeping into.
During this process, I learned that many cats have digestive issues, because really they are supposed to be eating mice, and commercial cat food is not made from mice, because there is no supply chain for mice: no farms that raise them, no machines that could process them into cat food, etc. One cat expert posited that the cat's chewing behavior was due to being ill from inappropriate food and trying to make himself vomit.
One friend recommended I try food made from bison meat. I didn't get that far. The friend found a family who wanted a middle aged cat and would be willing to deal with the issues that I was not willing to deal with any more. That was a great relief to me.
However, I came to the conclusion that rescue cats may not be good house pets. Perhaps they descend from pets who were put out, precisely because they had health or behavior problems that made them poor pets.
By contrast, pets that are bred by a breeder, were, presumably, conceived from animals who made good pets.
If we require people to own pets who came from rescue shelters, we may make pet ownership impossible. These animals may not be suitable for living in homes at all.
Also, the law needs to changed so that people actually can get rid of unwanted pets. Taking in a pet should not be slavery. You should be able to get rid of it, without paying to get rid of it.
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