#bill bullard

[intellignant]

“Looking at means of developing compassion, empathy’s an important factor: the ability to appreciate others’ suffering”- Dalai Lama 🤍 “I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it”- Maya Angelou 🤍 “The highest form of knowledge is empathy”- Bill Bullard 🤍

[nousrose]

Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge; it requires no accountability, no understanding. Oedipus is full of opinions, full of voice, and they get him into deep trouble. The highest form of knowledge, according to george eliot, is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound, purpose larger than the self kind of understanding. Empathy for his town and for his family is oedipus’ great achievement, and it is an immediate consequence of his integrity. And if the play works, if catharsis means anything, the lasting emotion of the play is our empathy for oedipus. Our experiencing through pity and fear the pain and the final self‐possession of the man. If we can leave the play with our strong judgments and opinions replaced by empathy, the experience has saved and deepened us.

Commencement Speech

Bill Bullard

[donotdestroy]

Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge… is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.

Bill Bullard 

[jrich103]

The highest form of knowledge is empathy. – Bill Bullard

[1introvertedsage]

Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest for of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world.

~Bill Bullard~

[linusjf]

Bill Bullard: Opinion

“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge… is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.” —Bill Bullard.

[aads22]

The highest form of knowledge is empathy.

– Bill Bullard

[mitjalovse]

A homecoming is a principle all musicians should tackle more delicately than most of your comebacks. Why? Well, they can ruin a group. Let's say your band had two great lineups and you can find yourself having many problems by returning with the members of just one. I agree, Cycles by The Doobie Brothers remains a terrible case for something like that, the LP didn't piss off Michael McDonald, since he sat this one out as Tom Johnston came back to helm the collective. Thus, the sound there resembled their early 70's with the added sheen of the late 80's. I have to admit I find the combination a bit off, because the soundscapes don't seem to breathe in the way of their 70's. Then again, many of their peers released the similar record back then, so I guess we can blame the era for this.

[harleehazbinfics]

Home is where my Heart is.

Chapter 1: A New Home Table of Contents | Profile

Word Count: 1395 A/N: aaaa im so happy i can finally post it. pls enjoy~ it's hazbin hotel guys, that's a warning in itself

(edited as of Feb 20)

I hopped off the bus clutching my hat in one hand and my bag in the other. Lifting my hand off the hat, I reached inside my coat for a piece of paper.

“Angel Suites, 123 Bullard Avenue,” I muttered reading the paper then looking at the tall building in front of me. I sighed and went inside and was then greeted with a stench of tobacco from the clerk in the front smoking reading a magazine.

I grimaced and knocked on the wooden desk to gain his attention, from the lack of a bell. He lifted his eyes from the paper and narrowed his gaze to glare at me, causing me to break in nervous sweat.

 “Hi, I-I’m Miledy Calliope. I called you yesterday for an apartment room?” I tried to say out cursing at myself from my stutters.

He rolled his eyes, folded his newspaper to the side and opened a small drawer to his right, muttering curses as he looked for my keys. When he finally found them, he threw them at me to which I hastily caught, causing me to drop my belongings.

“The stairs are to the left,” he groaned in annoyance, opening his newspaper again and turning on the radio on his left increasing the volume, seemingly to drown me out if I had any more questions and then taking a drag from his tobacco.

I huffed and drudged to my now apartment room, it was cold and damp inside. It has a somewhat worn-out couch and bed, an empty kitchen. To save myself from a migraine, I plopped down on the bare bed and collected my thoughts to stay calm.

“This is better than nothing at all. Better than staying at that damned place for sure,” I complained quietly looking through the glass window in melancholy. I sat up and rummaged through my bag to find a little rabbit stuffed toy, squeezing it for comfort for being in a new environment and an entirely new life.

For a while, I did as much I could do to make the place cleaner than I found it and homier for me. As the sun went down, cleaned up myself. I wore a glittery loose dress, the length all the way to my ankles, accompanied by bright earrings and a fur coat.

After locking up the door, I headed towards my first gig.  I breathed out a sigh as I tried to shake off my nerves, I stood at the half-filled club. I turned my head when I heard a shrill call for my name.

“Miledy!” I see a short woman theatrically calling my name.

“Miss Mimzy!” I replied excitedly, “Thank you so much for having me!”

“Of course, no problem! Just bring in some bills, yeah?” she joked with her thumb and pointer together to sign for money while winking.

“I’ll try!” I shrugged with a smile.

After a while of talking someone gave me a cue to get on stage. “Good luck, honey!” Mimzy cheered.

As soon as I got on stage and sang in front of the mic with a sudden boost in confidence, I didn’t notice a fine gentleman sitting next to Mimzy greeting her and talking with each other.

“Mimzy! Good evening, my dear,” the brunette greeted tipping down his hat. “A newcomer I see.”

“Hi, Al!” she replied enthusiastically, “Yeah, I scouted her from the city down during my trip. Lovely, isn’t she?”

Alastor merely hummed amused and answered, “A pleasing voice indeed. Would you mind introducing me after the show? I'd love to get to know this new talent of yours.”

Mimzy raised her eyebrow a bit skeptical, “Sure, no problem.”

The further the songs went on the more Alastor was enchanted, barely able to take his eyes off her. However, he noticed that he wasn’t the only one to take interest in her, his face contorted into a sneer when he lustful stares the men had in his peripherals, as they enjoyed their liquor.

When I finished my stage, the place erupted in cheers, whistles and applause making me feel overwhelmed with the attention. I smiled and waved my hand at them, thanking them for enjoying the show. I bounded to Mimzy and her company, where she counted her money.

“That was fantastic, darlin’! Look how much money you raked in!” Mimzy cheered.

“Given how clear and beautiful her voice was, I'd say it's quite deserved!” the gentleman with a glasses complimented. I blushed and replied with a small thank you which he smiled at.

“Miledy, this is my friend Alastor, he works as a radio host right here in New Orleans.”

“Miledy, Miledy Calliope. I just arrived in town today actually,” introducing myself to him and shaking his hand, his grin subtly growing deeper.

“Well, I have to go check the schedules and see when I can squeeze you on stage again. Toodles!” Mimzy smiled with an obsessive glint in her eyes.

Alaster faces me once again, “Can I offer you a drink?”

My smile froze a bit, thinking about it. He analyzes me a bit before adding with a laugh in his tone, “Don’t worry. I won’t do anything to harm you! I’m a frequent patron here and a very well-known voice and face here, you know? I neither don’t want to put my reputation to be at risk nor do I want you to have a bad time around here. Just think of it as a welcome gift as friends.”

I thought over what he said and smiled as he went on. I conceded to him, “Alright, why not? Sorry about being so skeptical.”

“No worries at all! It’s great that you’re on your guard. Not a lot of people are like me,” he teased bringing us to the bar.

“What? Tall and charming?” I retorted getting more comfortable around him.

He chuckled charmingly making me blush again, he then joked “Well, I was going for a kind respectable gentleman. I guess that can work too.”

I laughed at his not-so-subtle attempt to improve his self-image while his smile seemed a bit more genuine as he finally heard this woman laugh. He seemed to be enthralled with the image of me laughing and giggling at his remarks that he fished for more reactions out of me while we enjoyed a bunch of drinks.

The night grew colder, we started to gather ourselves and got out of the establishment.

“You sure can hold your liquor, darlin’,” Alastor remarked, he himself flushed red.

“I can say the same to you for a lanky figure like yours, sir,” I teased, “This was fun. Thanks for tonight, Alastor.”

His gaze softened and reached out pat my head which I indulged, finding his touch comforting. Oh, dear was I drunk.

“No problem. It was a fantastic night for me too. Do you have any plans anytime soon?” he asked keeping his hand on the top of my head.

“Mmm. I think I have to buy a few things for my apartment, why do you ask?” I answered, somewhat hopeful raising my eyes at him doe-ishly.

He breathed out a chuckle from my actions and replied, “Allow me to accompany you then. I’ll show you a fantastic store, one where your money’s worth spending to. I’ll free some time in a few days to show you around.”

“I’d like that. Thank you,” I smiled.

“Great! Now come, I’ll escort you back home. These streets are crawling with criminals at these hours,” he explained offering his arm out to me which I latched onto, growing creeped out as we strolled down to my place.

When we were half-way there, I heard a blood curdling scream as clear as day. It seemed so close to me, as if they were screaming in my ears, causing me to freeze and hold onto Alastor tighter. His perked up in alert as he circled his arm around me protectively, unbeknownst to me of the sadistic smile he had in the sick pleasure of the sound of suffering.

Reminding himself of the damsel in his arms, he rubbed had over my back and led me faster. “Don’t worry, doll. It’s nothing, just some pesky crows,” he lied.

I didn’t question further and walked briskly right next to him, blocking my ears as the screams slowly quieted down leaving it to my imagination.

[wildflowerwoodsworld]

I don't really talk about my aus on here, but I'm pretty proud of the work I've put into this one so I thought I'd share

Nobody ask how long this took.

As per usual, several of the ocs on this list (Nickole, Bastian, Aella, Madlyn, Ruth, Madeline, Vivian, Cornelia, Silas, Angela, Primrose, Lerola, Dalila, Levi, Sylvia, Hannah, Juniper, Silvester, Alexandra and Alderbrand) belong to the lovely @crazedstoryteller, the rest of the ocs (Fiona, Lana, Tondra and Lia) are mine, and obviously canon chracters are canon

(alternate version of the table under the cut)

Surname Name Height Bird Wingspan

Poizot Gueldre 194cm Common Ostrich 142cm

Vermillion Mimosa 161cm Beautiful Sheartail 143cm

Vermillion Kirsch 182cm Purple-Throated Carib 152cm

Unsworth Dorothy 145cm Green Peafowl 158cm

Mehmad Rhya 181cm Superb Lyrebird 168cm

Adlai Marie 135cm Eurasian Magpie 182cm

Becquerel Letoile 165cm Zebra Dove 187cm

Vermillion Nickole 168cm Rufous-collared kingfisher 191cm

Silva Nebra 170cm Buff-Breasted Paradise Kingfisher 192cm

Tenmanyashiki Fujio 176cm Anna’s Hummingbird 192cm

Florimond Bastian 176cm Turkey 202cm

Pappitson Charmy 142cm Dalmatian Pelican 216cm

Silva Acier 167cm Kookaburra 217cm

Clarkson Aella 165cm Northern Cardinal 218cm

Swallowtail Secre 152cm Anti-Bird 225cm

Francois Marx 167cm Common Grackle 226cm

Faust Morgen 180cm White-Necked Raven 228cm

Silva Nozel 177cm Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher 228cm

Faust Nacht 180cm White-Necked Raven 228cm

Fiore Madlyn 149cm European Robin 234cm

Roselei Ruth 169cm House Sparrow 235cm

Bergen Fana 162cm Baltimore oriole 236cm

Mehmad Fana 162cm Baltimore oriole 236cm

Angel Puli 168cm Tundra Swan 236cm

Wechsler Grey 159cm Kererū 238.5cm

Funar Recca 153cm European Robin 240cm

Thorncroft Madeline 171cm Black Swan 241cm

Mikuriya Fumito 176cm Eurasian Teal 241cm

Adlai Gauche 181cm Eurasian Magpie 245cm

Tium Shiren 183cm Great Potoo 245cm

Silva Solid 169cm Yellow Billed Kingfisher 246.5cm

Silva Noelle 161cm Common Kingfisher 250cm

Vaude Langris 166cm Western Tanager 253cm

Tormenta Fragil 162cm European Robin 254cm

Portaport Cob 173cm Willow Ptarmigan 256cm

Shipley Vivian 175cm European Robin 257cm

Franklin Cornelia 159cm Black-necked Grebe 257cm

Kozma Lolopechka 165cm American White Pelican 257cm

Luftair Randall 175cm Mute Swan 263cm

Libardirt Morris 177cm Mallard 267cm

Vaude Silas 173cm Hepatic Tanager 271cm

Keller Mariella 157cm Pacific Loon 271cm

Code Dominante 167cm Superb Starling 272cm

Clarkson Angela 168cm Vermilion Cardinal 274cm

Hage Asta 155cm Shining Bronze Cuckoo 275cm

Bullard Sally 160cm Pacific Loon 277cm

Roulacase Fiona 171cm Common Snipe 278cm

Marron Sol 180cm European Robin 282cm

Enoteca Vanessa 170cm Taiwan Rosefinch 283.5cm

Roselei Lerola 170cm Aztec Thrush 283cm

Roselei Primrose 175cm Varied Thrush 283cm

Holt Nash 136cm Common Kestrel 286cm

Ringard En 176cm Great Spotted Woodpecker 286cm

Roulacase Finral 172cm Great Snipe 287cm

Lister Dalila 177cm Great Spotted Woodpecker 288cm

Legolant Henry 190cm Trumpet Swan 290cm

McNamara Owen 180cm Great Spotted Woodpecker 293cm

Roe Levi 178cm American Coot 294cm

Vaude Sylvia 167cm Summer Tanager 295cm

Orfai Orsi 180cm American Coot 297cm

Hangatsuji Jozo 178cm Alpine Chough 297cm

Aquaria Lily 160cm Grey Heron 306cm

Kruger Fanzell 178cm Spur-Winged Goose 310cm

Kezokaku Ginnojomorifuyu 169cm Pygmy Falcon 313cm

Sandler Alecdora 178cm Common Cuckoo 314cm

Caseus Hamon 170cm Least Sandpiper 317cm

Starr Mars 170cm Common Starling 325cm

Gerver Hannah 169cm Chimney Swift 338cm

Ideale Zara 177cm Carrion Crow 340cm

Bronzazza Sekke 175cm Rock Dove 341cm

Rapual Theresa 162cm Common Kestrel 341cm

Salik Revchi 176cm Rock Dove 342cm

Lugner Xerx 177cm Snowy Sheathbill 345cm

Roselei Charlotte 171cm Mountain Bluebird 346cm

Voltia Luck 167cm Peregrine Falcon 348cm

Vaude Lana 168cm White Winged Tanager 349cm

Dorthonion Ladros 180cm Rock Dove 350cm

Landvik Valtos 178cm Chimney Swift 356cm

Ideale Zora 176cm Hooded Crow 357cm

Vermillion Leopold 170cm Brown Falcon 360cm

Boismortier Rill 165cm Kea 363cm

Swing Magna 169cm Gyrfalcon 364cm

Lunettes Klaus 176cm European Nightjar 371cm

Fodor Gadjah 176cm Magnificent Frigatebird 377cm

Novachrono Julius 180cm European Golden Eagle 379cm

Granvorka Kaiser 193cm Kori Buzzard 393cm

Mushogatake Yosuga 181cm Saker Falcon 400cm

Grinberryall Yuno 172cm Common Swift 404cm

Kay Juniper 170cm Great Shearwater 406cm

Sturm Tondra 167cm Barn Owl 407cm

Vermillion Mereoleona 178cm Fox Kestrel 409cm

Yami Ichika 156cm Northern Royal Albatross 414cm

Gidul Vetto 196cm California Condor 420cm

Vermillion Fuegoleon 188cm Nunkeen Kestrel 421cm

Garver Silvester 184cm Eurasian Hobby 429cm

Spirito Rades 174cm Hooded Vulture 435cm

Swallow David 175cm Tree Swallow 438cm

Imari Komari 160cm White-Throated Needletail 440cm

Mehmad Patri 172cm New Zealand Dotterel 440cm

Vangeance William 172cm New Zealand Dotterel 440cm

Vermillion Alexandra 181cm Madagascar Fish Eagle 441cm

O’oka Daizaemon 193cm Great Buzzard 453cm

Bardsley Lia 168cm White-Throated Needletail 462cm

Summerfield Jack 197cm Common Swift 464cm

Agrippa Gordon 187cm Rüppell’s Vulture 468cm

Yami Sukehiro 183cm Wandering Albatross 476cm

Vermillion Alderbrand 185cm African Fish Eagle 493cm

Ryuudou Ryuuya 182cm Amsterdam Albatross 507cm

[cowgirl60]

Morning Mantra: "Empathy allows us to be present without opinion."

Opinions are really the lowest form of human knowledge. They require no accountability, or understanding. Opinions are like a wall, not only for yourself but also for others. When you close your mind you close it to possibility.

The highest form of knowledge is empathy. This requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires us to recognize that everyone has an opinion, and that many opinions are not based on actual fact, but rather on emotion.

Empathy allows us to be at peace with this. To still be kind, respectful and considerate.

#BeEmpatheticNotOpionated #BeHappy #BeHorsey #BeHippie #HorseHippie #HorseHippieBoutique #InspirationalQuotes #Inspire #QuotesToMakeYouFeelGood #QuotesFromTheHeart #morningmantras

Quotes: Bill Bullard and Marshall Rosenberg

[donotdestroy]

"Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge… is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding."

– Bill Bullard

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Just days after Illinois became the ninth U.S. state to ban assault rifles, the state already hit a roadblock to implementing the law: defiant sheriff's offices.

At least 74 Illinois sheriff's departments have publicly vowed to defy elements of a recent gun-control law signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, which banned assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and switches. The offices have vowed to not check if weapons are registered with the state or house individuals arrested only for not complying with the law.

As the number of uncooperative sheriff's offices increased, Pritzker has made his own vow – to ensure those members of law enforcement who fail to "do their job… won't be in their job."

The Illinois Sheriffs' Association issued a statement Wednesday expressing continued opposition to the law. Simultaneously, dozens of sheriff's offices began to post nearly identical messages promising they would not check for compliance with the law or arrest offenders of the law.

Jim Kaitschuk, executive director of the Illinois Sheriffs' Association, said he drafted the statement which sheriff's offices began to sign or modify.

"Therefore, as the custodian of the jail and chief law enforcement official for DuPage County, that neither myself nor my office will be checking to ensure that lawful gun owners register their weapons with the State, nor will we be arresting or housing law abiding individuals that have been charged solely with non-compliance of this Act," DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick wrote in a statement, which was mirrored by dozens of other offices.

With a population of over 920,000 residents, DuPage County is the largest county to defy the law.

ABC News was able to identify at least 59 sheriff's offices that issued a nearly identical statement, the main identifiable difference between the statements being the letterhead and name of the county in the text of the statement.

In total, at least 74 offices said they plan to not use resources to enforce elements of the law, impacting nearly 4,000,000 Illinois residents, or over 30 percent of the state's residents.

Other than DuPage county, the most populous counties in Illinois – Cook, Lake, and Will Counties – have not issued any statement opposing the law. The deadly 2022 Highland Park parade shooting took place in Lake County, which is enforcing the law. Most of the sheriff's offices opposing the law reside in counties with less than 100,000 residents, though nine defiant counties have populations exceeding 100,000.

Kaitschuk said he disagreed with the idea that sheriffs have an obligation to check compliance with the law or house offenders in their jails.

"That is not a charge that is provided to us, or mandated to us in the bill that passed and was signed by the Governor," he said.

Many of the sheriffs defying the law have described their opposition to the law as akin to civil disobedience to protect the Second Amendment.

"We will not be enforcing it in this county; I will also not house anyone in my jail that has violated this act because we know it to be an unlawful act by the general assembly and the Governor," Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Bullard Sr. said in an online video.

Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, whose jurisdiction covers nearly 200,000 residents, signed a modified version of the statement. In an interview with ABC News, Campbell based his opposition to the law due to both adherence to the Constitution and the ineffectiveness of the law.

"The law will have zero impact on the murder rate in the state of Illinois," Campbell said.

Some offices took less defiant stances which include waiting for movement from the courts or legislative action.

"I understand that our nation had witnesses frequent tragedies involving gun violence and I am in no way attempting to minimize the impact these events have had," St. Clair County Sheriff Richard Watson wrote in a statement, in which he said he opposed the law but did not promise to defy it.

When asked why he decided to not enforce the law rather than wait for action from the courts, Campbell returned his belief that the law is unconstitutional and will eventually be struck down.

"Because between now or Tuesday when the bill was signed into law by the Governor, how many people can have their constitutional rights violated?" he asked. “And I don’t believe any U.S. citizens should ever have their country’s rights violated at anytime."

Pritzker addressed the defiance, commenting that members of law enforcement who fail to enforce it might lose their job.

"The fact is that yes there are of course people who are trying to politically grandstand, who want to make a name for themselves by claiming that they will not comply," he said. "But the reality is that the state police is responsible for enforcement, as are all law enforcement all across our state and they will in fact do their job or they won't be in their job."

Kaitschuk rebutted the idea that Pritzker has the authority to fire members of law enforcement, especially elected sheriffs.

"I'm just not aware of any provision that provides the Governor that opportunity to do so," he said.

Eric Ruben, a law professor at Southern Methodist University and fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, told ABC News that the public statements made by the sheriffs could significantly impact residents' behavior.

"Even if it's posturing and political, it does send a signal to residents in these communities that they don't have to worry about the law," he said.

Ruben added when sheriffs made public statements about the enforcement and constitutionality of a similar 2013 New York state law requiring the registrations of assault rifles, New York received far fewer registrations than expected, suggesting noncompliance with the law.

"Ultimately, it's not the sheriff's job to decide on the constitutionality of laws," he said. "That's generally something that the courts do."

On Thursday, Pritzker reaffirmed his stance that the sheriff's offices should not be making decisions about which laws to enforce and which to ignore.

"You know, you can have all the resolutions and declarations that you want," Pritzker said. "The reality is that the laws that are on the books, you don't get to choose which ones people are going to follow."

Ruben added that the sheriffs' public statements about checking that residents register their guns could be a "red herring" or distraction since the law does not call on law enforcement to check that citizens register their firearms unprompted.

Pritzker made a similar point on Friday, noting that registering the guns is ” not something that requires the intervention of a sheriff.”

Kaitschuk said the Illinois Sheriffs' Association does not intend to challenge the law in court; however, on Tuesday, the Illinois State Rifle Association declared its intention to go to court.

"Challenge accepted. The Illinois State Rifle Association will see the State of Illinois in court," Richard Pearson, the association's executive director, said.

During a bill signing on Friday, Pritzker remarked he was confident the state law was constitutional.

[dankusner]

Abbott visits Fort Worth to swear in slate of new Texas business court judges

With hands raised and in black robes, Gov. Greg Abbott swore in 10 judges to the newly created statewide business courts at a ceremony at Texas A&M University School of Law in downtown Fort Worth.

The new courts, which were made possible by the passage of House Bill 19 during the 2023 legislative session, will handle certain high-value business disputes of at least $5 million in some cases and more than $10 million in others.

https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/html/HB00019F.htm

“It’s about time,” Abbott said, speaking to a law school lecture hall filled with judges, attorneys and lawmakers. “We are speeding up the process — the decision-making process — in business cases. (We’re) doing that by reducing the caseload in the preexisting courts (that) will also help them decide their cases a whole lot faster.”

On Sept. 1, five court divisions opened in Fort Worth, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston, according to the state court’s website.

Abbott this summer appointed two judges to each division for two-year terms.

The new courts give the governor the opportunity to appoint judges in the state for the first time.

The fee to file a case is $2,500.

As of Sept. 19, there were eight cases filed in the state’s business courts, according to a Bloomberg Law search.

The 8th business court division in Fort Worth is based inside the Texas A&M School of Law building in downtown, where the courtrooms and judges’ chambers will reside.

“This provides just one more reason for out-of-state companies to move to the state of Texas, but (the business courts are) also going to provide a way for (A&M Law) students to interact with these courts, and with the fact that you’re connected with the business community,” said Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp.

Advocates for the formation of business courts said the new courts will reduce backlog and allow judges who are familiar with complex legal matters to oversee cases.

Andrew Zeve, a partner at White & Case, a global law firm that specializes in corporate transactions and litigation with offices in Houston, co-wrote an explainer article on the Texas business courts.

He says that a lot of state court judges were already very capable of handling legal matters before, but the new business courts could help.

“It certainly doesn’t hurt knowing that you’re going to go to a judge that has a background in the specific type of case you’re working on,” said Zeve, a trial lawyer who specializes in complex commercial disputes and intellectual property litigation. “I do perceive that these judges will help alleviate some congestion on the dockets in the busier cities.”

Zeve also expects that judges in these courts will more often issue written opinions — currently a rare occasion in state district courts.

“That’ll help clarify Texas law on issues and complex litigation, because having more jurisprudence out there can only help,” said Zeve.

Left to right:

Texas A&M University School of Law Dean Robert Ahdieh,

Judge Brian Stagner,

Gov. Greg Abbott and

Judge Jerry Bullard pose for a photograph after the ceremony on Sep. 19, 2024, at Texas A&M University School of Law.

Abbott appointed two business attorneys with decades of litigation experience to the Fort Worth division:

Jerry Bullard of Colleyville

and Brian Stagner of Fort Worth.

Bullard, who has three decades of experience in state and federal litigation in both trial and appellate law, is a shareholder and attorney with Adams, Lynch and Loftin, P.C. in Grapevine.

He is a gubernatorial appointee on the Texas Juvenile Justice Department Board and a member of the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee. He received his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.

Bullard has donated $750 to Abbott since 2014, according to the political donation tracker OpenSecrets.

Stagner, a former partner at Kelly, Hart and Hallman and an adjunct professor in business law at Texas Christian University, has over two decades of experience in state and federal complex business litigation.

He has experience with consumer class action, corporate governance, unfair business practices and other areas.

He has represented major business clients in manufacturing and technology, obtaining multi-million dollar verdicts and serving as co-counsel on a trademark case that won around $56 million.

He received his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.

“This partnership of the Texas business court and Texas A&M is just the start across multiple industry sectors from hypersonics and urban agriculture to gaming and the treatment of rare diseases,” said Robert Ahdieh, dean of the Texas A&M University School of Law and chief operating officer of Texas A&M Fort Worth.

He says that bringing the business courts to the city is just one aspect of the collaborations that Texas A&M Fort Worth will bring. Once complete, the expanded downtown campus will have a “tremendous impact” in Fort Worth, North Texas and beyond, Ahdieh said.

[epacer]

NO PHONE ZONE

More California schools are banning smartphones, but kids keep bringing them

At Bullard High School in Fresno, it’s easy to see the benefits of banning students’ cellphones. Bullying is down and socialization is up, principal Armen Torigian said.

Enforcing the smartphone restrictions? That’s been harder.

Instead of putting their devices in magnetically locked pouches, like they’re supposed to, some kids will stick something else in there instead, like a disused old phone, a calculator, a glue bottle or just the phone case. Others attack the pouch, pulling at stitches, cutting the bottom, or defacing it so it looks closed when it’s really open. Most students comply, but those who don’t create disproportionate chaos.

“You should see how bad it is,” Torigian said. “It’s great to say no phones, but I don’t think people realize the addiction of the phones and what students will go to tell you ‘No, you’re not taking my phone.’”

Bullard, which began restricting phones two years ago, is a step ahead of other schools around the state that have moved recently to prohibit cellphones in classrooms. Bullard and other pioneering schools offer a preview of how such bans might play out as they become more common. Educators who have enacted the smartphone restrictions said they help bolster student participation and reduce bullying but also raise challenges, like how to effectively keep phones locked up against determined students and how to identify and treat kids truly addicted to their devices.

Citing Bullard as an example, Gov. Gavin Newsom last week urged school districts statewide to “act now” and adopt similar restrictions on smartphone use, reminding them that a 2019 law gives them the authority to do so. Los Angeles Unified, the nation’s second-largest school district, recently approved plans to ban phones in January. One bill before the state Legislature would impose similar limits statewide while another would ban the use of social media at school. Another would prevent social media companies from sending notifications during school hours as part of a broader set of regulations intended to disrupt social media addiction.

Calls to limit how students use smartphones are driven in part by concerned educators. A Pew Research Center survey released in June found that 1 in 3 middle school teachers and nearly 3 in 4 high school teachers call smartphones a major problem. During school hours in a single day, the average student receives 60 notifications and spends 43 minutes — roughly the length of a classroom period — on their phone, according to a 2023 study by Common Sense Media.

There is growing pressure to protect young people from excessive screen time generally:

•    In June, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy urged Congress to require social media companies to place warning labels on their content in order to protect young people

•    Attorneys general from 45 U.S. states filed lawsuits against Meta for failing to protect children

•    Released in March, the popular book The Anxious Generation correlates declining mental health among young people with smartphone adoption and encourages parents to demand school districts ban smartphones until high school

The moves to limit smartphone use in California put it near the forefront of an increasingly national trend. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul has reportedly been mulling a statewide school smartphone ban for several months now. Florida, Ohio, and Indiana have all imposed some degree of statewide restrictions on phones in schools, and several other states have introduced similar legislation. Education Week in June said 11 states either restrict or encourage school districts to restrict student phone use.

In San Bernardino, ban leads to higher teacher satisfaction

Teachers have had classroom phone policies for years; what’s new at schools like Bullard are that their bans are blanket, campus-wide restrictions. Many of the schools that moved early to adopt such bans are smaller and charter schools, like Soar Academy, a TK-8 charter school with 430 mostly low-income students in San Bernardino. Like Bullard, it also found enforcement of its ban was tough. Suspending students wasn’t an option. Neither was yanking phones from students’ hands. That left an honor system, which relied on students’ willingness to accept that smartphones and social media are harmful to their mental health and a distraction from learning.

“The key was that we needed 100% buy-in from teachers. There couldn’t be a weak link,” said Soar principal Trisha Lancaster. “It was scary, because we weren’t sure it was going to work. But we were determined to try.”

Lancaster said it also helped not to give parents or students a choice in the matter. The school simply presented the new policy, alongside ample research on the harmful effects of cellphones and social media on young people, and made it clear what the punishments would be.

For the first violation, staff would keep a student’s phone for the day and call their parents. Punishments would escalate until the sixth offense, when a student would have to meet with the school board, whose members might suggest the student enroll elsewhere.

At Soar, the idea originated at the end of the 2022-23 school year, when teachers said they were fed up with distracted students and an overall dispiriting school climate. Students, Lancaster said, “had lost their social skills.”

So the staff decided to ban phones during class, at recess, at lunch and after school — essentially, all times except when in a special area where parents or others can pick them up from school. Students must keep phones off and in backpacks when they are not permitted.

The first year of the ban went smoother than expected, Lancaster said. Some students and parents protested, but most understood the policy was in students’ best interests. Test scores didn’t budge much, but at the end of the school year, a survey of teachers showed much higher job satisfaction than they recorded previously. And walking across campus, the improvements are obvious, Lancaster said.

“Everyone on campus is so much happier. You see kids actually socializing, problem solving, enjoying themselves,” Lancaster said, choking up as she described the school atmosphere. “It’s true, it’s one more thing to enforce. But education matters, and now kids are learning. That’s the No. 1 reason we did this.”

Bans from San Mateo to San Diego

At Soar, the idea originated at the end of the 2022-23 school year, when teachers said they were fed up with distracted students and an overall dispiriting school climate. Students, Lancaster said, “had lost their social skills.”

So the staff decided to ban phones during class, at recess, at lunch and after school — essentially, all times except when in a special area where parents or others can pick them up from school. Students must keep phones off and in backpacks when they are not permitted.

The first year of the ban went smoother than expected, Lancaster said. Some students and parents protested, but most understood the policy was in students’ best interests. Test scores didn’t budge much, but at the end of the school year, a survey of teachers showed much higher job satisfaction than they recorded previously. And walking across campus, the improvements are obvious, Lancaster said.

“Everyone on campus is so much happier. You see kids actually socializing, problem solving, enjoying themselves,” Lancaster said, choking up as she described the school atmosphere. “It’s true, it’s one more thing to enforce. But education matters, and now kids are learning. That’s the No. 1 reason we did this.”

Bans from San Mateo to San Diego

Ron Dyste also implemented a smartphone ban and, like Ochoa, recommends them. Dyste is principal at Urban Discovery Academy, a TK-12 charter school in San Diego, which banned cellphones during the 2023-24 academic year amid an uptick in bullying, harassment and anxiety among students, staff told CalMatters. Nearly 90% of discipline cases, across Urban Discovery Academy and a school where he worked previously, could be traced to misuse of phones or social media, including students filming fights, spreading nude photos of classmates and encouraging students to kill themselves.

“I may never get some of those images out of my head. It’s horrible, what kids can do to each other,” Dyste said. “The damage to our kids and our communities is real.”

Dyste got the idea to ban phones when he and his wife went to a Dave Chapelle performance where audience members were required to secure their phones in locked pouches.

“My wife said, why don’t we do this in schools?” he said. “We knew we had to do something.”

Over last summer, the school sent out notices to families about the new policy, explaining the rationale. Some students complained, but parents were thrilled, Dyste said. And the improvements in campus climate were almost immediate.

Instead of “hiding away with their screens,” said Jenni Owen, the school’s chief operations officer, students spent their breaks talking, dancing, playing volleyball, and having fun. They developed empathy and a sense of community, she said.

At the end of the academic year, the school logged zero fights. The previous year, the school’s suspension rate was 13.5%, almost four times the state average.

“For schools that are wondering if they should take this on, I think the answer is, we have to,” Dyste said. “If we don’t educate kids on how and when to use this technology, we’re going to continue seeing a rise in suicide, sexual harassment, and anxiety.”

State legislators have recognized the importance of healthier technology use among children. California students are supposed to learn about “appropriate, responsible, and healthy behavior… related to current technology” under a media literacy law passed in October.

To pouch or not to pouch

To enforce smartphone bans, some schools rely on smartphone lockers or locked pouches like the kind Dyste saw in use at the Dave Chappelle show.

He tried using locked pouches from the Los Angeles-based company Yondr but encountered numerous issues. Some kids were breaking and smashing the pouches to open them, or they’d listen to music all day by connecting their earbuds to their locked-away phones using Bluetooth.

“We had to return what was left of the equipment,” he said. Instead of going with Yondr, which wanted $6,000 to cover 110 kids, Dyste found clear, plastic phone lockers on Amazon that cost $50 each and put one in each classroom.

Yondr told CalMatters: “Our pouches are designed to withstand heavy-duty usage, and we are continuously working to improve the durability of our solution. However, there will always be students who try to push boundaries, especially when policies are initially rolled out. For this reason, it is critical that our team works directly with districts and administrators in rolling out the Yondr Program, to ensure that the most effective policies and procedures are implemented for successful school-wide adoption. Without adherence to strong policies, schools may struggle with student compliance.”

Soar Academy also considered purchasing Yondr phone pouches but was discouraged by the $19,000 price tag.

The San Mateo-Foster City School District paid $50,000 to obtain Yondr pouches for roughly 3,000 students. To use them, staff hand out pouches at school entryways each morning, then students swab the pouch over a demagnetizer to unlock the pouch at the end of the day. Kids who want an exception to the rule — for a family emergency for example — must come to the school front office and ask for permission.

Yondr pouches come with a hefty price tag, Ochoa said, but he thinks it’s worth it to improve student focus.

“Call up five random superintendents, I don’t care where they’re at and ask them, how much would you spend to have your students pay more attention? It’s worth millions,” he said.

To pouch or not to pouch

To enforce smartphone bans, some schools rely on smartphone lockers or locked pouches like the kind Dyste saw in use at the Dave Chappelle show.

He tried using locked pouches from the Los Angeles-based company Yondr but encountered numerous issues. Some kids were breaking and smashing the pouches to open them, or they’d listen to music all day by connecting their earbuds to their locked-away phones using Bluetooth.

“We had to return what was left of the equipment,” he said. Instead of going with Yondr, which wanted $6,000 to cover 110 kids, Dyste found clear, plastic phone lockers on Amazon that cost $50 each and put one in each classroom.

Yondr told CalMatters: “Our pouches are designed to withstand heavy-duty usage, and we are continuously working to improve the durability of our solution. However, there will always be students who try to push boundaries, especially when policies are initially rolled out. For this reason, it is critical that our team works directly with districts and administrators in rolling out the Yondr Program, to ensure that the most effective policies and procedures are implemented for successful school-wide adoption. Without adherence to strong policies, schools may struggle with student compliance.”

Soar Academy also considered purchasing Yondr phone pouches but was discouraged by the $19,000 price tag.

The San Mateo-Foster City School District paid $50,000 to obtain Yondr pouches for roughly 3,000 students. To use them, staff hand out pouches at school entryways each morning, then students swab the pouch over a demagnetizer to unlock the pouch at the end of the day. Kids who want an exception to the rule — for a family emergency for example — must come to the school front office and ask for permission.

Yondr pouches come with a hefty price tag, Ochoa said, but he thinks it’s worth it to improve student focus.

“Call up five random superintendents, I don’t care where they’re at and ask them, how much would you spend to have your students pay more attention? It’s worth millions,” he said.

Mixed feelings among students

Whether phones get locked in a clear box or a silver pouch, Oakland High School senior Leah West said she finds it punitive to require students to lock their phones away before they have broken any rules with the devices. While Oakland High School does not have a blanket smartphone ban, her former English teacher sometimes locked student phones in Yondr pouches.

“We should be given a chance to prove ourselves,” she said, adding that such an approach can motivate a rebellious streak in students like her who like freedom and don’t like when she isn’t trusted to make a responsible decision.

Louisa Perry-Picciotto, who graduated from high school in Alameda in June, said students with jobs rely on their phones for work updates and all teens use their phones to communicate with their friends.

Still, she’s grateful her parents didn’t get her a smartphone until she was in eighth grade.

“I get distracted easily, and without a phone I was a lot more connected to the world,” she said.

Edamevoh Ajayi, who is a junior at Oakland Technical High School, said there’s no question some students don’t pay attention in class because they’re busy texting or playing games. Those students would definitely benefit from rules surrounding cellphone use like the kind being implemented at her school this year.

But she feels like she has a strong sense of self-control and a desire to learn, and doesn’t need a phone ban.

“When they take away my belongings, I feel like I’m being treated like a child,” she said. At her school, policies vary by classroom. In general, students are free to use their phones between classes and at lunch.

When students use their phones in class it can be frustrating for everyone else, said Fremont High School science teacher Chris Jackson. It puts teachers in a tough position: Either ignore that student and carry on for the sake of the students who are listening or disrupt learning for all students and confront them.

In the long run, Jackson said he’s worried that Black and brown students, who have historically faced higher rates of punishment than other students, will again bear the brunt of disciplinary actions related to smartphone bans. Rather than punishment, Jackson would prefer to see solutions that address root issues like addiction that lead students to use their devices in violation of the rules. So no matter what policy school districts adopt, he wants the focus to remain on teaching students digital literacy and how social media can be a risk to their health.

Course corrections

Some schools who helped pioneer smartphone bans have reassessed their initial approach.

This year, Bullard is changing its policy to allow students to access their smartphones at lunch time. Torigian said school administrators wanted to make room for important communications, for example by allowing students who pick up younger siblings to text with their parents. They also hoped the looser rules would encourage more students to comply with the ban.

If kids don’t comply, teachers call parents, and if they still refuse they’re sent to what the school calls the re-engagement center. Starting last month, California began prohibiting suspensions for “willful defiance.” Torigian believes that schools need an exemption from the policy in order to enforce smartphone restrictions. He wants it back because he said he needs a way to hold kids accountable.

“That’s why the governor’s got to give us some leeway on this willful defiance; you can’t do one (smartphone restrictions) without the other.”

Ochoa said if he had to do it over again in San Mateo-Foster City he would devote more time to explaining to students why they adopted such a policy before putting it into place. Getting a smartphone is a big deal for middle school students, a milestone for adolescents that represents more freedom and autonomy, and it’s counterproductive for the school environment if they feel punished or something they value is taken away with little explanation.

“Our teenagers told us, ‘you forgot to explain why we’re doing this,’” he said, adding that even if a small percentage of kids violate the policy it can be really harmful academically and to school culture. “Even with your conviction to implement a policy like this, spend the time developing the language around the policy and explaining it to your students.”

Common Sense Media CEO Jim Steyer, whose nonprofit is focused on how children use media and technology, agreed that it works best to explain to kids why a rule to limit smartphone access at school is necessary. Parents and teachers need the same explanation so that they can help enforce some restrictions in order to keep kids safe and healthy.

“Any even remotely engaged parent is going to want their kid to do well in school, and is going to want them to understand why phones and social media platforms get in the way of learning and can be really distracting and can affect your mental health,” he said. *Reposted article from CalMatters by Carolyn Jones and Khari Johnson on August 20, 2024

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“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge… is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.” ― Bill Bullard