Mirror of Justice

A San Diego & Orange County California Airplane Accident Lawyer’s Humorous View of Possible Future Laws to Prevent Aircraft Accidents

July 16th, 2009 at 02:52am Under Aviation Law

If you’ve had an airplane or aviation accident anywhere in California, from San Diego to Orange County, or from Santa Barbara to Palm Springs, or at any other Southern California airport including Carlsbad, Chico, Imperial, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Ontario, San Luis Obispo, Santa Ana, Santa Maria, Palmdale, Camarillo, Chino, Compton, El Monte, Hawthorne, La Verne, Ramona, Riverside, San Bernardino, Torrance, Upland, Van Nuys, Burbank, Apple Valley, Banning, Big Bear, Borrego Springs, Calexico, Corona, Lompoc, Murrieta, Temecula, Oceanside, Paso Robles, Redlands, Santa Ynez, Twentynine Palms, Hesperia, Joshua Tree, or Yucca Valley, you’ve probably been wondering if the California state legislators are working on any new Bills to try to prevent airplane accidents or if the cut backs on food and drinks on flights means that safety might also suffer.

I had heard that the state’s legislators were rushing to pass laws to prevent airplane accidents, so I called one of my state Senators to learn how this would affect pilots in California and personal injury victims. What I learned may just keep me on the ground in the future.

“I would guess that the rule against using cell phones won’t apply to pilots, right?” I asked.

“Actually, it will,” the Senator said. “We still think it can mess up the navigational equipment. Radio transmissions will still be allowed.”

“What are you thinking about prohibiting?” I asked.

“Can you keep a secret,” the Senator asked.

“Sure,” I said.

“Well we’ve heard some pilots used to like to drink a little something on long flights,” the Senator said.

“You’re not saying what I think you’re saying, are you?” I asked.

“Yup,” the Senator answered. “No more beach parties in the cockpits. The rule against drinking margaritas will be strictly enforced from now on.”

“That’s good,” I said sarcastically. “I hate it when the pilot of my plane starts singing on the intercom.”

“What else are you thinking about prohibiting?” I asked.

“No more gambling, and no more card games of any kind.”

“They play card games up there?” I asked.

“They play all kinds of games,” the Senator said. “Poker, video games…we’re making a list that will be all inclusive, we hope.”

“So what else are you considering outlawing?” I asked.

“Well, you’d probably be surprised what pilots do now that they have all that food to themselves,” the Senator said.

“You mean the food they used to serve passengers?” I asked.

“That’s right,” the Senator said. “Turns out they’ve been having food fights up there and using the peanuts as poker chips.”

“Sounds like the fun is over” I said.

“We’re not prohibiting everything,” the Senator said. “But there will be no more spying on the passengers unless it’s for security reasons.”

“What do you mean spying?” I asked.

“Are you sure you can keep a secret?” the Senator asked.

“Positive,” I said with my fingers crossed behind my back.

“Well, you know those little air vents that you adjust to blow air on your seat?”

“Sure,” I answered.

“Lets just say that airplanes vents would do more good if they didn’t have little cameras in them.”

“You mean that each of those little vents are really cameras?” I asked. “I always wondered why they worked so poorly.”

“You didn’t hear that from me,” the Senator said.

“Aren’t you afraid of making the pilots bored if you take away their little spy tools?”

“Maybe they’ll have to put on some better in flight movies,” the Senator said.

“Just don’t let the pilots have a screen to watch them,” I said.

“Good point,” the Senator replied, and made a note to himself.

If you’ve been injured in an accident involving an airplane and want to know what rules actually apply to flying, call the offices of an airplane accident lawyer.

Visit our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com to learn more about how we obtain great personal injury settlements from insurance companies. Or call us to speak directly to Sebastian Gibson about your airplane, helicopter, airline or aviation accident, or the loss of a loved one in a wrongful death with no charge for your consultation. 

The 2008 Presidential Election, the Highest Rated Show in Entertainment Today – a Newport Beach, and San Diego Entertainment Attorney’s View

July 12th, 2009 at 10:19am Under Entertainment Law

For a Palm Springs, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Newport Beach and Orange County entertainment lawyer, there has been nothing to compare to the drama of the 2008 election. If nothing else, the entertainment value of this election has been able to keep people’s minds off the economy. Everyone has something to watch for.

Will one candidate improve business conditions in San Diego or Orange County more than the other? Will the Vice Presidential pick be able to swing voters in one industry or another over the other candidate’s vice presidential pick? What new slimy negative attack ad is one candidate using to unfairly tear down the other and divide the county?

If it weren’t for politics right now, there would be nothing to be excited about in the entertainment field. Saturday Night Live ratings have gone through the roof because of one thing, politics. Their spoofs on the election have so much interest that they now have shows on Thursdays and Saturdays.

All the usual suspect celebrities who are usually in the news getting into scraps at night clubs, being arrested, having children, selling baby photos, gaining weight, losing weight, all seem to be behaving themselves.

So as an entertainment attorney, I have to say, thank goodness for politicians. Politics which used to be the stuff of boring discussions and something you would never discuss on a first date, is suddenly the topic of the day. And talk about drama….

The first thing we hear as we get home from work and turn on the TV is that the economy is about to sink into a deep hole and if we don’t give $700 billion on top of the almost $400 billion we’ve already spent on financial institutions, life as we know it will disappear. I would have only imagined such dire consequences before this announcement if aliens were about to invade and we needed $700 billion to build the largest ray gun. But this announcement wasn’t on a remake of War of the Worlds, it was on the news, on CNN, and everywhere.

And then there was the drama of working out the bailout plan. It’s on, it’s off. There’s been a breakthrough. Oops, spoke too soon. The McCain campaign is being suspended. Nope, wrong again. Then the bailout is passed and Europe goes into a tailspin almost as fast as Sarah Palin’s star is fading and John McCain’s campaign is headed for the dumpster. Then the negative campaigning starts in earnest.

Suddenly nobody cares what the greatest box office movies were for the week. Are they even showing movies anymore? This political drama is too good to miss. Besides, who can afford the popcorn and drinks at the movies anymore?

Now people are rushing home to see the latest poll numbers and to see the latest skits on Saturday Night Live. What zingers will the candidates have for each other? Will Sarah Palin be able to answer a question better than her rambling ludicrous answers she gave to Katie Couric? Is Letterman going to keep skewering McCain.

And you have the polls that are like following a horse race. First one candidate is ahead by a nose, and then the other is by a whisker. Then one candidate turns on a burst of speed as the other rushes for the wire.

This beats a close football game by a mile.This election has everything and they say they always save their best ads for the last. Don’t you dare touch that dial. This is entertainment for the ages. 

If you have an entertainment law, copyright or trademark issue in San Diego, Newport Beach, Irvine, Orange County, La Jolla, in the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Palm Springs or anywhere in Southern California, we have the knowledge and resources to be your Newport Beach Entertainment Lawyer and your San Diego Entertainment Attorney. Be sure to hire a California law firm with entertainment law experience who can serve areas such as Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Anaheim, Irvine, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Newport Beach, Carlsbad, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Fullerton, Del Mar, San Diego, Orange County, San Luis Obispo, Buena Park, La Jolla, Oxnard, Ventura, La Quinta, and Santa Barbara so you are properly represented.

If you have an entertainment law, or copyright dispute of any kind, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.sebastiangibsonlaw.com  and learn how we can assist you.

What New Artists and Musicians Can Do to Keep From Being Taken Advantage of – See a California Music & Entertainment Lawyer

July 12th, 2009 at 04:19am Under Entertainment Law

There is probably no other profession than the music business where so many people will try to take advantage of you when you are starting out as an artist or musician if you don’t have a lawyer. Whether you or your band hails from Carlsbad, Encinitas, Del Mar, Solana Beach in San Diego, Anaheim or Santa Ana in Orange County, or Palm Springs, whether you developed your talent in La Jolla, or at Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach or Santa Barbara, and whether you live, studied or performed in Hollywood, Westwood, Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu, Palm Desert or La Quinta, when you are just starting out, the entertainment industry sees you as someone whom they can take advantage of.

Music contracts are notoriously long, complicated and almost undecipherable to all but a music lawyer. Thirty page contracts are nothing unusual in this business. And there are so many contracts you will be faced with as a musician. Sign the wrong contract and you can be married to a bad agent, promoter, manager, distribution deal, publishing deal or record company and have your career over before it ever began.

Besides the issues you will face with copyrighting your music and trademarking your band name and logo, if you have one, there are management contracts, recording contracts, publishing contracts, agent contracts, distribution deals, licensing contracts, promotion deals, festival and concert contracts, producer agreements and that doesn’t even get into the complex issues contained in many of these agreements.

A music lawyer must have knowledge of synchronization rights, digital rights, peer to peer file swapping, sampling, mechanical licenses, copyright infringement, publishing, advertising law, immigration, employment law, negotiation, ring tones, and have a good understanding of how music is made from mixing to mastering, from the roles of the producer to the needs of the musicians.

And yet, for the music lawyer, there is little that is as rewarding as being part of the recording process or helping a band make it to the big time.

My advice to musicians just starting out and being presented with any type of contract is that having their contract reviewed by a music lawyer is essential. You are likely being presented with the most one-sided type of contract in any business or profession. They are written by the attorneys for the company or manager who is handing it to you with absolutely no attempt to be even handed.

Worst of all, at this stage in your career, you have little leverage. No matter how good you think your music is, the music world is littered with great musicians who signed horrible contracts that stifled if not ended their careers. If you have to do an extra gig and save the money to have a contract reviewed, that’s what you need to do. Get yourselves a good music lawyer. Not a divorce lawyer. Not a trial lawyer. An entertainment lawyer who knows the music business and one, preferably, who is interested in music and who is willing to listen to your music.  

If you have an entertainment law, copyright or trademark issue in San Diego, Newport Beach, Irvine, Orange County, La Jolla, in the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Palm Springs or anywhere in Southern California, we have the knowledge and resources to be your Huntington Beach Entertainment Lawyer and your Anaheim Entertainment Attorney. Be sure to hire a California law firm with entertainment law experience who can serve areas such as Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Anaheim, Irvine, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Newport Beach, Carlsbad, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Fullerton, Del Mar, San Diego, Orange County, San Luis Obispo, Buena Park, La Jolla, Oxnard, Ventura, La Quinta, and Santa Barbara so you are properly represented and get the compensation you deserve.

If you have an entertainment law, or copyright dispute of any kind, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.sebastiangibsonlaw.com  and learn how we can assist you.

Why Sarah Palin is the Best Darn Comedy on TV Today – a Newport Beach Entertainment Attorney’s View

July 11th, 2009 at 04:19pm Under Entertainment Law

It really doesn’t matter if you are Republican, Democrat or Independent, whether you live or work in Hollywood, Los Angeles, or live in Malibu, or live and work outside the entertainment industry anywhere from Orange County to San Diego, from Carlsbad, or Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe and San Marcos to Newport Beach, Laguna Beach or Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Anaheim, Irvine or Yorba Linda. Even if you live in Montecito or Santa Barbara, Temecula, Palm Desert, La Quinta or Palm Springs, you have got to love Sarah Palin for the comedy she has brought back to television and to this election. 

 

Before I even start this article, there will be some out there who will say Sarah Palin is being picked on. Whether or not you believe that to be true or false, this candidate is giving us some of the best comedy a politician has ever given us, and at a time when we have never needed it more. Saturday Night Live could never have hoped for a better candidate to skewer.

 

Who knew that the straight man or in this case straight woman would turn out to be Katie Couric?

 

First there was Sarah Palin’s attempt to explain her position that by the fact that Alaska is geographically close to Russia, that she has foreign policy experience. Couric asked why Palin’s experience in Alaska enhances her foreign policy credentials.

 

Palin: Well, it certainly does because our next door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia –

 

Couric: Have you ever been involved in any negotiations for example, with the Russians?

 

Palin: We have trade missions back and forth. We do – it’s very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia – as Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America, where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our State.

 

Has anyone yet figured out what any of her answer to Katie Couric’s question means? One has to believe she was testing her skill as a deadpan comedian because she followed up this answer with an even better answer.

 

Couric: Why isn’t it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families who are struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries; allow them to spend more and put more money into the economy instead of helping those big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?

 

Palin: That’s why I say I, like every American I’m speaking with, we’re ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy, helping the – it’s got to be all about job creation, too, shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health care reform and reducing taxes, and reigning in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans. And trade, we’ve got to see trade, as opportunity not as competitive, scary thing. But one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today, we’ve got to look at that as more opportunity. All those things under the umbrella of job creation. The bailout is a part of that.

 

Political science majors in college and election campaign advisors will be studying both of these answer for years. But just grasp if you will how, in her second answer,she is able to connect the dots. The bailout, Palin says, makes her and other Americans ill. So the bailout needs to bail out health care, presumably, so we can get over our illness with the bailout. This is masterful.

 

But the bailout is also about job creation (whose?), reducing taxes (really?), reigning in spending (all $700 billion worth?), and trade (this is part of her comedy routine apparently). And then in the spirit of Halloween which is just around the corner, she says trade should be seen as an opportunity, not just as a scary thing. Brilliant. But she forgot to mention Christmas and being a maverick cleaning up Washington. Rats.

 

As an entertainment attorney who also handles election law, campaign finance law and political law, Sarah Palin has it all. She is rejuvenating comedy to it’s highest art form and making political junkies of us all.

 

This isn’t just comedy or entertainment. This is politics at it’s most lucid. Or is that ludicrous?  

 

If you have an entertainment law, copyright or trademark issue in San Diego, Newport Beach, Irvine, Orange County, La Jolla, in the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Palm Springs or anywhere in Southern California, we have the knowledge and resources to be your Beverly Hills Entertainment Lawyer and your Malibu Entertainment Attorney. Be sure to hire a California law firm with entertainment law experience who can serve areas such as Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Anaheim, Irvine, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Newport Beach, Carlsbad, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Fullerton, Del Mar, San Diego, Orange County, San Luis Obispo, Buena Park, La Jolla, Oxnard, Ventura, La Quinta, and Santa Barbara so you are properly represented.

 

If you have an entertainment law, or copyright dispute of any kind, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.sebastiangibsonlaw.com  and learn how we can assist you.