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Find or Refer a Contractor in Tyler

Jury Standard Exploited in East Texas for profit motive by patent litigants

January 14th, 2011

East TX JuryWho would have ever thought that doing your civic duty would have such grave consequences? What started out as the citizens of East Texas simply fulfilling an oath to judge justly without prejudice has escalated into a gold rush of litigation battles and unethical business behavior.

Unaware for many years, the townsfolk of Marshall, Texarkana, and Tyler have become known to the legal world as having a higher percentage of deciding for plaintiffs of patent infringement cases than most other court circuits across the nation.

This has been attributed to things such as an older age group in the jury and a stronger stand on property rights, that is “what is yours is yours”. Unfortunately, some people have seen this standard as a way to turn a profit.

Namely, these people are what they call “patent trolls”. Patent trolls are companies who purchase patents from struggling businesses or firms without any plans on manufacturing the invention or technology.

Their sole use of the patent is to target any businesses that have technology or a service that might infringe on the patent in order to file a lawsuit against them for infringement.

Of course, these “patent trolls” need a feeding ground to survive and they have found that in East Texas. And it seems they are “feeding” well. Since 2003 the number of patent litigation cases in these court houses has more than quadrupled.

They only other location outside of East Texas that has hosted close to that amount of cases is Los Angeles. It’s sad to see how an unselfish act like serving in a jury has resulted in the selfish pursuit of unearned wealth.

So, next time you receive a jury summons, let’s hope your act of civil service does more to serve than not.

Cassie’s School of Dance

September 11th, 2010

If you are looking for a dance class for your daughter I recommend Cassie’s School of dance in Whitehouse. Cassie offers classes for tap dancing, jazz dancing, ballet, lyrical, and hip hop dancing (hip hop dancing for both girls and boys). The studio opened in 1992 but Cassie has been teaching dance for many years before that.

Children can start taking ballet and tap dance classes at the age of three years old. Cassie tries to keep the younger class small enough so that each student can have all the attention that your child will need. For the three and four-year-olds’ class the instructor divides the class in half doing both tap and ballet dancing. As your child grows they are able to take more pacific class that is much longer. All classes are 45 minutes to an hour long. She offers different classes at different times during the week. Your child can do as many classes as long as it is in their age group.

Cassie’s School of Dance has a performance at the end of the school year (in the middle of June). The show is for all age groups. The children will also be in the Whitehouse Christmas parade, either walking or riding on a float.

Every class costs $40 per a month, which is not bad compared to many dance studios in East Texas. You do have to buy the proper shoes and outfits for your child’s practice and performances, this can get somewhat expensive.

Parents are able to watch their children practice through a large window, but they are asked not to interrupt the teacher while she is teaching a class. Dance is a great way for your kids to learn how to listen to direction, also a great place for your children to meet new friends. Cassie is a great instructor and really cares about your children, and tries to get to know you and your child more personally. She is more than willing to answer any question and she is extremely helpful. I highly recommend Cassie’s School of Dance to all the parents out there. With the polite staff and the caring instructor, you and your child will love this school.

The Good Will Superstore

August 31st, 2009

When I was a younger man I remember shopping the local Goodwill and second hand stores for what we termed “old man clothes.” Inspired by the likes of Kramer, we’d go hunting for shirts and pants that tended toward the unique for our age group. However if I wore the same clothes today it wouldn’t seem nearly so out of place as it did back then. I did recently pay a return visit to the Goodwill Superstore in Tyler however. While I’m not sure what I expected to find, I was rather disappointed. The selection wasn’t terrible, they had a good variety of clothes, but the quality didn’t seem to be what I remember. I was also a little spooked by the presence of second hand underwear. That was enough to make TLC’s family the Duggars (known for shopping at thrift stores), head to the mall.  

While I respect the charitable mission of the goodwill store, I would be hesitant to say I found much of interest there lately. The store had a little of everything, (including books by the way) but the merchandise was clearly second or third hand and not always worth the price. The building itself seemed to be in a state of disrepair as well. There was a yellowish tinge to the floor and ceiling which made me vaguely uncomfortable and led me to question the overall cleanliness of the place.

One other thought that struck me was that apparently we, as a community are not giving as much, or as well as we used to. While I’m sure the economic slowdown is at least partially responsible; it makes me more conscientious about what I drop off there.  Overall, I give the Goodwill Superstore a three out of five. But don’t simply take my word for it, check it out for yourself. The store is located on the loop just up from Cavender’s and next to the China Cafe.