John Denver – The First Rap Musician
I am 56 years old. I like 60’s and 70’s rock and old, twangy country. I don’t like rap. I’ve alwaysassociated rap with thumping loudspeakers, inner city gangs, and songs that vilify the police orglorify violence to women.Those who study the history of rap often trace modern rap back to the south Bronx in the […]
My Trip to Anguish Lake
Attorney Mark Cohen tells his experience about his trip to Anguish Lake where he fished where nobody else had fished in years. The end will shock you!
Mister Ed Reviews the Presidents
Long ago, while serving as an Air Force officer, the government sent me to a week-long course in Washington, D.C. I had not been to our nation’s capital since I was little, and while I was there I wanted to do some sightseeing. And of all the sights to see, the one I wanted to […]
Climate Change in 802 Words
The issues confronting man today are sometimes complex. Few of us possess the knowledge necessary to evaluate complex issues like climate change. To complicate matters, people and organizations with their own agendas devote tremendous resources in attempts to sway public opinion. This column focuses on one such issue – climate change. Many of us have […]
Remembering Norris Weese
Great Moments in Denver Broncos History: Remembering Norris Weese When most Denver Broncos fans think about great Broncos players, they think first of John Elway. That is as it should be. Then they may think of Terrell Davis, Shannon Sharpe, Steve Atwater, Randy Gradishar, or Tom Jackson. Older fans may also recall Floyd Little, Haven […]
Thoughts on Being the Old Man
“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.” The above quote is often attributed to Mark Twain, though there is […]
Litigating Like the Viet Cong
Download or open PDF in a new tab Here
When to Use the Passive Voice
In the active voice the subject of the sentence performs the action. In the passive voice the subject is acted upon. The active voice requires fewer words and tracks how people think. Passive: This contract may be terminated at any time by either party on thirty day’s written notice to the other party. (20 Words). Active: Either […]
What is Cohen’s Law?
Cohen’s Law states that when a lawyer makes an argument to a judge or jury, the lawyer’s persuasiveness peaks one minute into the argument and then drops sharply such that the longer the lawyer speaks the closer the level of persuasiveness comes to approaching zero. I had sensed this intuitively from decades of trial work, […]
Recipe for Cohen Slaw
Recipe for Cohen Slaw: When I went to full-time private practice in 2003 I wanted the domain name Cohenlaw, but some lawyers in Pennsylvania had that, so I took Cohenslaw instead. It worked well because while serving as a Municipal Judge in Boulder I had invented “Cohen’s Law.” (See graphic above). However, ever since then, […]
The Flow of Existence
The Flow of Existence (click)
Jack – The Forgotten Guthrie
Most people my age are familiar with Arlo Guthrie, the musician best known for his 1967 anti-war song, Alice’s Restaurant. Many have also heard of Arlo’s father, Woody Guthrie, the legendary folk singer who created such songs as This Land is Your Land. But few know of Jack Guthrie, Woody’s cousin and Arlo’s second cousin. That’s a […]
Close Encounters of the Orange Kind
Growing up in Denver I had several encounters with a few great Denver Bronco players over the years. My first face to face meeting with a Bronco was when I was in high school in the mid 1970’s. We lived near I-25 and Yale in Denver, on a street that bordered the Highline Canal. It’s […]
The Treasure of Pirate Dad
“C’mon boys,” my father urged, “time to get up.” My brother and I slowly came to life. “I’ve found a treasure map,” he continued, “but we’ve got to start right now — before the pirates come back for the treasure.” It was a sunny morning in the summer of 1964 and we were vacationing near […]
The Bloodhounds That Saved Christmas
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and at the North Pole Every darn reindeer had the flu – or a cold; Santa’s sleigh was jam packed, and none too light But with no healthy reindeer there would be no Christmas flight; The reindeer were nestled all snug in their beds, While double doses of Ny-Quil […]
How I Write
Writing is simple. Here is my step-by-step guide. First, use the bathroom. Unless you have an overactive bladder or IBS, you shouldn’t have to go again for at least one hour. Thus, you have already eliminated one possible excuse you might otherwise use to justify not writing. Second, find a quiet place where family, friends, […]
Nuclear Weasel Mist
The scent of tobacco from a man’s pipe, Pine martens scour my sink with steel wool, Chester Allen Arthur was not a snipe, But for a time he had some pull. When was Casey at the bat? My friend drove drunk and had to pick up litter; Would Mudville have been better off With […]
The Taco of Writing
Writers and other creative types hear a lot about Taoism these days. Walk into any bookstore and you’ll find books on everything from the Tao of drawing to the Tao of Pooh. And there are several quotes from Lao-tzu in Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. I’m a big fan of Lao-tzu, the Chinese philosopher credited with […]
Lawyer versus Attorney
As a lawyer, writer, and plain English advocate, I enjoy seeing other lawyers’ business cards. The typical lawyer’s card features the lawyer’s name. Immediately below that you often see, “Attorney at Law.” Why is that? “Attorney” is a synonym for “lawyer.” That’s why you never see a business card that has “Attorney at Plumbing” on […]
Heroes
Most of us have heroes. Mine include Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Churchill,Harry Truman, JFK, Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, Sacajawea, andGrace Hopper (Google her).Sometimes a person becomes a hero because of a lifetime of work. Martin Luther King devotedhis life to seek equality through non-violent means.Sometimes one becomes a hero by making […]