Jeffrey Dean
I am a discovery managing attorney living with my wife and two sons in Ohio. I have both tutored and taught in English composition (for ESL and native speakers), and I write and critique poetry. I play trumpet off and on in a local concert band.
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- 149,375
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- 107
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- Contributor since
- 8/20/2007
Education/Experience
University of Toledo: B.A., M.A.; University of Michigan: J.D.Affiliations
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Displaying Results 1 - 107 (of 107) for All Content
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My 21st-Century Legal CareerI went to law school for the promise of a stable, traditional career. This article explores how to adjust expectations for the reality of practicing law in modern times
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Dissecting LeBronLeBron James has arrived at a career crossroad, suddenly buried by animosity. This explores how it happened, and what comes next.
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Where Tressel Went WrongJim Tressel's rapid fall from grace will leave many speculating as to what caused his downfall. This article explores what ultimately caused Tressel's demise, and its place in the broader context of kinds of cheating in college football.
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Schwarzenegger and the Myth of ConsentIn the aftermath of the revelation of Arnold Schwarzenegger's child with his former assistant and housekeeper, this article explores the inherent problems of an affair with an employee or subordinate.Also published on:
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Five Ways to Avoid Bad PoetryWriting great poetry requires more than technical understanding; it involves creativity, passion, and linguistic dexterity. But writers can learn to identify and avoid markers of bad poetry. This article explores how.
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When High Definition Goes Bad: The Worst Shows for HDTVMy introduction to high-definition television has been enlightening and entertaining -- and a little disturbing at times. This article explores the dark side of HDTV.
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Five Trumpet Players Who Changed the Jazz WorldJazz history includes many trumpet players who embodied technical brilliance, creative flair, or general memorability. This article takes a brief look at five of the most important.
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A Review of Funny People: Too Much, and Too LittleAdam Sandler's movie, Funny People, was higher in promise than delivery. This article provides a candid review of Funny People.
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Secret Presidential Tapes: Insouciance Versus WootThis is the completely invented text of a private argument between outgoing President George W. Bush and then President-Elect Barack Obama on the greatest word in the English Language.
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Wine and Prejudice: The Laughing MagpieThis is a description of a surprising Australian wine from d'Arenberg, called "The Laughing Magpie," via my own exquisitely humbling experience.
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Catch-22 and the Deconstruction of the AbsurdJoseph Heller's Catch-22 is a book of deceptive depth. This article examines Catch-22's exploration and dismantling of the binary oppositions that build in wartime.
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Starting Over: Tips for the Re-Beginning RunnerSuggestions abound for first-time runners, and experienced runners usually pick up over time what they need to know. This article explores how a once-regular runner can return to the sport.
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A Categorical Quest through Associated ContentThis marks the beginning of a quest to write in every category in Associated Content.
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Investing in the Markets with Renewed HopeMy two goals as a 34-year-old, small-time investor in Medina, Ohio, are to fund my children's education and finance my retirement. I'm hoping my investments will pay for those costs in the short-term and the seemingly distant future.
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Writing Formal Poetry WellMost poetry published today is in free verse, because it is the easiest to write well. This article describes the pros and cons of writing formal poetry - and how to do it well.
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Tips for Planning a Wine PartyAs more people learn to enjoy and appreciate wine, a small wine party can be a good way to explore and unwind. This article explores ways to make it a success.
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Subjectivity, Objectivity and TruthPeople often confuse the concepts of subjectivity and objectivity. This article explores their overlaps, their points of departure, and whether either one has anything to do with truth.
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Building and Stimulating the Early ReaderChildren all learn in different ways, and at different paces. Still, there are ways to help your child gain a head start as a reader. This article provides some techniques to help. -
Advanced Tips for Persuasive WritingThis article goes beyond being grammatically precise and structuring an argument, into the minutia of writing persuasively.
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Active "Listening" for the Online TutorAn online tutor needs to demonstrably "listen" to his or her student. This article discusses how to listen in a purely textual environment. -
A Methodology for the Online Writing TutorTutoring writers online presents obstacles a tutor must overcome. This article describes an effective approach for online tutoring.
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Gearing Up for the Weather: Tips on Running in Hot WeatherFor a runner, hot-weather workouts can present perils far beyond those faced the rest of the year.
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Rethinking the Experience of the "Steroids Era" of BaseballWhen Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron's career home run record, the wailing and gnashing of teeth ensued.
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Improving the State of the Union AddressA few modest ideas for improving on the State of the Union address. -
Legalese for Everyday LifeMost leading authorities on legal writing want to banish "legalese" from court-filed documents. Here, I make a case for inserting legal jargon into our everyday lives.
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Responsive KissingMost people consider themselves good kissers. This article explores how to make your partner think you a good kisser as well.
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How to Use Spellcheck as an EditorSpellcheck is a wonderful tool. Unfortunately, it will not catch everything, or often even most of your errors in a draft. This article explores common spellcheck problems, and argues for a more thorough approach to your final proofing.
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How to Drive in the Snow, Wherever You AreParts of the United States that ordinarily miss out on snow are getting hit hard, while those who should know about it still act confused. For all of them, this article explores how to drive in frozen precipitation.
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San Diego at Pittsburgh - a PredictionSan Diego at Pittsburgh is perhaps the most interesting game on the slate this weekend. An analysis and prediction follow.
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"Happy Holidays" Vs. "Merry Christmas": The BreakdownWhen in doubt, many people feel safer saying "Happy Holidays" in December than "Merry Christmas." This article re-examines the debate. -
Grammar by the NumbersOne common type of grammatical error involves confusion between terms denoting a number as opposed to an amount of something. This article breaks down several such errors.
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Getting the Most from Your Revision ProcessGetting a draft of what you are writing is only the first step. This article explores a process for making your writing better.
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5 Common Grammatical Errors to AvoidSome errors in grammar have become so common that they have evolved into quasi-accepted usage, with few bothering to correct them anymore, even among the few who notice. This article includes a small sampling.
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Ten Things to Love About College FootballMy favorite college football team has not been this bad during my lifetime. It's a great time to appreciate all the game has to offer.
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Politics Unusual: A Positive Spin on the Negative CampaignThe "negative campaign" accusation has been thrown out perhaps more this political season than in any other. This article argues that negative campaigning is natural to this particular season - and that may not be a bad thing. -
The NFL and the Myth of the SystemThis article explores the proliferation of popular systems among coaches, and why they do not create the success owners and fans seem to expect.
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Political Limericks: Someone for EveryonePresidential race limericks
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A Celebration of the Semicolon and How to Use it Correctly!Few forms of punctuation get misused quite like the semicolon. This article explores its proper use, and how to use it effectively.
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I Kissed a Girl: A Jolt of Feminine DefianceKaty Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" is, to many, a guilty pleasure. This article provides an argument for keeping the pleasure without the guilt.
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Weight Training Tips for TeensWeight training carries sundry benefits for teens, but risks can outweigh all the benefits without proper form and a sensible approach. This article explores how to safely work into a weight training regime.
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Hillary Clinton's Popularity to Grow in 2009, Regardless of PresidencyBy continuing her campaign long past when conventional wisdom dictated she should step aside, Clinton now will be in a position to cry for change without the general election requiring her to fit any mold. -
Driving Ettiquette: Mastering the Courtesy WaveThere are many times as a driver or pedestrian that a courteous wave is called for - but different situations call for different styles. This article explores how to show other drivers your appreciation (or other feelings). -
Green Day's Ten BestA review of the ten best songs from Green Day's albums.
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More Great Quotes to Know in a BarIn this selection, I choose quotes that are helpful to know in specific situations one might encounter on a night out.
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Riding the Rails with Cleveland's Rapid Transit SystemMany reasons exist to use public transportation. In Cleveland, the system provides excellent, reliable transportation for a wide variety of riders.
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Five Poems for SeductionTopical searches for poetry yield overly broad results, and much garbage surrounding the few good choices. With that in mind, I present what I consider the best poems to read to seduce or just to revel in romance.
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Lawyer-Approved Fortune Cookie MessagesInspired by an actual message, and with apologies and due respect to the hard-working members of my profession, this article explores how fortune cookies might read if lawyers were providing the final edits.
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A Parent's Guide to Mickey Mouse ClubhouseThis article describes for parents what to expect from watching "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" on the Disney Channel, and how to endure the viewing experience themselves.
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What to Expect From Heroes: Volume IIIThe NBC hit "Heroes" has set itself up for a potentially darker third season with "Villains." This article suggests some answers to mysteries from Volume II, and some thoughts on what to expect next.
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The Roles of Forgetting, Forgiving and Accepting in LoveLove's reality never lives up to our initial expectations. When we need to overcome our loved ones' mistakes, it can be difficult to maintain the level of love we previously felt. This article explores how to move forward when our expectations exceed love's performance.
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Why College Athletes Should Not Be PaidMany people believe that college athletes should be paid to play. Those people are wrong, as this article explains.
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A Defense of Reality Television?While reality television has largely been a disaster, the concept itself is brilliant. The major flaw has been the drive to contrive situations that remove reality from the shows.
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How the Mortgage Mess Arrived, and How to Get OutThe fault for the current mortgage crisis can be spread around to everyone involved. Finding a way out is tricky, but looking critically at the mistakes helps identify a way to fix it.
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The Effect of Four Types of Presidential Endorsements on the ElectionWith a wide-open race for president active in both parties, endorsements have varied in candidate and type of endorser. This article explores the effects of four very different endorsements for 2008.
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Handicapping the Race for Time's 2007 "Person of the Year"Each year, Time Magazine selects its "Person of the Year." While the most recent years have included mostly cop-outs and uninspired selections, this year's selection should be much more provocative.
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Finding and Eliminating Cliches from WritingCliches make any writing worse. This article discusses identifying and removing them from a writing project.
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Creating a Great Thesis StatementA thesis statement, or a declaration of the main point in an academic paper, is the most important sentence any paper will include. This article shows how to write it well.
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Great Quotes to Know in a BarThere are times when most of us wish we knew something pithy to say in a social setting. This article suggests ten (okay, eleven) quotes that can help someone appear smart in a bar setting.
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Using Framing to Win Arguments Before They BeginThe best arguers do not win because they are the smartest or most eloquent, but rather because they know how to frame their arguments well. This article explores how to use this technique to win arguments.
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Running Tips for the BeginnerRunning, for the beginner, is often daunting and/or silly. This article explores how to get started, and maybe even learn to enjoy it.
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Training for Speed: How Poky Runners Can Get FasterEveryone who has ever wanted to learn to faster has been told you cannot teach speed. That is not entirely true; this article explores ways to teach your body to run faster.
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Richard Jeni's Top 10 Comedy Moments: A TributeRichard Jeni took his own life on March 10, 2007. Rather than focusing on his death, this article focuses on what he did best: make people laugh.
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Logical Fallacies in Politics: Appeal to PityAn appeal to pity is a logical fallacy in which the arguer attempts to evoke pity as support for the conclusion. Politicians employ it for both their campaigns and their projects.
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Logical Fallacies in Politics: Appeal to ForceIf one pays close attention to the arguments politicians make, one usually discovers fallacies in the logic presented. This article describes what an appeal to force is, with current examples.
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Contextualizing the 2008 Elections: A Political DialecticThe 2008 Presidential election promises heavy partisanship and plenty of vitriol. This election, though, is about more than Republicans and Democrats. This article examines the election as a crucial dialectic moment for the U.S.
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69 Taps in Medina: A Happy Hour for Beer LoversRelatively new to the Medina area, 69 Taps offers a broad range of beer with fantastic Happy Hour specials.
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Ten Reasons to Fear a Longterm Writers' StrikeOne potential by-product of the television writers' strike is a new influx of "reality" programming. The article looks at the ten worst reality offerings during the genre's popularity apex. -
A Thanksgiving Conspiracy Theory: Black FridayThanksgiving is annually swallowed up in the United States between Halloween and Christmas. A lover of the holiday wonders why.
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The Death of the Team and Fantasy Football's Rise to ProminenceFantasy football began in a bar as a hobby for armchair statisticians. Its mainstream popularity, though, is in part a product of free agency, and its promotion by the league takes away from football's essence.
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Intelligent Design versus Evolution: Why the Concepts Need Not Be OpposedArguments about Intelligent Design tend to go nowhere, in part because the two sides tend to talk past, rather than to, each other. This article explains how the disagreement has nothing to do with conflict between the theories themselves.
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Teaching Students Shakespeare Through His CharactersShakespeare's plays are, to many students, obscure, unnecessary tools with which literature teachers punish students. This article explains why every high school and college student should be required to read them - and how to make them enjoy it.
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Leadership Part 12: Undermined from AboveA leader sometimes has his/her ideas undermined by someone hierarchically above him/her. This situation calls for reflection and tact before reacting, as this article discusses.
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A Christmas Chaos Theory: Peace on (the Non-Retail Portions of) EarthThe time of stores being the worst places to be is here - but greed has little to do with it. This article discusses the sources of the problem, and how to improve it.
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Leadership Part 11: The Perpetual VictimIn most groups, there is someone with a tendency to play the victim. Whether the person is a victim in his/her personal life or a victim of others on the team, s/he can bring the rest of the team down. This article discusses ways to handle the perpetual victim.
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A Case for Music: Why School Music Programs Are Worth the Budget SpaceAs schools everywhere face budget crunches, the arts always come into play as a place for cuts. This article focuses on practical defenses for music programs.
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Restroom Etiquette: A Primer for Urinal UsersMen are privileged to have urinals to use in public restrooms. Unfortunately, not everyone understands that the privilege carries with it responsibilities. This article defines and discusses some of these.
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How to Provide Useful Peer Feedback for a Friend or ClassmateFriends often ask each other to read an essay or poem before turning it in. Sometimes, a teacher asks students to provide feedback on each other's work. This article explores how best to help that friend or classmate.
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Leadership Part 10: The HeroIn any situation, there will be those who long to be heroes, and leaders may either be or be attempting to lead those people. This article explores the perils of the hero in a team environment.
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Driver Re-Training: Passing a Highway AccidentThis article gives helpful pointers for drivers who forget how to drive when approaching the scene of an accident.
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Writing Poetry Well: Improving Your ProsePoetry, more than any genre of writing, is subjective. Even so, writing poetry well involves some important tools. This article discusses ways to improve writing poetry.
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The State of the Big Ten in Fall 2007Midway through the 2007 Big Ten season, this article looks at each team's performance and what to expect for the rest of the season.
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The Best Fake News Show: Stewart vs. ColbertEver since Stephen Colbert spun off from The Daily Show to present The Colbert Report, Colbert has gained popularity and notoriety. This article compares the shows, and makes shameless value judgments about each.
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Leadership Part 9: FlexibilityFlexibility is the flip side of consistency for a leader. While a consistent approach is necessary to lead, a leader must be flexible within that consistent approach. This article explores how to do so.
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Leadership Skills Part 8: ConsistencyPeople can adjust to almost any kind of behavior, so long as they know what to expect. This article explores the importance of consistency in a leader.
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Meeting, Eating or Relaxing at Cool Beans in Medina, OhioCool Beans Cafe, located on Public Square in Medina, Ohio, is a terrific place to meet, eat, or just relax.
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Leadership Part 7: When to Keep DistanceThis article explores the situations in which a leader needs to separate him/herself from those s/he is leading, and how best to do so.
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Leadership Skills Part 6: Cutting Someone LooseAlthough no one ever wants to let a team member go, sometimes it becomes necessary. This article explores when to do so, and how best to go about it.
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Leadership Part 5: AccountabilityAccountability is one of the perils of leadership, but a leader who embraces accountability can then use it to aid in leading others.
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Discovering and Living with Type I DiabetesThere are signs of having Type I diabetes, many of which can be explained away. This article discusses what some of these signs are, and what to do about them.
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Leadership Part 4: Managing FearFear can cause people to achieve less than they could, but it can also be a powerful motivator. This article describes how a leader avoids the perils of fear, and uses fear to motivate.
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Leadership Part 3: Taking the ReinsWhile some assume leadership roles without actively seeking them, others aggressively take on those roles. This article explores how this happens, and how to effectively maintain the role of leader after taking it.
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College Football Rankings, Bowls, and "Championships": A Minority OpinionThis year more than ever, the absurdity of attempting to determine the best college football team in the country shows that the old bowl system may have had it right all along.
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Leadership Part 2: The Reluctant LeaderWhile some actively try to become leaders, others lead naturally, sometimes without wanting to do so. This article examines whether and how this works.
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Leadership Part 1: Defining LeadershipThis is the first of what I expect to be several articles defining, examining, and explaining leadership and how to lead.
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Selecting the Best of the Worst: Primaries and the Two-Party SystemThis article discusses the dilemma created by the use of primaries to decide who will run for president.
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It's All Going to Be Fine: Colbie Caillat's "Bubbly"The popular song "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat is an anthem to relaxing and to savoring moments as they happen.
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How to Properly Use a ThesaurusThis article describes how to expand vocabulary usage in a way that improves clarity.
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How to Help Students Tap into Their Creative SourcesWhile creativity itself cannot be taught, students can learn to explore their creative sides. This article shows some ways to do this with writing students.
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To Whom Much is Given: Power and Responsibility as Themes in HeroesHeroes' season premiere began the exploration of power and responsibility as themes in the series. Predictions for the season are included as well.
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The Best of Cleveland Morning Radio: Wilde and FeeThe morning show on 104.1 FM in Cleveland is called Wilde and Fee in the morning. Rather than catering to a specific niche, the show seeks to cast a broad net over Cleveland area listeners at work, at home, or in between.
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JengaJenga as metaphor for destabilization.
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SeptemberA slightly anthropomorphic look at change as embodied in September's deciduous transition.
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Tell Me What You Want: Layers of Escapism in Nickelback's "Rockstar"Reflection on the desire to escape to a new life is not a subtle point in Nickelback's hit song "Rockstar." A closer examination of the song and video, though, shows that the draw of escapist fantasy is not only for those living mundane lives.
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After Appalachian State-What the Upset of the Ages Means for the Michigan WolverinesMichigan's loss to Appalachian State was shocking, but resulted from every problem Michigan football has had recently coming together in one game.
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All-Day Parenting for the Usually Working Parent: A Day in the LifeWith the babysitter sick, a father ventures into a day of full-time parenting.
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A Case for Poetry - Why Learning to Read and Write Poetry is Not a Waste of TimeThis is an argument for the value to a student of learning poetry, even if the career path of choice is not that of an English professor.
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Writing a Successful Academic EssayThis is a practical guide to writing an essay at the high school or college level.