Folks, I Am Still Paying Attention: Murderer Of Cabbie Nick Hokema Had His Preliminary Hearing August 12th & Uber Up To Its Old Tricks

 Finally the Trial is Beginning

I'm back to let everyone know that finally, the US Army soldier, Private Jonathan Kang Lee, faced a preliminary hearing on August 12th at the Fort Lewis Army base.   He is charged with the following offenses: murder, resisting arrest, wrongful use of a controlled substance and failure to obey a lawful order.  As some of you might remember, Lee has already previously been sentenced to 64 years in prison for child rape.  This time he was in shackles and escorted by four Army police officers.  Too little too late.  Hokema's surviving girlfriend keeps asking the question as to why hadn't Lee been held in custody prior to his rape trial.  Going AWOL, knowing he was facing a life sentence, is when he encountered Hokema, stabbing him multiple times in the chest. 

Unfortunately, that is all I can report due to almost no continuing media coverage of the case.  Seattle's KOMO News was the only media outlet covering the hearing.  Craig Sailor, a reporter from the Tacoma News Tribune, told me in an email that his news editor told him not to do any further reporting until there is a conviction.  At least you know that I will keep my reporting up to date concerning this.  At least you and I know why this case is so important.

Uber is Not Nice

That has been obvious for over ten years now, with Uber showing their true colors once again.  I could say they are black and white, the colors of that favorite smelly weasel, the skunk, but I don't want to insult those noble animals by associating them with evil Uber.  

This is what is happening in Nevada.  Uber continues to face multiple lawsuits across the nation pertaining to the many sexual assault lawsuits connected to Uber operators.  Using the state of Nevada as their starting point, they are sponsoring a petition drive to limit lawyer contingency fees to 20%.  Uber created a PAC called "Nevadans for Fair Recovery" but that's a misnomer as Uber is the sole financial backer, funding the petition drive with a cool five million dollars.

What all this is concerning are the fees lawyers are allowed to earn when successfully winning a suit filed by a victim against a big company like Uber.  Normally the lawyers are rewarded as much as 40% of any settlement.  Since this relates to Nevada, call if a kind of gamble on the lawyer's part.  Lose a case, regardless of time and money spent, and the attorney gets nothing.   What Uber is hoping for is to chase away any lawyer thinking of taking on cases threatening Uber.   As I keep saying, Uber is immoral.  Who can argue with that assessment? 

What Have I Been Doing Instead of Driving Crazy Taxi? 

Walking deep into the Gila Wilderness.  What is so amazing is that I have yet to meet another hiker, meaning I am all alone to enjoy the wild surrounding me.  Today's trail was lined with big yellow "sunflower-like" blossoms.  Damn its beautiful around here.  Try SW New Mexico.  You might like it.

A PS:

Late this afternoon I took a walk deep into the Gila National Forest.  Again, 1 1/2 hours in the same direction and no one but me.  I did come across the remains of a fawn, proving how wild this area is.  It was new to the trail, because I was there five days ago.  Where  I have been walking is part of an effort called the "Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Area" so perhaps a wolf snacked on the young deer.  I composed this haiku after coming upon the animal, or what was left of it.   The Mexican Wolf is an endangered species, with about 300 left in the wild, 45 of those are in Mexico. 

5       A fawn's head and hooves 

7      festers in the sun.  Black ants

5      finishing the meal.

________________________

Nature, and life itself, can be quite brutal.  Coming across the animal stirred much emotion.  I could smell its rotting flesh.  I kicked the remains off the trail.  The air was warm.  The sky a pleasant blue. The trail rocky and dusty.  Welcome to life, and death.  Welcome to Southwest New Mexico.  

Very Unhealthy Taxi

Since Leaving Taxi, I Have Dropped 20 Pounds

My normal adult weight has been about 155 pounds.  Toward the end of my cab driving days, I weighted nearly 200 pounds or even beyond that, underlining how unhealthy of an occupation it is.  And it isn't that I was chomping down cheeseburgers or not exercising.  I eat lots of fresh vegetables and usually walk 1-2 miles daily.  Still, given what taxi is, none of my efforts were good enough.  Unfortunately, other issues also came up, telling me it was time to quit. 

Back in 2018 when I still had my Tacoma, Washington condominium, I was making a once a week 60 mile roundtrip commute that encompassed nearly nine years.  Added to my monthly 5000 miles in the cab, my body began objecting, my liver, kidneys, abdomen and urinary tract telling me they were no longer happy with what I was doing, the stress of too many hours in the cab weakening my usually strong body.  Part of the issue was my cab driving style.  To call me relentless is apt, pushing the taxi envelope each weekend with 20-22 hour long days.  I made the big money but it was obviously killing me.  Even with taking Monday through Fridays off, and getting plenty of sleep, it wasn't enough to counteract the physical reality of beating myself to death. 

After selling my condo, I moved back into Seattle but that wasn't enough to counteract the damage already done.  In a real sense, I was continually re-patching the worn out tire that was my body.  It wasn't something that could continue.  And after I sold my medallion, and sampled the world that is Uber, the results were the same.  I made great money but my body kept asking me, "What the hell are you doing to me?"

Now that I am no longer in Seattle, and living in a very rural setting, the advantages are many.  There is no traffic, no noice, no gunshots, no road rage.  Unless I need to go into Silver City for shopping, which is 25 miles west of me on State Route 152, usually my miles are confined to my favorite walking area nine miles away down on road on NM State Highway 35.  It is a straight shot, taking me through farmland to the Nature Conservancy Preserve.  The traffic is minimal, often not meeting another car the entire way.   

Today I drove further west, doing a hike that took me on part of the Continental Divide Trail.  It was wonderful.  Only me and some very spectacular scenery.  After that, continuing down Route 35,  I soaked at the Gila River Hot Springs, $8.00 for a day pass.  I watched four hawks soaring overhead.  I jumped into the Gila River to cool off.   

All this is so much better, and much healthier than crazy taxi.  Taxi is brutal, like doing 10 rounds in a heavyweight boxing match.  Boom! Bang! Biff!  No thank you, folks, no thank you.