"What is your favorite hobby?"
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Randall E. Ravitz – Office of the Attorney General
"I collect American political memorabilia. My collection includes hundreds of campaign buttons from races since 1896, as well as more unusual campaign items such as posters, cufflinks, key chains, bobble-head dolls, and even bubble-gum cigars. One thing I like to do is find campaign items from local officeholders who I predict will someday win national office. Sometimes I get it right, like when I guessed that George W. Bush would win the 2000 presidential race. Other times, I get it wrong, like when I guessed that George W. Bush would win the 2000 presidential race." |
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Charles E. Walker – MA Division of Professional Liscensure
"I have doodled and dabbled with cartoons as a hobby. 'Back in the day' in the 70's, I had a cartoon strip, 'Gilbert,' that was published in three local newspapers: two in the Black Community and one at the Junior College I was attending at the time. One strip was 50 frames long; it took up two pages in the JC newspaper and featured Nixon and Agnew. Charles Schultz recognized my strip at a reception that was thrown in honor of the Peanuts cartoonist by the editors and trustees. I was not invited. One of the editors defiantly sneaked me into the reception and to the dismay of many of the attendees Schultz praised my strip. That was a hoot." |
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Laurel Mackay – MA Dept. of Environmental Protection
"My favorite hobby is gardening. I also spend time in the winter volunteering as a Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Hort Info Station at the New England Spring Flower Show. We promote organic, non-toxic and environmentally sustainable gardening techniques, and always get really interesting questions, like 'why does my Christmas cactus not bloom on Christmas?' (For two months – or until you see buds – place the plants in a dark closet each night, making sure the cacti are lit with a grow light during the day. It may be too late for this year, but at least you will know how to get these plants blooming next year! These cacti are not discriminatory, either, and can be treated to bloom on Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other holiday.) As an environmental attorney who has spent a good deal of her career promoting environmental protection, my Master Gardener avocation has enabled me to expand my environmentalism to a local, practical level – in my own backyard." |
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Donald R. Lassman – Law Office of Donald R. Lassman
"Training for endurance races. In a typical race season, from May to October, I usually participate in 4-5 triathlons throughout New England of varying distances and have recently participated in several long distance swimming races, completing a 5 mile open-water ocean swim in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of St. Croix in 2006 and an international swim event in Quebec, Canada in August of 2007." |
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Joshua Greenberg – Children's Hospital Boston
"I like bicylcing, and I like all the things that go along with it, like buying bikes (I own three bikes and a tandem), repairing my bike, etc. A couple of years ago, I decided to start riding to work – the money I save by not commuting by car, not paying for gym memberships, etc., is the perfect self-justification for buying whatever I want for my 'hobby.' I’ll add that there’s nothing like dodging 30 minutes of Boston traffic in the morning to assure you are wide awake when you arrive at work!" |
Is there a question you'd like answered by a future Voices of the Bar? Please share it with Aaron Ostrow at aostrow@bostonbar.org or (617) 778-1906. |
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