The Off Topic Topic

[garbon]

There's a great imbalance in what my time is billed to clients vs. what I get paid.

Since you're going to make that equivalency between your job compensation and benefits package and his "terms strictly cash" temp work, then I'm sure you wouldn't mind putting him on your coverage as a dependent.

Even when healthcare (only benefit) is factored in, they make a steal on me.

But sure. It is pretty cheap to add a dependent to my healthcare coverage (/I likely wouldn't notice much in reduction from paychecks). He'll have to pay any out of pockets for any actual use though.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

I'm beginning to think part of your problem with the law is that you worked for some really crappy lawyers.

In Ide's defense, If I were billed out at $195/hour and only paid $21/hour, I'd be a little pissed, too.

When I started at Raytheon, I was paid $26.81/hour and billed out at $150.

[CountDeMoney]

Yeah, we all do.  I'm sure Minksy gets billed out as outrageously as my company bills me out, but we're not all playing on the same field, now are we?

[garbon]

Yeah Ide has always had the disadvantages of...well of what exactly?

[Ideologue]

Yes, which is the moral-intellectual underpinning to billpadding.  "If I miss ______, Client will be put at a disadvantage!  Zealous advocacy requires ______ done, whether it costs $800,000 or not!"  And maybe it's even sometimes necessary.  Necessity is the mother of inefficiency, it seems.

I can't count the number of times I've advised not to bring claims or to settle claims or not to push some angle, and been told no we want to fight no holds barred, etc.
The bigger problem in my experience is trying to give sound, balanced advice and without losing the client's trust because he/she thinks you aren't enough of an "attack dog."

I'm beginning to think part of your problem with the law is that you worked for some really crappy lawyers.

I'm guessing you don't have much to do with your firm's e-discovery wing, if they have one.

Actually, part of my problem is I've too far from the locus of decisionmaking to see why things that seem obviously wasteful happen.  I suppose everything may have a rational explanation.

Yeah Ide has always had the disadvantages of...well of what exactly?

Check your privilege, Stanford.

Could this be the makings of a new "odd couple" reality show?

Somehow, I'm not sure the nation is ready for the southern heterosexual white guy quipping "check your privilege" at the black gay man.  But who knows?  Culture moves fast.

[garbon]

Check your privilege, Stanford.

I knew you'd go for that weak dig. Of course, I don't think most of Languish went to Stanford so seems a bit irrelevant.

[Malthus]

Somehow, I'm not sure the nation is ready for the southern heterosexual white guy quipping "check your privilege" at the black gay man.  But who knows?  Culture moves fast.

It would be a Killer Komedy Klassic. 

Really, it has all the makings. Throw in the fact that the Black gay man is a Republican and the hetero White man is a Democrat.   

[derspiess]

Throw in a wacky neighbor and you might have something.

[Malthus]

Throw in a wacky neighbor and you might have something.

Have Lettow drop by on his way to the South with his bride.

Too wacky?

[Savonarola]

Somehow, I'm not sure the nation is ready for the southern heterosexual white guy quipping "check your privilege" at the black gay man.  But who knows?  Culture moves fast.

It would be a Killer Komedy Klassic. 

Really, it has all the makings. Throw in the fact that the Black gay man is a Republican and the hetero White man is a Democrat.   

I think you have something there.

[Savonarola]

Throw in a wacky neighbor and you might have something.

Have Lettow drop by on his way to the South with his bride.

Too wacky?

That might be overkill.  How about Tamas the libertarian from a strange foreign land?  He could be the Andy Kaufman of the series.

[Caliga]

No surprise that Baltimore, Louisville and Austin make the all-American hipster list. 

Yes, we do have a whole hipster neighborhood.  Unfortunately there are a lot of interesting restaurants there so I have to go there sometimes.  It sickens me.  SICKENS ME.

[Caliga]

南北戦争って何？

Great, thanks for the update.

[Syt]

[Razgovory]

Yeah, they are going to have to do a little better then that.