Posts made by Ganymede

@Auspice

You can crack a rib by coughing too hard. Or hurt some of the tender tissue holding your ribs in place. Not much you can do for either situation except bear it, but you could get some steroids to relieve the coughing and swelling in your airways.

@Groth

It’s fun to watch, sure, but he’s more like Billy Mays explaining how Oxyclean works than Bill Nye.

@Auspice

Where's the pain?

Might be a cracked rib.

Random thoughts from this discussion.

• It's amusing that Derp, Ominous, and I probably practice very close to one another. We could probably have a tri-state area meet up or something. Hofbrauhaus I hear is pretty in autumn.

• The criminal attorneys have a different perspective on judges and juries than I.

• We all could come together and make a pretty nasty law firm.

@nyctophiliac said in The Art of Lawyering:

Jury System. Just why would anyone ever want to be tried by a court of their peers when the majority of our peers aren't all that smart - why not rely on a professional with experience? (Like a Judge!) Does this happen anywhere other than America? What do yall lawyers think about this?

This is an archaic remnant of British law, frankly, coming right out of that wholly-useless document known as Magna Carta. At the time, the "jury of peers" was to protect landholders against actions by the crown, which generally occurred before crown-appointees. By "peers," the landholders meant "other landholders." While that usually meant that the landowners got away with a lot of shit, landholders could also get really sick and tired of Lord Angus McSheepFucker and his night-time antics one day and let him get strung up for his 134th charge of "anger-banging Lady Smith's blessed flock of sheep."

As a matter of practice, I do not ask for a jury demand. Juries are stupid. A lawyer asking for a jury, in my opinion, is one who needs to take advantage of stupid people in order to win their cases.

The Gavel. Talk to me about this. ORDER ORDER! BLAM BLAM! Is it just to punctuate that you mean business? What do yall lawyers think about this?

The gavel is used to create a loud noise calculated to cut through arguing between parties and/or counsel. It is similar to flicking the light switch on or off. These days, counsel usually don't get into open verbal wars because they usually get warned prior and judges are usually not shy to spending people into a holding cell for contempt of court. At least, 'round here.

Why did you choose the section of law (family, criminal, etc) that you chose? Or did it choose you?

You don't often get to choose; fate often chooses you. If you start at a firm or public institution, you do as you're told. If you start on your own, you just take what you can get and figure out what you like; then you play the trading game with other lawyers until you can build up a practice in the area you like.

Bond and bail, what's the difference?

Context varies, but bail is usually applied to the amount paid to get out of jail whereas bonds are used in the civil context for a variety of different purposes..

Why on earth did you choose to practice law to begin with? Was it the money or..?

I began it as an adventure and ended with a challenging professional career. I like both.

What is the most hilarious case you've worked on?

It's not really funny, but I have some funny client names. For example, I once represented a fellow with the last name "Batman," which made motion/brief writing more amusing. I also worked on a case for a client with the last name "Short" who had sued someone with the last name "Long."

What is the saddest case you've worked on?

I do not get emotionally invested in my cases. That's a quick way to burn out.

Would you ever represent someone that is guilty but they wanted you to get them off the hook? Would you lie for them? What's the furthest you'd go?

Yes. Even if guilty an accused should be defended where the government has committed a violation of their civil rights. All lawyers swear an oath to defend the Constitution in the United States. I take my oaths very seriously.

To that end, no. I would never lie to or for a client. Lying is an art form that requires a great deal of care and delicacy. I have neither the time nor the inclination to prance about the truth. You win on the truth or you don't win at all. I have fired more than one client for asking if I would lie or alter evidence.

Do you like arguing? How can you manage to keep your shit together when impassioned?

I don't mind arguing, but it depends when and where. Generally, I do not argue unless I am being paid or I am to get something out of it personally.

In a case, I refrain from arguing with another lawyer or my client. In the first case, it is purposeless: I don't need to convince another lawyer that I am right; I need to convince a judge or jury. In the second case, I don't have the time: if a client does not think I am telling them how the law works or forecasting the outcome well, then they can find another lawyer that feels inclined to get a pack of smokes, a short length of hose, and blow smoke up their ass.

A wise lawyer does not argue against someone. A wise lawyer demonstrates why her interpretation of the law or set of facts should prevail. As an art it is closer to teaching than it is to debating; debates are for arguments that have no right answer, whereas teaching is showing someone else what the right answer is.

@Wretched said in The ADD/ADHD Thread (cont'd from Peeves):

How do people do this regularly?! For the yawning infinite abyss that is the 'foreseeable future'

I look at it this way:

Race-based humor aside, it's convenient when you have to drop your pets off at obedience school bright and early and get to spend your day arguing with people on the Internet (via e-mail).

My years of experience here (and elsewhere on WORA, IGU, Snark, etc.) paid off!

@surreality

@surreality

I’m in.

I want to be the predatory female.

@Tinuviel

To be clear, authority is the limit given by a client to settle a matter, money-wise. A bit different from what you meant, in context of settlement.

You two are in? Well, fuck.

@Derp

I’ve been drinking, but —

— fuck that shit. Serious. Being a lawyer doesn’t mean you are the end all be all of legal knowledge.

Fuck that shit.

A firm is a football team. Everyone has a part to play. Letting people play their roles is what makes the team work. You know your shit? Speak the fuck up.

Maybe that is why my support staff loves the shit out of me. We missed a court order’s requirement, and my assistant was beside herself at her desk crying because she felt responsible. I had to tell her, no, I’m the attorney, I’m the partner, I am responsible and it is not her fault.

We still won on those late motions, and then settled within authority.

Honest, the best part of the Factory is the Caesar salad. It has so much garlic it hurts so good.

@Auspice said in Firefly - Still Flyin':

They can be logged and reported (just like people can in other programs like, say, reporting someone on Twitter for harassing DMs), but I should be able to login and feel comfortable that no one's gonna creep on what I'm doing 'just because.'

And what makes you think this is not already happening on the games you play on?

I have said it before: everything rests on a staff member’s reputation. No policy is sacrosanct; no expectation will never be broken. All you can do is trust your staff or not trust them.

That’s really all it comes down to.

And if that is so? There’s no need for a policy.

And before anyone thinks I will spy on them whimsically, I ain’t got time for that shit.

@Coin said in Good TV:

That movie was the beginning of a glorious era of self-aware action comedies starring Dwayne Johnson and we should all be profusely thankful.

I concur.

@Derp said in Firefly - Still Flyin':

I mean, realistically this has been an unspoken policy on every game, thus far. We all know that staff can do this, and we know that staff have done this. Yet we still keep playing.

This wouldn't give me pause. I say kudos to them for being willing to put it on the table in the first place and talk about what steps they are willing to take in a transparent way.

I concur.

@Rinel said in Good or New Movies Review:

Crucial to understanding our differences of opinion on the work is the fact that its music was never mentioned in your post.

Of course not. Music is something I don't fight about with people. Some people like Cardi B, for instance, and I find her rapping to be hot garbage.

I have found that many people get hung up on any of the songs with the word "jellicle" in it. That's fine, but nonsense words are: (1) sort of what the modernist poets, like T.S. Eliot, were all about; and (2) perfectly crumulent in a musical number. That aside, if you like the music in the musical, you will probably really like Hudson's Memory and, of course, Grizabella the Glamour Cat,* while hating Swift's version of Macavity or the fact that they turned Skimbleshanks into a tap number (but it sort of makes sense, I suppose, for the railway cat).

I really liked what they did for Magical Mr. Mistoffles. Sir McKellen kills it as Gus the Theatre Cat,** but I am just flabbergasted and appalled that they elected to remove/alter Growltiger's Last Stand (because of racist performances back in the 80s). Hated Wilson; tolerated Corden; and am in love with Hayward.

If I read another person's comment about Dench's "unnecessary" fourth wall break, I swear I'm going to scream.

*- This was based on the poem given to ALW by Eliot's literary executor, and was excluded from the Old Possum book because it was too sad for children. The song opens with an except from Eliot's Rhapsody on a Windy Night, and is a wicked bitch to sing.

**- When you listen to it, close your eyes and imagine Sir McKellen quietly singing as a doddering old actor seeking to be reborn to tell more stories to a new generation.

@Derp said in Good or New Movies Review:

Information following an evolutionary pattern does not in any way preclude a careful study of it for viability and longevity.

At the same time, a person's evolutionary pattern for PME sort of precludes the need for a careful study for longevity.

@Arkandel said in What do you eat?:

For example even very basic questions such as "how much protein is needed" or "does the timing of meals matter" are answered differently by researchers who often resort to anecdotal evidence ('this is what worked for me') to support their claims.

I don't mind anecdotal evidence or advice. In fact, I think that most of us follow anecdotal evidence and/or advice when it comes to what we believe to be healthy choices. And there's nothing wrong with that.

If someone were to ask me how to lose weight, I'd probably go with the following questions:

1. Do you like to go out with friends to drink and smoke?: If so, there's nothing wrong with that -- well, except for the smoking part. We all know smoking's bad for you, but it's also pretty fucking expensive too. And if you like to drink, consider going with low-carb alternatives that fit your lifestyle; for beer-swillers, you may want to try a sipping whiskey, whereas wine-drinkers may enjoy a liquor-and-spritzer or, God forbid, a Whiteclaw.

2. Do you enjoy snacking in front of the TV?: Seriously, who the fuck doesn't? I do, but I try not to sit around with a bag of Doritos and a bowl of sour-cream-based dip. Instead, I like vegetables with tzatziki or salsa. My favorite? Celery and hot fucking salsa.

3. Do you exercise?: If so, great; if not, you might want to change that. Embarrassed at the gym? You may want to try an online service like Daily Burn, which has a variety of simple, intermediate, and fucking ridiculous workouts for you to load up. Best part? It comes in app form, so you can upload it to a Firestick, laptop, or cell phone and workout anywhere you have Internet service.

4. Do you live with someone else?: Next question -- do you both want to get healthier? Because nothing is better than a little "healthy" (har har) competition. Try what works for them; share what works for you.

5. Are you judgmental about things?: No one ever admits to it, but for those that are you should consider letting it go. Judgmental people tend to judge themselves as well, and that is probably the biggest stumbling block to getting healthy. Let people enjoy what they want; you enjoy what you want. And if getting healthy and losing weight is what you want, enjoy the fuck out of it and don't let anyone deter you on your path to happiness. Fuck that, fuck them, and fucking do it.

@Kestrel said in What do you eat?:

Can I ask why you live non-carb?

I eschew carbs mostly because I choose to. Also, I go into keto when I go into a training cycle because I have found that such diet gives me more energy and better recovery times.

I've read many studies. I've watched many documentaries. And as a result, I believe that the Blue Zone studies are the best indicia of what would help if you want to live a long healthy life. That being said, for the reasons you've stated, I believe what matters most is not how or what you put into you but rather how much and what you do with it.

First, I have concluded that studies suffer from a great deal of confirmation bias and lack of controls. The diversity of food studies and their results only demonstrate to me how inconclusive the science is. Take, for instance, your study on the gut microbiome of the Japanese in Okinawa. The first study on which it was based only had 13 individuals and the instant study had only 106 individuals. Given that Okinawa has a Japanese population of over 1 million, this study seems extremely limited.

Second, I have concluded, as you state, that the common factors across the populations in Blue Zones are the most important. I look at my parents as examples: they both walk at least an hour a day, enjoy spending time with friends, family, and colleagues locally, and are generally faith-abiding. That said, their diets aren't exactly balanced, and while they no longer eat a lot of meat (because of dental issues, mostly) they certainly do not and did not avoid it.

Finally, you don't need to eat animal products to live low-carb. If you're fortunate enough to be able to eat seeds and nuts, you can remain vegan and go low-carb. You could get your fats from: (1) avocados; (2) dark chocolate; (3) chia seeds; (4) EVOO; and (5) coconuts and coconut oil. Need proteins? Try tofu, tempeh, and peanut butter. And whereas many sites advise you to stay within 20-50 grams of carbs to get into keto, you can still hit keto if you eat 100-150 grams (40-50% of daily recommended intake), exercise, and keep your calories around the 2,000 mark (it just takes longer).

Prior I stuck with keto for 3 months before I shifted into a low-carb diet and have kept the weight off despite numerous "life-based" interruptions. This year I intend to get into keto again for 3 months before shifting back into a low-carb diet. The trick is getting the non-animal fats into my diet so far, but I'm looking into what I can do to change that. Aside from that, getting more mobility and raising my lifting capacity (again) are on my checklist.

But the most important thing (so far) is quitting the smoking habit. Not looking back on that one. And if I kick it for good but end up sticking to meat-eating? Yeah, I'm gonna have no regrets.

@Kestrel

What about allergies? I am allergic to nuts and legumes. This precludes a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, as far as I can tell.

If you’ve research to prove otherwise, I’d like to make a change. Also, I live non-carb.