Offering constructive criticism to the social cripples in our midst since early 2005.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Spanky
Sidd - this is just wrong. I don't know where you get this. Business organizations and associations are the most signficant lobbyist in State Capitals in the National Capitals for Republicans. Whenver a bill comes up in Sacramento the first thing the Repubicans ask is "where does the chamber stand." You have the Manufacturere Assocition, Tech Net etc.

Do you have any idea how many lobbyists there are on K Street, and how many individual corps and individual industries they represent? They tend to get quieter consideration -- it's a lot more acceptable to say, publicly, that "the Chamber of Commerce supports this" than "ExxonMobil supports this", but to suggest that all of those K Street lobbyists (not to mention all of those corporate and industry org. donations) are insignificant is absurd.

Most of the lobbying they do today is anti-competition. Pro-tariffs, ant-flexible hours, limiting the type of businesses that non union companys get into. They were against deregulation of the Arilne Industry, the Phone company. etc.

You will note that I agreed with a lot of what you said in my post.

But did steel manufacturers line up against Bush's steel tariffs? Has Detroit ever opposed tariffs or quotas on auto imports? ADM or Cargill opposed farm subsidies?

You have a very black-and-white (Manichean?) worldview. Unions are anti-business, industry is pro-competition. The world is just not so uniform.

That is nice in theory but it just does not match up to practical application. Since I have been invovled in California State Politics (six years) most bills that effect the economy or business come down to the Chamber v. The Unions. The Unions are always on the side of regulation and restrictions where the Chamber is on the other side. The Unions passed a law that ended flexible hours in the silicon valley (people could not work a four day ten hour workday), they want to stop Costco from selling food, they did not want state government contracts to go to competitive bidding, the wanted to keep the workers compensation system in a state that was strangling business etc.

Once again, I agreed with you on a lot of things.

But how did Safeway and Albertson's feel about Costco selling food?

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Do you have any idea how many lobbyists there are on K Street, and how many individual corps and individual industries they represent? They tend to get quieter consideration -- it's a lot more acceptable to say, publicly, that "the Chamber of Commerce supports this" than "ExxonMobil supports this", but to suggest that all of those K Street lobbyists (not to mention all of those corporate and industry org. donations) are insignificant is absurd.

Plus, it does not seem to me that on the federal level really broad business groups do all that much. Industry groups, yes. Chamber of Commerce of Podunkville, no. And industry groups are much like unions (the whole union, not the locals) -- they are much more interested in one particular industry than in the economy in general.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Diane_Keaton
I'm certain there is something political in this, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

He's using a Mac.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
I'd do something similar. My I-just-won-the-powerball fantasy involves flying all of my friends to a resort in Costa Rica that I'd taken over for a month, sitting them down with my new best friend banker and having all debt extinguished.

I'd have a few houses around the world for them to crash in when the mood strikes. I'd also give them access to my travel agent, so getting to me isn't a pain in the ass for them.

If I hit the Powerball I'd start a talk show like the old ones on which Buckley and Vidal fought. I'd bring people on and do exactly what I'm doing here. Just say what I feel like saying.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Spanky
Yes some Unions support free trade just like some African Americans support the Republican party. By far the biggest fudning and most intense lobbying against all the free trade agreements comes from unions. Just like there are some businesses that are against free trade. But the pro-free trade unions and the anti-free trade businesses are both pretty insignificant.

This is bullshit, and your comparison to Black Repubs is just plain silly. Unions and businesses watch for their own self-interest, and that of their members -- and they define these pretty narrowly. Do you really think that any corporate or business lobby has ever supported or opposed legislation that would be detrimental to their business, on the view that "competition is good"? You think massive subsidies for airlines is "pro-competition"? You think the steel tariffs were? Ridiculously below-market rates for extracting minerals from or grazing on federal land?

And your constant reference to what "people in Sacramento" say is meaningless. Blaming unions is easy -- many people are inherently anti-union; they've forgotten how bad things were for the working class -- no min. wage, no worker safety, company towns and stores, etc. -- before the union movement. Blaming the unions is a political ploy to garner support, one that has grown so ingrained with Repubs that they may not even realize it. If they can't blame "trial lawyers," they blame unions. The Dems have their own bugbears, of course ("it's a war for oil!"); a little critical reading is often helpful.

[SEC_Chick]

Originally posted by Not Bob
John Grisham doesn't need to do any lawyerin', and I'm guessing that people like Peter Angelos, Willie Gary, and David Boies don't need to, either. Yet they do. Dennis Block and Joe Flom (he's still alive, right?) could probably quit, too, unless they are locked into expensive stuff like ex-wives, polo ponies, and mansions in Rye.

I am sure that the NYCers have better stories, but in my experience Block is just a name and doesn't actually "work" on the deals. He's too busy hosting a dinner party for the Mayor at his apartment, and anyway, he has an 8-10 year partner as his bitch, who does most of the work. You get a couple of calls from his secretary asking you you "Please hold the line for Mr. Block" but when he's on the calls he clearly hasn't paid enough attention to the issues and his bitch has to help him out. Not a whole lot of actual lawyering going on, but I am sure his clients are happy, because they have Dennis Block on their deal. I can tell it's not like his job interferes with his social obligations.

(BTW, wasn't there a rumor that he was getting the boot from CWT a few years ago for being such an A-hole (and being so expensive)? I wonder why that didnt go through)

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
you might find a husband that way!

Actually some of these death row people aren't all bad. http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/06....ap/index.html

Perhaps a special friend. Not a husband.

I have a friend who I think possibly sold a business for a chunk of change, but not a zillion dollars, who barely works anymore. He lives quite modestly. I think I could do that, if I knew there were a pretty big bank balance somewhere. I kind of think I would keep working some just so that I would retain skills so that if something happened and I needed to work, I wouldn't be totally screwed.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Spanky
If you are for free trade, one party clearly needs to be your choice.

Yeah, I remember those horrible, horrible days under Clinton, when the economy was shrinking, the deficit growing, and no one could get a free trade bill passed into legislation.

Thank god that's over. Eight years of peace and prosperity was really too much.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Bad_Rich_Chic
Oh, I think there are really people out there who not only believe it, but for whom it is true. Not the bulk of people who would say it (or think it), but a few.

Then I feel sad that our society is so messed up that it doesn't get those people the help they so desperately need.

I remember reading, somewhere, in some survey someone conducted of lottery winners, more than a quarter insisted, at the time they won, that they would keep working. At the end of 1 year almost none of them were, and the most common explanation for their changed attitude was "what was I thinking?"

So, in the end, those people did what you would want to do, and what you would want them to do.... but they weren't nearly as unhappy with their situations (i.e., needing to work) before winning the lottery as you and Sebby seem to be. Right?

The Kool-Aid is yummy. Try it some time.

Seriously -- I'd be happy to stop working but I love living where I live and would need a bunch of money. I also like having regular human interactions with smart people. I wouldn't get that in Gatti's garrett, or on the beach with a stack of books. I'd need to be active, and travelling, and the like -- and that ain't happening on 90k a year (hell, I can barely pay my mortgage on that).

And I have one case that actually does do some good. I'd hate not to finish that out, though I probably could make the adjustment. But I don't know. This is the problem in occasionally doing work for charities.

[Not Bob]

Originally posted by SEC_Chick
[Dennis Block doesn't really "work."]

SEC_Chick, SEC_Chick . . . hmmmmm. Why does that name seem vaguely familiar?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
So, in the end, those people did what you would want to do, and what you would want them to do.... but they weren't nearly as unhappy with their situations (i.e., needing to work) before winning the lottery as you and Sebby seem to be. Right?

The Kool-Aid is yummy. Try it some time.

Seriously -- I'd be happy to stop working but I love living where I live and would need a bunch of money. I also like having regular human interactions with smart people. I wouldn't get that in Gatti's garrett, or on the beach with a stack of books. I'd need to be active, and travelling, and the like -- and that ain't happening on 90k a year (hell, I can barely pay my mortgage on that).

And I have one case that actually does do some good. I'd hate not to finish that out, though I probably could make the adjustment. But I don't know. This is the problem in occasionally doing work for charities.

Kids change this too. I want my kids to see someone who gets up each day and works. My kids would need to work even if I had 5 million tomorrow. Seeing daddy start drinking at 9 AM each day isn't going to make for junior hitting the books and trying to make something of himself (while he buys lotto every week waiting for lightning to strike twice).




Of course this only applies to the ones I'm raising. the ones i have Ty raising wouldn't be hurt.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Seriously -- I'd be happy to stop working but I love living where I live and would need a bunch of money. I also like having regular human interactions with smart people. I wouldn't get that in Gatti's garrett, or on the beach with a stack of books.

Dude, you haven't drunk the Kool Aid. You just described golden handcuffs. We all wear them. You're one of us. Doing it for the cash...

As to your second point, law offices are not bastions of the best and brightest. What smart person would tie his pay to hourly toil? Its like working in a factory, an imbecile's business model. What you meet in the traditional law firm are people who are (a) book smart (dime a dozen) and (b) risk aversive. Smart people are the one we work for; the one who make decisions and actually do things, rather than counsel others about the impact of law on their decisions. We're spectators.

If we were truly as smart as we think we are, we'd be hiring people like us to tend to our annoying legal bullshit.

As to interesting people, I've met tremendously more interesting people on the subway than in most law offices. Aside from these boards and a few friends, I've found lawyers to generally be among the most dull people alive. Why do you think these boards exist? Would we need a hideaway if the zombies we work with were at all engaging?

[sunnybunny]

BOSTON - Sen. John F. Kerry (news, bio, voting record)'s grade average at Yale University was virtually identical to President Bush's record there, despite repeated portrayals of Kerry as the more intellectual candidate during the 2004 presidential campaign.


Kerry had a cumulative average of 76 and got four Ds his freshman year — in geology, two history courses and political science, The Boston Globe reported Tuesday.

His grades improved with time, and he averaged an 81 his senior year and earned an 89 — his highest grade — in political science as a senior.

"I always told my dad that D stood for distinction," Kerry said in a written response to reporters' questions. He said he has previously acknowledged focusing more on learning to fly than studying.

Under Yale's grading system in effect at the time, grades between 90 and 100 equaled an A, 80-89 a B, 70-79 a C, 60 to 69 a D, and anything below that was a failing grade.

In 1999, The New Yorker magazine published a transcript showing Bush had a cumulative grade average of 77 his first three years at Yale, and a similar average under a non-numerical rating system his senior year.

Bush's highest grade at Yale was an 88 in anthropology, history and philosophy. He received one D in his four years, a 69 in astronomy, and improved his grades after his freshman year, the transcript showed.

Kerry, a Democrat, previously declined to release the transcript, which was included in his Navy records. He gave the Navy permission to release the documents last month, the Globe reported.

Kerry graduated from Yale in 1966, Bush in 1968.

[Bad_Rich_Chic]

Originally posted by SEC_Chick
I am sure that the NYCers have better stories, but in my experience Block is just a name and doesn't actually "work" on the deals. He's too busy hosting a dinner party for the Mayor at his apartment, and anyway, he has an 8-10 year partner as his bitch, who does most of the work. You get a couple of calls from his secretary asking you you "Please hold the line for Mr. Block" but when he's on the calls he clearly hasn't paid enough attention to the issues and his bitch has to help him out. Not a whole lot of actual lawyering going on, but I am sure his clients are happy, because they have Dennis Block on their deal.

This sounds about right. The client is paying for the big name, and thus the big name needs to appear and bluster from time to time and show that he's actively managing the deal-team by randomly firing associates during meetings when he makes an obvious fuckup. (I firmly believe that those associates were like "yeah, Dennis, I'm so fired. See you Monday" but I don't actually know.)

(BTW, wasn't there a rumor that he was getting the boot from CWT a few years ago for being such an A-hole (and being so expensive)? I wonder why that didnt go through)

I don't remember that - there was much ink spilt about that being the reason he was fired from Weil, a good part of CWT's rep as one of the crappiest holes for an associate to get stuck in was due to his singularly abusive presence, and there were a lot of rumors that his portables were nothing like what CWT had been led to expect, but I don't recall rumors that CWT also wanted to give him the boot. I wasn't really paying attention, though.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
Kids change this too. I want my kids to see someone who gets up each day and works. My kids would need to work even if I had 5 million tomorrow. Seeing daddy start drinking at 9 AM each day isn't going to make for junior hitting the books and trying to make something of himself (while he buys lotto every week waiting for lightning to strike twice).

"Working hard" alone does not translate to riches, yet so many people seem to think its so laudable. Bullshit Puritan ethic. Those idiots also hanged witches...

I watched my old man work on a golf course for the last 30 plus years. You think I didn't respect him because he didn't work "hard" in an office like some dumbass lawyer would describe it? He's retired early. I'm on a sucker train. I respect him more every day, and myself less and less...*

*Well, not lately, for reasons I can't divulge about my own scenario since it could out me...