Objectively intelligent.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

90% of my calls are scheduled zooms or dial-ins, but I'll pick up an unscheduled one now or then.

I'd pick up in Sebby's situation if I weren't busy, but I'd probably wonder why he didn't schedule the damn thing.

Separate question: AITA or is it a nice, light-hearted moment if I have the associate play "Winner takes it all" as background while we're waiting for callers to assemble on a zoom. Situation is one where we're winning.

I never schedule calls where I'm paying someone. You usually don't have to. Creditors who've been ignored typically jump at the call.

It's not a long enough call for a Zoom, and definitely not something that can be done by email. "I'll get a judgment" vs. "Good luck collecting it" is a not record one wants in print. It's also hard to convey that you're not bluffing, and establish trust, in written text.

I think lots of cases wind up unnecessarily in heated litigation because people don't talk enough these days. I try to force opposing parties to meet in person early on in any large matter where there appears to be considerable acrimony. Trial by meeting. Let everyone air their claims and get an idea of what's going to happen in the case, without it being filtered through lawyers.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

I understand seb’s frustration. You make a call to opposing to talk through a point of contention and they don’t answer. Then a minute later you get an email from em. Em is afraid to talk?

Em may be a chicken who can't think on his feet. Which is frustrating because all he's doing is harming his client and running up costs.

Or

Em may be one of these kids who prefers text because he thinks it allows him to frame the issues the way he wants to frame them. Which is also frustrating because, in response, I'm going to ignore his attempt to frame them and just pitch what I was going to pitch. I'll have to go thru three emails, however, before he realizes I'm ignoring his attempts, which gets us to exactly where we should have been during the first call.

Millennials seem to think that they can corner opposition via email and text. Ummm, it's settlement discussions. None of it is admissable.

I'm old. Definitely in the "Now get off my lawn, you fucking kids!" stage.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by pony_trekker

People answer calls? The only call I answer is my dad, wife and kid. Everyone else goes straight to voicemail.

Ever missed a referral fee because you didn't answer?

That taught me the lesson.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

Em may be one of these kids who prefers text because he thinks it allows him to frame the issues the way he wants to frame them. Which is also frustrating because, in response, I'm going to ignore his attempt to frame them and just pitch what I was going to pitch. I'll have to go thru three emails, however, before he realizes I'm ignoring his attempts, which gets us to exactly where we should have been during the first call.

Millennials seem to think that they can corner opposition via email and text. Ummm, it's settlement discussions. None of it is admissable.

I'm old. Definitely in the "Now get off my lawn, you fucking kids!" stage.

In a recent patent lawsuit that needed to be staffed lightly (damages around $1M, not $10M) I relied on a junior guy to handle moving discovery forward. My guy and opposing junior guy started having email fights like this. I was looking at the bills after a month of this: we billed $60,000 for fighting about nonsense. I had to step in and start handling it.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

In a recent patent lawsuit that needed to be staffed lightly (damages around $1M, not $10M) I relied on a junior guy to handle moving discovery forward. My guy and opposing junior guy started having email fights like this. I was looking at the bills after a month of this: we billed $60,000 for fighting about nonsense. I had to step in and start handling it.

Maddening. All these years of efficiencies accruing from tech and yet schools still aren't training kids to act like business people instead of lawyers.

If you want to settle something effectively, start with math (cost of litigation, collectibility, time value of $$$) and work backwards. Only get into the issues and legal arguments when discussion of broad economic costs/benefits fails. Do it in reverse and everybody wastes time and enflames each other with discussion merits of claim and defense.

You can never prove to a person that his argument is wrong. But you can prove that spending X today is economically smarter than possibly spending XXX over the next three years, and being seriously fucking annoyed in the process.

[Icky Thump]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

Ever missed a referral fee because you didn't answer?

That taught me the lesson.

Referrals leave a message.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

So, we are trading the once-new house in the fancy near burbs for the exurban spread with a this-old-house classic. The next year or three are going to be filled with architects, contractors and landscapers. So what would you want in a dream house? What are all the little things we can add to make it special. Bonus points for anything that is appropriate to a federalist farmhouse.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

So what would you want in a dream house?

Transit access, sidewalks, stuff you can walk and/or bike to...

More to the point, two things I like more than I realized when we bought our house are the heated floor in bathroom and out main-level living room space that doesn't have a tv. Granted, we're all walking around with a screen in our pocket, and those get used a lot, but having space to socialize that doesn't have to have a tv on all the time is nice.

While house shopping, "where would we watch tv" was a factor among the small, older houses of South Minneapolis, and it's still a factor I'd consider, but the fancy home theaters prevalent in the McMansion of the '90s no longer hold up as a concept to me. How high quality is your streaming anyway?

Otherwise I'm much more in the experience not things camp. We're looking at redoing our 1940's kitchen and had a guy in from a contractor who was really excited to talk to me about the Thermador appliances they like to install. As if wanting an updated and more functional kitchen was about impressing douchebags who like to spend twice as much as necessary on gear (insert sarcastic crack about Flower's fancy bikes here).

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

So, we are trading the once-new house in the fancy near burbs for the exurban spread with a this-old-house classic. The next year or three are going to be filled with architects, contractors and landscapers. So what would you want in a dream house? What are all the little things we can add to make it special. Bonus points for anything that is appropriate to a federalist farmhouse.

So we have a home with bedroom on the second floor, living space fist floor, and used to have washer/dryer in the basement. When we redid it we built a laundry room on the second floor. It is so much more convenient.

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Originally Posted by Adder

Otherwise I'm much more in the experience not things camp. We're looking at redoing our 1940's kitchen and had a guy in from a contractor who was really excited to talk to me about the Thermador appliances they like to install. As if wanting an updated and more functional kitchen was about impressing douchebags who like to spend twice as much as necessary on gear (insert sarcastic crack about Flower's fancy bikes here).

I feel like the only reason to buy Thermador/Wolf/Sub Zero is for resale value (and obviously for showing off). Friends who have them complain about constant issues.

In contrast, a brand like Boston Whaler is totally worth the premium. Nearly indestructible and holds its value like a Rolex. Full disclosure: I want a Whaler.

[Pretty Little Flower]

Originally Posted by Adder

Transit access, sidewalks, stuff you can walk and/or bike to...

More to the point, two things I like more than I realized when we bought our house are the heated floor in bathroom and out main-level living room space that doesn't have a tv. Granted, we're all walking around with a screen in our pocket, and those get used a lot, but having space to socialize that doesn't have to have a tv on all the time is nice.

While house shopping, "where would we watch tv" was a factor among the small, older houses of South Minneapolis, and it's still a factor I'd consider, but the fancy home theaters prevalent in the McMansion of the '90s no longer hold up as a concept to me. How high quality is your streaming anyway?

Otherwise I'm much more in the experience not things camp. We're looking at redoing our 1940's kitchen and had a guy in from a contractor who was really excited to talk to me about the Thermador appliances they like to install. As if wanting an updated and more functional kitchen was about impressing douchebags who like to spend twice as much as necessary on gear (insert sarcastic crack about Flower's fancy bikes here).

The primary purpose of my fancy bikes is to facilitate experiences.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

So we have a home with bedroom on the second floor, living space fist floor, and used to have washer/dryer in the basement. When we redid it we built a laundry room on the second floor. It is so much more convenient.

Yeah, we're moving the laundry to the second floor. Nailed that one.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Pretty Little Flower

The primary purpose of my fancy bikes is to facilitate experiences.

We will be surounded on four sides by conservation land with well maintained bike and hiking trails extending for miles, and on a rural road that has funky neato villages in both directions, so pretty much bike experience paradise.

We intend to do the existing garage over as just a space for bikes and a work shop. The cars will have to look after themselves. I have a good road bike, but am going to add a good trail bike.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?

I feel like the only reason to buy Thermador/Wolf/Sub Zero is for resale value (and obviously for showing off). Friends who have them complain about constant issues.

In contrast, a brand like Boston Whaler is totally worth the premium. Nearly indestructible and holds its value like a Rolex. Full disclosure: I want a Whaler.

The house has a four burner wolf, but our kitchen redo is going to add a second stove somewhere, since we often have up to five people cooking simultaneously, so I am going to need to figure out what I want for a stove. We are not getting a whaler, but will be adding a canoe and kayak because we have a pretty good size pond (about three quarters of a mile long and a couple hundred feet wide) as well as a smaller one in the conservation area by us.

All will be good on the pond as long as we're not in hunting season.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Adder

Transit access, sidewalks, stuff you can walk and/or bike to...

Heh, heh.

Transit access. We have great access to trains just a five to ten minute drive in either direction.

I think there may be a sidewalk three villages over, where the tourists go.

But there is nothing but walking and biking space as far as the eye can see.

We hope whoever buys our old house enjoys the fucking density.