Fashion Board 11-2-03 - 12-09-03

[Aloha Mr. Learned Hand]

Originally posted by Pretty Little Flower
Stash House Records? So, you are planning on running a violent drug ring out of your record studio, and you decide to call it Stash House Records?

Not too smart. I guess Murder, Inc. was taken...

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Not Me
Two things that are more fun than bitch-slapping opposing counsel over some issue you only pretend to really care about:

1. dropping ecstasy; and

2. having sex for the first time with someone you are extraordinarily physically attracted to (with or without dropping ecstasy).

Fair enough, but I get in trouble for doing that shit in the office.

Plus, the bitch-slapping does not result either in Monday morning blues or the risk of an expensive divorce.

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by Pretty Little Flower
Here is a story about a prosecutor who was found dead after he did not show up for the first day of the trial of a rapper/accused drug distributor:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/nati...ecutor.html?hp

My favorite part of the story (aside from the joy I always feel when hearing about a life that has been prematurely and presumably violently snuffed out) is as follows:

"Luna was trying the case of Baltimore rapper Deon Lionnel Smith, 32, and his one-time associate Walter Oriley Poindexter, 28. The two men are accused of heroin distribution and running a violent drug ring in part from their Stash House Records studio."

Stash House Records? So, you are planning on running a violent drug ring out of your record studio, and you decide to call it Stash House Records?

Huh, the Stash House folks must have read that article and disliked the content. Stash House has been expunged from the story.

Reminds me of the friend who used to have license plates in the 80s that said X QUEEN. She was not into pageants.


Edit - now it is back in the story. Is the NYT just fucking with me or what? Don't make me cancel my free subscription, people.

[purse junkie]

Originally posted by Aloha Mr. Learned Hand
Not too smart. I guess Murder, Inc. was taken...

He was found shot and stabbed, apparently. Perhaps they ought to consider stealing that name just to throw the cops off the trail.

[Alex_de_Large]

Originally posted by Not Bob
The Vince Guaraldi "Charlie Brown Christmas" soundtrack -- I always break this one out early.

The new Liz Phair CD (the name escapes me) -- my wife heard the single on the local ClearChannelInfinity station, and had to have it.

Joni Mitchell's "Ladies of the Canyon." Last week it was "Blue."

A CD by the Donnas that the Not Bobette left in my car. It rawks.

Sorry, late to the party...

Outkast's "The Love Below"
Massive Attack's "100th Window"
Dzihan & Kamien's "Gran Riserva"
John Williams' "Music of John Williams of Past 40 Years" (just got the Indiana Jones DVD's and am currently obsessed
Coletrane's "A Love Supreme" (never leaves the changer)

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Are white and yellow gold equally acceptable? If so, my parents were WASPs at the time they got married. And here I always thought they were just poor.

Also, as an aside, my mom got her wedding ring stolen when she got mugged once (my dad's wouldn't come off -- the guy threatened to shoot off his finger but happily the neighbor came out with his shotgun at that point and the mugger ran) and now she wears a ring that looks nothing like any wedding ring I've ever seen. But it's cool. My dad continues to wear his unremovable ring. Maybe when he gets emaciated in old age he'll be able to get it off.

Yellow gold is more traditional, but a quick phone call to Mrs. Wonk did not result in the dreaded "Oh, well that's just not done." Apparently one can wear a white gold wedding band. But one runs the risk of being thought of as "kinda sporty." Just like those wags at the country club who wear their cords with frogs embroidered on them, rather than the traditional ducks.

Oh, and I'm sorry about your Mom and Dad getting mugged. But I'm glad they didn't get hurt.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by taxwonk
Yellow gold is more traditional, but a quick phone call to Mrs. Wonk did not result in the dreaded "Oh, well that's just not done." Apparently one can wear a white gold wedding band. But one runs the risk of being thought of as "kinda sporty." Just like those wags at the country club who wear their cords with frogs embroidered on them, rather than the traditional ducks.

Oh, and I'm sorry about your Mom and Dad getting mugged. But I'm glad they didn't get hurt.

Dad got pistol-whipped, but didn't get his finger shot off.

[Watchtower]

Originally posted by dealtoy
FB Friends,

Thanks to all of you for your support over the years. It meant a lot to me. I couldn't have done it without all of you guys.

First and foremost: EvenOdds and Fugee -- you two are just the greatest, most sensitive and kind friends anyone could hope for.

Hang Ten, SEC Chick and Rabbit Rust - you are awesome, thanks for everything.

Take care,

Dealtoy,

Congratulations on taking the break. Tell me, did you talk to your pastor or religious before taking this momentous step? I just hope this isn't being prompted mainly by imaginary internet friends.

On another topic, it seems someone else on this board is also now available. I'm just mentioning it.

God Bless,

Watchtower

[soup sandwich]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Dad got pistol-whipped, but didn't get his finger shot off.

I've been mugged once. The guy pointed this at me:



except it only had a twenty round clip in it instead of the fifty round clip shown here.

He is in jail now.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Dad got pistol-whipped, but didn't get his finger shot off.

Bummer. Thank God for neighbors with shotguns.

[Fugee]

Originally posted by mmm3587
I have this fantasy that the decisions at my firm are based on merit and politics and interpersonal relationships. And I don't see any demographic being excluded from it. Really.

This isn't a fantasy -- "merit," politics and interpersonal relationships are exactly the bases for decisions. The part that is fantasy is that those elements are somehow race/gender-blind. And that merit is determined objectively without political and interpersonal relationship influences. This isn't just about people who are overtly and intentionally racist or sexist. It's just human nature.

People want to work with other people with whom they feel comfortable. We generally feel most comfortable with people who we perceive to be just like ourselves. "Just like ourselves" covers a lot of ground: economic class, education, sexual preference, religious background, gender and race/ethnic background, etc. But like it or not, color and sex are big components. A white male partner is more likely to feel comfortable working with a white male associate. After that, probably a white woman associate. Further down the comfort level, a black man because he's at least got the Y chromosone and last a black woman because she's about as far from being like him as possible. (Note, I haven't had enough opportunity to see how other minority groups fit in the continuum but the "like me" principle holds true.) Are these absolutes? No. But I've seen this in action my whole career. Are there comfort factors other than broad categories that come into play? Absolutely. We've all seen the Harvard grad white guy who bombs because his interpersonal skills are so poor he makes everyone uncomfortable. And the person who everyone likes despite the differences.

Thurgreed is absolutely correct that he has to make people at work see him as more like them than different so they'll be comfortable around him. When you come in looking the same color and sex, the "like me" presumption is automatically there and you have to spoil it. He doesn't get that presumption. Leagl gets a presumption based on appearance but it is gone with straight people as soon they learn she is gay and she has to work to make people feel comfortable around her.

If the power base were overwhelmingly black, my little Scandinavian self would be scrambling to look and act in ways that would overcome my white skin and bone straight hair.

And it isn't just partners. Clients also want to work with people around whom they feel comfortable and that also brings the "like me" aspect into play.

If a firm doesn't have a set assignment system, partners and senior associates will call the associates they enjoy working with the most. If they've never worked with a person before, perceived comfort level is a big factor. Once you are "in" with one or more influential partners, the interpersonal factors and politics kick in. (Same thing if you get "out" of favor.) This is because merit is not objectively measured except in your fantasy life. How you feel about someone can't help but influence how you evaluate his or her work. We're humans, not machines. A couple examples. There is an associate I know who walked in the door viewed as a "star." That person left out a critical term in a client's agreement. The partner who discovered this exploded on the non-star associate who inadvertently brought it to his attention after closing. When Non-star Associate explained the deal had been done by Star Associate, the partner said "oh, well s/he was really busy then; don't tell the client." That incident will never appear in Star Associate's reviews but I suspect would torpedo another associate. Second example: a powerful partner has taken another associate under his wing and constantly sings that associate's praises. I hear partners who have never seen one iota of work product from that associate taking about how smart s/he is and telling other associates they should be more like that. We don't make widgits. You can't divorce merit from political and interpersonal considerations.

Things change as the power majority works more with people who aren't just like them and their comfort level expands and as more people outside the majority come into positions of power. The number of white women partners is increasing (though as BRC points out, many of them don't make good mentors, formal or nor) but the percentage of women partners is nowhere close to white male partners. And when you get outside of white straight partners (male and female), the opportunities for there to be partners who identify with or feel instinctively comfortable around associates who aren't white and straight go way down.

Take an honest look around you without the rose-colored glasses. The playing field isn't anywhere close to even yet -- the hills and valleys are getting smoother but there's a lot farther to go than I'd have thought back when I was in junior high and first thought about racial issues.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by taxwonk
Bummer. Thank God for neighbors with shotguns.

I think the neighbor just coming out would have done the trick. But who knows. Neighbor was a big hunter.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Alex_de_Large
Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" (never leaves the changer)

Yo. Best album ever.

[Alex_de_Large]

Originally posted by soup sandwich
I've been mugged once. The guy pointed this at me:



except it only had a twenty round clip in it instead of the fifty round clip shown here.

He is in jail now.

Holy shit, seriously? That's pretty messed up.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Yo. Best album ever.

"Yo"?