Synthetic Diamonds
 

Sounds like my old firm. What is their billable requirement and how much is their bonus?

Synthetic Diamonds
 

Two points: first, I hate it when people characterize consumer goods which depreciate as an "investment." If they're really an investment, they're really, really bad investments. Just admit that you splurged on something you wanted; don't try to characterize it as a wise financial decision.

Second, I don't think that anyone who knows anything about electronics would claim that you don't get additional quality when you go up two, five or ten times in price. But I think that many would say that most people's utility in electronics stops going up enough to justify the additional cost after things get to prices way below what the true nuts will pay for the stuff. The guys I know who have $10,000 amps are among the most fucked-up people out there; they should spend one tenth as much money and time getting the rest of their lives as sorted as their home theaters.

Power outage
 

Well give me some pointers so we don't look so silly when we're arguing with ourselves.

Craigslist poll
 

Back where I used to live, people would see me, say "hey, you're white!", and then, after a second or two, ask me if I knew Frank Sinatra.

The FB: All Texas, All the Time
 

My dad had an obnoxious bumper sticker in the late 70s early 80s that read "If you dont' have an oil well, get one." That was pretty much the mentality back then.

Power outage
 

You done took my shit out on the street, bitch.

'n without askin'.


(Edited to add: and my bedroom song was the theme song to Eight Is Enough. So there.)

Travel billing, blackout, curfew, etc.
 

I've never had a client who forbids billing for travel time, but I have heard that there are a few my firm has. Why the hell do partners agree to these sorts of restrictions. I think that, if I did not know ahead of time and agree to personally eat the time, I would just bill it and let the billing partner decide. It's not like I'm not getting fucked in this situation; it's hard enough to work on a plane as it is, and I certainly don't have a lot of freedom of mobility. Occasionally, along with all the shitty parts of billing hours, there are some nice parts about it. In almost all other industries, you're not getting a bonus based on something as calculable as hours spent traveling.

What are the implications, Mister Ebola, of having to bill the time to "office?" In my firm, it would mean that it would apply to my minimum hours but not be considered the kind of hours that would be considered when calculating my (hopefully) phat bonus. That's unacceptable. Why the fuck do they think you're on the plane?

On a related note, does anyone have any good information about what's going on in Manhattan right now? I hear that the markets will be operating normally, and I've talked to some people there. But I can't raise a couple of the parties to my closing on landline, cell phone or e-mail, and we're going to need those guys to close this fucker. Somebody was talking about a dawn to dusk curfew. Given normal NY working hours, that only leaves about a four hour overlap of daylight with the workday!

Synthetic Diamonds
 

I figured it was a play on the line from the Blues Brothers.

Power outage
 

You're shit still says 60000+ posts, so unless you have been incredibly prolific, I don't think I took it on the street all that much ;)

Travel billing, blackout
 

What I think it means is that Ebola's partner doesn't want to take the hit on his realization rate and would rather have it look as if Ebola didn't work as much. That sucks.

Asking an associate to bill "office" time for being stuck in a plane on client business is BS. I would put it down as client time and let the partner write it off. If the partner can't make the client understand why it should pay that time, then the partner should take the realization rate hit.

I understand why clients don't want to pay for it -- they have to watch expenses -- but lawyers who bill by the hour (rather than by the job) have only their time and experience to sell. If the client is using up time that an attorney could be billing to another client if the attorney wasn't flying on client business, the client should pay.

On the blackout note, I am waiting to hear the tales of adventure from the NYC GAs. I want to hear where you were and what happened. How you got home, what it was like. Etc.

Diamonds (big ones)
 

My answer to the diamond dilemma was easy - estate pieces.

Craigslist poll
 

France?

Travel billing, blackout
 

Since I am incapable of grabbing a picture to post, I direct your attention to the paper of record for a picture of people sleeping on the steps of the post office.

Power is still out in many parts of the city though land lines are working. We still haven't heard from my brother or his SO, so I am afraid they are stuck somewhere on a location.

Diamonds (big ones)
 

Yeah, but you have to kill somebody first. I would rather pay retail than risk getting caught. Maybe on something like a house it would be worth it, but for a diamond, maybe not so much.

Diamonds (big ones)
 

No. A lot of jewelry stores will sell items from estates on consignment. The rock I bought was about 40% less than what an equivalent rock was being priced for at the factory stores - Mervis and the like.