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February 07, 2009
Germany's Alien, UFO and Daily Strangeness Problem.
And you thought it was just that they've had all these American soldiers around all the time for the last 64 years (which would put the zap on anyone's brain). Examine Berlin's Hermann the German for space news. He's Sirius, too. "They’re breeding like rats."
Posted by JD Hull at 11:27 PM | Comments (0)
February 06, 2009
Dang, 250 leads.
See Scott "Bob Redford" Greenfield's "My 250th Call Through Avvo!" at his Simple Justice. Nothing much gets by Scott, and we've learned much from him. He's introduced us to the rich and powerful people he runs with in NYC. He loves children. He dances with his wife. He returned our phone call, once. But, dude, it beats the yellow pages.
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
"What About Paris?" We begin early this week.
Via Holden Oliver, the aging law student who thinks all music stopped in 1977, we begin our weekend alter ego What About Paris? a bit early this week.
And why not? We had a tough week--and maybe you did, too. Besides, the world no longer begins and ends with the United States. We at WAC? and Hull McGuire want to be in and stay in that larger world: as humans, lawyers and business people with clients who are "all over" it. If you have any non-U.S. ideas or notions--new news, old news, old verities, commercial tidbits, new art, very auld art, anything at all--send them in. What news of the job markets in Europe? What trade show did you attend in Mainz? What are those arty dudes you know doing this weekend in Aldeburgh? What of Snapes Maltings? You been to Tangier yet?
And what about Paris these days?
Posted by JD Hull at 11:35 PM | Comments (0)
February 04, 2009
Tom Daschle goes paws up.
Obama's well-liked HHS nominee withdraws re: $146,000 in back taxes. See yesterday's Washington Post.
Posted by JD Hull at 04:48 PM | Comments (0)
February 03, 2009
February's Carnival of Trust
We know--it sounds like you died and went to Hallmark. But the Carnival of Trust is excellent, conceived and guided by revered and famous minds. Even surly WAC? jumped at a chance to get involved with COT later this year. This month it's hosted by Ian Brodie, a consultant based just south of Manchester in England's Northwest, at his Sales Excellence. One post featured is "Belligerence Kills", at Sales Loudmouth by Tim J. M. Rohrer, and it's instructive. But Belligerence, as an instinct, is instructive, too. Belligerence is also Good. Be belligerent. Very American. Irish, too. You have to listen to It.
Belligerent Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix surrenders to Caesar, 52 BC.
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 08:01 PM | Comments (4)
Like him or not, Bill Clinton is a U.S. asset.
Even our controlled Commander-in-Chief gets excited, starstruck and a little weird around WJC. What's the deal with his wrist?
We vote "R", "D" and "Other" at WAC?--but all of us here like Wild Bill. We can't think of anyone we'd rather have with us abroad. The guy always comes to play. If you're reading this, WJC, you might reconsider. You've had three years to decide, and Hull McGuire still does lots of work in western Europe. We'll pay you to sit in the room. Or to stop in and say hello. Or phone in. Whatever. Ring us.
See Salon, where Joe Conason is watching Bill Clinton work his magic in Davos, Switzerland at the World Economic Forum:
What roused the global elitists from their glum torpor was the opportunity to lay blame for the economic catastrophe that has befallen the world. There was one obvious target: the United States of America, whose stupid and criminal bankers have inflicted so much harm on the whole of humanity. It is an undeniable fact that the Russian and Chinese leaders explored with great relish at every opportunity.
Into this hostile territory rode Bill Clinton, the lone American to whom anyone at Davos might actually listen as he attempted to uphold the name of his country.
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 12:54 AM | Comments (0)
February 02, 2009
Keep your Beginner's Mind.
naughty child–
instead of his chores
a snow Buddha“Gimme that moon!”
cries the crying
child--by Kobayashi Issa, translated by David G. Lanoue (and our heartfelt thanks to DG).
The ability "to think like a lawyer" is about 10% of what you need to be an effective lawyer. Lots of people finally acquire it. Some are famously better and faster at it than others. A revered Skadden M&A partner wrote years ago that, at a minimum, it requires thinking about something that is "inextricably attached" to something--but without thinking about that something to which it's attached.
Legal reasoning is critical--but it's never enough by itself to become an outstanding lawyer. The rest is frame of mind: energy, ambition, organization, logistics-sense, re-thinking everything all the time, a take-charge orientation, genuine people skills, and an urgent passion to solve tough problems. If you think you want to be a litigator or trial lawyer, you will also need Very Tough Hide--something which you can learn the hard way.
Finally, no matter what, you need Will, and Big Ones.
Almost all of students we have interviewed in the last five years made law review, and will graduate at the top of their class. Again, not enough. Lawyers need to learn to think and act on their own from the first day. You need the traits listed above. Think of it as an inside job.
If you are new, "steal our clients", please. Be that good. That will take a while. While you are learning, please understand that you are getting more than you are giving. You don't know much. So it's not unreasonable for us to ask you to try to do perfect research, editing and proofreading.
But we love your ideas, your first impressions, and the trick is to be confident enough to ask dumb questions and make comments. Often, your first impressions or "reactions" to a problem or project are very good--but we don't always hear them right away.
So maybe read Alan Watts. Or at least read a lot of David Giacalone at f/k/a..., an HLS grad who really gets it. Think of David as your spiritual leader and technical adviser in one person. Read, for example, his "Phoenixes and Beginner’s Mind". Keep reading him.
You may not know at first very much law, or how to apply it to facts for a fee, and then give the "right advice". But you have instincts evolving all the time--they have little to do with law school--that may surprise you. You had them all along.
Posted by JD Hull at 02:31 PM | Comments (1)
Brit King of Media interviews California ADR Vixen.
Howard, Oprah and now Charon QC. Mayfair's playful pundit. London's Charlie Rose. Albion's first Rioja Ranger. Charon (pronounced "Karen") just aired podcast No. 94, an interview with famous West Coast ADR princess Vicki Pynchon. Yanks who listened were pleased and grateful that Ms. Pynchon, who lives near Malibu, minimized expressions like "totally", "most heinous" and "some really tasty waves, dude".
Posted by JD Hull at 10:07 AM | Comments (0)
Baby, We Were Born To Eat.
Super Bowl Halftime: Can we have the Kinks, Sting, Bono or B.B. King next year? Despite the hopelessness and self-pity in much of his lyrics--even in the unique rock anthem "Born To Run"--Bruce Springsteen is and always been an inspiring man, with a fine and authentic band. He inspired a whole generation of kids from certain New Jersey counties to eat, drink, watch MTV and totally give up on life with his "hey, there's nobility in being a turd and a loser" message.
We're kidding, well, a little. We do love seeing Clarence, and multi-talented Little Stevie. We admire the New Jersey spirit. But could a Super Bowl halftime show be worse? Nothing sounded very inspiring to us. And Bruce, you're pushing sixty but you're still a rock star. So, dude, get on a program. Ask Mick Jagger. Eat some carrots or something. Try 24-Hour-Fitness. And make Stevie sign up, too. We've seen the future and it's a slimmed down E Street Band.
Hey Stevie, easy on the canoles, dude.
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 12:59 AM | Comments (0)