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January 29, 2011

Felix Desruelles

A Left Bank square at I Prefer Paris, by Richard Nahem.

Square Felix Desruelles: Blvd. St. Germain, near St. Germain Church, 6th arr. (R. Nahem)

Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)

January 28, 2011

If You're First-Rate, Lean & Mean, Do Charge More. (And Please Get Off Your Knees.)

Go ahead. Take their best clients to a better world and experience.

If your firm's under 100 lawyers, has publicly-traded clients and is efficient, it's in a tiny minority. So charge more than bigger firms. These days most (not all) large brand name law firms in the West--to quote an ex-U.S. president from Texas--have trouble pouring piss out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel.

Those firms now gladly hire weak people, they carry too many idle people, and they charge clients to support weak and idle people. They make money on mediocrity and waste. For too many firms, it's a long-time business model. The way they make money. Now's the time to take their best clients to a better world and experience. Get off your bottom-feeding knees.

Posted by JD Hull at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)

Your Egypt, our Egypt.

Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 12:59 AM | Comments (1)

Wake up loud, Teacups.

Spread out the oil, the gasoline.
My hands are greasy.
She's a mean, mean machine.

Start it up. We're waiting.

Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 12:23 AM | Comments (0)

We Lawyers: The Undisciplined. The Disorganized. The Miserable.

"What ever is he talking about?"

Western business schools, and especially the training programs of large global and publicly-traded companies, do a much, much better job than do law schools or law firms of training people (1) to plan work and (2) to get it done. Or even to value that.

Do we lawyers know how to get things done, done right and done on time? Do we even value that? I wonder.

I am not talking here about the simple "keeping face" and survival requirements of meeting client deal or court deadlines, or even about the cliches of working hard, creative thinking, "out of the box", working smart or being persistent. I mean structure, a real standard, and "practicing structure" every day--the discipline of (1) having a plan or strategy for any one project, client or non-client, (2) meeting internal project deadlines no matter what, and (3) applying the will to work that plan and timetable.

And making it a habit until it's natural--and (gulp) fun.

"Structure" is not just the hard process of getting things done. It's a frame of mind and a value which must be sold to others in your shop--like the importance of making that 5 minute call to a client about a loose end at the end of the worst day you can remember, even while you could do it the next morning at 8:00. It's realizing that letting anything but emergency tasks "slide" makes you inefficient, unlikely to meet your real goals, and tired.

Do you get up early every day with a idea of what needs to be done on each project, and knowing the difference between "important" and "urgent"? Example: Monday is your deadline to have the final changes and notes to your web designer on your new firm website, an important but not urgent project you've talked about at internal meetings for months. So far, for once, you have been on track.

But on Monday a longstanding client calls with two new projects; the new projects are exciting but not THAT urgent in the sense they need to cut into internal deadlines and other goals for Monday. You need to take some first steps, though, to get on top of the new matters for your client. After all, these folks are the main event.

Key ongoing internal project v. new client project. Which gets the most attention that day? Which slides? Answer: they both get attention, and neither slides. The website (long-term important) and the new client project (short-term important) are both critical projects. Years ago the Stephen Coveys and Edwards Demings out there pointed out that business people burn themselves out by waiting around only for "the urgent" in a kind of manic crisis management that keeps other important things from ever getting done or ONLY getting them done when they morph into a crisis. For lawyers, other examples would be only respecting deadlines like transaction closing dates and court-filing deadlines--to hell with everything else.

For a long time I've thought that American business schools and the training programs of global and often publicly-traded companies do a much, much better job than do law firms of training recruits to value and adhere to the structure of a plan on an item for action. It's almost as if law school and firms deem us all such "professionals" and "artists" that we are beyond learning skills of project planning and execution. What a crock. Not learning the value of pushing non-urgent but important things along at a steady pace has cost us dearly. As motivated as lawyers often are, our discipline for sticking to anything and seeing it through is often poor; again, unless it's urgent, we just don't see its value. Do our best clients run their businesses that way?

This attitude is the norm, and we lawyers--who rarely innovate or take a leadership position on anything in commerce--are just fine, thank you, with it. After all, "all the other law firms" are mediocre on the discipline of getting things done, and have "crisis-only" mentalities--why shouldn't we be that way? So we waste time blowing off important but longer term projects. Worst of all, we send to others in our firms, and especially to younger lawyers, the message: "No worries--just work on a barely adequate level; don't do things until you have to; and if it's not urgent, let it slide." As with client care and service, our standard is not only embarrassingly low, we are exporting that low standard internally whenever and wherever we can.

(from past posts)

Posted by JD Hull at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

January 25, 2011

Sometimes a Great Notion: NPDES Permit Training by US EPA.

Wastewater Permitting the Right Way. A Permit Writers' Course. Worthwhile, and something that doesn't happen every day. Live or on-line. Or five days if you want it. See Environmental Protection magazine and www.epa.gov/npdes/training.

Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 11:45 PM | Comments (0)

Ex-US EPA Chief William Reilly on BP Investigation Report.

Reilly was co-chair of the U.S. commission to investigate last year's BP Gulf spill. He spoke last night in Durham, NC. See The Chronicle, Duke University's daily. Excerpt:

He criticized the lack of technological advancement in oil spill clean-up technology in the 20 years since the Exxon Valdez spill and said this was an indication of complacency within the industry.

Reilly also explained the difficulties in deciding on further domestic oil drilling, noting that although it opens up environmental risks at home, domestic drilling would be held to a higher standard than drilling in other parts of the world.

The alternative would be obtaining more oil from Nigeria, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, which comes with considerable environmental damage. Finally, he voiced his hope that the commission’s findings could be applied to future deepwater drilling projects in Mexico and Cuba.

Posted by JD Hull at 11:45 PM | Comments (0)

Time for a Trip East.

Paris Haute Couture: Christian Dior Spring/Summer 2011

Posted by JD Hull at 10:22 PM | Comments (0)

Wake Up.

Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

January 24, 2011

In 2012, Sarah Kate Silverman for New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District.

Americans and Speech. We've become too thin-skinned and polite with Words. Many of us still live by a script. We've made progress in the last few years with efforts to retire PC-Speak--but it's still a Mr. Rogers-Fest. Maybe Sarah could help.

We'll say it again. The idea of Bedford, New Hampshire's Sarah Kate Silverman temporarily chucking writing and performing mega-edgy comedy, and holding elected office for a few years, does appeal to us. Greatly. And why not? She's smart, energetic, outspoken, attractive, photogenic and young. Three weeks ago, on December 1, she turned 40.

She's not PC, either--she intuitively gets and uses the First Amendment--and America sure could use that. And use it right now. Everyone is so offended by Everything, and so smug, morally superior and emotional on All Subjects, that the inevitable has happened: no one can think straight. Ideology is the new substitute for thought. Contempt prior to investigation is the reigning methodology to process remotely alien or threatening ideas.

So try to picture a couple of years from now a new mainstream and new public but more serious Sarah: Rep. Sarah Silverman(D-NH). She could fix PC culture quickly, and just by being herself, provided of course that her language and persona(s) stay the same. No one could profess any longer to be shocked and offended by anything anymore.

Traditionally, of course, and with infrequent but near-heroic past exceptions in Great Britain (Churchill, often Disraeli), the U.S. Senate (Jim Abourezk of South Dakota) and the House (the late Bob Eckhardt of the 8th district in Texas), politicians don't tell you what they really think unless it's convenient.

For centuries, the West has given pols a pass on candor. We get it. Not a problem.

Silverman is a Total Betty, too.

However, in just the past two decades, the various and increasing regimes of Political Correctness in America in all aspects of work and life have meant that no one else tells the truth much about anything. Candor, certainly, is not encouraged. We are all too busy trying not to offend or "enjoying" our being offended.

Being outspoken? That is no longer the virtue it once was. Having No Stones in America is an epidemic--and in more and more circles (not just lawyer ones) considered "smart". These days you can't say anything interesting, or do anything in an interesting way, at work. We live by a script.

Even Alpha males are on the outs--at least for a while. We are somehow breeding them out. In our offices younger males are so careful about what they say and do--around both co-workers and superiors--that they are stone boring. No gospel, no moxie, no spirit. No glimpses into the soul and personality that make them unique and interesting. Younger workers of course were brought up on gender neutral role models. That's so nice, and sweet. But was that a good idea? Hey, Justin and Britanny, you got any original thoughts and ideas in there anywhere, folks? Anything of your own? Anyone alive and thinking? Or is this the New Peasant Culture?

So what's up? Are we turning into Canadians and the Junior League?

Keep reading. We'll get back to Sarah.

We hope for a different kind of culture revolution. We seek to include different ideas and expressions: old, new, objectionable, dumb-downed, bland, trite, creative, stupid, smart. But let's not leave anyone out. This is America. For example, after the Revolution, when politically-correct culture, and other goofy forced-conformity social agendas wane and disappear, you will be able to say what you want. Okay, anything that puts kids at risk--and about Mothers--will not be fair play. But you will be able to use words like "secretary", "stewardess"--and even "stew", if you've had a few drinks on the plane. You will have choices. If you're a lawyer, you will start using the term "Chinese wall" again. You will be able to swear, and loudly, in the workplace, and start war stories with: "You know, I had this case in the Southern District, back in 1987, when men were men." After the Revolution, you will be able to flirt, and be playful and even a tad eccentric, at work.

If someone you work with is lazy and disorganized and a loser, you will be able to say things like, whoa, that dude Josh "is lazy and disorganized and a loser". Rather than have to say it's so awesome that Josh is "low profile/independent/a team member requiring minimal face time/empowered by his flexible hour arrangement/a pioneer in work-life balance". The expression "Not Work-Oriented" will be okay, too. Using "not work-oriented" rather than "lazy" is also a proven attention-getter. Granted, it's too indirect. It's soft. Sounds a bit PC. But think of it as a transitional term you can employ until people start saying what they mean.

For example, we have used "not work-oriented" frequently in recent years in telephone conversations with people, unknown to us, who check references, of former employees, who we know too well. Saying that your ex-employee Kendall, who had top grades at Dartmouth and Duke Law, and had interviewed well, is "not work-oriented" is easier, faster and frankly more fun than struggling through on the phone with:

Mr. Bloor, it just wasn't a 'fit'. Kendall has many gifts. But we always knew she would flourish more in an alternative work setting where, you know, team members were, uh, not required to do any work per se, or actually perform, or add value. You know what I mean.

After the Revolution, you will also be able to use your real name when you give your opinion in the ether of the Internet. In fact, anonymity will be banned--and reserved for rape victims, Iranian and Cuban dissidents, Ned Beatty "Deliverance" casualties, and the ballot box at primary and general elections. You will be able to utter all manner of potentially rude, offensive, defamatory and even straight-up tacky things--but you will take responsibility by backing it all up with your real name.

Males will be different. My own offices over the last 5 years has been full of "sweet" and "dainty" males who, frankly, I am a bit nervous about being with at night. They are not gay, even though at first I thought a lot of them were. (It's natural to wonder--so no letters, please.) They are not show-tunes flashy or YMCA-esque or anything. It's just that they are way too "nice". Way way too nice. Someone did a terrible thing in raising them. They are confused. The don't get what is okay/not okay about being a human being. They don't even swear well. The are not warriors. America's new males are stone-creepy "men".

After the Revolution, we'll get some of the more boorish and traditional--but at least authentic--males back. That would be "nice", too. More great news: In the New Order of Things, long after PC culture has dissipated and died, the Seas will not turn Red. No One will go to Hell. The Family Unit will not Implode. The Clintons won't Abduct Your Kids.

So you get the idea. We don't like "PC culture" that much--sane First Amendment people of any political persuasion never do unless to make fun of it--and so we do cherish Sarah Silverman. Right now, America needs shock troops. Yanks don't think much on their own anymore. We are too bland and nice. Too consensus-driven. So Sarah's our girl. Besides, Sarah is saucy and attractive. If you don't think that's important, you're wrong--but you can dash off an angry letter, not invite us to parties, or report us to Nina Totenberg and NPR.

Silverman's also a fine comic, writer, actress, musician, and rebel's rebel who never met a taboo she did not like. While at first blush Silverman's humor may seemed based on stereotypes, she's smart and ironic, not mean, and an unrelenting satirist of life and priorities in America. Meet Lenny Bruce's adorable grandchild who has escaped from Scarsdale, New Canaan or Shaker Heights and now has a bunch of uncomfortable questions for us all. She's going to ask them, e.g., "Sell the Vatican, Feed the World".

Let's see, what else? Her sister is a Rabbi. But Jesus is Magic? She's ethnically Jewish--but for years allegedly wore a St. Christopher medal from her boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel ("It was cute the way he gave it to me. He said if it doesn't burn a hole through my skin, it will protect me..."). She claims ancestry from Hungary, Poland, France and Slovakia. She does not drink. For you snobs, she graduated from a prep school in New Hampshire. She attended NYU. She turned 40 this year.

How about this: Can we run her for Congress in, say, California, New York, or New Hampshire, this year or 2012? That might help move things along. That would be "nice".

(from several past posts)

Posted by JD Hull at 10:59 AM | Comments (0)

Reynolds Price (1933-2011)

See The Chronicle, Duke's daily.

Oxford, 1961.

Posted by JD Hull at 12:59 AM | Comments (0)

January 23, 2011

Rue Cambon, Paris.

Two of several photos two years ago by Paris and Amsterdam-based Tara Bradford, an American writer, at the fine Paris Parfait:

Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)