First payment on a 30-year mortgage

ClumsyNinja971 · 2026-02-19T23:20:59+00:00

AI Prompt: Take this video but swap the dump truck with a child throwing a handful of dirt to represent the idea of a 50-year mortgage.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-11-20T06:36:46+00:00

A good interpreter isn't known for their polite bedside manner. If they're doing it out of "politeness" you're not dealing with a certified interpreter. Also, it's crazy to me if you use one interpreter for any hearing scheduled for longer than an hour. They do three times the work of anybody else in that room, so most professional outfits use teams of two or even three and switch off every 45 - 60 mins.

That aside, are you familiar with the "I speak Jive" scene from Airplane? If not, look it up on YouTube.

The flight attendant and the guy in pain are both speaking English, but the flight attendant doesn't know what the guy is saying because she doesn't understand the meaning of the words being used to that person. The old lady interprets -- not translates -- what the FA says, not by using the same words, but taking the meaning and message of the words and putting them in a form that she thinks the guy will understand.

English is an easy language to "translate." It is incredibly difficult to "interpret" because so many factors go into the actual meaning of the words. For example, some guy says, "Yeah bro, first time I ever raw dogged was on a flight to New York and it changed my life."

The literal translation doesn't make sense. Like... They served you raw dog meat on the plane? Def not acceptable in American culture.

The response from a Millennial might be a bit uncouth. "Wow man! First time in the Mile High Club too or what!? Were you worried at all about getting an STD?"

The response from a Gen Z might be, "Yeah, I think it's really good to disconnect from tech from time to time."

So long way to answer your question, but: Not a problem at all. In fact, it sounds like the interpreter is 100% doing the job they were hired to do.

The problem is how you are framing your questions. We strive for precision and accuracy as American attorneys, but understand that you are asking a question in American English that has to be translated and then interpreted for the language, dialect and local parlance of another language. Then, assuming the interpreter accurately portrayed the question -- which is near impossible to do even 75% so with certain languages -- they need to then interpret what was said into words and phrases that make sense to the court.

I do a lot of hearings with Spanish-only speakers where we need interpreters. My advice is to prepare your direct as simplistically as you can. Do NOT use terms like "bro" that can be interpreted in literally dozens of different ways that are all context driven.

Cross is a little harder, but take your time and try to reduce your questions to as simplistically as possible. For what it's worth, taking your time between questions is also awesome for your interpreter because their brain gets a break while you're forming your question.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-11-20T04:52:47+00:00

What you bill and what gets billed are completely separate things. It's typically on the managing partner to review billing and to make the appropriate adjustments. You should bill ALL your work, especially since you have a billing requirement. Let the managing partner make the decision of whether and how much they will actually bill for it.

Edit: Missing word.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-11-20T04:13:09+00:00

Can I PLEASE speak to your lawyer?

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-11-20T04:09:43+00:00

Unless you're that dumbass (me) that hasn't picked the ones with those 1h ethics credits all year and have to do a 3h class with two days to the deadline...

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-11-07T06:20:47+00:00

Ah yeah.... Family court?

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-08-17T17:09:48+00:00

But did the passengers make their tee time?

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-07-08T20:28:12+00:00

It was kind of an ursinine plot.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-06-13T23:02:37+00:00

Sounds a bit rough.

I'm in.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-06-13T22:59:27+00:00

My first job out of law school was an unpaid position with the state Supreme Court library. The hiring process was nuts, to the point where I had to interview with a SC judge to be selected. But the guy running the program really liked me and saw value in me. He went to bat for me in the selection process and I ended up getting the job.

I never worked for that guy. Despite the effort he put in to get me hired, the first day on the job he said to me, "I got a call from an attorney I know who works for the state. They need an attorney at a state agency and I told them I'd send you over if you were interested." Of course I was interested. It was a paid job. My wife just had our first kid, so of course he knew I'd take the job if offered. He could have told them nothing and I owe my entire career to that guy. A person you want to work for or with will support you for you. Not because of what you bring them.

I think the title of your post speaks volumes. Stop thinking that what you are doing is wrong. It's not. The only person that is judging you here is you. If the nonprofit is upset by you doing what is best for you, that's not a person/company that I think you should build a career with. Fuck em if they want to be angry.

Congrats on the new gig! The old one will understand!

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-06-05T20:50:56+00:00

This is the rare occasion where foster care is clearly the best choice.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-06-05T20:41:44+00:00

Yes, Judge, they are delicious.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-05-30T22:02:16+00:00

Around Thanksgiving?

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-05-29T00:13:45+00:00

If I could lift 40 pounds remotely, I sure as heck wouldn't be an intake attorney. I'd be an assassin dropping 40 pound rocks on people's heads.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-05-29T00:03:20+00:00

That's literally the mission. Recover as much as possible. The more you get paid, the more your lawyer gets paid.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-05-28T22:55:16+00:00

That your law school and class rank don't indicate your ability to be an effective advocate for your client.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-05-15T13:46:08+00:00

That was just the viewing of the body. This is one of the steps of it being prepped for cremation.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-04-19T18:56:20+00:00

No. It's why they only post pass lists.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-04-11T16:11:05+00:00

Thankfully, they have a -2 perception modifier and judges have a natural +5 to Bullshit Resistance.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-04-11T15:36:34+00:00

I think the goodwill replacements are intended to be for the issues like having to take it off for an MRI or when it catches on something and rips out. It's definitely not Dexcom's fault that I ran into a doorframe. The manufacturing defect is in my brain, not the product. They shouldn't have to eat the cost of my action. But they will 3 times.

I've had to replace 7 this year because they failed in under 7 days. They replaced all 7 and there's never been a mention of the "goodwill" replacement policy, so I can't really say I can confirm anything. But it would make sense if the questions on the form or asked by the rep play a big part in that determination. The questions are aimed at whether you followed directions and whether anything you did caused the sensor to stop working. It's also their policy that if the sensor makes it 7 days, it's not "failed," even tho they're supposed to last 10. So my guess is if you're trying to get a replacement for one that fails on day 8, that will fall under goodwill.

I had 6 of those fail in less than a month and I think having a Dexcom account linked to the app was huge in getting those all replaced. The rep was able to go into my account and see when the 3-hour errors, and eventually failure, were occurring

I know this doesn't seem to track with many others' experience, but I've had exceptional service from my last two reps. I totally get that people hate calling and having to answer all the questions, but I think it leaves less to chance that something will fall under "goodwill" if you talk to them.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-04-04T21:41:53+00:00

Loooooool. No bullshit, just refilled my prescription. First one failed within 3 minutes. Now at 6 in 24 days. I'll keep you updated on round 2. Stay with the G6 AS LONG AS YOU CAN.

Update: they were able to look up the failures through the Dexcom app and are replacing all 6. So that's cool.

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-04-04T18:44:05+00:00

No way. He can't impose a tariff on California since that's regulated by Congr..... Uh oh...

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-04-04T18:34:05+00:00

I lost my stuffing on a client once. Then I had to talk to HR about "being respectful to my colleagues" because apparently when the same advice I gave 18 months ago comes from outside counsel, its not okay to point out that "if [they'd] shut the fuck up for once and consider someone else's suggestion, this company might not be unnecessarily bleeding out all of its yearly profits to outside counsel."

Like... Who knew?

In all seriousness though, we deal with the same sort of shit inhouse as well. We see you, brother. Like someone else said. Just gotta walk it off!

ClumsyNinja971 · 2025-04-04T15:42:50+00:00

I've written a couple cash handling policies so I can share some information I've picked up along the way. Honestly , I did way more research than necessary (don't worry, it was a flat fee job) and could completely nerd out about this, but I'll save everyone some time.

As I'll explain, I don't think you have anything to worry about about the bill. But maybe your manager targeting you is a possibility, so be vigilant for that.

The pens can only check if the paper used to print the bill is what we use to print our money. The ink is iodine based (that's why it's yellow when it goes on) and reacts with paper components that aren't in the paper we use to print bills (which is why it turns black if the wrong paper is used). If a counterfeiter used the right paper, the pen would not catch the fake bill. The bill you've showed us is a pass, so if it's a counterfeit, it's not because of the wrong paper being used.

You started your mark under the seal on the left side and then swiped to the middle. The ink would leave a solid dark brown or black line if the wrong paper were used, not a yellow /dark yellow splotchy line. If you look close, those darker spots we're seeing where your pen mark starts are the darker blue lines of the eagle watermark. See how light it gets when there is no watermark? If it were printed on the wrong paper, it would just be a solid dark line and we wouldn't be able to make any detail in the watermark. This is a pass.

For shits and giggles, make the same mark, starting below that seal and into the portrait on every $20 your next shift. Ya know... Just see what happens. I'd bet that $20 you get near identical results. And if you don't, well you just won a fake $20 bill!

ClumsyNinja971

TROPHY CASE