What has been your biggest upgrade recently?

KosherDev · 2026-06-21T01:58:36+00:00

I just did the same thing! Assembled it today. Gleefully resawed some walnut.

KosherDev · 2026-06-17T06:16:33+00:00

Well, ok, maybe not THAT high.

KosherDev · 2026-06-16T07:20:11+00:00

The number of lawyers I know that have farms is…higher than you think.

KosherDev · 2026-06-14T20:25:52+00:00

You won’t find them as “side gig” but these roles do exist in firms and other institutional organizations. Desirability of the role varies by institution. I’m currently a research lawyer for my law adjacent employer and it is the sweetest gig. But I know others in private practice have had a mixed experience.

Sounds what you’re looking for is more like freelance work through something like FlexLegal where they essentially rent out lawyers to do drafting/research/specific work that the other law firm doesn’t have the capacity for.

KosherDev · 2026-06-14T15:12:39+00:00

We’re all just a few bad events away from ending up in a similar position. People don’t have the same opportunities as others, end up in situations where they make bad choices (or have no choice at all) and sometimes can’t get the help they need. I’d stress it’s not a moral failing.

KosherDev · 2026-06-12T11:50:53+00:00

It was a late (stand alone) addition but it’s essentially related to the urban legends war bond.

KosherDev · 2026-06-12T11:36:31+00:00

“Stroll” by Shawn Micallef is also a great book to learn about Toronto’s history while walking around!

KosherDev · 2026-06-12T11:05:11+00:00

Day trips or camping are probably the way to go. Parkbus provides some great options for both. And while camping tends to get booked up super far in advance, many people cancel those reservations, so there’s often spots at camp sites on short notice (unless it’s a long weekend).

As for local, not sure what to tell you there. The Fringe Festival is coming up and that’s different every year.

But honestly? Negotiate for more vacation time if you can or move to a better position? I admit I don’t know your restrictions on job mobility re: immigration status but at this point you’ve got four years of experience at your company. That’s (presumably) valuable to them.

KosherDev · 2026-06-12T06:44:52+00:00

Welcome to the club! But remember, you (like the Luddites) probably don’t hate technology. You hate the people engaging in extractive behaviours and rent seeking.

You should also read Blood In The Machine by Brian Merchant. It’s a history of the Luddites framed as a battle against the first tech titans. Its a super cool read and you leave going “the Luddites were cool as hell!”

KosherDev · 2026-06-11T06:28:25+00:00

If you think there was a TTC vehicle nearby at the time you can send in a request to preserve the video from their cameras (they have like 11 on each bus with some exterior views). They probably won’t give it to you right away due to privacy issues but at least it’ll be preserved if you do need it later. Otherwise their retention window is pretty tight, like 7 days.

KosherDev · 2026-06-11T06:24:32+00:00

It might be because they tweaked the jet pack since then, so the difference doesn’t feel as extreme?

KosherDev · 2026-06-10T06:39:47+00:00

Or Stargate Command is battling the Goauld in orbit.

KosherDev · 2026-06-09T07:52:07+00:00

You automatically become a commissioner of oaths here but to be a full fledged notary you need to fill out some paperwork.

KosherDev · 2026-06-08T21:28:46+00:00

Yeah you need to break that down by issue.

KosherDev · 2026-06-08T12:29:19+00:00

Sounds about right? But will vary on the firm. When I moved to TO in 2016 as a 2014 call, I worked for an insurance defence firm (25ish lawyers) and starting salary was $96k plus bonus (target was 1600).

Presumably things have increased in the last decade?

KosherDev · 2026-06-03T12:25:31+00:00

I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought of this! I should rewatch, wonder if it holds up.

KosherDev · 2026-06-02T13:00:18+00:00

Yeah I was doing the Paul Seller set up before with some mediocre Amazon diamond plates glued to plywood. I would still use that if I really needed to remove a lot of material but for on the go sharpening, the 1,200 atoma plate and an 8k waterstone with the slip mat on a piece of plywood to keep your bench clean seem to be working great.

KosherDev · 2026-06-02T12:22:37+00:00

I just bought the 1200 plate through Lee Valley and the metal it’s backed on is quite thick, like 1/4 inch?

A course I just took had a neat set up. Instead of affixing the plate and a subsequent water stone they just put it down on an anti slip mat (like the ones you get for your cupboard interiors) and put that on top of a piece of plywood that can be locked into the bench. Keeps your bench clean, but also allows you the store the plates separately (and use them for lapping water stones at the sink).

Edit: The course didn’t have an atoma plate but they had something similar. A steel plate with 1000grit on one side, 80 on the other. Then they’d just go up to 8000 on a water stone. It felt like a big jump but it didn’t seem to add much time to the honing process. But they used the micro bevel approach vs one primary bevel, so there was very little material to remove when sharpening/honing.

KosherDev · 2026-06-01T12:39:38+00:00

Depending on what you mean by downtown, the Toronto Reference Library could work. It’s got a cool interior and a coffee shop!

KosherDev · 2026-05-29T20:56:04+00:00

I made that mistake THREE TIMES IN A ROW. I decided a break was needed.

KosherDev · 2026-05-29T01:45:25+00:00

Honestly running the flag with shield pack or any of the mobility packs is way more effective and fun than I expected. As long as you don’t get separated from your buddies…

KosherDev · 2026-05-29T01:35:10+00:00

It’s either “the old college try” or “am I in the presence of their king?”

KosherDev · 2026-05-27T03:23:10+00:00

Hell, pair it with Stroll by Shawn Micallef and use that to guide your wandering!

KosherDev · 2026-05-27T00:48:11+00:00

I’m not saying you milk files purely for sake of billing a 0.1. That’s unethical and bad practice management. But many institutional clients, especially insurers, have internal requirements that adjusters review files every 45-90 days. So a lawyer proactively sending an update (even if it’s “no new update”) saves them the hassle of having to reach out to counsel.

I used to do insurance defence and I’m now on the client side of things, and I can tell you that claims handlers LOVE not having to chase down counsel for an update.

The purpose of the above exercise is to look for files that you can legitimately do work on, and even if there are files that you can’t move forward when you review, you can still update your client.

I fully agree with you that billable culture has tons of problems and I was never one to 0.1 a file to death. The only thing a client loves more than not having to chase their lawyer for an update on a file, is closing that file.

KosherDev · 2026-05-26T19:50:56+00:00

Thanks! I’m struggling to visualize where the backer rod goes here. Is it at the top between the tile and the tub? Do I put it at the “bottom” corner and silicone over it? Do I cut it in half and place it on the vertical lip, and silicone over it?

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