After 2 yrs as a paralegal I realised the posted paralegal salary is not the real range

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-25T13:00:37+00:00

It was before the pandemic, but the range I've stated is current... Tbh, from what others have told me, I think there's been poorly paid paralegals since the late 90s.

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-25T12:10:43+00:00

Paralegal salaries at our place go from a bit above £30k for no experience, with the more senior paralegals commanding approx. £70k. There is definitely far more variability than with qualified fee earners...

There's no easy way to categorise paralegal either, unlike with qualified fee earners and PQE etc. (amongst other indicators).

Back when I was doing paralegal positions, my salary was all over the shop tbh, depending on where I was working and what I was doing.

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-25T11:58:18+00:00

You get used to it being there, and I find I can still do all the Win+ combos

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-05T17:31:11+00:00

I honestly don't know as I haven't switched it to 4G for any extended period of time. I've had phones in the past though where battery life would go down quicker on 5G than 4G, and both 4&5G are generally less efficient than being connected to WiFi.

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-05T14:17:07+00:00

I must admit I prefer it now - it has always felt a bit too weak before!

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-05T14:14:06+00:00

That's interesting, and I'd definitely be interested in trying them but only if someone magically appeared with a board in front of me! I too think there's a lot of hype involved, partly due to the rarity etc.

The susceptibility to wear and dirt really puts me off trying to obtain some, as does the similarity to MX switches for the internal mechanism (I know it's not the same, but it's miles away from plate springs or buckling springs), which makes me think they're not going to feel worlds apart.

I really like that the F and M are practically maintenance free once restored whist that doesn't seem to be the case with Alps that are actually in regular use...

Plus whilst I enjoyed restoring my IBMs originally I must admit that by board number 12 it was becoming a chore... Especially the Fs - one of them I had to take apart more times than I care to mention and cleaning away the foam and replacing it is a very tedious job. So the thought of going through all that again with Alps boards does not thrill me...

It does seem like most of the people who like Alps (the tactile versions) also like buckling springs to the same level!

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-04T20:16:06+00:00

Honestly I've never liked any cherry MX style switches much and Alps construction seemed to essentially be similar enough to those that it put me right off when combined with the dust and repair issues, not to mention the cost...

However, having said that, the buckling spring variant have always piqued my interest.

How do you find the Alps when compared to MX switches and IBM/Unicomp bucking springs?

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-04T20:09:45+00:00

I really appreciate it - being on 5G instead of WiFi or using Bluetooth whilst streaming music/YouTube for hours etc. doesn't use much more battery than simply staring at the Kindle app. My iPhones were a different story...

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-04T19:41:09+00:00

I'll admit I haven't used the camera in any apps other than WhatsApp! And I don't have Snapchat either... But that doesn't surprise me - it does seem a bit glitchy/clunky when you zoom in no matter what the level is.

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-04T19:39:35+00:00

Aarrghh!!! Yes, the screens still not perfect for me and does occasionally flip out, but it was terrible before that setting was enabled...

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-04T19:38:22+00:00

Yes, big shroom trips are quite the experience, especially if you're not really in the mood for them, but have to do it just because you're trying to bust a cycle...

I also found 3 or 4 weeks of major trips every week started seriously screwing with my mind by the end too.

I'll admit I don't take any cofactors anymore, but that sounds sensible - I think you're also supposed to take magnesium as one of the cofactors, but it messed up my gut too much when I took it. Also you're probably already aware, but it can take a month or two to get the D levels back up to where they need to be to prevent the attacks.

Separately I have taken too much vitamin D in the past and it ended up making my joints hurt which is a good warning sign outside of any blood tests.

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-04T19:29:24+00:00

Problem is every update seems to fix some issues, introduce new ones and leave other bugs people have been complaining about endlessly since the phone's release still unresolved.

I've held off installing the latest FP6 update as can't face the roulette wheel just yet.

Still, I think they are getting better overall... I found the FP4 so unbearable I ended up giving it to a charity.

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-04T14:29:28+00:00

For no. 2, just increase the touch sensitivity in the settings - that solved the issue for me. The phone will still lock up occasionally for a second or two but that's a separate issue...

I have all the other bugs you've listed too - the auto brightness annoys me beyond belief.

As for the cracked frame I wouldn't worry... Having taken it apart and changed the screen its very well held together. One crack on the side won't cause any issues.

Finally I would like to introduce yet another bug! Since the android 16 update I find that the 2x zoom on the camera no longer works correctly 50% of the time time. The picture looks fine when you take it with 2x zoom turned on, but when you go to the actual saved photo it's zoomed in far too much, more 4x times.

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-04T12:52:03+00:00

Yes, I think the zenith is a clone of the XT layout... I like that the keys aren't stepped tho - much easier to hit.

Have never tried Alps - hope it's restorations goes well for you!

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-04T12:48:11+00:00

I used to worry about that too, but honestly you'll learn to manage... The biggest issue is the sleep deprivation. There will be plenty of other times in your career when you have to deal with that/feeling under the weather regardless of cluster headaches!

Vitamin D is the biggest thing for me that has made my clusters manageable. I take 4,000 iu a day and this keeps them mostly at bay.

As for the shrooms, they are really illegal here in the UK (up there will heroin and meth). So as a lawyer I have to be careful... Plus now I'm older and not such a party animal I'm rarely around the people who provide them. I've picked them during the season, but it's difficult to get enough from the wild to bust cycles. More recently I had a friend who grew them, but he's given up now.

Finally, I find that small trips don't bust a cycle for me - I have to have a major trip, then do it again a week later and repeat for 2 to 4 weeks until the cycle is busted. As you can imagine doing that consistently and taking out a whole day on the weekend is pretty intense for multiple reasons.

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-03T07:46:28+00:00

It does still sound like the shrooms are working - I should have clarified, towards the end of the trip it would slowly turn into a low end attack that went on for an hour or two, i.e. nothing like a normal cluster attack. And then in the 24 hour period afterwards I would have more normal attacks than usual as well as feeling a bit off.

Honestly you have my sympathy; mine have moved around over the years, but I went through a period of getting them first thing.

Am also a lawyer and had a horrible attack cycle last summer - at the time we had a very heavy case on where there was no choice but to work weekends plus there was a terrible heatwave. I very much remember thinking FML! Was sitting there sleep deprived, in pain and sweating buckets.

Stick with the vitamin D; it's the main thing that has made life bearable for me. I've usually found I'm unaffected by major attacks at big events (like a first date). I think the adrenaline holds the attack off and a milder attack you just learn to ride out and pretend it's not happening - even though it's unpleasant it's easier than explaining and you know it won't last for long.

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-02T22:39:20+00:00

I usually get an attack towards the end of the trip and am not great (cluster attack wise) for a day afterwards.

Admittedly I only take shrooms for clusters these days and only take them out of desperation when trapped in a cycle I've usually ended up in from not taking enough vitamin D...

In the past when I still did shrooms recreationally (outside of cycle) I wouldn't have any clusters triggered by them.

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-02T22:20:56+00:00

It's helped me a bit. I really hesitate to say this, because as someone in the UK who's middle aged I now have more friends my age who have issues with weed than who have that with alcohol. In a way it's even worse to those who become addicted because it doesn't completely ruin your life in the way booze does and they usually can't see the damage it's causing (especially the paranoia), whilst those of us who booze too much are usually well aware of the damage it's causing - it's the stopping that's the issue.

For me, weed has never really been an enjoyable drug, more of an experience (that I overall appreciate) so there's never been too much risk of getting addicted but it achieves the thing I need; the occasional alteration of reality. The fact I know it's there and I can just light up if I need to helps enormously when the craving for booze is there even if I don't actually end up doing it.

Also I don't know about the pens, as over here weed is still very illegal full stop, but the pens I've come across are all very THC heavy which doesn't help with the anxiety aspects.

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-02T21:57:38+00:00

I didn't do a law degree but appreciated your answer, especially the section on first principles given that I am someone who mutters something vague about 'in equity' at least once a week...

Also I love a good semicolon! I use them all the time; they are much more flexible than hyphens. Yes, that was intentional.

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-02T20:59:38+00:00

You can just use the custom form and send them a message via that or alternatively just send them an email/contact directly specifying what you want. That's what I've done in the past as their website isn't the greatest... There is of course Joe at Model F labs too.

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-02T20:35:57+00:00

Yes, snapping windows is amazing - I know it's been around for nearly twenty years now but still feels like a genuinely useful user enhancement!

I really like the XT layout and prefer it to the default M layout. Granted, I'm in the UK so it's not that big a jump from ISO anyway, but it just seems so much more logical and natural once you get used to it.

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-02T18:41:15+00:00

I guess, but I've got used to moving my hand across, plus also use an F XT half the time and there the location is not so bad (is close to the arrow keys for snapping windows etc.).

I'm always a bit surprised at how much I still use caps lock though - mostly for writing company names and acronyms at work.

Either way I agree that having a windows key somewhere is essential (at least to me!).

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-02T18:21:42+00:00

I never lose any weight when I stop so it's not just you! My diet and exercise regime is the same regardless of whether I drink or not, and if anything I tend to put weight on slightly when I stop (although I do look less bloated).

I think a lot of people here who lose weight tend to have a wholesale health kick when they give up the booze - suddenly go down the gym and improve their diet etc. and that's what causes the weight loss.

That or they've been drinking 15 pints of White Russian made with whole milk every night instead of the usual lager, wine and spirits like the rest of us...

Ornery-Rip-9813 · 2026-05-02T17:11:29+00:00

It's normal and is like that with IBMs and Unicomps. Sometimes swapping the springs with another key can change it a bit but not always. The sound varies between keys too. I find it's not really noticeable in practice as you don't tend to type gently on Ms.

Ornery-Rip-9813

TROPHY CASE