Blogging about all sorts of things--governance in higher education, in businesses, and in law firms; bankruptcy ethics; popular culture & the law; Enron & other corporate fiascos; professional responsibility generally; movies; ballroom dancing; and anything else that gets my attention.
Monday, August 31, 2009
A Brooklyn hero
Note to the lawyers drafting the complaints--shouldn't you make sure that you have the prima facie case correct before you file?
Hat tip to my buddy Seymour, who also saw the story.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Seriously, you've heard it here before -- billable hours are on their way out
And while I'm on the subject of shopping around for professionals who are willing to do good work for lower fees, don't forget to read the Energy Partners case discussed in this Wall Street Journal blog post (here).
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The future of ballroom dance
Sunday, August 09, 2009
A nice way to learn about public service: Rachel's Rave.
Mazel tov to our friends Martha & Karen!
If you talk with Martha and Karen, ask them about their wedding cha-cha....
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Friday, August 07, 2009
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Why I wish I had taken pictures of the Palm Beach Oceanfront Inn, 3550 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach, FL, before I left this morning.
My room had all of the style of a Motel 6 (and there is nothing wrong with a Motel 6, when one is expecting to stay at a Motel 6) without any of the cleanliness or amenities. The bedspread was the second-scariest one that I've ever seen--the first scariest was the one that Jeff & I saw on our trek from Nebraska to Houston with our cat Calypso, and we had tried to sleep hovered above that bed in Oklahoma City. The floor was a greige-y linoleum, and the wall plug tried to come home with me when I unplugged my computer. I don't blame the wall plug. I wouldn't have wanted to stay in that room any longer, either. The refrigerator--actually, a nice touch--had a broken handle, but I was able to pry my way in.
I wouldn't have complained at all (hey, I'd asked for "inexpensive"!), except that when I checked out this morning, the front desk tacked on an additional "resort fee"--a last-minute charge. I asked the desk clerk what the resort fee was for, given that I was staying at a motel. He claimed that the resort fee was for parking (the motel parking slots???), beach access (the wooden stairs???), and computer use (behind the front desk???).
OK, Palm Beach Oceanfront Inn. Here's a tutorial for you, so that you can tell the difference between a resort and your motel.
Resort | Most decidedly not a resort |
Valet parking | Parking in slots outside rooms, exposed to the elements |
Several different places to eat | One place to eat, open at odd times of day |
Pools (plural) | Pool (singular), slightly larger than a hot tub |
Pool attendants, pool towels, food/drink service at pools | People anywhere near the pool |
Gated access to beach | Serial killers can have access to your beach and your rooms |
Luxurious rooms | Greige rooms |
Luxurious bathrooms | Bathrooms that make you seriously consider buying flip-flops for shower |
Luxurious bathroom amenities | The same amenities that you’d get in any other inexpensive motel |
Fluffy towels | The same towels that you’d get in any other inexpensive motel |
Concierge | Night watchman (maybe) (I fell asleep, trying to get the image of the room out of my head) |
Security guards | Lock on door |
I don't mind roughing it (as long as "roughing it" includes cable TV). What I mind is sneakiness. So, Palm Beach Oceanfront Inn, here's hoping that every Google search pulls up this post. Have fun with the next guest who gets tagged for a resort fee at your motel. And, Mr. Front Desk, who--when I asked him if he was kidding about a resort fee--suggested that I stay at the Ritz next time, yes, I believe that I will.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
A shout-out to Jason Solomon for letting me do some op-eds with him
Law school beauty contests, though, are intriguing. Can't get the image of all of us in swimsuits and talent contests out of my mind. Going to have to try, though. I don't want USNWR to think that such an idea would make for a marketable survey.