The MTSURMT (Microblogging/Tweeting/Status Update/Random Musings Thread)

[Groggy]

Today I transcribed a Workers' Comp hearing where an attorney kept asking the same question and made some comment about "beating a dead horse." The Judge responded by whipping out a horse puppet to convince the attorney to shut up.

[drinkanddestroy]

Today I transcribed a Workers' Comp hearing where an attorney kept asking the same question and made some comment about "beating a dead horse." The Judge responded by whipping out a horse puppet to convince the attorney to shut up.

 

You know Workers Comp is one of the biggest scams in the history of this republic. Especially for the public-sector workers. Somehow, like 90% of them get injured in the last year on the job, including secretaries. Bunch of crooks...

[Groggy]

^citation needed

[drinkanddestroy]

one recent example out of  a million http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203554104577001773010015932.html
(The Wall St. Journal article to may be blocked by the subscriber wall, though some creative Googling may allow you to pull it up... you can also see the story here

http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2011/oct/27/lirr-pension-probe/ )

I know that Workers Comp and disability are different things, but the point remains, that programs like those are abused to levels that are just plain comical. And wtf does the gov't care, it ain't their money...

[Groggy]

I'm a transcriptionist not the Attorney General.

[drinkanddestroy]

I'm a transcriptionist not the Attorney General.

and Thank God for that. If you were the AG, I wouldn't talk to you 

[drinkanddestroy]

NY Giants owner John Mara spoke at my graduation (he is a fellow Fordham Law Alum).

he said the first job he had out of law skool was representing people in arbitration claims for wrongful firings.

So one guy was fired cuz he reportedly offered a co-worker $100 for sex. The guy only spoke Spanish, so they had an interpreter. When he spoke to the guy before the hearing, he asked "is it true that you offered her $100 for sex?" the guy says "no." so Mara said, "I will put you on the stand and you will say the truth, you have nothing to be afraid of."

Mara puts him on the stand during the hearing. He asks, (through the interpreter), "did you offer this lady $100 for sex?" The guy says, "No." Then Mara hears him mutter, in Spanish, "i only offered her $50"

Mara: "NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOUR HONOR!"

p.s. he won the case

The law is an ass.

[dave jenkins]

NY Giants owner John Mara spoke at my graduation (he is a fellow Fordham Law Alum).

he said the first job he had out of law skool was representing people in arbitration claims for wrongful firings.

So one guy was fired cuz he reportedly offered a co-worker $100 for sex. The guy only spoke Spanish, so they had an interpreter. When he spoke to the guy before the hearing, he asked "is it true that you offered her $100 for sex?" the guy says "no." so Mara said, "I will put you on the stand and you will say the truth, you have nothing to be afraid of."

Mara puts him on the stand during the hearing. He asks, (through the interpreter), "did you offer this lady $100 for sex?" The guy says, "No." Then Mara hears him mutter, in Spanish, "i only offered her $50"

Mara: "NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOUR HONOR!"

p.s. he won the case

The law is an ass.

I call bogus on that story. There's no way you put someone on the stand and not know what he's going to say. You find out what it is the guy needs to say and then you rehearse, rehearse, rehearse until there is only one way things can go. Real courtrooms are not theaters. The only surprises come from juries.

[drinkanddestroy]

I call bogus on that story. There's no way you put someone on the stand and not know what he's going to say. You find out what it is the guy needs to say and then you rehearse, rehearse, rehearse until there is only one way things can go. Real courtrooms are not theaters. The only surprises come from juries.

well it was an arbitration hearing, not a "real courtroom." I guess the union and company had an agreement where any fired worker could challenge the firing in arbitration.

I should add that Mara emphasized that in many of these cases, he would meet the client like 20 minutes before the hearing. These were processed quickly and perhaps they paid the arbiter and wanted to get rid of cases fairly quickly. But he did emphasize how these cases were processed one after the other very quickly and he had very little time to speak to a client before he went on. (of course, Arbitration agreements could have whatever conditions they want to, and I guess that allotting a normal time period for a court hearing would defeat the whole purpose of arbitration, which is to get things taken care of quickly).

Of course, the client did not add that extra line in those brief prior discussions with Mara, so he had no idea about it. Lucky for him, no one else in the court spoke Spanish or heard what the guy muttered....

Anyway, I can only repeat what Mara said. I wasn't there when the story happened  

[Groggy]

I had a nightmare last night when I stopped by Jenkins' house to visit!

On the other hand, he was bald and lived in Ohio so it might have been an impostor. And he had the Major Dundee screenplay. Hmm, maybe it was DVD Savant...

[drinkanddestroy]

Weird, cuz I've had a few nightmares lately. In fact, I was just sleeping and woke in a sweat a few minutes ago yet again. And all have involved terrible things with me, not visiting anyone else....

[drinkanddestroy]

watching Thanksgiving football, Lions vs. Packers. What an asshole Ndamakung Suh is. Jamming the lineman's helmet over and over, and then kicking him. So happy to see him ejected from the game. You can bet a suspension will be forthcoming. That'll be a huge loss for Detroit. I am loving it. That guy is such an asshole....

As I write this, Stafford just got picked for the third time! Looks like Green Bay is headed for victory. As a Giant fan, that would make me mighty happy. Now if Miami beats Dallas and Baltimore beats San Francisco, it'll be a totally awesome day 

[drinkanddestroy]

Dan Le Batard's afternoon talk show on ESPN 2 (with his dad) is some of the funniest shit I have ever seen 

[drinkanddestroy]

if any of you are interested in the economics of sports and Moneyball, these podcasts may interest you

(they are several years old, but the laws of economics are timeless   )

These Econ Talk podcasts are hosted by economist Russ Roberts of George Mason University. The first is with Skip Sauer of Clemson University; the second is with Moneyball author Michael Lewis

 http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2006/10/the_economics_o_8.html

http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2007/01/michael_lewis_o_1.html

p.s. for anyone interested in economics, Econ Talk podcasts are great; Russ hosts one with a different guest each week. Check 'em out here http://econtalk.org/

[drinkanddestroy]

GIANTS ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!!!