Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[MaximumZero]

Wow....  Really? Appointed clients trying to call me at around and after 9 o clock at night on a Friday night, because I deserve absolutely NO time to myself....

Wow, what is so hard to get about this? It is a process designed so that you are going to hate it. My job is not to make you feel better. You will not be satisfied with it. I cannot hold your hand through every step of it, because I've got dozens of people all doing the same thing and if you're freaked out, that means you might be beginning to understand some of it. Whatever gave the impression that being a criminal defendant was pleasant?

I could care less that somebody is trying to use a false facebook profile to get information on you, privacy settings and not having a facebook profile.... Why are you calling a lawyer about this?

Your bitching is not helping you. It hurts you and wastes both our time. I can either focus on getting the job done or calling you back to listen to complaining because you want your hand held, not both, because time doesn't work like that. I spent 2 or 3 hours with you this week, and unless it is an emergency, I can't allot anymore time to your case this week, because that time has to come from somewhere. If I spend more time with you, then I spend less time with somebody else, and what little free time I have for myself (necessary for what passes for my sanity) is also reduced.

Line your office with spring loaded boxing gloves? Buy an answering machine? Load an answering machine with spring loaded boxing gloves so that when people call you at asinine times, they get punched in the face?

[Truean]

Sometimes I'd love to. They regularly fill up my voicemail and then complain that my voicemail is full....

Public defenders or the equivalent are the most understaffed, underresourced, underfunded, overworked and completely unappreciated positions....

Let's say I've got let's say 80 active cases right now (it's more, but whatever). Everybody expects this personal level of attention, especially considering they think I don't do anything all day. If I gave these people the updates they all seem to demand and spent 15 minutes a week with them, then that'd be 15 minutes times 80 would be 20 hours a week alone. You know they wouldn't just limit it to 15 minutes either because they'd talk my ear off with complaints about everything, plus I'd have to keep notes of this crap, which takes time.... Furthermore, once they get a taste of somebody who will listen to their bullshit, they're gonna abuse the crap out of it and want more shoulder crying time.... I'd be paid for none of this and that assumes the phone numbers would be active and not disconnected/wrong etc. You can't even hire a secretary, because these jerks demand to speak only to the lawyer when she tells them the truth that they don't wanna hear (not that you could ever afford to hire a secretary).

Then there'd be the follow up to all of that crap, motions  and pleadings and evidence reviews, and court time etc as a result of all of that. Even "well I just need driving privileges" is either a motion or personal time with the judge's secretary convincing her to take time from her day to do it.... All of that takes time that a.) nobody wants to pay anything at all for, and b.) there aren't enough hours in the day for, while c.) every hour I spend on one person is another hour that can't be spent on another....

Compare that to the prosecution with no obligation to listen to criminal defendants, the police force at its beck and call, benefits, office space provided, and a million other things and tell me it's even remotely fair...?

At the same time, I get that this criminal court stuff is very stressful for people, but no.... The system is screwed up and not in a position to deal with this. They're cutting already woefully short funding when the demand for services is skyrocketing. You can't handle an effectively infinite caseload on little or no budget.

http://www.news-press.com/viewart/20130524/NEWS01/305240017/Florida-Supreme-Court-allows-overworked-public-defender-pull-out-cases

[MrSparky]

http://www.news-press.com/viewart/20130524/NEWS01/305240017/Florida-Supreme-Court-allows-overworked-public-defender-pull-out-cases

Something tells me you're not in Florida.

[Vector]

Relapse of the bad kind of bored.

I get on the internet and talk too much because I'm desperate to express something and desperate to curl up and never say anything again.  I feel stretched out and impatient.

Oh well.

[Graknorke]

I have absolutely no unique skills, or anywhere near to unique. I can't sing, dance, draw, write, program, design, or even play any game in a way that is notably good. Kind of upsetting to think about.

[Neonivek]

Ugh, I got a slight bit of food poisoning. It isn't pleasant.

Either that or I got a killer case of dysentery.

[ChairmanPoo]

What makes Truean's rant a little odd was that last night I had a dream where someone was a heroin addict, they took heroin, I called the police, and to stop her injecting more, I took it and injected myself with it.

I got off scott free, she was sent to court. Maybe I somehow caused this by possessing someone and doing that at some point in the past and my brain remembers it in the form of dreams.

[Solifuge]

Relapse of the bad kind of bored.

I get on the internet and talk too much because I'm desperate to express something and desperate to curl up and never say anything again.  I feel stretched out and impatient.

Oh well.

Going out on a limb, but I think it might do you good to find and socialize with folks locally. Even if it means trying to chat up a stranger at a coffee shop, and maybe seeing if you can interest them in a game of chess. Or trying to strike up a conversation with someone at the bus stop. Or whatever.

It relates to a cultural and behavioral trend I've been observing in modern society. As we're connecting to one another through increasingly distant means (indirect/achronological electronic communications such twitter feeds and facebook, SMS text messages, this forum, etc), I've found myself with a stronger and more noticeable need to socialize with other people, on a face-to-face basis. Though electronic communications like text messages and message board socialization stuff seems like it would scractch that social itch, the times when I've only had online friends and impersonal social contact (times after I moved, had a sudden social upheaval, or after the post-school friend diaspora, etc.) I've found myself craving deeper and more meaningful social interaction that much harder. There's something in our social mammal brains that needs personal, face-to-face interactions (though even phone calls, voice/video chats with people, etc. can help). Something in our nature isn't satisfied just through this kind of indirect socialization, and we don't feel socially sated by it.

Sometimes that drives us to try to Facebook and Twitter and Tumblr even harder, but it ultimately doesn't help. Even though we're still interacting with people, we can get just as stir-crazy and dysfunctional as when we are truly isolated and alone (think shipwrecked on a deserted island, locked in a dungeon, or holed up in a solitary workshop for months). It's kinda like the social equivalent of Rabbit Starvation; if all you had were vast quantities of lean meat like rabbit, and you were hungry, you could eat and eat, but it wouldn't satisfy you. Just eating lean protein like that won't get you all the things you need to survive, and even though your stomach is full, that kind of diet will lead to malnutrition, illness, and even death.

I don't think we all have to stop Facebooking and Texting and Google-Plussing (...is that a verb now?), but if our lives are relatively solitary ones, we need to be aware of it, and be sure to get our direct socialization time to stay happy and well-rounded.

[Vector]

Yeah, maybe.  I have been socializing with some friends local to here, and that's not really cutting it.

I'm in the middle of a rapid-growth phase, but something is telling me that I need to do some more bolting.  The Vector-plant wants to get really, really big, but I just don't have the resources.

Anyway.  Hangin' out, buildin' stuff.

[Truean]

"Maybe we should see other people...."

And here I thought "maybe" pretty much always meant "no."

Public place.... Wow, I'm honestly a tad surprised you even remotely think I'd make a scene and bring me here so I don't.... It isn't like I keep entirely to myself and don't show the real me to the public or anything.... You know this better than most, but whatever.... At least you're picking up the tab one last time. That's ok, I'll just smile and nod a bit so it's not so awkward, and take it well. Wouldn't want this to be weird at all for you, no.... Sure, but of course, you'll call me and we'll maybe do something together "sometime," and I'll pretend that's not just fake small talk, because you're not quite sure what to say and here I thought that was endearingly charming before.... Haven't called for the last 3 weeks and I didn't wanna bother you or seem "clingy" but why not believe you'll call and we'll hang out? Actually, I have all your stuff right in my car.... Here, let me get it for you, and don't think too much about how I knew to bring it all today.... It isn't like I'm normally about 7 steps ahead of most people on a regular basis or anything....

P.S. I know I look, young, and dumb, and even the police think I couldn't be older than 22 in a suit and tie but.... Sent my P.I. friend out to stalk you; should've sooner. That crafty son of a bitch is indispensable and I trust him with my life. He has pictures of you with someone new.... You've been cheating on me, or else you're fairly far into that relationship rather quickly.... Here, let me mail these 8 x 10s to you.... Not gonna lie, I do mind you thinking I'm second best (or less?), but I really mind you thinking I'm stupid. All I ever asked of you, the only thing you wouldn't do, is tell me the whole truth.... It's so damn sweet of you to look me in the eyes.... No, I won't do anything else about it, because I actually had feelings for you. I honestly want you to be happy, but you could've gone about it a little nicer.... Let's lie one last time and say that's entirely past tense and doesn't effect me, because that's what I'm gonna do.  If you ever felt anything for me, then please don't ever talk to me again and don't say anything about the tear I let slip onto my face. I know you know I saw and these photographs are proof.

[Dutchling]

:/

*Hugs Truean*

*Gets really fat and sits on her ex*

[AlleeCat]

I guess I'm going through something like that. I was dating a guy for all of one weekend before he told me we were "going too fast" and that we should "just be friends and get to know each other better". Over a month later and we've only gotten together once, during which time he pretty much ditched me to go do something with someone else that he could've done after I left, since I was on a time limit anyway. Over the last two weeks he has deliberately ignored most of my communications under the pretense of being busy, which I don't believe because if he has time to make and respond to posts on Facebook, then he should have time to send one damn text just telling me how he's doing. I've asked him repeatedly to be honest with me, and he still swears up and down that he still wants to keep in touch, even though he seems irritated with me every time I talk to him.
I really don't know what to do, because he seems like a great guy, and I want to at least be friends with him, but at the same time, he doesn't seem to want to be friends with me. That and he kind of gave me my first kiss, so I don't really want that to have been with a guy I only knew for all of a month.

[Sirus]

Man, bad luck on the relationship front from everyone today D:

[Mrnocamera]

Man, bad luck on the relationship front from everyone today D:

I went to a theme park with my girlfriend.

I did not go well for me, she threw up on me (Somehow) on a ride with her on the first seat on the left, I was on the first seat on the right, and there were 3 seats in between us.

[misko27]

Well Truean, um, hmm. Wish I had a P.I. friend.

I guess I'm going through something like that. I was dating a guy for all of one weekend before he told me we were "going too fast" and that we should "just be friends and get to know each other better". Over a month later and we've only gotten together once, during which time he pretty much ditched me to go do something with someone else that he could've done after I left, since I was on a time limit anyway. Over the last two weeks he has deliberately ignored most of my communications under the pretense of being busy, which I don't believe because if he has time to make and respond to posts on Facebook, then he should have time to send one damn text just telling me how he's doing. I've asked him repeatedly to be honest with me, and he still swears up and down that he still wants to keep in touch, even though he seems irritated with me every time I talk to him.
I really don't know what to do, because he seems like a great guy, and I want to at least be friends with him, but at the same time, he doesn't seem to want to be friends with me. That and he kind of gave me my first kiss, so I don't really want that to have been with a guy I only knew for all of a month.

Well, as important as a first kiss is (coming from someone who hasn't had one), remember there really is no point to staying with an ass. 2 things: 1, My grandfather always said the most important word in dating was "Next". There are A LOT of people out there, and since this doesn't even sound like it will last, why bother waiting? 2, remember, you are with the people you think you deserve. And you don't deserve this guy.

Man, bad luck on the relationship front from everyone today D:

I went to a theme park with my girlfriend.

I did not go well for me, she threw up on me (Somehow) on a ride with her on the first seat on the left, I was on the first seat on the right, and there were 3 seats in between us.

Please dude, remember there were people in between you. Feel sad for them.