The original question asks about making something “legally” encrypted and whether there is a “legal distinction” between “decoding” and “decrypting”. I think this is really a question about the DMCA’s prohibition on circumventing access control devices.

The DMCA does not use the terms “decrypt” or “decode”. Rather, it says, “No person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work.” 17 USC 1201(a)(1)(A). 17 USC 1201(a)(3)(B)... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 8:00 AM on October 1, 2008

Are you talking about doing a round trip or a "round the world" award? The RTW awards are extremely flexible and allow you to visit multiple continents with multiple stopovers. If you have the time and the miles, you're not necessarily limited to a single destination.
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 8:49 PM on August 28, 2008

I think the big question is what does the landlord think of this arrangement? Not the parents that you're subletting from -- the person or company that owns or operates the rental property itself. The situation you describe would probably set off red flags for many landlords I've dealt with. Does the landlord even know what the plans for occupancy / subletting are?
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 8:18 AM on August 20, 2008

I lived in Columbus in the burbs for 6 years, and my sister has apartment hopped through three or four rentals in and around campus.

My sense is that if you're narrowly trying to find lots of stuff within good walking distance along with your stated price point, you may have trouble finding something satisfactory. Being more flexible on eithero ne of those variables should help immensely. I suspect that flexibility on how much you REALLY want within walking distance... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 9:03 PM on August 11, 2008

I think I misunderstood the question until I saw thewittyname's response. The question starts out by saying that C has "power of attorney". Was the initial inquiry based on the notion that C would execute a (new) will on A's behalf? If that's the question being presented to the lawyers, I'm not surprised there's lots of resistance.

The other big issue is how "good" is "A" on her good days? If A is competent enough to have testamentary... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 12:52 PM on August 8, 2008

This question seems custom-tailored for someone studying for the bar exam to opine on the applicability of the Rule Against Perpetuities.
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 10:22 AM on July 22, 2008

There are also some judges who require lawyers to submit copies of proposed orders / findings in WordPerfect format (since that's what the judge uses). I think this factor helps keep WP entrenched in some pockets of the legal community -- because really, why would you want to make a judge's life more complicated than it needs to be (or annoy their clerk)? Still, the vast majority of the lawyers I work with use Word (and use conversion tools when necessary).
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 7:17 AM on July 17, 2008

The construction on the blue line O'Hare station is scheduled to go through July 27. The reports I've heard is that it doesn't add that much extra time to the commute (although I haven't done it myself).

I regularly take the blue line from the Loop to O'Hare, and in the past few months it's never taken me more than an hour. There were some bad periods last year but they've gotten better.

Even taking into account the need to take the shuttle... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 11:56 AM on July 16, 2008 marked best answer

In general, while the SEC is often sympathetic to people who appeare not to have made a lot of profit, they often continue keeping up the pressure against the "little guys" in the hope that they will "flip" and give up people that leaked the information or others who made greater profits. (Look up what happened to Roger Blackwell's associates.)

Your downside is a lot more than the $2,000 trade you made. And assessing the scope of that downside... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 5:34 PM on July 14, 2008

While beagle talks about some of the elements and defenses to an insider trading claim, the ins and outs of defending against such a claim go beyond the black-letter law.

Not to scare the anonymous questioner, but to those who think at $2,000 trade is below some prosecutorial threshhold, think about this: In the SEC's complaint against Roger Blackwell, part of the evidence used against him was the fact that his assistant, Mary Hiser, who had never invested before,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 8:55 PM on July 14, 2008

Have you tried "Under 55", the cafeteria under 55 East Monroe? I think you can get breakfast there starting at 7. I'm not sure any of the options qualify as "healthy" but it is very close and I think you can get an omelette there.
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 7:47 AM on July 10, 2008

I'd suggest checking flyertalk's forums for the specific alliance / airline program you have miles in for more specific advice, although getting award travel during the holiday season may be a tough proposition.

It's not that much of a surprise that award tickets for November/December are not available. Award tickets are "capacity controlled" so even though there's space on the flight, you might not be able to book a flight with miles.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 5:01 PM on July 9, 2008

While BKK ex-AMS doesn't qualify as award travel "to" Asia, have you considered a RTW (Round The World) award ticket? Seems it's very poorly documented on nwa.com (it's not on the chart) but there is apparently such a beast, bookable via phone only, for 140,000 miles (coach) or 220,000 miles (business). Fare rules are that travel must take place in one continuous direction, east or west, and no backtracking is allowed. Six stopovers are allowed with a maximum of three stopovers per... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 7:46 PM on July 9, 2008

Sounds like your prospects for a paying summer job are pretty slim.

You might gain valuable experience from just going down to the courthouse and trying to observe some trials, motion calls, etc. There will be lots of waiting around so bring lots of reading material. And much of what you see could be very, very boring but it probably beats sitting around at home (most days). If you can find a good (long) trial to observe you might get a lot out of that.
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 4:24 PM on July 2, 2008

I think you shouldn't be thinking of "ultimate liability". Think about the following scenarios:

1. Neighbor uses your open wireless access point to upload/download child pornography. It is traced back to your IP address. Police knock at your door.

2. A "drive by" laptop user connects to your access point and sends a threatening message. Homeland Security comes knocking at your door.

3. Neighbor... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 10:35 AM on July 2, 2008

The original request of "[not] subpoena-proof, just amateur-sleuth-proof" seems to set a much lower bar.

Google / Blogger, etc. will readily give up IP addresses in their (brief) logs to law enforcement requests or validly issued subpoenas. Keeping your "true" IP address away from them is complicated but if you don't need that level of security then things become a lot simpler.

So if you just care about amateur sleuths, I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 1:11 PM on July 1, 2008

Did you pay full fare for your business-class ticket, or was it an upgrade? Do you have Medallion Elite (Silver/Gold/Platinum) status on Delta? (For that matter, elite status on Northwest might elicit sympathy, too.)

If the answer to either of those questions is "yes", make sure you cite that fact in all of your correspondence (preferably in the first paragraph). Airlines really do treat elites better.

Beyond that, I think it's the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 12:40 PM on July 1, 2008

I grew up in Cleveland (and worked in Columbus for 6 years) so I am a bit biased. I think that trying to hit both Cleveland and Cincinnati in 2-3 days is a bit aggressive if you're starting from Columbus. It might be tight, but you could probably head north to Cleveland (with a pitstop in Mansfield to see the prison), zig west to Cedar Point (and/or do stuff by the Lake Erie islands), and then south-ish to Dayton (Wright Patterson AFB?) and then back east to Columbus.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 10:44 AM on July 1, 2008

Previous questions and answers (like this one don't specifically address whether the original packaging by itself is sufficient protection. I know I could buy a shipping crate -- but do I really need it? (Or will FedEx/UPS require the use of a shipping crate in order to insure the package?)
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 10:18 PM on June 24, 2008

The TV was donated and will be a raffle prize at a conference this weekend. It is still in its original packaging and has never been opened / unpacked.

While dealing with logistics we came to the belated realization that most of the attendees are flying in and thus getting the damn thing home is problematic. (Oversize baggage fees, etc.) So we're trying to assess what our options are to asssist the winner in getting the TV home (wherever that is).
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 8:20 AM on June 25, 2008

I am in BigLaw and interview law students for our summer associate positions.

For me (and most of the people I talk to), the answer is None of the Above. If you become the president of the "IP Law Society", it might validate your interest in IP law, and if you're in the a capella singing group, that might weigh one way or another on the "airport test" (i.e., the 'if stuck in the airport with this guy for 6 hours, would I become (more) suicidal?' test)... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 6:18 AM on June 24, 2008 marked best answer

nth-ing Flyertalk.

The best tool for this USED to be Travelocity's "Dream Maps" feature, but they discontinued this feature a few weeks ago.

In the Flyertalk discussion of suitable Dream Maps replacements, I found out that Yahoo offers a sort-of-similar feature. Take a look here for Yahoo's list of flights out of Newark. Your ability to restrict to Continental flights with a same-day-return seems quite limited.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 2:17 PM on May 27, 2008

There already is a lawyer involved -- sounds like your friend is looking for either a second opinion or an explanation for why the lawyer's advice is what it is.

Your friend might want to ask the lawyer whether it's a matter of timing (ie, can't dispose of the trust assets until other (probate) conditions are met), or whether there's a restriction in the trust document regarding how the trust assets are to be disposed of. Or what the trust document says about the powers... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 9:13 AM on May 22, 2008

I believe that any lawyer offering an opinion on this issue would be well-advised to consider the implications of the Stored Communications Act, 18 USC s2701, which provides that it is a federal statutory violation to :

"(1) intentionally accesses without authorization a facility through which an electronic communication service is provided; or
(2) intentionally exceeds an authorization to access that facility;

and thereby... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 8:00 AM on May 19, 2008 marked best answer

You can include depreciation of the property in your expenses (even if you don't live in the property). Depreciation must be "recaptured" upon sale of the property but claiming depreciation as an expense increases your losses for tax purposes (and thus offsets ordinary income for that tax year). Result is more money in your pocket now.
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 9:52 AM on May 16, 2008

I don't know that there are any magazines currently publishing other than Stylus Magazine but it's been a while since I've hung out online with the fountain pen obsessed.

Fountain Pen Hospital has a catalog/calendar that makes for good "pen porn" (and the catalog is free).

There are a few vibrant online communities for collectors. Check out the "Zoss list", for instance.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 1:57 PM on May 12, 2008

Bonds are usually the core individual investments when people consider "income stream" as their main goal. Some annuities and life insurance policies effectively "guarantee" an income stream, too.

If someone about to retire is looking at total income replacement, a portfolio of "all bonds" is often not the best idea. While a large portion of the portfolio is probably going to be well-suited to bonds, someone retiring (or taking an early... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 10:36 AM on May 8, 2008

There is a big difference between toxic "black mold" and the fuzz that grows on the grout in showers. There is also a big difference between a few patches of grey fuzz on the drywall versus huge swaths of black and green throughout.

Even if you do find a solution to "get rid" of the mold the underlying CAUSE of the mold needs to be treated. Is it a leaky attic? An improperly vented crawl? Or something else? Make sure you treat the cause and not... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 10:51 AM on May 6, 2008

If you're still working for the company (and this isn't a 401k from an old employer), you should look at what your other investment options are. I'm aware of some places where it's "company stock or nothing" but most 401k plans have an investment option that's a money market fund. It might have a title like "Stable Value Fund" or something.

If it's from an old employer, you can roll over the 401k into an IRA (and presumably get the funds into a... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 4:01 PM on April 28, 2008

I have no experience with the DC market, but I know that "small firm" salaries vary greatly on the type of law being practiced. So if your friend is looking at an IP law boutique, the prevailing salary would be greatly different than if she's dealing with a firm doing insurance defense work, Plaintiff's side personal injury, etc.
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 10:57 AM on April 28, 2008

I have done a few rounds of app-o-rama's myself. They are getting somewhat harder to do because many credit card issuers are "cracking down". The Fatwallet Finance forum is probably the best place for cutting-edge intelligence / advice on this issue, but my impression of the current state of affairs is:

1. Read the fine print of the credit card offers / terms VERY carefully. "3% fee, $75 max" or "no BT fee" was the norm a few years ago,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 8:14 AM on April 28, 2008

As Mr_Chips said, decent hotels (and even some not-so-decent ones) have an iron and ironing board in the room, so you can "fix" minor wrinkles in the morning.

I would avoid checking a bag if at all possible.
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 4:04 PM on April 20, 2008

Actually, a lot of federal misdemeanors ARE parking tickets. Be careful around those national parks and federal courthouses!
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 8:11 AM on April 17, 2008

If you believe that there will be excess withholding for your tax obligation due in April 2009, why can't you adjust your deductions on your W4 form? (I am not sure if this makes a big difference for very low levels of income where you aren't paying that much tax to begin with...)
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 6:21 PM on April 14, 2008

chan.caro, YHMeFiMail.

Short answer: Useless, but they opened the door for me to a law firm job that I otherwise would have never even known about. (It was never posted as an open position...)
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 5:48 PM on April 14, 2008

I found that for MBE prep, sitting down and taking an ENTIRE section of a practice MBE in a "test like" environment helped enormously. You may want to set weekend appointments with you PMBR books, and set aside the hours to sit down and do the entire section. I found that doing the entire section was an entirely different experience than sporadic review of outlines or going over individual MBE questions.

By breaking down how you're doing on the various MBE... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 11:00 AM on April 10, 2008

Strangely enough, I have a FEMALE cat that loves her stuffed gopher very much. It was a puppet a relative bought for my son, but the cat appropriated it one day when he left it on the floor. After seeing her 6 pound body drag it out of his bed - it is bigger than she is - we gave up and let her have it. The jokes just come too easily.
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 9:42 PM on April 9, 2008

Most people will say "it depends". Think of it this way -- you could have been doing business on your own without the LLC, but presumably you wanted to have the LLC for various reasons (logistics, asset protection, etc). It's the same way with the (new) joint venture -- are the benefits worth it? The jump from no incorporation to a single entity is a lot bigger than from a single entity to the joint venture.

On the side project question, again, it depends.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 7:52 AM on April 7, 2008

David Swensen of Yale University. He manages Yale's endowment and has had amazing success. He has been courted with insane amounts of money by mutual funds / investment banks / hedge funds but has turned them all down, preferring to stay at Yale.

From http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/02/19/for-yales-money-man-a-higher-calling/: “People think working for something other than the most money you could get is an odd concept, but it seems a perfectly natural concept... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 7:47 PM on April 4, 2008

Lots of flights to ORD are late. If the weather goes bad or a whole host of (normal) things happen, you could be signifiantly delayed. Even without the luggage issue, you don't have enough time (because of traffic around the airport and the normal schedule / delays on the Blue line).

I live in Chicago and fly out of ORD regularly. If I had a meeting in my office (downtown Chicago) at 1:20 on Friday, there's no way I'd book myself on a flight that arrives at 12:20.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 9:10 AM on April 4, 2008

crush-onastick, don't get me wrong -- I like ORD as an airport. Are you sure you're not putting forward your impressions of ORD as a frequent flier, though?

As a United "elite" frequent fliler, I can push my schedule really aggressively because I know I'll breeze through a short line at the priority screening checkpoint. I also never wait in line to check a bag (since I do online check in and know where the bag check is). For irregular operations, I can use... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 10:12 AM on April 4, 2008

My first teacher ((french) horn also) called those "woof tones" and for expensive instruments purchased from reputable dealers it's definitely the norm to be able to return (undamaged) instruments "no questions asked".

When I bought my first "real" horn (Conn 8D, N series), my teacher literally pulled 5 horns from the local shop and I tried all of them out in her house. I think it was a week or so before we even paid. But then again my... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 7:53 PM on April 3, 2008

The life and workload of a federal court clerk depends greatly on the individual judge, and I suspect that the judge would expect questions about this stuff in the interview. I often (but not always) see the clerks in the courtroom when I am before magistrates. I have seen some magistrates who have their clerks run in-chambers civil scheduling conferences (with the judge sometimes coming in for the last few minutes to resolve disputes and "bless" the schedule).... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 8:44 AM on April 3, 2008

A lawyer your father retains might have to consider / work through the following issues:

Licensing agreement between your father and "Dr. Lee's" company
Additionally / alternatively / potentially, incorporation documents for a separate corporate entity, either for your father or for a joint venture (and it could be a partnership, limited partnership, corporation, limited liability company, etc.)
Retention of local (Korea) counsel to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 1:20 PM on March 27, 2008

I couldn't help myself and did some Googling. I see that the questioner's father appears to have incorporated his own surgical supply company (for which he is the registered agent) and has no fewer than 9 patents to his name. So I'm a bit curious as to the subtext -- is this gathering topics for discussions with current counsel, prompted by dissatisfaction with current counsel, or something else altogether?
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 1:42 PM on March 27, 2008

It took me a while to figure out that (I think) you're contemplating making a traditional IRA contribution now (before April 15) so that you lower your adjusted gross income for 2007. By withdrawing the money in 6 months or so for your house closing, it sounds like you will defer your taxes on $8,000 of income until tax year 2008.

IANAFP but this seems ok to me, albeit it seems like a lot of paperwork for what might not be that much in tax savings. Have you run the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 12:27 PM on March 26, 2008 marked best answer

When consulting with the doctor, you may want / need to discuss whether you're engaging in any other behavior unique to when you use a condom. Certain forms of anal stimulation can cause blood in semen -- it might be aggravating the scar tissue in your bladder. A doctor can evaluate your medical history and other factors to provide an informed answer.
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 2:18 PM on March 25, 2008

I conduct interviews for that highly selective school in New Haven, CT. I never tell my interviewees "I will recommend you" and in 50+ interviews I've conducted I've never asked for an interviewee to submit supplemental material to me. So there's further anecdotal evidence of how different interviewers have different styles.

As a courtesy, I tell my interviewees that if they have any questions that they didn't think of during the interview "or anything... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 2:52 PM on March 24, 2008

IAAL but IANYL and TINLA.

It's unfortunate that your family isn't on speaking terms. My gut is that you shouldn't jump to presume malice until you hear their side of things (or otherwise get a better understanding of what's going on).

That said, when talking with your lawyer (which you really need to do), you should keep in mind how IRAs work. You don't "put funds into [someone's] name" in an IRA. The IRA has beneficiaries and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 6:54 PM on March 17, 2008 marked best answer

My wife went to school at Akron and when I asked her about your question, she started laughing. Take that for what it's worth. Akron is not Philly or Baltimore.

She says that Highland Square is "pretty much it", but given where you're working, neighborhoods in North Canton might be more convenient. It's going to be the burbs, though.

Cleveland's nightlife (an hour to the north) has more of a "city" feel. There are... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by QuantumMeruit at 2:52 PM on March 15, 2008