The Many Camps and A Thing I'll Miss in Book Five: Working Through the Maze 2018

Yes. Because this site is going the way of the White Rhino (too soon?) I’m spamming tons of entries today. I won’t get to 2000 but I may still surprise myself and wind up with an interesting “year” number. Like… 1776… or 1837… or something like that.

It seems that there are a few different camps coming to the forefront right now.
(1) Camp Hope & Pray: Individuals who have their fingers crossed and hope Prosebox doesn’t shut down. God be with you because history isn’t. I agree with your sentiment and do hope that this place will continue… but after surviving one sinking ship, you tend to look for life rafts a bit quicker the next time.
(2) Camp Too Much: Individuals who, rightfully, are unhappy that they were forced to relocate TO here and are now being forced to relocate FROM here. I don’t blame you. It sucks. And if you feel the need to stop writing, nobody will blame you. But keep writing for yourself. Keep a journal, start a short story, write poems in the margins of your to-do list. Nobody comes to this site because they hated writing and you shouldn’t let stupid bullshit keep you from writing.
(3) Camp Bruce Return: Many are returning to Open Diary. I don’t blame you and I’m not upset with you. BUT BE FOREWARNED it is absolutely a pay site now. Not a “some pay, some don’t” an EVERYONE pays a monthly subscription fee. If you signed up and thought “Cool, I don’t have to pay” it is because you just entered the 30 day free trial period. At the end of that? You’ll be required to pay.
(4) Camp Scattershot: I’m here. I’m in this camp. I’ve done my own research, been piggybacking on others’ research, and Stargazing has been incredibly kind enough to keep me updated on research as well. SO FAR I have “Test Entries” on Goodnight Journal and LiveJournal. But from research, it seems more likely I’ll go with Digital Expressions or Dreamwidth Studios. I’ll run some test entries there this week as well. The saddest part of Team Scattershot… hell the saddest part of Team Scattershot or Team Bruce Return… is that we’re all being separated again. There will be people on here that I’ve so enjoyed reading, knowing that I’ll never hear from again. Not out of malice or apathy or laziness but because the ‘net is vast and resources so limited. I can’t be expected, nor can anyone be expected, to suddenly follow 9 to 15 different journal sites simply to keep up with people they care about. That is asking a bit much. SO I’ll say (and not for the last time) to those I’ll never read again, never note or receive notes… I have appreciated you, I have adored you, and I will miss you.

Now I want to say something that I won’t get to say for much longer but will absolutely tell you all about for as long as I can!

One of the questions that you’ve all asked as I’ve survived my work at the present firm is “What do other professionals say about your bosses?” So, any time a professional shows CLEAR favoritism towards me while simultaneously showing CLEAR contempt towards my bosses… I want to share it. Like a little victory lap. That probably makes me an awful person.
This is once again from the Judge in Iowa City. This Judge told me how upset she was that my bosses rarely listen to her and alter their filings based on her instructions. Not being a complete fucking idiot, I made sure to alter all of my filings for her from then on to conform with her requests. Here’s the rule: I don’t CARE if she is the only judge that wants forms to be done a certain way; if she asks that forms be done that way, you make sure HER FORMS are done that way. That is what it means to be the attorneys dealing with a judge. Like in Omaha. I would never trade Movie References on the Record for Judge Bazis, but it was a regular thing for Judge Lowe. Know the judges, give them what they want, that is what makes you a good trial attorney.
Well, as I’ve been filing withdrawals on my cases, Iowa City e-mailed me and said “We’ll approve these two that you sent in today. In the future, please do so in a different way as outlined below.” SO I altered my filings FOR THAT SPECIFIC JUDGE per the Judge’s request. Like a professional attorney.
White Boss came down to my office to complain about his week with this same judge. Apparently, he’s been trying “all week” to get his withdrawals taken care of by the court but “She keeps rejecting them, saying they have to follow a certain format. I mean she’s accepting yours no problem and wants me to redo all of mine. She must like you more than me.

Yes, Boss. That is probably true. Because instead of being a Southerner who exclusively represents Chinese clients and refuses to conform to the Judge’s expectations… I’m an Iowa native representing Chinese clients and go out of my way to make sure the Judge gets what she asks for. She likes me more because I’m not acting like an ass, actually.