Official Gramps' Memorial Eternal OT Thread

Yea I'm not a fan of stuff like this

Just some quick notes here. I'm generally a fan of Colossal's stated goals but this situation was more of a PR stunt than anything. Firstly, a lot of people don't really understand what they are actually doing and what they did here. They aren't taking actual 12,000 year old dire wolf (aenocyon dirus) DNA and "splicing" it with wolf DNA to create some jurassic park hybrid. All they did here was use CRISPR to edit like 14 genes from a standard gray wolf (canis lupus). They said they've compared the DNA sequencing from a couple aenocyon tooth and bone specimens to get the data they needed to know what genes to affect in the gray wolf to give it similar traits to aenocyon dirus. I don't think they claimed it's 100% match. It's a designer wolf. Despite probably looking very similar to gray wolves though, aenocyon was actually separated by millions of years of evolution. They aren't even the same genus. It's actually a much more difficult task compared to using a modified Asian elephant to make a woolly mammoth (they diverged more recently), which is again the same exact process they will be using.

It brings up an interesting philosophical question that may be better suited in a different thread though. Let's say we 1). Had enough dna data to know for 100% certain the exact differences in their DNA, and 2.) could perfectly modify every gene needed in a gray wolf so that its genetic sequencing is a 100% match to aenocyon. Is the new animal a dire wolf or still a designer gray wolf? Is it a difference without distinction? In a more extreme example, if we edited the genome of a chicken and it looked exactly like a veolicraptor, is it a jacked up murder chicken or did we revive an extinct species? No movie magic mosquito amber splicing needed. Not going to happen (at least any time soon) but it's a fun thought experiment.

This specific situation is blowing up in Colossal's face a little bit partly because they really played into the Game of Thrones angle (very silly) and don't do a great job of explaining what they are actually doing, but people also don't read and make assumptions about what it means in reality to jurassic park a species under the limits of current technology and they let their imaginations run wild.

As far as I know I don't think they have much of any reason to actually bring back dire Wolves to reintroduce them. They were likely outcompeted by gray wolves and there's no reason to think they still wouldn't be. Anywhere they would be helpful to reintroduce in the wild could be done with gray wolves. The woolly mammoth is entirely different.
 
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Just some quick notes here. I'm generally a fan of Colossal's stated goals but this situation was more of a PR stunt than anything. Firstly, a lot of people don't really understand what they are actually doing and what they did here. They aren't taking actual 12,000 year old dire wolf (aenocyon dirus) DNA and "splicing" it with wolf DNA to create some jurassic park hybrid. All they did here was use CRISPR to edit like 14 genes from a standard gray wolf (canis lupus). They said they've compared the DNA sequencing from a couple aenocyon tooth and bone specimens to get the data they needed to know what genes to affect in the gray wolf to give it similar traits to aenocyon dirus. I don't think they claimed it's 100% match. It's a designer wolf. Despite probably looking very similar to gray wolves though, aenocyon was actually separated by millions of years of evolution. They aren't even the same genus. It's actually a much more difficult task compared to using a modified Asian elephant to make a woolly mammoth (they are evolutionarily as close as you can get), which is again the same exact process they will be using.

It brings up an interesting philosophical question that may be better suited in a different thread though. Let's say we 1). Had enough dna data to know for 100% certain the exact differences in their DNA, and 2.) could perfectly modify every gene needed in a gray wolf so that its genetic sequencing is a 100% match to aenocyon. Is the new animal a dire wolf or still a designer gray wolf? Is it a difference without distinction? In a more extreme example, if we edited the genome of a chicken and it looked exactly like a veolicraptor, is it a jacked up murder chicken or did we revive an extinct species? No movie magic mosquito amber splicing needed. Not going to happen (at least any time soon) but it's a fun thought experiment.

This specific situation is blowing up in Colossal's face a little bit partly because they really played into the Game of Thrones angle (very silly) and don't do a great job of explaining what they are actually doing, but people also don't read and make assumptions about what it means in reality to jurassic park a species under the limits of current technology and they let their imaginations run wild.

As far as I know I don't think they have much of any reason to actually bring back dire Wolves to reintroduce them. They were likely outcompeted by gray wolves and there's no reason to think they still wouldn't be. Anywhere they would be helpful to reintroduce in the wild could be done with gray wolves. The woolly mammoth is entirely different.

When science is involved, there's often the issue of whether the person writing an article even understands what he/she has been told well enough to tell the story, and whether the reporter and "news" agency have an agenda.
 
I know we have several lawyers on here. Anyone well-versed in small claims court or do any of our resident posters have experience in it themselves? AFAF.
Not knowing your particulars, the best I can tell you is that the best education you can get is to spend 2 or 3 days and just go watch as an observer. If you know who the judge will be the day you are there, go watch that judge in court. You would think the judicial system is somewhat uniform in how it runs. It is not.

Go see what your judge requires to admit evidence, how they require it to be presented, and how they formal they are in their approach the parties who appear in front of the court when both sides are represented, when only one side is represented, and when both sides represent themselves. It can be anything from a formal "rules of evidence" approach to a Judge Wapner free-for-all (Judge Judy, if I dated myself too badly.)

You the plaintiff or defendant? What type of case? In Knoxville?

Small claims court: May the odds be ever in your favor.
 
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Not knowing your particulars, the best I can tell you is that the best education you can get is to spend 2 or 3 days and just go watch as an observer. If you know who the judge will be the day you are there, go watch that judge in court. You would think the judicial system is somewhat uniform in how it runs. It is not.

Go see what your judge requires to admit evidence, how they require it to be presented, and how they formal they are in their approach the parties who appear in front of the court when both sides are represented, when only one side is represented, and when both sides represent themselves. It can be anything from a formal "rules of evidence" approach to a Judge Wapner free-for-all (Judge Judy, if I dated myself too badly.)

You the plaintiff or defendant? What type of case? In Knoxville?

Small claims court: May the odds be ever in your favor.

Plaintiff. Derelict loan repayment. Have it in writing. Knoxville.
 
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Plaintiff. Derelict loan repayment. Have it in writing. Knoxville.

I did that once. Got a summary judgement. Waste of time and money.


Not familiar with your jurisdiction , but here in Florida the point would be that you can win a judgment, but then you have to collect, which is not as simple as it sounds and you'd likely want a lawyer to handle that because there can be bad repercussions if you try to collect yourself and violate some limit on how to do it that applies to your jurisdiction.

In other words, here at least, you can win a judgment for $5,000. But the judge does not force them to simply write you a check. And if you go to his place of employment and demand they siphon off his paycheck, that's not going to work.
 
Interesting. Couldn't get wages garnished? I figured it would be a similar outcome to this.
I could have pursued....or maybe I did and only got like 30 or 40 dollars over 2 months or something. I can't remember the details. It was early on in my landlording. I remember I vowed I wouldn't waste my time or money chasing bad money ever again.

If I had 1000s owed, that would be a different situation.
 
Interesting. Couldn't get wages garnished? I figured it would be a similar outcome to this.

See mine above. Do you know how to garnish wages, what the limits are? The notice requirements?

Point is, it is something you should factor into your litigation here -- is it worth it, how can i collect, and how much time do i want to spend chasing this. Depends on amount you can ACTUALLY recover.
 
I've also never been satisfied with collection agents. Most I've recovered was 50% after all fees factored in.
Now, I will just offer 50% settlement face to face if money is owed. By far, the best approach I've found.
 
Not familiar with your jurisdiction , but here in Florida the point would be that you can win a judgment, but then you have to collect, which is not as simple as it sounds and you'd likely want a lawyer to handle that because there can be bad repercussions if you try to collect yourself and violate some limit on how to do it that applies to your jurisdiction.

In other words, here at least, you can win a judgment for $5,000. But the judge does not force them to simply write you a check. And if you go to his place of employment and demand they siphon off his paycheck, that's not going to work.

I would assume I'd need a collect atty anyway. It's for about 9k.
 
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I could have pursued....or maybe I did and only got like 30 or 40 dollars over 2 months or something. I can't remember the details. It was early on in my landlording. I remember I vowed I wouldn't waste my time or money chasing bad money ever again.

If I had 1000s owed, that would be a different situation.
Was that back in your early slumlord days when you were renting out "rooms" in your chest of drawers?
IMG_2833.gif
 
And dink, some income is ungarnishable. Alsi there are minimum disposable income thresholds in place before garnishment is available.
 
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I would assume I'd need a collect atty anyway. It's for about 9k.


So, by way of hypothetical, consider this.

You go to small claims court and the first thing the judge does is order you to meet with a court services mediator. The guy says he can pay you $3,000 today, if that will end it.

You need to ask, can you ultimately collect the $9,000 even if you win? Is there some chance you don't win, i.e. does he have a defense to the claim? How much aggravation is it to you to collect the other $9,000. How long would you have to wait? And if you hire an attorney to collect the full $9,000 even if you do win, how much will the attorney charge you to collect it?

Main point is, people do not want to be taken advantage of and they sue. They decide "its the principle." But about the third time they have to take a half a day to go down to the courthouse to deal with it, and they may or may not get anywhere, principle goes the way of the Dodo bird.
 
So, by way of hypothetical, consider this.

You go to small claims court and the first thing the judge does is order you to meet with a court services mediator. The guy says he can pay you $3,000 today, if that will end it.

You need to ask, can you ultimately collect the $9,000 even if you win? Is there some chance you don't win, i.e. does he have a defense to the claim? How much aggravation is it to you to collect the other $9,000. How long would you have to wait? And if you hire an attorney to collect the full $9,000 even if you do win, how much will the attorney charge you to collect it?

Main point is, people do not want to be taken advantage of and they sue. They decide "its the principle." But about the third time they have to take a half a day to go down to the courthouse to deal with it, and they may or may not get anywhere, principle goes the way of the Dodo bird.

What of wage garnishments, bank levies, or asset seizure? From what I've gathered, those are at my disposal with a money judgment. What do collections lawyers usually cost?

Speaking of lawayers, the deadbeat has a scummy lawyer friend who will likely represent her for free. Should I get a lawyer? I feel like with all the proof I have, it seems pretty cut and dry on my end.
 
What of wage garnishments, bank levies, or asset seizure? From what I've gathered, those are at my disposal with a money judgment. What do collections lawyers usually cost?

Speaking of lawayers, the deadbeat has a scummy lawyer friend who will likely represent her for free. Should I get a lawyer? I feel like with all the proof I have, it seems pretty cut and dry on my end.

Keep in mind, it is a "legal" system, not a "justice" system.

You might try to find an attorney who would represent you on the entire thing, all the way through the collections process, for a percentage of what you actually recover. At total losses of $9k, that may be a pretty green attorney who is looking to bust some chops and get some experience.

LG gives some solid advice regarding cost of litigation/collections and procedural hurdles.

Final thought: There is this old saying about "blood" and "turnips." Just something to think about; you know deadbeats financial situation better than anyone else here.

Final, final thought: I promise, I am not the deadbeat trying to trick you into not proceeding with this. :)
 
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What of wage garnishments, bank levies, or asset seizure? From what I've gathered, those are at my disposal with a money judgment. What do collections lawyers usually cost?

Speaking of lawayers, the deadbeat has a scummy lawyer friend who will likely represent her for free. Should I get a lawyer? I feel like with all the proof I have, it seems pretty cut and dry on my end.


I'd consult with someone where you are, yes.

And no idea what a collection attorney would charge where you are. Some probably do it on an hourly basis, or on a percentage basis, from what little I know. But that would be good information to know as you move forward and weight hose matters I alluded to above, in particular how realistic and how expensive would it be to collect, if you win.
 
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Good news.
According to the accountant I overpaid the feds by 3700$ this year.
She told them to keep it as part of this year’s payment…… at least I didn’t underpay.
 
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Was that back in your early slumlord days when you were renting out "rooms" in your chest of drawers?
View attachment 733817
summabitch..a Seinfeld gif

I used to call those Chester Drawers when I was a child..a good nickname for McDad.

edited..that didnt look right..
 
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