Saints Preserve Us

BBC News reports that the Russian Orthodox Church will soon "designate an Orthodox Church saint to serve as spiritual guide to internet users." What's more, it seems the Catholics have been there, done that (great invocation here). Best line of the article, apparently delivered straight: "'If we get a patron saint for the internet,' said Father Andrey [Kurayev], 'the next logical step will be to formulate a prayer to deal with viruses.' Can I get an "Amen?" [Via one of my delightful clients.]

At Least We Didn't Beat Steve Corris

I see from Dennis at The Blawg Channel that my firm has reported the highest hourly rate for a law firm partner, among firms responding to The National Law Journal's annual survey: Law Firms' Billing Rates Climb Ever Higher. While the number ($875/hour) must be accurate or the firm wouldn't have reported it, the article does point out it was one fellow in the London office who had this rate, and the average was considerably lower. It sounds as if those of us here across the pond could use some help from Becky Klemt-MacMillan. To paraphrase her classic:

Anyway, we were sitting around the office discussing your rate and decided that you had a good thing going. We doubt we could get away with charging $875 an hour in Los Angeles (where people are more inclined to barter with back-end royalties than pay in cash), but we do believe we could join you in London, where evidently people can get away with just about anything. [...]

(Do go read the whole thing if you haven't before. One of my endnotes to that prior post is now pertinent I guess: "It is entirely possible that among my firm's roughly 1,000 lawyers there are courtroom or deal jockeys who bill their time in this same stratospheric range. I don't think I've met them, but if/when I do, I'll probably suggest a sabbatical to [Becky's home town] Laramie.")

Children Of Earth...

"The Pooh train stopped there four times a day for ten years and they never took delivery."

(Sorry. Saw this today and was seized by silliness.)

Plawdosphere*, Anyone?

So, which blawgers are podcasting? Of course, there's trailblazing Ernie Miller. (It was good fun to help cobble together his first IT Conversations podcast, but I have to say, we've come a long way baby since then!) I also saw Lisa Stone's post about J. Craig, I just fed his feed to iPodder. Who else is adding their voice to the nascent plawdosphere?

*The blame for this belongs at least partially to Steve Gillmor.

Lucretive

Just got back from Fiat Lucre's "Fair Use in the Digital Age," featuring "Willful Infringement," a very worthwhile way to help meet that MCLE requirement. The program screens tomorrow in Santa Clara and next week in Philadelphia, so keep an eye out for it. Here's a clip. You can also do an online screening. Per its producer Jed Horowitz, Willful Infringement itself is Creative Commons licensed, a nice touch. Some highlights:

• It's worth the price of admission to see the bit where the FBI communications officer disavows any FBI association with the ubiquitous warning preamble on DVDs and video cassettes. (As opposed to additional packaging labels apparently approved earlier this year.)


• The clown couple steal the show.


• Siva Vaidhyanathan gives the clown couple a run for their money.


• In a series of back and forth edits covering the genesis of copyright law, there's a nifty when-worlds-collide juxtaposition in the F.3ds piled behind Professor Jaszi (which also make a guest appearance in the photo at that link), and the back issues of Wired piled behind Fred von Lohmann.

"Fair Use in the Digital Age" gets the B&B seal of approval (which may just be especially compelling if your last name begins with N-Z).