This article about companies that tried to save money using supposed AI and are now spending even more to fix mistakes reminds me of the nice revenue stream I have developed fixing mistakes in cheap and/or do-it-yourself divorces.

A couple decide to get divorced, and don’t want to hire an attorney. Presumably, they also do their own electrical, plumbing, taxes, dental work, and surgery. Our Heroes, usually (and statistically) living somewhere in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, see a billboard or other advertisement and spend their $179 or $249 or whatever too-low-to-be-true fee being charged for a no-fault divorce, and they file.

What makes this scheme work for the firms that do it is that filing fees vary across the state, county by county. Some counties charge significant filing fees to support the robust court services they offer for divorcing parties. Other counties - a handful in particular - have cornered the market on cheap divorces by charging very low filing fees and making up for it in volume. These counties also happen to be sparsely populated, rurally situated, and at least five hours from where our statistically likely Heroes live.

Invariably, something Goes Wrong and the parties find themselves needing to go to court. Where? That far-off small courthouse with one judge and a literal hitching post in the parking lot. They call the firm they “hired” to do their divorce and learn that the representation was limited to preparing the documents, which the parties filed as pro se litigants, and they have to find new counsel because the divorce mill attorney isn’t about to drive to the hinterlands to go to court!

That’s where I come in.

My office is within easy driving distance from the Divorce Capital of Pennsylvania: Cameron County. There aren’t many other attorneys this close who are 1) willing to go there, 2) willing to take these cases, and 3) good at getting results. So, a couple of times per year, I get a call from some unfortunate soul who tried to save a buck. I figure out what went wrong, quote a fee, and then we try to fix it as best we can. Sometimes we can, sometimes we can’t.

I love a new keyboard. I seem to buy a new one at least every six months. For years I used keyboards with actual switches, but at some point in the last five years I’d switched over to laptop-style keys exclusively. I tried out a Logitech MX Mechanical Mini with Tactile Quiet switches last week and liked it enough to buy one. The replaceable keycaps are a nice feature because I didn’t like the feel of the plastic on the included ones. (My texture sensitive people know what I’m talking about.) I fortunately found some in classic Apple style (ADB era) that feel right. In other words, I’m back to mildly clicky typing again - and it is great!

Three Four stories posted today:

I missed this one: Lego Isn’t Just for Kids. Here’s How to Become an Adult Lego Master.

The Best Lego Sets for Adults

The Best Lego Sets for Kids

The Best Lego Sorting and Storage Tools

Why does Apple pronounce “silicon” with an “ə” in the last syllable instead of the more traditional American “ŏ”? Are they sourcing it from the UK’s Commonwealth?

NYT: To Help Cool a Hot Planet, the Whitest of White Coats

Dr. Munday noted that covering half the Sahara, or any contiguous surface, with that much radiative material shouldn’t happen for a number of reasons, among them practicality, wildlife concerns and weather disruptions caused by one region suddenly becoming much cooler.