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When the Brand Goes Bankrupt

2026-11-11T05:29:22Z

Free Phones, Fallen Firms, and a Gutted DOJ

In the 1960s and early 70s, Pierre Cardin was a major designer – like Gucci and Valentino.

But in the late 70s, the designer started licensing his name out to…well, almost everything and everyone.

To the point that I remember watching TV and seeing an ad for a Craftmatic Adjustable Bed – and if you just called for information about the bed, you would get a free Pierre Cardin phone/alarm clock.

Yup, that was a thing. Don’t believe me?

And that commercial single-handedly destroyed the Pierre Cardin name in one shot.

Now, I know this because I’m an intellectual property attorney.

And the big thing that every lawyer is talking about these days is the death of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, a law firm that in 2025 had $2 billion in revenue.

Just before the announcement, which came less than two weeks ago, they had 2,000 lawyers.

What happened? In a nutshell, a handfulla partners left, including Michael Aiello, Christopher Machera, Doug Warner, who were, evidently, major players there.

How could a law firm with 2,000 lawyers and $2 billion in revenue die if just a handfulla lawyers left?

Well, two major reasons:

1. These lawyers were the ones with the biggest clients and brought in other big clients.
2. A law firm’s only true value is the lawyers it has.

Look, companies like Facebook have patents, trademarks, hardware, software…stuff.

Even your local pizza joint has stuff beyond the people like pizza ovens, boxes, sauces, canned goods, etc.

A law firm? The only thing that makes a law firm worth anything is its lawyers.

When they leave, they leave with their relationships, which means that they leave with their clients. Without clients, a law firm is just a room fulla argumentative people with nuthin to argue about.

Which brings me to this latest news article where Department of Justice lawyers keep leaving.

Prior to the orange one, working in the DOJ was about as prestigious as it got. You were working with some of the best minds in law, dealing with some of the throniest legal issues the country could face.

Now, it’s been gutted and humiliated, with many DOJ lawyers at risk of losing their legal licenses for what the orange one and Todd Blanche has been telling them to do.

What does all this mean?

It means that, like Pierre Cardin, once you’ve lost respect, sometimes it just never comes back.

And like Weil, Gotshal & Manges, once you lose the leadership as well, you don’t have anything. But it’s even worse than that.

Weil lost a handfulla lawyer and the rest followed. The DOJ has lost thousands of lawyers, as of early this year and the losses keep piling up.

As of this writing, they’ve lost 10 thousand lawyers. 10,000. Think about how staggarging a number that is.

The DOJ is now packed with inexperienced and inept lawyers, many of whom are in legal jeopardy from what their bosses are telling to do.

Which begs the question: When a country holds itself out as a “a government of laws, and not of men” – something Adams wrote for the Massachusetts Constitution but held for the US writ large – but can neither govern nor prosecute their laws adequately, what happens to that country?

We’re about to find out in the coming weeks, months, and years.

But if Cardin and Weil tell us anything, it looks pretty bleak.

Location: the gym, getting smashed
Mood: Nerdy
Music: This world was made for losing (Spotify)

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Brilliant but troubled

2026-11-10T00:21:09Z

What we prioritize

Me: I don’t get it. The Orange One is like 80 years old. He doesn’t even have enough time to spend the money he’s got right now.
Him: Maybe he wants to make it for his kids?
Me: (laughing) Dude didn’t even go to his kid’s wedding to post memes all day.

I’m breaking my rule of not telling other people’s stories but: Have you ever heard about a fella named Herb Whitehouse?

If not, that’s no surprise because, like me, he’s mostly a nobody. Mostly.

I thought about him and my brother the other day because Sara and I’ve been watching this show called High Potential, which is a remake of a French show that follows a familiar trope: The “brilliant but troubled” lead who sees the world differently.

Think: Monk, Murder She Wrote, Castle, Bones, Elementary, Sherlock, Psych, The Mentalist, etc.

Alison and I watched the first season of The Mentalist but then stopped as it got silly.

And I’ve personally seen pretty much every episode of Monk and Sherlock back when I used to watch TV.

In any case, Sara and I started it as a mindless activity to do together, but the writing actually got me thinking about my own life and my brother’s.

He and I are both solidly middle-class. We’re not eating at Per Se every night, but we’re also not relegated to instant noodles on the reg either.

However, we arrived at this middle ground for different reasons.

For my brother, I think that he works enough to pay for his basic needs and that’s about it.

Because money has never really mattered all that much to either of us because, if you really sat down and thought about it, beyond safety, what’s the point of having an excess of money?

Anyone can make more money, but no one can make more time.

So, both of us made enough to keep us safe but not so much that we didn’t have time to do the things we love.

But that’s far more my brother than me.

For me, it’s much simpler: I used to be an arrogant jerk.

See, the main character in High Potential is a brilliant genius. But she was also a cleaning lady. How does someone that smart end up a cleaning lady barely making ends meet?

Well, her character explains it three basic ways:

- She’s so cerebral that she often gets lost and distracted at work.
  - I don’t really have this issue.
- She is often up late at night ruminating over things.
  - Hoo-boy, that’s definitely me.
- She has limited patience for people’s stupidity.
  - Ding-ding-ding

That last one was me for a while.

Decades ago, I was at a large law firm working for someone that went to a markedly less prestigious university and law school than I did, and she was also not the nicest person.

In any case, she used to make me get her coffee, which annoyed me no end.

One day, she caught me in a bad mood and told me to get her a cup of coffee.

Instead, I just emptied out my desk and walked around the corner to my buddy at CNET and asked him for a job instead.

So, that’s part of why I took a break early on as a lawyer and how I ended up in tech for a bit.

While I had a great time at CNET, it was dumb and arrogant and one of my thousand regrets.

Getting back to Herb Whitehouse, the reason you might know him is that he invented the 401K.

The story as I heard it goes like this: He was this young, brilliant middle-level-manager who realized that companies could take advantage of the 401K plan in lieu of pensions and built the program and told everyone about it.

Unfortunately, the story goes that his boss took credit for his idea and became famous. Herb was so pissed that he too just up and walked out the door.

Then the two of us spent years dealing with the fallout of our respective rash decisions.

But in the end, I think we ended up living the lives we were meant to live.

And, as a kinda happy ending, his daughter never stopped trying to get her father the recognition she felt he (rightly) deserved and the Wall Street Journal finally acknowledged Herb decades later in 2017.

As for my brother and me, we’re not rich – at all. At least, not in the way most people think.

Because I think we both made good choices with how we lived our lives and what we decided to prioritize.

Him: Do you want to play some chess?
Me: Sorry kiddo, I got a ton to do right now.
Him: Oh. (sadly) Ok…
Me: You know what? Give papa 10 minutes to wrap up what I’m doing; set up the board?
Him: OK!

Location: with the other woman I love with all my heart, celebrating her birthday
Mood: grateful
Music: Things get heated. We say things, we don’t mean it (Spotify)

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Even Teacups

2026-11-06T23:02:53Z

Just give me a reason

I think the thing that I like the best about my current situation with Sara and the two boys is that I have people to cook for again.

The last time I cooked this much regularly was way back in 2015, when Alison was trying to get pregnant with the kid.

Back then, it was just her and me, two adults, so I made food for both of on the regular.

With the kid the past decade or so, it was really just cooking for one child and one Logan Lo, which is still less than what two adults would need so I really wasn’t cooking a lot.

Plus, when the kid was really young, he only ate a handfulla things.

But with Sara and two pre-teens in the house, I’ve been cooking up a storm, which means more doohickeys and staples in the house.

Sara: What’s for dinner?
Me: One of my favourite dishes – and my buddy Mary’s favourite dish – Three Cup Chicken.
Her: Oh, you made that for us before. I love that!

I had an entire shelf devoted to some of Alison’s cups and stuff in the kitchen.

Over the last ten years, I’ve given away or tossed most of it, but I kept her teacups.

She drank tea regularly, ergo, just shy of a dozen CorningWare teacups.

But no one here drinks tea. At least, outta teacups.

Years ago, I talked to Alison’s mom, and she told me that Alison would always keep one or two things but toss the rest.

A-MIL: Alison wouldn’t have kept things in the house for no reason, Logan. Keep a few things and donate the rest.
Me: I’m a hoarder by nature, mom. It’s hard.
Her: She loved you, but she would have done it if the roles were reversed. Keep a few things. Donate the rest.

So, I did.

I remembered when I left her house the last time I went and planted the paw paw trees that, right after Alison slipped away, her mom asked if I would still be part of their lives.

That was such an odd question to me. It never occurred to me that I wouldn’t be.

Because I’d already lost so much of Alison that I was – and am – loathe to part with anything she loved.

Even teacups that I never use.

As I write this, the kid is singing Just give me a reason by Nate Ruess and Pink in the kitchen.

I think he has such a great voice (I realize I’m biased).

When Alison lived here, she used to always sing. I would be sitting in my room and I’d stop just to hear her sing.

She was always embarassed about her voice and would never sing publicly. But I loved it.

I hate that I never told her how much I loved it.

My apartment was so quiet for so long with just me, Harold, and the boy.

I think I played so much music for him when he was younger because, if she were here, there would always be music.

Because of that, and wholly by accident, there’s music in the house again.

And I just stopped writing for a bit to hear him sing.

Location: home
Mood: pensive
Music: we’re not broken, just bent and we can learn to love again (Spotify)

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It’s pink

2026-11-04T05:20:29Z

Doing my civic duty

Then again, Sara and I still dress up for Halloween occasionally, so the hope is that the kid will continue to be a kid a little while longer.

I think he’d probably wear a costume longer if it weren’t, say, a pink donut.

Me: Why does it have to be pink?
Her: It’s not pink, it’s a strawberry frosted donut.
Me: …which is pink.
Her: Well, you don’t have to wear it.
Me: No, I’ll wear it this year’s since you’re going as coffee but next year, it’ll have to be something different.

Clearly, this is a pink donut.

That’s me looking thrilled in it.

We wore that heading to our neighbor’s the other night when we were invited to their Halloween party.

Fun times.

Speaking of donuts, she actually made some sourdough ones the other day and they were delish – the only thing was that she kinda unsweetened them, which is probably because I’m always complaining how sweet deserts are.

Don’t have a picture of that but I do have a picture of some killer danbings that she made the other day.

Me: These are amazing – thanks so much for making them!
Her: I’m like the most Chinese girl from [my small town in North Carolina].
Me: (laughing) Accurate.

It’s gonna be a long night in the Lo household tonight.

We’re anxiously watching the midterms to see if we’ll be trapped in this dystopian world we’ve been living in the last year or so.

As of this writing, there seems to be glimmers of hope.

By the time I post the next entry, we’ll all have a much better idea of everything.

Him: Do you have to vote?
Me: I want to vote!
Him: Why?
Me: Because, kiddo, there are millions of people all over the world who don’t get a chance to do so. It’s my civic duty, so I do it.

Here’s hoping the better angels win.

Location: in front of screens, hoping for the best
Mood: anxious!
Music: tell me just where we are cause I’m waiting in the dark (Spotify)

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Halloween in Hoboken

2026-11-02T01:11:10Z

Making the most of it

Alison’s mom invited us to stay for dinner, but we had to decline because we were heading over to A-SIL to have the kids trick-or-treat at her pad.

While it only took 45 minutes to get to A-MIL’s house, it was double that to get back for some reason – weird traffic all weekend.

But we finally got to Hoboken and met up with her.

Her: You were planting a tree at my parents place?!
Me: Yeah, it’s a long story. Have you ever heard of the paw paw?

Her fella was there so the adults chatted over snacks…

…while the kids gave out candy to other kids that came by.

It was a bit sad because Sara and I realized that it was probably her kid’s last Halloween dressing up as anything and close to the end of the line for Halloween for my kid.

But, we made the most of it.

I think they’re trying to pick the nose of Sara’s kid in this shot.

We ended up ordering pizza – again – for dinner, but it took over an hour for them to get to us – probably because of that crazy traffic that I told you about earlier.

Still, we were happy to just stuff our faces.

Sara: OMG, I’m so hungry.
Me: Me too.
A-SIL: You’re always hungry.

The kids played around for a bit…

…before we played a round of Codenames.

A-SIL’s fella never played before.

Me: It’s probably best to just play a round and you’ll pick it up.

Which is exactly what happened – the kids played as well and were surprisingly good partners.Afterward, we all piled into her whip and headed back to the station before we headed home.

That’s my kid giving A-SIL a big hug.

We were home within 45 minutes.

Me: I gotta say, we live in a super convenient place.
Her: Yeah, but you said you were thinking about moving someplace else when you retire.
Me: I say that, but there’s a good chance that I’ll just end up staying here.
Her: (shrugging) I figured. I’ll go where you go.
Me: Sweet.

Location: the supermarket super early, looking for baking powder
Mood: fulla candy
Music: wonderin’ if (one day in the future) you could see a future with me (Spotify)
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Long before they existed

2026-11-01T23:46:09Z

Moe’s arrived

Alison’s parents are truly the best; not only did they allow me to plant those two paw paw trees but it was my mother-in-law who told me that I should get a grafted third tree so that the other two would have a better chance of having fruit…someday.

See, a grafted tree means that a confirmed good older branch that is more mature and will fruit earlier is attached to the body of a younger tree that will focus its attention on deep roots. So, it’s kinda like the best of both worlds.

So, to this end, I found someone selling grafted trees online and had it sent to my mother-in-law’s.

When it arrived, she literally just sent me a single picture of it and I knew I had to head over.

It was fine because we were all meeting up with A-SIL – in fact, she lent us her car to get to my in-laws.

It only took 45 mins from her place to her parents where a nice Italian sub and a can of Coke Zero were waiting for me.

A-FIL: What on earth do you need to take a picture of a sandwich for?
Me: (shrugging) Eh, force of habit. Maybe I’ll do something with it someday.

Then it was planting time.

Found the middle hole that I dug for just such an occasion the last time I swung by and planted the other two trees…

…hauled over the tools that my MIL prepped for me…

…and got to work.

This was the tree/stick that I was gonna plant. It literally just looked like a stick.

The graft is on the left of the stick; the roots are on the right.

A-MIL: That kinda looks like clay on the bottom of the roots.
Me: You’re right, it does. Who knows, maybe these guys will actually take root and flourish.

As always, hope springs eternal.

Afterwards I had…three naked sticks sticking outta the ground.

Just like last time, I told the kid to stand next to the tree I just planted.

I’m reminded of this old saying that goes, A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.

Kinda feel like our society these days seems to be going to hot garbage.

And, as an old man, I’m trying to do my small part.

Plus, just like it was when Alison first excitedly talked about being parents all those years ago, I already love my kid’s kids, even if there’s a likely chance, I’ll never meet them.

See, I loved my kid long before he was born.

My fervent hope is he and his kids can sit under the shade of these three trees, enjoy their fruit, and know that Alison and I loved them all, long before any of them existed.

Me: Hey, mom.
A-MIL: Yeah?
Me: Moe, Larry, and Curley. What do you think?
A-MIL: (laughing) Well, Larry and Curly, and the new one’s Moe.
Me: That makes sense.
A-MIL: We’ll see who makes it.
Me: (nodding) Hopefully they all do, but we’ll see.

Location: the kitchen, butchering 15 pounds of poultry
Mood: chickened out…literally
Music: Know that it’s waiting for you – it’s waiting, so hold on (Spotify)
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The 2026 Tourette Association Gala

2026-10-28T02:09:45Z

Dung babbling

The week I got back, Sara was able to snag us two $600 tickets to the Tourette Association gala – she’s a volunteer with them because her son has a form of it (not the one where the person yelps and/or curses, that’s awful).

So, we got dressed in our Sunday best and headed down – it was literally just 30 minutes away for us.

The place was surprisingly packed…

…with a live band…

…and a huge open bar.

Plus, a place for us to get pictures, and I’m so vain.

We mingled with a few new faces and mainly stuffed our faces.

And we took full advantage of the open bar.

Someone at our table had the kind of Tourette where you yelp and curse. It’s just an absolutely awful disease.

Sara donated some money but people were dropping like $10,000-$20,000 on things.

Her: We could go to an Italian Villa.
Me: I’m not sure we’re Italian Villa people.

We ended up having a great time; we sat next to a mentor of Sara’s, and she was just a hoot, as were the couple seated next to me.

Me: (holding out hand) Logan. Nice to meet you.
Him: Steve. (takes hand and absolutely crushes it)
Me: Now that is a firm handshake. I think I’m gonna need to ice it.
Him: (laughing) I was always told to give a firm handshake.
Me: Welp, that you’ve accomplished.

After dinner – which was steak but definitely not enough for this fatty – even thought I really shouldn’t have, I had the dessert.
Obligatory shots

Without peanut butter to boot!

We left and they had hot chocolate for the road.

But we didn’t partake.

Afterwards, a foursome walked by us and offered to take our picture, which is the main picture you see above.

As for me, I wanted one of my girl…

…before we caught a cab and headed home.

As an aside, did you know that the scientific name for Tourette is coprolalia, which comes from the Greek words:

- κόπρος (kópros): Meaning “dung” or “feces”.
- λαλιά (laliā́) / λαλεῖν (laleîn): Meaning “speech”, “to talk”, or “to babble”.

So, medical name for Tourette is literally “shit talking.”

There, you learned something new today.

Location: not the gym, unfortunately. Home all day with work.
Mood: annoyed
Music: lower both our voices and talk slow? (Spotify)
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Travelogue: Rochester Pt 4 – Final shoot and home

2026-10-26T02:01:08Z

Obligatory shots

The Dropouts actually hired a buncha local stuntmen and actors to film their movie with us.

The one requirement was that we put on some costumes and wear black sneakers.

I thought I looked ridic, but when in Rome…

I was the second-to-last person to have his scene shot, and that’s because we had the second most intricate fight exchange – the last guy was Doug’s brother, who just knows him and how he moves like the back of his hand.

Nero’s had better days.

The shoot was a ton of fun, although I did have to spend a solid 15 minutes trying to get rid of alla the sand that got everywhere.

Literally, everywhere.

Afterward, I went back to the AirBnB to pack while Nero headed to the airport to catch his flight and the producer and cameraman worked on stuff.

We managed to grab dinner before we left.

Producer: If you wanna wait [for us for dinner] we actually might finish earlier.
Me: Sure – no Applebee’s please.

Ended up going to what I thought was gonna be a sketchy Chinese joint called Szechuan Opera, but it ended up being just great.

Me: There’s a white kid up front, that’s not good.
Cameraman: (after the waiter and host were Chinese) And you were worried…

We ordered a ton of food, all of which was pretty good – I mean, nowhere near Chinatown/Flushing level but it hit the spot.

After I downed two beers and took an obligatory shot in their Instagram chair…

…called up a Lyft and was on my way back to the airport.

After only 47 minutes of flying, I arrived in Newark.

Within 90 mins, I was back home.

My kid was already asleep, but Sara was waiting for me.

Her: Welcome home, honey!
Me: Oh man, I’m so glad to be home. Lemme shower and then I’ll tell you all about it.

Location: Hoboken, meeting family
Mood: fat post pizza
Music: she’s on my team and that’s all I need (Spotify)
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Travelogue: Rochester Pt 3 – Art School Dropouts

2026-10-23T15:47:49Z

I use a bar of soap.

Went in and filmed another series of videos with Doug, as well as his younger brother, who came in the next morning to meet up.

Both were just really sweet but deadly fellas.

Plus, I’ve been doing kali for some 20 years, but Doug still managed to teach me a thing or two.

Me: Whoa, I never knew that.
Doug: Learned that from [the legend himself].
Me: I’m gonna steal that.
Him: (laughing) You should!

The shoots themselves were tiring but a lotta fun – the first episode is out already and I’ll link to it below.

After a full day of shooting, our group – the producer, cameraman, Nero, and I – went out to get dinner while Doug tried out his outfit for the following day.

We were very red.

But, of course, I was thinking of dinner for the last two hours of the shoot.

Me: Korean? Vietnamese?
Producer: [The cameraman] and I are going back to Applebee’s.
Me: You’re kidding me. My steak was well-done and dry as a bone.
Cameraman: That’s cause you asked about it.
Me: I JUST ASKED HOW MUCH LONGER ON THE STEAK! It’s fine, Nero and I can get Korean.
Nero: Actually, when I heard you all went to Applebee’s last night, I got a bit jealous.
Me: Goddammit!

Nope. Applebee’s day 3 as well.

Me: You’re all against me.

This time, I didn’t order the steak, I just had the fish and chips and a large cocktail without an umbrella.

Me: I’m gonna need a lotta alcohol.

Me: I judge alla yous so much for having Applebee’s twice in one trip.
Cameraman: Well, now I’m good for the rest of the year.
Me: I would think so!

One of the nicer/cooler things about the trip was just getting to know the guys a little more.

Me: And then what did you do?
Camerman: (shrugging) I jumped off the roof. It was like a 12-foot jump, so it was tall enough for me to have time to think, “This was not a good idea.”

And they got to know me a little more.

Him: Bodywash?
Me: I use a bar of soap.
Him: What about shampoo?
Me: I use a bar of soap.
Him: Conditioner?
Me: I use a bar of soap.

The next morning, I made myself another brekkie of cheeseburgers because calories and fat don’t count when you’re traveling.

Although I’m considering having cheeseburgers every morning for brekkie, maybe.

But that’s neither here nor there.

For our final day of shooting, it actually wasn’t for us with Scenic Fights but with Doug and Art School Dropouts.

This meant that, instead of heading to Doug’s studio, we had to head to Lake Ontario instead.

Producer: It’s Lake America now.
Me: Absolutely not.
Cameraman: That’s what Google says.
Me: Google sucks. Mapquest.

Now that was an interesting shoot.

But I’ll tell you all about it in the next entry?

EDIT

Our first video is out!

Location: the Rochester airport
Mood: song is good
Music: in Hollywood tryna find something (Spotify)
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Travelogue: Rochester Pt 2 – Meeting Doug

2026-10-21T02:00:40Z

Breakfast of Champions

The next morning, it was raining and I regretted not having any burgers the night before, so I made myself a double burger with three slices of cheese.

Brekkie of champions, lemme tell ya.

The producer and cameraman went first to the site, which left Nero and me to take a Lyft there.

After we had some snacks – like I said in the last entry, we got a lotta snacks.

There, I met Doug and Art Class Dropouts for the first time.

Everyone was super nice and Doug was an absolute class act.

Nero was probably the MVP of our group because that dude had zero fear and literally threw himself onto that concrete floor at least half-a-dozen times and took a solid metal belt buckle to the face twice.

Me: Dude, are you ok?
Nero: (waving hand) I’m fine.
Me: Jesus, you are a machine!

Anywho, because Doug started with the same kali system that I did, we knew a lot of the same people.

In fact, both he and my own instructor, Agapito Gonzalez, were taught by this absolute legend in the kali world and Doug gave me so much background info on him and other people in the kali world.

Me: That dude is a NYC legend! Oh, and you knew XXX too, right?
Doug: (laughing) That guy’s insane.
Me: Yeah, I got that feeling…

And Doug’s hands were lightning fast. Like, legit, blazing – he was both super fast and accurate to boot, which is what I would expect from him.

Below’s just the outfit that he was gonna wear the following day.

We shot a buncha videos and then Nero and I broke out earlier to get dinner.

Nero: Yeah, I’m starving.
Me: Doug, what’s good around here?
Him: Not much. The Italian’s pretty good around here. And there’s a good Korean and a good Mediterranean restaurant as well.
Me: Perfect!

So, Nero and I went to get some Mediterranean food.

We definitely over ordered because (a) everything was dirt cheap and (b) the portions were absolute huge.

Afterward, we went back and just crashed.

Tried to, anywho.

Me: Do you hear that?
Cameraman: There’s a college party across the street.
Producer: I’ll give you $200 to go there and bring back a beer.
Cameraman: I’d do it but it’s a sausage fest. I heard one guy yell out, Finally, one girl’s here.
Me: Oh man, I’m totally gonna end up going over there to tell them to keep it down.

I did not.

But I wanted to.

Location: the Rochester airport
Mood: weary
Music: It was fun but it hurt (Spotify)
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