Finished! Well Almost.

The 12 page anal probe of the last 15 years of my life, otherwise known as the Bar Application, is finished! Okay I still need to sign it, get it notorized, make 2 copies, and then place it in the mail, but otherwise it is finished! Okay it has ended up at 24 pages and I don't have any lawsuits or divorce actions to include unlike some classmates, but still this has been a struggle in so many ways.

I would have finished it Tuesday or Wednesday, but that flu bug or whatever germ warfare that got unleashed on me just killed my energy for 2 days. If I wanted to I could have headed downtown to the bailsbondsmen to get it notorized and photocopied at the nearest Kinkos, but I have tomorrow for that. Besides, I have a nightmare concerning third year law students and bailbondsmen. Wrong place, wrong time is a major theme of my life. Hence 24 pages of fun stuff to write. That good karma I'm supposedly owed, I can use it NOW!

Here are several interesting facts I've discovered.
I've worked at 17 different locations for 11 different employers.
I've disclosed 7 different residences including my parents' home twice.

Those Damn Muses

Between Terri Schiavo, the Pope, funding for a new stadium, potential further merging of city and county government, a scathing report on intelligence failure, the Final Four (both men's and women's), the season finale of Battlestar Galactica tomorrow night, Glen Close on The Shield, the big Sexual Orientation and Family Law shindig, the Women's Caucus Auction and all the other interesting things going on lately you would think I would post about some of them.

Nope, my muses just aren't talking to me this week. I think they had the same flu bug I had for a few days.

I Wanting For This To Pay Off

If this is accurate when does it pay off? I need some good karma flowing my way soon. Finals would be a good time. Bar Exam would be a good time. Job hunt would be a good time.

You Have Good Karma

In general, you like to do the right thing when it comes to others. Your caring personality really shines through. Sure, you have your moments of weakness - and occasionally act out. But, all in all, you're karma is good... even with those few dark spots.

How's" Your Karma?

Going Home

Normally I do not advocate skipping class, but I simply can't concentrate with all the aches and pains I'm experiencing right now. I have ZERO energy right now and need a power nap and some chicken soup.

Oh some West Wing thoughts, some people have asked who will be the Democratic nominee on tonight's season finale: Matt Santos or Bingo Bob? I don't know why people are asking this question as it is Jimmy Smits in the opening credits not Gary Cole.

EDIT: Okay NEXT WEEK is the season finale not tonight. My bad! Oh, did you know the International Space Station has a lifeboat? I liked the B plot, but I kept having that thought in my head the whole time. Poor Charlie getting caught with the boss' daughter. When the boss has a button on nukes that's a big deal.

Death Is Warmed Over

*Let's see if Blogger will do somethig good today.*

I felt great yesterday until around 3. I was reading for a class and suddenly I felt like someone yanked the battery out of my back. I was so tired and very quesy. We had a big time panel on Sexual Orientation and Family Law during which I was simply praying I wouldn't have to run to the bathroom. I'm assuming I ate something bad. This just came out of nowhere.

I didn't have dinner and simply went to my bedroom when I got home at 7:30. I cranked up the electric blanket to take a nap and see if I could burn whatever bug I was infected with out of my body. The only reason I got up at 10 was to drink a glass of water. At 2am I had breakfest then crashed again. I finally crawled out of bed at 8 this morning.

I don't feel great, but I feel better than yesterday. I'm just hoping the Advil takes care of my stiff joints and I so want to take another nap right now.

I don't think I'll read for class today. Sorry, but I just have no energy today. At least I'll show up. That counts for something right?

Rednecks vs. Yankees

You Are 0% Redneck

I'll slap you so hard, your clothes will be outta style. You ain't no redneck - you're all Yankee!

How Redneck Are You?

Blogger and I have having a major argument today. Sorry for the lack of ideas, but Blogger keeps infringing on my Free Speech rights by it's inability to let me publish today.

Star Wars Pop Culture Quiz

Okay I was 4/5, 4/5, and 3/5 on this.
Off-camera stuff and the spinoffs, seriously who cares about that stuff?

I'm just praying that Revenge of the Sith is better than the last two movies. As a friend commented will George Lucas' anal retentive, revisionist, extra scene cramming persona make those two films less sucky when he releases the Special Editions in a few years?

Taxable Hell

Our tax professor is something of a legend. In some ways I feel lucky that I get to take a class with him. His reputation is very gruff, but he really wants you to learn the material, whether you want to or not. Besides the gruffness, the other reason students tend to have a problem with him is that the tax world is black and white, yes or no. After several years of law classes we've been taught to see the world in shades of gray and to hedge every question with the phrase 'maybe.' Personally I find it refreshing to have yes or no answers to questions.

That aside it is still Income Tax and that is the other big problem with the class. This isn't law! I know the Internal Revenue Code is nothing but statutes and is technically law, but this isn't law! Tax is more economics, public policy, and voodoo. The math isn't the problem. I know many law students are math rejects and despise equations, but I used to be a Physics major. The math isn't the problem for me as I can plug and chug through a formula with the best of them. I don't understand the damn formula! I have a better chance figuring out hyperspatial fold equations than taxable income.

In class I understand some concepts, but not others. I forget about exceptions to the rules or the fact this little rule is there in the first place. I thought I was lost to the extent I didn't know exactly where I was, but I was in the general neighborhood. Then we got a problem to work on for some credit. That's when I realized I wasn't even in the right city.

I've been pouring over the professor's handouts and the IRC. It isn't too late to get a handle on things and do okay on the exam. It is going to take a lot of effort though. I'm afraid I don't have enough energy for that effort. I've been burned out for a year now. I simply wish to be done with school, take the bar, find a job and earn some money again. On Saturday I was part of a study group for the first time ever in my law school career. Perhaps if I had been part of a study group in my first year maybe I would have done better. I don't know. The problem is that our group, all two of us, were really the blind leading the blank and it was a coin-toss as to who was who. Though we managed to get through property taxes after an hour. They typos in the example didn't help. Perhaps there is hope for us yet.

I've never had any designs on being a tax lawyer. If I ever has questions on the potential tax consequences of something I'll go to a tax lawyer. The only reason I'm taking the class is because Lawren told us to. Tax is potentially on the bar and having this class now makes the bar review class easier. So I'm trusting her on that. I know I'm not an idiot, but it is just a frustrating subject. At least this year when I used TurboTax to do file my income taxes I understood some of the reasoning behind the questions.

Spain, Ireland And Turkey Are On My To Do List

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Hey Dickie V!

The Big 10 is down this year, eh? Illinois, Michican State, and Wisconsin were in the Elite Eight. Illinois and Michigan State make it to the Final Four baby! They're full of prime time players baby!

I still have no idea how Illinois came back from 15 points down and I was watching that game! The center needs to get away from the 3 point line and into the paint where he belongs.

On a sidenote I take back what I said about Michigan State being prime upset material in the first round. I don't mind being wrong sometimes, as long as Illinois wins because that was my pick.

Cha-cha-cha-changes

New motto up to for you to enjoy. I'll give bonus points if you can figure out where it is from. Nope, not a Buffy, Angel, or cool Bruce Campbell quote.

What Are Friends For?

You Are A Good Friend

You're always willing to listen Or lend a shoulder to cry on You're there through thick and thin Many people consider you their "best friend"!

What Kind of Friend Are You?

Okay I want some reciprocity here from a lot of people. I need to see some love folks.

Friday Spies

Stolen from Amanda, who stole it from Heidi, who stole it from BTQ.

1. What blog, other than your own, do you read the most?
I enjoy many of the blogs I have on my sidebar, but when it comes to the most often read it is Martinis, Persistance, and a Smile.

2. Are you a gadget person? Do you have the latest thingamajigs and whoozits and geegaws? What sort of gadgets do you own?
Surprisingly given my tech past, no. I'm not that into gadgets. I love my laptop. I would love to build a very capable desktop PC system. I wouldn't mind a cool home theater system. I don't own a Palm or Blackberry.

3. If I gave you $1000 on the condition that you couldn't spend it on something responsible (e.g., bills), or save it, what would you do with the money?
VACATION baby! The only question is where am I traveling to?

4. What are your five favorite sitcoms of all time, other than "Seinfeld" and "The Simpsons"?
I NEVER liked Seinfeld. It bored me to tears. I love The Simpsons, but let me think up 5 other sitcoms.

1. South Park.
2. Night Court
3. The Cosby Show.
4. Ummm...you know this is very hard actually.

5. Organize a film festival based on a theme. Choose a theme and a handful of movies with that theme, and tell us what you've chosen.
Okay this one is easy. Brian's Film Festival of Stuff Blowing Up! Most of the Govenator films like Terminator, T2, Total Recall, Raw. The good Bruce Willis films like the Diehard trilogy, Armageddon. Rambo, Top Gun, Hot Shots Part Duex (better than the first one). I want maximum testosterone.

Dreams

Why is it that when I remember a dream I notice 2 things?

1. Why are many of my dreams so much more exciting than my real life?
2. I usually dream in the first person.

When you have dreams do you dream in first person point of view or third person? I'm usually in first person mode where I'm seeing the dream from my point of view, but sometimes I dream in third person where I can observe myself and others as if I'm watching a movie. Have you ever noticed that or am I weird again?

What's So Good About This Friday?

I've always been honest about this: I don't know jack about religion. Because it is Good Friday some places are closed, some professors have cancelled classes (none of mine though), and it is a big deal to many people. I was curious why Good Friday is such a big deal. Though several people have assumed I'm Catholic because I "act Catholic", whatever that means (no wait it's the guilt and sacrifice factors in my life and all those Catholic girlfriends), I have a minimal understanding of most Christian holidays. Or in today's case, I simply couldn't remember what Good Friday was about. I'm sure I just shocked and offended many people with my ignorance, but get over it.

When in doubt look it up! This is called research and it is a good thing. So today is the...well celebration isn't the right word...comemoration of Jesus getting crucified. Okay, now I understand why today is important to about a quarter of the planet.

For those fasting good luck and though today is the one day mass doesn't happen I'm sure there are other ways of celebrating.

He's Dead Jim!

My super wild lifesytle??? I think most people around here would answer two-thirds of those questions the same way. No wonder law schools keep admitting people as all the lawyers are dying early.

You Will Die at Age 55

55 Not bad, considering your super wild lifestyle Want to live longer? Try losing a few bad habits.

What Age Will You Die?

Intelligent Printers Aren't So Smart

The Lexis printer screamed about a paper jam and to "Open Right Door." I opened the right door, but only a solid metal bracket was there. I didn't see any paper jams. Finally I opened up the paper tray and the last sheet of paper feed in at an angle. Okay the message really should have been paper jam at the bottom.

Once I yanked the last sheet out and refilled it with a few hundred pieces of paper that printer spewed out a huge backlog of law student research.

Brian 1: Lexis Printer 0

Oh you might want to see if your print job has finally came out in the small lab in the library. That sucker is still going.

Given That I'll Be A Lawyer I Think This Is A Win!

You Are Very Honest

You tell it like it is, no matter what. Even if the truth hurts, you'll dish it out. And while some may get hurt by your honesty... At least everyone knows where you stand!

How Honest Are You?

Has the S.S. General Motors Hit The Iceberg?

GM announced they're cutting their earnings forcasts by 80% for 2005. GM is having trouble selling part of their finance arm [GMAC Commerce]. Now GM Vice President Bob Lutz is pondering dumping either Pontiac or Buick or both if sales of vehicles in those brands don't improve. GM officially killed the Oldsmobile brand last year.

Currently the General is sitting about 25% of US market share. The threat to kill those brands is odd news given that GM is putting $3 billion in new vehicles.

Lutz said earlier this week that GM had canceled plans to build some new
rear-wheel-drive cars off a new engineering platform, dubbed Zeta, as it juggles
resources to get its next generation of sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks
to market as soon as possible.

Yeah great idea, bring out a new generation of gas guzzling pickups and SUVs in an era of $2/gallon gasoline. I know the profit margins on those vehicles are high, but I think many people are finally figuring out how expensive it is to operate those beasts. I love my truck, but it cost me almost $30 to fill up the tank today and I only have a 14 gallon gas tank. Suburbans have 30 gallon tanks! How about you phase out the Hummer brand? H2 sales are down 14%. If GM VP Bob Lutz helped decide this I have to question his normally outstanding knowledge and decision making ability.

Zeta is was a large rear drive platform that a new GTO, for that ailing Pontiac brand, large coupes and sedans for the Australian brand Holden, full size sedans Pontiac G8 (Bonneville replacement) and Buick LaCrosse, and possibly something yummy like a real Chevy Impala SS was supposed to be built upon for 2007. Those big bad boys were meant to be Chrysler 300 fighters. Looks like the General is going to keep eating Hemi exhaust.

I doubt GM will file bankruptcy, but Toyota may be the #1 auto maker soon. Wow, how the mighty have fallen. Sad to say, not very surprising to me. 30 years of too many bad to mediocre products.

Okay I Do Feel Like A New Person

As most of the locals have seen I've done a radical change. It has surprised, shocked and awed almost everyone that has seen it. Is it their belief that I am conservative and alledgedly unchanging or is it such a big deal that many are shocked anyone would do it? Perhaps it is such a major difference that causes them to go "Oh wow!"

I now have blond hair.

The initial reactions have ranged from "Wow, what happened to you?" to "Oh wow you've colored your hair!" to "Hey is that Brian over there?" I would say positive reactions after the initial shock have been 3 to 1 in favor of it.

Why did I do it? A few reasons actually. I wanted to do some kind of change. I wanted to do something different. I don't mind experimenting on lots of things. To be honest I've felt very pissy and angry these past few weeks. Many female friends have bought new clothes, had very different haircuts, or dyed their hair after big emotional dramas. They always come back saying they feel like a very different person after doing that. I don't understand why that is, but I can't argue with the results. I do feel like a different person now. Might be all the chemicals entering my bloodstream via the hair.

For whatever reason I do have a little emotional bounce now. I haven't felt this pleasant in several weeks. Mom freaked out about it when she saw me, but the dog still recognized me. Dad just didn't care. Am I going to keep this blond hair? I doubt it, but I'll enjoy it for the next few weeks. Never think I don't take chances.

I Hate It When Mom Makes Me Do Things

I needed someone to use the tape measure so I can order the cap for our graduation ceremoney. Size 7 5/8 or a 2 foot around head thank you very much. That is a big head so it is either a lot of brain or ego.

As we're going through the package Mom notices graduation annoucements. I didn't want any. I considered them a waste, but Mom wants to send these out. "It is a formality," she said. Hey everyone I actually care about knows I'll be graduating. Half the family knows I'm in law school. The other half forgot. Okay maybe one or two people I would like to send the announcements too, but it isn't like I got any announcements when other friends were graduating. That didn't break my heart. Hell, if they were in town I would have bought a beer for them and that would have been enough. JewBoy would have been fun to drink under the table, but DrunkenIrishMan could drink me under the table.

But I digress. I ordered some to make Mom happy. Sometimes it is easier to do what she wants just so I have piece of mind, especially if she wants to pay for it. Okay Mom, if you want to buy them I'll go ahead and order them.

Confessions Poll: Do Blonds Have More Fun?

Whether natural or bottled, male or female, do blonds have more fun?
Some of you know why I'm asking this question ;-)

Need More WunderLust

I'm somewhat surprised. I thought I had been to more places given my love of travel. Okay once I have jobs and money and vacation time I'm hauling ass to some places!


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Overacheivers Can Win A Car!

Wickenburg High School in Arizona will give away a new Chevy Aveo to one of the students with perfect attendance as of the last school day.

Where do I even begin?

1. Great overacheivers who are already anal are being given a chance to be more eager.
2. The idea of perfect attendence is just promotes sick people to come to school and spread their germs to the rest of the student body. No perfect attendence awards in a law school, but lots of folks just shouldn't come in to give me their germs. As Tracey Ullman noted, "GO HOME!"
3. If the thought of a new car is what it takes for you to achieve perfect attendance, then you're likely not someone that will relistically benefit from perfect attendance.
4. A Chevy Aveo. The only car worse would be a Daewoo. Oh wait a minute, the Chevy Aveo IS a Daewoo! Yes when Daewoo left the U.S. automotive market in 2002 with their tail tucked between their legs General Motors bought them out. GM, strangely doing well everywhere BUT in North America, decided to reimport the Kalos as the Aveo to give Chevy are really cheap car to sell to teen agers and pizza delivery drivers everywhere. Okay, first, I fear I car I can bench press. Second, Daewoo is Korean for Renault!
5. I'm not certain this is an award, but a punishment.

Just A Little Late For St. Patrick's Day!

Your Irish Name Is...

Quinn O'Sullivan

What's" your Irish Name?

The Ballsy Scale

How very appropriate, especially for today :-)

You Are Bold And Brave

But daring? Not usually? You tend to like to make calculated risks. So while you may not be base jumping any time soon... You are up for whatever's new and (a little) exciting!

I DARE TO BE DIFFERENT!

It takes a lot of self-confidence to go totally against the grain. For those of you who ever asked the question, "Is that boy right?" now you have your answer. Besides normal is overrated and boring. Who wants to be boring?
Courtesy of TheMegan.

You Are 0% Normal (As Weird as They Come)

Are you from outer space? Because you're hardly human. Where people go right, you go left. And you have little in common with anyone... Except other freaks of natures :-)

How Normal Are You?

The Classes We Need

Even though I'm graduating I'm still not impressed with the new class schedule. I need to come back as an Adjunct Professor to teach the classes that would be really interesting to the student body. Based on a series of conversations I had before Spring Break I've come to the following conclusion: law school is good about teaching us the rule of law, how human rights should be protected, how freedom of the press is good for democracy, how governments should be run, etc. What we really need is a class that shows us the loopholes. I present "How To Be A Banana Republic Dictator (BRD)."

In order to be the best you should either learn from the best or learn from their opponents. I would have the most knowledgeable guest lecturers available who know all the problems BRD's face and how BRDs should fix their problems. Two groups of guest lecturers are the most qualified for this assignment.
The A-Team

and MacGyver

If you want to have staying power you need to know how the good guys beat your compatriots. Between The A-Team and MacGyver half of Central and South America fell during the 80's! The BRDs always read from the same book. I will not teach from that book. Between Faceman, B.A., and MacGyver they can show you what the bad guys always did wrong that allowed them to beat BRDs. It's a shame Hannibal died a few years ago. His wisdom would have been invaluable.

You might also learn how sheet metal can stop bullets and how a neutron bomb can be made from an empty tuna can, a rubber band, a shot of whiskey, and a Swiss Army knife.

BRDs need practical skills such as proper torture techniques, weapons qualifications, and how to look pompous in khakis and mirrored sunglasses. My mid-terms would be a killer. I anticipate 30% casualties, but hey you need to learn things properly. The waiver signed at the first class will be most critical to absolve the school and any instructors from liability. I pity da' fool who didn't pay attention in class.

The final exam is two part: 1, find a drug lord to overpower and get the local population to swear allegiance to you, and 2, don't tick off the international community enough that the President will invade your dictatorship. EXAM HINT: being allies with France will not help you on this last part.

If the BRD class is popular enough, then I can create the "How To Set Up A Banana Republic Judicial System" with Alan Shore and Denny Crane as guest lecturers.

I love it when a plan comes together.

5 Mile Gauntlet

Once I made it to the 4th mile I wanted to see how far could I go. Every lap would be a new record for me. Could I do another 16 laps for 1 extra mile? My pace will never set the world on fire, but at least it was more than a walk. My legs, knees, ankles, and feet felt okay. Maybe they're finally toughening up, I don't know.

I hit the 5 mile mark and decided to walk a few laps to cool down. 12 minute miles are slow, but steady gets you to the end. That was when my ankle decided to throb in pain. One hour of throbbing ankle for one hour of jogging 5 miles. Perfect symmetry I guess.

I still need to pick up my distance if I want to do the Mini. I wonder how far I can go tomorrow?

Getting Older Does Blow

While aging is a gradual process the body does unusual things suddenly to me. A muscle will ache after something that doesn't normally produce aches. My body will have a bad reaction to something I ate that never produced that reaction before. It seems I have less energy, though I can blame school for that one. (Of course I have a pleasantly tired feeling after today's 4 mile run. But that is a different kind of low energy.) Gray hairs, don't even get me started on that one. Thankfully no gray hairs on this head yet. I can't drink as much as I used to, though I think with enough practice I can rebuild my tolerance.

Youth is wasted on the young.

St Patrick's Day Via The Bahamas

I managed a 4 mile run last night. Beat my previous best by over a half mile. It wasn't speedy, but I didn't feel bad at all doing it. I think I could have continued on another half mile, but I'm discovering the fine line between not drinking enough water to stay hydrated and drinking too much water.

I still lacked my beer and basketball for the day and it was almost 9 so I was starving. I didn't want to go all the way back downtown to The Claddagh (ohhh....good Irish there), but they got one around the corner from my gym that I hadn't been to. It's a Thursday night and almost 9pm now. How crowded could it be? Oh Brian when will you learn? If I wanted to party I might have been willing to put up with the ginormous crowd inside and out in the party tent. To be honest I don't mind going out by myself for many things, but parties I want to be with a group of friends. No way was I going solo into that madhouse. Besides I just wanted food and beer! I walk over next door to the Bahama Breeze. "Great Irish food in the Bahama's" is a very short book, but I'll take a chance. Okay, no St. Patrick's Day specials. Nothing on the menu looks remotely Irish, but a very good menu actually. No Irish beer that I found, but a nice house red.

I had the window seat and could see all the green clad party goers stumbling to and fro next door. Okay next year I'm planning something for St. Patrick's Day. I will organize a small or large group of people to do something. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed my quiet chicken jerk meal and having the tipsy 50 year old woman next to me making fun of my yams with the devil's ears (don't ask). The waiter earned his tip and I wasn't rushed. Next year Happy Irish Day should be on a Friday so I'm celebrating! Who wants to be on the list?

What Kind Of Drunk Are You?

NO, NO, NO! Well maybe yeah!
Courtesy of NDC.

Which drunk are you? You're white trash kinda drunk You hang out in the backyard of the trailer with buddies listening to Ratt all night and that cheap beer is gettin to ya, that's what life is all about ain't it? Rock on.... *Disclaimer : The maker of this quizz is quite white trashy himself and in no way intends to depict a real opinion of southern americans, or anyone who lives in a trailer park for that matter.

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

Brian vs. Blogger

Blogger is winning so far. Very cranky today!

Randomness

1. St Patricks Day and I have yet to consume beer. Something is very wrong.
2. First day of the NCAA Tourney and I have yet to consume beer. Something is so very wrong.
3. I am wearing a green shirt so you can't pinch me.
4. My first 12 seed (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) has upset a 5 seed (Alabama). I told you a 12 always whacks a 5 in the tourney. Michigan State really limped in their last few games so Old Dominion might be the other 5-12 upset.
5. I still haven't watched any basketball yet. Something is very wrong.
6. I never got a chance to make my picks. Stupid Bar Application.
7. I drove around town today to get addresses for some of my earliest jobs. I think that flower store used to be my Papa John's.
8. For one job I may just have to admit it was at a warehouse in Park 100, but I just don't remember any more than that. I just don't have any paystubs, addresses, or names from 1993.
9. My job history will still be over 2 pages long.
10. For some reason dialing into the school network has become near impossible this week. If I even connect I get ZERO throughput.
11. For that reason I'm doing my taxes and bar app in the library reading room. At least I get a refund this year and earned more than $65 unlike the previous year.
12. I would upload my tax returns now, but it requires a piece of information from my 2003 returns, which are at home.
13. Except for one question I believe I can finish my bar application form tonight. Just need the passport photo, the certified check, and I'll want to double check with the state police that they're sending something to the Board of Examiners as they also gave me copies of my fingerprints and criminal history. I don't think they were supposed to do that. At worse get it done tomorrow and pay another $10 to get my fingerprints scanned again.
14. I learned today that a fairly good friend of mine has a sister. I've known him for 11 or 12 years now and I never knew he had two other siblings!

They Just Want EVERYTHING!

I was hoping to be done with my bar application yesterday or at least almost done. I called the board of law examiners to get several questions answered. Even though the speeding ticket is no longer on my record (only goes back 10 years) and the court system no longer has it (keep them for 2 years) go ahead and fess up. Check. Include all residences since age 18 including college dorms. You don't need a room number though. Check. When asking for colleges and universities they only want degree programs, not a night class on Conversational Spanish or How To Operate Your PC. Check.

My job history is proving to be the fun one. I was a contract worker through most of my career. Did they want who employed me or did they want to know where I was assigned to? If they wanted only who signed the checks it wouldn't be too long. If they wanted everyplace I worked it would be a long list. "Really it's who signed the checks and employed you. If you can include all the places you were assigned to that would be good." Wow, that answer covered all the bases at once. I voted for the total employment record before I voted against the total employment record. Grrrrr!

Somewhere I have a total job history from my early years. I've seen it around somewhere, but can't find it now. I have my resume, but it only goes back to my post-college jobs and not all the way back to age 18. I used to have a decent and complete job history file on my computer, but this sucker has crashed a lot over the past 5 years. That file is long gone! I am an unorganized packrat and this trait is killing me now. I have spent hours going through the phone book and internet search engines to find addresses to some places that no longer exist! I have almost no information for the job before my senior year. I know I worked in a warehouse as a temporary day laborer, but I other than which warehouse park and what product I moved I couldn't tell you anything else about the job.

I haven't even gotten to the fun questions yet. Is it too late to quit?

Confessions PSA For Credit Card Regs

Courtesy of Rocket Scientist on Atlas.

The Feds are currently taking public comments on Regulation Z -- which sets the rules that credit card companies must play by under the Truth in Lending Act. Feel free to air your grievances comments here.

You Give Love A Bad Name!

I'll agree that Helen of Troy should be number one. #2 Lorrena Bobbit has a good legal analysis actually. At #5 I always thought Lucy Van Pelt was a crock as a shrink, and I've always been creeped out by #8. Biting your mates head off is so very wrong.

Bracketology 101

Now that Oakland has played it's way to being the sacrificial lamb for North Carolina I should reveal to you Brian's Rules of Bracketology. They've served me pretty well so I shall share. What are friends for?

The key to good bracket is very simple in theory: where are the upsets in the first two rounds? Once you figure out the upsets the rest falls in line pretty easily.
First Round is always key.

1. #1s don't lose to #16s.
2. Usually one #2 will fall to the #15. You can almost guarantee that. Almost.
3. Usually a #3 and #4 will fall to a #14 and #13 respectively. But you have feel that a bit. I'm not shocked when a #4 loses. A #3 falling in the first round is somewhat rare.
4. #5s vs. #12s. These are the tough ones. One #5 will fall and sometimes two #5s will fall. Never three of them though.
5. #6 over #11. Just go for the #6 seed unless you see a very interesting matchup.
6. #7 over #10. Again unless you see a very interesting matchup go for the higher seed.
7. #8 seeds and #9 seeds. BAH! Just flip a coin.

Second Round

1. All those low seeds that just pulled off a major upset had their day in the sun. Pick the higher seed.
2. The second round is a good place to have a #1 fall.

After that you're dealing with teams in the Sweet Sixteen. At that point you just pick high seeds unless you see something very interesting. Once you get to the Final Four you'll likely have two #1s, a #2, and a #3. At that point anything goes. Have fun!

Illinois is looking pretty tough this year. They might bring a lot of glory to the Big Ten this year.

Sideways

I used to go to movies all the time. Very rare for me now to go. Since this is Spring Break and I wanted a break from the 12 page anal probe that is the Bar Application I decided to see Sideways.

A friend gave me an interesting take to the movie. DrunkenIrishMan said the first 5 minutes is just like another friend who is notoriously late to everything. I giggled the first 5 minutes of the movie because I know DrunkenIrishMan was right!

That's the allure of the movie, we can see people we know in it. Two middle aged loser guys go for a bachelor party/vacation in Napa Valley and learn about life. Miles (Paul Giamatti) is the neurotic wine snob on more happy pills than your grandmother. Jack (Thomas Haden Church, yes Lowell from Wings) is a washed up actor about to get married and wanting one last fling. Of course if you have two guys you have to have two girls. If Virginia Madsen can't snap you out of a depression then you have no hope. I've never heard of Sandra Oh, but she's the happy go lucky spirit of the movie.

Sideway is like the bottle of wine. It ages and develops in front of you while giving you a good buzz. Either you've been through some of the stuff you see or you know people who've done stuff like this. I think all the buzz about the movie isn't because it is so great (it is very good movie don't get me wrong), but because it is just a small indie film that deserved to be seen in this mediocre blockbuster world that is out most of the time. Sideways is a good story about life.

I just hope in 10 years I don't end up like Miles.

The Wisdom Of Hyde

Kelso, if you get any more stupid you're wearing a helmet!

Wait a minute, you're Frenching kissing your girlfriend and you want to talk about her feelings?

You're supposed to be the friend and I'm supposed to be making out. If anything I should be mad at you!

Does Hyde even have a last name? Hyde and Fez are simply Hyde and Fez. Maybe they've gotten to the point were last names simply aren't needed?

From the other side I present the widom of Red Foreman:

In my day we used to call them degenerates. And we stoned them...with big rocks!

Getting Shot Down

I've been shot down before by women but only one or two of my rejections could even compare to any of these. The last one is my favorite:

"She told me she had to go buy the donuts for her Singles with STDs group. Point taken." —Greg, 32, San Diego, CA

Dr. Glass: "That's evil! I mean, come on—she really wanted to keep him away. She's got a great sense of humor, but she's on a power trip and uses it as a weapon. The hair-washing excuse is like using a fly-swatter on a guy; this is like using an Uzi."

#2 isn't bad either:

"She told me it wasn't a good idea because she was anemic and was having her period." —Joe, 54, Justin, TX
Dr. Glass: "Oh, God! I'm embarrassed just hearing that. That's too much information. She doesn't censor herself, so she could be a true embarrassment in front of other people."

Confessions Of A Windows Fascist

Every three years I almost get fed up enough with Windows that I contemplate switching over to some type of Mac from Apple. Last year was that third year, but I never felt the urge due to the fact I am a po' law student.

The problem with Macs were that I never knew how to run them as they're so different from Windows, they tend to be pricey, and Apple really discourages you from tinkering with their computers. Coming from a PC geek tradition I love tinkering with the hardware. Adding more memory, putting in a second hard drive, installing a new video card just so I could play a game were rites of passage. You went from dork* to geek when you could fling hardware around.

Now Apple has come out with those Mac Minis. A teeny tiny computer that is 6.5 inches on a side and 2 inches tall. Bring in your old keyboard, mouse, and monitor and you're all set. Okay they have to be USB versions, but adapters aren't that expensive. $499 to start with and double the memory for an additional $75. Pony up an addition $100 and you get more CPU power (*grunt* MORE POWER!) and double the hard drive space (80 GB). The reviews has been very impressive so far.

I don't have money now, but if I have a job by Christmas I'm almost tempted to try one out. I'll say this for Mac users, they really love their Macs! You don't get that passion from the PC side.

* Despite heavy lobbying efforts neither dorks nor geeks are a legally protected class yet for antidiscrimination purposes.

Such A Good Feeling

The new class schedule for summer and fall classes came out today. I don't even need to look at it. Such a nice feeling to know in less than 2 months I'm done with this place.

Secured one of my three letters of recommendation today for my bar application. I'll remind the other two people that I'll need their letters by the end of the month.

Class starts in a few minutes, but in 2 hours I'll be on Spring Break. Granted I'll be working on my bar application, but at least I won't be dealing with classes and homework so Spring Break is still a positive. I also will not end up in the ER this break as long as I have something to say about it!

Confessions Poll: Holding The Door Open

Ladies and gentlemen (or you supposed ladies and wannabe-gentlemen),

If you're a guy do you hold the door open for ladies and when?
If you're a lady do you want the door held open for you and when?

Oh Yeah This Is A BLAWG!

I haven't been posting much about law school or legal related matters lately. Why? Because law school sucks! But to satisfy the few readers that care about my legal opinion on things I will tell you about the greatest legal defense every devised: Johnnie Cochran's Chewbacca Defense.


But ladies and gentlemen of this supposed jury, I have one final thing I want you to consider: Ladies and gentlemen this [pointing to a picture of Chewbacca] is Chewbacca. Chewbacca is a Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk, but Chewbacca lives on the planet Endor. Now, think about that. That does not make sense! Why would a Wookiee—an eight foot tall Wookiee—want to live on Endor with a bunch of two foot tall Ewoks? That does not make sense!

But more important, you have to ask yourself, what does this have to do with this case? Nothing. Ladies and gentlemen, it has nothing to do with this case! It does not make sense!

Look at me, I'm a lawyer defending a major record company, and I'm talkin' about Chewbacca. Does that make sense? Ladies and gentlemen, I am not making any sense. None of this makes sense!

And so you have to remember, when you're in that jury room deliberating and conjugating the Emancipation Proclamation... does it make sense? No! Ladies and gentlemen of this supposed jury, it does not make sense.

If Chewbacca lives on Endor, you must acquit! The defense rests.

Experiments

I get a good number of hits from people looking for a certain female carpenter on Trading Spaces. As she was one of my Spokeswomen they end up here. I'm going to do an experiment and hide the post. I wonder how much traffic will drop? A confounding variable will be that we're approaching Spring Break and that will also result in less traffic. Oh well.

Nice that Blogger finally let us back on. Geez it was cranky today!

Happy Blogiversary + 5 Days

I did the same thing as Amber and forgot my own Blogiversary! How odd, we started our blogs on the same date.

March 4th was the beginning of Confessions. I knew it was just before Barrister's, but I thought Barristers was later last year. Whoops! Unlike many people I didn't do the obligatory test post. I simply went with my own quirky thoughts.

What a wild year it has been. I would do it very differently now.

To Whom It May Concern

Dear Pepsi Cola,

I am likely the only customer you have for Pepsi One. I am so well known for my Pepsi One addiction that when people need to find me around school I will be referred to as "The guy holding the Pepsi One can." This habit of always having one of your normally fine products in my hand dates back to high school. In fact one of the most infamous high school photos of me shows your blessed blue can of sweet goodness in my hand.

But I digress. Pepsi One isn't your best product but it suits my needs. It tastes better than the carbonated distilled battery acid you call Diet Pepsi, but only has one calorie unlike your regular Pepsi (nectar of the carbonated cola gods). That one calorie must be the flavor calorie. Imagine my surprise when I saw your normal silver box and cans had changed to black with the phrase "new sweetener" on it. I haven't figured out what your old sweetener was, but now you are using Splenda.

I wouldn't think transitioning to a different sweetener would alter the taste so much, but now Pepsi One tastes flat as soon as I pop the can. I'm not certain it fizzes as much as I believe a carbonated cola should. If I wanted a flat cola I would just open a can and let it sit for 30 minutes. Now I get that flat taste right out of the gate.

I'm extremely disappointed by this new version of an old product. Seems too much like the Coke/New Coke controversy from the 1980's. Unless this problem is resolved I may have to switch to other fine carbonated beverages to get my boost.

Thank you,
Jittery from lack of proper stimulants in carbonated form law student.

Just For A Friend

For a friend who is feeling sick I figured this will cheer you up. I hope you enjoy.

Once in your life you will find her
Someone who turns your heart around
And next thing you know
You're closing down the town
Wake up and its still with you
Even though you left her way across town
Wonderin' to yourself
Hey what have I found

When you get caught
Between the moon and New York City
I know its crazy but its true
If you get caught
Between the moon and New York City
The best that you can do
The best that you can do
Is fall in love

Arthur, he does as he pleases
All of his life his masters toys
And deep in his heart hes just
He's just a boy
Living his life one day at a time
Hes showing himself a pretty good time
He's laughing about the way
They want him to be

Christopher Cross - Arthur's Theme

The Wisdom Of Agent Gibbs

I knew there was a reason I liked Special Agent Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) on Navy NCIS. Dude has a philosophy like mine.

"I never hit in the face. That is disrespectful. In the back of the head, that's a wake-up call."

So many people need a wake-up call.*

*Some may think that people who live in glass houses shouldn't cast stones. Oh no no no. That is the wrong way to look at it. Those who know they've screwed up are your subject matter experts and should be valued for the wisdom they can pass on. Pretty soon they'll put my picture next to the "High King of Screw Ups" in the online dictionary. I'm just playin' to my strengths.

Way Too Scary

This is too funny to not mention. You know that green outdoor carpet that often is put on a porch? That stuff that resembles a cheap grassy astroturf or something like that. Keep that in mind.

I'm stuck in traffic on the interstate and what is next to me but a full size Dodge van. All the sheet metal on the van was covered in that green outdoor carpet stuff. How drunk or stoned do you have to be to think that is a good idea?

If I only had a camera.

They Are In Worse Shape Than I Though

Hit of the day is from CBS.com. With Dan Rather retiring on Wednesday maybe they're looking for someone with creditibility. Come to think of it I have more creditibility than Dan Rather. Maybe they need better writers for their shows. Except for Navy NCIS or JAG they do need some good shows.

Wait a second with David James Elliot leaving JAG they can always use a new lead actor. I have no problem working with Caterine Bell and having a JD will give me such insight into the characters.

3 Miles + 3 Miles +3 Miles Is Greater Than 6 Miles

I skipped my 10K (6.2 miles for you non-metric folk) race on Saturday. I was tired and I hadn't trained lately. I was also stuck at 2.5 to 3 miles and getting to 3 miles was a pain. Since I skipped the race I figured I should at least run some at the gym. Got to 3 miles pretty easily. Sunday I got to 3.25 miles. Today I was slowing down (Mario is slooooowing down), but I got to 3 and 3/8 miles before my legs just said "whoa there big fella!" and I had to walk a few laps.

As added encouragement to get me to go to the gym yesterday I noticed Stag has me listed as a "fellow runner." Oh crap I better keep running then so as not to make her a liar! I need to step it up big time if I want 13.1 miles on May 7th.

The World Turned Upside Down.

The world may shift off it's axis soon. Dogs and cats may start living together. Massive paranoia will be rampant. California may finally fall into the Pacific.

You remember that note of mine that got published in the fall? One of my professors has decided to use me as a footnote in a textbook he is writing. By sometime next year I will be an official source on some aspect of the law. I will be an expert on something and someone to be referenced.

The future generations of lawyers are so screwed now :-)

Not Comfy Shoes For Me.

Ballet shoes- beautiful, graceful, and creative,
you enjoy dancing writing and music. You are
often very poetic and sometimes dramatic. Even
if dancing isn't your thing, you are still very
creative. You keep to yourself aside from a few
close friends that you can relate to. You find
your own ways to express yourself and don't
have a need to br surrounded by tons of people.
A small group of friends is fine. [please vote!
thank you! :)]


What Kind of Shoe Are You?(new and updated results!!)
brought to you by Quizilla

Who knows where I found this from. Sorry!

I'm A Guitar Man!

As seen on E.McPan.

You are a guitar. You are a musical genius... congratulations. Most people think you are a little obsessed with music, but that's okay. You don't care what other people think. You are independent, and would rather have a few good (and weird) friends than a lot of not-so-good ones. You may feel that people run down your eccentricity, but that's only because they're jealous. You will most likely become very successful with your musical talent. \m/ Rock on! Most compatible with: Drumstick. Click here -- What Random Object Represents Your Inner Self?

When The Only Tool You Have Is A Hammer.

On Monday, March 7th from noon to 1:30 will be a Same Sex Marriage discussion forum in the Moot Courtroom. SSM is one of the hottest legal and social topics of our time. The discussion will be lead by Indiana Senator Brandt Hershman-Republican and author of the proposed constitutional amendment to ban SSM (SJR7), and an opponent, Indiana Representative (and our own IU-Indy Law Professor) David Orentlicher-Democrat. I have no doubt the discussion panel will be interesting and I hope to attend. However, when advocates of either side discuss the issue of whether or not SSM should exist and how the rights of homosexual couples are or are not affected, I sometimes wonder if we're forgetting a more basic question. Instead of debating the issue of SSM, perhaps we should take a step back and figure out the fundamental issue of what is a marriage?

The complete adage that inspired the above title is "When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem begins to look like a nail." It represents a tunnel vision that many people have when looking at life's problems. When exposed to a certain mindset or when a person resolves issues in only a certain way, they try to fit every problem or issue into the mental framework they are familiar with. I believe this is a mindset those in the legal community are especially guilty of. We're so used to working with rights, duties, causes of action, the constitutionality of laws, and correcting wrongs that clients suffered that I'm afraid many of us don't always see the big picture or even ask if a big picture exists?

For the issue of SSM, it is often framed in terms of "how can homosexual couples be denied the fundamental right of marriage" or "how may the institutional of marriage be legally protected from being diluted" or something similar. Notice the language often used describes rights and legal protections. I believe the issues of SSM are pigeon-holed into a legal framework as that tool, that hammer, is the one we're most familiar with.

Has marriage evolved into mostly a convenient legal way to grant tax breaks, recognize clear lines of property distribution upon death, or convey other benefits? Or is that legal aspect of marriage only a small part of "the bundle of sticks" that goes into the marriage institution? As a society in general and as lawyers in particular, how should we observe the historical, the sociological, the religious, and the philosophical aspects of marriage? How do we craft those aspects into the issue of SSM? It would be foolish to deny the existence of those other aspects. I believe it is equally foolish to not use those other tools in this marriage project.

History, sociology, religion, and philosophy are subjects many tried to escape from in college. Who wants to figure out how to use those tools? Yet to build a good deck you need more than the hammer. You also need the saw, the tape measure, the drill, the level, and other tools to perform the job properly. When working on a project as important as marriage, perhaps other tools should be used as well.

Perhaps the question we should ask Senator Hershman and Representative Orentlicher isn't why are you for or against SSM, but rather what is the meaning of marriage? Once we have that question resolved, then we can see how SSM should legally fit in, if at all.

Spontaneous Barrister's Ball Date!

Don't have time to get into, but through IM, luck, luck, my best friend, luck I now have a dance/dinner champion for the prom...err...Barrister's Ball.

This will be an interesting evening I bet. TTYL.

EDIT: First, what do you know I do clean up nicely! It may take the extreme of getting into a tux, but damn I look good! Second, L wasn't supposed to be available tonight so I didn't try to call her earlier. Just dumb luck she got online at 5pm. Note that dinner was to start around 7:30 and she needed quick shower and long drive down! Third, I drove across town to rendezvous with L and to save time. The MGR on full afterburner is an impressive sight. Just because 0-60 can be measured with an egg timer doesn't mean the MGR doesn't attain high rates of speed. Fourth: we got to the ball at 7:20 baby! Fifth: many of us scumbag law student types do clean up nicely in tuxedos. Maybe hope exists for us yet. Sixth: ladies your dresses...nice...definitely a two-breath dress on many of you. They took my breath away twice! Actually L's took mine away a third time when she got to spin so I saw the whole thing. Seventh: dinner wasn't bad actually! Many of us were worried after the mediocre buffet from last year. Eight: my fav prof won a couple of awards. Good for him. Several classmates won deserving awards as well. My ballot box stuffing plan worked! Nine: dear Mr. Disk Jockey, going from a slow song to rap isn't the best move. If you can't do two slow dance songs in a row at least do a medium tempo song after the slow song. L. couldn't dance a fast tempo in those shoes at all. Tenth: I've been to two Barrister's Balls and I've been with the two most important women in my life. Does it get any better than that?

I had very good time tonight, with minimal alcohol. How did that happen?

PS EDIT: We failed the fancy dinner etiquette test big time. Didn't help when I reached for the water glass on my left. I can't help it, I'm a lefty! Oh yeah the fork at the top is the dessert fork, not the salad fork. Pass the butter to the right...how about the other right? Oh wait it's a big blob of butter goes onto the bread plate so I don't have to keep asking for butter. We think we had it figured out by the end of the meal, but none of us are truly sure.

PPS EDIT: The only reason I knew to let Amanda and Justin back in was because I saw the glass in that door shimmy! It was dark outside and inside and from the table I only saw the candlelight reflecting back at me. I hope y'all didn't have to wait too long. Fabu dress Amanda.

Dancing With Myself

I'm going solo to the Barrister's Ball. I'm not heartbroken or sad about it. It just happened and was no one's fault. My companion is a very smart, very funny, very energetic person and I know we would have had a great time. But something came up that screwed up her travel plans and it became the ultimate physics problem: too much distance and not enough time.

Last year the Barrister's Ball was easy. One of my best friends and I went and we had a blast even though she was surrounded by law students which are the enemy in her book. This year was not easy at all. My friend from last year was on-call at the hospital. Another friend would be at her father's birthday party. Another friend just didn't want to go at all this year or maybe she would go with her ex. Another friend was already going with someone else. Another friend just started dating a hot boytoy and wanted to give him a spin on the dance floor. A fairly close blogging buddy and I have been wanting to meet sometime so this seemed like a good reason. Sadly this weekend is the beginning of her spring break and she would be in Florida. I don't blame her for choosing Florida over the Midwest at this time of year. I went through 10 people and figured I was jinxed. In some ways I was amazed I could even think of 10 single, unattached women. I'm at that stage in my life where I know far more married/coupled people than I do singles.

But Person #11 was a very interesting and funny story. I was looking forward to telling this story, with her permission, as it could only happen in this day and age. Oh well. We shall hopefully get together later this semester. I'll be at a table with friends and I'll have a good time. I just don't like dancing with myself.

So That's What Happened To Smallville!

I don't watch much television, but the few shows I do watch I watch with near religious fervor. Since I only get 4 or 5 functional channels when one of my favs comes on I'll watch it. Sadly the local affiliate for The WB has a horrible transmitter. Before cable and satellite TV permeated the landscape we had a local saying for that station and it's infamous lack of transmission quality "Fucking up like Channel 4 again!"

So I have this problem, Smallville (my major TV vice) is on The WB and hence unviewable (cable too expensive) to me. I used to live about a mile from here and could get Channel 4 fairly well, but that apartment complex was on top of a hill. Usually the parents are nice enough to TiVo Smallville for me or I just happen to go over to the parents' house after my night class to have dinner and TV.

The TV guide and local newspaper said Wednesday was going to be the Purdue-Illinois game. ESPN reserved a contractual clause to move the game to Thursday night (Purdue lost by 34 points sadly), but most guide services (including the one for TiVo) had the mistake. At 10pm Wednesday night I was seeing how good my Channel 4 reception would be (got picture for once, but no sound) and saw Everyone Loves Raymond. Something was horribly wrong! Smallville aired at 8pm Wednesday like normal around here and no one knew! Guess I'll have to wait for the reruns in a few weeks.

Oh by the way Clark: Chloe, Chloe, Chloe! Stay away from Lana because redheads, whether natural or bottled, are nothing but trouble! Beside you'll eventually get married to Chloe's cousin Lois Lane anyway so...on second thought I better not finish that thought.

Your Own Style Behind Closed Doors...Or Maybe Not

Do not try to figure out what your sexy style is after the Barrister's Ball. Unless you two are already involved in that type of relationship. Go right ahead if that is the case and you two want to. I just don't want to hear about post-dance stories that would remind me of the stories after the high school prom. *shudders*

Does This Mean I'm Metrosexual?

Your Brain is 46.67% Female, 53.33% Male

Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female You are both sensitive and savvy Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve

What Gender Is Your Brain?

No Longer Tempting Death

Throughout last semester the seatbelt receiver (the thing that the seatbelt actually goes into to secure you when the belt is used) in the Mighty Green Ranger slowly stopped working. First it took a few tries to get the receiver to click and accept the seatbelt. Then I had to use my car keys to pop up the button that releases the seatbelt so it would accept the seatbelt. Then I had use the car keys trick several times before it would accept the seatbelt. Then I had to try the car keys trick a few times while holding the receiver at a certain angle and then make sure I didn't lean forward at all so the seatbelt would stay connected. Changing radio stations and releasing the parking brake were things that I didn't want to do.

Finally I just gave up on using a seatbelt right before the semester began. I can do that here as anything licensed as a truck is exempt from mandatory seatbelt laws. I used a loophole in the law to do something that was unsafe, but not illegal. This is known as lawyering! FYI: I always advocate wearing a seatbelt as a safety issue, I just don't think it is the government's business to be my nanny. Laws don't protect us from stupidity.

I got the new receiver ordered last week. To install it means I would have to unbolt my seat out of the MGR, unbolt the old and worn receiver, install the new one, and reinstall the driver's seat. I could do this. It wouldn't be hard. It's just so friggin' cold lately and I don't have a garage! When the Ford dealership that had my part said labor would be only $25 I said I'll be in today!

The downside is I had to go all the way across town and then some to get to the Ford dealership that had my part. (Long story as to why it was there and not someplace closer to me.) The repair chief said it would be an hour and a half. I had my textbooks with me so I was looking forward to the study time. But you know me. I HAD to go into the showroom and see the pretty shiny toys. A new 300 horsepower yellow Mustang GT is very very nice. If only I had $26,000 to spare. If I had taken it for a test drive I'm not certain I would have come back! The Ford Focus is on the list of potential new rides when I decide to buy again. (Can I hold out to mid 2006 is the question?) Sedan or 5 door hatch, it is flexible, fuel efficient in this $2/gallon age, available with manual transmission, fairly roomy, inexpensive and not a bad ride. What the hell I had 90 minutes to kill.

Medium red, 4 door Focus ST with the 160 horsepower 2.3 liter engine. 5 speed stick, anti-lock brakes, power windows/locks, nice spoiler, 6 cd player, and MSRP of around $19,000. They didn't have a 5-door hatch with a stick for me to test. I used my hand to wipe off the frost on the windows. BRRRRRRRRR!!!!! The salesman and I kept getting stuck behind slow traffic, but I could tell the Focus was nimble and braked decently. I was #1 at the stoplight and light it up when the light turned green. Not as thrusty as a Chrysler 300C with a Hemi, but it had decent pickup and the shifter has a nice short throw action. That engine revved too easily. Very different from what I'm used to.

I explained to the salesman that I was a student WITH NO JOB and no income, but at the end he asked what it would take for me to take a vehicle out the door that day or the next few days. How about a job and money! As a graduating student I would be eligible for a $400 discount FYI.

I think I should set up a reality TV series. I arrange for my top 10 or 15 potential new cars to be in a fabulous mountain retreat and I test drive all of them back to back several times. The winner of the contest is the one I buy!

At least the Ranger is paid for and now the seatbelt works for the driver. Time to draft a semi now.

Do We Even Have A Map Of Canada?

Easily the best line from The West Wing last night.

As for Santos coming up with a plan to sneak Congressmen/women into the Veep's office to hide out that sounds like a plan I would come up with! Okay we'll sneak into the director's office, grab the key to the instrument locker, use the catwalk above the stage ...

For the Fabulous Kelly P. I'm sure you got plenty of Toby last night. He was even kind to kids. Go figure? A kinder, gentler Toby???

Normally you should never negotiate with terrorists, but when Canadian hunters detain American hunters just start swapping Americans for Molson and the problem will be resolved quickly without crashlanding a Huey within a half mile of the hunting camp.

In Vino Veritas

At last weekend's retreat it felt so good to be with people outside the confines of The Black Hole. It was fun to play and teach euchre with my retreat mates. Annie from Chicago(?) and I were discussing the difficulty of making friends in school. We weren't sure if it was the competitive environment, the natural and self-induced stress that many students put on each other, or the fact that the personality make up of some people drawn to such an environment would be abrasive, abusive, power hungry, and egocentric. Probably all of the above. This was hardly the first conversation I've listened in on or participated in on this subject. Many bloggers I email or IM with voice this same concern. In quiet conversations in the atrium the difficulty of making friends is whispered. We treat the difficulty of making the human connection as almost taboo subject matter.

Annie related an interesting story. During the first week or two of her first year she held a wine and cheese party with several classmates. She noted this odd correlation: the people she was closest with now were all at her party then. In vino veritas - in wine we trust. Actually we messed it up, we thought it meant in wine there's truth. Close enough for our purposes though. What makes a friendship? It is a question I've pondered many times here. It isn't solely time spent around people. So many here are mere acquaintances. So many here are simply faces and I don't even know their names. I've never had a chance to talk with them. One blogger and I thought an 'effort component' was a part of friendship. When you take the time to get to know people. You take the time to email and instant message with people. It shows you care enough to put forth an effort. This online blogger community produces some interesting social results. I know more and feel comfortable sharing details of my life with several people I've never met. Yet people I've been around for three years now I barely know sadly.

As my time here ends I've been pondering the social costs. At the beginning of my third year I said I wanted to bring my friends closer to me. That idea failed miserably. I have far fewer friends here than I thought. Sometimes I wonder if I were in a car accident, would anyone care? Reading this probably scares the 0Ls (I like that term for the wanna-bes). You need to know the truth about law school. It is very difficult, very dividing, very much a social strain. You may not have a social support system if you're moving to a different city. Even if you're not moving you won't have as much chance to rely on your old friends due to the time requirements of school. Try to find your friends early. You'll need a social support structure to survive what happens in school. Perhaps you should have your own wine and cheese party at the beginning.

Quote Of The Day

I'm in an abusive relationship. Of course, the relationship is with my liver and I'm the abuser.
-Courtesy of Law and Alcoholism.

This guy would fit in with my non-law group of friends so well. Next time we're north of the Cheddar Curtain we may have to look him up and go drinking.

The Bias Test

Ummm...interesting...very interesting.

Is it wrong to have biases? I think to have a bias is to be human. I am biased towards football over soccer. I have a bias of Mexican food over Chinese. I have an infamous bias of redheads (nothing but trouble) over brunettes. When it comes to this cultural desire to be one big happy world I don't think it is as important to eliminate bias as it is to eliminate acting on such bias.

As a former designer of psychological tests I was somewhat offended by the promotional material at the beginning of the Bias Test. It was filled with such langauge as "It often reveals an automatic preference for [X] relative to [Y]. X and Y values could be filled with Young/Old, Straight/Gay, European/Arab, Thin/Fat etc. Well thank you for stating the obvious. Again, I don't care if you have a thought or inclination. I'm not the Thought Police. As long as you're not denying a job, refusing the rent an apartment, firing someone because of their age, race, gender, sexual preference, etc I don't care!

The saying goes that "Action speaks louder than words." Unlike some people I know I believe action speaks louder than thought as well. Despite my sqwaking about some of the philosophy behind the promotional material, you should go take some of the exams. The results may surprise you.

Ultimate Guy Contest

"According to a Dodge backed poll, U.S. women want the “man” back in manly and want a “regular, capable and laid-back guy.”" So Dodge came up with the Ultimate Guy contest where the winner will get a Dodge Dakota pickup truck. Dodge characterizes the ultimate guy as someone who values the three Ts: Tools, Toys and Trucks. I find that an acceptable definition.

Sadly on their Manliness Quiz I scored only 72%. It must be all this exposure from law school. It has corrupted me. Someone beer me!

Confessions Spokeswoman Of The Month

New month and now I need a new Spokeswoman. Someone *cough, cough* complained commented one time that I needed more Asians here. First, Confessions does not bow to political correctness. However, I have no problem accepting any qualified Asians for the position of Confessions Spokeswoman.

She's elegant, she's graceful, she's so tough she could kick my butt all the way back to Asia. She may even be a tiger or a dragon. She's calm and respectful, but has no problem advocating her position. The Confessions Spokeswoman Of The Month for March 2005 is Michelle Yeoh.



Claiming Fair Use Exception under Copyright Law to post pictures.

IBA vs. BarBri Bar Review?

BUMP to the top to grab your opinions.

Need quick advice from the locals. I haven't decided which bar prep class I want to take during the summer. To sign up for BarBri I have to do it by tomorrow March 1st.

I'm doing the PMBR classes no matter what so that doesn't make a difference.
As near as I can tell both IBA and BarBri cover the Multistate (mulitiple choice section), the Indiana essay section, and the Multistate Performance Test in their reveiw sessions. But BarBri is around $500 more. Unless someone can give me a good reason to go with BarBri I think I'll save the $500 and stick with IndyBar and I already have a nonrefundable $95 deposit with them for simply being a member of IBA.

EDIT: Thanks for the advice everyone. I decided to go with the IBA Bar Review classes. Once again I've decided to follow Lawren's advice. Taking Tax better pan out in the end Lawren that's all I have to say or else your perfect record will be ruined ;-)

It Is Good To Be Green

Some high end homes are being powered by alternative energy sources that enable them to be completely off the energy grid. Using creative architecture to passively capture solar energy, technology such as solar cells and wind turbines to generate electricity, and geothermal heat pumps to provide both heating and cooling from the constant temperature of the underground, these homes are demonstrating that being environmentally green doesn't mean being frumpy.

In sunny environs like Florida installing solar cells cuts down on the use of energy allowing near self-reliance.

"They are becoming more and more cost effective," says Joe Wiehagen, senior
research engineer for the National Association of Home Builders Research Center.
Depending on local incentives and energy costs, solar power can cost the same as
utility power in the long run. "And when you buy a solar system, you're buying
all your fuel costs for the next 20 to 25 years." Joe and Carrie Piazza bought
their house on No Name Key, Fla., in 1999, spending about $40,000 to install a
power system that includes solar panels, controls, batteries and a generator.
But last year, the couple's fuel bill was just $1,000.

New wind turbine designs allow great views while capturing air movement when they stick only a few feet above treetop level. Yet being green isn't just about using alternative means of power, it also depends on using less energy in the first place.

Being energy-independent isn't just a matter of throwing
truckloads of money into solar panels and diesel generators, experts say. A
thoughtfully designed house can use a small fraction of the amount of energy a
normal house would without compromising comfort. "What the whole energy
efficiency industry is moving towards is more of a well-sealed building,"
Wiehagen [a senior research engineer for the National Association of Home
Builders Research Center] says.
New insulating technologies mean less energy loss, he
says. High-performance windows with triple panes of glass and special coatings
may cost two or three times as much as regular windows, but they keep energy in
while maintaining a clear view. Tankless water heaters heat and distribute water
instantaneously instead of storing it hot. All of which mean you can have solar
power and the hot tub, too.

I'm all far zoning regs that would require using solar shingles for part of the roof. Using the bright summer sunlight to power the air conditioning for entire rows of suburbia would help prevent the increasingly common brownouts that are occurring nationwide. Since it is such a pain to build power plants due to environmental regs maybe the trick is to have the house make some juice of it's own.