Quotes From Vacation

You know the Sears Tower doesn't look that tall.
Yeah but it's next to lots of 80 and 90 story tall buildings.
Good point.

So I'm trying to stick a catheter into the cat. [This coming from a veterinarian.]

Yeah we just beat two Hoosiers in euchre.
I'm so embarrassed.

I feel so undereducated in this group. We have two doctors, a lawyer, and a masters degree here.
True, but you're likely making more money than most of us.

You know I was doing Mach 2.2 in Indiana then hit 80/94 and slowed to a crawl all the way to O'Hare.

Wow, a great big shiny silver bean.

On Vacation. You All Have Fun Without Me.

Your Hidden Talent

Your natural talent is interpersonal relations and dealing with people. You communicate well and are able to bring disparate groups together. Your calming presence helps everything go more smoothly. People crave your praise and complements.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

Hurl and Recover

*knocks all the empty beer cans off of body*

I feel pretty good right now. At certain times last night I couldn't make that claim. I'll give you some of the good stories later, but right now I just want to catch up on a few things and take a nice hot shower. The second half of a LaBamba's burrito tastes good right now. The first half at 1:30 this morning didn't taste so good.

I'll give you a teaser though: Rathskeller, Chatterbox, Broad Ripple Brew Pup, Plump's Last Shot, LaBamba's. Yes it was a busy night.

Bar Exam: Day One

No need to cover the MPT. The performance exam gives you every thing you need to know. It is merely a time management test. Once you've practiced it a few times you'll do fine.

Six state essay questions...A TEST OF MINIMAL COMPETENCE MY ASS!

It is only 30% of the exam. I can suck on them and still do fine. I'm testing that theory it seems.

Time to have dinner with friends, snag a beer or two and I think I'll review some black letter law from first year classes.

The Rathskeller Biergarten is my friend tomorrow. Just focus on the prize and don't lose sight of it.

Raise Your Hand If...

you've ever just wanted to walk up to someone and proudly proclaim in their face:

I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR OPINION IS!!!


In other news (because I don't feel like a theme today), it isn't a good sign when you walk outside in the early morning and believe you're in Satan's armpit. Going to be a steambath today.

Only 2 subjects left to review for today (Family Law is always best interest of the child and Trust & Estates. Just don't die and don't worry about it). Good. I lack the energy to do much more. Around Thursday or Friday I just hit a wall of molasses. I don't care at this point. Can we get it over with.

5 pm is my drop dead time. The books will close, the highlighters capped, and I will go to dinner and a movie. I'm thinking a no brainer like Fantastic Four or Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

I believe minor batteries should be allowed. Our society would be much better off it was just allow ourselves to shove a foot up someone's butt at times. Just a friendly reminder that you just did something stupid.

I'm in a Taco Bell Saturday and I look at the patrons in front of me. This thought occurs, "Were we that stupid and obnoxious as teen agers?"

Hey, you know that we come in peace business? Bite me.

Weather for Wednesday night looks to be cool and not humid. Exxx-cellent!

This SHOULD be the year for a high school reunion. Sadly I haven't gotten any info. I haven't moved since the last one. I guess we're not having one this year.

That is all.

For the past few days I've been craving a motorcycle.

Dead Cell Phone

I've only had a cell phone for not quite 2 years. In those 2 years it is one of the most useful devises I've ever seen. Call friends after 9pm and the long distance is free. Make a quick call to get one or two useful bits of information. Be able to move somewhere that is fairly private to make a phone call instead of next to the public pay phone. I've never been close to exceeding my minutes.

No, the old reliable cell phone refuses to power up. Put it in the charger and the battery doesn't want to recharge. I plug the phone into a wall outlet to run on A/C and it powers up and immediately shuts down due to "low battery." How damned annoying is that?

Sadly I don't believe I wrote down all the phone numbers in my phone to my little black book. Well only 5 people call me anyway and 3 of them read this blog. Hey all I'm running silent for awhile. I'll let you know when I get the phone fixed or a replacement. It was due to be replaced next month anyway as the contract was up.

What crappy timing.

EDIT: Since Dad and I are on the family plan with identical phones we did a battery swap. His battery in my phone worked fine. My battery in his phone didn't do jack. However we put the batteries back and I let my phone charge up a bit on his charger. My battery shouldn't have been too depleted as it rarely gets below 2 out of 3 bars of charge. I simply haven't used the phone very much lately either. After a quicky recharge (we just went out lunch) I turned on my phone and it was happy.

Goofy battery? Maybe. Goofy charger? Maybe. At least I have a charger that plugs into my car's cigarette lighter. I might use that as an alternative for a bit.

It's Hot, Hot, Hot!

I've altered my study strategy a bit over the last week or so. I study a bit outside. Though hot and humid as long as I'm in the shade and a breeze is blowing I find it relaxing. The random noise of people in an outdoor environment is not as distracting as the random noise inside the school library. Being outdoors makes it impossible to use a distracting laptop and equally distracting internet connection.

I won't do any PMBR questions today. I really need to go through my Indiana essay binder of material. I won't know it all. I can't know it all. I know I need to know some subjects fairly well. Some type of Pleading and Practice question will be on the exam. Other subjects I'm willing to chance it a bit. If I mention "holder in due course" for a Negotiable Instruments question I'm betting that is one point right there!

So I'm a LifeSaver?

Your Power Color Is Lime Green

At Your Highest: You are adventurous, witty, and a visionary. At Your Lowest: You feel misunderstood, like you don't fit in. In Love: You have a tough exterior, but can be very dedicated. How You're Attractive: Your self-awareness and confidence lights up a room. Your Eternal Question: "What else do I need in my life?"

What's Your Power Color?

Bar Review: My Brain Is Full.

I'm tired. I haven't been sleeping well. I am EXHAUSTED! I hate multiple choice questions and big ass outlines too dense for their own good.

This will be over soon. I keep telling myself that.

Here We Go Again

BREAKING NEWS ON TV.

None of this is confirmed yet, but the Fox morning show has now switched to live coverage from London about possible new explosions in the London Underground. It appears the explosive devices didn't work properly.

Assuming any of this ends up being confirmed later I only have one observation.
Ladies and gentlemen of MI-5: Good Hunting.

Scotty Has Beamed Out Of Here

Actor James Doohan, age 85, died of natural causes. I didn't know he participated in the D-Day Invasion of Normandy or that he was wounded badly. Not only was the character of Scotty one of the most endearing of all time, but that character partially inspired McGyver. The next time I have to jury-rig something to work I'll be thinking of you. I'm givin' you all she's got Captain!

Not Quite The Fast And The Furious

Okay, I want everyone to know that I am not a complete Mr. Cranky Ass today. I'm trying to be in as positive a mood as possible. So I present the latest getaway vehicle in Tennessee: the farm tractor.

"A would-be racer took an illegal turn around Smoky Mountain Speedway and crashed her pickup truck, while her companion made a low-speed getaway on a farm tractor."

One of the participants "is believed to have fled on a tractor from a nearby barn after confronting track owner Bill Garner. Police issued an all-points-bulletin for a "red Massey Ferguson tractor with a yellow engine and a red sickle on the back.""

Would you believe alcohol was involved?

The Latest Excuse For People To Go Nutty

They (the mysterious 'they') say that education is the great equalizer. If that is true then a corollary must exist and I believe it is this: politics is the great stupidizer. Yes I just made up the word 'stupidizer' for I can't think of a real word that adequately conveys the meaning I want to project.

Over the past 20 years I've become convinced the politicalization of our society makes people stupid. Even highly intelligent people tend to get shrill and knee-jerky as soon as politics enters the equation. If somehow it isn't a political situation then someone will figure out HOW to make it a political situation. Case in point: some people are proclaiming how Batman Begins is a great example of libertarian ideas and also of turning proletariat stereotypes upside down by having a rich billionaire fight crime. Batman Begins is a KICKASS movie (one I HIGHLY recommend), but it is still only a movie folks. You might be reading a little too much into the story. I'm just sayin'.

This politicalization only gets worse when you're dealing with a process that has a true political element involved. Case in point: President Bush has nominated D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge John Roberts to fill Justice O'Connor's vacancy on the Supreme Court. I hear someone blowing the ram's horn now to rally the troops on both sides of the Conservative/Liberal gulf. My InBox is filling with requests for my support already. What do we know about Judge Roberts? Not a whole hell of a lot! Yet a quick glance at the more liberal side of the blogosphere shows some people already claiming he eats babies, will destroy abortion rights, wants to lock up all the gays for touching each other, enslave the blacks, put the bitches back in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant, and shove religion into every facet of our lives. I bet if Senator Kerry won the election and nominated his choice some on the conservative side would be proclaiming the same thing less than 12 hours after an announcement.

Have I ever mentioned that shrill rhetoric tends not to impress me nor influence my decisions?

I swear politics makes people stupid (Some of these people are lawyers, law school graduates, or at least students. You know, those people who are supposedly trained to analyze a situation in-depth and see beyond the first layer of analysis). What do we know about Judge Roberts? Argued in front of SCOTUS 39 times both as a private lawyer and as a Deputy Solicitor General and won 25 times. Clerked at SCOTUS for then Associate Justice Rehnquist. Harvard educated (eh that doesn't mean anything to me). Was on the legal staff of President Reagan. Received a 99-0 confirmation from the Senate last time. CONCLUSION: on the face of things has the legal credentials to be on SCOTUS.

Yet many I know and others I merely read will scream about him being a conservative. This doesn't impress me. Liberal presidents attempt to appoint people they perceive as liberal judges while conservative presidents attempt to appoint people they perceive as conservative judges. That is the way the political game is played. Of course many presidential appointments didn't turn out they way they expected so we have an X factor at work in every nomination process.

One paragraph amused me and I'll explain why: "Liberal groups, however, say Roberts has taken positions in cases involving free speech and religious liberty that endanger those rights. Abortion rights groups allege that Roberts, while deputy solicitor general during former Bush's [I] administration, was hostile to women's reproductive freedom and cite a brief he co-wrote in 1990 that suggested the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 high court decision that legalized abortion." Don't lawyers have to advocate a legal position favorable to their clients? Isn't it a breach of professional duty to argue otherwise? Aren't lawyers subject to penalties for going against their client interests? You might want to think who the clients were during that time.

Anything written for a client gives a shadow of a lawyer's thoughts at best. Legal briefs and memos are hollow echoes of personal beliefs and convictions. Legal briefs and memos give better insight into the client than the lawyer. Writings of a judge give better reflections of a person's core beliefs and how that person analyzes legal theory. Keep in mind that Court of Appeals opinions tend to be compromise documents. Lower court judges usually get to say they'll follow the laws when they run for election. Though having never run for election (that I'm aware of) you see the point. Stare decisis commands and controls lower judges. The mob will likely give a cursory analysis to any writing they can find. Those writings provide good hints as to how a Supreme Court justice might decide a case in broad terms. Yet in the end a Justice of the Supreme Court can decide a case any way he or she wants to. They have that power. That's part of the game.

I lack faith in the mobs of the Senate and those who attempt to influence the Senate. One thing I can damn near guarantee: the next two months will be a battle royale because politics makes people stupid and shrill.

Confessions Poll: How Do You Want To Be Wrong?

I'll get the good news out first: 50 practice questions about evidence went pretty well. I was quite surprised. It definitely reinforced the need to understand hearsay (and the 28 exceptions to hearsay) and when character evidence can and can not be used. I'll definitely want to review that later.

Now off the the poll for the day.

Which is the worst feeling?

A: The answer you selected is simply way off.

B: You get the possible answers down to 2 choices. The review explains that "A and C are close." You still selected the wrong answer.

C: You actually selected the proper answer! The explanation given is completely different than the reason you selected it though.

Need To Travel More

I must protest a little. The places I've been in the UK simply weren't on the list! I've done a fair amount of Western Europe, but wouldn't mind doing more. Ireland, Australia, New Zealand would be cool. If I get back into my Spanish that opens up Mexico and South America. My To-Do list keeps getting longer.

Your Travel Profile:

You Are Very Well Traveled in the Midwestern United States (75%)

You Are Well Traveled in the Southern United States (54%)

You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in the United Kingdom (25%)

You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in the Western United States (21%)

You Are Mostly Untraveled in Western Europe (14%)

You Are Untraveled in Africa (0%)

You Are Untraveled in Asia (0%)

You Are Untraveled in Australia (0%)

You Are Untraveled in Canada (0%)

You Are Untraveled in Eastern Europe (0%)

You Are Untraveled in Latin America (0%)

You Are Untraveled in New Zealand (0%)

You Are Untraveled in Scandinavia (0%)

You Are Untraveled in Southern Europe (0%)

You Are Untraveled in the Middle East (0%)

You Are Untraveled in the Northeastern United States (0%)

How Well Traveled Are You?

Bar Review Is PHYSICAL Pain.

I needed to cancel my dental appointment this week. Between travel time, waiting time, sitting in the chair with my mouth open time it was 2 plus hours of time I don't have to spare. I decided to make the phone call from out outdoor courtyard so as not to disturb people studying inside (such as the inside the friggin' library where people often blather at normal volume).

After the phone call I stood up to walk inside and was stung by a bee. I was in a swarm of 4 or 5 of the buggers. SONOFABITCH that hurt! Wearing sandals today wasn't a good idea I guess. I freeze my water bottle so I get cold water during the day as it melts so the improptu icepack helps, but just what I need right now before taking 50 crim law questions: a mild throbbing pinprick of a pain on my right foot.

BTW: I don't think I'm allergic to bee stings, but if anyone suddenly sees me keel over find a nursing or med student lurking around here please.

Noon EDIT: I'm not dying so I'm not allergic to bee stings. Useful info to know. After 20 minutes no pain really existed. That was nice. I do have a nice red splotch on my foot though. Eh, it wasn't like I was trying to impress anyone with my feet. Nikki, who saw the entire incident, said that bees die after hey sting you. Very stupid of Mother Nature to give you one shot at defense and then kill you for using it.

It appears the bee sting made me smarter as well. 65% on 52 Crim Law questions (one fact pattern has multiple questions and you can't stop at only one question). Now can I learn from what I did wrong so I get better before the exam?

Does Anyone Even Remember Their SAT Scores At This Point?

The oddest thing about my score was how balanced it was. My Math and Verbal were BOTH 660. All my friends were saying, "Dude that is so weird!" I keep telling you I'm a very balanced person. I actually had the thought of retaking the SAT again for about 5 seconds. Then I realized it was high enough to get me into the schools I wanted. Hell, Harvard was wanting me, but I didn't want to go to Harvard. If Harvard thought I have potential then I didn't need to retake the blasted exam. Can any excess SAT points carry over to the Bar Exam? I'm willing to make a deal.

Your SAT Score of 1320 Means:

You Scored Higher Than Howard Stern You Scored Higher Than George W. Bush You Scored Lower Than Al Gore You Scored Lower Than David Duchovny You Scored Lower Than Natalie Portman You Scored Lower Than Bill Gates

Your IQ is most likely in the 130-140 range

Equivalent ACT score: 30

Schools that Fit Your SAT Score: College of William and Mary New York University Boston College United States Naval Academy University of California, Berkeley

What Does Your SAT Score Mean?

The MIGs Are Superior

No, not the Russian fighter planes (though some are very very good aircraft). I'm talking about PMBR's Multistate Issue Graphs. It seems to me those MIGs tell me more about Torts, Con Law, Property, etc than the outlines. At the very least they give you 90% of what you need to know in a clear concise manner.

That appears to be the key to the Multistate: if you truly understand the basics you'll to better than most people. The fancy stuff will trip up most people so you're not losing points there. If you understand the basics, such as contract formation, mortgages, life estates, 4th Amendment Right to Privacy, separation of power and whatnot, you get the most points.

Realistically we're all shooting for around 60% for the Multistate. We get that and we'll pass the Multistate for every jurisdiction I know (especially mine). I just want the bonus points so they bolster my essays. My essays are going to blow. I can't read, analyze, and handwrite that fast.

Did anyone have to study by candlelight last night? Those were some nasty thunderstorms and I'm surprised I didn't lose my electricity again. At least the storm drowned out the firecrackers.

Friday Spies©: Living and Dying in 3/4 Time Edition

A day late. I don't care. I was busy yesterday in Bar Review. Someone kill me now and get this torture over with.
3/4 Time, what is this a waltz? From BTQ.

1. What time do you go to bed? What time do you wake up?
I try for bed around 11pm. If I want to stay up late I can do 2 to 3am pretty easily.
The alarm is set for 5:50 am on most days. If I crawl out by 6:15 I'm doing good. If I let my body do whatever it wants I can sleep to almost 9am easily. Unless I've been up to 3am, then I turn into a vampire.

2. What do you want done to/with your body after you die?
If any organs are useful I'll donate them. If I'm dead I don't need them. After that I'm thinking Viking funeral. Place me on a boat and nuke it as huge funeral pyre for all to see. If the technology exists when I die just shoot me up on a rocket for a suborbital flight path. I'll finally be a shooting star!

3. Describe your dream house.
A roomy, restored Victorian sounds good. I love the fishscale siding, the bright colors, the turrets, a 3rd story attic that can be converted to an apartment or rec room. Keep the tall windows, but yank off the siding to put in some insulation and exterior foamboard. Renovate the interior with new wiring. If I can sneak in some solar shingles to generate some electricity past the historic boards that would be nice. Lots of rooms for kids to run around in, a decent sized kitchen with gas appliances. A decent sized library/den for me and any future companions to work in. I want a basement or garage big enough to have a workshop in. Two good bathrooms with those big clawfoot tubs.

Of course a big brick Victorian sounds good and I know exactly the one I want. Prime candidate for a rehab.

4. Are you an excellent driver? Do you speed, or drive the speed limit? Ever been ticketed?
I'm an okay driver. I believe I pay attention far better than most people, but my driving skills are average at best. That is the biggest problem with most drivers they believe they are far better than they actually are and forget they're piloting two tons of metal. If I want to be excellent I need to get into some advanced driving schools. I get something a bit sporty and nimble I'll try some autocross rallys or something similar and I will attend a racing school nearby.

Speedwise, I follow the flow of traffic and I'll leave it at that. I've been ticketed once and have received two warnings. Not too bad IMHO.

5. What is your favorite animal, mineral, and vegetable?
Animal: dogs. Is there a critter better than a good dog?
Mineral: I don't wear jewelry, but I love the color of an emerald. Just the right shade of green IMHO. Of course if I'm giving away a mineral the one I would like to give away the most is a diamond. The reasoning for both is very different.
Vegetable: sweet potato. So yummy and goes with so many main courses.

Cow Appreciation Day Tomorrow

I can either tell you the hell that is bar review or give you a light Friday.

Tomorrow is Cow Appreciation Day. I appreciate the milk, the cheese made from milk, the steaks and hamburgers. I appreciate cows a lot except when they don't let us change time zones.

You can even get Cow Appreciation Day Cards. What will they think of next?

Does Being Sultry Creep Anyone Else Out?

This is probably just me, but every time I see a Veronica Mars commercial on UPN they have actress Kristen Bell (who plays the aforementioned character) jutting and leaning in a somewhat provocative manner. Though Kristen Bell will be 25 years old on Monday, the character is only 17 years old.

I find it discomforting when a teenage character is looking ... provocative. Maybe this feeling is due to being around so many daughters lately and I have a natural paternalistic motive of wanting to inform them how bad guys are. Amazing more teenagers aren't killed by their own social awkwardness. If, a big if I know, I ever have daughters I'm making sure they have hand-to-hand combat training for bad touches.

"Okay son, when you meet the cute redheaded girl next door make sure you give her the respect she deserves."
"Now daughter, when the guy does something you don't like you just do THIS LITTLE MOVE on him and he's down for 5 - 10 minutes easily. Oh don't worry it doesn't cripple the guy permanently, but he'll be sore for a bit."

Maybe it is a good thing I'm not married.

Well Duh!

Okay the test could have been a little more nuanced, but I'll agree with the overall conclusion.

You Are a "Don't Tread On Me" Libertarian

You distrust the government, are fiercely independent, and don't belong in either party. Religion and politics should never mix, in your opinion... and you feel opressed by both. You don't want the government to cramp your self made style. Or anyone else's for that matter. You're proud to say that you're pro-choice on absolutely everything!

What political persuasion are you?

I Certainly Hope So!

A snippet from an email my father sent me:

2 weeks form today you should be able to chill out for a few days and let your brain un-cramp. Bar will be done. A guy in the speak out column today said he has passed the bar after 4
tries. Please try to get it done the 1st time. I wouldn't wnat to see you go thru the last month or so 3 more times.

Believe me I don't want to repeat this experience again. Or anything resembling the last 3 years again. I don't expect live to be Easy Street, but why has so much of the last 5 years been so...combative?

Please let the new, better chapters of life begin soon.

The President Arrives Today

First, seeing Air Force One is always cool. Seeing Air Force One at the airport is even more cool.
Second, I know some people believe the President is an incompetent Satan don't like some of his policies, but I like to think his naysayers at least appreciate the fact that he is in town speaking at a large cultural event with his theme of "ownership society" (a basic theme I subscribe to).

Mr. President, could we work on the national debt a bit? Oh yeah you had some good ideas about Social Security reform, but for whatever reason you didn't push the issue. Now it languishes. I would like to retire before I die. I guess I'll need to invest more in my 401K and IRA.

My Addiction Level Is Off The Charts By Now!

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

When The Quote Gobbles Up The Conversation.

Sometimes you get a line(s) that is so insane, that you can't remember the rest of the conversation. What context created that line? We may never know, but I suspect it was either 1) a bachelor party, 2) a race party, or 3) a New Years party. Alcohol had to have been involved somehow. What was the line(s):

"Look we need chicks, and guns, and chicks with guns! And hookers, and fire trucks!"
[Companions dying of laughter at this point before replying.]
"Chicks, and guns [dramatic pause], and chicks with guns. What is that a Republican wet dream?"

Good Buffy Quotes

Bonus points for anyone who can figure out what episode this belongs to.

Buffy: I'm going to give the special night everyone deserves. Even if I have to kill everyone on the face of the planet.
Xander: Yay?!

Giles: Oh for god's sake man. She's 18 and you have the emotional maturity of a blueberry scone. Just have at it and quit fluttering about!

I'm Trying To Be Modest, But It Is True.

The trick to be full of passion, daring, adventurous, and still be respectful.

Your Kissing Purity Score: 43% Pure

You're not one to kiss and tell... But word is, you kiss pretty well.

Kissing Purity Test

Ohhhhhh, But I Wanted A Shark With Lasers!

They used to mock the Star Trek geeks that wanted phasers. The last laugh is coming from the geeks because the American military is working on directed energy weapons that can stun people.

The article gives an excellent explanation on how serious this research is. Many of the scientists believe it could be deployed in Iraq by next year if they had the funding. Some of the lines are great though:

• ... including a highly touted microwave-energy blaster that makes targets feel as if their skin is on fire.
• The sensation is certain to get people to halt whatever they are doing.
• Basically, it fires a bolt of lightning. It can be tuned to blow up explosives, possibly to stop vehicles and certainly to buzz people.

You know, this sounds more like fraternity hazing more than anything else.

As Wile E. Coyote Would Say: Certified Genius

Eh, smart enough I guess. I SO want to give this test to a few people I know.

Your IQ Is 120

Your Logical Intelligence is Average Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius Your Mathematical Intelligence is Exceptional Your General Knowledge is Genius

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

It's All About The Infrastructure

The bar review task for the day is a mock Multistate Bar Exam. 200 m/c questions over 6 hours is fun, fun, fun. Today is the last day for the Indy Bar Association review. I believe my classmates at BarBri are on a similar schedule.

Here is the good thing for today (besides the end of one type of class), we will not have lines for the restrooms during breaks! Here's the odd thing. It is usually a line for the men's restroom. Regardless of gender, most people have noticed the oddity of that situation (the women are chuckling at the turnabout).

What were the reasons for this? Was the ladies room much larger than the men's room? Did all the men have small bladders? Were the men drinking the coffee requiring an earlier pit stop (this one I could see as coffee stays in only so long)? Based on conversations I think I figured it out. First, it appears the male/female ratio of the class is nearly 2 to 1. It seemed roughly 50/50 to me at a glance, but a few people seem to have counted so I'll defer to their data. Twice as many guys means long lines. Second, based on what ladies have been saying, the layout of the women's room is better at getting waiting people in. They only have 3 stalls, but all are behind a wall and the ladies are able to congregate in the area with the sinks. The women have a line, but it is mostly inside the restroom itself (ah, traffic flow). For the guys, our space is all together and there is insufficient room to congregate.

This will be one detail we'll all chuckle about in 10 years.

Road Trip Minor League Style!

This came up the other day: minor league ballparks. Indy isn't big enough for a major league baseball team, but we have one of, if not, the best minor league baseball park in the country. I've been invited to a game at Victory Field (the Vic) today actually. That was my study break. I have some out of town friends that live in cities with pretty good minor league parks.

I'm not really a fan of baseball, but I don't mind going to games. Maybe after the bar I can head up a few road trips to see a few games and friends. Anyone interested in a road trip?

Nice to see the Tribe manage to pull one out for once. Game tied in the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, the batter is facing 3 balls and 1 strike with NO outs. One fastball later and you had a grand slam.

Miscellaneous Stuff

ONE: If you prefer a more firm massage you simply have to let me know. I can always apply more pressure; however, I am not a mind reader.

ONE A (because it still deals with the first thought): Have you ever noticed that a true massage is truly best if the messagee is laying down? It never seems to work as well from a sitting position. Not that a massage in a sitting position is bad. It simply isn't optimal.

TWO: Who forgot to tell me that Battlestar Galactica has been shown on NBC during Saturdays? Oh well, I haven't been watching my TV in the first place.

TWO A: NBC really butchered the opening credits to get an extra 30 seconds of commercials in.

THREE: Next Friday will be the return of Must See TV. New seasons of Stargate, Atlantis, and BSG. Hey my brain will be fried from studying so taking the night off and being with someone that has cable TV will be a nice distraction. Richard Dean Anderson not coming back for the ninth season of Stargate is going to be so odd. However we do get Ben Browder and Claudia Black in return for a lack of RDA.

FOUR: my brain hurts from reading legal stuff. Bar review sucks. Can't we assume that if we graduated from a school that we are minimally competent?

Angel Is Back, Sort Of.

Sadly Angel isn't being brought back from the TV graveyard (bastards). However, David Boreanaz is coming back on TV. Fox has some CSI-type show coming up call Bones. If only we could get James Marsters, Amy Acker, Charisma Carpenter, Alexis Denisof, Stephanie Romanov, Alyson Hannigan, and a few others together.

Friday Spies ©: We Are Really Reaching This Week

From the guys at BTQ:

1. Tropical Storm Cindy and Hurricane Dennis are causing trouble in the Southeast this week. Share a natural disaster story.

I'm more into the man-made disasters, but I'll give this a shot. A few years ago I was driving home from school one afternoon and the rain was horrible. The rain came down so heavy for a few seconds that I slowed way to about 15 mph and turned my hazzard lights on. What I didn't realize was the tornado that ripped up the entire east side of town was less than a mile from me at the time.

Ignorance is bliss sometimes.

2. What is your favorite work of art?

I may have to come back to this one.

3. Do you squeeze the toothpaste tube from the middle or the bottom?

From the bottom baby. You roll up the tube and keep sqeezing from the bottom.

4. What is your favorite "cult" film?

I love my cult films. I love LOTS of cult films, but Army of Darkness hands down. "...and this is my boomstick!"

5. Would you go into space if given the chance? Where would you go?

Hell yeah, light this candle and shoot me up! Anyplace is fine: the Moon, Mars, that planet where I am worshiped as a god for falling out of the sky. I'm cool with that.

No More Lectures

But we still have plenty of work to do. Today is a physical inspection of where the Bar Exam will be, two practice essays, and a practice Multistate Performance Test (glorified legal writing assignment).

Next week will be more practice exams and 3 days of PMBR.

I have so much work to do. Maybe I should create my own minioutline out of the material we have.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

I'll admit this is correct. I wonder what a few other people I know are?

You Are Rocky Road Ice Cream

Unpredictable and wild, you know how to have fun. You're also a trendsetter who takes risks with new things. You know about the latest and greatest - and may have invented it. You are most compatible with vanilla ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

Negotiable Instruments Suck

Everyone Evacuated & No Boom

It was a cryptic email from my dad that didn't give much detail. The ancestral homestead neighborhood is having storm and waste sewers put in. Cranes, bulldozers, digging equipment, gravel, pipe, and whatnot is spread throughout the neighborhood. No matter how careful the construction crew has been casualties have occurred. One tree in a neighbor's yard was shredded when a crane bumped into it.

They had another accident, but this one was more serious. The digging crew hit a gas line damn near right in front of the parental casa. If something bad happened I'm sure they would have called or sent more information in the email. Turns out they were out to lunch at the time. Upon arriving home the fire chief's car was still parked in their driveway. The gas had been turned off (usually a good thing I would think) and it appears the dog slept through the entire event. Or maybe he took a nap after the gas guy turned off the gas at the meter.

I'm glad I didn't call over there to have dinner.

Last time the neighborhood had a gas explosion it blew out my neighbor's garage door (leak must have been from a gas dryer in the garage). I was using our garden hose to try to put out the fire. Was I worried about my safety? Heck no, the explosion already happened so all the gas has to have been already consumed. By the time those fire trucks arrived we already had the garage put out. The look on my neighbor's face when he arrived home was the most understated reaction I have ever seen.

So, do you think some negligence was involved with the company installing the sewers?

Compare & Contrast Me With Me

*bump up to the top*

If I actually get comments this could be very very interesting.
Stolen from LawGeekGurl:

How well do you know me, based on my blog?

If you know me in real life and in this forum, do you think that I represent myself accurately?

How well do you think it's possible to get to know someone through a forum like this?

If you know me both in real life and this forum, how do you think about me differently because of my blog?

The Accidental Test Drive: VW Jetta

As part of our holiday break I decided to have some fun perform some preliminary research. Since I promised a friend to go to a Mazda dealership later this month I decided to go for what I consider to be the upper end (or possibly beyond) of my market. Besides, the VW dealership wasn't too far from where I had lunch.

Stephan, who looks and sounds just like Dr. Kovac from E.R., went into his routine. Wow, is VW of America having to import car salesmen from Germany? I'll say this, he knew his products. Stephan mentioned all tie-ins with the VW corporate empire. The 6 speed automatic transmission is from Audi. The 5 cylinder engine is half of a Lamborghini V-10 engine. I already knew these things, but nice to see the salesman does. I mentioned the manual transmission as I prefer more control. I asked about safety features: driver/passenger, side-curtain airbags are standard, a recent Best In Class crash protection award, anti-lock brakes (ABS), Daytime Running Lights (DRL), and one tough frame.

The thing about the Jetta is all the little details. Not that any one detail was particularly cool, but it had so many little details. A huge trunk with tie downs and a hook that you can hang grocery bags upright with. A split 60/40 back seat with a pass-through in the middle for long items. The fact the front passenger seat will fold down as well for carrying really long items. The Leatherette (not cloth, but not real cow) seats that were so comfy. Front seats even had butt-warmers. Turn signals intergrated into the side mirrors. Visors that extend to cover the side windows so the sun doesn't distract you. A sun roof that had lots of control. Open it a little, a little more, all the way, just pop the rear up for venting (it almost sliced and diced). The power windows will retract if they accidentally try to crush your fingers. The fact you can use your key in the door lock to open and close your windows. The uplevel package (Option #1) had dual climate control allowing a his & her's setting. Even the armrest storage compartment and glovebox allowed cool air in. In-dash 6 CD stereo with 10 speakers.

I set the front seat where I would like it, and found the back seat had decent legroom. It wasn't a lot of space in front of my knees, but at least the seat wasn't touching. If you're over 5'10" and sitting behind me that could be a different story.

How does it drive? The shifter is very nice. Not quite a sporty short throw, but it isn't much more than a flick of the wrist. I couldn't tell where the clutch pedal would start to engage, but that is a matter of practice. I stalled out 3 times during the test drive when attempting to engage 1st gear. My solution was to overrev the engine a bit. Familiarity would solve that problem. If you already drive a car with a manual you won't have to adjust as much as I do. It was a 90 plus degree day and the AC worked great. Wind noise isn't noticeable and the Jetta is a very solid and quiet automobile. Chassis seemed composed when going over rough patches of the road. Solid as a rock was my impression.

What about the oft-commented underwhelming new 150 horsepower engine? With 0 - 60 in 9.4 seconds it doesn't sound fast. In a real world situation that isn't an unreasonable acceleration, but it isn't thrilling. That being said, I didn't find it to be sucky performance. If I want to hunt down Mustangs, unsuspecting BMWs, and tuner Civics by Fast And The Furious wannabes then the base motor won't cut it. For day to day, real world driving the 5-banger does okay. If you can't upgrade to the 200 horsepower GLI when it comes out the base engine isn't a bad penalty box. A glance at the power curve shows what I'm guessing to be 80-85% max torque from idle to redline so the flat torque curve helps with the decent acceleration. One time I hit 40 mph and was still in 2nd gear. That motor pulls. As for odd ghostly moans from the atypical engine architecture I can't say I noticed, but I never redlined the engine and the AC was definitely on and blocking some noise.

The EPA says 22 city/30 highway, but on long highway cruises Stephan says better than 30 mpg. I would get owners to confirm that, but mixed city/highway likely mid-20s and it runs good on regular gas.

Here was the one rub. I went for my test drive at the end of the month. Car dealers are very willing to deal with you at the end of the month. Oh crap had I realized that I wouldn't have gone! With an MSRP of a well-equipped Option #1 Jetta at $22,000 or so I'm wondering if they would go below $20K? I firmly reiterated my claim that I just couldn't pull the trigger yet due to the complete lack of job and income. Just a tip for you, if you are serious about buying a car and have already done your homework and test drives the last 2 days of the month are the best time to go if you want to purchase. The dealerships will seriously bargain with you.

Overall impression: if you want a serious mid-sized sedan on the smaller end that is full of premium equipment give the Jetta a look. The Value Edition starts at $18K and only fault is the fugly wheels. You can get cool wheels elsewhere for under $1,500. Upgrade to the Option #1 and you have luxury stuff that will put to shame many luxury makes. If your price range can afford it, this is a player you need to watch.

The Dark Side Has Not Seduced Me Enough!

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Third Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)	Very High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	Very High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Moderate
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	High
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Low
Level 7 (Violent)	High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Moderate
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Low

Take the Dante's Divine Comedy Inferno Test

Don't Go Changing My Music!

After catching up on other people's TiVo who changed the theme song to The Dead Zone? The theme they've had for three years now (New Year's Prayer by Jeff Buckley) was fantastic. The perfect haunting music for a haunting show. The new theme song is lame.

That is all.

I LOVE The Smell Of Gunpowder In The Morning

Happy Birthday America! The lesson for today: remember Freedom is never free.

Today will actually be spent studying. Very little studying has occured this break. CAG and some of her friends were going down to the lake cottage again and she invited me up. What was supposed to an afternoon/evening visit was more an overnight and then some visit. What can I say, I like riding in boats, getting free food and free alcohol during these visits! I managed to get some sun to darken my pasty whiteness. The night was spent watching illegal fireworks go up across the lake, teaching CAG about auto racing (NASCAR isn't my thing, but I knew more about it than she did), chocolate martinis, cards, watching boats break the no-wake rules at night, and roaring campfires (the copper pipe in the middle produced a nice green flame).

At least my leg didn't whack CAG in the head this year on a tube. I just didn't want to end up in the lake again. We had so many people in the cottage I was on a rather narrow yet surprisingly comfy foldable cot and the CAG was on the couch. Between the dawns early light, her snoring, early boaters, her snoring, the partly ending only at 2:30 in the morning, her snoring I didn't get much sleep. I'm very jealous of people that can fall asleep within minutes and can sleep though almost anything. I require quiet and darkness. I'm hoping the people don't keep shooting off fireworks too late tonight.

Anyone else find it amusing when rednecks shoot roman candles at each other? Negligence is a wonderful thing to watch others do.

Once A Marine, Still A Marine

This dude served in Viet Nam and is just now retiring! Damn! Semper Fi Master Sgt.

Boom, Big Boom!

With Justice Sandra Day O'Connor retiring who thinks the Senate will implode this summer when the confirmation hearings get going? What a shame the process has become so political. I wouldn't doubt some potential nominees saying, "screw that I'm not running that gauntlet of doom!"

For the Supreme Court I want legal brainiacs who are fair and just. I want justices that decide cases on the merit. I also want justices who are brief and to the point when writing their opinions (glaring at Scalia).

I know how to avoid the coming Armageddon and make some money for the federal government at the same time (pay per view is so useful at times). I'll give you some hints: President Bush on one side, Senator Teddy Kennedy on the other side, two lightsabers and one big cage.

What Slanguage Are You?

Yet another useless, yet someone amusing, quiz. I'll be honest and admit I've never heard of most of these terms.

Your Slanguage Profile

Southern Slang: 50%

British Slang: 25%

Canadian Slang: 25%

Prison Slang: 25%

Aussie Slang: 0%

New England Slang: 0%

Victorian Slang: 0%

What Slanguage Do You Speak?

I Want To Live WHERE!?!?!

The Center of Power. That must be it. That explains it. Okay I'm a tad shocked by the results. Most of these are in the South. I like the South, but I really don't like the weather there. Ummm...I'll need to play with the answers a bit.

American Cities That Best Fit You:

65% Washington, DC

60% Austin

55% Atlanta

55% San Francisco

50% Boston

Which American Cities Best Fit You?