Good Morning Mr. Buttafuco.

I'll admit I didn't anticipate this one. The last time a high school junior flirted with me I was in college. Back then it was a good feeling. Today it creeped me out a bit. When I was only 3 or 4 years older it was fine to have a pretty young thing flirt with me. When she's around half my age the Danger Will Robinson signs flail away!

First I loudly proclaim I didn't encourage this at all. I'm just going over the worksheet. Afterwards the class is working on a computer assignment. It was an advanced class so several students finished early. I like to chat with the advanced classes as they're very interesting kids. She's fascinated with me. We just talk about various class subjects. She's hoping to study in Germany next year so we talk about what I've seen there. Then she asked some what I thought were harmless personal questions: how long had I been teaching, what school did I go to, what was law school like, was I married. After a few minutes I'm noticing the awkward smile and giggle that many women do when they're interested in someone but not wanting to let the other person know they're interested in them.

I had two conflicting thoughts at that point. One, oh please I don't need this situation. Two, I'm rather flattered to be honest. An tall, intelligent woman with a sense of humor and cute smile was interested in me as a guy. Why couldn't she be a few years older?

Then to seal my suspicion she came to me during my lunchroom supervision duty. I think it was my power tie. Just my personal opinion.

Send In Agents Mulder And Scully

Or just send Scully here and Mulder there.

"Bigfoot" fever has dominated Malaysian newspaper headlines
for several weeks now, with several dramatic sightings of a hairy, gorilla-like
creature reported in the thick forest in the southern state of
Johor.

One local man said he saw a 10-foot (three meter) tall ape
standing on two legs beside a river, according to one report.

I'm betting something it out there. What do you think?

Making Lemonade Out Of Lemons.

I hate that phrase. I understand the spirit about it. I simply find the phrase quaint. However I'll try to apply the spirit of the phrase to what happened. I had big plans for Friday night. I had been looking forward to those plans all week. In some ways I've been looking forward to these plans for several months. Yet once again, for the third time, due to events beyond my control those plans were cancelled. AGAIN! Though understanding of the situation because it wasn't anyone's fault I wasn't happy. Okay I'm still not happy.

I tried to make the best out of a bad situation so I'll tell you what I ended up doing Friday.

• I took a nap. Thanks to antibiotics I'm feeling much better, but I've been needing naps all week. Fighting bronchitis is a bitch.
• I had dinner with the parental units. I got to see how sick my own father was. I did get to eat free pizza so I consider this mission accomplished.
• Play with the dog. Who doesn't like playing with the dog?
• Watch the entire SciFi-Friday. Who can resist the cheesy dialouge and explosions of both Stargate series? Battlestar Galactica is simply the best drama on television currently. Who knew Apollo could be a badass?

Yes my personal life sure is exciting. A nap, free pizza, dog play, and cable TV is the highlight of my existence for a Friday night. Yes, my life is truly pathetic.

Challenger 20 Years Later.

Is it really 20 years later? I just remember it too well. I remember watching the video reply of the fireball and watching the solid rocket boosters continue on. I remember President Reagan giving his speech on TV. I remember watching the boats find debris. I remember just like yesterday.

Can one of the seminal events of my lifetime already be 20 years later?

Here Comes The Sun!

You Are Sunshine

Soothing and calm You are often held up by others as the ideal But too much of you, and they'll get burned You are best known for: your warmth Your dominant state: connecting

What Type of Weather Are You?

The Trial Of Ron Artest

After months of negotiations the Indiana Pacers are finally rid of the traitorous bastard Ron Artest. Sacramento he is your problem now! However I don't believe he should have been traded. I'm tired of cry-baby, it's all about me, overpaid athletes. They need to remember they're just playing a game. I think we should have put Ron Artest on trial!

*cue harp music and flashback clouds*

Pacers President and CEO Donnie Walsh in an afro and dark suit: "Larry, how was your trip to Europe?"
Larry Bird, President of Basketball Operations also in a dark suit: "Oh man it was so wild! You know they got the same things there we got here, but it's the little things that are different."
Donnie Walsh: "Oh like what?"
Larry Bird: "You know what they call a... a... a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?
Donnie Walsh: "They don't call it a Quarter Pounder with cheese?"
Larry Bird: "No man, they got the metric system. They wouldn't know what the fuck a Quarter Pounder is."
Donnie Walsh: "Then what do they call it?"
Larry Bird: "They call it a Royale with cheese."
Donnie Walsh: "A Royale with cheese."

Halftime Announcer: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! For your entertainment we will settle a longtime Pacer problem. We have with us tonight the Tribunal Of Sports Justice! Tonight, the Tribunal will finally conduct THE TRIAL OF RON ARTEST!!!

*crowd wildly cheers* Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh walk with a shackled Ron Artest. They stand before wooden platform. A robbed figure stands up to address the crowd.

"Good evening. I'm NBA Commissioner David Stern, to my left is NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, and to my right is MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. Tonight we are convened as the Tribunal Of Sports Justice. This Tribunal will decide the matter of Ron Artest."

Ron Artest: "I want to speak to my agent!"
David Stern: "Mr. Artest, this tribunal has rules and ways of operating. You will not speak unless spoken too. The charges against you are the following. Count One: Believing there is an I in Team. Count Two: Destroying the season of your teammates for 2 years with your reckless thoughts and actions. Count Three: Denying Reggie Miller as shot at the NBA Championship. Count Four: Being distracted by your hobbies to the point it degraded your ability to play. For example, being a rap singer, being a music producer, etc. Count Five: being a traitorous bastard to your team by demanding a trade in public before you even spoke to management. Count Six: for being completely wacko. How does the defendant plead?"

Ron Artest: "I'm not guilty. Do I get a lawyer?"
David Stern: "Yes, this Tribunal has found the best lawyer available who was willing to take your case." *cue transporter hum as William Shatner appears out of the sparkling lights*
"Denny Crane here your honors."

Ron Artest in disbelief: "Dude you're some over the hill actor on his third comeback. You ain't a lawyer!"
"Shut up I'm Denny Crane. I may have mad cow disease, but I'm still the best lawyer in Boston. At least this costume is better than some old spandex outfit I remember wearing. If you wanted someone younger like Alan Shore he's busy prosecuting Ra."
Ron Artest mumbles how he got himself into something like this. It wasn't his fault.

David Stern: "The first witness shall be Reggie Miller." Crowd erupts in applause.
Reggie Miller: "When Ron went into the stands at Detroit, it ruined my last chance to get a championship ring. The Pacers were a contender that year until he lost his temper."
David Stern: "Thank you Reggie. Mr. Shatner what defense do you plea?"
William Shatner stands up, tugging his suit jacket: "Denny Crane! I think my client has mad cow disease like I do. Nothing more needs to be said." He quickly sits back down.

David Stern: "This tribunal has heard enough. We're ready to reach a verdict. What is your judgment Justice Selig and Justice Tagliabue?"
Bud Selig: "GUILTY!"
Paul Tagliabue: "GUILTY!"
David Stern: "I find the defendant, Ron Artest, GUILTY! The penalty shall be carried out immediately. For the crime of believing there is an I in TEAM, the penalty is execution."

Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird unholster their 9 mm handguns and immediately empty their clips into the condemned.

David Stern: "This tribunal is finished with this matter. We shall adjourn until next week in Philadelphia to adjudicate the matter of Terrell Owens. This body is adjourned."

Donnie and Larry start dragging the body off the half court.
Donnie Walsh: "What do they call a Big Mac?"
Larry Bird: "Well, a Big Mac's a Big Mac, but they call it le Big-Mac."
Donnie Walsh: "Le Big-Mac. Ha ha ha ha. What do they call a Whopper?"
Larry Bird: "I dunno, I didn't go into Burger King."

*cue harp music*

Please note that as an attorney I'm all for due process. Any matters concerning professional athletes should go before the proper authorities, not crazed fans. If you're reading this blog the odds are you're not a proper authority. Please note Ron Artest was not harmed in the posting of this blog. I wish him all the best luck in Sacramento as he'll likely screw up within a year. Remember I AM NOT advocating any harm against any professional athletes. Thank you.

Oh But I Don't Understand Latin Terms!!!

Ummmm....I guess this sounds right. What do you all think?

You are "Noscitur a socii"! You look to neighboring words to shed light on the
meaning of ambiguous words. You're a sociable canon, and always look at everything
in context. However, you're useless by yourself.


Which Canon of Statutory Construction are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

The People's Agenda

Okay a bit late to post this but I forgot. Sorrrwe!!!!!

The People's Agenda is tonight from 7 to 8:30. Go to the Statehouse and make the elected officials listen to you for once. I understand we get to be in those comfy leather chairs. I wonder if I can bring a camera.

It appears you need to register, but the link to the Indy Star article explains that.

The downside is I'll need my Dad to TiVo NCIS for me. I need Agent Gibbs to smack Tony upside the head again.

Someone Just Build A Friggin' Parking Garage.

Concerning the use of eminent domain: if the new stadium requires so much parking why not just build a parking garage instead of taking a 70 year old business? Seems far more space efficient to me especially for a near downtown location.

Foursomes

Swiped from Elaine McPan. I did this one on my own sweet time.

Four Jobs You've Had:

1) Pizza Delivery Driver. "If all the other pizza delivery stores don't deliver to that neighborhood shouldn't we take it as a hint that we shouldn't?" Going through the worst neighborhood in our area with a pocket full of change was a beacon to predators. Cha-ching, cha-ching, it was like putting a bell on a cow in the middle of a wolf pack.
2) Hardees Grill Cook. This has the honor of being my very first job after high school. Everyone should work in fast food once. That way you vow to make sure you have enough skills to NEVER go back to such a job again. How much are they hiring for now anyway?
3) Senior Configuration Technician a.k.a. Computer Builder. The mandatory overtime got old when I never had a weekend off for a year, but I got to play with the latest and greatest toys for a bit. “Hey what’s this Windows 95 crap? Looks like a Mac!” “Damn Macs, just ship it!”
4) Computer Helpdesk. I was so good at this job I could never get promoted. Being laid off and then returning to the exact same job for worse hours and less money was the final straw to quit and go to law school. I could reset network passwords for only so long.

Four Movies You Could Watch Over and Over: You can't force me to name only four movies!

1) The Replacement Killers. Chow Yun Fat kicked ass in this movie. Mira Sorvino isn't bad either.
2) Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The ultimate Arrrnuld movie. So many explosions so little time.
3) Super Troopers. So....very....funny. “We're already pulled over man, we can't pull over any more!”
4) Army of Darkness. "Are all men from the future loud mouthed braggarts?" "Nope, just me baby, just me."

Honorable mentions must go to Batman Begins, Ghostbusters, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Gladiator, Spaceballs, and The Truth About Cats and Dogs.

Four Places You've Lived:

1) Indianapolis
2) West Lafayette, Indiana.
3) Ummmmm I'm pretty stable that way I guess.
4) Does 6 weeks in Lille, France count? I was taking summer legal classes through our European program.

Four Places You've Been on Vacation:

1) Seattle, Washington. I did Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens volcanoes as well.
2) Portland, Oregon. I did the Pacific Coast Highway, Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge on that trip.
3) Hawaii. Oh that sounds so good right now.
4) London, England with sidetrips to Stonehenge, Ashbury, Loch Ness. I can do a lot on a vacation when I'm by myself. Whirlwind Tours is my name.

Four Websites You Visit Daily:

1) Confessions Of An Exhausted Mind. I'll admit a shameless plug, but with my eccentric view on things this should be a commonly visited site.
2) Yahoo. My portal for news, insane group commentary, and web searches.
3) Autoblog. My hourly fix on news, rumors, and half-truths within the automotive community.
4) I need a fourth website here that I'm willing to admit to.

Four of My Favorite Foods:

1) Pizza. Pepperoni and sausage please.
2) Steak.
3) Peanut M&Ms.
4) Cheese...glorious cheese.

Four Albums I Can't Live Without: You can’t force me to ONLY 4 albums!

1) Metallica “Metallica” This one is commonly referred to as the Black Album. It made Metallica mainstream.
2) Gladiator/Batman Begins Soundtracks. These Hans Zimmer soundtracks have so much power to them. If you hear the music to the Germans attacking I’m likely into something very big at that moment like bar review.
3) Van Halen: 5150 for the Sammy Hagar era. 1984 for the Eddie Lee Roth era.
4) Queensryche Operation Mindcrime/Empire. The two disc high watermark to Geoff Tate’s operatic singing.

Honorable mentions for Meatloaf: Bat Out Of Hell, Elvis: 30 #1 Hits (Hail to the King baby!), soundtracks to BTVS, Smallville, The Wraith Of Khan, Star Wars/Empire Strikes Back, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Don Henly: Building The Perfect Beast, Dire Straights: Brothers In Arms

Four Places I'd Rather Be:

1) Puerto Rico
2) Crater Lake, Oregon
3) On a shooting range.
4) In a Skip Barber Driving school.

Four People to Tag With the Lists:

Most people have already been tagged so you get out of doing this unless you want to be a volunteer.

Health Insurance, What Health Insurance???

I've had the cough for almost a week now. I decided to visit a doctor after school. An Immediate Care center is near the school. I was in and out in 15 minutes. I've never gotten through a visit to the doctor in such record time. I spent more time waiting for the staff to process my paperwork than being diagnosed by the doctor. Bronchitis in case you wanted to know.

I now have prescription antibiotics going through my body. I only get 3 pills, but they worked great last fall. As long as I feel great by Friday I'll be happy. I'm getting a true understanding of the working poor now. It cost two and a half days pay to visit the doctor and get the pills.

The Most Boring Games Ever.

I didn't watch most of the conference championship games. The Steelers were on cruise control the first half and destroyed the Denver Broncos. I turned to the Seattle-Carolina game and saw Seattle was already up 2 TDs.

I'm glad I didn't watch because those had to be boring games. Denver and Carolina were never in them from the look of things. I hope the Superbowl is a closer game.

Must Resist Fist Of Death.

*Deep sigh* Yet another reason why I believe my law school is a third rate institution. I wanted to go to our online job board to see if anything new posted. The board had a new look to it. I entered my User ID and password, then selected some new button labeled "Alumni Job Seeker." To my shock I logged into something. I was at a registration screen of some kind. Why is this screen required? If I logged in I must be registered. I entered in my name, email address, and other required fields. I hit some submit button and got a happy message that I'll get an email within the next 3 days.

3 days?!?!

I want to see any job openings NOW! Does anyone else get the feeling that some of us get jobs in spite of the Office of Professional Development? Assuming any of us get jobs in the first place. What a shame I mailed back my "Do you have a job after 6 months Survey." In the comments field I could have left something interesting. I already checked the Not Employed Looking For Work option. I almost put in the comments field, "I went to law school and passed the bar to be a substitute teacher???" I almost put that. Perhaps I should have checked employed, but substitute teaching doesn't feel like employment to me. I'm so underutilized at the high school I'm thinking about going back to the middle schools.

DrunkenIrishMan was in town Saturday. I only got to see him for about 20 minutes, but he assured me to just keep on plugging along. He enjoys small firm life.

Oh well I haven't applied to the ads I found last week. Given my cold/flu I didn't want to type up any cover letters/emails at all. I'll work on that tomorrow. I may go to a clinic if I don't shake this annoying cough. Okay I'm just rambling at this point. Why am I so tired now?

EDIT 1-23-2006:
Less than 24 hours later I've been approved. One new job is in on the job board. Eh, whatever.

In Entertainment News This Week.

After 7 seasons The West Wing is being cancelled. Although this season has been pretty good it is time for the show to go. The past few years have seen a noticeable decline in quality. Besides in the real world you couldn't keep this group of people together for this long or through another year after an election. Executives say they decided to kill the show before John Spencer died of his heart attack in December.

On a more happy note new episodes of Veronica Mars start this week. Lucy Lawless will appear as an FBI agent tracking Duncan. Duncan appears to steal his baby after Meg's death. Cool. Maybe this was covered in Family Law II, but if the birth mother dies doesn't the birth father have a custody claim to the child anyway? Oh well no one said Hollywood writers were legally astute in the first place.

Confessions Poll: Daylight Saving Time In Indiana

Given all the squawk about Indiana finally observing DST and the Dept of Transportation allowing 8 more counties to switch from Eastern Time Zone to Central, you would think all hell has broken loose. Time for a poll then is what I'm thinking.

Concerning Daylight Saving Time Hoosiers are:
1. About to join the mid-20th Century.
2. Willfully obtuse.
3. Just plain stubborn.
4. Resistant to change.
5. Onto something here.
6. Moo!

Maybe one day I'll properly discuss DST, but right now the Anti-DST Cow Army** is mustering near Muncie and Bloomington for a full two pronged assault on the State Capitol. Obi-Wan Daniels you're our only hope now. Time to break out the samurai swords.*

* Gov. Daniels received several samurai swords on a recent trade trip to Japan.
** Way back in the past the reason the state didn't adopt DST was because someone said it would disrupt the cows. It didn't affect Wisconsin is my retort.

Confessions Poll: Does Chloe Die Next Week?

While I was in France Smallville was one of the few things on TV that I could follow. A nice little bit of Americana in the land of wine and cheese. I never bothered to watch the show before, but the plot is so simple I could follow along with French dubbing. Normally I prefer good plot or witty dialogue, but this proves I can go mindless with the best of them. Besides it was fun to watch Clark Kent discover new superpowers.

For the 100th episode next week we know SOMEONE MUST DIE! The question becomes who bite the dust. Let's go through the list.

Clark Kent - NO WAY! He becomes Superman later. Besides, his father said someone close to him must pay the price for his coming back to life. That's what you get for dying earlier in the season.

Lana Lang - NOPE! Redhead are nothing but trouble. However we know Miss Lang is alive in well with in the comic books. The TV show tries to mess with the general mythos as little as possible.

Lex Luthor - NADA! The arch-nemesis must live to become the superevil Lex we know and loathe.

Lionel Luthor - NYET! Lionel isn't close to Clark. His death wouldn't affect Clark at all. Although would Lex even shed a tear if dear old dad died?

Martha Kent - BAH! Ma Kent is alive in the mythos so she lives.

Jonathon Kent - This one is actually tricky. If you go with the past 20 years or so of comic books Pa Kent is alive and well. Not likely to die on Smallville. However, before Superman was revamped in the comics in the mid 1980s Pa Kent's death was something that motivated a young Clark to become Superman. You see this in the original Superman movie. Add to this the potential mess the new upcoming Superman Returns movie could generate and this has deathtrap written all over it. Jonathon Kent dying before his election to the State Senate. That would be DRAMA! The writers of Smallville aren't that good. Besides you can't keep a Duke boy down.

Lois Lane - NO WAY IN HELL! You know nothing is ever going to happen to Miss Lane. She has to marry Superman eventually.

Chloe Sullivan - Originally the Lois Lane type character until the chessy writers decided to bring in Lois Lane herself. Sadly with the addition of yet another female lead character our crusading blond news reporter got left out of more and more espisodes. Chloe knows Clark is an alien and has superpowers. They have a good support system going. The support system must go. For a boy to become an All-American superhero he needs to know pain. Killing his best friend who secretly loves him will be painful. I'm going to miss Allison Mack. I thought she was a decent actress.

Maybe the WB can get UPN's permission and have Kristen Bell play Veronica Mars on Smallville to solve the mystery of Chloe's death. Can she bring a few VM writers. They're much better. A blond must stay!

Oh How True.

"Vir, intelligence has nothing to do with politics". Londo Mollari

I See A Flaw In This Plan.

Me: Dad, can I borrow your digital camera for a few days? I want to take pictures of the fallen fence and broken shed. When I write to the board they'll see what I'm talking about.
Dad: Sure, I can do without it for a few days.

The pictures are great. I never realized I needed a cable to transfer the pictures to my computer. Dad didn't mention this either. Oh well.

I Didn't Need A Test For This. Where's the Maid of Honor?

I'm infected with some good germ/bacteria/microscopic death particle. Between a natural wooziness of my immune system and the OTC drugs I've taken my thought processes are muddy. Therefore you don't want any original thoughts from me today. Why does my head spin when I close my eyes? Please make it stop.

From the vast store of draft posts I present yet another useless quiz. However I did put in some commentary. Stolen and swiped a long time ago from that test taking fiend Robin again.

The Slow Dancer Deliberate Gentle Love Dreamer (DGLDm) Steady, reliable, and cradling her tenderly. Take a deep breath, and let it out real easy...you are The Slow Dancer. Your focus is love, not sex, and for your age, you have average experience. But you're a great, thoughtful guy, and your love life improves every year. [ED. I would love to see proof of that.] There's also a powerful elimination process working in your favor: most Playboy types get stuck raising unwanted kids before you even begin settling down. The women left over will be hot and yours [ED. or extremely bitter and incapable of opening herself up to a good relationship is what I've noticed a few times]. Your ideal woman is someone intimate, intelligent, and very supportive. While you're not exactly the life of the party, you do thrive in small groups of smart people. Your circle of friends is extra tight and it's HIGHLY likely they're just like you. You appreciate symmetry in relationships. ALWAYS AVOID: The Battleaxe CONSIDER: The Maid of Honor or The Sonnet Your exact opposite: The Hornivore Random Brutal Sex Master [ED. They seriously need a link to all the answers so I can find out what the hell that is so I can stay away from it. Sounds like very bad porn to me. Which begs the question is there such a thing as good porn? I didn't think so.] Link: The 32-Type Dating Test by OkCupid - Free Online Dating.

Roberts: The Friendlier Chief Justice

Sorry folks I'm out the door so no time for real blogging. The new Chief Justice seems to be acclimating himself just fine. He even cracks jokes and is friendly from the bench.

PS: someone please check the spelling of 'acclimating' while I'm gone.

WTF???

An analysis of the Colts-Steelers game: FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a waste! We earned it all and it was wasted. A 14-2 regular season record, a first round bye, home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and the team came out jittery and uncoordinated. Peyton's first few drives 3 and outs made me think we should load him up on a double shot of scotch to calm him down. His passes were wide, and I have no idea what routes the receivers ran. I think the penalty for off-sides should be renamed "Tarik Glenn." How do you commit an off-sides at HOME Tarik! Off-sides KILLS offensive drives.

As for the officiating crew, were they the Sunbelt Conference crew that officiated the Alamo Bowl between Michigan-Nebraska? Bad calls and no calls were the rule, not the exception with this crew. We needed Ed Hochuli for this game.

It was nice for the Colts defense to show up after the first 2 touchdown drives. Once they started to play the fans were hoping a Boy Scout with a compass could bring the lost offense out of the wilderness. Nick Harper had a great game considering his wife knifed his knee Saturday. How he was playing I have no idea. OTOH this defense couldn't stop the Steelers when the went into run-mode. "We'll surrender 4th down by 3 inches all day long," was the motto.

Mike Vanderjagt, the most accurate place kicker in NFL history. He could save the game with a 46-yard attempt at that last minute by sending the Blue into overtime. All could be forgiven if the game went into overtime. That ball was so wide right it disappeared off my TV screen.

FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I went through the 3-13 season. I went through 15 years of mediocrity. This was the team that had it all, an explosive offense that can has too many weapons to defend, with a top level defense capable of stopping the opposition when it matted most. This team just threw it all away. A few weeks ago we discussed what needs to be addressed at the draft and we didn't see any obvious needs. Now I'm thinking offensive linemen and a secondary.

What a waste.

Shelby RULES!

Swiped from my good buddy Legal Quandary. We have the same car no less. My old Mustang in high school and college was a piece of crap. Can I upgrade soon please?

You Should Drive a Ford Shelby Mustang Cobra

You have an extreme need for speed, even when you're not in a hurry.And while your flying by, you don't want to look like every other car on the road!

What 2007 Car Should You Drive?

London Bridge Is Falling Down.

I opened the blinds to my family room to let in some rare daylight. I wanted to enjoy the cup of coffee in the sunlight for a few seconds. My eyes wandered upon an unexpected scene. Why is my patio umbrella on the ground? Hold on. Why is my patio fence on the ground?

The investigation can wait until after I've done the dishes and my shower.

This Makes Me Sound Like Angel.

Okay if I'm like Angel then where is my Buffy...or Cordy...or that hot artist who turned into a giant fluffball?

You Have a Melancholic Temperament

Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything. You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life. You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you. Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace. You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life. Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times. At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you. You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others. You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.

What Temperment Are You?

I'm Not Weird, I'm Merely Polite On Some Of The Questions

Just for Frequent Citations, yet another quiz for her to swipe. I prefer the term idiosyncrasies anyway.

You Are 70% Weird

You're so weird, you think you're *totally* normal. Right? But you wig out even the biggest of circus freaks!

How Weird Are You?

State Of The State

Placeholder for commentary on last night's SOTS address. I need a floppy disk of all things to create the post. Don't ask. Please check back tonight to see.

If Steve Jobs Plugs It Will They Buy A Chrylser?

Apple-god-in-chief Steve Jobs gave a keynote address at MacWorld, the nervana of Apple lovers. He noted Apple sold 14 million iPod - in the last quarter! To end the iPod section of the address the Lord of the Mac noted, "For those of you that missed it at the Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler is the first American manufacturer to offer iPod integration on their models. In 2006 over 40% of the cars sold in 2006 will offer iPod integration."

Given the popularity of iPods [Ed. I don't own one and have no interest in one surprisingly] and the devotion of Mac lovers will Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep get a sales boost in the ultimate iPod accessory?

Could Elvis Sing This Love Song?

Your Heart Is Blue

Love is a doing word for you. You know it's love when you treat each other well. You are a giving lover, but you don't give too much. You expect something in return. Your flirting style: Friendly Your lucky first date: Lunch at an outdoor cafe Your dream lover: Is both generous and selfish What you bring to relationships: Loyalty

What Color Heart Do You Have?

Delurk Or Else.

Pic via Paper Napkin.

To "lurk" is to visit an online place (chatroom, web board, blog, etc) and not participate. Lurking isn't bad as you get a feel for the place before you comment. However someone made up National Delurking Week. Had I known about this Sunday it would have been more useful. Oh well.

Here's the point. If you visit Confessions please leave a comment. Just say hello. Leave a critique if you want. Post an idea for a topic. I love reader comments and ideas. I get near 80 visits a day. Once you factor out the Google searches for picture I'm sure 15 or so are real people. I need to email Google to get out of the caches. Add in the people who read me via Bloglines I might have 25 people a day visit me. Who are you? Are you old friends? Are you former classmates? Are you some random person who wondered down the virtual highway to here?

Regardless I need something to post about and hopefully your comments will give me good material to work with. I have ideas to post about, but I simply blogging apathetic right now. Perhaps your creative energy will spark my creative energy. So please delurk and leave a comment. Don't let them win.

Concept found at E. McPan's house.

I've Never Seen The Show So I Hope This Is Good.

I do have some excellent hair and I can sing Neil Diamond if required. "Sweet Caroline....BOM, BOM, BOM!!!!" You have to add the BOM, BOM, BOM to any good Neil Diamond song.

I'm A Wascally Wabbit!

Actually we already figured out I was a mule in a past life. It is the only thing that explains so much of the dredgery, relentless underappreciation, and outright abuse I've received over the years. OTOH the light nimble rabbit idea is a nice switch.

You Were a Rabbit

You are fast thinking and tend to live by your wits. Getting over fears is important to you, as is strengthening intuition.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

Outside The Judicial Mainstream.

Can we be honest here? That is a useless phrase. Watching every Democrat on the Sunday shows spouting the line put my head in a tizzy. The truth is no one a Republican president nominates for the Supreme Court will be liked by most Democrats. The reverse is likely true as well. That is politics. I can accept that to an extent. However Senator Charles Schumer can't be honest and say he'll never like anyone President Bush nominates. So he kept repeating the phrase "outside the judicial mainstream" as if the phrase meant something.

It doesn't. Sometimes you need to be outside the judicial mainstream. Dred Scott said it was okay and within the judicial mainstream to own black people as property. A civil war, a few constitutional amendments, and thinking outside the judicial mainstream thinking changed that. Plessy v. Ferguson created the seperate, but equal doctrine. I'm doubt most blacks, Indians, and Asians in the United States at the time thought they had equal opportunities seperate from white society. It took outside the judicial mainstream thinking in Brown v. Board of Education to allow racial integration of schools. Overruling precedent is often considered outside the judicial mainstream. So much for the concept of stare decisis.

Funny how suddenly the concept of being outside the judicial mainstream is a bad thing. Being an activist judge or thinking outside the judicial mainstream is bad when a result gets handed down you don't like. Such phrases are useless and have no meaning. Will Judge Alito, if confirmed to the Supreme Court, be a good justice? Talk about a loaded question! I guess it depends on what side of an issue you're on. To many people that criteria is the only one that matters.

It hate it when politics and political commentary mix with the law and the legal process. The results are never pretty.

Why Did Brian Put Himself In A Coma?

My brain was hyperactive due to the live coverage and commentary of NAIAS (Detroit Auto Show) on Autoblog. So much new hardware being unveiled is unnerving. So I'm in a coma to preserve my brain.

Once you get past some of the marketing speak you find some interesting tidbits on why a manufacturer designed a vehicle the way they did.

New Jeep Wrangler.
New Nissan Sentra.
New Dodge Caliber (not quite unveiled yet but will be this week).
New 50 state legal low sulfur Mercedes diesel engines.
New, new, new, new, new!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay I'm definitely going to the Chicago Auto Show in February to see/touch/steal all the shiny stuff.

Getting Rid Of School & Going Back Again.

This time as a teacher, not as a student. Three weeks off and I didn't even accomplish cleaning my place completely. Some of it was accomplished, but the dreaded living room looks barely touched. The family room and kitchen look not too shabby though. The upstairs...we're not going to mention upstairs.

At least I applied to a whopping 3 legal jobs this weekend. Perhaps someone will call in for an interview soon. The holidays are over and new budgets are known so no more excuses please.

In other oddly law school related news I finally deleted and reinstalled Windows on my poor old laptop. With over 3 years of junk removed it boots up fairly quickly now for a 800 MHz Centrino. I transferred my old notes, email address book, and pictures to my desktop. All that old email is deleted, but certainly don't need it anymore. Why keep email from a school I graduated from? I had the laptop "auto-learn" both batteries. Suddenly I have about 20 - 30% more capacity in them. Batteries often get used to a partial charge and believe they are fully charged. It took all day to get both batteries to unlearn and get fully charged, but it needed to be done. I wish I had performed this a year ago.

What am I talking about I've barely touched my laptop since I graduated! I need to clean and organize my desktop computer. Perhaps a job for next week.

I threw out my daily planner from last year. For 3 years I had everything written into those daily planners. I barely touched it since July. The lack of handwritten notes in the back half of the book was amazing to see. I hope I'll need a new one soon to keep track of things. Right now my life is very simple and unscheduled. It drives me nuts.

The Mini Traveler

I know I have a few Mini fans here. Pics of the new Mini Traveler concept debuting at the North America International Auto Show. I believe it'll be introduced next year for real.

Sheet Metal Drama

Since this city doesn't believe in a viable public transportation system the ability to have a reliable car to transport my sorry butt around is critically important. What was a one time occurrence of the Mighty Green Ranger not wanting to start unless I push started/popped the clutch has occurred multiple times now. It occurred in the airport parking garage after I saw someone off. It occurred New Years Eve in a Target parking lot. (I would like to thank the kind gentleman who offered to push and I scorn the two ladies going to the Church Van who pretended I didn't exist. The people involved in the potential drug deal I can live with them not helping me out.) After the second time in the shop it occurred 5 hours after getting a clean bill of health. (Mush Whumpa mush!)

My normally emotionally restrained facade let loose after Whumpa pushed the MGR to start up. I'm kicking a tire as I shout the F-bomb 20 or 30 times.

Whumpa: Tell me Brian how do you really feel?
Me (kicking tire again and dropping more F-bombs): When the Ranger finally dies I was going to light a huge bonfire to send it off to Valhalla. Now I'm tempted to just push the damn thing into a river and be done with it. Whumpa: You're right this is not the behavior of a warrior.

Now it is at a Ford dealership to see if they can figure out the mysterious intermittent starting problem. Where is Dr. House when you need him? Assuming I can get a job this year and not end up as a pizza delivery driver I hoped to not replace the MGR this year. I wanted to direct the paycheck to items I considered more important. This may no longer be a possibility. On the other hand I could still get a motorcycle and baby the MGR along for a year. The bike I want is only $7,000 and gets over 50 miles per gallon. The fact such an efficient form of transportation happens to be fun and women dig bikes are just fringe benefits.

The fact that is is Auto Show Season fires up my lust for new hardware. I attended the auto show in town after Christmas. Though Indy is a smaller, less important show it is what we have. The new Ford Fusions are surprisingly good. The top level SEL versions have a piano black interior finish that is amazing. Sadly Ford hasn't introduced a V6/manual tranny version yet. Also it is very difficult to find a 4 cylinder Fusion with a manual that isn't a stripped S version. Ford, like most manufacturers, assume that if you're wanting a stick shift you're just wanting to save money. The concept that someone would prefer to drive a stick is beyond most marketers. A top of the line 4 cylinder SEL version with a manual hardly exists; however, I know at least ONE exists. Stupid marketing types never show love to the enthusiasts like me. If you're in the market for a mid-sized sedan the Fusion offers something competitive with Accord/Camry/Sonata/6/Altima finally so give it a look and test drive.

I hoped to visit the Detroit Auto show (formally the North America International Auto Show) within the next 2 weeks. A few people expressed interest in going, but no firm plans have materialized. Though the concept cars are always cool I'm more interested in crawling through a compact hatchback of the soon to be introduced Dodge Caliber. Right now I say the best compact car under $20,000 is the Mazda 3. Thanks to an auto show I can crawl through both within a few minutes and really compare them. Yesterday I decided the Chicago Auto Show in February might be better to visit. It is half the distance and I have plenty of friends in the Chicago area I can stay with for an overnight visit. Besides it would be cool to go through an IKEA again.

Oh well I'm simply posting to let you know I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. I've just been a bit busy lately and didn't feel like blogging much. Too much I wish to talk about yet too little time. Have fun.

"I Don't Want My Children Exposed To Bad People"

That was a comment I received in a conversation with a woman when discussing education. She's well-to-do woman and had no faith in the public school system. I'll admit public schools do have some problems. Some public schools have more problems than others. Yet is was the way she said she didn't want her children exposed to "gangs, drugs, and guns" that make it sound like she didn't want her kids exposed to those riff-raff.

I politely, yet firmly, noted that children are children and our societal influences are everywhere. If she didn't think gangs, drugs, and guns were in every school then she was sadly mistaken. I felt her tone had a classism element to it, but I ignored it.

Why do I bring this up? With a sad sense of irony I saw this story online. It appears one 17 year old boy brought a 9 mm pistol to school. He sold it to a 16 year old classmate. Somehow school officials found the pistol in the 16 year old's SUV. He was expelled. The 17 year old is suspended for now. The Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident. Did this occur in the downtrodden Indianapolis Public Schools? Did it occur in one of the township schools? No, it occurred at Park Tudor, an elite private school covering K through 12 grades. The same school the woman sent her kids to.

I hope this woke her up a bit. I hope it shocked her assumptions about modern life. There are no completely safe places. Bad things can and do happen everywhere. Your family's money can buy good teachers and a well disciplined environment, but it might not buy good students and friends. Many students from poor families in the public schools want to learn. Some students want to be around drugs, guns, and gangs regardless of how much their parents earn. The best you can do is to be actively involved in your children's lives, but realize you can't protect them from everything.

Happy Birthday Dad

The old man is officially over the hill today. Hee hee hee. Now get out of the way Baby Boomers because you've screwed up Social Security and created huge budget deficits so Gen X and Y need to get in there to fix it.

Penn State FINALLY Wins The Orange Bowl.

If any of those kickers could have done their jobs right this game would habe been over 45 minutes ago. Oh well I'm going to bed.

Congrats to the Big 10 Champion Penn State Nittany Lions for winning the Orange Bowl. Joe Pa is back!

On A Sidenote...

What moronic TV executive decided to put a new episode of Surface against the Fiesta bowl? Aside from Ohio State's turnovers and inability to protect the punter from being blocked, it was a beautiful thing to see Notre Dame get their butt handed to them in yet another bowl it didn't deserve to be in. Yes Notre Dame won 9 games, but every victory they had was against teams that ended up with a minimum of 4 losses. They didn't deserve to be ranked 5th in the BCS.

The CAG called yesterday afternoon. She asked which team I would root for. I explained the rule stating you go with the Big 10 team in non-conference play. In a bowl game I will always root for Ohio State. One other thing it was nice to be right with her.

Me: I'm tired of Notre Dame always claiming they should be in the national championship hunt.
CAG: Oh like Ohio State is any better. When was the last time they were national champions?
Me: 3 years ago when they beat Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.
CAG: *Silence*

I'm still glad we don't play Ohio State next year. No need for my beloved Boilermakers to get their asses handed to them.

Which Simpson Are You.

Due to oversleeping and the extreme need of cleaning 4 rooms your regularly scheduled blog post is preempted. In the meantime this completely useless but funny quiz is shown. Regular posting will occur when the blogger feels like it.

I'm so glad I didn't test as O.J. or Ashlee or Jessica. I thought I would end up as Homer though. D'oh!.

It Would Have Been A Nice Birthday Gift.

Wednesday is my dad's birthday. He'll be among the first of the baby boomer generation that will destroy Social Security for the rest of us. Despite this I still love the old man so I attempted to get the hottest gift possible for his birthday: Colt's playoff tickets!

Mom was willing to chip in on the cost so I was willing to stand in line. I'm told over 900 people were in line at the RCA Dome. I figure around 40 people were in line at the Ticketmaster outlet I was at. They sold in 10 minutes and the 25 people in front of me just cleared out.

Oh well I guess I'll get the old man a movie pass or something.

Quit Whining About The Rain On Your Parade.

Given the amount of news coverage on the rain at the Rose Bowl parade you would think it was a catastrophic monsoon. So it hasn't rained on the parade in over 50 years. So what? This is known as a rain shower. They are fairly common in the Midwest. The only reason this is news and freaking out the people in Southern California is the fact they aren't used to water falling from the sky. Have you been in Los Angeles during a rain storm. Drivers go nuts and forget how to drive. Los Angeles is a desert. The only reason the city exists is because they steal half the water from the Colorado River and ship to their parched landscape.

What has been even more annoying is when you see the people on TV discussing their displeasure at the rain they appear to have the mentality of a god-given right to a sunny parade. Being in a parade during the rain isn't fun, but you can deal with it. I've marched in many a rainstorm. You just deal with it.

Now that is has rained on the parade we can stop hearing the useless stat of it not raining there for 50 years.

As for the Rose Bowl itself: Go Texas!