b/c michael did

take the WHAT BAD BOOK ARE YOU test.


and go to mewing.net. not as good as reading a good book, but way better than a bad one.

TV choices

As I've mentioned before on this blog, during law school, I watch a lot of tv. Recently, not as much. But, usually, when I do turn on the tv, I can't turn it off. When I turn the tv on to surf, this is usually the order of the channels : VH1, E!, Comedy Central, the L word (on demand) (so, showtime), and if necessary, MTV. I've realized after living in close quarters with people that usually they have a few channels that they would call their staples. When I lived with Doug, he would always watch the National Geographic channel or the discovery channel or other science things. When Kirk comes over (to use me for my cable...) he always watches the history channel, the military channel or VH1 classic rock.

Our tv choices reflect what we like, what we want to know about, what is easy for us to absorb or what entertains us.

So, last night, my friend Kim called me to tell me about this show on BET called College Hill. It's a lot like the real world, except it takes place on HBCU campuses (HBCU = Historically Black Colleges and Universities). I think that I may have blogged about this but in case not, at the beginning of the summer, I had no idea what an HBCU was. I knew there were all-black colleges, Howard being the most famous. But an acronym? I had no idea. I felt racist and ignorant.

Kim called me to tell me about College Hill and to let me know that it shows what an HBCU is like to attend (although she gave me the disclaimer that like any reality tv show, its exaggerated and over-drama-filled). I thought it was so thoughtful that she called me and I was excited to watch. But, I had to ask her...wait, what channel is BET?

Now, don't get me wrong. I hardly know any channels. I know that MTV is 24, I know that I watch Jeopardy on 12. I think VH1 is around 44 and E! is like 56. But all the other channels, I know "around" where they are. True, like what cell phones does for friends' numbers, cable television does for channels: you never have to remember anything anymore. I remember there was a time in my life when I had the whole tv guide (that paper book that comes out weekly) memorized. My mom would show my (pathetic) knowledge off to her friends. Still, I had no idea where to even look for BET. Kim told me it was channel 77 and hung up the phone. Maybe she didn't notice, but my ignorance irked me (is this subconscious racism or was I subconsciously taking advantage of my privileged status b/c "white" channels are all over the tv...we don't have to turn to 77 if we don't want to...). I felt uncomfortable.

Anyway, I watched College Hill and like all bad-yet-so-good television, I'm addicted. As I said, it's like the Real World. Except there is a much more addicting characteristic because you get to see these people's real lives. They aren't in some random city, they are at their college. So, you get to see one character trying to balance his life on the show with basketball practice; one person in the band (or dancing?); one person always with a book on her bed... Oh wait, and everyone in the house is black except for one guy who is white (and who loves ninja turtles stuff). The girls say, though, despite him being Caucasian, he has a lot of flavor.

I guess this is season three of College Hill (...which again makes me feel awkward b/c I only heard about it last night...). But, I definitely know that it will turn into a bad (yet satisfying) habit.

IT'S MY LAST SPRING BREAK!!! (unless I ever fulfill those dreams of being an economics professor...)

It's spring break. I should be excited, right? Instead, I'm nervous. I plan to go job searching in Philadelphia and pretend that I'm a student at Temple, Penn and Villanova and steal their job postings.

So with all my pent-up anxiety, I might as well vent about a few things that I don't like (i haven't done that in quite awhile...or, at least, not on this blog).

1. I hate how there are no fun tools to play with on the Safari version of blogger. I know that there is Camino (the Mac version of Firefox) but I want tools and I want Safari and I want them together. Don't get me wrong. I love Firefox. But, I find that Safari matches most things that I like about Firefox. It has the cute little icons next to the url. It filters out most pop-ups. It has Tabs (although I prefer non-tabs). Camino just doesn't do it for me. For some reason, its slower to connect (maybe that's my f'd up internet connection); it always remembers my passwords and its so annoying to change usernames... So, can Safari just bring forth the cool tools like bold, underline, easy hyperlinks (so i don't have to remember that long a href... thing???)

2. Friends hating Friend's enemies: I have mixed feelings about this because I am a big fan of loyalty. And, since this situation came up a few times this month, I decided that I have to figure out where I draw my own line.

Here is the hypothetical situation that induced my line drawing:

Blackacre is close friends with Whiteacre. Whiteacre and Greenacre hate each other with a passion. Somehow Blackacre becomes friends/acquaintances with Greenacre without knowing about Whiteacre and Greenacre's feud. Whiteacre would like Blackacre to hate Greenacre just as much as Whiteacre does. Blackacre now has to make a decision about each of the friendships.

[There are also variations to this. Maybe only Whiteacre hates Greenacre but Greenacre is indifferent or likes Whiteacre. Or, maybe Blackacre and Greenacre were acquaintances first. But you catch my drift.]

In my monthly study, I have decided that most of the time any disagreements, such as the one between Whiteacre and Greenacre, are merely misunderstandings blown out of proportion. Usually, if Blackacre thought that Greenacre was a cool person, Greenacre probably is still a cool person and Blackacre should just be cordial to all parties. Blackacre may want to express their choice of action with Whiteacre so Whiteacre doesn't think that Blackacre is going behind their back, but Whiteacre should respect Blackacre's need for neutrality. I think that is all a part of growing up. And you can't hate everyone.

Which brings me to #3....

3. People who hate other people for no reason. B/c usually the hated people are the coolest people around (and pull together awesome symposiums) and the others are just jealous.

4. People who expect things (e.g. reviews of their mixed cd) and get angry when they don't get them but don't give those things (in return or preemptively).

5. lastly, with all this venting, I will fess up about something that I hate about myself. I hate how I irrationally hate people. Although facially this may conflict with #3, I irrationally hate people who I don't know, will never know, and will probably never see again. For example, this extreme hatred fills up in me when I am in a hurry (or an irritable mood) and employees (at let's say Panera or Quiznos or Gus Miller's Shop) are slow when giving me back change or dealing with customers in front of me OR when those customers in front of me are slow with counting their precise change or deciding what they want to order (er, I realize that I do this too when I am not in a hurry......(See: Things I Don't Like #4)...which makes my hatred no less extreme but all the more irrational). This hatred swells when people on the bus rush to get the seat of someone getting off and then block the whole aisle so the people behind them can't get off OR at the bus driver if the bus isn't on time.

I would say that I've learned how to better cope with my irrational hatred in the past year but still, can a girl lighten up a bit?

The New Craze. And I'm not talking about Podcasts.

But I will briefly note that I really like Slate's Podcasts (especially the one about VH1). Usually less than fifteen minutes, they are perfect to catch up on current events on the bus ride to work or home from school. I also appreciate the videopodcasts. I've taken to catching up on all of my Strongbad e-mail videos (bad habit). Except (sorry if I've mentioned this already) but can apple increase the battery power on the Generation 5 iPods?

No, but back to my point. The new craze. Maybe its just my new craze but I'm obsessed with flavored water. I'll admit, I wasn't a big fan when it first came out but now? You can definitely catch me chugging down Fruit(subscript2)0 or Flavor Splash Aquafina anyday of the week. True, it kinda leaves a weird citrus-y feeling in the back of my throat (almost like I'm going to puke) but I just can't stop. And (contrary to popular belief?) I'm not the only one.

Some brief points about flavored water. Do NOT get it confused with plain ol' sparkling water (imho, ick!) or Clearly Canadian (or any fruit soda for that matter. My personal favorite? Fresca. Yum.) This is no replacement for them. Instead, it's water sans bubbles plus Splenda-induced "fruit flavor". Delicious.

Shooting Range. Been there, done that.

Yes. For the first time in my life today, I held a hard metal killing machine and shot not one, not two, but about ten bullets. I was terrified. I almost fainted (no joke). But I was fascinated.

This has been something that I've wanted to do for awhile. Not just because Logan on Veronica Mars did it. Maybe it's the whole ex-boyfriend's dad was a cop thing or maybe it's the new boyfriend shoots cans in his backyard thing. Maybe it's not even a trying to impress my boyfriend thing. Maybe it's because I am a weakling and I need to see if I could protect myself. Maybe it's a remnant from the good ol' suicidal days of past. Maybe I did it for the story. Maybe I did it because I'm all anti-violence, anti-gun but maybe the rush, the power is where it's at (you can't knock it until you try it, right?).

Nope, the truth is I'm a bargain hunter (pun intended). Tonight, like all Tuesday nights, was Ladies' Night and I got to shoot for free.

Anyway, Anthony Arms (as it was called) was out in the middle of nowhere (by my standards at least) by this outdoor mall thing and the county airport (where, by the way, Alcoa has its own hanger). You walk in and see animals who have seen the taxidermist, guns, camoflage vests and signs not to bring a loaded gun inside. Whoooohoooo. Talk about walking outside of your comfort zone.

The shooting range was downstairs. There, me and kirk and joe and margo got a quick lesson on how to shoot. We picked our guns, waived all of the shooting range's liability in case we shot our finger or another guest, signed our initials to affirm we weren't drunk or high, and got earmuffs and eye protection.

We walked to lanes two and three and posted our target (unfortunately just a large sheet of paper with five bullseye-type figures...there were "armed robber" targets but we would've had to splurge $2 for them...Kirk said in his hometown the shooting range has Hillary Clinton targets...luckily Pittsburgh is a democratic hick's paradise).

OMG the shots were loud! I was so scared, so nervous i would fuck up. so nervous I would come back without a finger (damn all those warnings about "the kick" and how the back of the gun (the slide??) would shoot out at my finger so I had to keep my hands low...). But I did fine (I took it slow and mostly stood around and watch everyone else shoot...). I shot three times with a .22 caliber. The first time I had them only load one bullet. The second time Joe made me do two ("I wouldn't get the feeling until I shot repeatedly...). The third time I finished 'em off (again, pun intended)...but there were only seven left. (Margo was trigger happy, it was so cute!). I wouldn't shoot the 9 mm. The bullet cases (right word?) were flying everywhere and it seemed hard to handle (too much kick). (I love all this new gun terminology).

The best part was looking at all of the other shooters. You know, the people who brought their own guns. Or the grandfather teaching his daughter how to shoot a 45 with one hand, then following her bullets with binoculars (wtf?!?!?!?!). (He also had stickers to cover up the bullet holes so he could re-use a target and he was marking the target with a red marker...i'm not sure why). There was also an older couple - I guess shooting is a cute date thing - and a dad with his two high-school/college-aged sons.

Also, I decided my favorite gun. Or, at least, my favorite genre. I *love* the "lady" guns. For example. How cute.

Watch out world.

physical signs

i must be stressed out due to my lack of secured employment for next year. You want proof? For the past two mornings, I've woken up and my jaw kills!!!

i may be like heroin (you know, so passe)

but i can't help but be intrigued.

okay, okay, two weeks later and I actually sent out my music monsters cd!! since (i think) only one (maybe 2) music monsters read my blog, I'll post my new track list.

Wait, maybe I should back up and explain what music monsters is. completely stolen from a law school friend named Jill, I asked 12 or so of my friends from across the country to join a group called Music Monsters. We each are assigned a month and we make "playlists" (er, the hardcopy that we send to each other...but, no, no copyright infringement here! :-)) for each other.

For our group, I tried to pick friends who I know have different tastes in music - early pop/rock (Big Star), popular indie rock (Wolf Parade), hip-hop (er...this person hasn't sent their cd yet so...um, Gang Starr??), dance/mash-ups (neither has this person), jam bands (String Cheese Incident). I've gotten some pretty awesome mixes of music that I would have never picked out for myself. Plus, its pretty cool because even the songs that I do know, its still a part of this compilation that I would have never created on my own.

I love how each music monsters compilation is completely individual. There has been awesome album art. Funny titles. The whole deal.

This is my second time sending out a cd because out of our group of 12 only about 6 have actually sent cds so far. I felt as the group motivator (?) i needed to re-send a cd to get people motivated. Its hard work to send a cd - people are worried about it being "perfect" (whatever that means). Its annoying to burn 12 and (for me) more annoying to get over to the post-office. But as one person said - when you get a cd in the mail, its like Christmas!

Here is my newest track listing (for my second cd, I didn't include any album art...just plain and simple). (sorry Kiren (and maybe Matt, Erik, or Carol) for the spoiler...but you'll get it in the mail soon enough!!!)

1. Wake Up Boo! - The Boo Radleys
2. Eple - Royksopp
3. Enjoy Your Worries, You May Never Have Them Again - the Books
4. Crimson and Clover - Tommy James and the Shondells
5. Coin-Operated Boy - the Dresden Dolls
6. Jaded - the Mommyheads
7. I Love My Leather Jacket - The Chills
8. E.M.P.T.Y. - The Clientele
9. What Led Me to This Town - The Jayhawks
10. The Way Life is Supposed to Be - Bob Schneider
11. Beelines to Heaven - Garageland
12. Here She Comes - Slowdive
13. Ladies and Gentlemen, We are Floating in Space - Spiritualized
14. Some Girls - Rachel Stevens
15. Nobody's Perfect - Dios

Enjoy!!

this post is for Kiren

spring break plans

i just bought two tickets for the *sold out* show in Philadelphia!

i hope eBay is as trustworthy as the commercials say it is.

goddamn my fetish with witty republicans

Like my friends who have recently quoted to their favorite case...this one has a soft spot with me because my first year brief was about the Pledge of Allegiance case (Newdow) and, of course, i had to add the obligatory reference to the Lemon test.

Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free Sch. Dist., 508 U.S. 384 (1993).

Scalia's dissent:

As to the Court's invocation of the Lemon test: Like some ghoul in a late-night horror movie that repeatedly sits up in its grave and shuffles abroad, after being repeatedly killed and buried, Lemon stalks our Establishment Clause jurisprudence once again, frightening the little children and school attorneys of Center Moriches Union Free School District. Its most recent burial, only last Term, was, to be sure, not fully six feet under: Our decision in Lee v. Weisman, 505 U.S. 577, 586-587, 120 L. Ed. 2d 467, 112 S. Ct. 2649 (1992), conspicuously avoided using the supposed "test" but also declined the invitation to repudiate it. Over the years, however, no fewer than five of the currently sitting Justices have, in their own opinions, personally driven pencils through the creature's heart (the author of today's opinion repeatedly), and a sixth has joined an opinion doing so....

The secret of the Lemon test's survival, I think, is that it is so easy to kill. It is there to scare us (and our audience) when we wish it to do so, but we can command it to return to the tomb at will....When we wish to strike down a practice it forbids, we invoke it...; when we wish to uphold a practice it forbids, we ignore it entirely.... Sometimes, we take a middle course, calling its three prongs "no more than helpful signposts".... Such a docile and useful monster is worth keeping around, at least in a somnolent state; one never knows when one might need him.

Scalia's favorite movie.