Procrastination

nonpretentious

2008-09-23T22:23:00.002-04:00

i'm a contributor!

see you on the dark side!!

nonpretentious.com is created by and made for (non)pretentious people who love:
culture, music, art, films, technology, magazines, politics, writing, science, comics, reading, organization, health, business, design, creativity, literature, sports, philosophy, mating rituals, & far too many other (non)obscure topics to list here.

it’s bringing together different people from different backgrounds writing on different topics. you can make your own identity & post on any topic you want. Unlike most blogs, nonpretentious.com is NOT subject specific (c.f. any of the gawker media blogs, IGN networks, etc.). it has the “staged” quality of the LonelyGirl phenomenon - people can pick a character and consistently write under that anonymous name. it also has the perk of being somewhat real…though, without faces, your writing DEFINES you.

think: part magazine, part personal diary, part virtual reality.

Questions? Feedback? Ideas? E-mail: editor at nonpretentious dot com.

new websites

2008-05-04T23:58:00.003-04:00

if you want to be argumentative, try this.

if you want to be creative & work your handmade-self, try this.

if you want to be involved in the philadelphia creative communities, try this.

if you want to read, read, read, and list, list, list, try this.

Will Post More

2007-08-06T22:24:00.000-04:00

I am going to start reposting. Welcome back, MJS!

My Celebrity Look-alikes2

2007-03-16T00:20:00.001-04:00

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

My Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-03-16T00:16:00.001-04:00

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

recommendations

2006-11-25T01:43:00.000-05:00

things i like a lot recently:

ulrich schnauss

singles (the movie)

any recommendations for me?

i passed!

2006-11-09T19:02:00.000-05:00

the NJ & PA bars and I'm gonna waive into DC.

anyone know what the CLE requirements are like in DC?

even my parents voted democratic (see: my second blog post ever)

2006-11-08T22:33:00.000-05:00

whoa

errrr...probably not fair use...

2006-10-29T22:02:00.000-05:00

this is not my best work (...sorta one of those..."gosh, i wish i had two more days" assignments...and now when i re-read it, i'm like "yikes, embarrassing...need to change that...") but...nonetheless, i really enjoyed copyright class...especially because it's so relevant. first, my assignment. then, a recent article on slate.com (...which is probably not fair use...but still interesting...)

To: Professor Madison
From: (deleted)
Date: May 8, 2006
Re: Codification of Secondary Liability for Copyright Infringement

Background: From the early 20th century secondary liability for copyright infringement has largely remained in the hands of the judiciary. Although Congress considered codifying secondary liability when creating the 1976 Copyright Act, it ultimately declined to do so, implicitly leaving the doctrine for the courts to develop. See H.R. Rep. 94-1476 § 106, 501 (1976). Currently, the Copyright Act still does not include secondary liability and, indeed, the doctrine is based upon common law theories. This memo addresses whether Congress should codify secondary liability at this time.

Discussion: To assume that the underlying confusion regarding secondary liability will disappear if Congress amends the Copyright Act to codify secondary liability neglects to appreciate the lessons taught by the codification of fair use. Fair use was a judicially created doctrine that Congress codified in the Copyright Act of 1976. Although Congress codified the minimum standards of fair use, the legislative history shows that it purposefully refused to create a static doctrine and instead used general terms. H.R. Rep. 94-1476 § 107 (1976). Therefore, the “facial emptiness of the statutory language [of fair use] means that alone, it is almost useless analytically….” Michael J. Madison, A Pattern-Oriented Approach to Fair Use, 45 Wm. & Mary L. Rev. 1525, 1563-64 (2004).
Likewise, a broad, statutory explanation setting forth the general elements needed to prove each theory of secondary liability for copyright infringement – contributory infringement, vicarious liability and active inducement – essentially would be superficial. These elements are already defined in the case law. (See Fonovisa, Inc. v. Cherry Auctions, Inc., 76 F.3d 259 (9th Cir. 1996) (defining the elements of contributory infringement and vicarious liability); MGM, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd., 125 S. Ct. 2764, 2779-2782 (2005) (defining the elements of active inducement)). What is less clear, as shown by the recent peer-to-peer cases, is how to apply the traditional elements to technology in the digital age.
Yet, the legislative history of the fair use statute shows Congress’ refusal “to freeze [that] doctrine in the statute.” H.R. Rep. 94-1476 § 107. Instead, Congress plainly defers to the courts, “especially during a period of rapid technological change.” Id. The same should be true for secondary liability.
More specific statutory language would also run the risk of failing to allow for a full analysis of secondary liability. To find secondary liability, one must first find direct infringement. The direct infringer must violate an exclusive right of the copyright owner. 17 U.S.C. § 501 (2000). The exclusive rights are subject to the limitation of fair use. Id. § 107. Therefore, one who is accused of secondary liability will have a defense to liability if the alleged infringing activity was a fair use.
For example, in Sony v. Universal City Studios, Inc., 464 U.S. 417 (1984), the Supreme Court introduced a safe harbor for contributory infringement. In determining whether Sony was liable for infringement carried out by users of its VCRs, the Court borrowed the “staple article” defense codified in the Patent Act and held that “the sale of copying equipment . . . does not constitute contributory infringement [i]f the product is [capable of] substantial noninfringing uses.” Id. at 442. (“the Sony defense”). Next, the Court analyzed whether time-shifting constituted a fair use, noting that the majority of the public used VCRs to copy television shows to watch at a later time. Id. at 424. The Court found this to be fair use and, thus, Sony was not held liable for contributory infringement due to the VCR’s substantial noninfringing use (“SNIU”). Id. at 456.
Again, a full analysis of secondary liability, especially where the Sony defense is applicable, is incomplete without a thorough fair use analysis. Yet, Congress has specifically assigned the courts “to adapt the [fair use] doctrine to particular situations on a case-by-case basis.” See H.R. Rep. 94-1476 § 107. In contrast, present patent law does not have a corollary fair use provision to protect. This is precisely why the Patent Act can so easily codify contributory liability, active inducement, and explicitly provide that a contributory infringer will not be held liable for the sale of “a staple article or commodity of commerce suitable for substantial noninfringing use.” 35 U.S.C. § 271 (2000). Patent law does not require a fair use analysis to see if a staple article is capable of SNIU.
Accordingly, the current uncertainty with secondary liability for copyright infringement is not so much rooted in the various theories themselves, but in the ambiguity surrounding the concept of a SNIU and the applicability of the Sony defense. The Court in Grokster indicated that the Sony defense, in the context of active inducement, could be used to limit “imputing culpable intent” from the characteristics or uses of a product. 125 S. Ct. at 2279. However, it did not address the underlying issue of what constitutes an SNIU, especially once the Grokster defendants stipulated direct infringement. Id. at 2772.
In addition, the two concurring opinions, written by Justice Ginsburg and Justice Breyer respectively, came to opposite conclusions on the existence of a SNIU and the evidence they considered, leaving the lower courts with little guidance. Justice Ginsburg found that the defendants’ products “were overwhelmingly used to infringe…and that infringement was the overwhelming source of revenue from the products,” and this was insufficient evidence to show reasonable development for SNIUs. Id. at 2786. She noted that there was “no finding of fair use and little beyond anecdotal evidence of non-infringing use.” Id. at 2785. On the other hand, Justice Breyer found that evidence of 10% non-infringing use was “substantial” enough for Sony to apply if there was a “foreseeable” chance for the development of other SNIUs. Id. at 2789.
Essentially, the difference between the two Justices seemed to hinge on how to interpret technological evidence, despite the lack of a fully developed record, as opposed to how to interpret the elements of secondary liability. Therefore, the Court does not need Congressional guidance as to theories of secondary liability. Rather, it needs fully developed lower court records to determine what constitutes an SNIU in the digital age.
Conclusion: While Congress is in the best position to further explore the implications of copyright protection in the digital environment, it would be premature to codify secondary liability. Understandably, current case law is not entirely clear. Still, it provides some guidelines for technology companies to structure themselves to avoid secondary liability, thereby not completely chilling innovation. The peer-to-peer cases, arguably, show technological innovations due to the copyright constraints. In contrast, copyright owners are not assured a monopoly in an unrelated market, especially when a defendant can show the SNIUs of its product. Thus, copyright owners have an incentive to protect their rights through other means such as password protections or watermarking. Without codifying secondary liability, there will also be more risks to litigation for unclear cases of direct infringement. Most importantly, the cases give an incentive for the public to come forth and show its SNIUs of technology. Accordingly, this uncertainty provides incentive for all interested parties to achieve the precise balance that the Copyright Act seeks to achieve in the marketplace as opposed to in the legislature.

________

How the Bell Lobby helped midwife YouTube.
By Tim Wu
Posted Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006, at 4:28 PM ET
When Google bought YouTube, the conventional wisdom—expressed in op-eds, newspaper articles, and scary editorial cartoons—was that they'd also bought themselves a whole heap of copyright trouble. The New York Times used the phrase "litigation-laden landmine." Part-time copyright theorist Mark Cuban warned that YouTube would face the same copyright fate as Napster.
There's only one problem with these theories: the copyright law itself. Under the copyright code, YouTube is in much better legal shape than anyone seems to want to accept. The site enjoys a strong legal "safe harbor," a law largely respected by the television and film industries for the choices it gives them.
But the most interesting thing is where all this legal armor protecting YouTube—and most of the Web 2.0 (user-generated content) industry—comes from. It's the product of the Bell lobby—Google's bitter opponent in the ongoing Net Neutrality debates. So, while YouTube may be the creative child of Silicon Valley, it is also, as much, the offspring of Bell lobbying power.
Back in the early 1990s, when the "information highway" was the talk of the town, Hollywood and the recording industry worked hard to make Internet companies responsible for any and all copyright infringement that happened via the Internet. Jack Valenti, Hollywood's chief lobbyist, warned that without congressional action, "the information superhighway … will collapse the great wonder of intellectual property." The recording industry, for its part, dispatched Johnny Cash to rhetorically link Internet piracy and, yes, a "ring of fire."
This summer, Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, earned the bemused contempt of geeks everywhere when he described the Internet as "a series of tubes." But back in 1995, Hollywood was insisting that the Internet be characterized as "a bookstore." And a bookstore, unlike a series of tubes, breaks the law if it "carries" pirated novels. So too, Hollywood urged, Internet companies should be liable if they carry any illegal materials, whether the companies know it or not.
Had that view prevailed, there would probably be no YouTube today, and also no free blog sites, and maybe not even Google or Web 2.0. What venture capitalist would invest in a company already on the hook for everything its users might do? But, in one of the lesser-known turning points in Internet history, Hollywood never got its law. Its unstoppable lobbyists ran into an unmovable object: the Bell companies, who own those "tubes" over which the Internet runs. In the mid-1990s, fearing a future of liability, the Bells ordered their lobbyists to fight Hollywood's reforms, leading to one of the greatest political struggles in copyright history. (This paper provides a history of this and other struggles.)
Hollywood employs legendary lobbyists, like Jack Valenti, but when they ran into the Bells, it was like Frazier meeting Foreman. The Bells quickly put holds on all the legislation the content industries wanted. Telecom lobbyists like Roy Neel, a close friend of Al Gore (and later Howard Dean's campaign manager), went to Congress and began saying things like, the "copyright law threatens to put a damper on the expression of ideas on the Internet."
Facing stalemate, in 1997 the industries settled on a compromise: something called the Online Copyright Liability Limitation Act, which became Title II of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (§512 of the Copyright Code). It is this law that makes YouTube worth paying more than what you pay for its videos. And its long-term effects have been enormous—you might call §512 the Magna Carta for Web 2.0.
Why? Section 512(c) of the law applies to "Information Residing on Systems or Networks At Direction of Users." In 1998, that meant Geocities and AOL user pages. But in 2006, that means Blogger, Wikipedia, Flickr, Facebook, MySpace, and, yes, YouTube—all the companies whose shtick is "user-generated content."
Thanks to the Bells, all these companies are now protected by a "notice and take down" system when they host user content. That means that if Jon Stewart notices an infringing copy of The Daily Show on YouTube, Comedy Central can write a letter to YouTube and demand it be taken down. Then, so long as YouTube acts "expeditiously" and so long as YouTube wasn't already aware that the material was there, YouTube is in the clear. In legal jargon, YouTube is in a "safe harbor." Earlier this week, when YouTube took down 30,000 files after requests from a Japanese authors' group, that was §512(c) in action.
Of course, as with any law, YouTube's legal status might not be 100-percent airtight. The law suggests (in §512(c)(1)(A)(ii)) that YouTube might be liable if, in the absence of notice, it is "aware of facts or circumstances from which infringing activity is apparent." Also, YouTube provides a search, and maybe it could be liable for that. There might be enough to make trouble in the hands of a judge who really hates "that whole Web 2.0 thing."

But we may never find out. What's really interesting is that the content industry actually likes §512 more than anyone will admit. The notice-and-takedown system gives content owners the twin advantages of exposure and control. When stuff is on YouTube, the owners have an option. They can leave it posted there, if they want people to see it, and build buzz. But they can also snap their fingers and bring it all down. And for someone who is juggling her desire for publicity against her need for control, that's ultimately a nice arrangement.
Stated otherwise, much of the copyrighted material on YouTube is in a legal category that is new to our age. It's not "fair use," the famous right to use works despite technical infringement, for reasons of public policy. Instead, it's in the growing category of "tolerated use"—use that is technically illegal, but tolerated by the owner because he wants the publicity. If that sounds as weird as "don't ask, don't tell," you're getting the idea. The industry is deeply conflicted about mild forms of piracy—trapped somewhere between its pathological hatred of "pirates" and its lust for the buzz piracy can build.
But what about Mark Cuban's copyright argument? Why isn't YouTube in trouble in the same way Napster and Grokster were? The first difference, as indicated, is that Napster simply wasn't covered by the §512 safe-harbor law, and YouTube is. Napster wasn't "hosting" information at the direction of its users, but rather providing a tool for users to find and download predominantly infringing content. It may sound odd that Napster gets in more trouble for helping you find illegal stuff than YouTube does for actually hosting it. But that's the law and why YouTube should really, really thank its friends at Bell.
There may also be deeper differences. If the Internet were not a bookstore, or tubes, but rather a red-light district, YouTube would best be imagined as the hotel, and Napster, well, the pimp. YouTube, like a hotel, provides space for people to do things, legal or not. It's not doing anything illegal itself, but its visitors may be. But Napster, everyone more or less now admits, was cast as the pimp: It was mainly a means of getting illegal stuff. Right or wrong, we seem to accept the benign vision of YouTube as an entity which, unlike Napster, was basically born as a place to showcase stupid human tricks.
The upshot is, as YouTube goes mainstream, copyright's etiquette rules are becoming clearer. Yes, these sites can make it easier to infringe copyright. But so long as that's not the principal aim of your company, you have more breathing room today than you once did. And under the emerging regime, if you do cause infringement, you have to be nice about it and make determined efforts to stop it. Apple has learned that dance well, even as its iPods make swapping music all the more part of being American. And YouTube has, in turn, learned from Apple the early lessons of Napster: You can act out in cyberspace. Just don't be a copyright pimp.

Quarter-Life Crisis

2006-10-08T21:51:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted in awhile (that's kinda self-evident, but don't all bloggers make a point to say something like "i haven't blogged in awhile" or "sorry, i've been busy" when they haven't blogged in a while...i am just following the blog rules!).

i've been in a weird mood all weekend. i am getting my pennsylvania bar exam scores this week and it's my 25th birthday. (from what i hear, pennsylvania bar exam scores come out two days ahead of schedule...they are scheduled for Friday the 13th...that's not ominous or anything...but most likely they'll come out on my birthday....yay. (sarcasm)).

i have *no idea* what i am doing. no idea. i feel like i'm off track (kinda weird 'cause my last post was about being on the right track...).

anyway, this is a lame "first post in awhile" post.

"R5. Local to Malvern. Is now arriving on Track 4B"

2006-09-07T23:22:00.000-04:00

who is this voice and where does he come from? was this a one time gig? did they hire an actor? it's not live. it has to be a recording (he can do two trains almost at once - but i think that may be more of the "trains" fault - i.e. maybe only one can arrive in the station for safety reasons).

when i get all giddy, i like to think that its my own special G-d (yes, that is the jewish non-spelling of G-d). My own special G-d along with all of the other commuters. speaking down to me. telling me that i'm on the right track. (nice metaphor, right?)

but seriously, does philadelphia have a phone number you can call like 4-fact - maybe i'll pose the question to the Metro (currently, my daily read) or to phillyist.com.

Again, I mimic RustedJesus

2006-09-06T00:43:00.000-04:00

...should i also tell him that ladytron, the long winters and architecture in helsinki are all coming to philadelphia soon? ...probably won't have to because he lives in boston and everyone loves to visit boston.

Rusted (aka, my only blog reader...), why do you make me follow you in all of your guilty pursuits (like the shortest personality test)? why couldn't i have had the strength to follow you in your post-college path. we need another talk over pizza. maybe we should meet halfway. ps/ i was trying to explain to my mom about your dad & the ping pong championship. the first time and the second time. how did the story go? you tell it better.

Your Personality Profile

You are dreamy, peaceful, and young at heart.
Optimistic and caring, you tend to see the best in people.
You tend to be always smiling - and making others smile.

You are shy and intelligent... and a very hard worker.
You're also funny, but many people don't see your funny side.
Your subtle dry humor leaves your close friends in stitches.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

I've worked every weekend since I've started work

2006-09-04T02:21:00.000-04:00

On this labor day, (you know, the holiday that celebrates relaxation), I will be working on a brief to the Third Circuit that is due on Tuesday along with a complaint and a production of documents (to a lawyer outside of my firm). I also have to read over a file for a fact-finding conference on Wednesday in Harrisburg. And, this is only in addition to all of my other work that is not due on Tuesday (responses to interrogatories, initial disclosures, etc.).

Needless to say, since I've started work I haven't really slept. I think I've turned in more work in the past month than I ever have before and serious work too (twenty-some page motion to oppose summary judgment? check! Brief to the Third Circuit? soon to be check!). I guess that is good, it shows my firm is busy. But, for someone who likes to produce good work instead of just producing work, I feel like I'm a blind person walking in a huge maze of uncertainty.

So, how happy was I to see that I wasn't the only person finding today's workplace a little too demanding? In the Washington Post, there was an article about working tons of long hours.

On this Labor Day, consider a paradox: Millions of Americans say they feel overworked and stressed out.

The article then delves into an economic analysis of this question

If employees are unhappy and overworked, and employers are having to pay more for unhappy employees, why does the situation persist in a rational economic marketplace?

The article then cited to professors who found that "service" jobs have made it harder to measure an employee's worth unless this worth is measured by "billable hours."

The focus on hours sets up a rat race at many companies, where most people want to work shorter hours, but no one is willing to step forward to ask for them, because the first person to make such a move will be branded as insufficiently committed to his or her job. (This is the case with any arms race: It is unproductive because you have to run just to stay in place. Everyone would benefit if the race is called off, but no one can afford to be the first to slow down.)

However, the article also found that

...employees (and their families and communities) are not the only ones to suffer. Customers and the economy as a whole also pay a price, Rebitzer said. The hour that the overworked and sleep-deprived lawyer bills for work done at 4 a.m. costs the client the same as an hour's work after a good night's sleep, even though the quality of the lawyer's work is better at 9 a.m.

I guess this means that while I suffer (irrationally), I don't suffer alone. Here's to a happy (stressful?) labor day!

I was sick of Snakes on a Plane (and phone msgs from Samuel L. Jackson) until...

2006-08-20T14:26:00.000-04:00

Could Neville Flynn be the next Jack Bauer?

Maybe I should see actually this movie!

ps/ obviously i haven't blogged in awhile because who knew that you can sign into blogger with your google name & password. (i have no time now - i have to finish a Motion to Oppose Summary Judgment that is due tomorrow morning - but what does this mean? if i sign in with my google name will it take me to my blogger name's dashboard?...i'll have to research...but this calls out trouble like having the same password for everything....)

more reading on Google's presence in your world

Recent Pondering: Junket Whore = Big Firm Attorney

2006-08-12T00:10:00.000-04:00

Reading for people who like: Entourage, Thank You for Smoking, reading about pop culture, US Weekly.

Back in the room, I took the previously planned bath -- tip: If you're lying in a tub that is filling up with water that drops from the ceiling, be careful to position yourself so that the waterfall isn't aimed directly at any sensitive part of your body -- then sat around in one of the bathrobes for a while. I wanted to enjoy the amenities as much as I could. It occurred to me that the junket whores get this kind of treatment ALL THE TIME. Whereas I am delighted to have such a swanky room in a swell hotel, junket whores are accustomed to it. They might even feel entitled to it by now. Maybe they complain to the studio when their bathtub DOESN'T have a spigot in the ceiling. I went to sleep thinking I could really get used to this kind of treatment. Maybe being a permanent junket whore wouldn't be so bad....

The publicists told us we had 20 minutes and left. The seasoned junket interviewers began immediately, with no small talk. I guess when you only have 20 minutes, you learn to fire off the questions right away.

It soon became apparent that as interesting as Peña might be as an actor, and though he seemed to be a nice enough fellow, Will Jimeno was far more interesting. Jimeno had actually been trapped under the rubble of the World Trade Center for 13 hours; Peña had merely pretended to do it for a movie. The only problem was that if you asked Jimeno a question, he would give you a much, much longer answer than it required. So you'd have time to ask Peña a greater variety of questions, but Jimeno was the more engaging interviewee. I imagine that's the kind of tough dilemma junket whores must deal with regularly.

You also get a sense of what an insane waste of money it is. Ginger and the other publicists aren't to blame, of course; they're gracious and pleasant and wonderful. It's the whole system, where dropping $50 million or more on promotion and advertising alone is considered normal. But if the goal of the studio is for the film to make a profit, then it's absurd to spend so much promotional money on things that, in the end, won't actually increase ticket sales very much. TV commercials, online ads, posters, soundtracks, sure. All that makes sense. Those things directly influence consumers. The puffy interview stories that will appear as the result of this junket might bring in a few more audience members, but surely not enough to justify the extravagance.

I mean, honestly. The water came out of the CEILING.

More City Politics

2006-08-04T23:51:00.000-04:00

this time from my ex-job on the other side of the state

advice

2006-08-03T22:28:00.000-04:00

i am hardly one to give advice especially at such a transient stage in my life...but! This came up when I was talking with my friend Bryan on the way back to Pittsburgh from the New Jersey bar. I told him that when I move to Philadelphia, I really need to read up on Philadelphia politics. I think it's so important now to know about the inner-workings of the city. (Maybe it's cliche. Who knows?)

yes, so my advice: when you move to a new city & start to work, research city politics!

after working for the city of pgh last year, i noticed just how many people would reference city politics ("regular people in everyday conversation"). maybe I was just becoming a "grown-up" or maybe it was because city councilmen & their actions were suddenly "clients" so, finally, i recognized their names. seriously, though, i feel like city politics always comes up in conversation (...at least in passing...) (...or, at least around attorneys, right?...)

anyway, for those in philadelphia, this page is really helpful. now i know all the insider stuff & can make my way around center city! (if only regional rail would stop breaking down every night...it's really making me re-think my decision to stay some place outside the city when i move...)

the beginning of the end.

2006-07-24T21:16:00.000-04:00

in less than 12 hours, i will be starting my first question. 3 days. then it's over until October!

...at least i'll know that i tried my best and that's all i could ask of myself...

bad habits with language and random lists

2006-07-23T17:17:00.000-04:00

now that i'm in bar exam mode i can't formulate complete sentences. i *really* hope this condition doesn't show up on the bar exam.

"Battery is like, you know, that action that's like offensive or whatever."

other bad things i've started saying (b/c i have no time to say anything else...)

'tev
obv (or ovi)
WTF
OMG

then there is the obv(ious) "Ew" that is a(n unfortunate) staple to my vocabulary & that you're certain to pick up & start using if you hang out with me for too long.

despite countless attempts to strip myself of all of the negative stereotypes, i guess my default is to talk like an east coast valley girl, i.e. someone from the the Main Line.

The Main Line is a collection of affluent towns in suburban Philadelphia named after the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad (currently Amtrak's Keystone Corridor and SEPTA's R5 line). The Main Line suburbs, some of the wealthiest in the United States, are situated west of the city.

a list of irrational things that i am worried about for the bar exam:
- getting too tired after lunch
- breaking my "seal" & having to pee like 15 times during the afternoon portion of the exam
- whether or not to study tomorrow (the day before)
- Laughing ("LOL'ing") at the ridiculous fact patterns of some of these questions (i can't help but laugh when i'm studying alone!)
- saying god bless you if the person next to me sneezes.
- that i'm not allowed to bring my keys in (why don't they explicitly write keys on the sheet if they write everything else? - i was going to make a parol evidence joke here, but i'm not going down that path)

and as a confidence builder (because this post screams "whew, at least she's taking the bar exam, there's one person i'm gonna beat")
- i'm not going to worry about sleep. while i know it's good to get a good night's sleep the night before, if i worry it will make it less likely for me to actually get to sleep...so i've been telling myself that running on adrenaline is enough (okay, maybe that's not such a good confidence builder).

cliche away messages.

2006-07-23T17:10:00.000-04:00

i've succumbed to the pressure & put up a cliche away msg on AIM. (but then again, really, when are my away messages *not* cheesy?)

might as well post it here too to verify my cheesiness (& get a double dose of procrastination).

you know it's the bar exam when you're happy to take a break by doing laundry, taking your dog out, etc. you also know it's the bar exam when you ask your laundry machine why the hell it takes so long & you don't understand why your dog wants to stay outside in the beautiful sun for more time than necessary to do her business.

a tasty way to pass the bar exam

2006-07-23T13:20:00.000-04:00

so you hate red bull, right? i mean, i don't hate it. it doesn't taste "good" per se but I can stand it when I need some "energy" and I don't have time to stop and get coffee (i'm sans coffee maker at home). I usually keep a few in the fridge during finals time.

and diet red bull - that tastes like some solution that came out of a dentist office, except it's probably bad for your teeth.

but i swear - finally, an energy drink that is so yummy! don't even start forming the words "rock star" on your lips because you are sorely mistaken. i can stand red bull (fine, i even sorta like it). I can tolerate diet red bull (don't really like it) but Rock Star, now let's just agree that's totally gross.

No, I'm not talking Rock Star. I'm talking about Arizona's new Green Tea Energy Drink. (i got mine in diet so maybe it's not the same for regular - although i like regular arizona green tea better so the probability is that my review stands).

I am *huge* fan of tea. (i guess, if you're one of those weirdos who hate tea then obviously this drink's not for you). I love tea hot, cold, with milk, sometimes i can stand lemon (but in general i'm not a fan of lemons). Yes, as far as energy drinks go (& probably other drinks as well), this drink is freaking awesome. to me it tasted just like carbonated green tea (maybe that's because i've been downing red bulls like it's my job since may per the bar exam so i'm used to that kinda-off taste that comes with energy drinks). But, i think it's more. I think we've found a not-only-tolerable, not-only-kinda-good, but very good (like, i'd drink it even when i wasn't under pressure) energy drink.

it hasn't made this chart yet.

disclaimer: i'm not talking about any of those arizona drinks that have like BEWARE (CAUTION!) or like skull bones (EXTREME!) on the front. I'm talking about this.

cheers!

colonial bar exam

2006-07-21T11:53:00.000-04:00

not only am i taking the first two days of the bar exam right next to a historical battle field (complete with canons & men who get paid to dress up in soldier outfits & white wigs), but (welcome to philadelphia!)...this week i got to study candleside (in 90 degree plus heat) when our power went out (along with another half million houses) for 24 hours plus. Thanks PECO!

Not that I have 28 spare hours...

2006-07-14T00:22:00.000-04:00

But, in keeping with my love of podcasts, i'd recommend this evidence law class, which is on podcast.

It's a class full of hypos which is perfect for the bar exam.

I've only listened to about 4 classes (I had a long drive from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia) and two of them had bad sound but other than that, the class/professor/hypos really helped.

In fact, when I came home & did practice barbri questions, my score went up significantly.

just a tip!

Oh yeah, and to all of the law professors who read my blog (which I will estimate is about zero)...

Instead of an attendance policy, I think you should just podcast your lectures. I've listened to a few Berkeley lectures (Greg Niemeyer, Pamuela Samuelson (aka "Pam Sam")) and now Thomas Guernsey's, where it's a live class (a.k.a. professors performing in front of students! not in their office recording onto some sum & substance cd). Students look like such fools when the professors call on them by their full names and ask them a question and, in response, the students just make up some excuse as to why they didn't do the reading.

Gosh, do us law students really sound like that? we think we're so smart when we say "that wasn't in the syllabus" or "i'm actually not prepared for the day"...imagine if those responses were recorded on a podcast? Career Services (and the New York Times) talk about myspace or friendster or blogs, etc. but what if employers listened to podcasts of classes!

(Thankfully I've already graduated! not that it would matter anyway because i was *always* prepared! :-):-):-))

But, I've also philosophized why a lot of law professors don't have podcasts (this goes for any type of professor). You have to be a really good professor to keep people interested in listening to your podcast (whether these people be your students or just anyone in the virtual universe - people listen to podcasts in their spare time...even enrolled students). As a podcast professor, you have to make the material interesting and present it eloquently and efficiently. Podcasts, thus, have potential to separate the genuinely awesome professors (who stay on topic, engage students, and relate the material effectively) from those who are just famous "by name" through their published work.

Who knows? Maybe in a few years this can be criteria by which to judge professors instead of "US News and World Report." It let's pre-students decide and also takes these professors from "outside of their titles and from behind their desks" and pushes them in the real world to show what they've really got. (fine, i guess if you're on a podcast you're in the virtual world...still, same principles apply).

i am going to miss pgh.

2006-07-13T02:22:00.000-04:00

goodbye for real.

fine, well, at least until after the bar. then i'll be back for one more weekend.

i am going to miss my poo.

i wrote a blog

2006-07-13T02:20:00.000-04:00

but i censored myself.

judgmental thoughts running through my head.

must. not. make. them. public.

an example of how the bar exam makes one crazy.

2006-07-10T00:45:00.000-04:00

i think i may be going nuts thanks to this lil' exam. i'm super sensitive.

for example, the legal writing TAs for one certain legal writing professor are all celebrating by going out to lunch/ice cream/etc. for (a rather delayed) end of the year bash. Everything was planned and agreed to over e-mail (...at least 20 different e-mails in my gmail conversation). The end result? We don't know where we're going or what we're doing. We're simply meeting on a corner outside of the library tomorrow at 1 pm. Here was my response.

'll try to be there at 1 pm too. but, as you all know by now, i'm
always late.

(my dad always says that being late is the best way to say "fuck you"
to someone. And Dane Cook says that it's a power move (even if
subconscious). However, old habits die hard.)

if i'm not there by the time you decide where to go, don't wait for
me. i wouldn't want to pull a power move or curse or anything. it's
not out of disrespect for you, i promise! I totally understand that
you all have *much* better things to do than wait for me.

however, if i am late, since there is no definite place to be other
than that corner, can someone text me as to where ya'll venture off
to? (or call...but as known I'm a 24 year old that's scared of the
phone & voicemail).

muchas gracias!!

okay, yeah, i may be crazy and ramble. but that's what i do. (you know that if you read my blog). i thought my professor knew that too but here is his response.

are these the rantings of some psycho?

that makes me sad & embarrassed...so i wrote back

if psycho = someone studying for the bar exam. yes.

i know that every minute (or ten minutes) is precious time for bar exam studying. I also know that i have a very bad habit of being 15-20 minutes late. It's not like I could've showed up on that corner at 1:50 pm. they would've been long gone. maybe i could've censored my e-mail (like deleted the second paragraph but i've e-mailed plenty with this professor & didn't think i needed to censor myself).

i was trying to be nice. i didn't want them to wait for me if i was late & they decided to go somewhere else. 'cause, you know, standing on a corner deciding where to go & what to do can only take so long. I figured they may have moved or decided by the time I got there. (not to mention the fact that at least three of the four other people *live* in the neighborhood where we're meeting yet I live in a diff neighborhood...and I'm not studying there beforehand so I'd have to drive & find parking...but that's back to my lil' problem with being on time for social events).

I just wanted them to go ahead & celebrate without me. i'd meet up with them. i didn't want to be called psycho on an e-mail group of 5 people. am i psycho? psycho is a loaded term.

i realized that i'm not a reasonable person right now. and for that very reason, i don't know how to compute this. was that funny? was that mean? was i out of line? help! someone!!

Quick List #2 (but now #1 b/c I deleted Quick List #1)

2006-07-09T01:12:00.000-04:00

gosh, bar studying is really taking a toll on my blogging.

a few things:

1) I think that Architecture in Helsinki & the Avalanches are better than the Go! Team. Don't get me wrong, the Go! Team is great live but they sounded so pretentious on "Morning Becomes Eclectic" a few weeks back (minus five points).

2) Not to take advantage of the fact that I can become "super famous" just by linking to a Washington Post article (I found out about this after I linked directly to an article about the death penalty with no commentary and someone came to my un-original post - whoa! my blog is linked on the Washington Post - thanks Technorati!).

But, did ya'll read the infamous "Clash of the Comics Titans" article a few weeks back

Marvel or DC?

Back when it mattered, you used to be certain. You would ally yourself and endlessly argue the merits in comic-book stores or at a convention at the airport Ramada. DC Comics, led by Superman, was for people who adored the fantasy, the Ubermensch triumphant. These readers loved skyscrapers and archvillains and sidekicks, billowing flags, unerring ethical strength.

Marvel, led by Spider-Man, was a place for the smart but troubled reader, the deeply weird. They loved the night, the underground, accidents in the lab. All that dialogue, so many thought balloons! The heroes always on some emotional ledge, and the hubris of it all -- a grittiness that came with saving the world.

DC was about younger kids in back yards, wearing bath towel capes, leaping from treehouses.

Marvel was about older kids in basements, possibly stoned, deconstructing Thor.

DC invented places to go -- Metropolis, Gotham City, Paradise Island.

In the Marvel universe, New York is New York, and it's nothing but trouble.

DC: It was always the Fourth of July.

Marvel: It was always Halloween.

DC: Comic books are a wonderful escape.

Marvel: Comic books are a dark refuge.

Or...

To read either company's comic books now -- the complicated story lines, the endless relaunchings of old characters -- is to enter a world that can still be divided into Marvel people and DC people: A DC comic is still for the more orthodox, Marvel is still for self-styled rebels.

DC hires fantastic writers and artists but is cautious about its canon and where they take the characters. (The company's more provocative work can be found under its other imprints, such as the Vertigo brand.)

Marvel, it seems, will always possess the allure of the cool.

DC feels very Windows. Marvel feels very Mac.

**stomp stomp!** I wanna be a Mac - like the dude in the commercials! What does it mean if I read Vertigo? Am I a superwannabe? B/c I am plain ol' vanilla trying to be provocative?

3) I'm a fan of the artists playlists on the iTunes music store. I can be more judgmental of people I don't know based solely on superficial things such as their (around) 12 song playlist.

okay that's all for now. sorry i'm not so creative. i really need help in real property and criminal law. i'll trade - i'll tutor someone in contracts & con law if someone can bang into my head property and crim!

Superman Spoiled

2006-07-04T23:04:00.000-04:00

b/c of my constant desire to be like Jesus (that is, the jesus, the rusted jesus)...here is my own review of Superman.

I was talking to a friend and she asked if I thought Superman was worth seeing. I said, "well, i mean, you have to see it." She replied that she doesn't believe in that. And, for those who don't believe in that, (er...i think by "that" i mean seeing major blockbusters that everyone else is seeing), then maybe don't go see it.

I guess it depends on what type of movie you like. Because I don't think Superman is comparable to X-Men or Spiderman or Batman. Superman is plain ol' vanilla. That's why you either love him or hate him. It's his virtue and lack of imperfection. It's his naivete and his willingness to keep trying and pretending to be Clark Kent when he could just be fucking Superman.

[Cynics exit stage left].

So, if you're in the mood to see a movie with a non-engaging plot that has pretty visuals and big crashes, Superman is up your alley.

Thankfully, I was in the mood to see a movie like that. Anything "pretty to look at" keeps my attention during law school/bar exam studies. Hence the reason VH1 or E! pop-culture trash tv is always on at my house. I like being a zombie and seeing "pretty colors" and hearing clips and soundbytes that don't really make me think.

[Film critics exit stage right...trust me, you'll just want to rip the script out of the actor's hands and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite].

But all of this made me really appreciate Superman. Here is a storyline that begs for modern day interpretation. In the 1940s, Superman was on the All-Star Squadron. Where is Superman to fight "the War on Terror" (is that why Lex's BFF bad guy is a "brown person" - b/c while of Gujarati Indian descent all brown people really look the same to us (ps/ you know him from Harold & Kumar if you couldn't quite place it...b/c i couldn't quite place it...)) or the "War on Drugs" (minus his attempt to keep Lois from smoking) or even "the Inconvenient Truth" that is global warming (b/c making a whole new continent will definitely take global warming up to the next level?). And, where are all the non-white people "on the good side"? But Singer stays away from all of this. He leaves Superman as his old iconic self.

By doing so, for me at least, Singer makes the experience more about what Superman has meant over the years to each generation as opposed to what Superman means to us now. If Superman is Jesus or if Superman was gonna save the US from the Nazis and this is the perfect, idyllic world waiting for a savior, then I don't want a savior. I don't want that perfect little world. I don't want my Superhero to save a plane, after sending a ship to outerspace, in the middle of a baseball game with big-ass logos for Budweiser (America's favorite beer *wink wink*).

And neither does most of the US audience (at least from the consensus per the reviews of Superman). Which I think is a good thing. We need more. We don't want to blindly believe in comic book heroes to save the day. We question. We work hard and we don't wait.

Per my newest obsession, I listened to The Treatment podcast when Bryan Singer was the guest (as with all the other recent Treatment podcasts...). During the interview, Singer said that he was drawn to Superman because of his interest in duplicity - "how you can't judge a book by its cover." The whole Clark Kent thing. The whole not-human thing. The whole x-men thing and the usual suspects thing. People are not who they seem at first. Again, I guess I seem to miss the point b/c my appreciation for the movie came more with the duplicity, the growth, the fascination with the existential teachings of Superman. His journey and his existence within American culture.

So maybe it is for kids because the sarcasm or the storyline or the depth of the characters is never really explored as much as we are used to (c'mon, if you are addicted to 24 like me, you watch Jack Bauer go through way more than that in each hour "to save the United States" and for gosh sakes, despite popular belief, Jack Bauer is human...so, you'd expect Superman to do more, right?). Lois isn't her strong, determined, feminine self. As a strong-willed reporter, thin-as-a-pin Kate Bosworth just doesn't do it for me. (not to mention that I'm older than her!!).

The DC Comics Encyclopedia informs us that Lois Joanne Lane (5-feet-6, 136 pounds) is the daughter of a U.S. Army general who always wanted a son, which led the daughter to become "a model of self-sufficiency." But her background has shifted over the years—she was at one point a farm girl—and so has that self-sufficiency bit. While it's true that in a supplement to Superman No. 28 (May-June 1944) she was intrepid enough to follow a jumper onto a ledge and good enough to earn praise as "an elegant reporter," almost two decades later she was writing the Daily Planet's "Dr. Cupid" advice column while wearing a pillbox hat in the manner of the former Miss Bouvier. She didn't fully emerge as the broad we love until 1965, when she spent an issue of Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane in charge of her newspaper: "You've seen Lois Lane in many roles, but never as a rough, tough newspaper editor, out to show the world that a member of the so-called 'weaker-sex' can be as hard-boiled as any man alive!"

But, again, I don't want to be Kate Bosworth's Lois Lane. She's unrealistic - in her ability to get a man to think that it's his son (or is it?) within a few months after she starts showing, in her ability to be so freakin' thin, and in her inability to really show her skills as a reporter without banging the nephew of the Editor-in-Chief (or whatever Perry White's job title is...).

This probably comes off as super negative but for me it was pretty positive. And, yes, all of this is precisely the reason why I enjoyed Superman.

No Deficiencies

2006-07-04T22:47:00.001-04:00

Yay!

No deficiencies on my NJ bar exam application (go Pitt! despite the fact that I turned in my law school form a lil' late...).

however,

DEFICIENCIES AS OF 7/3/2006

Please be advised that this website does not reflect deficiencies in the documentation that you must provide to the Committee on Character before it can determine whether you have the character and fitness to be certified for admission to practice law. Refer to your Certified Statement for instructions regarding documents that you must submit for this requirement.

Errrr. I still have to submit one document to prove my stellar character to the Committee (my driving records...since NJ doesn't take online printouts...c'mon NJ get with it!!)

*Crossing my fingers* that our beloved state capital doesn't take a long time. Come on Commonwealth, let's show some governmental efficiency!

And now for a commercial break...

2006-07-04T22:47:00.000-04:00

just to recommend "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"

more to come...

World Cup Predictions (based on good looks)

2006-07-04T14:40:00.000-04:00

Germany v. Italy

Germany

Yeah, Paris Hilton may like Lukas Podolski, but I'd say it's Michael Ballack who is the dreamiest German. Plus, he's captain which means that he's, you know, in a position of power.

Profile from Yahoo!

Profile
Michael Ballack, the midfield maestro of Bayern Munich and Germany, is one of the few German players that the experts unanimously believe to be 'world class'. Germany's hopes rest largely on his shoulders if they are to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, with the Chemnitz-born star coming under extreme scrutiny every time he takes to the field.
When he has an outstanding game, then you have seen the "real Michael Ballack". If he plays well, the reports generally say “could do better”. If he is average, the same questions always appear: What was wrong with Ballack today? If Oliver Kahn ships too many goals, Ballack was playing too offensively. If things are not going well in the final third, the German captain is sitting too deep. Ballack’s problem is that he can do everything - and do it very well. And woe betide him if he does not display his full range of skills to the public in every game he plays.

It is the age-old problem: you take your home-grown talents for granted. Abroad, Ballack is recognised, respected and feared. In Germany, popular opinion is divided. And yet not only has the number 13 become German captain under Jurgen Klinsmann, he has long established himself as the undisputed leader of the DFB team. However, one thing everybody can agree on is that Germany will only play a prominent part in their home FIFA World Cup if their midfield lynchpin is in top form.

Ballack has consistently excelled in a German shirt. His performances at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan were exemplary, leading his team into the final almost single-handedly. The father of three (three sons: Louis, Emilio, Jordi) was responsible for the 1-0 wins against USA in the quarter-final and Korea Republic in the semi-final. And then disaster struck: Ballack was forced to commit a tactical foul in the closing stages against the Koreans, was shown a yellow card and missed the final against Brazil.

Munich move
After spells with Chemnitzer FC, FC Kaiserslautern and Bayer Leverkusen, the “most prolific midfielder in the world”, according to club boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, arrived at record German championship winners Bayern Munich in 2002. His contract runs until 2006, and both parties have declared their long-standing interest in extending the deal. Even Bayern Munich, it seems, have learned to appreciate the priceless talents of the world-class Ballack. Contract talks have now worn on for a number of months and the club are growing impatient to secure the midfielder's services for the foreseeable future.

In 2004/5, Ballack was instrumental in Bayern winning the league and cup double. His outstanding endeavours were recognised with his third successive player of the year award, leaving the midfielder just one behind the ‘Kaiser’ Franz Beckenbauer, who earned the accolade on four occasions. “Michael is the league’s superstar,” says national coach Klinsmann of his skipper.

The laid-back German captain’s motto has always been: “Don’t take everything so seriously,” although with the pressure on for his side to lift their fourth FIFA World Cup title, after success in 1954, 1974 and 1990, his philosophy on life could be seriously put to the test this summer.

OMG - he's like an anti-German (read: laid-back) German. Awwww!!

Italy

And Italy, it may be weird that the cutest guy shares my mom's name (but then again a lot of people are sharing my mom's name nowadays (see: A. Hathaway in the Devil Wears Prada)), but Andrea is just so cute.

Profile from Yahoo!

Profile
Andrea Barzagli is one of Italy’s rising defensive stars. Tall, physically strong and a good header of the ball, the central defender started his career in Serie C.
After a year with Ascoli in Serie B, he got a chance at the highest level with Chievo. Still improving, he switched to Palermo where he has matured into one of Italy’s top defenders.

He played for the Azzurri at the 2004 Olympic Football Tournament and also in their successful 2004 UEFA European U-21 Championship campaign, and has already attracted the interest of Italy’s big guns.

Yeah, completely and superficially based on looks...

GO GERMANY!!

World Cup #3

2006-07-01T16:57:00.000-04:00

K says, "Suck it South America, Europe Rules!"

When Life is Like Fiction

2006-07-01T14:58:00.000-04:00

Last night I had deja vu. Except I wasn't already there. I had just written that I was. Last night I really wanted to see Brick. Kirk and I had been wanting to see it after his friend saw it at Sundance in 2005. Finally! it came to Pittsburgh. I was super excited.

The previews looked awesome. And, shhhh! don't tell anyone. I was a big fan of Third Rock from the Sun (the show, not to be confused with Third Stone from the Sun by Hendrix) and 10 Things I Hate about You...so I figured (based on those two things) that anything with Joseph Gordon-Levitt is right up my alley. But I also wanted to see Superman Returns. And thanks to my "expert knowledge" from Entourage, I know just how important those box office numbers are for opening weekend. Decisions, decisions. It came down to the fact that I have to take a practice bar tomorrow (Sunday) so I figured I should see Brick last night and Superman Returns on Saturday since Brick might "make me think" and I may not be able to go to sleep right away. So K and I were gonna go see Brick.

...But then the plan went awry...

At 9:30 pm I had to make the decision whether to see Brick alone or wait until 10:05 to see Superman Returns with K. That doesn't seem like such a big decision. But I had written a story about a similar situation four years ago. It's a fiction story that takes place in my hometown not in Pittsburgh. And it talks about Waking Life, not Brick.

While watching the movie last night, I couldn't help but compare myself with my fiction narrator.

My Fiction:

Advancement

¶I never wanted to be caught by myself in my hometown. To me, that was a sign to the outside that I had no friends, a terrible condition in the eyes of the socially inter-reliant population of [upper-middle-class suburban, East coast neighborhood, i.e. Marlboro, NJ, Greenwich, CT, Gladwyne, PA], the town in which I lived. There, being alone was a hint to social inadequacies, my obvious imperfection, which I tried to avoid parading around. Of course, there were some reasons where being alone was accepted- the condensed list: 1. Shopping for necessary items (shopping for other purposes was considered a social activity and therefore highly encouraged a partner); 2. Dropping off dry cleaning (it was tasteless for others to meddle in dry cleaning which includes personal items such as girdles, dirty table cloths, last-year’s sweaters ‘to wear around the house’); or 3. Going to the hairdresser/manicurist (who would presumably share gossip about the people in the same social circle). I rarely partook in these activities. Thus, my choices of lonely enjoyment were generally forbidden. For example, if I was caught reading in a coffee shop, enjoying my chai and the stimulating atmosphere, I either became dinner conversation (‘Oh, that poor child, doesn’t she have something more productive to do with her time?’), locker-room chatter, or any form of fodder for the blazing gossip trail. That is, unless when asked, I pretended my mate just didn’t show up (the latter not to be repeated too often, so as not to create suspicion of my character).
¶ Accordingly, why would I venture out and go to the movies alone? Usually I wouldn’t have to. In most other towns in which I had lived, I had close friends who liked similar forms of artistic expression. But in this town, I could find no such friends. I tended to side with the unconventional indie-genres, whereas most people here liked to forfeit themselves to popular culture. Along with my lack of any camaraderie, I wasn’t a film critic or movie buff. I am not those in any town, but in any other town excuses like that were unnecessary, if I wanted to be by myself no one cared. Myself in other towns was drowned out. I was a face on the street. In this town, people took note if I (or anyone else they knew or heard of) walked down the street.
¶ Except, I had been waiting to see this movie for weeks. Back in [choice of Midwest city] I had gotten a postcard-sized advertisement for it at the theater while seeing [indie film already in theaters]. That was in late September. About two weeks later, I had to move back here to help my parents while they were sorting out solutions to [choice of family problem]. As I was unpacking, dreading what hometown life would be like, I put the movie postcard up on my wall, closed my eyes, and slowly waited out the days until the premier. It was going to be glorious, everything I dreamed art should be, and the poster was a tangible manifestation of my excitement. True, I hadn’t seen the movie yet, with the release scheduled for mid-November, but I had read articles upon articles about it.
¶ It was to be of its own genre, nothing could be expected of it except for how unexpected it was. The thing about it was it had no conclusive plot. Instead it was conversations of different characters and their philosophical views of life. But what separated it from other films in its genre was that it kept the viewers attention with revolutionary camerawork, animation over actual footage. It was an enigma that it was showing at the theater on [generic street name]. Usually films such as those were suppressed by the high demand for “entertaining” movies, as opposed to movies that made you think. But I guess because of the movie’s cast, its relation to a movie that categorized the decade before, and the full-page article in the New York Times on the movie’s premier (just like the rest of their media-driven gossip), people were talking about it, and the [name of high-budget movie theater] was listening.
¶ “One please, for the eight o’clock showing.”
¶ “That will be seven fifty.”
¶ Although it was playing on [generic street name chosen], I had decided to go to the theater furthest away from my house. Downtown. I still had to go alone and I figured people that I knew would least likely be at the [name of older movie theater dedicated less to futuristic appearances and more to showing films, i.e. movie theater where seats are less comfortable, don’t recline, and the armrests don’t lift-up, perhaps has stage in front of screen]. I thought downtown, a lone moviegoer would be less recognizable (either it was common, or I wouldn’t know people who would care to notice me). I admit I was still afraid of the people I knew from childhood scrutinizing my behaviors or judging my decisions. I had been bruised by condemnation for being awkward in high school and in middle school. Before my prolonged stay, I had taken to reclusive behaviors when I came home to visit my family, trying to avoid being watched by the alien busybodies of my neighborhood. It was getting harder though as my family problems hadn’t yet subsided, and the place where I currently resided reverted back to becoming my hometown.
¶ Luckily, the teller didn’t even look at me. The window for the tickets was outside in front of the theater, which meant irritable customers standing outside in the cold. For his own sake, he was curt with the customers whom he probably dealt with by habit now. Because of his distant behavior, I didn’t mind as much that no one in my family (my only current form of public acquaintance) would accompany me opening night. The teller had been my conspirator in the first step of a lifelong mission to overcome my biggest fear: being seen by myself anywhere around the vicinity of my house. I thought he played the part well, the unconcerned teller, and I mused to myself that the only reason he looked uninterested was for my behalf, so that I could lose my sense of self-consciousness.
¶ He was onto helping the next customer and I was almost hidden in the dark theater. Just a few more minutes. I had arrived to the theater early to get a good seat. I liked seats in the middle of the row where I had a direct view, not the skewed angle of an aisle seat. This meant I also had to use the ladies’ room before the movie started so my bursting bladder didn't irritate me halfway through (I wasn’t one for getting up in the middle of a movie to ‘release’ this annoyance). Once seated though, the only people who could see me would be those who looked around at their scenery in their moments of boredom throughout the movie. This would be the time when they might wonder why I was there by myself, a lonesome figure in the dark, and maybe postulate different suggestions. By this point though, I wouldn’t care. I would be engrossed in the film and my large tub of popcorn. In addition, for those who didn’t like this movie, why would I care what they thought of me? I reached for the door handle to theater and began to think how easy this was. I was stopped before the thoughts formulated.
¶ “Hi [Narrator]”
¶ I looked up, scared to hear that voice. It was too recognizable. [Popular girl’s name i.e. Jennifer, Kimberly, Lauren] was high school prom queen, on national honor society, and captain of the tennis team. The definition of well adapted. She was also my childhood best friend. The voice belittled me within an instant, and the safety of companionship on my behalf was nowhere to be found. The uninterested teller continued to be uninterested. I wanted to look at him, signal him to help me, pretend to be my friend. You saved me once, save me again! He didn’t turn his head though and I was caught going to the movies by myself, with her as my witness.
¶ I looked towards her before I said anything. I didn’t want her to realize that I didn’t need to see her face to know who just called my name. I had wondered what this moment would be like, what it would be like when I would see her again. I had changed into a much more developed person. But I couldn’t prove this to her. Not in this neighborhood, this was hers.
¶ “Oh hey! How are you?” My response sounded a little too excited.
¶ “I’m doing good, thank you. How have you been? No one sees you around too often.”
¶ I couldn't believe she said she was doing good. “I'm doing well, really well. Yeah, I tend to do my own thing. Always have. Anyway, I don’t plan on staying in [hometown] too often. Don’t want to get too comfortable.” I sounded cheesy. I was talking in platitudes, something I despised, but tended to revert to if I was backed into a corner with nothing else to say.
¶ “[Narrator], this is [good looking boy’s name i.e. Brett, Brent, Chad]. [Good looking boy], [Narrator].”
¶ I nodded to the guy standing next to her, a perfect accessory to her blow-dried hair, her leather jacket, and her black pants. I figured he must be in business of some sort. He was friendly, appropriately dressed, and had a firm handshake. I had no one to introduce her to. I made a joke, a nervous habit that I had acquired from my dad. Joke telling and babbling.
¶ “Oh this is, oh I guess I came to the movies by myself tonight,” I let out an anxious laugh, loud and short.
¶ She faintly smiled. I couldn’t impress her. Years of trying, of awaiting this judgment from her and I was failing. I tried to change the subject.
¶ “So, what movie are you guys seeing?”
¶ “Oh we just came out of [Independent film].”
¶ “Really? That’s what I’m seeing. I’ve been waiting to see it for weeks. I’ve read so much about it. It’s by my favorite director. And I have this poster on my wall…well, you guys probably wouldn’t care. But anyway, I couldn’t find anyone to come with me. I guess there is a big football game on TV or something like that. That’s great that you saw the movie. So did you guys like it? What did you think of it? Was it clever?” Football game. That was a believable excuse.
¶ “Well, we have reservations at [chic restaurant] around the corner and [good looking boy] wanted to see a movie beforehand. It was the only thing playing at this theater. I thought it was a waste of time. Normally, I wouldn’t watch a film like this. But there was an article about it in the New York Times, so I agreed. I really wanted to see [major blockbuster hit that isn’t that good but everyone sees and says is ‘great!’]. All of my friends say that it’s great. If you haven’t bought your ticket yet, go see either movie at the theater on [generic street name in hometown] if nothing else, the seats are much more comfortable.”
¶ My eyes squinted, a sign that I had turned skeptical. She wouldn’t have known what it was implying. She didn’t know how I reacted to comments like that; she didn’t know who I was. I looked around at the older theater, at the eclectic city-crowd the movie was attracting, and I forgot what city I was in, yet realized I was home. True, I wasn’t surrounded by video arcades, or fancy lights, or comfortable seats with lots of legroom. I was at the movie theater going to see a movie that I had been waiting to see for months. I didn’t bring anybody with me, I wasn’t simply passing the time, or making a Friday night out of it. I couldn’t explain this to her though, too many years had passed between us. However, I didn’t have to explain it to the other lone moviegoers, the strangers in line behind me, who knew me better than she did. The girl to whom I no longer had something to prove.
¶ “I’ll take that into consideration, to see that other movie. Like I said, I have been anticipating this movie for a while so I think I want to give it a try myself. And I’m already downtown. Anyway, good luck with everything if I don’t see you around at home. And it was nice meeting you,” I said looking at her boyfriend. I wondered what he thought about the movie, as I went to the bathroom.

My Fact:

True, I wasn't in my hometown. I was in Squirrel Hill. The people who I could see were not old grade school acquaintances. They were "professional" acquaintances: ex-bosses, ex-professors, and fellow law students. True, it was during bar studies. But alone at 9:30 on a Friday night?

My story affirmed that I could "make it" in other cities that weren't my hometown. I guess those "other cities" include...um...Ann Arbor. I was still scared to see a movie by myself in Pittsburgh. At 9:30, I picked to wait to see Superman with K.

At 9:40 I walked up to the counter, still self-conscious of my decision. Was I regressing? I was so strong in my fiction story. Why was I so weak in real life? Did the bar take a toll on my self-esteem or was this who I was? Was I someone who cared that much about what other people would think if they saw me by myself on a Friday night? Why was I so hetero-normative and so anti-feminist? In both my story and in real life, I cared more about the men. The narrator's friend's boyfriend and now K. He was the one who told me about Brick last year, I couldn't go see it without him.

As I was thinking about all of these thoughts, berating myself in my own mind, I took out my money to buy the tickets for K and I. But, it was as if fate was toying with me. When I walked up to the counter, I saw that Brick actually started at 9:50. There was still 10 minutes. K may be able to get there on time.

"Two please for...wait, does Brick start at 9:50 or 9:30?"

"Oh you must have looked it up on the internet, the internet always has the wrong times. Brick starts at 9:50."

Actually, female teller, I texted Google. Please. The internet was so 5 years ago. Did I really just think that? Who was I turning into? "Two for Brick please. Wait, actually...can I call my friend?"

Before she heard me ask to call my friend, she rang up two tickets for Brick but she was sweet and said, "go right ahead."

I called Kirk and told him about the situation. He was parked on level five of his parking lot and wouldn't make it to the theater by 9:50. I told him it wasn't a big deal. We'd see Superman.

"I'm sorry, two for Superman." I quickly glanced at the tickets.

She sensed my worry but my deep feelings of betrayal probably were lost on her. She didn't know about my background. She didn't know about how lonely I felt. How I hated how I was constantly an outsider. How I felt that I never quite fit in with the "hipster" world (the one that is the real hipster world, the one that hates the word hipster & all who think they are hipsters, the people who are so pretentious they are better than that...) because of my background. And, how I could never fit into the "jappy" world that is my hometown because of my love of everything that is not mainstream in the mainstream (The Avalanches or Belle and Sebastian, for example, may be mainstream in the non-mainstream world but I'm sure most people from my high school don't listen to them (most people equals like 80%)) (although, someone just pointed out that it may be more because now these bands are on the O.C. and *swoon* Veronica Mars).

She interrupted my thoughts, "Don't worry about these. If you don't take them and that's the worst thing that happens to me tonight, I'll be in good shape."

I love when people say cliche things like that. It's pleasant. It reminds me of when I used to be a cashier at a fruit/flower stand and I would ring up an elderly gentlemen, "That's 19.42, Sir." And he would respond, "1942? That was a good year." And he would think about how clever he was as he counted his pennies.

This lady was the perfect teller. Not unconcerned but sweet. A man walked up behind me while I put the tickets to see Superman in my wallet. Fate had me in her hands again.

"One please for Brick at 9:50."

"One ticket?"

"Yes."

The teller looked over at me kindly, "See? We already got rid of one of them."

In her attempt to make me feel better, the teller made the service industry's deadliest mistake. When I was trained to be a hostess at a restaurant, my boss always stressed never to say, "Table for one?" If someone comes up by themselves simply ask if they want a table. They'll let you know if there is more than one in their party. You don't ever want to remind them that they are by themselves.

I felt horrible for the old man behind me. He was Harvey Pekar in American Splendor or Seymour in Ghost World. He probably thought I was judging him. He hated the teller for repeating him and asking "One ticket?" He hated me for being her ally.

I smiled back nervously. We were at the "hipster" movie theater in Squirrel Hill with the "hipster" clientele. In my story, these were my anonymous allies who gave me strength. Now, I was betraying them.

I wanted to whisper back to him that I was seeing Brick tomorrow night. I wanted to prove to him that he was buying one of my tickets. But that was useless and petty. I wanted to comfort the man behind me and tell him that although I am wearing fashionable clothes and he thinks I'm judging him, really he is my hero. He had the strength of my narrator. And I only had the strength to write about how I wish I could be like him.

Reviews of Superman Returns and Brick to come post-practice bar exam.

the best compliment

2006-06-29T17:56:00.000-04:00

"if i was america, you would be my jack bauer"

(...i guess i'm one tough killing machine...)

3 essays to do tonight (1 makeup, 1 NJ, 1 PA). 3 more episodes of 24 season 5 to watch.

What's the game plan? Hour on. Hour off.

No spoilers until tomorrow!!

kiefer makes me swoon.

Insight

2006-06-29T15:00:00.000-04:00

My friend had a very nice insight the other day. It was simple and it was true, which makes it the best kind of insight.

I was trying to explain how it's weird to talk to people when taking the bar. You don't want to talk to your friends about the bar because you want to be "normal." You don't want the bar to consume your life. You also need a break from the bar. You want to take a breather, relax, joke about the barbri lecturer's hair or the funny "states" the prep courses use in their hypos. (state of desire, state of innocence ... or ... New Hermont, Oreshington, Florabama).

but, you also need someone to talk to about the bar exam. wait, do you have to do a 403 analysis for all types of evidence questions? what are the exceptions? i'm confused. can you help me? and sometimes your friends will help you but sometimes they can't. and you know why. b/c sometimes you're that friend and, really, you can't have people asking you these stupid questions b/c they're confused and you're just gonna get confused and can they stop asking. plus, once your friend starts talking about the bar it's like a little light goes off in your head, wait, i can't talk about the bar or studying or study techniques. I have no time to talk. I have to just do.

so basically the conversation goes as follows:

Bar Exam Taker ("BET") 1: "are you watching the world cup?"

BET 2: "yeah. i'm a europhile. i love it."

BET 1: "do you favor argentina or germany?"

BET 2: "well, argentina has those two young guys, but germany - they're playing like rock stars - plus, home field advantage is huge."

BET 1: "yeah, i love the fatherland too. Hey, if one of the Germans kicks an Argentinian in the knee cap that would be awesome. Assuming that US law applies, think he can be charged with a battery?"

BET 2: "Um...."

BET 2 thinks in head: hrm...elements of a battery - prima facie case 1) harmful or offensive contact 2) to Argentinian 3) with intent and 4) causation....Wait, but i think there is some type of sports game special rule...

BET 2 still thinking to self: dude, self, i really should know this rule. i don't want to look like a dumbass to BET1, my dear friend and confidante who I really shouldn't be competing with anyway. damn, why do i compete with my friends? i'm really just competing with myself and damn self! how come you don't know this?

BET 2 nervous...

BET 2 decides to play the famous law student exit strategy to get out of a situation in which one is at risk of looking dumb: evade question and make other person look dumb. extra points if throw in esoteric factoid.

BET 2: "haha, you know that's not what the bar will ask. they'll ask something more like, what if he shoots him at a bar later that night after drinking tons of budweiser beer (*remember, because Anheuser Busch is a proud sponsor of the world cup*) b/c he's just not used to American beer and doesn't realize how drunk he is. FN1. can he be charged with common law murder?"

OMG now BET 1 realizes he really needs to get home to go over crim law. BET 1 totally doesn't know criminal homicide. is intoxication even a defense? was he sufficiently provoked? what about that battery question, BET 1 is still confused even as to simple battery. And is battery even a tort or is a crime? what's the difference? BET 1 starts to sweat. There's only one solution: use famous law student exit strategy.

BET 1: "Or, better yet, how about if the facts said that the Argentinian died after the German kicked him in the knee. But the World Cup Doctor, Doctor Feelgood, didn't rush onto the field right away because he just thought it was normal flopping even though it was the doctor's duty, according to the very special yet official "World Cup Doctor Hippocratic Oath", to run on the field at the first sight of blood. After the news broke the story of the German "death-kicker" and the "scared-of-a little blood" Doctor, leaving each of them to get numerous death threats from the Argentinian Single Soccer Mom's Mafia, known on the streets as the "Kickin' ASS Mom Mob", the autopsy shows that the Argentinian actually died from fright after seeing a Dutch fan wearing no 'trousers.' FN2. Who can be held criminally liable for the Argentinian's death then?"

Both exit scene terrified of how much they don't know about the law and how much it sucks that they're gonna miss the game tomorrow.

---

See? I'm not as simplistic as my friend.

His simple, very true statement sums up the one thing that sucks about the bar exam. It's 2 months of pure loneliness. You can't really be around people to study because you need to just sit there and do it. (and i mean, talk to people, not be in a public place). It's not even like first year exams because for exams (as Prof Whitebread says) you want to reach "level 3" of knowledge (out of 3 levels). You want to really know it deep down to your bones. For the bar exam, you don't. So there's no point to really sitting around talking about every little issue.

Still, you want to be around people. In fact, you need to be around people or else it's just you and the bar. and the bar isn't quite known as a self-esteem booster or even a "friend."

So that's the biggest problem with preparing for the bar. It makes you lonely.

--

FN1: "There has been a wider resentment in Germany that a US brewery has the exclusive rights in a country which prides itself on the quality of its beer and has very strict laws governing its composition."

FN2: "Football's governing body has explained why up to 1,000 Dutch fans watched a World Cup tie wearing no trousers.

Around 1,000 fans arrived for the Ivory Coast tie in their traditional bright orange trousers - but bearing the logo and name of a Dutch brewery.

To protect the rights of the official beer they were denied entry, so the male fans promptly removed the trousers and watched the game in underpants."

source of "esoteric" factoids 1 & 2:

Morbid Job Supreme Court

2006-06-26T16:17:00.000-04:00

Excerpts from the Washington Post article

"The Kansas case was unique. The state law says juries should impose death sentences if aggravating evidence of a crime's brutality and mitigating factors explaining a defendant's actions are equal in weight."

"But the five conservatives, including Alito, overturned a Kansas Supreme Court ruling that found the law violated the Eighth Amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishment."

"The American people have determined that the good to be derived from capital punishment _ in deterrence, and perhaps most of all in the meting out of condign justice for horrible crimes _ outweighs the risk of error. It is no proper part of the business of this court, or of its justices, to second-guess that judgment, much less to impugn it before the world ...," Scalia wrote.

Vanity Plates

2006-06-25T18:17:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite parts of my drive to and from Philadelphia was the Vanity Plate Guessing Game!!

The rules:
1. look for vanity plates
2. guess what the vanity plates refer to

Examples from this weekend:

"No Noyz" (or something to that effect)

my guess - the driver made silencers for guns

"Mr. Zip"

my guess - the driver made jeans or ziplock bags or muzzles or has a last name like "pity-doo-dah"

I think vanity plates rock! (if only because they help me have fun on long car rides).

although, i think this guy thinks vanity plates rock more than i do.

and i don't think this (watch out! .pdf file!) is necessary. It's a general fact sheet for Vanity Plates in Pennsylvania (who knew about the demand?!), with rules like:

DEFINITION OF PERSONALIZED REGISTRATION PLATE:A personalized registration plate may contain up to seven letters and numbers in combination. One hyphen or one space is permitted, but not both. Special characters are not available.

The Department reserves the right to limit or reject certain requests.

i guess after seeing that list maybe its good the Department has authority to reject certain requests. Imagine if an elderly, fairly religious person in the middle of Pennsylvania (think: Grandma Amish) saw: "Sexx666".

Plus, imagine if your job was to receive and review the applications for vanity plates - it must make for great conversation.

"guess what license someone wanted today?"

"don't tell me. another sex addict? a tribute to the devil?"

"nope. those are a dime a dozen. I'll give you a clue. This one I accepted."

"Dr. 2th? WWJD? 1Eagles? PghStlr?"

"nope. Want another clue?"

"Yeah"

"Okay, here it is. At first, I thought the application was for a lil' old lady or a policeman but it was for someone who owns a gas station. turns out he has some humor."

"[blank stare]"

"pass me"

er....laughter? silence?...
(fine, maybe not so funny....)
(gosh, ya'll are a hard crowd).

The Second Time I Missed the Essex Green (due to driving back & forth to Philadelphia) :-(

2006-06-24T20:39:00.000-04:00

World Café at The Warhol
Friday, June 23rd & Saturday, June 24th
Tickets: $15 per person
(limit 4 per person for each show)

Friday, June 23rd
6pm: Katharine Whalen
8pm: Soul Asylum

Saturday, June 24th
2pm: Jackie Greene
4pm: The Essex Green

The taping sessions take place in the intimate Andy Warhol Museum theater for national broadcast to over 100 radio stations in August.

WYEP's Summer Music Festival
Saturday, June 24th
FREE
Festival starts at approximately 5pm

5:30pm: Katharine Whalen
6:55pm: The Essex Green
8:05pm: Jackie Greene
9:30pm: Soul Asylum

** at least I saw them pre-Cannibal Sea ** (and they were awesome)

a more benign post (yawn)

2006-06-19T20:42:00.000-04:00

Find your own pose!

Colon Traits and Tendencies The Colon is the chosen pose of individuals who, on their own, seem awkward or remote. They may be the sort who responds to telephone messages with email, or spends their lunchtimes quietly pedometer-walking in lieu of socializing with coworkers. But when a Colonist finds its mate, together they acquire a grace and ease that surprises friends and family.

Comfort Zone The Colon is one of the Sea Sleeper poses. Other Sea poses you might try: The Ticket Puncher and Sixth Posture of the Perfumed Forest.

A Note About Coping Since Colonists rely so heavily on their partners to give them context and spark, the times when business or family obligations take one of them away from home can leave both sleepers demoralized. To temporarily fill the void, swap in a large, carnival-sized stuffed animal, making sure to keep candles, space heaters, or other combustibles well away from the bedside.

The Fingerprinting

2006-06-19T13:37:00.000-04:00

Here is an e-mail that my friend sent to me:

"Good luck this weekend with those finger prints...I'll be thinking of you as they grab your fingers and make you finger print for like 15 minutes straight."

And here is my reply:

"seriously! you're not even joking when you say 15 minutes.

the fingerprinter (is that an official position?) was so nice but i was in such a bad mood when i arrived (...explanation to come...). i really didn't feel like giving her each and every finger 5 times!! (fine, only twice) or making small chat or putting on special lotion or dipping my fingers onto a computerized ink-pad.

plus, well, actually, now that I think about it, the complete story of my fingerprint escapade is for in-person telling only (complete with ethnic biases and gender theory and the like...) and, thus, inappropriate for e-mail.

Fine, b/c I can't resist. I'll type the story. Plus, there is already build up and it's not that funny. It was just "an experience."

for starters, the fingerprinting business was in this non-descript office building in the middle of backwoods NJ (when i arrived my sister's navigation system said: "unknown territory" or something to that effect and the road went blank). The neighborhood is very,...er...politically correct (?), Hispanic.

Once I was lost, due to the navigation system's failure and my detrimental reliance on it's accuracy (stupid me), there was
definitely a road in the city that became more like a "line", where after I crossed it, I was like, ...uh...i probably shouldn't be here. Or should i? then i saw a cop. which made me feel un-safe & safe all at the same time. And then, don't even start with the feelings of guilt that I felt after thinking all of this - i went through the whole psychological experience of - if you are in a neighborhood that looks run-down/maybe unsafe as a female with no karate skills (such as myself), do you 1) play into the stereotypes b/c sometimes they are true and you have to be "safe" or 2) disregard the stereotypes and go on your merry way, which can be both illuminating and naive.

Needless to say, i was anxious and thankful when i found the the non-descript office building. (anxious mostly b/c i didn't want to make this 1 hr drive from my house in Philly again - which is really a 5.5 hr drive from pittsburgh). The non-descript office building also housed the "bilingual spanish speakers community center," which took up the whole first floor (i think). The finger printing office (if it could even be called that) was upstairs. The "office" was an open room, smaller than a high school classroom, with the fingerprinting machinery (along with the necessary lotions and electronic pads et cetera), one woman fingerprinter, and a "waiting area" consisting of three chairs. But, of course (?), there was a line of people getting fingerprinted (which made me wanna ask all of the other fingerprintees why they were there - who knew that fingerprinting was such a lucrative business. i guess it is in NJ). And, yes, they were all speaking in Spanish.

When it was my turn to be fingerprinted, my small chatter with the official female fingerprinter began with her cheering me on in her Spanish accent and telling me that I have to do well - for "us" - b/c most of the people she fingerprints for the NJ bar are male.

now, i start thinking critical race (ethnic) theory thoughts (ironically, after I was just a complete stupidhead. er, or whatever
derogatory term you wish to call me...). My thoughts mainly follow this line of thinking: "most women she would fingerprint would be from this area (bluecollar Latina...), gosh! no wonder she sees mainly men - re: the dissent in the Michigan law school case." Then, I begin to feel guilty b/c she has embraced me as "us" but really I am not her b/c I am white. Plus, she's nice and I'm just annoyed that she keeps pulling on each of my fingers. To make matters worse, my pinky is too small & it takes awhile for the computer to read the print.

then, she asks if I am working nights while studying for the bar. she's kind and smiling like a good-natured mother. Her kids probably can't be older than three or four though - she's pretty young. she's so impressed with my achievement. and sincere. and i just want to throw up. that question was the verbal equivalent of punching me in the stomach. especially because she wasn't sarcastic.

"No, I'm not," I reply briefly, leaving out that small part about how I didn't even take out student bar loans b/c I'm *crossing my fingers* that my parents will pay for my privileged-ass to take (not one but two) bar review courses this summer. right now i'm just living in credit card debt like a lazy bum.

"All finished. All of that Hard work. You're glad it's over, huh?" She smiles. I think she's talking about the fingerprinting but it may be law school. I can't decide. "Really, I mean it, do well. We need more girl lawyers."

As if there wasn't enough pressure to pass the bar, I picture myself on the morning of July 27th. The New Jersey essays have been passed out and we're just waiting for the second hand to get to the twelve so the proctor can shout "begin." Before I turn my papers over, I give the female fingerprinter a shout-out in my mind. "This is for you, mi amiga."

the end.

whew - betcha didn't expect that reply. despite what it sounds like, the experience was very uplifting and resonated with me. i realized how very privileged I was - yes, i was a spoiled brat and more (will the racist please stand up?) - but also how I was privileged in a good way. You too - we are law school graduates! so congrats to us!

thanks for thinking of me & the goodluck & such.

D.U.I.

2006-06-19T13:08:00.000-04:00

advice from today's (most boring) lecture: in Pennsylvania, if you get drunk & pull over to the side of the road to pass out, pass out in the passenger's seat & take the keys out of the ignition. then you're good to go. oh! and if you have power windows - just open the door if you need to talk to the cops - though that's not crucial.

Obviously she doesn't know me

2006-06-18T22:21:00.000-04:00

And that "she" can be a few women...

"she" can mean Whitney due to this. I've been plugging this for over a year (and, yes, in nerdy fashion, I have posted "theories" on Y the Last Man websites - in fact, the old Y the Last Man msg boards on the Vertigo website before it got its own.

or, "she" can mean the lady at the NJ fingerprinting place. This is a story that really should be in a post of it's own. So, I'll save it for another day. But, suffice it to say, gosh! do they really need that many prints of my fingertips? (each one rolled separately, then my hand...it was definitely an ordeal)

or, "she" can mean my mom. Without intending for it to be like this, the "ode to my dad" as my family's been calling it (or "my ode" as my dad's been calling it), has left my mom feeling left out. i guess i should've known to be more egalitarian in handing out my odes. really, i just wrote that post about my dad because I was inspired by the Slate article. when the new crossword movie comes out, you know that my mom will get a shoutout. but, for the present record, my mom is awesome. so look forward to my "ode to my mom" post which is coming soon. It will be entitled "Snakes on a Train" and (other than the "hottest" movie of the summer) you'll see why soon.

ps/ i'm really excited to see ed norton's/evan rachel wood's movie. (i just needed to remind myself...so there...i'm reminded). (Down in the Valley).

OMG and! running with scissors - I'm so excited - I actually brought back "Dry," which I started reading this year and put down. I also brought back "V is for Vendetta," which I started like a month before the movie came out and then I left it in Philadelphia. then it was buried somewhere in my sister's room/my brother's room/or my room. and, finally, i found it!

so shhhh!! no plot spoilers.

re: the New Yorker Article that everyone and their mom is reading (my mom included)

2006-06-16T01:51:00.000-04:00

Je t'aime L. Lessig (not that I know him personally)

and happy Bloomsday day (er, Daedelus day) to you.

M.I.A.

2006-06-15T13:50:00.000-04:00

i'm off to philly to take some fingerprints for the NJ bar.

world cup update:

England v. Trinidad-Tobago...No Crouch bot!

Gattaca-Revisted :: "They reject the term 'designer babies.'"

2006-06-15T01:26:00.000-04:00

"It's not like we want some 6-foot-tall, blue-eyed Brad Pitt lookalike," Robert said. "I naturally have something and my wife naturally has something and it's taken out of our bodies and then you're getting a doctor to mix it together and put it back in. ... We're not messing around with God the creator."

i'm tired from packing (moving installment 1 of 3) so I haven't fully developed my thoughts on this.

Tech nerd!

2006-06-14T14:44:00.000-04:00

For those of you who use pandora (i hope it's all!!), did you know that all of pandora's music is actually saved as mp3s on your computer (sorry if you already did, i just found out last night). Yeah, you have all of those mp3s of that awesome recommended music. You didn't know? You probably didn't check your temporary folder.

Anyway, if you want a "more advanced" program to save those mp3s (complete with tags of artists/album covers) you can also download Pandora's Jar

enjoy!

online lectures

2006-06-14T01:34:00.000-04:00

streaming and password protection can't stop me.

lectures meet my iPod. iPod meet lectures.

finally!

and to think, studying for the bar also made me flex my technology muscle (or reach out to people who can flex!)

Daddy's Wisdom

2006-06-13T12:21:00.000-04:00

I will admit, on most things, my dad is right.

if any of you know my dad (and by this i mean, really know my dad), you will know that he has a split personality. Good cop, bad cop. (wait, is bi-polar hereditary? (kidding)).

My dad is self-contradictory. He talks like Buddha or, more appropriately, like his self-help guru Wayne Dyer, who says things like:

then screams like, like, like, oh i don't know, like someone with tourette's? In public, of course, he is totally normal. In fact, he has great bedside manner (he is a doctor).

Maybe it's because he was a bad kid - flipping out in public, stealing - who was also careful to iron his only pair of pants everyday he went home because he was embarrassed of being poor. He is self-motivated but didn't go to college. He went to the army and signed up for extra time. He took college classes, skipped one of his finals (in English class!) and said he wasn't educational. Then, it turned out that his English professor at the local community college took pity on the local army base students. He had a solid C average, he skipped the final, he ended up with a B. With a newfound sense of confidence, he went home where he found his friends smoking pot in Atlantic City and unswayed with his determination, he went to college on the GI Bill & then went to medical school. Not until the third year that he applied was he accepted (talk about persistence!). This was when med schools discriminated against older students. (my dad also refused to "bribe" someone to get him in - i guess this was a usual custom, back in the day). My dad didn't even start college until he was 23. I have a law degree at 24. My dad, by definition, has fulfilled the American dream. He is a great doctor and a wonderful father.

Despite his own personal setbacks, he never expects anything less than perfect from his kids. (except for my brother, his only son, who my dad can't help but recklessly indulge). He believed in physical punishment with us until my younger sister. She never got a black eye her senior year of high school. He uses words like "typical" (i still flinch when i hear that phrase. context - i'm late. i'm always late. "typical"). He always tells me that I am afraid because I don't assert myself enough yet he never answers the phone when he is the only one home.

I once wrote a story about my dad. Of course, I changed the names and places. Here is an excerpt:

In an anxious attempt towards complete oblivion, Henry decided to call the 610 WIP sports radio program. He was ten minutes down the road from Storybook Land. As always, this stretch of the Black Horse Pike to the convenience store on the right side of the road, the one surrounded by billboards advertising nearby naked women, led him to fidgeting in the driver’s seat. He had no desire to reach the women, but he also had no desire to see his wife and his kids, who awaited his return home. To Henry, it seemed the billboard had been placed there merely to have the naked women ridicule him, seductively licking their lips and flaunting their honesty to him as he passed.
¶ Once he arrived at the convenience store, he knew was only forty minutes away from the Walt Whitman Bridge, his entryway to Philadelphia. Forty minutes back to his life. He was inching his way closer to the last mile of his inevitable fate, imprisonment by his family and their expectations of him. He was to be the reserved and supportive father who simply provided them an impressive lifestyle, directing them from a distance. Slowly, he tortured himself as he pressed down on the accelerator.
¶ The Black Horse Pike, half highway, half country back road, offered more for him to look at than the congested Atlantic City Expressway with its median and three-lane structure, cars honking, and passing only to be done on the left. The roadside of the Black Horse Pike offered trailer parks, derelict houses, and restaurants that must be delicious, if they managed to stay open in spite of this isolated location. Looking at the environment through his car window made him recognize how fortunate he was; he wished his kids could see this and realize the same. His kids though usually drove with his wife. She took the expressway.
¶ Either way, the total drive from his summerhouse at the Jersey shore to his home in the upper class Main Line, a western suburb of Philadelphia, equaled about ninety-six minutes, with his car’s gas mileage not quite a half tank, doubled for round trip purposes. He knew this because recently the trip had become habitual while he compulsively checked on the progress of an addition he was building to his shore house. It was a costly investment but his budget would only be tight for a short period. The completed shore house would increase his assets to well over one-million dollars. He would no longer be the poor white boy from Overbrook Park. He could give his already-spoiled kids everything he never had when he was younger and everything they expected to get.
¶ Suddenly, Henry, so frighteningly familiar with the ride and the scenery, was no longer able to endure the trip in silence. Decidedly, he turned on Howard Eskin and Mike Missanelli’s Friday afternoon radio program, willing to call in with comments to whatever their discussion to let his mind drift. He clutched the steering wheel with both hands and quickly looked for the button to turn on the cruise control mechanism. He knew the button was on his steering wheel and that when he reached his desired speed he would have to press the button next to it to set the miles per hour. That was what made his car a luxury car; everything was in its correct place, and followed instructions. Just the way Henry liked it. If only everything would be as well behaved as his silver BMW sport-ut with black leather interior, and wood paneling. If only.

But, when my dad is on, he's on. Under the surface of everything, he is so worried/anxious/such a perfectionist/a misogynist/a "flipper-outer" because he cares. He has the utmost duty of loyalty and expects for himself to provide the utmost duty of care (...er, sorry, i still haven't reviewed corporations or partnerships).

His voice is calming and he has a wealth of inspirational stories and motivation.

So who did I call when I was selling books and wanted to quit everyday? my dad.
Who did I sell books for to show that I am a strong individual, willing to talk to strangers and assert myself? my dad.

how about law school? same thing.

my dad (at least his life story) is the reason that I needed to get a law job without my parents' lawyer connections. I waited until I saw a blind posting on an internet site for a firm that I truly had interest in. (Turns out later that my mom's friend's in-laws' child works there, the attorney refers cases (back and forth) with my neighbor, and knows another neighbor from high school, college & law school). but, this knowledge was acquired "after-the-fact."

about self-esteem issues? i call my dad.

the bar? you know the answer.

who would i rely on to save my life? my dad. he is calm and kind and a pillar of support.

So why this homage to my favorite redhead?

I remember I once asked my dad why he is never in Philadelphia's list of top doctors. There is an inside joke within my family that when I'm mad at my dad (who has given me everything I ever want in life), I always make fun of the fact that "he's only a D.O." (he's not an M.D.)...that "he's not a real doctor." He used to fight with me and try to explain that D.O.s are just as recognized in the medical community and showed me all of the famous D.O.s. He continued to explain that there is a misconception that they are more like chiropractors, etc. My dad is damn successful and good at what he does (and, yes, it does worry me that there is a good chance that I will be among the first generation (& first one, b/c of my first born status) in my family not to make as much money as my parents). As a bratty child, though, I had to bring up my parents "flaws."

My dad told me that the magazine article was a popularity contest. Sometimes the choices are merited but other times it's a coin-toss. It's whose name is hot. Later, (an older and wiser man/father), he simply dismissed the issue and said that he could only be as good as he could be. He worked hard and that's all he could hope to do. And he was happy with his success. And, how he's thankful for everything he was and is able to give to me. (damn, damn, damn, damn, damn - how can I fight with that sort of logic!).

Similarly, when I got mostly Bs one quarter in high school (usually, i had mostly As), he was let down because he thought I was "hanging with the wrong crowd." Most of my friends then were in all standard classes as opposed to my honors classes friends from previous years. My new friends were in "resource" (a class dedicated to extra time taking if you had a learning disability). They looked up to me like I was a genius in comparison to my other friends who were the top ten in the class. I was comfortable. I was elated to not have to live up to expectations around these friends. I was the quintessential big fish in a small pond. Plus, I was taking all honors classes. I worked hard. All Bs one *quarter* (not final grades) didn't really matter. Gosh, why did my dad have to be so hard on me? Didn't he realize that this was high school and I had my reputation at stake. Plus, again, mostly Bs in honors classes. These were tough classes. Bs aren't Cs or Ds or Fs. My brother (his XY love) usually got Cs and sometimes Ds. He didn't care. Still, my dad was disappointed. Then, he took a deep breath and said to me, "As long as you can look yourself in the mirror and know that you worked as hard as you could and tried as hard as you could, that's all I want from you." He looked me straight in the face and there was no longer disappointment. "If you worked as hard as you can, then, I'm proud." (damn, damn, damn, damn, damn - again, I couldn't fight with that sort of logic!).

So why all this? It seems to come back to Slate. (anyone picking up on who is my BFF during bar exams?)

A Few Good Doctors
Don't look for them on a magazine top-10 list.
By Kent Sepkowitz

About this time every year, doctors across New York City begin to cast a wary eye at local newsstands. When the bundle of New York magazine's "Best Doctors" issue drops onto the pavement, torture commences for the city's prim and laconic physician class. (Other cities get their chance at other times of year.) It's high school all over again, a life lived at the mercy of cruel arbiters of who is up and who is down.

What's so bad about this sort of thing? After all, Who's Who and its progeny operate a similar scam. I would argue, though, that by adopting the guidebook approach, Best Doctors (or Best Lawyers or Best Dentists) fails the public by making a false promise. The real problem at hand—how do you find a reliable professional whose services you very much need—can't be solved as readily as picking a restaurant or health club. You can't run a Zagat-style survey and get worthwhile results. Nor can you pay people to crash the car and then rate the product. The Best Doctors approach—asking other doctors to name the colleagues they trust enough to send a family member to—sounds like it ought to work. But it doesn't.

To begin with, the list is heavily influenced by backslapping, back-stabbing, and old-fashioned old-boyism. Powerful medical departments are too generously represented while oddball offices or people are gone with the wind. Even if that weren't the case, however, the list would be mostly useless.

The doctor-patient relationship is just that, a relationship, full of all the nonsense and idiosyncrasy that defines the genre. It's why good doctoring has a magic quality, like a good friendship. The intricacy of this symbiosis also is why a "best doctor" can't be determined by asking a bunch of professors whom they might send their brother-in-law to.

To my favorite doctor, my dad, you have always made my top ten list :-)

World Cup #2

2006-06-11T22:37:00.000-04:00

are you ready for it, USA?

ps/ i changed my posting name. like it?

what's in a name (Brand)?

2006-06-11T20:34:00.000-04:00

i've said it before & i'll say it again. although it is among my five "let down" grades in law school, international business transactions is one of the most helpful classes i've ever taken. especially for the bar (we're talking - contracts, civil procedure, constitutional law...)

trite but true: i think that learning international law is so helpful in remembering and understanding US law.

professor brand is by far one of the best professors at the law school. even if he is super scary and a harsh grader.

As if Philadelphia doesn't have enough language problems

2006-06-11T03:00:00.000-04:00

Situated in a South Philadelphia immigrant neighborhood, Geno's — which together with its chief rival, Pat's King of Steaks, forms the epicenter of an area described as "ground zero for cheesesteaks" — has posted small signs telling customers, "This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING `SPEAK ENGLISH.'"

"They don't know how lucky they are. All we're asking them to do is learn the English language," said Geno's owner Joseph Vento, 66. "We're out to help these people, but they've got to help themselves, too."

Vento, whose grandparents struggled to learn English after immigrating from Sicily in the 1920s, said he posted the sign about six months ago amid concerns over immigration reform and the increasing number of customers who could not order in English when they wanted Philly's gooey, greasy specialty — fried steak, sliced or chopped, in a long roll, with cheese and fried onions.

Of course, it's not as if native Philadelphians speak the King's English either. A Philadelphian might order a cheesesteak by saying something like, "Yo, gimme a cheesesteak wit, will youse?" ("Wit," or "with," means with fried onions.) To which the counterman might reply: "Youse want fries widdat?"

The rest of the article.

bar exam #4: Procrastination abounds. This time - The World Cup.

2006-06-09T23:36:00.000-04:00

Anyone who read my earlier posts probably read Dave Eggers piece in Slate about the World Cup. Right? RIGHT?!?

It starts off like this:

"When children in the United States are very young, they believe that soccer is the most popular sport in the world."

and it actually uses the word excelsior (complete with exclamation point!) in the middle of a sentence about flopping.

probably because i'm an American and i realized that i know nothing, I've at least taken to researching the world cup. but, seriously, i think everyone and anyone should be totally interested in the World Cup or learning about it if you have no idea what the world cup is or that they are playing with lighter balls - thank you adidas - which are supposedly the cause of "high" scores like 4-2. [Due to the"Teamgeist" (team spirit) ball, "There's going to be a lot of goals when the World Cup starts. But I guess that's people want to see."]

here is some information, which someone looked up for me when I asked how the world cup is set up (is it like the NBA championships? like baseball? how long are we talking? weeks? months? is there an eastern conference and a western conference? communism v. capitalism? american league and national league? er...the United States and Britain v. the United Nations? see. complete ignorance.):

"America is agog with World Cup fever. OK, let me refine that slightly. The vibrant slice of America that spends every weekend coaching or "scrimmaging" or glued to the Fox Soccer Channel or GolTV is agog with World Cup fever. The rest of the nation is dimly aware that something slightly bigger (but no less alien) than the Eurovision Song Contest is on the way."

Also,

"the top 2 teams in each group (of 4) go on to the next round in the world cup. The 32 teams are broken up into eight groups. Each team plays the other three teams in its group. The top two teams from each group advance to the round of 16. The winner of each group plays the second place team of another group. The winners advance to the quarterfinals. Win again and you're in the semifinals and guaranteed two more games -- yes, World Cup teams play for third."

other information: May 27th's Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me had a "Football expert" on for "Not my Job" - I recommend that.

"Soccer expert and radio host Steven Cohen plays our game called "Do whatever it takes to win, and then promise an investigation afterward." Three questions about cheating in sports."

and, of course, there is even a podcast (not sure if there is a textcast) about the world cup too.

Err, and Kirk sent me this: ""Also, Liverpool striker Peter Crouch (he's 6'7" and weighs about nothing) has been selected to start, and maybe he'll break out The Crouchbot, his goal celebration 'robot dance'..." (i can't stop thinking barty crouch & quidditch world cup).

Kirk loves the robot dance. (he won't stop!)

PS/ a note to the grammar police: In addition to my normal run-on sentences, misspellings, and incorrect use of commas, sorry about the quotations & the block quotes. i didn't think i was gonna block & then i did. now, i'm too lazy to fix it and would rather apologize.

bar exam #3. Subtitle: you know it's bad when you start sending e-mails like this to friends...

2006-06-09T23:09:00.000-04:00

"I *expect* you to know that I am *obsessed* with [an] ex-UPN show, (now on the CW network)
called, [insert TV show here...].

Here, i'll make it multiple choice just like a bar exam question (complete with trick/ambiguous answers). The best choice to fill in the blank above is:

a) Lost

b) America's Next Top Model

c) Veronica Mars

d) All of the above

Answer key is posted below your message."

...friends msg...

"Answer Key:

While I do *love* Lost - it's on ABC, not UPN. Therefore, A is wrong. ANTM is a UPN show that was picked up by CW. It could be an answer. Plus, I like ANTM but I'm not *obsessed* with it. It's one of those shows that I can't stop watching once I start but I hate myself for liking it (see: our mutual feelings for MTV's My Sweet 16). Therefore, B is wrong. Therefore, D is wrong. And, obviously, the correct answer pick is C. Go Kristin Bell!!! (hottest female vegetarian, says PETA. and, she's from Detroit.)."

(yes, it is 11:06 on a Friday night)

BUT guess what?!?!?! tomorrow night, i'm taking off to the Three Rivers Arts Festival to see the Eels. The Eels are one of my three favorite bands, all of which I saw perform live at least one time in the past twelve months. (i guess after tomorrow i can die a happy music fan) (the other two bands: the wrens, the essex green). The Eels or Eels (as you may want to correctly correct me) are not a very consistent group in my humble opinion (see: blinking lights and other revelations vs. beautiful freak or daisies of the galaxy) but when they're on, they're on. I think my all-time favorite song is "Grace Kelly Blues." Again, for more proof, one of my saddest let-downs was the eels' cover of "Pretty Ballerina" by the Left Banke (another top twenty-five favorite). I was so excited to see the cover...but, while others may disagree, this version was too fast for me!.

Anyway, the Eels open for Tom Verlaine. (excerpt from amg bio: "Famed for his trailblazing work as the singer and guitarist for the seminal New York punk band Television, Tom Verlaine also carved out an acclaimed and eclectic solo career."). OH!!! so that's who he is. punk-legend?

I'm happy to see the third part of my "perfect concerts" trifecta. (um, am i using that word correctly? i try! says Wikipedia: ""Trifecta" is also gaining popularity as a slang term to describe any successful phenomenon that comes in threes, for example: "She has the 'trifecta' of attractiveness, intelligence, and career success.""

The Textcast

2006-06-09T20:10:00.000-04:00

Some of you may know that I now have a slight obsession with Slate.com. I'm a *huge* fan of their podcasts (although, while I usually like British accents, I like Andy Bowers much better than June Thomas). I especially like the gabfast. Except, lately, I find myself criticizing it more than agreeing with it (re: Emily Bazelon saying that recess is not going away, but the richer you are the more you get it - i.e. discrimination starts young - and then saying that *her* kids get plenty of recess). I'm a fan of Dahlia Lithwick's take on the Supreme Court. In fact, if I had the time, I would write a "made-for-cable-tv" version of every major Supreme Court case (not just the ones involving Anna Nicole) because, yes, I *am* that much of a nerd. I am a fan of blogging the bible, middlebrow, the dilettante, and hey, wait a minute (i won't link to all - you'll just have to look up all of the good stuff for yourself!). And I'm not even just saying this because Slate verified my ocd about stds.

"(It's vital that girls be vaccinated before they have sex for the first time, since each new sexual encounter brings a 15 percent chance of HPV infection.)"

But, this is all beside the point.

I am a huge fan of podcasts but I think that I may be an even huger fan of the textcast. I'm not on top of the ball, so there may be many other textcasts, but Slate.com's is the first that I have seen. And, I love it. Why? B/c while I'm not taking public transportation as much anymore, all of my weekly podcast addictions are slowly getting backlogged (this may also be because I am studying for the bar). As a good friend of mine had said, it feels kinda weird just sitting around and listening to a podcast. I try. I listen to podcasts while cleaning my house - straightening up, doing my dishes - but in all reality those things don't get done all too often.

I think the textcast is a perfect mix. I can just sit down and read the textcast quickly and quietly. Plus, in more, um, candid terms: an iPod or other mp3 player, (which are supposedly more popular on college campuses than beer...which, btw, my friend pointed out "makes sense because iPods and mp3 players are for rich, privileged people and look at UCLA's % of incoming minority freshman), can be more discretely brought into a stall at work, school, play or otherwise than, let's say, a newspaper.

so much stuff

2006-06-06T13:54:00.000-04:00

i've wanted to blog about so much stuff - the frequency of seeing batwoman or batman last week (wtf!), the taxonomy of gay comic book superheroes, my (ill-timed) addiction to 24 (shhh! don't give me any spoilers; i'm only on season 4).

but last night i thought my computer had a virus. there was about 2 hours worth of changing all of my passwords; virus scans; internet research for mac viruses and the like. i think i'm all safe & it was a false alarm. still, it was kinda scary.

anyway, the sun is out & the weather is not incredibly hot or humid. it's perfect weather now...to be inside...studying...

i'm exhausted (5 hrs of sleep). all of the sudden I got very nervous last night - which is strange b/c I got back my first NJ essay and for not knowing the law at all, i didn't do that bad. In fact, I did pretty okay.

anyway, my friend kiren and i are going to make a website. any technical help would be nice or graphic designers...actually, here is an open call for all creative people. Kiren & i need to schedule a skype conference call (we were supposed to have one on Friday & I bailed)...so you can be in on that...

and unrelated to Kiren.

My friend (who is around my age and I'm 24) called me last night to get advice on having sex with a 19 year old. He had recently hooked up with a 34 year old. He was worried about the obvious - emotional attachment, not being able to go to bars, etc.

so my (not-so) comedic response as to my twenty-something friend's love life was to discriminate against old people by saying - yeah, go for the "crazy" sophomore in college, the youngin', the impressionable, innocent girl. I brought up STDs. I feel like the older we get the more and more I know people with STDs.

Now that I think through everything, it all seems kinda backwards.

Still, by rumor, or, in another friend's situation - a workplace e-mail that warned about crabs on the communal toilet seat - the older I get the more I hear about stds. Which also obviously means, the older people get, it's more likely that they've been in contact with an std. Personally, I'm std free (I've been tested!!). But, probably due to my anxiety/ocd, this is one of the first things that comes to mind when getting involved with someone new.

So non-age discriminatory advice: I know it's safe (albeit awkward) to ask people if they've had an std before getting involved. But, also, be smart about stds & don't discriminate against people with stds (despite my bad advice above).

one good article that i read recently on a related topic:

AIDS at 25: An Epidemic of Caring

By ABRAHAM VERGHESE

I won't put a link up b/c of the NYTimes login. but here is an excerpt:

I wonder now what I would have done if I had known in 1981 that AIDS would be as huge as it turned out to be. I am ashamed to admit that I might have gone into another field — say cardiology or gastroenterology. Which is why I have such optimism for the future, because I meet so many students and residents now who, knowing the magnitude of the problem, are still going into infectious diseases. They want to do something about global health, and have put their money where their mouth is by volunteering abroad before medical school.

I think perhaps that is the legacy of my patients, the legacy of the nurses and physicians' assistants and social workers who taught me so much, the legacy of people from all walks of life who toiled against AIDS when there was no hope. My students seem to know what we had to so painfully learn: the secret in the care of the patient is caring for the patient.

lonely

2006-06-03T17:27:00.000-04:00

studying makes me lonely.

it's just me & my wrong answers.

Flu in the Summer

2006-06-01T12:55:00.000-04:00

Okay, I probably don't have the flu. Yet. After a week of being surrounded by people who are sick or almost sick and allergy season now full in bloom...I think it's true. I think I'm sick. I've been trying to fight it - sucking on those nasty Cold-Eez (zinc) drops, drinking lots of fluids - but it caught up with me. I feel achy & I am coughing and sneezing. I tried to keep my seat as close to my friend who was sick last week knowing that she was probably immune from whatever this is. (Obviously, without being *too* close to her...)

Studying sucks when sick. Being in public sucks when sick.

Now I just need to find my appetite.

Bright side: i guess its better to get it over with now than be sick for the bar.

Bar exam #2

2006-05-31T20:31:00.000-04:00

Whew. I am tired. Today, I got back into the swing of things. Of course, I didn't do my assigned hw for today but I did do my assigned homework from yesterday. I really think I need to start listening to people and just do problems. It takes me *forever* to read these long outlines. So, I did my first timed 45 minute essay and I found that I was not under any time pressure...mostly because I had no idea what I was talking about. I should be fair to myself, though, and say that this essay was for NJ. Unfortunately, the location where I am taking my bar classes at is not on the same schedule as the one at school, which offers NJ classes. Still, I felt that my location was better because the classes are at 9 am (and mostly live!). I figured the bar exam is a mind/body/confidence test and I should get into the swing of things (waking up relatively early) which wouldn't happen if I did the later classes. So, what this means is that I had to take my first NJ essay on Constitutional law, which the class at school covered last week, completely COLD. My class doesn't cover con law until this Friday. Sure, I read through the outline but I realized that the outline goes in one ear & out the other (or goes in one eye...). I really think my dad's "push the pencil" advice from grade-school math applies to the bar exam too. Until I sit down and do problems nothing really sinks in.

Although I totally bombed that essay, it was good practice for seeing worst case scenario (what can i remember from first year con law?). It was also good for my discipline - the essay was due today...I was gonna just turn it in on the makeup day (June 30th) but I decided that I might as well just go for it.

In other good news, I finally read through my New Jersey *introduction* materials and I realized that most of the Jersey bar exam essays are actually multi-state subjects (at least in recent years...). Yay! That just means extra practice for me & not as much extra studying as I thought.

Okay, well, this is completely boring for people who are not taking the bar. and probably boring for those who are taking the bar.

...and as a last note, I love how we're back to the stage of our lives where each second is so precious...and you just hate that wait in line or that need to eat food because, gosh, that's time you could be studying...that's kinda sarcastic but a sense of urgency is also kinda nice.

I've decided that i get an hour and a half lunch from the end of the Barbri class until the time I start studying...so when those people pop up & rush out or get mad at the long store/bank/restaurant line...I get to do my errands...I kinda like having the middle of the day to myself because then I get to work hard well into the night. and, as you probably know, i'm very nocturnal.

Hate

2006-05-28T15:57:00.000-04:00

So this weekend was graduation weekend. I am finished with law school. For real. I have a piece of paper to prove it. Two in fact.

I've realized that I spent a lot of extraneous time hating people for no good reason (or even for good reason). Law school is very much like high school (as many have stated before me...) and high school comes with cliques, he-said/she-said, gossip...everything we told ourselves we outgrew once we got to college. funny how we all "hate that stupid stuff" yet get caught up in it ourselves.

Maybe it's hindsight but...gossip, cliques, hating people for dressing the same way, for acting one way on a certain day, for having a stupid answer in class, for having a different opinion than me...all that seems so futile now. I will hardly see a good portion of these people once I move to Philadelphia. But they were a part of my life. (gosh, i sound like our class president's speech...)

I'm kinda gonna miss 'em. (or those of 'em who I actually knew...funny how many people I actually didn't know!)

for those of you still in law school...spread the love! (that's my advice...)

Bragging and American Idol

2006-05-24T14:57:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: I am really self-conscious about this post. I wouldn't put it up here if I actually kept a non-web journal on what's that stuff called...oh yeah...paper. I very much wish my blog had the option of private postings (although blogger, i'm still happy with my choice to have my home here (see: my old xanga blog). So please, if you're a judgmental person STOP READING!

(attempt to hide the text)

(are you sure you want to scroll more?)

(this is like "The Monster at the End of This Book")

(if you scroll more, you have to promise not to judge me...)

(one last chance!!)

i hate for this post to solely be about bragging so before I brag, I want to say that there will be a future post about American Idol. (no, I don't watch the show...but I have a theory/observation that I want to blog about...AND I will say that I turned my tv on last night & put it on silent & went into the other room just to be one of the millions of people who had it turned on...)

Fine. You're here. But so is:

Disclaimer #2: I hate grades. i hate how unfair law school grades are...how the time (or effort) slash return ratio doesn't really work (see: my grade in international business transactions ("IBT")...how even the "how much you 'care' about a class" or how much you've researched the issue in the "real world" slash academic return ratio doesn't work always either (see: my grade in employment discrim)

so! only for this extra special occasion will I give "props" to myself. How old am I? How many years have I been in school? This was the last semester of my whole entire life & I am proud to say I went out with a bang. What does "a bang" mean? For the first time in my life, I got all A(-)s!!!!

and...i *sorta* got a job! in philadelphia!! (if you care & want to ask me, i can explain that *sorta* in person or over the phone...it's actually a funny story). And I love this firm!!

Okay, bragging time is over. Back to reality. I'm scared shitless of the bar. I haven't really eaten in 2 days (other than the snacks I bring to BarBri - red bull, cheez-its, etc. and a half of a sandwich (today) and a soup (yesterday)) and I'm completely overwhelmed with the fact that I have *no idea* how to study (i.e. i know what I'm supposed to do...but I don't know what works for me as to how to do what I'm supposed to do...e.g. do i read the long outline first? do i read the short outline first? how many problems should i do in one night?...etc.)

any advice would be helpful!

license plates

2006-05-21T20:59:00.000-04:00

information.

This is a sample version of the plate issued in 2000...Bill Clinton (a supporter of D.C. statehood) put these on all presidential vehicles just before he left office.

I always wondered where that came from...Now I know...interesting.

Ms. Shapiro, angry that Congress and the Supreme Court had blocked efforts to provide Washington with a full vote in the House of Representatives, suggested that a version of the colonial rebel cry by displayed on the district's new license plates.

The proposal won broad support and was approved by the City Council with backing from Mayor Anthony A. Williams. In the first 10 days that the license plates were available, the city distributed 738 sets, the mayor's office said. The Department of Motor Vehicles, usually closed on weekends, was open two consecutive Saturdays to meet the demand.

Frustrated residents protest that the city's residents pay $2 billion in federal taxes annually but have failed to gain a voting representative in Congress.

When the District was created in the 1790's, it had only 14,000 residents, fewer than half the 30,000 required as the smallest permissible Congresional district. Supporters of representation note that the district now has more than half a million residents - more than Wyoming - and still no voting representative.

"I think it is finally sinking in that we don't have a say and we are totally beholden to them," said Carolinn Kuebler, a resident since 1995, referring to Congress.

Under current law, the district is not represented in the Senate; since 1971, it has had a single "delegate" in the House who does not vote except on committee action.

For more on the DC license plates.

Pop Culture Mania (...the week Cannes begins...)

2006-05-20T04:36:00.000-04:00

it's 4:33 am. (where o'where has my sleep schedule gone?) but! I just found all this pop culture yumminess (well, at least it all *arouses* my taste buds!!)

So...here is what we have to look forward to.

Pedro Almodovar + Penelope Cruz = Volver

"The third day of this 59th edition of the Festival de Cannes is marked by return in the Official Selection - seven years after All About My Mother, Prize for Best Director, and two years after Bad Education -, of Pedro Almodóvar, come to present in competition Volver. In this film, the Spanish director looks back to his roots and draws the portrait of three generations of women confronted by madness, lies, superstition and even death. There is Raimunda (Penélope Cruz), married to a man out of work, and her fourteen-year-old daughter; Sole (Lola Dueñas), her sister who manages a hairdressing salon at home; and their mother (Carmen Maura) who died a few years earlier in a fire. The latter reappears one day and seems to have scores to settle with her daughters..."

For Spanish speakers native to this continent...no me olvidé de usted!

Babel directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amores Perros) (w/ Brad Pitt (sans Jolie) & Cate Blanchett)

Babel: n. 1. In the Bible, a famous tower built by a united humanity to reach toward heaven, causing God in his anger to make each person involved speak different languages, halting the project and scattering a confused and disconnected people across the planet.

The pretentious film of the summer. (Chambre 666 directed by Wim Wenders)

Location: Cannes, Room 666 at the Hotel Martinez.
Godard, Fassbinder, Spielberg, Antonioni and other famous directors answer the question: "Is cinema a language about to get lost, an art about to die?"

i already mentioned Marie Antoinette (see: 4.30.2006: You don't have to speak French.)

Richard Linklater!! (Complete with trailer & website) (um, is that Avril Lavigne I see in the credits...along with Greg Kinnear, ETHAN HAWKE (er, i love you but how dare you cheat beautiful uma!), wilmer valderrama...

And the rest of the cannes lineup for feature films.

The *BEST* pop culture news, CW PICKS UP VERONICA MARS!!!

So WB's Gilmore Girls will be paired with UPN's Veronica Mars on Tuesdays, and UPN's top series, America's Next Top Model, will lead into WB's One Tree Hill on Wednesday. UPN's wrestling will remain on Fridays.

but, i have some major beef. i was telling someone i know that upn has a lot of black shows on & i was wondering if CW was going to pick them all up (while i simultaneously said that NO show black, white, orange or purple could get in the way of Veronica Mars). But, now that she (er, it...the show) is safe...

The article about CW:

UPN's Monday block of urban comedies will shift to Sundays, led by Everybody Hates Chris, the sitcom from Chris Rock inspired by his Brooklyn childhood.

Left in the dust are WB's Everwood, Pepper Dennis, Modern Men, Bedford Diaries, What I Like About You, Twins, Living with Fran and Related, and UPN's Eve, One on One, Half and Half, Cuts and Love, Inc. (UPN had seven comedies with largely black casts at the start of this season; CW will now have only four.)

i know that 24 has (or had?) a black president (i don't watch & kirk is only on season 3 & that show is crazy so i can only guess about President Palmer & his resignation...) but seriously folks. I think we need more black primetime not less.

"By the way, do you mind if I call you Fred?"

2006-05-19T03:12:00.000-04:00

The full quote:
"and you looked so cozy. Like my brother Fred. We used to sleep four in a bed, and he was the only one that ever let me hug him on a cold night. By the way, do you mind if I call you Fred?" Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's 18 (First Vintage Int'l ed. 1986).*

And so Freddi was born or chosen...the bunny that was not too fat (like "lump" as we lovingly named the fattie sister, who Freddi slept on top of in the "tank")...the one that was not too hyper (like "spaz")...Freddi was one that was just right.

I went to Freddi's "tank" at Pet Supplies Plus in Ann Arbor (the one on Ann Arbor-Saline Rd.) every day until I could purchase her. We weren't allowed to take her home until she was six weeks old. I watched her play with her sisters (she would always make them tickle her...and two years later, she hasn't changed much...she loves to be tickled!!).

I bought Freddi to keep me company and to keep me in good spirits. My first summer out of law school I realized that, despite my best efforts, I had changed into an unhappy person. I was out of touch with the world and me and everything that i had ever wanted. i was restless and uncomfortable in the first city in which i had felt at home. my job was ok. my friends were ok. but something wasn't right. until i saw her face. and seeing her just made me happy.

so why did i give her to doug tonight? was it because i am moving out of pittsburgh and it will make it easier? superficially, it may look that way. upon a closer look you'll realize that, nope, that's not really it. it's just what i tell people to make it easier.

(she's been boarded in philadelphia before - the vet & staff love her!! b/c she "has the most personality of any bunny they've ever seen." (the vet even took his kids to see Freddi on the weekend and the Vet's kids loved her!) - i could've boarded her just while i moved out to make it easier) (and although there is lots of "Freddi mess"...let's get everything straight here. i'm not the neatest person in the room so who am i to judge a cute, little, poop machine?)

there are a few reasons i gave her away to doug. i have to sort them out here because otherwise i'll keep on crying. (although, i will say...i guess this experience is good practice if i ever do get married...and then divorced...with kids...).

1. doug is her dad. he loves her just as much as me and i got to spend a wonderful year with her in pittsburgh. it's doug's turn to have freddi. i hope that some day i'll be able to take her back.

2. i want closure with doug. i don't want a bunny looming over our heads. i don't want to be the bad person for taking Freddi away from doug. i also didn't like our conversations about Freddi. I felt like i was holding her over his head just by having her with me (although technically he left her in pittsburgh...as a nice gesture...and it's not like i stole her away from him). Whenever we would talk, he would ask me how she was doing or get mad at me for having custody of the bunster. I brought her down to Jefferson but that's the only time he saw her for an entire year. in order to not talk anymore (or not at least have anything to talk about), I thought i could be stronger and just give her to doug. i figured i could control myself and not want to ask how she's doing. but...if this night is any indication...i can't stop thinking about her!! i want to know how she is adapting. Is she sniffing a lot? Is she making friends with the cockaroaches in his dorm? don't all your friends *LOVE* her and her cuteness? has she bunny hopped? doesn't she still have a wonderful smell on the top of her head even if the rest of her body smells like poop (or hay)?

not only did i want to give freddi to doug, i gave him all of his stuff (or at least everything i could find within a 48-hour time period but my apartment is sneaky & stuff could be hidden anywhere...). i want a clean slate (apartment?). he has a fresh new life in philadelphia (eh hem, my hometown. which, when we were planning to spend our life together, is the city that he said he rather not go to med school in...even when my mom had a cancer scare...but funnily enough it's also the only city whose med schools (yes, that's a plural!) accepted him...). It worked out well for him because he is excelling in the city of brotherly love...he's super popular, super dedicated to his school work, getting the best grades possible, and he has a fantastic girlfriend who adores him.

i live in pittsburgh surrounded by his stuff and our stuff (um, memories, rabbit)...and i need it to be gone for right now. law school has ended. after the bar exam, i can go back to finding me. (which thanks to many different wonderful people, i've already started to find...).

3. The hardest one for me to come to terms with. If closure with doug is impossible, i don't want Freddi to be the reason it's impossible. I want to try closure but i realize that i spent three and a half years with this person. he was my best friend (i gave him the nickname "my better half" because he's much nicer & more likeable than me). i was so sad when out of all people, he didn't call me to tell me "guess what? congratulations, you're finished!"...especially when he knew how hard law school (and its environment) was for me. i am friends with all of my exes, why not the one who meant the most to me?

i know i hurt him. i know he hurt me. thinking back on my relationship with doug it's sad or painful and, most importantly, beautiful.

and i guess this one is hardest for me to come to terms with because of all of this hurt and pain we caused one another. And, (more importantly), all of this goodness that has come from the wonderful, new people in my life.

despite those two (huge) factors, it didn't stop me from sacrificing my pride & joy...my baby bundle, Freddi, to see if maybe doug & i could have a platonic relationship that didn't depend on our child. even if not now, even if it happens in the future.

until then, I know she is in good hands.

(* er, withouth my bluebook that citation is probably totally off...i'm not sure how to quote to the First Vintage Int'l ed....plus, the original copyright was 1950...then it was renewed last in 1984 by Capote & in 1986 by some other dude).

bar exam #1 (b/c i'm sure there will be more)

2006-05-16T02:25:00.000-04:00

though i may regret this later, i decided to sign up for the 3 day PMBR and take this week off since it will be a stressful summer. (the PMBR rep sold me on the fact that the 3 day class teaches "time management" for the multistate...and the 6 day introduces you to the bar exam material before others (read: me) start studying).

good luck to all the people who started the 6 day PMBR!!

Discrimination

2006-05-16T01:43:00.000-04:00

Today in mediation training we had to write our biggest fears about mediation on an anonymous post-it note. I had two. The first thing I wrote was that I was scared that I would be too directive during mediation (i.e. that i would want to solve people's problems). The Pittsburgh Mediation Center believes in "transformative mediation." (some mediators don't believe in different philosophies and just think that we should trust instinct...) and if you mediate for the PMC you have to agree to do transformative mediation. This means a lot of active listening, reflection and summarization. anyway, i said that instead of lettiing it be "the parties party" - i would want to hear both sides and tell them what i am hearing and what is "the easiest solution" - not necessarily their solution.

This was a pretty common fear and we spent a lot of time going over how to make sure we are transformative because it's our natural tendency to be directive.

Secondly, I wrote that I was scared of bringing my own prejudices into the mediation (actually i was tired & wrote "discriminating tendencies"). I think that a lot of people at mediation training agreed with me (some people were put off at first...but we're mediators so we're used to being honest about our own feelings & hippie stuff like that).

My second fear got a lot of good feedback. An experienced mediator/our trainer told us a personal story with the moral being that sometimes even she has to check herself during a mediation. She has heard some awful stories and she has sometimes agreed with one person after just reading the intake form or just listening to their overviews of the problem or thought the other was "bad" (i.e. "big corporate" defendant v. small helpless plaintiff; david & goliath; etc.). she reminded us that it's natural to bring our own baggage into the mediation...but she also reminded us that we really just have to listen to each story b/c we just don't know the full story (think: if big corporation gave small plaintiff 10 chances but small plaintiff kept looking at teen pornography AT WORK ...er...AT an elementary school? (see?! bad small plaintiff!!)). usually, the parties (disputants) say the problem is about one thing but sometime into the mediation the mediators realize it's really about something different (maybe the parties realize this for the first time during mediation too). (i.e. they think its a fence dispute but its really about racism).

we were talking about "tools" to fight this urge (b/c like directiveness, the mediators agreed that we all have natural biases). since i brought this up (albeit on an anonymous post-it note at first), i raised my hand and also brought up the fact that the reason i fear doing this is b/c i know that i have a tendency of discriminating against "people like me" and I have to check that. By "people like me" i mean rich, white, heterosexual (or at least more-dominant sexual (?)), jewish, etc. people laughed (i'm by far the youngest in the room so people are like, "awww, how cute" even if i say something not cute...). but it's true. i said that some "tools" i usually use are: 1) to try to put myself in their position (cliche) or 2) (the better one:) i think to myself "what if this person talking to me wasn't [white, jewish, rich, etc.] would i trust them more?

anyway, it's funny because i've been wanting to blog about this full circle thing. Kinda like my laptop cord scandal (see: "Full Circle" on 4.24) the go-betweens have been a sentimental band for my law school career...(see: blogs down below) and Grant McLennan, "a co-founder of Australia's beloved cult band the Go-Betweens" died on May 6th...but I didn't find out until May 8th...right before I turned in my last law school final ever.

maybe today's mediation class shows that i'm growing up (cf. "next go-betweens post" below). at least, now (post-law school), i'm honest about my discrimination, which doesn't take "a traditional form" (query #1: has subliminal racism become the traditional form? query #2: am i anti-semetic (see: all self-hating Jews)?...(ps/ don't you love the word "query"). and recognition and admittance is the first (and second?) step.

Review of Matt E's CD w/ the song "Clouds".

"Clouds" -- the Go Betweens: I like this song, very pop/cute which is what I like...almost folk...and I'm still a fan of the Go Betweens after I heard that piece by the Harvard Med student on NPR. He didn't know if he made the right decision to go to Med school and he sees a record store owner get locked out of his apartment while sitting at a cafe in Spain. He is jealous of their life. He remembers his college days when he used to love the Go Betweens (indie band). His girlfriend tells him that he made the correct decision to go to medical school and he would maybe like that lifestyle for a little but then realize his potential to do more. He seems hesistant to believe her. Then back in the states he has a day that makes him remember why he went to Medical school...and he listens to the Go Betweens on his headphones on the way home. He likes how he can bring some Go Betweens to medical school. ...yes, made me think of myself...

Next Go-Betweens post.

I wanted to write my blog about the Go-Betweens NPR thing again. It came into my mind today as I was walking to the bus from federal tax with my mp3 player and huge headphones. It was the first time i broke out my mp3 player this year. And the big headphones...I love big headphones...I mean the bigger the better, right girls? ( <-- that's my 'no, she didn't!' face, fyi). But no, really, how are you supposed to appreciate music on those dinky little thangs that just look snazzy? You need to go all out w/ the big headphones. Plus, I look pretty damn good with or without the big headphones (<- remember what that face means?).

Back to my headphones and my rockin' mp3 player. Did I mention that my mp3 player was written up in Q magazine (only the most pretentious music magazine out there, in my humble opinion) as the greatest value. And! And! What does your music player say about you? While all those little Avril Lavigne-ites tout their ipod minis looking ever so cheeky, I'll be akin to the ever-so-famous (and dorky, remember the comics everyone) Thom Yorke. "Dog's Bollocks!" (gotta love brittish slang -- http://www.effingpot.com/slang.shtml)

Yes, again, back to my MP3 player...well, the music I was listening to was quite smashing and compassionate me, I was worried about all the people who didn't get to appreciate this music. Namely, those that ride the 71C with me.

Let me preface by stating that I live in Shadyside, one of the posh neighborhoods of Pittsburgh (of course this is all relative). And, the girls that stand at my bus stop...they do that thing...you know...*the little wave*.

Do you know what i'm talking about with *the little wave*? I think I actually hate *the little wave*...and I don't hate much. *The little wave* goes like this:

Step one: get hand in wave formation;

Step two: push fingers tightly together (including thumb);

Step three: wave BUT move hand rapidly back and forth only .25 centimeters.

usually, a fake smile or a long drawn out "hi" accompanies *the little wave*. If you're really special you might also get *the hug that doesn't really touch you*. Also, beware of this double whammy, you might spot a girl who is utilizing one hand to do *the little wave*, while utilizing the other hand to talk on the cell phone. [Sidenote: this girl is probably not interested in either the cellphone conversation or the person she is waving to].

I felt bad for those people (like my generalizations? who says liberals don't pass judgment?) because they'll never know the joy of 1) waving with fingers apart; 2) touching while hugging; 3) wearing big headphones; or 4) listening to the Go-Betweens or music of like genre.

idleness

2006-05-14T02:40:00.000-04:00

after a few days of doing nothing (reading Wicked, Frankenstein...seeing Art School Confidential...listening to my favorite professor that i never actually had...), i decided to drive home for mothers day to surprise my mom. SURPRISE!! (3 am).

My little brother is awake. We ate olives together. Both opened the refridgerator and said "Sweet" simultaneously (our mom went to Carlinos today...Carlinos = food heaven). We bonded over the fact that he wants to be a fashion designer & hates accounting. He thinks its awesome that I'm now a J.D. (or soon to be)...but he must understand where i'm coming from. then, he showed me his girlfriend's pictures. She's a cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins (or so he says).

anyway, my little sister is awesome. she fell asleep in the green room, which used to be hers until i moved away 7 years ago. I think she made the move final during my last year of college actually. Now, she has the pink room that I grew up in. But, she slept in the green room just for me to have my "normal" bed.

i have so much i want to blog about. Alan Turing. Greg Niemayar (my virtual professor). Lessig. The New Yorker. The the some-what fallacy of Birth Order. But i'm tired & I need to go to sleep so i can be happy for mother's day!!!

To my disappointment, however, studies suggest that the effects of birth order apply far more narrowly than I thought. Within a family, birth order matters (how could it not?). Older siblings throw their weight around and younger siblings either cower or figure out a way to defy them. But outside the home, the research shows that these patterns fall away and birth order has little effect on personality and self-expression.

so...until tomorrow...or maybe monday...(after mediation training)...

and then...she found happiness.

2006-05-12T02:50:00.000-04:00

[happiness is specifically in words "are you in school?" "never! no prison can hold me!" "I refuse to go back to school! I'll die before I let so-called 'experts' change who I am"]

After a few days of facing reality, I've realized how freakin' scared i am. (so scared that i've hardly left my bed).

i've been in school straight from pre-kindergarten to law school. as i told one of my friends recently, i never thought this is where i would hve been at age 24. Nope, i'm sure if you asked me at my high school graduation where i would be at age 24, i'd have answered somewhere awesome. i'd be touring with some fantastic band or writing my second novel (after the wonderful feedback from my first novel).

but nope, at age 24, i have a law degree (which i really didn't want); i'm in pittsburgh (which i really don't like); and i'm just generally unhappy.

UNTIL...

2) Erik's blog told me about "Webcast Berkeley" - and i regretted not getting a degree from there - why bother now? (just kidding - i'm sure it would be fantastic). Currently, i'm listening to Art 23. The site/syllabus.

Foundations of American Cyber-Cultures

How do new media reinforce pre-existing social hierarchies and also offer possibilities for the transcendence of those very categories? Our course offers students an opportunity to think critically about, and engage in creative experiments in, the complex interactions between new media and perceptions and performances of embodiment, agency, citizenship, collective action, individual identity, time and spatiality. We pay particular attention to the categories of personhood that make up the UC Berkeley American Cultures requirements of race and ethnicity, as well as to gender, nationality, and disability.

New media--media which are defined through programs and structures rather than content--can be yet another means for dividing and disenfranchising and can be the conduit of violence and transnational dominance. At the same time, new media have already begun to offer exciting creative, subversive, informational and organizational forms that liberate in beautiful and unexpected ways. We aim to explore both these strands as well as the surprising links between them.

Taught by a practitioner of creative media exploration and critical technical practice, the course capitalizes on the rapid deployment potential of new media, especially online media. Rapid deployment of new media content allows students to engage in mediated self-representation. Studying their peer's mediated performances as well as source texts, students analyze their own experiences as both content providers and consumers. Social networks emerging from these mediated performances serve as proving grounds for theories of mind and machine, embodiment, multiplicity of personal and collective identities, morphing among stereotypes, hybridization, privacy issues, and finally the digital divide.

We contextualize these media experiments with weekly assignments that address non-mediated, direct, concrete human experiences. These direct experiences connect the perceived fluidity of online identities with the troubling interactions between technology, race, and gender and allow students to investigate their own ethical and political multiplicity.

Who says we ever have to stop learning?

1) Gay Talese, 24 Hour Party People and other tales about following your instinct. b/c your instinct doesn't let you down ever? does it?

And for those who still don't believe me, some advice: "Don't Be So Foolish"

Why i wish i had a degree in ...

2006-05-07T22:05:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking a lot during finals time. and graduation time. and all of my thinking boils down to this. i went to law school because i had nothing better to do. i was too scared to go out into the market with an English degree (and no debt!!).

[read: uncertainty > going to law school]

more importantly, i had parents who told me that my dreams would never make me money. and a woman has to be self-sufficient. while, i agree with the second point, I really wanted to do graphic design work - and it seems like those jobs would be easy to find nowadays.

[read: instinct is good; following parents bad]

but i'm not blaming them. they told me to go to business school...i'm good at math. but what teenager likes to listen to her parents (my 21 year old self should've learned from my 19 year old self)? That's why i *forced* myself to be an English major. plus, b/c i like to "grow" (read: take the hard path), i needed to practice the skills i was bad at. but, now, i'm "practiced" in writing papers...which i hate... and i've lost my touch for math...which i used to love... (minus my Sudoku races with Kirk, which isn't really about math, i'm not forced to think in terms of numbers...although i *always* win!!)

[read: be true to yourself!]

anyway, here's to thinking before jumping in. which is why i am glad that i have no fucking idea what i am doing after i pass the bar. b/c whatever i'm going to do with my life, will necessarily have to be something that i love to "deliberately practice."

[read: truism, not justification]

NYTimes Article: A Star is Made

The Birth-Month Soccer Anomaly

If you were to examine the birth certificates of every soccer player in next month's World Cup tournament, you would most likely find a noteworthy quirk: elite soccer players are more likely to have been born in the earlier months of the year than in the later months. If you then examined the European national youth teams that feed the World Cup and professional ranks, you would find this quirk to be even more pronounced. On recent English teams, for instance, half of the elite teenage soccer players were born in January, February or March, with the other half spread out over the remaining 9 months. In Germany, 52 elite youth players were born in the first three months of the year, with just 4 players born in the last three.

What might account for this anomaly? Here are a few guesses: a) certain astrological signs confer superior soccer skills; b) winter-born babies tend to have higher oxygen capacity, which increases soccer stamina; c) soccer-mad parents are more likely to conceive children in springtime, at the annual peak of soccer mania; d) none of the above.

Anders Ericsson, a 58-year-old psychology professor at Florida State University, says he believes strongly in "none of the above." He is the ringleader of what might be called the Expert Performance Movement, a loose coalition of scholars trying to answer an important and seemingly primordial question: When someone is very good at a given thing, what is it that actually makes him good?

Ericsson, who grew up in Sweden, studied nuclear engineering until he realized he would have more opportunity to conduct his own research if he switched to psychology. His first experiment, nearly 30 years ago, involved memory: training a person to hear and then repeat a random series of numbers. "With the first subject, after about 20 hours of training, his digit span had risen from 7 to 20," Ericsson recalls. "He kept improving, and after about 200 hours of training he had risen to over 80 numbers."

This success, coupled with later research showing that memory itself is not genetically determined, led Ericsson to conclude that the act of memorizing is more of a cognitive exercise than an intuitive one. In other words, whatever innate differences two people may exhibit in their abilities to memorize, those differences are swamped by how well each person "encodes" the information. And the best way to learn how to encode information meaningfully, Ericsson determined, was a process known as deliberate practice.

Deliberate practice entails more than simply repeating a task — playing a C-minor scale 100 times, for instance, or hitting tennis serves until your shoulder pops out of its socket. Rather, it involves setting specific goals, obtaining immediate feedback and concentrating as much on technique as on outcome.

Ericsson and his colleagues have thus taken to studying expert performers in a wide range of pursuits, including soccer, golf, surgery, piano playing, Scrabble, writing, chess, software design, stock picking and darts. They gather all the data they can, not just performance statistics and biographical details but also the results of their own laboratory experiments with high achievers.

Their work, compiled in the "Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance," a 900-page academic book that will be published next month, makes a rather startling assertion: the trait we commonly call talent is highly overrated. Or, put another way, expert performers — whether in memory or surgery, ballet or computer programming — are nearly always made, not born. And yes, practice does make perfect. These may be the sort of clichés that parents are fond of whispering to their children. But these particular clichés just happen to be true.

Ericsson's research suggests a third cliché as well: when it comes to choosing a life path, you should do what you love — because if you don't love it, you are unlikely to work hard enough to get very good. Most people naturally don't like to do things they aren't "good" at. So they often give up, telling themselves they simply don't possess the talent for math or skiing or the violin. But what they really lack is the desire to be good and to undertake the deliberate practice that would make them better.

[read: i needed the first part of the article to give the bolded part context...but you can skim over that...]

Oh, the irony.

2006-05-05T04:17:00.000-04:00

with my copyright paper, i feel like Justice Blackmun and Sony. (scroll down, it's the first post of the same title - at the bottom - of that archive).

i don't feel like Blackmun because of his reasoning, per se...but because of my ...er...steadfastness (is that a word? it's almost 5 am).

As Ms. Greenhouse put it on page 121: "[I]t was typical of Blackmun to hold fast to territory he had staked out and to become deeply invested in its defense." This was certainly true in Sony, where Blackmun was assigned to write the majority opinion affirming, but he ended up having to convert his opinion into a dissent. He was outmanuevered by Justice Stevens and was his own worst enemy in losing a fragile, but sustainable 6-3 majority.

He stated: "Five votes are not that important to me when I feel that proper legal principles are involved." As I pointed out, the result of his refusal to budge was a majority opinion (by Justice Stevens) that was far worse, from Blackmun's perspective, than any changes Blackmun had been asked to make.

this copyright paper is taking me way too long b/c as a Gen-X (sub-gen MTV or sub-gen Boomerang) (sidenote: i love these expressions, i can't stop using them)...these policy issues - each concurring opinion's implications in Grokster - mean too much to me.

i can't "simply" decide whether to codify secondary liability. everytime i read a law review article or a case, something else gets into my mind.

where are my legal writing TA skills? short. concise. rule. application. Red pen, come back to me!!

**update: i feel that this makes me seem un-Blackmun b/c i'm wishy washy as to "new ideas"...but really, its more about me having a strong opinion & not wanting to budge...even though i know its a harder argument to make.

Sarah Silverman - The Only Jewish Girl Who Says More Inappropriate Things Than Me!!!

2006-05-04T19:49:00.000-04:00

B/c i actually have to start writing this copyright paper & stop researching (read: procrastinating). i have no blog posts. instead, i have the "best of the best" of my recent procrastination for you.

The movie

The Aristocrats joke she is getting sued over

Intellectuals must think she's impressive if she made it into The New Yorker

“I was raped by a doctor,” she says. “Which is so bittersweet for a Jewish girl.”

The Onion's e-mail interview

AVC: Do you really prefer e-mail interviews? Really? Isn't this just more work for you?

SS: No. Much better. Because I can say things like, "You are a fucking idiot! That question is stupid!" and retarded things like that to a nice girl who is just doing her job and actually very well. In person I'm way too nice and my heart would break to be so rude.

AVC: Do you have a ranking system in your mind for which publications get live interviews (The New Yorker, Heeb) and which don't (The A.V. Club)? And if so, is there anything we can do to change our ranking?

SS: I try to do everything by email. If they refuse, then I decide if it's something I have to do or not. I'm shy. Okay? Stop riding me you weasely queer.

Rolling Stone calls her a dirty rotten princess

She doesn't want to get married, either, though she doesn't have a joke about that. "I don't want to be part of some club that doesn't include everybody," she says. "Also, I don't want to be called 'wife.' I see too many guys in my world say the word 'wife' and roll their eyes. Jimmy and I are totally committed, I say we're 'life partners,' but I don't know that I want him to feel like he's got me. Getting married would take away a little of the romance. Plus I don't want to move into his house -- it's not decorated at all how I would do it, so why would I live there? I love my place, and I'm saving up to buy an apartment. Maybe ten years from now, it would be great to live together."

or wait, maybe i like this one from there...

"Zoloft might've affected my sex drive, but I needed it," she says later. "I was out of control."

or wait, again...

"I can't believe anyone not being interested in exploring taboos," Silverman says in her defense. "Maybe it is the thing where a Catholic-school worker needs only to see the word 'pussy' to get off, but a sex worker needs ten midgets and a juggler. A comic needs to make jokes about the most taboo topics, about race or AIDS or fucked-up sex, to be able to get the belly laugh, for themselves."

and obviously, the wiki

if only i dated Jewish people!!

Change of Pace

2006-05-04T03:21:00.000-04:00

So, my schedule is totally reversed. Thanks a lot, Finals! I'm going to bed at 4 or 4:30 and waking up no earlier than 1 or 2 pm (in other words, 3 pm) (except for the day of my education law final). I'm also having these lucid dreams that make me want to stay in dreamworld longer (in one of my last dreams I was hiking with my old crew coach up this completely vertical mountain - it was okay that it was completely vertical though because we had picks (?) and the mountain was the type of rock that is more like foam. Anyway, in my dream, i *needed* to hike with him because he is now a lawyer who could *maybe* get me a job). I guess it's either hiking or getting up & looking at my messy apartment and working on my copyright paper that's confusing the hell out of me!...you decide.

In other news, the other day (specifically 5.1.06) i talked with one of my ex-boyfriends. It was his birthday. (for sake of anonymity, i won't post his name. but, for the sake of humor (or irony), i will post his mom's website that i found a few years back...isn't his mom pretty...not to mention brilliant?)

anyway, the talk was pretty enlightening. I'll point out the highlights here so i can remember them. i've edited out our witty sidenote banter (arguably "the good stuff") & added some things to further explain (mostly in parentheses).

me: i wanna move to philly to be close to my sister during her last year of high school. (it will be the last time, for awhile at least, that we'll both live in the same city...she may be off to ann arbor after high school....)

him: i would recommend against that. it would be nice as a bonus but i wouldn't allow being near your sister to be a sole motivator and driving force of your decision of where to go after law school you should follow the opportunities.

me: i thought about that...& i don't want to be all law student (argumentative) but i disagree. for example, pitt was the best law school i got into which is why i came here but say i hate the opportunites (i.e. Pitt or law school in general) i have nothing else here that makes me happy

him: oh... well i'd just say that attempting to fulfill your destiny can be a risky proposition. also, the absence of evidence isn't the evidence of absence...anyway, i'm not one to argue with the maxim 'do what makes you happy' i would just add 'make sure that you're not just doing what allows you to avoid being uncomfortable' because sometimes people confound being happy with being comfortable, and i've found that some of the least happy times in my life have been when i was the most comfortable. but i'll leave you with this dr. seuss quote "be who you are and say what you feel because those that mind don't matter and those that matter don't mind"

me: i think that's true (re: both the uncomfort level & the Dr. Seuss quote). but [my desire to be uncomfortable] is exactly why i went out to sell books**. but i'm sick of following "the hard path" b/c it just leaves me lonely.

him: yeah, you're right.

me: sometimes comfort is good.

him: you're right. you have to find a middle path...

me: we're both right.

** briefly, b/c i've probably blogged/talked to *you* about this before, but for those who don't know - i sold books door-to-door after my freshman year of college. moved out to california, knocked on doors to find a place to live. first lived with an alcoholic mother & her 15 year old son with cat pee everywhere. second, lived with a nice man - who was a yearbook photographer - & ended up not wanting to have 2 young girls live with him so as not to create any suspicions. third, lived in a trailor in an older couple's driveway. all the while, knocking on doors to make a living & getting spit on, yelled at constantly. talk about taking a Jewish East Coast brat out of her comfort zone. Did i mention that i'm a late bloomer so this was also my "awkward" phase (yes, at at 18...although arguably i had a few awkward phases...)? i was on the heavier side, with an awful haircut, glasses, & braces. NERD ALERT!! **

anyway, i've reflected a lot on this...because Doug (other exboyfriend) would always yell at me for *wanting* to always feel uncomfortable & *needing* to feel uncomfortable...(his argument was that i liked to bring drama to my life on purpose...). So, why the change? Why all of the sudden (since my second year of law school, actually) do I want to go home? Did this mean that I agree with Doug & that I should try to be more comfortable? (not that it's a bad thing to agree with Doug, although we were kinda (!) competitive/stubborn/etc.).

I thought about it enough that i felt the need to really think through my decision...or figure out my reasons for wanting to move to Philadelphia...and not follow "opportunities" (all this is assuming there are *no* opportunities in Philadelphia...)

I think that no doubt my sister is a big part of it. I was never close with her before I went to college (by not close i mean, i never talked to her...what does a teen want to do with a little sister who is seven years younger?) & I probably became close with her around my junior year of college. now, she + me are like this (fingers twisted).

But, I don't think that my sister (or anyone else in my family) would have changed my life-long goal of being uncomfortable in a situation. As much as I hate it, I think Doug's right (grrr...i hate when doug is right) in the fact that I love it (where it = "being uncomfortable"). So, although it looks like I'm headed back to a comfortable situation (think: home is where the heart is...), it's actually completely the opposite.

I've run away from Philadelphia since I've been 17 years old - or all of my adult life. I went back for two summers for more than four weeks...the first summer, i hardly left my house (except for to rent all of the indie movies i missed out on while growing up and to drive my brother to & from art school)...the second summer, i worked at Borders & refused to talk to anyone from my high school. i figured i changed too much & i didn't want to give anyone the time of day. (My hometown is for the rich, the successful. after i went off to college (see: ann arbor hipsters/hippies), I just wanted to be an advocate for the underprivileged, the underrepresented. my hometown & i just didn't mix.)

Now, it's even worse because Doug lives in Philadelphia. I'm terrified to even be around him. (See: bringing my sister with me so doug could see Freddi, the rabbit we bought together & who lives with me, but also so i wouldn't have to be alone with him). And, not only does he live there, he has a life that he loves. He has all honors in his classes; a clique of friends; a girlfriend that he loves. He is *way* more comfortable in a city that is supposed to be my hometown! (even though all last year, I had to *plead* with him to apply to schools there once i decided i wanted to go to philadelphia after graduation...). all of this just makes me feel even more inadequate (& trust me, i already have enough self-esteem issues!!).

...so it's worse b/c...well, pretty much...it's much easier to not see someone when you don't live in the same city as him...(thankfully doctors & lawyers hate one another...so that pretty much assures we won't run in the same crowd...).

...plus, it's worse b/c i don't want to leave my current relationship...(nor do i want to make him not follow "the opportunities")...and...pittsburgh is (sorta) comfortable...

anyway...this is a lot of blogging & i've hardly hit the tip of the iceberg (of my emotions) & probably bored the hell out of anyone who read this far down. I just mean to say that I think moving to Philadelphia will be anything but comfortable and I'll probably learn a hell of a lot about myself...but that's what i always want...to grow...and not *just* be comfortable...

but finally i want that middle ground. finally i (am mature enough to) want (need?) to grow along side of my family...with them there as my support...

Can I speak more eloquently?

2006-05-02T22:55:00.000-04:00

whoooohoooo!!!! i am finished with Education law. I fixed my blogger (it wouldn't post before...actually, i didn't fix much but it finally does post). I am ready to.....start my copyright paper!!!

anyway, i've realized today what a law school exam will do to your head. after my education law exam, i saw a girl who also watches Veronica Mars & i tried talking theories...I was all "like, you know that girl that is a step-mom" (Kendall)...she totally gave Veronica her std" "that Iraq guy, he said car bombs in Iraq" (Lucky)...

whew. if i ever have to give a speech, remind me not to do it after taking a three hour in class exam.

Officially

2006-05-01T17:39:00.000-04:00

i'm officially sick of education law.

tomorrow at 4 pm when this final is over. I'm going to have a beer.

then start on my copyright paper. (ick.)

then finish my copyright paper.

then revise my seminar paper from last semester to turn into the Int'l & Comparative law certificate program (just changing the small grammatical edits...thanks to my two wonderful seminar professors!!).

then buy a dress.

then it's off to Atlanta on Friday. to see one hot babe have a bridal shower. (the weekend is packed with events. i'm not sure what to wear or what half of them are. so, it will be funny when i show up in shorts & flip flops & sunglass & everyone else is dressed in proper Southern attire...whatever that may be...).

then i come back only to revise my copyright paper. revise a story.

and then i'll be finished!!!!

You don't have to speak French

2006-04-30T02:27:00.000-04:00

to enjoy this trailer.

[versus what's out in America "teaser trailer"]

[...in full recognition that i may lose some/all devoted blog readers (if i have any other than rustedjesus who is currently out of the office), i'm not such a *huge* fan of "Lost in Translation"...but i am a fan of Kirsten Dunst...I can't help it. I loved Interview with the Vampire when I was in middle school...yes, middle school...not junior high...]

Plus, Sofia Coppola + Kirsten Dunst = proven greatness

The Music

someone near and dear to me pointed out that the American version plays New Order's "Age of Consent" and the other version plays New Order's "Ceremony" (which is technically a Joy Division song) for those of us who are keeping track...]. Sofia Coppola is known for using hipster music (see: Air w/ Virgin Suicides, My Bloody Valentine/Kevin Shields w/ Lost in Translation). But, after my urge for sleuthing, I figured there has to be something more poetic. I mean, for Christ's sake, we're talking about Sofia Coppola.

so, for those of us who are not well-educated in history...the life. (wiki: where we go in the modern era).

the cliff notes

She stepped lightly down from the cart and stared up at the guillotine. The priest who had accompanied her whispered, "This is the moment, Madame, to arm yourself with courage." Marie Antoinette turned to look at him and smiled, "Courage? The moment when my troubles are going to end is not the moment when my courage is going to fail me." Legend states that her last words were "Monsieur, I ask your pardon. I did not do it on purpose," spoken after she had stepped on the executioner's foot.

and for those of us who are not well-educated in music, the bio.

Rising from the ashes of the legendary British post-punk unit Joy Division, the enigmatic New Order triumphed over tragedy to emerge as one of the most influential and acclaimed bands of the 1980s

maybe the link has to do with living in the shadows of your own reputation. and how that's both triumphant and tragic. always controversial and courageous.

** I will also footnote that the same person who pointed out the two New Order songs also pointed out that he didn't like the Sex Pistols font...despite the fact that,

New Order's origins officially date back to mid-1976, when guitarist Bernard Sumner (formerly Albrecht) and bassist Peter Hook -- inspired by a recent Sex Pistols performance -- announced their intentions to form a band of their own.

see? details.

and for the comparison.

(personally, i think Kirsten is sexier. N'est-elle pas?)

more educaton law

2006-04-29T20:31:00.000-04:00

its the little things that make me happy during finals.

for example, when making my education law outline for the Bakke decision (med school used race classification in admissions program), I call the "respondent" - the white male who sued - "the reject"

i hope i don't LOL on Tuesday afternoon!

plus, i think that the "Under Pressure" soundtrack of the NFL draft is quite appropriate for this time of year. but, seriously, NFL network there are other songs...

"Come Pick Me" - Ryan Adams
"The Answer" - Bloc Party
"Need You Around" - Smoking Popes
"You Got Me" - the Roots
"Welcome to the Occupation" - R.E.M.
"Here Comes Your Man" - the Pixies
"The New Kid" - Old 97's
"Faith in You" - Matthew Sweet
"I want to be the boy" - the White Stripes
"Wouldn't Mama be so Proud" - Elliot Smith

then there are the funny ones that I've come up with but I'm too embarrassed to post because i don't know enough about football...(fine, i'll post a few...)

for people who are prone to injuries

"Tiny Little Fractures" - Snow Patrol

for the next terrell Owens

"I don't want control of you" - Teenage Fan Club

for the big 300 lbs dudes

"who's gonna take the weight" - Gangstarr or "Fatman" - G. Love and the Special Sauce

advice for some player-team matches

"Take the Money and Run" - Steve Miller Band

"Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" - The Smiths

it's this simple. make. it. fun.

Study Music

2006-04-28T23:31:00.000-04:00

I've created a Finals 2006 Playlist on my iPod. This assures that by May 9th I will officially hate all of these songs. But right now, I think its a good mixture of old/new/fun/sad...just like a good study buddy should be.

(the only rules? only one song by an artist).

Song :: Artist
No One Will Ever Love You :: Magnetic Fields
Stacked Crooked :: The New Pornographers
Coffee & TV :: Blur
Skunks :: Manitoba
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want :: The Smiths
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea :: Neutral Milk Hotel
Northern Sky :: Nick Drake
We Have A Map Of The Piano :: Múm
Hide And Seek :: Imogen Heap
Cherish :: Madonna
Blue Moon :: Big Star
I'll Come Running :: Brian Eno
Helsinki :: Mary Lou Lord
Bells Ring :: Mazzy Star
Lose That Girl :: Saint Etienne
Strange Design :: Phish
Welcome to My Life :: Melissa Ferrick
Life in a Glasshouse :: Radiohead
Spit On A Stranger :: Pavement
Paper Thin Walls :: Modest Mouse
New Slang :: The Shins
Falling :: Ben Kweller
Lost Ones :: Lauryn Hill
Something Changed :: Pulp
Real Love :: The Beatles
Power Of Two :: Indigo Girls
Ice Cream :: Sarah McLachlan
Teach Me How To Fight :: Junior Boys
Lost Cause :: Beck
Thunderbird :: Catherine Wheel
Don't Look Back in Anger :: Oasis
Pig :: Dave Matthews Band
Golden Brown :: The Stranglers
Nothing Better :: The Postal Service
Pretty Girls :: Neko Case
Japanese Gum :: Her Space Holiday
The Owl & the Pussycat :: Luna
Nightswimming :: R.E.M.
Love in a Car :: The House of Love
We're the Same :: Matthew Sweet
Ladies and Gentlemen, We’re Floating in Space :: Spiritualized
Follow You, Follow Me (Genesis) :: Red House Painters
Nothing Can Change This Love :: Sam Cooke

British Puzzles

2006-04-27T17:28:00.000-04:00

This afternoon, while enjoying my delicious pomegranate tea, I thought of this thing my friend Ashley told me when I ordered a cup of tea last semester. The barista handed me the tea pot and cup and I went over to the fixin's bar, poured milk (probably half and half) in the cup, got some packets of equal and a spoon before I returned to our table.

Ashley: "Oooo, you knew the correct way to pour tea, milk first."

I had no idea what she was talking about. I had never heard that before...I just did that because by the time I walked to the "fixin's bar" the tea wasn't ready & I didn't want to have to walk back over there to pour milk in my tea.

Me: "Oh, I'm just lazy."

So, this afternoon (for pure procrastination reasons) I decided to google "the correct way to make tea." Do you put the tea/water in first or the milk in first? Who knew? This is an age-old question.

After some sleuthing (just call me Magnum P.I., which I watched for the first time today (more procrastination...)), I realized there are many answers to this. In fact, it's one of the points an essay by George Orwell that was published in 1946.

Tenthly, one should pour tea into the cup first. This is one of the most controversial points of all; indeed in every family in Britain there are probably two schools of thought on the subject. The milk-first school can bring forward some fairly strong arguments, but I maintain that my own argument is unanswerable. This is that, by putting the tea in first and stirring as one pours, one can exactly regulate the amount of milk whereas one is liable to put in too much milk if one does it the other way round.

Some answers have to do with social status and history (milk was cheap, tea was expensive), some have to do with chemistry & ensuring proper mixture, my favorite: try both & do whatever tastes better.

After I solved that...whew!...I was itchin' for another case (case? more stuff to help me procrastinate? it's all the same...)

So I perused the NYTimes Headlines and I found out another famous British puzzle. this one is more recent.

Who says reading judicial opinions isn't fun?

Puzzle Embedded in 'Da Vinci Code' Ruling

Seriously, this looks a little too time-consuming for even the best procrastinators. I mean, I am busy with finals, but why don't you have a go.

Nothing to do with Education Law

2006-04-27T00:59:00.000-04:00

But, boy, am I jealous

School cancels classes due to nice weather

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Instead of enduring a day of inattention and spring fever, Bellingham Christian School declared a "sun day" and gave everyone the day off.

And, for those of us in exams...here is another exam...from the always-fun-at-finals-time addictinggames.com:

Driver's Ed

(er, for fellow players...why is it so hard to pull out of that goddamn parking space?)

This game is actually quite relevant because Kirk and I were watching "Little People Big World" (he has a slight obsession with little people...remember, they're little & we're "average sized" not "normal")...

and the little person son, Zach, failed his written driver's ed test quite a few times...(it's okay, he's still a favorite with the ladies at little person conventions...)

Anyway, K & I were talking & i was like, um, "Oregon is way behind the times...even when I took the "written" portion of the driver's ed exam (approx. in February 1998) it wasn't really "written"...it was electronic...like the hoagie machines at WaWa or GetGo or like the new Casino slot machines...or the infamous Diebold voting machines."

K seemed to think it was definitely written. I just took it as proof that he was old. (NY has to have electronic written tests by now...right?) But, really, what's up with Oregon in 2006?

All this wonderful procrastinating about driving (I say wonderful b/c I live in Pittsburgh where the driving is not so fun, not so scenic...) then brought me to the PA DMV website for how to get a license. I like how they try to make driving tests FUN!!!

favorite parts of the site:
1) the area for "Mature Drivers" which is the DMV's politically correct way of saying senior-citizens-who-really-shouldn't-be-driving drivers.
2) "Crossroads" the diverse cartoon macromedia flash area for teen drivers complete with practice test questions and stories of new drivers (i took a few...i got them all right; I must be an awesome driver!!!) (unlike my mom who is probably the worst driver...she always embarrassed me, my brother & my sister when it was her carpool day...but, last year, she told me that she's so bad b/c her parents wouldn't teach her how to drive and she had to borrow cars to practice...so she only passed the driving test b/c the DMV employee thought she was HOT!) (My mom & "the mature drivers" are the reasons why i think people should have to re-take the driving test every 10 years...)
3)the School Bus Safety Week Poster Contest "Be Aware! Cross with Care!!"

Each public, parochial, and private school may submit posters for each division to the State Poster Contest.

is that excessive entanglement? are there any impermissible effects? ... yea, i think I should get back to studying education law

Full Circle

2006-04-24T23:14:00.000-04:00

So, this may very well be my last day of school. ever. no more class. (still, two more papers...well, one story...one paper...and one in-class exam). but, back to being FINISHED. forever.

not only that but today was a perfect ending to my why-the-hell-did-i-ever-listen-to-my-parents lawschool career. it involved the usual suspects (lets just say more or less a daily routine that i've picked up in my past three years):

- getting less than five hours of sleep

- frazzled nerves/anxiety

- hating people (...er...a good friend, in fact... because...my-fucking-gosh, i'm sorry, but no business executive wants to read about 15 pages of a country's history in a plan to start a business abroad so can you not take this critique as a personal assault on your writing or your judgment and just realize that our teacher specifically said 100000 times that he wants "short" "concise" and I want to get a good grade? plus, can you maybe add an appendix or a picture to your part to spice it up? WHEW! now that felt good. almost as good (and probably more appropriate) than when i exploded at him in the computer lab in front of 60 undergrads).

- laptop cord stealing

As most of you know, if you know me, I have about three law school terror stories. They may not compete with the best of 'em but they are near and dear to me. Coincidentally, they all happened my first year. (maybe i grew older and wiser...maybe i grew callous...maybe i became "one of them"...I'll let you decide).

Story #3

This one is not so good. it just involves the first time i've ever had a 60+ year old man masturbate to me and my friend at 12:00 pm (yes, that's noon. yes, that's in broad daylight). directly across from my house. WELCOME TO PITTSBURGH.

Story #2

This probably should be story #1 but for the purposes of the post i'm going to give you the abridged version and not make it as cool as it probably should be. pretty much it involves: me coming home after my last final of 1st year (on about 7 hours of sleep for the past two days & subsisting on about one bag of popcorn, redbull & by that point lots and lots of whiskey) to see my house was broken into, me calling two friends & the police while driving to friends house wasted (it was my first & last time!! it was an emergency), me asking friend (who i just yelled at today) to come with me to my house when he still had to take our civ pro exam b/c he had spent the night in the emergency room the night before...coming home to find the police going through my house...with dogs...finding person in bed...coming out with person who is handcuffed and pretty much naked...(person was found in my bed)...and then me seeing that its a close friend. drunk, tired, wasted with the police telling me s/he may be a potential rapist, i had to decide whether to prosecute while s/he was in the back of the police car.

oh yea, then the police telling me my house was ransacked & me and friends going upstairs and realizing "nope, that's just Melissa mess."

Story #1

The main character in this one was my closest friend first year, who lived across the street from me and who took the bus to school with me all the time. everyone thought i was her lackey (sp?). talked on the phone with her most nights. she called me *every* thursday to wake me up for our 8 am Torts class (these facts may be fuzzy...maybe 8:30 am...definitely Torts...definitely before 9 and after Tuesday). last day of classes? She steals my laptop cord. Or, because i'm trained in the law, she allegedly steals my laptop cord.

Here are the facts...I'll let you decide. You know what i just said about our relationship. last day of class, she takes an extra laptop cord, realizes it. calls the *other* person who sits next to her in our only class on that day. then e-mails me from a fake account which obviously ends up in my junk mail (not even joking...this e-mail address was straight up random like "r u XXx 762") plus, hello??? i have no power cord, hence, no e-mail...CALL ME!!. (afterwards, she tells me she didn't have my number. (which she obviously did have (see: torts class wake up calls)...and she could've easily asked the person who sat to her other side because that person also surely had my number). and, by this point when i talk to her, i've already wasted a day on a laptop cord hunt (and Pitt only gives us one-two study days)...i went to three stores...only to spend $100-120 on a new ("universal") laptop cord.

where is this fine lady now? she may or may not be the editor of law review. ethics. gets you to the top.

But anyway. Back to me, my life, my last day of class and laptop cords. So, we had this project & we were at school until 2 am yesterday night. none of us had gotten any sleep in like three days...cram, cram, cram, blowing out 80 pages...and in the process? Michelle, our group's most finest LLM student, loses her laptop cord. She e-mails me this morning asking me about it. And, i'm like, of course I didn't take it. silly thing. i've been the laptop cord victim. (actually, in the last minute cram lingo of getting our paper together my e-mail to her....when she asked if by accident i took it with me the night before....read more like, "nope! sorry!" then i went back to finishing our project. which for the record we completed at precisely 3:01 and our professor came in late at 3:03 :-):-):-))

While other people had last days of school that ended at noon or started at noon or involved getting wasted with a few professors...mine involved revising footnotes and grammar on an 80 page paper on four hours of sleep. Class from 9-10 (which lasted all of 10 minutes...), class from 12-1 and the presentation class from 3-5. then i had to eat and go to mediation training from 6-9. So when i came home to blog about my last day of classes and went to plug in my computer...OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG...this power cord isn't broken like the one that "accidentally" broke when someone "accidentally" knocked my laptop off of my brother's bed...OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG...I had Michelle's laptop cord!!!!

First thoughts: I am a thief. a stealer. I'm ET! (er...that's totally a movie reference...like i'm an "alien" and law school is my home...).

Second thoughts: OMG OMG OMG i have to get in touch with Michelle. i called everyone for her number (this is quite a feat b/c i *hardly* use my phone). i even called the boy who i could've strangled today re: our Haiti project (or last night when he called me "Meliss" and asked me for a bloody tangerine or whatever it was called...)

I zipped to school. dropped off michelle's laptop cord. apologized 17 times over. told her i'd do anything. kiss her shoes. anything! help her study for her exams. All the while, hearing kirk tell me thief/steal/rob jokes (which were actually pretty funny) while i contemplated: 1) does this mean I really am ET? 2) do i have to call her an apologize? 3) am i the worst person in the world?

but you know what? after some coaching & consoling by Michelle (of all people...who I will just say for the record has THE best outlook on life...i call her apologizing like crazy...and she all calm "don't worry, i'm just happy you saved me $80").

So any lessons in this long long long post (which no one probably has finished...which is a good thing...b/c its late & i'm running on low battery...and run-on sentences...which is why i'm trying to bold the real "meat" of this post)???

(...in no particular order...)

1) I've realized that law school didn't kill me after all...it didn't suck any decency out of me (or at least not all of it). Even Michelle understood that my laptop cord theft was an absent-minded mistake (...which goes into the pile of lost Pitt ID, wallet, and keys as of late...). There was no malice. There was no purpose. and as soon as I realized what I did, i tried to fix everything.

2) I've also realized, I'm not perfect. there will always be people better than me (who will let me know that they're better than me) but i need to just try my hardest.

3) Fine, I may also need to follow Holly Miller's advice in the article "The Art of Keeping Your Mouth Shut" (Details Magazine, May 2006) (which is not online so I can't send a link...). Because not every place is as big and anonymous as the University of Michigan. Law school may be like high school but (not that i've been there yet...) the real world may be too. (Jobs, neighborhoods...especially those with cul-de-sacs...i guess the blogsphere now (remember the good ol' days when it was just me & you and a couple of other people back in early 2004?). Unfortunately, while most of my malicious statements are saved for those truly deserving of my wrath (see: my problems of taking out anger on my family)...i need to stop talking when I get into awkward situations.

[Some highlights from her article...

When things are awkward, most of us start to blather. But that's exactly when we really need to stop talking.

"It's very American, this implied intimacy," says Sally Quinn, the Washington Post columnist and legendary hostess. "People feel they're entitled to criticize or give advice. There's no formality at all anymore - everyone's your best friend."

4) And, finally, on a cheesy note. Appreciate those moments of clarity and sanity. Tell people who mean the most to you how much you love them and how knowing that you have their support, gets you through the hardest days.

HERE'S TO STARTING FINALS SEASON SPRING 2006!!!

Marketing

2006-04-22T01:14:00.000-04:00

This may be a rhetorical question/thought but I wonder who "Wonka Gummy Sweetart Bugs" (a tangy candy) is marketing to if it says both "Excellent Source of Vitamin C" and "Fat Free" (this one is on the back) on each bag.

(you can also check out this mind blowing site)

Femme Power

2006-04-20T00:35:00.000-04:00

I don't watch American Idol, but I think The Go-Go's + The Bangles = pretty damn good reality show (I can't help it if i'm a Susanna Hoffs fan!! She's a Jewish girl's inspiration!) Also, the executive producer from ANTM? Two words for you: Cult. Following.

Book Recommendations

2006-04-19T21:49:00.000-04:00

Nowadays, I find that I most often recommend music to people or have people recommend music to me, which makes me wonder: where have all of those book recommendations gone?

Maybe it's because I already have a long "list" of books that I want to read before I die that people don't find the need to recommend them to me. Maybe it's because I haven't talked "books" since college (interpreted, critiqued, commented upon). Maybe it's because nothing has been "so amazing" and recommendation worthy recently.

Last summer, a few friends of mine were going to do a book club (erik, jennifer r., tatyana...more but i can't remember...). Two books were thrown out as recommendations - "Pastoralia" & "Don't Think of An Elephant" but we never got around to meeting (the book club idea was thrown out near the end of spring semester & we all went our separate ways during the summer).

Point is, I've known about this (which I might add, deserves (or deserved, if it has won in the past) a Webby Award) and this for awhile but not about this (maybe b/c the site runs so slowly once you put in your favorite author!!)

But, computer generation of what I like is so passe, if you read this, please drop me a recommendation & maybe a one word description of why. Its about time that I add to my list.

My Second Open (Cover) Letter

2006-04-18T19:48:00.000-04:00

I love rejection. No really, I do. Its what makes me who I am and all that other crap. I keep all the rejection letters of all the programs/schools/jobs that once were really important to me. (See: Michigan Undergraduate Business School (2001), Michigan Creative Writing Certificate Program (2002), Federal Trade Commission - every regional office (2004)).

Because I love rejection so much, I've decided to try to send yet another Open Letter to McSweeney's. If you haven't already read it, here is the first one that they rejected. [UPDATE: I noticed on that archive page the first post is entitled "Dear Granny" which may mislead you...you have to scroll down to see the real "Open Letter"]

Plus, this new one makes a lot of sense given that 1) I haven't really tried to apply to any jobs recently and 2) the career service office at our school told me that potential employers may look at (and judge me) by my blog. (See: "Party with Your Pants Off: Blogging and Your Job Search")

I didn't edit it (...and probably should have...) but here goes. By now, I have low expectations.

An Open Letter to a Potential Employer,

I've run out of witty first sentences trying to catch your attention. To you, I'll always be a number in the crowd graduating from a state school somewhere in the middle of my class. So, who cares if my parents/my professor/my neighbor recommended that I contact you. You hardly know my parents/my professor/my neighbor and they hardly know me. Most likely, they told you that I'm nice and hardworking and you know what? They're right! In addition, that's precisely what separates me from whoever else answers this ad.

Like all the "How To Write a Winning Cover Letter" Books advise, I won't just regurgitate my resume in paragraph two. Still, I'll let you know that I think my numerous accomplishments show that I'm the ideal candidate for this position. Despite my slightly above average grades, I'm quite a master at picking perfect verbs to describe what I did at my previous jobs. Nothing is an embellishment. I've left out everything that makes me who I am. I've deleted any activity that makes me seem socially-conscious. I've edited the jobs that meant the most to me so that I could highlight the jobs that mean the most to you. Everything written within this letter and my attached resume, typed in some non-descript font on fancy paper, show that I'm the perfect fit.

In closing, I'd really appreciate the opportunity to work at your firm. Although I'm not really sure what I'll be doing there, trust me, I'll research plenty if I score an interview. You'll see, I'll modify my standardized answers to any interview question you could possibly ask me just to prove I'm the perfect candidate for this position. I look forward to hearing from you. (I emphasize that because I'd rather you send me a rejection letter than give me false hope that I may get an interview, all because you don't want to pay for a stamp).

Sincerely,

Potential Employee
Pittsburgh, PA

no time to post right now

2006-04-17T14:35:00.000-04:00

but, i just wanted to share some wisdom for the day thanks to the Go! Team

"Everyone's a V.I.P. to someone"

remember that!

Easter Dinner

2006-04-16T21:57:00.000-04:00

I officially made my first Easter dinner. Ham in a Jewish oven. I can say I've been there done that. With sugar snap peas, potatoes and onions, salad, fruit & cool whip, crackers and cheese. I went all out. I'm so domestic!

Thank you Kim & Kirk for sharing that experience with me.

And the Magnetic Fields Tribute at the Brillo Box on Friday. That was good times!! The magnetic fields lyrics and melodies are so sentimental. My expectations were next to nothing but most of the bands were pretty good (especially bands with oboes or violins...or transvestites in dresses that aren't closed...)

and here's to talking to a very close friend in a faraway place and finding out ze has completely new and awesome life.

The Webby Awards

2006-04-14T15:50:00.000-04:00

Ever heard of them? Neither had I until one of the nominees was Jurist, a legal website based out of Pitt (and to which my friend Jeremiah "technically" contributes (get it? 'cause he is a CMU computer science major...i'm so funny)

Google - if you're listening...I think you need to make a legal website like LexisNexis & WestLaw but free (it will be lower a barrier to entry for certain public interest lawyers or people who want to start their own firms).

But that's beside the point.

About the Webby Awards:

THE WEBBY AWARDS

The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence in web design, creativity, usability and functionality. Established in 1996 during the web's infancy, the Webbys are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 500-member body of leading web experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries and creative celebrities.

The Academy is an intellectually diverse organization that includes members such as musicians Beck and David Bowie, Internet inventor Vint Cerf, political columnist Arianna Huffington, Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser, "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, "Smart Mobs" author Howard Rheingold, Oracle chairman Larry Ellison, and The Body Shop president Anita Roddick. Members also include writers and editors from publications such as The New York Times, Wired, Details, Fast Company, Elle, The Los Angeles Times, Vibe, and WallPaper. The 9th Annual Webby Awards received entries from over 40 countries and generated over 100 million media impressions.

The Webby Award website is pretty funny. The voting ballot is huge. Some of these sites, I've never even heard about...For example without voting in the Best Blog - Culture/Personal category, I would have never found out about http://we-make-money-not-art.com and http://www.cuteoverload.com. (i'm a little overwhelmed with all of the stuff that's out there!)

True, I didn't really navigate the website and find all of the past winners (the Webby Awards have been around for 10 years or something) or the criteria, but I'm sad some of my personal favorites aren't up there (they're good - I promise - that's why they're my personal favorites!!). I mean, AllMusic definitely beats out their music nominees. Newgrounds is a great site for games (as long as you make sure you have a pop-up blocker). Pop Candy is great for pop culture or Entertainment humor, etc. I heard ProFootballTalk.com is good for sports (not up there) (another one for which I recommend a pop-up blocker). Mars Investigations (TV). J4J4J4J.com for social networking (kidding, that's my own parody of dating websites - a site exclusively for Jews for Jesus for Jews for Jesus...). Or reviewing Games (b/c my friend from high school wrote for it). Or reviewing movies... Event listing? (Concerts, at least) I use pollstar.

Again, these sites may have won or have been nominated in the past...i don't know...anyway, go & vote for Jurist (and put Pittsburgh on the map!!) or just check to see if your favorite sites are up there. Or...at the very least...find more procrastination tools.

A new last name Fetish

2006-04-14T14:19:00.000-04:00

If you read my archives, you will see my listing of my favorite Murdochs. It's time for a new last name. And that last name is Buckley.

Top 3:

1. Jeff Buckley - Singer, Songwriter. Because "Grace" is one of the top albums of all times (and i don't care if you think I'm cliche...b/c sometimes cliche is cliche for a damn good reason). And Grace is pretty much "best album" by every definition in my book: consistency (how many good songs are on it? My personal favorites "The Last Goodbye" and "Lover, You Should've Come Over"), timelessness (how often can you listen to it? & does it stand the test of time), voice, etc. And who doesn't like a suicide/drowning mystery?

2. William F. Buckley - Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. My list always has to include conservatives. (Bad habit of mine, I know this). So why not start with this one? Without him, who else would I have to ridicule? He founded the National Review. If you ever decide to read one of the "awesome" articles entitled "Moving Out: The Stable Poverty of New Orleans Has Been Shaken Up, and that's Good" by Abigail Thernstrom about Katrina's effect, you'll surely note the first sentence.

Civil-rights groups are griping (how unusual).

But, back to Mr. Buckley's own work. He also wrote that book "God and Man at Yale: The Superstitions of Academic Freedom" about how conservative college students feel disenfranchised. I mean, I feel him. I'm all about "enfranchising" people (is that a word?) I just wonder why it's okay to get a conservative bias in high school, which has a standardized curriculum and mandatory attendence laws. (See Buckley's counterparts: Loewen or Zinn).

But William F Buckley's most important contribution to this world is his son, Christopher.

3. Christopher Buckley. Political satirist, even if he is on "the other side" like his father. He is freakin' funny. Or, at least, his book is. Wait...er...since I didn't actually read it...I should say the movie adaptation is. (But we all know the book's always better than the movie anyway). "Thank You For Smoking" is one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time. And smart funny. So I guess not "funny" but clever, witty...all in all, LOL material. It's a shame that there were only like 10 people in the theater with us (i hope its b/c everyone saw it 4-07-06...opening night in Pittsburgh).

Can you go see it? And chat with me about it!

My third story?

2006-04-12T14:50:00.000-04:00

Awful.

But, at least, I turned it in.

Benefits of Studying

2006-04-10T21:39:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this time, I actually studied for the MPRE.

I read through the "long outline" *skimmed* the "short outline" (I know, i should have done it in reverse). I did about 30 practice questions...from a BarBri (reputable) study aid that someone left in my locker.

[...In between watching (literally) 24 hours of Lost, 15 hours of writing my second story (which is why its 18 pages!!)...sleeping for 12 hours/day...seeing Belle & Sebastian...seeing Jen and Jordan...seeing Jeremy...hanging with my family...WHOOHOO Spring Break 2006 totally rocked!!]

And...(finally)...I passed. Not only did I pass but I am eligible for every jurisdiction!!! Yay!!!

Says Wikipedia:

Of the 51 jurisdictions in the United States, 48 require a minimum passing score on the MPRE for bar admission; the passing score varies between jurisdictions. The lowest score accepted by any jurisdiction is 75 (several); the highest required by any state is 86 (currently Utah; California will raise its required score to 86 for students who enroll in law school in 2008 or later).

Moral of the story? You actually have to study for that MPRE!!!

Don't just think you're ethical. Because you're not. Not in the world of lawyer ethics. You're a 74 when they want a 75. And don't believe people who say "they didn't study at all" because then you find out they went to a BarBri lecture or you borrow their book and its completely highlighted (grrr. I hate when law students pretend not to work. We all work. Might as well fess up to it...remember? honesty is the best policy) (and lying about studying for an ethics exam? Shame on you!!).

(don't worry, i'm still not *that* ethical. I only got an 87...I'm just barely ethical...)

Pamphlet

2006-04-09T18:34:00.000-04:00

I forgot about this pamphlet that I had to read everyday before selling books door-to-door.

"The Common Denominator of Success" - Albert E. Gray.

“The common denominator of success --- the secret of success of every man who has ever been successful --- lies in the fact that he formed the habit of doing things that failures don't like to do.”

a.k.a. all the advice I have listened to and never put into practice....

Under Pressure

2006-04-09T01:58:00.000-04:00

I officially hate writing under pressure.

I hate, hate, hate my third story for creative writing for lawyers. (or whatever the class is called). I thought it would be a funny parody but it's just stupid, stupid, stupid.

I have *no* time! No one does!! It's the end of the semester. I still have to finish filling out New Jersey's bar application. I have to catch up on tons of education law reading. I have to apply for jobs. I'm too stressed out (...and busy watching Wonderfalls...) to be creative! And it's not just this stupid story, I also have to write 1/3 of a 60-page business proposal to set up a Mediation Center in Haiti by the end of the week. At this point, I could care less whether the mediators are directive or facilitative, whether the board of directors is made up by locals or foreigners, and whether there is a panel of mediators or if its just one. Get it? (rather, i could care less about writing why i want the mediators to be "transformative"; why i want the board to be at least 60% local with the other 40% able to be either local or foreign with a strong recommendation of some, minimal foreign presence; and why I think a panel would work best...)

Yuck. This freakin' "creative" story gets (at most) four more hours of my time between now and Tuesday night (so I can print out all freakin' 24 copies or whatever that will *never* be read by other students...(have they ever read stories? maybe two of them)...especially during this busy time of the year...)

Now Watching: Wonderfalls Disk 2
Now Playing: The Libertines - "The Libertines"

Expropriation: Indie Rock bands steals Another Trick from Rap Music (such as RJD2)

2006-04-08T18:03:00.000-04:00

I was so psyched to listen to an advance copy of the new Built to Spill album that my anonymous friend gave to me.

But WTF?!?!?!

I was so rudely interruped by a gimmick to annoy me into buying a legal copy.

Actually, I was pretty impressed at BTS' witty humor. They're one step ahead of their fans and they are happy and comfortable with wanting to make money!

2 Truths and a Lie

2006-04-06T23:40:00.000-04:00

You know that icebreaker, 2 truths and a lie? You tell 2 true things about yourself and make up one lie. Well, during my sophomore year of college and a little into my junior year, my cute lil' sis (who adores me greatly) used to use the prompt, "My sister works at NYPD."

It was the best truth ever. Why? Most of her friends knew that I went to college in Ann Arbor. Instead of I Heart NY tees, I sent home shorts with "Go Blue" on the butt (c'mon, at that time, it was the "in" fashion statement for 'tweens like my sister...). But, I did work at NYPD. As in, I worked as a pizza server at the New York Pizza Depot, only the best pizza in the 481-- zip codes. I served chipatis. (Yea, i didn't understand until I moved to Ann Arbor either...). I diligently served to the drunken crowd that would come over after "Skeepers" closed on Thursday nights (if you were in a fraternity or sorority, scorekeepers was the place to be on Thursdays. Lucky for me, NYPD was conveniently located pretty much across the street from the party). Heck, I even got my picture on the front page of the Michigan Daily slinging pizza (the shot was taken at 3:30 am the night before - i guess the paper figured out it needed a good front page picture right before print. Lucky for them, NYPD was conveniently located pretty much across the street from the newspaper building).

I even had a few (specifically, f-o-u-r) NYPD tee shirts (the mandatory uniform) that were pretty awesome. I lost them along the way a few years ago.

Anyway, when filling out the NJ bar application (which is already late, btw), I needed to figure out exactly when I worked at NYPD. I have these faint memories but I truly had no idea. I called my mom. She also had no idea. My non-existent tax return had no idea. NYPD, which is the type of fancy establishment where the cooks make pizza while smoking cigarettes hands-free (i.e. hanging freely from the side of their lip, building piles of ash...), probably has no idea.

One of my best friends from college is getting married come November and she called me today about the wedding shower (that I still have to book my ticket for) that's in three weeks. I worked at NYPD when I lived with her... She and my other roommates in that small box of a room hated the pizza grease smell of my clothes. She must remember when the fumes started...

"OMG, Danielle, do you know when I started working at NYPD?"

"I think maybe fall semester?"

Okay. Fall semester. That was something to go on.

So, I called my ex-boyfriend from the time. He totally had to remember. I dated him from my freshman year to the middle of my junior year of college. He was a senior when I was a freshman. Poster-child for the perfect Jewish boyfriend. He was super smart. Funny. He kept kosher (until the summer of 2001, thanks to me! A turkey and cheese hoagie from WaWa on the roof of my parent's shore house). He was also a virgin...until one night after work at NYPD. At the very least, he had to have *that* date written in a diary somewhere.

I called him.

"I think it was November or December."

"So, not October? I know it's at least fall semester."

"It was definitely in the fall. Maybe November or October."

"I thought you said December."

"I think maybe October. Oh, did I tell you that my wife (!) wears your NYPD shirt all the time?"

"That's where it went."

Great!! That worked out perfectly. I think from now on I have to document my whole life so I know dates and times (yes, thank you blogs for giving me approximate dates of when I moved to and fro Michigan in the summer of 2004 and when I started working at the City of Pittsburgh).

I'll start with today. I had my exit interview for my stafford loans. Yuck. I am officially in tens (hundreds?) of thousands of dollars of debt as of June 1, 2006.

Did I mention that its also costing me around $4,000 to actually take the NJ and PA bars & the prep class?

Anxiety? None.
Law degree? Totally worth it.
Sarcasm? Intended.

Now Listening to: The Sugarcubes "Life's Too Good"

Can I love him any more?

2006-04-04T15:15:00.000-04:00

Perhaps. But this totally did it for me. If you haven't seen that (notice, I'm pushing this really hard) and if you have $1.99 and if you're willing to buy videos from iTunes...I'd say it's money well spent.

[OMG - Update!!! - the previous title was "Can I love him anymore?" an obvious typo inferring that I am not completely obsessed with Dave Chappelle. Which is *not* in fact the truth].

Stop Following Me!!

2006-04-03T00:06:00.000-04:00

No, I'm kidding. If this is true, I'd love it!

I am happy to announce the preliminary details about Sufjan's next album. Pennsylvania: America Begins Here is the title of the 3rd installment of the 50 States Project. Appropriately, the album will hit stores on July 4, the birthdate of America, but will be available a few weeks early through Asthmatic Kitty.

I will post a complete track list and artwork later this week but in the meantime here is a sound clip from the title track: America Begins Here

But, it may be an April Fools joke. Who knows? As Sufjan would say, "All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace!" That is a title from his best album, in my humble opinion. Yet, my humble opinion is quite biased (as seen when I filled out my two bar applications* today and I only had Michigan and Pennsylvania (and a brief stint in Novato, California) as places of residences). Plus, Illinoise gave more street cred to Mr. Stevens. And, I like when once-small artists get critical acclaim (whether it's from Pitchfork or not. Despite what any of my old blog posts may say).

While researching if this insider's scoop was true (Danke, Kirk), I decided that I really want this shirt.

ps/ And, thank you Sufjan, I will Enjoy My [Freddie]. (sorry, bad bunster joke, but I couldn't resist. especially because fredster's been so hyper recently!!!!)

* Oh yea, for those keeping track of my boring law life, I've decided to sit for the Pennsylvania and New Jersey bars. It's more cost-efficient and I guess it's "the thing to do" if you practice in Philadelphia.

The Best Non-April Fools Joke Ever.

2006-04-01T19:52:00.000-05:00

Radar magazine may be coming back.

Yet, watch out for these.

Two more reasons why I love Kirk

2006-04-01T19:18:00.000-05:00

1. We go to a "radical bookstore" today because it's my friend Erik's birthday and he said he wanted bookmarks. I recently heard about this place after I complimented one of my new pals at mediation training on her awesome planner. It was kinda homemade with neat artwork and the dates had all this activist stuff (e.g. on my birthday 11 girls were killed in riots in some foreign country) Yea. Radical.

In case you didn't travel to their website. Here is The Big Idea's mission statement:

the idea :
We are dedicated to the active promotion of radical/alternative cultures through community networking and the distribution of literature. We hope to create a safe and accessible space for people to take part in an open and empowering community. We actively support politics and lifestyles that we deem as alternative, multicultural, woman-positive, queer-positive, class-concious, and all the things that promote a sustainable community. All who attend meetins are welcome to participate in the decision-making process.

So, I needed to buy Erik a present and I wanted to check this place out anyway. I figure bookstore...they gotta have bookmarks. Boy was I wrong. They had books. And pamphlets. And bikes painted onto strips of material. And records entitled "Two Minutes of Hate" (yay! i actually got the 1984 reference even though I still haven't finished that book). But no freakin' bookmarks.

Well, Kirk, um, he's not an activist. sidenote: except for opposing "male genital mutilation" or as us healthier people like to say "circumcision". Other than that, if he is an activist, it's only because he actively detests left-wing activists (not personally, but in general).

So we go into this tiny bookstore that features Bell Hooks and Noam Chomsky (I bought a book called "Haiti: A Slave Revolution") and he just keeps saying loud comments about how much he hates everyone in there. There was a poster on the wall of how many countries the US bombed since World War 2. It was making a statement as to the United States' brutality. Yet, Kirk was like "F*ck yea!"

Now, usually, I'd be embarrassed or mad or something. But Kirks irrational hatred just makes me laugh.

2. Now, everyone knows today is "Spring Forward." (But did you know that we have Daylight Savings time thanks to a Pittsburgher? (those who ride Port Authority Buses probably do) Search that page for Robert Garland and you'll find:

Robert Garland, a Pittsburgh city councilman, was the local chairman of the War Resources Committee when he promoted the idea of advancing clocks one hour during the summer months to make more productive use of daylight. His "Daylight Savings Time" idea was enacted into law by Congress in 1918.

Anyway, controversial or not, how many people love more sunlight? Everyone. How many people love to Spring Forward and lose an hour of sleep? Kirk. The main man says, "Me and my roommate after college contemplated having a Spring Forward party..."

I'm not saying that I don't love more sunlight. I'm just saying that the holiday begins after tomorrow night when we get back to a regular nights sleep. Spring Forward itself just sucks and steals precious sleep time. I'm not a vampire, although, arguably I am a recluse or a shut-in. I love the effects of Spring Forward but not Spring Forward itself. But Kirk thinks of it in a different way. He says one measely hour of sleep is well worth the "effects" that I seem to love too. Kirk is an optimist, which is another reason why I love him.

I'm found

2006-04-01T19:14:00.000-05:00

Now that I'm all caught up with Lost season 2, I can go back to blogging again.

The Man Ain't Holding Me Down No Longer!

2006-03-24T16:16:00.000-05:00

We were notified today that due to budget cuts (see Act 47) the City of Pittsburgh will have to make the law clerks last day next Friday.

BOO-YAH!!

(well, two law clerks get to stay with the City until the next batch come in but I already gave them my last day so I'm not one of them...lucky them!)

Random Supreme Court Justice Stuff

2006-03-22T23:16:00.000-05:00

Okay, so last week at work Kim told us that Stevens was considering stepping down from the Supreme Court.

My reaction: "No Way! That can't be true. I heard there was an unwritten ("common law") rule* that you have to step down during the presidency of the party that nominates you."

Wait, but what? Stevens was nominated by Gerald Ford (R)?!?! It's true. Look at his bio. Or his bio. Or, article. ("He uses the Internet, studied French before a recent vacation in Europe and has become hooked on Sudoku number puzzles.") (me + him = twins!) I mean, I knew all about the famous Republican Governor of California who turned liberal on the bench. But Stevens? (The bow tie man). Gosh, all this time and I had no idea. I feel so stupid. Talk about assuming a person's political biases.

I'm not sure what made me want to randomly blog about this especially since this is "old news" (as opposed to "hot news" which is a copyright case). Actually, that's probably why I *am* blogging about this...because we all know blogging is the best procrastination tool...and i have a memo that I should be working on.

* Kinda like the "Rule of Four" - if three justices decide to grant certiori (you need 4), then usually a four will grant it. If anyone else has heard of these unwritten rules or knows of more rules, let me know. Who knows? Maybe I'm just making them up or listening to the gossip pipes in the law school - b/c law students are cool like that & gossip about Supreme Court tenure. If they are true (or, even as urban myths) I find them to be interesting, especially given my (obvious) lack of knowledge of most Supreme Court history.