Post-Christmas Wrap-Up

I had a wonderful Christmas here in Davis. It's great having free time to spend with my mom and just relaxing.

Meanwhile, I've accepted a summer position with an environmental nonprofit in Washington D.C. So if anyone is around there between June and August, be sure to give me a call. It will be fun to enjoy another D.C. summer, even if I do die from the humidity...

Not a lot else to say. Just a few more days before I head to Austin, TX. I think it will be a good experience, but I'll be sad to leave home. Goodbye, daytime television.

Heh, I was just thinking that I will really be covering the US this year. From the West Coast, to New England, to Texas, and the Mid-Atlantic, it's like I'm on tour... =)

The Whirlwind Is Over

It seems like the last month of a semester is always the craziest. Of course, that's especially true if you save (almost) all of the papers you have to write until the last month.

Well, no use lingering on the past. The point is, I'm finally done with it all. Hallelujah.

Enjoying life in the glorious west. Tomorrow, my mom and I are headed to SF for the day. I'd like to get over to the Bay Area at least one more time during my break.

On Jan. 1st, I head to Austin, TX to do my clinical work. Very exciting. I'll be there for 3 weeks.

What else? Still have to do almost all of my Christmas shopping. Looks like folks will be getting "Epiphany presents."

(For the unfamiliar: Epiphany comes on the 12th day after Christmas [as in "...on the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...]. It celebrates the arrival of the Wise Men upon the birth of Jesus. In some countries, all gifts are given then.)

Anyhoo, (somehow that word makes me sooo happy) hope you all are having fab holiday seasons!

Wow, Even My Blog Is Getting Old!

So, by chance, I just happened to notice that today (it's 1:15 am EST) marks 2.5 years since I started this blog. I can't believe how time has flown, and all that other nostalgic stuff one says on such occasions....

I've been blogging now for around 3 and a half years. And yet I keep bugging you all with the mundane details of my existence.

Speaking of which, I'm currently creating a short video for my Cyberlaw class. For this course, I've already "programmed" the world's worst computer game, created an identity in Second Life, contributed to a class wiki, and recorded my very own podcast (okay, technically, only part of a class podcast, but whatever).

I really enjoy figuring out how to create these kinds of things, but I do wish I had a little more technical assistance. I've had fun teaching myself Garage Band and imovie, but I get nervous about the fact that I'm actually gonna be graded on this stuff. The class isn't really about law or about how to create such things; it's about making an argument of some kind on the internet.

Just finished watching my borrowed copy of Lost: Season 2. Quite good. Now I'm only half a season behind. Same thing with Gilmore Girls. Hey, after my little video becomes an instant YouTube classic, maybe those Lost producers will come calling... =)

Gone Be The Birds

I've decided that December will be the month that I tackle frightening #30 on my list: getting rid of 2 things for every 1 that I buy for a month.

There are some exceptions. I will still be buying birthday and Christmas presents (though I'm hoping to make purchases that are socially just). I'm also not counting travel, food, or medicine.

I will also have the option of coming up with creative ways to re-use unnecessary items instead of getting rid of them (ie. using my old shirts to create wall art so I didn't buy art).

I am hoping to start making choices that simplify my life and allow me to live more in line with my principles. I need to start grocery shopping instead of eating out so much. I really should start cooking and eating fewer processed foods.

I really want to take seriously Gandhi's exhortation that we ought to be the change we want to see in the world.

Happy Black Friday

Ah, the day after Thanksgiving. First we gorge ourselves on delicious food, then we go start the real consumption. I considered hitting the mall (I love me some H&M), but I'm resisting temptation. Instead, I'm sitting at home with plans to finish up one of the several papers I have to do.

The semester is wrapping up for me. Since I have no finals (just papers....lots and lots of papers), I'll be done quite early. Because of this, I'm going to be away from Boston for seven whole weeks straight this winter.

Well, technically, 3 of those weeks will be spent in Austin, TX, earning academic credit. We have a 3-week winter term during January. I'm going to do clinical work--real legal work--at a place that does death penalty appeals. I'll keep working with them from here in the spring.

Anyhow, I'm happy to skip as much of the New England winter as possible. I don't know if there will be much of it to miss, though, since so far, global warming seems to be sending a message. With any luck, we'll be sunbathing in February.

Insomnia Has Its Benefits

I've completed #14. My jewelry is officially organized. Wow, that's sad. And infuriating. I may write to the makers of Tylenol PM and demand to know why I'm still awake.

Oh, and I just realized that I also completed #27--engage in some form of political activity besides voting or emailing a representative--when I volunteered on the campaign down in Maryland. Congrats to Governor-elect Martin O'Malley, and all the new Democrats in the House and Senate, by the way. Finally, a happy election day; I'd almost forgotten what that feels like.

Awesomeness Itself

Thank goodness for scientists.

This made my Monday.

By The Way, I Am Obsessed

Completed number eighteen; new pic on Facebook.

Six Words Made The World Cry

Should be writing the paper, so... http://wired.com/wired/archive/14.11/sixwords.html

She wrote her own: others commented.

Wanted: man without loving girlfriend, ha.

Cheney to Bush: "Next stop, Syria."

"Do you remember the Constitution?"
"What?"

Attached to him like a barnacle.

The surest time machine: a grudge.

Kami sees heaven: Clinton, Obama 2008.

The future's here: Google owns it.

She never meant to stay over.

Blog created, blog ignored, blog resurrected.

Forwarding address to profs, shorten essays?

"Did you like it?"
"And how."

Boy meets girl, ruins her life. (The palpable bitterness; evidence of living.)

Never see me sweat, skip gym.

"Idiot says 'what?'"
"What?"
"Hi George."

The opened letter: welcome to Harvard.

1L year: came, saw, got Bs.

Cold, hard winter. Ecstacy! Spring Break.

Skipped firm interviews. Broke for life.

Halloween candy, free wine. Hello, Hemenway. (Hemenway gym, remembered after an eon.)

Kate lists website, ruins my life. =)

New addiction, go with the others.

Enough. It's 2:30; the sun's setting.

Six words written; several hours gone.

Mid Semester Blahs

Yeah, so all the usual crap about how I've been busy and that's why I haven't posted. Or maybe it's just that I don't really care that much.

Wow, I sound a tad bitter. It's probably just the 8 papers I have to write in the next month or so. And then there's my Cyberlaw project. Don't even ask.

Good stuff: brand new Macbook. Love, love, love the new computer. Also good: had fun time in Baltimore, spending a couple days volunteering on the governor's race & visiting a friend. Halloween. My future trip to Austin. Breaking the bank for a gorgeous leather jacket (forthcoming).

Who Rocks? Oh Yeah, That'd Be Me

My humility is breathtaking, I know.... But I've been able to knock 3 items off of that list of goals, and I think that's pretty darn awesome. I left #9, re-memorizing the presidents in order, in the proverbial dust. It's done...I know them all, from George W. (that's Washington) to Hillary. Hee hee.

I also managed to finally get around to buying a digital camera of my very own. And Walmart.com assures me that it will be mine to love and hold very soon. So cross off magical #19.

And yesterday, I completed a month-long soda fast. And I discovered that I really didn't miss soda much (I've never been soda's biggest fan). There were a couple of events where only soda was served that I felt kinda thirsty. But when I had some Fanta today (and Fanta is my very favorite soda), it struck me as a little disgusting. So maybe I'll keep this one up, at least mostly. Regardless, I am happy to say that I am done with good ole number 20.

So if you'll excuse me, I'm just gonna go pat myself on the back now.

I Have a (Good) Problem

My problem is too much free time. Not right now; actually, I'm ridiculously busy these days.

But in October, HLS has a week known as "fly-out week." There are no classes for 2Ls and 3Ls because we are all expected to fly off to interviews for firms during the time. But I don't think I'll have any need to go fly to interviews (I'm only interviewing with one firm).

So the question is: what do I do with myself? All of my school friends will be gone, so sticking around here doesn't sound too fun. But I don't want to spend a lot of money travelling off somewhere. I could take a trip to somewhere nearby, but I don't really like the idea of doing that by myself either; I prefer travelling companions. I'm sure I'll come up with something (or, more likely, I'll end up spending the week holed up in bed watching dvds all day).

What would you do if you had one free week?

I could tell you all about all the gunk I have to do in the next few days, but I don't feel like thinking about it, let alone writing about it.

Not Much Going On

Let's see....After getting my voice back, I developed a cough that is *finally* going away. So I'm happy about that. Other than that, life pretty much just keeps chugging along. I'm pretty happy with my classes overall.

My Cyberlaw class is particularly unusual. I'm in the midst of an assignment in which we have to use this new program to create a simple computer game. Mine is basically PacMan with a mouth and some gummy bears. But it's actually fairly challenging to figure out how to do anything cuz there are very few instructions.

Today, I had lunch with a friend of a friend. He recently transferred here from UC Davis. I always like meeting new people, and he was especially cool, so I had a great time. We stopped by the stationary store after lunch, and he convinced me to order some personalized notecards. This is "notable" (sorry, pun intended) because that happens to be #23 on my list of goals. So it was both an enjoyable AND a productive lunch today.

I start my Spanish class next week. I'm really looking forward to getting back in practice. But I'm a little worried cuz I'm starting to feel somewhat busy. Ah, well, such is life...

Improving (?)

Well, the voice is pretty much normal now. But as the voice improved, the slight cough I had became worse. It's still around, though I keep hoping it'll disappear soon. I'm going in for allergy shots later this month, which might solve such problems. We'll see.

I've crossed a couple more things off that list of goals. This week, I met with Professor Minow to discuss the paper I'll be writing. She gave me some exciting ideas. I am really looking forward to working with her on this. So we can mark #33 accomplished. I also straight ironed my hair this week, but it was so rainy and humid that it barely lasted half the day. Whatever; mission accomplished. I'm officially done with #17, although I might try it again sometime just for kicks.

Basically, life continues on without much excitement. I've gone out a little, met some cool new people. Been feeling kinda lonely lately. My closest friends at the law school have time to hang out much these days. I just wish there was one person I could call up anytime....Oh well, it's probably good for my academic situation.

Hmm, bedtime methinks. Either that or time for another Veronica Mars episode.

Good News

After over 3 days of whispering, my voice is now merely a rasp--quite an improvement. I'm hoping maybe it will be normal by tomorrow (fingers crossed!). I can't describe how depressing it is not to be able to talk to anyone, especially with all the stress of job gunk I'm experiencing. So I'm very happy to (apparently) be on the mend.

The other good news is that I have completed #16 on my list: be one week ahead on the reading for at least one class. Well, it was mostly just good luck. I completed all the reading for my seminar today only to go to class and have the instructor say that we wouldn't deal with the readings til next week. Hurray! But I want to give myself the credit I believe I deserve. For once, I've actually done a good job of staying on top of my readings in every class. Sure it's only the first week, and I don't expect my diligence to last. But at least I'm a little bit ahead in every single course right now. Pat on the back for me.

And as my reward, I'm gonna go make some hot chocolate, pop in my Veronica Mars dvd (I love that show, so I just bought Season 1) and then go to bed.

Is it Quiet in Here, or Is it Just Me?

I think it's just me. I lost my voice last night. And it's not like I even just have a hoarse rasp. Nope; I can barely manage even a whisper. If my voice doesn't return soon, it should make my small, discussion-focused Monday morning class pretty interesting. I had to email the prof for that class today anyways, so I gave him a little advanced warning.

Um, other noteworthy aspects of my life? I saw Shakira in concert on Tuesday. It was AWESOME! (I think yelling is okay on here right now cuz it makes up for my absence of actual noise). And in other coolness, Professor Martha Minow (in my view possibly the awesomest prof on this campus) agreed to supervise the paper I'm writing this year for the writing requirement. I'm meeting with her on Thursday, when I absolutely MUST (yelling again) be able to speak.

I feel like Silent Bob.

Churning Through

My room no longer looks like the inside of a U-Haul or the contents of a shopping cart. I'm fully unpacked, and I finally got around to both grocery shopping AND putting away the groceries. With the basics accomplished, I've turned my attention to the luxuries like room decor. This area poses problems for me because I am: 1) lazy, 2) cheap, 3) tired of dorm-style posters or tacked-up pictures, and 4) living in an ugly room that has walls that are almost impossible to stick anything on without a drill.

But I'm proud to say that I've accomplished #34 on my list of things to do this year: I created some "art" for my walls. The "art," and I use the term loosely, consists of old shirts I was going to toss out taped over 3 cardboard rectangles. The fabric from the shirts was nice (velour, silk), and I actually really like the results. I stuck them on the wall with double-sided, heavy duty mounting tape. I still have one empty wall. Don't know what I'll do there.

Future plans for the room include buying and hanging curtains to cover the disgusting blinds. This is a challenge because I can't install a rod. I considered a spring-loaded rod, but the window is so wide it would be really expensive. So I'm gonna try hanging some wire. I'll keep you updated on my attempts.

Also in the category of "you can cross it off my list" is lucky #13: buying a jewelry organizer. Actually, it's just an earring organizer, but I think it will be very helpful. It may also prove to be a temptation because it holds up to 120 pairs of earrings. I must remind myself that I don't have to fill it up.

And I'm in progress on #20: skipping soda for a month. I was a little tempted to cheat this afternoon cuz there was a bbq outside with only soda for options. But the truth is, I don't really like soda; I think I just drink it out of habit. So I'm gonna do my best to break the habit.

No Vegas Wedding This Year

My favorite question from the HLS financial aid department's summer employment form: "Will you be getting married anytime during the 2006-2007 academic year?" Um, not planning on it, but I like having my options open. I guess there's no elopement for me now: I checked "no." Do we think that's legally binding?

Why am I awake at 6:30 am? It would only be 3:30 in California. Isn't jet lag supposed to kick in sometime here?

Yesterday, in addition to unpacking all the stuff I brought with me and all the stuff in storage, I decided to take the plunge and go buy my textbooks. I went to the bookstore ready to spend the usual $400 or so. Turns out I have 1 book this semester. And it's not even a big casebook. It's the size of a medium-length novel. Don't worry Mom; I am taking real classes. They just have lots of printed out readings. So my total cost for textbooks this semester: $10.34.

Speaking of my classes, I'm somewhat excited about them: Legal History-Race Relations Law pre-Civil War; Human Rights & the Environment seminar; Cyberlaw; and Advanced Criminal Procedure. And I don't care what anyone says, I think my seminar will be enjoyable (there are a few killjoys out there who want me to believe that I will get tired of hearing my classmates' opinions all semester, but I remain optimistic).

I'm also hoping to write my required paper this year, which will be 2 more units. This semester, I believe that I will only have papers; no finals. Again, some folks keep insisting that this is a bad thing, but I think it will be fun. I've just got to work early on the papers to avoid an end of the semester crunch.

I'm meeting all the new 1Ls on my floor and in my building. Ah, it takes me back... My floor also has a large number of L.L.M.s (people getting advanced degrees in law, at HLS they are almost always from other countries), so my floor is like the United Nations. I love it. There are folks from England, Ireland, Taiwan, China, Sweden... Awesome. It's like traveling the world just walking towards the bathroom.

On the Road Again: Dispatch from San Francisco

Visiting the Bay Area and having a great time doing it. Oh, how I love San Francisco. Especially given the free wi-fi sprinkled all over. Before long, the whole city will be a wi-fi hotspot, cementing SF as the best city in the world. Of course, I'm optimistic that eventually the whole world will be one big wi-fi hotspot (maybe excepting Antarctica and a few other remote locations that are better off without human interference). But who knows? Maybe one day, even the moon will have wireless internet!

A couple downsides to the day: I'm feeling a little nauseous (though I refuse to believe that it has anything to do with the Chinese restaurant I ate at for lunch. I will not sully my happy memories of cheap Asian food in the Bay Area with such suspicions). And I seem to be continuing the pattern of my week of timing problems. I just seem to be missing everyone I set out to see. Oh well, at least I'm doing it while in my favorite city.

Starting the summer job search process again. I know; it seems crazy since I just finished up this summer's job a couple of weeks ago. But such is law school. I'm looking primarily at organizations dealing with development, fair trade, environmental justice, debt relief, and international poverty eradication generally. I think that these are the areas of greatest need in our society today (though there's a long list of other things to be fixed). But I believe that much of the violence and turmoil in the world is related to the pillaging attitude so common in international corporate culture. I'm looking for work that will give me a sense that I'm working for real, systemic change. And I'm hoping that I'll get a chance to do some of that next summer. Or at least that next summer will point me in the right direction.

If you're dying to know more, don't worry; updates will follow. If you couldn't care less (and I don't blame you), um, sorry.

On a completely separate note: as someone who already thinks packing and moving are big hassles, I'd like to take one moment for a whine session. How is it possible that flying across the country (something I do a lot these days) has gotten even more inconvenient??? I once heard a news report about airlines considering the possibility of lowering passengers' body temps until they were asleep, then packing them all into the aircraft. It would free up room, and lower the need for flight attendants. I'm wondering how long til they put that into practice.

I apologize for the ridiculously long post. Blame the free wi-fi!

And One More Goal...

So, I made a list of goals for the next year. And I listed them over on the right-hand side here so y'all can follow along and see if I accomplish any of them. Plus, it'll give me something to write about when I make the attempt.

The downside is that I seem to have screwed up the formatting on the blog in the process. It looks fine on some computers and truly funky on others. So add to that goal list: eventually get around to fixing my blog.

And I already have one goal completed. My mom and I just got back from Monterey, CA, where we had a lovely vacation. So check #15 off the list. And add on another thing for me to change: gotta cross it off on the blog.

I'm Ba-aaack!

Don't mind me...just took a little 2 1/2 month break from blogging. Probably was a good thing. It's important to recognize when you don't have much to say and just shut up.

But in this time, I've accumulated a few thoughts to share, and maybe I'll even post more frequently now. Things I want to say:

1) Everyone, everyone, everyone should see An Inconvenient Truth. It's informative, not as depressing as it sounds, surprisingly entertaining, and very motivating. Plus, Al Gore is actually pretty funny.

2) I'm having a good summer here in Sacto. I'd love to hear how things are with everyone else, now that I've re-joined the human race.

3) I wonder when I will figure out what to do with my life. I want to change the world for the better, create beauty, experience joy. But I never seem to be satisfied.

4) I'm in love with John Cusack.

5) Sacramento is ridiculously freaking hot, although not so much today. But it's supposed to be 105 on Sunday.

6) 105 degrees is still better than the weather in Boston.

7) I just wanted to end on number 7. Yesterday was 7/11, and I failed to get a slurpee. I've never intentionally gotten a slurpee on 7/11, but it seems like a good tradition to start. Maybe next year.

Somehow, Still in Cambridge

That's right. I'm not back in California yet. If everything had gone as planned, I would have been there yesterday (Friday) afternoon. Finals are over, the dorms are mostly empty, but I'm still here.

You see, I got sick during finals. A little cough at first. Eventually, that cough grew. And it grew until it became a big, hacking, can't sleep at night kind of cough. After a couple of trips to the health center, I decided that I just couldn't manage packing and taking the 7 hour flight home feeling as badly as I did. So I moved my flight later.

Thanks to time and a whole bunch of prescription meds, I'm finally starting to improve. Still have the cough, still wake up every night, but I'm definitely feeling a lot better. Which is good because I'm currently working on the law review competition (we have to edit a fake article and write a 20 page comment on a Supreme Court case). I will be flying home waaaay too early Tuesday morning. Sadly, I will be taking the law review competition with me.

My life will officially be mine again after Friday. I'm looking forward to it. Then I start work.

Last Contracts Class

1:15- Paying attention; this is the last class, after all.
1:17- Prof. is teaching us subtraction. Start the internet surfing.
1:37- Is he still talking?
1:38- Kill me now.

Too True

(Click on the picture to see it in a larger size.)

The Lovely Month of May

Well, at least it was lovely yesterday. Today, it's all rainy again. Oh well. Things are so busy, I can't actually even remember all the things I've been doing. Lots of events. Lots of studying.

Finals are fast approaching. The thought of taking them and packing up all of my stuff at the same time makes me want to poke myself with something sharp. Just a little stressed.

But I am looking forward to summer. It's amazing how a Boston winter can make a Sacramento summer seem ideal. Bring on the heat!

I have lots of other thoughts, but I'm too out of it to bother.

Busy, Busy, Busy

It's been a semi-crazy week. Had our Ames moot court oral argument on Wednesday. Thank goodness that's over. Turned in my application for Board of Student Advisors today. The next step in the process involves an "interview;" really, it's a pretend conference with a student on a paper. I've also been working to set up a Minority Student Council--an umbrella organization to represent all the affinity groups on campus. I'm very excited about the possibilities for such a group.

Today, the Black Law Students and the California Club are having a barbeque. And I'm hoping to hear Larry Flynt talk tonight. He's a pretty interesting guy. Meanwhile, I'm trying to prepare for finals (believe me, I need to start NOW) and get my financial aid application in.

I hear there's a world out there somewhere. The rumor has filtered into my little law school bubble. I think it's probably just a rumor.

Winding Down

The school year is getting near it's close, and this kind of scares me. While I'm looking forward to summer, I'm not looking forward to studying for finals. Also, I realize that I will truly miss a lot of the people out here. On the bright side, I'll get to see a lot of people I'm missing now on the West Coast. That's the thing about having friends all over the place: it's a glass half-full/empty scenario cuz you're always away from some of them but always near others.

Making lots of plans for the next school year. We register for classes soon, so I've been picking those out. I also hope to fulfill the writing requirement next year (it's usually called the 3L paper b/c most people do it their last year). I'm excited about the classes I've found, and I'm actually really looking forward to doing my own legal history research. In terms of classes, I'm most excited about the clinical that I hope to take. Clinicals are opportunities to do actual legal practice, and the one I want to do would allow me to work on a real death penalty appeal. Amazing.

In school activities, next year I will be vice prez of the Multiracial Law Students Association (mlsa). We're really just trying to get it off the ground right now (it existed before but did very little), but I'm hoping it will be an awesome organization. In addition, I'm currently applying for the Board of Student Advisors (bsa), which would allow me to work as a TA in the 1L writing class. And I'm still deciding whether to apply for Law Review. Law Review is the most prestigious student-run legal journal in the country. It looks great on the resumes of those who "make" it. It is also a tremendous amount of work (20-30 hours a week). Even the competition to get on it is a huge amount of work. I'm considering it b/c it provides the opportunity for members to publish writing, which would help if I decide to go into teaching.

Okay, I've written too much already. I'll stop now. I mean, now. Now.

A Sad Post

A 2L at Harvard died while whitewater rafting over the break. I know multiple people who are really feeling the loss of her presence on the campus. Such events always get me thinking. The news went out today, and I've already seen a few touching remembrances of her. But it makes me sad that it often takes death for us to stop and take the opportunity to tell people how wonderful they are. So I'm going to take a couple of moments to just thank all of my friends for being the fabulous people that they are.

To Kate L. for her beautiful guitar music and ability to always make me laugh. To Kate W. for her randomness and her wisdom in every crisis. To Jen for her calm and the fact that I know I can always count on her. To Noah for his humor and his talent at shouting my name at the top of his lungs. To Justin and Alisa for reminding me that true love is possible. To Marisela and Emily for their poetic gifts and insightful conversation. To Tam for her enthusiasm and for the fact I know she'll make a difference in this world. To Ryan for his ability to always make me feel comforted when I really need it most. To Elizabeth, who will listen to my problems with more patience than I can muster for myself. To Joanna who puts up with my craziness and my teasing. To Valerie for being as close to family as you can be without genetic ties. To Jessica and Polly who make me actually want to go to class. To Sarah, a friend for almost as long as I can remember. To Shelley and Clara and Jen W. who somehow still put up with me after all these years.

To the people on my floor and in Fillmore's Motel for being my (very) extended family when I've been far from home. To a few special people who are always there to listen or talk during whatever drama may arise. To the people in Section 2 who have taught me lessons about law and about life. And of course, to my family: my nieces and nephews who give me hope for the future, my brother and sisters who drive me crazy and take care of me, my aunt and step-grandmother and cousin, and most of all, my mom--my best friend.

To all of you and to anyone else whom I haven't listed: thank you so much for being in my life. Thank you for being. I feel so lucky to have had an opportunity to know each of you. And thanks for bearing with me during this sentimental soap box event. I just want you all to know that you mean the world to me.

Back to the Grindstone

In recognition of the tragic end of Spring Break, I feel that it's time for a bit of a picker-upper. So I thought I'd share a few more of my favorite quotes from Property. Mainly to remind myself that there are a few good things about going to class. Haha.

Prof: "People who in the old lingo plan to 'shack up' together."
Student: "I think the court referred to it as fornication."
Prof: "Yeah, you can call it that too."

Prof, discussing relationship complexities: "...polyamorous couples. Oh, I shouldn't say couples. Polyamorous groups."

Prof: "They [the jury] have to be really--this is not a legal term-- out to lunch."

Prof, talking about the issues arising in interpreting wills: "The thing is we can't quiz her about that; it's one of the unfortunate things about her being dead."

Happy Monday, all!

Dispatch from the Beach

It's spring break-hallelujah-and I'm in Florida. Life is good. No, life is amazing. I could not have needed this break more. Without it, I might have had a breakdown. The weather is beautiful, the house I'm staying in is perfect, and I am having an absolute blast. The only downside is that it will eventually end.

I'm honestly (not exaggerating) not sure how I will cope with leaving here and going back to Cambridge. I've never felt so strongly that I wanted to stay on any vacation permanently. Partly it's that it is so incredibly wonderful here. Partly it's that life in Cambridge feels so uncertain to me.

Well, at least I'm enjoying myself now. Hopefully, I'll be able to bring a little bit of the joy of Florida back with me.

In an Ames State of Mind

Ames, Ames, Ames, Ames....That's my life right now. For those of you unfamiliar with the strange territory of Harvard Law, Ames has to be the most overused moniker at any law school. James Barr Ames was the 2nd dean here (a legal historian!), and they've named half of the school after him.

The hall I live in is called Ames. There's an Ames Courtroom on campus. There is the Final Round Ames Competition--an extracurricular mock trial for 2nd and 3rd year students. The hypotheticals on final exams usually take place in the fictional "State of Ames."

And, finally, there's the required 1st year moot court called Ames. I've been incredibly busy working with my partner to turn in our brief for it. It's due on Thursday, but I'm hoping to be all done with it in just a few more minutes. I've spent far too many hours in the library on this darned brief. Other things have been going on, but Ames has sort of killed my brain.

This morning, I heard Howard Dean speak on campus at the National Law School Democrats Conference. Very cool. I wish that I had more time to attend conference events, but alas, Ames.

I'm looking forward to SPRING BREAK. It's exactly one week away. Headed to Florida with friends. I'm desperate for some sun and some rest. And it'll be good to escape from Ames.

Sorry, Ma

What about everlasting gobstoppers?

Paging Dr. McDreamy

I have a cold again. I was in the law school health services office earlier this week. As I waited, I examined the magazines they have available. The collection consists primarily of: Golf Magazine, Nurse Practitioners' Monthly, and my favorite, AARP Magazine. It seems to me that they need to reevaluate the demographic of the folks likely to be in the law school health services waiting room.

Very excited because I found out today that I was selected for the Heyman Summer Internship Program. Basically, the program is designed to encourage students to spend their summer interning for the federal government. In addition to a small stipend, I will get to network with Heyman Fellows (recent grads working in the federal government) and other federal officials. Pretty cool.

I wish my head didn't feel ready to explode right now. On the bright side, I have a brand-new bottle of Motrin to get me through. And there's a new OC on tonight. So life has meaning.

Fun Times

I try to restrain myself from posting these, but this one made me laugh. It seemed a little too true. Especially the second to last line. =)

Your Personality Profile

You are dependable, popular, and observant. Deep and thoughtful, you are prone to moodiness. In fact, your emotions tend to influence everything you do. You are unique, creative, and expressive. You don't mind waving your freak flag every once and a while. And lucky for you, most people find your weird ways charming!

The World's Shortest Personality Test

My Three Favorite Things at Last Night's Oscars

1) Jon Stewart
2) Reese Witherspoon's dress
3) "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" winning Best Song

When I Used to Have Something to Say

This is a problem I've discussed with several of my law school friends: law school makes you boring. Okay, maybe not everyone, but certainly me. I just don't feel particularly inspired with good conversations in person or in the blogging world.

I can't blame being busy because I still read the news online, and I see enough tv to be in the loop with pop culture. I just really don't have much to say about any of it. And I definitely have nothing to say about my law classes. I'm just happy to get the reading done and get to class.

So what is the problem? My theory is that it's thinking overload. In class, every minute detail gets discussed. And any conversations (about anything) with law students always become heavy. It's impossible to say anything without us picking it apart. So I think my head is tired. And that's something I never thought would happen: intellectual exhaustion. Luckily, Spring Break is only 3 weeks away.

Okay, now I'm gonna go rest my brain by doing laundry. How hard can that be?

Woohoo! Kate's here-that's Kate L., if you were confused. I'm very excited to have her visit me; it's too bad that the weather decided to be so obscenely cold. Coming from LA to this could really shock the system.

Good weekend planned. Karaoke tonight with a few friends to ring in the birthday. Okay, I guess that's really pretty much the whole plan, except for shopping today. Some time in there, Kate and I will sneek in at least one tourist destination.

And, no, don't even ask: I did not get done with all of the things I had to do this week. I practically got none of them done. This was just one of those weeks. Glad to have hit the weekend.

And since I have nothing else to say, here's the results of a Mitsubishi poll of wacky street names in the US.

10) Tater Peeler Road (Lebanon, TX)
9) Intersection of Count and Basie (Richmond, VA)
8) Shades of Death Road (Warren County, NJ)
7) Unexpected Road (Buena, NJ)
6) Bucket of Blood Street (Holbrook, AZ)
5) Intersection of Clinton and Fidelity (Houston, TX)
4) Intersection of Lonesome and Hardup (Albany, GA)
3) Farfrompoopen Road--only road to Constipation Ridge (TN)
2) Divorce Court (Heather Highlands, PA)
1) Psycho Path (Traverse City, MI)

Overwhelmed

I am absolutely beyond overwhelmed this week. School work and a lot of (mostly good) outside responsibilities have combined to make this week out of control.

For example, I spent hours on Monday filling out background checks for my job. Yesterday, I ran to the other side of campus to get one of those forms signed. And then I discovered that I can't even complete the forms until my new passport comes in the mail in March.

I've been to health services (I'm fine, really), been running all over trying to get all the financial stuff worked out for my research assistantship, and today I'm meeting a friend of a friend (we've been trying to find a time to meet all semester; of course it would be this week). What's most stressful is that I'm not even very successful at all my running around. Everything seems to take extra effort this week.

And then there's our mock court. For our legal research and writing class, we're doing a moot court. And the way they've timed our assignments, pretty much all the work is due right now.

Well, my birthday's coming up this weekend. Kate's coming for a visit (yay!). I'm hoping to be stress-free by then.

Diversions

So I stole this from Kate. It's one of the fun, narcissistic activities on the web. I think it will be an interesting experiment, if you want to try it. Visit my Johari Window.

In other news, I'm super excited because I'm going to be working as a research assistant for a professor here. I'll be doing historical research--my favorite kind. And I get paid. Yay!

He Said, She Said

Thought I'd share some great quotes from today:

This morning I was walking (reluctantly) to class when I heard a little kid having a temper tantrum. "No, I don't want to go to school! I'm tired! I wan't a nap!" Amen, sister.

Property today was about whether or to what extent we own our bodies. A few of my favorite moments:

Professor: "What if a state court said, 'We don't like due process much, so all these things that used to be called property are now called schmoperty?'"

Professor, on organ donation: "A brain donation would be the most--you can't even, well, think about it."

Professor, telling us about a barber who sold Lance Armstrong's hair: "If I were Armstrong, I'd be creeped out by that. I just felt the need to interject that. Oh, there are no more hands anymore."

Student: "If I cut off my finger, I can put it in my freezer."
Professor: "Put it in soup or something."

And in the spirit of Valentine's Day, here is an article with hilarious overheard quotes about love.

And By The Way...

Go Bears!

Sorry if I've Offended

Feeling better. But this week has prompted a good deal of thought (nothing better to do when you're sick). It seems like almost every day since I've gotten here that I have found myself having to defend (or being offended by comments about) my/others' race, religion, or gender. It's not that outward prejudice is rampant. Most of the stuff is a little more under the radar screen.

For example, in my Constitutional History class, someone argued that blacks wouldn't have been better off with "40 acres and a mule" after the Civil War because they were so uneducated they "could hardly communicate with eachother or anyone else." So, let me get this straight: blacks couldn't figure out how to farm. They had only been the life-force of the plantation system for a couple hundred years! If he was referring to illiteracy, most poor white farmers were illiterate as well.

The sub-text of the comment seems clear enough to me. But I find that when I try to call people on these sorts of statements, they don't see anything wrong with them. And it happens in conversations about race, religion, and gender all the time. To paraphrase Jennifer Aniston's post-divorce description of Brad Pitt, it's like some people are missing a sensitivity-chip.

On the other hand, I do believe it is possible to be over-sensitive. Apparently, some animal rights groups and others are up in arms about the new Curious George movie. I get the impression that they have the same objections to the movie as to the books. Basically, they claim it has imperialist undertones, and that since zoos are inherently cruel, a story about a monkey who (kind of) lives in one sends a bad message. Okay, I may not be painting the fairest portrait of their claims, so if you want to read what they say, check out this SF Chronicle article. I just think sometimes people get a little too worked up.

Sick

That pretty much says it all. I developed a fever yesterday. Today I still have one. Just thought I'd check in between naps. Had to go to class today because I was on panel in Property (didn't get called on, thank goodness), and I had my first Constitutional History class. I love it already. Yeah, I'm a nerd. Okay, back to sleep.

Summer's Coming

I accepted the job at the US Attorney's Office in Sacto. Should be good to be able to live at home and save money. So I don't need to do much of anything. No apartment hunting.

Classes are fine. Contracts is all about logic. Property would be better if our classroom wasn't total crap. There aren't enough seats for everyone, so a few people have to sit in these old horrible desks. And those of us in normal seats are waaay too close together. Plus, the chairs are bolted to the floor so we can't move them at all, and the placement is uncomfortably close to the table.

Other than that, all is going pretty well in my life. I feel lucky to have wonderful friends and to get to study things that interest me. But I need to start getting to sleep earlier.

Semester Two

Well, I survived finals. But that doesn't mean I didn't fail them all; I won't know my grades until mid-February. But I'm very glad they're done, no matter how they turn out. The 2L and 3L guys on my floor were so great during finals! They wrote good luck notes on my whiteboard, gave advice about professors, and generally helped make finals bearable. Living on a floor with approx. 20 guys can sometimes be a little overwhelming, but it's also kind of like having 20 brothers.

I went home for around 10 days. That was very nice. I finally got to read books for fun. And I had two interviews for summer jobs. I was offered both positions, so now I have to choose. One's in SF and one's in Sacramento. I'm leaning towards the Sacramento job. I have to decide by the end of this week.

This Boston winter is so weird. The weather here is nicer than Sacramento. It makes me a little sad actually. I kind of miss the snow, and the ice skating rink outside my building is melting. Not that I really want to ice skate. I just want other people to be able to. And I like wearing my down jacket and winter boots, but it's too warm. We seem to be experiencing spring in January. I wonder if that means that spring is gonna feel like winter.

Classes start tomorrow. I'm happy with my new schedule: no class before 10:30, and two days a week, I don't have class until 1:15. This semester I'm taking Property and Contracts. I also get one elective. Currently, I'm enrolled in one class and wait-listed for another. I'll either be taking Constitutional History from Reconstruction to Brown or Law of Democracy. Either one sounds pretty good to me.

One Down....

And two more finals to go. I'm hoping the worst is over. I didn't find the final that bad, just the studying. I really enjoyed my crim law class, which made it a more enjoyable final to take (if there is such a thing). But just making it over the hurdle of first law school final feels good. For those of you who have seen "The Paper Chase," most of the depiction of law school seems off to me, but the mood in the dorms around finals wasn't that far off base.

I've just discovered that some people here at school are reading my blog. No worries; glad to have you, but I'm surprised you really have any interest in what I put on here. Actually, I'm fairly surprised that anyone cares to read what I put on here. I'll try to be more interesting from now on.

Hmm, now that I made that promise, I'm already feeling the pressure. What else can I say? Well, I can elaborate on the mess of a human being I've become thanks to finals. I've been found staring helplessly at the cafeteria salad bar. I guess I must have zoned out trying to decide between salad containers. I've lost my wallet once and my keys twice. All were discovered in my room.

The worst loss, though, was my CA identification card. I think I lost it on the plane coming back here. It's mainly a problem because I'm flying on Wednesday. I had to call the Cali DMV. The woman had me fax my itinerary and pay for them to FedEx me a photo with a letter from them. I will then have to show this at the airport. Guess who's definitely getting the pat down search? Anyhow, I just think it's great timing on my part.

Well, that's all for now. I appreciate all the finals-related well-wishing. Feel free to say a prayer for me to any deity you think might help. Seriously, I can use any assistance I can get. Or if you're sleeping with any of my professors, please put in a good word for me. Just kidding; we have blind grading here. Of course, it still couldn't hurt to try.

A New Start

Well, it's 2006. I had an absolutely awesome time at home. I was able to see many, though not all, of my favorite people out in California. In fact, my time was booked almost absolutely solid.

Next step: finals. I have soooooooo much studying to do. I'm starting to be a little freaked out by it all. And I think it's gonna be hard to focus on studying while seeing all my friends again after break. I must focus. Focus. Focus. My first final is on the 6th. I'm finished with them on the 11th.

After finals, it's another quick trip to California. I have a couple of summer job interviews lined up (one in SF, one in Sacto).

Okay, sorry I haven't been doing exactly great with the posting. No promises to improve, though.