Lots of things to think about but I think of this

So it is 8:27 A.M. on the day I am supposed to graduate. I decide to open up itunes and randomize the song. First song it landed on was "You're Beautiful," by James Blunt. Damn.

My life is brilliant.

My love is pure.

I saw an angel. 

Of that I'm sure.

She smiled at me on the subway.

She was with another man. 

But I won't lose no sleep on that, 

'Cause I've got a plan.

You're beautiful, you're beautiful.

You're beautiful, it's true. 

I saw your face in a crowded place.

And I know what to do,

'Cause I'll never be with you.

Yeah, she caught my eye,

As we walked on by.

She could see from my face that I was, 

Fucking high,

And I don't think that I'll see her again,

But we shared a moment that will last till the end.

You're beautiful, you're beautiful.

You're beautiful, it's true.

I saw your face in a crowded place,

And I don't know what to do,

'Cause I'll never be with you. 

You're beautiful, you're beautiful.

You're beautiful, it's true. 

There must be an angel with a smile on her face. 

When she thought up that I should be with you. 

But it's time to face the truth,

I will never be with you. 

Okay, it's not that I'm going to be all suicidal but the song does hit a chord with me: it's time to face the truth, I will never be with her. Today marks the day that our path together will split, probably destined to never intersect again. 

And when I say that I will never be with her, I don't mean in a romantic way either. Love songs have a way with that. I just mean in a close-friend sort of way. 

The candle that burns twice as bright burns twice as fast.

We shared some very good memories together. We also shared some really bad memories that snowballed towards the end. She's probably moved on and I think I've moved on as well. It doesn't mean, however, that it doesn't hurt when I think back to everything that has happened. 

Am I ready?

I am apprehensive.

I am wishful.

I am nostalgic.

I am regretful.

I am me. So what's new?

Its a strange feeling to have. I have one final tomorrow, I don't graduate until Friday, and yet I still have a 40 page paper to do by next Monday.

Blazer commentators on NBA TV are the worst ever!

Dear NBA TV,

Please replace whoever it is that is manning the broadcast booth when the Blazers are playing at home against the Rockets. These commentators are absolute homers. They frame their game 1 loss against the Rockets as "expected" because the Blazers are a young team. They also framed their losses in games 3 and 4 as "so close" that the blazers only lost by a combined four points. What. The. Fuck.

Ok. I don't give a crap if your team is young or not. You, having home court, are "expected" to win at home. No ifs, ands or buts. Don't try and minimize your loss on the Blazers' youth. You had home court. The fans were cheering for you. The Rockets were playing MINUS McGrady. You have Brandon Roy. And yet, the commentators still found a way to minimze the loss and blame it on youth. And framing your loses in games 3 and 4 as "so close" that you can feel the Blazers turning it around is absolutely stupid. In the playoffs, losing is losing. There are no moral victories. You lose, you go home.

These commentators are absolute homers. Whenever a Blazer hits a shot, the commentators yell and scream and say "yessss!" as if a fan is commentating for the game. They don't analyze the game at all. Instead, they cheer their team, bad mouth the opposing team, and sound just like any fan in the arena. More than the idiotic things that these commentators say is that they yell A LOT. I have never heard commentators yell so much for their team. It got so bad that at one point I decided to hit the mute button.

If you don't believe me, just google Portland Trailblazers commentators and you'll get a slew of hits about how bad these commentators are. Please, do everyone a favor and fire these clowns.


*Note, I am not a Rockets fan. I just like to watch playoff ball and because of the Blazers commentators, I am seriously considering watching something else.

Edit: Now I know who they are! Rick Kamla and Steve Smith. Please, fire these guys.

I passed the MPRE!

Ok ok, so the MPRE isn't supposed to be this hard exam yada yada yada. I don't care. I studied hard and I passed. I passed in a jurisdiction that requires one of the highest scaled scores to pass. I passed with a 127 scaled score. 

What did I do to pass? I spent a good week or so reading through the entire BarBri MPRE long outline, I did all of the review questions and I finished one practice exam. I correctly answered about 90% of the review questions in the BarBri book and correctly answered about 75-80% of the questions on the one practice exam I worked on. I didn't go through the entire practice exam and then go over the answers. Rather, I answered in chunks. I would answer about four to five questions on the practice exam, flip to the back and check my answers. If I incorrectly answered a problem, I would have gone over the possible answers throughly to see where I messed up. 

I am so glad that the MPRE is finally over. Now, I should concentrate on (1) finals and (2) the Bar. Great...

Can you be both thrilled and ashamed at the same time?

2009 328i coupe

Three liter inline six with 230 horsepower

Steptronic transmission

Space Gray Metallic exterior

Black Dakota leather

Gray Poplar wood trim

Premium Package

Sport Package

(Picture(s) to come soon)

Should I go with bi-monthly updates?

Ok, so I haven't been updating regularly. My third year in law school has been uneventful. I spent the first half of my third year engaged in an externship. There I learned a lot about how the law is applied in a real world setting, how to more efficiently do legal research, and how to write a legal memo that is useful to both judges and lawyers. I also learned that being the youngest person in an office full of people who are either married or in long term relationships is not the kind of office you should aspire to work in. Inevitably, your interests will be different than everyone else in the office. Having said that, I thought that overall, my externship experience was well worth it in terms of professional development. 

And on a professional development theme, I enrolled in a trial advocacy course for my second semester in the hopes that it would give me some of the tools necessary to convince a factfinder. I am glad to say that this is one of the most engaging courses I have taken at law school. Everything that is taught in that class is useful and there is really no down time. As an added benefit, all the students are allowed multiple chances to conduct direct and cross-examination techniques to hone our newfound skills. I don't think that as a junior associate, I would get as much structured focus on any trial advocacy skills - its either sink or swim for junior associates.

I also found a job. It's like Biglaw but with Mediumlaw (or maybe Smalllaw) compensation. I am glad beyond relief that I do not have to worry about finding a job now. I am grateful that I have an offer, especially in a time when so many attorneys are already laid off, so many more will be laid off, and so many law students are struggling to find jobs. I wish you all godspeed. 

Hotness increase

So my judicial externship ended last Friday and I am now spending my time at the law school, writing my final paper. I can't help but notice, however, that the 1L girls are so much hotter than when I was a 1L. In fact, the 1L girls this year are by far hotter than the girls in my class or the 2Ls right now. 

And for those of you who think its an age thing, that by virtue of me being older, I assign more "points" to these younger 1Ls, you're wrong. I am probably younger than half of the 1L class, considering that I am about as old as the average entering 1L class. Also, I am not grading on a handicapped scale. These 1Ls are hot, regardless of whether they are law students or not. 

With the bad economy and souring job market for legal professionals, this is truly a horrible time to graduate. It is just an extra kick in the nuts when you realize that all the hot girls entered law school two years too late. 

Bluebook revisited

Mother F&*%$#! I haven't spent this much time looking over the bluebook since my dreaded decision to participate in my school's law review write-on competition. Damn my procrastination! I had to wait until today to start researching for my seminar paper - the rough draft being due this Thursday.

Damn you bluebook, the bane of so many law students.

I respect his acting

So I just finished Delightful Girl Choon-hyang and it was a hilarious drama. It's centers around a high school couple and their quirky arranged marriage and the subsequent third and fourth wheels that try and break them apart. Unlike most other dramas, I was unable to guess what was going to happen. Plus, the drama spoofed Winter Sonata, Full House, and What happened in Bali.

But what really made this drama good was the fine acting of the main actor, Jae Hee. The long close up scenes where the director lets you just read Jae's eyes were some of the most powerful scenes in the drama. Jae's acting starts and ends with this eyes. When he's cheerful and smart-alecky, he squints his eyes and smiles sheepishly and when he's sad or angry or despondent, his eyes turn red and quiver. It's refreshing to find a young actor in korean dramas that can act. I really respect Jae's acting abilities and I hope to find him in other dramas too. 

If you're interested in supporting a good actor, watch Delightful Girl Choon-hyang. If you're have time to spare, you can catch Jae in Witch Yoo Hee. In my opinion, Jae, with his soulful eyes, saved this drama from being a crapfest of bad acting. It's too bad that he's not used in more dramas. I just know that he will be a very successful actor soon.  

Some of what I did over the summer

Ok, so I haven't been on here in a while. In fact, based on my current workload, I still shouldn't be on here. However, I have too much to post about to let my hiatus last any longer. Without further adieu, let me introduce you to the dramas I have watched over the summer and those I am still watching or will watch. 

1. Witch Yoo Hee - Watched this drama before and during my finals period. In retrospect, the storyline was cliched (contract, love develops, etc.) and save for the male lead, the acting was bad. If you're a girl and get your fashion tips from TV, then this drama may be for you. Otherwise, watch it only if you have time to spare and nothing else to watch.  

2. War of Money (or Money's Warfare) - It's a story about loan sharks. I guess loan sharks are big business in Korea. Good acting, good overall storyline, horrible ending, horrible "bonus rounds." On the plus side, the kissing scene is much better than the typical lip-touching-with-camera-spinning-360-degrees-around-the-actors sort of kiss that you see all too often in Korean dramas. 

3. Thank You - Unlike Money's Warfare which was faster paced and slightly awkward, Thank You is a melodrama. Little girl has AIDS and is ostracized from her rural village. To pull on your heart strings a bit more, the little girl doesn't know who her dad is and her great grandfather has Alzheimer's. Aside from the emotional turmoil, the overall storyline and message is good and the acting, especially from the little girl is good.  

4. Dreams Link - Boring. This is a story of a girl who has a secret relationship her older sister's boyfriend. Like the spoiled bitch that she is, she later develops a crush on an older man while the older sister finds out about the secret relationship. The story dragged on and on with side stories and characters that were one dimensional. I barely cared about the main characters let alone the minor characters. 

5. Yi San - This is the story about the life of King Jeong-Jo and his love for a girl named Seon Yeon. It's a very good, well-polished drama with high production values but I can't really say they developed Seon Yeon's character. Her interactions with the King consisted of lines like "Your majesty..." and "I'm sorry." If anything, this drama was more a bromance than a romance. The drama spent lots of time detailing the relationship the king had with some of this most trusted advisors and warriors. I did jot down a nice pick up line from this movie though. 

6. The Ballad of Suh Dong - I'm currently watching this right now. Nothing much to say. 

7. The First Shop of Coffee Prince - I just finished watching episode 5. So far, I'd have to say that this drama is overrated. I still cannot buy the idea of the main character successfully crossdressing as a guy. She has none of the mannerisms of a guy. If anything, she is able to portray a 14-year-old boy more than a 24-year-old young man who has the difficult responsibility of providing for his mother and younger sister. And what the hell is up with most of the guys in this drama? This drama is way to metrosexual for me. I should watch Yi San again; more testosterone. 

8. Delightful Girl Choon-Hyang - In queue. Stars the male lead from Witch Yoo-Hee. His acting skills in Witch Yoo-Hee persuaded me to download this drama. 

2L

Although this entry was drafted on May 7th, it is only today that I have chosen to publish it. Even though this is a published entry, it is an entry that I don't feel is finished - much like how the course of my friendship with a friend from law school feels unfinished. 

-----

I can't help but crack a pity smile when I think back to my last entry of my 1L year. I set out some goals: get in shape, reconnect with old friends, and push myself beyond my bubble. 

Now, after spending a second year in law school, I can say in no uncertain terms that I am in shape. I'm not sure if I am in the best shape of my life (I felt more spry when I was performing musicals) but I am without a doubt, the strongest I have ever been. Not counting the two weeks without seeing a gym floor while studying for finals, I have pushed myself to a point where I did not know I could go. I am stronger, faster, physically tougher than I have ever been. Boundaries? I am no where near any boundary. 

But I haven't found as much success with my other two goals. Reconnecting with old friends is tough when everyone lives far away and you spend 60 - 80 hours a week doing law related work. I did spend a few days of winter break with the Big Mac Crew and it was fun. After six years, we all still do the same things when we get together. The Crew will never change.

Without a doubt, pushing myself beyond my bubble has been challenging. However, my failures make my successes that much sweeter. Plenty of 1Ls know me. I think they see me as this happy, organized, smart and successful 2L. I won't indulge them in the truth. What's more rewarding though is that I have a slightly deeper connection with a few other students in the school. I wouldn't say we're best buddies (nor would I allow myself to fall into that trap) but it helps pass the time. The truly rewarding thing though is stopping for a moment and savoring the kindness of a complete stranger. These people are not obligated to do anything for me. Yet they give what we all need: knowledge that someone cares. 

But I digress. I crack a pity smile because my last entry of my 1L year was themed as being bittersweet. It was bittersweet because I got bad grades. It was bittersweet because I felt alone. It was bittersweet because I had too much to do. It was bittersweet because I learned the law school game a little to late. It was bittersweet because the things that made me happy were far and few in between. 

This year, this last entry of my 2L year is also bittersweet. I succeeded in varying degrees to meet my goals. I am better at playing the law school game. Nonetheless, one constant throughout my 2L year has been...her. I know. I promised myself not to post anything else like this here any further but no "last entry of my 2L year" would be complete without proper treatment of some of my missteps in life. 

Really, where do I begin? So much of this year has gone wrong and I can't help but know that I put all that into motion. Am I angry at her? No. Do I blame her for how she's reacted to my feelings? Not really. Can I understand how she feels? I've tried. However, at the very least, I think I deserve an explanation. It hasn't been fair to me. One moment I thought she was the one friend I can rely on during law school. The next moment, I find our friendship in tatters. 

It seemed fitting that on my last day of law school, I ran into her, not once, but twice. If anything, it was a reminder of how far our friendship has fallen apart. But most of all, it just hurts. It hurts when I think back to all the good times we shared. It hurts that I can't be a part of her life any longer. It hurts every time I think about how long we have spent not being friends. 

If she would talk to me, I wouldn't know where to begin. Again, if you could see me right now, I can only give myself a pity smile. Why? Why treat me this way? Does it make you feel better? 

I can try to understand how you must feel. But if there is one thing I cannot understand, it's how you've been able to, with a flip of a switch, decide that I am no longer your friend. I don't know what must have gone through your mind when you decided I was no longer your friend. Maybe you thought you had too many things to do and I was being a distraction to you. Maybe you thought it best for the both of us that we not be friends. And that's the thing. I don't know what you're thinking. I don't know how you feel any longer. I've never known exactly why you decided we should no longer be friends. You've left me with so many questions but so few answers. 

I don't know what to do anymore. And so I set out on this world, wounded and scarred. You've left me wondering where I went wrong. If I am sitting alone somewhere, looking downcast and dejected, I am more likely than not, thinking about...what could have been. It was as if it was yesterday that we were the best of friends. Suddenly, you had to go. Now, my heart is heavy and all I can think about is what could have been. If only you could see 

But it's time to face the truth, we will never be friends again. 

Clearly their system of government is superior to ours

True or not, it's still good fodder: Putin secretly divorces wife; marries one of Russia's sexiest women?

The transformation is complete. The pigs have really turned into humans. However, I am biased towards the white mares...

/Am I being too obscure with the references?

//Do you even care after seeing the picture?

I've been on vacation since week 10

When I say I am tired, I mean I am tired. Lets recap because I think it's been an eventful last couple of weeks

[Insert law school organization here]
I have spent the last few weeks helping organize my organization's end of the year banquet. Long story short, there was a lot of miscommunication between the organizing committee, the venue, the school accounting office and me, the treasurer.

The venue, claiming they have done business with our school before, has always demanded, and according to them, has always received 100% payment up front. However, school wide policy allows for a deposit of 50% of total costs and final payment only after services have been rendered.

The organizing committee "secured" a venue, food and labor. Unfortunately for me, when I said the organizing committee had "secured" the venue, I mean the organizing committee DID NOT secure the venue. By the time I learned of this, our organization had already sent out invitations and had already placed a deposit with the venue.

I, the treasurer, had to mediate the demands of the organizing committee, the venue, and the school. However the venue was not very pleasant to deal with. The demanded 100% payment up front or else. Yes. Or else. My conversations with the venue manager was very unpleasant to say the least. Actually, to be more descriptive, he was a fat, shady old guy with a mustache who encouraged me to falsify documents with my school in order for him to get 100% payment up front.

Here a protip for everyone: Be very cautious of men with mustaches. They are very cunning. In all my business dealings with people, it's the guys with mustaches that are always out to screw you. I see a mustache as a manifestation of their personality to hide their true intentions.

Knowing that the venue was not being very understanding and the fact that our banquet was in 5 days, I immediately seeked out alternate venues to have our banquet. I found one and negotiated a price and payment plan that weekend for $4250.

With three days before the banquet, me, the president of my organization, and the director of our organizing committee met with the manager of the venue to come to some sort of an agreement. The manager quickly gave in and accepted my school's demands of 50% payment up front and 50% payment after services are rendered. Nice. Got one of my goals. However, at the same time I finally learned that the venue would be charging us $8500 for the banquet.

$8500??!?! Shit. We first decided we had to cut some things out of the contract to lower costs. That only brought us down to about $6500. We were still way over budget and way over what the alternate venue would have charged us. The manager of the venue said, "look, I can't move you to any other room because they are booked. Where ever you go at this point, you will have to come back. It [the $6500 price] is a very good deal." It was at this point that I realized that the manager of the venue was stuck with us as well. If we skipped out on him, he would lose out on the opportunity of making money off of our business. This was when I really went to work.

I told the manager of the venue that unlike what he believed was the case, there was an alternate venue that my organization can fall back on. Not only was this venue cheaper but it would provide a 10 course meal rather than 1. Parking is provided for and wine is included in this lower price point.

We negotiated back and forth until the manager finally gave in and offered to give us 1) the venue, 2) a dinner, and 3) a wait staff for $4500. It was a good deal in my opinion and I took the deal. It just took over three hours of sitting in a dank room negotiating with a fat old man to bring down the price from $8500 to $4500.

Looking back though, I probably could have gotten a slightly better offer. I had told the manager that the alternate venue gave us a $4250 offer. I should have just told the manager the alternate venue gave us a $4000 offer. This would have forced the manager to come even closer to the "offered" price. I also should have given the manager the option of meeting me half way between the $4000 price point and his offer of $4500. This would have saved my organization a little more money.

But overall, I think my organization got most of what it wanted. I would give myself a B+ for my negotiating that day. I got most of what I was seeking but 1) I could have gotten a slightly better price and 2) I need to learn how to better control my emotions. I can be a very angry person and it showed that day. I had my arms folded around in front of me and a scowl on my face that would make a baby bunny cry. However, can you really blame me? I blame it on sitting in the same dank room with a shady mustachioed fat guy for over three hours.

Tired...

I'm tired. I don't know if I can recover in time. Trust, responsibility, all can be made very hollow. 

My own stupidity gets me where I am

I lost my flash drive. I lost it the Wednesday before spring break. It contained things I could care less losing but it also contained some very sensitive data. I have pictures...less than flattering pictures of myself working a charity event. Trust me when I say that the charity event was designed in a way to result in unflattering pictures. I also have unclassified versions of my open letter and other personal documents and effects. I'm angry at myself for losing my flash drive. 

However, I'm very angry at myself for HOW I lost my flash drive. It was around 11 pm that night, I got a twinge that I absolutely needed to go to the gym and nothing would stop me. Actually, to be honest, that twinge was more me thinking about things I shouldn't. I wasn't thinking when I grabbed my keys and ID because I had also accidently grabbed my flash drive. From my apartment, I sprinted up a steep hill; breathing in the cold air; lungs gasping for a time out; and my eyes watering up as the wind crashed against my face. Within 5 minutes I was nearly at the gym when I realized I had my flash drive with me. It didn't matter, I barged into the gym like a man on a mission (I was) and decided to set a new personal best at the bench press. 

210 pounds. I decided to set personal bests for my abs, my biceps, my shoulders, my pull ups, anything and everything I could get my hands on. That night was really a blur, however I do remember that I felt extremely sick by the end of my workout. By the time I finished, I believe I still had my flash drive. But sometime between the end of my workout and when I walked home was when I lost it.

I'm angry at myself. Had I not resorted to thinking about things I shouldn't have, had I not decided to read about a life that has long decided it didn't care about me, I probably wouldn't have gone to the gym that night and then would not have lost my flash drive. I place the blame squarely on my shoulders. I should have known better. 

A few nights ago I dreamt that someone found my flash drive. But instead of doing the right thing and returning it to me, they decided to mass produce every embarrassing document and photo in that flash drive and post it for all at the law school and the university at large. The thought of my life, my weaknesses, my flaws and my deviancies being exposed scares me. You can have my flash drive, just delete the data and spare me your cruelty! 

But in a way, my fears have prompted me to live an even more narrowly focused life. I have found myself to be more accommodating than usual, more generous than usual, more compassionate and empathetic than usual. I have also found myself to be more erratic than usual. Is this how I react when my life can be destroyed by one person? I hope somebody somewhere is compassionate enough to do the right thing. I hope there is some power out there that will look over and protect me. At the very least, I hope that I can get through this with my reputation intact. This is a general sorry to society. I should be a better person and I am working on being a better person.

Loyal dogs

So I came across an article on the web describing Hachiko, the loyal Akita who waited for 10 years for his owner to return. It is a great story and I urge everyone to read it for it is very touching. The article also referenced Futurama and Fry's dog, Seymour. Now, I am a casual Futurama fan so I did not understand this reference. But after reading up on it and watching a few clips of the episode on the internet, I can see why the author referenced Fry's dog.

It's kinda funny how sometimes a "lower being" actually displays valued characteristics that "higher beings" fail to live by sometimes. Anyways, if you are not touched by the story about Hachiko, perhaps an actual clip from the Futurama episode will do the trick.

Hold on there stranger!

"America has lost its sense of values. Fifty years ago, during my parents time, people used to be proud to call themselves an American. People today seem to be more interested in themselves and their well-being than in the greater good, the rule of law, or any sense of morality. We've lost our way."

That was paraphrased from an old man I met early last week. But let me paint a picture for you and have you tell me if you think he was full of it or really a just and noble individual.

Wednesday:
I was browsing around the local school computer store, looking at the various computers they had on display. I noticed this old man talking to a sales associate about computers and which applications he could use to enhance his productivity. I noticed him because (1) the old man was somewhat loud; (2) he was definitely older than the average age of the school computer store's clientèle; and (3) he wore all white. Look, its strange for anyone to wear all white, makes you look like you just escaped from an asylum.

Well, because the store had no other sales associate, I waited for the old man to finish his discussion with the current sales associate. Old man talked about Steve Jobs and the stock backdating scandal, computers in general, yada yada yada, all the while I am patiently waiting for an opportunity to be assisted. Old man eventually noticed I was waiting by and brought me into his conversation too. 

Finally, I had an opportunity to tell the sales associate that I had a problem with my computer. I explained my problem, detailed what I was doing when the problems occurred and detailed the steps I have taken to diagnose and rule out certain causes of my computer problem. I noted that I had a tight budget and did not want to spend a great deal of money.

The sales associate said to come back whenever I am free and they would spend a day looking over my computer. I thought about it and thanked the associate for his help and began to be off on my way. It was at this point that the old man stopped me and told me that if I was interested that he could supply me with an extra copy of a new operating system for my computer.

Me: Really? How much do you want for it?
Him: I said 'give' didn't I? ::winks:: I was a poor college student at one point too so I know how it is.
Me: Oh, well. Thanks. I really appreciate your generosity.
Him: Think nothing of it! Here's my card. Call me anytime and we can set up a date where I can give you a copy of the operating system.
Me: ::Reads card:: Thanks [insert name of old guy]. It was nice meeting you and I will definitely give you a call.

Friday:
Fast forward to Friday of that week. We meet in a restaurant and he pulls out a copy of the operating system. So far everything looks legit. He gives me the cd, but instead of letting me keep it, he asks that I burn a copy of the cd onto my hard drive and then later boot up the disk from my hard drive. Interesting. Not necessarily the "extra" copy that he had mentioned earlier.

However, I did burn the disk onto my hard drive. While the cd was being ripped, the old man ordered some food and we talked some more about politics, what he was doing later that day, my job interview earlier in the day and so forth.

I told him about California's recent tailpipe emissions initiative that was blocked by the EPA and how even attorneys at the EPA, in internal memos, concluded that the EPA would lose in any court battle with the State of California. The old man got on his soapbox and said "well, that's great and all but California cannot be trusted with that sort of power."

He talked about the tax that California imposed on purchases of out of state cars and how that was wrong. To treat an individual differently because he bought a virtually identical car out of state as opposed to in state was a pure and simple money grab in his view. That it was noble for two young attorneys to convince their partners to bring a class action lawsuit against California and win. And throughout all of this, he emphasized that the attorneys won $42 million dollars for this class action. I just smiled and let him do his talking.

He went on to talk about computer software and casually asked if I could buy him this piece of software with my student discount. The old man knew exactly how much the software was going to cost and gave me exactly that much in cash. Clearly this guy's "generosity" was premeditated. His plan all along was to allow me to burn a copy of his operating system and in exchange, I would use my student discount to get him software at a cheaper price. My suspicion that this old guy was not as ethical as what he tried to make himself out to be was reinforced when we went up to the counter of the restaurant and had the audacity to claim that his cup of soda had a small hole in it and so he wanted a quick refill.  Bull. Shit. 

So not only was this guy proclaiming the virtues of lawyers getting $42 million from a class action lawsuit and not really giving me a copy of the operating system he had promised but he is also a stingy liar.

So, what do you guys think? Honest, good old man or chintzy sleaze-bag? To me, the moral of the story is clear: Never trust anyone over the age of 30. 

Nostalgia for Analytically Fluffier Times

This was written sometime last week. I didn't want to post an edited version of my email until my professor had seen it first. She was a visiting professor that taught me property my first year. And yes, she does remember me =P

-----

Hi professor,

I don't know if you remember me but I was in your first year property class at [insert law school]. I just wanted to write and thank you for helping me "think like a lawyer." Right now I am reading an assignment for professional responsibility and in particular, I am learning about the gradual decline in interest for "cause lawyering" among law students and the author's contention that "thinking like a lawyer" is a possible reason for that decline. As a matter of disclosure, learning to think like a lawyer (and by no means am I done) has not dampened my interest in government/public interest law. It remains an option to consider.

But reading this article made me think back to our property class and some of the "hot" cases we went over like Moore v. UC Regents or Kelo v. City of New London. I remember in particular when you called on me to discuss Loretto v. Teleprompter. You had asked if the per se rule was a good ruling. I gave some fluff answer about how I felt, that the owner shouldn't mind b/c it's only one cable line. But looking back, I can't help but feel kinda stupid. I'm not saying I can cover all the pros and cons of the per se rule now, but I would have given a much better response than what I gave last year. Overall, a lot of these "hot" cases brought out emotional responses that don't seem to satisfy all sides.

Although learning this skill, to remove one's own preferences and apply the facts to the rules dispassionately to come to a certain conclusion is somewhat distasteful, I am strangely complacent. Maybe its because I think a lot of the value judgments that a case brings up ought to be settled by the legislature, or that value judgments have no one right answer, or perhaps something else. But whatever it is, I thought you did your best to push this lousy student to think much more analytically.

I also firmly believe that the smaller, more intimate classroom setting was a big factor in directing me to be more focused in my reasoning. The students got to know each other and to bounce ideas off one another. No student could hide behind other students and you were able to focus your attention on one particular student at a time. Plus it was about as organized as 300+ years of property case law can be. Out of the three classes I had that first semester in that dreaded first year of law school, your class has had the most lasting impact. Although I am only a 2L, although I still have a lot more to add to my foundation of skills before I can say I am a lawyer, I'd like to think I am on the right path and that you helped me (as well as anyone could have) in placing me on that right path. Thanks.

Best wishes from [insert geographical location],

[my name]

WTF was the NY Governor Thinking??

Really. Why would Gollum New York Governor Elliot Spitzer cheat on his wife when (1) he has crafted an image of a "Mr. Clean," (2) in fact has prosecuted high profile prostitution rings as attorney general, (3) has put his career in jeopardy, and (4) when his wife is that hot?!?!

The Smoking Gun has the FBI affidavit and in it, it states that Spitzer ordered a high class escort for five grand, that she was white, "petite, very pretty brunette, 5 foot 5 inches, and 105 pounds." Seems like that is describing Spitzer's wife (minus the probable age difference of course). And to top it all off, Spitzer's wife, Silda Wall Spitzer, is a HLS alum. Jeez, he is married to a hot law school girl (rare) from HLS (rare) and what does he do? Get a 5k escort (not so rare). At least he has good tastes in women. 

Hmm, let me do a little more research.........OH SHIT. 

Silda Spitzer is the same age as my mom. Aww crap. What the hell is wrong with me? Um, beauty is timeless, yea. That's the ticket! 

Ok, on a more serious note, this is really stupid. I really feel bad for Silda to stand next to the man who cheated on her and hear him apologize for his infidelity. To be cheated on is bad enough, but to have the entire global media know and scrutinize your personal life must be terribly embarrassing. I wish her and her entire family the best. 

Squibs of the Day: 03.09.08

* Apparently, even more 1Ls than I thought know who I am. The one downside to everyone knowing who you are but not knowing you is that they call you by your first and last name. It's like seeing a celebrity on the street: "look, it's Diane Keaton" or "hey, isn't that Tom Cruise?" At least these 1Ls hosted a nice party. 

* I am way behind in my studying. 

* I might have a job lined up. Whatever, I'll just go with the flow and see where it takes me. 

* This morning, seeing two ants - the only two ants in the area - crawling in opposite directions, slowly growing further and further apart until it is most likely the case that they will never cross paths again. Just some food for thought and maybe somewhat interesting.