Month In Review

I've been experiencing blogger's block this month. I have lots I want to talk about but can't translate those thoughts into words. Today is no exception. So I'll just ramble along and if it makes sense great, if it doesn't, tough.

The most outrageous thing that happened this month was Isaiah Washington checking into rehab for calling T.R. Knight a faggot....oops excuse me....the f-word. I have a rant about this ridiculousness going on in my head but can't translate it into logical words....

Barbaro the horse, the Kentucky Derby winner last year, was euthanized early this week, 8 months after his injury. I thought it should have been done sooner. Animals are not like people who can undergo surgeries and rehab, then go back to normal life. You can't ask them if they're in pain, you can't tell them they need to take it easy for the day or not to put too much weight on that ankle, etc. It's all a guessing game no matter how much man thinks he's in tune with animals (not a knock on veterinarians). This story should've ended 8 months ago. On the day of the injury.

A black coach (Tony Dungy or Lovie Smith) this sunday will lead his team to a Super Bowl championship. Great! But then what? Will this story translate to having more minorities put in positions of power in the NFL or will it end in the NFL history archives? Whatever the case may be, it promises to be a great game! Plus, K-Fed will be in one of the super bowl ads! It truly doesn't get better than that.

American Idol. Need I say more? Paula Abdul is going over the deep end and somebody needs to fish her out. Don't have anything to say about the contestants except I watch the show with my t.v. on mute!

Finally, school....hmmm. I'm running on fumes! The novelty has worn off and I think that's what was making last semester manageable. Now, reality has set in. The degree of difficulty of a law degree is very high and I'm just realizing that. Other than that I love it!

Sidney Sheldon

died today of complications from pneumonia at age 89. He was arguably one of the best fiction author's of our time.

2008 Presidential Hopefuls

Grades Are In!

From the look on my face I don't need to expound. However, there's no time to wallow in this very mediocre performance. My study habits are currently undergoing a complete & total overhaul. As they say, it ain't over till the fat lady sings!

Upper-level Students

Can't say enough good things about these folks. They are super nice & super helpful.

1. Last semester around exam time, I emailed a 2L student asking her if she'd had one of my professors & if she had any pointers of how to approach the exam. She emailed me back she hadn't but that one of her friends had (& had done great in the class) so she forwarded my email to her. Next thing I know, her friend emailed me back with a list of great pointers & also included her outline & one of her other friend's outline to help me prepare! Preparing an outline is a very time consuming process so having one from another student who's had your professor before is like manna from heaven, I kid you not.

2. Same thing a few days later happened. Approached a different 2L & asked him if he'd had yet another of my professors. He had & he proceeded to talk to me for about an hour on how to prepare for his exam, what to do & what not to & again, he emailed me his outline as well as his friend's who'd received the top grade in the class! Considering contracts is a one year class, I treasure this outline since I'll be using it this March for the final exam.

3. As mentioned before, I'll be going for a mock interview next month. So I emailed a 3L asking her how to prepare. She sent me a checklist of about 50 questions firms ask (you can tell she's interviewed alot) & then forwarded my email to another student who'd actually gone there last summer for a mock interview & eventually worked there in the summer. Now this student wants to schedule a time to meet with me so we can talk about it. How nice are these folks?!

Legislation Class

C'est moi studying for this class which I really and truly despise. I thought as the weeks rolled by I would get the hang of it & start liking it but this is not the case. The class deals with the passing of statutes & how the Supreme Court interprets them. Thus far, we've only dealt with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. How & why it came about and specifically, Title 7 of the Act that deals with discrimination in the workplace & affirmative action.

I'm talking from floor debates, to passage, to violation, to interpretation & back to amendment. Cruel & unusual punishment!!! We keep hashing & rehashing what some old geezers had to say & it just seems never ending. And to top it all off, we're on call at any time. If you get called on & don't know the answer, the next day you're the first one up. Shoot me already!

Super Bowl Bound!

Sunday Feb 4th, 2007

Go Colts!

Ode To Mother Nature

I woke up this morning & there was a blanket of snow outside. It's the first time it's snowed significantly all winter, so I dedicate my favorite Boyz II Men song to Mother Nature.

Let it snow, let it snow

Hey, its another christmas holiday

Its a joyous thing let the angels sing

Cause we're together

We got a thing can't let it slip away

No, outside its raining sleet

When our bodies meet

I don't care about the weather

Chorus:

Let it snow, let it snow

Outside its cold but the fires blazin'

So baby let it snow

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Ohhhh, come over here and help me trim the tree

I wanna wrap you up baby

Then you'll see you're the only present I need

There's so much more

Waiting for you in store

From this precious day

I can gladly say

There's no place I'd rather be

I know you are my everything, come a little closer

God must have sent you down from heaven

Chorus:

Let it snow, let it snow

Let it snow, let it snow (repeat 4x)

I don't care what the weather may be

As long as you're here with me(fade out)

She's In!

It's official, Hillary Clinton will be running in the 2008 presidential election.

Compelling T.V.

1. Oprah show today had the families of the 2 boys that were found after being kidnapped in Missouri. Only time I've watched the Oprah show without flipping channels so that I don't forget to come back. The older boy spoke with O. and boy was it sad. The horrors he must have gone through one can only imagine. Must see show for parents out there. Your kids are not safe!

2. '24' is back with a bang. I think the reason this show is so great is because all this stuff can truly happen. Suicide bombers, nuclear weapons, clueless president, etc. We can all relate. Could you believe it when Jack shot & killed Curtis?!

3. How about the 'Grey's' feud between O'Malley & Dr. Burke? Do you think Burke will be fired? Well, for those of you who haven't kept up, allow me to fill you in......after the Golden Globes this past Monday, some reporter asked the cast if they had put behind them the whole incident of Burke calling O'Malley a faggot (which led to his real life 'coming out'). Here goes Burke, "I did not call T.R. (O'Malley's real name) a faggot!" You should have seen the expressions on everybody else's faces...open up ground, swallow me now. Anyways, the following day, O'Malley went on The Ellen Show and stated that Burke really did call him a faggot. There's already a "Fire Isaiah Washington" petition online right now with about 9,000 signatures. I'll be surprised if he makes it past this season.

4. 'Apprentice' is so boring! Somebody at NBC ought to be fired for the idea of a tent for the losers. Small wonder that team keeps losing...exhausted from the coyote howls keeping them up at night. Then the reward last week was a visit to the Playboy mansion! Huh? How will Hugh Heffner help these women climb up the corporate ladder? Also the winning team's project manager goes in the board-room to help The Donald fire somebody. Talk about folks who don't have anything intelligent to say. Caaaarrooline.....Geeooooorge.....where are you?

Summer Plans Update

1. I've received about 8-10 ding letters from those resumes I sent out (stopped counting). Employers are really nice about their rejections though. A couple have requested additional materials - whatever that means.

2. Will be going for a mock interview end of this month at one of the local large firms. My interviewer is one of the partners....gleaned this info from his bio on the firm's website. I'm really looking forward to the experience since there's no pressure to impress although you're supposed to go at it like it was a real interview.

3. Signed up for the study abroad program. That way I reserve a space for the classes I want to take. As I mentioned before, I'll use these credits to lighten my load as a 2L which I hear is really hectic.

Escalation of Troops

Bush is going to be sending about 20,000 more troops to 'secure' Baghdad. It's fair to assume that majority of Americans especially Dems are opposed to this saying that more troops won't help the deteriorating situation in Iraq any.

I, on the other hand, am all for it but not for same reason as W. The Iraqi people didn't ask for their land to be invaded. If they were tired of having Sadaam treat them so ruthlessly, then they (Iraqis) should've gotten organized and revolted against him & toppled his government (I do realize this is easier said than done). This is what countries that were colonized did since they didn't like being ruled by foreigners, and this is what countries still do to topple rogue leaders. You start grassroot level revolts & hope they pick up enough momentum to remove the sitting dictator. E.g. Ahmad Shah Masood was the leader of the Northern Alliance, a group that was opposed to the Taliban. He was assassinated by suicide bombers posed as journalists in 2001. This is the type of organizing that Iraqis should've done if they were really tired of Sadaam's regime. It's bloody, it's risky, it doesn't always work, but if the people want it that much, they will find a way to make it happen.

Back to Iraq. Prior to the U.S. invasion, there seemed to be peace and everyone seemed to be able to do something economically to make a living, notwithstanding those that Sadaam & his sons saw fit to torture, detain & kill. I'm also sure that if you took a poll around Iraq today (not ex-patriates who've fled Iraq & can now punder from the comfort of their new countries), majority would say they hated Sadaam but they would rather the atmosphere then than what it is now. Again, if they hated it so much, THEY are the ones who should've done something about it. Not have W. impose his will on them to pay back Sadaam for what he did to his Daddy.

So, I say ramp up the troops and do everything you can to protect the Iraqi citizens from the autrocities that are taking place there. They didn't ask for this mess so the least the "coalition of the willing" can do is stay the course even if that means that more troops get killed. But W. is right about one thing, retreating cannot be an option. The minute the U.S. troops leave, the insurgent groups will take over the country and all hell will and shall break lose.

Doesn't that then mean that troop additions and not withdrawing right now is only delaying the inevitable? Coalition troops will leave eventually and since the tenuous Iraqi troops will probably run for their lives when they no longer have the coalition working with them, why delay all that? Why get more coalition troops killed? Why call up the reserve and national guard? Because we just don't know. Maybe the additional troops will be successful in snuffing out insurgents & leave a stable Iraqi government & army behind that will be able to protect its own citizens. Possible but highly unlikely. Time will tell.

Obviously, I make this argument because I don't have a son/daughter in Iraq & don't know anybody who does. I figure the same goes for W. This war itself would probably have not taken place if Jen & Barbs were enlisted in the military.

Who Would've Thunk It?

That the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes would lose to the Florida Gators 41-14 in the BCS Championship game?! I can only imagine the pervasive air of gloom that will blanket the school tomorrow. I even wore my Brutus shirt to school today & it was all for naught!

2nd semester of school is definitely going to be harder than the 1st. Workload has increased exponentially & subject matter seems harder especially Legislation. This is one class I know I'll hate but the prof seems nice enough. Beats me why this class is mandatory evidenced by the fact that no other school mandates it.

I'm trying to think of something positive that happened today but aside from getting a good parking spot, nothing comes to mind.

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a safe & enjoyable holiday. I know you're all armed with new year resolutions but moi doesn't have any this year. Bought books for $553. I tried selling 2 books I used last year at barnes & noble but they told me new editions were pending so they couldn't buy them back. The nerve. So off I went to amazon....I've already sold one for $75.

Didn't get lucky this semester, will be having classes every day of the week. I'm hoping the classes will be more interesting (highly unlikely) & the professors less stressful (wishful thinking) than last year's. Here's what I'll be taking:

-Legislation

-Constitutional law

-Property

-Contracts

-Legal writing

Don't forget to watch the BCS Championship game tomorrow at 8/7c on FOX. Go Bucks!