One To Go!

The Ohio State Buckeyes beat Michigan Wolverines 42-39! Great game & just as expected, the cream of the crop rose to the top. When I first moved here, didn't think I would get into the frenzy of college football, but dammit, it's contagious. If you're not a football fan, it'll get shoved down your throat until you surrender. I mean, yesterday I went to Kroger and all the cakes they had baked had a buckeye football or helmet at the center. Ridiculous but I love it!

BCS Championship game: January 8th, 2007 Glendale, Arizona.

Opponent: Doesn't matter....an ass whoopin' awaits!

Believe The Hype

The big game is tomorrow, and the hype is ridiculous out here. The Michigan team arrived today in two buses escorted by Michigan police, lights flashing, the whole nine. The press is also here, satellite trucks galore. University of Michigan advised their students travelling to Columbus on how to stay safe:

-leave their Michigan plated cars at home

-avoid wearing Michigan logo'd apparel and keep a low profile

-avoid High Street where all the bars are located

-Michigan police will also be here to make sure their citizens remain safe

I didn't realize how much people here hate Michigan but they really do. Dumpsters around the campus are being emptied and hosed down by the Fire Dept. because fans like setting them on fire. Even those driving blue cars (Michigan colors) are advised to keep them away from campus tomorrow because Buckeye fans might light them up to celebrate their win.

Go Bucks. Prediction 34-17 Buckeyes.

"If I Did It"

Is the title of O. J. Simpson's new book coming out in two weeks. He shows how he would have killed his ex-wife & her boyfriend were he the one who had actually dunnit. He'll be on Fox Nov. 27 and 29 talking about it. I think he did it, so I'll be tuning in to find out how it all went down. Johnnie has got to be rolling over in his grave.

Summer Plans

What to do for the summer is now becoming center stage. For starters, if you're an out-of-state student, you must spend your summer in Ohio so as to get in-state tuition. Tuition is cut in half so it's a sacrifice worth making. Here's what I'm sorta thinking about doing:

1. Get a job at a firm (very difficult as a 1L). I'm hoping to get out about 50 resumes & cover letters by Dec. 1. Ambitious? Nope, people send out 200 resumes and don't even get 1 call-back. It's an exercise in futility.
2. Summer in Oxford. Take 2 classes for about 6 weeks in England. Should be lots of fun, easy grades, traveling, etc. Nice but pricey.
3. Become a research assistant for one of the professors. Pay is minimal but looks nice on your resume & you can work from home.
4. Judicial externship working under an Ohio state, federal, or supreme court judge. I don't know if they pay, but I don't plan on working for free. Damn skippy.
5. Just kick back the whole summer. What the heck......I need a break!

What's annoying me this week: Contracts exam is Monday but other professors don't give a hoot. Workload is still as much if not more because they're running out of time as the semester comes to a close and tons of material still has to be covered. So I don't crack open a Contracts book till the end of the week. And don't forget the Michigan game is this weekend and has to be watched and of course the after-party to celebrate the beatdown they'll get. Priorities....priorities....sigh.

Sheesh

I have a problem with red eyes so today I went to the College of Optometry to get them checked out. My 'doctor' was a student graduating next year who was really nice and knowledgeable. So anyway, after a thorough exam, he finally tells me:

"...and so your tears aren't generating any oils which has made your lower lid's lining wear out making the bacteria that live there more active & this is has caused your cornea to.......so I really have to go discuss this with the Dr. to figure out a cause of action."

So when he left, I'm thinking, "my God, this can only mean surgery, I'm picturing my eyeball sitting out on the operating table with someone working on it...."

In comes my 'doctor' with the real Dr. (oh no, it's even worse than I thought) The real doctor examines my eyes....AGAIN....and then says, "well, just like you were told, you do have...blah...blah...blah...so here's what we're going to do: I want you to take a hot compress twice a day and put it on your closed eyelids, put these drops in your eyes once a day, and drink more water..."

Talk about anti-climatic. I have dry eyes!

Beat Michigan Week!

Ohhh.....We don't give a damn about the whole state of Michigan,

the whole state of Michigan,

the whole state of Michigan,

We don't give a damn about the whole state of Michigan,

We're from O-hi-O

O-H-I-O

Computer Woes

Last week, my desktop was unable to connect to the internet, & after calling TWC, the technician told me it was probably hacked into and someone erased something necessary to get on the web. So anyway, the technician came out today & I'm back in business.

I have McAfee on my desktop so I wanted to install Trend Micro PC-cillin. So I uninstall McAfee, and when I try to download Trend Micro, it tells me I need to install the latest Microsoft update first before installation. This is great except for one minor detail, my version of Windows XP isn't genuine (don't ask) so updates are not an option since Microsoft only allows authentic operating systems to get updates.

Now I have uninstalled McAfee (threw out the installation CD a while back) & cannot install Trend Micro! What's a girl to do? I can't surf the web without antivirus software so I'm screwed.....or so I thought. I remembered that you could get free antivirus software from AVG & luckily it doesn't care about my bootleg XP so I was able to install it successfully. So now I'm officially protected....as much as you can be protected with free software. It has good reviews though and it beats having nothing. So that was my little computer adventure.

I had my first study group experience today for Contracts review (exam on the 20th). I think study groups can be helpful but only to a point. It helps to hear what other people think about issues, but for me, I could have gotten a whole lot more done on my own. To each one his own.

Go Bucks! Trounced Northwestern 54-10. Between us & the BCS championship game....Michigan!!

Gerald Levert died today after a heart attack. He was 40.

Should Clinton or Obama Run in '08?

No and No! I say Obama should wait at least until 2012. The challenge that faces the next administration will be cleaning up Bush's mess in Iraq. That job should be left to some of the hardknocks out there like Hillary or McCain or Giuliani or Kerry or Gore (we can hope), or whoever who's fixing to run.

It's not that I think he can't do it, I just think the business of Iraq should be over and done with before he runs, so that people will not judge him on some mess that was created by W. I think too that his inexperience in Washington will be used against him by his opponents if he runs in '08 and undecided Americans (these are the only people that really matter) will buy into that. He has no 'baggage' that we know of, so his sticking point is his inexperience.

So, as much as we want a breathe of fresh air in Washington, Sen. Obama, sit it out for a few more years. Your time is coming.

As for Hillary, she shouldn't run ever, she's too divisive! You either love her or hate her (I think she rocks), there's no in between. Her rhetoric is great for the Democratic base but that's about it. She's not going to be recruiting any undecided voters to her corner. Also, she has too much baggage. Whatever she did (or didn't do for that matter) during the Clinton administration will be scrutinized under a microscope and it's not going to be good. Whoever who'll be running against her on the GOP ticket will win. I can almost guarantee it (and it's not because she's a woman) just based on her past and present political ideologies. Way I see it, if Hillary or Obama run in '08, the Republican challenger will win.

So, because one of them will run and will win the Democratic primary, just hope the GOP ticket doesn't have someone too radical. How about Rudy Giuliani? I like him because he's considered a moderate conservative, most importantly, he's pro-choice. That's why he'd never win the Republican primary. A Giuliani & Clinton showdown would be like the 2000 New York Senate race that never was. He pulled out of the race after being diagnosed with cancer. As for McCain, well, I don't care for him, he's overrated. He blasted Obama a few months ago, so eat shit and die! Do I sound bitter?

Strengths Profile

I took a strengths-finder profile (series of timed questions where you pick an answer that best fits you) in preparation for resume writing. These are snipets of my strengths:

Maximizer - Excellence is your measure; this might mean that others see you as discriminating; you see talent and stregths in others sometimes before they do; you don't want to spend your life bemoaning what you lack; consider coaching your intramural team or volunteer to be a Big brother or Big Sister.

Harmony - You look for areas of agreement; you can't quite believe how much time is wasted by people trying to impose their views on others; wouldn't we all be more productive if we kept our opinions in check and instead looked for consensus and support?; sometimes your deep desire to "keep the peace" leads you to stay silent when you disagree with someone; recognize that sharing your feelings can lead to a win-win solution for yourself as well as others.

Deliberative - You are careful; you are vigilant; you are a private person; you know that the world is an unpredictable place; everything may seem in order, but beneath the surface you sense the many risks; rather than denying these risks, you draw each one out into the open. then each risk can be identified, assessed, and ultimately reduced; thus, you are a fairly serious person who approaches life with a certain reserve.

Individualization - Your Individualization theme leads you to be intrigued by the unique qualities of each person; you are impatient with generalizations or "types" because you don't want to obscure what is special and distinct about each person; be a mentor, you will pinpoint people's unique qualities and encourage them to follow their own paths.

Analytical - You do not necessarily want to destroy other people's ideas, but you do insist that their theories be sound; you see yourself as objective and dispassionate; you are at your best when you have well-researched sources of information and data to support your logic; you take the time to identify credible sources you can rely on; you determine the most helpful books, web sites, or other sources that can serve as references.

I thought it was fairly accurate. The school had us take it, otherwise I wouldn't put myself through a 40-minute questionnaire. Now, how all this translates to my resume is the million dollar question.

Hollywood Minute

- Ed Bradley of CBS '60 Minutes' died today of leukemia.
- Chris Rock and his wife have separated.
- If you don't watch House, you've got to start. I'm even tempted to say it's better than 24.
- Britney and Fed-ex reportedly had a pre-nup (she filed for divorce). Just give him some $$$ Brit, that way he can stop putting out albums that only sell 6000 copies.

Texas Size Whoopin'

Election news keeps getting better:

1) Dems are going to take control of the Senate (Virginia is the only hang up now). The Democratic candidate is ahead by about 4,000 votes so a recount is likely. Electronic 'hanging chad' vaguely comes to mind......

2) Donald Rumsfeld resigned today.

Can this news get any better? Yes, Bush could resign, no wait, that would put Dick at the helm....never mind.

Let me digress, one of the girls in my small section (class of 35 students) has quit! I haven't seen her all this week so I asked one of her buddies and she told me she quit, law school just wasn't for her. It's really surprising coz she was always involved in class discussions and seemed to know what she was talking about.

Election Day

11pm Update: Democrats are projected to take control of the House of Representatives! Come January, Nancy Pelosi will be the new Speaker of the House. Sweet!

GUILTY!

Sadaam Hussein was sentenced to death by hanging today. The appeal is automatic and if the sentence is upheld, execution will be carried out in 30 days. It's idiotic to think this will make Iraq any safer but let's not get into that.

Conspiracy theorists are already saying Bush manipulated the timing of the verdict to coincide with Tuesday's mid-term elections.

Don't fret, it's only 806 days, 12 hours, 38 minutes till he's gone!

Internet Explorer 7

Just downloaded it and it's alright. I like the tabbing feature where you can have tabs of different web pages that you want to view without having to open a new page. I wanted to start using Firefox (better browser than IE) but I haven't gotten around to it yet. One of these fine days, time permitting.

Agenda for today: finish up my Torts paper which is due Monday morning. Also, start studying for the Contracts exam which is in a couple of weeks. Where did the semester go?

Steve Bridges

the best political impersonator out there (evidenced by above pictures), was on Larry King Live. 'Arnold', 'Bush' and 'Clinton' were interviewed. Here are a few snipets:

Larry: Do you have aspirations to national politics?
Arnold: Absolutely. I'm an immigrant and there are laws preventing me from running for president. But I would be honored to accept a nomination for Governor of the United States of America.

Larry: But you're against gays marrying, aren't you?
Bush: No, I'm all for it. I think a gay man ought to be able to marry any woman he wants....

Larry: What about the border crisis with Mexico?
Bush: Larry, I don't think it's a crisis. We have a -- we have a lot of folks sneaking across the border in order to find a better way of life. And upon seeing our gas prices they're sneaking back. It's a win-win.

It was a hysterical show. Catch it on rerun if you can. By the way, when Larry asked him what he'd do if Hillary became the next president, he said, "I'll be Bill."

I Ought To Smack You!

Republicans were on such a roll screwing things up, you had to steal their thunder, didn't you? Watch Sen. Kerry's royal snafu! It doesn't matter if it was taken out of context or if it was a joke gone wrong, new campaign ads will be rolling out tomorrow, talking about how Democrats think soldiers in Iraq are uneducated.

Update: Sen. Kerry has cancelled all his upcoming stumping appearances for Democratic candidates.

Happy Halloween

Car Wash

At about 7pm tonight, I decided to go out and wash my car. The weather was pretty nice so off I went. It was just me and one other car, I guess not too many folks wash their cars at night. Anyhoo, I couldn't find the change machine, so I asked the one other guy there where it was, "..oh it's just around the corner." On my way back from getting some change, he said,"...I'll also go ahead and put some money in for you.." Huh?

Turns out the guy owns the place and was cleaning up. He put for me about $8 in my machine!!! I got to do all sorts of things I never do, like use tire degreaser, scented soap, foam brush, etc. Even after all that, I got done before the money ran out. Lil ol' me never puts in that kind of loot! $2 tops, $1 for soap and $1 for rinse. And he even got the vacuum going after I was done washing my car, who does that?

I know what you're thinking......who still washes their car manually?? Don't hate, congratulate!

Hmmm

So far I've been an unwitting member of these legal actions:

1) BMG. Got a CD for $3 w/ free shipping. Settlement after some people sued for unfair shipping charges. I was a BMG member for a few years.

2) Epson. Got an e-card for $45 to spend on their website. Settlement after some people sued claiming that their printers indicated the cartridges were empty when they were really not. I bought an epson printer a few years ago.

3) Western Union. Got a $1 coupon for my next visit. Settlement after some people sued for unfair pricing. Used western union occassionally.

4) I just got a notice from a firm (representing some employees) asking me if I wanted to be a part of a class action suit they were bringing against my ex-company for unpaid wages and unfair work practices. What's a girl to do? Hmmm.

So next time you get junk mail, don't be so quick to throw it out!

Fall Back

Don't forget to set your clocks back by one hour this morning at 2am. When I used to work on Sundays, it was great to get an extra hour of sleep. Now all it means is that I'll have to be leaving the library to go home an hour early because it'll be getting darker earlier. It's a long walk to where I park my car and in the dark, there ain't no telling what's lurking behind the bushes. The school has a courtesy escort but it takes hours before they can come out.

Go Bucks! Blanked Minnesota 44-0.

Yet Another Idiotic Republican

shoots off the mouth. What is wrong with these people? When will they learn that it's better to keep their mouths shut so as not to confirm their stupidity to the rest of us? Oh right, this is Viagra popping Rush Limbaugh we're talking about, he can't help himself!

A Business Etiquette Dinner

was held last night at the Barrister Club. The point was to show us how to eat properly when on a business lunch or an interview. We had to dress up and pay $10 to attend. The highlight for me though was the meal. It was a 4-course dinner and during each course, we were taught the do's and don'ts. Soup-creamy tomato, salad-very leafy and fresh, entree-chicken, fish, rice, and peas (delish), and dessert-raspberry chocolate & chocolate mousse. (Coffee too at the very end). It would've been wrong for me to study after enjoying myself so thoroughly, so I hit the sack as soon as I got home. Well worth it!

The World Series

Nothing against baseball, but it's really annoying when I make a mad dash home so as not to miss Grey's and CSI, only only to find out they are re-runs, thanks to the World Series! It's also the reason why there's been no House for the past month and there was no Sunday night football. Good thing it's just about done, the Cardinals lead the series with the Tigers 3-1.

Hollywood Roundup

1. George O'Malley (T.R. Knight) of Grey's Anatomy is gay!

2. Keith Urban, husband of Nicole Kidman, checked himself into rehab yesterday.

3. Scary Spice is 4 months pregnant with Eddie Murphy's baby.

4. Sal Masekela of E! News' Daily Ten is the older brother of Nathan Raro of Survivor Cook Islands.

5. Celebrity death-match I'd love to see: Rosie O'Donnell v. Elizabeth Hasselbeck

John Grisham's

latest book is non-fiction. I don't plan on reading it....it's a little too dark.

Travesty!

-Jeffrey Sebelia won Project Runway's Season 3 tonight. Of the 4 finalists, he had the the worst designs throughout the competion and had the worst collection during NY fashion week. What a total waste of a season!

-Ulrike and Laura had beautiful collections although they were very one dimensional throughout the competition.


-Michael Knight though should've won the competition. His collection was hip and was by far the best designer throughout the competion. I just might boycott the next season in protest......nah.

School....

is kicking my ass!

Mon: My Civ Pro professor was on a tear. Didn't bear the brunt of his wrath but we all might as well have been. Remember me saying how great it was that my Legal Research class ended, well my Torts prof handed us a writing assignment to test the skills we learned in L.R....what?! We got tested on it already...ugh! We're representing a chemical company who's being accused of illegally dumping waste that's making people sick. So we have to research what defenses are available for our client. 7-9 pages. 10% of final grade. Due Nov 6th.

Tue: Finally got to tell off my friend, you know, the one that's always complaining about every damn thing. She got over it after a while, we still had lunch together. She was just in need of a little scolding.

Today: My Contracts prof hands us a drafting assignment. An analysis of German and American law of contracts when it comes to dealing with donative promises. 3 pages. 10% of final grade. Due Nov 16th. Contracts final exam is Nov 20th.

Now: Where do I start? With my 75 pages of nightly reading!

Negative Ads

galore is what we have on t.v. these days. Ohio is a swing state and with the mid-term elections coming up in early November, campaign ads run during every commercial break. The closer we get to election day, the nastier the ads become. Why can't we all get along?

"Citizens Tired Of Being Sick And Tired Are Responsible For The Contents Of This Ad"

So Madonna is adopting...

why the outrage? Why are activists trying to block this adoption? That it'll start the sale of people? That adoptive parents have to abide by Malawian residency rules so why not Madonna? Do these people really expect Madonna to set up shop in this country so as not to offend its laws?

I think it's an outrage that these human rights groups are causing such a fracus! How many children are sitting in orphanages all around the world waiting to be adopted? Not too many people are knocking down doors in African orphanages trying to adopt children, so when one does, we should celebrate that that's one less child who'll grow up to be exploited, illiterate, disease-ridden, discriminated-against, malnutritioned,.....

It can only be a disservice to these kids when these kinds of shananigans dissuade other would-be parents from adopting. Here's something for you to outrage over: Why don't governments do more to fund these orphanages? Why don't they provide free immunizations so these kids don't needlessly die? Why don't they offer cheaper medicine so parents don't have to die and leave these kids? Why don't they provide free education so these kids can amount to something when they grow up? Why don't they seek peace talks to end these senseless wars that exploit these young children? Need I go on???

Expend your energies where they're really needed!

So yesterday I went to visit with a friend, J, who's also a 1L at a school which shall not be named. We exchanged notes on how law school life was, differences in teaching, classmates, workload, etc. It's really nice to be able to talk about this crazy experience with someone from a different school.

The kicker though is that her school has a mandatory attrition curve. Meaning, a fixed percentage of students will be dropped by the school based on their 1L grades. How crazy is that? So she always studying because of the threat of being dismissed by the school.

Now I realize how "nice" I've got it. My pressure is trying to be in the top % of my class, not worrying about flunking out (they don't fail people out at Moritz). So in appreciation, as we get back to school tomorrow, I'll be spending more time in the library and less time t.v. watching.

Shop To Save Lives!

Bono and Bobby Shriver have a new project, RED, to raise awareness and money for The Global Fund by teaming up with the world's most iconic brands to produce RED-branded products. A percentage of each RED product sold is given to The Global Fund. The money helps women and children with HIV/AIDS in Africa. Stores/companies carrying these RED products: American Express, Apple, Motorola, Armani, Gap, and Converse.

They were featured on Oprah and Larry King Live today and it seems to be for a worthy cause. So go out there and shop to save a life!

Dr. Wangari Maathai's

speech was very interesting. There were lots of people, actually the whole auditorium was full which was surprising. She spoke about how she began the whole Greenbelt Movement and how it led her to getting the Nobel Peace Prize.

I had an aha! moment after she explained why she was picked for the nobel peace prize when really her movement is about planting trees, I never understood the connection. She says that at the center of most wars and conflicts in the world today is the fight for natural resources (she didn't mention oil but we got it). If there're enough resources in this world to go around for everyone, then there'll be no reason to fight for them, hence PEACE.

All it takes is for us to do our part in saving the environment. Buy a hybrid car, recycle trash, plant a tree, whatever, it doesn't matter what so long as we all do our part. She also mentioned Al Gore's movie on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, numerous times. The gist from this was that fresh water will eventually become an endangered natural resource as sea levels rise from glaciers melting (seas contain salty water which will infiltrate fresh water lakes).

Final words: Be patient, be persistent, be committed! No matter how tough things seem to be, if you look hard enough, there's a silver lining. Grab a hold of that silver lining and use it to pull yourself up.

Great message all around!

October Break

is finally here! School is out until 10/16 so it's time for some R&R. I'm leaving Columbus tomorrow for a few days and I can't wait. My gorgeous niece is getting christened this Sunday and guess who's the Godmother? Yours truly!

Joke! Joke! Joke!

Q: Why doesn't Rep. Foley use bookmarks?

A: Because he prefers to bend his pages over!

Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security 2007

Just loaded this up on my computer and I love it. Simple interface, doesn't take up too many resources so everything's booting up faster, detected a virus after I ran a scan, great reviews online, etc. Decided to abandon McAfee after it never detected anything in all the years I've had it. I don't think I'm that lucky that my laptop never catches anything, McAfee just doesn't seem to detect as much (entitled to my opinion). So if you're wanting to try something other than Norton or McAfee, this is a great option. Amazon is selling it for $40.99 + free shipping. Should get cheaper as time goes by.

And no, I'm not getting a commission from Trend Micro and don't own their stock either.

Legal Research

exam is this Friday (wish me luck). It's going to be my first law school exam and everything is very formal. We received our exam numbers (used instead of our names for anonymity) via email today, along with instructions on what will go on during the exam. So when will the grades be available, you ask? January, yup, along with the rest of the year end exams.

I'm glad this class is coming to an end. One, it takes up way too much time to complete assignments, and yet it's only a 1 credit class. Two, I'll now officially have no classes on Friday, as this was the only class on that day, how cool is that?!

My Torts professor cancelled class today, it's the last class from 2-3:10pm. So now I'm in the library finishing up my homework. Reading, reading, and more reading....it just never seems to end.

Oh, did I ever mention how much free pizza there always is at Moritz? Hey, come today and listen to Speaker X....free pizza will be served. Hey, don't forget to come to Organization Y's meeting.....free pizza will be served, and today, for no reason at all, there was....you guessed it.....free pizza for all students! Enough already, how about some sandwiches?

It's 9:36pm

and I just cracked open my civ pro book and boy will I pay for it. Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co., really (forget all the other ramblings I've had on civ pro cases) and truly is an obtuse case. The facts would make the sheep (that you count to fall asleep) fall asleep!

On top of that, the fact pattern is really difficult, and that's all that crazy prof wants recited back to him in class. So when I went to my usual life saver, Mikeshecket, he has under facts the word BORING! Now how is that going to help me??

Enough ranting, back to studying.

Jon Stewart

is taping a show at OSU, Oct 29th, with tickets being given out at 5pm today. So, I figured I'd go to the library until 4:45pm and then go pick up tickets by 5pm.

4:45pm rolled around, plenty of time to spare, so I asked the person at the front desk, "...do you know where the Ohio Union bldg is? I want to pick up tickets for the Jon Stewart show..." He pointed outside, "...you see that group of people over there...?" I peered outside and saw a group of people, "...oh ok great it's just across the street...." I replied. So off I went thinking, good thing Ohioans don't know anything about Comedy Central.

When I opened the door, what seemed like a group of people, was really a mass of students in lines about 4 deep, snaking around and around as far as the eye could see, waiting to get the same tickets I was going to get!!!!! WWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Cry me a river.

Up next, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Dr. Wangari Maathai, is coming to OSU in a few weeks and the tickets can be picked up Oct 5th. I figure my chances will be better here!

Grey's Anatomy

Did you see McSteamy last night? Ooowww! Move over McDreamy, he's baaackkk, hotter than ever! Go on with your bad self Addison!

Alfonso Ribeiro did win Celebrity Duets!

Celebrity Duets on Fox

Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton of Fresh Prince of Bel Air) can really sing. I even voted for him after tonight's final competition. America always gets it right! Finale Friday 9/8 central.

Quick Observations

-My niece has sprung two teeth! Is that exciting or what?

-Happy 3 year wedding anniversary J & G!

-T.O. commit suicide? There's no way someone with an ego that big would want to get rid of himself.

-I missed 'House' yesterday!

-2 sago mine workers have committed suicide since their co-workers were found dead last January.

-Oprah thinks Senator Barak Obama should run for Presidency in 2008.

-Howard K. Stern (Anna Nicole's attorney) alleges he's the father of her baby daughter.

I'm living in Seattle

and don't even know it. This place rains every other day on a good week. It just keeps pouring and pouring and the forecast, you guessed it, rain for the next 5 days.

I got

called on today in class to answer something and.....drumroll please.....I sounded like an idiot!!!! Uuuggghhhh! I can't remember what I said but whatever it was, it wasn't good. The prof was pretty nice about it though which was much appreciated. There's nothing like holding up 79 students as they wait for you to answer the question posed. Anyway, they hold me up too when they're called on, so there, we're even!

The guy that sits next to me has been sneezing for the past few days. Not just regular sneezing, noooo, the kind of sneezing that makes the guy at the very back of the class say "bless you". It's that loud and I can only imagine the invisible spray matter that gets on me! Did I mention the girl that sits behind me has a hacking cough? Wondering if she's holding her mouth as she coughs is keeping me up at night. That Southwest Airlines commercial is running through my mind, "Wanna get away?" Wishful thinking at this point.

The Reason For

the posting below is: Last week I went for a function that welcomed new graduate students to the school. One of the speakers very eloquently quoted "Our Deepest Fear" below. Then today, on Larry King Live, Oprah and Friends were on and guess who was there, Marianne Williamson, the author herself. (Many people wrongly think it's by Nelson Mandela because he quoted it during his inauguration speech). So I thought if there ever was a sign for me to post something, this was it. That's where that came from.

Our Deepest Fear

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

-Marianne Williamson-

Unfair and Unbalanced!

Shame on Fox News reporter Chris Wallace for sandbagging Pres. Clinton in an interview that aired today. These right wing idiots are still asking why Clinton didn't catch Osama bin Laden.

What about Bush, he's had 5 years since 9/11......what has he done except get soldiers killed, NOTHING!!!!! Has anybody on Fox News sat him down and asked him why he hasn't captured Osama? Didn't think so.

Worked Out

today with my friend Y. Afterwards, got to play tennis and if I must say so myself, I am pretty damn good. I took two Phys. Ed. classes in undergrad, tennis and golf, I knew it would pay off someday.

I'm studying now and I'm completely stumped by yet another obtuse case, Coastal Video Communications Corp. v. The Staywell Corp. I can get nutshells on Lexis or Westlaw but if I get called on I will be screwed.

Just incase you're wondering, these are the classes I'm taking in order of preference:

Contracts
Torts
Civil Procedures
Criminal Law
Legal Research

Current Reading

I couldn't resist!

My Sister

thought she was on to something when she had a bad dream and decided to check up on me in the wee hours of the morning......I was being attacked with knives or something to that effect.

Don't quit your day job just yet!

In An Effort To Tame Rowdy Fans.....This

Buckeye Students,

This is an exciting weekend for THE Ohio State University. We open the Big Ten season by hosting a very good Penn State team and WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT.

Wear RED, and once the game starts we need you to cheer loudly for your BUCKEYES.
Be loud and proud.

Remember, too, it is important to act with CLASS and DIGNITY at ALL times. Treat our opponent and their fans with RESPECT.

Let's show everyone in college football why we have the "BEST FANS in the LAND."


Jim Tressel
Head Football Coach

Still Studying

and it's 1 am. Civ Pro has the most obtuse cases I've ever read. It's taking me forever to read 22 pages of assigned homework. I've spent most of the day studying today and yet....like the energizer bunny, still going......and going......and......

I read somewhere today that the Socratic method is like leading a lamb to the slaughter, how true! Just when you think you've never spoken so eloquently in your life......bam.....

I don't think I'm making any sense so I'll stop and get back to studying......sigh

Project Runway

There's 4 contestants left and Michael should be the winner hands down!

Can't wait to see the collections they presented at New York's fashion week. Stay tuned to Bravo TV Wed 10pm central.

Finally

got all my bills setup for paperless notification and online bill pay. Gotta love technology.

Go Bucks! Beat Cincinnati 37-7. Next......

I need to study!

For some reason, I can't seem to crack open a book today. My tasks for today were to finish reading Monday's assignment for Torts and Contracts, but here I am, it's 8pm and I still haven't started doing a damn thing. So my rescheduled tasks are to finish my Legal Research assignment that's due on Tuesday (I hate this class because assignments are time consuming, aren't graded, but have to be done all the same), and to finish either Torts or Contracts.

Tomorrow night, I'm going out with the girls, and on Sunday, there's a 'recommended' meet and greet from 3-6pm, and ofcourse football, so I'm trying to get most of the work done before Sat night. Wishful thinking at this point.

Necessary Evil

I've been wanting to get renters insurance since I got here, just never got around to it (buying insurance online doesn't give you all the discounts that might apply). So today after my class, I struck out to find an insurance agent (didn't matter what company) and Nationwide insurance was up first. After 15 minutes, I got a quote of $332/year. I thought this a little high and since I hadn't gotten a quote from anyone else, I told the lady I needed to think about it.

Allstate insurance happened to be just down the street from them, and 15 minutes later, I got a quote of $142/year. I signed the dotted line, payed the premium, and off I went. The agent was supernice too....he gave me magnets and pens.

You know how you hate to drive in the snow, not because you can't drive but because you feel everybody else can't, well that's why I get renters insurance. It's not that I think I'll forget to turn off the stove and burn my apartment to the ground, my concern is with my idiotic neighbor who'll leave the candle burning right next to the drapes before she goes to bed, that's who's costing me $142!

Spinach

The FDA issued an alert on E.Coli tainted spinach and Ohio was among some of the affected states. Personal injury attorneys are salivating at the amounts of money they'll be raking in once they find out the culprit company that was packaging this spinach.

Two personal injury lawyers met at a cocktail party.“How’s business?” asked the first.“Rotten,” replied the other. “Yesterday, I chased an ambulance for twenty miles. When I finally caught up to it, there was already another lawyer hanging on to the bumper!

My friend

is driving me nuts. She's constantly moaning and groaning about people. "...I don't understand why she didn't get it the first time Prof X explained it....."; "....now why did he have to ask that question, that is soooo stupid.....", etc. If you know it all, what the hell are you doing in law school? Sit for the Bar and start practicing!

Today we had a few students acting as state and defense counsel and they were arguing their points, and at the end of class, as sure as the sun will come up, "....was that boring or what....?" She always has some crazy shit to say about everything.

So if you were me, would you tell her to "shut up already" and lose your lunch buddy, or would you choke it down to immaturity and let it go?

9/11

Nuff said.

Predicted

I was 3 of 4 on my predictions:

1) Buckeyes did beat Texas

2) Justine Henin-Hardene didn't win the women's US Open title

3) Roger Federer did win the men's US Open title

4) Colts did beat Giants

Interesting Day

Visited Blacklist, OH tonight. I went to L's house to see C. who's relocating. C. ended up not showing up because she was still packing but I got to meet L. who graduated last year from Moritz. She now has her own practice and she seems to be doing great. Had a beautiful pad, nice car, etc. Ended up watching the football game there. I also tried a bottle of Malt Guinness, it was disgusting.

Earlier, I took my laptop to the laptopguy because my USB ports have malfunctioned. Just like the Geeksquad, he told me he suspects that it's either the computer needs to be rebooted ($125) or the motherboard is faulty and needs to be replaced ($600). For either one of these fixes, they need to send out the laptop to some sort of service center and would need to keep it for quite a few days. So the laptop guy tells me I could always use my expansion slot to add some usb ports ($55), if I don't want to spend the time or the money to find and fix the real problem. Yipee!

Go Bucks! They did put the smackdown on Texas 24-7!!

Predictions

1) Bucks will put the smackdown on Texas 38-17

2) Justine Henin-Hardene will win the women's US Open title 7-5 6-3

3) Roger Federer will win the men's US Open title 6-3 6-4 6-7 6-2

4) Big Bro Peyton will show Lil Bro Eli how the big boys do it. Colts will beat Giants 35-21

Civ Pro Class

is the only truly socratic class I have. The rest of them you know when you're on call or the professor just calls on volunteers (I hope this lasts). So last night I was too tired to finish all the civ pro reading. I decided to get up 30 minutes early in the morning to finish up. Ok, it's now 7:45am and I need to get going. I still have one more page to finish up reading, but I'm like, there's no way he's going to get to the end of Pennoyer so I'll get back to it after today's class.....

9:30am, ten minutes before the class ends and then the prof says,"....let's finish up the notes on the last page, I'll go down the row starting with Mr A...." I'm sweating bullets because I'm sitting six spaces from Mr A and there're ten questions on the last page. You know how you have a clue about what's going on.....I had none. Here's how it sorta went:

Mr A what's the answer to question 1?.......NO!!!
Miss B what is the answer?......Yes, and why's that...Ok good
Miss C what is the answer to question 2?......Yes, why's that.....NO!!!!
Mr D why is Miss C completely wrong?.....Ok ok, NO!!!!! You were on the right track but you fell off. Let me see....where was I....(insert me hyperventilating because I'm two spaces off).....
Miss E why did Mr D fall off the band wagon?.....Ok ok good. Now we'll stop there because my time is up........

Lesson learned, be prepared, be very prepared!

Goodbye Mate!

Steve Erwin, the australian crocodile hunter, died today after being stung by a sting ray. It's tragic that such a daring man was brought down by such a nondescript animal. Crikey!

This weekend, just like most since law school started, was spent studying and watching tv. It's been raining for what seems like a week straight.....enough already. My civ pro professor was on hiatus the last week, so that was one less class I had to study for. Well, he's back and Pennoyer v. Neff is up first.

I have my first quiz in legal research tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.

Yet Another Loss

USA basketball team got beat today by Greece 101-95. Boo hoo hoo hoo.

Starbury One

Stephon Marbury, NY Knicks, is endorsing a new shoe called "Starbury One". The cool thing about these sneakers is that they're selling for $14.98. When the shoes premiered in NY a few weeks ago, parents were thrilled because there was now an affordable line of basketball shoes in the market. He says there's no difference between a pair of Starbury's and any of its other high priced competitors, and that he plans to wear them for every game in this upcoming NBA season.

So if I'm a kid in high school right now, how is it going to affect my street cred if I show up to school in a $15 pair of Starbury's while my friends are wearing $180 Lebron James' sneakers?

Kentucky Plane Crash

Flight from Kentucky to Atlanta, COMAIR 5191, crashed this morning right after take-off, killing 49 people on-board. Very sad.

One Long Day or Four Long Years!

That was the punchline for Law School Democrats in trying to get us to sign up to man polling stations come election time in November. You get paid about $105 for working from 5:30am till the polls close.

Made It

through the 1st week unscathed. Tuesdays are going to be the longest days because I have 5 classes, so we'll see how that goes. I also bought a rolling backpack.....you wonder why that merits mention....well, after hauling books that weigh a ton back and forth up and down stairs, it was time for one. They do give us lockers to store our stuff in but you don't have time in between classes to keep running to the locker to switch them out.

The great thing about Moritz is that all the classes and library are in one building. So unless you're going out for lunch, you really don't need to leave the building once you get there in the morning. However, I'm starting to get worried about the traffic once undergrads report back to school around Sep 22nd. I hear it's a nightmare, can't get parking, freeways are backed up to Wazoo, just plain old crowded.

Oh, and the Buckeye's kickoff their season next Saturday. I plan on going to watch at least one game just to see what the hype is all about.

1st Day of Classes

went off without a hitch. My Civ Pro and Contracts classes are assigned seating which sucks mostly because we're packed like sardines but yet there's about 3 rows in the back that are empty. I don't get it why profs have to make our lives difficult (as if they're not difficult enough) just to make theirs easier.

I enjoyed the Crim Law class the most and Contracts the least whatever that means on the first day of classes. Things annoying me today:

-Can't seem to hunt down any 2L's for their commercial outlines

-I bought the wrong book for Civ Pro and didn't even realize it as I did my homework because all the cases listed for the right book were also in the wrong one. The first twenty pages are highlighted so we'll see if B & N will take it back considering I don' t even have the receipt.

-Still haven't made any social friends so lunch was spent going over the next class' material. Everyone seems friendly though....no hostile stares yet.

-Schedule for Mon-Fri 7:30a-7:30pm. After classes (3:30pm), straight to the library, then home for some R&R from 8-10pm. Then hit the books for 1-2hrs and go to bed thereafter.

Orientation Day 2

was very uneventful. Had a couple hours of note-taking and case briefing. Then career services came in and did some presentation on career fairs, 1L timeline from now to next summer, etc. Then we had our pictures taken and our computers registered for the Moritz wireless network and that's all she wrote.

Orientation Day 1

It really went just how the schedule was planned. I didn't spot anyone in a suit so that was great. My small section was made up of roughly 35-40 people and so far I haven't made any friends with anyone from this group, but not to worry, there'll be plenty of time to get to know them intimately.

My co-counsels (2L's who're supposed to answer any questions we might have) seemed really nice and not too caught up with law school life. There were about 6 people I met earlier this year when I visited Moritz but none of them were in my section...bummer.

There were no memorable orientation quotes (like look around you, half the people here will not survive the 1st yr) but there was a guy from the substance abuse program of ohio (disclaimer: I didn't write this website down when he said it...google). He was by far the most pessimistic of all the speakers. His closing remark, "...by the end of your 3rd year, 40% of you will be abusing either drugs or alcohol..." Now that inspires confidence in our journey going forth!

Books

were bought today. A cool $600 dropped!

Where Do I Begin?

I had reserved a 16' penske truck which I was going to use to haul my worldly possessions when I got a call from the local penske pick-up location that they could only find a 22' truck which they would give me at the price of the smaller one. Didn't think nothing of it until Saturday dawned and I went to pick it up. The truck was massive and to add insult to injury, I had a car carrier hooked up in the back.

Anyway, for sanity's sake, I won't rehash that whole trip. So I made it in one piece and was real excited until I got to the apartments where I had put my deposit down. They were horrendous: there is one entrance that leads to a gazillion apartments, the hallway stunk of mildew, the apartment itself was small and dark, the bathroom had an old, dirty carpet...in the bathroom! Who puts carpet in the bathroom, let alone a dirty one?? So I went outside, took a heave and thanked my lucky stars that I hadn't signed a lease here.

However, the problems were just beginning: it was now 2pm and I had to find another apt, get approved and move in by 9am the next day as the movers were already scheduled to come unload the truck which also had to be taken back. To cut the long, stress-inducing story short, I was moved into a new place by 11am the next day. What is really ironic about this story is, the apt that turned out to be ghastly had great reviews and the one I ended up moving into had terrible reviews. That just goes to show how much weight to give to apt rating websites...people's opinions can be very skewed.

The cable guy came out today after 2 days of no cable or internet, so I'm in heaven. I got to find my section, books to be bought, etc. I'm trying to relax as much as I can prior to orientation next week. Things accomplished so far: registered my car and got new plates, OH is really backward, I have to take a written exam before I can get a new DL...what's up with that?? Found a place to get my hair done; got a local number for my cell; and almost done unpacking. That's why it's necessary to move at least a week prior to classes, get alot of b.s. out of the way.

Current Readings

These are the books/material that I plan on reading once I get settled in Columbus prior to start of classes. I'll have a week prior to orientation to do whatever so....

1) Getting to Maybe
2) LEEWS
3) PMBR material (given to me by an attorney)

Gotta love Keith Olbermann. He's the only person with the balls to take on Bill "s.o.b." O'Reilly. And yes, I'm fair and balanced!

Last Day

at work was yesterday and it was great. We went out to dinner with my co-workers and they gave me a great send-off. There's nothing like Mongolian grilling and a mango mangorita to say goodbye.

I'm moving to Columbus GW on Monday and this week will be spent packing. I got the boxes but I can't seem to get started putting everything in them. Also, I'm still not sure about the apartments I'll be moving to. They cost $495/month which includes gas for heating but they are ugly as sin. I like some nearby townhomes which are $640/month and everyone I've spoken with seems to think I should live like a student now instead of when I graduate so, only time will tell if I'll take their advice.

My friend A. wants to drive with me but I have to pay for his ticket back so I'm not sure if his coming will be cost-effective but I have to decide by end of day today because I have to buy the ticket before the prices sky-rocket. Decisions, decisions.

I finally

decided on an apartment. It had good ratings and was decently priced so I went ahead and put down a deposit. It was too time consuming to keep searching and searching because you will always find something wrong with whatever space you're looking to lease.

I've also noticed that apartments around the school are asking for deposits equal to one month's rent. I guess it's to make sure that undergrads stay put so they don't forfeit all this money but to me, anything above $200 for a deposit is too much for my blood. What if I get there and hate the place or the apartment isn't ready for move-in, then what??

We're going to dinner tonight to celebrate my birthday, it's belated but WTF. We always have a good time and tonight we're going to the Clay Pitt which is a great Indian restaurant.

Amelie Mauresmo won the Wimbledon title today and I'm thrilled for her.

Notice

I have a part-time job and I gave them my two week notice. Boy that felt good, no more working on Saturday nights. It's time to kick back, relax, and enjoy the last month before law school!

Weekly Roundup

The Mavs have lost the last 3 games to the Heat. Can't say I'm surprised. So now it's all but a done deal because I don't see them winning the next 2 games even though they're at home.

My friend got married this past Saturday and it was a great wedding. The weather was great albeit a little windy but it all turned out ok.

The world cup is going on and I've caught a few games altho' watching soccer is a very tedious affair in that they run up and down the field and only score one goal. I watched the USA/Czech game and it was watchable but I still don't get why it's the most popular sport in the world. I'm rooting for Brazil to win it all.

It's my birthday today....don't ask how old! My friends sang for me and we had cake at midnight so that was nice, I also have the day off work so that's even nicer. Anyway, it was a great weekend, met alot of great people, and let's do it again soon. Cheers!

Relocating

is a very complicated process especially if you already have established roots like I do....job, nice pad, etc. I can't get me head wrapped around the fact that in a few short weeks I'll be in a new place, new people, gunners, socratic method.... Housing, though, is my biggest concern. It's very hard to tell how a place really is without ever having visited it. I don't have the money to jet set to Columbus so I have to rely on the web to guide me in this whole process. Did I mention that I have to register my car, change my driver's license, open a bank account, find a hair stylist, a grocery store, a mechanic, and on and on and on and on a.......

Meaningful Death?

It's great for U.S. morale that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed today after an air-strike but I only wonder how his followers will respond once they regroup. It always seems that when one goes down, the rest come out swinging even harder and the only people that really suffer are the citizens of Iraq.

This is the most mindless, ridiculous, illegitimate, unnecessary, etc war in the history of mankind. I find it crazy that the US always says that Iraq is better off now than it was under Saddam's rule....wake up and smell the oil!