It's been a week since I finished finals. The week went by quickly, although I am not quite sure what I have been doing. I went to two baseball games - a Nationals/Mets game for Jason's birthday and a Red Sox/Orioles game in Baltimore with Nakul. Both teams I rooted for lost. An Orioles fan heckled me after the game. I wouldn't be a true Bostonian if I didn't heckle him right back: "Hope you are looking forward to last place at the end of the year." For some reason just having a Red Sox hat on makes me feel like I have more leeway to be a jerk. People will understand my attitude and give me a wide berth. Despite the Sox's (not uncommon for this season so far) loss, Camden Yards is a really nice stadium, and it was good to see Nakul.
I do not understand how there can be a baseball game in town that does not sell out every night. Coming from Fenway, Nationals Stadium and Camden Yards are alien to me. You can walk up and get cheap seats. You can also walk up and get expensive seats, but why bother? The refreshments are still expensive though, so that's "nice" and familiar. I started to ask why they don't serve Fenway Franks, but then I remembered that I'm dumb.
DC has already gotten hot enough that it is unpleasant to go outside. Luckily, my building turned on the air conditioning just in time. But every time I leave, I think that I am exploring my way through a swamp. Then I remember that I am indeed trudging through a swamp, just a swamp with pavement and taxis. The swamp creatures on the Hill also help remind me. Hey-yo, awful political joke. But seriously folks, DC is hot and humid. Now what's with airline food...
I've been reading "All the Pretty Horses" by Cormac McCarthy. He sure knows how to write a novel. He also knows how to give a manly book a prissy title.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Another One In the Books
2L is done. Done done done. Assuming I did not fail my Tax final, which is not an assumption I am fully comfortable with. That final was difficult. Maybe not Civ Pro I difficult, but I would give it an 8. 70 multiple choice questions: +2 for correct answers and -1 for incorrect answers. Yeah, I left a few blank. It's only worth it to guess if you have it down to 2 choices, right? I would say I was guessing between two for somewhere around 30 of the questions. So this was a serious exam. I hope I had a good guessing day. (Alright, I generally had a hunch of which was correct between the two answers, but I was not confident on a lot of questions because the professor wrote them to be intentionally tricky).
Going into the test, I was expecting to get rolling on a few questions before coming up against a toughy. Wrong. Question #1 I spent about 5 minutes on and had to come back to. The exam came out throwing punches. The only respite was a series of questions around #60 that were a bit easier (I felt, I am assuming nothing). But by that time it was quite easy to run out of steam, making the questions harder. The federal income tax is not joking around - it is rough.
Two night ago I had Crim Pro dreams. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking in the paradigm of Criminal Procedure. Everything had to be analyzed under either the 4th, 5th, or 6th Amendment. Of course, I was thinking about completely unrelated things, so this made no sense. I spent 2 minutes at 2:30 am trying to figure out whether my morning run would be a constitutional violation. It was completely bogus. My subconscious is a moron.
Did I mention that I am done? I sat at my desk and had no studying to do. (Oh wait, I do have a substantiation assignment for journal. Shhhh! Don't ruin my moment.) I caught up on some tv shows, I got a haircut, and I will soon attend a "seder" at Damien's.
Haircuts at Diego's have completely changed how I view haircuts. In a good way.
Reflections on the Semester:
Criminal Procedure - I more or less know someone's rights when they are arrested. In close calls, the police are going to win. Even in not close calls, the police will probably win. So if you are arrested, tell the police you would like to assert your right to silence and then shut up. (Yes, you must actually tell them you want to be silent. If that makes no sense, you can blame Justice Kennedy.) Also, if you are arrested in a car, you have almost no rights. However, Jay-Z was correct about the trunk: "You gonna need a warrant for that." Unless they have probable cause. Then they don't need a warrant.
Federal Income Tax - the tax system is complicated out of necessity. The tax code is long because it has a lot of loopholes to close. Tax policy is actually fairly interesting, and affects literally everything. A dinner that your company gives you might be included in your income. It is certainly Haig-Simons income (an econ thing - don't ask, Wikipedia). All in all, I think I can probably do the 1040 EZ form next year.
Law of Democracy - gerrymandering, redistricting, voting rights, and contributions are complicated. Think long and hard about them, there are upsides and downsides to any decision. Citizens United is pretty much garbage. Bush v. Gore is absolutely garbage. The Supreme Court justices involved will tell you just to get over it; I think they should get over themselves.
Lawyers, Lobbying, and the Law - bah. Joke. Waste. There is a constitutional right to lobby, get over it. And Madison knew how to right a Federalist Paper (14, in particular).
Going into the test, I was expecting to get rolling on a few questions before coming up against a toughy. Wrong. Question #1 I spent about 5 minutes on and had to come back to. The exam came out throwing punches. The only respite was a series of questions around #60 that were a bit easier (I felt, I am assuming nothing). But by that time it was quite easy to run out of steam, making the questions harder. The federal income tax is not joking around - it is rough.
Two night ago I had Crim Pro dreams. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking in the paradigm of Criminal Procedure. Everything had to be analyzed under either the 4th, 5th, or 6th Amendment. Of course, I was thinking about completely unrelated things, so this made no sense. I spent 2 minutes at 2:30 am trying to figure out whether my morning run would be a constitutional violation. It was completely bogus. My subconscious is a moron.
Did I mention that I am done? I sat at my desk and had no studying to do. (Oh wait, I do have a substantiation assignment for journal. Shhhh! Don't ruin my moment.) I caught up on some tv shows, I got a haircut, and I will soon attend a "seder" at Damien's.
Haircuts at Diego's have completely changed how I view haircuts. In a good way.
Reflections on the Semester:
Criminal Procedure - I more or less know someone's rights when they are arrested. In close calls, the police are going to win. Even in not close calls, the police will probably win. So if you are arrested, tell the police you would like to assert your right to silence and then shut up. (Yes, you must actually tell them you want to be silent. If that makes no sense, you can blame Justice Kennedy.) Also, if you are arrested in a car, you have almost no rights. However, Jay-Z was correct about the trunk: "You gonna need a warrant for that." Unless they have probable cause. Then they don't need a warrant.
Federal Income Tax - the tax system is complicated out of necessity. The tax code is long because it has a lot of loopholes to close. Tax policy is actually fairly interesting, and affects literally everything. A dinner that your company gives you might be included in your income. It is certainly Haig-Simons income (an econ thing - don't ask, Wikipedia). All in all, I think I can probably do the 1040 EZ form next year.
Law of Democracy - gerrymandering, redistricting, voting rights, and contributions are complicated. Think long and hard about them, there are upsides and downsides to any decision. Citizens United is pretty much garbage. Bush v. Gore is absolutely garbage. The Supreme Court justices involved will tell you just to get over it; I think they should get over themselves.
Lawyers, Lobbying, and the Law - bah. Joke. Waste. There is a constitutional right to lobby, get over it. And Madison knew how to right a Federalist Paper (14, in particular).
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Gunning Where It Matters
Last night was a fiasco. Not anything I did, per se, more what I did not do. Namely sleep. I probably got a solid 4 hours. I went to bed around 11, hoping to be in dreamland by 12. It turns out that was optimistic. I could not fall asleep no matter what I did. I read, watched tv, had a glass of wine, counted in my head, listened to music, etc. Nothing helped. I just lay there unpleasantly conscious. Covers on; covers off; covers half on; covers seven-eights off. Around 2:30 am I took a shower. My roommate must think I am a freak, but I think it helped so that sometime around 3:30 I drifted off. I woke up (with a wet pillow from my hair) on time this morning to take...my Criminal Procedure final. What a joy!
The final itself went alright. I felt pretty good about it, but so did everyone else. Our grades are distributed on a curve, so the better everyone else does, the harder it is for me to do well (see Will's common gripes about law school: grading curve). I tend to do better on more difficult finals, so I am a bit nervous about this one.
The other reason I am uneasy about this final is that two of the multiple choices questions should be disqualified. One of them had no correct choice as an answer (I am 99% certain, particularly after conferring with some classmates). The second question was not written in complete sentences. I believe the question was, "Which of the following is a true statement?:" The four answers were supposed to be about the Knock and Announce Rule, but only two of the answers actually referenced the rule. The other two answers simply contained incomplete sentences lacking a subject. In retrospect, the subject seems to be "the Knock and Announce Rule." But these incomplete sentences led to some semantic difficulties so that I did not even know what one of them was trying to say. Again, after conferring with classmates, I am not crazy, this actually happened. I want this question excluded (especially because I am not confident I picked the correct answer now that I fully understand what proposition each answer was trying to state).
I remembered the number of the first question (with no right answer), and after the exam I went to my professor's office to ask her to look for it in reviewing the tests. I stupidly forgot to mention the second question and had to later email her my request. Yeah, I felt like a gunner for doing that. But, hey, I am nervous about the test and this could really have an impact. This is real people. This is not a drill. So sometimes one must appear as a gunner. Luckily, I only did so to my professor rather than the rest of the class. And I guess to this blog. But no one on the internet is full of judgment, from my understanding.
The final itself went alright. I felt pretty good about it, but so did everyone else. Our grades are distributed on a curve, so the better everyone else does, the harder it is for me to do well (see Will's common gripes about law school: grading curve). I tend to do better on more difficult finals, so I am a bit nervous about this one.
The other reason I am uneasy about this final is that two of the multiple choices questions should be disqualified. One of them had no correct choice as an answer (I am 99% certain, particularly after conferring with some classmates). The second question was not written in complete sentences. I believe the question was, "Which of the following is a true statement?:" The four answers were supposed to be about the Knock and Announce Rule, but only two of the answers actually referenced the rule. The other two answers simply contained incomplete sentences lacking a subject. In retrospect, the subject seems to be "the Knock and Announce Rule." But these incomplete sentences led to some semantic difficulties so that I did not even know what one of them was trying to say. Again, after conferring with classmates, I am not crazy, this actually happened. I want this question excluded (especially because I am not confident I picked the correct answer now that I fully understand what proposition each answer was trying to state).
I remembered the number of the first question (with no right answer), and after the exam I went to my professor's office to ask her to look for it in reviewing the tests. I stupidly forgot to mention the second question and had to later email her my request. Yeah, I felt like a gunner for doing that. But, hey, I am nervous about the test and this could really have an impact. This is real people. This is not a drill. So sometimes one must appear as a gunner. Luckily, I only did so to my professor rather than the rest of the class. And I guess to this blog. But no one on the internet is full of judgment, from my understanding.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Where's the Sauce?
One down (Lobbying). One in twelve hours (Crim Pro). One on Friday (Tax). I must not jump ahead. One down, two to go. Focus on Crim Pro - did you know that you have basically no Fourth Amendment rights in a car? Disturbing.
I spent pretty much all day studying. I wish I had something fun to report. I wish I had something to report that was not the second floor study tables or an actual final. I guess I listened to some music in there too.
Let's see here. I am abstaining from bread and like-products. You don't know what you got until it's gone, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot. I think that was written about sandwiches in large part. I don't actually mind giving up lots of foods, what makes it difficult is that so many quick and convenient foods are unavailable to me.
Last night I made a stir fry, but in the middle I realized that the sauce I usually use could not be added. I scrambled to try to make my own appropriate sauce. I made three separate (largely ketchup-based) sauces that tasted...poorly. Then I made a bourbon and butter sauce before realizing midway through its concoction that I could not have the bourbon. So I settled for stock and butter infused with ginger and garlic. I had to call Alena for ideas on how to thicken it (flour being unavailable). It made for quite the amusing/interesting cooking experience. I think I am ready for Passover-safe recipes. That's literally the most exciting thing that has happened to me in the past couple of days. I apologize.
Let's go Celtics!
I spent pretty much all day studying. I wish I had something fun to report. I wish I had something to report that was not the second floor study tables or an actual final. I guess I listened to some music in there too.
Let's see here. I am abstaining from bread and like-products. You don't know what you got until it's gone, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot. I think that was written about sandwiches in large part. I don't actually mind giving up lots of foods, what makes it difficult is that so many quick and convenient foods are unavailable to me.
Last night I made a stir fry, but in the middle I realized that the sauce I usually use could not be added. I scrambled to try to make my own appropriate sauce. I made three separate (largely ketchup-based) sauces that tasted...poorly. Then I made a bourbon and butter sauce before realizing midway through its concoction that I could not have the bourbon. So I settled for stock and butter infused with ginger and garlic. I had to call Alena for ideas on how to thicken it (flour being unavailable). It made for quite the amusing/interesting cooking experience. I think I am ready for Passover-safe recipes. That's literally the most exciting thing that has happened to me in the past couple of days. I apologize.
Let's go Celtics!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Of Allergies and Finals
Sorry for that last post. I was upset. She deserved it. Finals has a way of putting people on edge. Now I am dealing with allergies during my studying. Yesterday they were very bad; I made a sniffle station around my desk using tissue boxes and a wastebasket in the midst of various books, papers, and highlighters. A snapshot of this finals period. That being said, I think I am kind of running out of things to study. I've been through everything at least two times in each of my three classes. I'm working on practice problems and exams. I don't know what's left besides taking the finals. And the good news is that it seems to be coming together. Here's hoping! Finals are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Bring them on (but maybe wait until I get less sniffly and allergic)!
The Red Sox won two games in a row. Oh yeah, winning streak! Gosh, that is depressing.
There is not too much else going on at the moment. But that's how finals go. I mostly see my computer and my papers with the background of either my room or the library. Friday night was the exception when I went out for Alena's birthday. I (unsuccessfully) Dougie-d. Kerry made Alena Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes with Guinness and Baileys in them, which were delicious. I think Alena generally had a good time. She did get one of her friends to sing "Survivor" to her at karaoke, I feel like that is indicative of a good birthday.
I have been watching available baseball games on espn.com, and I am getting super bored of the same four commercials that they keep running. I was just really excited that a Claritin commercial came on featuring a woman running a foot race for no apparent reason. It was new.
If you had two weapons to face the zombie apocalypse, what would they be? I'm taking a katana as one.
The Red Sox won two games in a row. Oh yeah, winning streak! Gosh, that is depressing.
There is not too much else going on at the moment. But that's how finals go. I mostly see my computer and my papers with the background of either my room or the library. Friday night was the exception when I went out for Alena's birthday. I (unsuccessfully) Dougie-d. Kerry made Alena Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes with Guinness and Baileys in them, which were delicious. I think Alena generally had a good time. She did get one of her friends to sing "Survivor" to her at karaoke, I feel like that is indicative of a good birthday.
I have been watching available baseball games on espn.com, and I am getting super bored of the same four commercials that they keep running. I was just really excited that a Claritin commercial came on featuring a woman running a foot race for no apparent reason. It was new.
If you had two weapons to face the zombie apocalypse, what would they be? I'm taking a katana as one.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The Single Most Disrespectful Thing Ever Is Happening Right Now
I am currently at school studying for finals. I am at a study table on the second floor. Some talking is generally allowed, but it is a study space. This girl across from me at the table is currently Skyping!! What are you doing??!! Just because you have your headphones in to hear the other person does NOT mean that I cannot hear your side of the conversation. And the conversation is annoying and loud. Please terminate this rude behavior immediately. I am close to exploding. Outlining Criminal Procedure is annoying enough without listening to some stupid girl's conversation.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
No More Pencils
Today was the last day of classes of 2L. Goodnight 2L, goodnight Crim Pro, goodnight cow jumping over the tax code. Of course there are still finals between me and the summer. Three finals, to be exact. And I do not feel good about how far I am studying for them. I have one and a half outlines done out of three. Time to buckle down. I will be out of commission for the next couple of weeks, but I will emerge (hopefully victorious) on Friday the 22nd.
This past weekend I was in Boston for improv. The alumni show itself was a lot of fun, and although I was only in one game, it was a little nerve-wracking because I have not performed in front of that many people for a long time. But the group was quite good, and the alumni also pulled out some laughs. Overall, a very triumphant return, though I did feel weird and old being back at college.
After the show is the after party.
It was quite enjoyable to be back at a college party with tons of people I love and miss. There was peer pressure, dancing, yelling, petting a cat, and "meaningful" conversations. It was pretty fantastic. Great to see (in no particular order) Matt, Erica, Celia, Ethan, Ben, Ben, Leah, Zac, Sheryl, and all of the current group. (I am super excited to hear that Ryan will be coming to DC for law school next year!) Shout out to Erica and Talya for saving me. Also, to whoever stole my whiskey and possibly my undershirt, you receive a shake of my fist. Those are the good times I miss.
The next day I went around Boston with Shaked, Ron, and Matt. We went to Ron's brother's coworker's fundraiser at the Kinsale. If you think that sounds like an attenuated connection, you would be correct. I bought a Pepsi (the establishment does not sell Diet Coke), ate an appetizer or two, and then we all left. I may have used the restroom in there. The rest of the time was less awkward - walking around the Common and going to Mike's Pastry. The line was more impressive than the cannoli! Ok, fine, I didn't get a pastry. A park ranger (?) on the Common refused to take our picture. We asked politely and he was like "No time! I have to stop these hooligans from throwing around a football." Also, there was a guy walking around in a Flash costume that was falling apart. You don't see that every day.
Later that evening, Matt got in trouble at Grendel's Den for bringing in a bubble tea. He eventually won over the waitress with a huge tip, but who is the real winner in that situation?
My steak of hearing Train's "Hey Soul Sister" in the car with Shaked remains unbroken after this trip.
Congratulations to Matt for deciding to stay in Chicago and being a beast in Ph.D. applications generally. I hope he remembers the little people when he wins a Nobel. I've always wanted to go to Switzerland. Just saying, Matt.
Outrage Alert!
"Sen. Jon Kyl's claim that abortion is "well over 90% of what Planned Parenthood does.
This past weekend I was in Boston for improv. The alumni show itself was a lot of fun, and although I was only in one game, it was a little nerve-wracking because I have not performed in front of that many people for a long time. But the group was quite good, and the alumni also pulled out some laughs. Overall, a very triumphant return, though I did feel weird and old being back at college.
After the show is the after party.
It was quite enjoyable to be back at a college party with tons of people I love and miss. There was peer pressure, dancing, yelling, petting a cat, and "meaningful" conversations. It was pretty fantastic. Great to see (in no particular order) Matt, Erica, Celia, Ethan, Ben, Ben, Leah, Zac, Sheryl, and all of the current group. (I am super excited to hear that Ryan will be coming to DC for law school next year!) Shout out to Erica and Talya for saving me. Also, to whoever stole my whiskey and possibly my undershirt, you receive a shake of my fist. Those are the good times I miss.
The next day I went around Boston with Shaked, Ron, and Matt. We went to Ron's brother's coworker's fundraiser at the Kinsale. If you think that sounds like an attenuated connection, you would be correct. I bought a Pepsi (the establishment does not sell Diet Coke), ate an appetizer or two, and then we all left. I may have used the restroom in there. The rest of the time was less awkward - walking around the Common and going to Mike's Pastry. The line was more impressive than the cannoli! Ok, fine, I didn't get a pastry. A park ranger (?) on the Common refused to take our picture. We asked politely and he was like "No time! I have to stop these hooligans from throwing around a football." Also, there was a guy walking around in a Flash costume that was falling apart. You don't see that every day.
Later that evening, Matt got in trouble at Grendel's Den for bringing in a bubble tea. He eventually won over the waitress with a huge tip, but who is the real winner in that situation?
My steak of hearing Train's "Hey Soul Sister" in the car with Shaked remains unbroken after this trip.
Congratulations to Matt for deciding to stay in Chicago and being a beast in Ph.D. applications generally. I hope he remembers the little people when he wins a Nobel. I've always wanted to go to Switzerland. Just saying, Matt.
Outrage Alert!
"Sen. Jon Kyl's claim that abortion is "well over 90% of what Planned Parenthood does.
When the actual figure turned out to be 3%, his office released a statement clarifying that Kyl's figure was "not intended to be a factual statement."
This is basically why I cannot stand Republicans. It is clear instance of getting caught in a lie and then saying something absurd to get out of it. You cannot make declarative statements on the Senate floor and then defend yourself by saying that the seemingly factual statement was not meant to be a fact. That completely undermines the manner in which we typically communicate while simultaneously defying logic. It is about as typical a "sleezy politician" thing as you can get. And I am constantly amazed at the ability of politicians (largely Republicans) to completely ignore rationality, truth, and decency.
Many thanks to Stephen Colbert for posting similar "facts" about Senator Kyl on Twitter with the hashtag (that's a thing apparently) #notafactualstatement.
Jon Kyl developed his own line of hair care products just so he could test them on bunnies.
Jon Kyl can, and will, deny that you're a jolly good fellow.
For the past ten years, Jon Kyl has been two children in a very convincing Jon Kyl suit.
Jon Kyl calls the underside of his Senate seat: "The Booger Graveyard."
Take that!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Home Is...
Home is where your Harry Potter books are. They are so large that if you undergo to move them, you had better be permanently staying there.
I am back (at home) in Boston very briefly for the Bad Grammer alumni show!! I could not be more excited. Maybe unless I did not have to return to finals week. But I am back in Boston, and hopefully I will be the spark the Red Sox need to start winning games. As I write this, they are ahead of the Yankees 6-4. Don't disappoint me, boys! That's right, if they win today I will be claiming a great deal of the credit. Dustin who?
I sang this song about John Lackey to Jonah: "If you suck at pitching and you know it clap your hands. If you suck at pitching and you know it clap your hands. If you really suck at pitching and your name is John Lackey, if you're awful at pitching clap your hands." I'm looking at YOU, John Lackey.
I am back (at home) in Boston very briefly for the Bad Grammer alumni show!! I could not be more excited. Maybe unless I did not have to return to finals week. But I am back in Boston, and hopefully I will be the spark the Red Sox need to start winning games. As I write this, they are ahead of the Yankees 6-4. Don't disappoint me, boys! That's right, if they win today I will be claiming a great deal of the credit. Dustin who?
I sang this song about John Lackey to Jonah: "If you suck at pitching and you know it clap your hands. If you suck at pitching and you know it clap your hands. If you really suck at pitching and your name is John Lackey, if you're awful at pitching clap your hands." I'm looking at YOU, John Lackey.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Bed Time
7 am wake up today to help out with the First Year Moot Court Competition. I am exhausted, and this will be brief.
Tonight I had the most satisfying drink of apple juice of my life. I realized that virtually all of what I drink is water or contains caffeine or alcohol. I am recommitting myself to non-drugged, flavored beverages. Thank you, Nantucket Nectars.
Red Sox just lost their first three games of the season. Alright...this is bad. We have to pull together boys.
You know who hasn't made a movie in a while? Osama bin Laden. Him and Mel Gibson are two people I am completely fine with retiring from their movie careers.
I still do not care about college basketball. Go UConn. I guess?
Do you think that there is actually a difference between like Lubriderm and Lubriderm Men? Or is it really just going to be the packaging?
5 Hour Energy is the silliest product. And I object to their advertising.
Note will be handed in tomorrow. Wham bam thank you ma'am. In the words of that stupid "Friday" song: "We so excited."
Tonight I had the most satisfying drink of apple juice of my life. I realized that virtually all of what I drink is water or contains caffeine or alcohol. I am recommitting myself to non-drugged, flavored beverages. Thank you, Nantucket Nectars.
Red Sox just lost their first three games of the season. Alright...this is bad. We have to pull together boys.
You know who hasn't made a movie in a while? Osama bin Laden. Him and Mel Gibson are two people I am completely fine with retiring from their movie careers.
I still do not care about college basketball. Go UConn. I guess?
Do you think that there is actually a difference between like Lubriderm and Lubriderm Men? Or is it really just going to be the packaging?
5 Hour Energy is the silliest product. And I object to their advertising.
Note will be handed in tomorrow. Wham bam thank you ma'am. In the words of that stupid "Friday" song: "We so excited."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)