New School Gear

I feel like a little kid. I found my new school's online store, and I want to purchase everything in it. Like I really need an executive desk clock/mouse pad/pair of coffee mugs with their logo emblazoned on it.

I do plan on getting myself a pair of nifty t-shirts, and OH MY GOD! They sell reversible hoodies, I'll definitely be getting one of those. I think that should be the limit. You really can't wear more than one thing with your school on it at a time... although I have an intense urge to wear the polo shirt and maroon knit hat at the same time, while carrying the leather file folder, twirling my school logo key ring, and drinking from the travel mug.

You know now that I think about it, I do need a new lead crystal Waterford Vase.

I can't believe how excited I am about this. Law school nerded me up real good.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I saw CATCF this weekend. It was incredibly good. Much more faithful to the book than the original. It wasn't like the original movie at all, which is good, because I feel like I can love both movies equally, since they aren't in competition with one another. The movie was classic Burton, and Johnny Depp was amazing, absolutely amazing.

I think I may try to get a roommate for next year. It would be kind of cool to live with a 1L and watch the insanity unfold from a safe distance. Kind of like some anthropological study (Look, he's briefing!). Plus I could get a much bigger place for much less money.

I have to be out of here in less than 2 weeks! This is amazing. My last meeting with Prof. X will be on Monday, but I'll continue work until school starts. I really love my job. This has actually turned out to be the most rewarding summer work experience ever.

Damn the Train!

So instead of flying home, I took the train. A flight would've cost roughly the same amount, and taken about 8% of the time. I can't imagine going ACROSS the country on one of those things. It was late both times as well. Not like, a little late, we're talking full on two hours late. Plus the workers are all sassy as hell.

If the government is going to massively subsidize inefficient companies (ahem, Amtrak), I don't think it's too much to ask to get the damn trains there on time. The airlines (supposedly) had to clean up their acts to get Uncle Sugar's federal bailout money, Amtrak should be forced to run the trains on time and improve customer service; otherwise, we should stop funding them and let them get crushed in the marketplace... (actually the problem with this is that there really is no free marketplace... all of the parties who could crush them are just as dependent on the government for sweet sweet sustenance as Amtrak is)

Other than the transportation, the trip was ok. It was UNGODLY HOT, so I didn't get much fishing done. I DID however, get a wicked sunburn during the short time I was able to fish. Seeing my girlfriend was great as well. I'm going to move in less than two weeks, and this nonsense where I only see her once every six months will stop. Thank God.

I got two new (used) pairs of pants. Which is LONG overdue. I also got to wander around Chicago. Apparently, it's somewhat expensive to live there. Who would've thought? I'll have to figure out some way to get a studio for less than $900 per month... cause man... that's ridiculous.

Even Better News

I was recently admitted to "a school in Chicago that operates on the quarter system." It looks like I clawed my way to the top... with a little bit of hard work, and a LOT of help from Prof. X.

Prof. X: I can never thank you enough for all you've done for me.

Snubs.

Also... in what could be called the BEST news :) I got to a) see my girlfriend, and b) she bought me burritos last night. This truly has been a remarkable day.

Man I'm BUSY this weekend.

An old friend of mine was in town last night and tonight. I knew this guy in middle school, and when we were 16, he moved way far away (ironically... to the very same city I currently live in). We kept in touch, saw each other during the summers, etc. Then he moved to Chicago, and he JUST left Chicago three months ago... now that I'M getting ready to move there... Horrible timing.

Anyway, he still has friends in this city, and he came up to visit all of us, which is great, because I finally got to meet all of his high school and college friends that he always talked about. He's also getting married at the end of the summer. I'm the best man... which I think is pretty cool, I've never been one before, and I'm kind of honored that he picked me, despite the fact that we haven't lived in the same city for over 9 years (since we were 16 years old). I have so much history with this guy it's ridiculous. If you ask me "describe the first time you ___" odds are, I will tell you a story involving the two of us.

Seeing an old friend, plus getting admitted to an awesome law school, all in one weekend... is... almost too much to bear. I think I need to take a nap.

VICTORY!!!

There are few things better than getting home from the bar, checking your e-mail, and finding out that you've been admitted to a top ten law school as a transfer student.

It looks like I will be living in Chicago this fall.

I'm watching: but so are they.

Oh man, this means I'm going to have to get a TV and cable. First new show that seems remotely interesting since 2002.

You know what scares me about the British bombing thing? The cops over there were able to piece together the bomber's movements using those Closed Circuit Television cameras that they've plastered all over the damn country. I can't wait until people realize this and start screaming for the government to "make us safer" by "watching every citizen constantly." I'll happily take my chances with the terrorists. Thanks but no thanks Big Brother.

And yes, I realize the irony of me praising a voyeuristic reality tv show right before condemning the government's use of cameras to watch people go about their daily lives.

Burritos were so yesterday...

Tonight it's pizza. I can't control myself. There's a place near here... where the grease seems to actually saturate the wax paper. Now, I know this sounds bad for me, but it's not. You see, in January, I found out I had what some "Doctors" like to call "high blood pressure," this prompted several lifestyle changes, including me giving up all meats except for fish (of the non-fried variety). So now, my pizza is greasy, but it's vegetarian, so it's good for me, because meat is bad for you (at least the kind I like to eat... I always hated chicken... unless it was deep fried and smothered in delicious sauces).

So I use the vegetarian excuse to pollute my body with all kinds of filth (though the food that I buy at the store generally is wholesome, and easy to cook). It's ok though... I checked the BP after grades came out this semester, (several times in fact) and what do you know, it's back to normal... it's almost... almost as though law school is bad for your health or something...

New Work Project

Prof. X gave me something to to work on today. It's a completely different subject, and I feel like an idiot again, trying to find, read, and absorb all the background material so the work I'm doing makes some kind of sense. It is a reminder of how little I actually know in the big scheme of things.

It feels kindof like the begining of second semester. By the end of first semester, I had a decent idea of what was going on (although crim law was a total mystery to me until about 36 hours before the exam when everything clicked), I knew I didn't know everything, but I knew enough to write an intelligible response to an exam question. Then came second semester... and I was a moron again, starting from scratch. It was really disconcerting, and in a way it made me feel dumber than I did when law school started, because at least at the begining you expected to be clueless.

Ok... back to my law review articles. If I can read these by 7:30, I will reward myself the best way I know how, with burritos.

Grocery Shoppin'

I went grocery shopping with a friend yesterday. Much like my predisposition for purchasing the same article of clothing, I buy the same food every time I go to the store. It makes sense... I found the combination of stuff that I can cook easily, that's cheap, and that is *relatively* healthy.

While were were there, we ran into two friends from school. We all gathered our carts together in the produce section, and since all three of my friends are weight obsessed women, they immediately started comparing foods.

Eventually they looked at my basket, and asked me "What I was planning to cook with that?" I showed them my unsalted black beans, Zatarain's spanish rice mix, and "no-salt added stewed tomatoes" and explained that it was a very easy to make, low-salt meal (for those of you who don't know, Zatarain's spanish rice is like the ONLY Zatarain's product that DOESN'T have 8000% of your recommended sodium in it).

Someone pointed to a can of beans and said "That has a dent in it!" and I said "Well, the ends aren't bulged out, so I don't think it's a problem." She then told us that any dent can introduce bacteria into the can.

Someone made a law joke.

Someone then said "My God we're boring people."

But I already knew this. I laughed and said "Yeah, we're boring people who will make a lot of money." And we all smiled, broke up, and went about our boring little lives.

And the Waiting, is the Hardest Part

Wow, I'm in Shell's world again, waiting on schools. Twiddling my thumbs... Going to see the girlfriend soon, sleeping until 2pm... Damn, aside from not knowing where I'm going to be next year, this has been a pretty good summer, I haven't been this lazy in July since high school.

In serious, non-lazy news though, I need new clothing. Badly. I'm one of those guys who doesn't purchase clothing easily. I have a set of things that I like to wear, and I don't deviate from this set. I wear my clothing until it is no longer functional, and then I attempt to find an exact replica at the mall.

See, I feel like I've gotten myself into a groove where I really like my clothes, and I don't want to change. History shows me that every time I try something new, I end up not wearing it. It's good in that it makes shopping easy for me. It's bad in that I still look like I stepped right out of 1998. I'm not kidding... I have a sweater from 1997 that I refuse to part with. It has holes, but damn is it comfortable.

I think I'll make my girlfriend take me shopping when I see her. She's the only one I care about impressing, I may as well let her put me in whatever she thinks looks good, cause God knows I'm an incompetent shopper.

YAAAAAAYYYY!!!!!

I'm going to visit my girlfriend. I just got train tickets. Camping will occur, and I'll get to spend an entire week with her... It will be "ever so much fun," as they say in childrens books. So I can't wait for that. Oh man! We'll get to go fishing as well. This is going to be fun :)

I found out Prof. X's letter didn't quite get to LSAC in time, and two schools requested reports with only two letters. I told Prof. X, and the letter was sent to the schools today. Prof. X then told me that s/he'd write a personal letter of recommendation for every firm I apply to. I *heart* Prof. X.

So I also have to decide whether or not to bid on firms. If I bid on firms for OCI, and then transfer, am I obligated to take the interview and come all the way back here to interview with them? Also... If I want to work in a particular region, should I even bid on firms here? See, I can probably get a job pretty easily where I'm at, so that would kind of be a safe bet. But it's not where I want to be. I feel like I should try here though, just in case my plan to transfer/get job elsewhere falls through. It would really suck to skip all the jobs I can get in this region, only to come up empty handed in another.

Terrorists

Dear Terrorists:

The Nazis couldn't do it, and the Luftwaffe was a hell of a lot better trained/equipped than you are.

The IRA tried for several decades and failed spectacularly.

What the hell makes you think you can break the British will to fight? These people invented the stiff upper lip. You're only pissing them off.

Love,

Snubs

Snubs Reviews: War of the Worlds

I saw War of the Worlds tonight. It was about as good as I thought it'd be. The movie felt like a Spielberg flick, but it had the alien invasion element of Independence Day. So it was pretty cool. I haven't read the book in about 15 years, so a lot of it was a surprise to me.

Anyway, Tom Cruise seemed insane in this flick (I can't decide if a) his character is supposed to be running around all frantic like, b) I've become prejudiced from watching his behavior over the past month, or c) he was actually mental during the filming... If you press me on it, I'd objectively have to say that it was because his character is supposed to be frantic and confused.)

All in all, I thought it was pretty good. The ending was abrupt, and there were a few unanswered questions, but it was entertaining. Just don't expect to see the best movie ever made in the history of film, and you shouldn't be disappointed.

Boring

Man... I need to get a life. Seriously. I went out to da' bar with some people tonight. I don't really know the people I went with. Well that's not true, I know one really well, and another casually, and then there were 5 people where whose names I did not know. We sat down at da' bar, and after ordering the ONLY GODDAMNED VEGETARIAN DISH ON THE STUPID MENU, I started talking to the person I knew well, and we ignored everyone else. When my DEFAULT DINNER SELECTION showed up I was actually pretty happy, as I had not eaten all day. Then we left. We didn't go to another bar. The group wanted to go to a playground near all the bars... which... really is only something you do if you're too YOUNG to get into the bars and you need a place to get high and bitch about your parents.

We hung around there for about 15 minutes. Then we left. I went home and played a good 5 solid hours of WoW, which, was the capstone experience to an incredibly uneventful Friday evening... actually that's not true, my shadow priest is now level 22... oh God... yeah, I'm that big a nerd.