WonL
The random thoughts of an architect-turned- lawyer from the deep south living in Washington, DC...
Monday, February 28, 2005
God and gays...
Reading Jeremy Ritchey's recent postings about the Christian Legal Society (CLS) has really gotten me thinking. I urge you to go over and read the dialogue (including comments) regarding the CLS and homosexuality. However, if you are lazy, allow me to give you a brief re-cap:The national organization's rules preclude unrepentant sexual sinners--including fornicators, adulterers, and homosexuals--from becoming members or assuming leadership roles, but these individuals are certainly welcome to attend any meeting. Due to the membership restrictions imposed by CLS, a homosexual SIU student has requested that the administration review whether the CLS membership requirements violate the school's non-discrimination policies.
It is my understanding that this is not a case of a homosexual who is involved in CLS, wants to become a member or run for an office, and to his/her dismay found out that he/she is not eligible due to CLS national rules. On the contrary, according to Jeremy, this person has probably never attended a meeting and is merely making a political statement. I do not claim to be an authority on any of this, but it does incite anger in me. Must this person intrude into a Bible studying fellowship based group and their First Amendment freedoms in order to make a point?
Everyone seems to love to throw the word "discrimination" around. By one definition, discrimination is "treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit; partiality or prejudice." If this is the case, then discrimination is the woman at Target who would not ring up my white friend and I, but told the African American woman behind us that she could help her. Discrimination is the scholarships I am not allowed to apply for because I am white. Discrimination is the fact that there are no scholarships specifically for whites. Discrimination is receiving a letter from a firm saying they were impressed with my qualifications, but have restricted 1L hiring to minorities this year. Discrimination is getting rejected from a law school based on your score on a test. And yes, perhaps by the above definition, discrimination is a religious group getting together for fellowship while some student who has never attempted to get involved is excluded.
We must ask ourselves where we draw the line when discussing a "discrimination" policy? Our school recently approved the constitution for a new East Asian organization. Some of their functions and meetings include speaking in Chinese dialect. What about those of us that don't know Chinese?
My mother told me of an organization she came across called "100 Black Men" My first instinct was to get pissed. My first thought was of the headlines and Civil Rights Lawyers that would have a field day with "100 White Men". It seems so unfair. I went to the 100 Black Men website and noticed that part of the vision statement says "...by utilizing our diverse talents to create an environment where our children are motivated to achieve and to empower our people to become self-sufficient shareholders..." Powerful. It seems like this is an organization of like minded people getting together to achieve their goals and serve a purpose. Although I have not read their by-laws, it is probably safe to assume this organization would not open their membership to me. After looking at the site, however, it makes perfect sense that this organization is not one in which it would make sense for me to be a part. I am not sure that I could contribute to young African American children about "our" heritage and role in the country. This is something they need to learn from the successful black men that make up this organization. I do not feel as if this organization is discriminating against me. On the contrary. I feel this is an organization that, by virtue of their heritage, is adding to the diversity of thoughts and purposes in our country.
The same goes for the CLS. This is an organization that, by virtue of Faith, does not condone homosexuality. That being said, would a homosexual person truly be able to rationally contribute to a Bible discussion regarding the sins of sexuality? I am not sure what the answer to that question is. I will reiterate that the CLS does not inhibit homosexuals from attending meetings and voicing these concerns. However, this organization chooses to allow membership and leadership positions to be open only to those who truly believe and live their lives in a way that the CLS sees appropriate. This distinction in their rules is their right!
Hand in hand with the concept of discrimination as we know it is the concept of equality. Some of the policies in question have nothing to do with equality. In fact, I think what is going on at some of these schools with the CLS has nothing at all to do with equality. I am no less equal because I cannot speak Chinese or add to the racial diversity of a summer associate class at a law firm. I merely do not possess the qualities that would benefit these groups. Nor do they possess anything of extreme interest to me. Organizations are formed with the understanding of specific goals and purposes, of which not everyone will agree or be a part. This is what makes life interesting. I do not read CLS clause regarding sexuality and membership as saying "you are not equal to us, and therefore cannot be a part of us." Rather, I read it to say "you do not believe in one of the fundamental dogmas with which we were founded and we choose to reserve the rights of membership and leadership to those who do."
(The above opinions are expressed specifically for the topic at hand. You should, in no way, read anything above into my views on Christianity or homosexuality. You can, however, infer that I am a tad bitter for being born white:-)
Friday, February 25, 2005
How long until you notice me?
A fairly morbid question that has sparked conversation a few times in my life is "how long would it take someone to notice you were gone?" The entire conversation began a few years ago by a co-worker. She lived in an old D.C. apartment building in which odd odors were not out of the ordinary. However, one fateful day, the emitting odor belonged to the elderly lady downstairs, who had passed away almost a week prior. This tragedy sparked a happy hour conversation about what a sad lonely life one must lead that no one would notice she was gone. This discussion eventually turned to a question posed before the group: in your life, at the present time, if something were to happen to you, how long would it take until people noticed you were gone? (This does not pertain to someone in a serious long term relationship. We all know that if you go missing for over a day, there is an all points bulletin put out by said girlfriend/boyfriend.)Personally, I have never lived my life in an extremely routine way. Even back in college, it was not that out of the ordinary to go "missing" from one aspect of my life for a while. No matter how much I think I have grown up, this still seems to be the case. If I were not to show up at school for a week, I think most people would assume something personal or family related had come up. I would probably get emails, perhaps a phone call or two, but no search party. If my family does not hear from me for a week...well, that's pretty normal. They would naturally assume school is just keeping me busy. Same goes for my non-law school friends. My roommates may catch on a bit sooner, but that is doubtful. We all have such varying schedules, they would probably assume, over that week, that we just kept missing each other. I think it would take quite some time before people noticed I was gone.
This is not some sad "pitiful me" story. In fact, I have more friends than I have time for these days. That's what makes the question so interesting. To our dismay, we realized that we were wrong. The people in our own lives not realizing we were gone is just as possible as an old lady going unnoticed in a DC apartment for a week. Realistically, many of us live in such a way, that it is not uncommon to have periodic disappearing acts. I actually kind of like living that way. For those of you reading this...how long do you think it would take the people in your life to notice you are gone? (not counting significant others)
Comical note: this post was sparked by the fact that in FOUR days that I did not post anything, I received THREE concerned phone calls.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Elections
Apparently, politics sure brings out the best in everyone! Student Bar Association elections were today and boy was it ugly. I steered clear of school for most of the day to avoid the drama. In the few hours I was at school today, I saw more than I cared to. This election came complete with "anonymous" mud-slinging blogs, fake posters being put up to ridicule candidates, rumors being spread, posters being torn down, and claims being filed. Did I mention I am NOT actually in high school anymore? Apparently, this message was not communicated to the proper people. I sure am glad I refrained from running for a second term. Results being published, there were only a few surprises. I am, however, pretty shocked at some of the events leading up to today. Now that it is over, life can return to normal. We will all surely miss the posters of chick's cleavage, guys doing keg stands, guys dressed as fairies, and lots of rainbows everywhere. For any pre-L's reading this, I promise, it is not always like this...but it does add some spice to otherwise bland Contracts reading:-)Sunday, February 20, 2005
The Back Room
An experiment with tag-team blogging:She spotted some empty tables near the back of the bar. This room, called the sandbar, would be the perfect spot to sit and chat with her new law school friends. She had picked a local bar that she knew well. So well, in fact, the bouncer said "girl where you been hiding yourself?" This yuppie Arlington bar was one in which she always saw someone she knew. Like Norm at Cheers, she felt at home. The back room was fairly empty when she and her friends claimed their table. They threw down their coats and sat there chatting over the heater, telling stories and getting to know each other. While they had all been acquaintances at school, they were now becoming friends. An unoccupied group of tables had been pushed together in the center of the room. Random groups of three or four sat in the tables lining the wall. The middle table was saved...Sacred. They all figured there had been a party earlier that evening. It sat empty for quite a while and then slowly, strangers started to file in. Something did not seem right. This was not your typical yuppie Arlington crowd. They seemed to have taken a wrong turn on their way to West Virginia. This diverse mix of folks came complete with mullets, about 400lbs on each female, high-riding pants, coke bottle glasses and some biker gear. Such an eclectic mix sure did seem out of place. Perhaps this is why they were discretely shoved into the back room. There was yelling and screaming and "hootin' and hollerin'." One by one, her friends walked away. Some to get drinks; some to use the restroom; some probably running for the door. She sat there, alone, just watching. She realized this group must be co-workers. Seeming to be the only logical explanation, she watched them interact, wondering where they were employed. She had been to a happy hour the night before with her old co-workers and wondered if people had looked at them the same way. There was a gentleman sitting alone at the table next to her. He seemed nervous or out of place. He was way to dressed and young and suave to be with that crowd. She spoke to him asking if he was getting as big of a kick out of this as she was. He shyly smiled, telling her he was just observing. He said "so, is this your first time?" "No", she replied, "I come to this bar a lot." He looked confused. "I mean, is this your first time coming to one of these?"..."Wait, one of what?"
Now head over to Idlegrasshopper for a much more colorful and in depth view of the rest of the evening...(and be forewarned, none of this is exaggerated)
Saturday, February 19, 2005
HUY!
Had GREAT sushi last night, but I must admit that it was one of the more distrubing experiences ever! Read my friend's synopsis for more info. I just have to add how disturbed I was by this waitress. Every time she walked up to our table and yelled crazy things, she walked up from behind me and scared the shit out of me. Since Samer was facing the opposite direction, he found it all quite amusing. I, on the other hand, was reminded of the time when I was 12 and Myka and I signed up for TaeKwonDo to meet boys and quit because it smelled bad and everyone kept yellin "HI-YA". Really good sushi, though. HUY!Friday, February 18, 2005
About damn time
You know that feeling you get when you have waited so long for something and it finally comes to be? You have that tingle of anticipation in your stomach and that's all you can think about. Your mind is racing, your cheeks are red, you seem to be floating on air. You notice how bright the sun is, you hear the birds chirping, you have an endless smile. You know...it's that giddy feeling! I love that feeling. That's how I feel today. Why? Yes, you guessed it...today is my last day of work! I cannot express in words how good I feel right now. I bid farewell to NB on Tuesday and to JB yesterday. Today, only one co-worker is here. So, in honor of my last day of work, let us reminisce a bit. When I took this job, a mere one-half of a year ago, I would have never thought an office of five people could be so dysfunctional. I now know better! Aside from JB and NB, I would like to introduce some new characters...OM (old man) and CM (creepy man) I now give to you the things I will NOT miss about my job:JB insistence upon throwing his garbage at me. (I actually started saving all of the torn up pieces and putting them in a drawer for the next poor soul who works here.)
Not being allowed to make reservations online, rather being forced to speak to humans.
JB's daily explanation to me of what a Blackberry is. (JB, everytime I send you an email, you do not need to respond saying you got it AND call saying you got it just to show me your blackberry can do email and cell phone calls. I KNOW THIS!)
CM always walking up behind me yelling "YO!" (Look, I realize I am one-third your age, but I do not use that term. In fact, no one has since 1982!)
CM keeping a roll of toilet paper at my desk so he can come up here to blow his nose. (Ewww)
CM methodically approaching me at 3pm on Friday's to ask "so, ya got any plans this weekend?" (Do you ever expect me to say, "no very older creepy man, wanna get together"?)
JB's stories about how he did not care about law school, even though he was Ivy League. (Gee, that makes two of us that don't care about your Ivy League education!)
JB's very weird wife coming in when no one is around "just to say hi" while carrying a large bag and leaving with reams of paper.
The mystery moron that continuously puts cokes in the freezer, never cleans when they explode, but puts another one in there the next day.
The "tech guy" who comes in once a month and likes to tell me how thick I am getting.
OM entering the office, and waiting until he passes my desk to YELL good morning, forcing me to spill my coffee every time.
CM standing over my shoulder saying "what cha readin?"
JB telling me weekly that I am not his daughter, who as his previous receptionist. (Seeing as how living with him forced her to run away from home, I'm okay with my dad, thanks.)
Having JB buzz me back to his office just so he can tell me he is not ready yet, go sit back down, just so I can return to my desk for him to buzz me again.
JB calling me on his way in to work to demand I get the master keys out and go unlock his office because he doesn't like to pull his keys out of his pockets because they "jingle" too much. (This has actually happened more than one time!)
OM mis-dialing his own phone number when calling to check his voice mail and instead reaching the main line and then hanging up on me when I answer.
So, in the end, I guess $19 an hour and lunches at fancy restaurants just wasn't enough!
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Call to arms
Okay, since Gangsta Ambimb no longer thinks I am special enough to specifically recommend me as being in his special paragraph of GW bloggers that are must reads, I figure it's about time I posted something about school. I guess I have been avoiding it, because things have gone quite crazy around school these days. On a happy note, the sauna issue has been remedied and I am, in fact, finding it a bit chilly now. I shall keep my mouth shut. Last semester, I went through some of the oddities of law school. These past few weeks, some strange occurrances seem to be creeping into our daily lectures. It should be noted that thus far, the professors seem to be holding the reigns of abnormality. On the other hand, I guess when you have so many brilliant minds on one faculty, there are bound to be a few points of overlap.
Our first conflict in the Tort v. Civ Pro War ensued a few weeks ago. Perhaps it was more like a battle, or even a display of passive aggression. Regardless, the interaction that unfolded was quite comical to watch. It all started one warm night in Lerner. The class was marching along in Torts at a surprising rate. PT (professor torts) was astounded at the vast amount of knowledge we came into his class with and even more amazed at our retention levels . Not only could we figure out what an "act" was, but we grasped "intent" in only two weeks. PT decided to throw a curve ball in our direction by bringing up summary judgment, a concept learned in Civil Procedure. A hush came over the crowd, as everyone frantically turned to their neighbors in search of a Civ Pro book. Oh no, thought the students, wrong day! Again, PT threw a question to the whole class regarding summary judgement. Again, he recieved no answer. I can only assume that at this point, every student simultaneously thought up the best approach to this situation: when in doubt, play dumb. I assure you, we did that very well. So well, in fact, that PT began questioning just what we had learned thus far in Civ Pro. Again came that deafening silence. PT, in realizing he would get no where with us, decides to talk himself through the situation aloud. He first asks what book we use, then if someone could send him our Civ Pro Syllabus, and he ends with resorting to the unimaginable...the decision to contact PCP (prof. civ. pro.) All we really heard was "that's it, I am going to talk to your father and you are in sooo much trouble." Two days passed and we were all nervous to see PCP that Thursday. Would he be mad at us for not retaining the vast knowledge he shoved into our little heads last semester? Would he think that we were trying to make him look bad in front of this visiting professor? Had we just sealed our own fate? PCP began class as if nothing had ever come to his attention. In fact, nothing was brought up for over an hour. Then, without warning, PCP raised his weapon, took aim, and fired with an "Okay, short lesson in Torts: you have an act, you have intent, you have cause...that's all there is to Torts. Moving on..." Target hit!
The following week, thinking for sure we would walk into Torts to see the white flag of surrender being raised, we found PT with other plans. He had called PCP and they discussed a cease fire. In discussing the terms of the treaty, PT was allowed to put together his own "lesson on Civ. Pro" to hand out to his Torts class, and then take 30 minutes to go over it. It was mandated that PT did make it very clear that he did not teach Civ Pro and that anything that PCP said was correct. Thankfully, it was a short lived war with very few casualties.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Better than Google...
Today started off beautiful in DC and now it looks like rain. I should've checked the damn weather!That is all I have to say, I will be heading off to SCHOOL soon. (By the way, make sure you pull down the scroll-down menu to see that Blunt' Rollin is an option at GW Law...hahaha)
Thanks to GIZOOGLE, my new favorite website!!!
Note to Danielle: I made the text bigger for you:-)
H20
Yesterday started off in such a fabulous manner. I woke up, showered, got dressed for work and went downstairs to pack something for lunch. Upon nearing the kitchen, I heard a strange sound. Upon entering the kitchen, I noticed it seemed to be raining...in the kitchen! All of the water in the shower upstairs was running through the floor of the bathroom, the ceiling of the kitchen, and onto the hardwood kitchen floor. I am pretty sure it is not supposed to do that. So, in being the first one to find it, this means I get to be the one to deal with it. One roommate already gone and within five minutes, other two roommates rushed out the door to work. So, I call work to tell them I will be late and spend my day with a 74 year old plumber who wears whitey tighties that are so old they are almost see-through. (Nice visual:-)Long story short: We have one of those sliding glass shower doors and apparently, the whole thing needs to be replaced, as it is leaking water onto the floor. It's working as if there is no water barrier at all. I contact the Ecuadorian not-so-helpful landlord who says "that doesn't sound right, I'm not replacing the door, just put towels and make sure to keep the place dry." "Um, landlord, you don't seem to understand, it's not a small leak, it's gallons of water coming out of the light fixture downstairs." "Well then, use lots of towels."
I email roommies and the consensus is that (until I can bitch out landlord and get my way), we can just hang a shower rod and curtain to at least act as a barrier. Keep in mind, aesthtics is not of too much concern at this point...we are going to have a shower curtain AND a sliding glass door. Guy roomie (let's call him MacGuyver) decides that he will handle things. Everyone gets home last night around 9 or 9:30 ish and we discuss the problem. Mac is going to hang the shower curtain. Between deciding against a Target shower curtain because the dollar store was closer, not reading the package for the shower rod which does not fit in our bathroom, and the fact that we needed it for this morning...the result involves a lot of little blue and yellow flowers on an extremely smelly shower curtain attached to a glass door with PAPER CLIPS. (Seems fitting for an ambassador's million dollar home.)
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Summer lovin' happened so fast
The second semester of the first year of law school has brought about quite a few changes. We have new teachers, more classes, less juice left in our highlighters and the introduction of the important question "what the hell am I supposed to do this summer?" That last one is killing me. Who would have ever thought that there would be so many options? (For those of you cozily sitting in your little 'already figured out job' over at the PTO, you can quit reading now:-) Seriously, though, I understand that next summer is supposed to be the 'crucial 2L summer job', but for now, I would like to stress about this summer. In trying to categorize my options, here's what I've got:1) Summer School. Yeah, this one kinda sux, but looks pretty inevitible from where I am sitting. GW has a fabulous program allowing a part time student to transfer into the full time program after one semester. This path includes summer school in order to 'catch up' and still graduate in only three years. If one were to put off summer school until the second summer, that would seriously mess up the 2L Summer Job. This means, I really need to handle the summer school thing this summer.
2) Study Abroad. I could always put off Property and go to London instead. Georgetown has a good program (except that one of their teachers just got pregnant and will not be teaching the class I was anticipating enrolling in.) Duke also has a fascinating Duke-Geneva program about war tribunals and terrorism. Judging from the pamphlet they sent me, this one is highly selective. They only take about 70 people world-wide. This is including students, lawyers, teachers, etc. The ABA Law Student division put out a fabulous January issue of Student Lawyer. In this issue, they summarized by country every study abroad program offered by law schools around the U.S. Quite an impressive array of options, yet it makes the decision that much more difficult.
3) Working for a judge. Assuming I decide to stay here, which something seems to be pulling me to do, I could always get a job interning for a judge. From what I hear, this is one of the better routes to go. Words of wisdom from NB: "The best thing you can do is clerk for a federal judge. The second best is clerk for a state judge." GW has a great database set up for judicial clerkships. Furthermore, if I want to clerk for someone important for a while after I graduate (which is apparently another good thing to do), I need to work my way up the judge ladder. No SCOTUS judge is going to let me clerk for them if I never clerked before. (And don't tell me that my 'average' GPA will inhibit my SCOTUS dreams. My grandfather told me last night that my charm will make up for it!) While this provides great experience, my understanding is that it provides no pay. The "you are already going to be that far into debt, what's a few grand more" isn't holding much weight with me anymore. I have anticipated a gargantuan amount of debt. I did not anticipate my summers adding too much to that debt. I guess as an option, I really do need to get on the ball researching this one. Damn it, that means I have to go 'polish' my writing samples from last semester.
4) Public Interest. This one is tricky. I think that the only way I could really take a non-paying job in a sector that I most-probably will not pursue post-graduation is if the cause is one in which I truly believe. There are a lot of folks in my section who have a passion to work with Civil Rights, or Human Rights, etc. They will do public interest work this summer and they will love it! On the other hand, knowing that BigLaw is my destiny, I am not so sure about taking a public interest job this summer. I am finding out firsthand what it is like to work in an office that does things that you don't necessarily believe in and I'm not having that much fun. Not saying I don't believe in human rights, just saying this is not the cause I will fight my life for. The GW/G-town public interest/government fair was this past weekend. I did have an interview with some folks in the DC Govn't in which I would be clerking for judges on a rotating basis all summer and would be paid. Hmmm...sounds like the best of both worlds to me. Keep your fingers crossed on that one.
5) Summer Associate - Big Firm. This one will be short. After 70+ rejection letters, I am going to throw the towel in on this one. It does not look like I am going to land a $2400/week summer associate position. Stupid NALP. However, my work was not in vain. I received an email which led to a phone conversation yesterday with Mr. Important Big Firm guy over at top Big Firm. He assured me that this is not the year for 1Ls (as they hired none), but asked if I would be interested in coming to clerk for them during the school year. He said the pay is good and it would be on a part time basis as a way to introduce me to them and let me get my foot in the door. That would be nice if that works out!
6) Summer Associate - Med/Small Firm. I have not actually looked into this one yet, so not sure what is out there. Actually, I've got typed pages at 8 point font of firms in this realm to contact. Just saving money for postage.
7) Maybe I could take another road trip around the country and work odd jobs like McDonald's along the way!
Monday, February 14, 2005
Happy Cupid Day
The hardest part of Valentine's day for me is narrowing down who I am going to spend it with. I know that sounds a bit cocky, but seriously, with so many eligible bachelors out there, it really is hard to pick just one to grace with my presence this evening. Maybe you could help:Bachelor #1:
What a hottie! Pedro has the most beautiful eyes. and you know I have always had a thing for the Spanish guys. Can you imagine that he not only speaks Spanish, but can sing and DANCE to spanish, as well? What I find even more important is that he is always smiling. This really means a lot to me, as he makes me feel happy to be around. It's also important that I feel really comfortable in his bedroom. When we are
Bachelor #2:
I admit that my first impression of Gomer may not have been steller. I have a real thing against people blowing their nose around me. Once I got past that, I was much more impressed. Although I have never been much of a fan of classical music, he makes it worth listening to. When I am with Gomer, I feel just like I am with Jim Carry. He's such a riot and you know how much I love to laugh. I also admire his clean, white background. Nothing around him takes my focus off of him and me. Our eyes meet and just dance together. It's really special. Gomer is really special. I met him through Albino Blacksheep too.
Bachelor #3/4/5:
These guys are actually a package deal. I am not sure that I am really into that sort of thing, but I'd be willing to give it a try for these studs, they are the shiz-nit. When I look at them, all I think is DAMN! With themz around, I gots everything that I want in a man. I ain't need to look no further. They from the G-A (Georgia), so, I'm sho they polite good southern gentlemen. Sheee-it, I ain't sure which one of them fine rides we'll be takin out to the McD's. Maybe, if it works out, I can be in there new movie Lord of the Blings. That would be phat. I really like Blade, Freeze and Da Flame. Damn! And we all know what they say about a man with big bling...! Thanks to Mr. P for introducing me to these hotties.
Bachelor #6:
I know, I know, Chuck doesn't seem to be like the normal guys I date. I have to tell you, though, there is just something about my little chubster. He's a few years younger than me, and I'm not sure how spending V-Day in his dorm room would work out. On the other hand, he has pets to play with, and air conditioning, so I won't complain. I feel like Chuck is just so animated, I won't notice our surroundings. You would never be able to tell that he was a cheerleader in high school, just last year. Not to mention, he has the sexiest voice EVER, especially when he approaches me from behind with his simple "Hallo". Meet Chuck!(and some of his friends). Special thanks to Albino Black Sheep for hooking us up.
Bachelor #7:
I thought I'd throw Dave in here, because although things are over between us, I feel like he just keeps coming back over and over and over and over...I guess you never get over your first love Right, Grasshopper?
If anyone reading this has any thoughts as to who I should spend my evening with (besides Prof. Torts)...please leave me comments.
**Note** Original title of this post: Why I should give up on dating!
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Listen up!
As if reading me every day isn't enough, I have now figured out a way that you can hear me too! Due to still being a bit nasaly, for now I am going to let you hear mySeriously, this is blogging at a new level! Thanks to Evan over at Legal Underground for started this trend. And, thanks Ambimb and J.Richey for the instructions for those of us that are not so technologically inclined.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Prediction
I am going to predict that today may very well be the longest day EVER! While I am no longer knocking on death's door, I am still running a fever and my sinus cavity is still somewhere up in my head (wait, isn't that where it is supposed to be?) Regardless, I have a day full of talking in front of people, so, I am sure everyone is going to appreciate my 'nasaly' sound. First up, is the ADR competition, where a panel of judges will listen to and watch me talk (and sneeze) for an hour. After that, I go straight to an interview to wow them with my droopy eyes and red nose. This is going to be a fabulous day!Thursday, February 10, 2005
High Law School
Often times, people equate law school to high school all over again. I simply cannot imagine why. When I originally toured the school, I noticed the lockers...that made me chuckle. I'm not sure if this is a law school thing or what. Granted, it makes sense not to have to carry books around from class to class. On the other hand, I actually slipped a note into someone's locker last semester...how funny is that? We also had our law school 'prom' last weekend. They may have given it a different name, but I assure you, it was prom sans the corsages. I must admit that it was quite a different feeling being able to drink openly instead of Are you kidding me? Oh no, will everyone stare at me if I am the only one not to get Candygrams? Maybe I should buy one for myself. They are only 25 cents. Or, I can even get 5 for a dollar. You know that all of the cool kids will be walking around with 15 or 20 Candygrams. I will hang my head in shame if I don't get any. What ever happened to elementary school where you HAD to give a card to every classmate, even the 'not cool' ones. (Not that I was EVER a not cool kid.) What if I don't get any? Mom, will you send me one? Please...anyone reading this send me CANDYGRAMS!
To all of my new readers from G-town...welcome! Oh, and since it's not too far, you should come over to GW and by me Candygrams too! (Deadline is 6:30 this evening.)
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Hot hot hot
Dearest Coordinators of Classroom Temperatures at my law school,I am writing this letter to you on behalf of all students at the law school and out of grave concern for our sanity and health. I am sure you have noticed the hoards of students running outside to gasp for air the minute classes are over. This is surely not due to the freshness of the air in our beloved District. Rather, it can more properly be attributed to the musky odor and humidity that accumulate in an enclosed, non-ventilated space with the heat on while it is fifty degrees outside. After spending an hour or two in such a space, a student would throw an old lady on the ground to get to fresh air. I assume you have also noticed the red faces and sweaty hair that seem to be adorning your students. While this seemed to be an acceptable look at Barrister's Ball, we do not feel that it is in Lerner Hall. During the week, there is no dancing or alcohol consumption during class (well, most of the time). Furthermore, I believe it is making the job of the 1L Professors difficult because the photos in their seating charts look nothing like the faces in the crowd. Additionally, the heat is wreaking havoc on our wardrobes. I have witnessed numerous nice shirts ruined by 'pit stains'. We have even had a gentleman who had to dispose of a pair of slacks because his belt melted to them. I, too, found it hard to believe, until I saw the "photographic" evidence myself. We have also had one guy have to leave the room and one girl pass out. Presumably, those two events were not related to each other, rather to the heat in the classroom.
I am not sure what measures can be taken to remedy this situation, but I do know that anything done on our part would probably not be acceptable. For instance, we could shed our clothing, as the shirts and pants seem to be making things worse. Since so many pieces of clothing seem to be falling victim to bodily secretion and melting, this option may not be too far off. However, I will personally object to this due to my view in some of the lecture halls. We could also bring small fans, but that may provide too much interruption for the professors. Not to mention, the outlets are limited. I wouldn't know what to do in the event of a fight erupting over plugging in a fan verses plugging in a laptop. Since the operable windows that were part of the building design seem to be welded shut, our only alternative there would be to break them. I'm pretty sure we learned in Torts, that would not be a good idea. Being exhausted of all options, we now turn to you, our beloved faculty, to step in. Once again, we are not sure what can be done, but we graciously hand this issue over to you.
Having designed and worked with HVAC systems in the past, I certainly understand that it is not as easy as flicking a switch to heat or cool a building. On the other hand, the excuse of a "two day lag time" is just that. Come on, already, the Pentagon can be cooled in less time. Furthermore, I also realize the buildings are old, but renovations are being done. Perhaps that priority list needs to shift away from taking over the bone lab from the biology students and toward getting some air pumped into the existing buildings. I am not sure how many students we lose each semester, but I wonder if exit interviews have been done to find if they cracked under the heat. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help you (help us) have a more tolerable experience at law school.
Thanks for your help in this grave matter,
Law-Rah
Fun with Maps
How many things can I find to distract me from school? Well, ArtPad was cool, but I think I may have actually found something cooler. Down with mapquest....google rocks!Google Maps!
You can move the map around, zoom in and out easily, and type in "restaurant" and it will find some near your location. Then, you can click on the little red teardrop and even get to the washingtonpost.com review of that restaurant. And of course, you can do directions! (Still a few kinks to work out, as they have McDonald's in the same category as Iota) Pretty smart little program, because when I tried to get directions to a pizza place in Hawaii, it said: "We could not calculate driving directions between (blah blah), Arlington, VA and 1295 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753. We currently only support road-based driving directions." I tried.
Thanks Samer
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Why blog?
Lately, I have been plagued by a certain question and attitude that I wish to address. Since the whole concept of blogging, (or opening up your personal journal for the world to see) has become so prevalent, many people don't understand it. I admit that in the beginning, I too had my doubts. I thought that someone must be really pompous to have their own website and think that people would care to look at it daily and see what they are doing. I spent quite some time reading other people's thoughts before I decided to jump on the bandwagon. Lately, a few people have questioned why I chose to do so and what I get out of it.I cannot admit to an easy answer to that question. It keeps me sane. It keeps me grounded. It's my way to vent. It's my way to put down on paper/screen everything in my head. If I get it out, then it doesn't keep spinning around in there. That space is pretty limited and important these days. Maybe it's because I love to tell stories. Sometimes, I hear or see something funny and I just want to tell everyone. When I put in on WonL, I imagine that people get smiles on their faces when they read it. At least I hope you do. Maybe I do this because since I have started law school, I don't have the time to communicate with my very best friends anymore. I have been trying for three weeks to find time to have dinner with my best friend. That's sad! It means the world to me when I see that she logs on daily to keep up with my life. Maybe it because once I went back to school, I lost control over so many things in my life. My time, my sleeping, my eating, my life is now being controlled by classes. With this blog, I control it. I need that something that is on my time and can be done my way. Maybe it's because I know my mom reads this and I know it makes her proud. My family has never been one with really open lines of communication. When I found out that she passed WonL on to all of her friends and they read it daily, I know it's her way of telling me she is proud of me. Maybe I feel when I come home at night like I am still semi-anonymous and can just open up. Maybe it's for the excitement I get when a "blog-idol" links to me. Maybe it's looking at it everyday in hopes that someone will have left me a comment. Maybe it's for the bonds I feel like I have made with people since I started this. Maybe it's because I can look back on old thoughts/posts and re-live that day and that excitement. Maybe it's looking ahead to five years from now, when I will want to look back and laugh at how trivial this all was. Maybe it's for the strangers who contact me to tell me they like what I have to say. Maybe it's for the strangers I have found that have opened my eyes to other people's views and perspectives. Maybe it's for the people I hope to help. If just one person reads this and thinks 'damn, I feel that way too' then I feel like this was worth it. Maybe it's for the people I think of as my friends that I have never met. The people who read this. The people who I read. Maybe it's just a nice feeling after six hours of work, then six hours of school, to come home and think that someone gives a shit.
Someone said to me "yeah, but I am a private person...I could never do that." Well, I have always had a hard time opening up. Walls don't get built much higher than mine. This is helping me; letting me get it all out. Yeah, it is scary as hell pushing that "publish" button sometimes. At the same time, it's a liberating feeling. I'm not here to talk about politics, or to show how smart I am, or to show funny pictures. I'm just here to be me. And that, my friends, can sometimes be harder than you think!
So, to the guy who admitted to me today that he has a blog and isn't ready for the world to know, I say: AWESOME! Use it for whatever reasons you want...it is solely in your control. But, if you do go public, I better be the first to know:-) Oh, and to the guy who said, "blogs are for losers" I say &%#*)* %^$#(&^. Oh yeah, and don't read them if you don't want to!
Fat Tuesday
Perhaps walking down Connecticut Ave. wearing beads and a tiara while listening to Zydeco on my IPod is not QUITE the same, but regardless...
.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Through my eyes
Some stuff to hold you over until I am caught up with school and can return...If you click HERE, you can see a view of "University Yard" right outside of the law school. (During the daytime, click on the picture and you can see all the little law school students!)
If you click HERE, you can see my view during class.
Good stuff, no clue why I am behind in class!
Sunday, February 06, 2005
What football game?
I am finding it difficult to accept the fact that it is 7:00 pm on Super Bowl Sunday, I have been up since 8:30 this morning reading and there is still no end in site! I have attacked 79 pages of Crim Law and 36 pages of Torts. I am now looking forward to 100+ pages of Contracts. Seeming to have fallen "a bit" behind in school lately and attributing this mostly to my job, I put in my two weeks notice last week. YAY! Not too sure what I will complain about on this blog, but at least I will not have to deal with such a pompous control freak anymore. Oh wait, I am going to be a lawyer...I'm going to live with those folks for the rest of my life!I want to thank Brett over at In Limine for giving me tips on the return thingee. Hope it works. B is a 1L over at G-town, so it should be interesting to compare some stories. I am sure you all remember my bad day. (You know, the one that began with me flashing a bunch of construction workers.) Well, I must say that I think B has me beat!
Who the hell am I kidding?
Friday, February 04, 2005
Blawg HELP!
This is for Samer, Ambib, Grasshopper, or anyone else that knows this tech code stuff:When I type the blog, I seperate each paragraph with a blank line. For some reason, when it posts, those lines are lost and everything is jumbled into one long paragraph. I would assume this is related to the template, as I never had this problem before. How do I fix it? Or, in the alternative, is there code that I can type into the actual post that will provide that return?
Elaboration
Apparently my innate artistic ability is not quite clear. NOBODY UNDERSTANDS ME:-( I went to dinner with a friend last night and asked him "did you see my painting? did you see my painting" to which he replied "um, yeah, what the hell were you talking about?" Good thing I'm going to law school, as apparently starving artist is not in my future. So, to elaborate on the interview in words:I was lucky enough to land an interview for a Summer Associate position. (Note to non law-schoolers: Summer Associate is the way that law firms set up their whole recruiting world. As a 2L, it is extremely imporant to land one of those positions as a springboard into a BigLaw firm - if this is the route you intend to take.) I figured I would try to start early as a 1L, since I know this is the route I will take. So, I finally got an interview after SIXTY rejection letters. By the way, I am still getting those in. In fact, I think I have now gotten in more rejection letters than I sent out. Apparently, they sit around lawyer recruiting happy hours and say "so, have you rejected Law-Rah yet?" "No, she didn't send us a resume!" "Well, here's her address, go reject her anyway!" Back to my point...I got an interview that was actually set up through school. This means some firm came to them and said "we want some of YOUR students" and school set out on a search. School sent them a bunch of resumes of interested students and firm narrows down who they will interview. Since firm was sending someone from their big southern office, they would be here for only one day conducting interviews. I guess the "pick me! pick me!" I markered in red on my cover letter did the trick, as I was asked to meet for an interview.
I was sent "instructions" for the interview from school. These instructions included arriving at a hotel, asking for a key card, going up the elevator to a hotel room to meet with a guy named "Derrick" and gently tapping on the door to get his attention (name changed to protect identity:-) I thought this was all a bit strange. Growing up as a Southern Gal, the bedroom was always such a private place. Hell, I am still not allowed to have boys in my room when I go home. So, to meet with some random guy in a hotel room seemed strange to me. Luckily, he was even more uncomfortable with it than I was. He propped the door open and made sure to tell me that he had slept in a different hotel room the night before. D told me that for some reason, my school wanted to do it this way. Hmmm, perhaps since school already knew my grades, they were telling me I was going to have to come up with a different way to land a job.
Seriously, though, aside from a few mis-communications...things went pretty well. Firm has three offices of interest here. I was interviewing for office B (or so I thought). I knew they were 'headquartered' at office A and were also interviewing for that office, but that's not what I was interested in. I did specify in my cover letter that I was interested in B. Upon arriving, Derrick tells me that they are actually hiring for their DC office too. YAY! That was exciting to me, as I would love to work in the DC office:-) Long story short, by the end, he had basically laid it out that they "MAY" hire for office B the DC office, but they REALLY want to hire for A and I had to make clear that I am not interested in office A. This was hard, seeing as how he was sent from that office. So, if they do end up hiring for my offices of choice, I think I have a pretty good shot. Otherwise, back to the drawing board.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
What are they saying?
I had an interview yesterday morning. Since AI found it easiest to express how his went through painting, I thought I would follow suit.Now, keep in mind, that this interview was set up through my school. I have heard rumors about what it takes for a 1L to get a coveted paid "summer associate" position, but how far do I really have to go? Do you think my school is trying to tell me something?
Check out my masterpiece here!
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
This one is for law school students...
What a WONDERFUL thing!The initiative of Jeremy Ritchey, the prodding of E. Spat, and the generosity of numerous Blawgers is shining brightly in the last Tsunami Relief Effort. You can actually donate your Lexis Nexis points and turn them into money for the Red Cross!!! Seriously, are you actually going to use those points anyway?
Go on over and donate your points, then let Jeremy know, as he is keeping track. The goal is 50,000 points by Friday. This translates to $800!!! Do it, do it...all the cool kids are:-)
Talk about suits
In such a dressed-up city, lately I have felt everything around me is being defined by fashion. I had an interview this morning, for which I had to purchase a suit. Co-worker walked in and said "wow, you look beautiful." Of course, being female, I took this to mean I am normally ugly. Thanks alot! Why does me in a suit make a difference? I'm still working as a receptionist. What exactly does this suit mean?I guess suits mean different things in different context:
Our annual Law School Prom (otherwise known as Barrister's Ball) is this Friday. There are gentlemen in my section who are not going solely out of fear of dressing up. Calm down my friends, we all still know you are of the "causal slacker" persuasion even if you have on a coat and tie. In this case, a suit means nothing except that you paid $50 to go to a fancy hotel and drink all night.
We have oral arguments next week, for which we need to wear a suit. (To quote our dean's fellow "men wear suits, women wear the female equivalent." Not sure what that means, but I assume he is not referring to the sexy bunny suit leftover from Halloween.) Anyway, in this context, the suit means nothing than "oh, you have your oral argument tonight." It means we take it seriously our Dean's Fellow who stands up front in an oversized judge's robe.
To mom's co-worker, C, a suit apparently invoked some mixed emotions. You see, they work for an organization that does grant writing to fund programs in underdeveloped countries. C had a really important meeting with some really important people asking them for money. Although it was 'jeans Friday', C got all spiffed up in a suit to show her seriousness and respect. Well, the lady actually told her she didn't think C should be asking for any money since she obviously already had money judging by her suit. When C met with them the following week, she decided her SWEATSUIT would portray a better image.
Okay, well, there is a $60 suit sale next door, so I'm going shopping!
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Childish
So, I decided since there is a lack of conflict in my life these days, I should start a war with my roommate. I happen to think he fired the first shot and I merely grabbed my weapon of choice and declared the war. This war is nothing like THL's war with her roommate, as there will be no throwing of soap with pubic hair at anyone's head. In fact, I really don't have any energy to fight in this war. I know I am right and as a wise person once said, knowing is half the battle.Background on Roomie (R) and I: without getting into the sordid details, I can tell you that we have had a pretty bumpy relationship. He LOVES to disagree with me. The topic at hand does not really matter. By default as to who the two of us are, we cannot agree. Sometimes, it is over him insisting that raising the limits on the credit cards he does not pay off is GOOD for his credit, sometimes it is his swearing that his three daily showers in no way contributed to our $400 water bill. (Note: neither of these figures are exaggerated.) Regardless, the two of us have had communication "issues" from day one. I have enrolled in law school and am paying tons of money to learn to analyze and logically form arguments in an adult fashion. Not saying I am there yet, just saying I am working on it. R dated 12 lawyer chicks from Craigslist. I guess that puts us on an even playing field when it comes to conflict resolution...right?
Back to the war at hand...I woke up on Sunday to find a nice white blanket of snow covering the ground outside. I immediately groaned, as my arms were sore from a long work-out the day before and I did not feel like shoveling. When I looked outside, I noticed little kid footprints. This led me to believe that people were up and about and we should shovel the snow promptly. (This thought was further emphasized by the fact that half of the neighbors had already shoveled. Yet another tid-bit - it was warming up outside and the snow was melting off the roof already.) Being from Louisiana, I was rarely confronted with such an issue. However, since I moved in with C, she has explained numerous times the importance of shoveling promptly.
R is laying down watching television when I head downstairs. An immediate dilemma enters into my head: since C and I have shoveled both other times this year and my arms hurt and R is not doing anything, I really thing it's his turn and he should shovel the snow. This is a tricky situation for many reasons and I quickly analyzed my options and their possibly repercussions:
1) First off, I could tell him where the shovel is and that he needs to get to work. (This would make him feel as if I am 'mothering him' and piss him off.)
2) Second option, I could just do it myself, and then spend the rest of the day mad feeling like R never does anything. (This is the fairly immature option. Plus, R taught me it is better to be proactive than reactive.)
3) Third, I could not say or do anything and hope that he notices. (This is just plain absurd. He will not notice.)
My lawyer ex-boyfriend gave me advice for situations like this...he said 'Law-rah, you have to understand, we are guys and by our nature, we are lazy. All you have to do is make us notice and we will step up and do the manly thing.' I had successfully tested this theory once before with R regarding his Tuesday ritual of walking PAST the garbage cans that need to be brought up on his way inside. I said good morning and made small talk for about five minutes about the snow, and the need to shovel, etc. He did not catch on, so I had to be a bit more assertive. "So, R, since C and I did it last time and my arms hurt and you aren’t doing anything, I was thinking it's your turn to shovel the snow." I think he ignored me. If he did respond, it was not in the affirmative. Oops, perhaps a bit too motherly? (Still hadn't had my coffee.) Oh well. So, I head to the kitchen to unload the dishes that have been sitting there all morning as he watches TV.
A few minutes later, R decides to get up and says "I don't understand why y'all do that." Having no idea what he is talking about, I say "do what?" to which he responds "shovel the snow." I have to pause here. Possible arguments on my part:
1) because it is the law (county ordinance)
2) because it is in our lease
3) because it is dangerous not too, someone could get hurt
4) so our neighbors don't hate us
5) so our other two roommates who will come home late at night with luggage don't have a hard time getting to the door
6) once people walk on it, they pack it down
7) once the snow melts, it becomes heavier and harder to deal with
I stick with "well, otherwise, it will turn to ice and someone could get hurt." There was then about five minutes of what elevated to bickering. (I will not call it an argument, as I have come to realize arguments must have data to back them up, of which he only had his opinions.) Arguements on his side:
1) it will eventually melt
2) he is not going to be here, what does he care if it gets shoveled
and my FAVORITE:
3)the outcome of this catfight is R refusing to do it saying "I can't sit around all day and wait to shovel snow. I have somewhere to be!" as he lays back down and un-mutes the television.
Granted, I am used to growing up in a world of southern GENTLEMEN, but you have got to be kidding me! I had my coffee and read the paper, then put on sweats and boots and went outside to start the shoveling. Keep in mind, that over an hour had passed between the time that R said he had somewhere to be and the time he left the house. Being the gentleman that he is, though, he did watch me shovel the snow and give me advice as he stood by his car while it warmed up. And I thought JB was bad!
Luckily, that very same day, as I was in the kitchen studying, the neighborhood delivered a much better answer to his question. They put the little monthly newsletter in our door and at the very top was a not about WHY YOU NEED TO SHOVEL SNOW. Well, being the nice roommate that I am, I didn't want R to spend too much time trying to figure out this seemingly odd ritual of ours, so I highlighted the article and taped it to the door for him. Well, I assume he did not like my weapon of choice, as the next morning it was gone.
NOTE: Other roommate was upset, as she likes to read our neighborhood newsletter. After finding it torn into a thousand little pieces in my trash can, she and C attempted to tape it back together only to find the world "childish" scrawled on it. Yep, I am thirteen again too!
NOTE to R: hope you enjoyed my take on things:-)