Not much new to write about the last couple of weeks, but I don't want to get in the habit of not writing. So, here it is. Be glad you don't have to pay for this stuff.
Last week, we drove up to Orlando to see my cousin, his wife and their baby (though he's not much of a baby anymore). We were going to hang out and watch the Cowboys beat the Colts, but their schedule changed, so Julie and I ended up making a spur of the moment trip to Disneyworld. I don't suggest driving to Miami, spending 8 hours at Disneyworld, then trying to drive back to Miami in the same day. Makes for a very long day. But we did.
I had been to Disneyworld once before at the age of 13 (plus a couple of trips to Disneyland). It's a lot different than I remember it. For one thing, it is a lot smaller when you are an adult. And the rides don't seem as cool when you can easily spot the "magic." I guess that is why they have built some of the other parks...to keep the adults entertained. (What? You thought is was for the money?) I also have to wonder, if Disneyworld is the happiest place on earth, why did I hear so many kids crying? It's a fun place, but you take a small child, pump 'em full of sugar and take them around a park for 8 hours plus, you tend to have a few melt downs. But it was a fun day and I was glad to see my cousin.
This weekend, we drove south of Miami to Key West for Thanksgiving. It's almost midnight Thanksgiving day and I write this sitting beneath a palm tree in a sleeveless shirt listening to the breeze in the leaves. Aren't you jealous? Paradise sure has it's perks. We'll be here for a couple of days then head back to Miami.
This is one of the best football days in a while. The Cowboys easily won their game and UM finally won a game. Just might even go to a bowl game. It might be a completely meaningless game, but it will be a bowl game nonetheless. Probably won't save Larry Coker's job, but now he has a job for another month or so.
Since this is a pretty random post, I'll end it in the famous words of Forrest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Election Day: Part II
Today was a gloomy day. I'm disappointed by the results of the election (although we did manage to elect a Republican Governor).
It is a gloomy day becuase a member of the University of Miami Football team was killed late yesterday afternoon. This is a very tragic event. I am sad for the family of the Bryan Pata. But his death made me realize something else yesterday.
[Sidebar: People have been calling the local sports talk shows talking about how bad they feel and how terrible this is. I think this is terrible and my thoughts go out to the guy's family, friends and teammates. But I am not grieving today. I did not know him personally. Unfortunately, many young African American men are shot every day. There is probably at least one University of Miami student who dies for some reason each year. But no one calls the talk shows and talks about how sad they are. People need to put this in perspective: you may be a fan, but unless you knew the kid, you have no idea how much grief his death has caused and you need to get a better hold of reality if this is affecting you as much as you say it is on the radio. Recognize it for the tragedy it is and be mindful of the people it really affects, but get over yourself.
On another note, he was killed in an apartment complex that is less than half a mile from where we lived through law school. We actually looked at an apartment in the complex where he was shot (or across the street...I haven't seen the actual complex on TV yet, but recognize the address). It was not a bad neighborhood. It is a decent neighborhood and we never felt unsafe in three years. Knowing that, I hope people don't turn this into another story about the thugs at UM. I don't know the facts yet, but I know the kid was not in a place he shouldn't have been]
What I realized is this: elections do affect us, but not as much as we might think. On an individual level, an election is meaningless when something like this happens. In the middle of the election night coverage, they news showed shots of friends and family of this guy gathered around, shocked and grieving. Meanwhile, people at various political rallies cheered and celebrated (or commiserated depending on outcomes), clueless to one family's tragedy. I'm sure this played out in various forms all across the country yesterday as people lost loved ones, lost jobs, got divorced, etc. Whether you are happy or sad about the election, please take a moment to be grateful for the things and people you have, regardless of whether your candidate won. There will always be another election, but we are blessed if we get one more day with our loved ones.
It is a gloomy day becuase a member of the University of Miami Football team was killed late yesterday afternoon. This is a very tragic event. I am sad for the family of the Bryan Pata. But his death made me realize something else yesterday.
[Sidebar: People have been calling the local sports talk shows talking about how bad they feel and how terrible this is. I think this is terrible and my thoughts go out to the guy's family, friends and teammates. But I am not grieving today. I did not know him personally. Unfortunately, many young African American men are shot every day. There is probably at least one University of Miami student who dies for some reason each year. But no one calls the talk shows and talks about how sad they are. People need to put this in perspective: you may be a fan, but unless you knew the kid, you have no idea how much grief his death has caused and you need to get a better hold of reality if this is affecting you as much as you say it is on the radio. Recognize it for the tragedy it is and be mindful of the people it really affects, but get over yourself.
On another note, he was killed in an apartment complex that is less than half a mile from where we lived through law school. We actually looked at an apartment in the complex where he was shot (or across the street...I haven't seen the actual complex on TV yet, but recognize the address). It was not a bad neighborhood. It is a decent neighborhood and we never felt unsafe in three years. Knowing that, I hope people don't turn this into another story about the thugs at UM. I don't know the facts yet, but I know the kid was not in a place he shouldn't have been]
What I realized is this: elections do affect us, but not as much as we might think. On an individual level, an election is meaningless when something like this happens. In the middle of the election night coverage, they news showed shots of friends and family of this guy gathered around, shocked and grieving. Meanwhile, people at various political rallies cheered and celebrated (or commiserated depending on outcomes), clueless to one family's tragedy. I'm sure this played out in various forms all across the country yesterday as people lost loved ones, lost jobs, got divorced, etc. Whether you are happy or sad about the election, please take a moment to be grateful for the things and people you have, regardless of whether your candidate won. There will always be another election, but we are blessed if we get one more day with our loved ones.
Election Day: Part I
Yesterday was, of course, election day. This astounds me because Florida elected a governor in yesterday's election. This fact is probably not amazing to most people, or even interesting for that matter. The reason it is interesting to me is because Julie and I lived in Florida when Jeb Bush was reelected to his second term as Florida governor. That means that yesterday was the second gubernatorial election we have witnessed. That means we have been in Miami for four years. That is just so hard for me to beleive. Time really does fly. Fortunately, yesterday's election went much smoother than the first election we witnessed here. When we moved here, we got here just in time for the primary election. This was the first statewide election in Florida since the 2000 presidential debacle. That first election was not much better. Many places were using the touch screen booths for the first time. On that primary day, many of the machines malfunctioned and the election generally went poorly. After 2000, the result was unacceptable to many here and Jeb Bush ended up removing the Supervisor of Elections for Broward county (a substantial move since the SE is locally elected and locally elected officials can be removed by the Governor only under special circumstances).
But four years later, things went smoothly and there were few, if any, reports of voting problems here. See, people in Florida CAN vote.
But four years later, things went smoothly and there were few, if any, reports of voting problems here. See, people in Florida CAN vote.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
'Tis the Season...to Market
I walked into Publix this morning and found them setting up a huge Christmas display. At the time, the employee was stacking boxes of candy canes in a pyramid/Christmas tree shape. The display was also full of lights, paper plates and everything else you need to throw the first Christmas party of the year this weekend. There were other Christmas displays in the store and they had just put out the individual Christmas cards.
Not that any of this surprises me. We saw Christmas decorations at Bombay Company at least two weeks ago. The Toys R Us "Big Toy Book" was in the newspaper Sunday. I saw a credit card commercial this morning with a Bing Crosby Christmas song in the background. I'm actually surprised that Publix is putting this stuff out today rather than yesterday.
For years, people have been complaining about how commercial Christmas has become. (The truly ironic thing is that much of this complaint comes from Christians, yet some of the first Christmas ads I saw this year were from Lifeway, the Southern Baptist Convention's bookstore.) People make fun of, and lament, the fact that stores start promoting Christmas before Halloween is even over. Actually, what really surprises me is the restraint many retailers have shown this year regarding when Christmas is brought out. At least to my perception, I have seen very little mention of Christmas, so far.
Of course, the cynic/skeptic in me realizes that this has nothing to do with respect for Christmas. It may be respect for the dollars spent by people who complain about Christmas being promoted to early, but I really think it is another phenomenon. I have seen reports that this year saw record amounts of money spent on Halloween decorations, etc. and that this is a trend that has been going on for a while. While it won't reach the level of Christmas, I think retailers have realized they can get as much mileage out of Halloween as they do the other second tier holidays like Valentine's Day and Independence Day. So they don't bring out the Christmas stuff so early so they don't distract people from Halloween sales.
It's a pretty smart strategy, if you ask me. Most retail establisments make or break their year on holiday shopping. If they promote Halloween, they can stretch the holiday season into October, which they've been trying to do for years, but they do it without making people weary of Christmas.
As for me, I'll wait a little while longer before really getting into Christmas.
Until then, have a happy Fall and great Thanksgiving!
Not that any of this surprises me. We saw Christmas decorations at Bombay Company at least two weeks ago. The Toys R Us "Big Toy Book" was in the newspaper Sunday. I saw a credit card commercial this morning with a Bing Crosby Christmas song in the background. I'm actually surprised that Publix is putting this stuff out today rather than yesterday.
For years, people have been complaining about how commercial Christmas has become. (The truly ironic thing is that much of this complaint comes from Christians, yet some of the first Christmas ads I saw this year were from Lifeway, the Southern Baptist Convention's bookstore.) People make fun of, and lament, the fact that stores start promoting Christmas before Halloween is even over. Actually, what really surprises me is the restraint many retailers have shown this year regarding when Christmas is brought out. At least to my perception, I have seen very little mention of Christmas, so far.
Of course, the cynic/skeptic in me realizes that this has nothing to do with respect for Christmas. It may be respect for the dollars spent by people who complain about Christmas being promoted to early, but I really think it is another phenomenon. I have seen reports that this year saw record amounts of money spent on Halloween decorations, etc. and that this is a trend that has been going on for a while. While it won't reach the level of Christmas, I think retailers have realized they can get as much mileage out of Halloween as they do the other second tier holidays like Valentine's Day and Independence Day. So they don't bring out the Christmas stuff so early so they don't distract people from Halloween sales.
It's a pretty smart strategy, if you ask me. Most retail establisments make or break their year on holiday shopping. If they promote Halloween, they can stretch the holiday season into October, which they've been trying to do for years, but they do it without making people weary of Christmas.
As for me, I'll wait a little while longer before really getting into Christmas.
Until then, have a happy Fall and great Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Almost Official
I've got good news! I received a letter last week from the Florida Supreme Court. I am eligible to be sorn in as an attorney in the state of Florida. I am this close to being a licensed attorney. Even though I don't have a job yet, I am so close to ending a long journey and completing a long held dream. When the big day happnes, I'll let you know.
New and Improved
Now that I am back to (semi) regular blogging, I decided to add a new "feature" to my blog. You'll notice on the right side of the page a list of books that I am reading or have recently read. Hopefully, this will give a little more insight into me. As I read new books, I will probably comment on them so that you can go enjoy them too.
I love to read. I have always tried to be a voracious reader. Books, magazines, newspapers, it doesn't matter. I want to read it. Many people find this strange since I just graduated from law school (including the extra year that most sane law students avoid like the plague). My mom has always told me that my grandfather was not a reader because he did not want to read after spending his entire day at work reading things. I also have friends who are not big readers for the same reason. But me, I like to read. Of course, I am not in practice yet, so it might change, but I doubt it. In fact, I feel like I am behind. I have done little non-school reading the last four years. Not becuase I read so much for school, but because I simply did not have the time. I tried to get in a lot of books during the summer, but it was never enough. So now that I am out of school, I am starting to move through some books.
As you can see, I have recently been reading some fluffy crime novels. These were books that my mother in law left lying around on past visits. My rationale for reading them was this: they were stacked on top of the bookcase rather than actually standing on a shelf like normal books. I have been in a bit of purge mode since I got back from Gainesville. We have too much stuff. So things that don't have sentimental value or a place to call their own must go. This includes books that are not standing on the bookshelf in a normal manner. But these three books have created a new problem. I enjoyed them so much, I want to read more by those authors, particularly the James Patterson book. It ended on such a cliffhanger that I NEED to read the next book to see what happens. This is brilliant marketing by these authors. Creating characters that appear in book after book creates a built in customer base. The dilemma is that I have more books at home that need to be purged because they do not have a shelf. So do I read them or go to the library and get the next Patterson?
I am currently reading "Stealing Elections" by John Fund. I decided to read something topical since the election is right around the corner. Fund spoke at UM Law School right after the 2004 election to promote this book. At the time, he was covering the election controversy in the Washington Governor's race. The book is about the different problems facing the American election system. I've only read the introduction, but I hope to get it read by the election. I will tell you what I think when I am done.
For now, go vote and go read.
I love to read. I have always tried to be a voracious reader. Books, magazines, newspapers, it doesn't matter. I want to read it. Many people find this strange since I just graduated from law school (including the extra year that most sane law students avoid like the plague). My mom has always told me that my grandfather was not a reader because he did not want to read after spending his entire day at work reading things. I also have friends who are not big readers for the same reason. But me, I like to read. Of course, I am not in practice yet, so it might change, but I doubt it. In fact, I feel like I am behind. I have done little non-school reading the last four years. Not becuase I read so much for school, but because I simply did not have the time. I tried to get in a lot of books during the summer, but it was never enough. So now that I am out of school, I am starting to move through some books.
As you can see, I have recently been reading some fluffy crime novels. These were books that my mother in law left lying around on past visits. My rationale for reading them was this: they were stacked on top of the bookcase rather than actually standing on a shelf like normal books. I have been in a bit of purge mode since I got back from Gainesville. We have too much stuff. So things that don't have sentimental value or a place to call their own must go. This includes books that are not standing on the bookshelf in a normal manner. But these three books have created a new problem. I enjoyed them so much, I want to read more by those authors, particularly the James Patterson book. It ended on such a cliffhanger that I NEED to read the next book to see what happens. This is brilliant marketing by these authors. Creating characters that appear in book after book creates a built in customer base. The dilemma is that I have more books at home that need to be purged because they do not have a shelf. So do I read them or go to the library and get the next Patterson?
I am currently reading "Stealing Elections" by John Fund. I decided to read something topical since the election is right around the corner. Fund spoke at UM Law School right after the 2004 election to promote this book. At the time, he was covering the election controversy in the Washington Governor's race. The book is about the different problems facing the American election system. I've only read the introduction, but I hope to get it read by the election. I will tell you what I think when I am done.
For now, go vote and go read.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Football's Place in Life
By all accounts, things are not going well for football fans in the city of Miami these days.
The University of Miami is at 5-2, but that is very misleading. UM has lost to the two good teams they have played. Miami's wins have come against Florida A & M (a 4-3 1-AA team), Houston at 5-3 and the last three wins have come against North Carolina (1-6 with the lone win against Furman) and winless Duke and Florida International. The combined record of the teams Miami has beaten is 10-26. Not an inspiring number with a road game this week against a top 25 team. And I am sure everyone knows about the fight last week in the Miami/FIU game. Miami is suffering right now.
As bad as that is, the Miami Dolphins are having an even worse year. The Dolphins are 1-6 with losses to Green Bay and Houston and the lone victory came against the Titans. The Dolphins are a very bad team this year.
If you listen to sports radio down here, you would think the world is about to implode. People are unhappy and everyone has the solution to make things better.
That is why this story really struck me last night. About 8:00, NBC did a teaser about a bus crash on the turnpike with "details at 11:00." I didn't think much about it until the news came on and it turned out the bus was full of Dolphins fans from the west coast of the state on their way home from the game. None of the bus passengers were killed though a few had some serious injuries. I couldn't help but think that the accident puts the game in perspective. I'm sure more than a few of the people on the bus are the type of fans wanting to see coaches fired, players benched, etc. I can't help but wonder if the state of the Dolphins' season became at lot less important to at least one fan. The ability of a football game to make your day bad diminishes when you have to crawl out of a burning bus just to stay alive. Though I've always realized sports outcomes are not all that significant in the scheme of life, I still have to be reminded from time to time not to take it so seriously.
Thinking about the bus accident this way, I found it insenstive for the author of the story in the paper to say, "made a bad day much worse for some Miami Dolphins fans." But then I was shocked to see this quote from one of the passengers: "'We had a bad day -- a very bad day,' Hardman said." I would say you had a very bad day and the game had nothing to do with it. I consider myself a pretty passionate fan, but I guess I will never understand Dolphins fans.
This is all made even more interesting to me after the lesson at church last night. The preacher was talking about joy and repeated the often said truism that "no one can ruin your day unless you give them permission to." The same applies to sports. The outcome of a game can only ruin your day if you allow it to. But many fans refer to sports teams as "we." "We need to beat X this week." "We need to do a better job of getting the ball to Y." What "we" need to do is understand that "we" are not a part of them team. We don't practice. We don't play. We don't coach. We don't pay the salaries (directly at least). Of course, you must realize I am writing this while wearing my Cowboys jersey, getting ready to watch the Cowboys on Monday Night Football tonight. I am sure up to this point, Julie is screaming at the computer about how I watch games on TV. When I watch one of my teams, I like to talk to the TV, to put it mildly. I am guilty of the we mindsight from time to time. But, I think I do a pretty good job of not letting games get me down. I think I usually get over it pretty quickly. But I also realize that I can do a better job and not get down when my team loses. It is a joy to watch sports. As a fan, it should be entertainment to me and nothing more. I hope that the images of a bunch of people in Dolphins gear standing near a burned out bus frame will help me remember this.
P.S. The driver of the truck that caused the accident died. Please keep his family in your prayers.
The University of Miami is at 5-2, but that is very misleading. UM has lost to the two good teams they have played. Miami's wins have come against Florida A & M (a 4-3 1-AA team), Houston at 5-3 and the last three wins have come against North Carolina (1-6 with the lone win against Furman) and winless Duke and Florida International. The combined record of the teams Miami has beaten is 10-26. Not an inspiring number with a road game this week against a top 25 team. And I am sure everyone knows about the fight last week in the Miami/FIU game. Miami is suffering right now.
As bad as that is, the Miami Dolphins are having an even worse year. The Dolphins are 1-6 with losses to Green Bay and Houston and the lone victory came against the Titans. The Dolphins are a very bad team this year.
If you listen to sports radio down here, you would think the world is about to implode. People are unhappy and everyone has the solution to make things better.
That is why this story really struck me last night. About 8:00, NBC did a teaser about a bus crash on the turnpike with "details at 11:00." I didn't think much about it until the news came on and it turned out the bus was full of Dolphins fans from the west coast of the state on their way home from the game. None of the bus passengers were killed though a few had some serious injuries. I couldn't help but think that the accident puts the game in perspective. I'm sure more than a few of the people on the bus are the type of fans wanting to see coaches fired, players benched, etc. I can't help but wonder if the state of the Dolphins' season became at lot less important to at least one fan. The ability of a football game to make your day bad diminishes when you have to crawl out of a burning bus just to stay alive. Though I've always realized sports outcomes are not all that significant in the scheme of life, I still have to be reminded from time to time not to take it so seriously.
Thinking about the bus accident this way, I found it insenstive for the author of the story in the paper to say, "made a bad day much worse for some Miami Dolphins fans." But then I was shocked to see this quote from one of the passengers: "'We had a bad day -- a very bad day,' Hardman said." I would say you had a very bad day and the game had nothing to do with it. I consider myself a pretty passionate fan, but I guess I will never understand Dolphins fans.
This is all made even more interesting to me after the lesson at church last night. The preacher was talking about joy and repeated the often said truism that "no one can ruin your day unless you give them permission to." The same applies to sports. The outcome of a game can only ruin your day if you allow it to. But many fans refer to sports teams as "we." "We need to beat X this week." "We need to do a better job of getting the ball to Y." What "we" need to do is understand that "we" are not a part of them team. We don't practice. We don't play. We don't coach. We don't pay the salaries (directly at least). Of course, you must realize I am writing this while wearing my Cowboys jersey, getting ready to watch the Cowboys on Monday Night Football tonight. I am sure up to this point, Julie is screaming at the computer about how I watch games on TV. When I watch one of my teams, I like to talk to the TV, to put it mildly. I am guilty of the we mindsight from time to time. But, I think I do a pretty good job of not letting games get me down. I think I usually get over it pretty quickly. But I also realize that I can do a better job and not get down when my team loses. It is a joy to watch sports. As a fan, it should be entertainment to me and nothing more. I hope that the images of a bunch of people in Dolphins gear standing near a burned out bus frame will help me remember this.
P.S. The driver of the truck that caused the accident died. Please keep his family in your prayers.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
The Silence is Broken
It's been awhile since I posted. Nearly two months. What can I say? My life has been pretty dull since I took the bar exam. I can proudly report that I passed. It is an accomplishment that makes me very proud. However, I am still not a licensed attorney because the state of Florida is still looking for my skeletons. Hopefully they won't find any. I hope to be an actual licensed attorney soon. I'll post when it happens.
I have spent the last few months looking for a job. I've had leads from time to time, some that I was really confident in. Up to this point, none of them have panned out. It is pretty discouraging to keep getting rejection letters. I could probably wallpaper a room with all the rejection letters I've received since law school started.
My in-laws recently visited Miami. While they were here, we drove through a park across the street from our apartment complex on a Saturday afternoon. There were no less than four birthday parties going on. Each party had rented its own inflatable bounce house for the kids. I have seen those things around town before in people's back yards.
Then today, I saw the party to end all birthday parties in the small park next to the public library. When I was driving up, I saw the beginnings of the directions...ballons, grills, etc. A pickup truck was pulling a miniature ferris wheel that is about 15-20 feet tall and has five cars on it. I just looked out the window and there is more. There is the requisite bounce house. There is a table full of gifts. There is a "toy" train with four cars pulling kids around the park. There is some sort of homemade Disney princess castle. And there is at least 100 people out there.
I have decided that if I don't find a legal job soon, I am going into the birthday party entertainment business. There is obviously a market for it. "Keeping up with the Jonses" extends beyond cars, clothes and houses. It apparently also applies to kids' birthday parties. With that kind of mindset, the market here is tremendous. Anyone want to invest in a miniature carnival with me?
I have spent the last few months looking for a job. I've had leads from time to time, some that I was really confident in. Up to this point, none of them have panned out. It is pretty discouraging to keep getting rejection letters. I could probably wallpaper a room with all the rejection letters I've received since law school started.
My in-laws recently visited Miami. While they were here, we drove through a park across the street from our apartment complex on a Saturday afternoon. There were no less than four birthday parties going on. Each party had rented its own inflatable bounce house for the kids. I have seen those things around town before in people's back yards.
Then today, I saw the party to end all birthday parties in the small park next to the public library. When I was driving up, I saw the beginnings of the directions...ballons, grills, etc. A pickup truck was pulling a miniature ferris wheel that is about 15-20 feet tall and has five cars on it. I just looked out the window and there is more. There is the requisite bounce house. There is a table full of gifts. There is a "toy" train with four cars pulling kids around the park. There is some sort of homemade Disney princess castle. And there is at least 100 people out there.
I have decided that if I don't find a legal job soon, I am going into the birthday party entertainment business. There is obviously a market for it. "Keeping up with the Jonses" extends beyond cars, clothes and houses. It apparently also applies to kids' birthday parties. With that kind of mindset, the market here is tremendous. Anyone want to invest in a miniature carnival with me?
Monday, August 21, 2006
Politics as Unusual
Politics never cease to amuse me. As most people probably know, we are coming up on another election season in America. In Florida, Jeb Bush is term limited and is not running for Governor again. This has led to a spirited primary for both parties which will conclude in a couple of weeks. The Republican primary is pretty much decided already. Charlie Crist (notice the picture of Jeb Bush at the very top of the page...he's running as the "I'll continue Jeb's legacy" candidate) is probably going to beat Tom Gallagher (also notice the picture of Jeb Bush ast the top of the page...Republicans in Florida LOVE Jeb.). This is the fourth time Gallagher has run for Governor. I wonder if he will ever give up?
The closer race is in the Democratic primary. U.S. Rep. Jim Davis is running against State Senator Rod Smith (not the football player). Since the race is close, they are campaigning hard and running LOTS of commercials. The latest commercials each of them are running strike me as ironic and amusing (even though both commercials are pretty anti-Republican). Neither commercial really attacks the other candidate, rather each attacks a "Republican" policy. The first commercial I saw was Smith's (the state senator) and was about stem cell research. Then today, I saw a commercial from Davis (the U.S. Rep.) about a Florida hurricane insurance bill. The state guy is running an ad about a federal issue and the federal guy is running an ad about a state issue. I may be the only one, but I find that humorous.
The closer race is in the Democratic primary. U.S. Rep. Jim Davis is running against State Senator Rod Smith (not the football player). Since the race is close, they are campaigning hard and running LOTS of commercials. The latest commercials each of them are running strike me as ironic and amusing (even though both commercials are pretty anti-Republican). Neither commercial really attacks the other candidate, rather each attacks a "Republican" policy. The first commercial I saw was Smith's (the state senator) and was about stem cell research. Then today, I saw a commercial from Davis (the U.S. Rep.) about a Florida hurricane insurance bill. The state guy is running an ad about a federal issue and the federal guy is running an ad about a state issue. I may be the only one, but I find that humorous.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Civic Duty
Early this summer, I received a lovely piece of mail: a jury summons. At the time, I was busy taking a class and studying for the bar exam...in Gainesville. I was NOT going to drive to Miami just to sit around all day while there were more important things to do. So I sent the jury people a nice letter explaining my situation and aksed them to postpone my service until August.
When I finally heard back from them, I was no longer "on call" (you call in each night to see if you are needed the next day). Since I had postponed my duty, they put me in the very first group which meant I had to be there bright and early (8:00 A.M.) Monday morning. Miami being what it is, I had to leave at 7:00 just to be on time.
When I arrived, there were TV monitors showing a video on the history of the Dade County courthouse. The video, which was intersting, ended by talking about the turkey vultures that camp out on top of the downtown building and how they like to hit targets other than the sidewalk. Lovely image, huh.
Aroud 9:00, a way too cheerful lady began giving instructions about the day and explained that if you are unemployed, you get paid. $15! About 10:00, they called the first panel (40 people) and I was lucky enough to be on it. We went out in the hall with the bailiff who organized us and gave us numbers (I was lucky #7) and took our jury questionaires. After standing around for about half an hour, we were taken down to the hall outside the courtroom...and waited.
I was not happy about being on jury duty. I was hoping that I would get dismissed early because I am a law student. But the cheerful lady informed us first thing in the morning that we would be there all day even if we were not selected from a panel. They would "recycle" us. But by this point, I was starting to look forward to getting in the courtroom and was actually glad to be part of the process. Jury duty is a big part of our democratic system and I am glad to get to do my part.
So, finally, about noon, the bailiff comes outside and said the judge was going to let us go get lunch and to be back about 1:30. I got something to eat and got back up to the courtroom about 1:10. I had a book and did not even notice time passing. At about 1:40, another bailiff (not the one we were originally assigned to) came out and asked those of us waiting if were were part of Judge X's panel. He counted and there were only 13 of us back. New bailiff sent us back to the jury pool room and said we would get further instructions. Of course, the bailiff and the 13 of us were wondering where the rest of the panel was. When I got back to the jury pool, a bunch of the other people from the panel where already in the room. They said they had been sent back by the original bailiff.
I was back 20 minutes early. I never say the original bailiff. I don't understand how you send a group of people to lunch, tell them to come back at a certain time, come to the meeting place at least 20 minutes early, tell those already back to leave, and then not come back at the appointed time to send the rest of the people back. Doesn't seem very logical to me.
About 30 minutes after returning to the jury pool, my entire panel was called out of the room. We were told that, numerically, we were no longer needed and were free to go. The catch was, there were still judges that had juries to pick, so we would forfeit our $15. I thought about for a couple of minutes. $15 was not worth sitting around for another 2+ hours.
I left pleased with the opportunity to serve. It is a civic duty. But as with anything else in our government, I don't know if the actual administration of the process should make me laugh or cry. Bureaucracy can make anything painful. I'll let you know what I think if I end up serving again. I found out that jury duty is an "annual obligation." Oh boy! I can't wait for my next summons!
When I finally heard back from them, I was no longer "on call" (you call in each night to see if you are needed the next day). Since I had postponed my duty, they put me in the very first group which meant I had to be there bright and early (8:00 A.M.) Monday morning. Miami being what it is, I had to leave at 7:00 just to be on time.
When I arrived, there were TV monitors showing a video on the history of the Dade County courthouse. The video, which was intersting, ended by talking about the turkey vultures that camp out on top of the downtown building and how they like to hit targets other than the sidewalk. Lovely image, huh.
Aroud 9:00, a way too cheerful lady began giving instructions about the day and explained that if you are unemployed, you get paid. $15! About 10:00, they called the first panel (40 people) and I was lucky enough to be on it. We went out in the hall with the bailiff who organized us and gave us numbers (I was lucky #7) and took our jury questionaires. After standing around for about half an hour, we were taken down to the hall outside the courtroom...and waited.
I was not happy about being on jury duty. I was hoping that I would get dismissed early because I am a law student. But the cheerful lady informed us first thing in the morning that we would be there all day even if we were not selected from a panel. They would "recycle" us. But by this point, I was starting to look forward to getting in the courtroom and was actually glad to be part of the process. Jury duty is a big part of our democratic system and I am glad to get to do my part.
So, finally, about noon, the bailiff comes outside and said the judge was going to let us go get lunch and to be back about 1:30. I got something to eat and got back up to the courtroom about 1:10. I had a book and did not even notice time passing. At about 1:40, another bailiff (not the one we were originally assigned to) came out and asked those of us waiting if were were part of Judge X's panel. He counted and there were only 13 of us back. New bailiff sent us back to the jury pool room and said we would get further instructions. Of course, the bailiff and the 13 of us were wondering where the rest of the panel was. When I got back to the jury pool, a bunch of the other people from the panel where already in the room. They said they had been sent back by the original bailiff.
I was back 20 minutes early. I never say the original bailiff. I don't understand how you send a group of people to lunch, tell them to come back at a certain time, come to the meeting place at least 20 minutes early, tell those already back to leave, and then not come back at the appointed time to send the rest of the people back. Doesn't seem very logical to me.
About 30 minutes after returning to the jury pool, my entire panel was called out of the room. We were told that, numerically, we were no longer needed and were free to go. The catch was, there were still judges that had juries to pick, so we would forfeit our $15. I thought about for a couple of minutes. $15 was not worth sitting around for another 2+ hours.
I left pleased with the opportunity to serve. It is a civic duty. But as with anything else in our government, I don't know if the actual administration of the process should make me laugh or cry. Bureaucracy can make anything painful. I'll let you know what I think if I end up serving again. I found out that jury duty is an "annual obligation." Oh boy! I can't wait for my next summons!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Welcome Home
I'm home. We drove down from Gainesville on Sunday. In a bit of irony, the drive back from Gainesville was much like the drive up to Gainesville last year. On the way up last year, our drive was drastically slowed down by really heavy rainstorms between Orlando and Gainesville. This past Sunday, we were slowed down by rainstorms that we weren't able to leave behind until we got south of Orlando. And the traffic was really heavy as a result. But I am home now, safe and sound. Of course, the apartment is a wreck with all of my stuff.
Speaking of weather, I come home and what happens. A tropical storm forms and is taking direct aim at South Florida. When I went to bed on Monday night, the weatherman said there was a system with the potential to become a tropical storm, but it was expected to be a loosely organized low pressure system for several days. So of course, by yesterday after noon, Chris had formed and is expected to be a hurricane sometime today or tomorrow and could hit South Florida sometime Sunday. We are going to Nashville for the weekend for my brother-in-law's wedding. We are supposed to come back on Sunday. Julie is supposed to open school on Monday. If the storm is still headed for South Florida on Sunday, it is doubtful we will get back to Miami on Sunday. Julie really does not want to miss the first day of school. But if the storm is bad, or late, there won't be school on Monday. What a way to start the school year.
Weclome back to Miami. Should be a fun year.
Speaking of weather, I come home and what happens. A tropical storm forms and is taking direct aim at South Florida. When I went to bed on Monday night, the weatherman said there was a system with the potential to become a tropical storm, but it was expected to be a loosely organized low pressure system for several days. So of course, by yesterday after noon, Chris had formed and is expected to be a hurricane sometime today or tomorrow and could hit South Florida sometime Sunday. We are going to Nashville for the weekend for my brother-in-law's wedding. We are supposed to come back on Sunday. Julie is supposed to open school on Monday. If the storm is still headed for South Florida on Sunday, it is doubtful we will get back to Miami on Sunday. Julie really does not want to miss the first day of school. But if the storm is bad, or late, there won't be school on Monday. What a way to start the school year.
Weclome back to Miami. Should be a fun year.
Monday, July 31, 2006
That's it?
It's been a few days since the bar exam (almost a week actually), and I have not written about it yet. There has been a lot going on since then. I did write something on Wednesady night, but I did not have internet access at the time. So, here, below, are my first thoughts about the bar exam the first time I had a chance to sit and contemplate it for a few moments:
I am writing this at 1:30 on Wednesday night after the bar exam. Julie and I left Tampa as soon as the exam was over so we could go to church and then we came home. We just watched a movie and Julie went to sleep, so I came into the living room to take care of some stuff. I looked around the apartment and saw some boxes piling up, my backpack on the floor and realized I don’t have anything to do. And I don’t know how to deal with that. The bar exam is the pinnacle of what I have been preparing for. The entire arc of my educational life has pointed to the last two days. I’ve always known I would have to take the bar exam. But I only began to understand what it was about last summer when my friends, the people who went all the way through law school with me, were preparing for the exam. I would run into people on campus and hear about it from them. I would call friends to check on them and hear about it from them, as well. I really heard about it after the exam was over. Then I went to the LLM program and most of my classmates at UF had taken the bar exam. Although it wasn’t my top priority, it was pretty close to the forefront of my thoughts throughout the school year. Then for the last 7-8 weeks, the bar exam has consumed me. If I was awake, I was thinking about it. If was going to bed, I was thinking about it. If I was asleep, I was dreaming about it. Get the point? The bar exam has been my life. And now it is over. I just spent almost two hours watching a move and I don’t feel guilty. I’m not worried about what I’m going to cover tomorrow when I study. And I feel lost to an extent. Which leads to the longest wait of my life. Until the scores are released, I won’t truly know how I did the last two days. And it is possible I will have to do this whole process again in January and February. I have friends who are smart and generally hard workers who had to take the exam a second time. So I am certainly not taking anything for granted. But in the meantime, there are other things to do. We’ve got to get this apartment packed up so I can move home to Miami. I have to finish my paper for the LLM. I have to find a job. And that is one of the great things about life: it goes on. When you go through a major change, it will bring you some great surprises if you let. When you reach one pinnacle, a new pinnacle will appear with new challenges. You can’t allow these changes to slow you down. You have to be ready to embrace the new challenges rather than be paralyzed by fear or emptiness. So I am looking forward to finding out what is next, even though I don’t know what it is. But not right away. I think I will enjoy the liberation, for a few days at least. My mind and my body both need some much needed rest. Life will resume soon enough. But in the meantime, I am still contemplating the last year. It has been interesting. There are a lot of things about the last year I am going to miss. I am a very sentimental person and can get quite melancholy about sometimes. I may even write about it some.
I am writing this at 1:30 on Wednesday night after the bar exam. Julie and I left Tampa as soon as the exam was over so we could go to church and then we came home. We just watched a movie and Julie went to sleep, so I came into the living room to take care of some stuff. I looked around the apartment and saw some boxes piling up, my backpack on the floor and realized I don’t have anything to do. And I don’t know how to deal with that. The bar exam is the pinnacle of what I have been preparing for. The entire arc of my educational life has pointed to the last two days. I’ve always known I would have to take the bar exam. But I only began to understand what it was about last summer when my friends, the people who went all the way through law school with me, were preparing for the exam. I would run into people on campus and hear about it from them. I would call friends to check on them and hear about it from them, as well. I really heard about it after the exam was over. Then I went to the LLM program and most of my classmates at UF had taken the bar exam. Although it wasn’t my top priority, it was pretty close to the forefront of my thoughts throughout the school year. Then for the last 7-8 weeks, the bar exam has consumed me. If I was awake, I was thinking about it. If was going to bed, I was thinking about it. If I was asleep, I was dreaming about it. Get the point? The bar exam has been my life. And now it is over. I just spent almost two hours watching a move and I don’t feel guilty. I’m not worried about what I’m going to cover tomorrow when I study. And I feel lost to an extent. Which leads to the longest wait of my life. Until the scores are released, I won’t truly know how I did the last two days. And it is possible I will have to do this whole process again in January and February. I have friends who are smart and generally hard workers who had to take the exam a second time. So I am certainly not taking anything for granted. But in the meantime, there are other things to do. We’ve got to get this apartment packed up so I can move home to Miami. I have to finish my paper for the LLM. I have to find a job. And that is one of the great things about life: it goes on. When you go through a major change, it will bring you some great surprises if you let. When you reach one pinnacle, a new pinnacle will appear with new challenges. You can’t allow these changes to slow you down. You have to be ready to embrace the new challenges rather than be paralyzed by fear or emptiness. So I am looking forward to finding out what is next, even though I don’t know what it is. But not right away. I think I will enjoy the liberation, for a few days at least. My mind and my body both need some much needed rest. Life will resume soon enough. But in the meantime, I am still contemplating the last year. It has been interesting. There are a lot of things about the last year I am going to miss. I am a very sentimental person and can get quite melancholy about sometimes. I may even write about it some.
Monday, July 24, 2006
'Twas the night before...
Well, it's here. I'm in Tampa for the bar exam. Hard to believe it is already here. I drove down yesterday afternoon and it rained on me off and on the whole way. I hope that is not a prophetic metaphor for how the next two days are going to go. The time has gone by really fast. I did my first set of practice questions back on June 6 and I was listening to lectures before that. Somehow it is already July 24th. I tell you what, Christmas never comes this fast. I am just praying I don't end up with a lump of coal tomorrow.
But it is here and there is nothing else I can do. I just have to take what comes, do my best and hope it turns out well. My mind is about ready to burst. When it does, it is going to be like a broken dam and all kinds of information is going to come tumbling out. When it does, I just hope it all comes out at the right time and in the right order. And for good measure, I hope the right bucket of water is up there in the first place.
This process has been easier because of all my family and friends. There have been so many words of encouragement and expressions of confidence in my ability. I am grateful for the positive attitudes. At this point, I as afraid of letting them down as I am myself.
But now it is bed time. I was feeling a little giddy earlier. I love Christas and can never sleep on Christmas Eve. Julie just said, "tomorrow's not Christmas....you have to sleep tonight." She's right and I hope I can. (By the way...it just occurred to me...how ironic that today is the 24th and the exam is on the 25th.) So I am going to go now and get some shut eye so I can get this thing over with and hopefully get on with my life.
But it is here and there is nothing else I can do. I just have to take what comes, do my best and hope it turns out well. My mind is about ready to burst. When it does, it is going to be like a broken dam and all kinds of information is going to come tumbling out. When it does, I just hope it all comes out at the right time and in the right order. And for good measure, I hope the right bucket of water is up there in the first place.
This process has been easier because of all my family and friends. There have been so many words of encouragement and expressions of confidence in my ability. I am grateful for the positive attitudes. At this point, I as afraid of letting them down as I am myself.
But now it is bed time. I was feeling a little giddy earlier. I love Christas and can never sleep on Christmas Eve. Julie just said, "tomorrow's not Christmas....you have to sleep tonight." She's right and I hope I can. (By the way...it just occurred to me...how ironic that today is the 24th and the exam is on the 25th.) So I am going to go now and get some shut eye so I can get this thing over with and hopefully get on with my life.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Too tired for a creative title
The bar exam continues to creep closer and closer. And frankly, I don't care anymore. I don't care what the difference between and executed license and an easement is. I don't care what the difference between the Priviliges and Immunities Clause of Article IV and the Privileges and Immunities clause of the 14th Amendment is. I don't care if you are a licensee or a business invitee. Just leave me alone. (Sorry for all the legal lingo...I don't care for it any more than you do.)
The fact is, I am mentally exhausted. This is all consuming and it wears you down after a while. You get to the point where thinkgs are jsut swimming in your head and you hope it will come tumbling out in ther right order during the exam. The funny thing is, I've heard people say you just don't understand it until you've been through it yourself. I scoffed at the notion, but I'll be right there with them from now on saying the same thing. I am convinced that the bar exam is jut a form of legalized hazing. It's all just part of the process to become part of the fraternity. [To the Board of Bar Examniers: I'm just kidding. I understand that the bar exam is for the protection of the fine citizens of the state of Florida so they don't get screwed by unscrupulous people who don't know what they are doing. ;)]
Even though I have been consumed with the bar exam, I am still conscious of the fact that my time in Gainesville is quicly coming to a close. As I've said before, there are many things about this town and time in my life that I am going to miss.
One of the things I am going to miss is this beautiful girl:
She has been wandering around my neighborhood most of the time I've lived here. I'm pretty sure she "belongs" to a house a few doors down. But the guy hardly takes care of her. I'm pretty sure she is a pit bull, or at least a mix with some pit bull. I was cautious of her at first becuase of that, but she is very friendly and well mannered. I began giving here treats when I would come home. I would see her for a few days, then whe would disappear and then reappear at her time and choosing. My landlord does not allow pets, so my cat Emma was not allowed to come with me, even though we had planned on her staying with me. So this is the closest thing I've had to having a pet this year. I have enjoyed it. I am going to miss "my puppy."
The fact is, I am mentally exhausted. This is all consuming and it wears you down after a while. You get to the point where thinkgs are jsut swimming in your head and you hope it will come tumbling out in ther right order during the exam. The funny thing is, I've heard people say you just don't understand it until you've been through it yourself. I scoffed at the notion, but I'll be right there with them from now on saying the same thing. I am convinced that the bar exam is jut a form of legalized hazing. It's all just part of the process to become part of the fraternity. [To the Board of Bar Examniers: I'm just kidding. I understand that the bar exam is for the protection of the fine citizens of the state of Florida so they don't get screwed by unscrupulous people who don't know what they are doing. ;)]
Even though I have been consumed with the bar exam, I am still conscious of the fact that my time in Gainesville is quicly coming to a close. As I've said before, there are many things about this town and time in my life that I am going to miss.
One of the things I am going to miss is this beautiful girl:
She has been wandering around my neighborhood most of the time I've lived here. I'm pretty sure she "belongs" to a house a few doors down. But the guy hardly takes care of her. I'm pretty sure she is a pit bull, or at least a mix with some pit bull. I was cautious of her at first becuase of that, but she is very friendly and well mannered. I began giving here treats when I would come home. I would see her for a few days, then whe would disappear and then reappear at her time and choosing. My landlord does not allow pets, so my cat Emma was not allowed to come with me, even though we had planned on her staying with me. So this is the closest thing I've had to having a pet this year. I have enjoyed it. I am going to miss "my puppy."
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Scrambled Eggs
I told you yesterday my mind is muddled. Well even I'm not sure the extent I've mushed things up in the old noggin.
Remember those cheesy commercials from the 80's that showed an egg and said "this is your brain" then showed an egg frying in a skillet and said "this is your brain on drugs"? Well, I think they should show one at orientation at law schools. It would start out like the old drug commercial. But after showing the egg, the next seen would be a shot of a mixing bowl with hand vigorously beating some eggs with stuff flying everywhere and the voieover would say "this is your brain on the bar exam."
Recent Examples:
This morning as I was leaving the house, I discovered I had not locked the door or the deadblt before I went to bed last night. The really sad part is that is the second time that has happened in a week.
Also, while trying to leave the house this morning, I had to get out of the car, unlock the front door and retrieve something that I had forgotten. Not once but twice. The really sad part is that the object I retrievd on the second return trip into the house had been on my mind as I headed back into the house the first time, yet it still slipped my mind as I was trying to remember which key unlocks the front door.
Last week I called my mother and asked if they had returned home from a trip to Albuquerque. They had been back at least a week. It's not that we had not talked during that time. The sad part is I had talked to my mother that week, but I simply thought the phone call where she told me she was in Albuquerque had just happened a couple of days prior.
I have a feeling that the final scene of the law school PSA I proposed would be a pan full of dried out, burned scrambled eggs with the voiceover stating "this is your brain after the bar exam." But since I have not experienced yet, I'll reserve judgment. Who knows, it could even be worse than I imagine.
Remember those cheesy commercials from the 80's that showed an egg and said "this is your brain" then showed an egg frying in a skillet and said "this is your brain on drugs"? Well, I think they should show one at orientation at law schools. It would start out like the old drug commercial. But after showing the egg, the next seen would be a shot of a mixing bowl with hand vigorously beating some eggs with stuff flying everywhere and the voieover would say "this is your brain on the bar exam."
Recent Examples:
This morning as I was leaving the house, I discovered I had not locked the door or the deadblt before I went to bed last night. The really sad part is that is the second time that has happened in a week.
Also, while trying to leave the house this morning, I had to get out of the car, unlock the front door and retrieve something that I had forgotten. Not once but twice. The really sad part is that the object I retrievd on the second return trip into the house had been on my mind as I headed back into the house the first time, yet it still slipped my mind as I was trying to remember which key unlocks the front door.
Last week I called my mother and asked if they had returned home from a trip to Albuquerque. They had been back at least a week. It's not that we had not talked during that time. The sad part is I had talked to my mother that week, but I simply thought the phone call where she told me she was in Albuquerque had just happened a couple of days prior.
I have a feeling that the final scene of the law school PSA I proposed would be a pan full of dried out, burned scrambled eggs with the voiceover stating "this is your brain after the bar exam." But since I have not experienced yet, I'll reserve judgment. Who knows, it could even be worse than I imagine.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Good News:
I'm not sick. Whatever nastiness I had in my sinuses was gone by Saturday. Don't know what caused it. Don't care. I'm just glad it's gone.
Bad News:
Thursday was by far me best day for bar exam practice questions. My percentage was through the roof. However, it dropped precipitously on Friday and Saturday. It has since come back to normal, but I was not a happy camper this weekend and was in a foul mood. Almost foul enough to want to be sick still so I could do better on the questions.
Ugly News:
The exam is one week from today. Where did the time go? Didn't I just write something about 40 days? I can't believe it is already here (almost). On the other hand, I'm about to go crazy. My mind is pretty muddled and I need some time off.
I'm not sick. Whatever nastiness I had in my sinuses was gone by Saturday. Don't know what caused it. Don't care. I'm just glad it's gone.
Bad News:
Thursday was by far me best day for bar exam practice questions. My percentage was through the roof. However, it dropped precipitously on Friday and Saturday. It has since come back to normal, but I was not a happy camper this weekend and was in a foul mood. Almost foul enough to want to be sick still so I could do better on the questions.
Ugly News:
The exam is one week from today. Where did the time go? Didn't I just write something about 40 days? I can't believe it is already here (almost). On the other hand, I'm about to go crazy. My mind is pretty muddled and I need some time off.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Why Now?
My load was lighter this morning. Certainly in a literal sense. For the past few days, I've been carrying my backpack full of books: the Internal Revenue Code, 3 volumes of Income Tax Regulations, a textbook, etc. on top of my computer bag. But this morning, there was almost a bounce in my step as I only had the computer bag on my way into the library.
My load was also figuratively lighter. I certainly don't want to downplay the bar exam becuase it's importance is beyond measure. But having that last class and exam off my plate allow me to focus more narrowly now.
In light of that, I had a not fun discovery as I got into the shower this morning. My nose was running, there was slight tingle in my nose causing numerous sneezes, and I felt some congestion in my sinuses. I was not happy with this discovery. Could I realy be getting a cold? In the middle of July? I guess it could be allergies, but that does not make sense. It rained pretty hard yesterday which usually knocks allergents down, not stirs them up. So I am pretty sure I have a cold, or the beginnigs of one.
This is bad. It makes studying a more unpleasant experience. But it is worse because of the prospect of how long it will last. I've never been able to shake colds very quickly and symptoms seem to persist for quite some time. With the bar exam less than two weeks away, I'm wondering if I'll still be dealing with this then. First, it is bad because having your head bent over an exam sheet for 12 hours is not very comfortable when snot is trying to run out your nose. Second, I don't really enjoy the thought of 3,000+ bar applicants staring at me as I sniffle through the bar exam. (I'm not even going to entertain the thought of sneezing through the exam.)
So I am hoping that this unpleasantness will only last a day or two. Though the symptoms have been with me most of the day, they are not as bad as this morning. Let's just pray that today was an anomaly.
My load was also figuratively lighter. I certainly don't want to downplay the bar exam becuase it's importance is beyond measure. But having that last class and exam off my plate allow me to focus more narrowly now.
In light of that, I had a not fun discovery as I got into the shower this morning. My nose was running, there was slight tingle in my nose causing numerous sneezes, and I felt some congestion in my sinuses. I was not happy with this discovery. Could I realy be getting a cold? In the middle of July? I guess it could be allergies, but that does not make sense. It rained pretty hard yesterday which usually knocks allergents down, not stirs them up. So I am pretty sure I have a cold, or the beginnigs of one.
This is bad. It makes studying a more unpleasant experience. But it is worse because of the prospect of how long it will last. I've never been able to shake colds very quickly and symptoms seem to persist for quite some time. With the bar exam less than two weeks away, I'm wondering if I'll still be dealing with this then. First, it is bad because having your head bent over an exam sheet for 12 hours is not very comfortable when snot is trying to run out your nose. Second, I don't really enjoy the thought of 3,000+ bar applicants staring at me as I sniffle through the bar exam. (I'm not even going to entertain the thought of sneezing through the exam.)
So I am hoping that this unpleasantness will only last a day or two. Though the symptoms have been with me most of the day, they are not as bad as this morning. Let's just pray that today was an anomaly.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
No more pencils, no more books...
Well, not quite. But I did have my LAST final exam today. Pretty straightforward, no real curve balls. Which is good. I would like to go out on a high note. But this morning, I was so over it, I just wanted to pass. But I feel OK about it. We'll see in a few weeks I guess.
This will probably make me sound old, but times sure have changed. There were two exam rooms, one for people handwriting the exam and one for people typing their exams on their latops. I was in the handwritten room. Let's just say there was more than enough room. Over half the class was in the other room. Even I spent the last half of the semester typing my notes during class just to save the extra time my normal routine of taking written notes then typing them later. But I think today was good exercise for me. I wrote 20 pages of material. Hopefully that will keep me sharp for the essay portion of the bar exam.
But there is no rest for the weary. I'm going to decompress for a little bit, then it is right back to the bar exam. Time for the final push. The exam is two weeks from yesterday, so I have just under two weeks left. Then I have to finish a paper before this program is officially over. THEN I get to rest...after jury duty which is after a family wedding which is after I move. So I guess life never really stops, huh?
Life may not stop, but it is certainly going to be different. I still haven't figured out how to handle the no school thing. It's just part of my blood. And now that I am about to be done, Julie's about to start up. She needs to start working on her Master's in education. Will there EVER be a time when one of us is not in school? Between all the degrees and letters we are going to have, one might think we are a pretty smart couple. But I'm no so sure about that. If we were smart, we wouldn't be spending so much time in school and we'd spend more time together. I'm hoping her Master's program will be a little less intense than the J.D./L.L.M. since she won't be full time.
Oh well, the Merry Go Round just keeps on spinning and we just keep trying to grab that brass ring. Might as well enjoy the ride.
This will probably make me sound old, but times sure have changed. There were two exam rooms, one for people handwriting the exam and one for people typing their exams on their latops. I was in the handwritten room. Let's just say there was more than enough room. Over half the class was in the other room. Even I spent the last half of the semester typing my notes during class just to save the extra time my normal routine of taking written notes then typing them later. But I think today was good exercise for me. I wrote 20 pages of material. Hopefully that will keep me sharp for the essay portion of the bar exam.
But there is no rest for the weary. I'm going to decompress for a little bit, then it is right back to the bar exam. Time for the final push. The exam is two weeks from yesterday, so I have just under two weeks left. Then I have to finish a paper before this program is officially over. THEN I get to rest...after jury duty which is after a family wedding which is after I move. So I guess life never really stops, huh?
Life may not stop, but it is certainly going to be different. I still haven't figured out how to handle the no school thing. It's just part of my blood. And now that I am about to be done, Julie's about to start up. She needs to start working on her Master's in education. Will there EVER be a time when one of us is not in school? Between all the degrees and letters we are going to have, one might think we are a pretty smart couple. But I'm no so sure about that. If we were smart, we wouldn't be spending so much time in school and we'd spend more time together. I'm hoping her Master's program will be a little less intense than the J.D./L.L.M. since she won't be full time.
Oh well, the Merry Go Round just keeps on spinning and we just keep trying to grab that brass ring. Might as well enjoy the ride.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Did they buy tickets?
Southwest Airlines is experimenting with assigned seating to see if they can turn their planes around as fast as they normally do. Today was the first day of the experiment and results were mixed. Some people didn't like it. We fly Southwest all the time and will continue to do so regardless of how they board as long as they are so cheap. Of course, I would be upset if they did not accomodate us and let us sit together as the article says happened to some passenger. I'm sure that kink will get worked out by the end of the day.
But what caught my attention was the article said there were about two dozen reporters and photographers were at the gating chronicling the event. Am I the only one bothered by this? I'm not bothered if they had to buy tickets. But there should not be a media exception to who gets back into the gate area at an airport. If I can't greet my family at the gate when they arrive on a flight, some photographer should not be allowed back just because an airline is considering a change to its business model. This probably seems like a strange thing to worry about, but what can I say, I'm picky and principled.
But what caught my attention was the article said there were about two dozen reporters and photographers were at the gating chronicling the event. Am I the only one bothered by this? I'm not bothered if they had to buy tickets. But there should not be a media exception to who gets back into the gate area at an airport. If I can't greet my family at the gate when they arrive on a flight, some photographer should not be allowed back just because an airline is considering a change to its business model. This probably seems like a strange thing to worry about, but what can I say, I'm picky and principled.
Friday, July 07, 2006
No More
As of 10:25 A.M. this morning, I don't have to ever go to another class again. That's right, today was the last day of class and the last class of my eductational career. Of course there is still the matter of the exam next week and fitting in studying for it for a few brief moments. And who could forget the bar exam is less than three (THREE?) weeks away. And even though the bar examiners have not sent my application back with a letter telling me what a funny joke it was, I still have not been officially OKed to be a member of the bar. So there is still much to accomplish in such a short little time. But I can't help but pause and ponder that fact that my school career is over. Sure, there will be CLE's and other educational things to do, but I have no school left. I mean, I've been doing this since I was in kindergarten, except for a brief stint between undergrand and my MBA program. School has been my life. It's all I know. I'm not sure I'm going to know what to do with myself come August. I'm so used to buying books and getting supplies in order that I may feel lost about the third week of August. But I am also looking forward to no homework, no reading assignments and having my evenings to do as I please. I certainly expect to work hard (should someone ever do something crazy like offer me a job) and know there will still be long days and work brought home. But not EVERY DAY. Not hanging over my head constantly. So I am looking forward to the freedom and the ability to be refreshed and read things at my own pleasure. But I may lapse into confusion when I am not attending classes with everyone else. So if you see me wandering aimlessly around a college campus, just take my hand, guide me somewhere safe and call my wife.
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