Beer, cake and pain relief = happy people

Kelly P. and I have to do a presentation in our Food & Drug Law class tomorrow night. Each week, teams are assigned a food or drug product to present on, and each team must also bring in some food or beverage item relating to the assigned topic to share with the class. I was hoping for one of the more controversial topics, such as Viagra, breast implants, birth control pills, or some weird food additive because the jokes pretty much write themselves, but no such luck. Kelly and I have the oh-so-fascinating ibuprofen. The only jokes I can come up with have to do with cramps and hangovers, neither of which is all that funny.

Anyhow, each team's choice of food/beverage is always of great interest going into class. So far this semester, we have sampled nasty imitation crab meat, egg salad, cheese, crackers, chips, dips, shrimp, cookies, donuts, oatmeal, candy, sasafrass tea, wine and beer. And I think someone brought olives in once as well. Pretty impressive, huh? What's even more impressive is that every single week, some team has brought in beer. Every Thursday night, someone hauls in a couple cases of cold beer and makes some remote, yet creative, link to their topic. For example, last week the team that was assigned sunscreen brought in Corona. Why? Because obviously the use of sunscreen goes hand-in-hand with drinking Corona. And a few weeks ago, the team assigned over-the-counter home pregnancy tests brought in beer. Why? Because obviously the need for a home pregancy test goes hand-in-hand with drinking beer. Well, for some people, anyway. You get the picture.

So here we have ibuprofen. But of course we don't want to break class tradition or disappoint the beer drinkers in the back row, so we are bringing in beer. People don't seem to care so much about the food anymore. They just are looking for the cool kids with the beer. And of course there is an obvious association between beer and ibuprofen in that it is a potential remedy, although not as good as my Excedrine/Gatorade cocktail, for the almighty hangover.

Just to be on the safe side, we're bringing in cake, too. However, our cake-ibuprofen connection is even more remote and obscure than the beer-ibuprofen connection. But who's going to complain? Beer, cake and pain relief is a pretty good deal for a Thursday night law class.

Some people call me the space cowboy...

Some call me the gangster of love
Some people call me Maurice
Cause I speak of the pompitous of love…

I got a little Steve Miller in my head this morning.

So what the hell is up with blogger.com? Is there someone that I can complain to? Someone I can throttle? I lost THREE posts yesterday, one of which I tried to recreate and lost on the second time around. And earlier today, I couldn’t even log in. So frustrating, especially because I had such deep thoughts to share yesterday, such as how many lavender bunny Peeps I ate during my Freedom of Speech, Press & Religion class, how glad I am that spring is here so I can open my windows, and what I am going to do a presentation on for Food & Drug Law this week. Potentially riveting posts, no? Just so you know, this would be what I consider my fluff blogging.

I have been running behind since I got up this morning. I almost left poor Milo out in the backyard. I drove like a maniac downtown to the school, dodging two separate accidents, only to realize when I got here that I had not only forgotten a deposition at home that I was going to finish this afternoon at work, but also my favorite lip gloss. And it's going to be another very long day.

But The Joker has me in a good mood nonetheless!

You're the cutest thing I ever did see
Really love your peaches want to shake your tree...

Lindemans Bin 65 and a vase of pretty daisies

It is your lucky day, only because I apparently feel the need to interrupt myself and blog prolifically (compared to my normal posting) about this and that today. I don't know if that really makes you lucky or not, but if you're looking for a momentary diversion, here I am.

Anyhow, I stopped at the grocery on the way home. I needed milk and bagels, but I ended up with a new toothbrush, a bottle of wine, and a bouquet of daisies, among a few other things. I think the Lindemans Bin 65 is an excellent, yet inexpensive chardonnay, so I opened it in celebration of a successful post-lazy-weekend Monday.

As I was driving down my street earlier, I passed my neighbor boys playing basketball. It's a beautiful evening, and I thought I might take Milo for a walk. I was bringing in my groceries when the 16-year-old boy from two doors down brought my mail to the door. He seems to always find excuses to stop by, usually to ask if he can take my trash to the corner or some other helpful chore. He's a sweet kid, but he tends to invade my personal space and make me a bit nervous. I try to be patient as he is mildly autistic, and I understand that he may not be aware of appropriate space issues (or that I am a bit of a freak about them!). While he is much bigger than I am, I don't fear for my personal safety with him, but I do get uncomfortable when he is here. I'm about as socially outgoing as a person can be, but I am very private - fiercely so -about my home and my "space." I allowed him inside, and thanked him for bringing the mail, and I proceeded to put away groceries while he stood in the entryway, played with Milo and chatted with me. I then noticed that he had moved down the hall and was peering with acute interest into my bedroom,which is not too far from the kitchen.

I don't know what to think about him. I am certain that he has been in my house at some point while I was not here, and I know that his mother (who is a good friend of the owner of this house) has a key. Earlier this winter, I found footprints in the snow that led around my house to the backyard and windows facing the yard. I am sure that he is nothing more than a young boy who may have a bit of a teenage crush on the girl next door, but I just don't know quite how to handle the situation. I haven't wanted to call his mother (who I have only met once very briefly) on pure speculation that her autistic son is looking into my windows or coming into the house, but he seems to know an awful lot about what goes on here when I'm not home. Additionally, a few of my underthings came up missing a few weeks ago, which should have triggered absolute insanity on my part (because of the whole privacy thing), but I still did not want to think that he had anything to do with what I might have misplaced or lost in the dryer that eats my socks. I look at him, and I simultaneously want to save his sweet self from any harm or teasing or bullying that I am sure he endures at his public school; yet on the other hand, I am concerned that perhaps he is acting out inappropriately. I do think, however, that it would be in his best interest at this point if I visited his mother and got to know her a bit better, and maybe asked for a sit-down at her kitchen table with a cup of coffee in the near future.

But for now, I am sitting here with a glass of wine and an obnoxious laundry list of things that need to be done tonight.

Law school class

In addition to Kelly's lunchtime drama today, apparently there was a bit of a catfight in the law school cafeteria. I just received the 411 third-hand via IM, which makes it oh-so-reliable. And it's probably not any more appropriate to pass it along here, but I have to say - I am quite shocked. These things just don't happen at the law school. Well, at least not until today.

Anyhow, my source tells me that female law student #1 approached female law student #2, got into her face, and both ladies started dropping the word "bitch" and associated phrases like favorable dicta. Apparently, as is usually the case with women, the fight was over something female law student #2 said about the fiance of female law student #1 during class this morning. I am slightly acquainted with the male involved in the fiasco, and from what I know of him, he is a fine, talented, and amusing student. I wonder what he thinks of all this, poor guy.

One would think that the offense could have been handled with a bit more finesse, right? Although I do have to admit - having a public verbal throw-down in the cafeteria is almost preferable to having my inbox clogged with verbal throw-downs on nearly every imaginable public policy issue known to mankind. I'm just sayin'

For the record ~

Since typing the title to my last post, I have been humming an array of tunes by The Bangles all day long, including Manic Monday, the sickly sweet Eternal Flame, and one of my all-time favorite re-makes, Hazy Shade of Winter. And on my way to the printer a little bit ago, I walked like an egyptian. Swear to God.

I love The Bangles, similar to my declaration of love last week for Duran Duran. But not quite as much as I love Jimmy Buffett.

AND SPEAKING OF JIMMY BUFFETT, I am currently the very proud and ecstatic owner of 4 tickets to this summer's "A Salty Piece of the Land" tour, which went on sale this morning at 10am. Thank goodness for the speedy network connection at the law school, and my apologies to my morning prof for my complete absence of attention during the last 6 minutes of class while I hit "refresh" waiting for the tickets to post for sale online.

As far as work goes, the pile of things to do had, in fact, spilled from my desk to my chair, but had yet to reach the floor. It has been a good Monday.

Just another manic Monday...

It's Monday, which only means back to work and back to school after a weekend off. I did absolutely no studying this weekend, nor did I do anything related to work. Slacking off on both will likely come back to haunt me this week. Unfortunately, there will be very few, if any, of those lazy weekends in the upcoming months with finals approaching and then bar review. For those of us sitting for the bar exam in July, our next stress-free weekend is looking like July 30th. Ugh.

Anyhow, it was a relaxing weekend with my family, and we had a really nice Easter yesterday at my grandparents. I did get my bar application finished, printed off and ready to mail today or tomorrow, and I am glad that nightmare is nearly behind me. Other than that, I did a whole lot of nothing productive until I got back to Indy. Fabulous!

After I got home yesterday late afternoon and finished the obligatory tooling around the house (laundry, watering plants, picking up dog toys all over the house, getting trash out, etc.), I settled in for my new favorite show, The Contender. I was going to post about this after I watched my first episode last week, but I decided to sit in on another round to confirm whether or not I was going to be hooked on it. And I almost hate to admit it, but I really love this show and have definitely been sucked in. Last night, they did a one-hour re-cap of the previous three fights before airing a new episode, which was useful to me since I missed the first three episodes.

I am pretty shocked that I like this show. I hate boxing or fighting of any kind. I really don't understand the intricacies of the sport - like who gets points for doing what? For landing punches? For looking stronger? For being quicker? Outside of getting a knock-out, I'm a bit lost on how they decide who wins unless one person is just obviously better than the other at beating the crap out of his opponent. So I am going into the show with a relatively high degree of ignorance here. There is information here about how the matches are scored, but I haven't taken the time to get caught up to speed.

Anyhow, the boxing fights are not the best part of The Contender. The guys that have been cast to compete here - half from the East, half from the West - are an amazing group of real young men, most from a lower socio-economic, inner-city backgrounds who have spent the better part of their lives in a gym, hoping to get a break for a better life through boxing. They have fascinating families, and each one of the contenders is motivated not by greed, but by an opportunity to make a better life, to win, to escape the hardness of their lives, to finally have a shot at success. These guys seem to have such heart and passion for their families, their neighborhoods, their sport. And I find it compelling to watch them compete for that ultimate opportunity.

Also noteworthy ~ Sylvester Stallone and Sugar Ray Leonard, who are there to mentor and encourage the guys, are excellent additions. I thought for sure that Sly would be irritating, but he isn't so in the least.

I know the last thing I need right now is to be hooked on a 2nd TV show (next to Survivor), but what can I say? It's Sunday night, and I only have 5 channels.

Anyhow, I'm off to work now for the rest of the day. I hope the pile of assignments I have backed up hasn't spilled off my desk and onto the floor. Wish me luck.

Shout out to my Peeps

I love Peeps. Some people I know think they are wretched little candy creatures, but I am one of those who loves the Peeps. I especially like the lavender Peep bunnies, but just for the record, I am not a member of the Peep fan club nor have I ever attempted to make some recipe involving Peeps. Anyhow, here are some Peep facts for your entertainment:

* In 1953, it took 27 hours to create one Marshmallow Peep. Today, it takes six minutes.
* As many as 4.2 million MARSHMALLOW PEEPS®, Bunnies, and other shapes are made each day at Just Born's Bethlehem, Pennsylvania factory.
* PEEPS® Chicks and Bunnies come in 5 colors. Yellow Chicks are the most popular, followed by pink, lavender, blue, and white.
* Each Peep has 32 calories (160 calories per five-chick serving) and 0 fat grams.
* According to the Golden Anniversary Survey…Chicks are still the favored PEEPS® shape followed by Bunnies and Snowmen; fans tend to eat 1-5 PEEPS® in a sitting and the most popular way to eat them is fresh.
* People like to do curious things with PEEPS®- eat them stale, microwave them, freeze them, roast them, and use them as a pizza topping.

I would seriously doubt the idea that anyone would use Peeps as a pizza topping, but then again, some people are freaky.

Hallelujah!

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that
you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here;
He has risen, just as He said." Matthew 28:5-6.

Wishing everyone a happy and blessed Easter!

Friday Five

Today's five was ganked from Heidi, who ganked it from somewhere else. Thanks, H ~ I just don't have the energy to be original today!

1. What blog, other than your own, do you read the most?
Just Playin, MP&S, and Will Work For Favorable Dicta

2. Are you a gadget person? Do you have the latest thingamajigs and whoozits and geegaws? What sort of gadgets do you own?
I am not a gadget person. I would like to have an iPod, but chances of me actually getting one are slim, at least in the near future. I really don't own any gadgets besides my laptop, but I'm thinking of buying myself a digital camera with printer.

My favorite gadgets: the garbage disposal and the George Foreman Grill.

3. If I gave you $1000 on the condition that you couldn't spend it on something responsible (e.g., bills), or save it, what would you do with the money?
Go to Mexico. Or buy some new furniture. And obviously I would have to buy a new pair of shoes. I also might buy some things for other people, like that new purse that my mom wants but thinks is too expensive, and something not barn- or animal-related for my sister and dad. I like buying stuff for other people. Okay, I just really like to buy stuff, period. I could go through $1000 pretty damn quick.

4. What are your five favorite sitcoms of all time, other than "Seinfeld" and "The Simpsons"?
"Seinfeld" definitely would top my list. I love everything about that show. Other than "Seinfeld", my favorites include:
"Everybody Loves Raymond"
"King of Queens"
"Will and Grace"
"That 70's Show"

5. Organize a film festival based on a theme. Choose a theme and a handful of movies with that theme, and tell us what you've chosen.
I'm not much of a movie buff. I might go with an 80s theme and pick:
"The Breakfast Club"
"Sixteen Candles"
"Pretty in Pink"
"Goonies"
and one of the all-time best 80's movies, "Better Off Dead" *Gee, Ricky, I'm sorry your mom blew up.*

I could also go with a Julia Roberts theme and pick "Pretty Woman," "Sleeping with the Enemy," "Steel Magnolias," "The Pelican Brief," and "Ocean's Eleven."

Or, speaking of "Ocean's Eleven" I could go with a heist theme because I absolutely love all heist movies.

Or I could go with a law theme just so I could pick "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Presumed Innocent," "Liar, Liar," "Primal Fear," and "The Firm."

Federal decisions

Like many, I have given much thought to the Terri Schiavo case over the past few days. This case has evolved from a personal family matter to a public policy case spurring debate all over the place. On its face, the case is a right to die/right to live case. The issues under the surface (bioethical decision-making, Congressional actions, judicial review, etc.), however, are of great importance and likely to have some significant impact.

Kelly makes some good points here and links to some other blogger opinions, including here.

It goes without saying that the entire situation is tragic. But I strongly believe that the federal courts are making right and just decisions here, even though I am unsettled about how the past 15 years have played out between Mr. Schiavo and the parents. The petition to federal court consisted of five claims for relief based on constitutional and statutory deprivations, including claims that Mrs. Schiavo's had been denied her First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion, denied the right to a fair and impartial trial, and denied procedural due process. The opinion in its entirety can be read here. Federal Judge James D. Whittemore's closing paragraph captures the essence of the opinion well:

This court appreciates the gravity of the consequences of denying injunctive relief. Even under these difficult and time strained circumstances, however, and notwithstanding Congress' expressed interest in the welfare of Theresa Schiavo, this court is constrained to apply the law to 12 the issues before it. As Plaintiffs have not established a substantial likelihood of success on the merits, Plaintiffs' Motion for Temporary Restraining Order (Dkt. 2) must be DENIED.

Today, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a rehearing, and the Florida Senate defeated a bill by republicans that would prohibit patients like Schiavo from being denied food and water if they didn’t express their wishes in writing. The U.S. Supreme Court appears to be the last resort, and they have refused to hear the case on appeal from the state court three times in the past.

Djibouti Camel 

Perspective

This camel isn't doing anything extraordinary, but I think camels are quite amusing just as they are! The lady who owns the house I am currently renting sent me some pictures of the animals at a watering hole in Djibouti, Africa, where she is stationed with the Army. She apparently has spent the past several days de-worming goats brought to the watering hole by the local people, who bring their animals there frequently to drink. The goats and camels often represent the total wealth of most of the locals, and they were very interested in what the American vets could do to help their herds.

We live such lives of luxury here. A fresh perspective is a good reminder of that fact.

Good deeds

I gave blood this afternoon. The Indiana Blood Center hosted a blood drive at the law school. I can hardly tell y'all to go donate blood and not give myself, right?

Anyhow, I filled out the obligatory information and met with the nurse first. If you've ever given blood, you know the drill with the questions about sex, drugs and tattoos. I know it's serious business, but I couldn't help but make a joke or two about whether I had snorted cocaine in the past month (I have not), whether I had injected any kind of bovine growth hormone (um, nope), or whether I have had sex in the past year with anyone born in Africa after 1977 (negative again).

What amused me most: the nurse told me that I must be a very calm person based on my low blood pressure. HA!

It's official! I'm normal.

According to this quiz, I am 70% normal. That's really normal. I would have guessed I was more odd than that, but I'm not complaining.

You Are 70% Normal (Really Normal)

Otherwise known as the normal amount of normal You're like most people most of the time But you've got those quirks that make you endearing You're unique, yes... but not frighteningly so!

How Normal Are You?

Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call...

God, fate, karma and good luck must all be on my side today. My beloved Jimmy Buffett and his Salty Piece of the Land Tour 2005 will be playing Verizon on August 31st this summer rather than sometime in July, which would have fallen smack in the middle of bar exam review or God forbid, the exam itself. Tickets go on sale Monday the 28th at 10am. I am one happy girl this morning! So, in honor of Jimmy and my happiness, here's a little tune for you guys.

A Pirate Looks at Forty
Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall
You've seen it all, you've seen it all

Watched the men who rode you switch from sails to steam
And in your belly you hold the treasures few have ever seen
Most of 'em dream, most of 'em dream

Yes I am a pirate, two hundred years too late
The cannons don't thunder, there's nothin' to plunder
I'm an over-forty victim of fate
Arriving too late, arriving too late

I've done a bit of smugglin', I've run my share of grass
I made enough money to buy Miami, but I pissed it away so fast
Never meant to last, never meant to last

And I have been drunk now for over two weeks
I passed out and I rallied and I sprung a few leaks
But I got stop wishin', got to go fishin'
Down to rock bottom again
Just a few friends, just a few friends

I go for younger women, lived with several awhile
Though I ran 'em away, they'd come back one day
Still could manage to smile
Just takes a while, just takes a while

Mother, mother ocean, after all the years I've found
My occupational hazard being my occupation's just not around
I feel like I've drowned, gonna head uptown
I feel like I've drowned, gonna head uptown

Out of Africa

l
You are a South African bush pilot. You fly in some critical medical supplies, enjoy a quick lunch at the hospital. It's a stifling 100 degrees in the shade and you're eager to get back up to the cool, high blue yonder. On the way back to your plane, you discover that the only bit of shade, within 1 mile, has become very popular . . . You start calculating the distance to the plane door . . and wonder . . . "Do I feel lucky today?"

Stop playing ball

Since I am already irritated at Congress for over-stepping their role in the Terri Schiavo case, I might as well point out that I think their showboating over the baseball steroid issue is a complete waste of taxpayer money and the legislators' time.

Give me a break. Steroid abuse is an important issue, no doubt. But for Congress? I certainly think there are more pressing social and political issues out there that Congress should be concerned with.

Sad from every point of view

I am quite bothered tonight about the Terri Schiavo situation. Her husband's relentless battle against her own parents to starve their daughter to death just makes me sick. I am not saying that I disagree with living wills or a person's right to choose to not be kept alive in a vegetative state - I completely agree with those choices and encourage everyone to have a living will and make their wishes known in writing.

That said, the problem here is that the courts have relied on the husband's word that his wife did not want to live this way, that she would rather be dead. And perhaps she did, in fact, indicate such wishes to her husband. Mrs. Schiavo's parents, however, disagree. How heartbreaking for them to feel that their daughter is being murdered - not just by her husband, but legally by the justice system! The fact that there is a disagreement here, that Terri Schiavo did not make her wishes known to anyone but her husband, should be persuasive enough to deny her husband's request. I just don't think that a spouse's word alone should be enough to affect such a result. I understand that legally, Mr. Schiavo is considered the closest next of kin, not the parents, but just because something is legal does not always mean the best result. Had Mrs. Schiavo had a living will, or even if her parents agreed that the feeding tube should be removed, then indeed, remove the tube. But because there are such strong feelings against removing the tube by her own parents, I feel that their wishes should have outweighed Mr. Schiavo's, especially because the alternative is the death of their daughter.

It will take one to two weeks for Mrs. Schiavo to starve to death. Can you imagine being a parent and knowing that your child is being legally and forceably starved to death? My empathy for her parents far exceeds my empathy for her husband's desire to "allow her to die." Terri Schiavo is not completely brain dead - she has some sense of interaction with the world around her. She smiles, she opens her eyes, she will likely feel the pain from starving to death.

Additionally and importantly, while I disagree with the court's decision here, I disagree even more with the congressional tactics to roadblock the decision.

So sad and disturbing on so many levels.

Fun little monkeys

Went out last night for some St. Patty's day fun to Howl at the Moon with an eclectic group of folks, most of whom didn't know each other until Kelly brought us all together. It was great meeting M@ and Mrs. M@ at http://blog.perilsin3d.com/ and seeing Kevin again, all from the blogging world. And I also met classmates I didn't know I had, and I had fun drinks with KeeKee and Kristin, who I don't get to hang out with enough as it is.

Howl at the Moon is a fun place, but last night's crowd and music left a bit to be desired. I still danced and sang at the top of my lungs and generally acted like a maniac, especially when they played anything by Jimmy Buffett or Billy Joel. And I wasn't even full-on partying because I had to drive home and work early today. But I wore sandals for the first time this season - yes, the ones Milo dragged out of my closet - and that was something to celebrate in itself. And I love live music.

One thing note-worthy at the Moon: There are bathroom attendants, and they sell EVERYTHING. Lotion, gum, Chasers, aspirin, cigs, anti-bacterial gel, perfume... An endless plethora of impulse buys staring you in the face while you wash your hands. Although the attendant in the ladies room looked bored to tears, I thought that it might get interesting to have that job from time to time. Women tend to talk about a lot of drama in bar bathrooms. I know this because I have been one of those women. On the other hand, there is a fine line between interesting and annoying. And drunk women can be incredibly annoying.

I wonder what all they were selling in the men's restroom...

St. Patty's Day 

Palau 

Thoughts on tonight's Survivor ~

* Palau is by far the most beautiful location yet.

* James is such an idiot. He's quick to judge Ibrehem for struggling with the challenge, but he forgets that Coby whooped his ass last week. Twice. Why in the world did his tribe not vote him off?! Angie should have outlasted that ignorant jackass.

* Coby makes me laugh. He's quick and catty. I think, however, that his attitude will eventually do him in. In the meantime, he keeps things interesting.

* Tom and Steph both deserve to get far in the game. They are strong and competitive and non-annoying. I just hope Steph gets a chance to win some challenges before getting the ax for being such a threat.

* Not surprised at all about Willard, although he started out as one that I really liked. I had hoped he would be like one of my all-time favorites, Pascal. Whether it was editing or lack of sleep and water, there just wasn't much to his character.

* Did Koror really have to gloat over the food in front of Ulong? That was just plain mean.

* How can people "hook up" without having brushed their teeth? I suppose some people can hook up under any circumstances, but it sure wouldn't be on my list of priorities. Barbie and Ken, indeed.

Girl Scout confession

I just ate an entire sleeve of frozen thin mints of the Girl Scout variety while watching Survivor.

I'm just sayin'

Save a Prayer

This afternoon the sun came out and the temperature rose above 40 degrees. I drove through the car wash, opened the sunroof, and rocked out to Duran Duran like it was the spring of 1988, minus the really big hair, the cassette player, and the complete lack of real life responsibilities.

In 1988, my crazy high school friends and I used to drive up and down the hometown "strip" on Friday nights, blasting Duran Duran, Bon Jovi, Prince, Def Leppard, Van Halen, Poison. Yeah, we were cool in our acid-wash jeans tucked into our slouch boots, our fringe jackets, and enough Aquanet hairspray to blow up the entire car on a stray spark from a zippo.

But I still love Duran Duran.

Anyhow, this afternoon I took some time off work to run around and gather up bar application materials, which was sort of like an Easter-egg hunt without all the fun. Or chocolate. But here's what I accomplished:

1) Fingerprints. I obtained my fingerprints at the government center north. I parked on the east side and hiked a mile through a maze of hallways and conference rooms, finally reaching a tiny, dark office on the 3rd floor, room 302 where I immediately felt like a felon. However, the fingerprint process was electronic (no ink) and very cool. I commented on how good my fingerprints were to the person rolling my fingers. She agreed that indeed, I have nice fingerprints. Cost of fingerprinting: $10

2) Driving record. Apparently there is one BMV location in Marion County to obtain an "official" copy of your driving record. I had some directions there, but we all know how directionally disabled I am. I finally found the office, stood in one line for 5 minutes behind someone who smelled bad, was then informed I had to stand in another line for 10 minutes behind a young couple who cussed back and forth at each other like a couple of sailors, got a number, sat and waited, and waited, and waited, got called to the almighty counter, and finally got my driving record. I have a seatbelt violation because I did not want to wrinkle a freshly-ironed shirt on my way to dinner one night in 2003, but other than that, my record is clean. And that's amazing considering I drive like a maniac. Cost of certified copy of driving record: $8

3) Passport photo. I went to Kinkos and got my photos. I look very frazzled and windblown (Duran Duran with the windows down, remember?), but I am not having them re-done for the Board of Law Examiners. I'm vain, but not that vain. Besides, I'm a law student. I'm supposed to look stressed out. Anyhow, I now have to affix my picture to a 3x5 card, print my name on the card, and have the card laminated. Kinkos does not carry 3x5 cards, and I find that odd. The checkout guy asked my if I was traveling. I told him that unfortunately, no - I was getting the photos for my bar application. He then proceeded to ask me a child support question. Go figure. Cost of passport photo identification: $13

4) Certified checks. I had to get two - one for the fingerprints and one for my bar application fee. I got them at my bank, which is conveniently located on the first floor of my office building. The bank teller has a very thick accent, and he's attractive. I always wait in "his" line when I have to do my banking with a real person. He gave me a deal on the certified checks - two for the regular $5 price of one. Maybe he thinks I'm attractive, too. Cost of certified checks for bar application and fingerprint fees: $265

4) Reference letters. I have two of three necessary letters attesting to my character and moral fitness to practice law. I contacted my 3rd attorney/former boss, who apologized for the delay in getting my letter to me. He said he was taking a poll of the of the office to see if everyone agreed that I should, in fact, be a lawyer. Heh. Very funny. Cost of reference letters: much sucking up and hard work.

5) Various other skeletons in the closet. I had to obtain information relating to my divorce and a couple of other things I would rather not have to admit to. Luckily, I did not have to drive to my hometown courthouse to do this. I did it over the phone while getting my car washed instead. Cost of skeletons in the closet: half the Christmas ornaments and a bit of guilt.

All in all, a very productive afternoon if I do say so myself.

The Way I See It #29

On my Starbucks cup this morning:

"Every language is an old-grown forest of the mind, a watershed of thought, an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities. Of the 6,000 languages spoken today, fully half are not being taught to children. Evry two weeks an elder dies and carries into the grave the last syllables of an ancient tongue. Within a generation or two we are losing half of humanity's social, cultural and intellectual legacy."
-- Dr. Wade Davis, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence

Is it spring yet?

Last night I left my closet doors open. When I got up this morning, two separate sandals were laying on the floor next to my bed, unharmed. Apparently, Milo ventured into the back of the closet, pulling out my summer shoes. He never chews on shoes, but obviously he's ready for warmer weather along with the rest of us.

Called to practice?

Is becoming an attorney and practicing law a "calling" or simply a choice of profession?

In my second semester of law school, I took a great class called "Seminar in the Legal Profession." The class was small (about 15 students), and we covered a broad range of topics having to do with trends and current issues in the profession. It was one of the few practical - as opposed to theoretical - classes I've taken, and I enjoyed it immensely.

Embedded in one week's reading was an article which posed the question whether practicing law was a calling or a job. I remember reading the article with acute interest, wondering if the decision to pursue a profession that most certainly gives one privileged access to the system of justice could be equated with a calling. In my mind, I had always reserved the term "calling" for professions with a religious or spiritual base - priests, nuns, pastors, youth ministers, etc.

For some, being a lawyer may very well be their own personal calling, particularly for those who vigorously pursue social justice and public interest, be it defending the accused, advocating for civil rights, prosecuting the guilty, representing the poor and otherwise unrepresented. However, I don't know that I would consider those pursuing the financial security and prestige of corporate law or securities or transactional work as being "called" to do so, not that the work isn't noble in its own right.

Unfortunately, I am not sure which side of the fence I fall on. I wish I could be a full-time, selfless crusader of social justice, but that isn't exactly the path that I have laid for myself so far. On the other hand, I am hardly headed toward a career completely void of public interest work.

The least that I can say is that I am passionate about the work that I do. I enjoy the challenges, the creativity, the fight for what I believe is right. Not every assignment or every case or every day is one that makes me feel great about the profession, but overall I know that I am doing a good thing with my life. I have an opportunity to affect change, not just in the personal lives of my future clients, but in the system of justice as a whole. Some see my outlook as naive. I certainly know too many miserable lawyers who have become increasingly pessimistic about the practice of law, rolling their eyes when I express my optimism.

I don't know whether practicing law is a calling or not. But I do know that what we do with the opportunity is a powerful choice.

Some people suck, and so do some dog groomers

I went to Petco yesterday afternoon to pick up some pet things - dog food, a new toy, some greenies for Milo's teeth, etc. I also got him some new food and water bowls. His old ones were some kind of hard plastic, but I noticed that as of late some kind of crud seemed to continually accumulate on the sides of the bowl even though I cleaned it every few days. So, I went with matching ceramic bowls with "good dog" printed on the sides. Very cute.

Anyhow, the point of this story is that as I was waiting to check out, I decided to ask the clerk - who was about my age and not some naive teenager who hates the world - what he thought of the dog groomers at this particular store. I've been thinking about finding a new once since Milo came home last month with some kind of really bad schnauzer haircut. He's a yorkie, mind you. He looked ridiculous, and I think he knew he looked ridiculous.

Here's how the conversation went:

"What do you think of your dog groomers here?"
"What do I think of them as people or as dog groomers?"
Um, okay. "As people, first."
"They suck."
Oh, really? "Why is that, do you think?"
"I don't know. They just suck as people."
"Well, what do you think of them as dog groomers?"
"If they treat the dogs like they treat their co-workers, then they suck as dog groomers, too."

Well, that answered my question. You gotta love brutal honesty in the check-out clerks.

End of the week review

So much has been going on this week - some things of importance, most things not so much. I've been hanging on the fringes waiting for a moment to get it all out. So here goes:

* Indiana executed Donald Ray Wallace this week for murdering a family of four in 1980. Rather than get on my own soap box about this, I am referring you to a passionate post over at Deb's page eloquently describing her anti-death penalty sentiments. My opposition to the death penalty does not mirror Deb's, but I greatly admire her convictions and her willingness to act upon those convictions. At the end of the day, we both oppose the same thing.

* Also this week, my parents and sister became the proud parents of a new baby colt. I, myself, can't take any ownership for the new baby since I stopped mucking out horse stalls when I was 15, but baby horses are a huge deal to the rest of my family. I'll post a picture after the weekend since there is little else more adorable than a newborn horse. And there's no name yet. For some reason, naming horses is way more complicated than naming human babies. That really doesn't make sense, now does it?

* People all around me are sick. I keep a container of Lysol wipes at my desk at work, and I have set up a no-sick-zone perimeter around my desk. Yet, I woke up this morning with achy muscles, a headache, and a scratchy throat. I think maybe it is psychosomatic. Seriously. I've had that discussion on this blog before - I am not sick, but I might think that I am going to be because everyone else is. Anyhow, no time to be sick right now, so thank you to the infectious folks in my life who have stayed away from me this week. I don't want to hear about how you coughed up a lung anymore, though.

* Update on learning dictation: I can absolutely see the value in learning how to do this, but I really would like to pick and choose when I use it. I certainly can dictate a deposition summary in half the time it would take me to type it out. On the other hand, it would likely take me hours to try to dictate a memo or letter off the top of my head. All in all though, I am glad I'm being forced to do it. However, it is not a good idea to do lots of dictation the day after a huge bash (law prom) where you drank too much and smoked to much and sang "Paradise City" at the top of your lungs.

* Speaking of smoking, I am happy to say I'm back on the wagon. Hooray for me! This morning I had to walk through the gauntlet of smokers outside my office building, and it reinforced my disgust of the almighty cigarette.

* And speaking of the law prom, it took five intelligent women to piece together a relatively cohesive series of events from the evening. In the morning, we realized we had lost a few things, including two cameras, a couple of earrings (including an antique one that belonged to a prostitute once), an opportunity to eat cheeseburgers at 4am, a few memories, and maybe a little dignity. However, we gained a stray pair of shoes, which you can view here. They ended up in our hotel room, yet not a single one of us wears size 7 1/2. It's really unfortunate since they are sexy peep-toes. Anyhow, they are free to a good home.

* Final exams, graduation, and bar review are quickly approaching. Oh, and my bar application is due in by April 1. I will likely be blogging and/or bitching frequently about these topics, so this is your fair warning. For now, I'll say this: it's freakin' expensive as hell.

Team Phoenix

In a brief conversation with Deb this morning, she mentioned a young cancer patient she has connected to online who is not doing very well and not expected to live much longer. He needs all the prayers and support he can get. He is alone in the hospital, going through wretched chemo and a myriad of other awful medical things, without any family around him. You can visit his blog, Phoenix Rizen, if you are so inclined.

Deb also mentioned the importance of the Bone Marrow Registry. One of the things that Phoenix Rizen would like to do in this lifetime is increase awareness of donating bone marrow. At the moment, I can't think of a more worthy cause. Please check it out and consider it.

At the very least, please find some time and go donate blood.

Pizza with compliments, please

I just went to the downstairs cafeteria to get a chicken pesto pizza. When I picked up the box, the guy behind the counter had written something across the top in black magic marker.

"Your eyes are just too pretty!"

It's not everyday that someone takes the time to scrawl a compliment on a pizza box! How very sweet.

Back from the living, busy and hungover dead

I know, I know. The two people who read my blog have pointed out my absence as of late. I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, although I did fall off the dancefloor at the law prom after-party. More than once, I'm sure.

All in all, Barrister's Ball was a raving success, as evidenced by comments here, here, here, and here. Everyone looked fabulous and seemed to have a great time. I drank too much wine, temporarily fell of the smoking wagon (captured in a picture from Kelly's camera of me on the dance floor at the after-party with a drink in one hand and a lit cig in the other. Classy, I know), decided to be some kind of crusader of honesty (apparently the drunk Amanda never learned the lesson of "some things are better left unsaid"), lost my camera (no idea how this happened since I was keeping it in the front of my dress all night), and danced until my toes hurt (with a significant number of the law school's male population, and an impressive number of females as well). I was an absolute maniac, indeed! And for your information, my hangover lasted well into Monday. Not even a Gatorade/Excedrine cocktail could cure me, and I have since been questioning the merits of alcohol. A hangover like that is a sure indication that one should probably take a wine hiatus.

Congrats to Kelly P. and Deb on their honors!

In all your spare time, just for fun...

Some time ago, Energy Spatula over at Will Work for Favorable Dicta linked to the Monterey Bay Aquarium live cams. They are the greatest thing! My favorites are the penguins, otters, and shark cam.

I really could spend an obscene amount of time watching the penguins waddle to the edges of the rocks and jump off. So cute, and it just never loses its appeal for me.

Dictator

I have been told by my boss (one of my many boss-partners) that I must start using dictation. Apparently I am wasting "valuable time and money" by insisting that I type all of my own work. So, from now on I have been instructed to dictate certain work. Like the hundreds of pages that must be summarized by Monday, thank you very much.

Ugh. This task is presenting a bit of a problem for me. I like to type my own work very much. And if I have to use a tape recorder to do deposition summaries, will I be able to do it without verbally inserting the occasional random thought that will most certainly pop into my head as I'm reading the deposition? Will I be able to use the tape recorder without constantly rewinding, listening, laughing at myself, and re-recording? Without saying "um" and "strike that" a thousand times? Will I be able to do it in a monotone voice void of funny inflection and imitations of opposing counsel? Yeah, not likely.

This is sure to be a good exercise in professionalism for me.

Juvenile death penalty revisited

A comment to my last post regarding the Supreme Court's abolishment of the death penalty for juveniles has prompted me to express my opinion on the subject further.

Steven commented: "So a 17 year old psychopath who slaughters people in cold blood is somehow less worthy of death than an 18 or 19 year old psychopath? I must say I don't get it. Evil is as evil does. It knows no age."

I do not disagree with what Steven says. I agree - evil knows no age, indeed. However, I do believe that there must be a cut-off age for juvenile executions, and 18 is that age of majority in our society (minus the drinking laws, I know).

Executing a juvenile is more inhumane and cruel than executing an adult. I am personally opposed to the death penalty in general, but I have been adamantly opposed to imposing the death penalty for those under 18 because of my belief that there must be some consideration given to the impulse-driven brain of a teenager that is not fully developed. Now, saying that - I do agree that some 17-year-old criminals are no different than their 18- or 19-year-old counterparts. And certainly, most of the death penalty crimes that teens commit are absolutely no less heinous than those of the adults. Evil is evil, and a psychopath is a psychopath. I do not believe that imposing death on teenagers is appropriate, regardless of the nature of their crime. I am not saying that these teens shouldn't be held completely responsible for their crimes. A 17-year-old who kidnaps, rapes and murders a child is just as guilty of the crime as an adult. But if we really want to punish them, deter them, not allow them to re-offend, send them to prison. Life in prison, sure. Life in maximum-security, hard-time, no-extra-perk prisons, maybe. Death, no.

My general opposition to the death penalty is very different than my specific opposition to juvenile executions in this regard: I can see the other side of the death penalty issue. I respect the belief that the death penalty is a just punishment and a valuable deterrent for crime. I do not agree for many reasons, but I think that there are valid arguments to be made for both sides. Executing juveniles, however, is a completely different issue - it has to do with an extreme societal response to an increase in and severity of juvenile crime. As teenage crime has intensified and become more heinous, the death penalty has been considered and imposed more often. Using the death penalty to deter and punish teenagers is trying to fix the problem from the wrong end. The pervasiveness of juveniles committing capital crimes has more to do with societal trends than we care to admit. I submit that our society's increase in child abuse, drug abuse, divorce rates, wide-spread violence in media and entertainment, absent parents, etc. has had at least some effect on juvenile crime rates. Don't misunderstand - I am not excusing teenagers for what they might do. They are culpable for their crimes. But there must be a cut-off point at which we are not willing to execute our society's children.

I realize the problems with teenage crime is huge. I just don't believe one of the answers should be to kill them.

SCOTUS rocks!

Today the Supreme Court of the United States abolished the death penalty for juveniles.

Well, it's about damn time.

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Constitution forbids the execution of killers who were under 18 when they committed their crimes, ending a practice used in 19 states. The 5-4 decision throws out the death sentences of 72 juvenile murderers and bars states from seeking to execute minors for future crimes.

The executions, the court said, violate the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The ruling continues the court’s practice of narrowing the scope of the death penalty, which justices reinstated in 1976. The court in 1988 outlawed executions for those 15 and younger when they committed their crimes. Three years ago justices banned executions of the mentally retarded. Tuesday’s ruling prevents states from making 16- and 17-year-olds eligible for execution.

“The age of 18 is the point where society draws the line for many purposes between childhood and adulthood. It is, we conclude, the age at which the line for death eligibility ought to rest,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote. Juvenile offenders have been put to death in recent years in only a few other countries, including Iran, Pakistan, China and Saudi Arabia. Kennedy cited international opposition to the practice. “It is proper that we acknowledge the overwhelming weight of international opinion against the juvenile death penalty, resting in large part on the understanding that the instability and emotional imbalance of young people may often be a factor in the crime,” he wrote.

What's interesting is that Kennedy joined the liberal justices in order to swing the vote here. Justices Rehnquist, Scalia, and Thomas voted to uphold the executions, of course. Justice O'Connor joined them. Justice Scalia issued a 24-page dissent, chastising the majority for taking power away from the states and "being the sole arbiter of our nation's moral standards." Justice O'Connor's dissent argued against a blanket rule banning juvenile executions.

I understand the importance of maintaining the states' rights to impose their laws. I understand the dangers of wide-sweeping blanket rules without exception. I do not, however, understand any justification for sentencing a teenager to death, even for the most heinous of crimes.

We are supposed to be a civilized nation, one that leads by example, and I am so glad the Court recognized that today with this important decision.