First days back

It's been an eventful couple days back in Ann Arbor. People are slowly trickling in, and it's fun to catch up with folks. 2Ls are busy doing the On Campus Interviewing stuff, which is fun because the firms host meet-and-greets all over Ann Arbor. So as a 3L, I am basically obligated to crash these events and drink their free drinks. If I am forced to talk to a lawyer, I am proficient enough in the art of bullshitting to avoid being thrown out. I enjoy pushing the limits, though. Yesterday I attended an event that appeared to be business casual -- everyone who cared about getting hired was in nice clothes. I was unshaven, and wearing shorts and a t-shirt. My t-shirt is from the San Francisco Public Defender's Office, which proudly states on the back: "Getting You Off (Since 1921)". If nothing else, I'm classy. The people who gave me a nametag had priceless looks on their faces; they knew what I was up to, but they couldn't really do anything about it. Life as a 3L is grand.

Tonight I went to the Coldplay concert in suburban Detroit. We've been getting the leftovers of Hurricane Katrina, so the weather was windy and crappy. But it was still a great concert. They are full of energy. I don't know how they do this every night in a different city.

Six more days until classes start.

Road Trip: Day 3

Sioux Falls, SD to Ann Arbor, MI

Made it!

Stats:
12 hours
820 miles
3 gas stops (2 Phillips 66, one other...)
1 Time-Zone change
Lunch: Quizno's
Dinner: none -- high on life from finishing drive

We hauled ass today. Made it to Ann Arbor at 10:30. Entered my apartment, which had remained empty all summer, to find some sort of oil spill from my fridge on the kitchen floor -- nothing too bad, just a small dried puddle. Several dead spiders in the tub. So far, that's all the bad I've found. Hope I don't find any surprises in my sheets or in the closet.

It's good to be back. Classes start the day after Labor Day, so I have a few days to run errands before it all starts up again.

Road Trip: Day 2

Billings, MT to Sioux Falls, SD

Stats:
13.5 hours
750 miles
4 gas stops (3 Conoco, 1 Phillips 66; take that, NRA)
1 Time-Zone change
66 highway billboards for Wall Drug
3 clouds all day
Lunch: Dairy Queen
Dinner: Burger King. A royal day for dining.

Mileage efficiency was thrown because of a 2 hour detour in the Black Hills to visit Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse monument. Good stuff.

Tomorrow: back to Ann Arbor. It's going to be a long day, but we'll get there.

Road Trip: Day 1

Seattle to Billings, MT

Stats:
12 hours
800 miles
3 gas stops (all at Conoco; take that, NRA)
1 Time-Zone change
Lunch: Burger King
Dinner: Taco Bell

Scariest moment: oh crap there's something in the road -- it appeared out of nowhere. No time to swerve, just aim to have it go under the car. What is it? It won't fit under the car. Is it a styrofoam cooler, or a sheep? Phew, it's just a plastic bag. That was nuts.

Coolest sight: half-moon rising in big sky country.

Hopefully more tomorrow, if the next hotel has Internet. (Thank you, Best Western of Billings!)

Slow week

Not much blogging will be done this week, as I'm either: a) doing absolutely nothing, or b) busy running errands for my trip, which starts Friday. Neither are fun to blog/read about.

I'm hoping to blog during the road trip -- most hotels have wireless Internet now. Until then, it's going to be slow in these parts.

Done with work!

I am finally done with work for the summer. It's great. Now I have a week off before I start the drive back on Friday. Vacation is good.

Maybe it's Bavasi

This has been Dad's theory for a while: Bill Bavasi is bad GM, ruining the Mariners will bad signings. I'm beginning to think that way too. Of note is the recent release of Scott Spiezio, who was 3-47 this year. Three hits all year. Good choice, Bill. Now, the entire infield from opening day 2004 has been designated for assignment. Olerud, Boone, Aurilia, Spiezio. Those were your starters a year ago, and all of them have been RELEASED. Not traded, released. They sucked THAT BADLY. That's just awful.

I'm hoping he has turned a corner, though. Sexson and Beltre are here to stay, and Betancourt looks good at shortstop. Now we just need to address the fact that we have one quality starting pitcher, and he is 19 years old. Bavasi, if you want to keep your job, you better get us some pitching.

I have a question

Anyone, please tell me. What exactly is "judicial activism"? People use this term a lot, as if we should know what it means. I, for one, don't know.

I thought it meant anytime the Court asserted itself over an act of the legislature. The Court striking down school prayer, for example, would be judicial activism. By that definition, the Kelo decision (the one expanding the definition of eminent domain) would not be judicial activism because it left a city legislature's decision alone -- it did not impose its own will on the situation. BUT, I've heard arguments that this case was in fact an instance of judicial activism because it, apparently, violated the plain text of the Constitution (this is, I think, an arguable point, but whatever).

So what is it? Or does anyone really know? Maybe it's just a term that judiciary-bashers simply apply whenever they disagree with a court's ruling. I don't know. If anyone can help, please tell me.

Okay, Judge Roberts...

People for the American Way have a list of twenty proposed questions they want the Senate to ask Judge Roberts during the confirmation (questions, they say, that previous nominees have answered). I wonder what questions you'd like him to be asked. What do you think?

I would ask about his understanding of Indian sovereignty. The Supreme Court gets at least 1-2 cases a year dealing in Federal Indian Law... it would be interesting to hear what Judge Johnny thinks of it. What else? I know someone out there has an IP law question for him...

Dilbert

I hear that.

Stampede!

Wow, this is just crazy.

A rush to purchase $50 used laptops turned into a violent stampede Tuesday, with people getting thrown to the pavement, beaten with a folding chair and nearly driven over. One woman went so far as to wet herself rather than surrender her place in line.

Slow week

I don't have much to add to the blogosphere today; it seems that there's nothing to talk about unless I have a new and innovative opinion about Cindy Sheehan. Which I don't. But I do have this: an article about the ugliest dog ever. Judging by the picture, I agree.

Anything else? I'm currently watching King Felix on TV for the first time -- the kid is good. Otherwise, just waiting for work to end. People are already trickling back into Ann Arbor... school is just around the corner.

Work wrapping up

I have one week left at my job here. I am yearning for it to end. My boss is not terribly sentimental however, as he has decided to stick me with some incredibly boring shit to do during my last week. I'm currently doing research for a CLE paper... nice.

I will then have a week left in Seattle before I begin the drive back to Ann Arbor. My copilot for the ride will be the insane Dan Clark. If I don't have stories to tell when this is over, something will be wrong.

The King has come

In a season of such gloom, Mariners fans got a welcome dose of hope from a 19-year-old phenom. In his second start, Felix Hernandez goes 8 shutout innings, allowing 5 hits and no walks, for his first win. I don't want to put to much pressure on the kid; I don't expect him to become a 1984-86 Dwight Gooden. But it is fun to be able to look forward to every fifth Mariner game now. I'm just hoping he stays healthy, because I'm enjoying this small taste of hope.

P.S. Screw you, Jamie Moyer.

Third year - a waste?

This is a debate that rages periodically, and apparently it's back. Should law school really last three years? Is the third year necessary?

I'll go on record saying I like the third year, but I know some of my classmates would disagree. But that just might be because I like school and a lot of them don't. I still plan on taking some tough classes next year, and I have a journal to work on. I also probably won't have a job lined up for after graduation, so I'll need the time to figure that out. So I'll use my third year. But that's just me; people who have jobs and never liked school in the first place might wonder why they're there. The answer: football games and bar-hopping.

Food trends

I don't know why, but there are so many parts to this press release that fascinate me. I didn't know that anyone kept track of salad dressing rankings. I didn't know anyone monitored the top spice flavors... and I never would have guessed the top flavor is bay leaf (?!?). I didn't know there was an Association for Dressings and Sauces. I didn't know "Mexican sauce" was far and away the highest selling sauce (above barbecue and "hot"). I don't know what raspberry hibiscus is. I didn't know that my consumer profile is "nutritionally curious." Wow.

Why Ann Arbor rules

In Ann Arbor, cheerleaders fight crime.

Wedding march

My wedding season is now over, having witnessed the vows of Kimmy & Zak and DB & Bubba in the past two weeks. Both were lovely ceremonies and fun receptions, with lots of good friends there to see. For the summer, I was 3-for-3 in terms of being at "That Table" during the reception; my table was the rowdiest and loudest at each wedding I attended this summer. I am absolutely positive that this is a coincidence.

The highlight/lowlight of the DB/Bubba weekend was doing The Worm at the reception. I didn't volunteer for this, but the groom requested it, so Beez and I stepped out to do the Worm with this 10-year-old kid, who, apparently, also knew how to do it. We start, and... whoa. This kid turns out to be some kind of electric boogaloo genius breakdancer. He makes Beez and me look like absolute chumps; we can only do the worm in the forward direction, while this kid goes backward and forward, then stops and does some kind of crazy break move. To quote a certain legendary beer pong player, I am officially retired. I have been shown up by Haley Joel Osment. I'm done with the worm.

Good start

The NCAA announced today that it is banning Indian mascots during postseason tournaments. I'm not sure why they stopped with postseason events, but maybe it's enough to get some schools to change. It will be interesting to see what Illinois, for example, decides to do during the NCAA basketball tournament. Anyway... good work, NCAA.

Whoa

This is cool.

Counter-boycott

The NRA announced that it will boycott ConocoPhillips because the oil company is fighting an Oklahoma law that would allow employees to bring their guns on company property. ConocoPhillips wants to be able to enforce don't-bring-your-gun-to-work policies, but the NRA sees this as an unreasonable infringement of Second Amendment rights. The NRA is essentially saying that private property owners should not be able to decide to keep their property gun-free.

Okay, fine. It's their right to boycott. But for my part, in three weeks I'll be making a 2500-mile road trip. I am going to try to fill up at as many ConocoPhillips gas stations as I can along the way. I may even buy some extra candy in their food marts. Take that, NRA.

It's getting scary

I was watching the movie "I Am Sam" the other day, which features a few courtroom scenes. At one point during cross-examination, a lawyer asks a very poor question. I yell out "Objection; compound question" at the exact same time that the other lawyer in the scene makes the exact same objection. Whoa. I don't know what's scarier -- that I'm thinking like a lawyer, or that I'm thinking like a movie lawyer.

Tonight: Modest Mouse

Looking forward to it.

Damn you, Jamie Moyer

According to Seattle papers, the Mariners had deals in place to trade Jamie Moyer, but the jackass nixed the deals. He continues to torment me. I suppose I can no longer hope for a trade; I can only hope he gets hit by a bus. A very large bus.