Today the trend is to be increasingly selfish... the goal is to minimize inconvenience to yourself... the morality is 'if it feels good, do it.'
Which is one of the reasons that now, more than ever, an individual willing to sacrifice for his or her country is that much rarer, that much braver, that much more to be thanked. To everyone who served, everyone who gave of themselves for their country -- thank you.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Turning Over a New Leaf
It's interesting how life works. So, I last posted - almost a year ago.
I never wanted to blog because I thought -- who cares about my life? I do nothing interesting, I was just a little college student, and I was not particularly enchanted with the idea of an online, public diary. Then I decided to go to law school.
That was when I started this. I thought maybe law school would give me interesting things to talk about, I thought maybe people would be interested in what law school was like. What I didn't realize was that law school teaches you to be more than a little circumspect. It teaches you to watch every word out of your mouth - ESPECIALLY in public. It makes you positively O.C.D. about what you WRITE DOWN. And writing in public? Publishing in a blog? Holy cow -- forget that. You become indoctrinated with the idea that everything you say may someday be dug up and used against you.... and, well, I stopped blogging.
Until now.
More precisely, until 10 pm. on November 4, which is when I decided to start blogging again.
Don't get me wrong -- I wasn't too surprised. In fact I called it. I called it last spring, when I watched Mr. Obama mesmerize crowds. I also happen to be a student of history, and I know that Americans LOVE to switch parties every eight years. Don't really know why -- but for some reason, 'we' tend to elect our presidents to two terms, and then switch parties. I credit it to a philosophy of "I'm not perfectly happy and rich right now, so maybe if I try the other party, they'll fix all my problems." Makes sense.
(by the way, that's not always the case with Senators and Congressmen).
No, I wasn't too terribly surprised. Disappointed, yes. Surprised, no. But as a result of the elections I do find that I can no longer stay quiet. Here's the thing, I have this fundamental problem with killing babies. It really disturbs me, in fact, that we as a nation are so 'ok' with it, it's even impolite to bring it up, and certainly to call it what it is. I have a problem with that. I'd like to think I'd have a problem with any form of legalized murder.
I also have a problem with Socialism. You see, I know it sounds really great -- really utopian, really everyone-can-hold-hands-and-sing, but it just doesn't work. Ok, I'm trying to live like a Christian and part of that is giving to others, particularly those less fortunate than me. I'm all about private charities. But not socialism. Like I said -- it's been tried. A lot. By a lot of different people. The Russians had a version, the Chinese had a version, most of Western Europe currently has a version..... and it hasn't yet worked out. Why? The same reason kids don't learn when you don't grade them. No incentives. No reason to work hard, no reason to better yourself. "Redistribution of Wealth" caters to manipulation of the system, and results in the wrong people getting the money, the actually needy remaining needy, billions of dollars just falling through the cracks or going to support the bureaucracy, and the one-time-hard-working-entrepreneurs being afraid to succeed because they'll get the life taxed out of them. This is bad.
So, because I have these two problems, I am going to have to start blogging again -- and do my small part to convince a couple more of you to vote differently next time, before we end up like France. (don't get me wrong, I do love their food!) Or if nothing else...I'll just blow off steam and feel better.
I never wanted to blog because I thought -- who cares about my life? I do nothing interesting, I was just a little college student, and I was not particularly enchanted with the idea of an online, public diary. Then I decided to go to law school.
That was when I started this. I thought maybe law school would give me interesting things to talk about, I thought maybe people would be interested in what law school was like. What I didn't realize was that law school teaches you to be more than a little circumspect. It teaches you to watch every word out of your mouth - ESPECIALLY in public. It makes you positively O.C.D. about what you WRITE DOWN. And writing in public? Publishing in a blog? Holy cow -- forget that. You become indoctrinated with the idea that everything you say may someday be dug up and used against you.... and, well, I stopped blogging.
Until now.
More precisely, until 10 pm. on November 4, which is when I decided to start blogging again.
Don't get me wrong -- I wasn't too surprised. In fact I called it. I called it last spring, when I watched Mr. Obama mesmerize crowds. I also happen to be a student of history, and I know that Americans LOVE to switch parties every eight years. Don't really know why -- but for some reason, 'we' tend to elect our presidents to two terms, and then switch parties. I credit it to a philosophy of "I'm not perfectly happy and rich right now, so maybe if I try the other party, they'll fix all my problems." Makes sense.
(by the way, that's not always the case with Senators and Congressmen).
No, I wasn't too terribly surprised. Disappointed, yes. Surprised, no. But as a result of the elections I do find that I can no longer stay quiet. Here's the thing, I have this fundamental problem with killing babies. It really disturbs me, in fact, that we as a nation are so 'ok' with it, it's even impolite to bring it up, and certainly to call it what it is. I have a problem with that. I'd like to think I'd have a problem with any form of legalized murder.
I also have a problem with Socialism. You see, I know it sounds really great -- really utopian, really everyone-can-hold-hands-and-sing, but it just doesn't work. Ok, I'm trying to live like a Christian and part of that is giving to others, particularly those less fortunate than me. I'm all about private charities. But not socialism. Like I said -- it's been tried. A lot. By a lot of different people. The Russians had a version, the Chinese had a version, most of Western Europe currently has a version..... and it hasn't yet worked out. Why? The same reason kids don't learn when you don't grade them. No incentives. No reason to work hard, no reason to better yourself. "Redistribution of Wealth" caters to manipulation of the system, and results in the wrong people getting the money, the actually needy remaining needy, billions of dollars just falling through the cracks or going to support the bureaucracy, and the one-time-hard-working-entrepreneurs being afraid to succeed because they'll get the life taxed out of them. This is bad.
So, because I have these two problems, I am going to have to start blogging again -- and do my small part to convince a couple more of you to vote differently next time, before we end up like France. (don't get me wrong, I do love their food!) Or if nothing else...I'll just blow off steam and feel better.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
One of the reasons I love Christmas....
Because sooooo many people celebrate it.
People who would never, in a million years, admit that there is a God, nevertheless celebrate His birth regularly.
It's really kind of mind-boggling how widespread it is, how far across the world it reaches. Especially if you stop and try to think of which other religion's major holidays are almost universally celebrated....wait....?
Even in this politically correct era of "Happy Holidays" and "Family Trees," the truth of the matter is, the vast vast vast majority celebrate Christmas.
Santa Clause himself, for all his flaws, flies in the face of atheism. As do all the other Hallmark-esqu trappings...I mean sure, "we" are more interested in the lights, the tree, the mistletoe and the presents then we are in the Nativity. BUT....even those trappings nonetheless pay some of their tribute all the way back to a Birthday.
And I love that. I love that, as secular as we've made the holiday, as careful as we are not to mention the word "God," the bottom line is that in the name of tradition, Christmas carols with words like this get sung by people who wouldn't touch a hymnal:
"Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'til He appeared, and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn."
"The soul felt its worth" "A thrill of hope" .....
No, this is not me trying to be some sort of superior 'Christian' -- no competitiveness, not trying to 'put down' other religions. That's not the point of Christianity. The moment someone thinks they're 'better' because they're saved -- well, they should probably double-check whether or not they are actually saved. We are to be the most humble, because we know how much we've been forgiven.
I'm just excited to see my God praised so extensively, even by a world that's forgotten Him, even when they don't know they're doing it.
People who would never, in a million years, admit that there is a God, nevertheless celebrate His birth regularly.
It's really kind of mind-boggling how widespread it is, how far across the world it reaches. Especially if you stop and try to think of which other religion's major holidays are almost universally celebrated....wait....?
Even in this politically correct era of "Happy Holidays" and "Family Trees," the truth of the matter is, the vast vast vast majority celebrate Christmas.
Santa Clause himself, for all his flaws, flies in the face of atheism. As do all the other Hallmark-esqu trappings...I mean sure, "we" are more interested in the lights, the tree, the mistletoe and the presents then we are in the Nativity. BUT....even those trappings nonetheless pay some of their tribute all the way back to a Birthday.
And I love that. I love that, as secular as we've made the holiday, as careful as we are not to mention the word "God," the bottom line is that in the name of tradition, Christmas carols with words like this get sung by people who wouldn't touch a hymnal:
"Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'til He appeared, and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn."
"The soul felt its worth" "A thrill of hope" .....
No, this is not me trying to be some sort of superior 'Christian' -- no competitiveness, not trying to 'put down' other religions. That's not the point of Christianity. The moment someone thinks they're 'better' because they're saved -- well, they should probably double-check whether or not they are actually saved. We are to be the most humble, because we know how much we've been forgiven.
I'm just excited to see my God praised so extensively, even by a world that's forgotten Him, even when they don't know they're doing it.
Friday, November 30, 2007
"The Famous Trolley Case"
Our exams begin on December 11 and go through December 18.
In one class, there is no final exam. There's a paper instead. You guessed it...the paper is 100% of the grade.
The paper is due December 7.
No really, this is not me making up excuses for ONCE AGAIN going over a week without blogging. Clearly I would never do such a thing! In fact, how dare you think it?
Yesterday, in Criminal Law (fast shaping up to be my favorite class...who would have guessed it?) Professor Berman posed the following hypos:
The famous "trolley case"
There's a train coming. Five unconscious people lay on the track. You notice a switch that, if pulled, will redirect the train to a spur, sparing the five. One person is asleep on the spur. What do you do?
Now, say a doctor has five patients who need various organ transplants, all about to die. A complete stranger walks by who happens (bizarrely) to be a perfect blood and tissue match for all five. Should the doctor kill the stranger in order to harvest his organs and save the other five?
Were your two answers different?
If they were, why? Can you justify it?
The class discussion wasn't resolved, we're going to finish it on Monday. But this is why I love Criminal Law: because as a Christian, I approach the two hypos above from a gut-reaction that is presumably the Holy Spirit prompting me as to the correct course. We have The Law, spelled out pretty clearly in the 10 Commandments, we have Biblical principles to live by woven through the Bible, and we have the Holy Spirit prompting us. What's beautiful about Christianity, though, is that if you have to argue without using those three authorities, you can. It's a joy to reach Christian conclusions to moral dilemmas by just thinking it through one step at a time. Because it just makes so much sense. Now of course what's illogical is that it is premised on the ideas that self should not be priority and that death is not the greatest evil, and in my experience outside of Christianity it is generally accepted that you should put yourself first and that if you have do something (anything) to prevent your own death it is permissible. Apart from that, though, a joy of Christianity is the sheer logic of it all. That as a system it works within itself completely, no holes, no problems. That as a moral philosophy it has an answer for every possibility without requiring exceptions to the rules.
So this little game for your minds was just to illustrate a tiny bit of what my classes are like. Enjoy...
In one class, there is no final exam. There's a paper instead. You guessed it...the paper is 100% of the grade.
The paper is due December 7.
No really, this is not me making up excuses for ONCE AGAIN going over a week without blogging. Clearly I would never do such a thing! In fact, how dare you think it?
Yesterday, in Criminal Law (fast shaping up to be my favorite class...who would have guessed it?) Professor Berman posed the following hypos:
The famous "trolley case"
There's a train coming. Five unconscious people lay on the track. You notice a switch that, if pulled, will redirect the train to a spur, sparing the five. One person is asleep on the spur. What do you do?
Now, say a doctor has five patients who need various organ transplants, all about to die. A complete stranger walks by who happens (bizarrely) to be a perfect blood and tissue match for all five. Should the doctor kill the stranger in order to harvest his organs and save the other five?
Were your two answers different?
If they were, why? Can you justify it?
The class discussion wasn't resolved, we're going to finish it on Monday. But this is why I love Criminal Law: because as a Christian, I approach the two hypos above from a gut-reaction that is presumably the Holy Spirit prompting me as to the correct course. We have The Law, spelled out pretty clearly in the 10 Commandments, we have Biblical principles to live by woven through the Bible, and we have the Holy Spirit prompting us. What's beautiful about Christianity, though, is that if you have to argue without using those three authorities, you can. It's a joy to reach Christian conclusions to moral dilemmas by just thinking it through one step at a time. Because it just makes so much sense. Now of course what's illogical is that it is premised on the ideas that self should not be priority and that death is not the greatest evil, and in my experience outside of Christianity it is generally accepted that you should put yourself first and that if you have do something (anything) to prevent your own death it is permissible. Apart from that, though, a joy of Christianity is the sheer logic of it all. That as a system it works within itself completely, no holes, no problems. That as a moral philosophy it has an answer for every possibility without requiring exceptions to the rules.
So this little game for your minds was just to illustrate a tiny bit of what my classes are like. Enjoy...
Monday, November 19, 2007
Art, Souls, Paper and Turkey
"We are right, he said, and the others are wrong. To speak of these things and to try to understand their nature and, having understood it, to try slowly and humbly and constantly to express, to press out again, from the gross earth or what it brings forth, from sound and shape and colour which are the prison gates of our soul, an image of the beauty we have come to understand -- that is art."
- James Joyce
A common joke here is how to keep your soul through law school. Well, I'm working on it, and I'm convinced that only by the grace of God it won't be too difficult a task. BUT, I am rather worried about also hanging on to that part of my personality that keeps me a "whole person."
There's a concern, I think, when pursuing such a demanding academic course, to let it suck you entirely away from everything else that once made you "well rounded." To let it obsess you. To be one of "those" people who can only talk about their job -- for GOODNESS' sake! You already live it 40+ hours a week don't you? Do you REALLY want to revisit it over dinner too?
Here's my disclaimer: I certainly want to be the best law student UT ever saw... and to get A's on every exam.... but it's also become vitally important to me to keep reading James Joyce... keep listening to fantastic up-and-comers .... still be able to stop and watch and appreciate a glorious sunset. And THAT is what is so very difficult!!
And I have a feeling even the law firms that might hire me one of these days would like a well-rounded employee. It has its own other perks of random useful skills and background knowledge, and handy cocktail-party-conversation.
Problem: exams are in 20 days. In that time, minus Thanksgiving, I have to synthesize the entire semester's material for each class, because each class has one, and only one exam, that will presumably test what I learned over the entire four months. Why is this a problem? Because I find myself suddenly struck by the blogging muse again...after almost a semester's worth of absence and certainly an inauspicious beginning to my blogging career!
The irony: One of my classes also has one paper. The paper is worth 20% of my grade. The paper is due tomorrow. You'd think I was sick of writing by now.
Or maybe I am hungering for writing something, anything, that's NOT an analysis of caselaw! I do love law school, I love the opportunities and I even get a huge kick out of analyzing caselaw (don't laugh--it's fascinating!). But the soul needs a varied diet too.
So with that, here's my post-Thanksgiving resolution: to blog more regularly, eat my vegetables, and start running again. Oh wait, not the running part!
Happy-Almost-Thanksgiving! Remember the pilgrims!
- James Joyce
A common joke here is how to keep your soul through law school. Well, I'm working on it, and I'm convinced that only by the grace of God it won't be too difficult a task. BUT, I am rather worried about also hanging on to that part of my personality that keeps me a "whole person."
There's a concern, I think, when pursuing such a demanding academic course, to let it suck you entirely away from everything else that once made you "well rounded." To let it obsess you. To be one of "those" people who can only talk about their job -- for GOODNESS' sake! You already live it 40+ hours a week don't you? Do you REALLY want to revisit it over dinner too?
Here's my disclaimer: I certainly want to be the best law student UT ever saw... and to get A's on every exam.... but it's also become vitally important to me to keep reading James Joyce... keep listening to fantastic up-and-comers .... still be able to stop and watch and appreciate a glorious sunset. And THAT is what is so very difficult!!
And I have a feeling even the law firms that might hire me one of these days would like a well-rounded employee. It has its own other perks of random useful skills and background knowledge, and handy cocktail-party-conversation.
Problem: exams are in 20 days. In that time, minus Thanksgiving, I have to synthesize the entire semester's material for each class, because each class has one, and only one exam, that will presumably test what I learned over the entire four months. Why is this a problem? Because I find myself suddenly struck by the blogging muse again...after almost a semester's worth of absence and certainly an inauspicious beginning to my blogging career!
The irony: One of my classes also has one paper. The paper is worth 20% of my grade. The paper is due tomorrow. You'd think I was sick of writing by now.
Or maybe I am hungering for writing something, anything, that's NOT an analysis of caselaw! I do love law school, I love the opportunities and I even get a huge kick out of analyzing caselaw (don't laugh--it's fascinating!). But the soul needs a varied diet too.
So with that, here's my post-Thanksgiving resolution: to blog more regularly, eat my vegetables, and start running again. Oh wait, not the running part!
Happy-Almost-Thanksgiving! Remember the pilgrims!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Good News!
The lost cavers were found!! Praise God.
For more on the story, go here: http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2007/10/15/TopStories/Students.Rescued.From.Cave.Sunday-3031776.shtml
I know, I know...crazy long link. Anyway, it's "The Daily Texan" UT's own, 'little' newspaper. So weird being at a school that's roughly ten times the size of the TOWN in which I grew up.
Speaking of which, did you know my town is famous? Yes little Boerne, no one knows where it is, no one can pronounce the name...and I found it in my Constitutional Law casebook today!
Basically, the city refused to give the Catholic Church a building permit...and that violated the Federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act which in turn (according to the Supreme Court of 1997) violated Congress' power...in spite of Section 5 of the 14th Amendment, the enforcement power section... BUT the really cool thing is that later in my book, in another case, the editors specifically referred to "the Boerne Test" (something this other act hadn't successfully passed). I mean, how COOL is that? My little town....
The other really cool thing is that I was 13 at the time and I remember it all! I don't often come across things in textbooks that I actually remember, so it's clearly a red-letter day for me.
Anyway I know that paragraph went really fast and had a lot of ellipses and very few explanations, for which I apologize. The problem is, I have this four page paper to write tonight and I'm already starting to get sleepy. So, I'll tell you what, I'll write up my whole thrilling brief for the case some other time this week. Exciting, isn't it?
For more on the story, go here: http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2007/10/15/TopStories/Students.Rescued.From.Cave.Sunday-3031776.shtml
I know, I know...crazy long link. Anyway, it's "The Daily Texan" UT's own, 'little' newspaper. So weird being at a school that's roughly ten times the size of the TOWN in which I grew up.
Speaking of which, did you know my town is famous? Yes little Boerne, no one knows where it is, no one can pronounce the name...and I found it in my Constitutional Law casebook today!
Basically, the city refused to give the Catholic Church a building permit...and that violated the Federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act which in turn (according to the Supreme Court of 1997) violated Congress' power...in spite of Section 5 of the 14th Amendment, the enforcement power section... BUT the really cool thing is that later in my book, in another case, the editors specifically referred to "the Boerne Test" (something this other act hadn't successfully passed). I mean, how COOL is that? My little town....
The other really cool thing is that I was 13 at the time and I remember it all! I don't often come across things in textbooks that I actually remember, so it's clearly a red-letter day for me.
Anyway I know that paragraph went really fast and had a lot of ellipses and very few explanations, for which I apologize. The problem is, I have this four page paper to write tonight and I'm already starting to get sleepy. So, I'll tell you what, I'll write up my whole thrilling brief for the case some other time this week. Exciting, isn't it?
A New Post!
Wow, I'm really bad at this whole thing.
No really....really, really bad.
So, apparently I started a blog, only to cease writing the moment I got to law school....hmm. No good at all. I think, if I remember correctly, the whole reason to HAVE a blog in the first place was that, supposedly, I would have all sorts of interesting things to say once I was IN law school....or something.
The problem is, now that I'm here, I don't know what to say. I mean, it could be one of those semi-whiney blogs...one about who I'm friends with and what I think of them and what I do on the weekends and how hard life is...etc. etc.
Except life isn't hard and I hate blogs like that anyway
The goal was to have it be ridiculously intellectual and informative, of course, and to spark anyone who ever read it to all sorts of wonderful new, deep new thoughts. The problem there is that, after 12-14 hours a day thinking about the law, the LAST, absolute LAST thing I want to do is write a blog about it!!!!
Austin, TX ( http://www.austintexas.org ) by the way, is where I live now. It's the 4th largest city in Texas and the 16th largest in the US...according to Wikipedia at least. It's also often called the live-music capital of the world, a little bit of California in Texas, "the blue spot Texas," and the Third Coast. We, as a culture, include a mix of professors, students, musicians, artists, politicians, lobbyists, and the other Austinites -- the yuppies and the hippies. The city's motto seems to be "Keep Austin Weird." Except for the traffic, it's pretty much awesome. I've never had quite as many quirky, wi-fi coffeeshops with fantastic music playing in such a short circumference. I rather think it's the 2007 version of Budapest in the very early 1700's. Then again the traffic is ridiculous...the lines in HEB horrendous...and you should definitely go to my mom's post for another view of Austin!
I wonder how the traffic was in Budapest in the early 1700's? Of course you'd have to factor in the difference between cars and horse-and-carriages ... but still... any answers from any more-committed-historians-than-I-have-become?
Sad news about my town: 4 cavers went missing last night just outside of Austin, and last time I read the news, they still hadn't been found. If you are in the habit of saying a prayer for people you've never met, say one for them please.
I think that's all for now, but I am hoping to get into the habit of more regular posting...so if you haven't forsaken me just yet, please don't!
Goodnight.
No really....really, really bad.
So, apparently I started a blog, only to cease writing the moment I got to law school....hmm. No good at all. I think, if I remember correctly, the whole reason to HAVE a blog in the first place was that, supposedly, I would have all sorts of interesting things to say once I was IN law school....or something.
The problem is, now that I'm here, I don't know what to say. I mean, it could be one of those semi-whiney blogs...one about who I'm friends with and what I think of them and what I do on the weekends and how hard life is...etc. etc.
Except life isn't hard and I hate blogs like that anyway
The goal was to have it be ridiculously intellectual and informative, of course, and to spark anyone who ever read it to all sorts of wonderful new, deep new thoughts. The problem there is that, after 12-14 hours a day thinking about the law, the LAST, absolute LAST thing I want to do is write a blog about it!!!!
Austin, TX ( http://www.austintexas.org ) by the way, is where I live now. It's the 4th largest city in Texas and the 16th largest in the US...according to Wikipedia at least. It's also often called the live-music capital of the world, a little bit of California in Texas, "the blue spot Texas," and the Third Coast. We, as a culture, include a mix of professors, students, musicians, artists, politicians, lobbyists, and the other Austinites -- the yuppies and the hippies. The city's motto seems to be "Keep Austin Weird." Except for the traffic, it's pretty much awesome. I've never had quite as many quirky, wi-fi coffeeshops with fantastic music playing in such a short circumference. I rather think it's the 2007 version of Budapest in the very early 1700's. Then again the traffic is ridiculous...the lines in HEB horrendous...and you should definitely go to my mom's post for another view of Austin!
I wonder how the traffic was in Budapest in the early 1700's? Of course you'd have to factor in the difference between cars and horse-and-carriages ... but still... any answers from any more-committed-historians-than-I-have-become?
Sad news about my town: 4 cavers went missing last night just outside of Austin, and last time I read the news, they still hadn't been found. If you are in the habit of saying a prayer for people you've never met, say one for them please.
I think that's all for now, but I am hoping to get into the habit of more regular posting...so if you haven't forsaken me just yet, please don't!
Goodnight.
Friday, August 31, 2007
First Week
I survived my first week of classes!
Impressions after a few classes: Everyone else in my class is the cream of the crop. They are the top 10% of their...respective realms. I am the stupid one. BUT, I'm really enjoying my classes so far. Sure it was only the first week (easy to say that now, right?) but honestly, the material fascinates me. And that is step #1, isn't it?
I think life is a funny business. Two years ago, this time, I never would have dreamed that I'd be entering UT Law in 2007. Never. I didn't want to go into law, and I certainly would never have thought myself 'smart' enough for it...especially for a school like UT. This time one year ago, I wanted to go into law, but I definitely didn't think I'd get into a school like UT. In fact, as I recall, when I came home from the LSAT my words to my folks were: "We'd better start praying that some school somewhere takes me!" But I was pretty sure it would be a third or fourth tier school.
So I guess that's all just one more testimony to God. And I admit, it's pretty cool to see His hand in everything. I'm exhausted right now -- trying to move in during the first week of one's classes at a new school is never a good idea -- but it's been fun. I think I'm happy here. I think this is gonna be a good three years.
Lessons learned so far:
When going to law school, move in a week before classes start. It stinks to be unpacking at 4 am the night before orientation.
Socratic method isn't all that scary after all...maybe.
Do not, I repeat do not develop a cough that lingers through your first week of classes. (I swear I'm practically suffocating myself to avoid coughing in class and instead of successfully smothering the cough in question, I just sound like I'm suffering from hysterics....my poor professors probably all think I'm about to burst into tears!)
Don't be late to the bus stop. Blessing of public transportation: cost-effectiveness. Curse: the bus-drivers won't speed if you're running five minutes late. sigh.
p.s. appropriately, THIS is post is in burnt orange. In case you live under a rock, burnt orange is UT's color.
Impressions after a few classes: Everyone else in my class is the cream of the crop. They are the top 10% of their...respective realms. I am the stupid one. BUT, I'm really enjoying my classes so far. Sure it was only the first week (easy to say that now, right?) but honestly, the material fascinates me. And that is step #1, isn't it?
I think life is a funny business. Two years ago, this time, I never would have dreamed that I'd be entering UT Law in 2007. Never. I didn't want to go into law, and I certainly would never have thought myself 'smart' enough for it...especially for a school like UT. This time one year ago, I wanted to go into law, but I definitely didn't think I'd get into a school like UT. In fact, as I recall, when I came home from the LSAT my words to my folks were: "We'd better start praying that some school somewhere takes me!" But I was pretty sure it would be a third or fourth tier school.
So I guess that's all just one more testimony to God. And I admit, it's pretty cool to see His hand in everything. I'm exhausted right now -- trying to move in during the first week of one's classes at a new school is never a good idea -- but it's been fun. I think I'm happy here. I think this is gonna be a good three years.
Lessons learned so far:
When going to law school, move in a week before classes start. It stinks to be unpacking at 4 am the night before orientation.
Socratic method isn't all that scary after all...maybe.
Do not, I repeat do not develop a cough that lingers through your first week of classes. (I swear I'm practically suffocating myself to avoid coughing in class and instead of successfully smothering the cough in question, I just sound like I'm suffering from hysterics....my poor professors probably all think I'm about to burst into tears!)
Don't be late to the bus stop. Blessing of public transportation: cost-effectiveness. Curse: the bus-drivers won't speed if you're running five minutes late. sigh.
p.s. appropriately, THIS is post is in burnt orange. In case you live under a rock, burnt orange is UT's color.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Orientation
Law School....
I think I gathered this much today. First, law school is completely awesome. It's way more exciting than anything I've tried thus far, way harder, way more challenging, way more rewarding. At least, I think that's what I can expect. ;-)
Second, I picked the right school for me. I already love it here.
Third, the professors are amazing. Sure, sure I only heard their orientation speeches -- but they were very inspiring orientation speeches!
Fourth, everyone says it takes a lot more time than undergrad, so this blog thing might die after all. ;-)
I think I gathered this much today. First, law school is completely awesome. It's way more exciting than anything I've tried thus far, way harder, way more challenging, way more rewarding. At least, I think that's what I can expect. ;-)
Second, I picked the right school for me. I already love it here.
Third, the professors are amazing. Sure, sure I only heard their orientation speeches -- but they were very inspiring orientation speeches!
Fourth, everyone says it takes a lot more time than undergrad, so this blog thing might die after all. ;-)
Friday, August 24, 2007
Wow. Whew. So after getting over that flu (was that seriously the last time I posted!? Gosh...) I took a last minute flight to North Carolina to visit certain people, got home just in time to go to West Texas with my family, and now tomorrow I start law school.
Dang. So two things not to do: go on vacations literally the week/day before you have to move into your law-school-apartment. No, I'm not at all overwhelmed at the moment.
I'm also not at all packed. Yay!
Yes the forces that be combined to nearly kill my fragile, infant attempt at a blog...either that or I just mislaid my mutli-tasking knack in law school! But I think I'm back...for now...maybe.
AND, (drum roll please) it's all over and done with and finished and for sure, for sure: I am going to UT!!!!! (That's the University of Texas School of Law (www.utexas.edu/law ), in case you don't know. It's only the coolest law school EVER). Yes it took forever for the last, final decision...gosh, applying to law school is an intense, character-building, trial-by-fire process! But thank God it's over and all I have to do now is get the last of my books. And seriously, if anyone you know ever decides to go to law school, tell them they should probably go to UT. I mean not only is it the coolest law school ever, but it's also conveniently located in Austin (home of South by Southwest AND Austin City Limits), and LeTourneau doesn't have a law school, plus they have about the greatest financial aid office ever (they made my life much much better), and, let's face it, I'm there.
And if anyone ever wants to go out to West Texas for a vacation, I can HIGHLY recommend the Gage Hotel ( http://www.gagehotel.com ) in Marathon. I'll try to post pictures later but...it's AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think it got left behind in 1860 and stayed wonderful when the rest of the world went modern. It's also conveniently located near Big Bend National Park.....which is not Chihuahua-friendly. My mom might have taken her Chihuahua on the vacation, and possibly along to Big Bend...apparently they attract bears and mountain lions. Chihuahuas, that is, not moms.
Chihuahuas also dislike the heat of the Rio Grande Valley, preferring the air-conditioned car interior. To be perfectly honest, I think moms feel the same way about the heat.
Really, though, it was a wonderful retreat from the world right before the rigors of my 1L year, and I fell completely in love with the untamed desert out there and the sheer immensity of the sky. It really still is the "west" in that idealised way we all think of it, an empty, wild land with loan ranches and brave loners.
Dang. So two things not to do: go on vacations literally the week/day before you have to move into your law-school-apartment. No, I'm not at all overwhelmed at the moment.
I'm also not at all packed. Yay!
Yes the forces that be combined to nearly kill my fragile, infant attempt at a blog...either that or I just mislaid my mutli-tasking knack in law school! But I think I'm back...for now...maybe.
AND, (drum roll please) it's all over and done with and finished and for sure, for sure: I am going to UT!!!!! (That's the University of Texas School of Law (www.utexas.edu/law ), in case you don't know. It's only the coolest law school EVER). Yes it took forever for the last, final decision...gosh, applying to law school is an intense, character-building, trial-by-fire process! But thank God it's over and all I have to do now is get the last of my books. And seriously, if anyone you know ever decides to go to law school, tell them they should probably go to UT. I mean not only is it the coolest law school ever, but it's also conveniently located in Austin (home of South by Southwest AND Austin City Limits), and LeTourneau doesn't have a law school, plus they have about the greatest financial aid office ever (they made my life much much better), and, let's face it, I'm there.
And if anyone ever wants to go out to West Texas for a vacation, I can HIGHLY recommend the Gage Hotel ( http://www.gagehotel.com ) in Marathon. I'll try to post pictures later but...it's AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think it got left behind in 1860 and stayed wonderful when the rest of the world went modern. It's also conveniently located near Big Bend National Park.....which is not Chihuahua-friendly. My mom might have taken her Chihuahua on the vacation, and possibly along to Big Bend...apparently they attract bears and mountain lions. Chihuahuas, that is, not moms.
Chihuahuas also dislike the heat of the Rio Grande Valley, preferring the air-conditioned car interior. To be perfectly honest, I think moms feel the same way about the heat.
Really, though, it was a wonderful retreat from the world right before the rigors of my 1L year, and I fell completely in love with the untamed desert out there and the sheer immensity of the sky. It really still is the "west" in that idealised way we all think of it, an empty, wild land with loan ranches and brave loners.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Tissues, Thermometers, Deadlines and more...
Oh dear. I hate being sick.
I really rebel against it. After all, my body is supposed to know that I am magical, and therefore of course impervious to sickness and capable of ignoring every sort of medical issue. Sigh.
I have been sick since Friday. It's dumb. It annoys me. Plus, it exasperates me to be sick right now when I am in the middle of some absolutely-insane-ultra-last-minute law school decisions! No good can come of lying in fever-induced deliriums whilst one is supposed to be e-mailing back and forth with various and sundry law school deans over various and sundry last minute admissions decisions and newfound (heretofore nonexistant) deadlines! Erg!
Besides, there's the little issue of health insurance.
You see, I don't have any.
I will have some in about a month, when I am officially enrolled in a law school! :-) But for now...well...I'm kind of like a car at 55,000 miles. I'm starting to make all sorts of odd noises, but I just keep ignoring them because I really don't have the money to get them fixed.
Oddly enough, my real car is also beginning to make odd noises! And again...don't so much have the money for new brakes. :-P I think at this juncture a ridiculously wealthy, semi-eccentric, and very childless relative would come in handy. One who likes strange girls with curly hair. Yes.
In other news, (not that anything would be more important than my health of course!), apparently various and sundry people who would like to be our Commander in Chief (among other things) are being interviewed tonight via YouTube questions. Of course they are all democratic candidates, and it is CNN, so I think there will be an ever so slight liberal bias. Still, might be interesting to watch. Always good to know what the enemy is up to. ;-) I believe Andersoon Cooper is the gentleman conducting the interview and it should be at 7 pm eastern.
The Republicans face a similar ordeal on September 17, (why so far apart? Who knows?) so for heavens' sake go to YouTube and post some terribly brilliant questions!
And now I'm going to drag myself back to my post, crawl under lots of blankets, and try to return to that lovely unconscious state where nothing hurts. Take your Vitamin C and Echinacea!
I really rebel against it. After all, my body is supposed to know that I am magical, and therefore of course impervious to sickness and capable of ignoring every sort of medical issue. Sigh.
I have been sick since Friday. It's dumb. It annoys me. Plus, it exasperates me to be sick right now when I am in the middle of some absolutely-insane-ultra-last-minute law school decisions! No good can come of lying in fever-induced deliriums whilst one is supposed to be e-mailing back and forth with various and sundry law school deans over various and sundry last minute admissions decisions and newfound (heretofore nonexistant) deadlines! Erg!
Besides, there's the little issue of health insurance.
You see, I don't have any.
I will have some in about a month, when I am officially enrolled in a law school! :-) But for now...well...I'm kind of like a car at 55,000 miles. I'm starting to make all sorts of odd noises, but I just keep ignoring them because I really don't have the money to get them fixed.
Oddly enough, my real car is also beginning to make odd noises! And again...don't so much have the money for new brakes. :-P I think at this juncture a ridiculously wealthy, semi-eccentric, and very childless relative would come in handy. One who likes strange girls with curly hair. Yes.
In other news, (not that anything would be more important than my health of course!), apparently various and sundry people who would like to be our Commander in Chief (among other things) are being interviewed tonight via YouTube questions. Of course they are all democratic candidates, and it is CNN, so I think there will be an ever so slight liberal bias. Still, might be interesting to watch. Always good to know what the enemy is up to. ;-) I believe Andersoon Cooper is the gentleman conducting the interview and it should be at 7 pm eastern.
The Republicans face a similar ordeal on September 17, (why so far apart? Who knows?) so for heavens' sake go to YouTube and post some terribly brilliant questions!
And now I'm going to drag myself back to my post, crawl under lots of blankets, and try to return to that lovely unconscious state where nothing hurts. Take your Vitamin C and Echinacea!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Numbers
Number of moths saved from imminent death: 2
Number of stores visited in desperate quest for "law school clothes": 11
Number of suits tried on: 26
Number of suits bought: 4
Number of suits quickly returned: 1
Number of relatives made comatose by ordeal: 1
Number of coffee-beverages consumbed throughout day: ??
Well, we didn't really drink that much coffee...
So, I am going to law school. In about 31 days, to be exact.
I can't wait. I want to defend the defenseless, seek truth, uphold morality, etc. It's going to be truly fantastic.
But, unfortunately, I have no good clothes....
You see I have always been the T-shirt and jeans kind of girl. Or I had my occasional all-black-like-a-cool-spy garb, the punk-rocker moments, even a pair of parachute pants, motorcycle boots, and some truly nifty shoes I bought just for skydiving. (you want shoes that won't fall off when you land, don't really have heels, and in my experience at least, shoelaces were unhelpful.)
None of that, apparently, cuts it for moot courts.
So yesterday I braved the outlet mall in quest of the perfect suit.
The good thing is, I found three! And I mean, whoa, these are awesome suits. I'm pretty sure I can accomplish anything just by wearing them. Sleek, sophisticated, way too cool... The bad thing is, I discovered I hate shopping.
I hate, hate, hate shopping.
I hate trying on clothes.
I hate the interminable guesswork with sizes. (I mean honestly, all you designers out there, why can't a 4 with you be the same as a 4 with the guy next door!? grrr.)
And...I hate that I seem to have expanded since the last time I bought suits....
So, I am on a diet! :-) I guess maybe at 23 I'm finally too old to just eat whatever the heck I want (like I have for the last 23 years...)
Number of diets started since yesterday: 1
Number of cookies eaten since diet started: 9
They were good cookies.
My little sister looked at me in horror sometime after breakfast this morning and said, "Apparently, for you, diet means eating everything in sight."
Sigh.
Number of suits I will no longer fit in on August Eighteenth: 3
;-)
Number of stores visited in desperate quest for "law school clothes": 11
Number of suits tried on: 26
Number of suits bought: 4
Number of suits quickly returned: 1
Number of relatives made comatose by ordeal: 1
Number of coffee-beverages consumbed throughout day: ??
Well, we didn't really drink that much coffee...
So, I am going to law school. In about 31 days, to be exact.
I can't wait. I want to defend the defenseless, seek truth, uphold morality, etc. It's going to be truly fantastic.
But, unfortunately, I have no good clothes....
You see I have always been the T-shirt and jeans kind of girl. Or I had my occasional all-black-like-a-cool-spy garb, the punk-rocker moments, even a pair of parachute pants, motorcycle boots, and some truly nifty shoes I bought just for skydiving. (you want shoes that won't fall off when you land, don't really have heels, and in my experience at least, shoelaces were unhelpful.)
None of that, apparently, cuts it for moot courts.
So yesterday I braved the outlet mall in quest of the perfect suit.
The good thing is, I found three! And I mean, whoa, these are awesome suits. I'm pretty sure I can accomplish anything just by wearing them. Sleek, sophisticated, way too cool... The bad thing is, I discovered I hate shopping.
I hate, hate, hate shopping.
I hate trying on clothes.
I hate the interminable guesswork with sizes. (I mean honestly, all you designers out there, why can't a 4 with you be the same as a 4 with the guy next door!? grrr.)
And...I hate that I seem to have expanded since the last time I bought suits....
So, I am on a diet! :-) I guess maybe at 23 I'm finally too old to just eat whatever the heck I want (like I have for the last 23 years...)
Number of diets started since yesterday: 1
Number of cookies eaten since diet started: 9
They were good cookies.
My little sister looked at me in horror sometime after breakfast this morning and said, "Apparently, for you, diet means eating everything in sight."
Sigh.
Number of suits I will no longer fit in on August Eighteenth: 3
;-)
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