Pull!

At the risk of being unoriginal, I had to talk about this. When was the last time a President or VP shot someone in the face? I'm confident this is the first time in my brief time on this planet. But the focus of this post is instead on how it relates to the Bush administration in general.

Did anyone notice how they (as usual) have gone out of their way to sweep this under the rug? First of all, they waited a day before releasing the information, and then tried to do so in a casual way..."oh by the way, Cheney shot someone this weekend...and also, lunch will be at 12:30..." Then, Cheney ducks out early from the morning meeting so he can avoid talking about it. What a chicken shit! What happened to the Cheney who told people to fuck off? Why is he so afraid to take accountability for what he did? Afraid to answer some questions and take a little ribbing. Luckily, no one died. Honestly, no matter where you fall politically, you have to understand that this is something you have to deal with. Why does the Bush administration try so hard to hide everything?

Here's all it takes to deal with this sort of thing. I'm pretty sure past administrations have handled it this way. #1: Call press conference #2: Have person made a genuine apology in which they acknowledge the mistake they made and take accountability. #3: Answer a few questions about it, expecting to be badgered and made fun of a bit.

But then again, with Bush & Cheney, this is what I've come to expect.

Golden State

The path:

Well, In a few months I plan to put a few miles on the Jeep. About 1689 of them. That's going to be, as they say, a long drive. But when I arrive and see the above sunset, I have a feeling it will all be worthwhile.

My plan is beginning to take shape. Graduate May 21, leave in the following days, move into some sort of temporary living arrangement, study for the bar for about 2 months, find a job, pass the bar, and then leave a giant trail of dust behind me as I conquer San Diego much like Denny Crane conquered Boston.

Simple enough.

Did you ever notice how annoying old people are?

Don't get me wrong. Lots of elderly people are very wise and interesting. But then there's Andy Rooney. Somehow this guy has continued to hold a job as a pseudo-CBS journalist. I can't think of anything much less interesting than listening to a grumpy old man complain about progress. I have a hard time understanding why people expect that things will stay the same. Sure, sometimes progress isn't all that its cracked up to be. But what is the alternative? Doing nothing? Being satisfied and just leaving it alone? I'll tell you what Rooney: you claim to be a true American, but I can't think of a less American view on progress.

A few of my favorite Rooney quotes:

“Computers may save time but they sure waste a lot of paper. About 98 percent of everything printed out by a computer is garbage that no one ever reads.”

"Did you know that it costs $40,000 a year to house each prisoner? Jeez, for $40,000 apiece I'll take a few prisoners into my house. I live in Los Angeles -- I already have bars on the windows. I don't think we should give free room and board to criminals. I think they should have to run 12 hours a day on a treadmill and generate electricity. And if they don't want to run, they can rest in the chair that's hooked up to the generator."

Back to School

Well, nothing to get me back into the habit of writing like having classes again. Right now I'm in my first one of the semester, Commercial Law: Secured Transactions. I really don't know what the class is about, nor do I really care. What I do know is that it's a requirement to graduate. Enough said.

So what all happened since the last time I wrote? Really not all that much. The trip to Vegas was great. I took the poker world by storm, taking down pot after pot. That was fun. One night we went out for an awesome steak dinner at supposedly the best steakhouse in town. It was very good.

There's more to tell, but I think for now, I'll quit while I'm ahead.

Viva

Well, in two weeks time, I'll be enjoying myself. I'm going to perhaps the only place where a boy like me can be happy. Dinosaur World? No, Las Vegas. I'm going with a good buddy of mine and we're going to do our best to live like rockstars. That's always much easier when you're winning money instead of losing it. So if you're in a nice mood, how about sending some positive energy my way. I need the cards to be good to me. Hopefully I can take it from there.

I won't be seeing many of the usual faces this year for New Years, but that's ok by me. New Years is usually vastly overrated. It is a relationship killer. It is all hype and a big let down. But this year is going to be different. I'll be surrounded by people I don't know, who, much like me, will be looking to let loose and have fun. I can't wait.

On another note, congratulations to me and several of my partners in crime for passing the first half of the bar. The only thing that stands between me and the legal profession is one more semester and one more (big) standardized test. I think you hear me knocking, and I think I'm coming in.

Procrastination

My last final is a take home, due on Friday. I've made some progress on it, but truth be told, considering the time I've had, I've been terribly inefficient. I've had conversations with other people about this, and I've found many people are the same way. Some of them take Ritilin or Adderal, some don't. I don't want to. So I've been doing some research on procrastination, in the hopes that by learning about it, I can learn how to either compensate for it or change.

In other words, while procrastinating I decided to research procrastination. And I think I found some good information out. I think I need to do some serious research on personal development. I need something to guide me towards becoming more efficient. Like most things, it's mind over matter, but the fact that I know that isn't enough. Most people need some guidance to behave they way that they would like to. It's a learned behavior, like anything else. So now its time to teach myself how to behave.

Good things can come from procrastination.

The Homestretch

Well, in a few days I'll be officially 5/6th of the way through with law school. I'd like to thank all the little people. It wasn't that long ago that I was a 1L, sitting there, hoping I wasn't called on. Now everything seems repetitive and mostly boring. But lets be honest, this is my 21st year of school. Enough is enough.

So I feel that some sort of celebration is in order for this somewhat auspicious occasion. So what to do? Vegas!

I will be ringing the New Year in a little place called Las Vegas. There aren't many places I'd rather be when the clock strikes midnight. It's going to be one to remember. More on this to come.

What it's All About (27-23)

Down by three. 5 seconds to go. 1 play. Clock is ticking. You have a decision to make. Take an almost certain overtime, or put it all on the line. It's as big a play as there is in any moment of sports. And today, our guy made the right call. And better yet, the right thing happened too. It doesn't always work out that way.


I read an article that said that the testosterone in men goes up by as much as 35% in the weeks that follow a big win by their team. I'm certainly feeling it. Today was a good day for the Chiefs, and a good day for Kansas City. Great call Dick Vermeil! Go Chiefs!

Say Something

Hello there, loyal readers. I am sorry for my brief absence. I hope you've survived without me. There hasn't been a whole lot going on, but I'll fill you in on a hillarious phone call I had the other night.

I'm driving home from work and the phone rings. It's not a number that's in my phone, so ordinarily I wouldn't answer. But nothing good is on the radio, so I answer, hoping its a supermodel. Instead:

Unknown caller: "Mom and I are thinking about grabbing a bite to eat."
Me: (Pause) "What?"
Unknown caller: "Where should we go eat?"

Now this is normally where I would hang up, but I was in one of those moods...

Me: "Well where are you?" (Trying to get information)
Unknown caller: "On the corner of 1st and X."
Me: "How's pizza sound?"
Unknown caller: "Mom doesn't want pizza."
Me: "That's just like her."
Unknown caller: "What?"
Me: "Nevermind, what about a sub?"
Unknown caller: "She doesn't want a sub."
Me: "Well hey, you're the one who called me!"
Unknown caller: "What's wrong with you? You in a bad mood or something?"
Me: "No, not really, how about that pita place?"
Unknown caller: "Yeah, that will work. How late are they open?"
Me: "Ever heard of a phone book?"
Unknown caller: "Geez...sorry."
Me: "Gotta go, tell Mom I say hello."

Strange people out there. But then again, I'm the one driving around talking to them on the phone so they can figure out what to eat.

The Unexpected: Expect it

I love sports. I really love football. Occasionally for unexpected reasons.

When I explain to people why I love football, I tend to talk about how it is a microcosm of life. It shows us that seemingly impossible things do happen.

But there's another part of sports that I don't talk about as often. The fact that occasionally you get to see something take place that has never happened before. Remember when the Yankees blew the 3-0 series lead to the Red Sox last year? That had never happened in the MLB before. Today I believe I saw something that has never happened in the history of the world.

Kansas State was playing Oklahoma. KSU has the ball. It's 4th down and they have to punt from their own 10 yard line. They line up, the center snaps the ball, a nice spiral snap...except one problem...NO PUNTER. That's right...there wasn't a punter in the game. The ball went out of the back of the end zone for a safety...a very strange safety. In fact, I suspect that in the history of the world and the sport of football, there has never been a play like that before. There probably never will be again.

At least we can hope.

Relax

Things do get better.

Last week it was beginning to feel like things were spinning out of control. After a weekend that included a Kansas City Chiefs victory, things suddenly feel right again. I got my work done, I'm pretty much caught up on errands, bills, and that sort of thing. Oddly enough, I even found my parking pass.

So what's next? That's a good question. I need to figure out what I'm going to do after this law school thing is over. It's time to pick a speciality. It's time to pick a location. Wow, those are some tough choices. I'd really like to head West, AKA California. But that has choices of its own. San Diego? San Francisco? San Jose? A city without San in the name at all?

I have some serious things to figure out right now. I guess its better than having nothing going on, but this next year is going to really set my future in motion. I'll have to try not to screw it up.

Our hearts are with you

I don't have much time to write, but I had to say something about what happened in New Orleans. It's a terrible and sad situation, and we all know that it's brought out the worst in some people. My hope is that in the end, it will bring out the best in people as well.

For now, I'll just post the words of Jon Edwards, because I know I couldn't say it any better:

"You know, I have learned two lessons in my life. One is that there will always be heartache and struggle in our lives. We can't make it go away. And the other is that people of good will can make a difference. One lesson is sad and the other is inspiring. And walking together through this day, we choose to be inspired because we know that we can fulfill the promise.
In times like these, if we can work together, comfort together, and help communities rebuild together, then let's do that for all of the challenges that exists right now and build one America."

Our hearts are with you.

Speaking of Jefferson

Did someone mention Thomas Jefferson? Ok...it was me. When I find myself moping about the current state of the American Presidency, I can't help but think of guy like Jefferson.

Sometimes I wonder if someone went back and changed history to make this guy sound like a genius. Just about everything he ever said would happen has, and in exactly the manner that he predicted. And the way that he wrote and spoke; it’s unbelievable. What happened to our country? Hundreds of years later we have a bunch of...lame, unintelligent and inept hacks vying for the presidency.

A while back I heard people talking about cloning Benjamin Franklin. Maybe we should clone Jefferson as well. ;)

Q: Is it effeminate to end my post with a smiley face?

Where am I?

I woke up this morning and got ready for class, just like any other morning. Suddenly, for the first time it sank in that my last year of law school has begun. When did this happen? I remember enrolling. I remember moving into my apartment. But it still felt like "summer" was going on. But summer is gone. Possibly my last summer break for at least a decade. Dopht!

It's going to be an interesting year. I'm much busier now. Law school and a job will do that to you. But for the first time I feel totally on top of school. The law makes sense to me now, and I'm comfortable with it for the first time. Right now, law school seems like it was worth it. But then again, ask me if I still feel that way the week of finals.

. . .

*The picture is of Thomas Jefferson, who sadly was not the topic of this post, but was a brilliant guy whom I happened to have a picture of.

Actual Customer Service?--A Bright Idea

With as many transactions as I've gone through in my 24 years on this planet, I've had my share of bad experiences. We're constantly forced to wait for 10, 20, even 30 minutes to speak to real people on the phone when their product or service fails us. So it's time that we recognize the companies that are good to their customers so that we can encourage proper customer service.

I've probably owned a dozen flashlights. Most of them are long gone after a couple of years. But I'd had my Maglite for about 10 years when the threads began to strip and the flashlight quit working. I remembered that they advertised a lifetime warranty, so I got on their website and checked things out. It showed a local electronics store to take the flashlight to. I explained the situation and they paid to send it to Maglite. I received a brand new flashlight 10 days later, no questions asked.

Not that we could ever hope that all businesses would be this great, but it gives them something to shoot for. I'll probably never buy another brand of flashlight!

The Meaning of Life (Revealed)

I guess something big came to me in the shower today. Actually it was something that I already knew for a long time. Wanna know the meaning of life?

Here's the secret: There is no "meaning of life." All these people constantly talking about it have no clue what it even means. And do they really think they'll find an answer? Look, every complicated decision has pros and cons. You have to make choices in life, and by making choices, you'll choose to miss out on some things. We only have so many years, and they're best spent living in the moment. So don't waste your time asking stupid questions like, "what's the point of all this?" There is no point! It's really not such a bad thing. And I believe that you'll be a step ahead of everyone else by knowing that there is no answer to search for. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for learning and searching and growing. But I won't kid myself into thinking that there is an answer to every question that our minds can create.

Fraternity Life

I visited the White House a few weeks ago, and I had a wonderful time. But one thing struck me afterwords as I began to analyze my visit. The White House is really a giant fraternity. Consider this:

• People come and go, but the furniture remains.
• Lots of parties, gatherings, and dinners.
• Everyone knows that their time in the house is limited and long after they're gone, the place will continue to function without them.
  
• It's mostly about who you know.
• It's all political.

I could easily go on, but I'm curious to hear some of the ones that you guys come up with. Ciao.

Independence Day

I had a nice fourth of July weekend. I left for Beaver Lake in Garfield, Arkansas on Friday evening. A few of my friends from undergrad were there and we all had a great time. We spent our time eating, wakeboarding, tubing, drinking, listening to music, talking about life, politics, money and women. I slept like a ton of bricks (what a stupid expression) last night. All that time on the water and in the sun can take a toll on your body. ..

It was nice to get back to work today. I love taking vacations, and its really nice when you feel refreshed when you walk back into work the next day. I can’t believe that my summer break is already more than half over. Time is passing so quickly right now. Is that the wind rushing by my ears or do I hear the voices again?

Untitled

I have a problem with journals and diaries. The longer I go without writing in them, the harder I find it to write...and a lot of good that does me.

Anyway, I'm writing now, so I'll shut up about that. I'm sitting here in Florida watching the Rainmaker on HBO. I've already gotten a pretty nice tan, and its cloudy today. All of a sudden, I can't get enough of the legal dramas. Law & Order, A Few Good Men, 12 Angry Men, etc. I can't stand this stuff during the semester, but right now its all I can watch. Analyze that.

I'm bored

I'm bored today. So I thought I'd start writing and see where it takes me. Should be interesting...

I'll tell you a bit about myself. I love Seinfeld. I like the Simpsons. I like 90210. I like Melrose place. I like 24. I love music. I love writing. I love football. Basketball and baseball are pretty cool too. I like ping pong.

The truth is, I've been meaning to start posing stuff more often and I thought this would help me get started. We'll see if it works...