For Better...Or For Worse?

I was trying to decide whether writing about the bar makes me feel better or worse. I think I've decided it makes me feel better, so that's nice.

The test is around 100 hours away now, which is nuts! Compared to everything I've done up to now, that's a drop in the bucket! Then again, if I can stay awake for 70% of that time, and spent most of it studying, I can probably still learn a fair amount more. But what to focus on? MBE's? Essay? PT? I guess a little bit of everything, but really I still want to memorize substantive law. Bar/Bri says repeatedly that memorizing is the least important thing to do, but its still so tempting. Try answering an essay when you don't know the law. It's terrible.

Alright, back to work...did you enjoy my poems?

-thememowriter

Them stem cells is bad
They're really people ya see
You can't go killing cells now
Cause they're the same as me

I fully support
diversity of citizenship
opined
the Commander in Chief

Conviser is my bus driver
he cooks delicious pancakes
delicious broccoli pancakes
and Whitebread brings the wine

torts, contracts and constitutional law
worthy subjects indeed
but what difference does it really make
if the grader doesn't read?

cramming silly facts
hoping for the best

preparing for the worst

Hey-yo

Hey all,

As with any break from writing, I always feel compelled to say something about my absence. What should I say this time? Well, there haven't been any major developments, other than the bar coming closer and closer everyday. Right now, we're at three weeks. As much as that scares me, I think I just came up with a way to turn it around to a positive. Here is how:

First of all, I've already done a lot. But I know that there are some very basic things that I simply don't know well enough. With three weeks left, if I can identify everything that is important that I don't know and do my best to memorize, I think I can do this. I'll have to do quite a few practice essays as well. Despite the fact that I still suck at these, I believe I'm coming around. I understand their format enough to at least create an essay that "looks" like a good answer. Worst case that supposedly gets you 55-60. I'm probably going to need to do very well on my performance exam. I'll do a couple of those for practice, and that's more of a skill oriented exercise, so I like my chances there as well.

So, basically, I have my work cut out for me. I doubt I'll go out at all from here on out until the night before the exam. That night I'm supposed to take it easy, watch a movie, share a bottle of wine with someone. I'm staying downtown and walking to the test. It's sure to be an interesting time.

What I've come to realize is that I can only do whatever I do. It's entirely up to me. I will always be able to say I could have done more. But there are about 500 hours between now and the test. On one hand, that's a short enough time that you have some limitations. But at the same time, you can learn an awful lot in that amount of time if you go balls out.

That's exactly what I intend to do.

Wish me luck

-thememowriter

For an assault, must the victim be afraid?

No. The victim must apprehend harmful or offensive contact, but he doesn't have to be afraid of it. "Apprehension" here means that P has a belief that is she doesn't take action, a harmful or offensive contact will soon occur. P's right to recover is not negated by the fact that she is confident of her own ability to take action to avoid the contact.

This is the type of non-sense I'm spending my time on. The stress was beginning to get to me a little bit this weekend, but I think I'm feeling somewhat better. Friday night my roommate got passes to a pretty cool club in downtown San Diego. On the way back, I drove by a large marquee that said: "Bar Exam, July 25-27." At the time, it really kind of made me laugh and adjust my focus a little bit. Now I'm feeling more like its me against them. How dare they create such a stupid barrier to pursuing what I've worked so hard for!

It's clear that I simply cannot allow this to occur. I must learn how to tell them what they want to hear. That's all it is. Put on the monkey outfit, memorize the dance, and then do it, for 3 days straight. Then hopefully, four months from now, I'll be able to put this all out of my mind. It will be much like the experience of one who has been a victim of violence. What a shame too, I could be spending my time doing something like snorkeling in the above picture.

Anyway, in other areas of my life...sadly there isn't that much to talk about. I had a nice lunch at the diner near the Bar/bri class. That has become my sanctuary. It's nice to have one of those.

Well folks, it's time for me to hit the sack. Until next time.

Staying Alive

Well, what to say? People in my class are beginning to get a bit wacky. Remember that odd energy of competitiveness, fear, and desperation that was present through much of the first year of law school? Well, it's back, times ten.

This is really a tough test to figure out. One minute I think I'm going to destroy it, then I become convinced that I'm going to be destroyed. Its hard to believe how arbitrary the test itself is, considering how much is at stake. But what can you do?

Sushi & Surfing: Just What I Needed?

Well, I decided to take today off. Slept in, ate lunch, watch U.S. vs. Italy (what BS!) went surfing, and now I'm going out to a club, where they supposedly also serve sushi. That would be nice, as I am starving. Tomorrow I'm making a big pot of coffee and doing bar study. I wish that wasn't the case, but alas, that's my life. I think if I can just pass this test things are going to turn out well for me in the not so distant future.

39 Days (But who's counting right?)

Well, another week finished and another day closer to getting this show on the road. My impression of the job market has been very positive. I've got a few more meetings lined up. Sadly, this only further reinforces the importance of passing this damn test. And there's really nothing anyone can say or do about it. My feelings are that I should only focus on passing and expect nothing else. I talked to my mom this morning and she tried to comfort me by saying that even if I didn't pass, things would be ok. This didn't make me feel any better. But having someone say that I would be screwed if I don't pass isn't likely to help either.

All that aside, I'm just so frustrated by this whole experience, and I'm barely 1/4 into it. I think I have the necessary motivation to get through it all, but its not going to be fun. Now there's an understatement.

If anyone out there has some beneficial advice, now would be an excellent time.

40 Days Away

As hard as it is to believe, the bar is only 40 days away. I've booked my hotel room and the bar preparation continues forward at a blistering pace. I really had no prior appreciation for what I was in for. I guess I always knew it was going to be a bitch, but that's not the same as going through it. I sure as hell don't want to have to do this a second time.

I'd like to know how much of this homework everyone else is getting done. I need to know how much I should be beating myself up when I don't get it all finished. This stuff takes up a lot of time. So far, I'm doing pretty well on the MBE's, but my essays have a LONG way to go, and I'm attempting my first Performance Exam. All of this seems so pointless, and perhaps it is, or perhaps arbitrary is a better word. But lots of life is arbitrary, especially the business world. I suppose I had better just get used to that aspect of the world if I want to be a lawyer.

Anyway, life does not slow down for you. I find myself already behind on many basic tasks, and I'm not getting the most fantastic sleep in the world. I've started doing a nightly dip in the hot tub, makes me feel better, but also tired. I think I need to start working out more and eating better. That would be an improvement over my first 2 week bar/bri program of eating everything in sight and never working out (except surfing a few times).

I appreciate everyone's support. I met with an alumni today that gave me some very positive advice and information, as well as picking up the tab at a delicious downtown Mexican restaurant. I must say, I do love it here, and believe that it's possible that San Diego is the greatest city in America.

Still Truckin'

-the memo writer

The Eagle Has Landed

[today's post is a bit of a catchup and is written in a quasi-stream of conscioness form]

Hello my faithful readers. I know you're out there somewhere. Other than oh, two of you, I don't know who you are. But that's cool.

Well, my move to the Wild West should be considered an early success. The trip was grueling. At times I felt like it was a modern day version of Oregon Trail. Wheels breaking, oxen running away, even people dying of typhoid (or being really tired). Anyway, we arrived to find we did not have an apartment, kind of a big oversight but also a product of our unwillingness to settle for something unknown over the internet. Sometimes the best way to move into a town is to move there and then start looking. If you have the luxury of being able to visit the town in advance and pick out a place even better. But as I found in London, when that isn't an option, you're probably not going to end up liking the place you chose from far away.

Anyway, I digress. So after staying at a very unique Hostel, we ended up striking gold on a 2 bedroom in La Jolla. My dad was certain that I couldn't afford to live here. At this point, he's probably right. But as soon as I land any legal job, I'll actually be able to afford to live here quite comfortably. In the meantime, I can tread water by working at a legal staffing agency for a few months after the bar. Their pay begins at $14 an hour. Not something I would want to do forever, but this past year has been an expensive one. I lived in central London, bought a computer, a guitar, an HDTV, a digital SLR camera, and all sorts of other toys. Right now, money is about as tight as its ever been, but it's mostly a product of my earlier choices, choices which I was comfortable with when I made them. I stand by them now.

In other words, I knew when I bought my toys that I was spending some money. I knew that living in London and San Diego are both expensive. I knew that until I could find a legal job I would not have much of a financial cushion. According to the bar people, I'm not supposed to think about this stuff until after the bar, which begins in 41 days if my count is correct. I need another cup of coffee.

. . .

Ok, I'm back. I don't think I feel like really saying at that much more. I'll leave it for another time. But anyway, things are going good. Somewhat high stress, but I'm doing what I can to handle it. Last night at bar/bri the professor had a very positive message. Everybody passes! Everybody passes! He told lots of stories about people who were afflicted with all sorts of crazy problems that still passed.

Anyway, There's so much more to come...just you wait.

-the memo writer

A Few of My Favorite Things

As my time in Lawrence begins to draw to a close, I can't help but become a little bit nostalgic. So while I was driving down Tennessee today, I began to think about what I'll miss about Lawrence.

The brick sidewalks and streets

The Wheel

Allen Fieldhouse

Mass Street

The sound of the trains at night

The dark one way streets, especially Tennessee and Kentucky

The Crossing

Yellow Sub

Mass Street Music

Friends, new and old

It's late and there's tons more...and I'd love to hear what's on everyone elses list!

Can't believe I hadn't heard about this...

I happened to have an old friend of mine ask me this weekend if I had seen Colbert's speech at the White House Press Dinner. I hadn't. In fact, I hadn't even heard of it. While I'm sure conservatives won't find this funny at all, I thought it was absolutely hilarious. Of course, there's a whole other question of whether it was right to go as far as he did with the president sitting right beside him, but then again, THEY INVITED HIM! Surely someone had seen his show...one would assume so.

Anyway, chances are you haven't seen it either, and you should. It's about 25 minutes long, and in my [humble] opinion, well worth the time. Sadly, the truth has become so obscene, that hearing Colbert speak it is funny. The video is available at:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-869183917758574879

-cheers!

The Hits Keep Coming

I used to enjoy Bill O'Reilly. Generally, I don't anymore. I've changed some, he's changed some. But that's not the point. My point is, for a long time, this guy was one of the major Bush Backers, though he didn't like to admit it. (He's always labeled himself an independent). But now O'Reilly is comparing his presidency to Jimmy Carter's and offering ideas on how to turn things around.

To me, this is just another sign as to how bad it's gotten for Bush. And while its terrible for the country, it does make me feel somewhat vindicated. You see, I've labeled him a nitwit from the beginning. I cannot understand how anyone can support him. As a particularly wise professor of mine suggested, "Sometimes it seems like his plan is to screw up everything he can."

Does Bush know something I don't know? Did God tell him the date of Armageddon during one of their conversations?

In all seriousness, I just think its a shame how things have fallen apart. I would have rather been wrong than see it come to this. I often wonder, if we could turn back the clock now, and vote again, how much would Bush lose by? My gut says it would be a landslide, but could I be wrong? What do people know now that they didn't know in 2004? He was doing just as poorly back then. And yes, I understand that the Democrats didn't do a great job of getting people motivated. But, when your pitcher has given up back to back to back to back to back homeruns, sometimes you HAVE to bring someone else in, even if the guy doesn't seem like he's necessarily that good either.

Diary of a Procrastinator

It's getting down to crunchtime folks, and I've still got much to do. My two main concerns: My media law project and secured transactions. With the project, which is probably about 20% complete at best, I'm beginning to freak out. For whatever reason, I'm having some sort of writers block. I thought hammering something out on here might help. We'll see...

Secured is a whole other area. I should have taken this class 3 semesters ago. Back then my study habits were better and I was far better equipped for this nonsense. If you don't know what a secured transaction is, allow me to explain: you're lucky!!! Let's just leave it at that.

Anyway, I've read books that suggest some of the reasons why I might procrastinate. Most of it makes sense. But you know what? Here I am...no further along.

The good thing is though, I've gotten all sorts of less important tasks done. For example, the dishwasher is running right now, I gave blood today, and I started reading Zen in the Art of Archery. Good stuff.

You know what? I think this has helped!

Back to work...

Forgive Me

I was doing so much better, averaging several posts a week. But lately I just haven't had it in me. Graduation is 5 weeks from tomorrow...which is awesome and hard to believe at the same time. There's much to talk about and I'm going to try to get back on track with the postings and whatnot.

This site will of course begin to shift its focus over the upcoming summer. I'll be a law school graduate studying for the bar, 5 blocks from the edge of Western Civilization. My evenings will be consumed with my wonderful bar/bri review course, and my days will be a mixture of study and job hunting. Somewhere in there I'd like to do some surfing as well. Maybe I could get into a routine of starting my day that way. That always sounded fun and I think it would help me become more "functional" in the mornings.

Anyway, I'm glad to have you back reading this and I look forward to more posts in the upcoming weeks.

-thememowriter

P.S. A belated happy birthday to thememowriter, which just celebrated its first birthday. Yet another sign that time is flying by...

Goodnight Cinderella

It was not to be.

I was really pulling for George Mason tonight. I love a good David and Goliath story. George Mason was a special story, because they were 4-0 against Goliath going into the game tonight. But a new David was ready and waiting...and this time he was even taller than usual.

They hung in there for a while...just minutes before the half they were down just one point. But Florida's insane barrage of 3 pointers and rebounding was just too much to overcome.

So when you think of amazing sports accomplishments, don't forget about George Mason. They should always remain a stunning reminder that seemingly impossible dreams can be achieved when you give everything you have.

Goodnight Cinderella. Goodnight.

Home

Well, its good to come home. I had a nice trip, but its not easy keeping up with these young guys. The trip was nice, some baseball, cooking, margaritas, beer, wine, steak, basketball, sun, rain, music, and mayhem. The weather didn't cooperate the whole time (it never seems to on Spring Break.) But it was still a great time. For some reason, it caused me to be very reflective.

I spent a lot of time thinking about how things are really coming to a head here. My parents are always asking me if I feel like "I can see the light at the end of the tunnel," and that sort of thing. I usually don't make much of those sorts of questions, but when I was asked the other day, I had an answer that many of you might relate to. I said, "I'm so busy right now, I can't really see very far in front of my face." I feel overextended right now. I really do. School and work will be over in about six weeks. While that's nice, I want to make sure I can avoid living my life in an overextended manner. It can make it really hard to enjoy yourself.

A friend of mine just did an interesting post regarding the value of religion. I am planning on responding as soon as I'm in the right frame of mind. You should read it, but if you don't have the time, here are a few snipits:

"I see tremendous value in religion. I find the value given to an individual that is received by belief in something to be, for lack of a better term, invaluable. I've looked for something to replace belief and I just can't find it. Belief, in my opinion, runs along the same lines as hope, but has been sublimated. And who among us would even dare to suggest the removal of "hope" from the human vernacular?!!"

"I was saying that hope and belief have very similar characteristics and that to disregard belief is to devalue hope. So I guess the counterargument would be that we should attempt to displace belief with hope, since belief relies on the supernatural. And I must say that makes sense to me if I'm claiming that belief and hope hold relatively the same value. But remember that I said that belief had been sublimated."

If you enjoyed those snipits, check out the post. The link is above. And my response will come soon. Best wishes to all of you!