The question no one is asking?

Why was Congress closed for a holiday today? Isn't there, like, a looming crisis that threatens the stability of the economy and the retirement savings of like a million Americans? They worked through the weekend and now they're taking a day off for New Years? It just seems a little strange to me--I mean, is it an emergency or isn't it? 'Cause if it's not, how 'bout we stop yelling that it is so the markets can stabilize and, you know, correct themselves like they're supposed to. And if it is an emergency, get your butts to work. Is that too much to ask?

scotus and potus

Can you tell which is which?

I wants.

The falls, they are great

On Saturday, to celebrate my last day in DC (and to do something we've wanted to do all summer), the Fella and I took our lazy butts out to the Virginia side of Great Falls Park. It's pretty, but Saturday is a crowded day to go--I'm sure it's much more lovely minus the hoards of small children and animals, say on a lonely Wednesday at 6am. Anyway. I wasn't wearing appropriate shoes, so we stayed off the trails and kept to the overlooks near the visitor's center. Since I'm still living sans camera, you'll have to content yourselves with these phone pictures, and I'll hear no complaining about it!

It's no Niagara, but certainly worth the trip.

This one is just in case you didn't believe that I was actually there.

In honor of today being International Talk Like A Pirate Day, I made up these terrible jokes. Enjoy.

Where does the pirate Fella live?

ARRRRRRRlington!

What does pirate saisai need to get around Palo Alto?

A cARRRRRRRR!

Where do pirate law students go on Thursday nights?

BARRRRRRR review!

What do pirates join when they retire?

A-A-ARRRRRRRR-P!

Experiment: baked apple slices

Ingredients
5 tart green apples
a good amount (1 cup?) brown sugar
a good amount (2 tbsp?) cinnamon
a dash (1/2 tsp?) nutmeg
1/2 a stick of butter
some (2/3 cup?) water

Peel and core apples. Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into 5 or 6 slices, so the slices are about 1/4 inch thick. Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg (in that order) with water in a separate bowl, blending with a fork. Pour water/spice mixture and melted butter over apples in square pyrex pan. Make sure all the apples are coated with yummy deliciousness. Bake uncovered in oven at 350 degrees, mixing/basting apples every 10-12 minutes. Bake until apples are soft but still hold their shape. Broil for a few minutes to brown if you're into that.

Updates forthcoming.

UPDATE: Tasty! I put them in for 12 minutes, then 12 minutes, then 12 minutes... and then put them under the broiler for 5 minutes. I separated the apples from the liquid. Next time, I might add flour to make the liquid thicker and more edible. Anyway, they were great on waffles.

"Can I poke it?"

Chris Cooley, Redskins TE, has been all over the Internets today.  I think it might have something to do with a playbook and a schlong.  Whatev.  It's really just an excuse to post this hilarious picture of Cooley's tight end.  Enjoy.

What is it with professors and Cardozo?

I spent last year under the tutelage of the most lovable contracts professor ever. He had, you could say, an obsession with Judge (later, Justice) Cardozo of the NY Court of Appeals. Almost every time we read a Cardozo opinion, his photo--complete with the requisite bushy eyebrows--made an appearance in class.

I thought this was a quirk of this particular gentleman. It appears I was mistaken--the powerful allure of Mr. Justice Cardozo is not to be underestimated. In Corporations the other day we admired the photo below while discussing Meinhard v. Salmon. Not satisfied with the presence of the photo alone, the professor asked a student to read aloud from the opinion. While standing up. With Shakespearean emphasis. So it seems our adventures with the great Cardozo continue.

Image from Wikimedia Commons

My face is a windshield

On my way home today, I got hit by not one, but two smooshy, fat, juicy bugs. Right in the face. And this in the middle of Palo Alto--it's not like I'm riding through the Louisiana swamps.

Ahh, biking. I can't wait until rainy season!

Two useless things I learned today

1. The women's bathroom on the 2nd floor of the classroom building has two soap dispensers. This is amusing because there is only one sink.

2. The costumes in the movie The Fifth Element were designed by the world famous and possibly totally insane fashion legend Jean Paul Gaultier.

Happy Monday.

San Francisco!

I live about 30 miles from San Francisco (map, in case you're curious, or a stalker). But, since I'm living without a car, getting up there is an adventure. First, I ride my bike to the Caltrain station. I take the train for 40 minutes, then transfer to BART. (NB: No article is used when referring to BART. For example: "I took BART from Millbrae to Civic Center." Not: "Let's ride the BART to San Bruno.") Then, depending on where I'm going, I will have to transfer to the Muni or walk to get from place to place. I've been twice so far, and it's taken me 2 or 3 hours to make the one-way trip. I suppose all the transfering from one mode of transportation to another adds up.

Last weekend I made my first trip up to SF to hang out with my college buddy and lifesaver Abhay. We wandered around Chinatown, walked up to Nob Hill, walked down to Van Ness, and wandered over to Hayes Valley where we had Belgian fries.

Abhay.

My first view of SF: Montgomery Street.

Grace Cathedral.

SF has some nasty hills. My calves were sore for two days.

Then, this weekend, my DC friends Navah and Katie were in town for a conference. I met them in Golden Gate Park, wandered around the Japanese Tea Garden for a while, and then made our way to the neighborhood ("the Sunset") and ate at Cafe Gratitude, a vegan raw food restaurant. The food was actually pretty good. I think the key is to not expect the food you get to be like the food you're used to--a raw vegan enchilada is not going to look or taste anything like the enchiladas you'll get at the local taqueria. Once you get over that hump, it can be kinda tasty.

Inside the very crowded Muni.

The N-Judah Muni, toward Ocean Beach.

Outside the Japanese Tea Garden, where I sat in the sun and ate an ice cream sandwich.

Navah & Katie in the Tea Garden, in slo-mo.

My raw meal, called "I Am Accepting."

Best interview question so far

As soon as I sat down, the gentleman asked: "If you could take a one-year sabbatical, what would you do?"

I said I'd go hang out with my great-grandmother. I stand by my answer.

UPDATE: That must not have been the right answer, 'cause, yeah, no callback there. Le oops.

Fine. Update. Hmpf.

As you may be able to tell by the title of this post, I haven't been in a blogging mood lately. It's hard to know what to say when every single thing that happens in my life every single day is new, notable, and worthy of comment. I've had 420 minutes of screening interviews. (What does it mean that the first time I wrote that sentence, I wrote screaming?) I've started two of my classes and they're pretty good: one had a planted "student" who actually worked on the deal for the initial financing of Facebook; the other included a critical review of TNT's new terrible show Raising the Bar. I've met a couple handfuls of people, several of whom are on the cooler side. I "followed" the conventions exclusively through The Daily Show. I am addicted to the U.S. Open tennis tournament, for which DVR is coming in quite handy. All the while, I miss my old life. It's still a little lonely here. I know it'll get better once interviews are over and people settle down and all my classes start and I get closer with my new classmates. This is an amazing opportunity, and I shouldn't complain. But since you were just begging for an update, you get what's in my head today. And you'll like it!