Saturday, January 31, 2009

One more pass

After 17 years of graded education, this process is somewhat unsatisfying.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Trickling in

Grades are (finally) starting to come back. Don't you just love how the class you read everyday for is just okay, and the class you stopped going to a month before the final is stellar? I think this is the part of law school that's the hardest for me to figure out.

Lots of stuff's been going on but I've been (*gasp*) too busy to post! I'll try to post some photos of the Purisima Creek hike and my bike ride to and from school in the next few days. (Yes, I'm still riding my bike. Yes, I'm still alive.)

It seems like there's been some discussion recently about comments on blogs. Not that this applies to me since I get like one comment a year. But still, it never gets easier to accept how quickly anonymity turns people into savages.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

...Don't you get brained by a teacup?

Dinosaur Comics brought back the funny yesterday. Check it out.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Baby's first SCOTUS case: win!

The Supreme Court handed down their decision in Pearson v. Callahan today, unanimously granting the Petitioners qualified immunity and overturning--or at least heavily modifying--the Saucier v. Katz "order-of-battle" requirements. A big (and deserved) win for the officers involved, and we'll see what the district courts do with their newfound freedom to skirt difficult constitutional questions.

The opinion is short--check it out here.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Why I don't ski

The ever lovely insanity gal has written a glorious tome about her first experience skiing. I laughed. I laughed so hard I cried. And I resolved that on this year's ski trip, I'll stick to snowshoeing and sipping hot chocolate by the fire.

I highly recommend you saunter over there and read the whole thing, but in case you remain unconvinced, here's a taste of the comedic genius that awaits.
It appeared that there was nothing to do but throw myself down this giant white death machine and hope that later the babe would write a beautiful story about my last days on Earth. I don't remember starting to ski. I think there was screaming and flailing of arms, and then I did what I can only imagine was a truly stunning somersault, landing squarely on my hip. Execution: 7. Creativity: 8.5!
Here for more--Part II and III will have you peeing in your pants or your money back.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

For my sisters

I got a little trimmy trim on Tuesday, and my stylist gave me some earth-shattering news: Pantene Pro-V shampoo and conditioner is the worst for your hair! Anyone who has smelled my clean head knows that I've been a Pantene devotee for years. I did not know what to do with myself when I heard this terrible news! She says that Pantene "tricks" your hair into being soft and shiny: it over-proteinates it, coating and coating it until what you feel is basically shellack, and your poor hair on the inside gets brittle and breaks. I was so traumatized, I immediately went to the beauty supply store across the street and switched to Paul Mitchell. (For the pocketbook-conscious, it's the same price.)

Ladies, consider yourselves warned! Pantene and other drug store shampoos will break your heart.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

A hot mess

Oh. My. Lord.



My favorite part: the fact that the video goes on for 30 seconds after the [watch it and see].

Hat tip: VC.

Early morning

Good morning. It's 6:40am and I'm up to finish some reading before class at 9. It's dark outside, and cold; I turned the heater on for a little while to warm the place up. The fridge is mostly empty, so no milk for coffee, but I'll head to Peet's in a few and enjoy a latte with my Sec. 1983 litigation.

Not having my computer on hand all the time means I read much less than I used to. Lots of stuff has completely fallen off my radar. I know Obama's getting inaugurated next week and that's about it. My focus has shifted to the internal: the footnoting left to do, the 2,000 page record to unpack, the article on corporate taxation to read. The key is the weekends. Working Friday and Sunday can't help but make the week more pleasant. This is how new years resolutions get made.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Everything's coming up Milhouse

Thus endeth the first week of the second half of my law school career. I can honestly say I have no complaints. In fact, I'm gonna take a minute here and just gloat.

I'm taking four classes: evidence, constitutional litigation, federal pretrial litigation, and tax policy, and I'll be competing in the moot court competition. This earns me 15.5 credits. I'll have only two exams. No papers will be due during finals period. After spring break, tax policy will be over and I'll have no classes Thursday or Friday for the last month of school, to go along with having only one hour of class on Tuesdays. And if all goes well, I'll end up with a couple good writing samples and references to get me into clinics next year. So I have to say I'm pretty pleased, even if the next two months will be a tad writing-heavy.

So far I've really enjoyed the classes and for the first time at SLS I feel re-engaged with the material I'm learning. And people say hi to me in the halls. And the weather, while not ideal, is much more hospitable than the Northeast would be in January. And a slew of people are coming to visit this month. AND I may be spending my spring break in Spain! Really all I can say is: le yay.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Day 1, Day 2

This is the first time I've ever actively shopped for classes. Last year we had no electives (hear that SLS peeps? No electives! Count your blessings!), and last semester I stuck to the classes I chose blindly before coming out to California. This year I registered for seven and have been slowly thinning the herd. So far I'll definitely be taking Evidence, Constitutional Litigation, and Federal Pretrial Litigation--an interesting lineup for a time when litigation is losing its lustre a bit for me. My schedule is Monday/Wednesday heavy, and if all goes as planned I'll only have two finals in May. Woo!

Another first this term is that I'm taking notes on paper. How old school. It's actually been really nice so far: I didn't realize how often I was tabbing over to email or the NYT, or how little I actually listened to what other people would say. I'm starting to understand a little more why professors want to keep computers out of their classrooms, though the paternalism of it is still distasteful. Anyway, it's an experiment, and hopefully it'll turn out well.

I feel very serious. We'll see how long it lasts.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

2. 0. 0. 9.

Rock on! It's a new day, a new year. 2008 was... well, it involved a move across the freakin' country, for whatever that's worth. Anyway, with every new year comes a new year music mix, and this year is no exception.

The Walkmen - In the New Year
Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal
Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body
Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill
Third Eye Blind - Motorcycle Drive By
Vampire Weekend - Mansard Roof
Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You
Bloc Party - Banquet
MGMT - Kids
Metro Station - Shake It
The Bravery - An Honest Mistake
Katy Perry - Hot & Cold
Daft Punk - Technologic
Madonna - Sorry
Michael Jackson - P.Y.T.
Outkast - Hey Ya!
Kanye West - Love Lockdown

Judge away!

Regular blogging will resume on the 5th. Mark your calendars.

Happy new year, kids! Blessings all around--don't forget to count yours every now and then.