Desi Lawfool!

eh screw it- im not going to blog anymore

I'm like a cold- you cant get rid of me.

I am back from a hiatus- oh allright- I'll admit it- I was too lazy to post. But now I feel like writing again. And since no one reads this blog except me- it seems rather pointless to apologize- or for that matter even write this sentence. Damn it- it all comes down to the same thing - life has no meaning.

Now that I have set a satisfactorily cheerful mood- my inane ramblings follow.

Finally getting settled into my new place. I really like this place. Big windows overlooking the river and a park- a gym in the building, a pool, 24hr doormen, a parking spot et. al. All the amenities needed by the busy professional who is likely never at home.
A far cry from the "flat" (that's what they call apartments in India) I lived in in Bombay. A few feet from the sea. A paradise you say?
Well if you consider waking up every morning to the view of hundreds of slumdwellers simply squatting with their pants down to complete their morning ablutions a heavenly sight.
Ah the sea, the surf, the floating turds. To only live in a simpler time...

Sorry- for not posting in a while.
But I have decided to post lightly - and keep it to non-work related stuff- just because I do not want to say something I should not.

Best places to eat in Chicago- that I have gone to= this list will keep getting updated
Gibsons- AWESOME- about $70 for a steak meal- but charred filet- man its good.
Smith and Wo(something or the other)- Steak like butter- and slightly cheaper than Gibsons- about $30 - 50 for a meal.
Walnut room- by Lord and fields- looks like a lot of the chefs from food TV are on the managerial staff- I had the beef medallions with mashed potatoes- Iron chef worthy.
Went to a couple of other places- but none have stood out.

p.s. Clearly going to hell with all the beef I am eating- But when in Rome- what's a good Hindu to do?

Driving to Chicago today- wish me luck people.
I will not be posting for a few days until I get the phone turned on.
I have got to remember to write a blog singing the praises of Indian democracy- a minority as the Prime Minister and one as President. Who would have thought?

Fear, Stress and other pleasant emotions...

...assail me as I contemplate starting work on Monday. Stressed because it is a pain in the ass to move. I hope I like Chicago- by now I should be used to moving from city to city- but there is added pressure to like the city- since I turned down offers at firms in both California and New York to choose the jewel of the Midwest. The firm I am working at is consistently ranked as one of the best firms to work for- a comforting notion in the world of 2200+ billable hours. People tell me that I should sit back and enjoy the summer, as the firms use this opportunity to wine and dine you. God I hope that is true- though I do want to use this summer to understand the nature of the work I face when I graduate. I go into this brave new world with a smile on my face, fingers crossed and because I am a good Indian boy- on a soma-free natural high.

Best of luck to all my fellow lawyer wannabes who are in the same boat as me.
And just as an aside- read a few books to relax over the summer- may I suggest a little Huxley.

Back to the British Raj?

Sonia Gandhi the next Prime Minister of India?
Many Indians are aghast at the thought of an Italian becoming the PrimeMinister of India. Others are just happy that the BJP hasreceivedd its comeuppance.
My thoughts...
It is a shame that India willl be ruled by a foreignn hand- a direct slap in the face of those who fought so hard for our freedom. Is this how we honor the legacy left to us by the freedom fighters of yore. Have we no leaders left in India that we have to reach out to an unqualified, ex-waitress to lead the most populous country in the world? The Nehurian dynasty has played havoc with our great land. Nehru was an ass who instigated an un-winnable fight with China- creating a powerful enemy on our border. Indira Gandhi almost subverted democracy by imposing emergency and by taking on dictatorial powers. Rajiv Gandhi was corrupt (no matter what the "enquiries" say) and inept. The minisculel progress made by the nation during their rule is testament to their masterful guidance of India. The institutions like the schools, universities, railway tracks, and roads left by the British provided an ideal springboard for India to vault itslelf into success. I compare a nation state to a giant rolling ball. As it starts moving it gains momentum and gets larger- as long as there is no interference, the ball will keep rolling. But thanks to the Nehurian dynasty, the path the ball has had to traverse has been filled with obstacles. With the Narsimha Rao government the obstacles were partially removed and the people of India were given more freedom to do what they wanted. The ingenuity and the resources of private individuals - now left unfettered- soon led to India "shining". A success which the BJP capitalized on.
Sonia Gandhi rode her family name and the popular resentment against the BJP to come to power. There was a recent article (sorry I could not find a link) in an Indian newspaper which spoke of the lack of information on the part of the Indian masses. Many believe that Rajiv Gandhi, and for that matter Sonia Gandhi are all descendants of Mahatma Gandhi. So to some extent people believe that Sonia is the rightful bearer of the mantle of the Mahatma- a laughable and slighly scary concept.
So in summary- she is not qualified at all to be the PrimeMinister- a constant reminder of both our colonial masters of days past, and a reminder of the nepotistic tendencies rampant in Indian society.

BUT- I strongly believe the BJP had to face some repercussions for their embracing of Modi, VHP, and other divisive issues.
I hate them all- depressing.

Kal Ho Na Ho

Sucks! Went into watching the movie with a little hope- rave reviews in Indian circles. Man I was deluding myself. Indians must be so used to watching the stupidest movies on earth- that any movie that hovers just above the crapheap that is the a bollywood movie is considered a work of genius. For any non-Indian reading this blog- Indian movies are like "Ed Wood" except that they also include plagiarized songs, dances in the rain, and the worst dialogue on earth.
My sister and I are mortified everytime the movie has a song and dance sequence in a "Phoren" land. We count the number of firangees (white guys) who are laughing at us.
For all the crappiness in the movies- got to admit- I love watching them. There is no better time to be had than to sit as a group and watch a bollywood movie. Hilarious to the extreme. Love the songs too- even the plagiarized ones. I have been known to get drunk of my ass and sing Chainya Chainya in public. Oh to meet a girl who shares the same love and hate for filums.

Rest time:

I’m at home for a week. Nothing much to do in this rural, one walmart town in N.California. I’m a big city boy- having grown up in Bombay, New York, and now the mid-west city I go to school in, living in small cities is unpalatable as it comes. It is weird the things you remember and crave from the places you have been. The two things that I would give up a body part (Preferably Kidneys- wont miss them much)- Bhaji pavs from the streets of Bombay, sausages and hot dogs from the streets of New York. Common element- the degree to which common sanitary requirements are ignored while preparing the food. Dirt and unsanitary conditions make a food tastier- true. But one has to be cognizant of the chances of Delhi-belly, the cousin of Montezuma’s revenge- both of which can be avoided by exercising and building up a stronger immune system and an iron belly.

Two weeks till I go to Chicago…
And my nervousness knows no bounds. One would imagine that I would be used to moving to a new city at the drop of a hat. But something about having to work and be responsible adds a new dimensions to my fears. My first REAL job. A scary prospect.

There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home.

I'm going home for a week of R&R. Should be good- I miss my dog. It's weird- two years down and one to go before I'm a lawyer. I am ever so slowly moving inexorably towards adulthood-but I promise I will not let myself be led to that place without a fight. So I'll be back in a week- I'll try to post from home- but knowing my usual routine at home- sleeping all day and watching TV the rest of the time- I think it will be unlikely.

Teenagers want to have sex? What- when did this happen?

So the FDA rejected the advice of its own experts and refused to allow the sales of Plan B- an emergency contraceptive. Got to love it when the governmental agencies dealing with our health start making decisions based on well-grounded and informed ideologies rather than the witchcraft and shamans practiced by those guys we call scientists. The conservatives are just the modern day version of the puritans of Hawthorne's books. They don't want people to have abortions, yet they don't want people to have contraceptives such as Plan B which would reduce the number of abortion. After all having Plan B in the market would just cause all those chaste teenagers who have somehow managed to escape peer pressure and raging hormones to jump into bed with the nearest moving penis or vagina. So they don't want teenagers to have sex- allright- what about masturbation? Well, according to the conservatives- that's a no-no too. When Joycelyn Elders the surgeon general under Clinton suggested that teenagers be taught about masturbation- she was fired after the morals police screamed bloody murder. Think about it- you teach a kid how to pleasure himself or herself- and maybe they will be less likely to subject themselves to the fumbling of the young lothario or lolita next door. And you just know that most of these conservatives who would place a scarlet "A" on the chests of any who have sex, are not the pure-white unblemished souls they claim to be- the pill popping Rushs of the world, the Bill "Blackjack" Bennett and the Newt "Affair" Gingrichs of the world should keep their particular brand of morality to themselves.

This site is the first to link to mine. Offered some constructive criticism in terms of adding links to the subjects I am blathering about. Makes sense- if only I can figure out how to insert a link.

Not trying to justify torture but...
I was reading the NYtimes article about Bush apologizing to the Arab world for the torture of the Iraqi prisoners. As background information- I am a card carrying liberal. But even I do not think Bush should have apologized to the Arab world. Quite honestly, the best apology would have been to courtmartial the soldiers and show the world that America does not take lightly to basic human rights being violated. But the apology itself does not do much for America- the Arab world is not going to accept the apology anyway- all this does is make the President look weak and somehow reinforces the idea that the torture was sanctioned by people in power. Just my two cents.
But this whole torture thing got me thinking. Why is it that we find this so shocking and surprising? War has always been associated with rape, torture, killings and devastation. We program soldiers to become killing machines. How else does one learn to kill another human being? The only way in which a person keeps their sanity in such a circumstance is by dehumanizing the enemy. Once the enemy is no longer a human being, it is easier for the mind to contemplate killing him. But once this dehumanization has begun- how do you turn it off? This has always been the problem with soldiers acting as peacekeepers, occupiers- whatever you want to call them. The same problem was faced by India in Sri Lanka and is still facing India in Kashmir, Assam etc. Stories of the Army killing, raping and pillaging are common. But I do not blame the soldiers- I blame the society that sent them into the situation in the first place. Faced by hatred and everpresent death the soldier has no other way of coping except by adopting an "us against them" mentality. The individual terrorists or enemies blend into the faces of the men, women and children of the local population. The fear and the pain that the soldier feels while patrolling the streets and being spat at is channeled at the local population. With home nothing but a memory, the soldier has to lash out at someone- and that someone becomes the local population. Do I have a solution- no. Depressing- yes.

Three down- one paper to go!

Nearly the end of the exam period. For the first time in law school I am actually unsure about how I did. Usually I have some sense about how well or badly I have performed on the exams. For example I knew that I had bombed the exams last semester- not finishing the exam will help with the foresight. But this semester is a mystery. I plan on praying really hard this summer.

Floating exams suck.
My school lets upperclassment schedule their own exams. People seem to like this system, but I find that I procrastinate and develop a sense of complaceny with the freedom. I need deadlines to guide me- perhaps this speaks more about me than the system- but hey its my god given right to bitch and moan and blame other people for my problems.

Well it can only get better!

Someone close to me expressed the opinion that the BJP should win the elections because they have helped India economically- it does not matter that only the rich are getting richer as the wealth will trickle down. I did not mention the fact that in my opinion the"trickle down" theory of economics which had its heyday in the Reagan years is the most cockamamie, illogical and self-serving of ideas dreamt up by a bunch of fat-cat rich guys. All the Reagan years left us with was the biggest deficit ever- well until now.
1) You give a rich guy money- what does he buy? A yacht or a car. What does a poor guy buy? The basic essentials to live on. Now how many yachts or cars can the rich guy buy- its one infusion into the economy- and considering its India we are talking about- the yacht and car were probably built in Germany giving the good old German economy the much needed push it needed. The poor guy on the other hand will buy clothes, shoes- hell he might even buy some food. Putting the money right back into the economy.
2) Perhaps giving big Corporations money makes sense- if they ever allowed the money to trickle back down to the workers. Except for the college educated minority who are getting the service sector jobs- where are the jobs for the majority of poor urban and rural youth? How many new heavy industries have been built- or for that matter farms been helped- judging from the stories about farmers committing suicide in Andhra- not many. What is the use of the corporation getting rich and providing TVs or cars that are a fraction cheaper, when people cannot afford food? Cart before the horse etc.

Now don't get me wrong- the Congress is a party built on nepotism and corruption- a cross between a country club and a whorehouse- where the corrupt royalty hide their imperfections by putting on too much make up and by selling the country to the highest bidder. It is a shame that an unqualified, waitress who married into the right family (Sonia Gandhi) now stands as a candidate for the prime-minister's post. But why is her particular brand of unfitness loathsome to many? Do her foreign origins somehow exacberate the unqualified stupidness we expect and have embraced in our politicians?
Many say that the Congress might be corrupt and not particularly or even mildly successful as a ruling party- but that they are better than the BJP because they did not stir up anti-Muslim virulence. A laughable argument- Did people forget the killing of Sikhs in much the same manner?
Do people actually forget that this is the very congress which has done almost nothing except to coast on the institutions left by colonialism- and then almost managed to drive us over the cliff under the venerated Amma Indira "I wanna be a dictator" Gandhi and her son Rajiv "Bofors" Gandhi. The Gods above need to be thanked for not subjecting us to more of Sanjay "sterilize them all" Gandhi- as a trifecta might have proved too much for Mother India to endure.

The BJP is no alternative- this is a party that came to power on a calculated decision to incite Hindu-Muslim hatred. Advani knew what he was doing when he began the first Rath Yathra which culminated in Ayodhya. The voters chose to forget- or perhaps (a scarier proposition) embraced this party of hate and violence and elected them to power. People say that power and responsibility sober a person- obviously a message that never reached the BJP leadership. The party embraced that murdering, hateful, scum Modi- in fact people were throwing his name around for Prime Minister. The party saw Godhra and Gujarat become one of the most volatile places. A place where a Muslim could not get justice even if his family was raped, beaten and burnt by the neighbor- the police and judiciary would not listen- because the police and judiciary were the ones doing the raping, beating and burning. This is a party that has embraced hatemongers like Togadia- who was aghast when the courts had the temerity to tell him that he and his followers could not carry Trishuls as the Trishuls were being used to threaten, intimidate and kill Muslims.

SO best case senario- there is a hung parliament- both of the useless parties sit at a standstill- unable to commit their crimes because neither side has the power. At least let the people live in peace! The economy will take care of itself without these scum interfering. And then we pray for a new generation of leaders- people who care, are educated, and love India.

Would you recognize irony if it bit you in the ass?

So with the big brouhaha about Nightline's telecast showcasing the dead soldiers in Iraq- some smart people are making incredibly stupid statements. I saw an interview with the CEO of Sinclair broadcasting- the company that has decided not to carry Nightline because in Sinclair's opinion Nightline is trying to make an anti-war statement. The CEO was asked about John McCain's criticism of Sinclair's decision- his response- "well people have the freedom to say what they want". Well yeah- people do have the freedom to say what they want- except when they say something on TV that you don't like. In that case censorship is the best option. Why honor the brave soldiers who gave their life for the country when some people might just care enough about the dead soldiers to think twice about the war. The bastards on NIghtline- making us think about the sacrifices people made for us.

Also-
The CEO actually said that McCain is out of touch with the soldiers because he has been out of uniform for 25 years- while he (the CEO) is currently in the navy reserves. Can you believe this chickenshit insignificant dwarf actually talking trash about one of the greatest war heroes America has ever known. Yeah where does being held as a prisoner and tortured entitle you to have a clearer understanding about the bravery of our soldiers? A navy reservist who has probably never seen a stateside base camp in America that he didn't like SHOULD be the one who's decisions count.

Blogging is going to be light over the next week as exam fever takes over. One down three to go. I feel pretty confident about doing well in Employment Law- but hey who knows?
Its hard to study while watching the NBA playoffs- Damn TV!!

Final exams

We received the fact pattern for out evidence exam which is on Tuesday. The fact pattern consists of a 26 page compilation of documents. Looks like this weekend will be spent worrying about what possible permutations the professor can extract from these 26 pages- be afraid- very afraid.
Three exams and a paper during this final period- not too bad. Should have enough time between each exam to brush up on the law. This is actually the time I enjoy myself the most. Two weeks of not having to deal with classes and day to day distractions. Just an intense period of concentration. The one thing I detest is people talking about their study methods or about the exams. Law school exams are as much about intimidation as they are of preparation. Since one is graded relative to the other students, it helps to demoralize others. The less confident a person is, the worse he will fare on the exam. Students subconsciously seem to tap into that by constantly puffing up the amount of work they have done or the work they are going to do. I on the other hand subscribe to the "lower expectations" group. We tell everyone how little we have worked and how much work lies ahead of us. Perhaps this too is a subconscious game- as we lull people into overconfidence. Eh- its all head games.

Mr. Mediator.
Today was the day I had to participate in a mock mediation for my Dispute resolution class. I was one of the mediators trying to settle the dispute. The exercise was videotaped for posterity sake. I must admit my co-mediator and I mediated the hell out of that mediation- like the redundancy? I have fun in these exercises- makes one feel like a real lawyer, instead of a lazy, procrastinating, internet surfing, heavy drinking, arrogant law student. Not that that is a bad thing- just change is good.


Stalin and Mao Redux!
What the hell has happened to India- Crooks, murderers and virulent fundamentalist morons are running and winning elections.
Case in point- Dharmendra- a third rate actor with no qualifications at all for politics is running for a Lok Sabha seat. His most telling statement: ‘‘People have become lazy and loose because of democracy,’’ says Dharmendra forcefully, ‘‘and I want dictatorship only as a punishment for them.’’ He is ‘‘inspired’’, he adds, by ‘‘the discipline I have seen in Russia and China...It is what we need today.’’


Punishment- who died and appointed Dharmendra school marm? In addition to forgetting that he has been married twice did Dharmendra also sleep through the last oh say 50 paralleln which parellel universe does a dictatorship work- well except for that one good dictator in that one country, on that one continent that no one can name- they all suck.
Honestly India- you can elect murderers like Modi, Morons like Lalloo and his wife, crooks like Jayalalitha or even unqualified opportunists like Sonia Gandhi- but please do not elect someone who has so openly spits on one of the few remaining bright spots in India- Our Democracy.

Damn Activist Judges!
Today the gang in black, the Supreme Court justices heard the oral arguments from the detainees at Guantanamo (sp?) challenging their incaceration without any chance of a trial.
Bush has told us that these guys are bad guys from the Osama Bin Laden Acadamy and Finishing School. I am usually suspicious of anything this administration says, and even in this instance I am loathe to believe that ALL the detainees are naughty. It is entirely possible that one or two of them are innocent boys who got caught wearing the wrong gang colors. But I would even trust this administration if it had kept its word and at least afforded these detainees trial by military tribunals- AND had some trusted impartial observers to attest to the validity of the trials. Perhaps someone like John McCain.
Just another observation- the administration could have avoided all this mess if they had kept the detainees in a big cell in Afghanistan. In that instance I do not think there would be any peeps - or at least there would be fewer peeps.

But have to give props where props are due- The United States has THE BEST SYSTEM in the World. The Supreme Court Rules!!

Speaking of Judicial systems- I am proud of the Indian Supreme Court. In recent decisions they have reopened some of the more egregious cases of judicial injustice in Gujarat. These cases dealt with the orchestrated murder, rape and acts of unimaginable horror experienced by Muslims in Gujarat. Acting sua sponte the Court re-opened the cases which had been shut down thanks to the local judiciary, law enforcement officials and government, who were all either complicit with or beholden to the murderers. Because this was just another case of Hindus killing Muslims in a long history of both sides killing each other- people have the tendency to shrug their shoulders and give the time honed Indian expression of resignation and say "Hota Hai!" (It happens). But as the Supreme court found- the sheer complicity of the MOdi government, and the inclusion of the judiciary in the sordid proceedings which left the guilty free- begged for justice from a higher power. And since the Central Government (the BJP) refused to act and in fact embraced Modi- the only other alternative left was for the Supreme court to kick some fundamentalist ass!

So moral of story- Terrorists Suck, Fundamentalists Suck and the knowledge that there are a few people out in the world who still know how to do the right thing ROCKS!

White guys being discriminated against?
The resident Fed. Society guy sent out an email to the members of SBA asking us to discuss the reverse discrimination caused by the career service office sending out applications to a minority job fair in Delaware.
The whole issue of discrimination seems to be moot as the fair prominently states that it ""is committed to a policy against discrimination based on race..." etc.
It also emphasizes that "Although minority law students are the focus of this Job Fair, any student who submits a resume will be considered for an invitation."
But as a liberal I feel the need to air my views on the subject.
This is obviously a sensitive issue- it is basically asking whether you
are in favor of affirmative action in some way or not. Law firms are going
to hire minorities because they need to keep the law firms diverse to please
their diverse client base. The only question is whether they can get the
minorities together as a group to select from them, or do they have to waste
the time of non-minorities who they are not going to hire by interviewing
individually.
Anyone who has seen the insides of any of these firms knows that minorities are conspicuously noticeable through their absence. In this day and age when the client base is getting increasingly diverse how does one deal with this issue? How does one answer to an International client based in Brazil, or India, or China, or Ghana when the client wonders why there are only white lawyers tending to their needs? Law firms are smart- they know that the wider their attorney base, the wider the range of clients they can attract. It is inevitable that they will find the minorities for the job. At the same time the incredible amount of money and responsibility that the law firms deal with dictates that they pick qualified applicants. I think that this is a natural safeguard against the fear of people like fed. Society guy that non-qualified minorities are going to be picked over them.

My two cents!

Lean a little closer and see that roses really smell like boo boo boo!
I just like those lyrics. The new Shakespearian wordsmiths of our time have an unmatched penchant for spewing out deep and moving prose.

I like you like a fat kid love cake!
Shake it, Shake it like a Polaroid picture!
The more money I come across, the more problems we see!- (that was a shout out to Mase fans)

Wonder what happened to Mase? When I was in High School he was the coolest rapper in the bad boy stable- next to Biggy of course- may he rest in peace.

More musings about India, religion and those wacky fundamentalists.
After the whole Ganesh blasphemy thing, I was reading about another case of religious hullabaloo. M.F. Hussein is one of the most famous artists in India. He caused controversy when he painted a naked Saraswati- a goddess. For those who thought that portraying Ganesh as an oral sex-obsessed, viagra-lacking mother-lover was blasphemy, the painting of a naked goddess ranked up there on the upset meter (See previous post). After the usual bitching and moaning, the crazies decided on a mild death-threat as the best retort to the painting.
As a card carrying ACLU member, I stood by Hussein's artistic freedom and railed against the censorship by the religious police. "How can a centuries old religion be affected by one painting? Hinduism is stronger than that." I said.
But then this update.
Hussein made a movie in which one of the songs incorporated words from the Quran. According to the Muslim Fanatics (who by the way have much more street cred than the Hindu or for that matter the Buddhist fanatics), the use of Quranic verses describing Allah to woo a girl is blasphemous- who knew? Once Hussein came to know about the boo-boo he had caused the combined psyche of Muslims everywhere, he instantly pulled the movie from all theatres.
Now this pisses me off. Here I am defending a man for sticking up to censorship demands and keeping his artistic integrity- and he sells me out by instantly folding to Muslim demands to pull the movie from theatres, while keeping the naked Saraswati hanging somewhere. Hussein has lost all credibility in my eyes. Bastard!

I saw an article in the Washington Post recently that talked about Hindu Fundamentalists getting mad at this writer/academic for writing disparaging comments about Ganesh(the elephant God). Apparently the writer gave Ganesh's life an oedipal twist, and compared his elephant trunk to a limp penis, and compared his passion for sweets as a sign of his loving oral sex. This pissed of the crazy Hindus. As a Hindu myself- I laughed. I mean this sort of shit- getting mad at writers makes us look bad. If you don't like that book write something else to refute it. Don't burn books, threaten lives, and riot- that just makes you look like crazy, wacky, religious fundamentalists. Wait- you are crazy, wacky, fundamentalists- my bad!
The thing is Hinduism has always embraced the sexual aspects of its gods. Look at the religious stories we have- Indra always lusts after women, we have saints who are tempted by dancing women, and look at Shiva- his idol - the linga- is a penis!!! So what's the big deal about someone writing something sexual about Ganesh. I feel that the Hindus would have been satisfied if the writer had spoken thus: "The elephant trunk on Ganesh can be compared to a limp penis- but look at the size even while limp- a foot or two at least." This would have satiated the nutjobs as they could bask in the vicarious pleasure begot by the acknowledged size of Ganesh's trunk!

p.s. when I spellchecked this blog, the spellchecker kept insisting that I change Ganesh to Gayness- clearly another sign of the Man trying to insult us Hindus. I will burn this M.....F....r to the ground.

The Taliban whale!
In employment we read a case about shamu the whale. Apparently no one told the model who was supposed to pose with shamu that shamu did not like bikinis. No- i'm not kidding- Shamu really hated Bikinis- he or is it she was only used to people with wetsuits on. So when the model tried to ride Shamu while wearing the bikini, Shamu went postal on her. Like a Taliban mullah observing a woman immodestly showing her naked big toe, Shamu attacked the model. Poor model!!

Real World v. Road Rules: The gauntlet
Is there anything better on TV? No really- the drama, the tension- will Julie win or will Katie. I just turned on the show while studying- yes I study while watching TV- and managed to land on this jewel. Funny as hell!! To imagine that the guys and gals on the show are supposed to be my age. The dumb shall inherit the earth- not geeks.

Stupid Carnival- I hate carneys!
So the school decides to have the yearly carnival in the law school's backyard- or front parking lot to be more exact. I got to school 5 minutes before class and could not find a single spot. After driving around for 10 minutes I decided to go home. Stupid Carnival- Stupid Undergrads- parking in my spot.

Knicks v. Nets- Saturday- Can you smell an upset?

So the apartment in Chicago is 4 minutes away from work. I looked it up in Mapquest. I was planning on taking the bus to work- but now with this new info in hand, I think I'll take a cab to work.
I attended High School in New York. Commuting an hour a day in the subway dis-abuses one of any love for public transportation. Don't get me wrong, I loved riding the train from Brooklyn to the Bronx everyday. But that was during High School when I did not care much about being late or even going to school. The train ride gave me more time to hang out with my friends. I like to imagine that we were the only ones at the school who were not geeks- but the truth is- anyone who went to, goes to, or is going to go to, Bronx High School of Science is a geek!! The Geeks shall take over the world!!

A wasted day. I did no work during the day. So now I am up at 1 am to review Media Law. I have resolved not to go out any more this semester. Have to study.

VH1 seems to have hit on the perfect show. They have perfected the art of the clip show- 50 weird celebrity moments, 100 hottest stars, 35 ways to commit suicide etc. What a perfect concept- showing a series of 2-3 minute clips- exactly long enough for the minute attention span of the boob tube connoisseurs. Viva la television!!!

In other news- I had a panic attack today when the thought that my work permit would not arrive in time for my job crossed my mind. Perhaps I did not mention this before, but I am on a student visa as I wait for the green card to come through. My heart warms when I see Bush speak of leniency towards illegal aliens. I have been in America on varying visas for the last 10 years, having graduated from high school, college, and soon law school, while contributing untold amounts of money towards taxes and the economy, without any hope of a presidential gift of citizenship. Serenity Now!

Mr. NY gets piss drunk

As is tradition, My. NY was plied with enough alcohol to kill or at least incapacitate an elephant. He took the shots like a man. As DD I was in charge of ensuring that he got home safe. Never really noticed how much fun being sober around drunk people is- since I am usually the drunk one, I have been oblivious to the pleasures of being sober.
Fun night!!
Lawyers are supposed to have the highest rate of alcoholism of any professional group. A proud distinction.

Happy Birthday Mr NY
Mr. NY- so named because he is going to work this summer in a big firm in NY. Went to lunch with him- talked about the usual stuff- how much we are looking forward to our summer jobs, how much we hate law review, and the usual gossip about law school. Law school is high school with older kids, more drinking, and more procrastinating- I know that this has been said before- but it bears repeating.

Damn- I have to study
God - I have to study.
But in some good news- My mom found an apartment for me in Chicago. Right in the heart of downtown- 2 miles from my firm. Cant wait for the semester to end!

I'm an ass.
I was on the outs with a close friend of mine- a girl with whom I was really close last year. This year we seem to have grown apart- partly due to the machinations of the resident muckraiser at school. Seems like Mr. muckraiser poisoned the atmosphere between us to such a point that she thought I hated her. Eh- my fault- I should have cleared the air between us. Seems like our reconciliation has made us reconnect as friends. Sometimes I am an ass!!!

SBA Elections
So today was the first day of voting for SBA. 16 people running for 14 spots. This year the elections are much less competitive than last year's elections. This is hopefully going to be my second year in student government. It is a lot of fun- you can interact with the faculty and mix with cool people. This is a message that the current 1L's obviously have not received. This year so few 1L's are running that no elections are being held. How dumb are the 1Ls- being on SBA is an easy and impressive resume filler. I was asked about the crap I did on SBA in pretty much every interview.

Speaking of SBA- In the first batch of resumes I sent out- I managed to spell out SBA as Student Body Association. Indian-Fabio pointed the mistake out to me and ridiculed me to no end. It was pretty stupid of me considering that everyone knows that SBA stands for Student Bar Association.
I received about 5 interviews from those resumes. But I was scared shitless in all those interviews that someone would call me out on the mistake. And obviously I did not want to broadcast my stupidity by actually correcting the mistake. Naturally I blew most of those interviews- plus I decided that there was no way I could work for a firm that did not notice my stupidity. Sort of a paradox- if the firm noticed the mistake- they would not hire me. But if they did not notice the mistake- the firm was worthless and I would not work there.

Allright- time for more hearsay and ERISA.

In Evidence-
We watched a movie
The highlight was an exchange between a police officer and the defense attorney.

P.O. - So I see you are smoking a cancer stick!
D.A. - Yes I like smoking before I have sex- Because when we go back in court- im going to f**k you up the ass.

Hah- NOt a verbatim transcript. But this conveys the gist of the conversation.

First real post

Nearly the end of the semester- Have to finally start studying. I am a notoriously lazy student- have managed to garner decent grades in law school till now. Well except for last semester when I laid an egg in all my classes- I like to think it was because I was flying all over the place interviewing with firms. But I know that's not completely true- my laziness finally caught up with me.
SO this semester I have to work a little- All right- enough procrastination- have to study evidence and employment law for class. At least the subjects are not boring.

p.s. you can tell how one's productivity and drive decrease after landing a job- by looking at the fact that I am starting a blog to keep from reading.
p.s.2 And as you can see- my writing tends to wander all over the place- and I like using "-"s.