Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Big Week

We've got a big one coming up, kids. This friday is the Law School's Prospective Students Day. We've got about 150 folks coming and its my committee's responsibility to make sure they are wowed. Granted, many are folks that have no desire to go anywhere but UT, and that is flattering. Our big task is convincing all those who are on the fence to choose to spend the next three years in Austin instead of Boston, New York, Palo Alto, etc. Not easy, but not as hard as some of you might think.

My committee chair for this event has done a great job planning so I am really looking forward to seeing everything work out. We've got tours, mock classes, info sessions from financial aid, the Career Services Office, and study abroad, guided apartment tours, meal, mixers, and a DANCING BEAR!! Ok, so there's no dancing bear. We tried to get Bevo, but it has this little problem with loose bowels. (Lesson kids: Long term use of animal tranqualizers DOES have lasting effects.)

I know this week is going to be good because I won a raffle in my Texas Civil Procedure class for a free quiz grade!!! This is VERY important because I have already missed two quizzes thus far. Silly me...

Friday, March 26, 2004

From the "Persecution never goes out of style" department...

County Commissioner (CC): Ya' know...we really need to do something 'bout them gays.
Councy Attorney (CA): Um...
CC: Can we ban 'em?
CA: What, like, totally? I don't think...
CC: Shoot yeah! It shouldn't be that hard. The council can just have a vote--that wouldn't be a problem. Everybody in these parts supports good, old fashioned American values. This thing'll sail through.
CA: Um, actually...I'm pretty sure it would be unconstitutional, not to mention impractical. Would you...
CC: Oh, this is gonna be great. Wait'll I tell the boys down at the barber shop! YEEEEE-haw! I know we weren't able to fire that school teacher for teaching evolution (what a crock that is), but this is even better. We'll have a parade and check ID's at the county line...Wait. What did you say?
CA: It's unconstitutional.
CC: Un-con-sti-what?
CA: It means we can't do it.
CC: So we can't require homos to have little rainbows on their driver's licenses so we can pick them out?
CA: Um...No.
CC: Ahh, you're just paranoid. We'll do it anyway...right after the church social, before the stoning.

I'm not positive that's how it went, but I have a feeling. Click here to read about Rhea County, TN 's attempts to ban gays.

Tuesday, March 23, 2004

Spring Break...Next stop, final exams...

Time continues to pass at break-neck speed. My spring break was mostly boring, with two major events serving as bookends. The first weekend was Wrestlemania XX. Before you laugh, pause to consider this--that's 20 years, people! It was 4 hours from Madison Square Garden, most of which was entertaining. The best part was that Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit walked away with their respective heavyweight titles. For the uninitiated, those two have been in the biz for years, wrestling literally all over the world, and have never gotten the credit they deserve. Maybe one of these days I'll inform y'all on why you should respect what wrestlers do.

The other major event was the wedding of two very good friends of mine, Erin and Tim. OK, so that is probably a little more important than Wrestlemania. It was really beautiful. I was really honored to be a groomsman. Imagine what it means to tell a person that you want them standing next to you on the most important day of your life...and I got to wear a tux. That's always cool.

North Carolina was a pretty place. I was reminded I was in the heart of tobacco country when I walked into the terminal at the airport and it smelled like cigarettes. Then I got in my rental car, and the radio was set to a NASCAR race. I didn't know it was possible to cover NASCAR on the radio (Announcer: The field turns left...now the leaders are going straight...WHOA! A left turn...), but apparently it is.

On the plane, I sat next to a woman who was an accountant from New Zealand who, after taking a 2-year contract job in the Bahamas, met her future husband and has been in the Bahamas ever since. She and her husband now run a furniture business (which is why she was in Greensboro, N.C., a furniture mecca). How's that for a life story?

Monday, March 22, 2004

Update...

Sorry I have been silent . Last week was spring break here at UTLaw so I was busy out and about. I have class in 3 minutes, but I will report on my activities--from Wrestlemania 20 to Erin and Tim's wedding--as soon as I can.

Wednesday, March 10, 2004

From the "Things that make me lose faith in the human race" file...

Headline: Woman arrested at Wal-Mart after trying to pay with a $1 Million dollar bill.

Busy weekend...

Just Saturday, actually. First, A&F was awesome! By far the best in my short time here. Joey did a great job writing. Ron and the rest did a great job choosing and playing the songs. Amy, Melissa, et. al. in Medley were great, too. It's a cool feeling to see so many of my friends getting to dislpay their talents.

Speaking of talents, my friend Karen gave me a copy of her debut album which, I must say, was off the hizzie. Ok, maybe I shouldn't say that...but it was really good. I wish the "only MC with a JD" tons of luck in the future.

After A&F, I hit not 1, but TWO spots downtown. Seriously, I am WAY over my quota for the semester. The A&F after party was on the east side of 6th street! I deserve combat pay for wading my way through the drunken, half-naked undergrads. Then again, perhaps it is it's own reward...

Friday, March 05, 2004

I didn't want to live in Beaumont, anyway...

I got another rejection letter from a judge this week. I can add Beaumont to the list of backwater places that don't want my services, joining the state of Kentucky. Just kidding, far be it from me to be bitter. The weird thing was that Judge Hines actually listed the name and school of the person who got the clerkship. I should Google them later...then maybe a dead fish in the mail. Just a thought.

My friend Mark and I just finished working on my truck. Notice I hesitate to use the word "fix." Call it caution on my part. I just feel bad about the pool of enging coolant we left in the parking lot. If you live in San Marcos, try not to drink the water for the next, oh, 30 years or so. This ad paid for by Ozarka.

At school, I spent 2 hours talking to an admitted student about where he should go to law school. Obviously, I was trying to convince him to come to UT. His dilemma was between Texas and UC-Boulder. Not much of a question, really, but for him it was. It really is a tough thing. As much as I think Texas is the right fit for most folks out there, I know that it is not for everyone. Piece of advice for all you applicants out there--Ultimately, you have to go to the school where you feel most comfortable. 3 years goes by in a flash, but it can seem like eternity if you end up at a school that makes you miserable.

Most people would agree Texas is worth the loans. Law school is an investment. I have a feeling we are going to lose some students this year who will make exactly that choice, but between Texas and Harvard/Yale/Stanford etc. Whatever you do, you owe it to yourself to visit schools before making your final decision. COME TO PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS DAY!!! That's my own plug :)

Assualt & Flattery
is tomorrow night...I'll let you know how it goes...

Wednesday, March 03, 2004

Memo to girls with long fingernails...

PLEASE DO NOT TYPE YOUR NOTES IN CLASS!! It is hard enough to ignore the low hum of clicking (mostly email, not notetaking which is easier to defend) without the louder, harsher clicking of acryllic nails on plastic keyboards. Yes, the girl who does this "wears a lot of pink" a la Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. Am I saying there is a connection? Naaaaaahhhhhhhh....

Oh, and my laptop battery has decided to semi-retire and only work part-time now. I love it when my battery says "75%--30 minutes left." I seriously almost bought an iBook last night.

Monday, March 01, 2004

The Oscars

I can't believe I watched the Oscars from beginning to end last night. I went with some friends (and some strangers, it turned out) to the Oscar party at the Alamo Drafthouse. It was a bit of a hoot. The group that won best costume was 7 mom's wearing old bride's maids dresses. My friend Cydni actually won a poster of the LOTR: Return of the King signed by Peter Jackson in one of the raffles. She's a pretty lucky gal. I don't mind...my philly cheesesteak was pretty good. Though I was hellu dissappointed when we ordered cookies and they brought us Chips A'hoy. Can you say, "Party foul?" The apple pie made up for it...a little.