Oh so sad

The Connection, was one my indulgent intellectual delights, (yes, On Point was up there too.) It's ironic, and some how sweet, that it's last airing on WBUR was the same week I left Boston.

homeless men and running

I saw a homeless man picking through my apartment dumpster today. I was dropping my own trash off on my way out of the house. In my Monday morning fog I wondered what our inevitable interaction would be.

He looked up and gave me a genuine smile and bright "good morning."- And not the oddly scary kind from beggars, but the truly light spirited, morning greeting. Happily surprised I was. I guess everyone can have a good morning.

As to my day- it got progressively better --starting from a significantly low Sunday evening and Monday morning rush. I ate a slice of flourless chocolate cake at lunch out with the girls in an effort to improve my mood-- which it did. I went to a tutorial on a class I didn't understand, and realized that I had a better grasp than I thought. I struggled with some new legal material and made some new connections - raising fresh questions.

Then I ran Saguaro East again, twice. I kept an 8:35 pace over the 16 miles. It was a beautiful run, and calmed me down-- I was getting nervous about my pretest on Friday, and generally feeling behind. I can't wait to take my parents and H to this place- lots of good photography options. As it gets dark so ****ing early here it was dark for the last 40min of my run, which was exciting, especially with all the hills and turns, but it also meant that the rattle snakes were out. I saw one bigger than my wing span and fatter than my bicep (no huge feat, I know). Also in attendance were jack rabbits with their perky ears and big feet, road runners and some bird that sounded like it was making passes the entire run.

Which way is North?

Based on cocktail party research with a sample size of 6, my research team has concluded that most Americans do not know that the Earth's Magnetic Field is moving.

In fact, it's accelerating and will likely swap places with the South Pole, sometime after we are all dead. This has happened hundreds of times in the past, as documented by the alternating directions of magnetic ions in igneous rocks on the sea floor.

This is by far, the best link I have given you. Don't pass this opportunity by.

Thinking about the 2 or 3 Earth Science classes I took at College, I realized that I had been taught theories as 'Truth'. My scientific grounding may have been even more subjective than my pluralistic Anthropology/Philosophy background. My school had a unique theory about the extinction of the dinosaurs, a specific theory about the make up of the earth's core and why polarity switches occur, theories about volcanoes and earthquakes that are both in line and not in line with the predominant theory of non-consensus and dissent.

I was indoctrinated into a style, just like an apprentice learning at Sunday school or school of impressionists. I became one of Frankfurter's happy hot dogs (this is a law school joke about the liberal students of Former Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter who grew liberal-new-deal supporting law students like ears of corn.)

Brush with Religion

It’s so hard to be nonjudgmental of people whom you perceive to be judgmental.

I had lunch today with a Babtist- I suspect she was a Southern Babtist, as we are in AZ, and she was white. I often feel self conscious of my life choices around religious people. Who do I feel guilty before though? I think it's guilty in her eyes. I don't like it when I suspect I’m being judged, especially by a really friendly sweet, down to earth young woman.

So I nodded and yesed her as she made references to her belief that the AIDS epidemic is related to modern immorality. I suspect she thinks all natural disasters are sent to punish us. I didn't ask her opinion of New Orleans.

I asked her to tell me a little about various sects of Christianity. I learned that, apparently, Muslims and Jews fall into a sect of Christianity called "non-protestants", and Catholics are a type of Protestant. At this point I spoke up---finally--- and explained a little about what the Protestant reformation was. My opinion of her dropped a bit- in college my religious friends did not lump other religions into ill fitting categories synonymous with "HEATHEN".

H thinks that I indulge people. (I think she's right.) I've learned so many cool things about people, and more tangible matters- like how transmissions work, how to play dungeons and dragons, the new configuration of the army around the striker, how to cook egg curry, saag and sushi, how fantasy baseball works, why many Columbians want cocaine to be legalized, and basically all of my cocktail stories.

This indulgence is good... except for when it is bad. It can mislead people, make them think I want to be "saved", make them think that I want a closer friendship with them than I actually do. Because of my propensity to indulge, I have a propensity to misrepresent my intentions, mislead, feel guilty, question my own morality, look to a universal morality, and have lunch with Baptists. This is the guilty circle of my life.

Rainbows!

It poured a beautiful rain here in Tucson this evening. I even saw a rainbow, and began wondering about them- why they are arched and why they occur where they occur. This site answers some of those questions.

On a similarly bright note, my refrigerator is fixed (has been replaced) which means my search for a supermarket that doesn't sell sour milk is over.

I'm missing WBUR, the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal and The Economist Magazine-- dreaming about getting one of those special satellite radios that will give me East Coast quality news. Missing my Boston friends that were full of interesting information about the world. - At least I can look up rainbows on the internet.

I'm in a mock trail on Friday- defending a man who sold a house without disclosing to the buyer that his partner died of AIDS in the house.

'best get briefing! 'night

Saguaro Run

Yeah, 6:30 am is a bit early to begin a run, especially when it's a good drive away, but this 8 miler was far more beautiful than my dreams would have been, had I slept in. Definitely feeling the pain of Saturday's Mt. Lemmon/Mt. Bigalow run (2hours and 40+ min at an altitude of 8,000-8,550 ft), Mr. Ultra and I still made a good showing in the race, as did my Constitutional Law Prof!

Macrobiotic Justices?

I wonder what the effect on interstate commerce would be if a couple of the justices picked up a macrobiotic lifestyle. Maybe we should refocus on local markets... give up the luxury of imported out of season fruit while reducing our reliance on foreign oil.

By the way, I am interested far more interested in the environmental ramifications of such a diet, however all of the internet-advertisement-info focuses on benefits for the individual- usually weight loss. Maybe modern charities should refocus on the slimming effects of donating a percentage of the costs of each meal towards feeding others. Of course my theory would need to deal with the $8 price of salad verses the $2-3 cost of eating a hamburger.

Here's a link to the best ribs I have ever eaten.

Political Self meets Legal Self

My thoughts on the constitution move on a sea-saw. Politically, I think we have an obligation to protect the disadvantaged, the environment, the minorities, the sick and all the homeless kittens. Because we have such a dichotomous system, with the media obfuscating any opinion that doesn’t fit with their two party, black and white, good and bad, ‘you’re either with us or against us’ American Ideal, I’m forced into a liberal suit that doesn’t even fit (modesty man! Don’t show so much skin). I don’t have a problem with the death penalty; I don’t think that the methods that the liberals are employing are golden. BUT….

After my first 3 weeks of law school, including a class in Constitutional law, it appears that 80% of the federal power to implement these laws saving the kittens evolves out of the Commerce Clause. Weird! And seemingly wrong. I mean what do human rights have to do with interstate trade? But that’s a rhetorical question, I have since associated human rights violations with inhibitions of trade, I wouldn’t want to travel in a state that was violently racist, or one where I couldn’t bring my minority friends. But it’s so EASY to side with the Justices on every issue, every opinion is a work of art- even Taney’s fatal blow was more poetic than my blog (not that I agree with that one).

So I’m faced with a problem, my politics verses what I think the constitution actually says. I really don’t want to give up the government’s protection of small cute kittens in need of shelter from the storm and a fair chance at life, but what does that have to do with commerce? Even if all the small kittens in the world were taken in aggregate, would that REALLY affect interstate commerce?

Yes. Yes it would. (Thank God!) Turns out that the kittens, when taken in aggregate, have an affect on the pet shop owners, or if the congress has a rational basis for passing the test (they don’t need to specify what they were thinking, and basically because they have a special rational juice drink before every session, they are rational), or if there is a large black market for kittens that we may be affecting by passing the law regarding kittens- CONGRATULATIONS- we can save the kittens, puppies, marijuana, minorities and the U.S. Bank! These powers have now been implied.

And so, I am back where I started. You can believe whatever you want. All beliefs are internally inconsistent. But, if you want to understand the law you have to understand this to some extent, as most lines are arbitrary, and hinge on the meaning of a word or phrase. Lines must be drawn, both to limit and extend federal power; to protect and to provide.

HOT

Also HOT

Go Go Gadget People Skills

Yeah, I tried to join all the clubs offering free pizza: ACLU ACS and The Token Conservative Club.
I also thought it might be fun to have free chinese food so I joined something International.

I may be overextended, but you can't say i'm not thrifty.

you can't join this one 'less yous got skillzzz
Go Go Gadget People Skills

Runs

So I bought the snazzy Gell Kayauno running shoes today(bit of a splurge, but 30% off)- swiching from the traditional Saucony. This is where I will test them- Mt. Lemmon.

I also picked up a running buddy who looks pretty serious about the sport. I think he's training for the marathon, so maybe I will too. I'll have to wear my color coordinated running gear and my large sunglasses, which I associate with blind people and serious runners, maybe then i'll gain his trust. Hopefully i can get Adam and Ethan out here to do that race with me ;o)

George Bush

I would like to take this opportunity to point out, yet another stupid thing our president said. Last night I had CNN on for background noise while staring blankly at my casebook and I caught the president's introductory speech on the situation in New Orleans. He said that if we citizens wanted to help, that we should donate to the Red Cross and other emergency organizations. He said that we should make sure to allocate our donations to hurricane relief.

Our president must not have been paying attention to the disaster that arose after the tsunami. Generous people saw the devastation that plastered our TV screens for months- and they gave... they gave to the Red Cross, and to doctors without borders and to churches and habitat for humanity. They gave and earmarked their donations.

I don't understand the rational behind earmarking a donation to the Red Cross; do you honestly think that the Red Cross can't properly allocate your funds? That you have a better understanding of where your money is needed than the Red Cross? Or do you just want to make sure your money is not going to help some starving African child? Do you trust the media to show you the areas of the world in most dire straights?

Whatever the reason, earmarking the funds turned out to be a poor decision. Doctors without borders, and many other humanitarian organizations began making public service announcements telling people to only give non-specified donations, that they already had more than enough money to deal with the immediate effects of the tsunami and that they would reallocate any further funds as they saw fit---sounds like their priority is to do good all over the world.

You are excused if you did not know this, however our president is not.

And people keep telling me how smart he is.

I got t' tell you, he's making me rethink this federalist thing

The Secret

(This is Tucson)

I feel a bit patronized. My professors lecture on the steep learning curve that we 1L’s are about to ascend. Lawyers tell me that the fist year will “change the way I think” without any factual details. 2L’s tell me that things will just “click” and all of a sudden I’ll “get it”.

I wouldn’t have thought that I was missing any greater understanding had it not been for their mysterious insinuations. I’m not lost, but now I’m just really curious, and skeptical as to whether there is, in fact, any epiphany awaiting me.

Law school is not as hard as I thought it would be. The horror stories are personal horror stories. Everyone has their own problems. I do not mind vagueness in my studies, actually it reassures me that I am not getting as slanted a viewpoint as a bright line rule would have signaled.

I suspect that the mental revolution that everyone is talking around is directly related to vagueness in Law. Law which is written down in words which they themselves does not have exact meaning. Society imposes structure and meaning on these words- decisions must be made, liability must be assigned and order must be kept. But there is no underlying static truth. To this I say: So what! Everything is like that.

My professors are not-so-subtly praising the common law system (over the civil law system, where laws were written out explicitly for every little motion of every pinky finger of every four-year-old living in London). Common law apparently relies more heavily on the interpretation of the judges, the rational of the more general rule.

Who knew I would be so full of myself when I entered law school, to think that I have understood the game? The inconsistencies of my ego astound me.

I'm sure they are saying very interesting intelligent things in this candid shot.

This is the Beginning

This is the beginning of misspelled personal musings about my life, currently focusing on life as a 1L. I'm writing this primarily to stay intouch with H. I have a nice photo of me- in my future profession that i'm trying to attach- we'll see if that works, though if it's anything like changing a lightbulb i'll be skrewed cuz there's only one of me and being blond and polish, I may have some difficulty.

Anyway, I got up today at 5:45 to drink lots of coffee before hitting the casebook- I'm currently awake enough to realize i should have just slept in.