Tuesday, May 25, 2004
I started my summer associate gig last week and I've already learned a few things:
1) There is no such thing as a comfortable silence when you're at lunch with a partner. You're either talking or it's awkward. Hell, some of the time it's pretty awkward when you're talking. I've noticed it's not so good for people with low tolerance for small talk.
2) If you want to start working again right after giving birth, that's okay because we've got the facilities for you. The first thing I heard last Monday as I entered my office for the first time were the wails of a newborn babe. And she kept wailing. Then, I found out today that there is a "Lactation Room" on my floor. Yes, a lactation room. That was kind of weird.
Anyway, it's started out well. I've met some great people and I've gotten to work on an interesting project; I couldn't really ask for much more. So I'll just ask that it stays this way.
1) There is no such thing as a comfortable silence when you're at lunch with a partner. You're either talking or it's awkward. Hell, some of the time it's pretty awkward when you're talking. I've noticed it's not so good for people with low tolerance for small talk.
2) If you want to start working again right after giving birth, that's okay because we've got the facilities for you. The first thing I heard last Monday as I entered my office for the first time were the wails of a newborn babe. And she kept wailing. Then, I found out today that there is a "Lactation Room" on my floor. Yes, a lactation room. That was kind of weird.
Anyway, it's started out well. I've met some great people and I've gotten to work on an interesting project; I couldn't really ask for much more. So I'll just ask that it stays this way.
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Toluca Jim, please don't hold back
I guess there is a good possibility that he hasn't come back from the bar yet (I know I wouldn't have if it were Liverpool), but I'm still a little surprised that I haven't seen a post from Toluca Jim at The Visible Hand celebrating Arsenal's undefeated season in the English Premier League. As much as it pains me to say it, congrats to the Gunners who have just accomplished something that hasn't been done since the 1888-1889 season and might even be more impressive now, especially considering the money that's being thrown around and the extra wear and tear of European competitions.
In other news, South Africa was awarded the 2010 World Cup, so I am going to go ahead and book my ticket over there. Liverpool played to a draw with Newcastle, assuring their place in Europe next year, and American Brian McBride scored a brace for Fulham in their match against Bolton. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, my WISL team won this morning to push our record to .500 for the year with three games left.
In other news, South Africa was awarded the 2010 World Cup, so I am going to go ahead and book my ticket over there. Liverpool played to a draw with Newcastle, assuring their place in Europe next year, and American Brian McBride scored a brace for Fulham in their match against Bolton. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, my WISL team won this morning to push our record to .500 for the year with three games left.
Friday, May 14, 2004
One step at a time
Over at the Volokh Conspiracy, David Post notes the recent success of the Iraqi National Team as they qualified for the Olympics this summer, which should be great for the morale of the country. He goes on to note that under the currect FIFA alignments, Israel is kept away from competing in the Arab world by placing them in Europe (which, incidentally, makes it pretty difficult for Israel to qualify for anything, although every once in a while their clubs give some bigger teams a scare in the European club competitions), while the rest of the Middle East competes in Asia. He continues:
It will certainly be a great day when Israel can finally play football against her real neighbors and refer to them as such, but my dream is a bit more simple: that the region becomes safe enough that UEFA actually allows Israel and Israeli clubs to play their home games in qualifiers and club competitions in Israel, and not in some "neutral" location like Cyprus.
UPDATE: Looks like my dream just came true.
I keep a list of things that, were I to fall asleep for 20 years or so, I'd hope to see when I awake; one of them is regularly scheduled soccer games between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Kuwaitis, and Iraqis, and . . . In the current soccer world, Israel is placed into "Europe," while the Arab nations are in "Asia," so they don't routinely meet for things like World Cup qualifying. The world will be a much better place if/when they do.
It will certainly be a great day when Israel can finally play football against her real neighbors and refer to them as such, but my dream is a bit more simple: that the region becomes safe enough that UEFA actually allows Israel and Israeli clubs to play their home games in qualifiers and club competitions in Israel, and not in some "neutral" location like Cyprus.
UPDATE: Looks like my dream just came true.
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Two-thirds
It's been a few days now but it's time for the end of the year post. Two years gone and it has certainly flown by.
As hectic as this semester was, it was probably one of my favorites and I have to give a lot of credit there to my professors. They really helped bring out in my classes the intellectual rigor that I've been searching for. I can't imagine a better way to learn Separation of Powers law than with a professor who has extensive experience in the OLC. It was a small class and he basically turned it into a seminar. Cases weren't discussed by simply stating the facts and the holding but instead by pitting two students against each other and having them make the arguments for each side. His hypos were always interesting and made you think beyond the caselaw and consider the political ramifications, how something would play out in the press, how would it affect the branch in the future. Of course, then they would always end with, "Well, let me tell you how we ended up dealing with this . . ." and you realized that the very problems that we slogged through in class were the things he dealt with on a daily basis in the OLC. Very cool. (And I say this in spite of the fact that he called on me five times.)
Administrative Law was equal to the task. I'm not particularly fascinated by the Administrative Procedures Act, but the class gave me a great insight into the processes by which so many of our rights are created and adjudicated. The class was also taught by one of my favorite professors at GW. He was incredibly effective teaching Civ Pro II and he brought the same energy to the classroom this time, even when confronted with 2Ls and 3Ls who weren't necessarily always there. His method of questioning is quite effective at drawing out the doctrine from each case, but he also dives into the policies underlying each decision and law, which provides us with a much stronger sense of why things happened the way they did and maybe why they shouldn't have happened that way. He's a young professor who definitely enjoys what he does and I think he'll just keep getting better.
When finals were over, it was time to get out of DC so I went to Boston for a few days to go see a Buffalo Tom concert. They've been my favorite band since early on in high school, but they don't play together with any great frequency anymore and when they do, it's always in Boston. Needless to say, when I saw two months ago that they would be playing a show in their native Boston right after finals, I jumped at the chance to go and bought four tickets with the hope that I could drag some friends away for the weekend. Well, that didn't happen, but I went anyway, undeterred by the lack of law school company. I stayed with some high school friends that I hadn't seen for five or six years and had a great time at the show. It was the sort of thing where I can now cross something off my life "to do" list. I really liked Boston too; it seemed like a fun place to be. Now I'm back in the law review office, edits surrounding me, but I think I might just play with some of the new templates that Blogger just put up.
Anyway, two years gone. It's hard to believe that I'm two years removed from college, much less done with two years of law school. One more to go, but first, it's time to enjoy the summer.
As hectic as this semester was, it was probably one of my favorites and I have to give a lot of credit there to my professors. They really helped bring out in my classes the intellectual rigor that I've been searching for. I can't imagine a better way to learn Separation of Powers law than with a professor who has extensive experience in the OLC. It was a small class and he basically turned it into a seminar. Cases weren't discussed by simply stating the facts and the holding but instead by pitting two students against each other and having them make the arguments for each side. His hypos were always interesting and made you think beyond the caselaw and consider the political ramifications, how something would play out in the press, how would it affect the branch in the future. Of course, then they would always end with, "Well, let me tell you how we ended up dealing with this . . ." and you realized that the very problems that we slogged through in class were the things he dealt with on a daily basis in the OLC. Very cool. (And I say this in spite of the fact that he called on me five times.)
Administrative Law was equal to the task. I'm not particularly fascinated by the Administrative Procedures Act, but the class gave me a great insight into the processes by which so many of our rights are created and adjudicated. The class was also taught by one of my favorite professors at GW. He was incredibly effective teaching Civ Pro II and he brought the same energy to the classroom this time, even when confronted with 2Ls and 3Ls who weren't necessarily always there. His method of questioning is quite effective at drawing out the doctrine from each case, but he also dives into the policies underlying each decision and law, which provides us with a much stronger sense of why things happened the way they did and maybe why they shouldn't have happened that way. He's a young professor who definitely enjoys what he does and I think he'll just keep getting better.
When finals were over, it was time to get out of DC so I went to Boston for a few days to go see a Buffalo Tom concert. They've been my favorite band since early on in high school, but they don't play together with any great frequency anymore and when they do, it's always in Boston. Needless to say, when I saw two months ago that they would be playing a show in their native Boston right after finals, I jumped at the chance to go and bought four tickets with the hope that I could drag some friends away for the weekend. Well, that didn't happen, but I went anyway, undeterred by the lack of law school company. I stayed with some high school friends that I hadn't seen for five or six years and had a great time at the show. It was the sort of thing where I can now cross something off my life "to do" list. I really liked Boston too; it seemed like a fun place to be. Now I'm back in the law review office, edits surrounding me, but I think I might just play with some of the new templates that Blogger just put up.
Anyway, two years gone. It's hard to believe that I'm two years removed from college, much less done with two years of law school. One more to go, but first, it's time to enjoy the summer.
Saturday, May 01, 2004
Derby Day
I speak to you now with some bitterness. I should be outside, glass of bourbon in hand, enjoying the afternoon with some friends. We should be dressed for the occasion, with the women wearing sundresses and hats. We should have the grill on and mint nearby for those who want mint juleps. We should have Derby Pie. I should have organized the betting pool and I should be preparing myself to lose for yet another year. I should be watching the 130th running of the Kentucky Derby.
But instead I am stuck in the library studying for my last final.
It's difficult to grow up in Kentucky and not come to appreciate the magnitude of the Derby. For the fastest two minutes in sports, everyone is watching Churchill Downs. Since leaving Kentucky for school, I've definitely found myself becoming increasingly proud of things like this that connect me to my state and give me and Kentucky a sense of identity.
As the only Kentuckian in my class in undergrad, and one of three or four schoolwide, I took it upon myself during my senior year to throw a Derby party like the ones my parents always used to go to. It was a gorgeous day and we started early with burgers on the grill, bourbon on the bar, and a keg in the kitchen. The Northern girls looked almost Southern in their sundresses and the betting went smoothly (my horse might have finished last). As the afternoon wore on, we made our way inside and situated ourselves in front of the television to watch the ponies. My roommate hooked his four-feet tall speakers up to the television and the commentary was blaring through the house and out to the street. Then, as tradition dictates, the University of Louisville Marching Band began playing our state song. Perhaps it was the bourbon, or maybe it was just a newfound pride and confidence, but just then I remembered the words they taught us back in our 4th grade "Kentucky Heritage" portion of social studies and I knew that it was my duty as a citizen of the commonwealth to share them with my friends. Without another thought, I proceeded to stand in front of everyone and belt out My Old Kentucky Home. Everyone laughed (maybe not so much at me as at my singing ability), but I thought that I would do the same for my readers today (and you don't even have to hear my voice).
The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home.
'Tis summer, the people are gay.
The corn top's ripe, and the meadow's in the bloom,
While the birds make music all the day.
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
All merry, all happy and bright.
By 'n' by hard times come a-knocking at the door.
Then my old Kentucky home, good night.
Chorus:
Weep no more, my lady.
Oh, weep no more today.
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
For the old Kentucky home far away.
But instead I am stuck in the library studying for my last final.
It's difficult to grow up in Kentucky and not come to appreciate the magnitude of the Derby. For the fastest two minutes in sports, everyone is watching Churchill Downs. Since leaving Kentucky for school, I've definitely found myself becoming increasingly proud of things like this that connect me to my state and give me and Kentucky a sense of identity.
As the only Kentuckian in my class in undergrad, and one of three or four schoolwide, I took it upon myself during my senior year to throw a Derby party like the ones my parents always used to go to. It was a gorgeous day and we started early with burgers on the grill, bourbon on the bar, and a keg in the kitchen. The Northern girls looked almost Southern in their sundresses and the betting went smoothly (my horse might have finished last). As the afternoon wore on, we made our way inside and situated ourselves in front of the television to watch the ponies. My roommate hooked his four-feet tall speakers up to the television and the commentary was blaring through the house and out to the street. Then, as tradition dictates, the University of Louisville Marching Band began playing our state song. Perhaps it was the bourbon, or maybe it was just a newfound pride and confidence, but just then I remembered the words they taught us back in our 4th grade "Kentucky Heritage" portion of social studies and I knew that it was my duty as a citizen of the commonwealth to share them with my friends. Without another thought, I proceeded to stand in front of everyone and belt out My Old Kentucky Home. Everyone laughed (maybe not so much at me as at my singing ability), but I thought that I would do the same for my readers today (and you don't even have to hear my voice).
The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home.
'Tis summer, the people are gay.
The corn top's ripe, and the meadow's in the bloom,
While the birds make music all the day.
The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
All merry, all happy and bright.
By 'n' by hard times come a-knocking at the door.
Then my old Kentucky home, good night.
Chorus:
Weep no more, my lady.
Oh, weep no more today.
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
For the old Kentucky home far away.
