What did you have for breakfast today?
Was it 730 calories and 47 grams of fat in the form of a sausage patty, two eggs, two American cheese slices and three strips of bacon? No? I didn't think so.
Who is going to buy this?
Monday, March 28, 2005
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Home Again, Home Again
After many delays in what seems to have been fifteen thousand airports I am finally home from my trip to Vermont.
Using the word 'nightmare' to describe my New England adventure would be unfair. Still, the words 'fun' or 'nice' would be going too far the other way. Let's just leave it at 'over'.
I can't remember what I was high on when I purchased my plane tickets, but I sure wish I had had some more when I boarded my flight at 1am Thursday morning. I managed to sleep a little bit, even with the kid next to me watching cartoons at full volume all night long. A 3 hour layover at JFK and a 3 minute plane ride later I landed in Vermont only to find that they wouldn't take my card. Hertz has very high standards that I, apparently, do not meet. So the law school actually had to fax over their credit card in order for me to proceed onto the final leg of my arduous journey: the drive from Burlington to South Royalton.
Almost delirious at this point, I get into the car and it takes me somewhere around 30 minutes to remember how to drive. I blame the coma. After finally recalling the thing about using the same foot for both the gas and the brake I was on the mean streets of Vermont. I think I saw a total of 12 others cars on the hour drive on I-89. The radio in the car did work (I had heard an ugly rumor that FM was non-attainable on this drive) but every time I turned it on either the music would start to lull me to sleep or I would become incredibly irritated with the talking or the ads. Instead I did a thing where I would alternate the windows I would roll down to get some fresh air. It was really amusing at the time.
Anyway, I'm not going to bore you with the details of the meetings and things I had. If anyone reading this is considering VLS or would just like to know more, let me know. My list of appointments: Admissions Director, Financial Aid, Tour with a 3L, Administrative Law class, Career Services, meeting with Environmental Law Center director, meeting with a professor specializing in International law.
Some random observations:
There were many comments sort of apologizing for the school, both subtle and overt. For example: We're no Georgetown. and But those positions are very competitive and pretty much only top students obtain them. There are other paths for VLS grads to get the same jobs, it just takes more work and more time.
There was a lot of talk about judicial clerkships. They seem to really push students into going for these positions.
From the 3L tour guide: The school strongly recommends taking as many classes that will directly help you on the bar exam. Wow. For me, personally, this is definitely not the approach I want to take with law school, and if I was still strongly considering VLS this would have been a big old red flag regarding the overall philosophy of the school.
Okay, so it's over. I'm glad I took the trip because I still had some overly romanticized thoughts about small town living. Those are gone now. There's no pharmacy in the town, and the nearest hospital is 20 minutes away. You have to drive 20 minutes to go to a grocery store. The amount of planning and coordinating it would take to live in South Royalton would be extraordinary, I think. Plus, there's no way you could live there without a car, and I really don't ever want to own a car again. So, that's that.
To be fair, I think that VLS has some great offerings and some unique opportunities. And I know that a lot of people really enjoy living in the town. Plus the faculty and staff were very nice.
It's good to be home.
Using the word 'nightmare' to describe my New England adventure would be unfair. Still, the words 'fun' or 'nice' would be going too far the other way. Let's just leave it at 'over'.
I can't remember what I was high on when I purchased my plane tickets, but I sure wish I had had some more when I boarded my flight at 1am Thursday morning. I managed to sleep a little bit, even with the kid next to me watching cartoons at full volume all night long. A 3 hour layover at JFK and a 3 minute plane ride later I landed in Vermont only to find that they wouldn't take my card. Hertz has very high standards that I, apparently, do not meet. So the law school actually had to fax over their credit card in order for me to proceed onto the final leg of my arduous journey: the drive from Burlington to South Royalton.
Almost delirious at this point, I get into the car and it takes me somewhere around 30 minutes to remember how to drive. I blame the coma. After finally recalling the thing about using the same foot for both the gas and the brake I was on the mean streets of Vermont. I think I saw a total of 12 others cars on the hour drive on I-89. The radio in the car did work (I had heard an ugly rumor that FM was non-attainable on this drive) but every time I turned it on either the music would start to lull me to sleep or I would become incredibly irritated with the talking or the ads. Instead I did a thing where I would alternate the windows I would roll down to get some fresh air. It was really amusing at the time.
Anyway, I'm not going to bore you with the details of the meetings and things I had. If anyone reading this is considering VLS or would just like to know more, let me know. My list of appointments: Admissions Director, Financial Aid, Tour with a 3L, Administrative Law class, Career Services, meeting with Environmental Law Center director, meeting with a professor specializing in International law.
Some random observations:
There were many comments sort of apologizing for the school, both subtle and overt. For example: We're no Georgetown. and But those positions are very competitive and pretty much only top students obtain them. There are other paths for VLS grads to get the same jobs, it just takes more work and more time.
There was a lot of talk about judicial clerkships. They seem to really push students into going for these positions.
From the 3L tour guide: The school strongly recommends taking as many classes that will directly help you on the bar exam. Wow. For me, personally, this is definitely not the approach I want to take with law school, and if I was still strongly considering VLS this would have been a big old red flag regarding the overall philosophy of the school.
Okay, so it's over. I'm glad I took the trip because I still had some overly romanticized thoughts about small town living. Those are gone now. There's no pharmacy in the town, and the nearest hospital is 20 minutes away. You have to drive 20 minutes to go to a grocery store. The amount of planning and coordinating it would take to live in South Royalton would be extraordinary, I think. Plus, there's no way you could live there without a car, and I really don't ever want to own a car again. So, that's that.
To be fair, I think that VLS has some great offerings and some unique opportunities. And I know that a lot of people really enjoy living in the town. Plus the faculty and staff were very nice.
It's good to be home.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Portland Trip Day 2
By 8:10 I was packed up and herded into a big shuttle bus that took all of the admitted students (plus parents, significant others, and other random guests) to the Law School.
Lewis and Clark Law campus. Boley Library entrance is on the left.
I would estimate that about 200 students attended, and maybe half had at least one guest. So there were quite a few people to keep organized. In all, I think they did a great job keeping everyone moving along and getting us where we needed to be.
The first event of the day was a mock class. The large group was split in two, one half with Professor Newell and the other with Professor Brunet. I was in the latter group, listening to a talk about the various legal troubles of Microsoft. It was pretty interesting. The professor accepted questions from the students, and I was relieved when no one student dominated the class. I'm always a little embarassed (and, truthfully, a little annoyed) when this happens. I know that they say that if you don't know who that guy/girl is then it is you, but I swear it wasn't me. I didn't raise my hand once.
One of four bunker style classrooms at L&C.
Our next stop was a panel discussion on curriculum options, and how to decide what classes to take during 2L and 3L years. One thing I really like about Lewis and Clark is the flexibility in this area, as well as the very low number of graduation requirement hoops one has to jump through. This is a huge difference from my undergraduate academic career where I only was able to take one elective. Yes, one.
They talked about the various certificate programs they offer, their publications, and quite a bit about clinics, externships, and other practical skills-type offerings. The people on the panel seemed really down to earth - a common phenomenon at this particular law school, one that I really appreciate - and honest.
I just thought this was funny.
Next up, the campus tour. Three students, 2 1Ls and a 2L, led us around the buildings and answered questions. Lots of questions about how to prepare for 1L, how many hours per day spent studying, etc. One of the 1Ls seemed quite adamant about handwriting notes being superior to typing notes. I've never known anyone to get defensive about their notetaking technique. Maybe people make fun of her or something.
Lunch came next. I was pleasantly surprised that there were plenty of vegan options. So they had one faculty member at each table, just ready and waiting for informal discussion. I sat at Professor Neuman's table. She spoke about really enjoying the open door policy that professors at L&C have adopted, and how this experience was in stark contrast to her own experience at law school. She was very good about including everyone at the table in the conversation and politely answering everyone's questions. There seems to be a lot of interest in Water Law. Several people at this event, and also other LS applicant students I know at CU, mentioned wanting to specialize in this area.
We had an opportunity during dessert to switch tables, so I sought out Professor Wold. I did finally find him, but he was so popular that his table was standing room only. He talked about working on endangered species projects during law school, and having the opportunity to attend an international conference (or similar, I missed the beginning of the story) during his 3L year. He was introduced as a "Legal Advisor" to avoid being dismissed as "just a law student." He also talked about the relative merit of judicial clerking, and the importance of finding ways to make yourself stand out from the crowd when it comes to job applications. He stressed getting published, mentioning that he was published during his time at Lewis & Clark, although not in a Law Review. I never thought about students publishing in other publications than Law Review or Journals from their schools, so this was very interesting.
Views of and from the Sky Bridge.
The remaining events were short talks by Career Services, Financial Aid, and then a student group tabling extravaganza. By the end of the Financial Aid talk I wasn't in the mood for any more information so I just wandered around a bit more and then headed back to the hotel.
Exhausted, a new friend and I took the light rail to the airport, hung out and drank coffee, then flew home, all the while talking and talking and talking about the law school application process. I feel sorry for those sitting near us on the little plane (which needed last minute repairs - eek!)
Tonight I'm off to the land of all that is cute: Vermont! I'll be back on Saturday.
A parting shot - Lewis & Clark Law flowers blooming in March.
Lewis and Clark Law campus. Boley Library entrance is on the left.
I would estimate that about 200 students attended, and maybe half had at least one guest. So there were quite a few people to keep organized. In all, I think they did a great job keeping everyone moving along and getting us where we needed to be.
The first event of the day was a mock class. The large group was split in two, one half with Professor Newell and the other with Professor Brunet. I was in the latter group, listening to a talk about the various legal troubles of Microsoft. It was pretty interesting. The professor accepted questions from the students, and I was relieved when no one student dominated the class. I'm always a little embarassed (and, truthfully, a little annoyed) when this happens. I know that they say that if you don't know who that guy/girl is then it is you, but I swear it wasn't me. I didn't raise my hand once.
One of four bunker style classrooms at L&C.
Our next stop was a panel discussion on curriculum options, and how to decide what classes to take during 2L and 3L years. One thing I really like about Lewis and Clark is the flexibility in this area, as well as the very low number of graduation requirement hoops one has to jump through. This is a huge difference from my undergraduate academic career where I only was able to take one elective. Yes, one.
They talked about the various certificate programs they offer, their publications, and quite a bit about clinics, externships, and other practical skills-type offerings. The people on the panel seemed really down to earth - a common phenomenon at this particular law school, one that I really appreciate - and honest.
I just thought this was funny.
Next up, the campus tour. Three students, 2 1Ls and a 2L, led us around the buildings and answered questions. Lots of questions about how to prepare for 1L, how many hours per day spent studying, etc. One of the 1Ls seemed quite adamant about handwriting notes being superior to typing notes. I've never known anyone to get defensive about their notetaking technique. Maybe people make fun of her or something.
Lunch came next. I was pleasantly surprised that there were plenty of vegan options. So they had one faculty member at each table, just ready and waiting for informal discussion. I sat at Professor Neuman's table. She spoke about really enjoying the open door policy that professors at L&C have adopted, and how this experience was in stark contrast to her own experience at law school. She was very good about including everyone at the table in the conversation and politely answering everyone's questions. There seems to be a lot of interest in Water Law. Several people at this event, and also other LS applicant students I know at CU, mentioned wanting to specialize in this area.
We had an opportunity during dessert to switch tables, so I sought out Professor Wold. I did finally find him, but he was so popular that his table was standing room only. He talked about working on endangered species projects during law school, and having the opportunity to attend an international conference (or similar, I missed the beginning of the story) during his 3L year. He was introduced as a "Legal Advisor" to avoid being dismissed as "just a law student." He also talked about the relative merit of judicial clerking, and the importance of finding ways to make yourself stand out from the crowd when it comes to job applications. He stressed getting published, mentioning that he was published during his time at Lewis & Clark, although not in a Law Review. I never thought about students publishing in other publications than Law Review or Journals from their schools, so this was very interesting.
Views of and from the Sky Bridge.
The remaining events were short talks by Career Services, Financial Aid, and then a student group tabling extravaganza. By the end of the Financial Aid talk I wasn't in the mood for any more information so I just wandered around a bit more and then headed back to the hotel.
Exhausted, a new friend and I took the light rail to the airport, hung out and drank coffee, then flew home, all the while talking and talking and talking about the law school application process. I feel sorry for those sitting near us on the little plane (which needed last minute repairs - eek!)
Tonight I'm off to the land of all that is cute: Vermont! I'll be back on Saturday.
A parting shot - Lewis & Clark Law flowers blooming in March.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Portland Trip Day 1
My trip to Portland was better than I had anticipated, which is kind of saying a lot as I had pretty high hopes going in.
The early morning flight (up at 3:30am, takeoff at 6am) was fine, and I was able to find the train into Portland after getting lost only once in the airport. I was pleased to find that the hotel was able to grant my early check-in request, and after a quick stop in my room to unpack I was off to wander around Portland.
My first stop was J's new school, Portland State University.
The early morning flight (up at 3:30am, takeoff at 6am) was fine, and I was able to find the train into Portland after getting lost only once in the airport. I was pleased to find that the hotel was able to grant my early check-in request, and after a quick stop in my room to unpack I was off to wander around Portland.
My first stop was J's new school, Portland State University.
Portland State University - I think this is the library.
Then I just wandered around the city until it was time for the highlight of the day - meeting Shelley! We met at a fantastic Szechwan restaurant called Sungari. I am thrilled to be moving to a city with so many great restaurants including 102 Thai restaurants alone! Wow!
Anyway, hanging out with Shelley was so much fun! Meeting new people is normally an incredibly awkward experience for me. I don't chat well. But Shelley and I hads lots to talk about, like law school in general and Lewis & Clark specifically.
After lunch we headed out and ended up at the Chinese Garden.
Shelley outside of the Portland Chinese Garden
Inside the Portland Chinese Garden
Our next stop was the amazing Powell's bookstore. Being in Powell's is what I imagine being inside amazon.com would be like. It was here that I found J a Wagner action figure who currently lives on his desk at work with his Freud action figure. Sometimes they fight.
Unfortunately the afternoon eventually had to come to an end. Shelley had class, and I had to go and get ready for the law school reception. Because I had gotten up at 3:30 that morning and trekked around the city all day I was exhausted and not really looking forward to trying to chat all evening. But I had bought a new outfit that I couldn't afford specifically for this event, and flown halfway across the country, so I felt obligated.
And I'm so glad that I did. It really wasn't awkward at all, and there were standard questions to ask and answer: Are you still deciding, or are you definitely coming here? Where are you from? Where else did you apply? What kind of law do you want to study? And of course the Dean spoke briefly before passing around a wireless microphone to all of the alumni and faculty so they could talk up the school. It was all very nice - they did a good job at making us feel special and welcome.
While walking the 8 or so blocks back to my hotel I passed many little bars celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. As it wasn't too late I didn't think people would be out of control crazy yet, but I was wrong. Walking past a group of older men in suits smoking outside of a little Irish pub, I was safely a half block away before I was spotted. "There's one!" I hear from behind me, "A redhead, and you let her get away! Go get her!" Oh my. I picked it up a bit and hung out in the hotel for the rest of the night. It's an odd thing being a redhead on Saint Patrick's Day.
Later: Day 2 of the Portland Trip: Admitted Students' Events on the Lewis & Clark campus.
Photo Note: Click on any of the above photos to access my new Flickr account and see larger, clearer images.
Anyway, hanging out with Shelley was so much fun! Meeting new people is normally an incredibly awkward experience for me. I don't chat well. But Shelley and I hads lots to talk about, like law school in general and Lewis & Clark specifically.
After lunch we headed out and ended up at the Chinese Garden.
Shelley outside of the Portland Chinese Garden
Inside the Portland Chinese Garden
Our next stop was the amazing Powell's bookstore. Being in Powell's is what I imagine being inside amazon.com would be like. It was here that I found J a Wagner action figure who currently lives on his desk at work with his Freud action figure. Sometimes they fight.
Unfortunately the afternoon eventually had to come to an end. Shelley had class, and I had to go and get ready for the law school reception. Because I had gotten up at 3:30 that morning and trekked around the city all day I was exhausted and not really looking forward to trying to chat all evening. But I had bought a new outfit that I couldn't afford specifically for this event, and flown halfway across the country, so I felt obligated.
And I'm so glad that I did. It really wasn't awkward at all, and there were standard questions to ask and answer: Are you still deciding, or are you definitely coming here? Where are you from? Where else did you apply? What kind of law do you want to study? And of course the Dean spoke briefly before passing around a wireless microphone to all of the alumni and faculty so they could talk up the school. It was all very nice - they did a good job at making us feel special and welcome.
While walking the 8 or so blocks back to my hotel I passed many little bars celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. As it wasn't too late I didn't think people would be out of control crazy yet, but I was wrong. Walking past a group of older men in suits smoking outside of a little Irish pub, I was safely a half block away before I was spotted. "There's one!" I hear from behind me, "A redhead, and you let her get away! Go get her!" Oh my. I picked it up a bit and hung out in the hotel for the rest of the night. It's an odd thing being a redhead on Saint Patrick's Day.
Later: Day 2 of the Portland Trip: Admitted Students' Events on the Lewis & Clark campus.
Photo Note: Click on any of the above photos to access my new Flickr account and see larger, clearer images.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Friday!
Today's my Friday - at 2pm today I start an 11 day weekend.
In the plans are trips to Oregon and Vermont, lots and lots of wedding appointments, and significant progress on my Conservation Trends seminar term paper.
Tomorrow morning I fly to Portland for the Lewis & Clark Preview events. I think lots of people are going to preview events over the next few days. I can't wait to see pictures and hear about everybody's experiences at the law schools of their choosing.
I'll try to take some good pictures, although generally I am not a taking pictures kind of person. Mostly because of the hassles of getting film, developing film, etc. Also, once I had a really great little Elph camera that I won for selling a lot of telephony crap at the big telecom I used to work for and I took it to these sand dunes in Mexico and it never worked again.
Happily J won the same camera so now I just use his. Hopefully someday we'll join the rest of the civilized world and get ourselves a nice digital camera.
In the plans are trips to Oregon and Vermont, lots and lots of wedding appointments, and significant progress on my Conservation Trends seminar term paper.
Tomorrow morning I fly to Portland for the Lewis & Clark Preview events. I think lots of people are going to preview events over the next few days. I can't wait to see pictures and hear about everybody's experiences at the law schools of their choosing.
I'll try to take some good pictures, although generally I am not a taking pictures kind of person. Mostly because of the hassles of getting film, developing film, etc. Also, once I had a really great little Elph camera that I won for selling a lot of telephony crap at the big telecom I used to work for and I took it to these sand dunes in Mexico and it never worked again.
Happily J won the same camera so now I just use his. Hopefully someday we'll join the rest of the civilized world and get ourselves a nice digital camera.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Just Stop Talking! (Updated)
Today, while returning a phone call to a professor at Lewis & Clark, it happened. I got the rambles. I just talked and talked on and on. My brain said, "Just stop talking! Now! End it! Say Goodbye!" And yet my mouth did not heed this advice.
And so, right now, somewhere in Portland, this message from yours truly is just waiting for this unsuspecting professor, its agonizing length taunting me from a thousand miles away.
Give me email anyday - Voicemail is apparently too much for me to handle.
Update: I sent the L&C professor a follow-up email with my questions - mostly because I didn't want to keep taking up his time with the phone tag. Mostly I asked about opportunities for students related to International Environmental Law, and also about some of the more unique programs L&C offers.
Anyway, I just received the most amazing email back! I was excited before but now I can't wait!
And so, right now, somewhere in Portland, this message from yours truly is just waiting for this unsuspecting professor, its agonizing length taunting me from a thousand miles away.
Give me email anyday - Voicemail is apparently too much for me to handle.
Update: I sent the L&C professor a follow-up email with my questions - mostly because I didn't want to keep taking up his time with the phone tag. Mostly I asked about opportunities for students related to International Environmental Law, and also about some of the more unique programs L&C offers.
Anyway, I just received the most amazing email back! I was excited before but now I can't wait!
Sunday, March 13, 2005
For Janine: Tales from the Biosphere
Janine says:
I can't believe nobody has asked this yet: I want to hear Biosphere stories!For those of you who aren't familiar with the Biosphere (and there's no real reason why you should be), here it is, in all of its glory:
I lived in a 4 bedroom house, located just to the left of this picture, with 7 other people. At 25 I was considered "old," and was never allowed to forget it! Although I had a great time during the semester, I never really "fit in" and was often desperate to get away from the very close quarters of the small village.
To that end, I decided it would be a good idea to set up camp in the middle of the desert and live out there. And so I did. To the right of the picture above there is a fairly good sized ridge and beyond that pure desert for a good ways. I set up my tent, a headlamp hanging from the ceiling for light, and it was there that I did my homework and slept. It was paradise. At night there was a big, bright moon, stars, and a velvet black sky. And perfect silence, aside from the occasional owl or coyote. Never before and never since have I felt such perfect peace.
Until one night, as I was heading out from the house toward my tent, around midnight. Pack on my back, Nalgene water bottle swinging from the side. Good sturdy boots on, with a Petzl headlamp lighting the way, I made my way along the top of the ridge to the little trail leading down into the desert, glancing down every few yards to not miss the turn. It was during one of these glances that I saw them. Two huge, green, glowing eyes calmly staring at me from just above the tips of the tall grass.
I froze. Time stood still as I thought the following thoughts, faster than I had ever thought thoughts before: "Is it a raccoon? No, too big for a raccoon. A deer? Eyes are in front of the head. Deer's eyes are on the sides of the head." Then the realization: It was a mountain lion. An honest to goodness mountain lion. Another quick series of thoughts: "Are mountain lions the ones you play dead with, or back away slowly? I'm pretty sure they are the back away slowly ones. If they come at you, are you supposed to run or fight back? I think the fight back ones are bears. Grizzly bears or black bears? Wait. That doesn't matter right now. You know, it's still looking at me. Maybe I should turn off the light."
And so, quick-witted me turns off the light so the human (me) in the situation cannot see while the feline (the mountain lion) still can. Good. The brilliant strategy continues with my reaching for my Nalgene bottle - because, yes, this is an excellent weapon for defending oneself against a giant cat.
Slowly, slowly, I backed away. No moon to help me out tonight, I'm engulfed in almost pitch dark, and now have no clear idea where the lion or the edge of the ridge are. About ten paces later I turn and walk very, very carefully in roughly the direction I came from. However, as I walked on, I become kind of agitated. I don't want to go back to the house in the village. I want to go to the peace of my tent. Am I some sort of scaredy-person (note the avoidance of the term "scaredy-cat")? No! I am indeed not some sort of scaredy person!
With defiance, I do a 180, turn the Petzl back on, and walk the slowest and most carefully I have ever walked, my eyes glues to the tops of the grasses. Finally, I make it to the turn, not spying the eyes and hoping against hope that the eyes have not spied me. I book it down the trail to the tent and hop inside, zipping that zipper as fast as it would zip.
Needless to say, I didn't sleep great that night. But I believe I would have slept worse had I tucked my tail and slinked back to the village, letting a little old mountain lion keep me from my desert.
To that end, I decided it would be a good idea to set up camp in the middle of the desert and live out there. And so I did. To the right of the picture above there is a fairly good sized ridge and beyond that pure desert for a good ways. I set up my tent, a headlamp hanging from the ceiling for light, and it was there that I did my homework and slept. It was paradise. At night there was a big, bright moon, stars, and a velvet black sky. And perfect silence, aside from the occasional owl or coyote. Never before and never since have I felt such perfect peace.
Until one night, as I was heading out from the house toward my tent, around midnight. Pack on my back, Nalgene water bottle swinging from the side. Good sturdy boots on, with a Petzl headlamp lighting the way, I made my way along the top of the ridge to the little trail leading down into the desert, glancing down every few yards to not miss the turn. It was during one of these glances that I saw them. Two huge, green, glowing eyes calmly staring at me from just above the tips of the tall grass.
I froze. Time stood still as I thought the following thoughts, faster than I had ever thought thoughts before: "Is it a raccoon? No, too big for a raccoon. A deer? Eyes are in front of the head. Deer's eyes are on the sides of the head." Then the realization: It was a mountain lion. An honest to goodness mountain lion. Another quick series of thoughts: "Are mountain lions the ones you play dead with, or back away slowly? I'm pretty sure they are the back away slowly ones. If they come at you, are you supposed to run or fight back? I think the fight back ones are bears. Grizzly bears or black bears? Wait. That doesn't matter right now. You know, it's still looking at me. Maybe I should turn off the light."
And so, quick-witted me turns off the light so the human (me) in the situation cannot see while the feline (the mountain lion) still can. Good. The brilliant strategy continues with my reaching for my Nalgene bottle - because, yes, this is an excellent weapon for defending oneself against a giant cat.
Slowly, slowly, I backed away. No moon to help me out tonight, I'm engulfed in almost pitch dark, and now have no clear idea where the lion or the edge of the ridge are. About ten paces later I turn and walk very, very carefully in roughly the direction I came from. However, as I walked on, I become kind of agitated. I don't want to go back to the house in the village. I want to go to the peace of my tent. Am I some sort of scaredy-person (note the avoidance of the term "scaredy-cat")? No! I am indeed not some sort of scaredy person!
With defiance, I do a 180, turn the Petzl back on, and walk the slowest and most carefully I have ever walked, my eyes glues to the tops of the grasses. Finally, I make it to the turn, not spying the eyes and hoping against hope that the eyes have not spied me. I book it down the trail to the tent and hop inside, zipping that zipper as fast as it would zip.
Needless to say, I didn't sleep great that night. But I believe I would have slept worse had I tucked my tail and slinked back to the village, letting a little old mountain lion keep me from my desert.
Saturday, March 12, 2005
L'Enfant et les Sortilèges
Last night J and I went to see a one-act opera by Ravel called L'Enfant et les Sortilèges. It was by far the strangest opera I have ever witnessed. It was also the rudest opera audience ever.
For example, people brought their children and didn't immediately take them to the lobby when they started acting up. Grown people whispered to each other constantly. The young couple next to me must have had ADD or something - the guy put his head in his arms on the back of the (luckily empty) chair in front of him, and she relentlessly flipped through her program and at one point held it up in an attempt to read the ads. A-nnoy-ing.
The music was very nice. The story, though, was simply odd. It's about a young boy who apparently has psychotic tendencies as he enjoys cutting off squirrel's tails, pinning dragonflies to things, killing bats, locking up small animals, destroying property, etc.
The best part about the production was the animal costumes. There were frogs and bats and bugs - pretty interesting parts to see played at an opera.
Spoiler Alert: In the end the little boy learns his lesson. The End.
For example, people brought their children and didn't immediately take them to the lobby when they started acting up. Grown people whispered to each other constantly. The young couple next to me must have had ADD or something - the guy put his head in his arms on the back of the (luckily empty) chair in front of him, and she relentlessly flipped through her program and at one point held it up in an attempt to read the ads. A-nnoy-ing.
The music was very nice. The story, though, was simply odd. It's about a young boy who apparently has psychotic tendencies as he enjoys cutting off squirrel's tails, pinning dragonflies to things, killing bats, locking up small animals, destroying property, etc.
The best part about the production was the animal costumes. There were frogs and bats and bugs - pretty interesting parts to see played at an opera.
Spoiler Alert: In the end the little boy learns his lesson. The End.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
International and International Environmental Law
Yesterday I attended a talk at CU Law on "Careers & Prospects in International and International Envronmental Law."
The first speaker was Vail T. Thorne, Senior Environmental Health & Safety Counsel for Coca-Cola. Luckily the person who was in charge of refreshments purchased Coke products. He not only used an empty bottle from the beverages table throughout his entire lecture, but he also commented three or four times how glad he was that they "bought his product." It was a little awkward.
He spoke some about Coca-Cola products, and stressed that they were not an "American company" but rather an "American icon." His job is all about making sure that Coke complies with environmental laws, regulations, etc. at all of their plant sites - of which there are about 1000 worldwide. I was pretty surprised how evenly distributed the plants were, globally, with about 160 in North America. I wonder how many of those are in the US.
A quick Google search helps me find out that Coca-Cola claims to employ 9,800 people in the US. The same search also reveals that many, many people seem to hate the company.
The second speaker was William L. Thomas of Pillsbury Winthrop, LLP. I wish he had had more time, as he was a very entertaining, informative speaker. He spoke generally about International, and International Environmental, Law and what it takes to practice in these fields. Specifically he stressed that it was important to want to continue learning, and these areas were not for those who wanted to simply "put the kids in college and be done."
Two books he strongly recommended were Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-Century World by J.R. McNeill and Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond.
During the Question and Answer period a student asked about the importance of taking business law classes during law school if you wanted to end up doing public work (or something similar, I couldn't really hear) and Mr. Thomas commented that it is important to create a good foundation while in school, mentioning Corporate Law and Tax Law specifically.
All in all it was a good presentation and I'm glad I attended. CU does a good job putting these talks together.
The first speaker was Vail T. Thorne, Senior Environmental Health & Safety Counsel for Coca-Cola. Luckily the person who was in charge of refreshments purchased Coke products. He not only used an empty bottle from the beverages table throughout his entire lecture, but he also commented three or four times how glad he was that they "bought his product." It was a little awkward.
He spoke some about Coca-Cola products, and stressed that they were not an "American company" but rather an "American icon." His job is all about making sure that Coke complies with environmental laws, regulations, etc. at all of their plant sites - of which there are about 1000 worldwide. I was pretty surprised how evenly distributed the plants were, globally, with about 160 in North America. I wonder how many of those are in the US.
A quick Google search helps me find out that Coca-Cola claims to employ 9,800 people in the US. The same search also reveals that many, many people seem to hate the company.
The second speaker was William L. Thomas of Pillsbury Winthrop, LLP. I wish he had had more time, as he was a very entertaining, informative speaker. He spoke generally about International, and International Environmental, Law and what it takes to practice in these fields. Specifically he stressed that it was important to want to continue learning, and these areas were not for those who wanted to simply "put the kids in college and be done."
Two books he strongly recommended were Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth-Century World by J.R. McNeill and Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond.
During the Question and Answer period a student asked about the importance of taking business law classes during law school if you wanted to end up doing public work (or something similar, I couldn't really hear) and Mr. Thomas commented that it is important to create a good foundation while in school, mentioning Corporate Law and Tax Law specifically.
All in all it was a good presentation and I'm glad I attended. CU does a good job putting these talks together.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
For SG: Summer Plans
Sui Generis asks:
I'm so excited for all of these things to happen, and yet day after day it's just more of the same. I thought February would never end! I have high hopes for March, though, with its spring break, and trips to Portland (next week) and Vermont (the week after).
So, no, no bungee jumping or sky diving or other craziness for me. I'm curious if other people are planning big "Goodbye pre-law existence!" extravaganzas, though.
Are you planning to do anything crazy before law school starts, to celebrate the end of your pre-law life?I don't think I need any big last hurrah or anything before law school starts. I'm incredibly ready for it to start, actually. However, there are big plans in the works for this summer: Wedding, honeymoon, big cross country move (Probably! No official commitments until April 1! Unofficially, that's just big talk. We all know where I'm going.)
I'm so excited for all of these things to happen, and yet day after day it's just more of the same. I thought February would never end! I have high hopes for March, though, with its spring break, and trips to Portland (next week) and Vermont (the week after).
So, no, no bungee jumping or sky diving or other craziness for me. I'm curious if other people are planning big "Goodbye pre-law existence!" extravaganzas, though.
Monday, March 07, 2005
Life of HSN
A new-ish addition to my blogroll that makes me laugh out loud: Life of HSN
A recent post has the best use of the phrase "Throw some ketchup on that bitch" I have read in quite some time.
Thanks, HSN, that's some funny shit.
A recent post has the best use of the phrase "Throw some ketchup on that bitch" I have read in quite some time.
Thanks, HSN, that's some funny shit.
For E. McPan: Regarding The Future Mr. WhyLaw
E. McPan asks:
I knew right away that J was a great guy, but I didn't think I would ever have a chance. He was out of my league, for sure. :) I got lucky, I guess! J is the sweetest, smartest, most caring, funniest, and sexiest guy. He is also extremely patient - I suppose he would have to be, to put up with me!
He's been so great through the whole LS application process. I swear he must have listened to hundreds of hours of LSAT talk. Then application talk. Then mail talk! He was also the exclusive proofreader of my personal statements. Now he's going to let me drag him halfway across the country and change schools so I can attend my preferred LS. He's amazing, and I am extremely lucky.
Update: More about license plates: In Colorado there are these license plates that say PIONEERS and have a picture of a covered wagon. Well, the aforementioned "mutual friend" and I had been coming up with ideas about what these special license plates could possibly be about all day. We were still discussing it while hanging out at this little neighborhood bar.
J was supposed to meet up with us for a drink. Mutual Friend was dying for me to meet him, as she had a huge crush on him. So, he arrives and sits down and before he even has a chance to say hello, I ask him, "So, do you know what's up with those pioneer license plates?" He didn't.
A short five years later, we're engaged!
how did you meet the future Mr. Why Law and when did you know he was The One?Soon-to-be Mr. Why Law and I met about 5 and a half years ago, through a mutual friend. Our first conversation ever was about license plates. Seriously.
I knew right away that J was a great guy, but I didn't think I would ever have a chance. He was out of my league, for sure. :) I got lucky, I guess! J is the sweetest, smartest, most caring, funniest, and sexiest guy. He is also extremely patient - I suppose he would have to be, to put up with me!
He's been so great through the whole LS application process. I swear he must have listened to hundreds of hours of LSAT talk. Then application talk. Then mail talk! He was also the exclusive proofreader of my personal statements. Now he's going to let me drag him halfway across the country and change schools so I can attend my preferred LS. He's amazing, and I am extremely lucky.
Update: More about license plates: In Colorado there are these license plates that say PIONEERS and have a picture of a covered wagon. Well, the aforementioned "mutual friend" and I had been coming up with ideas about what these special license plates could possibly be about all day. We were still discussing it while hanging out at this little neighborhood bar.
J was supposed to meet up with us for a drink. Mutual Friend was dying for me to meet him, as she had a huge crush on him. So, he arrives and sits down and before he even has a chance to say hello, I ask him, "So, do you know what's up with those pioneer license plates?" He didn't.
A short five years later, we're engaged!
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Law School Visits
Preview time is here! Some great, informative posts:
Law School Chick visits Albany.
Chicken Magazine spends two days at Columbia, and another at NYU.
Also, be sure to check over at Aspiring Lawyer's as he promises some new reviews and pics soon.
Law School Chick visits Albany.
Chicken Magazine spends two days at Columbia, and another at NYU.
Also, be sure to check over at Aspiring Lawyer's as he promises some new reviews and pics soon.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Wedding Blogging
I got my wedding dress today. It's freaking beautiful.
I can't post pics because J reads here sometimes, but I will post wedding pics for sure. My mom found a really great artsy photographer so we should end up with some really fun shots. I requested a mix of color and black & white, candid and posed.
I can't post pics because J reads here sometimes, but I will post wedding pics for sure. My mom found a really great artsy photographer so we should end up with some really fun shots. I requested a mix of color and black & white, candid and posed.
Financial Aid Package
I received my first financial aid package in the mail yesterday. It was from Lewis & Clark, and the letter was dated March 1st. I love when "sometime in March" means "March 3" and not "March 29." Anyway, it's a good package, and pretty much what I expected.
I'm really pleased with the scholarship amount - it's going to make everything a lot easier, both during school and after graduation. Plus, you know, the love factor. You gotta heart the love.
It's going to be weird sitting on financial aid stuff. I usually like to have a one-day turnaround on forms like this. But I've decided not to move on anything until after all of my admitted students' events. It's only fair.
I'm really pleased with the scholarship amount - it's going to make everything a lot easier, both during school and after graduation. Plus, you know, the love factor. You gotta heart the love.
It's going to be weird sitting on financial aid stuff. I usually like to have a one-day turnaround on forms like this. But I've decided not to move on anything until after all of my admitted students' events. It's only fair.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
FAFSA Weirdness
I just received an email from the US Department of Education regarding my "recent corrections to my FAFSA." Well, I hadn't made any FAFSA corrections, so I look more closely at the email - and it is addressed to "KRISTA" (not my name!)
So, I go in and check my own FAFSA info - and someone else's email address is listed in my information! Me and KRISTA and sethsomething@comcast.net would advise everyone to check and make sure your own email address is correctly listed. That crazy US Department of Education. What whacky antic will they think up next?
So, I go in and check my own FAFSA info - and someone else's email address is listed in my information! Me and KRISTA and sethsomething@comcast.net would advise everyone to check and make sure your own email address is correctly listed. That crazy US Department of Education. What whacky antic will they think up next?
Neptune!
I thought this was a pretty interesting quiz thing when I saw it over at Beanie's.
You Are From Neptune
You are dreamy and mystical, with a natural psychic ability.
You love music, poetry, dance, and (most of all) the open sea.
Your soul is filled with possibilities,
and your heart overflows with compassion.
You can be in a room full of friendly people and feel all alone.
If you don't get carried away with one idea,
your spiritual nature will see you through anything.
What Planet Are You From?
You are dreamy and mystical, with a natural psychic ability.
You love music, poetry, dance, and (most of all) the open sea.
Your soul is filled with possibilities,
and your heart overflows with compassion.
You can be in a room full of friendly people and feel all alone.
If you don't get carried away with one idea,
your spiritual nature will see you through anything.
What Planet Are You From?
Update: J would like you all to know that: "I'm a Neptune, too!" I guess it was meant to be :)
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Awkward, Revisited
While I really do appreciate the law schools having professors, alumni, etc. calling up to see if I "have any questions" I really don't enjoy the actual conversations.
The questions I managed to come up with tonight were, "Where do alumni working in the field of International Environmental Law end up practicing?" With the answer, of course, being: "All over. Our school's name is very well known." He did throw in a comment about lawyers ending up "on both sides of the aisle" which I thought was interesting. I've found on more than one occassion, after bringing up my desire to work in Environmental Law, professors or alumni make sure to drop some hints at the opportunities to work for the "other side and make real money." Hey, guys, you don't need to show me the money...Just show me the LRAP...
Anyway, so I couldn't think of any good questions, of course, so I asked another awkward one: "Do you have any advice on where to live in the city?" Of course he didn't! He's a retired lawyer, who I'm sure owns a house in a nice neighborhood somewhere. He doesn't know about where poor students should live. He went to school like 40 years ago! But he was very nice and suggested who at the school to speak with regarding housing. Of course I already have this information, but at least he didn't just hang up on me, muttering to himself, "What has happened to my alma mater that they're letting in such terribly awkward people who ask such lame questions?!"
When he asked me if I drove I was able to make him laugh when I commented that I am actually an "anti-car person." I think this caught him a little off guard and he laughed so loud right into the phone with the comment, "Well, you're coming to the right school, aren't you?" (I love when people validate my life choices!) He then told me a cute story about a judge who recently retired at the age of 60, having never gotten a driver's license, preferring to take the bus wherever she needed to go. Nice :)
So now, of course, he's having a professor call me, someone from the International Environmental Law program - to see if I "have any questions." This time I'm going to be ready, I swear.
The questions I managed to come up with tonight were, "Where do alumni working in the field of International Environmental Law end up practicing?" With the answer, of course, being: "All over. Our school's name is very well known." He did throw in a comment about lawyers ending up "on both sides of the aisle" which I thought was interesting. I've found on more than one occassion, after bringing up my desire to work in Environmental Law, professors or alumni make sure to drop some hints at the opportunities to work for the "other side and make real money." Hey, guys, you don't need to show me the money...Just show me the LRAP...
Anyway, so I couldn't think of any good questions, of course, so I asked another awkward one: "Do you have any advice on where to live in the city?" Of course he didn't! He's a retired lawyer, who I'm sure owns a house in a nice neighborhood somewhere. He doesn't know about where poor students should live. He went to school like 40 years ago! But he was very nice and suggested who at the school to speak with regarding housing. Of course I already have this information, but at least he didn't just hang up on me, muttering to himself, "What has happened to my alma mater that they're letting in such terribly awkward people who ask such lame questions?!"
When he asked me if I drove I was able to make him laugh when I commented that I am actually an "anti-car person." I think this caught him a little off guard and he laughed so loud right into the phone with the comment, "Well, you're coming to the right school, aren't you?" (I love when people validate my life choices!) He then told me a cute story about a judge who recently retired at the age of 60, having never gotten a driver's license, preferring to take the bus wherever she needed to go. Nice :)
So now, of course, he's having a professor call me, someone from the International Environmental Law program - to see if I "have any questions." This time I'm going to be ready, I swear.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Adding to the LSAT Talk
I thought I would add my $.02 worth to the LSAT conversation, as seen over at Narkoleptomania and Bad Glacier. I only have non-class advice, though, because those classes were so far beyond my budget to be laughable.
To be completely honest, I didn't hate the LSAT. Well, I didn't hate - and sometimes really enjoyed - the practicing of the LSAT. The stress of the Real Thing, that was not so much fun. But I enjoyed challenging myself, trying to beat my high score. Also, the feeling of elation when I got all of those damn games questions right - that was fun, too.
I agree with most of the conventional advice. Be disciplined. Do lots of real past tests under real conditions. Go over all the questions, even ones you got right. Realize what makes the right answer right and the wrong answer wrong. Learn the games.
I will add a piece of advice that I don't see very often, and that is to take a logic class if you haven't already. Intro to Logic was the one and only elective I took in my entire college career. It also turned out to be one of my favorites, and one of the most useful. Some may say this is overkill, but I do believe it helped with my LSAT performance.
Some more specific advice: I had problems concentrating all the way through a Reading Comp passage. I used two methods to help lessen this tendency. First, and I don't remember where I read this, maybe the Kaplan book, anyway, first I picked a really long article on subject matter that didn't interest me in a newspaper. Then I made myself read it beginning to end and try really hard not to think about anything else but the content of the article. It did become easier with practice, and I would recommend trying this method to anyone with a similar problem.
Second, I went down to the local Buddhist center and learned how to meditate. This made a real difference because, with practice, I became able to really focus and even if distracting thoughts came up they did not interfere with my concentration. Meditation also helped with my stress levels surrounding the LSAT, and with stress in general.
My last piece of advice is: Be really careful the days before the Big Day. While I am perfectly happy with and proud of my score it was lower than that of any of my practice tests, and I think the pain of my newly broken ankle was a contributing factor. Again, not complaining, just warning any future 0Ls who may want to, you know, walk around and fall down the day before the test that it isn't a good idea.
Good luck future LSAT takers! Don't worry, you'll do great!
To be completely honest, I didn't hate the LSAT. Well, I didn't hate - and sometimes really enjoyed - the practicing of the LSAT. The stress of the Real Thing, that was not so much fun. But I enjoyed challenging myself, trying to beat my high score. Also, the feeling of elation when I got all of those damn games questions right - that was fun, too.
I agree with most of the conventional advice. Be disciplined. Do lots of real past tests under real conditions. Go over all the questions, even ones you got right. Realize what makes the right answer right and the wrong answer wrong. Learn the games.
I will add a piece of advice that I don't see very often, and that is to take a logic class if you haven't already. Intro to Logic was the one and only elective I took in my entire college career. It also turned out to be one of my favorites, and one of the most useful. Some may say this is overkill, but I do believe it helped with my LSAT performance.
Some more specific advice: I had problems concentrating all the way through a Reading Comp passage. I used two methods to help lessen this tendency. First, and I don't remember where I read this, maybe the Kaplan book, anyway, first I picked a really long article on subject matter that didn't interest me in a newspaper. Then I made myself read it beginning to end and try really hard not to think about anything else but the content of the article. It did become easier with practice, and I would recommend trying this method to anyone with a similar problem.
Second, I went down to the local Buddhist center and learned how to meditate. This made a real difference because, with practice, I became able to really focus and even if distracting thoughts came up they did not interfere with my concentration. Meditation also helped with my stress levels surrounding the LSAT, and with stress in general.
My last piece of advice is: Be really careful the days before the Big Day. While I am perfectly happy with and proud of my score it was lower than that of any of my practice tests, and I think the pain of my newly broken ankle was a contributing factor. Again, not complaining, just warning any future 0Ls who may want to, you know, walk around and fall down the day before the test that it isn't a good idea.
Good luck future LSAT takers! Don't worry, you'll do great!
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