Going out

You know sucks about going to bars or parties? When it's too crowded, too loud, and too hot. I sound like a whiner, but it really kills the mood when you can't move around...or hear what the person next to you is saying, or when you're sweating through your shirt.

If I owned a bar or club I'd limit the number of people who could be inside. It would not only create a feeling of exclusivity but would also prevent the all too common shoulder-to-shoulder packed feeling you feel in a lot of bars.

About the noise issue...I always feel like I'm yelling at people when I'm talking to them. So music would have to be kept at a reasonable level. And air conditioning...yes please.

Granted I'm complaining about a house party at which I had a reasonably good time, but things could have been nicer.

It's just not conducive to socializing when you're restricted by those factors above.

Throw in alcohol and it gets even harder (even though it may feel easier).

I guess all I'm getting at is the ideal 'going out' place would be spacious, nice and cool, and not too loud. If there's a place like that, that's where I wanna go.

That is all.

Soft ball

So it's pretty much mandatory that people here play softball. My section has a team and we had our first practice today. I consider myself slightly-above average in terms of athletic ability, but for some reason I've never really played baseball or softball. I can throw a ball with moderate velocity and most of the time I'll be able to catch a ball if it's thrown half-decently. Batting is definitely a weak point. I've seen so much of it on tv, but it seems so technical.

I've always been the type of person who wants to learn the 'right way' to do things...all the little nuances and things you should think about to get the right form, but frankly I think experience might be the better teacher.

In this league the ball has to be lobbed, so making contact with the ball shouldn't be too difficult for most people. The hard part is putting the ball on the field so you'll give yourself a chance to make it to first.

The games don't figure to be ultra-competitive so I think it'll be fun. I would like to get a lot better though so I don't feel so feeble swinging the bat so hard (at least I think I'm swinging it hard) and watching the ball travel 9 feet.

I'm actually a bit more interested in the defensive side of things. This isn't that surprising as that tends to be my forte in every sport I play. In table tennis I've always been more of a defensive player who just returns until my opponent messes up. In football I've relished playing on the defensive line where I can just rush the passer...and basketball I take more pride in playing lockdown defense, getting rebounds, or blocking shots. Part of this may be my lack of offensive skill, but I always feel like defense is a bit of an unappreciated aspect of sports.

They say defense wins championships, after all.

It'd be cool to get the softball team working on defense like a well-oiled machine. Ball is hit, players run to the right locations, catch is made, ball is thrown with speed and precision to the right place...and to the next place... It must be sweet to turn a double play...kinda like blocking a shot into the stands.

Old school romance

I was thinking about the way I've seen romance portrayed in movies and TV in the 'old days'.

It seems like a guy just had to tell a woman how beautiful she was (embellished with some Shakespearesque flourishes) and assuming he was sufficiently attractive, she'd swoon, they'd fall in love, and 9 and a half months later a baby would be born.

Does the same strategy still work today? Why or why not? Limit your response to 2 pages, double spaced.

Observations of my school

So far I've noticed the following things about the students at *********.

1. People are relatively young.
2. People seem taller/bigger than usual.
3. People seem to be in better physical shape.
4. People tend to be better looking/more concerned about their appearance.
5. People tend to dress extremely 'preppy'.

#2 intrigues me the most. Is there some reason why law students would be taller than an average non-law student?

Typical Day

Okay, it's been less than two weeks since I started school, but in case you're wondering what I'm doing with all my time here's a little peek at a 'typical day' so far.

7:00 AM - wake up
7:01-7:30 AM - get dressed, eat breakfast
7:31 - 8:29 AM - Internet, review for first class
8:30 - 10:00 AM - first class
10:01 - 11:00 - second class
11:01 - 1:59 - back home for lunch, relax, finish reading
2:00 - 3:30 - class
3:31 - 5:00 - class
5:01 - 6:30 - back home for dinner, relax

Rest of the night:
- do reading for next day
- exercise
- shower
- relax

Hit the sack around 11 PM

Sounds boring huh?

Why?

This is going to be a strange departure from my posts of late, but oh well.

Do you ever find yourself questioning why you should want something? I don't mean wanting something tangible like a Nintendo Wii or a new car, but more in terms of social interaction or relationships.

I'm not talking about people and their significant others or spouses...I think the reason for wanting that relationship is pretty natural. I'm talking more about friendships or just friendly interactions.

What is it that we seek when we choose to engage in these types of relationships?

Rainy day

It's around 2 PM...rain is falling outside and for once, a cool draft is coming through the window. Herbie Hancock is on and I feel relaxed. My friend and mother called (separately) this morning and it was good to talk to them both. I noticed I've been relaying almost identical accounts of my new experiences.

To sum it up:

1. Class is entertaining, nerve-racking, confusing, but intellectually interesting
a. I have no problem paying attention the entire period because I'm afraid of being
called on and the subject matter is so new/confusing.

2. Reading is also interesting, although there's a lot of it. Civil Procedure seems
to be the toughest sledding so far whereas Criminal Law reads the smoothest thusfar.

Those two elements dominate my days. Throw in exercise, eating, socializing, cleaning and personal hygiene and that's pretty much the extent of my life. It may sound boring, but I assure you it's not (yet).

The major difference between undergrad and law school has been the pace. We had two days of orientation and then classes started. When I say classes started I don't mean we just received a syllabus and were dismissed early. We had reading assignments for our first day of class and in many classes the professor never even bothered to introduce himself or give any background. We immediately dove into the material.

The amount of self-learning is also much greater. In college you could rely a lot more on the professor to teach you the material. I feel in law school you read and learn the material as much as you can before class. Then in class the professor highlights or reiterates things you've read. For the most part, the professor seems to be adding emphasis to certain parts of the reading rather than adding information that was altogether missing.

I've also noticed that people so far in law school are relatively homogeneous. For the most part, it's largely white...and younger, maybe 22-24 age. Everyone seems very intelligent, outspoken, and for the most part, confident and fairly extroverted. People seem very aware of their appearance physically...and a friend mentioned this so maybe my observation is a bit biased...people seem to be taller than the norm.

I just signed up for a Pandora account. I'm a big fan of online radio since I don't own a portable MP3 player and don't download music illegally. I've found if I need to concentrate I can't listen to music that contains lyrics. When I write (like I am now) I hear myself saying what I'm writing...so comprehending lyrics seems to throw that process off.

I find jazz (with its elements of improvisation) to be especially conducive to studying because the reduced predictability and repetitiveness seems to keep me alert.

Still raining...hopefully the sky will run out of moisture soon and this place will dry up a bit.

Bloggin' bloggin'

So it's Friday - the end of the first week of class. It wasn't a full week though since we only started on Wednesday, but I got through it.

So far the experience of class has been exhilarating but stressful. There's always the fear of being called upon and either not knowing what's going on or giving a totally incompetent answer. The nature of the Socratic Method means that you'll rarely hear a student give an end-all answer where the professor mere replies, 'Yes, that's correct.' At the same time, I know sounding smart in class doesn't get you many (if any) bonus points on the final, yet it's hard to resist the pressure.

The class on its own is so intellectually stimulating and confusing at the same time. Yesterday I have 5 hours of class yet I found myself at near 100% alertness every minute. I certainly can't say the same for my previous education. Everything is so new - not just the subject matter but the language itself. Speaking of which, I need to figure out if I want to order a physical or digital copy of a legal dictionary.

I just finished tidying up a bit since I had a few minutes before my only class of the day. It definitely does help with organization to have a clean workspace and apartment. So far I feel like I've done an admirable job - my mother and father would be proud. It's amazing how much motivation can be provided by having a roommate (who you wish to not think you're a total slob).

So what else is going on today...I need to go to the gym, perhaps clean a bit more, and I need to cook for the potluck today. I'm going to make my mother's recipe for Asian peanut butter noodles. It may sound a bit odd to you, but think of Thai food and how they utilize peanuts. It's a cold noodle dish and in my opinion, is quite good.

I still don't know when and where this potluck is though, so hopefully I found out before I make the food.

This weekend will be filled with organization, reflection, and of course, lots of reading for next week. Hopefully it'll involve some fun and socialization too.

Okay, guess I should head to class now.

First Day

It's the first day of class and already I feel like I don't have enough hours in the day. Of course, part of this is due to my inefficiency and relative lack of direction. I'm hoping the professors can help guide me a bit. It's about an hour before my first class starts - Contracts. I've already met the professor and he's our small-section professor, which means our class will be the only Contracts class taught by him. We'll also only have our section present - so about 30 people total. On one hand the smaller class size should lead to a more intimate atmosphere. On the other hand, it'll be harder to just be a face in the crowd. And obviously, your odds of getting 'cold-called' meaning the professors just randomly asks you a question, is much higher than when you're in a class of 100.

Today isn't too bad, I only have 3 classes, but tomorrow I have 4. Based on how long it took me to do reading for 2 classes I shudder at the prospect of reading for 4. But I'm sure I can knock out 1 during my break after lunch today...and maybe 2 tonight. And I'm exaggerating because I've already done the one for Torts.

My understanding of the cases isn't strong at this point and I feel like I should be reading them until I achieve a solid grasp, but I'm sure pouring in tons of effort prior to even attending the first class may not prove all that useful. It's inevitable that you'll know only a sliver of what you need to know. It seems like the Socratic Method is designed to show you that.

Aside from classes, I need to find time to go to the gym. The gym is really close so there's no issue of convenience. I think I'm also going to try studying in the library because I have a tendency to get too comfortable if I'm at home.

Orientation flew by in a blur - 2 days, packed to the gills. I met so many new people and forgot so many names already. I can't help but get the sad feeling that by the end of this year I might only be in contact with those in my sections. It's probably hard though, as you have the same classes every day with these people.

So far my plan of making huge batches of food, portioning them into meals, and freezing them has worked out well. My blend of rice, beans, potatoes, zucchini, topped with chicken has been filling and not horrible to eat. As somewhat of a foodie though, I'll miss really spending time cooking and enjoying meals. Now it seems like eating is more like a chore you have to do to stay alive.

A bought a big batch of supplements (books) at this used booksale yesterday...they had lots of good stuff and compared to my texts, they were dirt cheap. I've only looked at some so far so I can't tell how useful they'll be. But like Scott Turow in 1L, their presence amongst my books alone offers some comfort.

I realize I'll probably be talking a lot about law school, so I should probably make an effort to discuss other things as well.

Sports - Predictably, Brett Favre is back...AGAIN. How many times can one man retire/unretire? He should just take a lesson from JoePa and keep playing until he dies on the field.

Big Ben - it sounds like his civil case is looking up for him. One of the many people named in the suit is McNulty's former best-friend and employee of Harrah's. Her legal representation has filed a motion to dismiss the case. There's also been some buzz about emails/IM transcripts from McNulty that show she wasn't acting consistently with someone who had been raped. For instance, these emails supposedly show McNulty saying about how she was excited to have dinner with Ben (after the alleged rape happened) and that she would date him if she ever broke up with her imaginary boyfriend (who ironically was also named Ben). I've seen the emails and I'm certain they're real - but if they aren't, someone went to great lengths to fabricate them. It'll be interesting to see if this case is just dismissed.

Okay I've probably written more than I have in several months, so I'll end it now. I think I'll try to write something pretty frequently to provide all those who care about me with an update on my life.

I'm doing well though - excited to be in this new environment - not yet burned out or beat up!