Only 16015 Points Left

Was on TWEN and checked my Westlaw Rewards Points. I have 1235 points, which seems to me to be the same amount of time, in minutes, I have spent on westlaw doing research. If I'm right that would mean I have to research about 267 hours, or about 65 more memos, more on Westlaw to get an iPod. Or I could cash in all of my points now for a 24" exercise ball.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Advice From a First Tier Law Student

From Waddling Thunder:

Anyway, that's all I'll say on this topic, except to encourage those 1Ls particularly who aren't happy with their results to bear down in the coming semester. I had exams that counted for my entire grade in undergrad, and the lesson I learned there was that you really need to learn the craft of exam writing. If you didn't like what happened, go see your exam if you can and have a good think about it. The goal is not to write what you think is a good exam, but what they think is a good exam. If you understand that much of this is an elaborate game, you just might be able to right the ship.

A Complaint

Found this document over at The Smoking Gun. I found it interesting for two reasons. One, it involves the same woman who won a settlement after claiming she found a condom in her soup. Two, it's a complaint, which is something that I had to draft not too long ago in Civ Pro. It's basically a fill-in the blank and mark the correct box form. The last page is what's most similar to what I did for Civ Pro.

Another Reason For Annie To Hate Chickens

From CNN:

The outbreak of bird flu in Thailand -- one of the world's top five poultry exporters -- has led the European Union, Japan, Taiwan and other nations to ban imports on chicken products from the Southeast Asian nation.

So far it is believed all the human victims caught the disease from fowl and there has been no evidence of person-to-person transmission.

But the WHO fears bird flu is highly adaptable and might leap the species barrier, combine with a human flu virus and create a dangerous new form.

Now Annie has a good reason to hate chickens to go along with her personal irrational reasons.

Grades

Criminal Law grade came in on Thursday and Property grade is supposed to be in my mailbox by today. That leaves Torts, which after it's reception I'll open up all four envelopes and will find out how I did last semester. I also intend to post my grades, regardless of what they are, online for everyone who wants to see, to see. So stay tuned for that.

Sty Rhymes with Eye

Some time Thursday I started developing a sty on my right eyelid. It sucks in a non-candy way. I asked for some advice on how to deal with it and was pointed to this website and this website. One of the sites describes the causes of sties in this manner:

The staphylococcal bacteria is the culprit. This bacteria will survive quite nicely within your nostrils and can easily spread to your eye with the rub of your hand.

So apparently I was picking my nose and then rubbing my eye. I'll keep in mind never to do that again.

Hot compresses here I come.

UPDATE: I'm supposed to keep the hot compresses on for 20 minutes at a time three to four times a day. That shouldn't interfere with my reading for today at all.

Warning: This Post May Contain Whining and Self-Pity.

It's lunch break which means I have just turned in my PnA outline. The first half of that outline was nothing to be ashamed of but that second half is kinda embarrassing. I should have made bed wait a couple of hours last night.

First draft of the trial court brief is due in less than two weeks. I wonder if anyone outside of law school even has a clue as to what that entails for the next week and a half. Lots of work is putting it mildly. And it's all for one unit.

Directions Obviously Given By Joon

The February edition of Trail magazine gives advice to walkers caught in bad weather on Ben Nevis in Scotland about how to make a safe descent.

But the magazine's directions would instead lead readers off the north face of the 4,406-feet (1,322-meter) mountain, which is notorious for its changeable weather and has claimed the lives of several climbers.

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland issued an alert on its Web site about the mistake.

"Getting off Ben Nevis is probably one of the most infamous navigational tasks in the British Isles," said council spokesman Roger Wild. Describing the mistake in the magazine, he said, "Anyone following that route in poor visibility and with snow cover could easily have walked straight off the edge."

Ben Nevis in Scotland and Quiznos "not in downtown", same difference.

So Much For the Long Night

I was in bed by 10. Let's hope I get something good on paper this morning so as not to give Shawn a good reason to kill me.

Long Night Ahead

Must draft a points and authorities outline by tomorrow morning with case citations. Looks like I won't be getting my normal four hours of sleep tonight.

Evidence: C-
Con Law: C
Antitrust: D+
White Collar Crime: C

Term GPA: 1.746
Cum GPA: 2.325

Notes: Before the Antitrust exam, my professor tried to ease our worries by telling us that he had not given a grade lower than a C- in the past 15 years. Yay me! Boo not reading when you're not an expert in his class.

The only class I did more than 1/10 of the casebook reading for was White Collar Crime in which I did all of the reading excepting the chapter on tax crimes.

I learned that I can't get this stuff just by reading commercial outlines during dead week.

Considering how much effort I put into the semester, it's hard to see how anyone can fail any of those classes I took. I really deserved to have failed both Evidence and Antitrust. This could be the reason that so many graduates of SW are not passing the bar, some professors are just not failing those who should.

All I'm Really Doing is Procrastinating

Debating with myself on whether I should read 26 pages of Civ. Pro., workout at the gym, or just go home and call it a day.

26 pages is just so damn tempting.

Three Types of People Who Should Not Be Rolling a Rollie

1. Guys, especially that guy.
2. People with noisy rollies.
3. People who do not know how to navigate rollies.

It Must Be the Political Junkie In Me...

Or perhaps it's the Crim and Civ Pro reading this time around. But I really would rather be at home watching the State of the Union Address and not just because I could be playing this game.

Quote This

"That guy." - Brian

And It's a Good Way to Procrastinate From Doing Crim and Civ Pro Readings

Favorite car commercial because everyone has to have one of those.

Someone Hit Me On the Head Real Hard, Please

Reading this makes me regret not hitting on Bunny's cousin at BJ's.

Daniel Bedingfield says the head brace fitted to his skull following his car crash in New Zealand is the "biggest chick magnet" he's ever had.

Bedingfield told DJ Chris Moyles: "I have kissed eight women so far. This is the biggest chick magnet I've ever had in my life. I'm not joking. I get so much sympathy. I get so much sympathy.

"They stare deeply into my eyes and hold my hand and go 'Are you alright?' and I go 'No' and they go 'Shall I make it better?' and I go 'Yes'. It's all good."

Regarding Bunny's cousin at BJ's, it's good to know my friends were looking out for my well-being that night.

Just a Quick, Not Well Formed Thought Because I'm Procrastinating For Only a Little Bit

I'm keeping track of the Iowa Caucuses on this site. It has a picture of each of the Democratic Presidential wannabes and I notice that all of them are smiling, or in the case of Kucinich -- who is smirking, but for one. That would be Dean. Makes one wonder, at least it does this one, if the Iowa Democratic Party has it in for Dean.

UPDATE: Just noticed that Senator Edwards is the only one holding a public office who is identified with the title of his office. Neither Kerry, Gephardt, Kucinich, nor Lieberman are referred to as Senator or Congressman.

It May Be the Political Junkie In Me...

Or perhaps it's the Property and Civil Procedure reading I'm doing right now. But at this moment, I really would rather be at home watching CSPAN's coverage of the Iowa Caucuses.

Quote This

"We had our chance in the parking lot when it was dark." - Mr. Easily Misconstrued

Law School Memory #14: My Sincerest Apology

Caroline had been giving me a hard time about me being mean to her. One day, in passing, she called me meanie. Childish behavior to be sure but not quite as childish as my response. To show her just how mean I could be I playfully pushed her aside.

She made a big deal about it at the time and to this day she falsely claims I had punched her in the arm instead of the slight push I actually gave her.

Well that very same day she actually got to me and I felt a little sorry for what I had done. But only a little.

So during the lunch break I went into what would be her next class, got a dry erase marker, and wrote up on the whiteboard, "I'm Sorry Caroline. - Wayne" in effect, I apologized to her in front of her entire class.

Of course, she didn't quite take it that way and was embarrassed before her sectionmates. Which was fine by me seeing that I am a meanie.

Strike One Off the List

Shawn just crept up on me and scared the shit out of me. That makes for at least one broken New Year's Resolution.