Boy - time flies! I wish I had more to show for the time since I last blogged. I have applied for a couple of jobs, no interviews...yet. We also went and saw Amos Lee last week - it was a great show.
This is not from the concert we were at but it gives you the general idea.
Other than that not much going on. So I guess I'll have to do what we do here in Minnesota when we don't have anything to talk about - which is most of the time - and talk about the weather.
Last week was the transition to winter. The are few things in life as depressing as the start of a Minnesota winter. At least we are easing our way into it. Although you know something is wrong when it is 25 degrees when you walk outside in the morning, and you think to yourself, "hmmm...not too bad." The cold is starting to creep in but no serious snow yet. I think we are going to have to take a trip someplace warm this winter. Damn, I really need to find a job.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Friday, November 07, 2008
Friday Roundup
1. HOW BOUT THEM UTES?
Last night Patty and I met up with a couple of other alums/fans and managed to watch the game. What a game! There was a large portion of luck that went into winning this one (two missed field goals in the 4th quarter by TCU) but, as the saying goes, "I am a big believer in luck, and I have found that the harder I work the more of it I have." TCU was a great team and came to play. It took everything Utah had, including home field advantage, the blackout and intensity of the crowd to get the win, but the Utes deserve credit for hanging in there and pulling out the win. That last drive was clutch!
Four years ago when the Urban took the Utes BCS busting there was talk that it was a "once in a lifetime" season. While this year's team isn't as dominant as that 2004 team they keep on winning. I'm really looking forward to Nov. 22nd against the team down south. Now I just need to figure out how I'm going to watch it.
2. Back by popular demand. Well actually nobody demanded it or even really reads this stuff, (besides my wife that is), but here it is none the less - your Friday morning music video. In honor of President-elect Obama, and everyone who rejected the politics of fear and smear to help take our country back:
Have a great weekend!
Last night Patty and I met up with a couple of other alums/fans and managed to watch the game. What a game! There was a large portion of luck that went into winning this one (two missed field goals in the 4th quarter by TCU) but, as the saying goes, "I am a big believer in luck, and I have found that the harder I work the more of it I have." TCU was a great team and came to play. It took everything Utah had, including home field advantage, the blackout and intensity of the crowd to get the win, but the Utes deserve credit for hanging in there and pulling out the win. That last drive was clutch!
Four years ago when the Urban took the Utes BCS busting there was talk that it was a "once in a lifetime" season. While this year's team isn't as dominant as that 2004 team they keep on winning. I'm really looking forward to Nov. 22nd against the team down south. Now I just need to figure out how I'm going to watch it.
2. Back by popular demand. Well actually nobody demanded it or even really reads this stuff, (besides my wife that is), but here it is none the less - your Friday morning music video. In honor of President-elect Obama, and everyone who rejected the politics of fear and smear to help take our country back:
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Breaking News
Continuing with the political theme, from "America's Finest News Source," The Onion:
Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are
More:
Click link for full story
Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are
More:
Nation Finally Shitty Enough To Make Social Progress
Failure to Blow Election Stuns Democrats
Click link for full story
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
The Morning After
Wow what a night!
I was up until very late watching the returns - to no avail. The Franken and Coleman race looks like it's headed for an automatic recount - Coleman having apparently won by a mere 727 votes out of almost 3 million casts, - about .03% of the vote! The Oregon and Alaska races were also unresolved. Overall, it was a great night, but there were also a few significant disappointments.
Here in Minnesota, in addition to Obama not being able to carry Franken to a win, Michele "Joseph McCarthy" Bachmann of Hardball fame was actually reelected. Pretty embarrassing, but thankfully she is not my representative. My representative is Keith Elison - a black Muslim, which tells you how liberal Minneapolis is.
It's looking like Senator Stevens is going to be reelected in Alaska - probably the first time a convicted felon has been reelected to the United States Senate (although I haven't checked).
By far however, the most disappointing result of the night was the approval of prop. 8 in California. That a state which overwhelmingly favored the election of the first African American POTUS, choose to deny a group of people important rights and privileges enjoyed by the rest of society based on an inherent condition is disappointing to say the least. I have yet to hear a coherent argument that explains how allowing same sex couples to have the same rights and privileges granted to my wife and I would threaten or demean my marriage. On a night in which all Americans can celebrate how far we have come we were reminded that we still have a ways to go.
Indeed, one of the thing that I find most striking about the debate over same sex marriage we have been having in this country over the past few election cycles is how closely it mirrors the debate we had in this country fifty years ago over interracial marriage. On one side there were those arguing that people should not be denied the basic civil right of marriage based on the color of their skin. On the other side were those trying to protect "traditional marriage." They argued that god had created and segregated the races and it was essentially a sin to allow interracial marriage. Then, as now, my church, the LDS Church, was an active participant in the debate. For example, here is an excerpt from a speech given by Mark E. Peterson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in August of 1954 at a Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level at BYU:
"Now we are generous with the Negro. We are willing that the Negro have the highest education. I would be willing to let every Negro drive a Cadillac if they could afford it. I would be willing that they have all the advantages they can get out of life in the world. But let them enjoy those things among themselves. I think the Lord segregated the Negro and who is man to change that segregation? It reminds me of the scripture on marriage, "what God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Only here we have the reverse of the thing -- what God hath separated, let not man bring together again."
Eventually, the issue of the legality of interracial marriage was resolved in 1967, by the landmark Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia. The case involved a black woman and white man who had married in Washington D.C. but were living in Virginia. At the time there were statutes in Virginia (and other states) that prohibited marriage between whites and blacks (usually anyone either 1/8, 1/16 or more). Here is a quote from that case,
"Marriage is one of the 'basic civil rights of man,' fundamental to our very existence and survival...To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State's citizens of liberty without the due process of law. The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted by invidious racial discrimination. Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State."
One of the most under-reported aspects of yesterday's presidential election was the Supreme Court. McCain had committed to appointing Justices like Alito and Roberts, which would have produced a dramatic and tragic shift from the current center-right Court to an extreme right Court. While it is always preferable that people simply not use religion to excuse bigotry, I am thankful that our system of government, especially our judicial system is designed to protect the rights of minorities - ethnic and otherwise. I look forward to the day when bans on same sex marriage are viewed the same way the vast majority of Americans would now view a ban on interracial marriage.
Two months after Loving v. Virginia was decided, Barack Obama, the child of an interracial marriage, turned six years old. Last night he was elected 44th President of the United States. While the passage of prop. 8 in California was disappointing, there is hope.
I was up until very late watching the returns - to no avail. The Franken and Coleman race looks like it's headed for an automatic recount - Coleman having apparently won by a mere 727 votes out of almost 3 million casts, - about .03% of the vote! The Oregon and Alaska races were also unresolved. Overall, it was a great night, but there were also a few significant disappointments.
Here in Minnesota, in addition to Obama not being able to carry Franken to a win, Michele "Joseph McCarthy" Bachmann of Hardball fame was actually reelected. Pretty embarrassing, but thankfully she is not my representative. My representative is Keith Elison - a black Muslim, which tells you how liberal Minneapolis is.
It's looking like Senator Stevens is going to be reelected in Alaska - probably the first time a convicted felon has been reelected to the United States Senate (although I haven't checked).
By far however, the most disappointing result of the night was the approval of prop. 8 in California. That a state which overwhelmingly favored the election of the first African American POTUS, choose to deny a group of people important rights and privileges enjoyed by the rest of society based on an inherent condition is disappointing to say the least. I have yet to hear a coherent argument that explains how allowing same sex couples to have the same rights and privileges granted to my wife and I would threaten or demean my marriage. On a night in which all Americans can celebrate how far we have come we were reminded that we still have a ways to go.
Indeed, one of the thing that I find most striking about the debate over same sex marriage we have been having in this country over the past few election cycles is how closely it mirrors the debate we had in this country fifty years ago over interracial marriage. On one side there were those arguing that people should not be denied the basic civil right of marriage based on the color of their skin. On the other side were those trying to protect "traditional marriage." They argued that god had created and segregated the races and it was essentially a sin to allow interracial marriage. Then, as now, my church, the LDS Church, was an active participant in the debate. For example, here is an excerpt from a speech given by Mark E. Peterson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in August of 1954 at a Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level at BYU:
"Now we are generous with the Negro. We are willing that the Negro have the highest education. I would be willing to let every Negro drive a Cadillac if they could afford it. I would be willing that they have all the advantages they can get out of life in the world. But let them enjoy those things among themselves. I think the Lord segregated the Negro and who is man to change that segregation? It reminds me of the scripture on marriage, "what God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Only here we have the reverse of the thing -- what God hath separated, let not man bring together again."
Eventually, the issue of the legality of interracial marriage was resolved in 1967, by the landmark Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia. The case involved a black woman and white man who had married in Washington D.C. but were living in Virginia. At the time there were statutes in Virginia (and other states) that prohibited marriage between whites and blacks (usually anyone either 1/8, 1/16 or more). Here is a quote from that case,
"Marriage is one of the 'basic civil rights of man,' fundamental to our very existence and survival...To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State's citizens of liberty without the due process of law. The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted by invidious racial discrimination. Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State."
One of the most under-reported aspects of yesterday's presidential election was the Supreme Court. McCain had committed to appointing Justices like Alito and Roberts, which would have produced a dramatic and tragic shift from the current center-right Court to an extreme right Court. While it is always preferable that people simply not use religion to excuse bigotry, I am thankful that our system of government, especially our judicial system is designed to protect the rights of minorities - ethnic and otherwise. I look forward to the day when bans on same sex marriage are viewed the same way the vast majority of Americans would now view a ban on interracial marriage.
Two months after Loving v. Virginia was decided, Barack Obama, the child of an interracial marriage, turned six years old. Last night he was elected 44th President of the United States. While the passage of prop. 8 in California was disappointing, there is hope.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
President Elect Obama!!!
It's not official (yet) but there is no way Mccain is going to win this!!!
UPDATE!!!
WEST COAST JUST CAME IN - IT'S OFFICIAL!!!
TEARS OF JOY ARE BEING SHED IN THE DAY HOUSE TONIGHT!!!
About Damn Time
So I will try this whole blogging thing one more time. Hopefully the third time's the charm.
So, since I last wrote a lot has happened. I graduated from law school, took and passed the bar, and was sworn in as a lawyer. I've also spent a lot of time looking for a job and some time campaigning. I've been pretty anxious today - we voted this morning - went off without a hitch - basically no line. I then went and knocked some doors to try and drag some people to the polls. It helped passed the time - the waiting for results is killing me! I'll try some live blogging.
More later!
UPDATE
Just called Minnesota for Obama! Woo-Hoo!
We were supposed to be more of a swing state this year but I don't think it will be that close. The Senate Race with Al Franken and Norm Coleman may be very close. I'm not a huge Franken fan, but I want the Dems to have as large a majority as possible. I predict the Dems will have 57-58 seats in the senate - and I would say there is at least a 50% chance Liberman will no longer cacaus with the democrats.
Obama needs to flip a red state!
Where are you Virginia? I think Colorado will come through - but I don't want to wait for it.
UPDATE
IT"S OVER!
Obama just won Ohio!!!
I think he's going to take Florida as well.
As shitty as it was in 2004 to go and campaign in Colorado only to see Kerry loose despite the exit polls - this makes up for everything!
I am happy and proud beyond words!
UPDATE
The best news yet - Obama is up in Utah - pay no attention to the 0% reporting - even if its very temporary, I can feel like my people are not a bunch of ignoramuses.
Click on the above graphic for a larger version.
So, since I last wrote a lot has happened. I graduated from law school, took and passed the bar, and was sworn in as a lawyer. I've also spent a lot of time looking for a job and some time campaigning. I've been pretty anxious today - we voted this morning - went off without a hitch - basically no line. I then went and knocked some doors to try and drag some people to the polls. It helped passed the time - the waiting for results is killing me! I'll try some live blogging.
More later!
UPDATE
Just called Minnesota for Obama! Woo-Hoo!
We were supposed to be more of a swing state this year but I don't think it will be that close. The Senate Race with Al Franken and Norm Coleman may be very close. I'm not a huge Franken fan, but I want the Dems to have as large a majority as possible. I predict the Dems will have 57-58 seats in the senate - and I would say there is at least a 50% chance Liberman will no longer cacaus with the democrats.
Obama needs to flip a red state!
Where are you Virginia? I think Colorado will come through - but I don't want to wait for it.
UPDATE
IT"S OVER!
Obama just won Ohio!!!
I think he's going to take Florida as well.
As shitty as it was in 2004 to go and campaign in Colorado only to see Kerry loose despite the exit polls - this makes up for everything!
I am happy and proud beyond words!
UPDATE
The best news yet - Obama is up in Utah - pay no attention to the 0% reporting - even if its very temporary, I can feel like my people are not a bunch of ignoramuses.
Click on the above graphic for a larger version.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Friday = Blog Time
So, it's been a while - almost a month. A rough and difficult month that has left me pretty much limping to the finish line of this horrible adventure called law school. I am so excited to be done - even though the shit is going to hit the fan with my last series of final exams the first two weeks of May - and the fact that I haven't yet found a job with which to begin "servicing" my $140K + in student loans is a little scary. If I haven't found anything by November I may have to switch to that other profession where you charge by the hour and screw your clients - better start hitting the gym so I can at least go the high class route! Speaking of jobs - turns out most lawyers hate the ones the get out of law school and don't end up sticking around too long. Here is an ABA Journal article about it:
Why Associates Leave is Clear, But What Would Lure Them to Stay?
Posted Apr 21, 2008, 12:41 pm CDT By Martha Neil
Associates are leaving in ever-increasing numbers because of grueling hours, boring work and a poisonous law firm culture, experts say. But it isn't as clear what can be done to lure many to stay on after their first four to five years in practice.
In 2000, not quite 60 percent of associates surveyed by NALP left their firms within about five years. By 2005, the Hildebrandt International Inc. legal consulting firm found that associate attrition in the first five years had risen to nearly 80 percent, according to the Maryland Daily Record, a legal and business publication.
"Every time an associate leaves, it can cost a firm up to $350,000 to hire and train someone new," the Daily Record wrote.
However, there's no consensus about exactly what law firms need to do to stop the associate outflow. Randi Lewis, the director of diversity and professional development at Miles & Stockbridge, says family-friendly scheduling and leave policies advocated by the firm's women’s committee have boosted its retention of female associates. Contrary to the stereotype that women lawyers may have difficulty finding time to have children, Miles has female attorneys with two, three and even four children, she says.
My favorite part? The whole question about - "but what would lure them to stay?" Gee, I don't know dipshits - maybe addressing the issues of grueling hours, boring work, and poisonous law firm culture? Perhaps that would also help lower the 70% divorce rate within three years of graduating from law school. Seriously - of people who are married going into law school - 70% percent are divorced within three years of graduation. My property professor thought it was hilarious to have the married students raise their hands and then remind us of this statistic - he did it at least once a week. Ahh - good times!
In case you, like me, missed it - here is a clip of probably the best ten minutes of television this year, and maybe ever. It was recommended to me by one of the head attorneys in the Exxon Valdez oil spill case mentioned in the clip. It is sooooo fake - but its points - especially the criticism of the Court, the US Corporatocracy, and the death penalty are spot on!
I can't believe that was on ABC!
And last but not least - check out these pics I took this morning with my cell phone:
Why Associates Leave is Clear, But What Would Lure Them to Stay?
Posted Apr 21, 2008, 12:41 pm CDT By Martha Neil
Associates are leaving in ever-increasing numbers because of grueling hours, boring work and a poisonous law firm culture, experts say. But it isn't as clear what can be done to lure many to stay on after their first four to five years in practice.
In 2000, not quite 60 percent of associates surveyed by NALP left their firms within about five years. By 2005, the Hildebrandt International Inc. legal consulting firm found that associate attrition in the first five years had risen to nearly 80 percent, according to the Maryland Daily Record, a legal and business publication.
"Every time an associate leaves, it can cost a firm up to $350,000 to hire and train someone new," the Daily Record wrote.
However, there's no consensus about exactly what law firms need to do to stop the associate outflow. Randi Lewis, the director of diversity and professional development at Miles & Stockbridge, says family-friendly scheduling and leave policies advocated by the firm's women’s committee have boosted its retention of female associates. Contrary to the stereotype that women lawyers may have difficulty finding time to have children, Miles has female attorneys with two, three and even four children, she says.
My favorite part? The whole question about - "but what would lure them to stay?" Gee, I don't know dipshits - maybe addressing the issues of grueling hours, boring work, and poisonous law firm culture? Perhaps that would also help lower the 70% divorce rate within three years of graduating from law school. Seriously - of people who are married going into law school - 70% percent are divorced within three years of graduation. My property professor thought it was hilarious to have the married students raise their hands and then remind us of this statistic - he did it at least once a week. Ahh - good times!
In case you, like me, missed it - here is a clip of probably the best ten minutes of television this year, and maybe ever. It was recommended to me by one of the head attorneys in the Exxon Valdez oil spill case mentioned in the clip. It is sooooo fake - but its points - especially the criticism of the Court, the US Corporatocracy, and the death penalty are spot on!
I can't believe that was on ABC!
And last but not least - check out these pics I took this morning with my cell phone:
Apparently there is a wild turkey wondering around outside the law school today. The second pic is the turkey on the ledge of the building just outside the window of my fourth story study room. I only wish I could have seen it fly up here.
Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
April on the Tundra
I wish that this was an April Fools joke but sadly it is not. I took the three following pictures this morning with my cell phone. If I haven't wished you a happy spring just yet - this is why. This is spring in Minnesota:
The first two photos were taken from my back porch, the third is of downtown Minneapolis, taken as I crossed the Mississippi. On the far right of the photo you can see the on-going construction of the new I-35 bridge to replace the one that collapsed last August.
The snow will all be gone in a couple of days. But it will still be a few weeks before things start to bud and bloom.
The first two photos were taken from my back porch, the third is of downtown Minneapolis, taken as I crossed the Mississippi. On the far right of the photo you can see the on-going construction of the new I-35 bridge to replace the one that collapsed last August.
The snow will all be gone in a couple of days. But it will still be a few weeks before things start to bud and bloom.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
