Screwed

I feel like I'm screwed for finals.

No, really.

I won't even get in to LARC.

-Edward(sic)

Almost a month since my last post?

It's not that I don't have anything to say, it's just that whenever I have something to say I'm not near a computer.


China:

Looks like I'll be going to Beijing in about 5 weeks or so. I'm really excited. Professors Friedland and Coll are really cool, and the entire experience seems like it will be eye opening and thrilling. I especially look forward to going to Shanghai, meeting with members of the Chinese Supreme Court, and all that other stuff. I think it will be an amazing experience, and I'm glad I get to do it. 30 of us leave May 19th... how many will make it back? A lot of people stay extra time there, I haven't bought a return ticket back yet, so who knows what I'll do?

Looks like the courses at BFSU (Beijing Foreign Studies Institute) are set in place, and I'll be taking "International Financial Transactions", "Emerging Issues in International Trade", and "Chinese Commercial Law" for a total of 5 credit hours, all fully transferrable to Depaul, and cheaper than taking summer school here (thank you state department). Theres also a conference on International Business Transactions, which should be interesting. Granted, I know little about finance and business... but finance is a wank-job (so i hear), and I learn about business quickly I've found. Going to Xian will also be an interesting venture, especially when compared to Beijing and Shanghai.

I hear there is some of the world's best food to be had...

I'm feeling adventurous, and May can't get here soon enough (no wait... slow down, still need time to prep for finals!)

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Federal Income Tax:

Is fun?

We learned about some Federal Income Tax stuff via Property class (deductions and such). It was actually kind of fun. Something I wanted to do (but dreaded) in law school was to take some tax classes. This was part of my whole "broad tailoring" plan. By "Broad Tailoring", I mean tailoring myself to become a certain type of attorney, while keeping some elements of the "swiss army knife" attorney about me. I've had an interest in having a hand in business for a while now, more specifically- being an integral part of a company (which would of course be smaller). So, while I wish to keep my education moderately broad, I intend to steer away from some specific courses of legal education, and turn towards others. In other words, I'd like to be broadly competent, while gaining an education somewhat narrowed in the direction of being a small/medium business attorney, or possibly starting my own small firm some day.

What this means for next year? Well I have to take Criminal Procedure, and Evidence is a pre-req for a lot of stuff (might as well take it in case i change my mind about things later). LARC III has to be taken at some point during the year, I don't know if i'll be alotted the spring or fall term for it. That means beyond these I'll probably take a business law class (also a pre-req for a lot of things I'll be interested in) as well as a tax class. That leaves a year and 1/2 to focus in on things after.

Does the joint JD/MBA program come to mind? Perhaps, it's something I won't even think about till this year is over. Pros and Cons abound.

For now... I keep my options open and seek the possibility of summer employment (I might take my Laptop to China just so I can stay in touch as it is relevant to that previous statement).

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Cuba:

Cool talk today from Professor Coll and another about Cuba after Castro. Economics, Politics, etc etc. Prof. Coll knows what he's talking about I think- can't beat this guy's resume-

http://www.law.depaul.edu/faculty_staff/faculty_information.asp?id=69

well I guess I'd better give a shout-out to professor Friedland too, since I mentioned him earlier:

http://www.law.depaul.edu/faculty_staff/faculty_information.asp?id=69

They say you get to know the profs you go to China with better than any other professors, since you spend so much time with them. I forsee taking many of Friedland's classes in the future, so he might become the #1 guy to heed as to my future.


-Edward

p.s. Does it mean I've become dry and boring that I look forward to a Federal Tax Law class?

The Legend of Legal Zelda

So my classmate Simone and I determined that LARC is a lot like an old Zelda Videogame, and if treated as such, it becomes more manageable.

With this most recent assignment, I am on a multiple-part quest.

I was sent into the forest of dissent, where I fought many creatures. I found the tome of statute after traversing the laberynth of eternal suffering. This was a hard task, for I am still not armed with the Master Sword of Jurisprudence. I managed to slay the minotaur with an encantation from the Book of Azure, but it was no easy task. Once I opened the tome, I went back to the wise man who gave me the quest to begin with. On the way back, a deadly bear was awoken in the cave of torts. I was able to trick the bear with a spell of limited immunity, but I lost most of my hearts on the way out from a scuttling saegel beast.

The fool who gave me the quest is now sending me BACK to the tome in order to get more specific directions on how to attain the triforce of memo: Illustration, Analogy, Distinction. Ugh. I know, however, that getting the triforce will require me getting the seven gems of power. It will be a trying test of mettle, but I think I can pull through. I can go get an extra heart with free soup. I'll need to get my magic replenished with beer. As for weaponry, I can always go to the maiden of virtue in the well of hope, and have my minor dagger of flacidity transformed into the massive warhammer of erect manliness. I think I get life and magic back too.

This will be a tough quest, especially since I cannot make use of my allies. I know I can pull through... I just need to remember not to hit the chickens too many times, or they will flock on me and injure me further. I'll also have to hunt down the IPod bandit (see my other journal, http://carverkenshi.livejournal.com/ for more information on that beast).

I just need some good theme music...

Well, I'm going to save my game/sleep now, I'll keep postings on my quest progress.

"You feel fully rested, but you're still hungry..."

-Edward

Nothing really law related

Nothing really law related to say this week... but I made a capricious/meaningless post over at live journal:

http://carverkenshi.livejournal.com/

My horribly depressing Valentines day.

By the end of this, you'll be in tears- just a warning.

Today, I went to class (of course), had some awesome soup, got a ticket for the auto show, expanded my knowledge of women (via cosmo), was entertained by my professors (Siegel with the flowers was priceless), and cracked the case on a LARC assignment. However, I am miserable.

Why is life so bitter and cold? Why on Valentine's Day, must the pain go so deep?

I'm not talking about emotions.

I'm talking about my left testicle that just got clawed by the kitten. You know the pain of a kitten claw stuck in you? Multiply that by the kitten's weight, and the fact that he's hanging from your mot********ing man gonad. Goddamn I can't even describe the pain properly.

I gave the little bastard some Valentine's Tuna, and I cuddled with him for a while as he purred contently. How did he reward me? By jumping on my leg while I was changing, clawing his way up my leg, and then swiping out at the place he could do the most possible damage. His paw went up my shorts, up my boxers, the claws came out, and they stuck into my tender manhood.

I might be a broken man now, only time will tell. To top it off, I have LARC tommorow, I'm not even sure if I can go, this really hurts.

Worst Valentine's day. EVER.

Oh, and now he's come back, purring, wanting some love. You can bet he won't get any tonight. Well, I don't know... he is giving me that cute kitten look...

Damn it hurts.

-Edward

What has law school done to me?

Disorder	Rating
Paranoid Disorder:	Low
Schizoid Disorder:	Very High
Schizotypal Disorder:	High
Antisocial Disorder:	Low
Borderline Disorder:	Low
Histrionic Disorder:	Moderate
Narcissistic Disorder:	Moderate
Avoidant Disorder:	Low
Dependent Disorder:	Low
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:	Moderate
-- Personality Disorder Test - Take It! -- -- Personality Disorders --

If I compare this to before I entered law school... I guess I make more abstract connections and think more "magically"? I'd blame the study of law in general for that, sometimes you have to think "magically" in order to decipher the logic of some of the Supreme Court Justices.

It should be noted that I completed this test in 5 minutes, and it was on the internet. That puts its value somewhere around 0. I wouldn't really believe a test of my personality unless it was a long test, a tried test, a true test. Maybe the MMPI (Minnestota Multiphasic Personality Index). This was some weak internet bullshit, so people can get excited about their disorders. Something else that should be pointed out, "Schizoid" isn't really a disorder.

Ok, obviously, this is weak filler till I find something substantial to talk about. Just go take the test yourselves and see how you're crazy.

-Edward

Bill O'Reilly Offends my Humanity

I choked on my own spit the other day. Coughed a little, then did a double take. Someone was watching the "O'Reilly Factor" on the third floor, and O'Reilly said something to the effect of "Yea, and you know- these liberals, they want 'free speech' in the matter, and blah blah blah blah".

Independant my ass, this guy is a hardcore conservative. No, I take that back, most conservatives I know will entertain discussion from someone besides themselves for more than half a second. That man reminds me more of a Fascist. "First Amendment, blah blah blah"!? This guy is the biggest hater of the United States I know. He's one of those guys who pegs REAL patriots as "liberal troublemakers", while at the same time projecting his own vastly inadequate intellect on the constitution and its purpose.

Stupid Germans listening to bullshit in the 1930s made the shit hit the fan in the 1940s, Stupid Americans listening to bullshit in the 2000s are going to make shit hit the fan in the 2010s.

Stop watching propoganda, America.
Choke on a dick, Bill.

-Edward

An unproductive, yet enjoyable weekend, and lots of references to my naughty bits.

I have decided to write in my blog, post super-bowl, and as I have foolishly decided to continue drinking upon returning home. Keep in mind, this is all "Law School" related, because it involves the company of Law Students, and that's good enough for now. Next week I promise some deeper and more meaningful content.

Principal Problem/The Weekend:

I was falling asleep in Con Law. I'm really not sure how much I absorbed on friday. I was glad when it was over, and I could go and really sleep.

But I didn't. When there was a bed available to me, and I could guiltlessly sleep, I wasn't able to do it, I just couldn't fall asleep. This pissed me off. I always figured there was an evil me, living within the folds of a subconscious psyche, and now I am more convinced than ever. His name is Vladimir, and he's good at duck hunt for the old nintendo.

I was once told that I am the most repressed person that [telling person] had ever met. Maybe that's a good thing, if I wasn't, this Vladimir chap might bust out of my crotch, "Leprechaun in Space" style, and wreak havoc on the world. Violence, cunning, and a sick sense of humour revolving around depriving people of sleep when they want it.

Perhaps the sum total of a tellingly guilty conscience, snide sense of superiority, disdain for the vast populous of the world, poor sense of camraderie, stonewall inhibitions, and a penchant for vengeance are really just Vladimir poking around, because he is bored not playing Duckhunt.


Now apply all that to my LARC professor. He showed me the meaning of gemini this week.

Made me think, "Vladimir" will make a great lawyer, but how do I reconcile that with the vestiges of the Edward i'd really prefer to be?

Four years of this? http://www.jag.navy.mil/Careers/Careers3.htm

Who knows, but i'll look into it, a year out at sea might be the best place for a heartless miser like myself.


Oh yea- back to this friday.

After my unsuccessful attempts at both sleep and study, I played "electric kitty" with my roomate's kitten. You play "electric kitty" by rubbing a cat on carpet, till it generates a substantial static charge. You then release the cat to go and shock somebody. It's really a fun game.

"Hey there kitty kitty, come here, awwww..." *ZAP* "OUCH! Goddamn it Edward"!


Later on, I went out to celebrate Simone's birthday. I took a cab to Soundbar, because it was so cold outside, my nose hairs froze together. I took advantage of as many free drinks as I could before we moved on to the next place. At the next place, I drank some more, made friends with some of my previously unaquainted law student colleagues, had some dude rub (accidentally i think/hope) his wood on my leg. I hadn't eaten dinner, and at one point I was really dizzy on my feet. However, I ended up being fine, and I had a really good time. Highlights involve learning more Ted Jones dance moves, as well as having a bogie shot off my six. I walked home, and I may have lost a testicle to frostbite- I'm not sure, I'm purposefully being ignorant, I just DONT WANT TO KNOW yet. It was hard enough to bare the sight of my injured penis on thursday after the cat attacked me in the bathroom. Oh god. . . I don't know if it still works even. Insert Property class joke here. Do NOT insert any other cruel jokes here.

Always protect your junk against little monsters that might be lurking in your bathroom after a shower.

Saturday night was also fun. Me and Mike drove out to Paletine to Ms Sherman's place. I met her husband, who is a really cool guy, as well as a pair of adorable rabbits. The night was one long sick joke, as we watched "Leprechaun" horror movies, and made our own portrayal of an episode of Mystery Science Theatre 3000. Highlights of the evening involve the creation of a terrible facebook group, as well as humourous banter, centered around the "German Raping Spider".

Superbowl Sunday was spent reading a little, playing videogames, reading a little more, playing electro-kitten, and then going to Ms. Eshbach's superbowl party. Well technically, I guess she was a guest there, and it was her roomate's party. Either way, she worked hard to present an array of food that Mike described as "Excellent" (in a russian accent). So the Bears lost, and I didn't really feel that upset. It really looked like the other team deserved to win, and if "we" had won, it would have been unfair. The guy crying on the redline train on the way back must have had different thoughts from myself. Despite the loss, the superbowl party was still a pretty good time. The journey too and from was cold, and if I wasn't incapable of sex before due to the elements (and kittens), I probably am now.

I really don't feel like going to class tommorow, but I know I should. Theres the whole "importance" of the education, as well as the load of money I'm laying down for it all. Not to mention, the bloodpact laws- punishment might entail finishing off what the cold and the kitten started.

I really want a break, even though I'm only a few weeks in.

I'd say I need a cigarette right now, If I smoked them. (Maybe I'll bust out a cigar).
I'd say I need some sort of Scandinavian massage right now, If i wasn't generally weird about being touched. (Maybe I'll get some cat scratch therapy).
I'd say I need a drink, If i wasn't already under the influence. (Maybe a nightcap)
I'd say I need some sleep, if. . . oh wait, I guess I can do that.


Goodnight.

-Edward

Winds of Fortune, Pain of LARC

Tommorow, I plan to get to school early, and get some of my LARC assignment(s) out of the way. I don't exaggerate when I say 50% of my academic stress comes from 2 of my 14 credit hours. I dread LARC assignments, but I understand their importance. Hopefully before Contracts and after Property I'll be able to get everything done that I need to do. . . without too many other people getting in the way.

In these grim times of legal education, I must look to the little things making me happy. Luckily, I have a BIG thing coming to me. It appears I am on a lucky streak, one that will exponentially culminate in winning the lottery, or perhaps the Bears winning the Superbowl. I'm not sure if the streak of luck started this week, or over last weekend, but I will just say it started on monday. I say this because monday is when I started looking for good things to happen.

Monday- I put in a dollar, hoping to facilitate an exchange for orange juice with a vending machine. The vending machine did not meet his side of the contract; however, for my consideration of $1, I instead recieved two tropical juices. Delicious.

Tuesday- Bullets wizzing past my head. Tuesday (today... or actually I guess just barely yesterday) was a day that I really didn't want to be called on in class. I knew the material, I just didn't have the right notes with me for one class, and I really wasn't with it for another. I felt that I was going to be called on, and crucified infront of my classmates. I truly felt the impending doom of a cry for a "Mr. Soderberg", that the universe would levy Karma upon me, and I would pay for that second juice. In Pain.

The man to my left, Mr. Stern was called on in Criminal Law. Christ, that was a close call. Then, Julie to my right was called on. Bullets flying past my head, I was looking down the barrel of a machine gun, and it was locking on me. Class ends. Safe.... for now.

Next class, Ms. Eshbach to my right is hit. There were a lot of close calls, and I knew my time had come, but somehow- fate had given me a stay of execution.

Adding to all of this, my right shoulder is feeling looser again. It's not so stiff, it moves without popping quite so much.

Nothing can stop me. I'm invincible. Fate has smiled upon me, and granted me a week of fortune. If these past two days have been any indication, my luck is growing exponentially. By the end of the week I will be in the ultimate state of existance. If the Bears win, it's on me, thank me later.

I've had some weird dreams recently (If you are one of my livejournal buddies, you'll have seen that in my most recent post over there), and maybe there were signs in those dreams. A holy message from a higher being. Perhaps Emmanual himself was sending word of his impending love. For it is said, that Emmanual shall pull us from the brink of failure, and then smile upon us so that we may live in bliss. Thou shalt hold no other course outline before Emmanual. Thou shalt honour thy Emmanual and thy Emmanual "crunch time" eddition. etc etc.

-Edward

p.s. I realize this post had very little legal commentary, political opinions, or any of that stuff. I'll get to that soon enough, I just have to ride this wave of luck as far as it will take me. I'm living for the weekend now, baby.

The Birth of a Blog

Taking the advice of my contracts professor, Jacobs, and following in the footsteps of my esteemed colleague, Ms. Peart, I have decided to start this Blog. The purpose of this blog is three-fold: One, to get me writing more (as this is something reccomended to all of my class by Prof. Jacobs); Two, to tease out and ameliorate any repressed or otherwise hidden thoughts that might otherwise interfere with my proper learning of the complex material presented to me daily; and three, as a compromise between utterly worthless procrastination, and real work. What I mean by this, is that even if I'm really not wanting to work on some Law School stuff, I can perhaps wright about Law School stuff, maybe even problems I come across academically. This way I might create an inner dialogue (which is outwardly visible) that I can use to get through legal problems.

That might all be a fancy way of saying "When you write about things, you learn them better". A possible secondary effect of this Blog might be an actual informative quality for anyone actually interested in Law School. Politics might even spring up, Philosophy, Ethics, what I ate for dinner. It's all fair game, but I'll try to keep it at least moderately related to Law School.

For those of you reading this from my Livejournal group, I'll still remain active over there (posting a link of something I think is funny, but probably isn't) at my usual level (disparate posts, once every week... or month).

I know I ramble on, and I hope to fix that somewhat with this journal. I'll try to keep things to the point, and maybe throw in some drama to keep things interesting. I have no expectations, I don't expect anyone to actually read this, but here it is.

-Edward