Full Steam Ahead on the S.S. Failure?

I feel like I hit some sort of large brick wall within the last week as far as "law school" goes. Putting my mind around the fact that April is almost here and, with that, finals is a little striking and stressful, at best. Everyone I've talked to is in the same boat, so, we're all currently conspiring how to steer the boat with the maximum amount of alcohol running through our systems. When I was in Boston a few weeks ago and was at a friend's house and, when offered a glass of wine, said "Yes, PLEASE!" a BU Law kid said "Obviously, you're a law student." How true, how true.

Good Thing #1, though: FANTASY BASEBALL (and, with it, real baseball) is starting on Sunday. I'm pleased with my team, so far. There are 15 people in the league, so it was a little rough trying to get solid players in the later rounds of the draft, but I can't complain. We'll see how well the team turns out after a few weeks of the season get under way. Because I like making lists, though, I'm listing my baseball team. LISTS. LISTS. LISTS.

Real-world MLB prediction: The Cubs will either end up last in their division or win the World Series. Obviously, I'm rooting for the latter.

Pink Penguins; Banana Invitational, 2006
M. Barrett
M. Teixeira
B. Mueller
V. Castilla
J. Uribe
H. Matsui
A. Rowand
J. Gomes
T. Helton
T. Hafner
O. Hudson
D. Eckstein
J. Pierre
J. Smoltz
R. Clemens
D. Davis
J. Iringshausen
C. Reitsma
J. Vazquez
K. Calero
R. Madson
J. Marquis
D. Cabrera
T. Ohka

Sorry Team

Comment moderation is back on.

Tuesday Tuesday, Linksday Linksday

Procrastinating Con Law reading, will share bounty of links for you, friends.

TONIGHT! (for our East Coast readership) sign up to take the Jeopardy! online qualification exam. Midwest/West Coast are tomorrow and the next day. Even if you don't make it, it might be FUN to dream of ways to insult Trebeck with quips about his mother.

Hey Rochester kids who I know read this [religiously] The freshmen are getting restless!! And making videos to document aformentioned restlessness.

Move over John Krasinski, I want to marry YOU Ditty Man!

Don't worry, law school friends, I have videos for you too! (Two! For twice the fun! But mainly because both, individually, are kind of lame. But together, the amass one non-lame video. Like the UR one!)

John Kerry wants a lot of things. I like how his assistant refers to him as "JK." It's like how Mary-Kate Olsen's friends' call her "MK." Except JK is WAY more presidential.

And, becuase it would be crazy not to end this on a political note, Why You Should Be Pro-Choice!

I'm a fishmonger, not a law student!

Apologies, again, dear readers for being lame and not updating. But I promise, this week, I will be ON TOP OF THINGS. Now, WHY have I been MIA? No, not some fancy pants vacation, not a great increase in productivity, not a week-long cocaine and whiskey-fueled bender. Nope, none of the above, thanks for asking. Instead, I have been ADDICTED to something far more dangerous.

A game called Fish Tycoon.

Essentially, you are a fish breeder. Starting with a small smattering of fish (three or four breeds) you impregnate them with one another (Incest is Best!) until you find the (JAZZ HANDS!) Magic Fish. After some 80 hours of game play - I have found 7/8 of the magic fish. Which is quite nice, quite nice. Unfortunately, the constant feeding, cleaning and selling of my small harem of fishies has taken some time away from blogging. BUT NO MORE. I am only allowing myself a single hour of fish breeding a day. More time for blogging. And law school.

BeanTown

Things I learned about New York City through a Boston Case Study:

1. Boston guys are infinitely more attractive than New York City guys. I was on the "T" on my way to my friends' house and there was NOT an unattractive man in the entire subway car. Everyone looked like they stepped out of an Abercrombie ad, what with their popped collars and Red Sox caps and all. New York City, on the other hand, you're lucky if you can find someone who's wearing a shirt and not talking to themselves.

2. Boston bars close bloody early. The first bar we were at, ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY NO LESS, closed at 1. ONE A.M. Who does that? The second bar, the one that's open "late" closed at 2. How was I supposed to break into spontaneous Irish jigs if the bars don't stay open at least until Witching Hour?

3. My quest for the elusive Shamrock Shake has ended in the fair state of Massachusettes. There were no fewer than THREE ShamShake opportunities in the span of four hours. (I only had one, for reals). Manhattan, on the other hand, dead to me. At least when it comes to Shamrock Shakes.

4. The "T" stops every four feet. We walked to one stop. The "T" didn't come. Then we walked two blocks to another stop ON THE SAME LINE (just to kill some time in the cold). We got on the T. Three blocks later, another stop. And this wasn't even in Boston proper. Bostonites don't like walk. Of course, I've been known to walk from Murray Hill to the Upper West Side in a drunken stupor (on occasion).

5. DID I MENTION BOSTON HAS SHAMROCK SHAKES?

March Mayhem!

The title refers to the non-copywritten way every other basketball tournament (high school, non-D1 college, etc) refers to the playoffs right about now. Fascinating fact: the IHSA (Illinois High School Athletics) originally used the term March Madness and then the NCAA bought the rights for that phrase because it's just SO CATCHY!

I'm currently in the middle pack of both the pools I'm participating in --- one is with fellow law students, the other with a pack of sorority girls. Obviously, I'm doing better in the sorority pool, but only time will tell if my UNC over Duke matchup will pan out and give me the recognition and accolades that I deserve. ONLY TIME WILL TELL!

This week has been a BLAST so far --- spring break in New York has been a bit chilly,but the nights have been fun with an emphasis on drinking away the cold - the only solution. I'm heading over to Boston tomorrow morning to celebrate St. Patrick's Day weekend in style -- it should be a good time. Maybe I'll even get to drink with Niki becuase, even though she's come to NYC like a hundred times IT HASN'T HAPPENED YET. Outrageous!

In terms of ALL the outlining and studying I was supposed to do this week, not so much. I work about 4 hours a day of solid workiness and then spend the rest of my day catching up on all the Very Important Television on MTV, sleeping and drinking (hopefully not alone). But, really, let's be serious - I wasn't really expecting this to be the most productive week ever, no?

This weekend might be a little sparse (kinda like this past week) in terms of the ol' blog --- but that will change once I start REALLY needing to procrastinate (cough cough, finals quickly approaching).

Oh man, GW is making a HUGE comeback in the final ten minutes -- GO GO GO!

Site update

So I updated the way you can do comments on this here blog to make it a little more user-friendly and a little less blogger-lame-o. Only problem - previous comments still exist of the "post as its own page" part, but on the main page, it looks like no one commented. Not a bit glitch, new comments will be showing up normally, but for now, don't stress if your fabulous, amazing comments seem like they are lost.
Let me know if there are any problems that you might come across, but I believe it should check out just fine.

Debbie Neither Delivers, Nor Does Dallas

So, folks. I finally got a response from McDonald's regarding my ill-fated experience trying to find a Shamrock Shake. Ahem...

Hello Anna:

Thank you for contacting McDonald's to share your recent experience at one of our restaurants. On behalf of McDonald's USA, please accept my sincere apology for your dissatisfaction.

I'm sorry to hear that the McDonald's restaurant you visited was out of Shamrock Shake.

Please be assured that your comments are important to us and have been shared with the franchise owner. Your complete satisfaction is our top priority. Therefore, I am certain that appropriate action will be taken immediately.

Again, thank you for contacting McDonald's. We look forward to serving you for many years to come.

Debra
McDonald's Customer Response Center

Things that Debbie and her poorly worded form letter do not give me: 1) information about where to find my nearest Shamrock Shake provider. 2) coupons with which to purchase, on Corporate, a Shamrock Shake if and when I do encounter one. 3) [and most importantly] a shamrock shake.

THANKS DEBBIE. FOR NOTHING!

Weekend, redux

Sooo, it's Sunday. This weekend was just lovely. The weather was AMAAAAZING, especially Friday. Meghan had a wine tasting, which turned into a wine drinking which turned into a "let's go play beer pong at the bar which scored the lowest in the latest city health inspection." Classy broads, we were. The afternoon hovered around 75 degrees (crazy!) and I spent a good chunk of it making appetizers for Meghan's fete. Two kinds of bruschetta and quesadillas with butternut squash and red peppers. Yum. Yum. Yum. Like I almost let slip to my Civ Pro professor at lunch Friday -- I wish I could drop out of law school and just cook sometimes.

BUT NO. There is work to be done. Work of the finals-are-coming-up variety. Not so much stressed yet, but in a month, I will be. Right now focusing on outlining for contracts, the class with the highest number of credits. The goal is to be finished outlining by the end of the week for that class. If that doesn't happen, I can GUARANTEE the stress level will increase ten-fold.

Oral arguments were earlier this week. Went up against fellow-partier Miss Grace. Everyone did well and it reminded me about how much I really like speaking on my feet and arguments and debate and things like that. It almost made me want to try out for moot court, but one step at a time. First must pass all classes, then can dilly dally worry about extra-curriculars.

So that's the start to my lame-o spring break, sorry I can't regale you with stories a la Girls Gone Wild - or at least like the showtime cruise last year. The week is young, my pretties, and there are plenty of night during which craziness will most likely ensue, no woories.

Recipe!!!!

Thanks to a fabulous law school friend, I have the RECIPE for a SHAMROCK SHAKE - the Shamrock Shake about which I cried myself to sleep the last few nights, thinking I would never taste the sweet elixer. BUT NO!!! McDonald's is not a better cook than moi and, therefore, I can make my own darn ShamShake. Of course, it won't come in the fancy paper cup or the extra-wide straw - but these are details I can deal with. So, here, dear readers who perhaps also have similar fears of living ShamShake-less --- a recipe for Shamrock Shakes!

2 scoops vanilla ice cream
1.25 cups 2% milk
0.25 tspn mint extract
8 drops green food coloring

Enjoy!!

hang up, try again

They spent the good part of the beginning of the semester re-doing the library, adding some offices off the main study room, redoing some "paint," I don't know. However, now that we have about six fully functioning offices in the Study Room, there's bound to be problems. Because soundproof glass only works so long as the door to your office is closed. Which Ms. Popularity behind me has failed to remember, as her office phone has LOUDLY gone off already twice in the last twenty minutes. I love watching the faces of the Fervent Studiers, though -- so much that I almost want it to happen again just so I could maybe see another Library Freakout like last semester.

Wherein I discover I want to work for a law firm, not do PI work.

The title is half-kidding. Maybe not.

So, yesterday I spent the day/evening at the Queens courthouse with a program through the Courtroom Advocate Program -- specifically the Domestic Violence program. Without getting into too much detail (because even though they never specifically said "Don't post about this in your blog, moron" I assume it was implied), but it was disappointing and disillusioning. Essentially, me and my petitioner were there for 10 hours and walked out empty handed. We were trying to file for an order of protection against her ex-boyfriend. My supervisor was like "I never saw anything like that" in response the judges sarcastic and judgemental response to the complaint. Gosh, I wish I could be a little more detailed so y'all could understand my frustration but suffice to say I was FRUSTRATED.

In any event, after sitting and talking to this woman for 9 hours, I totally bonded with her and really WANTED to make everything better. Emotionally attached, definitely --- and then to, essentially, fail at the one thing I COULD actually do to help her kinda sucks.

So then I was thinking. Right now, I have no ability to emotionally distance myself from people I meet, especially people who need help. And, if I did public interest law, I would be working with people on a daily basis who need my help. And if I ever couldn't help them, I know I would go home and be upset and not be able to get it out of my head. I keep googling my petitioner's name and being like PLEASE GOD DO NOT SHOW UP IN THE NEWS. And if I have 50 people I worked for, then it would be the same.

Then people are like "whatever, you'll get over it and learn how to distance yourself." Which begs the question --- is that necessarily a good thing. I'm a mega-emotional person and, if for some 40+ hours a week I had to be entirely unemotional just to get through the day without crying, would that really make me a better person? Is it actually an Improvement To Self to be more of an empty shell of a person in order to do good work.

Well, when I put it that way, yes. Because that's selfless. But it also implies that if I DON'T do PI work there wouldn't be 50 people behind me hammering for my job. It's entirely self-congratulatory to think that I'm the only person who would want to do PI work; precisely the opposite -- a LOT of people are vying for the same underpaid, overworked positions. And I'm not going to pretend that I have these fabulous skills that would make me change the world. I'm great at making pasta sauce, but PI work isn't anything I'm naturally talented at.

And, say, I work for a law firm and do pro bono on the side. Even if it's one case. I know I WOULD get emotionally involved and, if anything, that would make me a better advocate in that case. Becuase I would have the emotional energy to get involved in a limited number of cases. And then I would still get the opportunity to use my newfound legal skills for Good and not entirely Evil without having to get all emotionally detached from my work. And I know I would be good at the repetitive, mindless tasks that come with being a young associate at a law firm -- I spent many a childhood hour copying the dictionary out by hand, for fun. So, really, Boring Law is right up my alley.

And, of course, I feel like a sell out. A horrible sell out who's too afraid of Being Sad to actually "change the world." Bah! Why didn't I just stay being a waitress? Or go to grad school for history. Both those things, wouldn't have such a Moral Quandry.

Last Chance!!

So I capped my league at 15 people because any more than that and it might get a little crazy confusing. Right now, I have 13 --- which means that all you people who have IMed me and been like "Dude, I'm totally signing up soon" better get on it becuase I don't want to hear your whiny whines when we start having fun WITHOUT YOU BEING INVITED. Link to post wherein I explain the intricacies of how to sign up.

Gasp!!

Outrageous Waste of a Delicious Shamrock Shake.


If this were a tort, it would be O.W.D.S.S.

SHAM shake

Emphasis on "sham." Yesterday, after a morning where I was MOST hungover, I decided the only thing that quench my thirst for not-beer would be a delicious Shamrock Shake, the same Shamrock Shake I mentioned just two posts ago. Clearly, I am a fan.

You know who's not a fan???? New York City!

After class, it was decided that today would be the day of the Shamrock Shake. I entered the Golden Arches with but one need: the delicious minty-fresh nectar.

BUT TO NO AVAIL.

Front counter lady looked at me as if I was crazy when I explained to her "Yes, vanilla. But green. With mint." Clearly, if one needs to explain to the counterperson the ingredients of a Shamrock Shake YOU WILL NOT BE ENJOYING A SHAMROCK SHAKE UPON EXITING.

And, because it was a Lenten Friday, I couldn't even drown my sorrows in Chicken Nuggs dunked in honey mustard. Which, now that I do the math, I haven't had in about a year. Which is a travesty.

Back to the hunt for a ShamShake. I returned home, tired and sans sugar high. I decided to move my quest to the World Wide Web in hope of coming across some information about the elusive Shamrock Shake. To NO AVAIL. The McDonald's website may have a "search for a store" button. But it does not have a "search for a participating shamshake store" button. OUTRAGEOUS.

So, I decided to funnel my rage into a Strongly Worded Letter to the McDonald's establishment. Or, as a Certain Contracts Professor would say, "The Man."

As sent circa 1Pm on March 3, 2006

To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing as a concerned McDonald's customer. As a practicing Catholic, I decided to celebrate the Lenten season with a meatless Shamrock Shake at your fine establishment. Upon reaching the counter, I inquired about the status of the Shamrock Shake machine at the store. I was met with little more than a blank stare. Upon explaining the details of the delicous Shamrock Shakes, it's peculiar coloring and mellow minty taste, I was left further disapointed -- your sales representative could neither serve me a Shamrock Shake nor direct me towards the nearest participating McDonald's.

Needless to say, I was most disappointed. I had to leave the Golden Arches without having enjoyed the sweet nectar of shamrocks.

Please, at your earliest convinience, let me know where I may purchase said Shamrock Shake at full retail value. I live in Manhattan, but I am willing to travel to Brooklyn, Queens or -dare I say it- the Bronx in order to quench my thirst.

Warmest Regards,
Anna [Last Name], Esq.

I have not yet received a response.