San Francisco in Jell-o

I just find this endlessly fascinating.

American Gothic

I had my first law student moment last night. I was falling asleep to Beauty and the Beast, and there’s a segment where Cogsworth and Lumiere (the clock and the candlestick holder) were put in a pose reflecting Grant Wood’s famous painting "American Gothic" (the one with the old lady and man in front of a farm fence holding a three-pronged pitchfork). A possible action for Breach of Contract sprang to mind, and I wondered if perhaps that was the reason the scene had been omitted from the first run of the movie in theaters. But... this would qualify under the "fair use doctrine," of the US Code permitting the parody of a famous work without copyright infringement action. Dork alert, dork alert, ::DingDingDing::

In Contracts, there’s a guy two rows ahead of me plays games on his comp for a half hour before every class (good idea, probably). This morning I glanced over and he was playing Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers! From the vintage old Nintendo system I so adored! I used to LOVE that game! Naturally, because these kinds of things are of such supreme import in life, I walked over and asked where he got the game. I guess you can download old Nintendo games onto your laptop It’s a fabulous concept, but I don’t download stuff from the internet anymore... However, just goes to show what a hacker and some unallocated free time can accomplish!

Well, the apartment handyman claims I no longer have a leak in my ceiling. He came and looked at the stain before excusing himself. About thirty seconds later I heard a phantom pounding about on the roof. He returned after about twenty minutes and said there was a crack around the chimney that someone had previously repaired, but neglected in one spot. He claims he patched the hole, and instructed me to phone with further problems. He also spray-painted the patch on the ceiling. Very nice guy.

After class yesterday I went to the Tree Garden to lay on the grass with my laptop and work on my memo sans internet access; hence, the compiled Wednesday-Thursday insert.

I saw a news report this morning that a missing U of I student's body was located. I think she's from the U of Iowa, however, because local news reports haven't paid the story a modicum of attention.

Delicacies

I slept in my bed for the first time in about two weeks last night. I had been sleeping on the couch to have access to my extended cable box, but last night I was sufficiently tired to attempt a night in bed. Unfortunately, I neglected to sufficiently wind down before doing so. I should have read for twenty minutes or something before trying to fall asleep instead of researching my Memo. It took me an hour and a half to fall asleep and then I still woke up at five. But the real bummer of the evening was, when I hopped in bed, reached over to plug in my canopy of Christmas lights and ::snap:: one string of Christmas lights went out. You want to talk about a thoroughly sad scene: two strings of bright lights and one span of blank, blinking darkness. Ahh, well.

To further my theory that my downstairs neighbors are nocturnal, I got up to go to the bathroom at about 11:45 and passed a vent to the remarkably pungent scent of.... curry? I think it was curry. I’ve never eaten it, but the sweet smell was something I would theoretically associate with curry as I have conceptualized it. Either that or they were indulging in some strange Oriental delicacy involving sacrificed eels and snail tails laced with sugar.

I have a seminar about the Illinois Bar at 12:30. Being that the school has spent the past two months smacking us in the face with our purported ignorance, I find this largely hypocritical.

I had to turn my heat on for the first time last night after about two weeks of coasting without heat or A/C. Here’s hoping the bill won’t be abysmal, but the New York Times said to expect a 33% price hike this week (or something to that effect) so I guess we’ll see.

I received an e-mail today about registering for the Spring semester, and received my registration time. It seems rather horrid.

Feel Good, Inc.

Another totally overcast day... dropping occasional raindrops with a high of 50 today. Absolutely pathetic.

This weekend at my favorite haunt, Borders, I picked up "Ten Steps to Solve Panic," which described the immense and far-reaching consequences of shallow breathing. I followed the self-test and realized I have, lately, been breathing in my chest rather than with my diaphragm, which is why I always felt like a million bucks whilst running – there, breathing without the diaphragm will result in passing out, so I was forced to take in air properly. Lately I've was feeling lightheaded, woozy and unbalanced, and when I walked up stairs, I would get this full-body flush that really scared me. Obviously I wasn’t getting enough oxygen – when I breathe deeply, the symptoms dissipate. What a difference! I’m such a moron!!

I had difficulty sleeping last night, not due to agitation, but the inability to get my heart beat to slow down. After about an hour I realized I had (stupidly) followed online instructions to take an iron supplement in the morning and calcium in the evening – obviously something in the calcium supplement prompted wakefulness. I guess I’ll be taking that earlier today, hmm?

We’re discussing Degrees of Murder in Criminal Law today... ::insert Twilight Zone sound effects here::

I had a blast decorating pumpkins and making Gingerbread houses this weekend. I wish we would have had more time to decorate the remaining pumpkins, but social engagements are binding. We already have big plans for a Gingerbread Holiday house and Christmas Cookies galore.

On this day in 2001, Disney finalized its takeover of Fox.

"To be negligent is to be a fool. To be grossly negligent is to be a damn fool." – Dean Hurd, quoting a previous professor

Cloudy with a Chance of Bones

We’re on day two of a crying, overcast sky and 50-53 degrees. But... only a few hours left! Rah, rah, rah!

I now officially have a hold on my ability to register for the spring semester. I called the Dean’s office Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and this morning trying to get somewhere, and received a different hoopla every time. Finally this morning they put me through to the Assistant Dean Broga, who crowed, in a tone a grandma would dispense upon a petulant child, "You’ve called several times..." Well, yeah, I’m kind of concerned here. She assured me that the Dean had my letter and claims she’s going to call me today after reminding the Dean that it’s there and I’m annoying the hell out of them by phoning every three days. I wonder what I should do if she doesn't call me back this afternoon. I don't want to royally irritate her and have her pass along a bad word.

It seems that the stress of the semester is beginning to weigh on our collective consciousness. This morning I walked into torts and eight guys along the back row were competing to get the highest score in an online game of Donkey Kong. I am going to file this experience away for my defense repertoire for when the next person contests my enthusiasm for Disney.

T-25:30

For as long as I can remember, my Dad has spontaneously burst into song at random intervals, and one line he always emits is "Hey, baby, they’re playing out song, the one they used to play when they used to get along." I never knew where the song came from and had never heard it, so I received quite a shock yesterday driving home when I recognized those lyrics on the radio! I was listening to Sirius Gold, the station reserved for music from the 60’s... it was so exciting!

We have Senator George Mitchell visiting the school today to give a speech... the place is like Grand Central Station. This morning I arrived at 8:30 and a good portion of the street parking spots, which are typically vacant until at least 10, were occupied. Then I walked in behind Dean Hurd, who traditionally avoids traversing among us mere mortals. It's a speech on government and the law, but unfortunately I have my WestLaw training session this afternoon. Ah, well.

It’s an absolutely atrocious day today – cloudy and overcast, with deep midnight blue clouds spitting rain. They’re hunkered down over the horizon precluding any sign of sun, their ominous presence augmented by a pathetic high of fifty-freakin’-three. As though I needed another layer of gloom to accent the general drudgery of being alone with my workload day after day. But....

It’s Thursday! It’s Thursday! Rah! Rah! Rah! I get to go home and pack tonight to come Home! Home! Home! I got a Book on Tape of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women for the ride home. Home! Home! 25 hours and 30 minutes to go! Rah! Rah! Rah!

Zzzz...

Unfortunately, because my Monday morning Contracts class was cancelled, the professor nudged the start time of today and tomorrow’s classes to 3:35 to make up the lost fifty minutes. Zzzzz.... there were a lot of empty seats. I’m sure people just forgot or overslept and then didn’t want to enter late (which is a massively oppressive act).

Harry the rodent has finally come into his own. This morning he was flittering around like a leaf in the wind – on the wheel, in the food dish, in his house, around the corner, at the water bottle, back through the wheel... around and around. He’s still a giant ball of grey yarn with little pink feet, though.
I have my "client" interview at noon today. They bring over Acting majors from the Drama department and give them a massive set of facts so they can act like a client and it’s up to us to pose the correct questions. Then we have to research the law and write a memo with cases cited and everything to answer the client’s faux-questions. We’ll see how it goes.

Beautiful day, yesterday – 80 degrees. Probably won’t be so lucky today, but it was 69 this morning when I pulled in to school.

Three more days.

Christmas List (Edited 10/14)

(click on the army green colored words to follow links directly to the items. They'll open in a new window).

Best Buy:
- Scrabble/Monopoly for the PDA
- Battleship/Yahtzee for the PDA
- Petz Computer Game
- Wireless Keyboard/Mouse

Dell.com:
- Two sets of PDA screen covers
- Dell Auto Power Adapter for PDA

For GameBoyAdvance (amazon.com):
- Marble Madness
- Paperboy
- Trouble/Connect Four
- Board Game Classics
- Dr. Mario

Amazon.com:
Imagineering Field Guide to the Magix Kingdom at Walt Disney World
The Art of Walt Disney
Disney : The First 100 Years
More Mouse Tales : A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland
Looney Tunes - Movie Collection
Disney's Happiest Celebration on Earth

JCPenney's:
#700105 Breyer® 2005 Renaissance Holiday Horse
Breyer® Family Saddlebred Trio Set

H and H Winner's Circle (or another Breyer place):
#1259 Sham with King of the Wind Book Gift Set
#1261 Uncalled For
#1217 Majestad

DVDS:
Lady & the Tramp
Chicago
Office Space
Fox & the Hound (if it's out)

Gift Cards (in order of declining preference):
Michael's
Borders
Kohl's
Walgreen's
Foot Locker
BlockBuster
Wet Seal
Delia's
Target

T Minus 22hrs, 30mins

This morning I woke for a bathroom excursion around 2 and could still smell bleach, so I retrieved the good ol’ fan from my bedroom and froze for the duration of my sleep with the patio door open bundled beneath three of those beautiful tapestry blankets I love (with the Unicorns and Horses on them, etc). At least I seem to have successfully ejected all but one of the four flies that had taken up residence in my domicile.

Lost last night was infinitely better than last week, in part because it focused on one of my two favorite characters (Hurley, the fast-food worker who won the lottery with the cursed numbers) and included the other (Claire, the Australian) in more than one scene. Not that anyone but...

Can’t wait for Fright Fest tomorrow! I don't even want to go on rides, I just love to walk around and take in the decorations and the ambiance. Blowing a bundle on those stupid Carnival games would be fun, though.

I’m tired as can be today but I instituted a no-caffeine-for-the-day clause to ensure sleep tonight and maximize my chances of enjoying Fright Fest tomorrow. At least I slept last night, which was a welcome change. I can’t wait to have a sleepover with FuzzButt at home.

I invested in a USA Today this morning to read about the new iPod – it’s über-cool, but seems largely unnecessary in life. For almost $500 you might as well just invest in a portable DVD player, which would be fun to have on long driving trips or while sitting in traffic at toll booths, particularly since you have to shell out an additional payment for every downloaded program. One interesting peripheral article in the paper noted that the demise of Eisner and the rise of Iger at Disney means the impending return of the Pixar-Disney partnership, which will be great. You know if Pixar went anywhere else, they’d die in the water.

Logging yet another entry in my log of totally worthless side notes, I cut out a picture of Zippidy standing on a tube in the pool with his ears pricked, squinting brightly at the camera, and clipped it to the corner of my laptop. One class of thirty-something people, most of whom generally ignore me, produced six individual "Awwww’s."

I have a Hearts mini-tournament tonight from 5-7. Usually, there’s a Beer Darts game that accompanies the Open Keg on Thursday evenings, but for whatever reason, they’re implementing a card tournament tonight, instead. I’m not too good, but neither is anybody else (I’m told) so my lack of experience seems to be a moot point. There’s no prize and really no point when you get right down to it, but a bunch of people from my section are participating and I like the game.

"Do you have a question? No? Do you want to make one up now that I’m looking at you?" – Professor Grant

Pungent Odors

I cleaned my bathroom this morning and my hands reek of Chlorox bleach. I should have worn rubber gloves, I realize now, but too little common sense to late... I wasn’t in my right mind, because while cleaning I was listening to the Travel Channel’s Behind the Scenes feature on the Animal Kingdom, and working knowledge of smells temporarily abandoned me. I suppose the “temporary” portion of the statement is arguable...

"It has been brought to my attention that the Rule Against Perpetuities is not taught at most law schools, or indeed in other sections at this law school. This material is so difficult, if you take a bar review class, they will tell you to guess. They’ll tell you to just keep plugging in A, because if there are 8 questions, statistically you’ll get at least one right. I do not subscribe to that defeatist attitude of law. So let’s begin." – Professor Smith

Friday

I woke up at 4 this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep... so I sat on the floor with Sally and Harry and reviewed for today’s exam. For once, Harry was awake on his wheel, whereas I had to nudge Sally into alertness (I’m sure she was immensely pleased to leave her warm cup for the cold impartiality of a carpet and floor cage).

It’s quite chilly out today... and overcast... and windy... boy, it just keeps getting better. I’m royally irritated that the Research exam is from 3-4 because Property (which usually runs until 2:50 on Fridays) was called off today, which would have enabled me to head home at NOON as opposed to FOUR, but I guess I need to just chill out; as Dad would say, what’s the difference. Well, I guess the difference is my irritation factor – four additional hours spent at home is four extra hours.

This is rather silly, but I am looking forward to playing computer games with Ali this weekend. When I was little (littler?), I would creak around on my ancient Apple Mac with a roller coaster game consisting of a great deal of solid-color blocks and tiny rotating circles which my imagination had to convert to roller coasters and theme part customers. The Roller Coaster Tycoon game of today is infinitely more impressive, and supremely entertaining. The people even barf when they get off an intense ride! And the Zoo Tycoon game is comparatively entertaining – breeding lots of tiny animals and watching them grow, planting trees and simulated volcanoes, setting up themed scenery... and then, after we’ve coaxed an impressive array of paying customers into our jurisdiction, hatching a T-Rex in an electric-fence cage and accidentally-on-purpose letting him escape to start picking off unsuspecting passerby. The little alert notes are hilarious: “Customer 621 has been eaten!” “Customer 702 is terrified and will never return!” Anyway.

I’m going back to Petsmart today to scout around for Zipp bones, and at my last visit I noticed Traveling Hamster cage, roughly akin to a miniature dog tote case. I’m going to see if I can fit it in my backpack, as I have a considerable reluctance to leave my new little buddies outside in my car for any extended period of time. What if they get too cold? I know they’re covered in fur, but... it just seems unduly inhumane.

On Appeal

Well, T-10 minutes until the Murder Appeal. This guy is absolutely disgusting, just to be a totally impartial lawyer type... he was found guilty of first degree murder and two counts of predatory criminal assault. Because the victim was only 14 months old (!!!), the court imposed thirty-year terms on each of the sex offenses to run consecutively, in addition to a mandatory life sentence. He’s back in court arguing that a "natural life sentence" violates a mandate that was in place at the time of his original sentencing declaring the imposition of such a punishment unconstitutional. But I have very little sympathy, and very little prediction of hope, for a guy who made a fourteen month old eat poop from a training toilet before sticking a hot curling iron up her butt and eventually beating her to death. I vote for the gallows. In spite of my fervent desire that I had neglected to read the hundred-fifty page case briefs (and thus entertain a relatively blissful ignorance regarding the heinous nature of the crimes), it’s kind of cool to be sitting in on an actual proceeding. There’s a dress code and everything. The string of humorless, unimaginative suits at the front of the room look positively imposing, but very professional and valid, as opposed to those irresponsibly cheesy Law and Order episodes.

Later... turns out the defendant wasn’t even present. It seems unfair that is fate is being decided but he’s sitting in a cell somewhere. Today was what’s termed a postconviction appeal; they’re disputing how the sentence was doled out. Turns out it’s a moot issue even if they removed the natural life sentence, he would receive the maximum murder charge of 60 years, plus 30 years for each of the sexual assault charges, all to be served consecutively, for a sentence of 120 years... then, even if he acted like a "perfect prisoner," he wouldn’t be eligible for parole for fifty years. It’s just a matter of principle, apparently, and one of the reasons so many people despise this profession.

There were three judges at the front, and we had to stand when they came in and left... the whole bit. It looked like the three aged Stooges – all slightly slumped, with glasses and a crusty exterior. They spit questions and harsh comments impartially at both sides, but all three were repeatedly fixated on the heinous nature of the crimes, which was encouraging as evidence of their having hearts.
I’m excited to go home and pack tonight. I hate the drive but it’s so nice to be home on the weekends. I love walking in and having Zippy maul me with wagging tail and unending exuberance.

This morning I woke up at 5 for whatever reason and couldn’t go back to sleep. The hamsters have really helped me, though, because whenever I wake up in the middle of the night I hear them running or rustling around and fall right back asleep, whereas I used to toss and turn for sometimes multiple hours every time. I finally gave up and got up to hang with my rodents. Sally was, per custom, awake, alert and grooming, nestled in her beloved food dish. Harry, as is his custom, had buried himself in his fluff. He was really active last night, though, while I was working, running like a possessed being on the little green wheel. While I’m reading and doing briefs at night, I park my laptop on the floor next to their playpen and let them loose inside it, with a constellation of paper towel tubes, wooden vegetables and running wheel.

I figured out why I periodically hear incensed squeaks emitting from the cage. Sally, like a mother monkey, uses her front paws to claw around in Harry’s fur and clean him. When she gets too close to his face, he lashes out and they both squeal and retreat. I’ve never seen a hamster do that before...? They don’t seem to have fleas... of course, how would I know?

Lost last night was inexcusably boring. Ever since they went down in the hatch, all the mystery has disappeared. It looks like the whole island is just a government experiment that the survivors happened upon. The supernatural elements that I so adored have all but evaporated. Not that anyone cares. I guess that’s what happens when a show wins a constellation of awards – the bar is so high they feel they can no longer take the storyline risks that made the show a success in the first place.

"The material we will cover this week cannot be dressed up in any enjoyable manner. It is as dry as dirt and as interesting as a lecture on the Kreb cycle. Best of luck." – Professor Smith

Down the Dean's Hatch

I went in to Dean Hurd’s office hours yesterday. I generally try not to because they inevitably turn into lengthy, worthless debates concerning the individual beliefs of particular students in attendance and it’s just a more efficient use of time to go to the library and read a hornbook, but I was really struggling with determining types of intent, and the confusion wasn’t going to crystallize of its own accord. The first twenty minutes were unbelievably helpful, but then students started asking off-topic questions and thus ensued forty minutes of filler. Basically, when you’re bringing a case against someone, you either have to prove they acted with general or specific intent, contingent upon the crime they committed, the circumstances thereof, and the statute you’re attempting to smack them with. It’s largely philosophically-based, though, and once I caught on it became quite logical. Nice to be one of the few who can whip through the problems; not many people bother to go into office hours.

This morning I went outside and it was already 78 at 7:45am. Mr. Plant Man was running behind this morning; he only had about a third of his children wheeled out onto the driveway.

Today in 1949, the Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad debuted in Disney World. I am still bitter about the premature demise of this ride, as I loved it as a sprite. Pshaw.

I’m quite excited for Lost tonight. Yeah, I know I’m a loser, but the characters went down the hatch and FOUND somebody LIVING down there – tonight we get to find out who.

The Travel Channel!

I GOT THE TRAVEL CHANNEL!

That's right... I turned on the telly last night and this glorious alert banner popped up: "Now availiable on Insight: the Travel Channel, on 67." YES! I'd like to think it was my quasi-daily complaint calls that wrought the addition, but I suppose that's just a tad presumptuous. But, I can't wait! Great Hotels! Secrets of Walt Disney World! Top Ten Vegas Hotels! Great Vacation Homes! Top Ten Beaches of the World! Secrets of Six-Star Hotels! Behind the Scenes at Disneyland! Rah! Rah! Rah!

Well, I put a second running wheel in with Harry and Sally last night, and didn’t hear a peep out of them except for the occasional clink of the matching green and purple wheels. However, every time I looked in, Harry was curled up in the fluff and Sally was stubbornly perched in her little bowl. I don’t know what that means.

Today in criminal law we discussed "legal ostriches," people who elect not to know particular facts with the accurate presumption that such knowledge would make them culpable for a crime. We looked a case involving a man who was asked by a friend to drive a car across the Mexico border... and was caught at customs with 110lbs. of marijuana in the trunk. The guy claimed he had no idea the stuff was there, but the courts considered his behavior "willful blindness" because he did not investigate the mysterious hole in the trunk. Deciding to be ignorant is, in court, considered the same as knowing something... so the guy was convicted.

Slow day in Disney history: in 1993, Mission to Mars closed at Disney World.

Pitter Patter of Little Paws

It’s a beautiful day today – 87 and clear. Naturally, I’m indoors on the rat wheel, enveloped by overly-enthusiastic air conditioning.

I thought it was supposed to get increasingly easier every time I returned here from visiting home, but it sure doesn’t seem to. I almost had a panic attack yesterday driving home, but then I heard the click-whip-click of the hamster wheel, and realized Jacques was skipping along. Jacques is the white one, the bully – he spent all evening beating up on poor Gus-Gus, emitting these horriffic squeals akin to a tortured cat. Looks like mandatory separation for the bickering babies. Turns out there’s a pet store just across the street – I just never noticed it before. That’s dangerous. I might have to stop in there on a regular basis just to Ooooh and Aaaaah for the fun of it.

In Contracts, aka Boring, Inc., we’re discussing instances that render contracts voidable – today’s topics were minors fraudulently entering contracts by lying about their age and mental infirmity. Criminal law focused on the subtle and infinitely fine line between charging someone via assault with intent to kill and simple assault. It includes a highly theoretical and infinitely entangled examination of evidence and inferences about the defendant’s mental state.

I think I’m going to reinstate my undergraduate practice of going home at 8 o’clock every night. That will force me to stay out amongst the living (Borders, coffee houses, etc) and possibly aid my sleeping endeavors.

Prompted by last night’s delve into Disney history, here’s the now-daily installment of Today in Disney History: in 1955, the Mickey Mouse Club first broadcast on ABC. Rah!