Death and Subsequent Depression

°o° On this day in 1988, EPCOT’s nightly fireworks display IllumiNations debuted.

Quote of the Day (discussing the ramifications of plagarism): “Or, even worse, in law school you’ll be sent to the ethics and character department of the Bar Association... which is like the death penalty...” - Professor Maggs

I attended my introductory meeting for the Business Law Society last night and had my image preserved on digital film, so I’m officially a member. Thankfully, they assigned me to the Entertainment Law section (everyone has a specific topic all three of their articles have to focus on). Yay! Unfortunately, the first article is due on Friday to be published on Monday. It was supposed to be published yesterday, but obviously I had no idea what was going on and could not have been expected to produce an article when I had not even officially joined the society.

I hate corporate tax. Every day I leave the course and want to find a noose. It’s just horrid. It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have such a dingbat professor whom I would gleefully wish an anvil upon. This woman is up there speaking a conglomerate of Hebrew, ancient Egyptian and some hitherto-unidentified alien language at a furious clip, and every once in a while she’ll pause and, with excessive enunciation, inquire hypothetically, “Everyone okaaaaahay weeth th-eeaat?”

My alarm clock died last night. That sucks. I am in absolutely no danger of oversleeping even for my early class, but that’s not the point. I absolutely adored that thing; I’ve had it since Mom got it for me in high school, I believe my sophomore year. It had pretty sound effects and a backlight so I could see the clock in the dark and three separate alarms so there was no danger of excessive slumber. I’m so bummed. I looked at BestBuy.com and the thing costs a rough fortune. Sigh. And my phone croaked, too, so my answering machine is bust. That’s the phone I so painstakingly detailed with silver-purple paint to match my lava lamp, and now it has to join the trash bin. Man. I guess that’s what I get for buying a cheap phone - relatively, the thing was $40 - but still.... They have these nifty phones on officemax.com that actually have headsets connected to them, which is totally rad. Amy I drooling?

I can’t believe both electronics crapped out on me. What a day.

Grim Grinning Ghosts, Come out to Socialize!

°o° On this day in 1959, Sleeping Beauty premiered.

I have e-mails in to all my professors from last semester, inquiring as to whether they are willing to meet with me and go through my exam. I’m seeking tips for how to boost my compositions and make them A-caliber. Here’s hoping. I attempted to make it very clear tha t I was not complaining about or attempting to change my grades at all. Hopefully that message was adequately conveyed. Oh- yep, it worked; I’m meeting with my Tax professor on Thursday afternoon, and he seemed totally amenable to the idea. Yay!

I was supposed to play tennis tonight with one of the people that e-mailed me, but the only time he can do it is during my mandatory Business Law Society meeting, so we’re going to arrange something on Thursday morning, when I (arguably) have some dead time.

I was enlisted in White Collar Crime today as a criminal defense attorney for a guy charged with conspiracy. The government was claiming that he conspired with a friend who worked at a bank (and therefore, allegedly, had insider knowledge of impending mergers/acquisitions/etc) to purchase stocks just before they exploded, a process called “springloading.” I’m very enthusiastic about defending even the worst criminals against the Big Bad Wolf- whoops, I mean government. I guess I’m just overly-sympathetic toward anyone charged with a crime. White collar, anyway.

With my Black Berry, I do not have the ability to purchase games or ringtones. However, I did recently figure out how to download ringtones for no charge. It’s totally cool! Everyone is a Disney song: Mom is “Just Around the Riverbend” from Pocahontas, Dad is “A Pirate’s Life For Me” from Pirates of the Caribbean, Sue is “Bella Notte” from Lady and the Tramp, Nans is “Once Upon A Dream” from Sleeping Beauty, and my general ringtone for all other callers is “Grim Grinning Ghosts” from the Haunted Mansion. It’s so cool!

Speaking of Disney, have you seen the new ads for the company’s current promotion of a sweepstakes to win a stay at the Cinderella room inside Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom? They’re absolutely beautiful - some, anyway. I saw them in USA Today... My favorite was this pale blue color, with Scarlett Johanssen as Cinderella, running down a flight of stairs and glancing back over her shoulder at the Castle illuminated behind her. They also had David Beckam as Prince Phillip (from Sleeping Beauty) on a rearing horse, wielding a sword at a dragon, and Beyonce Knowles in a teacup as Alice from Wonderland, with Lyle Lovett as the Mad Hatter and some guy I didn’t know as the March Hare. That one was great in theory, but Beyonce had such a stupid look on her face it creeped me out - that was the best picture they could get from an entire, expensive photo shoot?

Candles and Cake?

“Is there a defense lawyer in the house?” People in the White Collar Crime class are sure quick to go after the poor corporations and corporate officers. Back off, people.

At tennis last night, one of the ladies said, “Where are you from? You look exotic, with those beautiful dark eyes.” Hmm.

With the justification that it’s my day and I can waste my time if I so desire, I took an hour this afternoon to play Animal Crossing. I know, I know, I know, it’s a waste of time, but I really enjoy playing and hey, why not. Well, I started the game, and when I checked my mail, every character in the game had sent me a birthday card with a present! And then, when I went into my house, one of the characters came over and delivered a birthday cake! How cute is that?!

Well, usually on Thursdays (or departure days) I pack my car in the morning and stay at school all day, ready to leave as soon as my last class ends. But I don’t know what to do with my guitar. I can’t keep it in the car all day in the cold because it will warp, but I can’t very well take it in to school with me, either. Hmm. Maybe I can just borrow one at home?

Well, I got all the problems I did in Corporate Taxation right. Rah! Rah! Rah! It’s still going to kick my butt, though....

Anyone for Tennis?

Last night I drove around until I located the tennis center, It’s a nice place, with lots of indoor and outdoor courts, located right next to the cows. I imagine that outdoor games when the wind is soaring in a particular direction would be less than pleasant.

I walked in and went right up to the lady behind the counter, inquiring about shoes that I might use on the courts. “I’m playing in a tournament tomorrow night for the first time....” and she jumped in, “Oh!” and remembered me instantly. It turned out to be the lady I spoke to on the phone. She helped me scout out some tennis shoes, and I wound up purchasing a size NINE. It’s really strange - all the 10’s were too big, and even the 9.5’s wobbled when I tried to stop quickly (to test the shoes, I put them on to run and jump up and down the hallway).

I was talking to a girl before my copyright class and she inquired as to my schedule. After I recounted my classes, she commented, “That’s a pretty hefty lineup.” Now I’m nervous. Is it too hefty of a lineup? Am I doomed? I sure hope not.

I got a notice from my apartment complex that rates will be increasing next year, unless I renew my lease before a particular day in February. I guess I ought to do that.

Boy, I’m exhausted. I don’t know how I’m going to play tonight, and I was so looking forward to it. I thought about going home and taking a nap, but then maybe I won’t sleep tonight....?

Billiards

Well, I got to the Cyberspace Law room at 7:30 and not only beat everyone, but had to turn on the lights for the classroom. No one else showed up until 7:50. But hey, I got my seat!

I can’t wait to start playing tennis!!! This afternoon, I have to figure out how to get a decent outfit and some court shoes.

I was scouting around online trying to find things to sign up for and it turns out I have to learn how to play billards. There’s a billiard tournament every Wednesday night (which I have free) which would be fun... but what the heck’s a billiard? Pool? Fooseball? They have almost everything in the union (where we meet), including bowling alleys - do they count? Guess I’ll have to look it up....

In White Collar Crime, he passed the seating chart around today and all of the people that hadn’t marked whether they wanted to represent the defense or the prosecution were assigned to the defense. The prof said there’s an extreme predisposition toward the prosecution in this class, and he has a very real deficiency of defense lawyers (which unfortunately translates into my being called on with increased frequency). What a bunch of government-lovers. (The prosecution in 90% of the cases we read is the state or the US as a whole.) Yuck.

I can’t wait to see the new Hannibal Lecter movie. It looks sooo creepy! And I must say that I am in love with my iPod. Yesterday I loaded the audio version of Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris on it, and listened while driving to Champaign. How cool, huh?!

Billiards = pool. Time to start practicing.

A Typical Government Transaction

Last night I stopped by my mailbox and swung open the little door expecting to find it stuffed to the brim. Instead, a void compartment gaped at me, totally vacant but for one small slip of paper. It was a cheap photocopy of a form typed, presumably, sixty years ago with a poorly-set typewriter, stating that the carrier had hijacked my mail and was holding it hostage at the local post office. (I’m paraphrasing, of course.) So this morning I got there right at 7:30 when they opened (to avoid the obligatory pre-work jam) and thus began a typical government transaction. I walked in to an empty post office, with no one occupying their posts at the counter despite “open” signs. I heard people rustling about in the back and saw two workers sorting mail, so after a moment I called, ‘Hello?” Followed shortly by, “Excuse me? Hello? Pardon me!” After about five minutes, one of the women who had been sorting mail, well within earshot and angled such that she had only to flick her eyes to see me, paused to stretch and then casually loped - no, moseyed - over to the desk. “Yeah?” she asked, electing not to look at me in favor of rearranging some sample packages of stamps. I produced my letter and without a word she disappeared to the massive black hole that apparently exists just beyond the foam boards behind the cash registers. Literally ten minutes later, during which time the other woman sorting mail never so much as glanced my way, she reappeared carrying a giant white US Mail carrying box. Peeking in the top, a sizeable pile of envelopes, magazines and junk mail smiled up at me. I couldn’t believe how much crap had amassed in one month’s time. The only explanation I can come up with is that I somehow found my way on to a bazillion mailing lists, because I’m just not that popular. At least she let me keep the carrying bin.

Day Two

Tomorrow we have a Great American Cities program meeting from noon to one, where a UIUC alum talks about living and working in a particular city. This week is LA! How exciting... Plus, I managed to procure an appointment with the guy, so I have twenty minutes of unadulterated time to grill him about living & working in LA, and (most importantly) how to get there.

Today I have White Collar Crime (dummmm dad umm dum! can’t you hear the eerie music now?)... unfortunately, there’s a class in the room right before we have our class, so I couldn’t slip in at 8am and snag my spot. But, providing he passes the seating chart worund today, I should be all right.

Professor Beckett is kind of a larger fellow, wearing a seafoam button-down polo dress shirt with white vertical stripes and a dark green tie checkered with one-centimeter diamonds atop brown pants. He seems quite friendly, with white hair and a generally amicable expression. He’s sitting next to the podium at the front of the class clutching a coffee for dear life. When the class fell silent before starting, he said, “You don’t have to stop talking! You’ve still got five minutes; I owe you nothing.” Hope that attitude translates to the course. He opened by saying, “I hope to distract you from your e-mail or the games you’re engaged in.” Heh heh.

The upside is that there are a lot of repeat students, who voluntarily took this professor for a second time. The downside is that there are a lot of third-year students, who have much more experience studying and executing exams, which could provide a bit of an impediment to my ambitions to procure an A in the course. Hmm. Well, here’s hoping.

He passed out the seating chart! Hooray! I’m in the second row on the far right, the same spot I occupied for Evidence (which hopefully will have a fortuitous effect on my grade), and there’s no one to the left of me, so I have space to spread out the book and supplement during class. What’s interesting is, next to our name Professor Beckett had us put a little letter: “P,” “D” or “N.” We had to choose whether, when he called on us, we wanted to speak from the position of attorney for the prosecution, the defense, or whichever side he chose. Of course I chose the defense.

Day Two

Tomorrow we have a Great American Cities program meeting from noon to one, where a UIUC alum talks about living and working in a particular city. This week is LA! How exciting... Plus, I managed to procure an appointment with the guy, so I have twenty minutes of unadulterated time to grill him about living & working in LA, and (most importantly) how to get there.

Today I have White Collar Crime (dummmm dad umm dum! can’t you hear the eerie music now?)... unfortunately, there’s a class in the room right before we have our class, so I couldn’t slip in at 8am and snag my spot. But, providing he passes the seating chart worund today, I should be all right.

Professor Beckett is kind of a larger fellow, wearing a seafoam button-down polo dress shirt with white vertical stripes and a dark green tie checkered with one-centimeter diamonds atop brown pants. He seems quite friendly, with white hair and a generally amicable expression. He’s sitting next to the podium at the front of the class clutching a coffee for dear life. When the class fell silent before starting, he said, “You don’t have to stop talking! You’ve still got five minutes; I owe you nothing.” Hope that attitude translates to the course. He opened by saying, “I hope to distract you from your e-mail or the games you’re engaged in.” Heh heh.

The upside is that there are a lot of repeat students, who voluntarily took this professor for a second time. The downside is that there are a lot of third-year students, who have much more experience studying and executing exams, which could provide a bit of an impediment to my ambitions to procure an A in the course. Hmm. Well, here’s hoping.

He passed out the seating chart! Hooray! I’m in the second row on the far right, the same spot I occupied for Evidence (which hopefully will have a fortuitous effect on my grade), and there’s no one to the left of me, so I have space to spread out the book and supplement during class. What’s interesting is, next to our name Professor Beckett had us put a little letter: “P,” “D” or “N.” We had to choose whether, when he called on us, we wanted to speak from the position of attorney for the prosecution, the defense, or whichever side he chose. Of course I chose the defense.

Day One: Course Three

Now I’m in Corporate Taxation. Professor Kaye is a “visitor” (on loan from another university), and I’m kind of nervous because she’s a female.... I don’t generally do well with female professors... they’ve given me my two worst grades. Ugh. She’s got curly brown hair, the female akin of an uncoiled afro, She’s wearing grey dress pants with a silk paisley pink and gray button-down shirt. She seems nice enough so far, but a little hard-and-fast with the rules and regulations of the university, seeing as she’s a visitor... although, this is just a first impression. She’s got that tidy, let’s organize sense to her voice that always makes me cringe. The same voice that overzealous secretaries have. But, whatever; she seems nice enough. I guess I’ll withhold judgment. I do have to give her major kudos, because she passed out photocopies of the first fifty pages of the textbook for all of us who were unable to purchase one from the bookstore. They only ordered NINE textbooks, and there’s 28 people in the class. “Imagine them not thinking that many students would be interested in a corporate taxation course,” she smiled. So the photocopy will hold me until I can pick up the book this weekend.

This course is going to kick my butt.

Day One : Class Two

°o° On this day in 1994, the first-ever Disney World Marathon was run.

I’m in Copyright now. I snagged my desired seat: all the way in the back on the right. And thankfully someone that I know and like from a previous course sat down next to me, so I’m all set. The professor has this habit of only picking on people in his direct line of vision - the center of the middle eight or so rows. It’s amazing; he’s got tunnel vision or something to that effect.

God be Praised! He’s passing around the seating chart! Hooray!!

I think I described Maggs last time around... I had him for Contracts first semester of my first year. He was the first professor I ever had, in my first class ever. Oh, how frightened I was! How small and unassuming and meek in manner! He hasn’t changed a bit. He’s got his standard blue dress pants with a powder blue button-up shirt and a powder-pink tie. Here we go....

I can’t wait to set up my hammock tonight. Dad had such a phenomenal idea, getting a chain so I don’t have to return the hammock. A simple thing, but it solves a massive dilemma. I can’t believe I didn’t think about it... I guess that’s why we need dads around!

I slept until 6:30 this morning. 6:30! Went to bed around 11:30 (finally), woke up from 2 to 3, and then slept straight through. How cool is that? There may be hope yet, particularly with a hammock.

I have decided that I absolutely adore home depot. And Lowe’s. And generally any place with fabulous housing supplies like those places.... when Dad and I went over the weekend to pick up dressing room stuff, I kept seeing things that I “could use.” Like the little device that you connect to the side of your garage that stores an extra house key and requires a code for access. Or the confluence of space heaters that so rapidly put me to sleep.

Semester Four : Class One!

Here we go again! The engine’s purring and ready to roar.

I couldn’t be live it this morning - I woke up at 6:30 instead of bounding out of bed at the usual 6am. I wonder what that means?

I was so bummed last night after I constructed my entire hammock only to have the bed part come up three feet shorter than the stand. I had been looking forward to trying it out for so long! The thing is massive, by the way. I’m not even quite sure where to put it, other than smack dab in the middle of my living room. I guess that’s just where it’s going to go. I already moved one of my green chairs into the second bedroom to make room, and I guess I’m going to have to relocate the beautiful wooden table that Dad donated.

I got my seat. I’m actually in the very back row in the far right for Cyberspace law. I was in about the third row, but then another girl walked in and snagged the far left back row, so I reconsidered. This way, I’m right by the heaters, and there’s no one to the right or behind me to aggravate me by chattering through class or spilling coffee on me (as happened in Evidence last year). Also, this is the same room that Business Associations was in, and I really don’t want to re-occupy my jinxed seat.

Today I have Cyberspace Law, Copyright Law and Corporate Taxation. I have to zip down to the bookstore after this class and try to procure my Corporate Taxation book, since it never came. Grr. I figure I’ll just buy it, read it today, and take it back for a refund.

The good news is my Copyright and Corporate classes are back-to-back in the same classroom, so I only have to duke it out early for the one seat.

I would like to take this moment to point out that it’s snowing outside. How rude, as my sister would say.

Professor Kesan, for Cyberspace law, walked in about five minutes late. He’s a bigger guy, with a Jay Leno build. Actually, he bears a striking resemblance to Jay Leno, except he has the slicked-over black hair of a Rat Pack member. He’s wearing a cobalt blue t-shirt and black dress pants under a gold dress jacket that reminds me of something a seedy Vegas card dealer’s uniform. He also has a slight Mexican accent, slight enough that he obviously immigrated early, or he’s a second-generation who picked up a slight accent from his parents. What’s interesting is (this being a cyberspace law course) we have to access the syllabus before every class and follow the links in the syllabus for our readings. It will be updated before every class and we have to be up-to-date in regards to it. He randomly calls on people, and if we’re unprepared three times under the spotlight, our grade drops an entire letter (ie, from an A- to a B-). But, no pressure.

And... this figures. Because there’s only twenty-five people in the class, he said we all need to move up to the first three rows, so I’m going to have to get here at 7:30 again on Monday. Urgmph. I’m going to be really pissed if this happens in all three of my classes today.