wearing pants and waving hats

Mental Note to Self

2008-01-02T18:45:00.001-08:00

Recently, I've been noticing specific behaviors of others that either irritate me or pleasantly surprise me, and filing them away mentally so that I can avoid or repeat them in the future. Here are a couple examples:
-Pay your babysitter extra on holidays. She gave up a celebratory night so that you could have one -- reward her accordingly.
-When getting ready to take your child on a long train ride, do a dry run first. Going from Detroit to Chicago and aren't sure if your kids will behave? Treat them to a 20 minute train ride from Pontiac to Royal Oak to acquaint them with the train and get them excited about the idea of a longer trip. And while you're at it, dress them up in conductors outfits (that was truly icing on the cake).

Apparently I should have put these in writing earlier because those are the only two I can think of right now! And now it'll drive me crazy...

New Year, New Tradition

2008-01-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

Several months ago, the stress of the holidays started to kick in and I began to wonder what I'd do for New Year's Eve. Last year was a huge letdown, so I knew I would have to come up with something I was really excited about, or to just stay in. Due to a serious lack of funds, I chose not only to stay in, but to babysit. I babysat from 8pm-1am, and although I didn't make much money, it was the ideal way to spend the night. So ideal, in fact, that I think I may have started a new tradition of staying in on New Year's Eve. The key to not feeling pathetic about it was not watching anything on television that was at all related to the holiday (I had absolutely no desire to watch the ball drop by myself), and was happy to receive the phone calls and text messages that I did. Apparently my life is happier when I have low expectations, a lesson I'll take with me into 2008.

Ciao

2007-05-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow I head off to Europe, where my *hope* is to keep up with my blog, but I really don't know what to expect.
Here's a little about my trip:
I'll be spending my first month in Rome, where I'll be taking a Comparative Law class as well as Immigration/Unauthorized Employment Law and will get to see the Supreme Court of Italy, as well as other Italian legal institutions. Then I'm off to Strasbourg for 2 weeks, where I'll be taking European Union Law I and Comparative Elder/Disability Law and get to see the European Court of Human Rights, EU Parliament, and the Council of Europe. Then it's off briefly to Luxembourg for the EU Court of Justice, then Brussels for the EU Commission and NATO. Finally, then I'm spending 2 weeks in Oxford, where I'll take European Union Law II and Art Law and the Collector, and we'll visit Legal London.

Along the way, I also have trips planned to Cinque Terre and Capri/Sorrento within italy, as well as to Athens, Greece. I'm going to try to make it to Venice, Switzerland, Prague, and/or Germany as well. I'll try to keep you updated as I go!! If not, I'll have some heavy duty blogging to do when I return.

MEAN!!!!

2007-04-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

Today I got a phone call from a very concerned friend suggesting that I come to school as quickly as possible and make sure that my textbooks are still in my locker. Why, you might ask? Because some asshole broke into several lockers in the law school today and stole as many textbooks as he could get his hands on.

Yep, one week before finals.

This concerned friend of mine had every single textbook taken out of her locker. Luckily, my books were all still in my locker and are now in the safety of my apartment, but I don't know what I would have done if they had been taken. People, COME ON, that is just plain mean.
Apparently this happened last semester on a smaller scale, but the idiot was caught because he tried to sell the books back to the bookstore around the corner, so maybe there's hope that this person is equally as stupid and will be caught. Argh.

Legally Strawberry Blonde

2007-04-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

What I'm about to write about isn't going to come as much of a shock to anyone, because I know it is a well-established fact that when you enjoy your teacher/professor, the subject matter is generally more enjoyable. But never before law school have I experienced the impact of this truth. I have had something like 60 teachers in my lifetime, and some have stuck out as wonderful, some as horrible, and some as mediocre, but in law school the gap widened and, as the year ends, I'm noticing how much I let it affect my education. I lovelovelove my Contracts professor. He is really smart and incredibly nice, but not so nice that we take advantage of him. Nearly every single one of my classmates comes to class prepared, every day. Constitutional Law, however, is the exact opposite. There is certainly something to be said for law school's practice of instilling fear in us that makes us work hard, but that really only lasted for the first few weeks of the semester in this class. For the past few weeks I have half-assed my way through the readings, knowing that I won't be called on again this semester, and literally dread attending class. I go, but I might as well stay home, because I barely even pay attention to what he has to say. He cuts people off, tells us we are wrong, and humiliates us if he's in the mood. And not surprisingly, this is the final exam that I am most dreading because I just cannot immerse myself in the subject matter. The mere thought of Constitutional Law never used to make my skin crawl, but now I can't help but associate the topic with the fear I have of my professor. Can't wait until this exam is over on May 11th. Except, wait -- I have him for Con Law II next semester. Oh, joy.

Selfish Blog

2007-04-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

So as most of you know, I'll be leaving the country from May 23-July 28. I'm starting to get really excited and I just ordered a new iPod, which I'm ready to fill with all kinds of good music and am also starting to think about what kind of reading I'll be doing on my trip. Unfortunately, I won't have a lot of luggage, and will only be able to bring a few books, so I'm asking for some recommendations. I might even look into buying some audiobooks off iTunes if any appeal to me. So my question is, do you have a favorite book, one that you would recommend to anyone, or -- more specifically -- to me? Keep it light, folks, I'll be in school while in Europe and don't want anything too serious/difficult.
Thanks!!

Joke-asaurus

2007-03-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

Kourtney: If you're a hungry "hippo," what are you if you're thirsty?
Me: A thesaurus.

THEN, I realized a thesaurus is a book, not a dinosaur.

Oldies?

2007-03-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

Who decides whether a song qualifies for the oldies station on the radio? This morning I was in my bedroom getting ready for school and my computer wasn't charged, so instead of listening to my iTunes as usual, I decided to listen to my radio for the first time. This, of course, meant that I needed to find the oldies station so I googled Chicago's oldies and found it was 104.3 (same as Michigan!). After one or two regular songs, I was absolutely shocked when Sugar Ray's "Fly" came on. What!? This is an oldie?! Does this make me old!? I have often wondered whether the songs of my youth would one day be played on an oldies station, and, if so, whether they would replace what is currently considered oldies or if they would all be intermixed -- but I'm not ready for that day to be now!! I will have to listen to this radio station some more to see if it's a common occurrence or maybe just a mishap because I think this is one band that I'd prefer to stay in the past.

On a sidenote, doesn't Mark McGrath host some celebrity news show now anyway? I feel like that cancels out his musician-ness, therefore making him even less worthy of being on an oldies station. Maybe I shouldn't equate being on an oldies station with gaining immortal status? Such a silly little thing, but I'm puzzled!

"Long Mee-ea-dow Penitentiary"*

2007-03-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

I have no idea why, but recently I have become incredibly curious about my elementary school classmates. Where are they now? What are they doing? Are some of them in Chicago? Would I recognize them if I passed them on the street? Would they recognize me? These are some of the questions that torment me. I haven't seen most of them in over 10 years, but we grew up together! I'm Facebook friends with about 7 of them, but only maintain actual contact with one (and barely). Is this one of those things I'm just going to have to get over? Why isn't there such a thing as elementary school reunions! That would be fun. Oh, and ACS -- how happy does this picture make you?

This curiosity is even funnier to me because I have absolutely zero desire to attend my 5-year high school reunion this coming Thanksgiving, but makes me wonder if it's just because five years is too soon. Maybe I'll want to attend a 10-year? I'm guessing not, especially thanks to Facebook and MySpace, since I can check up on most of my classmates without actually having to interact with them. Hopefully in 10 years I won't be relying quite so heavily on these stalker-friendly websites, so maybe I will want to attend a reunion. Who knows!

*We, at the oh-so-clever age of ten, thought replacing the word 'Elementary' in our school song with 'Penitentiary' was pure genius.

Walkin' on Sunshine

2007-03-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

More so than I ever noticed about Michigan or Boston, Chicago is a completely different place in the winter than it is in the spring/summer/fall. Last week we had 2 beautiful days of sunshine and high temperatures and I was reminded of how cool this city really is -- especially my neighborhood, where all the restaurants bring out their outdoor seating and there are crowds everywhere. It's making me really excited for the spring weather, and slightly sad that I'll be missing 2 summer months here (don't worry, I'm not complaining, I'll be in Europe!). But what it really has got me wondering is whether I really do like the cold weather as much as I claim to -- should I have considered a move to a city with a more mild climate? After a couple more winters in Chicago, I think I'll be more likely to factor the weather into my decision if I pick up and find a new city.

Guilty Pleasures

2007-02-20T17:44:00.000-08:00

Look, I know people all over the country love this show, so this won't sound all that original, but only recently have I become one of those people, so I thought I'd share it with all [three] of you.

I love American Idol. (Oh, and I blame Alison.)

I don't know yet if I'll watch it throughout the season, because I truly do hate that it's on for 3 or 4 hours a week and that they make you wait through a million commercial breaks just to see one person go home, but I've had a hell of a time watching the auditions and am going to catch up with the rest of America and give it a shot. So sue me.

On that note, I don't have any female favorites yet but so far, my favorite male is Sanjaya. He is 17 and oh-so-adorable, and has an incredible voice. However, the one thing that will continue to separate me from the American masses is that even though I enjoy watching the show, I don't anticipate calling and voting for anyone. I just enjoy watching the performances, but don't really care who gets sent home. But who knows, I could develop loyalties and that could change too.

**Disclaimer** I wrote this blog entry before watching the show tonight and Sanjaya's performance was nowhere near as good as his audition, but I'm not giving up hope on him that easily. Tonight my favorite was Blake, though.

It's not very often that I praise New Jersey...

2007-02-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

At 12:01 today, New Jersey's law allowing civil unions for gay couples went into effect. The law, similar to those in Vermont and Connecticut, will allow same-sex couples to take each other's surname without a hearing, jointly adopt, and be entitled to inheritances. I'm extremely proud to have lived in the only state that allows gay marriage, and am eagerly waiting for other states to follow suit (perhaps I am good luck -- I would gladly move around the country if I thought that would help!). So even though Jersey would have earned much more respect from me if they took the extra step and allowed same-sex marriages, I'm still pretty darn proud of them for joining the few other states that are opening the doors to gay couples.

Lucky Bitches

2007-02-18T15:25:00.000-08:00

So, as usual, I've been spending my Sunday watching HGTV, and today I caught a special called "Doggone Design," which featured some very spoiled pooches. This phenomenon is seriously fascinating to me -- don't get me wrong, I think dogs are incredibly smart, but they are not going to care that their doghouse has hardwood floors and living room furniture! One woman spent $14,000 on this custom-made doghouse for her 3 tiny dogs, who clearly won't know the difference. I don't pretend to be in any kind of position to tell people how they should be spending their money, so I guess if it makes the owner happy then I can't really criticize, but I am baffled regardless. I don't think you'll be surprised when I tell you that these cutesy little animals were also dressed to the nines (in doggie tuxedos and gowns, of course). Wading through the slush and snow on the city sidewalks has finally helped me understand the doggie boot, but that's about as far as my comprehension goes. If anyone has an explanation for this excessive pampering (or, if you ask me, torture when it comes to the outfits), please enlighten me.

Happy I Love You Day!

2007-02-14T20:03:00.000-08:00

Not everyone seems to feel the same way about Valentine's Day, but everyone I've come across at least seems to have an opinion. I have never had a "valentine" of my own, but I have always loved love, so I've always loved the holiday. I know a lot of people (cough cough Kourt and Kristen cough cough) hate the holiday because of its materialism/marketability, etc. but I have decided to go in the opposite direction. Rather than hate the holiday for what it has become, I embrace it for what it symbolizes in its simplest sense: sharing your love. I have been trying to be a little more optimistic in general recently (more on that later, it's a new development), but who can hate a holiday that put me in a good mood all day? I spent the entire day sending e-mails and text messages telling people that I love them. The thing is, it's not all that different than my regular routine -- I share my love pretty regularly -- but I could always use an excuse to send extra love to those who mean the most to me. <3<3<3<3

keep your laws off my body

2007-01-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

I am pro-choice, and damn proud of it.
I've just begun my Constitutional Law class and wish so badly that we could skip over Marbury v. Madison for today and talk about the 34th anniversary of Roe's success, but since that is highly unlikely, I'll settle for discussing it here. In Roe v. Wade, the court recognized for the first time that the constitutional right to privacy "is broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy." I have always considered myself pro-choice, based purely on the belief that I have a right to control my own body, but I took a particular interest in pro-choice issues my senior year in college and found a great article that expressed my broader feelings on the issue. So Happy Birthday, Roe--here are 9 reasons why we celebrate you.

9 reasons why abortions are legal:
1. Laws against abortion kill women.
To prohibit abortions does not stop them. When women feel it is absolutely necessary, they will choose to have abortions, even in secret, without medical care, in dangerous circumstances. In the two decades before abortion was legal in the U.S., it's been estimated that nearly a million women per year sought out illegal abortions. Thousands died. Tens of thousands were mutilated. All were forced to behave as if they were criminals.

2. Legal abortions protect women's health.
Legal abortion not only protects women's lives, it also protects their health. For tens of thousands of women with heart disease, kidney disease, severe hypertension, sickle-cell anemia and severe diabetes, and other illnesses that can be life-threatening, the availability of legal abortion has helped avert serious medical complications that could have resulted from childbirth. Before legal abortion, such women's choices were limited to dangerous illegal abortion or dangerous childbirth.

3. A woman is more than a fetus.
Some people argue these days that a fetus is a "person" that is "indistinguishable from the rest of us" and that it deserves rights equal to women's. On this question there is a tremendous spectrum of religious, philosophical, scientific, and medical opinion. It's been argued for centuries. Fortunately, our society has recognized that each woman must be able to make this decision, based on her own conscience. To impose a law defining a fetus as a "person," granting it rights equal to or superior to a woman's — a thinking, feeling, conscious human being — is arrogant and absurd. It only serves to diminish women.

4. Being a mother is just one option for women.
Many hard battles have been fought to win political and economic equality for women. These gains will not be worth much if reproductive choice is denied. To be able to choose a safe, legal abortion makes many other options possible. Otherwise an accident or a rape can end a woman's economic and personal freedom.

5. Outlawing abortion is discriminatory.
Anti-abortion laws discriminate against low-income women, who are driven to dangerous self-induced or back-alley abortions. That is all they can afford. But the rich can travel wherever necessary to obtain a safe abortion.

6. Compulsory pregnancy laws are incompatible with a free society.
If there is any matter that is personal and private, then pregnancy is it. There can be no more extreme invasion of privacy than requiring a woman to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term. If government is permitted to compel a woman to bear a child, where will government stop? The concept is morally repugnant. It violates traditional American ideas of individual rights and freedoms.

7. Outlaw abortion, and more children will bear children.
Forty percent of 14-year-old girls will become pregnant before they turn 20. This could happen to your daughter or someone else close to you. Here are the critical questions: Should the penalty for lack of knowledge or even for a moment's carelessness be enforced pregnancy and childrearing? Or dangerous illegal abortion? Should we consign a teenager to a life sentence of joblessness, hopelessness, and dependency?

8. "Every child a wanted child."
If women are forced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, the result is unwanted children. Everyone knows they are among society's most tragic cases, often uncared-for, unloved, brutalized, and abandoned. When they grow up, these children are often seriously disadvantaged, and sometimes inclined toward brutal behavior to others. This is not good for children, for families, or for the country. Children need love and families who want and will care for them.

9. Choice is good for families.
Even when precautions are taken, accidents can and do happen. For some families, this is not a problem. But for others, such an event can be catastrophic. An unintended pregnancy can increase tensions, disrupt stability, and push people below the line of economic survival. Family planning is the answer. All options must be open.

At the most basic level, the abortion issue is not really about abortion. It is about the value of women in society. Should women make their own decisions about family, career, and how to live their lives? Or should government do that for them? Do women have the option of deciding when or whether to have children? Or is that a government decision?
_____________________________________________________________________________________

While my beliefs originate from the conceptual arguments found in #3 and #6, the facts about women's health cannot be disputed and have become the primary reasons why I am so adamant about this issue. #1 and #5 are particularly troubling to me, and I think could stand alone as arguments as to why legal abortions must be available. I also highly recommend watching a Frontline special called "The Last Abortion Clinic" to understand what happens when abortions are made unavailable to women. Unfortunately, my generation has grown up with Roe, so we don't know life without a right to a legal abortion and therefore don't recognize the need to keep fighting for it. The truth is that the government is still trying to rid us of our right to privacy, and we had better be prepared to get more vocal before our opponents do.

iCaved

2007-01-10T14:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I did it. I bought an Apple computer. A MacBook to be exact. It probably sounds stupid, but after 12+ years on a PC, having a Mac is turning out to be quite an adjustment. Luckily, I am not the first of my friends to jump on the Mac bandwagon, so I've had a few people help make the transition a little smoother. It's still a little early for me to blog about things I like and don't like about the new computer because it's only been a few days and I know I have a lot to learn, but so far a few things are worth mentioning:

Widgets, widgets, widgets. What a great idea! Thanks to a little help from Christi, I now have my very own Lite Brite, Etch-a-Sketch, a rubber chicken that answers any question, a penny that I can flip whenever the need should arise, and a widget that tells me the lyrics to any song playing on my iTunes. Essential? No. Fun? Heck yes.

Photo Booth. My handy new laptop has a built-in camera, so I can just open this program and I see myself in either normal, sepia, black and white (see above), colored pencil, comic book, glow, pop art, thermal camera, or x-ray. Cool.

F9. I can have as many things open as I want but when I hit F9, they all shrink and fit on my screen so that I can choose which window I want. This one is only really cool if you know what I'm talking about, so all you non-Mac users will just have to take my word for it.

That's about all for now. Of course, there are already some things that I miss (right-clicking, for instance) but my friends assure me that in a matter of days/weeks I will become accustomed to the ways of the Mac. I hope they're right!

if you don't mind happiness not always being so very much fun

2006-11-29T19:31:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a few weeks since I last posted, but it will be a few more until I return, as I am now approaching my first set of law school finals. Hopefully when finals are over I will feel a flood of blogworthy ideas and will return stronger than ever before (or at least average more than one post every 3 weeks).

Yes the world is the best place of all for a lot of such things

2006-11-07T19:45:00.000-08:00

So today Kourtney told me that she was trying to make a list of 100 things that she loves, and that it was surprisingly hard. After she plowed through her list, I decided there was no better way to avoid doing my homework than to think of my own 100 loves. So here they are, in the order in which I thought of them.

-The smell of lilacs
-Breakfast casserole that my mom makes once a year on Christmas
-Pashminas
-Turquoise
-Rip Hamilton
-Boston College
-Puppies!!!
-Jager bombs
-My underwear drawer when I have just done my laundry and everything is folded
-Stacy's white cheddar soy crisps
-Shopping online
-Facebook/Myspace
-Being a twin!
-Tennis
-Feminism
-Pad thai
-Traveling/my semester abroad
-My apartment
-Carrot cake
-Dressing up
-French manicures
-My family & friends
-Hot chocolate
-Billie Holiday
-Big earrings
-Going to concerts (but only when I really like the band)
-George's Coney Island
-The Princess Bride
-Rochester, MI
-Coast Guard Festival (in Grand Haven, MI)
-Up north!
-Pink starbursts
-Hot showers (something I took for granted for 22 years)
-Listening to music with headphones on
-The Italian language
-Braids
-My first car (blue Ford Explorer)
-Good song lyrics
-Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poetry (the inspiration for this blog!)
-Caribou Coffee (the place, not the actual coffee)
-Spring break
-Headbands
-Jimmy Johns #11 (I owe Kourt for this one)
-Les Miserables
-Seeing deer in my backyard in Michigan
-Autumn
-Jon Stewart
-Oatmeal cookie frozen yogurt from JP Licks in Boston
-Hitting the 'enter' button really hard with my pinky finger (that's kind of a weird one)
-Sneezing
-Buying presents for other people
-Going out on a boat
-Singing loudly when no one can see or hear me
-Being cold at night
-Reading fashion magazines
-Getting my hair cut short without telling anyone and then seeing their reaction
-Sleeping in a hotel
-Christmas lights (especially white ones)
-My little tattoo
-Awful television shows on MTV (Parental Control, etc.--I am addicted)
-Jacuzzis
-Champagne
-Cider mills
-Snowflakes on my eyelashes
-Gift certificates
-Watching The Muppets Christmas Carol with Alison and Peter on Christmas Eve
-Sleeping with 5 pillows and sprawling out on my bed
-Getting unexpected mail
-Strawberry gelato in Rome (Every cone I ordered for 4 months was strawberry with some other flavor. Yum.)
-Super Mario Bros 3
-Waking up to my TV in the middle of the night and realizing I get a few more hours of sleep
-Hooded sweatshirts
-Men's cologne
-Wearing glasses
-Wavy hair
-Sunbathing
-Little kids with winter hats that have ears
-Thursdays at noon when my weekend begins (I shouldn't get used to this one)
-Guacamole
-Holding hands
-Men in tuxedos
-Blowing out candles
-Jo Ann Fabrics (I could spend hours in that store)
-Taking naps (only 2+ hours)
-Gold jewelry
-Sweet potato fries from Johnny's in Newton Centre
-Sunsets on Lake Michigan
-Freckles!!!
-Listening to music or the TV as I fall asleep
-Driving, especially at night
-Cracking my back
-The name Stella
-Fake eyelashes
-Peacock feathers
-My dad's handwriting
-Watching Family Guy with Peter
-Hungry Howie's cheese pizza with butter cheese crust (and Howie bread, obviously)
-Sweeping up dust bunnies
-Mitch Hedberg
-Friendship bracelets

because even in heaven they don't sing all the time

2006-11-06T19:30:00.000-08:00

This weekend I flew from Chicago to NYC--my first time on a plane in about six months. I like to travel and generally don't mind the stress of airports and flying, and I am always interested by the people I encounter on these trips. On Thursday I got to the airport about 2.5 hours early because it was my first time taking the el to the airport and wasn't sure how long it would take, so I got there with plenty of time to choose practically any seat on the plane. So, I chose a window seat toward the front of the plane, as I always try to do. When we boarded the plane, however, a man was in my seat. I felt it might be rude for me, a 22 year old girl, to ask him, probably in his late 40s, to get up, so I took the aisle seat and gave him the benefit of the doubt. First of all, I hate that I thought that because of our age/sex difference I felt like I couldn't correct him, but that is a completely different topic for another day. For the next 2 hours, anyway, I regretted this decision. This man was one of the most unpleasant I have ever been seated next to. He wasn't unpleasant to me specifically, but he was incredibly rude to the flight attendants. He had apparently decided that the airline's rules did not apply to him and that he could disregard anything said by the flight attendants. Turn off his music? No thanks. Stop sending messages on his blackberry? Of course not. Catch the flight attendant's attention by doing something other than shouting gibberish at her? Nah.
I know a lot of people ignore these rules (except for that last one, which was just completely rude), but why is it that they would be applicable to some and not to others? Anyway, it got me thinking about the concept of entitlement. At what point do we feel as though we are entitled? What is it that made this man think that the rules did not apply to him? After I landed in NYC, I calmed down a little bit and realized that my flight wasn't so bad and that I was overreacting, but I couldn't help but stay mad at my plane-neighbor. Taking a plane is a privilege, not a right, so why not be respectful of those around us? I guess he also felt entitled to any seat which, unfortunately for me, was 5D. Next time I will claim the seat that is rightfully mine.

Anyway, my flight back to Chicago was rather uneventful--I sat (in my window seat!) next to a very nice girl about my age and slept for almost the entire flight, but the man on the other side of the aisle was quite interesting. He was very good-looking and well-dressed, probably also in his 40s, and entirely pleasant. When the flight attendants came around to serve drinks, he engaged them both in conversation and even looked back toward the back of the plane when we deplaned to wave goodbye to one of them. I was delighted to see such a friendly man, but this was not why I liked him so much. For the entirety of the flight, he was making origami. Yes, that's right, origami. He had brought small sheets of colorful paper with him in his carry-on and was folding his little heart out, changing my perception of middle-aged men altogether. I really wanted him to leave one of his creations behind on the plane so I could take it--they were that cool!! It just goes to show you that you never really know what to expect from people; some read to pass the time, others catch some Zs, and apparently at least one man enjoys the Japanese art of paper folding.

with its men of distinction

2006-10-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

Pistons season is here again!! I've also just been told that I have tickets waiting for me when I come home for Thanksgiving, so I'm pretty happy. The Pistons are the only Detroit team that I have any interest in--although I am happy for the Tigers for making it to the World Series for what I think is the first time in my lifetime. While I personally don't have a problem with "fair weather fans," I'd rather not be one. So while everyone else has been watching the Tigers restore the roar, I have been getting ready for the Pistons to go to work.

First of all, Rip lost the braids!! I'm very happy about this, and would be even happier if he would also trim the goatee. As a new captain this year, Rip is growing up, cutting his hair, and will hopefully become an even better leader on the court. One thing that I'm not looking forward to about this season is the absence of Ben Wallace, who has followed me to Chicago (Why else would he come?). Big Ben was never my favorite, but one of my favorite overall aspects of the team was the starting 5: Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace. It will be interesting to see how Nazr Mohammed will do in his place, but we all know that I'll still be focusing most of my attention on #32. Anyway, the first game is Wednesday against Milwaukee. Go Pistons!!

if you don't mind a touch of hell now and then

2006-10-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Halloween is a week away, which I'm sure is the reason that this little boy wore his Spiderman costume to the zoo yesterday, but he was the only one dressed up and it made me so happy. I'm volunteering at "Spooky Zoo" next week with the Women's Law Society and will see tons of kids dressed up then, but this is much cooler. I imagined that this little boy woke up yesterday morning and said to his mother, "I cannot wait until October 31st. I will be Spiderman today." When (if) I have kids, they will be allowed--possibly even encouraged--to wear their Halloween costumes any day of the year.

the world is a beautiful place

2006-10-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE...
[[Lawrence Ferlinghetti]]

The world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don't mind happiness
not always being
so very much fun
if you don't mind a touch of hell
now and then
just when everything is fine
because even in heaven
they don't sing
all the time

The world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don't mind some people dying
all the time
or maybe only starving
some of the time
which isn't half so bad
if it isn't you

Oh the world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don't much mind
a few dead minds
in the higher places
or a bomb or two
now and then
in your upturned faces
or such other improprieties
as our Name Brand society
is prey to
with its men of distinction
and its men of extinction
and its priests
and other patrolmen

and its various segregations
and congressional investigations
and other constipations
that our fool flesh
is heir to

Yes the world is the best place of all
for a lot of such things as
making the fun scene
and making the love scene
and making the sad scene
and singing low songs and having inspirations
and walking around
looking at everything
and smelling flowers
and goosing statues
and even thinking
and kissing people and
making babies and wearing pants
and waving hats and
dancing
and going swimming in rivers
on picnics
in the middle of the summer
and just generally
'living it up'
Yes
but then right in the middle of it
comes the smiling
mortician