April 15, 2006
divine angst: S-A! T-U-R! D-A-Y! Write!
http://divineangst.blawgcoop.com/archives/2006/04/sa_tur_day_writ.html Dude! Don't do it! If you've gone 40 days w/out caffiene, don't ever go back! Enjoy your new sense of balance, your natural energy cycles, your lack of dependency on some foreign substance, plus all the money and time you'll save not bothering to buy or make coffee all the time. Really -- why go back? (I'm posting this out of envy. If I could go 40 days w/out coffee I'd be jumping for joy and looking forward to the next 400 days w/out my bad bad habit.)Posted by mowabb at 06:00 PM
April 03, 2006
Will Work for Favorable Dicta: Are you peeing?
http://favorabledicta.blogspot.com/2006/04/are-you-peeing.html I think you should be very proud of the fact that you “exist in an extreme degree.” I don't know why, but it makes me think of Thoreau: “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” Unlike “most men,” you're trying to get all you can out of life -- you're singing your song, dammit! There are many guys out there who will love you for precisely that, I'm certain of it!Posted by mowabb at 07:49 AM
March 29, 2006
Screaming Bean - temping
http://babybean.blogspot.com/2006/03/well-im-slightly-closer-to-small-temp.html Ouch. I fear I will be joining you in the land of the temp job very soon. What about “document review” at a big firm? I've known law grads who have made some serious cash this way, but I don't know how common that is...Posted by mowabb at 09:29 PM
March 20, 2006
buzzwords: beach books
http://tonguebutnodoor.net/monica/archives/2006/03/post_10.html Well, I understand that South Beach isn't what you would call paradise, but I can't help pointing out that you're still technically in law school and yet you're in a place where you can just casually say “I was sitting on the beach last Saturday....” Sorry, I just can't feel too badly about the dearth of coffee shops. ;-) As for books, I'm sure Amazon delivers to SoBe. I tried to read Galapagos a few months ago and got about 1/3 of the way before something else grabbed my attention. It was interesting, but... One of my friends thinks it is one of the best books ever so I'll probably get around to reading it at some point. Zen and the Art was a transformitive book for me in H.S. I don't remember why I loved it so much, but love it I did. I think it was just the whole mood and tone of the thing -- the whole existential exploration deal. I expect now it would seem narcisistic or overwrought to me, but who knows? I'll look forward to hearing what you think if you end up reading it.... I do think most of us don't stop often enough to ask what we're doing with our lives and why, and I think ZatAoMM encourages you to do that. In fact, right now might be the perfect time for a little soul-searching and self assessment as you finish school and transition to a career. Can you tell I really wish I could go to the beach and read a good book or two?Posted by mowabb at 09:20 AM
March 15, 2006
Gideon's Guardians: passed, grrr
http://gideonsguardians.blogspot.com/2006/03/passed-grrr.html It sounds like your intern is getting some excellent experience, which is probably why she got that job. As a law student, I'm jealous!Posted by mowabb at 12:48 PM
February 24, 2006
prettytypewriters » Dissertation Guilt
http://www.prettytypewriters.com/bloggy/index.php?p=191 Ah yes, now that I know who it was, I'm laughing all the more. I can picture it now... I can't believe that crazy kid went and bought a house in Chambana! Why now? At least maybe if I ever make it back there this is a good sign there will still be someone around to say hello.Posted by mowabb at 06:51 PM
February 22, 2006
thisdarkqualm » Blog Archive » Random Things
http://thisdarkqualm.com/?p=380#comments I believe you both right and a misguided language tyrant at once. That’s quite an accomplishment; your chances of finding such a combination in the wild are quite random. ;-)Posted by mowabb at 06:25 AM
February 21, 2006
prettytypewriters » Dissertation Guilt
http://www.prettytypewriters.com/bloggy/index.php?p=191 It's stories like this that make me *not* so much miss the fact that I bailed on the whole diss thing. I hope your project is not eating at you like this...Posted by mowabb at 09:37 PM
Blonde Justice: Worst. Date. Ever.
http://blondejustice.blogspot.com/2006/02/worst-date-ever.html#comments OMG. After reading that story my legs won't stop itching and I will probably never be able to drink red kool-aid again. I have very low expectations for what eventally happened to that sad sad specimen of a boy. You were far too patient and kind!Posted by mowabb at 09:18 PM
February 19, 2006
Blonde Justice: Meet Bijou!
http://blondejustice.blogspot.com/2006/02/meet-bijou.html#comments Bijou is making my real dog bark. I know I could just stop clicking, but it's fun to watch my dog goes crazy as she looks around for this strange dog barking in our apartment. Does that make me mean?Posted by mowabb at 10:12 PM
February 16, 2006
Life, Law, Gender: Remnants of gender training, or What will I do after law school?
http://musingsonlifelawandgender.typepad.com/life_law_gender/2006/02/remnants_of_gen.html#comment-14031912 I think these “where are we going to live and work” decisions must be about the most difficult decisions couples have to make. My gfriend and I are going through something similar. I know you two will find a good compromise (she's a mediator, after all!), but getting there won't be easy. I agree w/Julie's advice completely, but it's hard to keep all this in perspective when you're talking about your first real legal job after investing so much time and money into law school. Best of luck to you guys!Posted by mowabb at 11:25 AM
February 13, 2006
Will Work for Favorable Dicta: Goddamnit. God. Damn. It.
http://favorabledicta.blogspot.com/2006/02/goddamnit-god-damn-it.html In fact, it could be you are *too* loveable and he was afraid that he'd actually really fall for you and he's a wuss who couldn't handle that kind of thing so he had to cut and run. His loss. If it helps at all, you actually sound like you've got a great perspective on this. I hope the sun continues to shine around there!Posted by mowabb at 09:23 AM
February 12, 2006
buzzwords: February 12, 2006
http://tonguebutnodoor.net/monica/archives/2006/02/post_3.html It's great to be getting your updates via RSS again! Thanks for fixing that. So how much snow did you end up with? We only got about 8-9 inches around here. I guess NYC got about 2 feet, which makes me kind of jealous, actually...Posted by mowabb at 10:34 PM
February 11, 2006
Half-Cocked: A Warning to Shaving Enthusiasts
http://blawgcoop.com/half-cocked/archives/2006/02/a_warning_to_sh.html Secret? For men? Does this exist or are you guys running around smelling like flowers? But thanks for clarifying this chaotic consumer landscape. I've been seeing those snazzy Fusion displays at the local drugstore and wondering what all the fuss is about. I'm really surprised to hear how much you like the M3, though. Perhaps I'll have to give it a shot. Usually I can't stand how long it takes to shave w/a regular razor alone and all the shaving cream and all the hassle, so I've pretty much settled on an electric razor pre-shave, followed by a quick scraping with the trusty old Gillette Sensor as the final act before exiting the shower. The electric pre-shave means the regular razor shave takes about 10 seconds. A relatively quick, close, and hassle-free shave is a good thing.Posted by mowabb at 07:44 AM
Arbitrary and Capricious: WA: area residents dazed, confused by warm shiny object in sky
http://skellywright.blogspot.com/2006/02/wa-area-residents-dazed-confused-by.html Whoa, Anonymous, that's a big question for a little blog comment. Good luck with that. But Skelly, these photos are gorgeous. No wonder you love it there so much!Posted by mowabb at 07:36 AM
February 10, 2006
Scoplaw: Blawgging Pause
http://scoplaw.blogs.com/scoplaw/2006/02/blawgging_pause.html#comment-13840304 Sometimes when a single subject takes over your blog, you let the mundanities slip. And when they slip, it’s hard to return to them (for the contrast makes them seem trite) and it’s hard to compile them as they start to slip out of immediate memory. So true. I feel this way all the time. A blog can be sort of schizophrenic when it jumps from serious to light and everywhere in between all the time, yet that's how life is, isn't it? Your rarebit sounds yummy, if a little complicated. I'm more of a “open microwave, insert dish, press 5 minutes” kind of cook, myself.Posted by mowabb at 04:31 PM
January 28, 2006
Ditzy Genius: Spill
http://ditzygenius.blogspot.com/2006/01/spill.html Tell us more about the public defender dream. Why is it fading? What are the alternatives? Job searching is *hard* and I don't like it!Posted by mowabb at 01:48 PM
January 27, 2006
WonL: I write a blog, but am I really a blogger?
http://wonl.blogspot.com/2006/01/i-write-blog-but-am-i-really-blogger.html You expressed almost exactly something I've long felt and never resolved. I generally keep the blogging world clearly separated from the the “real” world except with my closest family and friends who “know me” in both worlds or ways. It's odd when the two worlds collide. And I wonder if you'll find -- if you continue to develop friendships with people you meet through your blog -- that the separation will continue. Your blog friends will still be your blog friends, separate from the rest of your life, at least until you invite some blog friends and some “real life” friends to get together for the same event and are forced to explain to your “real life” friends how you know all these crazy blog people. That has only happened to me once and I just didn't answer the question. Are our blogs reasons to be embarrassed? I don't think yours is, and perhaps its time I “owned” mine, as well. Hmm... Anyway, good for you for going to that happy hour. I thought about it for about 10 seconds. Now that I know you were there I wish I'd gone!Posted by mowabb at 11:28 AM
October 26, 2005
Woman of the law: coming full circle
http://womanofthelaw.blogspot.com/2005/10/coming-full-circle.html#comments Wow. I've got nuthin as far as what you should do about the whole getting involved w/a coworker thing, but I can say that is one damn fine story! You recreated the night so vividly that I was hanging on the edge of my seat at the end of every post! You know, NaNoWriMo starts on Monday. I know that was all true, but imagine what a great story you could tell if you started making stuff up...Posted by mowabb at 12:33 AM
September 21, 2005
Parenthetical Statement: cry wolf
http://www.bloglicious.com/tony/archives/001174.html I saw Ralph Nader walking near the Dupont Hilton once last year and it seemed like a brush w/celebrity to me. D.C. people are geeks that way -- that's why we're in D.C., maybe. I also keep seeing one of the contestants from Showtime's “The American Candidate,” which was a reality show in fall 2004 about these people who were competing for a fantasy presidential nomination. I believe the man's name was Richard and he, too, seems like a celebrity to me. Me = geek. But I'd say Wolf Blitzer is definitely a celebrity. A windbag and crap reporter, but a celebrity, nonetheless.Posted by mowabb at 04:22 PM
September 08, 2005
Lotsawords: 7 Things Right Now
http://lotsawords.blogspot.com/2005/09/7-things-right-now.html I usually get that whole new goal/reevaluation urge in the spring. The fall is just time to chill and be thankful for cooler temperatures, sunnny days that are so clear you wish they could go on forever, and the beauty of the trees adorned in their most brilliant (non-green colors). But anyway, I wanted to tell you what we did to stop the morning barking for the dog: Keep an aluminum can beside your bed w/a handful of pennies inside it. Whenever the dog makes a sound you don't like, shake the can loudly a few times. Then again, then again. Try to make the shake seem like a reflex, something that's going to happen every time the dog makes a noise. Pretty soon, the dog will forget it wanted to make noise in the mornings. Worked for our morning barker/whiner, anyway... Good luck!Posted by mowabb at 08:14 AM
September 01, 2005
Objective Justice: Looting or Privilege?
http://objectivejustice.blogspot.com/2005/08/looting-or-privilege.html Far be it from me to miss a chance to point out cops behaving badly, but that photo you linked to doesn't really convince me that police are looting. I mean, it looks highly possible, but cops also take evidence from suspects in the course of their duties or investigations. Couldn't the dvds and whatnot in that picture be evidence they have confiscated? I dunno. Probably not, but it's a thought. It seems kind of important to critically examine the media spin on what's happening in New Orleans and elsewhere. It makes a good story if the cops are joining the looters, but that doesn't make it true. It also makes a good story to talk about looting more generally, but that may only make the problem worse or blow it far out of proportion.Posted by mowabb at 10:29 AM
August 10, 2005
WonL: I'm going to do it!...maybe.
http://wonl.blogspot.com/2005/08/im-going-to-do-itmaybe.html So when do we get pics? My sister did this same thing -- long hair her whole life and then finally working up the nerve, over, like, years, to get it cut. She waited until she was about 30 and it was a pretty traumatic thing for her. After about 2-3 years w/short hair she finally started to be able to get it cut regularly w/out it being a big deal. Now she says she really likes having short hair and even enjoys the experience of going to the salon to have it cut. May your experience be as good, but faster. ;-)Posted by mowabb at 11:32 PM
thisdarkqualm » Running
http://thisdarkqualm.com/?p=281 No superhuman here. I'm barely limping through my so-called marathon “training.” You'd be surprised how far you could go if you were asked to, I think. But here's what I know about fuel while running: First, get a water bottle belt. The ones with a single larger bottle are better than the ones w/a bunch of small bottles b/c the one bottle is much easier to fill. I have this one and I've found it works quite well for about 5 miles or less. It also has a pocket in which you can put snacks. I recommend Gu. It's like eating frosting, which might sound not great (I love frosting!) but you can suck it down easily while running and it gets absorbed by your body and converted to energy pretty fast. It's basically just sugar and carbs so you can also try any other energy bar or candy type thing that will give you those things. As the Gu folks recommend, you'll probably feel pretty fine if you eat something about every 40-45 minutes of running. These are the things I have been told and they have worked for me. I don't really recommend running, though -- it's really bad for your knees and back. ;-)Posted by mowabb at 11:23 PM
May 09, 2005
Life, Law, Gender: Oooh! I'm famous!
http://musingsonlifelawandgender.typepad.com/life_law_gender/2005/05/oooh_im_famous.html We're cool w/you, too, Denise, and it's great to see that Chirs is, too. I really appreciate what you've done/are doing w/this site -- being candid about your transition and standing up to irrational prejudice where you see it. I really think it's this kind of thing -- on a massive scale -- that exposes fear and prejudice for what they are and make them unacceptable to soceity. One person at a time is really the only way to change anything, isn't it?Posted by mowabb at 12:20 PM
May 08, 2005
Just Playin': Bathroom Etiquette
http://justplayinblog.blogspot.com/2005/05/bathroom-etiquette-part-i-get-your.html “Your butt has a phobia.” I read this five minutes ago and I'm *still* laughing!Posted by mowabb at 08:46 PM
May 02, 2005
thisdarkqualm » Cavity Creeps
http://thisdarkqualm.com/index.php?p=173 You are not wrong, but there's probably not a lot you can do other than make yourself such a pain in corporate's ass that they just wipe away that little bill rather than have to deal with you. That might not be possible now that they're talking collections. Now you could wait for the stupid thing to go to collections; once you get a collections notice, you have 30 days to notify the collection agent *in writing* (preferably by certified mail so you can be sure they'll open it) that you dispute the charge; they are legally obligated to investigate and verify the charge and they are not supposed to report it as a bad debt (to credit reporting agencies, or CRAs) during that time. Some collection agents hate this process so much that they just send the debt back to the biller, at which point you would have created a pain for corporate and you could call every day and hassle them patiently until they see things your way. Oh, if you do this, call the collection agent frequently to check on the status of things; if they do send the debt back to the biller, you'll want to call the biller ASAP to try to get them to drop it. You could also take them to small claims court, but um, your time is worth more than that. Another response: Spread bad publicity all over Chambana about the way this business treated you poorly and make sure all of UIUC knows not to get work done there. ;-)Posted by mowabb at 08:57 AM
May 01, 2005
From Engineer To Lawyer: i would like a dull moment, please
http://transmogriflaw.typepad.com/transmogriflaw/2005/04/i_would_like_a_.html Here's to a speedy and full recovery for poor RW. This story makes me feel very lucky I only had to put up w/hyper puppy and not tennis-ball-in-intestine puppy. Yikes!Posted by mowabb at 02:12 PM
April 25, 2005
Mackenzie's Weblog: Back!
http://www.macknzie.net/blog/archives/2005_04.html#000339 Congrats on getting your computer working again. I'm kind of a Dell hata, but it does sound like they treated you right here. So what's the best restaurant in town these days? When I lived there, there weren't too many choices but The Overland and Jeffrey's were generally pretty great. I liked the brewpub that was open on, um, 3rd street (or was it 2nd street) for a while, kind of near the Fireside. I thought I heard that was gone, though. And it wasn't a place for great food, necessarily, but then, that's not generally why you go to a brewpub...Posted by mowabb at 05:18 PM
April 23, 2005
spasticrobot: Bianchi Milano 120
http://spasticrobot.typepad.com/spasticrobot/2005/04/bianchi_milano_.html That's a sweet looking ride. I have the 2002 Milano (only 7 speed Nexus hub) and it's been great, but I wouldn't want to put in too many serious biking hours on it. I mean, it's a great bike, but if you're really going to put in hours, you can do better. The Milano makes a great city bike -- short rides, lots of traffic, stop and go, frequent shfting stuff. It's perfect for that, although, after three years of what I wouldn't consider overly rigorous use the rear end (the Nexus hub) is making some very unpleasant grinding noises. I have no idea what that means.... Anyway, enjoy your bike -- it's a great machine! p.s.: This random comment is just from someone who googled “Bianchi Milano” and you happened to be in the top three results.Posted by mowabb at 03:16 PM
divine angst: oh crap:
http://divineangst.blawgcoop.com/archives/2005/04/oh_crap.html Suggestion: Buy a bunch of same-size boxes at Office Depot or someplace like that. Why buy boxes, you ask? A couple reasons: 1) If you have a bunch of boxes all the same size you can pack your truck *much* more easily. They also make it easier to store unopened boxes in closets or elsewhere. 2) If you're moving a couple of times in the near future (and you are), getting good boxes will pay off. The boxes you buy set up easily and then, when you've finished your first move, you can collapse them again and pile them under your bed or something. Then, in a month or three when you're ready to move again, look! you've got boxes! Is it worth the expense? I dunno, but it has worked well for us in our, um three moves in the last two years.Posted by mowabb at 07:34 AM
April 17, 2005
Will Work for Favorable Dicta: There's this one particular harbour...
http://favorabledicta.blogspot.com/2005/04/theres-this-one-particular-harbour.html Moot shmoot. You'll rock the courtroom with your command of the law. And if you don't, there's always beer. Sure, good appellate arguments can make law (and earn loads of favorable dicta), but beer is cheaper, and, well, it's good. Those shots of the coast are awesome. They remind me of the time I hiked the “lost coast” of Northern California w/my then girlfriend. Three days of no one but us and mile after mile (about 15 miles in total, I think) of breathtaking beauty like that captured in your pics. Talk about solitude and peace and blowing out the cobwebs from your brain. Man, what I would give for another hike like that about now...Posted by mowabb at 09:31 PM
April 16, 2005
prettytypewriters » Congrats Jeff:
http://www.prettytypewriters.com/bloggy/index.php?p=76
Please give Jeff and Carin my congratulations! Yeah, I could email them, but that would be so, um, friendly-like, and I’m so bad at that. Andy C. was actually in town this week so we went out on the 14th and drank something of a toast to Jeff’s defense and job. It’s so amazing to think about really. It seems like just yesterday we were all chirping little birdies in that BTW class where Andy was one of our bosses, and now we’re partly scattered to the winds and Jeff is done and moving and…. Time is the trippiest drug.
Posted by mowabb at 08:31 PM
April 09, 2005
divine angst: come back, joy!
http://divineangst.blawgcoop.com/archives/2005/04/come_back_joy.html
I had to sell my house to go to law school, too, and it was a very sad thing, actually. I mean, I was excited to get such a good price, but I was also very sad to leave the place in someone else's hands and to think that I may never own another place again. It was a tiny little shack, but it was mine. Oh, and facing the prospect of paying rent after owning? Suck. But these are the things we do.
The plus side of selling is that you're free of those ownership obligations. And renting means you get to worry less if things break or fall into disrepair, which is good...
Posted by mowabb at 10:36 AM
April 04, 2005
prettytypewriters » Go Illini!
http://www.prettytypewriters.com/bloggy/index.php?p=69
I’m with you. I wish they’d “retire” the Chief so I could cheer for the Illini more wholeheartedly, but, well, go illini.
Any new Chief developments, or is it still just one of those constant campus controversies?
Posted by mowabb at 05:49 AM
April 03, 2005
idlegrasshopper:
http://idlegrasshopper.blogspot.com/2005/03/ahhh.html
A little bit embarrassed about being a little bit excited is a little bit weird, except that I understand because, well, who wants to admit being excited about a law school class? Then again, CrimLaw rocks, so chuck the embarrassment and just have fun.
Oh, but those people who stand left on the escalator? I want to scream!!! I suffered silently for a while, but my practice now is to be as pushy as I can make myself be in asking them to get out of the way. Most of the time a simple “excuse me” works, but not when there's like an entire planeload of tourists on the escalator w/their luggage. At that point, you just have to sigh and listen to them talk about how long this escalator is while in your head you're thinking, “yeah, and you just wasted two minutes of my life; thanks!”
Posted by mowabb at 02:22 PM
March 28, 2005
Favorable Dicta -- Decisions, Decisions:
http://favorabledicta.blogspot.com/2005/03/decisions-decisions.html
Silver Spring is pretty cool, but it is pretty far away from most of what people I know enjoy about DC -- and far away from your job. I lived there the first 6 months or so I was in DC and i enjoyed the lower cost but didn't so much enjoy the commute. That said, I'll be doing an hour commute each way to work again this summer and that blows, but I did it last year and it wasn't as bad as it sounds. You can get lots of good reading done on the bus/train. I'm still keeping my eyes peeled for a sublet for you, but so far, nothing has come up. I know a guy who said he might have something at his place that's closer in to downtown; I'll talk to him again and see if the place is available and what the details are...
Posted by mowabb at 07:32 AM
March 22, 2005
The Neutral Zone Trap: March 2005
http://emcpan.blogspot.com/2005_03_01_emcpan_archive.html#111144083563847343
And now I finally understand what your painting meant!
But welcome back from the islands and good luck w/your trial. How's that going, by the way?
p.s.: That lava is cool because it is hot. Discuss.
Posted by mowabb at 09:22 PM
March 20, 2005
Sea-Fever: Race Report:
http://seafever.blogs.com/seafever/2005/03/race_report.html Congratulations! Do you feel like doing another one next Saturday? ;-)Posted by mowabb at 12:30 PM
March 19, 2005
prettytypewriters » A Day in the Life:
http://www.prettytypewriters.com/bloggy/index.php?p=58 That was awesome. I mean, really, really cool. How did you do that!? Was this mostly iMovie? And what did you use for recording the initial video and sound? It looks and sounds so sharp and clear! I'm very impressed! And jealous. You get to do this stuff for credit!? I clearly made a mistake in not following your footsteps... But, and so, I do think you would like Garageband. I played w/Audacity a little and it just seemed clunky and I couldn't make it do what I wanted, but Garageband is dead easy and fun, too. I don't have the '05 version, but I still recommend it. Don't you think you should do a podcast with me and tell me all about the fun stuff you're doing these days? Yeah, I think you should, too. ;-)Posted by mowabb at 10:19 PM
me, 2.0: march tracks
http://monkey.org/~jose/blog//viewpage.php?page=march_tracks I love this pic. It's simple and subtle, and that makes it great. But dude, since when do you feel you have to explain why you're using a Mac? There are so many reasons it should be the other way around -- why would you use anything else? (Yeah, I know, lots of reasons. I'm just pulling your leg b/c I'm jealous you got a new PB. My trusty but slow (600 mhz G3) iBook is headed for 4 years old and I'm starting to seriously yearn for some new hardware...)Posted by mowabb at 06:22 PM