"Hang" In There!

I almost got really excited when I opened up my Urban Daddy today to find an announcement for Cupid's Undie Run, a Capitol Hill event taking place this Saturday.

But, seeing as I am required to show up to the Capitol Building clothed 3 days a week, I am pretty sure I will have to pass.

If you are still having a hard time lining up employment for next year, I advise against running around your internship office naked.

Actually, this may be a good angle for some of you. But, if you don't think you can "swing" it, try checking out initiatives like NYSBA's Lawyers in Transition instead.

Weathering...yet, another...Storm

As I'm sure you've heard, DC has been hit with a monumental storm this weekend. In any other emergency, the District's nominal tax base would have our nation's capital in disarray, however, the conditions today were so severe that we had no choice but to get out and enjoy ourselves.















Here are a few shots from earlier this morning:

Suffering through the some 30" of snow that dumped on us was well worth it once I ventured to the main drag and witnessed my neighbors who, like myself, shared in the joy of trudging through the streets without fear of getting run over.




I saw a whole lot of neighborly today; a man snow-blowing an elderly woman's walkway, a bevy of strangers lined up behind a car with two-wheel drive to push it up one of the many hills that landscape Columbia Heights. But, I have to say, I was most impressed by those local vendors who refuse to neglect market demand.

Weathering the Storm

More Proof the Internet Does Not Forget

I'll spare you from reading the entire article. Here is an excerpt:

"Brynn Rovito, 22 of East Longmeadow, MA, was one of a few left at Hartford's Half Door, a cozy Irish pub popular with young professionals and grad students. "I'd be like 'Where's my purse and my boyfriend?' and head for the door," she said."

The best part? I'm pretty sure my purse was a fake Dior Saddle Bag and that I didn't have a boyfriend.

Takeaways? Don't ever agree to be interviewed at 1:56am. Oh, and don't hang out in Hartford.

Blue States Lose?

Massachusetts is holding a special election today; the winner will be heir to the throne of the late Senator Ted Kennedy. Democrat Martha Coakley is up against Scott Brown, a Republican whose rapid rise to stardom has Democrats across the country paying attention to my great home state.

People are so up in arms about this election because a Republican win would shatter what is now a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. A filibuster is a procedural mechanism in the Senate that is used to block legislation; it involves a number of opposing Senators lining up to talk for hours on end "against" the legislation.

A filibuster is just another one of those tactical procedural rules that makes the Senate so darn interesting. We staff have a few rules of our own; one of these is that each office be equipped with a TV tuned to the Senate floor. That being said, I am officially opposing Brown because I don't want to spend the next few months listening to the entire health care bill read in a southern drawl.

Another thing that annoys me is hipsters. If you share the sentiment check out Blue States Lose. Blue States Lose is a hilarious feature on Gawker borne out of the Missfits era in New York City.

If you are both a hipster and into politics...fear not, you can still be fashionably ironic and stupid at the same time.

Now is the Time

I make it a point to watch Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech on this day every year. You should too.

If you don't have 17 minutes to listen to some of the greatest rhetoric of our time, take at least 1 minute to check out my favorite part:

"In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice."

Mint Condition

I woke up early this morning and headed down to U street to check out Mint. Mint is a gym "tranquility retreat" here in DC.

Call me a gym snot, but there are just certain requirements a facility must meet before they get a year's worth of my commitment. This basically boils down to a minimum number of parolees and a steam room, so generally less expensive gyms work. However, Mint has this enticing 5-day trial membership offer so I figure it's about time to see what all the hype is about.

Pros: free mint-infused water; adequate amount of weight balls and stretchy bands; lots of wonky guys.

Cons: kind of small; no stairmaster; lots of wonky women.

I have to say, though, I've noticed an added pep in my step since this morning. I've always thought an early AM filled with loud music and grunting patrons was the ticket to get me fired up for the day, but it turns out the exact opposite is true; Mint does not play music and their trainers don't approach you with business cards. Seriously, I feel like I just got back from a yoga retreat.

Sidebar: Mint gets a A++ on the privacy scale due to their strict ban on cell phone use which includes not only talking, but texting and "checking."

Why DC Does NOT Rule: People Steal Stuff

This past Saturday night, I got my jacket stolen from Masa on 14th street. A devastating blow to my winter wardrobe, it got me thinking about all of the other things I've lost. My dad, a learned scholar of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, often tells me that whenever we cry, we are really mourning our past losses. Ain't that the truth; I can't stop thinking about everything else I have loved and lost.

Loss #1: D.A.M.M. (Drunks Against Mad Mothers) T-Shirt

• Place of Purchase: Salvation Army on Boston Road, Springfield, MA
• Date of Purchase: 1996
• Purchase Price: $2.35
• Last Seen: Unknown
• Additional Details: Anyone that went to Cathedral High School knew the importance of the perfect undershirt. To be worn under the CHS embroidered polo it needed to be (1) tight enough to avoid the extra bulk (2) worn-in just enough so it didn't itch and (3) nondescript enough to pass the muster of the hawk-eyed nuns that monitored the hallways during class changes and lunchtime. The most important characteristic? It had to be cool enough to wear in the parking lot after school. As you can tell, this shirt's creative spin on M.A.D.D. made me particularly cool when I was a junior.

Favorite Item #2: Blue and White "Royals" T-Shirt w/#6 on the back

• Place of Purchase: Goodwill on Cooley Street, Springfield, MA
• Purchase Price: $2.15
• Purchase Date: 1998
• Last Seen: Friend's boat in Hawaii Kai
• Additional Details: Kid's baseball shirt, with signs of an accidental bleach washing on the left sleeve and rear bottom corner. I suspect it was repeatedly washed by the mother of an 8-year old boy with snot running down his face and dirt on his knees. I assume it was donated once the season ended. The combination of shrunk cotton and disintegrated threading made it a key component of my college wardrobe: tight enough in the sleeves to show off the toned arms I earned at the gym...and loose enough on the bottom to cover up the beer-gut I earned at the bars.

I'd love to go into detail about my recent loss (perfectly tailored asymmetrical shoulder pads), but it is far too painful. I can only hope the afterlife has its own unique tailoring. For me, eternal joy will come once St. Peter greets me at the golden gates of heaven with my wings, halo and Salvation Army t-shirts.

Sidebar: Masa just opened, so I should probably tell you how great the food was. However, because I am not entirely convinced a member of their staff did not steal my beloved black leather blazer, you can read about it on someone else's website.

Why DC Rules: Free Museums

Did you know that all of the museums in DC are free? (Except the International Spy Museum but don't go there unless you're into the whole interactive thing). I decided to start taking advantage of this. Heading to the National Museum of Natural History this afternoon before class.

For some other reasons why DC rules check out the list compiled by my girl Meg. While you are at it, start reading this blog daily. It is hilarious. The internet is totally saturated with bloggers that think they are hilarious and interesting (like me) who are really not (unlike me), but this isn't one of them. Reading 2birds1blog makes me feel like I am dying laughing with my best friend over a few beers.

UPDATE!

Here is what I learned today:

If you can read this, you are a primate.

I also learned that the Smithsonian requires a fairly invasive body search before leaving the Butterfly Pavillion and that most crystals look like penises.

Spinning My Wheels

I kept telling myself I would eventually finish the 46 entries stored in my drafts folder. I wish I could say I never got around to it because I've been so busy, but that would be a lie. I log in frequently. Every time I clicked into my dashboard they stared me down; a not-so-gentle reminder of a fizzling blog. I hope you aren't too disappointed when I tell you this, but they are going to stay there. If there is ever a market demand for the "unfinished blog postings of myself as a 15-year-old on adderral," you have my permission to publish them after I die.

I decided I could continue this blog for a few reasons (all legitimate):

1. I am graduating soon and I am sick of talking about law school.

2. My therapist says I have to embrace my new identity.

3. I need to cultivate my snark if I'm ever going to be a panelist on "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!"

4. This is my blog and I can do whatever the hell I want.

Ever seen a hamster running on one of those plastic wheels? For a while now, I've felt constrained by topics like behavioral advertising and privacy torts. I started to think a little about where I see myself in a few years, and I'm not totally positive it is as a privacy/property law expert. Still, why trap myself in last year's writing?

And... what the F, this blog thing was supposed to be fun (my idea of fun clearly different than most). Denying you bit off more than you can chew is not. Besides, being a blog authored by a law student...that only talks about law school...and students...and students in law school...is pretty boring. Not to mention I now cringe when I see people outlining in October.

That doesn't mean I need to throw in the towel. I don't love property law any less than when I started, but my particular interests have changed and I want to use the blog to explore them. There is something to be said for forging through something you no longer have an interest in: nothing.

A common problem faced by those in the legal profession is hitting the plateau. It helps to think about where you want to be in a few years. If what you are working on now isn't going to get you there, then perhaps it's time to cut your losses. But, don't listen to me. What works for me may not work for you. You might need to leave your wife. You might need to get on a plane. You might just need to take a shower.

All I know is there are few things worse in life than living it hopelessly uninspired. Which leads me to the most important reason I've decided to keep this blog going: YOU. I've always been pleased with the amount of traffic the site gets, but what really surprised me is how many people have taken the time to tell me how much they are actually inspired by me.

Thank you!

Baby Steps

Just took the MPRE. I don't get the results for 5 weeks, but for those who've yet to take it: don't worry too much. Despite being given by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, it pales in comparison to the actual bar.

On the adolescent-sex-exploration-scale it's like drinking out of the same soda can as your boyfriend.

Shout out to Mark Shipley (my first) who, on second thought, deserves a double-shout: when we couldn't find a bottle that would actually spin, he improvised with my tube of Dial-A-Lash.

Let's hope things stay this simple for a while.

Pretty Woman

One of my super-smart law school buddies (who has recently graduated: congrats) never got any grade below an A- in all of his law school career. A year ahead of me, he actually spent a considerable amount of his own study time helping me understand very basic legal concepts. One day, he confessed to me that he felt like a fraud. He was afraid; it was a matter of time before someone called him out for the idiot he really was.

At the time, I had no idea what he was talking about; I chalked it up to the plight of a tortured academic way smarter than myself....I would never be surprised if someone called my bluff; Hell, I'd be shocked it took them as long as it did.

I had my first day of orientation at GW this week. I introduced myself to this super awesome professor and enthusiastically went on and on about working at the Senate this fall and asked him which of his classes I should take. His response? "Why didn't you transfer? Did you apply as a visiting student because you didn't get in the first time?" Holy exposed.

I pictured myself in a gigantic bathtub at the Regent Beverly Wilshire and silently responded to his comment as Vivian did to Edward:

Edward: "Three thousand. For six days. And Vivian, I will let you go."

Vivian: "But I'm here now."

Instead of laughing wildly and dunking my head into a cascade of foaming bubbles, I rewound the Prince tape on my Walkman and said "Why wouldn't I?" Spending my last year at GW as a visiting student means I get to take classes with famous professors, attend lectures given by Supreme Court justices and go to dorky SBA mixers with my new friends who did better than me on the LSAT.

But, I get it. I have always equated intelligence with intensity. I will never fully understand Con Law unless I read Marbury v. Madison again; I will never be a better writer unless I lock myself in a room and write with a fountain pen by candlelight.

But, is this really necessary? If Vivian spent her 20's playing polo instead of trampsing all over the Blue Banana would she and Edward have fallen in love? Doubt it. Edward fell in love. Why? Well, she happened to be the only one on Hollywood Boulevard that night who knew how to drive stick.

The most intense period of my life was my first year of law school. If I just stayed that extra Friday night and finished that one extra section in my outline, would that have made me a better lawyer? Um, doubt it. I don't care how many hours you clock in at the library, you might still misread something in a fact pattern, analyze it completely the wrong way and end up with a C. If I have learned anything from law school it is that you can never do X, Y or Z to ensure a desired result.

Does this mean there are more qualified people out there to do your job? Of course it does. But really, who cares? You're the one in the driver's seat.

I've worn cheap suits since I started my first job as a temporary receptionist at a law firm. I actually spent my entire first paycheck at a store called "Foxy Lady" in the Hartford Civic Center cause they had colored suits on sale for $39.99 so I would look more "professional." (Sorry but at the time I had better things to spend my money on like Dunkin' Donuts and Dave Matthews tickets.) We can't all fully get by on smoke and mirrors, but to some extent you have to mask your insecurities with confidence and hope your real talents eventually shine through.

The youngest member of Congress, Aaron Schock, is 28 years old. On last week's episode of "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me," he repeated an old adage about coming to Congress: "You spend the first couple of months saying 'Wow, how did I get here!?' Then, you look around the room and go 'Gee, how did they get here?!'"

So, sleep tight. If you have any humility you will thank your lucky stars for being where you are and do the best job you can. And, if you are sincere, people will probably still like you enough to keep you around even after you do screw up.

Sidebar: Many of you want to know what this whole visiting situation is about. First of all, you can't transfer if you have more than 28 credits. Second, most law schools have visiting programs and they have them for various reasons, one of them being a way for a student to gain work experience in another city. I'd liken it to a semester abroad but best to check with your home school; terms and conditions apply.