The "sexy" questions

So it's a little bit of a soapbox and a lot of babble tonight, just so you're prepared...

So we're just getting into what people call the "sexy" cases in Constitutional and Criminal law, both figuratively and literally. We're studying rape in criminal and contraception in constitutional. Now, I should preface con law by saying that I hope my group keeps up what it's been doing and has a drink or two before con law class... the only class we happen to have three times a week.
Now. I don't want to go into a full discourse on these, because I've just done the readings for them and we haven't gone over them in class or in depth, which can be mutually exclusive, as I've found. But the sections about rape make me feel slightly better. Now I know, as a girl, I'm supposed to have the utmost respect for rape laws and protest any rationalizations of the perpetrators. But we all have this vague notion of what we think it is, and after reading the statutes, it becomes clear that what we think might be or might have been, actually isn't. Now, that sounds convoluted, but... eh, what the hell, I'm just talking, I'll move on.
Contraception. The cases I've read, I'm not sure I can fully follow where the court is coming from, (I remember being completely baffled by the concept of the penumbra of liberties the Bill of Rights gives us, supposedly) but I do agree with the outcome. Using birth control is something inherently private, and while the court there specifically refers to the couples engaged in married relations (or, "sexual powers," as the court terms it, like being married gives people supernatural abilities) I think the court, in its penchant for changing it's rulings to fit the changing culture and society in general, would expand this to extra-marital sex as well. Now, this isn't an issue since the rule forbidding even the USE of any kind of birth control was struck down in the case we're studying, but as a chick, I couldn't be happier. As a chick who doesn't want kids at all, I could do a happy dance. The legislature being able to regulate whether or not people use ANY kind of birth control (this term, by the case means, of course, condoms, the pill, any IUD, some... foam stuff... I'm not exactly sure what that is, but it existed at the time of the cases, back in the 70's-ish(I should note I'm doing all of this without my Con law book in front of me. Please forgive any mis-readings)) just gives me this disturbing mental image of CIA agents digging through some couples bed-side table. The court essentially says this is unacceptable, as the Bill of Rights gives us the freedom of life, liberty and property, and the right to due process. They interpret the Constitution as giving us the right to privacy as well, which this law exceedingly violates. This is one issue where my liberal side shines through. Look for more of it when it comes to Roe v. Wade. But that must wait for the next edition.

Oh my gosh!! Meeting the parents!? My old roommate's boyfriend is going to meet her parents next weekend, and they've only been dating, like, a month. Seriously? Ugh. 1) One month is not long enough. I know people do things differently, but you have to go through a few more trials and tribulations before you know if you're strong enough together. 2) I decided a long time ago (sophomore year-ish) that my parents won't meet anyone of mine until there's a ring. It's not that I'd be hiding the guy from them in a bad way, or them from him, I just want my life to be my own, without any pressures or inclinations from forces outside my control. Now, she's dating a guy from my high school class, so maybe I'm a little protective too, but I think I'd feel like this regardless of circumstances.

So I don't like to put those million question polls up, but I have a secret addiction to them. So when I'm real bored I'll do them. So if you have a desire to know a LOT about random little things in my life, go here. Otherwise, proceed with your reading.

I want it to be Friday. I want it to be Saturday. I want to know how the week of Spring Break will go. I want to see the people back in Iowa. But I have to admit, it's a little hard when everyone you want to see doesn't seem to show any enthusiasm whatsoever. I mean, yes, there are exceptions. M, you're the first person I'm going to see when I get there. K, I imagine we'll crash your primping session. K2, I am so grateful to have your couch. P, thanks for changing your schedule to show me around Drake. But the rest? It's just frustrating.

So the quotes today are brought to you by my Civil Procedure book. Yeah, it's actually pretty funny*.
*For about a paragraph. Then it gets boring again.
"Often, the result is a notice filled with legalese, unintelligible to the lay person." [The following are actual responses from people who had received notice they were members of a class suing antibiotics manufacturers for alleged antitrust violations.]

"Dear Mr. Clerk: I have received your notice that I owe you $300 for selling drugs. I have never sold any drugs; but I have sold a little whiskey once in a while."

and... wait for it... my favorite:

"Dear Sir: I received this paper from you. I guess I really don't understand it, but if I have been given one of those drugs, nobody told me why. If it means what I think it does, I have not been with a man in nine years."

Lenten sacrifice? Being sober for Con Law

How awesome of a feeling is it when a professor knows you are so prepared for a presentation that they don't even really ream you like other groups had been questioned? One of the best, I have to say. That's what happened on Thursday. My group had to present for contracts, and other groups had stumbled around and she had made it look painful for them, but we got up there, took charge and she rarely interrupted us, as she had many other groups.

Ugh, but we had to dress up for it. I HATE dressing up. Well, I shouldn't say that. I get all excited, because it's a rare occasion that I DO dress up, so I get excited to show off, but then I remember once I'm all strapped in that I hate being dressed up. I would nearly rather walk around in public in my underwear than be dressed up in a suit or similar contraption.

So the rest is pretty much random thoughts, don't expect much continuity. Not that you should anyway, ya know, it's me, you know who you're dealing with. Now, Proceed:

Oh yeah, I'm just that good. If you didn't know, I dyed my hair about a week ago, and since then about 5 people have told me they want my color. It's definitely an auburn, not a brilliant red, but it's still good, and I love it.

It's crazy how some people can see the same things you do, and not even know really what's going on. I mean yes, I've filled this friend in on things and yes, we have the same frustrations. But when she out of the blue says, "I dunno, it just looks like that face is just a mask," and I haven't even told her what I think about the person/subject, that to me means that I'm not imagining things. Yes, I was vague on purpose, but I just wanted to get that out there.

*cue complete non-sequitur transition*

But Friday was a good day. I haven't done Property reading in about a week and a half, but I wasn't called on, so whatevs. Lunch at this new place, Bolocco's, with Leanna and James. Delish actually. Then to the Tam to have a few pre-Constitutional Law drinks. I have to admit, it makes con law MUCH more enjoyable. Tipsy by 1:30 in the afternoon eh? It's a great way to live life. And Jame's mom sent him King's Cake for Mardi Gras, complete with beads, so tipsy, with cake. And beads. Yes, I got beads. I'm not telling how. :-P

But for a little bit more hard and fast talking:
It's all downhill from here tweeples! The contracts group rocked it out in the presentation, the paper is, well, we'll call it done, it's really a draft anyway, and I did SOOOOOO much better on the Civil Procedure quiz. I would have blown the curve if it ends up being like the last one. We shall see. But there's no stress from here til Spring Break, just studying and packing.
Believe me, I miss you.

It still seems so far away.

So a few more quotes to tide you over: still more legal-related
"The per curiam decision means it's not even worthy of an author. 'We figured this out in 15 minutes! Why did it take you so long, court of appeals, to get it wrong?'" ~Sorenson

"Yeah, I was the defendant. Yeah, I think I got off, I'm not sure though. I just ran out of the courtroom at the end!" ~Ed, walking down the street, talking on the phone. There were some odd looks, I'll admit.

"Why is there a cartoon living in my future apartment? Is it the medication again?" ~Taxiera DeSousa, welcome to the quote board

EEEEEE!!!
1 week

"We'll stipulate that, yes."

So we had been counting the money in our pockets at lunch, which is highly relevant to the following exchange:

Homeless guy: "Do you have any spare change?"
Me: "I have exactly 30 cents and a Canadian penny. I think I may be worse off than you."
Homeless guy: "..."

No, I don't have a soul, but you all knew this... (hmmm, on that point I'm still conflicted. Did I gain it back last summer, or did someone just say I did? I don't know who to believe on that one. I WANT to believe the person on both sides of the argument.)

So I had **THE BEST** dream on Sunday night. The kind with basically a plot and places that actually exist and people you know and things you'd never do in real life because you're too chicken, and things you *wish* would happen in real life. The best part was that even though I kept waking up, I kept going back to the dream, just starting in a different location. Think: Central Campus with a little bit of the Iowa State Fairgrounds thrown in, complete with ski lift. Sigh. If every night were like that I would never wake up again!

Good grief. I recently realized just how much of a sequestered group my high school is. I mean, yes, some of us get out and experience things, we find other things and other people and other experiences to define ourselves by. But there are people who, years after graduation, are still making the rounds of the guys (or girls) of the C-W graduates. The townies. Yes, if you find the love of your life in HS and stick with it, or if coincidence happens later, what the hell, that's great, but come on people. Stop playing "Let's trade" and move on with your lives. The incestuous pool that is my HS is something I'm glad I never really got into.

So for those of you that actually read this and actually care when I might be coming back to Ames, I haven't been proclaiming it a lot, mainly because I wanted to get my Legal Research and Writing paper done with, but it's one section (that I might not do because ya know, it's only a draft, I can work on that over break) away from done. But now I have a contracts presentation on Thursday, and a Civil Procedure quiz. But apart from all of that, I WILL be in Ames on February 28th, and you know I want to see you, so plan on it! It's 10 days from today!! (but it seems so much further away, right? yeah...)

10 days....

2 years stupider, 1 city wiser

You haven't really experienced a city until you see a guy peeing in public... in broad daylight no less. L and I were heading to bailiff at the Mock Trial competition, and across the street from the school, a guy was peeing. Into the street. No like, tree or anything to hide him. Not even a car. I laughed. L was disturbed. Figures.

Our term as bailiff was pretty easy, just keeping time. And they didn't even give us all the stuff bailiffs usually get, like a gun. They said they wouldn't arm us, and I said "It'd have to be an AR-15 anyway, that's the only gun I know how to handle." They replied? "Remind me to stay away from your courtroom."

But for better or for worse, I guess I know how to dress like a lawyer should. As I was leaving the Suffolk County Courthouse, I was told by a guard, "See you tomorrow." I try to pride myself at bucking the crowd, but at least I know I can play the game if I have to. (In my attempt to buck the crowd, ask me what my law office and practice will be like. It's gonna kick all kinds of ass, for me and my clients.)

And then as I was finally getting supper at like 9:30 at night, I think I got hit on by a very drunk Irish guy. He had an accent, that's for sure, but I couldn't really discern what he was saying over the slurring. meh.

It's great that the people I tend to associate with don't have a such a high opinion of themselves. In fact, we tend to refer to ourselves as 'assclowns'. True story. AAAND we tend to make fun of the people who think they're better than others, the pompous art lawyers, the clueless law review guy... Good story on the clueless law review guy actually:

He was on a panel for 1L's, trying to prepare us for semester tests last semester, and when it came to his turn to talk about one of our professors, he had no idea what year we were, or, it seemed, what month it was. The girls will admit, he was cute... until he opened his mouth. He seemed to think we were into our second semester at least and was confused as to why we still had these questions. "So, you guys have taken your midterms, right?" "Um, no. We take them in about 3 weeks." "Oh, well, I'm a 3L and I'm on law review so I can't keep track of things like timing." Gee, thanks a lot fucknugget, but we came to get help, not to hear about your credentials, we couldn't care less. And Ed made a good point about him when we were having Coldstone one day and he walked by the window. "Ya know, he thinks he's all high and mighty, but the Dean told us WE were the most gifted class the school has seen." "Well yeah, but they'll tell that to next years class too..." "But he's a 3L this year. That means he is *two years* stupider than me."

Like I said, we don't think too highly of ourselves, but we'll cut people down if they really do deserve it.

Demetri Martin, you can have my babies anytime... Wait, that's not right either. But I do know someone back home who kind of looks like him, which rocks. Important Things was pretty great. Not as good as his regular standup, but still acceptable. And I get to see him every week. <3 "I think the best place to be in an earthquake would be in bed with someone. and if you timed it right you could seem like the biggest stud in the world. "How was it?" ... "You moved my apartment." "

Ok, I swear I'm trying to ignore all the Valentine's Day crap going down, but I have to put a few words in. Even if I did have a boyfriend going into a Valentine's Day, I would make it VERY clear that I did not want to do anything in commemoration, up to and including refusing to see him on that day. A day should not have that much built up for it. And I will not forget the wonderful Singles Awareness Day ice cream runs we took while I was on Merchant. Maybe that's what'll happen... have a girls night each year instead of pander to the card companies... I like it.

And now it is officially only 2 weeks til Spring Break!!!! Just get me to next Friday with my paper done, and I'm on the downhill slide from there!

Why yes, I *do* use "sharted" in regular conversation

I had to. The entire city smelled horrible on the walk to school on Friday, so I described it to my friends as "It smells like National By-Products sharted on the Commons." Like, as if Clinton AND Cedar Rapids dropped a load on Boston. Seriously, the people from those cities know how bad it can get. The slogan for Highway 30 in Eastern Iowa could really just be... "Historical Lincoln Highway 30... come smell us."

Never. Again. Will I get that drunk when I have to take the subway back. I think it had to be the Khalua and creams... 3 of them, not weak ones either, within about a half hour span. It might have been the about 6 beers, or the mixing beer and liquor earlier in the night recklessly and without any amount of caution, or the 3 games of flip cup... you name it, I did it Saturday night. It was fun, and nothing bad happened til I got back to the house. I don't know whether to attribute that to the phone call I always make to someone to make sure I get back to the house ok, or that it was only 12:30 when I got off at Porter. But I knew I was drunk as all f**k when I got in the shower, started the water, and only then decided I was too drunk to take a shower. (usually you have a little bit of sober person in there saying, "No, you don't have to shower now, that can wait till morning.") The hangover was wicked too, but I nursed that pretty quickly. And the gods were smiling on me, because I thought I lost my ring that night, but I found it today in my cleaning. Thank goodness. (side tangent alert: I love that ring, it's simple and pretty, I've had it since junior year of High School, and it's really my fidget object. I have to have something to play with, and what better than that? I don't know how long it would take to find another one like it. And one that didn't make me break out where I wore it. I, for some reason, am extremely sensitive to metals. I can't wear earrings much, I even pick my watches in large part by how little metal actually comes in contact with the skin. Also partially the reason I don't wear my glasses more. I don't like it, but I deal.)

So the hangover nearly prevented me from going and having a pretty fun time with BSOS Saturday afternoon. So I was downing Sierra Mist and 7-Up and cheese and crackers trying to get a balance going again. But I did make it out of the house into the 50-degree weather (come-on! the Boston weather has some serious hormonal issues. It goes through menopause every week, I swear it!) and met up with the BSOS group. I even got to see Ian, one of the guys from the after-no-pants-pantsless party, again, and he ended up being in the group I was in going to Downtown Crossing. Guess what we did? We played charades across the train tracks. We got some of the regular passengers playing as well, at one point this sort-of-crazy guy came along and started singing a Bon Jovi song and the entire place joined in. There were some fun people that joined in, some good guessers, and good things to be guessed. When you get "mile high club" on the first guess, you know it's a good day.

So that was my weekend. I'm currently over halfway done with the week from hell. We've got like, 4 double sessions this week in addition to regular classes, 30 pages for each regular session (do the math, that's a shitton of pages), and a summary judgment motion brief due. Even if we didn't get the 4-day weekend this week (oh yeah, we get Friday and Monday off, be jealous), we'd have earned it anyway.

16 days! Sweet!

ah ah ah! You're pregnant or you're not!

So I've realized: The colder it gets out here, the more inventive my swearing gets. Yes, I realize it will never be as cold as -20, but nonetheless. Usually it's just the basic PG:13 stuff, but ugh, Thursday it was "f***nuggets" and "t**twaffle" and "spermburper." Plus I'm sure there were others the cold has erased from my memory.

Yeah. Sure. Why not.

Just when I thought you had reached a point of common understanding (yet again), sigh. I know there are points in a conversation when it might be appropriate to joke about still liking someone, but when it comes down to the guy actually professing his love for you still... seriously... it makes for some very awkward turtle pauses. He's one of my great friends, and I wouldn't trade him for the world, but come on man. We didn't even date. AAANND that was two years ago.

My favorite part of law school? The lunch conversations. Friday it was focused around the goth kids continually circling the food court. "So emo kids are just goths who like pink?" And shrinkage. Oh the shrinkage. A guy in very bright teal, very tight jeans had not thought his outfit through. "When it's cold, it shrinks up like a startled turtle!" ~Ed.

I usually don't brag, but lately I've been getting my hopes up again that I am not incompetent. How did I come to this conclusion? I've been doing Sudoku. At least one a night. And the fact that I can do one thing well makes it easier to sleep at night. That and the fact "Hey, at least I'm not pregnant." Ya know, because Daniel Tosh says that's the way to know better days are on the way.

However, the quote above? "ah ah ah! You're pregnant or you're not!" Came from our contracts professor when a girl wouldn't answer the question directly or completely. They really don't fuck around with making the point, that you're not making a point. With sometimes hilarious results.

21 days!!!!!!

Filler tweet (that is what you call them, right?)

Really a filler post. I don't have a lot to report. I've been pretty busy what with school and such, and I'm trying to cut down on my unhealthy obsession with the internet. So I'm going to stop taking Roger to school everyday. This should help. And it will also help me focus on studying more anyway, which is probably a good thing.

I realized I choose really random times to be impulsive. Usually bad times. The oldest time I can remember is this summer, most recent, this afternoon. I should probably stop. They're gonna get me in trouble.

Got to a party of a law school friend out in Framingham on Saturday night. Played some Rockband, rocked out guitar, sounded like tonedeaf hooker when I sang songs I didn't know and felt like a spastic epileptic when tried drums. Not pretty. We turned it into a drinking game, which was interesting. People would gang up on a person for awhile, so D was handing me shot after shot for awhile. Luckily they let me pass on the Tequila shots in favor of gin (GOOD gin, we're talking Bombay Sapphire here) and 99. Was a great night though... got back to the house mid-Sunday afternoon. Then had to work on a paper due the next day. Life fail.

So there are days where I will literally have every single decent shirt I own laid out on the bed and will still be standing there going "I have nothing to wear." oh the joys of being a girl.

Another joy of being a girl? Being completely irrational and calling on a friend just to let out all your frustration in a ridiculous rant. "You mean this crap comes with the estrogen? That's not fair, dammit!" <3 K.

"It's the pelvic thrust that drives you insa-a-ane!" OMG I just found out where that was from! I remember Eric using that line, but I never knew where the hilariousness came from. I'm sure it doesn't help that I'm listening to the Alvin and the Chipmunks version of the The Time Warp.

"No, that answer is just...no, there's no way.." (aka: if you picked this one, you're just dumb.) Civ Pro Sorenson

"If I can't punish, then it's just no fun." ~Civ Pro Sorenson

"The client letter is trying to put it in terms that regular people can understand and realizing that you are no longer a normal person. I'm sorry about that." ~The AntiChrist, aka prof Meltzer

"Sometimes the only thing left to do is to wrap your arms around each other one last time, and just let go." ~Gossip Girl