Answer

A: Very little though, if the exam is open book, you don't *need* to know all that much provided you have *excellent* outlines from your friend(s).

I don't think the Fed. Tax exam went too badly. In fact, I think it was alright. So now I'm into prep mode (or I will be later on Wednesday) for my Privacy Exam on Thursday Morning. After that I'll be 2/6th through (2 exams down) with 4 papers to go.

I'm still hopeful. I have to be.

Also, once I finish the 4 papers, you can anticipate a Law School Wrap Up post. I already have some of it in mind but I refuse to pen it until I'm finished.

Question

Q: How much Federal Income Tax can one learn in a day?

A: Hopefully enough to pass the exam. I'll let you know tomorrow night. (That is, if I'm not passed out, drunk, in a gutter somewhere.)

Friday

Things I should be doing *right* now: Working on my Copyright paper.

Things I'm *not* doing right now: Guess.

The Onyxia Raid was fun. Two attempts. We got her down to 54% and 50%, respectively. Took a *long* time to form the raid. Hopefully next Wednesday will go better.

Photo (Screenshot) Album for Onyxia Raid on Wed. 5-04-05.

A Random WoW Photo (Screenshot) Album.

Check those out.

Wednesday

I've been rather busy of late. Not busy as in studying for my two exams next week. Not busy as in working on one of the four papers I have to finish. Not busy as in cleaning up my apartment (though I did take out *some* of the trash). Not busy as in working on the Connecticut Bar Exam Application. Not busy as in hanging out with friends. Not busy as in doing anything that could even remotely be considered productive.

No.

I've been busy playing this stupid, effing game.

And I'm not done yet.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to start doing productive things. (Though staying awake until 1am may hamper this lofty goal.) I have a review session for my Right to Privacy class tomorrow afternoon. Maybe I'll begin work on the paper due on Friday. Who knows!

However, there is one thing ocurring tomorrow that I wish to mention. I am leading a raid tomorrow night in an attempt to kill one of the high level monsters in World of Warcraft.

The short version of the explanation goes like this.. Once you reach the highest level in the game, 60, you spend a lot of your time attaining better equipment. The best equipment is on the hardest enemies. The tougher enemies require more players and better tactics to kill to get the better loot. I am in a small guild there, one without a lot of 60's. So, when I go on 5, 10 or 15-man raids, I do so either with people I've met and respect or with random people. The toughest monsters require 30-40 people. One of these tough monsters is called Onyxia. She's a dragon. A *badass* dragon. Not the toughest enemy in the game by far, but certainly a challenge until you learn how to slay her. Tomorrow night, I will attempt to gather 39 other like-minded players (many of whom I have never met before) and lead them in slaughtering her.

Hopefully that sounds as difficult as I anticipate it will be.

I've been trying to do my homework for this, learning about our foe and the strategies needed to bring her down.

Here's a link to The Onyxia Bible, an invaluable resource in this endeavor.

If we succeed, we won't be the first to kill her. We won't have been the first group on our server. We won't have been the first pickup raid to do so. However, it will have been the first raid of *mine* that has done so. And *that* would be awesome!

In the end, I'm planning on making this a weekly event. In the future, we'll probably give raid-membership preference to those who've raided with us before but if we have open spots, we'll pick up who we can and have at it.

It should be quite an experience. I anticipate learning a great deal though I doubt we'll be successful. (Not that that will even come close to stopping us!) No, in the end, I really hope it'll just be a lot of fun!

We now return you to your non-WoW (World of Warcraft) related posts. (Maybe.)

Yesterday, Last Night & Today

Briefly though.

YESTERDAY:

Met up with The Ex and 2 good friends (Captain Kate of the 5th Armed Bucket Brigade and her fiancee). Had lunch then saw the Hitchhiker's movie. A full review is in order though I don't have time for it right this instant. Look for a review later tonight or tomorrow. As for yesterday itself, was okay. I'm very glad my friends were there to lend support, conversation and viewpoints. I owe them. As for The Ex, well, I don't want to air her recent personal tragedy here. Let's just say she was a bit down (understatement) but didn't bring us down and was generally pleasant. However, I did realize that I have absolutely no interest in hanging out with her. At all. Period.

LAST NIGHT:

I was playing my game (World of Warcraft, WoW) as usual. I've been trying to get this one item (the Lightforge Breastplate) for a looooooong time now, something on the order of a month, maybe more. It's the last piece I need(ed) in the Lightforge set. Last night, on a UBRS (Upper Blackrock Spire) raid, I GOT MY LF BP!!!! *angels singing* ::me doing my happy dance:: I'm the second person in my guild (The Enclave) to put together an entire class set. (First one was Elidor, a mage.)

Also, a few guildmates and I have started planning on an Onyxia raid Wed. next week. Hopefully we can get enough people and make this thing work. Would be awesome if we could form a set, weekly Onyxia raid. Maybe then expand to a Molten Core one too. We'll have to see.

TODAY:

I'm currently sitting in my Fed Tax Review. Just question & answer. I'm here for the osmosis principle. After this, I call up The Girl and we're gonna catch The Hitchhiker's movie. (My 2nd viewing.) Probably hang out afterwards too.

Yesterday, when I realized that I have no interest in hanging with The Ex, I also realized that I enjoy hanging out with The Girl. Naturally, that begged the questions - "Why? What's different here?" This leads into a consideration of the breakup (to be fair, she dumped me) between The Ex and myself and why, in retrospect, I'm glad we're not still going out. (The short, dirty version is that I don't think The Ex is necessarily a nice, considerate person at heart. In retrospect, I could see this manifested in a few ways. No more details forthcoming here.) In contrast, The Girl is quite nice and shares a bit more with me. Shares as in love of movies, movie preferences, humor and general attitude. I feel like we get each other. Plus she's considerate, very much like I think (hope?) I am. (Much like I aspire to be, perhaps.) I'm not sure if I'd say we 'grok' each other but it's heading towards that (I think).

So today should be infinitely more *fun* than yesterday. I'm looking forward to it.

I'm starting to freak out now over the things I need to do within the next 2 weeks or so. 'Course I did this to myself, as always, so I really don't have a position from which to complain. (And I honestly try my best not to complain, at all.) I'll have to start working with the "pick 'em up, put 'em down" theory and push through the work. (Theory derived from Stephen King's novella "The Long Walk.") It's about time.

"Six pints of bitter," said Ford Prefect... "And quickly please, the world's about to end."

REJOICE! THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY MOVIE COMES OUT TODAY!

[Singing of 'Hallelujah.' Angels part the clouds hanging overhead and look down in supreme wonderment and amusement.]

Seriously, I've been waiting for this movie for over a decade. I first learned of THHGTTG (or H2G2) in old AOL Bingo Parlors. When '42' showed up, everyone typed it in. It was a tribute to the 5-book trilogy and its author, the inimitable, and unfortunately late, Douglas (Noel) Adams. I first received the book about a month or so after my 13th birthday when I was given it as a present for having reached the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts. Little did I know at the time that the series would have such a far-reaching effect on me. Even to this day, Douglas Adams remains one of my favorite authors and THHGTTG as one of my favorite books/series. I've read all 5 books at least 5 times and it gets better every single time.

I am quite excited for the movie and *will* see it this afternoon.

Now the counterpoint. I am going to see it this afternoon, not by myself but with another person or two or three. And who might these people be? Let's start with The Ex (the one from 1 year ago, a law student) and throw in a sometimes-friend into the mix. I anticipate that today's dynamics, amongst us, will be incredibly bizarre and not a little odd or strange. So I'm happy to see the movie and a little bit scared for the people with whom I shall see the movie. The one way the dynamics could be improved, only slightly that is, is if the friend, Monty, brings her 'new' boyfriend along too. Might throw things on an even keel. But then it might resemble a double-date and good lord that ain't right. ::sigh::

And if any of the people speak during the movie, I will kill them. Succinctly and without much noise. Talking during this movie is or will be sacreligious and punishable by instant, red-hot (quiet) death. No questions asked, no exceptions allowed. You have been warned.

Oh yeah, in other news, I'm going to see this movie AGAIN tomorrow afternoon with The Girl. Que interesante. At least that viewing will definitely be easygoing and light. Fun.

So, in summary.. GO SEE THE HITCHHIKER'S MOVIE. NOW. (GO!!!!!!) And I may see you at subsequent screenings of it. I am positive that I shall see this movie no less than 3 times in the theater, possibly more. IT'S HITCHHIKER'S!!!

[Cheering, jumping around, bouncing on the couch.]

An Accident

Today was my last day of law school classes. However, that's not what this post is about.

For dinner today, a friend & I went to Braza for their special - ribs & a beer for $7. This post is not about that either.

After dinner, I walked back to my apt. As I approached the Farmington Ave. / Sherman St. intersection, I saw that traffic was at a standstill. Looking to the right, towards the Northwest corner, I saw a few people gathered, a car stopped and a police car in the right lane (near the curb) with its lights flashing. Apparently a car hit some guy, as he was crossing the street I imagine. The "guy" in question was around my age and laying prone, on his stomach, near the curb. As I passed on the opposite side of the street, I heard sirens approaching. An ambulance arrived and subsequently a fire truck as well. The fire truck audaciously stopped, lights flashing, in the middle of the intersection, blocking all traffic from moving anywhere. As for me, I carefully crossed Farmington Ave. and returned to my apt.

I'm not sure precisely why I relate this to you. Be careful crossing the street? Look both ways? Where clean underwear when you go out? Connecticut city drivers are maniacs? Farmington Ave. is at a standstill right now? I hope the person who was injured is okay? I saw this on my walk back and it serves as an interesting and mildly notable observance? All of these are "reasons" though I can't put my finger on the exact one that incited this post.

In the end, the accident serves as an interesting counterpoint to something. I'm not sure what but I know it's a counterpoint. Maybe to life, the universe and everything. Any ideas?

"Did he just say..."

Pure instantaneous terror. Have you ever had a point in your life where pure, instantaneous terror set in? I had one of those moments this morning.

Picture this.

It's the last class for my Right to Privacy Seminar. The professor, whom I have mentioned elsewhere on this blog, is wrapping up. It's been a terrific semester. Great class. Etc. It seems like he's honestly happy with how the course went and with us. (Yay for us.) By this point, I've exited Microsoft Word on my computer and am prepared, once he's finished, to power it down and pack my things up.

The prof. then says something to the effect of "I want to mention a website I found this semester that you should look at." A few more words and he starts writing on the board. At this juncture I've perked up a little, thinking: "Okay, a website on privacy law. Cool. Let me open up my class notes and jot it down." I try to predict the website as he's writing it on the board. I see an "s" -- hmmm.. Secretary of something? I don't know. The next letter is an "e". Followed by an "a", "s", "o", and "n".

And my stomach bottoms out as I realize what he's writing. "Season of Mists." Oh my G-d. Did he just write my blog's title on the board in front of the whole class? Oh my G-d! At this point, I'm just stunned and trying desperately not to smile too noticeably or turn a heretofor unseen bright shade of red. The prof.'s comments on the "website" are nothing but complimentary and encouraging. I remember the word "insightful" was used at one point. Oh my G-d. He wrote my blog's title on the board. My mind just raced in circles, trying to comprehend or, failing that, catch up.

I'm not sure if I'm happy or upset with this turn of events. I have to thank the prof. for his kind words. I was completely shocked and taken back. It's one of those things that I would never have anticipated in a million years. Just beyond my predictive abilities, completely. I know that at least a few if not most or all of the students in the class will make it to this blog now. It's the kind of thing where I write these posts and throw them out into the ether without expecting them to boomerang back to me in the real world. I've had it happen once before, in the Fall a 1L complimented me on the blog at a meeting. But wholesale advertisement to a small group of students by a third party professor?!?!? Wow.

So, to those UConn Law students from my Right to Privacy Seminar who are reading this, Hello! Hope you find the site to your liking!

To my prof. who so skillfully (he never hinted that the "website" was the blog of a student sitting in the class, nor did he provide any explicit or detailed description of the website's content) and kindly advertised this blog's presence, thank you. I appreciate your thoughts and thank you in kind for an excellent seminar!

And to all those who meet neither of the above, thanks for stopping by! I hope your stay is a pleasant one! Cheers!

The Afterlife According to Buffy

This morning I was watching a rerun of an early Season 6 Episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer ("Buffy" or "BTVS"). At the end of Season 5, Buffy dies due to supernatural forces. At the beginning of Season 6, Willow, die Uber-Witch, brings Buffy back to life, pulling her back to "this" existence from the afterlife. The big revelation that comes about a few episodes later in Season 6 is that Buffy was in Heaven, not some horrible Hell dimension as Willow et al. supposed her to be. This causes some personal and psychological problems for Buffy since she was perfectly content in the afterlife. She'd saved her friends, done her job as the Slayer and a good person. "It was [her] time."

I provide this story by way of introduction. Let us suppose there is an afterlife. (That is, let us *not* discuss whether or not there is an afterlife or whether or not you personally believe in an afterlife.) What do you suppose the afterlife is like?

Jean-Paul Sartre said "Hell is other people." Do you suppose there is a dichotomy, a Heaven and a Hell?

I rather like Buffy's description of where she was before Willow pulled her back to the tv-show dimension. She was content. At ease. Peaceful. Serene. What if Heaven isn't so much a place as a state of mind? What if the reward for leading a "good" or "just" life, "admission" to Heaven, is really admission to a sense of peace? That would be pretty cool, no?

As for Hell, well, I'd like to think I've read a little on suggested interpretations. Not Dante's Inferno but other things like Neil Gaiman's Sandman and others. IMO, Hell could take one of two forms: physical and lesser mental punishment OR harsh mental punishment. The former is the usual, customary vision of Hell is torturing its inhabitants. The latter would be more serious, fraternity-hazing-like activities. If Heaven is a sense of peace, then Hell could be the opposite of that - an unending sense of discomfort or terror. Find something the person cares about and exploit that fear to forever punsih the person. True torture, less emphasis on physical pain. A bit dark but terribly effective.

Personally and outside of the framing of the issue, I'm not sure whether I believe there is an afterlife or not. It's one of those big questions to which I never formed a succinct opinion or viewpoint. The question also doesn't bother me really. One of those things over which I have absolutely no control and, barring actual evidence, over which I cannot informedly opine.

In any case, some random musings from Buffy-watching.

Question

(As I sit in the class..) Can anyone tell me why I signed up for Federal Income Tax?

By the way, I am a firm believer in learning by osmosis. At this point, it's either that or dumb luck. (I find the latter to be a fickle mistress indeed.)

"Who Are the Top 20 Legal Thinkers in America?"

Legal Affairs Article.

Note the clear absence of anyone whose first name is Alan. (I DEMAND A RECOUNT! DEMAND I SAY!)

(Courtesy of the [non]billable hour.)

Favorite Words & Phrases 'o Mine

..that I so rarely (get to) use.

schadenfreude

grok

wampeters

foma

granfaloons

detritus

loquacious

All Your Base Are Belong To Us (AYB)

schattenjager

Garbage's New Album: Bleed Like Me

Garbage (the band, not the refuse) very recently released their fourth album (the first three being: Garbage [self-titled], Version 2.0, and Beautiful Garbage). Me being a *big* Garbage fan, I picked up the album last week for my weekend trip. I also listened to it quite a few times and have hence formed a conclusion on/of it.

If you like Garbage's music in general, chances are you'll like this album. It doesn't have the original rock/punk edge of their first album. It doesn;t have the techno-like feel of their second album. It doesn't have the weird pseudo-rock of the third album. Rather it has elements of all of them and more. To me it feels like more of a return to the roots of their music, more like the first album than any other since. Even so, the new songs are quite unique and different stylistically.

I must say that the songs tend to carry what I will call the "soulful" elements of Garbage's music. Unabashedly disturbing at times and always very honest and heartfelt. I have to say that this particular aspect is what continually pulls me back to their music. The lyrics are so interesting and often poignant that I find the mix of music and words is truly engaging. A rarity in today's music world.

My favorite song thus far is the title song of the album, Bleed Like Me. Here's a link to the lyrics for that song. I encourage you to check them out. The song itself I find to be soulful and deep. It discusses various.. I'm not even sure how to categorize all of them. Various activities? That fails to do them justice. Various (usually) self-inflicted, negative activities perhaps. The category is comprised of: anorexia, gender confusion, cutting, therapy, and drinking. A very interesting song and quite melodic to boot.

Anyways, if you like Garbage's other albums, check this one out.

The Beginning of the End

Today marks the beginning of my last week of law school. 4 more classes (not counting review sessions) and I'll be finished! To be honest, it hasn't quite sunk in yet which is fine by me. I've got too much left to do to be happy about this. 4 papers (only 1 rough draft completed) and 2 exams to go. Even though I should probably be scared shitless, I'm not too worried. I tend to take things in 'baby steps,' as What About Bob? put it. Today I'm sending out my NY Bar Exam Application and attending 2 classes. Tomorrow it's 1 class and then working on a paper or two, maybe some tennis. Etc. One step at a time, no panicking, no incoherent mumbling of 'ohshitohshitohshit...' followed by binge drinking. Nope. Just cool, calm, even-handed, methodical thinking coupled with action.

(But secretly inside I scream.) (A lot.)

In Passing / Happy Passover!

Just a quick note so you know I'm still alive.

Happy Passover!

I leave for my grandparents sometime relatively soonish. I return equally soonish.

Got a phone call from The Girl last night. Spoke with her for ~1.5 hours. Next week should be interesting. More on that when I return.

Gotta run. Time flies when you're trying to get on the road.

Hurrah!

Today I'm going to Six Flags Great Adventure with a few friends! I've never been to this particular Six Flags (the one in Springfield, MA). Growing up, whenever we went it was to the one in New Jersey. I guess it was closer? In any case, *completely* unlike any other day, as opposed to doing anything productive, today I shall do something fun. Hurrah!

After The Day

As hinted at before, here may be found your drunk post of the evening. I must apologize for not being quite as drunk as planned or intended. The drinks were a little weak at The Fling and try as I might, even after 4.5 of them I wasn't quite so drunk as possible or hoped.

A hearty thank you to the friends that came to dinner and those that made it to The Fling afterwards! 'Twas a good time and a happy birthday. Thank you much!

I suppose my head is throbbing a bit if that's anything.

And my head keeps hitting the keyboard. Time for it to hit a pillow.

A Day of Days

Today should be a rather interesting, if not fun, day.

It's my last full day of work. I'm going in once more next week but that's for the monthly lunch presentation and I don't get paid for that. (Sucker that I am...)

It's Income Tax Day.

It was Easter Sunday in 1979. (The import of this shall be apparent shortly.)

Tonight is the second and final of my law school's semi-annual semi-formals. The Spring Fling! I rather enjoy these things and I'm looking forward to this one.

Best of all, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!! Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! (Etc.)

Before the Spring Fling, I'm going out to dinner with a bunch of friends. Then most of us are proceeding on to the Spring Fling. I sort of coopted most of said friends that are going into going. (I was offered the option of a normal party but I want to go to the Spring Fling. Hence, they shall suffer drunkenly if not cheerfully.) Tonight should be one protracted alcohol-laden affair. There's really not much more you can ask for. If I can (if I have sufficient wits about me and remember), I'll put up a drunken post when I return from the soiree.

Off to work I go! The work part won't be fun today. But the dinner, drinking and dancing that follows it.. well, that will be a good time.

Cheers!

ADDENDUM: Check out Google's main page for a new Google Holiday Logo celebrating Leonardo da Vinci's birthday (1452).

Other famous people sharing my birthday (source) include: Leonhard Euler (1707, Mathematician), Henry James (1843, Author), and Jeffrey Archer (1940, Author &c.). Happy Birthday to them!

Famous people who died on my birthday (source) include: Abraham Lincoln (1865), John Singer Sargent (1925), Jean-Paul Sartre (1980), and Greta Garbo (1990).

Here is Horoscope.com's take on today. Apparently Emma Thompson and Emma Watson also share my birthday. I like Today's Motivational Quote: "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. -- Abraham Lincoln." I find it terribly ironic that they chose a Lincoln quote for the birthdays of the day on which he died (though I suppose "killed" is slightly more accurate).

I think my Onion Horoscope is infinitely more amusing, however. I'd also like to note that it's nice to see that The Onion is as irreverent as ever. (Note the Pope-related stories in their April 13, 2005 issue, Vol. 41 Issue 15.)

That issue of The Onion also has advice on Preparing a Living Will. It's an excellent piece! I have to quote one of their nuggets of wisdom:

If, in the event of a catastrophic brain injury, you wish to be taken off life support and kept out of the guardianship of your overprotective Catholic parents, underline those directives over and over with a thick red pen and then highlight them in bright yellow.

Think Schiavo and thank The Onion.

Enough additional musings for now. I would have put all or some of this in separate, additional posts only I want my birthday post to stay at the top of the page until at least late tonight when I hope to supplant its position with a drunken post. (That is, a post while drunk not a drunk post itself since we all know those posts are light-weights.) Yeah, yeah, I'm a bit gamey right now. But it's my birthday so deal! [11:43 AM]