Tales of a Night Owl

Karma Chameleon...

2009-12-29T13:15:00.002-05:00

Senator Ben Nelson is getting what he deserves in the polls for throwing unborn babies under the bus.

You would think that Nebraskans would be glad that he got lots of porky goodies for them, but apparently their pro-life convictions are genuine and strong.

A Cheerful Message....

2009-12-25T15:12:00.002-05:00

From CatholicVote.org, the top 10 reasons for Catholics to be hopeful. I am particularly encouraged by number 10.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T15:11:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Let's keep in mind what the day is all about. :)

Ungovernable?

2009-12-15T18:37:00.003-05:00

This is a very compelling post by Ed Morrissey at Hot Air about whether the United States has become an ungovernable nation. I tend to think that Democrats are just extremely ineffective at governing. Best point of the post:

"Funny, but I don’t recall Yglesias demanding those changes while Democrats were in the minority in the Senate. Tom Daschle was no less obstructionist, and Democrats managed to kneecap George Bush on judicial appointments without writing cris des coeurs over ungovernable America. In fact, Democrats openly bragged about using the Senate’s ancient methods of corralling the majority, even on the novel issue of judicial appointments where such procedures had rarely been used. And yet George Bush and the Republicans still managed to govern, and that was just a couple of years ago."

So true. Similarly, while Democrats are up in arms over attempts by conservative Republicans to try to keep their politicians on point and adhering to the conservative philosophy that got them elected, they are only too ready to purge any Democrat or liberal who disagrees with them on health care reform. Hypocrisy at its finest.

Also, I seem to remember New York City being called the "Ungovernable City." Until someone swooped in and saved it. ;)

The Baucus Story Continues...

2009-12-11T14:47:00.003-05:00

I've always had mixed feelings about Senator Baucus. He was, after all, one of the Democrats who voted against the disastrous immigration reform bill. When the news story about his girlfriend broke, I thought it was pretty lame as far as political scandals go. They were both either separated or divorced, are currently living together, etc. The plot seems to be thickening, though. Hot Air posted a story about Baucus giving Ms. Hanes a $14,000 salary increase as their relationship... progressed. (See here for the story.)

I guess we'll see how this plays out. But it's not getting nearly as much attention as it would if he were, say, a Republican? Especially one who is so prominent in the health care debate.

The Sun Will Come Out....

2009-12-10T13:09:00.002-05:00

In 2010!

Well, I don't know about taking back the Senate. But it's looking like there will be some big Republican gains. Fingers crossed! As the elections get closer I will do more research on the individual races and what I think the chances are.

Pro-Choice? Or just Pro-Abortion?

2009-12-09T22:04:00.003-05:00

The most common argument that I hear from people who favor abortion rights is that they are not "pro-abortion" but rather "pro-choice." The argument gets framed in such a way that people who are in favor of allowing a person to make the choice to abort a baby are actually personally pro-life! I have a real problem with this premise, but I try to give people the benefit of the doubt.

Then I check Michelle Malkin's blog and I see things like this. It is just so disturbing.

Where is the "choice" when a woman is given horrifying misinformation in order to convince her to have an abortion? Even if there is a way to be personally pro-life but politically pro-choice, this is not what choice looks like.

Sarah Palin on Climategate

2009-12-09T21:51:00.002-05:00

I was thrilled to see that the Washington Post published an op-ed written by Sarah Palin on Climategate and the Copenhagen conference.

Choice quote:
"Our representatives in Copenhagen should remember that good environmental policymaking is about weighing real-world costs and benefits -- not pursuing a political agenda."

How true. But I wouldn't hold your breath.

Notice that she doesn't even deny climate change is happening. I almost wish that she had been more aggressive in her op-ed, but I am glad that she is getting her message out there!

Huckabee Holding On?

2009-12-08T21:55:00.004-05:00

The polls seem to indicate that Huckabee is still doing well (better than his opponents, in fact) in a hypothetical race against Obama in 2012. But does this mean he will fare so well in the actual primary? (Click here for Race 4 2012's take.)

Swing and a miss, I'm afraid. He is only weathering this now because:
1) He has his own TV show, a platform from which to make himself look great without being meaningfully challenged.
2) There is no race going on yet so his potential opponents are not hammering him over this to the extent that they otherwise could. It wouldn't really make them look good at this point, and would really almost make them look petty. But it will be a different story come game time.

Huckabee is done.

(Sidebar -- Why do I keep posting about Huckabee??)

Lovely...

2009-12-07T16:54:00.002-05:00

Just watching Fox News as I study for my evidence exam, I am treated to a video clip of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid comparing opponents of health care reform to proponents of slavery. His office claims that to focus on this is a distraction technique.

Un-friggin-believable.

Read it and weep.

The Tea Party Movement

2009-12-07T11:03:00.005-05:00

I have to admit to having a fascination with the Tea Party movement. I have said to many people that I support an overthrow of the GOP. Don't get me wrong -- the GOP is far better than the Democratic Party, hands down. But we haven't had any success with the GOP getting real conservatives as national candidates. John McCain was not a true conservative. And just the fact that it was looking like Mike Huckabee might be the front-runner for 2012 tells you that the future for a true conservative in the GOP was looking no brighter. Being pro-life alone does NOT a true conservative make. And the problem (if we can call it one) is that these people don't win anyway! And if we are going to lose, can we at least lose on our principles? Instead of being leftist-lite?

A third party would take time, but I think it is doable eventually. A new brand of common sense conservatism, with fiscal conservatism at the forefront.

According to Rasmussen, a Tea Party party has more support than the GOP in a generic ballot, although less support than the Democrats. Signifcantly, when you combine the two right-leaning factions they outperform the Democrats, but I'm not 100% convinced that means the Republican would win. I think a lot of the Tea Party enthusiasts would stay home for the wrong Republican.

Roll Tide!!!

2009-12-05T20:14:00.001-05:00

I am LOVING this Alabama game. :) My grandfather was from Alabama so whenever they win it makes me think of him. I'm pretty excited!

Great Review of "Going Rogue"

2009-12-04T19:32:00.001-05:00

I wish I could write my own review of Sarah Palin's bestselling memoir, Going Rogue. I will not be able to even approach that until after exams. (Finished the first of four today, yay!) This is a great review in the meanwhile, though. He hits on many of the points I would have mentioned.

Giuliani/Palin 2012!! (I can dream!) :)

It's On...

2009-12-04T19:23:00.002-05:00

Romney is going after Huckabee about the clemencies. I don't like Mitt Romney - I think he is the John Kerry of the GOP. He is light years better than Huckabee. It wouldn't take much.

I just can't get enthusiastic about him. I have never heard anyone make a convincing case for Mitt Romney. Am I missing something?

So Funny I Forgot to Laugh...

2009-12-03T19:27:00.002-05:00

Apparently Mike Huckabee thinks it is just hilarious that Arkansas prosecutors were concerned about the high number of clemencies he granted as governor. So disappointing. Anyone who knows my politics knows that I was no fan of Huckabee during the 2008 primaries, and that I even (shudder) preferred John McCain! (You know it's bad when...) So while I can't say I am upset that his chances for 2012 are looking dimmer by the minute, I wish that it didn't have to come at the cost of the lives of four police officers.

Going to the Chapel...

2009-12-02T13:58:00.003-05:00

I'm interested in seeing how the gay marriage debate in the NY State Senate plays out. I guess the odds are that it will pass, but I really thought the Maine referendum would pass so who knows? Even the senators themselves don't seem to really know.

Read the NY Times article here.

**UPDATE***

Well, well, well. It didn't pass. Not a single Republican voted yes, which is surprising since there were supposed to be at least a few crossover votes.

Hope for 2Ls?

2009-12-02T13:39:00.004-05:00

Now is not a good time to be a second year law student. Frankly, I don't think it's a good time to be a law student, period. But this post from The AM Law Daily seems to indicate that things MIGHT (emphasis on might) be looking up for 2Ls. Essentially, some firms were overly pessimistic about the number of 2Ls they could give offers to for 2010 Summer Associate positions, and now they are going to need to recruit a few more people in order to meet their drastically reduced quotas. I don't think this will help the population at large very much. The firms will still only accept people with the very best credentials, most likely. But at least this might free up a few government or public interest jobs for people who actually want them, and not for people who are using them for backups to the firm job they would have taken in a better economy.

We'll see what happens next year when it's time to look for "real" jobs. I have a feeling it's going to be a bloodbath.

I'm Back!!

2009-12-02T13:15:00.002-05:00

Wow! I took a very long break from blogging. So much has happened in the past year or so, and 1L basically monopolized my life. I am looking forward to a return to blogging though. I think it will help me maintain my sanity. I know no one is reading this anymore, but I hope to get a few links and at least a few readers. Blogging does sort of give you a connection to the outside world, and nowhere is that connection more valuable than law school.

Musings on the Palin Pick

2008-09-01T10:51:00.002-04:00

Over the past few days, I have posted some links to discussions about Sarah Palin. I have shared my own personal anecdote about the time leading up to McCain’s announcement. And I have discussed Palin with numerous people, never missing an opportunity to sing her praises. That said, it is time to address some of the negative aspects of the press coverage of and general reaction to her selection.

1) Sexism – I hate to play the sexism card so early in the game, but I speak as I find. Much has been made of the sexism directed at Hillary Clinton, both from the media and from the Obama campaign. For awhile, I mostly dismissed these charges. Some of them just seemed a bit forced. When Obama pulled out her chair for her at a debate, this was declared a sexist act. I don’t buy that. But as the campaign wore on, examples of sexism became more clear. I have to admit I was a little surprised by Hillary’s treatment. If a woman of Hillary’s national profile was subject to sexist comments (for example, mocking her tears), what chance does another woman have? But the Palin pregnancy rumors are particularly offensive as they involve not only Palin herself, but her innocent teenage daughter. I will not even dignify this rumor with a recounting and debunking of this ridiculous tale, but suffice to say it is appalling. And let’s just say for the sake of argument that it is true, ignoring the implausibility of the most prominent woman in the state being able to fake both a pregnancy and a birth, but how would that make Palin a villain? I’m just missing what would be so awful about this non-issue scandal, even if it WERE true.

The left should take a long, hard look at how they handle this. It remains to be seen how independent or Democratic-leaning women will react to Palin on the ticket. But the left should tread carefully with regard to her pregnancy. Imagine an undecided “soccer mom” who voted for Hillary in the primary, perhaps already sensitiive over Hillary’s treatment. She does not like McCain or Obama, but then sees people on the left blowing up pictures of Palin’s daughter and pointing to her stomach and asserting that she is pregnant. This woman imagines her teenage daughter being treated this way. It may not push her to McCain, but it certainly won’t push her toward Obama. It could push her to not vote out of disgust and OBAMA NEEDS THOSE HILLARY SUPPORTERS.

“But, but, but… Sarah Palin would not have been picked if she were not a WOMAN!” I beg you, Obama supporters. PLEASE don’t go there.

2) Experience – It is fair to say that Palin lacks the long-term Washington experience of McCain or Biden, but honestly, look at her experience as opposed to Obama’s experience. At best, they are comparable, and at worst (for Obama) her qualifications are clearly superior as her experience is actually EXECUTIVE level experience. He is a legislator and a community organizer. What does that even mean? More importantly, what is it that makes someone qualified to be President? Is being a good speaker what makes someone qualified? To paraphrase, Andrew Sullivan asks how Palin would have stacked up against a powerful political campaign machine (meaning, the Clintons) had she run for president. The answer: we don’t know because Palin did not have the ARROGANCE to run for president! She is running for VICE-PRESIDENT. Obama, with qualifications that are no greater than Palin’s, aspires to be President. It has actually been suggested that Palin should agree to step down should something happen to McCain, and pass off the presidency to someone more qualified. I swear, I almost had an aneurysm when I read that. Should Obama agree to step down if he is elected, because Joe Biden is vastly more experienced than he is (plagiarism notwithstanding?) I have never in my life seen anything like that even suggested.

3) Altering the state of the race - This is key. I think the Obama camp was probably relying on a lot of Republicans either 1) staying home because they disliked McCain or 2) Voting for him, but not donating money or devoting time to campaigning or volunteering. Palin’s selection has energized the base. These are not converts in the traditional sense. They were not going to vote for Obama. To be honest, in terms of my vote, McCain picking Palin has only spared my liver the excessive amount of gin it would have required to get me to the polls on Election Day. But, in terms of advocacy and volunteering, it has inspired me to actively take part in his campaign. I can’t wait to figure out how I can become involved in promoting this ticket. I disagree with John McCain on many issues, but my opinion of his judgment has increased dramatically. I am hoping that he comes to her defense against this personal slander, as he remembers how he was slandered during his 2000 presidential run.

4) Troopergate - Last and probably least, the Troopergate scandal. As non-issues go, this pretty much takes the cake. I'm so sick of reading comments like "OMGZZZ, Sarah Palin is under investigation for abuse of power! The McCain campaign, like, TOTALLY didn't even vet her."
The problem with this argument is that *I* knew about Troopergate long before McCain picked her. How? Did I fly to Anchorage or Juneau and comb the Alaska archives? Did I interview Palin's close associates? Did I hack government files? No, I went to Google and did a Google News search for "Sarah Palin" and lo, look what I saw: Troopergate. Do people REALLY think that the McCain operatives who successfully torpedoed Obama's convention bounce could not manage to Google News search his running mate? This is the kind of ignorance we are up against, and it ain't pretty.

I guess I shouldn’t worry too much. People will know what to make of Palin as the campaign goes on, and I know the response will be positive. I guess the mainstream media does not appreciate being played for fools, as they were by the McCain campaign who had us ALL believing the choice would be a yawn-inducing Pawlenty, Romney, Lieberman or Ridge. I’m excited to watch this play out. And I can’t wait for the Palin/Biden debate!!!

Pro-Palin Arguments

2008-08-31T15:51:00.002-04:00

Here's a good post outlying some of the positives of the Palin pick.

As promised, my own is forthcoming.

I'm Back!

2008-08-30T15:17:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the long break from blogging, but what with my move and settling in waiting for internet, I fell behind.

For my "first post back", I can not resist talking about Sarah Palin.

The night before Palin was picked, I was doing a law school assignment and checking out the Palin For VP blog. My feeling was that the pick would be Romney or Pawlenty. There was lots of chatter, and I am the first to admit that the other commenters felt way more confident than I did. A mysterious commenter named "Drew", claiming to have inside info from the McCain campaign began leaking intriguing tidbits of information, but we had no real reason to consider his assertions credible, UNTIL everything he predicted started happening, little by little.

I heard someone gave a speech that night in Denver, but all I did was click "refresh" on that comment thread. Some of these people missed their calling and should become investigative detectives, because it was on that comment thread where the story about the plane from Anchorage to Dayton broke. It was at that point that I began to get my hopes up.

At around 1:30 AM (I think) Drew came on one last time and told us that we would all be "very pleased" with McCain's pick. This caused about an hour or so of gossip and speculation, at which point I had to go to bed. I did have class the next day. When I woke up, the plane info had made Drudge, although there were conflicting reports that she was in Alaska.

Long story short, I was sitting in class on my laptop when one by one the news sites began confirming Palin as the pick. I had tears in my eyes as I watched her speech. (No, I was not going to faint like an Obama nut, but it was a pretty moving moment. Plus, it had been a looooong night.) I just am so impressed that McCain would make such a good choice. I did not see it coming.

I will post again later about exactly what makes Palin such a good choice, but for now I would like to answer a question from my friend Tory - on a scale of 1-10, my excitement is around a 30.

Now it feels real...

2008-08-08T17:12:00.001-04:00

I am finally able to view my schedule for the fall term online. I will be taking Torts, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Research and Writing, and a short course on Litigation Basics. My Litigation course and Legal Research course begin on August 19th, the rest of the classes begin August 25th. I'm both nervous and excited!

The Time of the Season

2008-08-06T14:21:00.002-04:00

If it's August, it must be waitlist season.

I just got a phonecall from a law school I would have been thrilled to attend if you had asked me six months ago. Now I have a lease and a scholarship. At least the decision was made easy for me by the fact that the spot was in their part time evening program. I don't really want to do part time.

I'm still a (Night) Owl!

How is this ok??

2008-08-06T11:10:00.002-04:00

Sickening.

I refuse to believe that if we were going into Mexico and holding their border patrol/military agents at gun point, the Mexican government would just shrug it off.

Why are we allowing our country to be invaded?

Painting the town... Pink?

2008-08-05T21:37:00.002-04:00

Paris for President!

At least she is pro-drilling.

The End of the Reagan Era?

2008-08-03T23:10:00.003-04:00

I found this Washington Post piece on Real Clear Politics. I find it interesting, but not entirely accurate. For example, this part:

But now, seemingly all of a sudden, conservatives are the ones who are tongue-tied, as demonstrated by Sen. John McCain's limping, message-free presidential campaign. McCain's ongoing difficulties in exciting voters aren't just a tactical problem; his woes stem largely from his long-standing adherence to a set of ideas that simply haven't worked in practice. The belief system and finely crafted policy pitches that enabled the right to dominate the war of ideas for the past 30 years have produced a relentless succession of governing failures, from Iraq to Katrina to the economy to the environment.

It is not fair to dismiss an entire intellectual and political movement based on one candidate's campaign. Senator McCain has not been running a particularly inspiring campaign, to be sure. But that is his own and his campaign's failure to convey a message. There are plenty of dynamic conservative leaders, but we did NOT nominate any of them. Rudy Giuliani, for example, is a dynamic and capable conservative politician. I wish that he had run the same type of campaign during the primary season as he did when he was running for mayor of New York. We have some younger conservatives on the horizon (Sarah Palin and Bobby Jindal, for example.) John McCain does not represent the true nature of conservatives or conservatism.

Conservatism is in a crisis right now, but not for lack of good ideas.

Good McCain Ad!

2008-08-01T16:25:00.002-04:00

Check out this awesome ad mocking Obama's "divinity." This is exactly what I have been waiting for from McCain's campaign. McCain's new domestic policy stances are clearly superior to Obama's (with the regrettable exception of immigration), he is vastly superior on the War on Terror, but the Obama hype is what is keeping things so close. Ads like this that emphasize what a joke so much of this hype is are very important. Keep them coming!

Awesome Interview

2008-07-31T21:57:00.002-04:00

Here is a fantastic interview with my favorite Republican, Sarah Palin. McCain is crazy if he doesn't pick her.

(Thanks to Draft Sarah Palin for Vice President for the link!)

Apologies...

2008-07-29T10:32:00.002-04:00

for the light blogging!

I am taking a trip to Washington, DC for the next couple of days, so blogging will be very sporadic.

Flip-Flops All Around

2008-07-27T21:49:00.002-04:00

Ever since the 2004 election, flip-flopping has been one of the most damning charges you can make against a politician running for office. I'm facing a bit of a dilemma because on the one hand, I want John McCain to change many of his positions. But I find myself distrustful of any change that is made less than four months before an election.

In any case, McCain's latest flip-flop has to do with affirmative action. He has come out in favor of a proposed referendum in his home state of Arizona, banning affirmative action. Ten years ago, he opposed such efforts in Arizona, as he considered them divisive. On the face of it, this would seem like a positive step. Until I hear otherwise, I am cautiously optimistic.

This post from The Atlantic, however, brings up a good point regarding Obama's shifting rhetoric on the issue. At one point, Obama claimed to be somewhat receptive to the idea of income based affirmative action, which is an idea I could readily get behind. Now, in response to McCain's new position, Obama seems to be back-pedaling on that reasonable stance. Read the post for some excellent commentary on the matter!

Palin for America

2008-07-26T15:52:00.004-04:00

Great site. Even if McCain doesn't pick her (which looks less and less likely), she is absolutely the future of the Republican party. If McCain picks somebody else, he will lose, and it will be up to people like Palin and Jindal to pick up the pieces of the party and get the country back on track after four years of Obama-nation.

I love the U,K.

2008-07-25T19:43:00.001-04:00

Some Obama satire. At least they are allowed to mock him overseas!

Obama's "Look At Me!" Tour

2008-07-25T14:26:00.002-04:00

This is a great post from Hot Air about Obama's ignorance of history. But my favorite part is actually the concluding paragraph:

The more basic question is why Obama feels the need to conduct a campaign event among Germans. Meeting with foreign leaders makes sense for a man with no foreign policy experience whatsoever, but that doesn’t require massive rallies among people who aren’t voting in this election. In his rush to look impressive for no one’s purposes but his own, Obama has made himself look ignorant and arrogant all over again.

Too sad and too true.

Finally...

2008-07-25T12:14:00.001-04:00

My summer reading assignment arrived!

I will post my thoughts on it when I'm finished. :)

Obama's Priorities

2008-07-25T00:02:00.002-04:00

Apparently, Obama does not consider it a priority to visit wounded American troops in Germany. He would rather blabber about how he is a citizen of the world.

God help us.

Fainting Couch Please

2008-07-24T09:58:00.002-04:00

Media bias in the coverage of the Edwards lovechild scandal??

Here's a Gawker post I can get behind, regardless of the ultimate truth of the matter. The mainstream media has a responsibility to report these things. They certainly had a field day with Senator Craig and Senator Vitter. Which is to say nothing of Elliot Spitzer! Different circumstances, yes, but nonetheless. They just don't want to taint anyone who may be up for a position in the Obambi administration, which is pretty sickening.

I met both John Edwards and his wife. His wife seems like a nice person, and I feel sorry for her (again, whether or not this story is true.) But that does not mean it should not get reported on.

This is a good Slate article on the debacle. Ultimately, if the contention is that what made the aforementioned politicians' scandals reportable was the hypocrisy behind their actions, the hypocrisy rule could be just as readily applied to Edwards. He has paraded his sick wife around to his advantage!!! If he has been cheating on her, that is legitimate grounds for a hypocrisy accusation.

I need to read a little bit more about it to form an opinion one way or another. But likely I won't get the chance if the MSM continues to fail in their responsibility to report the news.

Counterfeits Kill

2008-07-23T21:26:00.003-04:00

It's good to see that someone is trying to spread the word about counterfeiters.

I worked in anti-counterfeiting for a year and a half and I do not understand why anyone would want to buy a knockoff watch, handbag or any other luxury good. Aside from the fact that I find it pathetic, the money you pay for a counterfeit product supports any number of illicit things: drug trade, child and/or slave labor, terrorism... you name it. It has been conclusively tied in to the first World Trade Center bombing, and links have even been found to the September 11th attacks. Also, if someone spends $20 on a fake watch on Canal Street, that is $20 they are NOT spending on taxable goods. This comes directly out of our pockets as taxes are raised to compensate.

Counterfeits Kill. Don't do it. Trust me, the satisfaction of saving your money and buying a legitimate gorgeous bag instead of a thrown together cheap piece of garbage from Chinatown is MUCH greater.

This is good news...

2008-07-23T17:30:00.002-04:00

Gas prices are "dropping like a rock."

While it's good to see some small relief for American consumers, this does not change the fact that we need to expand domestic drilling. I'm sure the talk of expansion is at least partially driving the price decrease. Watch the prices go right back up if we take drilling off the table. We need to think long term! I wish I could trust that McCain will stick to his new line on drilling (as well as revisit the idea of drilling in ANWR)... but I am not terribly optimistic.

NYC = Melting Pot

2008-07-23T11:34:00.003-04:00

This morning, Gothamist posted that Mayor Bloomberg signed Executive Order 120 requiring city services to be offered in six languages other than English. The languages chosen are the six most widely spoken primary languages other than English in New York City: Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Italian and French Creole.

A couple of points:

1) I have no problem with the city offering services in languages other than English. As someone points out in the comments section at Gothamist, these things are sometimes hard enough to decipher in English if it is your native language; there is nothing wrong, in my opinion, with providing another resource for people to get the most out of the services available to them (which, if they are here legally, they pay for!)

2) I am surprised that Italian is still one of the top six languages spoken other than English as a primary language. The other languages are no surprise, but are there that many people in New York City who still consider Italian their primary language? (I'm not doubting it, I just find it surprising.)

Summertime Blues

2008-07-22T16:16:00.002-04:00

Today has been a little on the gloomy side. I have this almost panicked sense that I wish there were something I could be doing to prepare for the start of school, but at this point there just isn't really anything. It's a little frustrating.

I guess I'll just crack open a Sam Adams and get back to cleaning my room. Maybe I'll take a walk once the sky clears up a little.

Any advice from the law students who read this? Is there anything I could be doing to prepare?

BREAKING NEWS!

2008-07-21T22:17:00.003-04:00

50% of Americans believe the press favors Obama!

Come on people, this is a no-brainer. Especially in light of the fact that McCain submitted an editorial to the New York Times and the Times rejected it, suggesting he submit one that mirrored Obama's. They're not even trying to appear objective! CNN article here.

This is just cruel...

2008-07-21T21:50:00.002-04:00

Shortly after I returned from signing my lease in Philadelphia, I quickly signed on to my computer to check email and the news, including Drudge. Well, lo and behold, I am greeted with:

NOVAK: MCCAIN VP PICK TO COME 'THIS WEEK'...
SEARCH NARROWS...
Will Meet With Jindal...
Met with Giuliani...

This is just mean. If you have been reading my blog, you know I love Sarah Palin and think she would be the best choice for McCain's VP. BUT, well... Rudy was my choice as the nominee and if McCain were to pick him, you would not hear a complaint from me. I also like Jindal a lot and think he has a lot of promise, although he is VERY young.

The problem is that these "teasers" will make it all the more difficult for me to get drunk and vote for McCain when he inevitably picks someone awful. (I'm looking at Huckabee, Romney or Crist in particular.)

Here is the Gothamist post on Giuliani and McCain's appearance together at Yankee Stadium this Sunday.

Home Sweet Home!

2008-07-21T09:18:00.002-04:00

I'm on my way to go sign the lease on my new apartment!!! In less than one month I will be at my new home in Philadelphia. :)

Speaking of Catholicism

2008-07-21T08:55:00.000-04:00

What a lovely picture of the Pope!

Women as Priests?

2008-07-20T21:10:00.004-04:00

I just noticed this article from the Boston Globe about three women who were "ordained" as Catholic priests today. (Obviously, the ceremony was immediately denounced by the Catholic church, and the women automatically excommunicated.)

I am a lifelong Catholic and I don't know exactly what to make of this. Instinctively, I do not see the problem with women as priests. I read the church's official stance on the issue here and I do not find it terribly convincing. For example, I think it is something of a reach to claim that because Jesus did not ordain any women, he did not intend for any women to EVER be ordained. Furthermore, there is compelling evidence that some of the earliest priests, including St. Peter himself, were married, so obviously the church's position on who can be ordained can be subject to change.

It just seems to me that it should be possible for the church to change some things about its "infrastructure" without changing its core beliefs and values.

How will I bring myself to vote for McCain?

2008-07-20T19:42:00.002-04:00

http://getdrunkandvote4mccain.com/

Finally, a gameplan!

Mail Merge

2008-07-20T14:09:00.003-04:00

A couple of people recommended that I start my mail merge this summer for my 1L summer job search. The rationale, I suppose, is that I won't want to take time away from studying once classes start. So I have spent the better part of today browsing the NALP directory online, but it is slow going. Do these mail merges even work? Or will I send out 500 resumes and get no offers to show for it?

End of an Era

2008-07-19T14:10:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was my last day of work, giving me a month between now and the start of school to sleep, blog, read Baby-Sitters Club books and drink wine before noon. I'm very excited about this on many levels. I ordered the book for my summer reading assignment through eBay and it has not arrived yet so I don't even feel any guilt about the fact that I haven't started reading it. I saw Mamma Mia! with my mom last night to celebrate my last day and I enjoyed it a great deal, although I still think the play was better.

I was a bit sad to leave my job. I have been there since December of 06 and so much has happened in that year and a half; a lot of highs and lows. And while I won't miss taking the LIRR every day, I will miss some of the people I work with. The end of an era is always at least a little sad, but hopefully the immediate future will be a drastic improvement on the immediate past. In the meanwhile, relaxation is key. :)

Rudy Giuliani Watch: 2010?

2008-07-19T12:03:00.005-04:00

Just saw this link from Newsday reporting that Rudy Giuliani is creating a fundraising committee for GOP candidates in New York.

According to Newsday, "The move would position Giuliani for a possible run for governor in 2010."

Here's hoping! Rudy would be a great governor, and I see here that he is actually polling ahead of Mayor Bloomberg, even among Jewish Republicans! I will keep my New York residency just in case!

From the Mouths of Babes

2008-07-17T19:17:00.004-04:00

Here's a cute article about a group of kids (the Scholastic Kids Press Corp) asking Senator McCain questions about his campaign. Young Jacob Schroeder's question was: "When do you plan to announce suggestion of your Vice Presidential running mate?"

Good question, Jacob. McCain said he would make his decision as soon as possible, but that it is a long and difficult process due to the number of qualified candidates. When asked about who he was looking for, McCain's response was: "Someone exactly like you. Young, vigorous, talented. That person has to share not only my principles and my values but also priorities."

Priorities such as the rising cost of energy and the need for the expansion of domestic drilling? Conveniently enough, Sarah Palin has just penned her own blog post about this very topic! Read it here. (Thanks to "Draft Sarah Palin for VP" for the link!)

And if he's looking for someone young, vigorous and talented he can scarcely do better!

What's Safe to Print?

2008-07-16T22:14:00.002-04:00

I recently rediscovered the blog of a former classmate of mine, and I'm glad I did! In this post, Tory discusses political satire, and specifically Maureen Dowd's Op-Ed on the New Yorker controversy.

Was the cover in poor taste? Intuitively I say no, but there's a reason for that. I work with a group of about four or five of the same people on a daily basis in very close quarters. We all get along well, and inevitably end up discussing politics at some point. Let's just say that my views are... slightly to the right of their's. When the New Yorker cover became a Drudge sensation, we discussed it a bit and my reaction was, "I guess I'm used to that sort of thing since conservatives are the target of satire like that all the time." I thought this was a relatively non-controversial statement, but my coworkers immediately contradicted my statement. They all felt that it was the exact opposite.

This baffles me. How, with the way Obama is generally treated by journalists, can liberals possibly feel victimized by the media in any way? The mind reels.

And So It Begins...

2008-07-16T21:54:00.003-04:00

This morning I got my first assignment for law school: summer reading. The book we are assigned to read is Gideon's Trumpet by Anthony Lewis. It is the story of Gideon v. Wainright, the Supreme Court decision granting impoverished defendants the right to legal representation. It is not for a particular class, so I get the sense it is for orientation. I think I will actually do this reading assignment, as opposed to the summer before my freshman year of college when I never even bought the book! I feel like it will get me off on the right note, and goodness knows it's not like I will be lacking for time once I am done with work.

Getting the assignment just makes law school seem so... real! I can't believe I will be back in school in one month and one day!

Election 08

2008-07-15T23:05:00.004-04:00

I really wish that I had been blogging during the primary season. It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I was a stong supporter of Rudy Giuliani. I believed (and frankly, still do) that he was the best choice to lead the country in these dangerous and challenging times. I really don't know how I feel about John McCain at this point except that he is better than Obama, but my opinion of him could be considerably improved depending on his VP candidate. I think there are several good candidates for this position, but right now my top choice is undoubtedly Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska.

If you are a conservative reading this and you have your doubts about Sarah Palin and/or are unfamiliar with her, I urge you to check out the Unofficial Palin for VP page for information on her positions and credentials. I agree with the first comment on the page; we do need to find out her stance on immigration and border enforcement. But you can't argue with the rest of her credentials, or the potential voting block she could tap into.

I could argue the case for Palin point by point (and I undoubtedly will as time goes on) but I think it is done so thoroughly and eloquently on that page that for now I will just direct you there!

Welcome

2008-07-13T20:46:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone, and welcome to my blog. I am a soon to be first year law student at Temple University, and this is my last week at my paralegal position. I'm keeping this blog for several reasons:

1) To give myself something to do between now and law school.
2) To keep myself sane once I'm there by venting about law, politics, classes, life, and anything else that strikes me.
3) Hopefully, to at least mildly entertain those who chance to read it.

I will post more later , but this is just to get things started!