Thursday, August 31, 2006

Evil Landlords



A friend of mine has encountered some evil landlords. They are taking advantage of the fact that she's new to town, has trouble with confrontation, and tries to see the best in people. Here's a breakdown of her harrowing story so far:

A week ago she went to look at an apartment. It wasn't that well priced, but it was near where she wanted to be and she was kind of desperate to get a place. She signed a holding agreement and gave over about $450 dollars for a deposit. The holding agreement states that the lease and rent would begin on 9/1/06. It also states that if she chooses not to lease the apartment, she will lose her entire deposit.

Two days ago, Evil Landlord calls her and says "The tenants in your new apartment haven't moved out yet. It's going to be the 9th or the 10th before you can move in. That alright?" (notice, the question is worded more as a statement)

My friend is shocked, halfway says "uhhh okay, I'm sleeping on a couch right now, I really needed to move in, but whatever". She gets very upset after this conversation. It's not her fault, she's a girl, and girls do that.

Today she finds an awesome apartment with a nice landlord that would like her to move in pronto. The price is better, the location is better, everything about this place is better. My friend calls the Evil Landlord and tells her that she would like her deposit back. Evil Landlord tells my friend to take a hike. My friend gets upset, drives over to Evil Real Estate Company and gets Evil Holding Agreement to peruse.

Now, I'm not allowed to help my friend in any legal matter. As a law student I am bound not to give any legal advice at all. So I didn't, but I suggested that my friend utilize the Attorney General's webpage and Google to assist her in her quest to find out who is in the wrong and who is in the right.

The law appears to say that the Evil Landlord must conform to the Evil Holding Agreement. My own knowledge of the law tends to make me think that the Evil Landlord has violated the contract. Also, there was no verbal contract made because there was no consideration for it, there was no agreement, and besides, I don't think that verbal agreement is allowed in this kind of property situation.

I can't give legal advice to my friend, but here's what I suggested.

"Take these pricks to small claims. Let's make them hurt."

So attorneys and law students, according to the law in your state, does my friend win or does my friend lose?

Also, rent Hoodwinked. Very funny in an Ice Age sorta way.

aLs

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

How I Be Seein' The U.S.



Well I got an interview. I don't know how many people get interviewed for this particular positon, but my understanding is that a lot of people take a shot at it. It's a minor boost for me. I needed some good news. Who knows how this will pan out, but it's nice to know that my applications are atleast getting glanced at.

Someone in the career services department at my school showed me how to locate alumni around the country. Now I can start targeting any city that I fancy with my resume.

Places I find interesting:

1. Nevada (Texas Hold 'Em 24/7)
2. Oregon (Pretty beaches, Powell's book store, educated people)
3. Washington (Educated people, outdoorsy activities, Canada next door)
4. Idaho (Potatoes...and uhhh....potatoes is just it I think)
5. Montana (Things are just more excitin' in Montana!)
6. Puerto Rico (Do I really need to explain why a tropical island appeals to me?)
7. Hawaii (surfer girls)

Those are the only interesting States in the Union. I would put Alaska on that list, but I'm not ever moving back there. It's an interesting State, but it's also dark, cold, and leads the US in drunk driving per capita.

I might consider putting California on the list, but they have the hardest bar in the country. Besides, any state that elects the Terminator as their governor deserves to sluff off into the ocean during the next earthquake.

Texas almost made the list. Just kidding. They may have the prettiest girls per capita, but the 4000% humidity is too much for me. Besides, any state that worships Larry the Cable Guy deserves to join California at the bottom of the ocean.

I'd almost apply for a few jobs in North Carolina, but truthfully, I'm afraid of their lacrosse team. What happens if I get drunk and go to the wrong party?

Florida.....nope. Giant bugs, humidity, hurricanes, gators, millions of old people. Need I say more?

Utah? Early to rise and early to bed, makes a man healthy, but socially dead.

Michigan. I think Michigan has the potential to be hella fun. They love their good times and they love their hockey. I think we'd get along real well.

Delaware. Delaware should lose its statehood. It's a silly accident of history. I don't really know that they deserve two senators.

Rhode Island. See Delaware.

Did I miss your state or insult you? Sorry. If you're feeling the urge to tell me off, remember, arguing on the internet is like eating KFC to lose weight. Also remember that I'm just kidding. Kind of.

aLs

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Don't Worshp the Sun

It's not even on fire. To be on fire, it would need oxygen.

The Book Of Noom prophesizes the end to the Sun-Cults. Choose your side wisely.

aLs

Screw You CompUSA!



In the news, State Farm Screws Katrina Victims. This really isn't surprising, I've read so many cases that involve State Farm screwing over people in one way or another. I hope that those southern lawyers really stick it to them this time.

How ethical is it for the FBI to allow hackers from other countries to bust pedophiles in our country? The FBI encouraged a foreign hacker to continue to hack into people's computers in hopes of finding evidence of child porn. I know, I know...I can practically hear you defense attorneys having temper tantrums. Several people are in jail now because of the information that this hacker found. I guess I'm happy for the children that have been saved, though I'm a little weirded out that it's okay for the hackers to break into computers when it's usually a felony to do that...

CompUSA WANTS WAR!

My laptop has been broken for a few months. Three weeks ago I took it in to get use the warranty and have it repaired so I could use it when fall classes started up again. After going three weeks without a response, I called them today. They told me that my laptop had not been repaired because the damage was caused by "water or some other liquid."

Call me a critic, but I don't believe them. I never let a single drop of water touch my laptop. Furthermore, the problems it was displaying do not seem to match up with water damage. Tomorrow I am going to wrestle with their customer service department that has the power to deal with these kinds of problems. If they refuse to fix the problem immediately, I am going to file a claim against them for 1000 dollars in small claims court. I might not win, but atleast it will give me the opportunity to take my grievances away from their stupid help lines and somewhere a bit more official.

If that doesn't work, I'm going to mass email my law school and tell the story. When I'm done, nobody will be buying laptops at CompUSA, not in this area atleast.

I got most of my books over the weekend. I just need one more, which I am getting tomorrow.

My license expired, and in this stupid state, that means you have to retake the electronic and actual driving test. How ridiculous is that? Surely a better rule would be one that allows a grace period of 6 months after a license expires. It seems like a waste of everyone's time to force me to prove that I know how to drive (and force me to fork over another 45 bucks for the privilege).

My school has put a hold on my account. This means that I can't find out how I did in my summer courses or print my transcript. If I can't print my transcript, then I can apply for summer jobs. I'm working on rectifying the situation, and if the school is willing to see logic, I'll have it fixed in a day or two. If they aren't willing to see logic, then it's just more bad luck in a long line of bad luck type situations I seem to find myself in lately.

I'm one week into my second year of law school and I need a vacation.

aLs

Friday, August 25, 2006

PD, Workday #2



This Judge dealt swift justice to pricks with cellphones. I also carry a cellphone with me, but I've never had a problem turning it off when I find myself in situations where it would be inappropriate. Why is it that so many people in this country find that so hard to do?

I started the day off with some hardcore filing. After filing, I did some hardcore desk organizing for PD's that are out of town right now. When they get back, they'll see that some plucky intern made their papers manageable and their life a bit easier. Yay for me.

I got to interview some prisoners today. I can't talk about anything I went over with them, but I can tell you this: Holy Wow. Humanity in the raw, that's what I glimpsed. I felt simultaneously angry at the people I was interviewing, but pity as well. They continue to break our laws and burden our society, but on the other hand, they've been dealt a real bad hand in life. Nobody wants to end up like them, they didn't choose this...something went wrong along the way.

My first solo interview, he was sad that I wasn't his attorney. Through the course of the conversation, I got the subtle (and not so subtle) hint that said person felt he should no longer be in prison, that things were taking too long. My boss tells me that just about every person I interview is going to share the same feelings. I didn't know what to tell this guy, other than to say "your attorney is working hard for you right now, just sit tight a little bit longer." The PD's in this town are unfairly overburdened, this guy is paying the price.

I'm stressed. My loans are still tied up and I don't have textbooks. How am I supposed to make it through law school when I don't have textbooks? The school gave me a 500 dollar emergency loan, but I had to pay the bank 150 of that right off the bat, then I bought groceries and a tank of gas, and before I knew it, was down to 250 bucks. That's not enough, not nearly enough.

Stress, Anger, Depression, these are the tools of the darkside, Young Skywalker. Embrace them.

aLs

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Fake Number!?



Anonymous Chicago Girl gave me a fake phone number. Either that, or I wrote it down wrong. I've decided to believe that I wrote it down wrong. I will say this, giving out fake numbers is a bitchy move to make. Just shoot me down or make up an excuse, but a fake number?! What are you, thirteen?!

Oh well, it doesn't really matter. I'm too busy for such a vapid person. Maybe it's better this way.

Lynndenburg is in town. I've had dinner with her and her mom for the past few nights. It's been a good time showing them the town. If I wasn't so busy I could do a much better job.

More work at the PD office tomorrow, maybe I'll get to interview me some felons!

Also, I'm applying to tutor Kontractz and Crim Law. I need the extra coin.

In the news, the Morning After Pill is now over the counter. The nutso religious conservatives have pretty much lost the battle on this one. Notice, I didn't say all conservatives, just the psycho ones intent on pushing their beliefs on everyone else.

Also, I don't know if I believe in the death penalty, but if I do, this guy might be a great candidate. In fact, he is a candidate. The premeditated murder of an entire family, including a 7 year old girl. That's cold. Burn in hell asshole.

aLs

Hey! I'm Still Alive!



Todd's visit was a ton of fun. For those of you that don't know, I met Todd in highschool. He was one of my best friends there and he made Texas bearable. I was a senior in highschool and he was a freshmen, but I was cool enough to be nice to him and I have never insisted on giving him a twisty....though maybe I will some day.

I began working at the Public Defenders today. The girl that showed me the ropes also let me in on all the office politics. It was kind of amusing to find out that the support staff didn't like certain attorneys because they were "jerks that you could bend over backwards for, but they'd die before they ever thanked you for anything." I think the lesson here is to be nice to the support staff...lest you end up delivering your own paperwork to the Court.

Most of the attorneys were really cool. They were happy to have a bright eyed law student running errands for them. I've been told that if I keep up the good work, I can try my own cases when I get rule 9 certified.

I can't talk about cases or anything like that (I signed a piece of paper that said my life would come to a painful end if I ever revealed anything confidential), but I can talk in general terms about the job. I'm happy to be there and I'll say more about it when there is more to say...next week I get to interview some adult felons! Swwwweeeeet!

Tonight I went to a great LBC concert. They were not the headliners, but they were by far the best band playing tonight. I got into the mosh pit, and I have bruises to show for it. I took a real bad hit to my right leg, behind the shin. I'm going to be limping for a day or two, but my doctor (my house plant) says that it will be just fine.

I gots me a phone number. Her name is: Anonymous Chicago Girl.

Will Anonymous Law Student and Anonymous Chicago Girl go well together?
Will the PD job work out for aLs?
Will aLs get up to wacky shenanigans and hijinks?

The answers revealed on the next aLs post.


aLs

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Erratic Post



Happy Birthday to me. I am now a year older. I'm so excited to be older, because that means I am closer to being done with school. Two years from now I will have passed the bar (knock on wood) and will be out there in the real world doing whatever people do in the real world.

Last night we tore up the town to celebrate my birthday. My friend Todd is visiting from out of town. He ended up following some undergrads and woke up in a strange place this morning. He was a gentleman though, totally devoted to his girlfriend.

We played some Meatloaf and toasted Matterhorn at the bar last night. My toast was "To Matterhorn, a bar room hero who could no longer be with us." If you know that I stole that from a Dropkick Murphys song, you are awesome.

I did the mentor thing the other day. It went well. I told everyone that the key to everything is primers and keeping a cool head. I hope they listened. Unless they fail, in which case, I hope they don't blame me.

My brother is now a full paramedic. I am too proud of him to really express it in words.

I have to sleep soon. Posts have been erratic because my friend is here and I think being on the computer would be rude. Here's a followup to that judge that exposed himself in court. He's going to prison for four years. I have this funny feeling that judges probably aren't that popular in the pokey.

aLs

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

1 more news item

This man has been arrested 226 times in Nebraska. Even worse, he is only ranked 40th for number of arrests in Nebraska. How stupid is that? What kind of justice system tolerates someone like this? He is obviously a menace to society, and allowing him to continue being a menace seems like an affront to the entire criminal justice system.

The News You Want, When You Want it!

Some lady filed a lawsuit seeking damages against a store that aided a dangerous attacking squirrel. Apparently as this lady was exiting the store, the squirrel jumped on her leg, causing her to fall over and sustain serious injuries. She is asking for 50,000 dollars. She alleges that the store was negligent in feeding this squirrel and is therefore responsible for the damage it caused when it jumped on her leg.

I think it's her own fault that she comes off as a nut.

I have officially lost all respect for whatever lawyer/firm is representing her. Who the hell thinks this case has any merit at all?

In other news, a woman ran over two other women at a McDonalds in Chicago because they cut in line. Karmas a bitch aint it ladies?

The Seattle based company, amazon.com, has decided that our online privacy concerns are unimportant. Learning nothing from the recent AOL scandal, Amazon is gearing up to build a massive repository of user information. Who knows what that information could be used for?

Where is the legislation that will force companies to quit pulling shit like that? I think that whether a person is Republican or Democrat, they can agree that they don't want random companies on the internet building up massive amounts of information on people. I think that it's time we start listening to the Electronic Freedom Foundation and stop listening to the BS that we're hearing from everyone else.

aLs

PD Blog

Check out the latest post on this former PD blog. Thanks to PD Investigator for giving us the heads up.

I love the PD Blogs, but they are scaring me.

aLs

A Haiku



Go to Law School
Be a man
What's your fuckin deal?


Garth, that was a haiku.


aLs

Monday, August 14, 2006

N E W S



This story actually got me all choked up. It's the true story of a man helping his wife commit suicide (even though he was kind of against it). If that's not love, I don't know what is. Isn't it silly that in this country, you do not have the legal right to help a loved one die with dignity? If I were a prosecutor, I would never charge someone for this. Never.

In slightly more upbeat news, a man is stealing signs on the highway because it is illegal to place them there and he's tired of them. I'm with this guy 100%. The people placing the signs on that road are breaking the law, what right do they have to complain that the signs are being stolen?

The US government will probably add you to their "danger" lists if you visit The Iranian President's new blog. I haven't looked at it yet, because truthfully, I do fear that our government may be monitoring domestic traffic in and out of that site. Perhaps I'll check it out the next time I'm at the library. Enjoy.

aLs

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Zombie Rules



The review for this zombie game was written by someone that understands the most important survival strategies needed in case of zombie infection.

Here are a few of my own rules for surviving a zombie attack. I've found that if you follow these rules, you have a better chance of getting out of this alive. I say better, because most people die. So it's like buying 3 lotto tickets instead of 1. You can trust my tips, because I am one of the foremost Zomboligists in the world.

1) Don't save anyone, don't even try.

2) The laws of man no longer apply. The Laws of the jungle is in full effect. That means you should screw over anyone you can.

3) Eat any kind of food you come into contact with. Food is hard to get in a zombie invasion.

4) Guns are worth a lot. Bullets are worth more than anything. If you meet a kind soul that has a lot of spare bullets, shoot him and take the bullets.

5) Find a two story building and block off the staircase. Then find a way to sleep on the roof. This isn't a good long term survival method, but it will buy you some time. Take water onto the roof. Shoot any zombies that look like smokers. You don't want that jerk burning your house down...or forcing his second hand smoke on you.

6) If traveling with a group, kill the crazy guy in your group. I think most zombie movies have made the reason for this quite clear.

7) If traveling with a group, and someone is injured, kill them without hesitation. If anyone in your group objects, kill them too. If you do this, you are now the crazy guy in the group, watch out for rule 6.

8) The military is not your friend. "Join the army, see the world, save people from zombies" is not their motto.

9) Zombies don't care if its night or day. Limit your excursions to daytime. In fact, don't have any excursions. This is a zombie attack, not a visit to Disneyland you dumbass.

10) If you are well supplied and safe, for Godsakes, don't leave your current position. Anyone that saw the new Dawn of the Dead movie surely must have realized that that entire group got itself killed using nothing but their own combined stupidity.

11) Boats are a losing strategy.

12) My Dad used to always say to me: "Remember aLs, in case of a zombie invasion, you never have to reload a machete." It's true.

13) Having a zombie escape plan not only saves time, it saves lives. Ask yourself this, do you know where you're supposed to meet family and friends when the undead scourge comes? You are living on the edge my friend.

14) Wear lots of leather. Wear anything that is hard to bite through. Don't wear so much that you can't run. Girls: Skimpy clothing is a stupid idea. Your best bet is tight leather. Yeah. Tight leather. Wear that.

15) Stop shooting zombies in the torso you jerk. Ammo doesn't grow on trees.

16) Put your cellphone on vibrate. One ring at the wrong moment can spell disaster. Also, if it rings while we're having dinner or I'm talking to you, and you answer it, I am going to invoke rule 2 and push you off the side of the building.

17) That scary looking dog is not your friend. Do not pet him.

18) If you are covered in zombie blood, take a shower. If someone were to cut you, and that blood got into the wound, you'd be infected. If you're infected, then watch out for rule 7. Hopefully someone will avenge you with rule 6.

19) You will be encouraged to go to some kind of emergency shelter. This is the most suicidal suggestion you will hear all day. If everyone jumps off a bridge, are you going to do that too? You're a freaking tool if you say yes.

20) There will be some people in your group that insist that their voodoo priest grandfather used to say, "When hell is full, the dead will walk the Earth." Let me tell you, I knew that voodoo priest too, and he also used to say "I eat 3 tubs of mayo every week." So take it with a grain of salt.

21) If one of the people in your group is a pilot or doctor, protect them at all costs. If you are a pilot or doctor, you will most certainly be killed by the zombie horde. They tend to kill the most useful people in the group. Absolutely, under no circumstances, should you teach the pregnant girl how to fly the helicopter. You were really asking for it when you did that, moron.

22) If you light a zombie on fire, you give it another way to kill you. Now it's a shambling fireball. What was going through your head when you lit the thing on fire? It's almost like you want to die.

23) Dead zombies may have useful things in their pockets. Search them. Stealing from the dead is not tacky, it's profitable.

24) Don't be an attorney. Remember what happened to the attorney in Jurassic Park? I know that isn't a zombie movie, but I feel that it can be applied across the board.

25) Lie to the rest of your group and tell them you know where a secret underground base is where there's lots of food and water. That way, if you end up in a scary situation, your group will sacrifice many of its number to save you.

26) If rule 25 comes into play, steal your group's stuff and strike it out on your own. They are gonna be so pissed when they realize they fell for the old "I know where a secret base is" bullshit.

27) Keep an eye on the head scientist. I think he's up to something.

28) Think of this whole thing as a vacation. Try to keep your morale up. The attacks will continue until morale improves.

29) Stop blaming God. This wasn't his bad. Blame the Dutch. This is all on them.

30) Contrary to public opinion, zombies make horrible slaves.

This is all true.

aLs

Uwe Boll....grrr

Uwe Boll, hated amongst gamers for turning good games into the worst movies ever. He singlehandedly makes sure that most games will never had a chance at becoming a movie. How? For every crappy movie he puts out, he convinces a million people that video games cannot cross over to movies.

So what his latest project? It's called Uwe Boll's Pac-Man.

ha

aLs

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Some News



This old hag gave her 15 year old daughter over to her boyfriend for sex. The idea is that while the hag recovered from her surgery, the boyfriend could have sex with the 15 year old daughter. Over the course of 2 months, they had sex atleast 20 times.

If I was a prosecutor I would:

1. Charge the boyfriend with 20 counts of statutory rape.
2. Charge the mother as an accessory.

This goes beyond the bounds of human decency and shouldn't be tolerated in any way, shape, or form. That mother should be ashamed of herself. Her most sacred duty in life was to raise this child, and she has violated it in the worst way. The boyfriend is a living piece of shit as well, but he didn't have a position of trust that a mother/daughter has, so while I condemn him morally as the main actor, I am particularly disgusted with the parent in this situation.


If you repent, should you still be eligible for the death penalty? This man confessed to the brutal murders of four women and yet, he is at risk of receiving the death penalty. While I agree that he should never be let out of prison..he did turn himself in. If the death penalty is reserved for the worst of the worst, then how can a repentant person, who turned himself in to stop himself from harming others, be the kind of person we put to death? There are others more deserving. Let this man live his remaining days in prison, seeking forgiveness from God.

And last but not least, a judge gives mercy to the wrong person. Why is it that mugging someone on the street will put you in prison longer than just about any kind of white collar crime? This guy gets home confinement for two years. For cripes sakes, that's not that bad. I can certainly have a lot of fun in my home...and this guy has millions of dollars to entertain himself with. When will this country, and our judicial system, learn who the real bad guys are?

aLs

Later



A cheap poker tournament at Anonymous Casino? But who else do I know that would be in the mood to play Hold 'Em at 11 in the morning? Matterhorn.

I dialed the phone, ready to tell Matterhorn to be ready for pickup tomorrow morning around 10:15.

Ring
Ring

Matterhorn: Hello?

aLs: Hey man, what's up?

Matterhorn: Just about to go to bed. Got everything moved out, staying over at Mike's place tonight.

aLs: Oh uhh...huh....well...uhh...What are you up to tomorrow morning? (At this point, I think I know the answer, but I'm kind of hoping I'm wrong).

Matterhorn: Well we're hitting the road real early tomorrow, like around 6AM.

aLs: Oh...well...shit...be careful on the roads then.

Matterhorn: Yeah I will. Keep in touch alright?

aLs: Yeah I will, send me an email when you get there, and drop by on the blog every now and then.

Matterhorn: Will do.

aLs: Alright man, I'll let you go to bed then. Seeya.

Matterhorn: Later man.


This town won't be half as fun now.

aLs

Friday, August 11, 2006

F does not stand for Fantastic



Well, the exam did not go well. Despite a hell of a push I made in the last few days, the material just turned out to be too much for me. International law is some sort of crazy hybrid of all the world's different legal systems. Sometimes precedent matters, sometimes it doesn't. Usually the results are dictated more by political realities than by the law.

Some of the blame for screwing up goes directly at my feet. I was lazy and didn't want to put all the time necessary into this class. In my own defense, I felt incredibly burned out...and the UN is not a topic that I am that interested in.

I don't think I failed, but I tell you this, I will be praying for a B- tonight. If I could pull a B- I would definitely be cashing in on some stored up Karma. I just don't know if I have any left to cash in on though...

I got my final exam for my Death Penalty class. It looks pretty easy...I have a feeling that I have a shot at scoring really well in that class. So if worst comes to worst, then my good grade in DP can cancel out my crappy grade in UN class.

I thought that I'd be taking a day or two off...but I don't have time for that. My good friend Todd will be here in a few days. I have to finish my DP final before he gets here (it's take home), and I have like 100 cover letters to write. I'm also supposed to set myself up to volunteer with the PD office. I think that I will volunteer with them for a while, and if the time feels right, then I'll switch over to the prosecutor's office. I'm more concerned with helping the PDs though. I'll tell you why.

1) They have great blogs
2) They seem to have a better sense of humor
3) The Prosecutors have the entire state to help them investigate everything. PD's need grunts like me to come in and take the weight off their shoulders. I can go interview people, make phone calls, follow up on random things...all in all, I can save a PD a ton of time, which seems like one of their most valuable commodities.

I get to do my mentor thing in a few days. I'm looking forward to meeting the 1L's...talk about deja vu. It seems like yesterday that I was shaking in my boots at my orientation, meeting my mentor (she sucked though, never heard from our mentor again after the free lunch).

aLs

Thursday, August 10, 2006

So tired....



I haven't had a normal nights sleep in about a week. I can now fall asleep standing up. The only exception to that is when I actually try and go to bed. That's when I wake up all the way. My mind won't shut up. My blood pressure feels double what it's supposed to be and I feel physically weak.

In an effort to stay awake while trying study, I've had to drink a lot of soda and eat sugary crap. I've had like 12 mountain dews in the last day. I feel sick. I'm waiting to get a laptop from my friend M so I don't have to write out the exam by hand tomorrow, but it's late and I'm about to throw in the towel if I don't hear from him soon.

Wish me luck tomorrow.

aLs

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

More News, because I feel like it.



Justin Barber was just sentenced to death for murdering his wife. His attorney scolded the jury for their decision. From what I read in the article, it does sound like there might have been reasonable doubt...

Anyways, I have spent a lot of this summer studying the death penalty, and I have to say, I find myself more and more against it every single day. It seems totally arbitrary. The worst of the criminals get off. In Florida, if a majority of jurors make a recommendation of death to the Judge, the Judge must take that into consideration. The Judge does not have to follow the recommendation. If the jurors vote for mercy, the Judge can still impose the death penalty. Scary.

In Utah, it's okay to have sex with underage children if you happen to be Mormon. That's the lesson learned here when the Court sentenced Kelly Fischer to 45 days in jail for having sex with an underage bride (his third). Until that State starts taking this crap seriously, they're going to keep seeing cases like this.

If you ever find yourself in prison, don't talk about the crime with bunkmates. That's what supposedly happened here...though it's quite possible that these snitches were given the information that they were "told". I hate to look at it from a defense perspective like that, but using unrecorded statements gathered in a prison setting seems inherently unreliable to me. Especially when the snitches have everything to gain and nothing to lose...

In other news, more teenagers unaware that posting information about future crimes you might commit on MySpace is a really stupid thing to do. In this case, the kids were going to shoot up the school. Good thing they suffered from being as stupid as a load of bricks.

Seeya later Cynthia McKinney, you also lost your primary. Unlike Lieberman who is a putz, you're insane and an embaressment to your constituents. Good riddance.

aLs

The Extreme Left Is Gonna Git You!



That's what our President thinks (Our president also has trouble pronouncing most words though, so take this with a grain of salt). I don't think Lieberman lost to the extreme left, he lost to the entire left. He lost because he was a putz and we got tired of turning on the TV and watching him divide the party.

This is what the White House had to say about Lieberman's loss. They're a little upset that their boy Lieberman won't be supporting them anymore.

aLs

Why did Lieberman Lose?

Did Bloggers cost Lieberman the election? Nope. He cost himself the election. Now he needs to go fall into an abandoned well. That would be a lot more dignified than running as an independent.

aLs

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Ned Lamont Sends Lieberman Packing

The race is over and the message has been sent to the Democrats in power. If you act like a republican, vote like a republian, and smell like a republican, you will no longer be enjoying the support of the Democratic party.

Guess who Lieberman's biggest backer was? FOX News campaigned for him heavily. I wonder why that would be?

aLs

News



According to the military and other sources, Thousands of troops say they won't fight. I feel for these guys. Most of them are just kids, caught in a war started by another generation. Do you think that all those fat ass, white conservatives would change their point of view on war if they had to go participate in it? What if their solidly middle class children were being shipped off? No, the body count in this war is being supplied by the poor.

Canada is showing off more of its lax treatment of sex crimes. Apparently incest is only worth 4 years in jail for the offender, and 1 year in jail for the woman that didn't lift a finger to stop it. She says she tried to stop it, but did she ever call the police?

Judge Michelle Leavitt told defense lawyer Joseph Caramango "I don't think you can tell a straight story because you are intoxicated,". Mr. Caramango defended his intoxicated state by claiming he had drank the night before, but was not currently drunk. Tests indicated Mr. Carmango's BAC was .075.

Lieberman sucks, and so does his stupid website that got hacked by the Chinese or whoever he's blaming now. Go home Lieberman, maybe run as a Republican next year. I'm sure they'd love to have you.

A judge declared that a lawsuit filed on behalf of the Tiger Man was nothing but chutzpah (Yiddish for audacity). This case sets a major precedent: If you are attacked by your own giant tiger in your apartment, police don't need a search warrant to come check on you.

And last but not least, coming to us from Australia, Federal Court judge Marcus Einfeld, a nationally known jurist, may have tossed out his entire career to avoid a $77 dollar ticket. He claims that Professor Brennan was driving the car, not him. That was a really good excuse, until the prosecution discovered that the Professor had been dead for a few years. Sucks to be you buddy.

Say What?!



Well I screwed up without even knowing it.

Lots of employers around here want us to be work study qualified. This means that they would like the government to pick up half the price of hiring law students. The thing is, the government is a bit stingy about handing out work study. I didn't know that.

My financial aid advisor said "There isn't very much left. You probably won't get it."

Well gee, that sucks. I wish I'd been told beforehand.

The career services lady gave me two phone numbers. One phone number is for the public defender's office and one is for the prosecutor's office. Which one shall I choose to call? I think I might call the public defender's office, because I think PDs are more likely to be genial people. If I'm going to work for free, I want to be working for people that are being nice to me.

I have to go volunteer because I no real references. Both of my references are undergraduate professors that I haven't really spoken to in atleast a year. I needs to get me some legal references.

I've been watching a ton of poker on TV lately. I had Eggs and Matterhorn over last night to watch the WSOP. The last match up is on the 10th, but sadly, it's pay-per view. Doesn't that blow? How do they get off making that pay per view when the Superbowl is free? I know that someone is going to spoil it by telling me who won if I don't pay to watch it, but I don't have the money to order it. The school really dicked me on my loans this summer and flat out, I'm broke.

If I can't get a job because I'm not work study qualified, I swear to God, heads are going to roll.

aLs

Monday, August 07, 2006

Rape & Murder in Iraq

More horror out of Iraq. Here's the scary thought, for all the people that we have caught raping and murdering, how many have gone under the radar?

I think we need to do a better job controlling our troops...or perhaps, not even be there in the first place.

aLs

Dead Man Walking



My buddy tells me that he finally posted another edition to his zomblog. Read the latest installment at Dead Man Walking.

Also, check out this incredibly funny video.



This video reveals a truth that all PD's and all criminal defense attorneys already know: Sometimes you shouldn't judge too quickly.

Props to The Strait of Melissa for originally posting this video.

aLs

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Seeya Later Matterhorn



My friend Matterhorn got a last minute transfer to a school in Alabama. There are all sorts of reasons that they've decided to move (Matterhorn and wife). Mainly, the North West has not been agreeable to Matterhorn's wife D and they both would like to be closer to their families in the South.

This is horrible news. I don't have that many good friends here that I can just call up and hang out with. Here's the short list:

1) Eggs
2) Jeff K!!!
3) Matterhorn
4) A-Bomb
5) LizTastic (though she never hangs out with me)

This isn't to say that I don't have other friends here. These are just the people that I hang out with very regularly (except liz, she doesn't like to be seen with me). Anyways, losing just one friend means I lose 25% of the people I hang out with regularly. Doesn't that blow?

Luckily I'm going to be adding Lynnburger and Douggernaut to my list when they move here.

I told Matterhorn about the blog so we can keep in touch. I encouraged him to start his own blog, but it's hard to say...I don't know if he's the blogger type.

In other news, big thanks go out to my buddy Eggs. He gave me a ride to my car an hour ago. You see, I am a CAR SLUT. That means that my car really gets around. It stays the night all over this town. Last night we left it at a dog themed bar we like to hang out at...or did like to hang out at...we don't get out as much anymore.

The funny thing about last night: Some of the cutest girls in our law school couldn't stop telling me how awesome my little brother is, how cute he is, how overall amazing he is...It simply amazes me how easy it is for him to just blow all the women away like that. They met him weeks ago and they're still thinking about him? Wow. Rock on playa.

aLs

Exotic Readers

Sitemeter tells me that I have regular readers from:

New Zealand
China
Japan
Switzerland
Canadia
Puerto Rico
Australia
Qatar (I know who you are)

If you're from one of those badass places, say hi.

The News



That's right Senator Lieberman, if you vote like a Republican, then don't expect to win as a democrat. You're done. You've betrayed the democratic party countless times, a time of accounting has come, and you have been found wanting.

In other news, President Bush had no idea that there are two different sects of Islam in Iraq. Isn't that scary? He sent out troops into a place that he didn't even have the most basic understanding of....

This is the worst kind of juror. The kind that shows his private parts to the court. Do you think that was part of the voir doire?

This man feels that nature shouldn't be so darn dangerous. Apparently, the government was negligent in not putting fences on the cliff. What a putz. How natural is a cliff that's covered in fences...stupid putz.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

The New Hope



I showed up twenty minutes early for the CLE my school was hosting yesterday. As I stood around in the school, it occurred to me that maybe I should stroll into the career services office. So I did.

The lady at the desk seemed really nice.

She said "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I'm a new 2L, I've never been in this office before."

Lemme tell you, that caused an immediate scramble. She started calling in people from other parts of the office. I was given orders to have a resume and cover letter by next Tuesday morning (when we will meet to review them). They wanted to know what I want to do next summer for work (I said PD or Prosecutor's office, paid, otherwise something else, paid).

So now I'm signed up for meetings, mock interviews, and all sorts of stuff. The lady in the office told me they could get me some kind of job for fall if I wanted one. A job for fall? That sounds tempting. I certainly would like to have a few extra bucks in my pocket...the experience would be nice as well.

Later in the evening I got my friend Eggs and my friend Talin together to go see a band that I've grown to really like. LHS really rocked the house last night. I bought two more of their albums, because the one that I bought last time they were here has turned out to be one of my favorites.

Is it wrong for me to lose almost all my respect for a girl when she's dating a complete asshole? She's a nice girl, but I can only conclude that she's an idiot for dating this guy. My other conclusion is that she has major issues and her brain is all screwed up. Either way, I've lost almost all my respect for her.

I don't think that's wrong.

aLs

Thursday, August 03, 2006

And Now....The News!

Yet another reason to Hate The BEES! We're at war people. Bees would murder your entire family if they could. Send them a message by killing them on site and tossing stones at their hives. They are the horrible evil little creatures.

Hey look! A Christian rock band making itself look stupid! Who saw that coming? Basically, this band feels that they should have been able to play at the school dance or something trivial and stupid like that.

The school realized it was a very Christian band and turned them down. The band initiated a lawsuit (and to date has cost the district about 140,000 dollars). If I could, I'd ask these guys a question: If you should be able to play at the school dance, why can't the Satanist bands play at the dance? What about a band that tried to encourage teenagers to join one of those tiny Mormon sects?

The answer is obvious, none of those would be allowed. Isn't it stupid then that these pricks have made this an issue? They're wasting everyone's money and they belittle the freedoms that they are claiming to be protecting.

aLs

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Legally Blonde



I made that pic myself with paint. Not bad for an amateur eh?

I had myself a good chat with Legally Blonde today. I learned a few things:

1. She likes pirates
2. Her part of the country is not known for its raging ska/punk scene
3. Vegas is the best place to get married

She learned a few things too:

1. I am a pirate
2. I have the legs of a God
3. I'm a poker legend

It's all true. Visit her site, link has been added.

(If you ever decide to read my blog, I'll add you too Hoffie)

Hahahaha

aLs

Who do we side with?

ReadThe Story Here before proceeding.

This man has a history of defiling children. And now, because the justice system in Canada failed to protect the society that it serves, some new totally innocent children now have to grow up with the painful memories of what this sick fuck did to them. Let me make my position clear on this subject. Child rapists, or rapists of any kind, should be given life sentences with no chance for parole. It is simply absurd that getting caught with drugs in the US can often be worse than assaulting a another person and raping them.

I can already hear what some people are going to say to this. "What if the child rapists can be rehabilitated?" First off, evidence weighs against this proposition. But let's say that we could successfully rehabilitate 4 out of 5 child rapists.

So what?

The potential damage that a child rapist can inflict on a person and community is so incredibly severe that we should not be taking the chance. In the interests of safety, anyone convicted of child rape should be sentenced to life in prison with no chance for parole. If child molesters have a problem with that idea, then perhaps they should have sought help before they defiled another human being. I mean, who's rights are we more concerned with? Are we concerned with giving Rapists the benefit of the doubt or the rights of their future victims to not be molested? I don't know about you, but I side with the potential future victims.

I'm a liberal minded individual that sees little use in the use of our system as a form of retribution...but this is one area where I see it clearly. Harming a child like this is one of the worst crimes known to humanity. What kind of message do we send to a victim, their family, and their community when we punish molestation with just a few years in prison? That child has to live with what happened for the rest of their lives and the animal that did it gets away with just a few years? Fuck that. Where is the justice in that?

I hope this guy goes back to prison and another inmate shows him what they tend to think of child molesters.

aLs

Hire Me Please



I just got the growing list of fall interview opportunities that my lawschool has to offer. The news is not good.

Before the semester ended, I was barely barely barely in the top 25%. However, we have lost a good number of students this year and I doubt I've managed to hang on to my position. This is bad.

The list has things that they their candidates must have. Almost the entire list wants a student in the top 25% or better. Let's assume I no longer have that position (that's a very realistic assumption at this point). I can see that I am going to have to take this bull by the horns...take some initiative.

My friend Eggs has been taking massive initiative. He's in the same boat as me. He knows that he's going to have to get out there and put himself in front of people. My hat goes off to him for sacrificing his summer. Apparently he's learned a ton from his job.

So what do I do? I want to work at a prosecutors office or public defender soooo badly. I'd really love to do that in Portland, Seattle, or some other groovy city. I think I need to take these concerns to my school's career office or whatever they're called.

In other related news, I received an email today from the Moot Court people. They said that my writing sample was of high quality and they'd like me to continue on to the next step and audition yada yada yada. I'm hyped. Moot Court sounds like fun to me. Law Review sounds pretentious and boring as all hell. Moot Court will look good on my resume, but that's not why I'm doing it. I'm doing it cuz it will be fun. Law Review....nobody loves to cite shit. The only reason to do Law Review is to have it on the resume.

Law Review = For Tools

Okay okay, maybe not everyone on law review is a tool...but c'mon, most of them are. They could be rocking out in cool clubs, but instead, they've chosen to sit around the library citing things...sorry I'm ranting.

Hey, if there are any awesome attorneys reading this blog that think they could help set me up at a defender/prosecutor office, leave a comment or use the link on the right side of the screen to chat with me on AIM.

Holy crap, how cool would it be to use this blog to get a job?

aLs

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Introspective Post



The last week or so has made me think a lot about why I've been so obsessed with finding someone. I think there are a lot of reasons.

1. It's summer time and I'm slacking hardcore.

I've been slacking ever since the end of first summer session. One of my classes requires almost no effort and the other class seems to require a lot of effort. I haven't been putting that forth at all.

In fact, I've been avoiding it like the plague. I wake up around 10-12, have a cup of coffee and my cereal. After surfing the internet for an hour or so, I watch some TV. Then I go back to the internet. Eventually I go outside and jog. The jogging can take anywhere from an hour to two hours. More Computer. Later in the evening I hang out with friends. I'm burned out on school and I can't bring myself to care. If I don't get my head into the game, I'm going to take a hit on my gpa.

All this free time gives me the opportunity to think about all the things I don't have. The one glaring thing I don't have is a girlfriend. All my other bases are covered, so...I think the free time is part of why I've been so stressed about it.

2. The first year is over and I'm still here.

My friend Todd made a hell of a point the other day. He brought it to my attention that all last year my mind was occupied with trying to succeed, trying to get good grades and all that crap. Now that that has happened, my mind is able to wander.

In all honesty, I don't fear the bar exam. Plenty of people pass it, and I think I'll be one of those people. So as Todd says, I'm looking for new goals. I think this is a goal and I'm frustrating at the snail pace.

3. I'm in really good shape now.

For a long time I was out of shape. I'm still not perfect, but I'm looking ten times better than I've looked in years. I've lost a lot of weight and gained a lot of muscle (mostly in my legs).

Being out of shape was my explanation for why I was single. I figured that when I decided to get into good shape, finding a girlfriend wouldn't be that hard.

Well...I've lost the weight, I'm good shape. So where is the girlfriend? Sooner or later I have to conclude that it has nothing to do with that, but instead, that I am in some way repulsive as a person. That's a shitty thought.

4. My dear friend, who happens to be my ex is moving here.

Ending the relationship was the right decision. We have managed to remain great friends, which is very good.

Even knowing that it was a good decision, sometimes I wonder about that. Sometimes I think that if I had just given it more time that things would have fixed themselves. Did I walk out prematurely?

Every single day that goes by without a real relationship seems to lend support to the theory that there aren't that many women out there that I'm going to mesh well with. It's a real jab to the ol' ego to know that in a year and a half I haven't been able to meet someone that I connected with. Her coming here really seems to rub my face in that. God, I hope I made the right decision.

So what am I going to do about it?

1. I'm going to make time for expanding my social life. I'm signing up for a yoga class in September. What do I know about yoga? Nothing. That's the point. Maybe I'll meet some non-lawschool type people there.

2. I'm going to keep getting into better shape. I know for a fact that this makes a huge difference.

3. I'm going to try and refocus myself on school. I need to stop thinking about all the things I don't have and try to enjoy the things I do have.

Rant: I'm going to shoot the next person that tells me "as soon as you stop looking for someone, you'll find someone". Screw you. Do you realize how much people hate to hear that shit? Do you realize that your advice is basically to sit on my ass and hope things change for the better? If you find yourself in the habit of giving out that particular piece of advice, pinch your nose with a clothes-pin and fill your mouth with moth balls. Swallow a bottle of sleeping pills first.

Anyways, I'm feeling better.

Can you tell?

aLs