Another year older...but not necessarily better

So I’m still kind of recovering from my birthday. Had a nice dinner with friends, got some nice gifts; the family celebration is this weekend.

The Bar results were – if you believed the rumor – supposed to have been posted at midnight. They weren’t, predictably. I have a feeling that the rumor was started by one of my classmates who reveled in starting false rumors to freak people out. He was sadistic that way, which, in a stereotypical way, made him perfect for law school. Of course, if you believed him, he was highly ranked in the class as well. Funny how, at graduation, his name wasn’t on the list of those graduating with honors. My guess is that the other rumor – the one that said his grades weren’t all that good – was more likely true.

So this week has turned out to be a busy one. And next week promises to be as well. If the weather holds, I’ll be golfing with Dad on Monday, one last time to get out and have some guy fun. I’m looking forward to spending time with him. There was a point where he and I had an antagonistic relationship, but I was sixteen, and that’s typical. Now, we get along swimmingly, and I enjoy spending time with him. Which is good, I think. It’s nice that my family is close-knit; the only disappointment is that my cousins are lame-o’s who don’t call, write or email. My friends see their cousins, I don’t. My relatives are the most self-centered bunch I’ve ever met, which explains why I am to an extent as well.

In other news this week, John Roberts got confirmed. I’d love to go on about that, but I have a train to catch. So you’ll just have to wait until Tuesday.

My birthday demands, uh, list

“So what do you want for your birthday?”

Ugh. THAT question again. The annual reminder that I’m getting older, and closer to retirement. Well, not that close.

Anyway, I hate that question, because the last thing I do is sit around and think of things that I want for my birthday. Oh, occasionally I drop hints, but often they get ignored. Or maybe my taste is just too expensive. I mean, is it too much to ask for a Ferrari for my birthday? After all, aren’t I special?

So this year, my mom asked “the question”, and I didn’t have an answer at the ready. Truth is, I’ve been off in mental la-la land and not paying attention to the calendar. That, of course, got a rude jolt last week. But overall, I really hadn’t gone through the mental list-making that I normally go through at this time of year, anticipating that inevitable question.

So, without further ado, (and two days beforehand) here’s my list:

1. A new blender. Mine sucks, and I like to make frozen drinks – like mudslides.
2. Movies:
1. The Blues Brothers
2. Dead Poets Society
3. Batman Returns
4. Lord of the Rings Trilogy
5. Any Harry Potter movie (sorry, but I like them, even if you don’t)
3. Music
1. Blue Merle
2. Stereophonics
3. Electronica – I have Future Lounge, so something along those lines
4. Dockers™, Haines, or similar pants – mine keep wearing out
5. Suits – at least one or two more, say a black and a neutral
6. Shirts – dress shirts, though friends who’ve seen my closets will ask “where will you put them?
7. A new car – a Ferrari would be nice, but not practical. How ‘bout a Saab 9-5?
8. A speaking role in Clint Eastwood’s movie – because all I’ve got now is a role as an extra, and since my grandfather served in WWII, it would be a nice tribute.
9. A nice Bible. I’m not overly religious, but mine is old, tattered, and from when I was in junior high. I should have a nicer one at this point in my life.
10. A hot girlfriend. Hey, it’s my list; make up your own if you don’t like it.
11. A nice, new residence. Preferably in San Diego. See #10.
12. A job.

So there it is. I doubt if I’ll get any of that in the next two days, but if you’d like to wish me a happy b-day, feel free. I’ll take what I can get.

A sense of impending doom

“Hi, long time no talk. How have you been?”

The email began innocuously enough. Standard how’ve-you-been stuff. But I should have seen the next sentence coming, since she works for a law firm here in Chi-town.

“Are you anxious to get the results this week?”

That’s right. The Results. The scores/results I’ve tried not to think about the last eight weeks. The ones which determine just what the hell I’m going to do with my life.

Oh, it wasn’t unexpected. I’d heard on Thursday that the results were supposed to be posted on the web within a week. And that started a rumbling in my stomach – the rumbling of nausea and nerves. I began to shake.

“I’m not going to think about that,” I told my friend on Thursday. “I’m going to just put it out of my mind, or else I’ll think about it all week. And what if the rumors aren’t true? What if the results aren’t posted? What then?”

“I don’t want to know,” she said. “I know I failed.”

“Neither do I,” the third member of our party chimed in. “I kind of like the not knowing.”

“I like ignorance,” I replied. “Not knowing means I haven’t failed. I haven’t passed, but I haven’t failed, either. I can’t be judged, because the jury is out. Until those results come out, I’m a lawyer. If I failed, I’m nothing. I’m back to square one, running from a clock, and trying to figure out what to do.”

What’s worse? The pressure of knowing the end is near? Or the thought of how will I break it to people if I fail? I can see it now:

Friend/Relative/Network Contact (with hopeful look in their eye): “Did you get your bar results? How did you do?”

Me: “Uhhh…..I did. I didn’t pass.”

Friend/Relative/Network Contact (casting their eyes away from my gaze): “Oh.”

And at that point, I’ll get asked if I’m going to take it again, or what I plan to do now that I failed one of the most important tests of my life. Either way, I’ll be a little lower in their eyes. After all, my friend Mark is convinced that the Bar Exam is easier than the CPA exam, and since I passed that, I should be able to pass the bar. Right?

So here I sit, waiting out the days until the results are posted. I won’t go there and look but I’m sure some ex-classmate will call, excited that they passed, and ask the dreaded question: “Did you pass?”

And then I’ll have to know. And I’m afraid I won’t be happy.

Ok, so I haven't posted much while I took a week off. So here's a bit of whimsy from an old prof of mine to entertain you while I beat the cold I've caught..

AP--The White House announced today plans to make a tactical nuclearstrike against Hurricane Rita, and likely all future storms Category 2and upthat threaten the United States as well.

In a press conference, President Bush declared a no-tolerance policyregarding terrorist attacks by Mother Nature. "From now on we will makepre-emptive strikes against this swirlinessof evil," Bush stated. The White House Press secretary elaborated that they believe strategically-placed nuclear blasts will be sufficient todisperse even a Category 5 storm before it reaches America's shores. When questioned about the negative environmental impact, including radiation clouds sweeping over the U.S., Bush paused and squinted for a moment, before chuckling,"We will prevail." Bush was careful to clarify that Mother Nature was a good religion, and that the "insurfency" would be "wiped out." Bush went onto describe the new Axis of Evil as hurricanes, global warming, and Cindy Sheehan.

In a Democratic response, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) proposed a plan to negotiate with the hurricane. Kerry reminisced about how he once fought a hurricane in a speedboat and was wounded, for which he received a purple bruise.

Senator John McCain (R-AZ), who was once held prisoner by a hurricane, supported the President's initiative and yet somehow still retained his likeability.

Governor Schwarzenegger (R-CA) challenged Hurricane Rita to a weight-lifting contest, referring to the hurricane as a "sissy storm."

Vice-President Dick Cheney (R-Halliburton) said the Bush administration has clear evidence linking both Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. "It's the ultimate WMD, or "Wave of Massive Distribution," he declared. Operation "Storm Storm" is already underway despite protests by the United Nations.

France's President Chirac argued that the new U.S. storm policy would cost his nation several lucrative arms and oil deals, not to mention its sacred two hour lunches. "Uh, I mean, this is immoral," he added.


Hollywood celebrities will hold a series of concerts and benefits to"Save the Hurricanes." On Comedy Central's The Daily Show, John Stewart played clips of hurricanes that were only somewhat out of context before expressing his humorous incredulity. South Park satirized hurricanes in their episode titled "The Passion of Katrina," but could not resist its own balanced-but-with-a-tinge-of-preachiness message at the end of the episode.

Fox News made a fair and balanced report about how hurricanes are condoned and created by Muslims while Geraldo wept salty ocean water tears for the humanity of it all. CNN's Lou Dobbs, with all the authority appointed him by his American flag pin, pointed out that hurricanes are technically illegal immigrants and questioned whether or not they are stealing our American jobs. Nancy Grace expressed righteous indignation that these "mass murderers" have never been prosecuted in a court of law.

The CIA has been concerned about hurricane proliferation ever since the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s when suitcase hurricanes were being distributed on the black market. Meanwhile, the Department of HomelandSecurity is researching whether or not terrorists may try to sneak hurricanes onto public transportation.

In an apparent incident of theological contradiction, Jesus of Nazareth forgave the hurricanes, saying "They know not who they swoosh," and,"If you pluck out your hurricane's eye, then the hurricane will totally drown your ass (donkey)." However, Christian leaders insisted that the hurricanes will "steam in hell."

Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, while touring theGulf region, noted that hurricane debris made it almost impossible toplay a proper round of golf. When inquired about their campaign for Gulf hurricane relief, they were forced to clarify that their efforts only extended as far as "golf" relief

.Osama Bin Laden, speaking from his plush resort in the Florida Keys, said, "I'm just really glad it wasn't a Category 5 when it hit us. Oh yes,and the American infidels will drown in their own blood. Praise Allah." Followers of a Los Angeles hurricane cult committed mass suicide inorder to "disperse with the hurricane." Meanwhile, a guru in Sedona, Arizona,was arrested after committing vandalism. She claimed she was only "channelling the hurricane." In a related story, 200 years after the Louisiana Purchase, the U.S. has offered Louisiana back to France.

--Daniel J. Sanders, reporter for V.I.P. (Vox Idiota Press)

Confirming John Roberts

So far, John Roberts has done an admirable & deft job of avoiding the tough questions. Watching CSPAN last night, I saw Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) ask Roberts about using international law to interpret the Constitution. Kyl's comments were directed at the Roper case, which cited international law in reaching a decision against executing juveniles.

Senator Kyl, in his eagerness to denounce the decision, totally misread it. Or maybe he didn't even read it. For if he had, he'd have noticed that the court did not rely on international law as precedent (as he claimed), but merely as additional support for the argument that the execution of juveniles had no place in American jurisprudence. In the opinion, Justice Kennedy points out "that only seven countries other than the United States have executed juvenile offenders since 1990: Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and China. Since then each of these countries has either abolished capital punishment for juveniles or made public disavowal of the practice. Brief for Respondent 49-50. In sum, it is fair to say that the United States now stands alone in a world that has turned its face against the juvenile death penalty." Roper v. Simmons, 125 S. Ct. 1183, 1199 (U.S. 2005).

In looking at that list, one can see that the other seven countries aren't very high on the list of human rights supporters. Moreover, Justice Kennedy spends considerable time in his opinion discussing such cases as Trop v. Dulles, 78 S. Ct. 590 (1958) (discussing the interpretation of "cruel and unusual", and stating (at 598) that "The Amendment must draw its meaning from the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society"), Stanford v. Kentucky, 109 S.Ct. 2969 (1989) (which discussed 'contemporary standards of decency' in the US in a case concerning the execution of a minor, and found no consensus sufficient to label a particular punishment 'cruel & unusual'), Thompson v. Oklahoma 108 S.Ct. 2867 (1988) (dealing with the prohibition of minors under the age of 16), Enmund v. Florida, 102 S. Ct. 3368 (1982) (discussing whether the death penalty should apply in a felony murder case where defendant did not, kill, attempt to kill, or intend to kill) and Coker v. Georgia, 97 S. Ct. 2861 (1977) (discussing execution as a method of punishment for the rape of an adult woman, and finding that out of 60 countries surveyed, only 3 countries worldwide still held death as punishment for this crime), as well as Atkins v. Virginia, 122 S.Ct. 2242 (2002), which discussed the execution of the mentally retarded.

While Kennedy does refer to international law, he also states "[o]ur determination that the death penalty is disproportionate punishment for offenders under 18 finds confirmation in the stark reality that the United States is the only country in the world that continues to give official sanction to the juvenile death penalty. This reality does not become controlling, for the task of interpreting the Eighth Amendment remains our responsibility. Yet at least from the time of the Court's decision in Trop, the Court has referred to the laws of other countries and to international authorities as instructive for its interpretation of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of "cruel and unusual punishments." Roper v. Simmons, 125 S. Ct. 1183, 1198 (U.S. 2005). So the court acknowledges that international law should only serve as guidance, and not as precedent.

Justice Scalia took issue with the approach of looking to what other countries were doing in regard to the juvenile death penalty, not because he disagreed with the practice, but because he disagreed with the court using international law in a haphazard manner ("The Court should either profess its willingness to reconsider all these matters (abortion, establishment/separation of religion, mandatory/discretionary death penalties and the exclusionary rule) in light of the views of foreigners, or else it should cease putting forth foreigners' views as part of the reasoned basis of its decisions. To invoke alien law when it agrees with one's own thinking, and ignore it otherwise, is not reasoned decisionmaking, but sophistry. Roper v. Simmons, 125 S. Ct. 1183, 1228 (U.S. 2005)). So, though he was vilified for claiming that 'foreign and international law have no place in our Eighth Amendment jurisprudence,' he never actually made such a claim (those words are from O'Connor's dissent, in an attempt to sum up Scalia's arguments). Scalia's arguments, I dare say, have a valid point, and make perfect sense.

Senator Kyl took umbrage with the Court's use of international law as precedent, implying that we have our own 'American law' and it should be decided with 'American principles'. (To his credit, Roberts refused to bite on this, saying that international law could provide guidance, but that it was easy to pick & choose from international laws which favored the outcome one wanted, and ignored those which did not.) Unfortunately there are many ignorant people such as Senator Kyl who wish to ignore what the rest of the world is doing, then wonder why there is Anti-American sentiment . Too often, this country sets rules others should follow (for example, by participating in the International Criminal Court) but then refuses to follow those same rules itself (as we have done by failing to ratify the treaty establishing the ICC). To argue that international law has no place in American jurisprudence is to engage in an obvious form of hubris - we're better than everyone else - and will ultimately cost our country. Not today, and not tomorrow, but over time, as the rest of the world moves in one direction while we move in another. If we are truly to be a superpower, we cannot forge our own path and ignore everyone else; we must work with other countries to help them improve, and to improve ourselves.

Only time will tell if Roberts will follow Scalia's lead, and push the court to be more consistent in its use of international law, or if he'll subscribe to Senator Kyl's misguided theory that American courts should ignore international laws and decide cases on 'American principles'.

Serendipity...it's not just a Cusak movie...

A few months back - not long before finals - I ran a personal ad in Craigslist. Being a law student can crimp one's dating opportunities, so I thought I'd give CL a shot. I got only a couple of responses, probably because I didn’t put a photo up with my ad. There was a good reason for that – at the time, I was still dating Volvo Girl, who I’d met on CL as well. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in love with VG, and she was pushing for more of a relationship. So things were slowly winding down to the inevitable ugly end that would come a couple of weeks later.

Of the women that responded, I met up with one – a woman who lived near me, and worked as an accountant. We went out for dinner, and things went fine, but afterward she sent a ‘dear G’ email, saying she didn’t feel a spark, and though she enjoyed dinner, she wasn’t that attracted.

Fast forward to last Friday. Actually, you’d have to go back before that, when I’d been set up on the blind date I had on Friday. Although I had been told her name, what she did, and what she looked like, nothing clicked until last Friday, when I walked into the restaurant to see….the girl from four months ago. Truthfully, she recognized & remembered me first. I thought she looked familiar, but I’ve met so many people in the past few months, I wasn’t about to remember.

That left us in an uncomfortable position – two people who’d been out before, and she’d already blown me off. I had a dilemma: do I say ‘thanks for coming’ and leave? Stick it out, and see what happened? I tossed the ball into her court, and asked her what she wanted to do. Surprisingly, she opted to have drinks. We decided that we were hungry, but didn’t want to eat there, so we left and went elsewhere. After three hours, it was time to go, and she offered to give me a ride home, which I took her up on. When we got to my place, I whipped out a newly-minted business card I had made up, and she in turn gave me hers.

I looked at her and asked, “Ok, so you gave me this card. IF I call you, do you REALLY want to go out again?” I wasn’t about to waste my time again. But, to my surprise, she said she wanted to go out again. So, we’ll see.

At the very least, I hope to get my sunglasses back. I left them in her car.

And the wheel in the sky keeps turning..

Life is about change - and sometimes, those changes happen without us knowing that they've occurred, or without us being able to say good bye.

Yesterday morning, two thugs attempted to rob a Jewel food store before it opened in south suburban Dolton, IL (for the record, Jewel is part of Albertson's). They were unsuccessful, and fled as police arrived. One employee was severely beaten, and many others freightened by the experience. Although the police did not chase them, the thugs still drove recklessly away from the scene, and shortly afterward collided with five other cars, one of which was a Buick Rendezvous. Inside was a soon-to-be married couple, on their way to pick up her mother before the three of them headed off to work. The collision was fatal; the couple, one month before their wedding, was killed.

The mother is the HR rep here at the BigLaw firm where I work. The boyfriend was in charge of the supply room, and the daughter/girlfriend worked at the reception desk and in the call center. I know, or knew, all three of them. In fact, the supply room is in the lobby of my floor; when I'd forget my keycard, I could count on Alen to let me in. And if I saw him outside of the building, he'd always say hello. Katie was the person I'd seek out when a fax didn't get to me; she once chided me in front of classmates for calling her by the wrong name (I had a brain fart). They were two of the nicest people here. Alen & I shared a laugh last month when the firm gave away free ice cream, and he walked around each floor with a mini cart and a hat, acting as a vendor.

"Do you want some ice cream?" He asked as he passed the file room where I was.
"Is it free?" I asked.
"Yes, it's free. The firm's treat."
"Well then, of course I want some. If you saw my paycheck, you'd know I'm all about the free stuff."

We laughed and ripped on the firm's cheapness. I picked out a frozen Snickers ("my favorite, too," Alen said), and he went on his way.

The sad thing is that I had heard the story on the news last night, but didn't realize that the victims were friends of mine. Two very nice people who I shall miss around here.

To top things off, my 'unofficial secretary' (she actually works for the partner I report to) has announced she's leaving in two weeks to take up full time her side business. While I wish her well, I'll miss having someone who can share the inside scoop, and with whom I can commiserate when things get nuts.

What a fun day to go into the office. And yet, life goes on...

So, if you're one of the three or four people who regularly read the old site - the one over at crimeny.net, which now becomes the old site as this returns to being my regular hang out - you probably wondered what the hell happened to my blog. Get in line, because I'm wondering too.

One day, it was there. The next, it was gone. Suspended at first, then gone entirely. Nearly two years of work shot to hell, as my archives and all disappeared without a word or a trace. Kelly had graciously volunteered to host my blog, then she dropped off the planet without so much as offering to transfer my blog elsewhere or sell me the domain name. Go there now, and you'll find it's status is 'expired'. I tried to contact the people in the 'why am I seeing this' link, only to get no response. Even if I had, I have nowhere to host the domain.

So I'm back to square one. In my absence, Blogger has improved, so things are better than when I fled to MT format. And I get to start all over. I toyed with that idea, trying to come up with a new perspective, or format or name. I'll keep it in mind.

In the meantime, I've been going through a kind of malaise since the Bar Exam - I have lacked any real motivation to do anything at all. I'm starting to come out of that funk, though, so things will look up from here. Expect me to post here regularly, and I'll be in touch with anyone that linked to me in the past to update their link.

Ahhh. Feels good to be back....

Testing....testing....


Wow. It's still here. Amazing.

Hmm...dust everywhere. Looks like I have some cleaning to do....

Things I think of instead of doing homework...

A few things on my mind right now.

I should be researching 7th, 12th, 13th and DC Circuit factors for trademark infringement. I'll get to that in a bit. Bit first, some fun...

Ok, so I was able to come up with a song for each day of the week, thanks to some help from gail-marie, dahl, missing link and Scott.

But then I thought.."why not cover each day of the week with a band name?"

And then Scott suggested doing it with an album name. So...why not.

Your mission - find an album name to cover each day. The rule: it can't be an obscure artist, or a movie soundtrack, or a compilation (so Sunday Coffee is out). I've given you a start. Let's see how you do. Good luck.

Sunday: Black Sunday, Cypress Hill
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday: Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. Simon & Garfunkel (album & song)
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:

Ok, up next: my list of the five best comic strips ever written. Feel free to add your comments...

1. Calvin & Hobbes
2. Peanuts
3. Bloom County
4. Foxtrot
5. (tie) Dilbert
5. (tie) The Far Side
5.(tie) Doonesbury

Hey, it's my blog. I can cheat. Besides, I'm a Libra. We're notoriously bad at making decisions. So there.

OK, I have to do some homework now. I'll leave you kids alone here to play. Play nice. No hitting (hitting on, however, is ok, especially if you're hitting on me). And try to keep the place neat. I've put a lot of work into cleaning the place, the least you can do is pick up after yourself...

Why I haven't called you...

So this girl on Match.com sends me a wink. I'm curious, so I reply.

We go to dinner on the Saturday before my b-day and things go well. She seems nice. Three days later, we go out again. Then the next Saturday, even though I just moved and am kind of tired, she invites me over and we rent a movie. We don't watch much of the movie. The next day, I'm very busy 'closing up' the old apartment, and don't call. Actually, I'm busy unpacking and doing school stuff, so I don't call until...Thursday. My bad. She calls back on Saturday, invites me to meet her and two friends to watch the game. We go back to my apartment, which has marginally improved over the week. Things get quite interesting again.

And then.....she says 'those words'.

"I'm not sure what I want"

Not what I want to hear. Especially when we're in the "deciding about you" phase. Not when I spent a good chunk of last year falling in love with someone who threw me that same curveball after first inviting me to meet her family.

Sure, we fooled around after she said that. Sure, she spent the night. But...I kept thinking about those words. And some others that came out. And I decided to nip it in the bud. I've been through the emotional wringer twice. I'm not going there three times. No way. She's out there, the one for me, who knows exactly what she wants, and it's right next to her in the bed, warts and all.

So I hope you weren't mad that I kind of shoved you out the door (though I did that more because you told me how you promised your friend you'd be there to cheer her on in the Marathon, and keeping your word is important to me). And I hope you're not mad that it's Sweetest Day, and I haven't called. Nor have I called all week. Because I've been thinking about what you said, and I don't want to talk about it. I talked about it with Dawn, and then with Laura, and it got nowhere. I'm not doing it again. Every ten minutes (if not sooner), a cute woman goes by my apartment. There's too many opportunities for me to work on a project. And I have too much going on in my life right now for a needy girlfriend.

You were very nice, S, but....best of luck.

How to dump a man (with thanks to Wendy and Patty)

Dear ________,

I regret to inform you that you have been eliminated from furthercontention as Mr. Right. As you are probably aware, the competition wasexceedingly tough and dozens of well-qualified candidates such as yourselfalso failed to make the final cut. I will, however, keep your name on fileshould an opening become available. So that you may find better success inyour future romantic endeavors, please allow me to offer the followingreason(s) you were disqualified from the competition.

Check those that apply...

Your last name is objectionable. I can't imagine taking it, hyphenating it, or subjecting my children to it.

Your first name is objectionable. It's just not something I can picture myself yelling out in a fit o passion.

The fact that our dining experiences to date has left MY wallet a little lighter, and YOUR pants a little tight.

Your inadvertent admission that you "buy condoms by the truckload" indicates that you may be interested in me for something other than my personality.

You failed the 20 Question Rule, i.e., I asked you 20 questions about yourself before you asked me more than one about myself.

Your constant emailing shows me you have TOO much time on your hands!

Your legs are skinnier than mine.

You're too short. Any son that we produced would inevitably be beaten up repeatedly at recess.

You're too tall. I'm developing a chronic neck condition from trying to kiss you.

You have a hairy back.

I find your inability to fix my car extraordinarily unappealing.

The fact that your apartment has been condemned reveals an inherent slovenliness that I fear is unbreakable.

The phrase "My Mother" has popped up far too often in conversation.

You still live with your parents.

Although I do enjoy the X-Files, I find your wardrobe of Star Trek uniforms a little disconcerting.

Your frequent references to your ex-girlfriend lead me to suspect that you are some sort of psychotic stalker.

Your ability to belch the alphabet is not a trait that I am seeking in a long term partner.

Your height is out of proportion to your weight. If you should, however, happen to gain the necessary 17 vertical inches, please resubmit your application.

Somehow I doubt those condoms I found in your overnight bag were really necessary for a successful business trip.

I am out of your league, set your sights lower next time.

Sincerely,

Well, at least there's more parking now...

So the Cubs lost. Honestly, I kind of expected that. They never had a good bullpen, and you don't win World Series' by forcing your best pitchers to go eight innings. Six innings, then bring in middle relief. But the Cubs have never had good middle relief, and no true closer since they let Lee Smith go back in the late 80's. Neither have the White Sox.

So what do you do? Well, Greg Maddux should be available. Sign him to a two-year contract, and let him teach Wood and Prior how to place their pitches. Let him encourage Clement and Zambrano to do better, too. Imagine that lineup. I'm sure if Maddux had pitched game 5 instead of Zambrano, we'd be gearing up for that Series.

Corey Patterson should be back next year. But what about second and short? Two problem areas which need to be addressed. Third base has always been a question mark, but give Martinez a shot at it. Mueller was average, then went to Boston and became awesome. Let's see if Martinez can do the same after leaving Pittsburgh. Truthfully, I think the Cubs overachieved this year. Second place in the division would have been a nice improvement. Houston shouldn't have collapsed, but they did. Wonder what the Astros fans will blame that on? In contrast, the White Sox are a year away, too, and finished right where they should. If Kenny Williams tweaks a bit more here and there (like getting some decent relief pitchers), the Sox will be in the playoffs next season. And maybe we'll get that Red Line series after all..

And finally, fix the middle and late relief problems. No way should Mark Prior be throwing 125 pitches. Get some people who can get the job done. Now.

And stop blaming Steve Bartman and the goat for all your problems. And Cub fans, do me a couple of favors. Stop whining about "XX years of frustration" and next year, when the Cubs get to the NLCS, act with a little more class. Etiquette says you don't dance in the streets until after you've won the Series. Everything else looks laughably pathetic. You want to be champions, then act the part. I'm not saying it isn't cause for celebration when your team advances, but what went on here after the season clincher and game 5 of the NLDS was overboard.

And remember, it's not over until the last out of the last game. Tuesday was pathetic. The fans and the media here were talking about how Prior and the Cubs were going to the Series, etc. with one little problem - the game hadn't started yet. No doubt several articles from the Sun-Times and Tribune were tacked up in the Marlins' locker room as motivation (for evidence, see Pudge Rodriguez' reactions in the 8th inning of Tuesday's game - you think he didn't read those articles and get pissed?).

More Cubs tales:

As I left my apartment for class Tuesday, one woman had the audacity to walk up to me and ask me where I was parked so she could have my parking space (this despite the fact that the area is clearly marked as a permit only zone). I told her I was taking the 'L' (which I was). She looked pissed.

Wednesday, I had to endure a ride on the Red Line with five drunk teenagers (think fourteen, not nineteen), one of whom loudly shouted "CUBBIES!" over and over. His friend laughed and said, "you're funny when your drunk, dude," to which he replied, "I can't watch the Cubs when I'm sober, man - they piss me off." They were headed up to Addison - to do what, I don't know, because they weren't even in the area code of being old enough to enter a bar. One of the three girls in the group was chattering on her cell phone with a friend, and became upset when she found out that the Cubs were losing 7-5. C'mon people. It's just a baseball game. Sheesh....

Lastly (on the Cubs theme, anyway):

When you're walking/driving through my neighborhood, please be polite. If it's after 11 on a weeknight, be quiet. We have jobs we have to go to in the morning. Even if you're not going to yours, others don't get that option. And you wouldn't like it if we did what your doing in our neighborhood in yours, so be considerate of our property as well. Thanks.

Other news:

I have a job. Well, I have two, really. One which pays, one which doesn't. But they're both interesting, and I'm excited about both. And they're both legally-related, and full of networking opportunities. So I've got that going for me. (Note to Marty Stark: One's with Big Law. This should be interesting. I'll let you know how it goes....email me if you want to know who)

It's 9 p.m. and all's well

Sammy Sosa just hit a nice, soft line shot to advance the runner to third...the Cubs lead 3-0, getting a couple of insurance runs the last two innings, and McKeon's gotta be looking down the barrel of defeat right now. Six more outs, and this neighborhood goes wild. I moved my car a mile away, partially because I don't have the requisite LV2 permit (which subjects me to a $150 tow risk), and partially because I don't want it damaged should people get nuts around here. I doubt that, though, because I can look out my window and see no fewer than three cops standing on Racine, one just below my window.

Alou just popped up to end the seventh. The crowd is loud, but when I opened the window earlier, I couldn't hear a thing, just the sounds of the cars and the people out on Racine. Cornelia is just as silent, I presume, even if it isn't as well-lit.

I should be working on my paper. I am, really, but I wanted to post this because - hey, I live four blocks away, and I can now hear the car horns and the people, getting ready to explode in two short innings. Being a Chicagoan, we are all too negative - we remember 1984, when the Cubs went to San Diego with a 2-0 lead, and lost the next three. I was four when 1969 happened, and anyone from this area needs no further explanation about what I'm talking about. We lived with frustration from 1963, when the Bears won their last championship, to 1986, when they won the Super Bowl. We got accustomed to winning when MJ took the Bulls to six (it should have been at least seven) NBA Championships.

Five outs to go.

But look at our teams:

The Cubs last won the World Series in 1908; the last time they were there: 1945.

The White Sox last won the World Series in 1917; the were last there in 1959.

The Blackhawks won their last Stanley Cup in 1961, though they were in the finals in 1992.

The Bears won their only Super Bowl in 1986. They haven't been as far as the NFC Championship since 1988.

The Bulls last won a Championship five years ago. They haven't done much since.

Wonderful. Now its 3-3. See what I mean?

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

The packing continues. I have so much crap, it's unbelievable. I should just toss stuff, but....where do I start? Holy cow, there's a lot of stuff....where did it all come from? What the heck am I going to do with it all?

One nice discovery today - my Lincoln at the Parks brochure from when I moved in. Why is that nice? I discovered that I'd transposed some numbers in my head. My apartment isn't 960 square feet, as I'd thought. It's 906. That means that my new apartment will only be....six feet smalller! One less bathroom, for sure, but I had to force myself to use it. I never had a lot of company here where I needed a second bathroom anyway. Laura used it a couple of times when she came over, but by month three, she was using my bathroom to get ready anyway.

For those of you who wondered.....my birthday was nice. Mom & Dad got me a bag to carry the laptop and (most) of my books...one with wheels, which will take pressure off of my back, which has really been bothering me lately. Sis got me workout clothes, though workouts have been suspended, pending resolution of the back issue. Hopefully, it's nothing serious, but going for a run on Monday, and spending Tuesday on your back isn't fun....

And this weekend was nice, too. Especially Saturday. But that's all I'll say. My secret.... ;o)

Packing

So things will probably be sparse the next few days, as I run around the apartment packing up for the big move one week from today.

It dawned on me Thursday, as I was writing my paper, that I was moving in a week. One week from today, I'll be unpacking in a new home. Hard to fathom that.

When I moved here, things were much different. I packed over a couple of weeks, and brought stuff to this place box by box over a week-long period. I won't have that luxury this time. I'll have three days to do it all, and on Friday morning I have an interview. (Arrghh!!)

But two years ago, I was ending a ten-year friendship, as my friend Jeff had clearly chosen his girlfriend over me. She had decided she didn't like me, and he was pussy-whipped, as they say. Whatever she wanted him to do, he did, because he did anything for (almost) any woman who let him into her pants. Pathetic. They're married now, so I hear, since he's never physically spoken to me since the day I moved out - September 22, 2000. No idea if they have kids, though when I went by their house a couple of weeks ago (on the way to meet some friends), I didn't notice anything resembling kid's stuff outside. But it's only been about a year since the wedding, so....who knows. Who cares.

As I type this, the Cubs lead 6-2 in the bottom of the 9th. One on, one out. Deep fly to Slammin' Sammy took care of the second batter. Hernandez 1-for-3 up....swing and a miss......second pitch......DOUBLE PLAY BALL!!!! OUT AT SECOND! OUT AT FIRST!!!!!!! CUBS WIN!!!!!!

oh, crap. That means traffic is gonna suck. And I'm moving four blocks from this in one week........

I can't wait.

D-Day

Today is D-Day. As in Draft Brief Day. As in the Draft-brief-that-I-haven't-finished-and-should-be-working-on thingy. Instead, I'm listening to Eric & Kathy on WTMX and fooling around on the weblog, responding to comments by two of my favorite ladies, Ang and Annika.

Now, I can justify the radio part. After all, the topic on E&K is screwups by home contractors, based on a news item that a woman come back to her North Side home to find a tarp covering half her roof. Seems the roofing company had been contracted to replace the roof of her neighbor's house. Oops. Thus inspired, E&K asked listeners to call in with their stories.

First there was the guy who bought a lot in a new subdivision, and was told by the builder that they wouldn't get to his section for another year. One day, a few months later and on a whim, he took a drive through the subdivision that was to be his future home. And what did he find? A house. On his lot. And not the one he'd contracted for. Seems the builder 'accidentally' built a house on his lot, so they had to give him another lot in the subdivision. I would've made sure it was a better lot than the one I gave up.

Then there was a lady whose situation so closely paralleled a Bus Org class hypo that it was scary. In our class hypo, the prof asked us if he would be liable if he came home to find that someone had paved his driveway. Not only that, but they'd stuffed a note and a bill in his mailbox. In the real life situation, the woman came home to find that her lawn had been aerated and trimmed. Inside her mailbox? You guessed it, a bill. But while the prof's hypo involved a company illicitly trying to drum up business, her situation involved an error. Right address, wrong street (happens to my parents, who live on 129th Place, all the time - they constantly get the mail of the family on 129th Street). So, of course, the woman called the company to tell them they made an error. Their response? "We're sorry, but since we did your lawn, we expect you to pay your bill anyway." When I heard this, I thought "oh my gosh, I hope she didn't pay...." (she didn't).

I guess now I really am thinking like a lawyer. I'd better go work on the defamation section of my brief now.

APPLICATION FOR POTENTIAL GIRLFRIEND

Please answer the following questions. Feel free to embellish where needed. If you need to look up embellish, hit the little X in the upper right hand corner of your screen.

Background info:

Name:
City:
Age:

Family:

Brothers: ___
Sisters: ___

Children:

Yours: ___
Other: ______

Undergraduate alma mater: _______________
Grad School (if applicable): _______________
Law School (if applicable): _______________
Trade/Vocational School: _______________

Personal (Circle appropriate answer):

Are you sane?

Yes

See that little X in the upper right hand corner? Try that. Now.

Describe your last relationship:

I dumped him because:

I just wasn't in love with him (the "you're a nice guy, but" option)
I wasn't ready for a relationship (the "it's not you, it's me" option)
I decided to stick to one relationship.
Hoping to finally have a relationship.

He dumped me because:

Because he found someone younger
Because he found someone with bigger boobs
Because I gained ten pounds (uh, ten times ten pounds)
Because he's an idiot, and didn't know how good he had it
Because he found out he was gay

Other:

I caught that !^$&%*! loser with my best friend
Hoping he'll take me back.
One night stands are nice, but so last week

My self-confidence can be described as

High: I'm not afraid to ask a guy out
Moderate: I don't normally ask guys out, but I'm not shy.
Average: I wait for guys to make the first move.
Low: please date me. Please.

Quick, which is larger ?

Your IQ
Your chest measurements.

On a first date, if I like the guy, I'll

Kiss him
Sleep with him
Hug him
Shake his hand

You can tell I like you when I:

Smile at you
Tell you so
Give it up pal, you have no chance!

What are you looking for?

Someone who'll respect me for who I am
A hot guy with great abs and...you know
The guy on the cover of this month's Men's Health
Brad Pitt (please indicate what you'd do about the "Jennifer problem")
Someone to pay for everything I want
A place-filler until something better comes along

When you're in a relationship, you:

Communicate. Nothing's better than when it's what you both want
Dominate. It's my way or the highway, pal
Subordinate. I need you to tell me what I should be doing

Sex is:

Best enjoyed by two
Ewww!
A necessary evil
A weapon
I don't know what you?re talking about here.

Speaking of sex, my favorite position is:

Any. Sex is something fun, as long as it's not too kinky.
Lying there reading a book, wondering if he?s done yet.
I still don't know what you're talking about here.
On top (cowgirl)
Ewww!

I'd describe myself as:

Romantic : I like flowers and calls "just because"
Practical: do something nice, but don't blow the 401(k)
Needy
Greedy
Uhh?..

ESSAY:
You should pick me out of the millions of qualified applicants because (points for originality, humor, grammar, punctuation and spelling. All cites must conform to Bluebook rules.):Please add any details about yourself that you feel were not adequately covered by these questions.

Please return to this email address, and attach a photo of yourself.

APPLICATIONS WITHOUT PHOTOS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED!

To: Greg
From: MetLife
Re: Denial of claim

Dear Sir:

This is to inform you that we have denied your claim for the following reasons:(a) Services were rendered prior to the effective coverage date.

Hmm......This shouldn't happen. I have COBRA!!!

(beep beep boop boop beep) Riiiiiinnnngg.....riiiinnnggg....

Welcome to MetLife!

If you have a touchtone phone, press 1.
Los needos personas to hablas espanol, numero 2.
If you don't have a touchtone phone, and have no idea what we said in the second sentence, please hold while we transfer you to an underpaid, overworked customer service 'specialist' who just got dumped by her boyfriend and could care less about you......

(beep)

If you need to enroll, press (1), then press (3), then press (4). We have no idea what will happen when you press (3) and then (4), but we thought it would be fun to say.

If you have a question about your company's enrollment process press (2) and you'll be transferred to our Spanish speaking operator.

If you have a question about your benefits, and are currently at work, press (3) to be disconnected. You should be working, not screwing around.

If you have a question about your benefits, and are currently at home with the afternoon free, press (4) to be put on indefinite hold.

If you have a question about your benefits, and are currently standing in the emergency room bleeding to death, press (5) and you will be put on emergency hold. Currently, there are 2,545 people ahead of you.

If you are a retiree, and have a question about Medicaid payments, press (6), and we'll tell you we don't know.

For all other questions, please hold, and we'll get to you sometime before the new year.

(beep)

Please hold. You're business is important to us. Please hold. You're business is important to us.Please hold. You're business is important to us....

(click)

"MetLife, this is Susie. How can I help you?"

Hi. My dental claim was denied, and I was wondering why.

"Your name and SSN, sir."

greg. 123-45-6789.

{clickclickclickclick}

"Sir, I show your coverage was terminated by your employer as of June 1st."

No, no. I left my employer on Memorial Day. But I'm on COBRA coverage now.

"I'm sorry sir, I don't show you as being on COBRA. You'll have to contact your employer's service center to find out what they did."

Thanks...

(beep beep boop boop beep) Riiiiiinnnngg.....riiiinnnggg....

Thank you for calling the Employee Service Center. Your call is important to us.

If you have a touchtone phone, press 1.
Los needos personas to hablas espanol, numero 2.
If you don't have a touchtone phone, and have no idea what we said in the second sentence, please hold while we transfer you to an underpaid, overworked customer service 'specialist' who just got dumped by her boyfriend and could care less about you......

Do all these guys shop at the same voice mail store?

(beep)

If you are a current employee and have a question about enrolling, please wait until November and press (1)

If you are a current employee and need to change your benefits, press (2) to be connected to your boss. Be prepared to answer why you need this change.

If you are a current employee and have a question about your benefits, we can't explain them to you. Press (3) to be connected to a benefit provider at random. Odds of you getting the right provider: 1 in 50.

If you are a retiree and have not gotten the mailing about how your costs will be increasing by 50% effective tomorrow, press (4) and we will attempt to sound sympathetic while we use small words to explain the reaming you're about to get.

If you are a retiree and have gotten the mailing and wish to complain, press (5) and we'll put you on hold for the rest of the day. After all, you're retired. What else do you have to do?

If you are a former employee, are on COBRA, and just got denied because your former service provider has ABSOLUTELY no record of you having coverage, press (8).

To repeat the menu you've just been listening to for the last 5 minutes, press (9)

(beep)

(do do doo doo doo doo doo.....)

"This is Marcus, how may I help you?"

Uh. Yeah. I have COBRA and MetLife denied my dental claim because they don't show that I have COBRA coverage.

"Ok. Your name and SSN please."

greg. 123-45-6789.

"Ok.......(clickclickclickclickclick)....hmm....(clickclickclickclick)....uhh.....(clickclickclick)..hmm....sir, my computers are down. Can you give me a number where I could contact you when they come up?"

That was Monday. I'm still waiting...

Check it out.

Tell me what you think.

How's your vision today?

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?


What I've been up to....

Writing. Lots and lots of writing. The first draft of my appellate advocacy paper is due this coming Thursday, and I've bee plugging along trying to write up the brief. It hasn't been easy, since I really don't like a.) the topic and b.) the case. I have to write for the appellant for this one, and I really have to admit: they don't have a case. Ok, they have a case, but not much of one. So it's been fun.

What else have I been doing?

Well, Thursday I went to court. Not any court. THE court. Well, at least the biggest court around here - the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. I have a friend who works there, and he assured me that Thursday would be a good day to go. Why? Judge Frank Easterbrook would be presiding, and for those of you who don't know what that means, well....let me share a story he shared with me.

Seems a rather prominent attorney, who does most of his work in the 9th and 2nd circuits wished to file a brief in the 7th. Unfortunately, the attorney's brief did not conform to the rules of the court. When the clerk informed him of this, he told the clerk "I do most of my work in the 2nd circuit, which is much more prestigious, and that brief conforms to their rules."

Well, you can guess what happened. The clerk 'let it slip' what the attorney had said. Unfortunately for the attorney, Easterbrook was the judge to whom the clerk let it slip. And Easterbrook was the presiding judge in the case. So when Mr. Self-Important Attorney got up in front of the Court for his allotted twenty minutes, he got a - yep - twenty minute lecture on the rules of the 7th circuit and why they should be followed. He got not one minute of time to present his case.

So in full knowledge of how Easterbrook can shred an attorney (Richard Posner, another 7th Circuit Judge, has a similar rep, though Easterbrook's younger and more vocal, from what I've heard), I showed up on Thursday. Most of the six cases were dry affairs, though the Northwestern University prof who showed up to argue a habeas case on behalf of the defendant certainly had fun dancing his way around Easterbrook's shots. Judges Wood and Evans were fairly quiet, though Judge Wood grilled a female attorney who showed up to argue a deportation proceeding.

The highlight case was United States v. Mallon which concerned an Irish civil servant (though the BBC says he's merely a consultant) who came to the U.S. for some State Department things, and decided to march in the St. Patrick's day parade here in Chicago. And he figured, since he was here anyway, to have sex with an underage girl. Or he thought she was underage. Instead, "she" turned out to be a Cook County Sheriff, and he happened to get welcomed to Chi-town with his own committee....and some neat digs out at 26th and California.

But that wasn't the highlight, argument-wise.

No, that went to this exchange:

Attorney 1: "Your honor, I am here today to....."
Easterbrook: "Why are you here today? Frankly, I don't even know if we have jurisdiction to hear this case."
A1: "Excuse me, Your Honor?"
E: "Your brief doesn't include the required statement on the state of incorporation and principal place of business of your opponent." (Easterbrook's a stickler on the rules!)
A1: "Uh.....I'm pretty sure they have their principal place of business in New York."
E: "But your brief doesn't say that. It doesn't say anything. But don't worry, the other side's brief doesn't either."

Surprisingly, Easterbrook let him continue. That's probably because the attorney seemed not to be a real attorney, but a guy representing himself (He had the same name as the plaintiff). Besides, Easterbrook had another attorney waiting to be roasted - the other guy.

Easterbrook: "Your brief violates the rules of this court. It does not state the state of incorporation or the principal place of business of your client."
Attorney 2: "I think it's in the complaint, your honor."
E: "I didn't see it in the complaint. Besides, whether or not it is in the complaint doesn't matter. It's supposed to be in your brief."
A2: I don't know what state they are incorporated in, Your Honor, but I'm pretty sure that their principal place of business is not in Illinois."
E: "I don't want an attorneys guesses, counsel. I want facts. In the brief, where it belongs."
A2: "Yes, Your Honor."
E: "I'm giving parties seven days to amend and include the required information."
A2: "I imagine you want the plaintiff (A1) to amend first, Your Honor?"
E: "No, I want both parties to amend. In seven days."
A2: "Do you just want a supplement with the information?"
E: "I'm sure a properly written and formatted brief will suffice."
A2: "Yes, Your Honor."

At least Attorney #2 got a chuckle when he referred to a California appraising company as "foreign".

According to my friend, Monday has a real interesting case coming up. If Easterbrook's involved, I'll be there.


Last days....


I had two positions when I was at Exelon. I started in reporting, and ended in support accounting. My replacement at the report accounting position, Jen, left the company on Friday, and I joined up with some ex-co-workers to see her off (her hubby, an ob/gyn, got a residency in Los Angeles). First up was watching the DVD of her and my friend Jim going skydiving (Jim liked the experience, not the DVD - he didn't buy his). Miguel teased Jen about how lively she was before she got up in the plane, and how quiet she got once there. Actually, as Miguel pointed out, the guide nearly had to pull her ripcord, because Jen was too busy waving and smiling at the camera to notice that they'd passed the altitude they were supposed to pull it at. All in all, it was quite funny.

I told Jen that with her in LA and Scott in San Diego, I'd have to come out west soon. Then I could meet Moxie, and Annika, and Joanie.........hmm....winter sounds like a good time for a trip....

In other news, I'm going to be moving. No, not apartments, which I am going to do in about three weeks. But blogs. I've struck a deal over at www.crimeny.net for my own space, and I'll be moving over there soon - probably about the same time I move to my new apartment.

Friday Five

Ok, so it's Sunday, not Friday. But I originally spent a good hour typing the above and my answers to the Friday Five and then hit post and watched it all disappear....

So here goes...


1. Who is your favorite singer/musician? Why?

I have lots. Bruce Springsteen, Sarah McLachlin, Bono.....it's a long list. Music defines a large part of my life, as regular readers can probably tell by all the lyrics I quote here. I use music to make me happy (Sit Down by James, Return to Innocence by Enigma are two that come to mind), to express anger (Godsmack), when I'm sad (Sarah), when I'm reflective (Enya)...and on and on. To pick one as a favorite? Never

2. What one singer/musician can you not stand? Why?

Oddly, this is easy. Van Morrison. Yuck. I'm not a big fan of Led Zepplin or the Beatles, either, but this says musician, and I like Paul.

3. If your favorite singer wasn't in the music business, do you think you would still like him/her as a person?

Yes, to all of them.

4. Have you been to any concerts? If yes, who put on the best show? Ok, here's the concert list:

AC/DC (1981, Rosemont Horizon): My first concert. I still remember riding in the car with my friend Al Crutcher, and his friend Bob. Very Loud. Very fun.
Queen (1982, Poplar Creek): Their last US tour. Best light show, hands down.
Wham (1984-ish, Poplar Creek): My friend Brian talked me into going, cause there'd be tons of girls there. There were. And they all thought Brian and I were a cute couple.
Bruce Springsteen (1985, Rosemont Horizon): There's a reason he's called The Boss. 'Nuff said.
Peter Gabriel (1987, Poplar Creek): I can still feel the drumbeats of the encore song, Biko. Awesome.
J. Geils (1987, Poplar Creek): One Big Party
John Mellencamp (1987, Rosemont Horizon): This one involved some effort. I had an interview in Deefield (an hour from home), and then had to go back to NIU (in DeKalb) because my Econ prof moved the date of the exam, and wouldn't let me take it another day (I can still hear him say, "It's a night class, you can do the interview and the exam"). Then I had to drive another hour back to Rosemont through a horrible whiteout so bad that Mellencamp himself recently called it the worst conditions in which he did a show. It was worth it.
Yes (late 80's): They came to Poplar Creek (since torn down and now part of Sear's HQ). They had just had their first hit in years (Owner of a Lonely Heart), and were riding the crest of a wave of new stardom. Most boring concert ever. The wave didn't last long, either.
U2 (1992, The World Music Theatre): The day of the show, it was about 98 degrees and humid outside. An hour before the show, the skies opened up for about 15 minutes, or as my mom likes to say "long enough to get everything wet." Including all the tops of the girls, most of whom wore white, and many of whom left the bra at home. It was a good show. And what was on the stage was good, too.
Bruce (again) (1992, The World): I used to know this girl, MK, who liked to tell tall tales. She did work for Jam Productions, and she did have a backstage pass, but that was about it. The funny part was when she told us how she bumped into the Big Man (Clarence Clemons) backstage and talked to him. She shut up quick when I pointed out that Bruce had recently fired the E Street Band, and that they were probably not on speaking terms at the moment.
The Cure (mid-90's, Rosemont Horizon): I went with a co-worker, Kathleen, who was from Detroit and not all that gorgeous, but to whom I was attracted to anyway. Good seats, good show. No date.
Melissa Etheridge (mid-90's): She did a show at the then-Rosemont Horizon (now Allstate Arena). I went with my friend Jeff, his then-girlfriend and her friend (who was disappointed to be fixed up with me). She did the middle third of the show from a satellite stage 15 rows away from us. Kenny Arnold (Mellencamp's drummer) did a solo on her acoustic guitar. It was great.
Nine Inch Nails (mid-90's, Rosemont Horizon): One of only three concerts for which I still have the t-shirt (the 92 Springsteen and U2 shows are the others), and the t-shirt that's in the best condition of the three. Wins the award for most bizzare, with the Jim Rose circus appearing as the opening act, and a big silkscreen covering most of the stage. And Jeff's future wife/ex-wife's cousin bobbing his head incessantly. On the way home, he said he had a headache. Wonder why.

I haven't been to a concert since Melissa/NIN/Cure (I don't remember which was the last of them), partially because I object to Ticketmaster's rape of the public with their fees, and partially because - well, I'm not 21 anymore.

But David Bowie's coming in January. And I bought tickets. And coughed up $8 per ticket (on top of the $40 ticket price) to Ticketripoff.


5. What are your thoughts on downloading free music online vs. purchasing albums? Do you feel the RIAA is right in its pursuit to stop people from dowloading free music?

Explain to me this: How is downloading any different from borrowing your buddy's CD and taping it? Hmm?