Democracy in Action

Yesterday, I attended my junior senator's "town hall" meeting. After receiving an email in my personal account, a letter to my parent's address, and a phone message left on my parent's answering machine, I figured this guy really must want me there. I decided to get up early on a Saturday (8 am, FYI) to join the other constituents in my parish. What I forgot to mention, though, is I'm a very liberal democrat in the very conservative south. My junior senator just beat out a democrat for a seat previously held by a democrat. There isn't much love for me in these parts.

The meeting started with a prayer and the pledge. Opposed to being forced to join in on prayer, my brother, my friend Baton Rouge, and I sat while the prayer was read. We then stood for the pledge of allegiance.

My junior senator began with a few points of what he's done and believes. He managed to leave out he's a big pro-lifer and anti-pregnancy preventer, but I won't hold it against him. He probably figured that everyone in the room already knew and agreed with him. He did insist that all judges should receive a "fair up or down vote." I hate this phrase. Why don't they just say, "Let's kill the filibuster!" He did received a large round of applause when he spouted this ideology.

Toward the end of the meeting, I held my hand firmly in the air. I was sitting in the front on a side he wasn't particularly focusing on. Mostly people had been giving him compliments and asking questions that fit right into his ideology. He was even able to brag about a few bills he had sponsored. I wasn't so flattering. I quickly pointed out that our founders worried about factions and the voice of the minority shouldn't be silenced by the voice of the majority. (At this point I got a few shaking of heads and a word yelled at me here and there.) I even pointed out that the only time the democrats use the filibuster is for judges that often times people in their own party think are radical. At this point the yelling and booing became so loud from the crowd that it was actually difficult for me to be heard. I pointed out to the crowd that what they were doing was silencing a minority and proving my point exactly. Eventually the mayor had to stand up to try and quiet the crowd. They talked and booed even over him. Eventually he quieted the crowd down and informed them that I had the right to speak and that it was important to hear other sides of an issue. I finished my thoughts on the subject and wrapped-up my comments with a completed unrelated question on graduate education.

My junior senator then spouted off what sounded to be the republican blanket answer to the filibuster debate and thoughtfully answered my question on graduate education. I sat down and listed a bit more to people who were concerned about closing our borders. My response to that will be held for another day.

After the meeting was over, the mayor walked us out. He told me not to be discouraged by the crowd. "You're a youthful sinner and they are senile saints. They forget what it's like to be a youthful sinner."

I wasn't fazed though. In fact, it made my day. I love participating in democracy. Being booed at just made it that much more fun.

I Made It

This was one of the few times I didn't take the red-eye home. What I noticed was it was a really long flight. I guess I never thought of it before because I'm sleeping most of the time. I wasn't even interested in watching the movie. (Coach Carter just isn't what I feel like watching on an itty bitty screen.)

I had a thought or two while on the plane. Some people are really fat. So much so they have to buy two seats to travel on the plane. Since they have two seats, are they entitled to two of everything the flight attendants pass out for free? Two meals, two drinks, two snacks, two pillows, two blankets. In all honesty, if you had to buy two seat, you probably need two of anything they're passing out. And you've essentially paid for it.

I also started wondering about being deaf on the plane. Should they provide closed captioning on the movie? Should you have to pay for it? If not, then others would have to rent the headsets, and you'd get the movie for free. Or what about everyone else who doesn't buy the headset and gets to read the movie for free, even if you pay for it. And it seems that the flight attendants aren't really prepared for a deaf person. Should they try to get someone fluent in sign language on the plane if they know a deaf person will be on the plane? How fair is that, though because they don't get bilingual flight attendants when there are foreigners on the plane.

These have been my thoughts. Traveling alone during the day leads to these massive amount of thoughts. Now I'm in CST, but my body clock is on PST. It's only 10 in Portland. I think I should try to go to bed. I wish there was a TV in my room. I'd like to veg out some more.

Dum Dum Duuuuuuuum!

It's an hour before my final final. I'm nervous. It's strange how actually being able to use all my notes is making me more nervous.

"Will I be able to find everything I'm looking for?"

"What if I'm so time pressured that my notes will be virtually useless and I don't remember everything I need?"

Breathe.

I would like to now take this moment to reflect on this finals period. Two weeks ago, I was frightened beyond all belief. I hadn't really learned anything in any of my classes. The classes were harder than any others I had taken before. I didn't know how I would get through it all. All I could do was close my eyes and wish that I could move forward two weeks in time.

Now it's two weeks later. I've finished with four of my five classes and only four hours away from being done with my last. It's strange how you can't imagine getting to this point but when you reach it, it doesn't seem as difficult as you feared it would.

The two weeks melt away and I realize I've spent most of my life willing away days, weeks, or months to pass. I don't pay attention to the in between. All that happens is I get older by days, weeks, or months. When I start working, will I stop waiting for that day to get here? What will I be waiting for? Will there be any reason to will time to pass?

I imagine being a real adult to be less peaked stress. It's stress stretched out over the work week. Law school is so fake. There's no real stress during the semester, and then finals hit and you have massive stress for two weeks. No wonder I try to will that time away. Will I lose the need to will time away because I won't be faced with such peaked stress periods?

I want to stop waiting for something to happen. I want to start enjoying the in between. If I don't, I'm afraid all I will be left with is results instead of memories of the process. I really don't even remember last week.

I think I've just become incoherent.

Plath and Pop-Ups

I need to read some Sylvia Plath. I admit, I am an avid avoider of poetry. I don't know why. I just didn't really like it all that much in high school, and that had a pretty strong influence on what I've been reading since. Watching Gweneth's rendition of Plath made me think that she might be a modern Dickinson. Being I'm not a Dickinson fan, I can only hope she's better. I will venture forth, though. Any suggestions as to what I should start with? And should I even give Mr. Hughes a try?

And I'm a bit tired of these pop-ups. I can't get rid of them. I've run spybot and adaware like 3 times in the past week, and the pop-ups keep getting worse. I'm afraid. I'm going to have to get some serious support. Any takers?

Now I shall go to bed with the depression of a crazed woman who loved her husband a little too much and herself not enough on the brain. And I take my final final tomorrow. This time tomorrow I will be a 3L -- assuming I actually passed all my classes.

Finally

I have some relief.

I woke up this morning and the pain was almost gone. It actually seemed less than before I went to bed. I don't know what it was, but it felt great. For them last few mornings, it's like the sleep was a reset button for the pain.

Now I hope that it doesn't reset tonight. I have a full day of studying for MY LAST EXAM tomorrow.

Ugh. Time to tutor high school math now.

It's Official

I have a finals injury. For the past three mornings I have woken up with a spine ache. It's like a backache, but it seems to be centered on my spine.

I figured out it comes from hunching over the laptop and study materials. I've tried to sleep in different ways to avoid it, but it's pretty much useless.

Too bad there's no finals DL. I would definitely be out for a week or so to recover. No coach would send me out like this. Then again, would I really want to deal with finals for another week? I don't think so. I've finished three and only have patent law to go.

Slow Sunday Slide

I was writing everyday for a while. Then it slowed down. I actually think it slowed down right around the time my studying started to slow down. Strange that the days I blog are actually my most productive when it comes to studying.

I had really bad for me pizza today. I try to eat local to support the neighborhood, but today, I just wanted gross old Pizza Hut. I had the pan crust. That really gross, greasy, thick crust. It reminds me of the days of BookIt! where I would earn free personal pan pizzas for my ability to read. Ah, where are the current incentives to read? All I have are grades that fall more and more each semester, no matter how much work I put into it. Where's the incentive in that?

Speaking of, I should go to bed with my Con Law outline. I'm so tired of the 14th Amendment. Who knew we could spend so much time on that crap?

Memories

I was thinking about my last year in college today. More specifically I was thinking about my last semester.

At that point, I knew that I was coming to my law school. I was excited about moving so far from home. I was making lists of what I wanted to take with me and thinking about how I would get everything here. I was also excited about the new dating pool. I had swam the Louisiana one and was tired of how small it was. It was as if I was I was taking two strokes before getting to the other side.

At that point, I was just concerned with graduating. I knew grades didn't matter because I had already been accepted to law school, and I wasn't trying to keep any sort of honors. That semester, my cumulative GPA dropped dramatically.

It's not as if I wasn't trying. There were a few classes where I was studying with other people. That's real effort! One of the beauties of being a female engineering student, I was never worried about dating my classmates -- well, except for that one time, but he was never in my class, just in the same building. There were a few classes I was studying with other people. I can't even remember what class it was anymore, but I had a new study buddy that semester. We had had a bunch of classes together, but we never really talked. I can't even remember why we got together for the class I can't remember anymore.

I thought we were getting along fine. There were some Tuesdays where he had to come to my apartment to study because the last season of Buffy was on the air. I wasn't going to miss that for engineering. One day, I got a very weird sounding request. He wanted to "talk" to me. I let him meet me while I was studying for another final at Subway.

In a nutshell, he and his fiancee were having some issues. She was coming in for the weekend to determine if they were actually going to get married. His decision would be based on whether I wanted to date him. I almost choked on my 6" turkey sub with everything but cucumbers. I nicely informed him that I wasn't interested, and he shouldn't break off his engagement for me (because I was SO not interested).

I even pointed out that I would be moving to Oregon. His response, "Yeah, I was thinking I could move up there with you."

!!!!!!

This guy was a study buddy. And he wanted to move to Oregon with me. After I nicely turned him down, he asked me out three more times I politely told him that I didn't want to hear anymore about it.

I don't know what happened to him. We graduated. That's all I know. And this guy wanted to move up here with me. Who knew I could inspire that in people?

I Hate People...

Who aren't taking finals.

Who aren't studying for finals.

Who aren't studying at all.

Who are partying.

Who are completely unaware that people like me are incredibly jealous of their lack of knowledge about me.

Who truly understood that last sentence...

Revelations You Probably Don't Care To Know About

I get gassy when I'm hungry. I don't know why. I let out a big burp on my way to the SBA office. My stomach is all rumbly.

Anyone have any clues why?

Would You Really Guess I Was in the Middle of a Final?

Your Birthdate: January 7

Born on the 7th day of month gives you a tendency to be something of a perfectionist and makes you more individualistic in many ways. Your mind is good at deep mental analysis and complicated reasoning. You are very psychic and sensitive, and you should usually follow your hunches. You may not take orders too well, so you may want to work alone or in a situation where you can be the boss. This birthday gives a tendency to be somewhat self-centered and a little stubborn.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

How does it know that?

Going on 6 hours

I've been working for about five and half hours so far. I haven't even finished one question. I still don't know how to answer the other one.

Why do I do this to myself?

When I was driving home yesterday I thought as I drove over the bridge I could drive off and not have to do finals. It's bad when finals make you have suicidal thoughts.

Failing

I just thought I would let yall know that I picked up my 24 hour take home exam. I am going to fail it.

I'm not exaggerating either. There's two questions. I don't even know what the first question is asking me, and it's half the points. The second question looks like I'll fair no better.

I just remembered why I don't like putting much energy into studying: because anytime I do, something like this happens. At least if I fail with no effort, I won't feel bad. There's something truly shitty about failing an exam you spent three full days getting ready for.

Smart Louisianians

While studying, I ran across this tidbit from the Morning Advocate in 1979:

Agriculture Commissioner Gil Dozier says he is willing to write off a northeast Louisiana lake in order to allow cotton farmers near the lake to spay toxaphen to kill bugs.
Lake Providence is contaminated with the pesticide to the point that eating a fish from it would be inviting cancer. Dozier insists it poses no danger to human health so long as fishing is banned.

Wow. Yeah. It's okay to pollute as long as you avoid the fish. I'd avoid fish in northeast Louisiana if I were you.