Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Trial Ad Serendipity

Greetings and welcome back to The Un-Zone, the only site on the Internet devoted to all things related to Un. It's time for one of those update thingies that I should be doing more often but do not due to a lack of anything happening in my so-called life on this planet.


I was having problems finding a witness for my Trial Ad small section. This happens, well, because I don't know that many people at the law school and being the semi-recluse does not work that well in these kinds of situations. Plus I would hate to bother anyone and all of these other problems get in the way. I'm not sure what to call it anyways.
But I think that my luck has changed with this situation. I have found (I think, assuming something strange doesn't happen) a partner for the small section. A truly serendipitous occasion.
I had given up on finding a partner and I check my e-mail. Guess what? Someone needed a partner and assumed someone else would be looking for one. Hey, it's an offer I can't refuse at this moment. It would look bad if I showed up for the first Trial Ad small section and I didn't have a partner.
Almost perfect timing. Some things work out pretty well.
Now the only thing to worry about is planning for the unexpected like the partner being unavailable. You've gotta plan for that. Everything else, well, I think I can handle.

That's all for now.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

An Update

Greetings and welcome back to The Un-Zone, the only site on the Internet devoted to all things related to Un. It's time for one of those update thingies that I've neglected to do for a while. As if my life was that exciting.


There's nothing like Trial Advocacy. Especially when the class suffers from drops and adds. Especially when everything changes and the time you've spent figuring out how to examine a witness is for nothing. I spent some time planning how to depose an assault victim and the problem has changed to something I haven't bothered to closely examine. Now I have to look at the new problem. And I have to find someone in my small section to be the witness. Ah, one of the problems of being semi-reclusive.
At least I now can use a guy in the small section as it would have been a little weird to ask a guy, "Ms Todd, could you please introduce yourself to the Court?" Or hearing him respond, "My husband visited me at the hospital. I then realized that the man who beat me up was much taller than I had reported to the police."

I'm up in Federal Income Taxation and I need to read the cases. I don't think the professor will question me on the cases, but it might be a good thing to read them over at least once. Things rarely go as one expects them to go. That made little sense, but it's better to be prepared. I've done the problems he assigned so I'm at least ready for that.

In an unrelated note, one would expect the Government, especially in a 9/11 World, would be more vigilant in security. They would, actually, should know who is a guest and who is not a guest at an event. This story just shows you that they really aren't that aware. Then again, what would you expect from them when their security measures cross the border from practical and sensible to "pointless, annoying, intrusive, illusory and just plain stupid" as one website has claimed. Read this site and see how bad it can get or how bad it has already gotten.

That's all for now.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

A Busy Monday

Greetings and welcome back to The Un-Zone, the only known site on the Internet devoted to all things related to Un. If you were looking for another site like the United Nations of even online porn, this is not the correct site. Try using Google next time. Then again, if you are that confused and thought this was the UN site, don't use the Internet. Come on, like the UN would have "blogspot.com" in their URL.

I had a really fun Monday. Four classes with three of them in a row.

The day started out with International Trade Regulations featuring Professor Bhala, who seems to be a pretty cool guy. His CV is pretty impressive. A "proper English" education complete with the requisite degrees from Duke, The London School of Economics, Oxford, AND a JD from Harvard. I never took so many freaking notes in one day. Though the explanation on Ricardo's lovely theory was interesting. I think this is foreboding something. Like I'm going to need a bigger notebook or I need to write faster.
Then came Trial Advocacy with Professor Briscoe. Lecture once a week, workshops once a week also. It seems that this will be a fun class. Though I have to wear "courtroom attire" for the workshops. That measns...the dreaded suit with tie most likely. Oh well. I guess once a week for two hours isn't that bad. I mean, it could be sixty, seventy hours a week. Wait, lawyers have to do that. Might as well get used to this.
Federal Income Taxation with Professor Dickinson. Might as well take this class as it will help me later in life. I will learn how to read the Internal Revenue Code, properly known as 26 USC Section 1 et seq (can't get the official section symbol on this blog). According to some research, it got a -6 score on readability. In simple English, it's hard to understand. For some strange reason, I'm the first person he calls on to answer a question about the legality of a proposed rule involving the federal government taxing people who own really big vehicles. I got it correct. It's illegal for the government to do so as it is a non-income direct tax. That would require apportionment and therefore, the government cannot do it. Simple. Why do I seem to be the first person to get asked questions? This is yet another sign that has some meaning. I need to learn how to be a ninja and hide myself with great cunning. Or learn how to do Jedi mind control.
Finally, Bankruptcy with Professor Ware. Fun class. The rolling boulder method of answering questions. I'm one of the first people up. How fun. Next time, I will not sit near the back. Must read the assignment. But I have time.

That's all for now.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

The First Day as a 3L

I'm going to cut out the standard greeting for this post as I don't feel like typing it today. It's the first day of Law School and it is a special school year this time. I am a 3L and in May 2007, I will graduate with a JD from KU Law School...I think. As long as I don't do something really stupid right between now and then, I should be all right.

Like the Kansas Law Student, I got an undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas in 2004. Though my degree was a BA in English and History. And I remember walking down the Hill towards Memorial Stadium and thinking to myself, "Boy, am I going to miss this place." All the great basketball games, the treks into the bowels of Wescoe Hall, the Kansas Union, and all of the other stuff that makes KU...well...KU. Then I realized that I was going to KU Law School next fall and I had to slap myself on the head for being such an idiot. After all, I had gotten the much-wanted "Thick Envelope," the one where you are accepted, in April. Duh.
Not that I actually slapped myself on the head or anything. It would have been on the Jumbotron and that would have looked pretty dumb.
"HEY, look at that idiot slapping himself on the head!"
I think I've gone through a bunch of stuff while at law school. I met some very interesting people and became friends with them. I've been a little more sociable, well, enough not to gain the reputation for being a complete gunner who has to get everything done in the first week and not so much that I'm a guy who is in a haze every day. And I've done a decent job in making my personality known and saying some crazy stuff in class. The people at the law school know what I am talking about. Torts, Con Law, Crim Pro, Evidence...the good ol' days.
It's a good feeling to be a 3L, knowing that I don't have to go through the pains of Lawyering or wondering if I said something stupid in class. I just now wonder if I've managed to scare the living daylights out of people. Just kidding. I really don't care.
My first day wasn't too interesting. I keep thinking it should have been a little bit different. Just went to one class and that was it. Nothing too much. Went home and had lunch. But after it's all done and I go and make an attempt to listen to the "Official Graduation Speech" for the fourth time, I'll probably wish I could stay just a little longer and skip being responsible and forget about the real world for just one more day and become a stand-up comic. Or become a world-famous author and make money writing novels about the law school experience.
It's time to seize the day and make the most out of this final year of law school. Now if I can only get the first day assignments done before the first weekend rolls around. Not likely.

That's all for now.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Fly The Friendly Skies

Greetings and welcome back to The Un-Zone, the only site on the Internet where you can find all things related to Un. It's time for an update about how insecure airport security is. And how dumb it can get.

Thanks to the recent liquid explosive scare in London, airport security was tightened just in case there were more terrorists loose. You know, you have to make sure there aren't any other crazy bombers out there. Supposedly, they were going to mix chemicals to make liquid explosives. Acetone peroxide. Thankfully, we have all those neat detectors to discover these horrible chemicals. They should work, right? Nope.
According to the latest report by the Department of Homeland Security, they aren't that effective. When they X-ray your shoes, they really aren't doing much in the detection department. Trained people can detect anomalies, but this method isn't all too effective.
What you really need, however, are explosives trace detectors. Terrorists, if they do use explosives, do not wash their hands very well. So you can swab their hands and nab them. As long as you pick out the right person that arouses suspicion or you happen to pick out the right person in a random search. Yeah, the eenie-minie-moe way.
Besides, the security people can't tell who is suspicious or not. Brown skinned person means terrorist. Forget the angry looking Arabic guy on the airport tram who is sweating and fidgeting while carrying a one-way ticket (Mohammed Atta, by the way). Plus you forget the fact that he told a flight instructor that he "didn't need to learn how to land a plane." And the other intelligence gathered by the FBI and CIA because of rivalries, plus the lazy bosses who wanted to be inefficient on purpose (more money). Not that it should worry you or anything before you fly. Just don't look suspicious. Good luck.
Then again, these are "specially trained" people working the machines. And the much-vaunted baggage handlers and checkers are equally well trained. Not really. Remember when the news reported how some security people (baggage checkers and other people of that sort) were people with criminal records. Convicted of crimes like burglary and robbery? Doesn't that make you feel safe right now? The guy checking your bag was a thief! What? No real background checks? And he's being paid minimum wage by the government to make sure you are safe. Most of the people trained were poorly educated, poorly motivated, and poorly trained, which is not good for you. Feeling lucky?
We could hire better people (those who know what they are doing) or follow the Israeli method of airport security. They hire former intelligence officers, soldiers, and police officers. And they are well educated and well trained to boot also. But we can't. It costs too much. You've got to bail out the airlines due to their incompetence in managing their money. And all those nice corporations need tax breaks also. And we need some extra change to pay for Iraq. I guess you can put a price on security.
Have a nice trip on your next flight! Fly the friendly skies and don't worry about any security problems. The government is on the job. And we all know what a great job they do!
Resume your life. IF you don't fly, the terrorists will have won. The security checks are inconvenient, but necessary for your safety.

That's all for now.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Where Did The Summer Go?

Greetings and welcome back to The Un-Zone, the only known site on the Internet devoted to all things related to Un. It's time for another update to this site, which has been sorely non-updated this summer.

It's that time of the year again that most students generally dread. Some people I know actually like this time of the year. Yes, it's the end of summer vacation and it's time to go back to school.
Personally, I don't mind the beginning of the school year. I have time to meet with friends and people I know. I get back into the swing of things by writing articles for the Brief-Brief. I have lots of fun during the school year and I learn lawyer-type stuff for a wonderful future. Woohoo!
But seriously. I like the summer. I don't have to worry about grades or wonder if I have to listen to a not-so-focused lecture. I have freedom.
And to express my wanting of summer to last a little bit longer, a little snippet from a song from Grease Two, the insipid sequel to Grease.

"BACK TO SCHOOL AGAIN" by The Four Tops
Woe is me, all summer long I was happy and free.
Save my soul, the board of education took away my parole.
I gotta go back, back, back to school again.
You won't find me 'til the clock strikes three;
I'm gonna be there 'til then...
I gotta go back, back, back to school again.
Whoa, whoa, I gotta go... back to school again!


That's all for now.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Stuff on the Web

Greetings and welcome back to The Un-Zone, the site for all things related to Un. It's time for yet another update. This time, weird and unusual stories found on the Internet.

The first item is something that only the Japanese could invent. Nine-bladed scissors. Yes, nine-bladed scissors. I'm not sure what to make out of this invention, but I believe that lots of people will get cut with them. And the amount of force needed to actually use them must be insane. Now you can make confetti the easy way. Though cutting along the dotted lines might be harder. Which blade to use and all.

Something you might not have figured out. Milk contains lactose and lactose intolerant people might be allergic to milk. And someone wants to sue milk manufacturers to post a warning label on milk to protect those who may not know they are lactose intolerant. And peanut butter contains peanuts, just so you know. And water may get clothes wet. Maybe the court can use the nine-bladed scissors to cut up the briefs while they are at it...just a suggestion.

And now, more political correctness so nobody feels left out. Just when you thought sports were safe from things like awards for everybody (think "Most Improved" which is a codeword for "You Sucked and you Still Do So We Came Up With This Lame Award To Give To You") no matter how little they participated or how badly they can't play the sport, they are now abolishing scores in youth sports events for kids under nine. Which is why they still have the scorekeeper and everybody still wins. Sorry, there are winners and losers in life and you can't always get what you want. Deal with it. That's how life operates when you're an adult. Just don't kill anyone later.

That's all for now.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

A Belated Update

Greetings and welcome back to The Un-Zone, the only site on the Internet devoted to all things related to Un. Well, the only site that I know of and I'm too lazy to see if there are any other sites out there. If there are, please let me know of any such sites.

Well, it's been a long time since I last updated. No explanations are needed as I just haven't had the time to decently type one up. That's all. And besides, not that much has happened to merit an update. What has been happening in my so-called life?

I got called up for my civic duty--jury duty. I call and they say we don't need you and please call this number again. So I call again on the appointed date. Sorry, we don't need you and please call again. There's a pattern forming... So I call again and this is during my last week of potential jury duty. Sorry, we don't need you, but we need a different group. If you haven't been called up for jury duty, please do not bother calling again for a long while.
Not even one little thank you. Wow, no wonder why people hate jury duty so much. They don't even give a simple pre-recorded thanks for even filling out the form and voluntarily participating.
I know what this means. I get called up again for jury duty multiple times, each of them more inconvenient than the last time. And I get to serve on multiple trials, each one more mind-numbing than the last. Never-ending jury duty purgatory. OK, so I exaggerate, but this has happened to people I know.

I've come up with a story idea that uses up all of the assorted arcana stored in my head. All that information that normal people (I use the phrase loosely, as there is no such thing as "normal" per se) don't normally know. Except those in the military and spy organizations and well-informed pygmy midgets. I'm none of the three groups mentioned, so I am special. That was meant to be sarcasm. A joke, you know. Anyways...
It revolves around a covert counter-terrorist organization that gets sent to a foreign country (most likely an Eastern Bloc country) to stop a violent terrorist organization. Involved with this group is a rogue Special Forces soldier/arms dealer/ex-CIA intelligence officer. The prototypical deep-cover CIA agent that goes bad due to greed. After all, who better than a CIA agent trained to kill to become a terrorist?
Yeah, there are a few issues with plot, but that hasn't stopped me yet. After all, truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense. Even if that means changing the rules of logic.

And finally, an interesting website that makes it possible for me to stretch the bounds of what can be done with common items around the office or someone's house for that matter.

That's all for now.