This Blog IsA Typo

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED

2008-09-11T11:34:00.003-04:00

It is now hosted at: http://randaltheresa.wordpress.com. For some reason, Blogspot has started crashing my browser. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but could you please change your links. Head over now for the next installment of my epic journey to Mexico!

Decision 'O8

2008-09-08T16:55:00.000-04:00

Canada officially declared its own federal election today. Amazingly, with election day on October 14th, it will be over weeks before its American Counterpart. Now that's and election I can get excited about.

Politics (Don't Worry, It'll Be Just This Once)

2008-09-07T15:25:00.000-04:00

Despite the general disutility of labels in general, I am prepared to finally find a name for my political inclinations: I am a liberal-leaning independent. As a liberal sympathizer, I generally prefer the democratic platform to the republican. But as an independent, I am part of that vigorously courted class of Americans who is not completely adverse to voting for the candidate it believes will better serve the country, regardless of his political allegiances. If McCain had convinced me that he would be a better president than Obama enough to override my general preference for the democrats, he would have won me over. However, watching both the Democratic and Republican Conventions, McCain and his party has only deepened my conviction that Obama should be the next American President. In fact, I have become so disillusioned of the Republicans over the past couple of weeks that I am writing this post to ask any of you who were planning on putting your check next to the little R in November to reconsider. Here’s why:

First of all, it is always a good idea to look seriously at your political alliances. After conversing with friends, I have realized it is not a simple matter to transfer Canadian political ideas into an American election, and that I need to consider my choice carefully. So, I encourage everyone to join me in my political introspection – are you political convictions merely a product of your surroundings, or have you come to them yourself?

Second, there are numerous reasons why Obama and the Democrats have appealed to me. For one thing, as I liberal, I like their policies. But I know that any attempt to convince most conservatives to alter their fundamental belief system will be futile. So instead, I will list a few reasons why Obama would be a better president than McCain, independent of their platforms.

1. Obama is a true agent of change. As a relative newcomer and Washington outsider, who has routinely disagreed with the Bush administration, he is in a much better position to alter the course of this country in a good way. He has spent his life serving the poor and needy and is more in touch with the rising generation, who has to deal with eight years worth of Bush’s influence. John McCain has attempted to paint himself as a maverick, but can an old white, rich man, entrenched in Washington politics and greatly supportive of Bush’s policies really bring about the change we need? He wants to be independent, but he is running with Bush’s old playbook and has shown that he is unable to truly stand up to his party in choosing a running mate – opting for a hard-core conservative instead of reaching across the isle to Lieberman, his first choice. And don’t try to tell me that Palin will bring about any real change: although most people have forgotten this, she is only running to be vice-president.

2. Obama has shown much more integrity than McCain. Throughout this campaign, Obama has shown great personal integrity. Although all politicians stretch the truth and attack their opponents, Obama has played petty politics to a much lesser degree than McCain and the Republicans. For one things, the Republicans are much more consistent and personal in their attacks on Obama; the tone of the entire Republican Convention was more about mocking Obama then on promoting their own party. And their attacks are often unfounded, personal, and demeaning. Mocking his service as a community organizer and then turning around and calling him an elitist, comparing him to Paris Hilton and even sarcastically calling him a self-proclaimed Messiah. Obama’s attacks on McCain, however, have been fewer and more appropriate. They mostly focus on issues, and never stoop to the lows that I’ve seen from the McCain camp. When asked about Palin’s daughter being pregnant, for example, Obama responded that family privacy should be respected; the Republicans don’t seem to agree, since they have took aim at Michelle on many occasions.

Also, Obama is more honest than McCain. Both have stretched the truth, but according to Politifact.com, a non-partisan fact-checking website, McCain’s statements are either barely true or outright false twice as often as Obama’s. UPDATE: this issue is becoming more and more troubling for me; it seems that the McCain camp has no problem with continuing its bold-faced lies, even after they have been discredited, since most voters don't take enough time to discover their falsity. See this article.

3. Obama has shown himself to be very reasonable and intelligent. He has run his campaign amazingly: time and time again, he calmly and rationally deals with each problem and promptly brings the discussion back to the issues. And he has shown himself to be very intelligent and an extremely fast learner, which helps quell some concerns about his lack of experience. Isn’t it about time to get someone into the Whitehouse that will carefully and intelligently deliberate over our problems instead of adopting the “shoot first ask questions later” approach of George W? McCain, like Bush, seems much more prone to hasty and risky choices. The best example of this is how he handled the most important choice of his campaign: choosing a VP. Now, Sarah Palin may turn out to be a good choice, but even so, the way he selected her worries me. I mean, McCain has had months to carefully research and decide upon a running mate (especially while Obama and Hillary were still battling it out), and yet at the very last second he chooses someone he only met once and had barely vetted. To me, this just seems reckless, and is not the way I would like my president to make decisions.

4. Even as McCain announces his plans to “reach across the isle,” the Republicans are methodically tearing the country apart. Through Sarah Palin and many of the convention’s other speakers, the GOP have reignited the culture wars. More and more, they are shifting the focus of this election from important issues like the economy and the War to little things that are comparatively less important and yet extremely divisive: abortion, teen pregnancy, and the role of God in the public sphere. They are also actively attempting to pit the rural population against the urban elitists who don’t think Wasilla is “cosmopolitan enough.” (Which is quite ironic, considering that the GOP is filled with rich white men, while Obama grew up on food stamps, and got through school on student loans). A good indication of this division is the fact that after Palin's speech was the largest fundraising day ever - for the Democrats (she really made some people upset). In the end, this country needs to work together, and fostering these kinds of divisions is not the way to do it.

5. Obama will be good for America. He is extremely popular internationally, and as president, he will do a lot to restore America’s status in the world and help us make the alliances we need to stay safe and compete in the global economy. Electing Obama will also show the world that we are an intelligent, progressive country that really believes in the equality we so often profess. Imagine the children who grow up under the first black president: what better lesson in civil rights could we give?

6. Do we really need more war? OK, this one is more of an ideological complaint, but I really don’t think we should elect someone who is as committed to the war and tied to the military as much as McCain is. And I don’t see the problem with meeting hostile world leaders? Is diplomacy dead? This is not giving in, but trying to resolve problems without killing.

In conclusion, I think McCain is national hero and fairly decent guy. I was impressed with his acceptance speech. It is more his party in general who I am opposed to, and I don’t think that he is maverick enough to separate himself to a degree that would win my vote.

And that is why I support Barack Obama.

RADIOHEAD_IN_CON_CERT

2008-09-01T11:54:00.000-04:00

Here is a link where you can watch Radiohead's webcast of their tour-closing show in Santa Barbara. I am posting this today because this blog was on hiatus back in May, where Theresa and I, as well as the Cummings, traveled down to North Carolina to catch the show ourselves. To prevent myself from running on like a gushing fanboy, I will just say that the show was easily the best I have seen, and the culmination of my concert-going existence.

DNC 08

2008-08-28T11:09:00.001-04:00

Watching the Democratic National Convention these last few days, I must say that it is good to see Barack and Hillary finally getting along. It seemed like their prolonged primary battle would never end, and I for one (and Theresa for another, I can safely say) will not miss it. Well, I will miss videos like these...

A Redecorated Life

2008-08-24T13:57:00.000-04:00

This week has been one of designing, or perhaps more properly, redesigning, and I'm not just talking about this blog. For months, Theresa has been sketching and re-sketching a new design for our apartment. But since we have be transient for the last while, her careful plans have had to wait - until now. For those of you who have seen our Charlottesville apartment, you may remember our tattered furniture, most of which was obtained for free. Well, with a lot of Theresa's creativity, we have transformed our hand-me-down furniture into a set of new-looking pieces. And perhaps Theresa's biggest accomplishment was getting me involved in the whole project by allowing me to populate our walls with my musical paraphernalia. All and all, I think we were able to put together a chic living room, and we did it on an extremely small budget. But take a look yourselves (click on the pictures to make them larger).

1. Radiohead Poster, purchased at the North Carolina Radiohead concert we attended in May, displayed in a ramshackle homemade frame.
2. Our Ansel Adams print of the Redwoods, to remind us our future Californian home.
3. Rubiks Cube: one of the many useless trinkets offered by law firms during on campus interviews, transformed into a picture holder
4. DTV - its in the air.
5. Fabric curtain hiding our electronic equipment (stereo, DVD player, turntable) inside this dresser-turned-entertainment center (Fabric from IKEA)
6. Our Alberta Temple Blanket covering the loveseat that served as Theresa's nemesis during this redecorating (it doesn't match).
7. Restored Furniture: I obtained these pieces for free from a neighbor that I helped move. They were tattered, broken and ugly, but with a little paint and some new knobs, Theresa turned them into beautiful, modern pieces.
8. Album Covers: these three Wolf Parade album covers by Matt Moroz are my favorite part of the living room.
9. Miru - our Superfly Monkey
10. Sea Shell from Virginia Beach

Rising 3L

2008-08-24T13:37:00.000-04:00

Everyone in law school circles knows that a the third year has a reputation as being the easiest. With offers in hand, most students need only to graduate, and therefore do not have the same pressures as either first or second year students do. Which means that this, the beginning of my third year here at UVa, is the perfect time to rededicate myself to blogging. And so, to my faithful readers, welcome back. You'll notice that I've redesigned my webpage, including the title, which represents the one persistent criticism my writing has faced throughout my life. Like Batman, I've embraced my deepest writing fear and displayed it prominently.

I will be continuing as I did the first go-around, with some posts about Theresa and I, some about the music I am listening to, and some random musings. I will occasionally post the continuing story of Petey, Daniel Harker and I in Mexico, and in short order, will catch you all up on our summer in California. And if you haven't already, check out the Canada Day quiz below.

So stay tuned...

The Second Annual Canada Day Quiz!

2008-07-01T12:11:00.001-04:00

Here it is – what you have all been waiting for: the second annual “Randal and Theresa Canada Day Quiz!” The game is simple – answer the questions. And we all know you could just look up the answers on the Internet, but because this is a Canada-themed quiz, I trust you will all be polite and honest, and play the game without cheating. The answers will be posted in the comments, so take the quiz, check your answers, and post your score in the comments section (remember – we’re using the honor system). When everyone has participated, we’ll name the winners in two categories: Canadian and Non-Canadian. Prizes will follow…

Geography
1. Which of these cities is furthest north?
A. Halifax
B. Ottawa
C. Vancouver
D. Winnipeg

2. Which Canadian Province is the setting of “Anne of Green Gables?”

3. Which Canadian Cities have or will in the near future host the Olympic games?

4. Which Canadian City was named the most livable city in the world by The Economist in 2008?

5. The Parliament in which of these Canadian Capitals is pictured here?

A. Edmonton, AB
B. Regina, SK
C. Victoria, BC
D. Whitehorse, YT

History and Politics
6. What is the term for people descended from Canadian aboriginals and European settlers?

7. Which of these reasons was most influential in the building of Canada’s first transcontinental Railway?
A. To assist in the war effort during the war of 1812
B. To beat the United States in a race to build the first transcontinental railway
C. To persuade the people of Brittish Columbia to join the Canadian Confederacy
D. To transport Chinese workers to the east

8. Which of the following is NOT a registered political party in Canada?
A. The Animal Alliance Party
B. The Democracy In Action Party
C. The Christian Heritage Party
D. The Marijuana Party
E. The Work Less Party

9. During the Conscription Crisis of 1917, what group of Canadians refused to go to war?

10. Which Canadian aboriginal tribe famously dwelt in structures like the one pictured?

A. Cree
B. Inuit
C. Iroquois
D. Kwakwaka'wakw

Sports and Entertainment
11. What Canadian chanteuse won the most Juno awards (i.e. the Canadian Grammy) in 2008 (1 bonus point for naming all of the categories)?

12. What are Canada’s two national sports?

13. What is the main focus of CBC radio 3?

14. What Canadian Author penned the popular Book, “The Life of Pi?”

15. Which Canadian Hockey team made it the furthest in the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs?

Miscellaneous
16. Which Canadian company produces the BlackBerry communications device (1 bonus point for naming where it is based)?

17. According to the Times Higher Education - QS World University Rankings, which is the best Canadian University?

18. For what is the Bay of Fundy famous?

19. This is the mascot for what (1 bonus point for giving his name)?

20. As you might expect, the top two countries of origin for Canadian Immigrants are China and India. Name one of the other birth countries of Canadian immigrants that round out the top 5 (1 bonus point for naming all three).

21. Which of these figures is closest to Canada’s population (the other three are the populations of Tokyo, New York State, and the UK)?
A. 18.9 million
B. 33.3 million
C. 34.4 million
D. 60.6 million

22. Who is on the Canadian $50 bill?

23. Which Canadian author was born and raised on St. Urbain Street in the Mile End area of Montreal, Quebec, and wrote The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz?
A. Margaret Atwood
B. Stephen Leacock
C. Saul Bellow
D. Mordecai Richler

24. In what year was Quebec City founded?

25. Which Canadian-born architect built this?

My New Creative Outlet

2008-02-16T10:47:00.000-05:00

In my farewell post, I mentioned that I am attempting to write a travel story of my trip to Mexico with my roommates a few years ago. Well, here is the first bit that I have wrote. It is a detailed narrative, so it is much longer that a blog post, but I hope you enjoy it. And feel free to leave constructive feedback. So, without further ado...

If my roommates and I acted on every inclination we ever had to travel to foreign countries, we would have likely visited an honest ¾ of the world by now. I’m sure that at one point or another, Daniel Harker, Pete or I must have said something like, “I hear that Uzbekistan is nice this time of year” at which point we would all enthusiastically plan a trip and then never mention the suggestion again. But one snowy January night the stars aligned and the patron saint of travel smiled on us such that one of our dreams of international adventure lodged itself firmly enough in our frontal lobes to survive until we found ourselves, quite unexpectedly I assure you, loading backpacks into Daniel Harker’s car with tickets to Cancun in hand. That is how our trip to Mexico began.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this adventure is the complete lack of planning that went into the whole affair. Actually, that is not completely true: we did a lot of planning, but no genuine plan came from any of it. Hours were spent arguing over every detail of the journey and pouring over a hopelessly outdated map of Mexico like a general positioning his troops for battle. We mapped and re-mapped an epic journey spanning numerous southern Mexican states that would have taken months to complete, even at a furious pace. We have one week.

This particular limitation is not, as you may guess, of our own choosing, and explaining its origin gives me a good chance to introduce my cast. Peter Leavitt, the youngest of us three, is the guy who all mothers wish their daughters would marry, which might explain why he is not actually married. He is a psychology student who likes to read books like “The End of Poverty” during Christmas break, but is also a fun party guest who is particularly popular among the fairer sex. Daniel Harker can best be described by listing his five favorite things: secrets, roller coasters, horror movies, dancing, and the beach. A mere three days after we return from Mexico, he is off to Calgary to enter the working world as a computer programmer. As for myself, I have just finished a genetics degree and will shortly attend law school in Virginia (of all places). Thanks to me, our apartment is the only one I know with its own “Philosophy Box,” and I think its fair to say that all three of us thoroughly enjoy pulling out its ideas and throwing them around: an activity that usually results in a sharp disagreement between Daniel Harker and I, who without a single recorded exception, have held exactly opposite views on absolutely everything we have ever discussed. I would probably sooner call the sky red than agree with Daniel Harker that it is blue – not by choice, mind you; it just seems that, even though he is one of my best friends, it is physically impossible for us to reach any sort of consensus. But anyway, almost immediately upon return, I will marry Theresa, my girlfriend of over a year. So, both Daniel Harker and I are about to shift our lives out of neutral, and we are lucky to be able to squeeze in even the short week that we do have in Mexico. And with that impetus, Daniel Harker puts his car and gear and we drive off, the sun setting behind the Garneu Towers.

My roommates and I are poor students. And more importantly, we are poor students who know we are poor students. So we travel cheap. Which means we’re not flying out of Edmonton; we’re not even flying out of Calgary. We are flying out of Great Falls, Montana, a good seven-hours away. And with a 9:00 AM fight, we have a full night of driving ahead of us, which wouldn’t be so bad if our car had been the kind of reliable vehicle that the Saturn commercials professed it to be. Instead, we had a car that burned more oil than it did gas: our pit stops weren’t to fill up the gas tank, but to take out one of the twenty-or-so bottles of motor-oil we had in the trunk and empty it into the engine. And to make matters worse, every few miles, Daniel Harker’s car would interrupt our otherwise excited conversation to sputter and cough violently, like an old smoker forced to run a marathon. Each time it did, we would all go silent for a moment, nobody wanting to vocalize our fear that the most backpacking we will do this week would be along the side of Highway 2 in search of a rest stop. Then the car would return to normal and the chatter resumes.

But the old girl does admirably, and we soon pull up to the Sweetgrass, Montana boarder crossing. Now, this particular port of entry has somewhat of a reputation among Albertans as the strictest crossings in the province. I can only imagine what the grizzled boarder guards must be thinking as they see us approach at two in the morning, three twenty-three year old boys sputtering up to the line in a car that reeks of oil, pretending their vehicle is not on the verge of collapse. We pull up to the window and are greeted by a clean-shaven port official whose stern demeanor suggests he believes the very notion of American freedom depends on protecting the country from Canadians who have visited a farm within the last fourteen days.

“You know your car is burning oil?” No chit-chat, this is an officer of the United States government.

“Yes officer.” This man stands directly in the path of our international adventures, and we wish to do nothing to offend him.

He drops the issue – however much he may wish to extend his jurisdiction, he’s probably unable to think of anything criminal about driving a piece of junk. “Where are you boys headed for this evening?”

“Cancun, Sir.”

The officer pauses, as if trying to remember if he had ever heard of a town called Cancun, Montana.

“Step outside of the vehicle, please.”

We are escorted into the boarder post, where a number of guards are standing around talking about the guns they received when they opened their latest chequing account (or something like that). One of them, whose name must have been Wayne or Dusty or something, came over and asked us a number of questions. After explaining our story we fill out customs declarations and give our cards to Wayne. He tells us that it will take a while to process our case and immediately goes back to rejoin his friends. We sit in that boarder post for over an hour, too nervous to speak above a whisper, while Wayne impresses his co-workers with stories of all the things he has killed with his banking-gun, our customs cards sitting on his desk the whole time. The office is otherwise empty. Finally Wayne remembers us, picks up our customs and comes back to the counter acting as if he had been locked in his office this whole time, carefully weighing the merits and risks of letting us step over that hollowed line that separates America from the stench of Canadian socialism.

“Looks like everything checks out,” says Wayne, although we all know that absolutely no checking had been done. We politely thank Wayne and go back out to our car, which we find has been searched without us even realizing it. Those boarder guards sure are sneaky little fellows.

We had anticipated a delay at the boarder – Daniel Harker’s brother has many tales of late-night boarder-crossing that have resulted in the prolonged interrogations that can only survive constitutional challenges because they are performed on non-citizens. But thanks to Wayne’s apparent disinterest, we arrive at the Great Falls airport with time enough to check out the famous Great Falls nightlife, if we had so desired. But instead we opt to stay on the straight and narrow – there will be plenty of time for nighttime festivities later.

Not wanting to pay for a week of parking, we begin looking for a suitable area nearby where we could give Daniel Harker’s car a well-deserved rest. However, the Great falls airport is in the middle of nowhere, which would probably come as no surprise to anyone who has ever been to an airport, or anyone who has ever been to Montana. I guess we should have looked into this, but I had simply assumed that the Great Falls Airport would be somewhere in the vicinity of Great Falls. Fortunately for us, another vestige of civilization often found in the middle of nowhere is the trusty service station. In this case, our salvation was called the Flying J. The J is a truck stop across the interstate and mile or so from the airport whose large parking lot particularly caught our eyes. We sputter into one of its extra large parking spots and jerk to a stop, grateful for the small miracle that Daniel Harker’s car had just pulled off by completing her journey. That we need to return all the way home in a week isn’t a worry at this point.

We go into the J’s convenience store to ask if we could leave the car here for the week. (I would rather leave it here forever, but Daniel Harker might object to my indifference to his transportation needs). The store’s cashier was a burnout with stringy hair and droopy eyelids, either from drugs or from the fact that it was two-thirty in the morning.

“Excuse me,” asks Daniel Harker. The burnout looks up. “Would it be ok if we leave our car in the parking lot for a week while we fly from the airport?”

The burnout looks a little surprised. Either this was the first time anyone had ever contemplated parking at the J and hiking over to the airport, or else he is only now realizing there is an airport nearby. He shrugs – a gesture I presume signals the affirmative. I imagine the late-night cashier probably doesn’t even have the authority to refill the hot dog warmer, let alone hand out impromptu parking passes, but I just want to get going.

We return to the car and prepare for the next leg of our journey. We have each packed a standard size bookbag with only the essentials: a couple of clothing changes, a few toiletries, and swimming suits. We shed our jackets and place them in the trunk, even though we realize very quickly that April in Montana is not t-shirt weather. But we leave them anyways, since there will be no need for coats where we are going; and besides, it’s just a short walk to the terminal. Well, that short walk turned out to be a tad longer than expected.

I never would have imagined that our trip to Mexico would include trudging for over a mile of frozen Montana foothills at 3:00 in the morning without any kind of protective clothing. But at least we can see the glowing lights of the Great Falls airport ahead, guiding us like the Moses’ pillar of fire. As my eye remains fixed on the terminal’s florescent lights, my mind’s eye is fixed on its internal heating. Shivering, I will myself to take each step, keeping in mind that at the end of this path is Cancun, with its tropical climate and shimmering beaches.

Finally we reach the airport’s glass doors, which not only offer us the warm that we desperately crave, but a view of padded benches that would be perfect for a well-needed sleep (our nocturnal journey finally starting to catch up with us). Pete, reaches for the door and pulls the handle.

It doesn’t budge.

He pulls again. Nothing.

He shakes it. I try the other door without success. The airport is locked! We are shut out in the cold. I can’t believe it. Aren’t all airports open 24 hours a day? I guess Great Falls isn’t the Metropolis I thought it was.

The three of us fan out to peer into the large windows for any sign of life. I can’t see a soul. The airport is completely deserted. I look back the way we came, back at the Flying J in the distance. Do we actually have to hike all the way back there? We certainly can’t sit at the airport’s front door for who knows how long before it opens. After a brief discussion, we decide we have no other choice. We might as well go back to our coats and try to get a few hours of sleep in the car. We start back across the parking lot, dejected.

But wait – is there someone over there? Yes, there is! Inside the booth at the parking lot’s entrance is a middle-aged and somewhat overweight woman. I haven’t the slightest clue why the airport had decided to man the parking booth all night when the airport itself is clearly disserted. I might be mistaken, but I don’t think many people come out to the middle of nowhere to park in front of a building that is locked up as tight as it would be had asbestos been found in its air ducts… although, I must admit, this is essentially what we did; except, of course, we refused to pay the $8/day to do it.

The attendant was very sympathetic to our plight, if a little surprised that anyone would want into the airport at this ungodly hour. She radioed a security guard, and a few minutes, a mustached officer drove up in his pickup and took us to the front door. He pulled out has impressive key ring and let us in the terminal. We might make it to Mexico after all. We thank the guard profusely, and run into the building, marveling at all of its modern amenities as if we had been lost in the woods for years and have just found our way back into the city. Well, I should qualify that last metaphor by specifying that its like we found ourselves back into a Montana homestead, since the walls were filled with antlers and the building’s central decoration is a stuffed cougar growling at us from some boulders set in a man-made waterfall; the escalator passing within inches of his outstretched claws.

We navigate safely past the mountain lion and find ourselves a couple of benches long enough for us to grab a quick nap. After the night we had, I think we deserve it.

That's That

2008-02-09T12:30:00.000-05:00

If there is anyone who has not completely giving up on this blog, you may have noticed that I haven't posted anything for a month. Well, there's a good reason for that: I have decided to put it on an indefinite hiatus. I've found that there are many other things that I should/want to do more than write in this blog. For my family, who like reading what I have been up to, I will write on the Cottle Blog every once and a while to let everyone know about life in Virginia. So that's it.

Well.... that might not entirely be it. Although I am sure I want to take an extended break from this blog, I do enjoy having a creative outlet. So I have began writing (very intermittently) a travel story about my trip to Mexico a few years ago, so I will probably post that as it grows. These post will be very infrequent, but if you're board at work or something, you could pop over and see if I've updated.

Thanks for reading

The Year is Dying, Let It Die!

2008-01-12T23:04:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Having lived in Virginia for an entire year, we feel ourselves expert enough on our adopted home to use the balance of this letter to provide a guide to the Old Dominion and its surrounding area:

Charlottesville: A magnificent college town so inviting that we decided to spend the entire year previous within its boundaries. During the school year, Randal spent the majority of his days in the halls of the University of Virginia School of Law, and Theresa resumed her educational career by beginning a pharmacy technician program at National College. And during the summer, this town offers many employment opportunities, such as Randal’s job as a research assistant, and Theresa’s at the student health center.

Buena Vista: The headquarters of our Cottle grandparents’ mission is a quaint town that every traveler should visit. We have spent many fun-filled days there, attending plays, having picnics, swimming in creeks, watching 4th of July fireworks and enjoying a magnificent thanksgiving feast with family.

Richmond/Williamsburg: these towns are filled with fascinating historic sites from both colonial and civil war periods, sure to delight nerdy kids and adults alike, as they delighted Randal’s parents, who came for a jam-packed two-week visit in August.

King’s Dominion: a magical amusement park where you can loop-d-loop, traverse volcanoes, ride water-slides and meet Dora the Explorer. Having enjoyed its wonders with our cousins Addy, Ben, and Matt, we can confidently recommend it to anyone who likes a little excitement in their lives.

The Outer Banks, NC: even during October, this beach getaway is perfect for a group of Law student couples who wish to spend fall break relaxing and playing in the ocean. We know this from personal experience.

Palo Alto, CA: although you might not think of California as part of Virginia’s surrounding area, it has become close to our hearts, as Randal has accepted an offer to work there next summer.

Washington DC: with its many monuments and museums, as well its spectacular temple, DC is a must-see for any Virginia visitor. We traveled to this metropolis many times, the last of which in November, where Holly spent one day of her thanksgiving visit.

Alberta: will always be home. We can’t wait to see y’all at Christmas.
- Randal and Theresa Miller

More Economy Day (Christmas) Arguments

2007-12-22T18:46:00.000-05:00

So, the whole "Ho Ho Ho" firing thing may or may not have been a myth, but I am still going to stick with Economy Day. But changing the name of December's holiday has not resolved any of Theresa and my disagreements. We have compromised on the advent calender thing (Theresa is counting down, and I'm counting up) but we are now having a new fight: when presents come in the mail, can you open them right away?

I wont tell you who holds which opinion, as to not influence your opinion.

Happy Economy Day

2007-12-19T15:22:00.000-05:00

I just read the other day that a Santa Clause was fired for saying 'Ho Ho Ho,' instead of what his employer wanted him to say: 'Ha Ha Ha.' First off, I think this whole Ho Ho Ho controversy is about the most ridiculous holiday scandal I have ever heard - doesn't the anti-Ho people realize that sometimes two words sound the same but have completely different meanings? If this keeps up, then well have to start talking about the Hoover Darn.

Secondly, our modern society has already tried to bleed out every Christian element from Christmas, which I always thought would leave us with a completely secularized and materialistic holiday season with the big man in red taking the place of the little baby in a manger. But with stories like these coming out, it seems like society has taken another step towards removing absolutely all meaning from the holiday seasoning by attacking Mr. Materialism himself: Jolly 'ol Saint Nick. Next thing we know, they'll be people complaining about Santa propagating anti-obesity stereotypes and Christmas trees contributing to global warming by furthering deforestation.

So lets just cut to the chase shall we: I propose that we remove all traces of Santa Clause, the Reindeer, Christmas trees and figgy pudding from this holiday season (as well as any religious undertones, naturally). And if you think this cleansing would completely derive us of everything fun about this festive season, don't worry - I've come up with a new theme that will still get all those shoppers hitting the stores: ECONOMY DAY!

That's right, I think December 25 should be a day where we can celebrate all the good that holiday shopping does for our economy, without having to worry about religious confrontations or insulting characters. So happy economy day everyone!

Our Favorite Albums of 2007

2007-12-09T13:03:00.000-05:00

One of the things that I love most about the end of the year are critics "Best Albums of the Year" list. Although I know that critics' opinions don't really matter in the end, I always like to read what they have to say, either to see if my favorite albums get on other peoples list, or to discover good music that I had overlooked this year. So, since the internet allows everyone to publicly voice their own opinions, I am proud to present Theresa and my "favorite albums of the year." Since our household is a democracy (at least for now - when we have kids, it will shift to an oligarchy) Theresa and I each made our own Top Ten list and then, giving each of us equal weight, compiled a master list (In parenthesis are Theresa and my individual rankings) :

1.) Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
T: I love Spoon. I like the name because spoons are useful and the songs are fun to sing. "Give me my... Japanese cigarette case!" (R:7, T:1)

2.) Feist: The Reminder
T: Feist's music is so dancey. She inspires even the worst dancers to get on their feet. And because even the non-dancey songs are good, this album is wondtabulous (wonderful + fabulous). (R:6, T:2)

3.) Radiohead: In Rainbows
R: Radiohead definatly got a lot of press this year with their no- record- label- internet- only- pay- what- you- will album, but did anyone take the time to mention the music? I really, really liked Radiohead's previous albums, but lets face it, they can be kind-of downers. I enjoy In Rainbows because it seems a little cheerier. Thom's mother would be proud. (R: 3, T: 5)

4.) Sunset Rubdown: Random Spirit Lover
R: This was my favorite album of the year, and it is only number 4! I guess this goes to show that it might not be for everyone, but I love it! If you give it a chance, you might just be caught up in its frantic neon-lit Laberynth-esque stage-play of a production. (R:1, T:-)

5.) Metric: Grow Up And Blow Away
T: I like this new-old record, despite the fact that none of Metric's other albums float my boat. It's bluesy and cool and just plain better. (R:8, T:4)

5.) Stars: In Our Bedroom After The War
T: I like this record, but we are not yet at the point in our relationship to drop the L-bomb. It is a lot of fun, but it's just not that beautiful. [funny - that's what Theresa said to me when we first started going out.] (R:9, T: 3)

7.) Rock Plaza Central: Are We Not Horses
R: Mechanical Horses that think they are real, having an exestential crisis after a war between the humans and the angels, with the narrative focusing on one of these creatures' love affair with its enemy - what can I say more. (really though, the music is very good). (R:2, T:-)

8.) Frog Eyes: Tears Of The Valedictorian
R: Another acquired taste. Think of Chris Farley frantically playing a guitar and yelping like a wolf, and you'll have Frog Eyes. I think Tears is their best album, and the 9-minute epic "Bushels" is mostly why I rated it so high. (R:4, T:-)

9.) Kevin Drew: Spirit If...
R: Think of this as the low-key follow-up to Broken Social Scene's last album, which alone should be enough to get on this list. I liked it when I first heard it, but it wasn't until repeated listens that I really started to love it. (R:5, T:-)

9.) The New Pornographers: Challengers
T: I don't really like this record, but it has some really great songs on it. My new favorite song is Challanger (Neko Case is awesome). It alone put this album on my list. (R:-, T:5)

A couple things I've noticed while making this list: First, Theresa's favorite bands are sure higher on this list than mine - I guess I like her favorite bands more than she likes mine. Second, We sure like Canadian music - 8/10 albums are from Canadian artists.

So, do you agree with us? What were your favorite albums this year?

A Bitter Arguement Almost Ruins The Miller's Christmas

2007-12-04T09:11:00.001-05:00

We need your help resolving a little Christmas debate Theresa and I are having. As everyone knows, that December is the month for, not only gross materialism, but also Advent Calenders - a tradition that is fun for the entire family. However, the fun of these monthly treasure collections has been tainted this year by a bitter argument that has rocked the Miller home: Do you start the calender at 24, and count down to 1, or do you start at 1, and count up to 24?

My argument is that the numbers represent the days of the month, so on the 1st, you open door #1. Also, in those chocolate calenders you can buy for like $1, the only constant chocolate shape is Santa Claus, which is always under the 24, since this is the night that Santa makes his rounds. Logically, if you were to count down from 24, Santa should appear under the 1.

Theresa's argument is simple: an advent colander is supposed to count down the days until Christmas, so naturally you should open the door that corresponds to the number of days left until Christmas (24 on Dec 1, 23 on Dec 2 etc.). In her defense, she cites the same chocolate calenders, which read in large letters on the front "24 Chocolate Days Until Christmas," which demonstrate that the calender's purpose is to tell us how many days there are until Christmas, not which day of the month it is (we use regular calenders for that).

So, what do you think?

A Holiday-Themed Excuse to Show Off Some Pictures From Holly's Visit

2007-11-27T14:06:00.001-05:00

This is my thankful post. So much of the internet is dedicated to complaints and complaints about complaints, that it is about time to give thanks. After all, life is pretty good, isn't it. And no, the timing of this post has nothing to do with a certain holiday that occurred this past week.

I am thankful for my family. Especially the ones that come and visit us, as my sister Holly did this weekend (as demonstrated by this - may I say artsy - picture I took on our trip to DC). And of course, I am also thankful for the ones that comment on my blog.

I am thankful for Virginia, to copy the answer that Theresa gave during an amazing dinner we had at out Grandparent's place in Buena Vista last Thursday. It is nice to live in a beautiful part of the world (case and point below), and I have been given so many opportunities here, such as being able to attend UVa and getting a good job for next summer.

And certainly not least, I relate the same answer I gave directly after Theresa extolled the virtues of the old Dominion: I am thankful to Theresa - she may have a playful streak (which is not at all annoying in any sense of the word), but she certainly brings copious amounts of joy to my life. I also love her hat in this picture - she looks like a burglar)

Now for what I am definitely NOT thankful for, since we don't want too much gratitute in one place. I HATE CHRISTMAS ADS: they represent all that is wrong with capitalism by pretty directly saying that you will not be happy unless you buy lots of stuff (and that your loved ones will hate you if you don't get them what they want). OK, I'm going to stop here. I could get carried away...

The Fridge That Represents America

2007-11-18T19:07:00.000-05:00

Last week I said that I would not talk about our fridge. This week, though, I will. Not because I have nothing else to talk about, but because I have discovered deeper meaning in the story. Deeper meaning into the true spirit of America, which, if anyone even remembers, was the whole point of this blog to begin with.

Sometime last week I read some tips on how to make your home more energy efficent, one of which was to make sure the seal on your fridge door is tight so that the cold air wont escape. So, naturally, I go home and check our fridge and discover that the seal on our freezer door was loose enough to allow cold air to seep out. I the hope that the management would care enough about my energy efficiency to perhaps fix my fridge, I called them to my place to check it out. And they did come. The maintenance guys agreed that the seal was loose, so decided to fix it BY GIVING US A NEW FRIDGE! And, looking back, when our dishwasher's door-latch broke, they got us a whole new dishwasher! Is this how you all do things here in America? If any little (and I assume easily fixable/replaceable) part of a machine breaks, scrap the whole thing and buy an new one?! Should I stop washing dishes, and instead buy a new set after every meal? My car is due for an oil change, should I just get a new one instead?

I guess my complex might be trying to replace all the old appliances with new ones (in which case, we should make up some problem with our stove), but I like to think it is America's consumer culture that is fueling this amazing juggernaut of waste.

Oh America...

And in completely unrelated news, as I am writing this post, I'm listening to a live Broken Social Scene concert on npr.com. I mentioned a little while ago about how the Stars Concert we attended was available on the website, and now I will go the next step and recommend you (nay - command you) to subscribe the the "All Songs Considered Concert Series" Podcast, where you can download full concerts from artists like The Arcade Fire, Spoon, The New Pornographers, Animal Collective, as well as the two previously mentioned shows. Pretty Cool, Eh? (I had to throw in that 'Eh' to remind myself that I am still a Canadian)

This Doesn't Surprize Me In The Least...

2007-11-13T10:16:00.000-05:00

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/11/12/vanity.plates.ap/index.html

My Cop-Out Post

2007-11-12T11:40:00.000-05:00

I was thinking all yesterday on what profound (or at least humorous) words I could write this week, but alas, no one can be brilliant every day (or, even ever, if you are less than impressed with my blog so far). As for our activities of this week, unless you want to hear about our new fridge or repairing our car, I wont bore you with the details.

Instead, I present to you this clip from a cartoon that Holly and I loved when we were kids back in the 80s. Youtube certainly hasn't helped all of those 20 and 30 somethings who are already becoming almost sickeningly nostalgic. Of course, my present display of nostalgia should be forgiven, considering the pure awesomeness of this video: Animalypics.

Wilson Sonsini

2007-11-06T12:21:00.000-05:00

It's official. As of yesterday, I have accepted an offer to work at the Palo Alto office of the Law Firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as a summer associate next year.

That's right, not being one to restrict my moves to short distances, Theresa and I will be packing up next may and traveling the 2824 miles (4544 Km) from one coast to the other. Anyone familiar with my recent history should not be surprised with my decision to once again cross an entire continent in order to forge a new home. In the past five years, I have moved from Mexico City to Edmonton, Alberta (2974 miles/4786 Km), and then from Edmonton to Charlottesville (2423 miles/3899 Km). It seems my motto should be "If the move isn't at least 2000 miles, its not worth doing." I also find it significant that this new move means that I will have lived in the four corners of North America, living in the North (Edmonton), South (Mexico DF), East (Charlottesville) and West (Palo Alto).

But anyways, I am very excited at the opportunity of working with Wilson Sonsini. From what I have learned so far, they are a great firm with a specialty in technology and life sciences. I can't wait

It's Business Time...

2007-11-05T11:42:00.000-05:00

And I don't mean in the "Flight of the Concords" sense. What I am referring to is my business-oriented short course that just wrapped up last week and has a name so long, you would think it was a title to one of my blog posts: "Launching the Enterprise: Selected Topics in the Start-Up of a Biotechnology Company." Essentially, in this class we split into a few groups and produced investor presentations about an actual biotech company of which our instructor is currently involved in. Secretly, it seems like an chance for him to gather a bunch of ideas from us before he has to give his own presentation this week, but since the class was so fun and informative, I wont hold it against him.

Now, I don't want to brag, but I must say our presentation was pretty much amazing. We tried a new method of powerpoint presentations that our instructor very quickly introduced. The method is outlined in a book called "Beyond Bullet Points" by Cliff Atkinson of Sociable Media and essentially does away with bullet points and focuses on short descriptions and compelling graphics, leaving the speaker to discuss the details of the presentation. I must say, after watching both traditional and new powerpoint presentations on the same topic (another group also elected to try the new method), I have been converted to to new style. Not converted enough to actually buy the book, but definitely enough to convince Theresa to use it in her upcoming presentation on Genetically Modified food. Her presentation is also pretty slick, and will definitely blow everyone else in her class out of the water. Look out Nash!

Here are a couple of slides from both Theresa and my presentations. The first is from Theresa's presentation and is pretty self explanatory. The second is my slide, which accompanies the section in our presentation that discusses how focusing our drug on a certain type of cancer makes it eligible for Fast Track FDA approval and orphan drug status (I debated whether I should include an orphan in the pic: maybe have Oliver driving the sports car)

A Halloween Mistory Solved by the Incredible Sluething of a Pair of UVa Students

2007-10-31T19:38:00.000-04:00

So, there appears to be some strange goings-on at an abandoned house near my Grandfather's place in Buena Vista, Va. Pumpkins have been appearing, moving around, and disappearing, black cats prowling, and Ravens flying overhead - all in the weeks immediately preceding Halloween. Well, my Grandfather, being the inquisitive one, has challenged the family to solve the mystery and report our findings. Theresa and I, having consulted UVa's foremost paranormal expert Dr. Spookenstien and researching the history of Buena Vista, wrote this solution:

THE VIRGINIA PUMPKIN WITCH
Randal and Theresa Miller

Daniel Hartson is usually a very obedient student. But after attending Elder Cottle’s Eternal Marriage class at Southern Virginia University, he has become desperate to get married. So desperate, in fact, that all the girls at his school have become weary of his multiple advances and he cannot find anyone to accompany him to the harvest ball. Undeterred, Daniel checks out a book on the dark arts from SVU’s library, and goes about learning a spell that will allow him to summon the spirit of one of SVU’s former students, so that he may take her to the ball.

Sally Crumpkin was the heir to the Virginia’s largest pumpkin empire, Crumpkin Pumpkins. She was a buxom young lady with curly orange hair and a friendly smile who attended Southern Seminary (SVU's predecessor) for almost a year before her mysterious disappearance in 1907. Of the school’s many activities, Sally enjoyed most the croquet matches she played with her friends, which was the very activity was doing the last time anyone ever saw her. During that fateful match, her friend struck her ball and sent it rolling down a hill and in a dark thicket of trees. Sally entered the forest after it.

The Buena Vista Witch was the town’s most feared resident since she first arrived in 1897. After a full 10 years of terrorizing the neighborhood, she concocted a plan to gain immortality. When she was ready to cast her immortality spell, she set up her cauldron in a dark thicket of trees, added various ingredient (including one large pumpkin) to the brew, and begun chatting. The spell was nearly complete when a small red ball entered her sanctuary, followed by a beautiful young redhead. The commotion proved disastrous: the witch mispronounced a critical part of the incantation, which altered the spell. Both the Witch’s and Sally’s spirit became trapped in the pumpkin forever.

Daniel Hartson carefully reads aloud the words from his book, keeping in his mind the image of Sally Crumpkin, whose painting he saw in the school lobby. As he finished the spell, smoke filled his room and the sky above SVU darkens considerably. Brilliant flashes of lightening are the only illumination seen for some time. Daniel faints from the smoke and his classmates run out of their dorms in a panic. When he finally awakes, the school had calmed down. Daniel was disappointed to see in his room, not a beautiful girl, but a large and ominous pumpkin.

Little did Daniel know, he had succeeded in summoning summoned Sally Crumpkin. Her spirit, along with the Buena Vista Witch’s, is inside the pumpkin that had appeared in his dorm. The BV Witch, who had already subdued Sally’s spirit, immediately used her magic to overcome Daniel’s will. Under her influence, he took the pumpkin and moved into the abandoned house that was once occupied by his foe. Once there, BV Witch began to gather her strength for All Hallows Eve, when she will escape from her prison. Meanwhile, because of Daniel and Sally’s mutual captivity, they are able to communicate and soon fall in love. If only there was some brave soul who could defeat the Witch and free the lovers from her spell before it is too late.

The End

2007-10-29T16:05:00.001-04:00

I have created a list of friends blogs, many of whom have linked to this blog. If you would like me to link to your blog or remove a link I have posted, please let me know.

Do They Know It's Halloween?

2007-10-28T14:10:00.001-04:00

I sure hope they do, or else they might think that Theresa and my costumes reflected the way we really dress. This year, we decided to dress up as the most frightening thing that we could think of: Emo kids! (For those who have not been to high school in the last little while, Emo is a horrible genre of music consisting of 20 or 30 something guys who still think they are 16 and whine-sing about their latest girl trouble. see Dashboard Confessional, Something Corporate). The idea just came to me on Saturday, and we just went with it. Overall, I thought our costumes were good, although I was a little uncomfortable in those pants!

So, newly emo-ed, Theresa and I set out last night and had a great time with a bunch of kids who definitely did know it was Halloween. At least I hope they knew it was Halloween, since they set up an elaborate haunted house, which would be strange if they thought it was easter. The house itself was great, but one thing that was missing was Daniel Harker, who was Theresa's 'ol haunted house buddy: when they went to one in Edmonton a few years ago, Danny H would alway cower behind Theresa, and then scream and scream when something jumped out at them. I actually think they had a TV in the works, where those two would travel the world investigating haunted houses, screaming and running around for an hour a week. Its a shame NBC dropped it at the last minute--too frightening for children, they said.

After the haunted house, we then headed for the Law School's Halloween party, but it appears the police forgot it was Halloween and had showed up to take the 'trick' out of 'trick or treat.' So we decided to just keep walking by. All and all, good fun. No picnic in the graveyard, but you can only expect so much, right?

The title of this post, by the way, comes from my favorite Halloween Songs:

The Stars Were Out In Full Glory At DC's 9:30 Club

2007-10-21T12:24:00.000-04:00

In the first year of Law School, they scare you half to death, in the second they work you half to death, and in the third they bore you half to death. I heard this statement recently and have decided that it presents a very accurate portrayal of my life; so, while last year I must have been too frightened to post every few days, currently, with my job search, moot court, Health Law Association, and classes, there seems to be precious little time to share my life with all of you.

That being said, Theresa and I did manage to find enough time to drive up to DC and attend last night's Stars concert with the Cummings. For months, Theresa and I have been talking up this concert, so when the night finely arrived, Katy and Aaron must have had the impression that it would be the defining moment of their entire lives. Needless to say, we were quite nervous that the show would not be as good as we promised. But it was. There was just as much over-the-top theatrics and amazing music as we had described. One reason we love Stars is that the male singer, Torque, is much more of a diva than the female (Amy Milan, who showed off her amazing voice last night), and he certainly lived up to his reputation last night, over-acting like a drama-kid who never really grew up. At least he used a hand-made t-shirt that said "I 'heart' Menomena," apologized to the band he accidently insulted during his diva-spat with Pitchfork Media.

The Concert was actually broadcast on npr, so you can listen to it here. You might even be able to hear us cheer.

And to continue living up to our goal of only eating at restaurants that we cannot find in Edmonton (ie. no nation-wide chains), we all went to Ben's Chili Bowl, a famous little hole-in-the-wall establishment that serves amazing chili and plays old-school rap. The place, which is apparently quite famous, is frequented by movie stars, and, as of last night, us as well.

Law Student Beach Vacation Almost Ends Trajecally: Sources Say

2007-10-14T14:06:00.000-04:00

Do law students even get vacations?! This is probably the question that came to your mind upon glancing at the post title above, and I am happy to inform you that yes, fortunately there are a few dates that UVa law has set aside as a break from studies. One of these breaks was last week, so Theresa and I, along with a troupe of four other law student families (ranging from 1Ls to 3Ls) pounced on the opportunity to catch a few sun rays and relax after what has proven to be a busy month of school in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. And let me tell all of you who chose not to join us, did you ever miss out. The weather was perfect, the water was warm, the beaches were not crowded and the company was brilliant (Since wacthing a couple of Brittish movies in the last little while, I have decided to pick up a little UK slang, so I use 'brilliant' in a general sense - without, of course, insinuating that our companions were anything less than intelligent).

The trip was not entirely without incident, though, and danger presented itself in the guise of powerful riptides which carried more than one of us off course and shark sightings that may or may not have be imaginary (and fueled by our watching YouTube footage of shark attacks). Fortunately, all of us escaped the treacherous ocean and the world was spared the misfortune of loosing any aspiring lawyers.

This Entry is Irevelant

2007-10-01T19:36:00.000-04:00

Today was my second, off-brief round in the prestigious William Minor Lile Moot Court Compitition, and not only am I glad that it is over (for now), but I think it went pretty well. Not one to toot my own horn (although now that I am in America, I should probably get myself into the habit), but if I were asked to give an objected, unbiased recount of how I did tonight, I would have to respond in a police yet authoritative tone that I pretty much nailed that thing better than the Paslode F350S PowerMaster Plus air powered framing nailer. I was calm, well organized, efficient and tighter than a Vise Grip 10" Metric Quick Adjusting Wrench. It was a nice improvement over last week.

I do have to say, though, that the most awkward minutes in this competition are not those spent at the podium, but those that fill the time when the judges are deliberating, and the competitors must wait outside and try to feign a friendly competition, when all you really want to say to your opponent is something like "You call that a rebuttal?! I can't believe that you would even attempt to counter that amazing argument I made." I will however, note here that my opponent did a superb job in his rebuttal, as well as his main argument. My compliments to him.

And in completely unrelated news: I AM SO EXITED FOR THE NEW RADIOHEAD ALBUM. It certainly was a nice surprise to discover today that the new album, which looked to be delayed for another year will, in fact, be released in only 10 days. And that they are slamming another nail (with the Paslode F350S, probably) in the record industry's coffin is, like the album, priceless.

This Post is Moot

2007-09-27T18:30:00.000-04:00

Anyone in my immediate family could tell you that I like to argue, and it's true. While in my formative years, I would argue about any and every topic under the sun, whether or not I agreed with the position I advocated and regardless of the amount of knowledge (or lack thereof) I had on the topic. In High School, I once, without knowing anything about Intellectual Property, argued for the complete elimination of copyrights (information wants to be free!) with my mother, who was taking a graduate class on the topic. Unfortunately, I have not been able to continue my near constant debates with Theresa because her responses to my theoretical sparring (usually consisting of pokes and/or tickles) are just too persuasive to rebut.

Fortunately for my internal advocate (some people have inner children, I have an internal attorney - I like to piture him as a cute little toddler with a suit and briefcase), the annual William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition began here at UVa this month, and last night I had the great pleasure of participating in my first oral argument. Sure, the judges posed much more difficult questions than my sisters, who quickly grew tired of my uninvited debates, but I was also more prepared than I was back when I took on arguments simply because I could not let any statement of opinion go unopposed. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous, and once during my response I was convinced that I must have sounded just like Miss Teen South Carolina, but all and all, I think I did OK.

And for all of you who believe that Moot Court is pointless (ahem, ANG see back page thumbs down), you really have to get in touch with your inner advocate.

Primer: Canadian Indie Rock

2007-09-24T19:20:00.001-04:00

While I don't usually don't post to merely tell you about something someone else has written, preferring instead to only encourage reading what I have written, this following article is so important, I believe everyone needs to look it over at least once.

Primer: Canadian Indie Rock

More Existential than Kierkegaard and Nietzsche Put Together

2007-09-23T16:33:00.001-04:00

I have briefly mentioned before how much I like albums that are created as a complete whole, instead of three-minute pop songs that are created as much to sell ring-tones as they are to convey an artistic expression. A good album, much like a novel or movie, should present a continuous whole, designed to be enjoyed from beginning to end, with a distinct opening, middle, climax and conclusion, with the songs building off of and referring to each other to create a whole that is much more than the sum of its parts.

My previous two musical obsessions, Sunset Rubdown's Random Spirit Lover, and Frog Eyes' Tears of the Valedictorian where just such albums, but my current infatuation takes the whole "album as a whole" thing a bit further than these. Toronto's Rock Plaza Central's album Are We Not Horses is a concept album so ridiculously outrageous that it could justifiably be mentioned in the same sentence as Rush's 2012, or Supertramp's Crime of the Century (and of course, any sentence mentioning Supertramp should also include the words 'totally awesome'). The album is about, and get this, six-legged, mechanical horses who, during the great war between the humans and angels, believe they are actually real horses, and the existential dilemma that ensues when their allies, the humans, try to tell them that they are not. Add into the mix a poignant love story between an angel and one of these mechanical horses and a singer who sounds like he has no business perusing a music career, and you've got yourself the best darn album I've heard in a while. (Well, at least since I listened to Random Spirit Lover a few weeks ago).

And if that is not enough to rush out to your local record store and purchase this equine masterpiece, check out this non-horse-related music video for their wonderful single, which features one of Canada's great home-grown children's shows, Nanalan:

My Children Be Joyful
The MP3 is here

Stand Proud, Loonie, Stand Proud

2007-09-21T12:15:00.000-04:00

Congratulations Canadian Dollar! For the first time in my life, you have regained your previously lofty position as the stronger (or, at least equal) of the two North American Dollars! It looks like you're not so loony any more. Maybe this will help convince some of our American friends who believe otherwise that Canada is indeed part of the G8.

But, because I have been accused by Theresa of always painting too rosy of a picture of my beloved motherland and not presenting the more balanced opinion that she prefers to give out (which is not because she loves Canada any less - if anything, she is more patriotic than I, but I guess a little more realistic), I point you to this objective article in the Globe and Mail.

Run Free High Horse! You Are No Longer Needed!

2007-09-18T17:29:00.001-04:00

I caved, and I cannot be more ashamed of myself. After months of announcing of Theresa and I's proud, TV-less existence, the Miller family home is now bathed in the glow of the infinite cathode-ray tube wasteland that is television. Although "infinite" is probably not the most accurate description of our situation, though, since have merely boughten an antenna and therefore, only receive about 5 channels.

I place the blame our recent decent off of our high horse squarely on the shoulders of one man, and that man is Micheal Scott. "But" you protest, "Micheal Scott is a fictional character." And to that I reply, "Precisely... precisely."

The only reason we have succumb to this depravity is so we can tune in for the new season of "The Office," after recently viewing the entire third season on DVD. Oh well, its hard to be too righteous. (And of course, considering the total lack of quality entertainment that can be provided by television, I doubt we will be watching it much)

The New Broken Social Sc... No Wait, Kevin Drew Album

2007-09-13T18:38:00.001-04:00

Randal: I would wager that most people who are anticipating the new album Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew, Spirit If... are more excited about the Broken Social Scene Presents part than the Kevin Drew part. And yes, with Kevin (one of the leaders of the broken scene) and a slew of Broken Scenesters as guests, this new album does sound like a new Broken Social Scene album. But (and I am showing my true Canadian Indie Rock nerd status here) I would say that it sounds more like a KC Accidental* album. The music is a lot more mellow than BSS's recent outings, and it has the low-key feel of a post rock album, but with Kevin's (and a whole bunch of other people's) vocals all over it. But it just goes to show what I've been saying all along: Broken Social Scene (and in this case, Kevin Drew) has created a whole new genre: post post rock! But do I like it? Sure: 3.5/5.

*KC Accidental was the band, formed by Kevin Drew and Charles Spearin, that later evolved into Broken Social Scene.

Theresa: I enjoyed this Broken Social... oh no wait, I mean Kevin Drew album. I was kind of disappointed that BSS would choose to showcase Kevin Drew first, seeing as he is always quite prominent on their albums. I mean there are a lot of other amazing members in BSS that don’t get the recognition they deserve. I do like how he had a lot of guests on this album (most of them from another band that rhymes with croken social scene), my favourite has to be Tom Cochrahn, Canada’s bad boy (well he really isn’t that bad: he has done stuff for AIDS in Africa, and he sings that “So this is Christmas" song; but he also has messy hair and wears jeans, which is about as bad as you can get in Canada). All in all it was an ok album. 4.5/7 (3.2/5).

UVa Has No Class (or at least, only has as much class as any other school)

2007-09-10T13:11:00.000-04:00

Approximately one year ago, I rousingly gave my approval to UVa's policy of wearing ties and/or sun dresses to football games. At that time I did add the qualification that this policy is being replaced by another, much less classy dress code of orange T-shirts, but noticed at the games I attended, the tie and dress wearing students still represented a respectable percentage of the crowd. This year, however, I am sad to report that significantly less students opted on continuing that noble tradition, and even the stadium's giant score board sent out an overt t-shirt promoting message to the masses. Now, this might not seem like a big deal to you, and I myself will gladly admit that a t-shirt, whatever the color, will keep any football fan much cooler than a dress shirt and slacks, but I see this change as yet another step away from the romantic age of yesteryear and towards an uncreative, conformist and overly informal future. What happened to individualism? Where did our sense of style go? Alas, it appears to have washed away in that ever encroaching sea of orange that is so vigorously promoted by UVa's athletic department, which, having already sucked a fair amount of class from this scholarly institute already, is probably now planning up ways to add more evidence against creationism by encouraging sports fans to hoot and hollar and generally act very similar to our less-evolved simian relatives. But, then again, I guess sports fans already do that...

And speaking of apes, as you may have deduced with you expanded capacity for rational thought, Theresa and I had the pleasure of attending UVa Football's home opener this Saturday, if for no other reason but to introduce my Canadian wife to the spectacle that is (American) College Football, which I myself had only first experienced last September. All and all, it was an enjoyable afternoon, despite my previous comments, and as was observed to me, you haven't really experienced the USA until you have experienced College Football.

There's No Fighting In The War Room!

2007-09-06T13:07:00.000-04:00

And now, a special sneak peak into what goes on during a top secret officers meeting in any one of the numerous law school's student organizations (assuming, of course, that there actually are meetings, as opposed to the President dumping all of the work onto one poor soul to do completely herself):

Prez: Ok guys, we have a new year upon us and a bunch of gullible 1Ls who signed up willy-nilly for our mailing list, mainly because the felt obligated after taking our free candy at the activities fair. We've got to rope them in before some other indistinguishable club takes 'em!

VP: Right! I say, we hold a welcoming activity the first week of classes and lure them all in with promises of free BBQ/Pizza/Sandwiches etc.

Secretary: Yeah, but isn't every other organization doing the same thing during that same week?

Prez: Who cares! We'll just take all of their free time--Law students will do anything to get ahead!

All: Mwa Ha Ha Ha!

That being said, our Health Law Association Fall Kick-off went off amazingly. We had a bunch of 1Ls who were really interested in Health Law show up, and Professor Riley and I were able to introduce them to what UVa has to offer in this area. And of course, we ate some good wraps and some delicious brownies.

And tonight is the RELLS opening social...

Labour With a "U"

2007-09-03T12:04:00.000-04:00

Happy Labour Day Folks (and that is labour with a 'u'). I am currently celebrating this, the final long weekend of summer labouring in the law school, mostly trying to get this Health Law Association Kick-Off off the ground. But do not fear, Theresa and I will not allow this important holiday to go unrecognized, and will be heading off of a picnic later today.

And speaking of picnics, we would like to personally thank (or really, inpersonally thank, since I am doing it on a public blog) Katy and Aaron for the wonderful birthday party they invited us to last Saturday. Theresa and I stood up and showed all of the Americans present that us Canadians are not all wimpy pacifists by together calling upon that great Canadian strength build up by throwing hay bales and surviving -40 weather, and violently cracked open the pinata with two mighty swoops, spilling the contained treasures to the ground. I also was able to effectuate a stunning come-from-behind croquet victory, which despite some theories, was not because us Canadians have more respect for the Queen. Rather, I won because I am pretty much amazing at everything I do.

Back To School

2007-08-31T11:01:00.000-04:00

My second year has begun, and here at UVa, this means that I have essentially graduated from Jr. High and moved up to plain-ole regular High. And by this I mean that we are no longer herded around from class to predetermined class with the same set of fellow students, but get the chance to strike out on our own and create a unique schedule. So yes, Section J and I have to now part ways, but not without the fond memories to remember each other by. As of now, I'd say it was a fairly easy break-up, and we are definitely still going to be friends (its not even weird when we see each other in the hallway, or, say at the Section J Welcome Back BBQ). Hopefully our relations will stay congenial, and that I will not have to sometime in the future throw myself a pity-party and dump all of my Section J pictures into a garbage can of flames. But I digress. As of now, my 2L classes are quite satisfactory, but with my courses in Criminal Investigation and Evidence, an outside observer might think that I am on the track to a fulfilling carrier in Criminal Law rather than my previously stated aims at Life Sciences (at least my patent class is on course).

And speaking of Life Sciences, us at the Health Law Association experienced a very pleasing turn out at this year's Activities Fair where we, as well as every other club here at UVa, took a note from the firms attending OGIs and gave away candy and other paraphernalia to lure unsuspecting students to our booth. Unfortunately, our budget did not allow us to purchase those HLA-branded flash drives I wanted and those light up pens we ordered did not come in on time. So we just had to stick to the basics of sun-melted mini-chocolate bars, in the hope that our unhealthy treats will further fuel this nation's obesity epidemic an insure us health lawyers plenty of work for years to come

Trick or Treat?!

2007-08-27T10:03:00.000-04:00

We are in the middle of a severe drought. And yet it rained quite heavily last night. In fact, there has been a couple of rain storms this week, and some the previous as well, whose occurrences, along with my observations that Virginia’s plentiful vegetation are green and the soil is still a little damp, has served to teach me a little more about my adopted home: apparently, it doesn’t actually have to be dry for there to be a drought in Virginia. But maybe the problem isn’t so much the lack of rain as much of it being that the moisture comes in discrete bursts; you know – when it rains it pours.

And speaking of a sudden deluge after weeks of relatively little activity, on grounds interviews have begun here at UVa Law. And for those of you who don’t know what this it about, what happens is that hundreds of Law firms come to the school from all over the country to interview us second and third year students in 20 minute intervals for summer positions. This humble author will have at least 23 interviews by the time this week is done, with as many as 8 occurring on the same day. But I, for one, will not join my similarly situated classmates in complaining of the long hours and numerous firms to keep straight, because really, if you look at it in the right way, OGIs can be fun. Yes, I know you may be shocked to read the phrase “OGIs can be fun,” probably for the first time in your life, but hear me out:

OGIs are a lot like Halloween. Although I have previously compared law school interviews to speed dating (and I do not retract this metaphor) this time around I have come to the shocking realization that OGIs bear a striking resemblance to everyone’s favorite pagan celebration. I make this comparison because, just like on the 31st of October, us interviewing students get all dressed up and go from door to door collecting treats from people who we do our very best to win over without making fools of ourselves in the process. That’s right, as far as I can see it, the main objective of these short meetings of forced geniality is to give us students on last chance to collect treats, which include in this case, handfuls of branded trinkets of varying usefulness: highlighters, mini-staplers, flash drives, decks of cards, key chains, note pads, pens, light-up bouncy balls, and of course, candy (the most halloweenish of all promotional items). And at the end of the day, I come home and dump out my computer bag so that Theresa and I can check out my loot and add it to the growing pile. Now if only there was a crotchety old firm (who would probably represent the dental lobby) giving out toothbrushes instead of candy, my Halloween memories would be completely reenacted. All that will be left is for a group of frustrated Law students to attack a particularly unpopular firm’s interview room with eggs and toilet paper. And being at UVa, this wouldn’t even be too surprising.

No, You're a Geeky Baby!

2007-08-22T13:23:00.001-04:00

It seems that, based on the number of times that I have taken my relatives - who have all chosen August as the time to visit 'ol sunny Virginia - around the main grounds and through the law school, that I should update my resume to include "full time UVa tour guide." And of course, this being interview time, anything that can give my resume a little boost will be more than welcome.

But anyway, Theresa and I had a second opportunity to visit with Brent and Jodie's kids, however, this time, the parents were also in attendance. On Saturday the whole gang, as well as Grandma and Grandpa, came up to C-ville for a picnic and a tour of our little town. And for Theresa and I, this meant another energy-filled afternoon with Addy, Ben and Matt - and this meant, as any of my relatives could probably guess, hours and hours (and hours) at the pool. I am surprised that those kids have not grown gills due to all of the time they spend in the water. Highlights include Matt's Nirvana-baby-dive (he he always jumps into the pool belly first and sprawled out like the baby on Nirvana's Nevermind album cover), Ben's shockingly loud screams (it turns out that both Theresa and I are, in fact, geeky babies) and Addy's utter enthrallment of a Japanese game show that we flipped to in the hotel last week. We did find that, although we have received condolences from other relatives that we had to actually look after that wild bunch all by ourselves, the kids were not nearly as bad as their reputation. Sure, they had energy to spare, but they really aren't bad kids at all. That being said, I think Theresa and I would be happy to go on a little bit more without children of our own.

One of Those Horrible Clip Shows, But in Blog Form

2007-08-20T08:59:00.000-04:00

Seeing how this blog called “Adventures in a Strange and Distant Land,” I feel it appropriate to announce that I have been in this weird and far-off place for an entire year. It seems hard to believe that it has been twelve whole months since I was hanging out in our less-than-luxurious apartment just off of 99th Street in Edmonton, listening to the non-stop roar of that busy street’s traffic and trying to finish off that large sack full of corn that Thersesa’s parents had so graciously brought us up from Taber, the Corn Capital of Canada. And me, not being one to shy away from nostalgia, would like to proceed with a brief month-to-month summary of this intrepid adventurer’s journey that has led me to where I am now.

Aug: the night immediately following a Wolf Parde/Frog eyes concert with my good friend and ex-roommate, Petey, our hero and his wife set of on a cross-continent trip that was very shortly interrupted by the hard-working Montana port officials who thought the Canadian wife of a duel-citizen student was much to suspicious of a character to allow across the border without a visa. So, this adventurer was left on his own to face the crushing boredom of Montana and North Dakota, the demoralizing gridlock of Chicago and the suffocating humidity of the mid-Atlantic. And then school began.

Sept-Oct: This adventurer spent probably the loneliest days of his short life holed up in his half-furnished apartment, trying to gain control of that freight train called Law School, wrestling with the immigration department (thanks to the vastly appreciated help of UVa’s international students office and his uncle Roger), and speaking to his dear sweet wife, who had been forced back home, husbandless, years after moving away, every night. Feeling uncomfortable with the couples in his ward, these months also introduced our hero to the frat-like lifestyle of his fellow students, complete with football tailgates, beer-pong, and, of course, softball.

Nov: Finally marshalling enough resources to make another run for the border, Theresa made a daring trip to Toronto, on the hope that the border patrol in this part of the country would be kinder than their Montana brethren, not having any assurance of success and without any concrete plans in case of failure. Fortunately, she proved to be just as valiant as husband and was able to complete her journey to Charlottesville and spend the next month as a visitor to this great capitalist nation.

Dec-Jan: After (barely) surviving his first round of Law School exams, our hero and his wife traveled back to the blistering Alberta winter for a relaxing Christmas break, happy to visit with their families and see many old friends from their college days.

Feb: Having to stay behind once again because of various immigration details that had to be completed in Canada, Theresa set about preparing for her upcoming interview while our hero makes his triumphant return to UVa Law and begins his 1L job search, landing early the position he was most wanted to score: researching for professor Riley in the field of biotech law and bioethics. Meanwhile, Theresa is off to the east once more, this time braving more than one horrendous blizzard in order to attend her Visa interview in Montreal (that lasted no more than 5 minutes – yeah 7 months of waiting for a 5 minute interview) and then continue on to her new home in the Old Dominion as an official US Permanent Resident.

Mar-May: The newly reunited family finally acquaintances themselves with the other couples in the ward and sets about beginning a normal life together, which, for our hero, means actually purchasing such items as a bed and garbage cans etc and finding time amidst the hours that he spends with his wife to actually finish his first year of law school.

Jun-Aug: With Theresa working at the student health center and our hero neck deep in the latest articles on synthetic biology and animal transgenesis, the new family enjoys a relaxing summer visiting their grandparents, exploring Virginia and welcoming their parents and other extended families. And of course, preparing to begin all over again…

consume consume CONSUME!

2007-08-15T15:48:00.000-04:00

One interesting result of only watching TV on very limited occasions (ie. in the laundry room) is that the ads seem to have become more salient to me. And by this I mean that I am noticing how incredibly contrived and obnoxious they are. At first I thought that there is this parallel universe out there were people just care so much about their stuff, like their possessions are the most important things to these people, who just can't get enough of talking about their newest lawn mower or fast food hamburger. Upon further reflection, I realize that these commercials don't really depict an alternate universe - just the United States. (OK sure, Canada is pretty much just as materialistic as the US, but the point I am trying to make here is that in the States, they take their consumption culture just a little bit further than their northern neighbors. For example, they seem to commodify everything - even health care and education).

But anyways, to further my newfound distaste for all things advertising, I ran across a couple of interesting articles. The first details a study that found children like food better if it comes in a McDonald's wrapper and the second discusses a new trend of designing ads that have nothing to do with the product offered, but are rather psychologically designed to capture people's attention (such as the dancing alien that is often used to advertise mortgage rates). And then there is this whole Baby Einstein case, where the ads a pretty much flat-out lies. I just think it is kind of sad that much of our academic studies in psychology are being put to use to sell the latest tennis show, which is 95% identical to its competitor.

But good news! There is a personal cure to such rampant commercialism: DON'T BUY CRAP THAT YOU DON'T NEED (and by this I include probably 3/4 of the stuff most Americans buy).

Whoah, got a little preachy there for a second. Sorry about that - I just get a little annoyed with society sometimes.

Rides Slides and Waves

2007-08-13T14:52:00.000-04:00

Having had such a delightful few days this past weekend, it would be a shame for our adventures to not be trumpeted accross the electronic superhiway via this very blog. You see, Theresa and I, knowing that the dog days of summer are nearly past, took it upon ourselves to skip work for a day and head out onto the open road for an end-o-the-summer mini-vacation.

The first stop on said outing was not in fact coordinated by us. For my Uncle and Aunt has come to the old dominion for their own vacation, and subsequently took off to New York, leaving their three kids in the care of their and my grandparents. So then, what is there for my Grandparents to do, but continue the time-honored tradition of spoiling their grandkids - in this case, by taking them to King's Dominion, a amusment/waterpark just North of Richmond. And since I am a grandchild of said grandparents, and because they needed back-up from a couple who is willing to brave the larger rollar-coasters with the elder of the children, Theresa and I were invited to come along. And let me tell you, I don't know if Addy Ben and Matt even had as much fun as Theresa and I did running from ride to ride, and even snapping a quick photo of Dora the Explorer to be used in impressing Theresa's 3 year old neice (much to the embarrasment of our 11 year old cousin, who is much too cool to be seen with Dora). In all, we spent over 10 hours, split between the rides and the slides (waterslides that is).

The next day, setting out from a Richmond hotel the we shared with our cousins, Theresa and I next travelled to Virginia Beach for a day of relaxation following that rollar-coaster of a Friday the day previous. Now, Virginia Beach is a nice beach with good sand and warm water, and Theresa particularly enjoyed not only setting eyes on the Atlantic Ocean for the first time, but jumping right in and playing in its waves. All and all, we had a good time, especially walking along the shore, hand-in-hand, watching the multitude of visitors there to enjoy the sun and surf. It was particularly interesting (in a saddening yet amusing way), watching the little kids at the edge of the tide-line building their sand castles, only to have them come crashing down when the waves reach the point where they had originally deemed safe enough for construction and while the constructors desperatly, and ultimatly vainly, trying to sheild their creations from the ever-encroaching onslaught of the unstoppable forces of nature. And, as another, unrealated observation, I can confindintly say that the Canadian Girls were definatly the most attractive of any in Virginia Beach, at least judging from the one whose nationality I could difinatively accertain.

So yeah, we had a great weekend - so much so that we did something that we have never done before and I thought we would never do on our many trips on this side of continent and the other: We bought a souvenir. That's right, it was a spiral sea shell that cost under $3.00, designed to be the crown jewel in our shell collection that we collected on the beach of Vancouver Island on our honeymoon and currently have proudly displayed in our living room. So come over and check it out sometime.

A Boatload of Fun

2007-08-07T15:19:00.001-04:00

Any of you who have had the pleasure of signing up of On-Grounds Interviews with Law Firms could join with me in attesting that it is not always the most enjoyable experience. Especially when you are searching the NALP directory for Law Firms' hiring policies and you see the yet another standard listing that says something like this:

"The application process for [name any law firm] is very competitive... superior academic credentials, particularly with respect to law school grades and class rank, and excellent written and oral communication skills, are required... demonstrated leadership skill, strong motivation, good judgment, the ability to work well with others, an interest in community involvement... etc etc."

This is, of course, particularly troubling if, like me, you are a born follower, completely lack motivation of any kind, have terrible judgment, always end up fighting with your co-workers and absolutely detest the community. (Note to Legal Employers: the above self-description was merely made for comedic purposes, and does not reflect in any way the true dispositions of its author).

But every once and a while, even the most desperate Law Student gets a breath of fresh air. Mine came when I read the following hiring criteria from an actual Law Firm:

Able to leap tall buildings in a... no wait, that is for our superhero opening. For lawyers, you must be smart (but not talk about it all the time), hardworking, energetic, motivated (that is not a code word for "cut-throat"), have lots of interests, enthusiastic, and have no significant enemies. If you do have enemies, we would prefer it if they are not armed. Celebrity status a plus unless you are the loser in the Who-Wore-It-Best feature of a tabloid magazine

Now, I don't know about you, but this looks like the place for me, especially since I will probably be able to eliminate my top enemies by the end of the year and I defiantly wore that Dolce & Gabbana top better than Jenifer Aniston. And besides, any Firm who openly describes themselves as "a boatload of fun" just seems like my kind of place.

Lies, Lies, And More Lies, And Records

2007-08-06T14:05:00.000-04:00

Just the other day, during my daily perusal of CNN.com, I discovered, much to my shock and disappointment, the that lonelygirl15, the popular video-blog about the life of an average 16 year-old, was in fact (get this) fake! Yeah, I know, this is old news, but it came as a shock to me to find out that good 'ol lonelygirl, which whom I'd shared the last year of my life, laughing and crying at her adventures with school plays and dating, was all just an elaborate lie. I couldn't be more outraged. To think a bunch of actors would stoop to such lows as to fooling us sentimental youtube watchers just to get a bit of publicity! But... this news has prompted me to make a confession myself. Let it now be known that this blog you are now reading is also completely contrived. That's right, I don't love "Sunset Rubdown," I've never eaten at "Aqui es Mexico," and I don't even actually go to "Law School." In fact, there is not even such a place as "The University of Virginia." I hope this news does not influence you all to stop reading, for even though my adventures may be fake, they come from the heart. And so, to continue on my quest to gain international fame and glory, I bring to you this next post on a topic, which I am quite confident that not even a single one of my readers cares much about at all:

This weekend, Theresa and I happened upon which soon proved to be another find in this great town of ours. This find is none other than a small little record store just off the downtown mall called Sidetracks (218 W Water). It is owned and operated by a helpful guy who still listens to his turntable but is up on the new scene (he happened to be playing Spoon that day). He taught me a little about caring for my own record player and chatted a bit about some new indie bands. All and all, a much more pleasant experience than going into larger music stores like Plan 9, which are staffed by a bunch of apathetic kids or iTunes, which is staffed by no one at all. Now, I know that unauthorized downloading and online music retailers have all but consigned the record store to distant memory, but let me assure you that there are ample reasons to check out your neighborhood music shop, especially an independently owned one like Sidetracks (Or if you're in Edmonton, Blackbyrd Myoozik, 10442 82 Ave):
1.) Vinyl Records have a (much) better sound quality than MP3s and will, if properly cared for, last forever
2.)CDs also boast a better sound quality than MP3s and are DRM-free (their prices are also falling)
3.) Most (good) albums are designed to be listened to as an entire entity, not just as randomized singles.
4.) Visiting iTunes just doesn't have the same charm as going to a little store and flipping through album covers
5.) Vinyls are collectors items
6.) You'll be supporting a local business

2007-08-03T14:29:00.000-04:00

It will be difficult for me to write an objective review of the new Sunset Rubdown Record Random Spirit Lover because I absolutely love everything the band has done. Imagine trying to get an unbiased opinion about the Boston Red Sox from a die-hard fan. But I will try:

Sunset Rubdown: Random Spirit Lover
Sunset Rubdown's music is like a runaway stage coach widely careening from one bizarre soundscape to another, all with Spencer Krug's manic, Bowie-esque vocals at the helm, and this new album is no exception. In the case of Random Spirit Lover, Krug takes us on an adventure reminiscent of Alice and Wonderland, but set in the eighties and lit exclusively by neon lights (the album art does a wonderful job of capturing this mood). This record takes Sunset Rubdown another step towards full-band maturity, since it includes not only wild tunes that would fit nicely on a Frog Eyes record, but some nice ballads and a greater presence of Camilla Wynne Ing. Overall, I loved it (could I have possibly said anything else) and highly recommend it to anyone willing leave reality behind and plunge into the rabbit-hole. 5/5 (naturally)

T: I think the new sunset rubdown record... well I like it just about as much as I like old sunset rubdown. I have to admit that it can be too much for me at times, but for the most part listening to the new album has been pleasant. There is one song on the album that I quite enjoy, mostly because it reminds me of my childhood love for David Bowie. This song [Colt Stands Up, Grows Horns] immediately conjures up a nightmarish image of David Bowie, dressed as the Goblin King [from The Labyrinth], chasing me through an old timey house of mirrors, trying to steal my poor baby brother. To conclude, I thought the album was good. 3.83/7 [2.76/5]

Check out this new song, Up On Your Lepord, Upon The End Of Your Feral Days, which captures the album's essence quite well.

Thousands of Lives!

2007-08-01T09:12:00.000-04:00

In what appears to now be a series of posts outlining ridiculous movies which claim to be, at least loosely, based on the genetic revolution, I bring to your attention the latest: Repo! The Genetic Opera. (I am not making this up). This motion piture (dare I dignify it with such a title) is said to be a thriller set in 2056, where an organ failure epidemic forces people to buy expensive genetically modified organs from the evil biotech company Geneco. The director, Darren Lynn Bousman of the last two Saw movies, said this: "The idea is that everybody is buying up organs, and they cannot afford to pay for these organs. Thus, legalized organ repo-men come into the picture. Murder becomes sanctioned by law. So, if you buy a heart and can't afford it, someone can burst through the door and take your heart out and they don't get in trouble for it." Sounds like a winner.

Now, my point in bringing up this movie, which you may have already read about in the gossip mags, is not to highlight Paris Hilton's role in the film, but to give another example of how society, demonstrated through its pop culture, has developed an irrational and greatly exaggerated fear of genetics. OK sure, those biotech companies who refuse to relax their patents for needy third world countries are kind of evil, but Genetically engineered organs can save tens of thousands of lives! (There are over 90,000 people on the organ transplant list in the USA). Biotech has tremendous promise, and it's sad to see this important industry be slandered through associating with such a cheesy film.

Alla Es Mexico

2007-07-31T14:21:00.000-04:00

Last post I listed the plethora of historic sights that my parents and I took in during their brief visit to the old dominion. Another highlight of their trip, I am confidant that my parents will mention, was the numerous restaurants we patronized during the last few days. Now, as Theresa and I are far too poor to eat out nearly as many times as we would like to, and given the enormous selection of fine eating establishments this fine city has to offer, I am by no means an expert in Charlottesville's culinary treasures; I can however offer one piece of useful dining advice to my fellow residents: A small, out of the way establishment called "Aqui Es Mexico" (221 Carlton Rd) serves the best Mexican Food in Charlottesville. By Far. (I mean, Baja Bean?? Gag me!) In fact, I would go as far as saying it is the best Mexican food I have eaten on the Northern side of that oh-so-controversial boarder. Try the Tacos al Pastor. And the Pupusas. And the Enchiladas. And the Sopes. You get the picture.

And for desert? Now, we all know that Splendora serves incredible Gelato, and Arches' frozen yogurt is great, but if you are looking for a delicious frozen treat and also a throwback to the simpler times that, of course, I cannot remember because it was a full 30 years before I was born, try Timberlake's Drug Store on the Downtown mall. They've got a little 50s-style soda fountain back there that makes a mean milkshake.

The Lonely Monuments

2007-07-30T13:40:00.001-04:00

Happy Vacation to the Edmonton Millers - otherwise known as my parents. This week, Theresa and I had the great privilege of hosting my parents during their 10 day Virginia Vacation Odyssey, and let me tell you, with all of the Historic attractions within a couple of hours of Charlottesville, my dad was like a kid in a candy store (or, I suppose, more like a nerdy kid in a library). During the past 5 days, we have been to Williamsburg, Monticello, Short Pump, The White House and Museum of the Confederacy, Stanton, Buena Vista, and, last but not least, the nation's capital, Washington DC.

As for this last location, anyone who has had the pleasure of engaging with me in a discussion on municipal politics would be aware of my feelings towards monuments. If I am ever elected mayor of a town, my first and biggest priority would be to erect copious amounts of statues, fountains, pillars, columns, obelisks, cenotaphs and other monuments to remind my citizens of the great heroes of the past. And so, you could probably imagine that I would be like the afore-mentioned child in a city that is as rife with monuments as Washington DC. And so, given my newfound aptitude for photography and photo-blogging, I have below chronicled just a small segment of the capital city's many monuments. But, being the statue connoisseur that I am, I have left out the pictures of the more famous monuments and instead included some of the lessor-known statues that do not get the recognition they deserve (and are probably pretty lonely for want of attention):

Some Guy Named Sheppard

Lincoln with a creepy looking kid

The statue in front of that building right beside the White House

A monument that look strikingly similar to Mexico's "Angel de la Independencia"

A flaming sword, dedicated to some division from one war or another

Garfield, I think

Some naked people with turtles spitting water in their faces

Some stern guy with a scroll

Well, there you have it: some of DC's forgotten statues

I Still Play Internet Scrabble

2007-07-24T14:24:00.001-04:00

The only TV I ever watch either comes from DVDs or the laundry room. As for the latter, during the past few months Theresa and I have deliberately did laundry on Thursday in order to catch the latest episode of "The Office," and have noticed several commercials for a new reality dating show called "The Age of Love," where a group of 20-something bimbos compete with a group of 40-something bimbos for one 30-something bachelor -"The Kitties v. The Cougars!" Now, you might be thinking that since such dating shows are a sad comment on the state of our entertainment industry, I am probably going to take this opportunity to express my extreme dislike for this program and all others like it - but, actually, I will not. For you see, I, back in my swinging singles days was myself chosen for a similar "Bachelor" program. Mind you, it was not actually broadcast on national television (or any other kind of television), but simply an activity designed by the literacy committee (of all organizations) in my Young Single Adult Ward back in Edmonton as yet another scheme to get us menaces to society married off as quickly as possible. In this program, potential bachelors were to submit a statement about their qualifications for such a coveted position, and potential contestants were to submit their plans for a creative date. The bachelor then went on five dates with the girls who came up with the most creative ideas. So I applied (but only because my cousin pulled on of those classic I'll-do-it-if-you-do-and-then-not-actually-do-it stunts) and was chosen - naturally. As "The Chosen One" (as I liked to call myself), I had the privelage of being taken on 5 dates by five lovely bachelorettes, none of which being Theresa. But hey - free dates. My winning submission is reprinted below:

With the number of Garneau Elders who wish to become anxiously engaged, I am sure scores of applications for our ward’s Bachelor program will be submitted and wonder what I might write to properly express why I should be given the great privilege of dating some of the Relief Society’s elect sisters. I could expound on my virtues: explain that I am intelligent and funny, for example, inform you that, although my photo-directory mug shot suggests otherwise, I am extremely attractive, tell you I am a witty conversationalist who is able to feign interest in any topic my date brings up, I am grateful, smart, true, clean, humble, prayerful, among other things. I could—since I heard the Literacy Committee is planning the activity—explain I am quite literate and impress you with my creative use of punctuation or I could make a fool of myself in the way that seems prevalent in most singles wards. But alas, I fear the selection may be a mere popularity contest and any explanation of my countless virtues and remarkable writing skills will be futile. This situation, although unfortunate, would not bother me (yes it would) because my ego is strong and I already go on many dates that I arrange without assistance (I spend most weekends alone playing computer Scrabble). So, pick whoever you feel will be the best bachelors (pick me), and even if I am not chosen, I hope your program goes well (no I don’t).

Sincerely,
Randy Miller

Much More Music: Part II

2007-07-21T18:48:00.000-04:00

Here's some more reviews. And with this, I have covered all the noteworthy albums I have gotten this last year. And if music reviews aren't really your thing, I am not totally converting to a music blog. I will be writing just as I always have, but from now one, when I get a new album that I think deserves to be mentioned, I will write a new review.

Final Fantasy: He Poos Clouds
R: Owen Pallat is an amazing composer, and his songs—string compositions composed into 4-minute pop songs--are beautiful. When I’m listening to my iPod on shuffle, this album doesn’t really fit in, but if I’m in the mood for orchestrated strings without being pretentious, Final Fantasy is the perfect choice. 3/5
T: I really liked Final Fantasy at first, but it hasn't really past the test of time. The background music is so beautiful. I am a sucker for string music, and Owen Pallat is the string master. The problem I have with this album is Owen's voice: I really don't like how it sounds against the music - it is kind of, for lack of a better word, Icky. 3.78/7 (2.70/5)

Frog Eyes: Tears of the Valedictorian
R: Lets get one thing straight: I Love Frog Eyes, but I do understand that it isn’t for everyone. Carey Mercer plays a frenzied guitar and sings like a rabid dog, so it seems quite cacophonous at first. But if you are able to get into this album, it is wonderfully complex and more emotional that whatever whiny emo-band is popular right now. 5/5
T: Frog Eyes is not my favorite band, but it does have one thing that I like: the best yelping in the world. I swear Cary Mercer must be half wolf cause sometimes he sounds like a dog that has been attacked by his one true love. Frog Eyes is just a little too much for me; there is just too much to digest. 3.03/7 (2.16/5)

Menomena: Friend or Foe
R: Menomena’s songs are complex creations that seem to wander all over various unique musical territories filled with piano and horns. Unfortunately, I just don’t find them interesting enough to follow their path enough to fully appreciate what they are doing. This album is best when it keeps things simpler. 3/5

Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
R: Arcade Fire’s debut was simply a masterpiece, and I can’t help but think that my expectations highly influenced my opinion of this album. When I first listened to it, it seemed like AF had lost their energy, since these songs were less enthusiastic then their predecessors’ and as foreboding as the church organ that is featured in many of the tracks. Looking at it on it own, though, I recognize Neon Bible as another impressive achievement. 4/5
T: Maybe if this album weren’t the follow up to Funeral, I would have like it more. I mean it is good, but it is nothing compared to Funeral. Win’s voice is not as raw as before, so it seems like he left his cool on the bus somewhere. I would recommend you listen to it though. It is good, just not as good. 5.49/7 (3.92/5)

Feist: The Reminder
R: This album is an amazing mix of incredibly infectious dance numbers and intimate acoustic melodies. The music is good, but what make Feist such a pleasure to listen to is her voice, which at the same time raw and polished. And those dance numbers can’t be beat. 4.5/5
T: I have to say, this is my favorite new album of the year: it is so darn good. This is saying a lot, because I have a tendency to hate follow-ups to albums that I really like (in this case “Let it Die”). I like this album even more after I saw her live - she is pretty much so awesome and talented, and is amazing to watch. 6.89/7 (4.92/5)

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Some Loud Thunder
R: I was thoroughly disappointed with this album: Clap Your Hands has moved away from the folky music that made them popular and become, well, generic. I should say, though, that “Love Song No. 7” is my favorite of all CYHSY songs. 2.5/5

Apostle of Hustle: National Anthem of Nowhere
R: When I first listened to this album from a regular Broken Social Scenster, I thought that it was a cool blend of Broken Social Scene’s messy brand of rock and Latin music. But after repeated playings, when the novelty wore off, I discovered I didn’t actually like any of the songs. 2/5

Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
R: This album has a few really good tracks, and a few duds. When Isaac Brooke is up to his old tricks, with tortured lyrics and frenzied yelp-singing, his music is as good as anything on “Good News” or “Moon and Antarctica.” But when he isn’t these songs are a dull as a preschool’s safety scissors. 3/5
T: Don't even get me started; Modest Mouse has broken my heart. I was so excited when I heard that the radio was going to play a new Modest Mouse song, but when I heard “Dashboard,” I wanted to amputate my ears. AMPUTATE! I hated it that much. I love the sad and tortured Modest Mouse, so it’s just awful to hear Isaac Brock singing about how much he loves the fresh air! Where is the anguish? 2.34/7 (1.67/5)

The Most Serene Republic: Phages
R: Although The Most Serene Republic is kind of an obscure band, and this EP is a concert-only record that has recently been released digitally, I decided to review it because I love it so much. What really sets this record apart is the way the combine jazz and rock into these catchy, innovative songs. Quite a nice surprise. 4.5/5

Much More Music: Part I

2007-07-20T14:57:00.000-04:00

Because I loved writing those CD reviews so much and because I received such a positive response from them, I have decided to make it a regular practice here on "Adventures in a Strange and Distant Land." So, to get us started on the right foot, I will begin with mini-reviews of the most notable albums I have obtained this year. And since I so greatly enjoyed Theresa's entirely subjective, in-your-face comments, I have of course asked her to become a regular contributor. We've got kind of a good cop - bad cop review style going. The banner I made says it all.

Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
R: This album is pretty straightforward indie-rock fare, but with enough experimentation to differentiate it from the pack. It's upbeat rock songs are well written and catchy enough to encourage an enthusiastic sing-along, which makes them the perfect addition to a summer road trip. 4/5

Handsome Furs: Plague Park
R:The best word I can think of to describe this lo-fi offering from Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner is 'haunting'. The songs are very minimal, often employing a simple guitar melody over a sparse drum machine; they are great individually, but listening to the entire album can get a little tedious. 3/5
T: My favorite Handsome Furs song is"What we had": although it doesn't actually sound Native American, it kind of reminds me of the time we had some aboriginal leaders come to my elementary school and teach us how to bang drums and set up a tepee in our gym. 5.63/7

Metric: Grow Up and Blow Away
R: Not being a huge Metric fan, I didn't have too high of expectations of this, their lost first album that is only now being released. However, I was pleasantly surprised: instead of Metrics usual guitar driven rock, this album is a nice trip-hop collection, where Emily Haine's vocals are given the provenance they deserve. 4/5
T: I like the new(old) Metric album. Emily Haines does a nice job and this album sees to show more of her personality: is less Metricy and more Soft Skeletony [her subdued solo album]. 4.69/7

Stereogum: OKX: A tribute to OK Computer (available for free here)
R: These tribute songs are decent, especially the ones that include jazzy female leads; but really, this album just makes me want to listen to the original, and when I do, I realize that these tracks fail to truly capture that phenomenal album's essence. 2/5

Beruit: Gulag Orkestar
R: I'm surprised that I like this record. Although it was made by a 20-something from New Mexico, it sounds so authentically like Eastern Europe that when I listen to it, I have an inexplicable urge to cook up some pierogis. 3.5/5
T: What can I say, I love Beirut: it has also inspired me moved to eastern Europe. I love the accordions - they give the music a real old and unique feel. 5.97/7

Califone: Roots and Crowns
R: I fell in love with this album when I first heard the single, "The Orchids." On this album, Califone infuse folk music with a kind of electric eccentricity that invigorates it and creates a unique sound. 4/5

Tokyo Police Club: A Lesson In Crime
R: This young band has often been compared to the Strokes, but they have a greater depth then this comparison suggests. Overall, they are upbeat and fun. 4/5
T: "I have a microchip implanted in my heart, so if I try to escape, the robots will blow me apart. And my limbs will go flying and land before the ones that I love, who would wail and would weep but the robots would keep them at bay while I shut my eyes For the very last time. Citizens of tomorrow be forwarned". Enough said. 5.71/7

White Rabbits: Fort Nightly
R: I loved their first track "Kid on my Shoulder," but after listening to the entire album, this band seems kind of one-dimentional: all of their songs blend into each other. I do really like their use of piano, though. 3.5/5
T: Oh White Rabbits, how I love thee so (or at least moderately like you.) I like this band because one of their songs sounds like a train, and it makes me think of old western movies and robbing steam engines on horseback, all which makes for a good time. 4.98/7

The National: Boxer
R: This is an amazing album. At first, it seems like pretty standard soft-rock, but upon further listen, you can note the welcome presence of a number of other instruments, orchestral and otherwise. The lyrics are smart and the songs just really grew on me. 4.5/5
T: The lead singer is this group sounds too much like Great Big Sea for my liking: not that he sings the same style, but his voice is deep like his. I really don't like Great Big Sea, and don't like to be reminded that they exist. The National are OK, I just don't want to listen to them. 3/7

Deerhunter: Cryptograms
R: This album contains some great ambiance music, but I don't really like it for much more than that. 3.5/5

No, Not That Kind Of Pornographer

2007-07-19T14:04:00.001-04:00

Now, you may have noticed by now that I like to listen to music - especially music coming from my very own native country); so, I hope that you can understand my excitement when I tell you that last night I had the supreme pleasure of obtaining not one, not two, not even three, but five new albums from both long time favorites and newly introduced bands (four of which do indeed hail from the great white north). Given the new and entirely inspired habit of indie bands to digitally release their albums before their official release date, I have plenty of opportunity to digest the contents of some of these releases before my opinion is (strongly) influenced by professional reviewers. So, I have decided to take this unique opportunity to give my opinion of two of these yet-to-be released albums before I have read a word from the multitude of music critics clamoring to dictate my tastes. But, wanting to preserve an air of balance, (and submitting to the pressures of my friends' sites who have labeled my blog as "Randy and Theresa's"), I have invited Theresa, who is much more passionate than I in regard to most everything (especially when it comes to new releases from her favorite bands), to add pen her own reviews.

Stars: In Our Bedroom After The War

Randal: Now, it would be a lie for me to say that this album was a not little bit of a letdown. Instead of the gorgeous orchestral music they perfected on their masterful "Set Yourself On Fire," Stars turn now to piano ballads and 80s synth-pop, with a couple of songs sounding so authentic, I could just imagine myself back in '83 sitting around in my diapers listening to top-40 radio. The amazing thing, though, is that the record is incredibly enjoyable - I guess if anyone can turn me on to Snyth-Pop, it would be Stars. Other than that, this album has a very optimistic, relaxing feel to it, as if, as the title suggests, us listeners are relaxing in a comfortable bedroom after emerging from an extended struggle, which makes it a great follow-up to "Set Yourself on Fire's" war-mongering tracks like "He Lied About Death" and "Soft Revolution." 8/10

Theresa: I have to say I was slightly disappointed with the new Stars album: it is nowhere near as good as "Set Yourself on Fire". The best way I can describe the way I feel about this album is to say it is like meeting your really awesome Grandpa after he has had a stroke, which has caused mild brain damage (mostly in the frontal lobe), causing him to lack personality; you still love him, but you think he is now boring. Hmm, I guess that analogy sounds a bit harsh, but that is how I feel about new Stars 3.88 stars out of 7. [ed-Theresa's also made the following analogy last night: the last Stars album was beautiful like Audrey Hepburn, and new Stars album is beautiful like Paris Hilton. I really must say that Theresa's aptitude with metaphors, which immediately let me understand her sentiments, seem much more powerful than my carefully chosen descriptions]

The New Pornographers: Challangers

Randal: The New Pornographers, much to my delight, have continued their shift from straight-forward power-pop supergroup into a more complex creature. On this record, although their upbeat tendencies are still evident, Carl Newman and Co. have produced a record that is much more folky and organic as any of their previous, filling the balance of the tracks with mid-tempo ballads. The Porno's have also apparently realized what a precious resource they have with their amazing female vocalist, Neko Case, and have moved her to the front and center. 9/10

Theresa: I really like the new New Pornographers record, they have changed things up enough to be fresh, without losing their signature sound. Neko Case is showcased more in the songs which adds a bit of a folky element, which is nice. Also, Dan Bejar has some particularly good tracks on this record, which may find a place in my heart (at least the outer layers of my heart). I would have to say this is the best New Pornographers album to date. I give this album 6 stars out of 7.

Well, there you have it. It seems like Theresa and I are truely "of one mind." (But to be fair, we did discuss the albums last night, so definitively influenced each other's opinions). To download songs from these albums, as well as other, check out my previous post.

Aztec Gold

2007-07-17T11:41:00.000-04:00

Now, since I am one who is not at all hesitant to shamelessly and directly copy another's idea, I have decided to shamelessly and directly copy someone's idea. As I was looking at some of my friends blogs, I noticed that Sarah and Landon have recently posted a comic strip made from their family pictures (a link to their blog is on the side). After enjoying their creation, I remembered that I too, had at one time created a comic strip using the same program. It is reproduced below (click the image for a larger version).

This comic details the adventures of my two roommates and I on our trip to Mexico last May. It contains a number of inside jokes, but it fun enough for anyone. I particularly enjoy Theresa's appearance at the end. Enjoy.

PS - If you want me to link to your blog, I will be happy to: just let me know

The Lost Art

2007-07-16T11:22:00.000-04:00

I have repeatedly noted that I didn't want to use my blog as a "this is what I did this week." But that being said, this is what I did this weekend:

I would like to thank our gracious host of this weekend, Katy, for her hospitality on not one, but two entertaining nights of stimulating conversation--truly a lost art, perhaps better appreciated by people like her and us, who do not have TV (that's right-no TV: not even peasant-vision). Some of the topics of our conversation included, but are not limited to the following, taken completely out of context*:

perfect mango cutting, diarrhea at inopportune moments, cats sleeping on babies' heads, Albertan confederates, dead sharks, mandatory perisol distribution at county fairs, corn queens, booing the melting pot, the KKK, the unimportance or need of sweetener in fruit drinks, nude dancers selling vegetables, how the chupacabra gets around so fast, being hit by flying sugar-beats, a school-room full of children with melted faces, vacation hotspots for seniors, fist-fights on amusement park rides, how the sasquatch brings families together, toxic cantaloupe, X-tream bocce ball, autistic possums, missionaries with cigarettes and condoms and bikini magazines, fake German newscasts, Unicorns (in more than one context), lying to carnies, cultural "Salads" political debate vs. sitting in a field with a rifle, proselyting for TV shows as opposed to the Book of Mormon, how John Heder is totally hot and cool, the "tank-top temple's" dress code, and the lack of a solid policy on Canadian annexation by any of the US presidential candidates.

We also posed to ourselves this question: if you were stuck on a desert island and could only listen to four bands, which would you choose? Well, we allowed responders to name artists, which meant that we could listen to all of their music. We'll with these qualifications, I took advantage of the diffuse nature of Canadian Indie Rock and named the following:

Spencer Krug: which include the bands Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, Frog Eyes, Destroyer and Swan Lake.
Torquil Campell: which include Stars, Memphis, and Broken Social Scene
Win Butlar: The Arcade Fire and Bell Orchestre
Thom Yorke (not Canadian): Radiohead and Thom Yorke

*Actual, honest-to-goodness topics that were discussed.

More Canadian Knowledge

2007-07-14T13:31:00.000-04:00

I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the Canada quiz online and submitted your scores. Right now the most knowledgeable Canadian who has responded was my Dad and his nerdy engineering friends, who scored 36/40. In close second is Petey from back in E-town. Way to go. And by the way, it seemed like I miss-keyed the online version of the quiz (it's corrected now): Question 6 of the Entertainment section previously listed the answer as C-John Candy, but it is now corrected as B-Jim Carey. If you haven't already taken the quiz, scroll down a big and give it a try!

And to prevent this post from submitting to complete boardom, here is a extra special bonus question I came up with while watching a very informative program about Canada Called "The Great White North":

Who are Bob and Doug Mackenzie?
A. Canada's only brothers who were both Prime Minister
B. A famous Father-son team of quantum physicists who were recently awarded an honorary degree at Oxford
C. The two conductors of the Toronto Symphony
D. A couple of beer-swigging blockheads

Find out the answer here

The American Way - Get Someone Else To Do It

2007-07-12T14:51:00.000-04:00

I am becoming more and more American-like every day. For example, I have joined in the great American movment of the 21st century: Outsourcing. That's right, I am probably the only Research Assistant who has his own research assistant.

Don't get me wrong, I actually do all the research I am required to for my job myself, but there is quite a bit of personal research that a law student in this day and age needs to get done. This research is on Law Firms and Professors and such, and I, being an innovative fellow, have hired a very talented and intelligent assistant to help me out. And the best part is that I am paying her in milkshakes.

You see, my dear sweet wife has a little more time on her hands than I do, and has graciously offered to help me with the seemingly endless pile of work that I need to get done on top of my job requirements. Thanks pooky pie*

*note: the term 'pooky pie' has never actually been uttered in our household, and is used here purely for the embarrassment of Theresa.

A Life Goal Accomplished

2007-07-10T15:49:00.000-04:00

What a great Day today is in the humble life of this lowly blogger. One of my life goals has now been accomplished. That's correct, I have been mentioned on pitchfork media, the premier indie music sight that I read more religiously than the bible. Some of you are probably thinking that I must be joking, but alas, it is true. The following is taken from today's Pitchfork News (original source here):

Stars Battle Leaks by Releasing Digital Bedroom Today!

It was a little over a week ago that the first peek behind the door of In Our Bedroom After the War, the latest from ethereal indie-poppers Stars, made its way onto the internet. You might've glanced at the tracklist, perhaps nabbed new jam "The Night Starts Here" on Forkcast, and sighed wistfully, wishing away the hours between now and September 25. But when Stars are involved, seems wishes sometimes come true.

In an Arts & Crafts posting directed to "friends, fans and supporters of Stars," the band and label explain that the final mix of In Our Bedroom After the War was delivered Friday, July 6, but that, through the process of getting the CD to journalists and radio stations, "inevitably someone will leak the album." Though they don't exactly condemn the leak process, they're not really happy about the monetary losses involved, and, "as such, [they] are making the new Stars album available for download today."

That's right: Stars' In Our Bedroom After the War is, as of today, available (legally) via digital retailers (including A&C's own online shop). It's like a glimpse into the future... now!

"It's our hope," Stars and A&C write, "that given a clear, legal alternative to downloading music for free, you will choose to support the creators." Well played, guys. Well played, indeed.

The real album (in CD and double-LP form) will still hit shelves September 25, though by then, you'll hardly have much need for a lyric sheet, willya? Thanks to several readers (who we have to assume are bumpin' War all legal-like at present) for the tip.

And where in this news item am I mentioned you may ask. Well, right there at the end: "Thanks to several readers for the tip." That's right, I am one of those "several readers" who noticed the unprecedented release of Stars' new album and wrote in to my favorite website. It's time to hold my head up high.

Now That I've Tried MP3 Blogging, All That Is Left Is...

2007-07-09T15:00:00.000-04:00

Photo-Blogging: The latest tool for photographers, world travelers and new mothers alike. Considering my propensity for bandwagon-jumping, I decided to try my hand at this latest craze, so Theresa and I set out on Saturday to create a photographic guide to our town. Charlottesville is particularly known for its lush greenery and spectacular Jeffersonian Architecture, and in this Photo-blog, I hope to be able to convey the grandeur of these impressive forests buildings.

To begin, here is a lovely example of the dense Charlottesville foliage

No tour of C-ville would be complete without a stop at Thomas Jefferson's Montecello

And then to Jefferson's other passion: the University of Virgina. This room has been named the most beautiful in America

C-Ville's Newest addition: the breathtaking John Paul Jones Arena

One of our town's animal inhabitants

and to cap it off: The artist himself

I hope you all enjoyed my experimentation with photo-blogging. I may be wrong, but it think it turned out pretty well. I guess I just have a natural talent for this photography stuff

This Has Offically Become An MP3 Blog (or at least one of those wannabe blogs because i'm just taking the songs from other sites)

2007-07-06T10:43:00.000-04:00

I, having for the seventeenth time, announced myself to be an avid follower of the Canadian indie rock seen, was presented with this request: Why don't you put some playlists up on your blog. And, since the request came during our Canada Day party, I have decided to post an all-Canadian list. Now, a few years ago and with the Arcade Fire leading the way, Canada came bursting onto the indie scene as the new hotbed of talented musicians. Now, in 2007, many of those bands that created the scene are back with new albums. Indeed, with some great albums already released this year, and a number on their way, the big 07 is poised to be a big one for Canada's best and brightest. So below, I proudly present a list of songs from some of Canada's top indie bands from albums either already released this year, or are scheduled to be let loose in the coming months. But this is no ordinary list--it is an MP3 list, so you can go ahead and listen to or download the songs (right click the link and select "download linked file"). And don't worry, all you law abiding citizens, these downloads are legal.

Do Make Say Think: The Universe
From The Album: You, You're A History In Rust (Feb)
A nice post-rock (instrumental) song from some broken-Social Scenesters.

Arcade Fire: Keep The Car Running
From the Album: Neon Bible (Apr)
Canada's most critically acclaimed band is back with their second album; although Neon Bible isn't quite as good as Funeral, it doesn't disappoint.

Feist: I Feel It All
From the Album: The Reminder (May)
Feist is slowly gaining more and more popularity and critical acclaim for her sultry voice and songwriting prowess; The Reminder is an improvement over her impressive Let it Die.

Frog Eyes: Bushels
From the Album: Tears of the Valedictorian (May)
A nine-minute epic from the band who pioneered the spastic sound of current favorites, Wolf Parade and Arcade Fire. I LOVE this song.

Handsome Furs: What We Had
From the Album: Plague Park (May)
The minimalist debut from one of Wolf Parade's co-writers.

Immaculate Machine: Dear Confessor
From the Album: Fables (Jun)
An upbeat little diddy from a New-Pornographers-esque band.

New Pornographers: My Rights Versus Yours
From the Album: Challengers (due Aug)
The New Pornograhers are slowly toning down their power-pop impulses on this, the first single from their forthcoming fourth album.

Stars: The Night Starts Here
From the Album: Our Bedroom After the War (due Sept)
The masters of orchestrated pop love songs follow up their impressive Set Yourself on Fire. Stars are probably Theresa's favorite band.

Kevin Drew (from Broken Social Scene): Tbtf
From the Album: Spirit If... (due Sept)
This is the pre-release track from the first solo album from Kevin Drew, one of Broken Social Scene's primary members.

Sunset Rubdown: Winged/Wicked Things (Daytrotter Session)
From the Album: Random Spirit Lover (due Oct)
This song, available at Daytrotter (a great live music site), will be on Sunset Rubdown's next album. I love Sunset Rubdown, so you should check out all of the songs after this link.

Another Country Has Its Patriotic Holidy In July Too, Doesn't It?

2007-07-05T14:10:00.000-04:00

Just in case my long Canada Day coverage is making you think that I prefer my home and native land to my newly adopted country, I would like to point out that yesterday--the fourth of July--Theresa and I traveled to Lexington with my Grandparents for an entire day of American festivities. Thats right, even though my Canadian post was much longer than the present, I assure you that the our calibration of its southern neighbor, measured in length of time, number of fireworks seen and number of Hot Dogs eaten, what much larger.

The Canada Day that Sparks an International Incedent

2007-07-03T10:08:00.000-04:00

Happy Canada Day!

Yes, I know I am at least 2 days late, and it is actually closer to America’s birthday than Canada’s, but I had to wait until after our Canada Day party, that was held on the 2nd. For said party, Theresa and I (mostly Theresa) put together a Canadian trivia game, whose playing almost lead to an international incident. That’s right, we were about ready to give ‘ol Stephen Harper (Prime Minister of Canada) a call and have him mobilize our Canadian troops. All eight of them. The offense? Well, it turns out that both Canada and the United States claim to have invented the game of basketball AND the beloved hero, Superman. As all of you Canadians know from those CBC Heritage moments, both Superman and Basketball were created by Canadians (Watch the actual commercials: Basketball, Superman). Yet when we read the trivia questions about the subjects, the Americans in the room claimed both those inventions as their own: one of our guests is from the Massachusetts town where Basketball was born, and another was sure that Superman was created by Jewish Immigrants in New York.

It turns out that we were all right. From the ultimate and infallible source of all knowledge, Wikipedia, I discovered the true origins of these North American symbols:

Basketball:
“In early December 1891, Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian physical education student and instructor at YMCA Training School (today, Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied and at proper levels of fitness during the long New England winters…he was nervous about the new game he had invented, which incorporated rules from a Canadian children's game called "Duck on a Rock", as many had failed before it. Naismith called the new game 'Basket Ball.'”

Superman:
“Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero, originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. Created in 1932, and rejected by a number of publishers, the character first appeared in Action Comics#1 (June 1938).”

I hope this will bring our two countries back to peaceful relations. I do apologize that our question about Basketball said “Which sport is a Canadian invention,” when it should have said “Which sport was invented by a Canadian?” To be fair though, our trivia question about Superman did ask which superhero was the co-creation of an American and a Canadian.

As for the rest of the game, I think everyone had a good time, and probably discovered they were not as ignorant about Canada as they thought. My favorite answer of the night was from Team Border Patrolers, who guessed that Canada’s most famous rodeo is called the Rainbow Rodeo. I actually just talked to the commissioner of the Calgary Stampede, and they are considering the name change as we speak.

Anyways, I’ve included the quiz here, with the answers below. If you are American, the team to beat is Team Northern Lights, who scored 23/40. If you are Canadian, I expect you to get a lot more than that. I only got two of Theresa’s 35 questions wrong. Can you get 100%? Let me know how you did. (And yes, I’m aware that you could find the answers on the Internet. You’ll just have to be honest about it.)

Geography:

1.What is Canada’s largest lake?
A. Lake Superior
B. Lake Athabasca
C. Lake Winnipeg
D. Great Bear Lake

2.What is the name of the vast treeless area in Canada’s north?

3.True or False: Nunavut is Canada’s newest province.

4.What is Canada’s largest Territory/Province?
A. Quebec
B. Nunavut
C. Newfoundland
D. Northwest Territories

5.What is the Capital of Canada?
A. Ottawa
B. Toronto
C. Montreal
D. Edmonton

6.True or False: Mount Logon is Canada’s highest mountain.

7.What Canadian City boasts the CN tower?

8.What is Canada’s smallest Province?
A. Nova Scotia
B. Alberta
C. Prince Edward Island
D. Newfoundland

9.What Province borders Alberta on the east side?

10.True or False: Vancouver Island is Canada’s largest Island.

History:

1.What Birthday Is Canada celebrating this year?

2.What is Laura Secord famous for?
A. Delicious Chocolate and Ice Cream
B. Warning the British of an American attack during the War of 1812
C. Being Canada’s first female Prime Minister
D. She invented the snow shoe.

3.Who was Canada’s first Prime Minister?
A. Sir John A MacDonald
B. Mackenzie King
C. Donald Sutherland
D. Jean Blanchet

4.Who was the first Female Prime Minister of Canada?
A. Adrienne Clarkson
B. Emily Murphy
C. Katherine O’Hara
D. Kim Campbell

5.Before 1967, what did the Canadian Flag look like?

6.True or False: Quebec City is the oldest walled city North of Mexico.

7.Who were the first people to live in Canada?
A. Europeans
B. Americans
C. Aboriginals
D. Norsemen

8.What is the part of the constitution that legally protects the basic rights of Canadians?
A. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms
B. The Second Amendment
C. The British North America Act
D. The Declaration of Civil Liberties

9.What was the main trade controlled by the Hudson Bay Company?
A. Retail/Housewares
B. Ship Building
C. Fur Trade
D. Slave Trade

10.Which of the following beaches did Canadians land on during D-Day?
A. Omaha Beach
B. Gold Beach
C. Juno Beach
D. Sword Beach

Entertainment/Sports:

1.In the National Hockey League’s original six, which two teams where based in Canada?

2.Which super hero was the co-creation of a Canadian and an American?
A. Captain Planet
B. Superman
C. Spiderman
D. Wonder Women

3.What was Wayne Gretzky’s number?

4.What is Canada’s Famous Rodeo called?

5.Born in Victoria, British Colombia, Steve Nash is a famous:
A. Soccer player
B. Basketball player
C. Football player
D. Hockey player

6. Which of these Canadian comedians were NOT in the cast of SCTV?
A. Eugene Levy
B. Jim Carey
C. John Candy
D. Martin Short

7. The Arcade Fire is one of the most critically acclaimed acts in modern rock. What is the name of their breakthrough 2004 album?

8. Which of these singers is NOT Canadian?
A. Mandy Moore
B. Celine Dion
C. Avril Lavigne
D. Nelly Furtado

9. What is Margaret Atwood famous as?

10. True or False: In the Canadian Football League, the field (not including the endzone) is 110 meters long?

Miscellaneous:

1.Name Canada’s first National Park?
A. Waterton
B. Forillon
C. Banff
D. Jasper

2.What sport/game was not a created by a Canadian?
A. Trivial Pursuit
B. Basketball
C. Soccer
D. Hockey

3.What is Canada’s National emblem?
A. Caribou
B. Moose
C. Beaver
D. Loon

4.This part of the US space shuttle was designed by Canadians?

5.True or False: Manitoba produces the most maple syrup in Canada.

6.The Canadian flag has what leaf on it?

7.What is the name of the schooner found on the Canadian dime?
A. The Bluenose
B. The Regina
C. The Empress of Ireland
D. The Eula Mae

8.What is an Inukshuk made from?
A. Caribou bones
B. Stones
C. Polar bear fur
D. Whale blubber

9.A Poutine is:
A. A small rodent that resembles a rat
B. French fries sprinkled with cheese curds and covered in gravy.
C. A nickname for French Canadians
D. Type of toque

10.Write the first two lines of the Canadian National Anthem.

Answers: GEOGRAPHY 1-D; 2-Tundra: 3-Newfoundland: 4-B; 5-A; 6-T; 7-Toronto; 8-C; 9-Saskatchewan; 10-F (Baffin Island). HISTORY 1-140; 2-B (Although I also accepted A); 3-A; 4-D; 5-Union Jack; 6-T; 7-C; 8-A; 9-C; 10-C. ENTERTAINMENT/SPORTS 1-Montreal Canadians & Toronto Maple Leafs; 2-B; 3-99; 4-Calgary Stampede; 5-B; 6-B; 7-Funeral; 8-A; 9-Author; 10-F (It’s 110 yards long). MISCELLANEOUS 1-C; 2-C; 3-C; 4-The Robotic Arm (Canadarm); 5-F (Quebec); 6-Maple; 7-A; 8-B (see picture below); 9-B; 10-Oh Canada, Our home and native land.

And Heeere's The Burglar!

2007-06-29T15:39:00.000-04:00

That's it! This mediocre thing has gone on long enough! I am myself again, and not a moment too soon. And who inspired this reversal. Well, Bilbo Baggins, if you must know. Thats right, Bilbo started out as quite the average little hobbit, enjoying his second breakfasts and enjoying his quite life free from adventures, when he was visited by Gandalf the Grey. Now, I'm not going to go into the intire story, but needless to say, by the end of his unexpected adventure, he was not so mediore anymore. And if Bilbo could do it, than so could I!

And besides, when Theresa and I were arguing whether or not one of Modest Mouse's new songs "The Parting of the Sensory," was as good as the tracks from "The Moon and Antartica," she countered with this: "Oh, what do you know, you're just mediocre!" That, my friends, was a clear single to regain my place at the head of the curve. Of course, my grades are still somewhere in the middle, but we'll just look over that for the moment.

She's So Hiiiiiigh Above Me!

2007-06-28T14:11:00.000-04:00

So, Theresa and I just watched that PBS documentary about the Mormons, and I must say I am disappointed. Not it the program mind you--I thought that it was very well done--but with the reactions I have been experiencing from my fellow church members, both in person and on the internet. The documentary paints an even-handed portrait of the church that, granted, does spend a lot of time on controversial subjects, such as the mountain meadow massacre, but face it, those things are part of our history--you cant just hide from it. And the coverage wasn't even that bad. For example, when they were discussing polygamy, a potentially touching subject, I found myself viewing the government as unsympathetic and repressive entity who really picked on those poor early members who were just trying to practice their faith as they understood it.

I am especially annoyed at those members of the church who were upset that the film did not label the interviewees who were either not members or were excommunicated. Oh sure, if there were "Mormon" "Non-Mormon" labels, it would have been easier for for them. Easier, that is, for them to automatically discredit anything a Non-Mormon says.

Over all, I think that the Mormons who thought is was an unfair portrayal of their faith only did because they are too used to the one-sided accounts they get in church. I have no doubt that Joseph Smith and other early saints made mistakes, they were humans too, and although I recognize the importance of the uplifting stories told in church, I for one, was thankful for a chance to view church history from a more objective perspective.

One guy that did annoy me on the movie was that missionary who was like "You go, you go, you go, you go, you go... you go!" I mean, get this guy a Reader's digest, we need to improve his vocabulary before he makes the whole church look bad.

On the flip side of the coin, I was delighted to see Tal Bachman on the show. They must have pulled all sorts of strings to get a big star like that on the show. It has only been, what, 8 years since his one (and only) hit was playing on Canadian radio for a week or two. (What was the name of that song again?) And his comment comparing missionaries to suicide bombers? Stay classy Tal, stay classy.

Genetically Modified Terror

2007-06-27T14:24:00.000-04:00

If you must know, the research I am doing right now is about transgenics (aka genetic engineering, aka genetic modification, aka satanic science that creates hedious Frankenstein-like monsters). Anyway, after wading through scholarly journals, review articles, and popular science publication without much luck, I finally stumbled onto some promising material:

Black Sheep (the movie, 2007): The lambs won't be silent anymore, when genetic engineering transforms an entire flock of sheep into bloodthirsty beasts out to devour all humans in their path.

After a quick perusal of the sight, I had all the info I needed to finish off my memo and present it to my prof. Unfortunately, it looks like genetics may not be a safe line of work after all.

Now: 80% More Frequent Posts!

2007-06-26T15:57:00.000-04:00

Now that I am just an average guy, I decided that my blog ought to look a little more average. Which means, instead of writing one long post each week, I will be writing a short little post every time I feel like it. I am hoping that there will be something up every day (or at least every weekday). This decision has nothing to do with the article I read that said you will get more readers if you post often. It is a completely independent idea. (No wait, independent ideas are something that above-average people come up with. So yes, I admit that I didn't think of this idea myself).

As for the topic of my short posts, they will probably not be a recounting of my day, since I hate that (and even that is a little too mediocre for me). I would say they are random posts, but blogs that actually advertise thier randomness with titles like "Next Stop: Randomness" are getting a little old too. And besides, it is impossible for humans to be truly random. My posts, for example, have an intricate logical connection that, if discovered, will lead to a deeper understanding of the universe.

At least they did. Now they are just pretty average.

Mediocracy!

2007-06-26T09:31:00.000-04:00

I have officially become mediocre. That’s right, I have now come down from my ivory pedicel, where I was fawned upon and looked up to with great envy, and begun to mingle myself with you common people. So yes, now is the time to take down your Randal posters (the one’s with me smiling and giving two thumbs up) and remove you “WWRD” rings. I am no longer one to be idolized. I just want to live a quite life now, eating frozen pizza and watching “Lost” in peace, like the rest of the simpletons in this world. (Yes, that’s right, I said that Lost is for simpletons—it really is a stupid show). I just hope that I will be able to shed my over-achieving ways enough to fit in with the regular people, but I guess they wont be to hard to fool.

So why this sudden change of ways? Well, grades came in. Yes grades. Law school grades. Lets just say that I have morphed from one of those kids who did hardly any work, and still got good grades to just about the opposite. But don’t get me wrong, I don’t have bad grades. I didn’t being this post with “I have officially become bellow-average.” I am average, just like 95% of UVa law. Or would it be 99%? Seriously, I think the entire range of UVa Law GPA are within half a grade point. And yes, I do fall within that 0.5. The good news is that when my classmates ask me what I thought of that last test while holding there B- papers in plain view, I don’t have to fein humility and reply with a simple “oh it was ok.” No, my humility will be real now. When I tell a fellow student that I thought such and such question was hard, I will really mean it. I fell liberated.

And there are other perks of being average too. I don’t have to worry so much about beating everyone else at board games (which is a good thing, because Theresa pretty much beats me at everything); I don’t have to put up with those pesky mensa advertisements (now if only I can figure out how to stop those credit card ads away; I swear I get at least one a day—what’s with this country); I can stop pretending to like those foreign movies and just enjoy some American classics, like Armegeddon, or Charlie’s Angles, or anything with Paris Hilton in it; I can; I can start farting and burping in public, I can support Alberta talent and begin listening to Nickelback. And best of all, I can stop worrying about my grammer (and my spelling), it will be great. That’s right! I just used a comma splice, and I don’t even care! I feel so free!

Now that I am mediocre, I feel like the possibilities are endless. I could be president! But, I think I’ll stick to more modest goals, and fight tooth and claw with all of the other average students at UVa Law for a summer job next year...

My mediocracy extends even to softball, if you can believe it. I mean, if you are going to be average, you better be average across the board. But lest you worry, my pitching has not taken a turn for the worse, but instead, I have left the mound behind for this summer season. That’s right: I am no longer a star pitcher, and am now an average first baseman/center fielder. All and all, it’ really great to try something new. Oh, and I officially take back any negative comments that I made about the organizers of the summer league. It turns out that the rumor I heard about staking the teams was just not true. The 3L teams are based on the states where the students will be working.

And in other news, now that the great majority of students are not infesting this here library, I have discovered that the TV room I pinned for is now largely empty. Yeah, but I don’t really go in there for my lunch breaks: what’s on at noon? I did see someone in there watching some sports talk show, but come on, Sports?! Hmm, maybe I might have to get into sports, now that I am your average Joe. I’ll have to spend my days chatting about what’s-his’name’s batting average, and pining over my teams latest loss (for, I can just tell that I would pick a bad team to cheer for). Aye. Anyways, I prefer reading magazines in the Klaus Reading Room. Not novels, or pretentious mags like “The New Yorker,” or anything, but mostly ones like Rolling Stone, which, by the way is not as ‘cool’ as you might think. And who do they think they are, trying to address topics like Global Warming and Politics. Can you imagine someone actually getting their political info from Rolling Stone? “I voted for Hilary because she digs the same bands as me! Carly Simons Rules!” (And yes, that is an accurate insult, I looked up Hilary Clinton’s musical preferences on her myspace page).

And I’ve started listening to Garner Andrew’s Podcast. Garner is the morning host from Sonic 102.9 in Edmonton. Its pretty much, like the coolest radio station ever! But really, it started out with 2 guys and an iPod in an old oil field trailer and a cheap radio transmitter and is now one of the biggest stations in Edmonton, at least amoung the young and hip crowd. I’ve added a link to his blog here.

I guess I should end this post. It is getting to be a little too long for such a run of the mill blogger such as myself.

This Is Not A Post

2007-06-12T11:55:00.001-04:00

Summer Softball has begun, but although it is as enjoyable as it has ever been, I don’t think this post will relate my experiences with it. One such experience that I will not talk about is that I actually got the chance to play a position besides pitcher. That’s right, after two full seasons of viewing the field from no other spot than that lonely perch, the pitchers mound, I was given the opportunity to view the play from just behind and slightly to the right of first base. This is because there are no less than three members of our team who wanted to directly face down batters in fierce competition, and since we are an equal-opportunity employer, the fact that one of these pitchers happens to be an all-star does not prevent the others from throwing their fair share of innings. Now, I say that not to degrade either of the others pitcher’s skills, because they both can throw a mean six-foot arch, but just to inform you, my dear readers that ‘ol 99 (me) has moved to another post. But I’m not going to talk about it.

As for facebook, I’m not going to talk about that either. It has become very clear that Theresa has many more friends than me and I will never be able to catch up. Especially if I keep rejecting friend requests, like I have been doing. I don’t know, when you get a request from someone that you do not even recognize even a little bit, and then you ask them how we know each other, and she says ‘from 7th grade shop class,’ and I still have absolutely no clue who she is, that is where I draw the line. Facebook is about keeping in touch with friends, not random people who you saw once over 10 years ago any have not heard a whisper about in any time since then. So this means that I will probably never win any popularity contests. But I’m not talking about that either.

So, what am I going to talk about? Nothing really, I guess. I could say how much I am disappointed by Pandora. You know, that internet radio station where you put in your favorite artist, and it plays songs similar to them based one a set of “musical genes” that it gives the songs. Well, much like real genetics, I think the musical genome project is having some trouble with emergent properties. For example, when I started a station based on Sunset Rubdown, it listed the bands qualities as “Acoustic rhythm piano, mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation, major key tonality, and emotional male lead vocal performance.” Then it went ahead and played a bunch of whiney emo songs from bands like Reliant K. You see, the real appeal of Sunset Rubdown are Spencer Krug’s yelpy, Bowiesque vocals, complex song structure and its existentialist undertones, which are completely missed when you are breaking down the song into unhelpful categories like “mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation.” If Pandora’s creators had looked at real genetics a little, they might have realized that person’s true characteristics cannot be simply described by listing a small set of genes. And by analogy, they might have realized the futility of describing a musician’s true characteristics with a set of uninformative ‘musical genes.’ Oh well.

Ghosts, Baseball Cards, and Anthrophobia

2007-06-04T13:19:00.000-04:00

Nothing much happened to me this week. Wait wait, keep reading. It was just a joke. Plenty of things happened to me this week. It was like the most exciting week ever. For example, I went to JC Penny on Saturday and bought a new pair of dress slacks. Now, these are just any pair of slack, they are cotton-twill with a thread count of at least 300, maybe even 400…

But really, this week I did sign up to be a Law School tour guide. You know, one of those over-excited glee-club-types who just love to tell prospective students about how great UVa law is. Like, did you know that the library has more than 860,000 volumes? That’s right 860,000. And not to mention the microforms. I don’t want to brag, but we’ve got over a million. I’m sorry, but your school just isn’t hip if you don’t have over a million microforms—they’re the wave of the future. Anyway, I was thinking of following the tradition of many Virginia towns and attractions (including Charlottesville), and offering a ghost and murder tour of the law school also. I could hold it each evening and charge $25 a pop. So, if anybody knows of any UVa Law murders, let me know. And if not, I might have to create some myself. If there aren’t any ghosts and murders to talk about on my first tour, there defiantly will be on the second…

In other news, let me tell you about facebook. Yes, it is another post about facebook. Well, now that Theresa is working at the stundent health center and spends a lot of time surfing the Internet, she has succumbed to the dark side and joined the on-line community. And now she’s getting all huffy because she has 75 friends and I only have 64. Yeah, so it has become a big contest between us. You know, just the kind of contest that everyone seems to be opposed to: a popularity contest. It has gotten so bad that I feel like I’m back in 5th grade, trading baseball cards (I had the entire roster of the Toronto Blue Jays back then, you know). I’d say to Theresa “Guess who I just invited? One ADAM GORDEN”

“NO WAY! I want Adam Gorden. Where’d you get him?”

“I’m not telling.”

“Fine, but I just got Carie Ann!”

“She’s on facebook?!” and so on.

And speaking of Facebook friends, I just got a message from one of mine who needs a little favor. I wont say whom, but I will say that we used to be in a great band with hits like “Parkade Romance,” “Love on the Ghetto LRT” and “Neglected Love on a Fishing Trip.” You see, back in my FHE days, her and I put together a killer list of questions for the Dating Game, and she has now asked for my help coming up with some new ones. So here they are. Enjoy:

What would you do if I dressed as Louie XIV for Halloween, but liked my costume so much I started wearing it every day?

What would you do if, although I was a faithful member of the church, my entire family were a band of ruthless South Pacific Pirates, and wanted you to join the family business?

Imagine that you loved me, but today I am getting married to a man who you just discovered is planning to sell me to Russian slave traders. Unfortunately, the groom would kill you if you told me. How would you warn me of my impending doom without tipping off my fiancé.

If you were to loose both your hands in a tragic accident, and could have them replaced with any small appliance, which would you choose.

What would you get me for my birthday if I were a renowned Scatologist (studies animal feces), and have only ever showed interest in my work?

What would you say if I were planning on protesting water pollution by living in a canoe on a Northern Alberta lake for a year, and I wanted you to join me.

Would you still go out with me if we really hit it off, but then you discovered that I write a blog from the perspective of Xylor, a level 18 half-elf wizard with a cloak of invisibility and a crossbow of penetration? Why or why not?

If you were one of the characters on “The Office,” who would you be and why?

Imagine that my BO was so bad that you feel like vomiting every time I am near. How would you tactfully get me to improve my hygene.

Imagine that I had an acute case of anthrophobia (fear of flowers), and on our first date I brought you a dozen roses (the most frightening of all flowers). How would you calm me down and convince me to still go out with you.

Life By Theresa By Randal

2007-05-29T11:19:00.000-04:00

Opening a Blog Post with, “Nothing much really happened this week…” is a bad idea. As a reader, I certainly wouldn’t feel compelled to continue reading the post, which will probably detail the author’s grocery shopping trip, or something just as trivial. Of course, a talented author would be able to craft an entertaining tales set in a shopping center (ie. John Updike’s A&P, which was one of a series of stories we read in high school that seem deliberately chosen to depress teenagers with the thought of growing old), but I don’t think that caliber of writer would open with “Nothing much really happened this week…”

I was actually contemplating opening this post with the kind of phrase I just bemoaned, but upon further thought, I realized that that isn’t even true: lot happened to me this week. But even more happened to Theresa, so let us continue from her perspective:

“I had such a good week. First of all, it was my birthday on Saturday. I would tell you how old I am, but a real woman never discloses such information except to a select, inner circle. Randy, my sweet, sweet husband who is pretty much the best guy in the entire world—smart, funny and exceedingly handsome—threw me a surprise birthday party. Except that he told me it was happening that morning instead of having everyone jump out at me when I come home. So, I took him out shopping to buy a new party game. Even though he brought up the entirely reasonable idea that we didn’t need to spend $30 on a game because most parties are naturally enjoyable without formal entertainment, I was cute enough to convince him to purchase “Apples to Apples.” I love that game. And we did end up playing it--So there to him. Anyway, the party was really fun. Randy invited all of my new Virginia friends (or at least the ones who are still around this summer), and we just hung out for a few hours and ate cake (which Randy baked: he’s so sweet, and did I mention handsome?)

Next, I (finally) started my new job at the student health center. It is kind of slow but otherwise alright. The funniest part is that my boss is totally like Michael Scott from “The Office,” except that everyone at work actually likes him. I mean, he plays practical jokes (like Vaseline on the telephone receivers), sends e-mail forwards that he thinks are hilarious, but are really quite lame (such as one with a fat butt and farting noises), and likes to take the staff on retreats (the last one getting a little out of hand, such that the boss was actually tied up). So, I guess that makes me Pam. And Randy is Jim. Even though we don’t actually work in the same office, we do e-mail each other and sometime eat lunch together. Like on Friday, we were eating on the Lawn, and I was feeding this squirrel bits of my apple. But then it kept getting closer and closer, so I started to get a little worried. So then Randy threw the core at the squirrel and hit it right on the head! What ever happened to its animal instincts? After getting hit, the squirrel just stood there motionless for a little while, as if it forgot that it was even a squirrel. It must have thought it was a rock or something. But then it was like, 'I want that apple core. But rocks don’t like apples, squirrels do! I must be a squirrel.' So it grabbed the core and ran up a tree.

The next cool thing was we went to Buena Vista to visit Randy’s Grandparents. They invited us out for a birthday dinner and then went to a play, 'Kiss me Kate,' which is a musical based on The Taming of the Shrew. It was really fun."

So there you have it—“Life by Theresa,” by Randal. As for me, I’ve been working, handing out with Theresa (see above mentioned activities), and greatly enjoying not going to school. I am still doing research at the school, but the good part is, when it comes time to quit (usually 4:30, but really any time I choose), I just shut my books (or my computer, as it is) and put off my work until tomorrow. Then I got home and veg. Or hang out with our friends. It's the life, I’m telling you.

2007-05-25T09:14:00.000-04:00

So, the Handsome Furs' album scored low 70s; I was pretty close.

Hmm. Title... Title... I've got to think of a title... Wait! Don't click that button, I still need to think of a title!

2007-05-21T16:23:00.000-04:00

Like so many posts before this one, today’s entry is beginning without any subject on which to write immediately in mind. Have no worry though, after a full year of Law School, with unexpected cold-calls about reading that you did not do, I think that most students, myself included, gain at least some talent at making things up as you go.

I must begin by pointing out that I write this entry with a heavy heart: “Do You Trust Your Friends?” the compellation album I have been patiently waiting for for weeks just got a horrible review on Pitchfork! I dunno about you, but for me, this is awful. It is like waiting all month for Christmas, and then only receiving socks in your stoking! I just don’t know what to do. And the worse part is, I already have heard the album, and I liked it! I liked it! This means, of course, that I might be loosing it (it being my fragile sense of ‘coolness’ that is entirely based on my ability to accurately judge a new album’s quality before Pitchfork review it). I don’t know if I can go on. I just hope that my view of the Handsome Furs album will be accurate. (I’m thinking high 70s, maybe low 80s). If I’m wrong about that one, I think I’ll have to get myself a new hobby. Maybe knitting. Or Ukranian dancing.

Speaking of music, I wrote a few weeks ago that I predicted that we are on the cusp of a musical revolution, and that Indie is once again becoming mainstream. Now this may still be true, but I have, upon greater reflection and in my typical fashion, completely reversed my opinion on the matter. That’s right, I know am of the opinion that I don’t want popular music to improve. Instead, I am taking the stance church members are advised not to take: thank heaven that I am saved and let the rest of just go to… their overpriced, overcrowed and overcrappy pop concerts. As long as I know the good news about better musical actions, I don’t care if the rest of the world wallows in their pathetic state of horrible, horrible pop music. After all, they did it to themselves.

As for other news, my research-assisting job is going well. And by that I mean that I am certainly researching a lot. My first assignment was to outline the Confucian ethical philosophy’s perspective on genetically modified crops. Yeah, I thought that I was in Law School too. But don’t get my wrong, I love it. I pity all of those other RA who have to spend their days on Westlaw, looking up articles about substantive due process, or the dormant commerce clause. Oh, and by the way, Confucians don’t like GMOs… I think.

And speaking of bioethics, I have officially been accepted to the UVa Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in the Bioethics program, which means that I have condemned myself to another semester in Charlottesville. I guess “condemned” is a poor word choice, considering I love Charlottesville and I love bioethics. Really, its what I’ve wanted to do from the very beginning. I just kind of sidetracked into this whole Law thing because there happens to be jobs in this field. Go figure.

I know I Haven't Posted For A While - I've Been Writing Final Exams!

2007-05-14T14:48:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, I haven’t been updating my blog. But hey, exams.

I have recently discovered that that one simple word is the ultimate excuse for anything during April or December. Exams. No explanation needed. The world knows that students throughout the world, and especially law students put their entire life on hold for the few weeks immediately proceeding those dreaded test days that result in glorifying victory or agonizing defeat. So, when the word “exam” is uttered by a student who has been neglecting one or another aspect of his life, all is forgiven.

“Didn’t you say that we were going to go out this week?”
“Exams.”
“Gotcha, say no more”

“You promised that you were going to feed my valuable and award-winning ant colony while I was gone, but you didn’t! Now they are all dead and dried out shells of their former selves! I hate you and everything you stand for!”
“Exams”
“Ha, ha. Ok buddy, no prob.”

So, yeah, the blog has been on hold, but were back and ready to rock you out of your comfortable summer existence with our familiar brand of self-important recounting of events that most of you are probably not really all that interested in. And as surprising as it seems, there has been some events during exam week.

First of all, Theresa and I, displaying where my true priorities lie, ditched studying last Wednesday and headed off to DC in our newly-repaired car to hit a concert by one of my personal favorite bands, Sunset Rubdown—a tight little outfit hailing from Montreal and headed by Spencer Krug, who has been prominently featured in as many as 5 amazing bands (Sunset Rubdown, Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes, Swan Lake, Destroyer) and may or not be my indie rock man crush. After an interesting drive through Washington on many of that fine city’s streets (many of them not on the original route) we arrived at the Rock and Roll Hotel, a tiny live club with KISS busts on the bar, and photos of former presidents with their faces replaced with those of classic rock icons framed on the wall, and a capacity of no more than 500. The concert was amazing: Sunset Rubdown performed at least as well as on their album, and I forget for at least that night that my professional destiny was going to be decided by a test booklet a few days hence.

Next, I turned 25. Yes, I am now a quarter of a century old, but hey, 25 is the new 18, or so I am told. I’ve read a number of articles about how 20 and 30 somethings are hanging on to their youth longer and longer these days, so hey, if there are a bunch of 35 year-olds out there playing video games all day like 15 year-olds, then I think that at 25 I should be able to act as young as at least 5. And I do. Ask Theresa. For my birthday, however, we spent the day in an amazingly un-5 year-old way: we went out to see Thomas Jefferson’s mansion at Moticello. My Grandparents invited us out for the day and we had a grand time. Ol’ Thomas, it seems, had a little of a youthful quality himself, in that in his dean he had a number of portraits hanging of men like Locke and the King of France, much in the same way that modern teens hang posters of their favorite Rock starts (David Bowie, in Theresa and my case.)

Then there were exams.

Finally, to round out the list of significant life events that have occurred in the last 14 days, Theresa and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary. For that, we took in dinner at a little Italian place on the downtown mall (we were sad to discovery that the place we originally planned on patronizing, La Cucina, had recently closed despite the rave reviews we have read on it.) But the restaurant we did eat at was also quite delightful, and we finished the meal with an amazingly flavorful plate of Gelato (I’d recommend the Mango—its like eating a real mango, freshly picked from a tree in Cuernava, except frozen and not nearly as messy. If you’ve ever eaten a fresh mango with your hands, you’d know what I mean.)

So yeah, since I last wrote, I am now 25 years old, have completed my first year at UVa Law and have been married for a full year. Theresa and I are no longer newly-weds, I guess. We’re not oldly weds, though—just weds.

I hope this finds you well
Sincerely
Your humble correspondent.

The Real Juiced

2007-04-23T09:05:00.000-04:00

I must say that this spring’s softball season has been kind-of a disappointment. Not because our team is doing poorly (Section J has won both of our games so far), but because there have been so few games. I was, however, able get back out onto the field this Friday for my first game with that other team I’m on, the one from RELLS (Rex E Lee Law Society, named for a prominent LDS lawyer), and let me tell you, that was some game. We were up against what must have been the body-builders club at UVa Law, there were so many big guys on that other team. Seriously, I didn’t even know our school had such huge students. Perhaps they are going to be litigators and use their size as intimidation, because I sure know that when I took the field with the rest of our rag-tag team, I thought that we wouldn’t stand a chance. I was also worried that my Co-Ed pitching wouldn’t be up to the big leagues. Fortunately, though, it must have been enough, for we were able to snag a narrow victory when yours truly was able to hit a nice little grounder RBI in the bottom of the seventh. Now, I only mention this in the interest of reporting the facts, I would defiantly not think of myself winning the game for use—if anyone did that, it was the guy who hit us a home run every time he stepped up to the plate. A really fun game, all and all, and the first in the play-offs, which means that the our team, which has the unfortunate name of “Stone Cold Sober” (adopted without my vote) has made it to the second round. And were going all the way…

Other than softball, though, there really is not much more to say, school wise, unless you want to hear about my property outline. And for all of you that think that aversive possession or reciprocal negative easements sound a little bit interesting, I can assure you that it most definitely is not.

Instead let be say a few words about my second favorite subject: Indie Rock. Actually, now that I think of it, calling indie rock my second favorite subject like I just did makes it sound like Law School is my first favorite, so let me rephrase.

Instead, let me say a few things about a topic that I find infinitely more interesting than any kind of easement, reciprocal or otherwise: Indie Rock.

Back in 1999, when Billy Corgan announced the end of his band, the Smashing Pumpkins, announced his frustration with the pathetic state of popular music at the time, and said he was giving up the fight and allowing a new scene to start the next musical revolution. Well, since the Pumpkins are releasing their comeback album this July, perhaps he is sensing what I am: is the musical revolution now upon us? I direct you to the following observations: Last year, the Arctic Monkeys, a small indie band from the UK released the fastest-selling album ever in that country (yes, even faster than the Spice Girls). This year, various indie and indie-sounding bands like the Decemberists and the Shins have released very popular records, and in just this last month, the Arcade Fire’s new album debuted at #2 on the charts, and Modest Mouse, a long-time indie standard debuted at #1 (despite the fact that their new album is sub-par). All of this action suggests to me that the music industry is starting to over-turn itself again, vaulting indie stars into full fledged stardom, all during the same period when the major labels are facing continuing losses. Is it because music fans are finally fed up with being force-feed horrible pop tunes? Has the internet leveled the playing-field enough that smaller, but much more talented musicians are getting the distribution they deserve? I don’t know, but it is kind of exciting, and probably will continue to be so until the music industry picks up on this new trend and start manufacturing Arcade Fire rip-off bands and saturating the airways with mediocre approximations of the indie sound that is popularizing many of the smaller acts today.

And speaking of smaller acts making it big. My latest prophecy is that Canadian Indie Queen, Feist, is going to explode. Her new album (out on May 1st I believe) is great, and I can see her becoming a hit. Anyways, that’s what I think, and I hope I’m right

Right of Passage?

2007-04-16T11:59:00.000-04:00

I have successfully completed another right of passage to become a member of that learned profession called lawyering by passing with colors that fly my very first oral argument. Now, the judges don’t actually give verdicts in the cases we argue, but between you and me, I would have to say that I totally won the case. Poor Ms Phillips (my opponent) didn’t stand a chance against my penetrating arguments and mastery of rhetoric that caused the panel to actually stand up and give me a standing ovation. One of them even offered me a clerkship in his court, which I politely refused.

Ok, the truth is there was no offer, no standing ovation, and my rhetoric may have been very slightly less than masterful, as demonstrated by the following, an actual (and by that I mean completely invented) quote from my presentation:

“Um… I’d like to… to begin…bydissscussingsomepointsmyopponentbroughtup… um… I… … …she said that the doctrines of necessarily appli… applied…to medical arbitring forms… uh, docutments…” and so on and so forth for another 14 min until that cube that I turned to after every sentence in the hopes that it would reveal that my time has become just one minute shorter.

Ok, the real truth is that it wasn’t even that bad. The quote I gave is pretty accurate represenation of the beginning of my presentation, but by the time the judges (or should I say judge, because pretty much the only one on the panel who asked questions was this one dillard who must have loved the sweet taste of power and took it upon herself to completely commandeer the bench with her just-too-harsh criticisms) began questioning the argument I had developed over the past few months, I shook off the nerves, imagined myself back in the seventh grade, trying to defend some ridiculous position I adopted simply because it was opposite to my friends’ views, and spoke up to protect my side of the case. Of course, I hope my responses were a little more sophisticated than they were back in 1994, or else I may have said something like:

“You say that Mr. Winter’s participation in completing the medical forms gave his wife implied agency?! Well, I say that your participation in questioning my brief gives you implied stupidness!”

I wonder why I didn’t make in onto my Jr. High debate team.

And in other news, I received word that I was not selected to be a Peer Advisor next year. I don’t really care that much, but I do wonder if their may have been a little discriminatory intent behind that decision—or at least some discriminatory effects. I mean, I did some research and no Canadians have served in the Peer Advisor program for at least 2 years! I think this is a direct violation of the equal protection amendment of the constitution (the 14th or 13th or something like that)! That’s right, and because this discrimination is based on race, I demand the strictest of scrutiny to sort this whole mess out. So, those PAs better have a very compelling end to deny me my life liberty or property, and their means better be narrowly tailored to whatever goal they have. All I know is that they better watch out, because Im going to go all Con Law on them, and I have just perfected my litigation strategy (see above). Oh, and just for the record, I don’t think I’ll ask for an injunction; damages will be just fine—about, say $35, 000 or so (what’s tuition next year again?)

So I wont be spending next year reliving my 1L glory days as a PA, (oh, how I miss those times). But I will get to spend my time fulfilling my new position as… drum roll… Health Law Association Co-President! That’s right, after a heated election full of scandals and a little back-stabbing, I emerged as the new (co) leader of the Free World (or at least the portion of the free world that is concerned with health law at UVa Law). So yeah, all you UVa friends, come on out to our Health Law activities—they’ll be health-law-tastic.

UVa the "Coolest" Law School in America? Is It Even a Question

2007-04-14T12:37:00.000-04:00

Although I believe that the habit that many bloggers have of simply repeating what another (much more creative) author has posted is one that should be held as direct evidence of the copiers utter lack of originality and tact, I have decided after an intense wieghing of the pros and cons to point you all in the direction of another blog. But don't worry, it's for a good cause.

The blog, "Above the Law" is holding a march-madness to determine the coolest Law School in the country. Yeah, I know that when you hear that phrase, the image of UVa pops into your head faster than you can say "Pavlov," but I guess some people just want to make t official. So, naturally, UVa is in the finals, so I encourage everyone withing the sight of my words head over and vote.

http://www.abovethelaw.com/2007/04/atl_march_madness_the_champion.php

(Sorry, I can't get the link to work, but you can just double-click the link, copy and then paste in your broser)

I Have Succombed to the Wiley Tempations of the Enemy of all Mankind

2007-04-10T14:56:00.000-04:00

Ok, ok, I am late posting this week, but I have a good excuse: my life has been taken over by an insidious new technological innovation that has captured the heart of many of our unsuspecting youth. This horrible vice I am talking about is Facebook. Yes, I know, on my first post at this address I disavowed myspace as a horrible waste of time and vowed to myself to not spend another minute of my life on such vain pursuits. Yet here I am, mere months later, lured in by the silken cords of myspace’s older and only very slightly more mature, sibling. How did it happen, you ask? Quite unsuspectingly. I actually signed up months ago to check out some pictures that one of my classmates posted of our Halloween costumes. After seeing the pics, I left my membership stagnant until just a couple of days ago when I got an innocuous email from another section-mate, saying that he had added me as a friend on Facebook. Then the very next day, I was IMing with Danny H, and he brought out his Facebook page, so I added him as a friend as well. After this, friend requests started pouring in and I finally succumbed to properly creating my profile, most likely because I was so flattered by this attention I craved more. So now I am hooked—boiled like that frog who is placed in a pot of water whose temperature is unnoticeably increased. I feel so ashamed of myself.

Anyway, if you Facebook, lets be friends!

Other than this, my week has been pretty bland and uneventful. It is getting to the end of the semester, so I have decided to start clocking in longer hours, much to Theresa’s dismay. On the weekend, we headed down to Buena Vista to spend Easter with my Grandparents. So ya, fun. I really can’t think of much more to say… I guess that is what you get when you post out of a feeling of obligation rather than a deep love of the convoluted sentence.

America's Obesity Epidemic Seems More Plausible Now

2007-04-02T10:53:00.000-04:00

This week was a busy one. So busy in fact, that I almost didn’t write a blog post. But I really couldn’t leave all you devoted readers who wait each week for my newest adventure down, so here is a quick rundown of the happenings at UVa, followed by a short filler in order to save this post from complete boringhood.

1. Admitted Students Weekend—Theresa and I had a great time at the BBQ, breakfast and picnic lunch. The way I see it, the weekend was just an opportunity to get some free food. Oh, and we did talk to a couple of potential students about how awesome this school is.

2. Virginia Softball Invitational—I volunteered to be a field marshal, which essentially intailed sitting and watch a couple of games, and calling in the score at the end. We also got to eat pizza at the info meeting and were given free tickets to the BBQ

3. Virginia Society of Law and Technology—presented a speaker who talked about current issues in patenting stem cells. Food was provided.

4. Rex E. Lee Law Society—invited Judge Griffith of the Federal Circuit, a prominent LDS lawyer to address us on the topic of Lawyers and the Atonement. Then we ate Ice Cream

5. Our Con. Law class attended a lecture on Originalism as a Political Practice and (you guessed it) a small reception with refreshments.

6. I applied to be a Peer Advisor, but they didn’t give me any food. One of the questions on the application form was to tell your life story in ½ a page. Well, for someone who has had such and exciting life and tends to craft sentences that sometimes exceeds ½ a page by themselves, this is not such an easy task. But I did manage to jot something down. Here it is:

On a cold and snowy fifth of May in Edmonton, while Mexicans were celebrating their victory in the Battle of Puebla, and my fellow Canadians were wondering why they live in a country that has cold and snowy days in May, I reluctantly entered this world a full two weeks late. I have since discovered reason enough to stay, and have continued here on earth for twenty-four years. During my life, I have had many career goals, which have included, but are not limited to the following: dinosaur hunter, firefighter, cowboy, astronaut, cowboy-astronaut, private eye, wildlife photographer, graphic designer, and Rock Star. Unfortunately, I came to realize I wasn’t nearly strong enough to fight fires and Jack Black’s School of Rock was still a few years away, so I abandoned my childhood ambitions and did what most other students do when they fail to achieve the career of their dreams: I applied to law school. While sitting in my dorm, pouring over practice LSATs and looking across the street at the very hospital where I came kicking and screaming into this world, I realized that my life had not taken me too far from home and decided to study law at the furthest school possible. The University of Southern Florida waitlisted me, so I came to Virginia. I am glad of this decision, though, since it was here where I finally discovered my true calling in life: to be a softball pitcher.

Also, when asked why I wanted to be a Peer Advisor, this was my response:

One of the reasons I want to be a Peer Advisor is to take upon myself the noble calling of helping mold the next generation of great legal minds in this country; so that I can one day read about a newly-appointed Supreme Court Justice and be able to proudly say: “I was her Peer Advisor.” I would probably then say something like, “I remember when Justice So-and-so first came to Virginia Law, she didn’t even know the difference between a Rule 11 Sanction and a 12(b)(6) Motion” at which point my audience, if they were lawyers, would burst out laughing, and if they weren’t lawyers, would role their eyes.

Softball Write-Up For Today:

2007-03-26T14:47:00.000-04:00

Both of my teams' (Section J and RELLS) games today were canceled because our opponents did not have enough to field a team, as was my game tomorrow. May I suggest that you do not register a team unless you have enough members to actually play once an a while.

Me In A Pink Tree

2007-03-26T11:20:00.000-04:00

Me in a pink tree. No explanation needed.

You may have noticed the t-shirt I am wearing. Yes, it does say Westlaw. And yes, this means that just like this year’s Libel Show, I have officially sold out . And do you know what? I doesn’t feel as bad as all those hipsters make it out to be. I mean, while all the cool kids are going out and spending hundreds of dollars to advertise for companies like Lacoste and Abercrombie and Finch, I am advertising for free. It just makes more sense to let the people who benefit from the publicity front the bill. In fact it makes such sense that I, in my usual fashion of taking my arguments to its ultimate and often absurd conclusion, have decided to completely overhaul my entire wardrobe with free clothing. That is right, if your organization is giving out free t-shirts, let me know, and I will gladly pick one up. I already have a good start, what with my ‘Hoo Crew shirt, my Diversity Pledge shirt, Section J’s softball jersey, and that shirt I got for volunteering for the Admitted Students Weekend. The plan is that by the end of my three years here, I will not have a piece of clothing that does not have the words “University of Virginia” on it or otherwise sport that oh-so-fashionable orange V. I don’t think the plan is to far-fetched either, considering how eager groups are here to give me free shirts.

The one disappointing exception was the libel show, which did not provide their volunteer ushers with those red tops that were on display for so long. Instead, they gave us the opportunity to buy the shirts for three dollars. $3? Please don’t insult me. Ok, $3 is pretty cheap, but lets look at the competition: Admitted Students Weekend Volunteers—free shirts, North Grounds Softball Volunteers—free shirts. Sorry Libel Show, nice try.

Speaking of the Libel Show, despite the high price for volunteer shirts, I greatly enjoyed the program. It really was quite funny, and almost met the standard of UVa humor set by this very blog. If I were to award a “Best Actor” award to someone in the cast, I would have to give it to Socially Insensitive Girl: her performance was so convincing, and I felt so akin to that guy who received no call-backs that I actually felt a well of hatred for her boiling up inside of me and I had to consciously remember the mediator’s reminder to not throw things at the stage. Moving. The one complaint I do have (besides the shirts), is that I was really long. Three and a half hours? come on. Oh sure, it was funny, but a skit show that long, much like making an over-inflated double album (a’hem RHCP), is bound to have some filler, such as that Buddhist Biker Bar Song. I mean, I got that The Buddhist Biker is a bar just like “Cheers” in the first 10 seconds. I didn’t need the whole song. Ok, but now I am getting too critical. The Libel Show was great. 4 1/3 stars out of 5.

Juiced v. Ligers, 10-7

2007-03-20T13:29:00.000-04:00

Section J’s second softball game went down today against our Con Law rivals, section I who, in a show of not only terrible spelling, but also the inability to realize that it is no longer 2003, is named the Ligers. Although the Ligers started off strong with four runs in the top of the first, Section Juiced was able to quickly snatch back the lead by the end of the inning. After a few more innings of back and forth runs and an umpire who defended this assertion that even pitches (not mine, of course) that hit our batter were still strikes, Juiced emerged victorious with a final score of 10-7. This win vaulted us into first place (we are the only team in the league who has had 2 games so far). I am also pleased to announce to all of those who think I am merely a defensive player or that pitchers shouldn’t bat, I am still batting 1000.

What Does Mexico Have To Do With My Week?

2007-03-19T10:34:00.000-04:00

Now that the deep and cold winter lassitude has lifted from the slumbering hamlet of Charlottesville, UVa is becoming more and more active. Unfortunately, most of said activity revolved around a group of highly-stressed 1Ls frantically scrambling to get those library printers to create their red title pages so they could finish their brief on time, and in my case, also included this particular 1L frantically scrambling to finish his genetics paper on time—even though, the words ‘highly-stressed’ and ‘frantic’ did not really apply in my case for, I coming from a place where the winter lassitude never lifts, I have developed the ability to adopt a wonderful sense of apathy towards a great many things.

Other activities this week include softball, which I have already mentioned, admitted students weekend, where I got to stand in the rain for an hour at 8:00AM, just so I could tell a couple of misdirected students that, “no, you are not allowed to park in this lot,” and our wards “Many Nations” party, where members all brought food from all over the world and we gathered together to happily gorge ourselves on the tastes of the globe (and gorge ourselves we did). Concerning this last activity, I could not help but be reminded of the last such activity, where I was commissioned by my ward in Edmonton to design and man the Mexican table. Sufficiently nostalgic, I looked back trough the dusty files of my computer and was able to find the poster that I created for that event, which I thought was quite clever. (I pretty much think that everything I write is quite clever—hence this blog) Anyway, I have reproduced it below in Internet form, so that you all can enjoy with me my wit and intelligence:

Fifteen Mexicans You Should Know (In Case You Ever Meet Them)

Name: Quetzalcoatl
AKA: The feathered Serpent
Important Dates: Born, ~947 AD
Is Famous As: the white and bearded God that outlawed human sacrifices, much to the dismay of the Aztec priests who believed that without daily human sacrifices, the sun would go out. Often confused with Spanish conqueror, Hernan Cortés.

Name: Montezuma II
Important Dates: Born, 1466
Is Famous As: the last Aztec emperor. Conquered many rival tribes and had a penchant for looting, taxation and murder in the name of religious sacrifices to his favorite God, Huitzilopochtli. He mistook Cortés to be a God and invited him to stay in his fathers palace. Died of stoning, either by the Spanish or Aztecs (depends who you ask).

Name: Eagle
Important Dates: Founding of Tenochtitlan, 1325; Appears on Flag, 1821
Is Famous For: helping the Aztecs found their city. According to Aztec ledged, the Gods told the people to settle where they see an eagle standing on a cactus eating a snake. Unfortunately, they saw the sign in the middle of a lake, but they built their city (present day Mexico City) anyways.

Name: La Malinche
AKA: La Chingada, but don’t call her (or anyone else) this to her face
Important Dates: Born, 1505
Is Famous As: the native princess who betrayed the Aztecs and joined Cortés, serving as his interpreter and mistress. Is the mother of the first Mexican (born of both Spanish and Native parents). Feel free to call any Mexican who betrays you Malinche to leave a powerful impression.

Name: The Virgin of Guadalupe
Important Dates: Appeared, 1531
Is Famous As: the patron saint of Mexico who represents the blending of Spanish and Aztec cultures. Appeared to the native, Juan Diego and, in an innovative printing technique, used rare Spanish roses to imprint her image onto his poncho, which can still be seen in La Basilica de Guadalupe.

Name: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
Important Dates: Born, 1651
Is Famous As: one of the most important Mexican authors, who composed hundreds of poems, stories and plays. Was a gifted child became a nun because of the limited carriers available for women at the time, but spent her days reading, picking fights with world-famous theologians and generally infuriating her superiors.

Name: Miguel Hidalgo
Important Dates: Began War of Independence, Sept 15, 1810
Is Famous As: the father of Mexican Independence. Called the peasants to arms by ringing his town’s church bell, thereby beginning the long struggle for independence and making the bell a national symbol, (for which Taco Bell is grateful).

Name: Benito Juarez
Important Dates:Elected President, 1858
Is Famous As:the most loved president of Mexico. In an amazing display of progressiveness, Mexico elected Juarez as the first Full-blooded Native President in America. As President he reformed the constitution and defeated the French in the battle of Puebla, which we now celebrate on Cinco de Mayo.

Name: Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
Important Dates: Elected President, 1833, 1841, 1847, 1850 etc…. (total. 11 times)
Is Famous As: the most hated president of Mexico. The villain of the Alamo, the scoundrel who sold over half of Mexico to the USA and an all-around nutcase (for example, he lost his leg in battle and had an elaborate—and expensive—military funeral for it).

Names: Emilano Zapata and Pancho Villa
Important Dates:Mexican Revolution, 1910
Are Famous As: two of the most important Mexican revolutionaries. In the North, Villa lead a poorly equipped army of mercenaries and criminals and in the south, Zapata lead an army of peasants with machetes. Surprisingly, both were defeated, but not before they were able to make a profound impact that led to more peasant-friendly laws.

Names: Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera
Important Dates: famous, ~1920s
Are Famous As: Mexico’s most famous husband and wife artists, although the term “marriage” should be used loosely because both had more affairs than famous paintings. Were quite eccentric and active communists. They hosted Trotsky during his exile and he was killed in their house with an ice pick (presumably imported from Russia).

Name: Subcomadante Marcos
Important Dates: Beginning of EZLN uprising, 1994
Is Famous As:the mysterious spokesperson for the Zapatista National Liberation Army. A masked, pipe-smoking, lyrical, philosophical, web-savvy, post-modern revolutionary who uses more ink than bullets to fight for indigenous rights in southern Mexico, and has recently began publishing children’s books.

Name: Chivas Vs. Club America
Are Famous As: The biggest soccer rivalry this side of the Atlantic. If you thought the Oilers and the Flames were rivals, most games between these competitors usually ended in a riot and at least one death. So next time you’re the lone fan wearing an Oilers Jersey in the Saddledome, be glad you don’t have to be worried about being beaten with a corner flag.

Name: Felipe Calderon
Important Dates: Elected President, 2006
Is Famous As: The current president of Mexico, whose election was so controversial that he was rapidly sworn in while the legislatives were (literally) duking it out in the National Palace. Succeeded President Fox, whose landmark election ended over 70 years of corrupt, single-party rule

Name: Randal Miller
Important Dates: Mission, Mexico City South, 2001-2003
Is Famous As: the creator the Mexican Booth at International Flag Day, 2005. OK, maybe he isn’t actually Mexican, but, aside from being the best looking on this list he’s probably the only one you will actually meet.

Softball's Back

2007-03-15T11:26:00.000-04:00

Spring is in the air. The temperature is rising (to a whole 26 degrees Celsius yesterday), the trees are budding and North Grounds Softball is back. That’s right—its time to dust off the ‘ol Juiced Jersey, import that glove you have been using since little league from Canada, grab a six pack of beverage with whatever alcohol content that you deem appropriate, and head over to Copley Field for some slow-pitching action. I know I’m ready, and have been working on my “Corner Gas” style pitching—especially Brent’s signature pitch: the Fried Green Tornado.

Section Juiced sailed to a comfortable victory over their first opponent of the year, Lobster Clause, a team who, believe it or not, actually drinks more than Section J. I do really have to commend them for their amazing spirit, which even included theme songs for all of their players. I am going to say though, that they should be glad that our team decided not to hang a big K every time I struck one of them out, as they did, or they would have been mighty embarrassed.

Oh, am I every glad that softball is back—it’s like my blog has regained something that it had lost last November. A special piece of its soul nestled close to its heart.

Spring Break!!! Party!!!

2007-03-12T11:07:00.000-04:00

Spring Break, Wooooo!

Time for sun, sand and drunken women mindlessly flashing passerbys, and the occasional cameramen shooting videos that include in their titles the words, ‘girls,’ ‘wild,’ and usually some sort of verb to connect them. So, being the wild type myself, I took my newly arrived wife off in search of topless women, or at least a few skimpy bikinis (and maybe some thongs for the misus). My search lead me to Colonial Williamsburg with my Grandparents, where I was hoping there might be some sort of “Hotties of the Eighteenth Century” colander being shot, but much to my dismay, it turns out that women in the 1700s had a tendency to not flash or wear bikinis, but rather suit up in floor-length dresses and bonnets. Not willing to let this temporary setback deter me, I started throwing beads at suitable patrons, hoping that, although it was neither Tuesday an I am not particularly fat, the ‘ol marti gras trick would be universally recognized enough to secure my desired results in the largest of the thirteenth colony. It isn’t. In a last ditch effort to see some action, I took the lead myself and started flashing tourists at the blacksmith and outside of the wheel maker’s shop, trying to get the ball rolling. Unfortunately, my public display was not well received and I was escorted at the point of a couple of plastic bayonets to the public goals, and tired alongside a suspected witch. The witch was found innocent when she was tossed into nearby lake and sank like a stone, but I found guilty creating a public mischief and indecent exposure of an ankle, wrist or midsection and was sentenced to three weeks in the stocks. Theresa was also found guilty of attempted conspiracy with a captured prisoner. The tale of my escape is a long and adventuresome one, but a magician never reveals his tricks and I will leave this part out of this tale. (And yes to all those who have picked up the references, I have been watching Arrested Development.)

Needless to say, by quest was never accomplished, and I was unable to appear in any videos with either ‘girls’ or ‘wild’ in the title. Some of my other failed attempts this week included trips to the downtown mall art galleries and used bookstores, playing Bocce at McIntire Park, Shopping at Short Pump and Target, hanging various pictures and artwork in our apartment (for some reason, Theresa preferred wedding pictures and framed art to tattered posters of Che Guevara) and Dining at The Cheesecake Factory and that Mexican place that I tried to convince Section J to try a few months ago. (And yes, it is by far the best Mexican food in Charlottesville—it’s called “Aqui Es Mexico” for anyone interested and is kind of tricky to find). Other than these notable bursts of excitement, spring break has been a pretty low-key holiday for the Miller household that involved plenty of lounging and absolutely no journal tryouts. (Why? Because I didn’t want to). As for school, I’m still plugging away. I am happy to announce that my summer plans are no longer a big, scary question mark in my future, for I have been offered a position as a research assistant with Professor Riley, whose research interest is in bioethics—the very field I am most interested in. So I’m very excited about that.

Good night and good luck,
rm

Observations...

2007-02-26T15:04:00.000-05:00

Because Theresa was scheduled to arrive in the Old Dominion last night, I did not plan on writing a blog post today. But since Mother Nature decided to kick me while I’m down with one of those sharply pointed shoes that have been in style (cruel women are always impeccably fashionable) by sending Minneapolis a snowstorm that canceled my wife’s incoming flight, I am spending Sunday morning alone one more time. So, not having thought of a brilliant idea on which to write, I will fly this one like a blind pilot and list five random and completely pointless observations I have made of late:

1. Law School interviews bear an uncanny resemblance to speed dating: I mean, you are forced to sit across the table from a complete stranger for 20 minutes, force out a conversation about the weather, try your best to feign interest in each others hobbies and then hope to get a call in the next few days. (Yes, this observation does mean I have speed dated. No, I did not meet my wife this way. And yes, speed dating is as completely worthless and agonizing as it sounds.)

2. I don’t know if anyone else who aimlessly wanders the dark bowels of the Law School at night (Grogan?) has noticed this before, but one night after my Genetics class finished watching Gattaca, I heard a muffled cheer from a dimly-lit conference room near my locker. Upon investigation, I discovered a surprisingly large number of Law Students huddled around the table playing Magic: The Gathering. Or at least I think they were law students, but judging from the shady nature of the gathering, they just as probably could have been the mole people of Jennifer Toth’s underground cities, come up for a little air. I mean, I didn’t see that club’s table at the activities fair.

3. Our fellow law students are completely wasting that flat panel TV that is set up so enticingly in the library’s group study room. Whenever I walk past the room after staring at my textbooks for hours, I hope to see someone in their basking in the soft glow of daytime programming that I could join for a study break. But alas, the room is always occupied by one or more students quietly studying (an act that could very well be accomplished in a room with no television), the remote control resting unused on the table and that large, beautiful screen completely black.

4. I have noticed with a hint of satisfaction that public washrooms are the great levelers of society. Whether you are the CEO of a fortune 500 company or a humble sewage diver (I recently watched a program on the world’s worst jobs), if you are at the movies and nature calls, you’ve got to use the same dirty crapper as the next guy. Kind of makes you feel nice inside, in a socialist kinda way.

5. At the risk of sounding overly frugal, I would like to point out that there seems to be an awful lot of fundraisers at a school that costs so much I’ve heard rumors that next year’s tuition will include signing away your first born child. $50 for beer pong? You can’t squeeze blood from a stone! But then again, I am probably underestimating the number of students whose Daddy pays for their school, have already made their first million or are already counting on those big paychecks that are dangled in front of us like the dollar on the cover Nirvana’s “Nevermind”. I am especially baffled that UVa Law churns out enough bake sales to fuel an obesity epidemic. I would complement the school on it’s mastery of the domestic arts, but more than half of the products sold come in a package that says “Krispy Kreme,” or “Harris Teater” on the side. I you love your club so much, roll up your sleeves and do a little work—a batch of cookies takes less than 20 minutes to prepare.

6. I hate Con Law. OK, that was six observations, but it had to be said.

Happily Ever After

2007-02-19T10:28:00.000-05:00

It’s Done. Hallelujah.

I’m so happy I could vomit.

Theresa Miller is now officially the proud owner of a shiny new American Immigrant Visa. After months of waiting and the expenditure of more dollars that I like to think about, it is all over. The sad part is that after all that waiting, spending, and more than one harrowing journey across the continent, the entire process culminated in a five minute interview. That’s right, we waited four eight excruciating months and flew through blizzardy torrents over Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, just so Theresa can go sit in a small room for five minutes while a consulate officer quickly skims the documents that cost us our fare share of blood and sweat, more than or fair share of tears (Theresa’s of course, I’m to manly to show that kind of emotion), and perhaps just a milligram of begging in order to give her a little stamp in her passport, send her on her way and call in the next applicant.

Oh well, I am just so overjoyed and relieved that everything went well and our separation is finally behind us, I don’t care how anticlimactic the process was. So, for anyone who was beginning to doubt the American immigration policy that lets thousands of illegal immigrants across its borders every year but strictly forbids entry to a young and harmless girl from visiting her husband simply because she was too honest to lie to the port officer, you can take solace in this outcome. The process does work—kind off.

My immigration problems don’t end her, though, and it looks like my next challenge might be even more difficult than my first. Now I have to put my bureaucrat-fighting skills to work trying to register my car in Virginia. Aye…

Well, I don’t really know what to say now: one of the main topics of my blog is finished and I don’t really have too much more to write. I suppose all of you can get back to checking out all of the other web pages that you brose during class time, whether it’s CNN, the Onion, Pitchfork Media (my personal favorite) or, in Sam’s case, other sites that I will not mention because my family reads this blog. Or should I say my family used to read this blog, since “Adventures in a Strange and Distant Land” has officially come to a close.

Yes, of course I am joking. Someone who thinks so highly of his wit and ingenious sentence structuring would defiantly not stop posting on his blog simply because he has absolutely nothing more to say.

Especially when he had nothing to say to begin with.

See you soon

A Guest Blogger Means You Don't Have to Listen to Me (as much)

2007-02-13T14:44:00.000-05:00

You can tell it’s Valentines when just about every organization in the western world either sells roses, candy-grams (or any other kind of love-themed gram), or allow computers to take the jobs of well-meaning aunts everywhere and attempt to match you up with your perfect mate. (I personally didn’t participate in this last activity, for ever since that year where I was accidentally listed as a girl I haven’t trusted my intimate details to a scan-tron). In truth, though, I have never really treated February fourteenth to be any different from the thirteenth, or the twelfth. That is, until now.

This Valentines Day, I have opened my blog to a special guest author. Hot of the presses and more anticipated then The Arcade Fire’s next album, I am proud to present the sequel to Bailey Miller’s highly successful book “All About Love,” which delighted readers worldwide and inspired a film by the same name (this being a documentary made by your own humble author for his wedding reception). For those of you who aren’t well enough read to recognize this work, I have reproduced it in its entirety below:

All About Love:
By Bailey, Illustrated by Bailey

Some people are in love. My brother is in love
Don’t forget love; you can never forget love
Wow! Being in love is hard. Yes, it is hard
Even getting married, buying all those things
I like food. Food is yummy
Food is Important; you can never forget food
Mmm, carrots
Can love be in the sea? No
In the park? No
Ring Pop
Whatever your name is, you will always get married
Yes! They kissed! The End. Kiss!

And now, part two:

All About Love: Version 2
Writing by: Bailey Miller

Once upon a time, there was two people named Randy and Theresa. They Lived in a Castle

Family

Wow! Wrong story
[This is a joke: Bailey tricked us by making us think that she was going to write a story about Theresa and I having a baby. A situation which will not be occurring any time soon, I can assure you. For one thing, I think that the couple actually has to be in the same country to have a baby together]

Love is love and you respect it! Now, love is when two people fall in LOVE

Kids can't fall in love! They're not old enough!

A message from the government of Canada: Canada Rocks!

About the author: she is seven years old. She has four siblings

To end, I just want to say to my dear and sweet wife, Theresa: I love you.

That is all

Dia De Juicio

2007-02-12T15:14:00.000-05:00

February marches on, Feb Club marches on, firm receptions marches on, and my continual streak of unending work marches on. I am not complaining, though, because this semester’s schedule is a carefully orchestrated plan designed to get all my work out of the way before my dear sweat wife makes her triumphant return to the US of A in a week or so in her most daring mission to date American Eagle II: Judgment Day (or AE:II, for those of you who prefer speaking in the often confusing language of acronyms). This hastily created and entirely unimagitive title, which sounds like the name of a horrible Hollywood sequel, refers to Theresa’s Visa interview that is scheduled this very Thursday. The preparations are (barely) complete, and our stalwart heroine is ready to make the cross-country flight to Montreal (where the only consulate that processes immigrant visas is located), stay overnight, brave the mean streets of Canada’s second-largest and first-most-hip city, and face down the consulate officer in a battle of the wits (only to have to fly all the way home because of the office’s strict policy of mailing the Visa to one’s home). Everyone wish her luck, although our case is straightforward enough that there should be no problem securing her permanent residency.

As for me, and returning to my previously mentioned semester plan, Thursday just happens to be the very last day of my rewarding yet arduous Genetics and the Law course, and on Friday the bulk of this semester’s only Legal Research and Writing assignment is due, leaving me with a much reduced course-load for the half of the semester that Theresa will actually be here for. The bonus, if anything is needed to sweeten the pot, is that I will only have three, count ‘em, three exams this term. So, to recap: now I have an above average workload and a markedly below average love life—soon I’ll have a below-average workload and a markedly above average love life. A pretty good setup if you ask me.

This weekend was particularly busy since I decided to participate in the Dillard Fellow (read: Legal Research and Writing Teacher Assistant) tryouts, which consisted of editing a student memo that was so incredibly badly written that I am sure that if the author was an actual student, he would have had to have used some extremely sophisticated method to hack in to LSAC and change his grades enough to get himself accepted into any law school, let alone UVa. The tryout also required a statement of intent. Below is reprinted an portion of my actual statement:

“I am a grammar geek. I have a favorite punctuation mark: it’s the full colon. I can spot a comma splice from fifty yards away. My pet peeve is people who say “quote” when they really mean “quotation.” I attempt to write 500 word sentences—grammatically correct ones, of course—just for fun. I have a special green pen that I use exclusively for editing (red sends too much of a negative message). I formatted my blog’s softball write-up like a legal memo. And I would love to be a Dillard Fellow. I have wanted to be one since my first day of Legal Research and Writing, and I truly hope that I am offered the position.”

Comments

2007-02-08T10:39:00.000-05:00

I have changed the settings so that anyone can post comments, regardless of whether or not you have a blogspot account, and I encourage all to do so, partly so that you can voice your own two cents, but mostly to feed my own self-aggrandizing sense of self-worth that is so caught up in other peoples opinions that if I don't get any feedback, I just might end up with a serious eating disorder--I haven't decided which one yet, but I'm currently leaning towards hyperphagia.

West Coast Boyz! (Or East if you so desire)

2007-02-08T10:32:00.000-05:00

VRS

I might just be another one of those nutcase conspiracy theorists who come up with crazy ideas like that George W. was elected by a secret plan laid out by the ultra-conservative cheese lobby (we don’t want France’s namby-pamby gourmet cheeses forcing hearty Wisconsin cheese out of the market, do we?), but I think I smell another East-Coast, West Coast gang war in the music industry. Only this time, its not going to be competing rap labels who will be popping caps at each other, but rather those art-schooling, clarenet-playing indie-rockers who will be involved in this decades turf wars—and not just any indie rockers, Canadian indie rockers.

That’s right. Over the past few years, I have been studying the patterns closely and have come to realize that the Canadian indie rock scene is sharply divided into two main camps, roughly divided by their latitudes. These factions involve bands that intermingle frequently, forming new bands together and collaborating on albums, but rarely, if ever does a band member from one coast play together with a member from the other. This, in my humble opinion is a recipe for an eventual turf war that has the potential to leave Canada without many of its most prized musicians (no, not Avril Lavige).

So who are in these gangs? Well, the head of the East Coast is none other than Broken Social Scene. I mean, when there are 20+ members in a rock band, you know there is going to be trouble. Other affiliated groups include, to name a few: Feist, Metric, Apostle of Hustle, Do Make Say Think, Valley of the Giants, Stars, Emily Haines, Memphis, The Most Serene Republic, Jason Collet, Amy Milan and The Dears. Notice how members of these bands seem to intermingle. Yet, have you ever heard of Amy Milan play with The New Pornographers, who just happen to be the ringleaders of her West Coast rivals? Oh no, the New Pornos are too busy gallivanting about with the likes of Destroyer, Neko Case, Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes, Sunset Rubdown, Hot Hot Heat, Swan Lake, Bell Orchastre, and The Arcade Fire. Again, these bands intermingle and have a sound quite distinct from the East’s social scene.

Now, it’s possible that these two factions will learn to co-exist peacefully, but I’m willing to bet if the Pornos ever walks out of a Vancouver bar late at night and sees Kevin Drew (of BSS) hangin’ in their turf, there is going to be some major violence erupting, indie-rock style.

Oh, and if anyone cares about my two cents, I’d put my money on Broken Social Scene emerging victorious, mostly because of their seemingly infinite line-up, but also because I think Emily Haines will be two much for the Pornos to handle. Sorry guys.

Let a Geneticist Into Your Genes

2007-02-05T11:46:00.000-05:00

As I lay in my bed after church attempting to have a short nap, which despite my great fatigue was ultimately a failed endeavor, I pondered on what glimpse I might provide into my increasingly uneventful stint in the Old Dominion, I realized that I effectively have no life. The thing is, I cannot complain too much about my sad state of affairs because, in the immortal words of Radiohead: “[I] do it to [my]self, [I] do. That’s what really hurts. [I] do it to [my]self, just [me], [me] and no one else.”

But how has this happened? I’m pretty hip, right? I could get some (strictly platonic) action, couldn’t I? The answer, my friends, is yes—yes I could. However, last fall, I was tempted by that wily short-term class devil, who lured me into its grasp with a light end to the semester and no exam, only to bind me with the silken cords of an extremely arduous schedule with classes that begin on most days at 9:00 AM and end on all days at 6:15 from Jan 22 until Feb 15, which unfortunately for me, is the exact time period that I am currently experiencing. This means that while my section-mates are wining and dining at law firm receptions and preparing for one of the daily Feb-club parties, this humble protagonist is either still in class or trying to tame the mountain of reading that has accumulated the first couple of weeks this semester.

The redeeming virtue of my short-term course, and I really mean redemption because it is easily my favorite law school class, is that this short-term course is “Genetics and the Law,” which just happens to be the very subject I spent four of my best years studying (well, minus the ‘and the law’ part). So, after too many long weeks of contracts and …shudder… Civ Pro that made me reexamine my reasons for packing up and traveling all this way to study law in the first place, I now feel like I’m back in the good ‘ol gene-splicin, chromosome isolatin’ and florescent in-situ hybridizin’ days of degrees past. Ok, to be honest, the only thing that my class has isolated is ourselves for a couple of hours each day. But the point is that we’re busy discussing the latest genetic issues, from genetic discrimination to non-medical sex selection to pre-marital screening. So, if anyone out there is thinking of marriage (or are just worried that their not-always-platonic Feb-club antics might catch up with them) and is wondering if they and their partner are genetically compatible, give me a shout, and I’ll be sure to help you out. Or, at least engage you in an intellectually stimulating and rousing debate about the ethical and legal implications of discovering said compatibility.

And if Section J ever manages to set up a mixer with UVa’s genetics students and are wanting to do a little non-medical sex selection of their own, I suggest they try this pick-up line, (compliments of Train): “If I were an enzyme, I’d be an alpha-helicase, so I could unzip your genes.” (You see, in order for DNA to undergo its usual semi-conservative replication cycle, the double helix must first be denatured and the phosfodiester bonds between adenine and thymine, as well as cytosine and guanine, must be decoupled in order for the DNA polymerase II to attach and initiate the 5’ to 3’strand elongation that ultimately results in the complete synthesis of an new but identical DNA molecule. Alpha-helicase is the enzyme that provides this essential function, so although it is not the most accurate way of phrasing it, it not incorrect to say that the enzyme performs the above-mentioned “unzipping” of a person’s genes.)

Blog Securty Update: Orange Alert!

2007-01-31T16:30:00.000-05:00

We have a situation on our hands of paramount importance. My brand new UVa Law hoodie, which was generously given to me by my loving wife for Christmas, has been viciously kidnapped and put up for ransom by freedom-hating terrorists. Judging by the culprit’s flagrant disrespect for the unalienable rights of private property, I have concluded that this crime must have been committed by radical, pinko-commie Canadians.

I’d like to take this opportunity to publicly decry this outrage and emphatically state the “We Will Not Negotiate With Terrorists!”

My Triumphant Return to the Hallowed Halls of Virginia’s Most Prestigious Educational Institution

2007-01-28T15:46:00.000-05:00

It seems like just last week that I was basking in the warm Edmonton sun with nothing better to do than to enjoy the freedom from any kind of deadline or obligation that vacations are designed to provide. But alas, since then I have been caught up in a such a large whirlwind of school and job searching that I almost expected to see a the Wicked Witch of the East fly by, laughing that distinctive cackle that further reminds me that I am definitely not in Alberta anymore. However, the fresh blanket of snow that greeted me when I awoke at 2:00PM, in Charlottesville for the first time since December, I almost was able to convince myself that that entire previous day of traveling was but a dream—that I was alone in my admittedly comfortable bed quickly dispelled that illusion. With my wife once again a continent away, it was August 2006 all over, except, of course for the aforementioned snow, the furniture in my apartment that allowed me to spend the night in a bed instead of on the floor, and the previously alluded to fact that, unlike the first semester, UVa Law did not feel it appropriate to ease us back into the swing of things and, at least in my case, scheduled four classes for that Monday, none of which had I completed the first days reading assignment.

The area’s law firms joined the school in thinking that the returning 1Ls are all well-enough aware of the comings and goings of law school life that they do not need any adjustment time, and scheduled receptions starting on Tuesday. These receptions are basically opportunities for us future lawyers to acquaint ourselves with our future career possibilities, but in my humble opinion, their real purpose is nothing more than an opportunity to eat hors d'oeuvres and, if its your thing, drink free alcohol. I mean, there is so much sucking up at those receptions it reminded my of the time when my sister thought it would be a nice gesture to my mother to invite in a vacuum salesman who promised to clean our living room carpet; and like that day, I imagine that some of the firm lawyers who were at the receptions would have like to have exercised the same tacit to avoid the various brown-nosing 1Ls who perfected their gunning skills last fall that my parents did to avoid the salesman: hiding in their rooms. In short, the student to lawyer ratio was so high that I doubt that any hiring partner will remember any potential employee enough to influence their decisions in the slightest. The evenings weren’t a total loss, though: there was food, and at one I even picked up one of those cool highlighters that have built-in sticky tabs. Oh boy, I can’t wait to start outlining now!

The other firm even that I was able to participate in was the mock interview program that took place on Friday. Now that 30 minutes or so was not a complete an utter waste of time and resources. I had an interview with Kennedy Covington, and had spent the previous night perfecting answers to questions I expected to receive, such as “What assists do you think you will bring to this firm” or “So, why do you think you want to work in North Carolina” (which was a little harder question to come up with a convincing answer considering I don’t want to work in North Carolina). However, none of my carefully prepared responses turned out to be of any use, since we ended up spending almost our entire time together discussing Alberta weather, last year’s Stanley Cup final when the beloved Edmonton Oilers took on the heartless Carolina Hurricanes, and my preference to Macs over PCs. The fact that employers are more concerned with how well a student will fit in to their firm that their qualifications just showed me that Haines was right all along: First Year Associates are just fungible billing units. I’m glad I’ve chosen a profession that will value my skills so much.

My Impending Death on the Banks of Lake Michigan

2007-01-22T15:29:00.000-05:00

Here I am, back to where I never thought I would go again. I am not talking about my delayed return to Charlottesville, although our month-long break is roughly twice as long as my usual holiday and just long enough to forget that I am in law school and begin to believe that my real calling in life is to sleep in until 11:00 every morning, waste the day and finish the nights hanging at my friends’ (who, by the way, have been back in school since the 8th) house reliving past activities such as attempting to create a tin-can telephone between 2nd and 13th floor apartments and contaminating my water with centerpiece candle-oil at Julio’s Mexican restaurant. No, being 6:00 PM after spending since 5:30 AM in airport after airport, I wish I was back home at the ‘ol UVa.

But, since traveling in airports is such a boring subject, let us change it to something a little more uplifting: irrational fears. Everyone is afraid of something, I’m sure. Sorry, all you macho guys who claim immunity, I’m not buying the act—there has to be something that sends chills up your spine, be it spiders or heights, or just committing to that girl you have been seeing for a while but you haven’t even been able to muster enough courage to take the next step. My fear, which is, in fact, entirely rational and fully explains this post’s opening sentence, is Chicago Illinois. That’s right I am afraid of Chicago, the very city where I sit right now, typing this message and nervously shifting my eyes back and forth in search of trouble because being in a metropolis such as this, you can never be too weary.

This fear of Chicago started not to long ago actually, but has since taken control of my life to such a degree that I have had (and this is complexly true and factual) had nightmares of the dreaded monster of concrete and people, millions and millions of people, crawling up and down the walls and hiding out in thousands of cars trucks and SUVs that inhabit its vein-like freeway system. I take you back now to August 2006, when I had just unexpectedly left my bride of a mere three months at border-post in Montana and traveled halfway across the country in Fanny, my amazingly reliable Ford Escort. I arrived in Chicago at about 10 AM with high hopes and Sufjan Steven’s anthem of the city playfully streaming out of Fanny’s speakers. I traveled without incident when it happened: the mother of all parking-lot style grid-locks loamed behind me as far as the eye could see and quickly expanded for miles behind Fanny and I. Now, being the stalwart adventurer that I am, I didn’t panic—at least not for the first couple of hours that I used to travel 10 miles or so. No no, the panic didn’t set in until the low fuel light came on. I had never before tested the low-fuel light, but luckily it lasted the 20 minutes or so that it took to reach the next available off-ramp (Fanny saves the day again), which I excitedly took and ended up leading straight into what I will describe simple as ‘the ghetto.’ And I’m not talking about the "oh, Garneu Towers’ old stoves are so ghetto," but the actual get shot in the back because someone doesn’t like your brand of tennis shoe (or, perhaps more likely, because he particularly likes your shoes) ghetto, where I had to pre-pay for my gas to a gruff-looking attendant seated behind what I could only assume was bullet-proof glass. Fortunately for all, I was able hastily completely re-route my cross-country odyssey an escape from that horrible, horrible city (after a few more hours of adventure in its never-ending suburbs with a full tank of gas and all limbs attached.

Ever since that day, I have been terrified of Chicago, yet here I am, back in that death-trap of a town, listening to the PA system warn us of the airport’s “orange alert” and anxiously awaiting my delayed (surprise, surprise) flight that will carry me safely away from almost certain death. Aghh, does that old woman have a gun!

Oh wait; it’s just an apple.

Finally, Some Good News

2007-01-14T18:19:00.000-05:00

The day that everyone has been waiting for with baited breath and sweaty hands has finally arrived. Well, not exactly arrived, but actually has a date to attach to it. Yes, I am pleased to announce that my wife finally has a Visa interview date: As of Feb. 15 (and barring some unforeseen circumstances), Theresa will be a permanent resident of the United States, much to everyone’s relief.

Words to Live By

2007-01-13T19:03:00.000-05:00

You would probably think that since I am currently enjoying a long Christmas break, I would have nothing better to do and update my blog pretty regularly, but the thing about having nothing to do is that there is nothing really exciting to talk about. This being my immediate predicament, I first thought that I would make up an exciting story about fighting off terrorists in downtown Edmonton, but realized that since there aren’t really any terrorists in Alberta, no one would believe it. Instead, because it is the start of a new year and time for resolutions and such, I will take this time to expound on some of the wisdom that I have learned over the past twelve months. So, I’ve got out my soup box and am perched precariously atop of it and my oversized ego, ready to dole out some good ‘ol fashion learnin:

First off, vacationing in Edmonton during January is not a very good idea, unless you are an inuit who is used to living in a house made of ice, in which case Edmonton might seem to you like a tropical hot spot. For anyone else foolhardy enough to choose this particular city as your next winter getaway, be prepared for a winter blast of -30 degree weather (which, for those of you who think that because I always report my temperatures in Celsius this is not as cold as it seems, coverts to -22 degrees Fahrenheit). I was able to sneak away on one of the warmer days to take in a day of snowboarding and otherwise spend my time in the worlds biggest mall (sorry all you American patriots who think the Mall of America is the biggest, but we hold the Guinness record).

Next, if you are flying out of Dulles airport on the Friday before Christmas, make sure you arrive at least 3 hours early. Either that or cut in front of the entire line like I did.

During my stay in the US of A, I have learned (or rather reaffirmed my previous knowledge) that Americans, not matter what age, race or station in life, love to make fun of Canadians, and, to accomplish this task, have only about 3 jokes to use. So, as a word of advice to all those who think they are Dan Akroyds or Jim Carrys: I’ve heard it all before. Now, I’m not trying to be all whiney because I really don’t care what anyone says about my home and native land, and to prove there are no hard feelings, I will provide to anyone who wishes to continue the Canadian merry-making a short list of potential jokes to keep you going: hockey, the metric system, “Zed”, beer, the loonie, igloos, Mounties, doughnuts, maple syrup, “toques”, Celine Dion, Zambonis, curling, monopoly money, snow, “hoser”, Wayne Gretzky, Marijuana, homosexual marriage, “Eh”, small military, universal health care, no guns, better and cheaper education, clear air, lower crime rate, and top 3 rank on the UN’s ‘Best countries to live in’ list. Oh wait, were there some good things on this list? I guess I forgot what I was writing about.

Speaking of Canada, I wouldn’t be much of an indie rock fan if I did not use my advice post to recommend looking out for the new Arcade Fire Album due out in March. And, by the way, I’m sure all of you other indie-rockers out there will be happy to know that I have finally kicked my nasty little “Dashboard Confessional” habit once and for all. It happened all of a sudden too: one day I was listening to my iPod on random and this Dashboard song came on. Well, about half-way through the song, when Dashboard was taking what seemed like an eternity to singabout which shirt to wear on a date that I just felt like yelling: “Stop your incessant whining, you namby-pamby baby!” And that is when I realized that my disdain for emo is finally total, much to my relief. So, with my newly aquired rise in hipster status, I will attempt to play the part of a music blogger just a little an recommend an album that I think is quite something and am quite sure that most readers have not heard. “Phages,” by The Most Serene Republic is a limited edition EP available on iTunes, emusic and the Arts and Crafts website that is a light and Jazzy indie-rock gem.

Do not try to take any shortcuts while walking in Charlottesville. The last time I tried to cut across the field to get from the law school to the post office in Barracks, I ended up half-jumping-half-falling at least 12 feet down a cliff through thorny bushes and ending up in the UVa bus depot, where I had to descretely brush myself off and pretend that I actually had a purpose in the lot while mechanics were probably laughing under their breath. The good news is that my shins were the only things cut—I probably saved about 3 minutes or so in traveling time.

As for advice pertaining to other forms of travel in Charlottesville, ie driving: just say no. Charlottesville is a small town with big city traffic (plus a police force that is more oversized than Morgan Spurlock after a month at McDonalds, and whose sole purpose seems to be closing the exact roads that you need to use to get home).

Tim Horton’s is a Canadian Gem (which luckily has recently expanded into the USA): I just haven’t found an Apple Fritter in Virginia to match one of Timmy H’s. Old Dutch Jalepeno Chedder Potato chips are another. Sorry Utz, you may have been voted best chip in 1993, but you cant really match the power of the Dutch Crunch.

Now that the whole “I’m LDS” thing is out of the bag, I am in a good position to give this advice that I learned when my friend and his girlfriend came to Charlottesville for a visit; it would be useful for anyone who is having LDS guests over (who are not married). As I’m sure everyone knows, our church believes it is important to remain pure before marriage, so certain steps must be taken when traveling with your girlfriend (or boyfriend). As far as I can tell, these are a few guidelines that I thought were pretty arbitrary, but that Theresa seemed to believe were obvious enough that it was almost laughable and certainly disappointing that I was not already aware of them (and I remind everyone that these ‘rules’ are just a set of observation and in no way reflect official church policy, but may serve as an interesting insight): first off, girlfriends are not supposed to stay in the same house as you when you are visiting your friend who is also single. This means that if you are visiting said friend with your girlfriend, it is customary to find your girlfriend another place to stay, usually one of your friend’s female friends. This was the situation Theresa and I were in when we visited her sister in Calgary to go to a Stars concert. This rule apparently does not apply when the friend you are visiting is married (although separate rooms are still a must). This was the case when my friend, Danny H, visited me. So, as Theresa explained (on the phone), even though I was living by myself AND am younger and much less mature than Theresa’s sister, the same-house-but-different-room sleeping arrangement was acceptable. So, that’s it: if your LDS friend is coming for a visit, follow these guidelines and no one will be offended.

And on that enlightening thought, we will end for today. Don’t worry, I have much more advice to give, but we’ll have to save it for another post.

The Year is Dying, Let It Die!

2007-01-02T01:11:00.000-05:00

Now that I am a family man and all, I have picked up the long standing tradition of composing a Christmas letter. Below I present the Miller Family's Christmas Greeting:

To our dearest friends and loving family,

At the dawn of this year, the two thousand and sixth of our Lord, the Randal and Theresa Miller family was yet to be formed. Sure, they had spent the better part of the previous year blissfully enjoying their courtship, and the ring-watchers had had their sights set on Theresa’s left hand for at least 11 months, but as of January, the couple had not formalized their marriage plans with an official engagement. During this first month, Randy’s arms were practically overflowing with his many Law School applications, and Theresa spent her time fretting more about whether her seemingly dead-beat boyfriend will ever muster up enough courage to finally ask for her hand in marriage than completing her full course-load at Grant MacEwan.

Unbeknownst to Theresa, Randy’s engagement plans were already in there final stages as February opened, and on the first Monday of the month, Theresa received a small note under her door that began a week-long scavenger hunt with the reported goal of asking her to the big sweethearts dance. The hunt sent Theresa on a whirlwind review of their relationship, as each note lead to a different location around Edmonton where she and Randy had shared a significant memory. The trip ended in Hawrelak park, with Randy not only asking Theresa to accompany him to the dance, but to accompany him throughout eternity.

In the next few months, Randy and Theresa hurriedly prepared for their forthcoming nuptials and were able to spend a wintery weekend in Whitefish with Theresa’s family, where hearts were knit and bottoms were bruised (on the ski-hill, of course). They also made the decision to spend their next three years at the University of Virginia School of Law, although they had to consult an atlas to discover where their new home would be.

Not wanting to end his single days quietly, Randy and his roommates escaped to Mexico for a seven-day bachelor celebration in late April. After he returned, on the thirteenth of May, the long-awaited wedding occurred, with Theresa and Randy exchanging sacred vows in the Alberta Temple. Following a family brunch at the Cobblestone Manner and a Calling reception in Taber, the newlyweds hopped a plane to Victoria to begin their eternal voyage among the lush foliage of Vancouver Island. After six days of kayaking, sightseeing and fine dining, the couple returned to Edmonton for a second reception and to begin their married life.

June was a month of long workdays, but the new family was not one to stay in a single city for too long. On Sonic 102.9’s illustrious traveling game show, “What’s In The Van Man?” Randy won a trip for two to Vancouver, and for a few days in July, he and his wife took in the sights and sounds of the harbor city. After this trip, however, they did not return home; instead, they traveled straight to Meadow Lake, Montana to spend a week with Randy’s family. That was the end of their fun.

August was Randy and Theresa’s big move—or should that be Randy’s big move. Because Theresa was waiting for her Visa and despite the couple’s valiant efforts from almost the moment they were wed, the new bride was barred entry into the USA, leaving Randy to travel to Virginia and make a home for himself alone. This was the twilight of their year and tears were shed on both sides of the 49th parallel. For three long months, the couple’s only communication was distant telephone conversations and one brief visit at Thanksgiving. Fortunately, The University of Virginia is a great school, so Randy was able to effectively fill his days with both legal studies and social gatherings that, more often than not, involved softball and/or much drinking (by his classmates). Theresa worked at Boston Pizza. Finally in November, the last piece of the new family’s life became realigned when Theresa made a daring (yet legal) run for the border and was able to satisfy the port official enough to join her anxious hubby in Charlottesville, proving once and for all, that Virginia truly is for lovers.

So, this tale ends happily for all. Although Theresa is still waiting for her immigrant visa, the couple is together and enjoying Virginia’s mild winter. This was truly a momentous year for us, full of great change, good times, a few hard times, but overall, much jubilation. We hope that 2006 treated you as well as it did us. Happy Christmas.

Fondly,
The Millers

1L Finals: Part 2

2006-12-29T16:42:00.000-05:00

The funny thing about blogs, besides the hilarious content, is that new posts always come before older ones, so when there is a two-part entry, such as this very post, the second part is above the first. So if you’ve missed the fist part, see below. This second entry is coming to you from the Valgardson farm in Taber Alberta, where I’ve traded in my casebooks for a hammer and screwdriver (which I am using to help build a garage) and have to drive into town in an old 1970’s Ford truck and connect to the internet in the Super 8 parking lot in order to post on my blog.

First off, I’d like to wish everyone a very merry Boxing day, which, since its main purpose is shopping and because of my recent move to the mother of all capitalist countries, has become my new favorite holiday. Also, in reference to the first part of this entry, I would like to make clear that Theresa bringing my hot chocolate is not evidence that she is my slave (since I didn’t even ask her to do it), but was merely a kind gesture by a loving wife who was passing the school on her way home from a shopping trip. But as we all know, my blog isn’t about love and fun times, but strictly about business, so lets get back to the topic of exams.

So, after all of our pep talks and hours of studying, the big week finally arrived. Law school exams are much different from my undergrad experience, which is defined by gymnasiums filled with row upon rows of desks and mediators who walk up and down the isles between the desks to make sure that not one eye wanders or one word is spoken. UVa Law’s exams are taken on the computer and may be completed in any of a number of rooms, none of which are supervised in any way. This mean there are about 739 ways that a student could cheat, from talking to IMing to internet searching to spending submission time to work on answers, but because lawyers are known for their integrity (and perhaps a little bit because the only punishment for any honor code violation is expulsion), none of these possible cheating methods are ever employed by first year law students.

Our first exam was Criminal Law, which was taught during the semester by Dean Jefferies, whose dry humor and passionate outbursts in opposition to unjust laws that often resulted in a raised voice and blackboard pounding made for a very entertaining and informative semester. The highlight of this exam was the students who, in response to Dean Jefferies’ revelation of his law student habit of dressing up for exams because it made him feel more intelligent, came to this exam wearing a shirt and tie. Now they may have dressed in this fashion because they really did believe it made them smarter, but if you ask me, this was just another stunt in a long line of acts that reveal their addition to brown-nosing that is so prevalent that the school’s blind grading policy and professors’ custom of not attending their own exams did not even convince them of the futility of their actions enough to override their innate tendencies to do every little thing they could imagine to try and raise their grade a few fractions of a point.

Next up: Contracts. Overall, Hynes was a good professor who, although he has the tendency to accidentally convey that he does not love his daughter or make other verbal slip-ups, did teach us a virtual tanker-load of contracts law and was able to successfully elevate Section J’s revelry with Section C. On thing Hynes could work a little on is estimating how many thousands of words the type A personalities who usually attend law school will typically write in response to his fact patterns; for example, on the test that he designed to be three hours took the entire four that he allowed, without any time to spare, making contracts the marathon of our finals.

Cival Procedure was our third exam. I particularly enjoyed that, by making one of his fact patterns about a failed Rock star that turned to law school, Garrett effectively wrote an exam about himself.

Last of all was Torts. At the beginning of this exam, Professor Armacost informed us that she tired to write the test so it will be fun for us to write. It is nice that she had such good intentions, but I think it is a little naïve to believe that a group of highly stressed 1Ls at the end of a long exam period would describe any kind of test with any adjective that could be remotely considered a synonym of ‘fun.’ The closest thing that I have ever experienced to a fun exam was a genetics test I wrote a few years ago that had a Lord of the Rings Theme, complete with pictures and questions that asked us to outline the genetic pedigree of Hobbits and help Sauron selectively breed a new species of poisonous berries (I am not making this up). Unfortunately, or Torts exam replaced the dwarfs and wizards of my collage days with mauling tigers and negligent doctors, which made the test more ordinary than I hoped. Hopfully, I was able to remember enough magic language to come out with a half-decent grade in that class.

So that’s that. I successfully navigated the mine-field that is first year law exams. Now all I have to do is sit around and wait for three months before I official receive a transcript full of B+s.

1L Finals: The Greatest Show On Earth

2006-12-23T18:50:00.000-05:00

So, as some of my esteemed colleagues in Section J may recall, UVa Law class of 2009 has just competed its first round of final exams, which means, of course, that we can all come out of the library, rub off our eyes that have probably been damaged beyond repair from countless hours staring at their computer screens son intently one might thing that our laptops were dispensing some sort of life-saving safety tips during an airplane crash landing, and step outside into the December sun to realize that yes, even though Christmas is only 3 days away, it is still t-shirt and short weather—or as some of our more pretentious classmates might say, its more like remove your suit jacket and sport the white-shirt-and-tie look that professor Haynes has made so fashionable. Oh yes, now that exams are over, it feels so good to be able to stop trying to write legibly and go back to what I love most: one hundred and thirty-four (that, and writing out numbers long hand so that I can feel intelligent). So, because I’m sure that most of Section J have already just about finished repressing their memories of these past horrifying weeks, I decided to take a few minutes to remind us all just what exactly the end of a fist semester at law school is like in order ensure that my section-mates don’t suffer any pent-up rage that will probably burst forth in a number of years time when we all remember what we were put through and sent at least two or three of us on a murderous rampage (I’ll let you decide who).

First Memory: Kraus’ rousing pre-exam pep talk, where he recounted a story of those lazy ‘ol 3Ls who already have their job lined up, slack off during the year and still get a higher grade than that poor 1L, with her 128 page, color coated, tabbed, alphabetized, cross-referenced, indexed, categorized, cross-categorized, embossed (just in case they loose their sight during the test) and compartmentalized outline. The speech was quite inspiring, especially the way he emphasized the difficulty of the exams enough to put the fear of God, or at least recruiting attorneys, into all of us peons until he could feel the exact moment the stress level in the room slipped out of orange status into the zone where it becomes “more probable than not” that someone will collapse onto the floor in the fetal position, sucking his thumb and whimpering, and then alleviate all of our collective worries by assuring us that grades really don’t matter and, most amazingly of all, actually convincing us of that fact. Yes, the speech was good, but really, the most salient thing I took from the talk was that I can’t wait until I’m a 3L: looking back at my collage carrier, I think I was born for it.

I quite enjoyed both of our final legal research and writing classes, where in the first, Section J competed in true capitalistic style for fabulous prizes by beating the rest of the class at finding relevant cases. Considering that before this class, I didn’t even know what the “within 40 words” feature was, I was as surprised as anyone (if not more so) that my teammate Liz and I were able to snag a nifty, old-fashion outlining kit, complete with encouraging stickers that Liz thoroughly enjoyed and I finally found a use for as a way for Theresa and I to keep track of our scrabble victories (that’s right, I’m a geek). Right now, Theresa is up 3 to 1 (unfortunately, it seems like I’m not even a very intelligent geek). The very last class was just an excuse to eat pizza, which I really think we should find more of at UVa.

Despite all of the vicious emails that were floating around because of the parking snafu that arose out of the Circus’ unannounced and unexpected arrival in the Law School’s parking lot during the beginning of exam season, I believe that the whole affair was a large conspiracy to give fretting first years a chance to realize what a horrible mistake they made when they decided they might enjoy becoming a lawyer and join the noble carnie profession. That’s right, I believe the Law School administration was giving us the opportunity to run of and join the circus. I for one, decided to capitalize on this once-in-a-lifetime chance, and figured I could do something like tame the lion or be shot out of a cannon or something like that. So, I marched my way down to the blue lot, asked the bearded lady for directions, knocked on the door of the ring-leader’s trailer, and handed a copy of my resume to Wolf-boy, who apparently double as a secretary. Later that day I receive this reply: “Thank you for your interest in the Big Top Circus. You have an impressive resume and are to be congratulated on your hard work. However, we are not in a position to enter into employment discussions with you at the present time. I would encourage you to reapply in the fall of 2007 for a 2L position.”

You may or may not believe this next statement, but not once did I see a single undergrad in the library during the admittedly few hours I used the area for my scholarly pursuits (I mostly studied at home), but did on occasion politely overhear a conversation or two about how some Law students believe that their study time might be more effective if such students refrained from using our pristine faculty, and conducted their business in spaces dedicated to their programs. I am particularly disappointed that I was unable to meet the student who apparently brought half of the grocery store to his library table, as well as a coffee maker and toaster oven—disappointed because I spent my library hours munching on horribly untoasted bagels and lukewarm… hot chocolate and would have greatly appreciated a chance to borrow his equipment. Except, of course for that time when Theresa popped over to the University and brought me some nice warm cocoa—that’s right, single folks, my wife came to the school and brought me snacks, so have fun having to go all the way from the library to the cafeteria and buying your own heated beverage, suckers: I’ve got it made. Or else, I guess, you could always bring a coffee pot.

This post is getting too long. I'll post the second part shortly

No, I Have Not Lost My Fingers

2006-12-22T11:06:00.001-05:00

But with all the outlining and exam writing I have been doing, I think I came close.

Just when I thought that my blog was getting to be old new and no-one read it anymore, you guys pulled through and… sniff… complained that… sniff… you… sniff… I promised myself I wouldn’t cry… that you missed my entries… sniff sniff… What happened is that once I passed the 6 mo. mark, I felt like there was no need to continue, seeing that I had already beaten the odds. Ok really, it stopped posting because it was finals time, and after I have spent hours typing up outlines and whatnot, the absolute last thing that I wanted to do on my study breaks is continue typing on my computer to post new entries, especially when I have an adoring, beautiful wife who is anxious for every minute we can spend together.

But finals are done, for better or worse, and Section J celebrated in their customary fashion: Drunken Debauchery and terrible, terrible Mexican food. I, being the kind who is not usually a party to said activies (by which I am only talking about the ‘drunken’ part) have taken the huge void left by the absense of anything meaningful to do, have gone back to my nerdy ways in front of my computer screen to post this simple message.

Oh, and although I thought that this was common knowledge, it is becoming increasingly clear that many of my section mates still do not know why I refrain for our school’s poison of choice, so I will take this opportunity to clear up any confusion once and for all: I’M LDS

And I will be posting during break.

Dashed Dreams and American Ones

2006-11-27T13:44:00.000-05:00

It has come to my attention that my blog posts have become more and more anti-American. I assure you all that this has not been my intention, and have decided to show my true feelings of American patriotism by dedicating this entry to extolling the virtues of the great collection of states that sits as Canada’s southern neighbor. I considered showing my approval of the states by opening the post with a “U-S-A” chant, but I don’t think I am at that point yet. Baby steps. Instead, I have decided to comment one what I feel is a great analogy about what makes America great displayed on a billboard that I saw during my thanksgiving voyage to Southern Virginia University. The ad was for a little dinosaur tourist attraction, and while on my great road-trip through Montana and North Dakota I saw more than my fare share of dino statues, this park was different because the billboard depicted a Cowboy fighting an Dinosaur. This, to me, is America.

Oh sure, Guachos and Vaceros predate American cowboys and China has the worlds largest and best dino remains, but the image of a cowboy fighting a Dino embodies the great American ideals of freedom and independence, standing up for ones principles and not being afraid to take on seemingly-impossible goals. Also, Dinosaurs and cowboys are just cool. I, as well as probably every young boy, have at one point or another dreamed of being both a paleontologist and/or a Cowboy. Unfortunately, both these dreams have—so far—gone unrealized. The former dream was officially dashed when, as an undergrad, I lived out my childhood fantasy by attending a paleontology class and realizing that paleontologists actually spend much more time researching marine invertebrates and planktonic foraminifera than the terrible lizards whose replicas dot the Montana countryside. The later dream will also never be attained, mostly because of my tendency of forgoing wranglers and flannel for corduroy and Lacoste cardigans. Oh well, there is always Law School. Sigh….

And, if anyone is wondering, the Dinosaur would destroy that cowboy faster than Hynes would win in a fistfight with Garret. No contest.