Dixiepuddle posted this earlier. It is epic.
Law school has changed everything.
~YJ_SL
Tag Archives: Twitter
GREAT!
Filed under Blawg, Law School
Ever-Vigilant #VagabondVern
There is a homeless man who walks past my house every day. He whistles the same tune as he walks. When I hear the lovely melody of Edison Lighthouse’s “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes,)” I sing along in my head and have walked outside to talk to him a couple times.
If I am already outside, he always speaks with his daily dose of “news.” The first time I met him was on July 18th of this year when he told my moving buddy, “Steve” that he should, “Fuck the system. Overthrow that corrupt Governor of ours. Live life.” I wasn’t frightened of this short-statured street-walker and his outgoing openness, even though I had never met him and did not know if he was dangerous or not. He finished his meeting with us asking “Steve” if he wanted “to go check out the underpass.” “Steve” declined.
He wears mostly the same thing: a green shirt and destroyed acid-wash jeans. He has a pair of worn trainers that are about three sizes to small. His big toe stuck out of the right shoe until Wednesday afternoon when I left him a pair of my old shoes on the front step. I wasn’t home when he came past, but he said he loved them last night and that they fit, “fine and proper.”
He always asks how I’m doing with a smile from a mouth that has three teeth or so. His wispy grey-haired balding head, shows the effects the beating sun of the south shines down on him daily. His journey usually takes him by my house around 10AM and sometime between 11 and 12PM. Twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays, he walks past in the afternoon.
His views on the world are about as steadfast as the his schedule. He hates the government, hates lawyers and hates organized religion. He loves his meth, his “freedom” and the water he drinks constantly. The guy is almost always carries a water bottle. He says it is his key to life. I don’t disagree with him there.
Last night he came by about 11PM and was whistling his usual tune. I had just finished a drink and thought to myself, “I could go say hello. Why not?”
I walked outside onto my porch and said hello. He had the usual to say and I questioned his feelings on “Congress is a bunch of sissy pieces of shit. You know that, don’ cha’ boy?” I said, “Well, they are by far the weakest branch of government… wasn’t really supposed to be that way, but that’s how it ended up.”
I apparently said the right thing. The man smiled. He clapped. For a moment, I thought he might jump for joy.
“Boy, you sure gots that right. Well, I’ll be damned… maybe there is gonna be one good lawyer.”
I am glad this guy believes in me and my journey through law school. At least one other person does.
“The Supreme Court has always had the power, boy. They took it from da other branches with that big case. That uh… uh… Marbury Madison case. You know what I’m talkin’ ’bout, boy?”
Yeah, I think a lot of people know what he was talking about. But how many homeless guys know case law? I mean sure, it is a landmark decision that established judicial review and it has probably been the basis of every 7th graders social studies class since WWII… but c’mon… this guy knew that? Now I was really intrigued. I played dumb.
“No, tell me about it,” I said coyly.
“Well, it gave them damn justices all the power. It told the pres’dint to take the sen’tors and respreset’tives dicks and shove ‘em up his ass,” he said.
I seriously wish my 7th grade social studies book gave me that definition. I would have understood the case so much better. I mean can you really disagree with how this man characterized the case? I can’t. It fits exactly what my college judicial process class taught. Maybe there is some more colorful language, but all in all it is the same.
I finished up my conversation with the man and I bid him a good night. I decided to tweet about the encounter since I hadn’t really told anyone that I had been talking to this guy. A frequent visitor to the blawg and twitter mate, sjblawgs, was intrigued and we decided that not only should he be a focus of a post, but that some sort of daily dose and hashtag was appropriate for the gentleman I talk with so often. We started throwing out names. #NomadNorman #VagrantVincent and #HomelessHowie were some popular choices that were eventually decided against. sjblawgs had the perfect name. #VagabondVern – And it is a perfect fit.
So, I am announcing here that I will have a #VagabondVern installment on the blawg whenever something happens that is especially colorful or interesting. I can’t promise a ton, but I have hope that this will be a regular thing. If he keeps giving me history lessons then I am sure this will only grow. Keep an eye out on twitter for the #VagabondVern hashtag, as I am sure that will become very popular.
I want to give a special thank you and an “Alliteration-Alive Award” to sjblawgs. She is what made me actually post this and more importantly named my homeless friend.
I hope #VagabondVern keeps coming by. I hope my room mate doesn’t mind when he moves in next week, that I have befriended him.
~YJ_SL
Filed under Blawg, Home, Journalism, Law, Law School
With 9 Days Until Orientation: Houston; I’ve Got A Gunner
Our school has a page designed to help 1Ls find each other roommates, or classmates easily on facebook.The page is very useful as my roommate and I found each other on the site and made our move south painless.
However, the site has people already worried about what law school is going to be like. One person posted: “AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHH” to the fact that we are something like 19 days from our first class. I must be missing something.
Am I worried? I think I would be ousted as the worst liar in the world if I were to say that I was not. However, I’m much more excited than worried. In fact, worried may not be the real word to use here. “Cautious” is probably better. I’m perfectly content to take orientation and the first weeks of school as they come. Keep my head down and try to make it to Labor Day weekend with some semblance of sanity or calmness. I am a loud and outgoing person by nature, so keeping my head down will be harder than it seems for me anyways. I think buckling down 6 nights a week can make this semester a success. I figured out (a little late in college, finally) my best studying is done when I am at home locked in my room.
Forget study groups and library all nighters. Yeah, I know I am sure I will live to regret that statement. I am a library in the daytime, room at my desk in the nighttime sort of studier and worker. When I do my best writing, I am at home by myself, not in the library per say. I never thought I would say it, but after my last semester in college, I realized that I love to get up early and stay up late.
When I get up early, I am more active and alert. I eat breakfast, I read the paper and I get things done. I’m ready to do that with school as well.
So what am I spending my last 19 days doing? Well if you follow me on twitter (@YJ_SL) then you know my house is receiving some major repairs. My schedule is boring to some but I think it is the best way to get me ready for school.
MY DAY:
7AM: Up and showered/shaved. (This is an acomplishment on the shave part. I had a goatee all through college and shaved maybe every other day if the girl I was dating at the time complained too much. Now I’m clean shaven and feeling much more fit in down here in the south.)
7:30-10AM: B-fast…Reading various news outlets on my phone and reading The Chive. I tweet on my personal account and the account for the blawg constantly. I creep into the twitter lives of my friends.
10AM: Take a morning constitutional around my neighborhood. I don’t live in the best neighborhood but I like a good walk. Plus I am still getting used to my surroundings. I usually walk for an hour or so. Decent exercise (if you can call walking exercise) and it gets me out of the house and into the heat for a little while.
My Afternoon
Noon: Lunch. (See Dinner)
Afternoon: Visit library, deal with repairmen, check the mailbox constantly, promote synergy, hit on Debra, get rejected, swallow sadness, send some faxes – Like A Boss!
6PM: Dinner. Making it a point to actually make something good. No PBJ for me. Also trying to eat a bit healthier since I will have less time to do that later on in the year. For me, a habit dies hard so if I can make the salad a habit… well then it will stay. And lord knows I could use more salad. Tonight I broiled a chicken breast and then cut it up, seasoned it and threw it over a salad with some italian dressing. The salad was prepackaged, but I added diced green pepper and a couple of slices of tomato. It may not be restaurant quality but it was damn tasty.
Evening: Writing, watching movies, having a drink. Movie collection is getting a work-out. I have watched: Thank You For Smoking, Shaft, Coach Carter, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Green Street Hooligans, A Few Good Men, Rules of Engagement, Beerfest, Super Troopers, The Rock, Jerry Maguire, American History X and Old School. I’m moving and grooving to say the least.
1AM: Bed.
My day is no where near as grueling as most of my days will be this fall, but at least I am getting up and doing something. I don’t want to get to used to sleeping in and sitting on my ass all day long. I mean, I’m not a slob, right? I’m not a gunner, right? I’m in the middle? Because that would be fine with me.
~YJ_SL
Filed under Blawg, Home, Journalism, Law, Law School
New House ~ Old Memories
The house I grew up in was really odd. I never knew it was so odd until I got older.
I grew up on Earlybird Lane in a yellow house with green trim. I guess my love of the Packers started early.
My undergrad apartment was on Madison Street.
My new place is a yellow house with green trim on Madison Street.
Odd I know. It gets better.
My house growing up had a leak in the roof above the kitchen that had to get fixed two or three times when we lived there. I’m not exactly sure what was wrong with it… but it was there.
My new place also has some leak issues in the kitchen in exactly the same place.
Odd.
These coincidences kind of hit me in the face last night as I was setting up a pot to catch water and calling the landlord. It is really cool when things happen like that.
~YJ_SL
Filed under Blawg, Family, Home, Journalism, Law, Law School
Agh! No Time and Tons To Write!
Finding a Starbucks was hard enough. Finding a place to sit in that Starbucks is even worse! I need an outlet and all I get is the awkward table that is close to where people pick up their drinks. I am in the most awkward spot and to top things off, I have the only chair at this table. Ugh.
Well, I wish I had more time, but my laptop isn’t really ready to take on a big project or half of what I want to write. There is so much to tell! I have been here for about 24 hours and literally there has been something to write about every couple of hours. Maybe I can write them tonight and upload them tomorrow when I can get a better seat in a free wifi place. (NOTE: Halfway through this post an Army private left his table that was more outlet friendly. I jacked it like there was no tomorrow. Dirty looks from lady across the way. I think her and her husband wanted it- But, that is their problem. I was here longer and they don’t need electricity.)
To give you something to chew on until I get to post for real:
I sold an item on craigslist to a girl and her mother who for lack of a better term, could have graced the cover of “Jugs Monthly.” The mother asked twice if I had left a “girl” at home. Hilarious. I would have gladly asked for the girl’s number but I already had the mom’s number and frankly I didn’t have an opening to do so. He who hesitates is lost.
I went out for groceries and realized that they don’t sell hard alcohol in the grocery here. I just wanted some bourbon to celebrate the new place with. I then looked for a liquor store with no results. How come liquor stores aren’t on the places of interest on my phone’s GPS? I guess my phone’s software was designed by a GDI or something. They are always a place of interest. It was not a good trip. Liquor stores are like the White Whale, rare and ever hunted. Thar she blew today though. Found one with a large selection of bourbon. I selected a bourbon that I have never had before. The name is “Sweet Lucy’s”. Today is a much better day. Call me Ishmael.
At the grocery store, saw a girl who obviously just moved here as well. She, like me, was getting the essentials. Her fashion made her look out of place as well. The Fleur di Lis tattoo on her wrist either makes her a Kappa Kappa Gamma or just a really big Saints fan. She left about the same time I did and lo and behold she had been parked next to me. Her license plate said New York. My luck will have her sitting next to me in my first law class. Just wait. (BTW- noticing a tattoo or being observant does not make me a stalker. It just makes me observant. Don’t “get it twisted.”)
Apparently you don’t need to be good looking to find love here. (Which may be good for me- HA!) The couples I have seen usually have a guy who is “ehhhh” and a chick who is banging hot. The douche-bag rule still applies here however. The douche-ier the guy the hotter his girl. However, I have only seen a couple of these, for the most part people are super nice and look at me with my yankee toned voice as a delicacy that is to be poked fun at. Every person who mentions my accent chuckles slightly. I won’t lie, I’m from the Midwest. We have Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin accents to choose from. (Indiana doesn’t have an accent. They speak very plain.) Down here is much different. One lady here at Starbucks is on the phone in front of me. She just said they “…are gonna have a doozy of a night and let the cat out of da bag, baby.” If there is a cat in the bag, let that thing out, 50-year old, creepy lady. (Wisconsin is my favorite accent. Think about the way they say milk – “Melk.”)
Drivers in my state are pretty horrible. This may or may not be due to their horrible road conditions. It rained here and everyone was driving as if they were on ice or snow. If it were to snow here, this state would do the same thing Ireland does. It would have to close down everything for flurries. I watched one guy hit the gas hard going around a corner and spin out. Seriously, do you not know anything? Another chick about hit me when she decided that it was really necessary to change lanes at the last second before and exit. If the lane next to me hadn’t been open, “Jill” would have had a black eye. And no, Jill was not the woman who almost hit me. That is the name I gave my truck. Come on people, learn to drive or get out of my way!
Southern living also means gearing up for the newest season of SEC football. “Tigers Bleaux” may be my new favorite t-shirt that I have seen down here. My favorite D1 college football team is still and will always be Notre Dame. I don’t care if they aren’t any good, they are my team. I have seen quite a few Irish shirts down here in SEC territory, so I won’t be alone. If I hear one more person out an about say that the Florida Gators will win 4 games (or less) this season I may flip. Just because you like your team and everyone in the SEC hates Florida, doesn’t mean you have to disregard reality. Apparently that is the norm here until football season starts.
The NFL lockout may be over… maybe?!? I am a diehard PACKERS fan and am looking forward to watching my PACK in Indianapolis next February. No one here is a Packers fan. No one here likes pro-football. To them, the SEC is pro-football. I don’t disagree, these players are getting paid. HA!
Speaking of Wisconsin, one of my favorite 1L bloggers, sjblawgs, is visiting the state today. (See her blawg here- http://sjblawgs.wordpress.com/ – You can also follower her trip and life on twitter @sjblawgs) I told her she should make sure to grab a Leinie. However, she was more excited about the cheese! I can’t say that I blame her, but with her hailing from a more tropical location that does not have the luxury of serving Leinies and the fact that she is in the midwest where they are plentiful, she should stock up. She tweeted saying she had a layover in “murder city” I didn’t know Detroit was murder city. My whole life it was in Gary, Indiana. Which happens to be the hometown of Michael Jackson, and is historically one of the most dangerous city in America- But, this lovely lady is headed to the great state of Wisconsin. I hope she knows how to “Bucky.” Here is to her trip- Have Fun!
Well, that was a much longer post than I anticipated. Each paragraph probably could have been its own post. O well. Hope you enjoyed.Tomorrow is a post on some of my background and similarities of my new house to my old one. Spolier alert: may or may not have to do with a leaky kitchen ceiling.
~YJ_SL
Filed under Blawg, Family, Home, Journalism, Law, Law School
Leaving Journalism Woes
In two weeks, my business cards that say that I am a journalist will be useless. The different address aside, I am leaving something that I really love and hope to become something that I will love more.
I majored in broadcast and was active on the campus radio station. I called play-by-play of basketball and football games. I took pictures as a photojournalist at games I wasn’t calling. Getting to go to college, high school and professional sporting events was a perk that I am already regretting.
The best part of being a broadcaster? Press passes.
You can go anywhere you want. You can see and hear things that no other normal fan dreams of getting to witness. I called a basketball game from Assembly Hall on the campus of Indiana University for christ’s sake. Not a whole lot of people can claim that. I have taken pictures of NCAA Football Championship games and have called games for NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournament action. I live for sports. I live for the opportunity to walk and be wherever I want with just the small placard around my neck.
I never stand in ticket lines. I never have to show a ticket, pay for parking or even buy a concession. All is provided within arm’s reach. How can I quantify the amount of entertainment and sports I have seen for free and usually with one of the best seats in the house?
One time, I was sitting next to a reporter from USA Today. She was miffed that she had to sit next to a radio crew, but we had her laughing from the tip-off to the finish. She had a hell of a time because I along with my color guy were having a blast. I can say the only game I really didnt have fun at was a women’s basketball game that had one team up by more than 50 points at half time or so. That game was so ugly that I almost packed up the equipment and left early. I doubt that the listners (the only one listening was me in my headphones) would have noticed or cared.
No matter the score or the event, I will miss that aspect of my life. I would love to get the chance to call play-by-play for football or basketball down south. Maybe a high school or local college will have a spot or something?
I can only hope that some kind of opportunity would come around.
~YJ_SL
Filed under Blawg, Journalism, Law, Law School
99% Moved ~ That 1% Extra
What a crazy past few days it has been for me. I drove 11 hours to my new place, unpacked and turned right around and drove back north. 22 hours of driving in about 40 hours. That is beastly.
Well, back at my northern abode there are things that still need to be done. Reminding banks and other businesses about my address change, packing up the little bit of stuff I either forgot about or neglected to take with me the first time. I almost completely forgot my bike of all things! That was something that was so intune with my close location to the law school… easy bike access.
There was also a gift basket of toilet paper, paper towels and other necessary items from my aunt when I got home late last night. Can you beat that? She is a baller.
I am spending today and tomorrow up north and then heading south early Friday morning. So if you see me up north… it isn’t a ghost, it really is me. I had to bring “Steve” home before he had to go back to work.
Well, that is it for today. Tomorrow, I am going to chronicle my dealings with real god fearing people of the south. I may be in trouble in some ways. Apparently I don’t look “saved” enough for a lady at a restaurant we went to. Stay tuned for the hilarity. If you follow me on twitter (@YJ_SL) then you have already gotten a taste of this conversation.
Cheers!
~YJ_SL
Filed under Blawg, Journalism, Law, Law School
Bi-Plane Badass
My grandmother or “Nana” as I call her is at it again. She would kill me if I told you her age, so let’s just go by the date.
She was born in 1921 and graduated high school in three years. She piloted planes during the war for the Civil Air Patrol. She was a runner-up spelling bee champion and still has the medal to prove it. She was heavily involved in the state cookie council for the Girl Scouts. She still can cross-country ski. She makes the best strawberry preserves you have ever tasted and is the all around greatest person I have ever known.
Last night she co-piloted a 1942 Boeing Stearman Bi-Plane. You can see more about that plane here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing-Stearman_Model_75
Can you imagine that?
I cant help but be proud to say that she is my grandmother. I had posted some info
on facebook and twitter and some of my friends responses were things like “badass!” and “I saw her go over my house!”
When she got back to the ground, she said, “I didn’t care what we were flying over, I just cared about being up in the air. It was great!”
You can’t beat that kind of spirit and attitude.
Our family is headed to the lake house for our annual reunion this weekend and we are having a secret, special party for my grandmother. She has no idea what is going on and more importantly, is going to be embarrassed that the focus is on her. I cannot wait. My aunt has even put together a movie with home photos covering my great-great-grandparents all the way through me. It is pretty awesome to say the least.
I can’t wait!
~YJ_SL
P.S. This may give away too much personal info in this post… but I really don’t care too much. I doubt any of my readers who doesn’t know me will figure it out anyways.
Filed under Blawg, Family, Journalism
#DearNetflix Hype – Priorities
#DearNetflix is a hashtag that allowed twitter users to rant about the increase in pricing that Netflix is about to impose on users. The cost is $9.99 at the moment and will be changing to $15.98 in September. The outrage that was posted to twitter got me thinking. (Also thinking you should follow me @YJ_SL … FYI)
Why was everyone so upset that Netflix is upping their prices? Not just upset really, people were about to start looking for pitchforks on twitter to take out the evil corporation. Look, we can sit here and argue that the price is rising almost 50% or we can look at it like this: In my hometown a pint at the bar is around $4 for Smitwicks. After tip, that is about the price raise for Netflix. How do users really think that is a big deal?
A few people who I follow were posting that this change in price was forcing them away from Netflix… of course that $5 difference between Kamchatka and Absolut vodka didn’t have them complaining this much. Granted their parents are paying for both… like my college friends have jobs. Who am I kidding?
It comes down to priorities. We do that all the time as people. Do I really need to go out with my friends a couple of nights a week? No, but it satisfies my social needs as a human.
When a high school doesn’t have an athletic trainer at every practice/game for every sport does that mean that the school cannot afford the AT? Not usually. They figure the insurance will do its job should a kid get hurt or die. Those monies can be better spent on the other “needs” of the school like new gyms and higher teacher salaries. (I’m not getting into that argument here… just showing a correlation. So calm down teachers.) It is about priorities.
The same thing is happening to Netflix. Apparently people feel that an extra six dollars in their pockets really means something. In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t.
It’s sort of funny that my entire life I have always carried cash. I like my debit card so I only carry $6 on me (Irony here is awesome.) just in case of emergencies. I’m not so sure what kind of emergency that would cover… but it is my plan. I may run out of gum or have a really bad case of gas. $6 will get me Immodium or Orbit no problem.
I sit here and wonder what I would do if I didn’t have that money as apparently it is the difference between life and death to some. $6 wouldn’t ruin me. It wouldnt change my lifestyle for the most part. One less beer maybe? That would be a good thing. Netflix is entertainment; it has to be paid for like anything else. If you cannot afford it, you can’t. Simple as that.
In any event, I found the yelling over the Netflix deal rather stupid and slightly childish. I wish some people got as upset about congressmen raising taxes or spending too much money on things rather than their Netflix bill rising. That would be much more productive than a #dearnetflix tweet.
~YJ_SL
Filed under Blawg, Journalism
