Carp Network

Coffee Poem

2011-11-03T12:41:00.001-04:00

Would that a man love
A woman like his coffee
Cup to lips, a few hot sips
The fair aroma enjoyed
And then
The whole taken in-
Until their thirsts slacken.

End of Growing Season!

2011-10-29T15:52:00.002-04:00

Today I awoke to a sleety, snowing mess. I must confess I had never expected it to snow this early in Philly.

So, the first freeze and the first snow are contemporaneous this year, both today on October 29.

Fortunately the Plumeria was brought in yesterday, so it'll have another year to flower.

Sweet Pea finally bloomed

2011-06-09T13:50:00.001-04:00

Late Spring Update

2011-05-27T00:07:00.000-04:00

Unexpectedly, I wound up with five days off in a row from work, and even tomorrow I could saunter out early to get a jump on the Memorial Day weekend. So, since I got to stay at home and blog for money as best I can, I managed to exercise fairly regularly on the elliptical machine I bought back in 2007. Despite the light duty I normally subject it to (ignoring it altogether is light, right?) it's started to get a weird little bump as I run on it. This makes working out a little louder, but that's why the volume on the radio goes up. And, in addition to a slowly improving waistband situation, this has given me the opportunity to listen to the radio again I've enjoyed listening to 104.5. They play the latest Cake songs, so that's at a minimum a good reason to tune in.

But the other thing I worked on was the garden. So far, the Sweet Peas have grown quite nicely, but nary a flower. The Sweet Alyssum is blooming well with both white and purple flowers.

I did have a surprising failure: no action from my nasturtium seeds. But I suppose it's not really fair to call it a failure. They were two season old seeds. Just not viable anymore. For that pot I've planted marigold seeds instead, and hopefully they'll come up. Unfortunately, since we're already in late May it could be a while before the flowers pop up. If a few weeks go by and there's no action, I'll probably go ahead and just buy some ready grown ones. More expensive, but that's what I get for waiting.

That's also what I had to do for the lavender plant. About $4 for two plants. Unfortunately last years lavender did not come back on its own, and the seeds would have been too slow to start. So, again, I opted for the shortcut. Hopefully they'll fill in the window-box.

Also planted were zinnias and sunflowers. Both are big favorites, and should come up reliably now that we have warmer weather. And later in the season I'll put the Kauai Honeymoon Plumeria back outside.

As for the reliable standards: beautiful dwarf snapdragons and the big Sedum Matrona are still going strong. I also noticed while futzing with the pots that cute little mantises were guarding against invading insects, so the egg cases left last year must have made it safely through the winter.

Sweet Alyssum in Spring

2011-05-09T13:52:00.002-04:00

First Snapdragon of 2011

2011-04-25T11:25:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was Easter Sunday, and it was a gorgeous day. Today's not too shabby, either.

On the way to work I shot this photo of my first flower of 2011: A snapdragon

As an aside, the camera here is a Motorola Defy smartphone. Sadly, my prior phone's long service came to an end on March 21 after an unpleasantly wet day.

AeroGarden as a Late Winter Pick-Me-Up

2011-03-03T01:15:00.005-05:00

For Christmas, I was happy to receive an AeroGarden. It took me awhile to set it up, but now it's ready to go. After only 4 days, it's already showing tiny little buds which my camera's macro mode got to record.

End of Season 2010

2010-12-06T21:15:00.001-05:00

Tonight there's a risk of flurries, and the low the past couple of evenings has skated beneath freezing, so I'm confident calling today, Monday December 6, 2010, the last day of the growing season.

Of course, I'll be happy if my snapdragons surprise me and stick around a while!

Baby Bubba Okra in a Pot

2010-08-07T14:11:00.003-04:00

South Philly's Finest One Pot Okra Plant

The Pictures as promised:

And here's a close-up of the leaves:

Quote

2010-08-03T23:07:00.001-04:00

Fierce love also takes the form of gentleness.

Big Money Post

2010-08-02T22:04:00.007-04:00

You know, I've had this blog up now for quite some time.

One reason it exists is to provide an outlet for my longer-form musings that otherwise I'd commit to paper and then ignore forever.

Starting last year, I decided to turn on advertising. Sadly, as of yet, I have not earned dime one. But I figure if I want to make the big money in on-line advertising, I should post a bit more frequently than once every three months.

Since I get to see the logs for this page, I know that most people who visit are coming to find something other than my poetry. For instance, lots of folks are looking for pictures of a baby bubba hybrid okra growing in a pot.

And as it turns out, this year I again planted a pot of okra on my front porch and am getting good results! About every 4 days I get a new okra pod right on my doorstep. And, happily, no one bothers to steal it.

If, like a great many Philadelphians I have met over the years, you are unacquainted with the okra, let me suggest simply microwaving one fresh young pod for 30 seconds. Then, eat all of it, other than the spiny little cap at the base. It is delicious! Just like that! No butter, maybe a little salt, but otherwise great tasting all on its own. Or you could prepare that southern classic, fried okra. Or, I suppose, just stop in at you local Church's Chicken (there's two locations in the Suburban Station concourse.)

Speaking of delicious, greasy food, at long last I've regained (and then some) my wedding diet weight-loss. Unfortunately, this means that I must diet. Well, I suppose I don't have to, but the unpleasant alternative would be buying all new clothes. Which, in itself would not be so bad, except for my utter poverty.

Being something of an obstinate sort, and taking due consideration of human physiology, I have decided to attempt to eat less than or exactly 1800 calories a day. For a man my size, per this helpful website, I should be slimming down smartly.

So I have spent the last three days constantly searching to various websites to find out how many calories are in the foods I eat.

Which reminds me...it turns out that the plumeria stalk we picked up from Kauai, Hawaii during our honeymoon finally bloomed this year!

New Seeds on the Way

2010-03-23T17:57:00.001-04:00

MARIGOLD SNOWBALL HYB
HERB LAVENDER ANGUSTIFOLIA
OKRA BABY BUBBA HYB
SNAPDRAGON CINDERELLA MXD CLR
SALVIA LADY IN RED
NASTURTIUM PAPAYA CREAM
SUNFLOWER BABY BEAR
LAVENDER PROVENCE BLUE

Snow!

2010-02-07T23:15:00.003-05:00

End of Growing Season

2009-12-05T15:06:00.002-05:00

Today, December 5, 2009, the weather has finally turned decisively cold. Today we're seeing a wintry mix. The 2009 growing season for my corner of South Philly is now over.

New Poem

2009-06-30T23:32:00.001-04:00

Oh Lord, Help me to write a single true thing, and it will be
Obviously Your handiwork. Like a sparrow taking flight
Or the daily sky-filling dance of the celestial host
Softly reassure the ostensibly incredulous men
Of a skeptical age. But a hint of honest work lurking
In my doughy frame, well, a global conflagration of faith
Would surely result. The new Philadelphia miracle
Pricking the pickled hearts of jaded reporters and jejune
Bloggers. I hear they say a prophet is not without honor-
I forget the rest, but if in your plenitude you could send
A doe-eyed fact-checker in a size zero dress I’d nail
The quote down. My story I would share the world over for a
Small fee to cover my costs, and a large fee to cover my
Wife’s. I pray you would not disdain my pleas for worldly lucre,
Or worldly fame, and perhaps goodly looks, for all are to Your
Glory. Help me, Lord, a procrastinating writer to start
Telling of your love, and capturing finally a small part.

Lotus Pot Yesterday

2009-05-27T09:07:00.003-04:00

It's alive! Check out those floating leaves. You go, Lotus, you go.

More Plant Pictures

2009-05-12T21:40:00.004-04:00

Beautiful red Celosia

Snapdragons! These are volunteers from last season. Check out the gorgeous orange. The parents were dwarf, but these look pretty tall.

The Chill

2009-05-06T22:00:00.003-04:00

Today I had the disconcerting experience of walking into Rite-Aid, noticing the fine late glow of the setting day in the west, and then getting hit with a blustery storm as soon as I walked out. (Weirdly enough, to verify the URL I just looked at Rite-Aids site, and they've got a big link up for Swine Flu Facts. And a rebate program for the allergy drug Zyrtec. Hmm, maybe I should check out their page more often.)

Anyway...it's been very unsettled weather as of late.

The plants, of course, have varying levels of excitement about this chilly (55 degree) wet weather.

I have a big pot filled with both the Zowie Zinnia and a lovely draping of Nasturtiums all around it. Up until this week, the Nasturtiums were all leaves. Big, beautiful green leaves, but still, just leaves. In the just the last few days the first lovely frilled yellow flowers have started to appear.

In fact, I should probably note that Nasturtiums have generally been one of the most lovely, and reliable, of the flowers I've grown.

Oh, and there has been quite a show from some Snapdragons that overwintered in my big back pot as well.

The Weather Channel predicts that tomorrow and Friday will make it into the 70s. I hope so.

The News from NY is Good - I Passed

2009-05-05T11:45:00.002-04:00

Back in February I took the NY Bar exam in Albany. Today I got an email saying I Passed. Tomorrow, it should be publicly posted! Woo-hoo! I am so happy I don't have to study again!

To all the folks who had to put up with me while studying...thank you!

Starting a Lotus

2009-05-04T20:08:00.002-04:00

A long-time request for my garden has been a lotus. Doing a search I found a press release from Auburn University. They are looking for ways to commercialize this beautiful flower. From the press release, I went to Ten Mile Creek Nursury, and happily I was able to get a Red Dragonfly rhizome. Unfortunately it's been quite chilly this week in Philadelphia, so I'm worried it will just go dormant. When it quits raining I may try to snap a picture.

Early Spring Picture of Zinnia

2009-05-02T21:22:00.002-04:00

This picture was taken today using a brand new point and shoot Canon camera with a fancy built-in macro lens. Springtime in Philly. Hopefully I'll have some more pictures, soon.

Flurries

2008-11-18T16:15:00.002-05:00

And thus ends the 2008 growing season for Philadelphia, PA: flurries this afternoon.

I appreciate the fact that it still feels like Summer outside for at least another day

2008-10-16T16:23:00.003-04:00

Unfortunately, over the past few days I was the victim of sunflower snatching. From all appearances the flowers were not taken far (there is broken sunflower litter near my porch).

Hopefully it was someone so hungry that they needed unroasted (indeed unformed) sunflower seeds for food. So far, the 10 day forecast shows no frost on the horizon, either.

Pictures from Today

2008-09-28T17:15:00.004-04:00

Today was a wonder, do nothing Sunday. Woo-hoo for relaxation.

Close to the Autumnal Equinox

2008-09-17T19:25:00.002-04:00

I've noticed the days growing shorter, and even enjoyed the seasonably cooler daytime temperatures this week, though I must admit I'd rather not see summer gone just yet.

I don't get to go to the movies that often, mostly just because of the amount of time I spend at work. But, I did get to see The Dark Knight, which I'm happy to report was awesome. And this time I didn't wind up taking a bad taxi trip.

Pomegranate August Outside Shot

2008-08-17T22:39:00.002-04:00

Getting to Meet Some International Visitors

2008-08-08T12:56:00.002-04:00

Last night was the IVC First Thursday Reception for international visitors. I had, as always, a lot of fun. I got to meet several Fulbright Scholars, Penn LLM Students, and visitors from Ferris University in Yokohama, Japan.

Celebrating 2008 Olympics

2008-08-06T17:59:00.003-04:00

Today as I walked to lunch at the food court below the Comcast Center, I was given a flyer and a fortune cookie. Free food grabs my attention.

Both were advertising the Evening of Champions, celebrating the opening of the 2008 Olympics here in Philadelphia's Chinatown.

I don't know if I'll make it or not, but I think it'd be a fun outing.

While I don't watch a lot of sports, I reckon the Olympics are a good bet for pretty good show.

A site I like to read

2008-08-02T19:00:00.003-04:00

A lot of questions about property development come to me as I walk around the city. One of my favorite places to learn what's going on is . I appreciate the site's humor, awesome pictures, and the intelligence. It is also refreshingly optimistic about Philadelphia and her people.

I've been busy, so I wasn't able to make it to this year's IVC BBQ. But I do appreciate all of the work that they do, and am happy that I can help support them.

This weekend I've got both days off, so I've had a chance to read a gift from my father-in-law: Phillip Bobbit's Terror and Consent.

Friday Evening Fun

2008-08-01T18:50:00.001-04:00

I was over at J.L. Sullivans. Besides it's other charms, it was a friendly recreation of a 1920's style speakeasy, including 1920s flapper style outfits on the folks outside. I stepped in and greatly enjoyed the place. It was a wonderful refuge from the summer sun.

As many folks may know, I happen to love The Great Gatsby, one of the best stories of all time by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

I'm altogether happy to support a speakeasy, including ersatz flappers.

As I Live

2008-07-29T08:55:00.002-04:00

As I live, I know the day will come—
She will say, “Dost thou still retain thy integrity?”
And when she does, should I take the advice that follows?
I guess that’s the question, right?
Is love worth it? Happiness in gold-illum’d light
When for an infinite moment you love her
and she loves you
and the whole world seems right, and good, and the
Possibility of the future seems both safe and grand—
The sort of life
Promised at the end of fairy tales.
But then, who still says “…and they lived happily ever after.”
Unless they’ve steeled themselves with the vulgar irony of this low age.
Oh yeah, everybody’s a fucking comedian.
Aren’t you?
Aren’t I?
But regarding her—
Well, that’s something different.
Now there, God help me, there is something worth living for.
Let the sniggering cynics laugh and make their cracks,
But I will love her, with all of my heart, forever.
My Lord, who sustains the world, keep me steadfast to my pledge,
And all the world will fall to dust before I fail.

ahd, 2006

Plant Pictures of the Fourth of July Weekend

2008-07-07T08:03:00.006-04:00

A three-day weekend, woo-hoo! So, how's the summer gardening going so far?

Here's the first Zowie Zinnia of the season:

Here are two of my big pots. The Sedum Matrona is still trucking right along on the left. It has already been in bloom a while. And the green "lavender" pot is on the right, although you'd be right to notice that the big green things in there are definitely not lavender.

There is lavender in there, though (having come back from last year.) The robust green leaves are from burpee's giveaway packet of sunflower mix. Taking a cue from history, I decided the best way to fix the drainage problem was to task some sunflowers with sucking up the extra water.

Waiting for Spring

2008-03-30T15:46:00.002-04:00

Two weeks ago, Sunday March 16th, I began prepping for the coming spring. Inside a southern-facing window I set out Zinnia (Zowie), Echinacia (Magnus), Marigold (Fireball), Salvia Lady in Red, Butterfly Pea (or Clitoria ternatea), Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella damascena), and a seed of Pacific Blue Giant Primrose (Primula x polyantha). The first four are from Burpee, the last three from Whatcom. All are growing in peat pots filled with commercial seed-starting mix.

I believe it was last year I attempted to direct sow zinnias, and they just kept disappearing. It's possible a pest got to them (since I do recall seeing the seedlings), but part of me just suspects that they were too small to hold together in a storm, and got washed away. So this year I'll just start the plants in the peat pots and then set them outside after they've got some extra size on them.

As for the survivors from last year, I was very surprised to see the dwarf snapdragons making a comeback in their window ledge. Several of the larger snapdragon plants simply never died over the winter, and so new growth is popping through swollen stems. And although I never recall purposefully letting a flower get away from me, it appears that at least some snapdragon seeds made it to self-seed. I noticed tiny little seedling starting yesterday.

I fully expect the morning glories to come back as well. I left last year's vine in place to give this year's growth a helpful foothold. But I plan to add the Butterfly Pea to the pot as well as the Zinnias.

The lavender pot looks awful. That's okay: it's supposed to. Last year I'd cropped it fairly close to the soil line, and then dumped left-over soil on top. But I expect it to come back just fine. Now that it's a well-established plant it has plenty of roots just waiting for springtime. Even though we haven't been getting a lot of warm weather here in Philly, we haven't been getting freezing weather, either.

That same Sunday I undertook a frightening task: seperating and repotting the pair of Organ Pipe Cactus that I'd started from seed. It had gotten to the point that they were starting to poke each other, and so I risked replanting. The roots were small and near to the surface of the pots. I put each cactus in its own pot, and now I've just been waiting to see if one or the other will keel-over from failure to set. I should point out that even though this cactus can theoretically become quite large, it grows slowly. Even now the larger one is only about two inches tall and an inch wide, the smaller one is about the same height, but thinner. Hopefully each will get some additional growth this summer hanging out in my window!

I'll try to post pictures later, but figured that updating the text while I had a chance would be nice.

2007

2007-12-31T17:12:00.000-05:00

Just got back from my Christmas travels!

Thanks 2007: You were a blast!

BBQ and PhillyCarShare

2007-07-23T22:04:00.000-04:00

As noted in passing previously, someone is interested in getting me fit.

When there's plenty of work to do, though, I spend too much time at work to justify the long long strolls that are my preferred way to get more exercise.

So I decided to get an elliptical. And I decided that I'd try to save a little money by not having it shipped and picking it up from Delaware (where there's no sales tax.)

But, not being an especially confident driver, and even less confident navigating into Delaware, I recruited Tom.

So Saturday afternoon we headed into Delaware, and got to Sears at the Prices Corner shopping center, and found, on sale, a perfect elliptical.

Sadly, fitting the box into Tom's car was, despite our great optimism, impossible. I felt like a fat man looking at last year's wardrobe; despite how you wiggle, it just ain't fitting in there.

Fortunately, PhillyCarShare is here to help. I made a reservation on-line for the next day, and a conveniently located stationwagon (less than two blocks from me) was mine to use for four hours.

Tom navigated, but I drove. Alas, my city-dwelling ways have left me a little rusty about highway driving. But by the grace of God and light traffic we arrived safely to the Sears, picked up the package and hightailed it back to Philly.

So I spent the majority of Sunday putting the thing machine together, and tonight I fixed an annoying little "thump" sound I'd started troubleshooting last night.

The workout was good. I definitely got a good run in, all in the comfort of my own home.

In further news I had a great time at the IVC's fundraiser on Thursday. This was my first time at the BBQ proper, but it was a blast, just as I would expect from the wonderful First Wednesday programs.

My Pots

2007-06-11T01:17:00.000-04:00

Taken Wednesday, June 6, 2007. Clockwise from top left: English Lavender (var. Lady), Sedum Matrona, Morning Glories, Strawberries.

More Springtime Photos

2007-05-06T22:17:00.000-04:00

So, my posting has been slow, but here is a plant photo. Taken 5/5/2007, a beautiful spring day, a little cool and windy, but otherwise gorgeous.

The replacement lavender (top left) has already begun putting up flower stalks. Var. Lady Lavender, it is a dwarf variety. Some of the green is from last year--it never fully died back during the winter.

The Sedum Matrona (top right) has exploded in the past month, turning from cute, bright green florets popping through the dirt, and now beginning to fill out the container. I expect the flowers to start early next month, but there's always a chance it'll start earlier.

The strawberry plant is at lower left. It has started throwing out a few flowers, and will soon, hopefully, start delivering more delicious strawberries.

This is the big pot that used to hold the okra. In the back, against the wall, are the morning glory vines. In the front are zennia ('Zowie') seedlings, and the coneflower is in the middle (although I'm not sure any have sprouted.)

A Long Walk

2007-04-11T21:23:00.000-04:00

It is springtime here in Philadelphia. Since the weather was warmer, my next assignment starts tomorrow, and someone suggested I should excercise more I decided to take a long walk.

I walked out the door at 1:20 or so, determined to walk a marathon (i.e. 26.2 miles.) To start, I headed from my front door to Market street. I went on Mapquest and verified the distance to calibrate my pedometer. The sky was overcast, but walking quickly I was soon warm even in my light jacket.

The pedometer was correct to within 6% (close enough for my purposes) and so I started walking around. After zipping into Chinatown I walked across the Delaware and back again. Then I checked out the very cool Northern Liberties neighborhood and had an iced coffee and baklava at Elixir Cafe.

Then I headed back towards home. Unfortunately I got nowhere near a marathon. Instead, I walked only 12 miles. Ah well, maybe next time.

Cleaning

2007-03-07T02:28:00.000-05:00

Last week I ran out of work to do, and so I've been hanging out here at home. Taking advantage of the downtime, I've made it my mission to clean a little.

Or perhaps a lot.

You see, in general I have no difficulty ignoring junk. If a pile of paper sits around for month or so it becomes part of the background, and I really don't notice it anymore. But eventually it'll occur to me, hmm, I wonder if I ought to look through that.

But, as part of the new reduced clutter regime, I've decided to get organized. I'm applying a ruthless standard to magazines (read it and pitch it...unless it's lawyer related.) Folders and binders are now the framework for all important paperwork. In fact, for the first time since moving to Pittsburgh in Nov. 1997 all of my critical paperwork is now in one place and sorted in a useful way (back then I was only organized because I had far fewer important docs.)

So far the living room is farthest along, then the kitchen, the spare bedroom, then my bedroom and finally the bathroom (untouched, so far.) I think I need to buy some dusters.

In plant news I just planted Basil seeds I harvested last March in a clay pot. In the other pot I put in the last of last years nasturtium seeds. In a larger plastic pot I put some daffodil bulbs. Outdoors the dirt on top of the Sedum Matrona is starting to crack. I suspect that means a few early leaves are ready to pop through (even though it's still too cold--any shoot that did poke through will die off.)

Ice?

2007-02-13T23:09:00.000-05:00

Tonight the meteorologists (and weather people) are concerned we may get freezing rain or sleet, rather than snow.

While I still lived in Huntsville, AL, in middle school, we got for more than a week because of a huge ice storm. We were fortunate in that our power stayed on for all but a part of a day, but many areas particularly in the northwest of the state went days without electricity. And I seem to recall that that time too the meteorologists had difficulty predicting ice.

Fortunately I don't have to worry about driving in this weather. If it is icy tomorrow morning I'll wear duck boots to work, but otherwise I should be fine.

Finally, I have no plans for Valentine's Day. But hopefully I'll manage to avoid wailing and lamentations.

Cold

2007-02-06T21:05:00.000-05:00

It's so cold outside that I'm walking crazy fast to and from work every day. I haven't had to break down yet to take the bus but I have been walking very quickly to the closest point I can go underground and out of the wind all the rest of the way to work (You can walk all the way underground from 12th and Locust to Suburban Station.)

At work we've been limited to 40 hours, so I've been having my weekends free. Friday I checked out the galleries in Old City for First Friday. Saturday I got my taxes done, and on Sunday got to hang out with Tom to watch the football game.

And now, since I want to get into work early so I can head off to the IVC's First Wednesday tomorrow, I think I'm going to bed at the outragously early hour of 10 PM.

Finally Snow

2007-01-22T00:12:00.000-05:00

Tonight we're getting snow. Not too much, but the meteorologists are predicting maybe an inch, with some ice before it switches over to rain in the morning.

My apartment building gets its snow removed, but I went ahead and threw out some salt I had sitting around. So my sidewalk is clear...no liability here, move along.

I also did some cleaning of my plants and pots. I noticed yesterday that someone had stolen two of the smaller pots, one that I'd put out as an experiment, the other had a small pomegranate tree in it. I have no idea why people steal my pots, but to protect the strawberry plant and my pot of oregano I put them in the alley behind the house.

In addition, I put new dirt on the sedum matrona from a fresh bag and the pot that formerly held my zinnia. The zinnia was wonderful last year, and I'm definitely going to buy some more seeds this year.

I also cut the stem of the main stalk for the okra plant. I haven't decided whether I'll grow it again this year, while it was really cool to have okra, I think I'm going to try for more flowers. One possibility is rudbeckia.

A new printer and my New Years Resolutions

2007-01-08T22:15:00.000-05:00

So I got back from Georgia, and now I'm trying to address bills and paperwork from last year, and start getting ready for Tax Season.

But for me to work with paper means I need a working printer, and my cheap printer from a couple of years ago finally died. So now I have an HP D5160 I picked up for about $80 at Staples on my way in to work today.

Now as to my resolution. I bought a pedometer, and I'm going to try to use it to make sure I'm getting a good level of physical activity. For example, getting to 10000 steps a day seems pretty doable, and works out to about 5+ miles a day. And finally, I'm trying to cut down on french fries.

December Update Goodness

2006-12-11T19:50:00.000-05:00

Well, the first third of December is now over, and first up I need to note (for my future reference) that on Friday, Dec. 8, 2006 we had flurries that finally killed off some of my flowers. Prior to that, we'd never actually spent enough time below freezing to kill anything.

Of course, the high today was in the lower 50s.

I am still working as a contract attorney, doing document review.

For now, I'm fairly happy doing that, particularly so long as they can continue to provide solid 40 hour weeks (or better.)

And, I'm looking forward to going home to see my family in two weeks! I'll fly out on the Saturday before Christmas, and then return on January 3rd, very early in the morning.

Election Day Yay!

2006-11-07T07:51:00.000-05:00

I get to vote! Woo-hoo!

Costume

2006-10-26T15:33:00.000-04:00

I'm curious about the attire you are choosing for this event. Are you dressing like a vampire?
-Terri

As it turns out no, but vampire was definitely where I was headed when I walked into the Halloween Store down on Delaware Ave. But once inside, I realized I could go in a different direction: gangster.

I just got home from the store, and I'm wearing my gangster outfit. I bought the $5 fedora seperately. But most importantly, I bought spats!

Oh, and I also bought white paint for my face so I can be a zombie gangster, or ghost gangster, or something. Anyway, that's the plan!

Party Plans for Halloween

2006-10-23T21:56:00.000-04:00

I just bought my tickets for Dracula's Ball on Halloween.

Good News Concerning My Bar Results

2006-10-11T22:54:00.000-04:00

At about noon today the bar results were released, and I believe the first words from my mouth were "Thank You Lord." I did indeed pass the Pennsylvania Bar. I am not yet a lawyer, but I will be one very soon.

You can look me up here.

So a great worry is now lifted from me.

Let me again thank all of the people who have wished me well. I appreciated all your kind words and thoughts.

And now I'm to bed in a few minutes so put in another day of work tomorrow.

So it's tomorrow, eh?

2006-10-10T21:18:00.000-04:00

The PA Bar Results are coming out tomorrow, October 11, 2006. Not Friday, as had been orginally scheduled. Which means that everyone else at work who'd also taken the bar were paranoid that the release could happen even earlier...like today. So far, that hasn't happened.

If I don't pass I'll be annoyed about the expense and hassle of taking it again in February, disappointed certainly, but it's not a big deal: if I don't pass, I'll take it again and probably will pass.

Still, I reckon I may be a bit distracted at work tomorrow waiting for the results. Hopefully I'll manage.

For now I'm just nervous.

Replacement Lavender

2006-10-06T00:14:00.000-04:00

Today I finally received my box of lavender plants from burpee. These plants are to replace the plant stolen earlier in the summer. But this time, I've filled a large green pot, the identical twin to the pot now holding the okra, with six lavender plants.

Lavender is a perennial, and so the idea is to let the plant affix its roots now, in the waning days of the growing season, so that come spring it will be able to take full advantage of the summer.

While I was outside I also watered everything, and noted that, while they are not blooming, the nasturtiums do look like they may put out some blooms before the month is done.

Tomorrow...Back to Work

2006-09-25T22:44:00.000-04:00

I left from Clarksville at 6 or so (local time) this morning with my brother, Mom, and Dad. We shared breakfast at the Capitol Hill Grille, where I managed to get a last country-ham biscuit in before flying back to Philly.

This was a happy trip. All of my immediate family in one place at one time. And on Saturday the Pruter family reunion, where I got to see a great number of my relatives and enjoy their company beside Couchville Lake.

Weekends!

2006-09-18T01:52:00.000-04:00

I just finished a weekend trip to NYC. It was wonderful, if a bit tightly scheduled. And next weekend I'll be taking a flight to Nashville for a family reunion and to visit with my nephew and niece! It will be a blast.

In the meantime, I don't have any pictures, but I wanted to note that my second planting of Nasturtiums has proven very attractive to some green caterpillars, and that in my okra plant there hides a two-inch plus grasshopper who eyes me warily.

At this point of the year, though, I have no interest in killing any bugs. All the plants have done their primary jobs, and so if insects are interested in muching down on some leaves more power to them.

Hour 41

2006-08-24T23:20:00.000-04:00

Overtime begins with the first minute after billing 40 hours in one work-week. (For this employer, that is a Monday through Sunday billing week.)

Tonight, when I left I had worked 41 hours so far this week. Every hour tomorrow and this weekend will be counted at time-and-a-half.

Sometimes, if you pray for work, you get it in spades.

Container Grown Okra

2006-08-19T23:22:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of my Okra plant (Baby Bubba Hybrid). Thursday I moved it to the larger green pot. I had been a little worried about repotting a plant that was actively producing seedpods, but my plant took to it like a champ. In fact just today I boiled up one of the pods to eat. With the temperatures here in the mid-eighties, the okra pods grow fantastically quickly: flower one day, mini-okra the next, four inches the next, and finally six to seven inches after three days.

You'll see some scarring: it was caused by the hot weather while I was away taking the bar. The okra resisted production for a few weeks after that, but now seems to have recovered.

Big Bright Happy Flowers

2006-08-19T23:18:00.000-04:00

A law jorb

2006-08-16T21:25:00.000-04:00

So, I've gotten my very first law job: document review!

I started last Wednesday, worked but suddenly we ran out of documents to review...

The cool thing is that we get paid, to READ!

What a country!

The bad thing is, well, when we run out of documents, we stop reading and getting paid for it. Alas.

But next week I'm going to try to hit 70 hours! (30 hr of 1.5 Overtime.) It'll rock.

The End of The Post-Bar Vacation

2006-08-03T01:12:00.000-04:00

Hi All!

Earlier today I returned from New York City via bus, thus ending my post-bar whirlwind week-o-vacation.

After the mall thursday, I headed back home for a day. That night I ran into the estimable Horrocks and companion, and tried out Crescent City.

Saturday I flew up to Providence, RI and got a ride up to my friend Crandall's Summer BBQ. Great fun, including vast quantities of food, drink, and folks (there were about 50 people at the Party.) I stayed over Sunday and flew back to Philadelphia Monday morning. After a dead-tired nap I finally answered my phone calls, and went to go have dinner and watch Clerks II with Bill, Terri, and Tom! Not only was that a blast, but the next day I zipped up to New York (PS don't try the #94 train, appearently it'll be delayed often), and caught up with them again (along with my special mystery guest) and ate dinner with them in a sadly un-air-conditioned Bubba Gump. Still, the food was great and the party convivial!

Earlier today I took the sl ow route back home, and have been watering my sadly wilted plants.

Regarding the Bar: Meeting the Bogeyman in Open Combat

2006-07-27T17:43:00.000-04:00

I met the Bogeyman.

He threw some strong punches: Essay Question #6; an irritating series of mortgage and lien recording questions; ridiculous joint-tenancy fact patterns. I cannot say I passed for sure, but neither would I be surprised if I succeeded.

So the Bar and I both made respectable showings, and now we've each retreated from the field.

The results should be posted mid-October, and then we'll see if I'll be visiting King of Prussia in February for a rematch, or if any future visit to the mall is purely voluntary.

Bar's Tuesday and Wednesday

2006-07-24T02:55:00.000-04:00

The exam is Tuesday and Wednesday. Late this afternoon (or early evening) I'll head up to the Holiday Inn Express at King of Prussia, verify that everything is where I think it is, and then I'll do a little light shopping before the exam.

Personality Test

2006-07-24T00:34:00.000-04:00

Advanced Global Personality Test Results

Extraversion	\|\|\|\|\|\|	26%
Stability	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Orderliness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Accommodation	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%
Interdependence	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	76%
Intellectual	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	83%
Mystical	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Artistic	\|\|\|\|\|\|	23%
Religious	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Hedonism	\|\|\|\|	16%
Materialism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	36%
Narcissism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Adventurousness	\|\|\|\|	16%
Work ethic	\|\|\|\|\|\|	23%
Self absorbed	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	36%
Conflict seeking	\|\|\|\|	16%
Need to dominate	\|\|	10%

Romantic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Avoidant	\|\|\|\|\|\|	30%
Anti-authority	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	36%
Wealth	\|\|\|\|\|\|	23%
Dependency	\|\|\|\|\|\|	23%
Change averse	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Cautiousness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Individuality	\|\|\|\|\|\|	23%
Sexuality	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Peter pan complex	\|\|	10%
Physical security	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Physical Fitness	\|\|\|\|\|\|	30%
Histrionic	\|\|	10%
Paranoia	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	36%
Vanity	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Hypersensitivity	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Female cliche	\|\|\|\|\|\|	30%

Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Also, Bar Prep continues to be unpleasant

2006-07-22T02:05:00.000-04:00

Instead of enjoying a BBQ, I was rereading Bar Bri study materials.

Cleaning out my locker

2006-07-22T01:54:00.000-04:00

Thursday I went up to school, enjoyed an Iced Coffee at the Bookstore, and cleaned out my locker. I felt sad cleaning it out, although removing my blanket triggered a fond memory of the time I camped out and took a nap on the lawn.

I've been eating okra every couple of days, thanks to the plant on my doorstep. (Supplemented, when needed, with frozen okra.) Stir-fried and microwaved, mostly. If I had one of these I'd probably be preparing a whole lot more corn-meal breading.

Zinnia on a Hot Day

2006-07-18T00:03:00.000-04:00

It's taken me a while to get it growing nice and solidly, but the Zinnia is now doing a great job. Gorgeous flowers.

The Basil plant that used to be in my window is enjoying the sunshine. Note that it's now blooming again. The small little green plants around the base of the basil are marjoram.

One week of study left.

More Plant Theft!

2006-07-15T22:42:00.000-04:00

My lavender plant was stolen! The lavender, in the white pot on the left, is seen here in a photo I took on the 13th at dusk.

While I am very disappointed at the loss, I've gone ahead and ordered new plants and pots from Burpee and Amazon respectively. There's not enough time in the season to grow the lavender from seed, so I've ordered the plants instead. Also, when the pots arrive, I'm going to pick up some

Regardless, I have one more day of work, and then I'll switch to study-only mode for the rest of the week. The bar exam is one week from this tuesday.

Tomorrow

2006-07-10T20:25:00.000-04:00

I know it's been a few weeks since the last posting: as it turns out I did eventually recover from my sore throat.

Tomorrow is my last day in "class" for Bar Bri. The rest of the week I'll be studying on my own when I'm not at work.

Here in my neighborhood there's been a spate of vadalism: lots of graffiti. I'll try to post some pictures of the miscreant's work later, along with some more flower pictures.

The Dangers of Itunes

2006-06-20T18:17:00.000-04:00

I've had a sore throat since friday, and unfortunately instead of getting better by Monday, it got worse. So I've spent the last 72 hours sleeping some 50 hours.

Idle hands are the devil's workshop, so I went to enjoy harmless fun provided by Apple: the Itunes Store.

Now over the years, I've had quite a bit of fun at Bob Dylan's expense. But every once in a while I really want to hear one of his pop tunes. While I could blame illness, instead I'll give credit where it's due.

Thank you Bob Dylan for "Lay Lady Lay".

Other purchases included more Ben Folds Five, Blondie, New Order, Traffic, The Who, Chemical Brothers, Gorillaz, Bush, Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, Modest Mouse, Madonna, Laura Branigan, Cake, Blur, and David Bowie.

Are you sure you like cats?

2006-06-17T21:28:00.000-04:00

These cats share a facial resemblance to a certain austrian who failed as a painter.

(Thanks NRO.)

A new picture of blooming action

2006-06-17T20:40:00.000-04:00

Live Music in my Neighborhood

2006-06-14T00:03:00.000-04:00

Tonight I went to listen for a while to music presented at Bardascino Park (less than half a block away, on the south-west corner of 10th and Carpenter.

The music was fine, and seeing all the families sitting around together was incredibly heartwarming. I don't see enough small children running around in my daily life.

Tomorrow in Bar Prep news...3 hours on PA DUI.

Bar Prep is Tedious

2006-06-07T09:58:00.000-04:00

Currently, it's almost 10 AM.

If I had managed to wake up at 7:20, I'd just now be nearing the first break in a three hour lecture on PA Professional Responsibility.

Since I'm not there, I'll have to pick up a videotape, or find a time to watch it at one of the other Philadelphia area Bar Bri sessions.

My goodness, this is tedious. Some of the reading is not bad, but as a whole this daily grind of classes and material is quite exasperating. And it means that my entire day is consumed: first classes, then work, then home and whatever I manage to do with the "homework".

The intensity of my external focus in combination with the stress of adapting to a different schedule temporarily destroys my equanimity. It is an unpleasant feeling to be so out of balance, and to know that the imbalance will continue for two more months.

Fortunately, next week is something of a breather; only two days of class for folks just taking the PA Bar (the other days are training for the NJ Essays).

This bar prep foolishness is so bad that looking for a job is starting to appear a welcome distraction. And, I assure you, I hate looking for jobs.

The Permalink doesn't seem to be working, but today, at least, Anthony works a similar theme as his latest post.

Bar Prep, Diet and Fiber, and Cafe de Laos

2006-06-03T23:12:00.000-04:00

I've been swamped with Bar prep and work. But even so, I've managed to accomplish a little, like setting up a pretty good budget household budget process for the rest of the summer, and even investigating savings plans for the future (after all, eventually I'll convince someone to hire me, and when that happens I'll need to start building up some reserves.)

I've also been trying to make some improvements to my diet. Of course, I'd tried the same thing earlier in the year, but now I've got a little more control over my time, and I'm finding it easier to prepare stuff at home. One of the big problems when I was going to school is that the classes began at 6 PM. If you leave work at 4, the transit from West Philly to Temple takes about 30 to 45 minutes. That gives a good hour to prepare for class, but not long enough to eat a proper meal.

Which reminds me, I seem to recall having just 25 minutes or so for lunch back in elementary and high school. A terrible policy, and a poor preparation for adult life (where most people are much better off if they eat slowly, rather than wolfing things down.)

Anyway, as part of improving my nutrition, I've been trying to add more fiber to my diet. Which got me curious, why exactly do doctors suggest adding fiber to the diet, anyway.

It turns out that fiber does two things. One, it promotes intestinal health by making it easier for the intestines to push everything on through (specifically, the fiber absorbs water, increasing bulk, which in turn triggers peristalsis) and two, it combines with the cholesterol, which is then excreted, rather than absorbed.

See this article from the Mayo Clinic for more information.

Finally, two weeks ago I went for a late night dinner (9:45 PM) at Cafe de Laos, which is right around the corner at 1117 South 11th Street. The room's decor, with lots of wood and elephant sculpture was great, and I also enjoyed the food. I forget its name, but my entree was sinus-clearing hot and delicious.

For a second opinion, try Philly.com.

Other people to check out

2006-06-02T22:45:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while, I try to play Quizzo.

But check out the man, myth, and legend, Johnny Goodtimes.

A report from the field

2006-05-28T18:41:00.000-04:00

Graduation was wonderful!

Last week I returned to the Bar Bri classes and work at the Computer Connection, a combo which will be continuing on through the end of July, when I take the PA Bar. For the time being I'm more focused on Bar prep than looking for a job, but I'll try to keep my eyes open if I see anything here in the Philadelphia area. If someone somewhere else wants to hire me, I'll have to figure out the bar implications then.

Now, on to the flowers:

This is the pot that used to be indoors. On one hand, it seems a little scraggly. But this plant is supposed to flower best under difficult conditions, and note the beautiful jewel red color. That's just a fantastic flower.

Here is the windowbox. This is (except for a little topping off) the same dirt I used for the Beets last fall. So the dirt should be fairly exhausted. I suspect that's helping to cause some of the yellow leaves towards the bottom. These plants just started blooming Wednesday, and as you can see, the effect of the color against the green background is just terrific.

Graduation!

2006-05-19T01:04:00.000-04:00

Tonight was graduation, and I think it went off quite well. We managed to make good time handing out the diplomas and seeing everyone was a blast!

Thank you Tom for coming! And thank you Bill for calling and wishing me well.

Now I'm exhausted, and I think I'll get to bed.

Also, the McCormick and Schmick's at Broad Street is really, really nice. We had dinner there after the graduation.

Mom and Dad are Here in Philly!

2006-05-17T03:41:00.000-04:00

Whoo-Hoo!

Of course, I think Mom's not impressed much with my cleaning abilities.

All of her children are special in their own way, but when it comes to housekeeping it would appear that I'm very special indeed.

Tomorrow...sightseeing ahoy!

Text of my Prepared Remarks

2006-05-15T19:07:00.000-04:00

Evening Class Speaker’s Speech

By Adam H. Davis, May 18, 2006
(To be delivered at the Temple Law Commencement Ceremony)

My friends, it’s been a long time, but I would like to say a few words concerning the law of agency.

We today enjoy high honor, and are properly proud of the hard work, the painful travails born to earn these diplomas.

And, personally, I have known no finer men and women than my fellow students, my colleagues. To know you is to be proud of you; to be numbered with you is awfully humbling.

But I spoke of agency, and I meant it.

It is my happy duty to stand and speak for my friends, and say a few words on their behalf. Today is so special because our family and friends have come here to join us.

So first, let me say, We’re Sorry!

Let me explain.

As evening students, we have juggled life, work, and study. Yet law school alone demands, at its hard points, more than a day’s effort crammed in 24 short hours.

How many vacations cut short, legalistic digressions, lonely bedrooms, spent bank accounts, and unanswered calls, emails, and letters stand against us in accusation.

It is a hard, and singularly adult lesson, that to pursue excellence requires sacrifice, sometimes voluntary and sometimes not, from the people who love us most.

But today is a day of gratitude and joy; not sorrow, and certainly not remorse.

Gratitude for our professors, for the administration, and the support staff who keep the school running day and night. And appreciation for the day students and LLM students who shared our classes. And I should personally thank the Bookstore, for the restorative powers of their large iced coffees.

And today is a day of joy, because we can now go forth and serve. To be a lawyer is to be an agent, a servant. Today we may begin to serve our families, our friends, our communities, our nation, and our world more excellently. And we do so with the humbling recognition that we couldn’t have made it to here alone.

My fellow students, I have neither time nor voice to say how much you mean to me. Know how blessed I feel to have journeyed this far with you, and how much I look forward to seeing you in the years to come.

Again, for all who have come to be with us today, thank you so much. Carry that thanks to everyone who could not be here, as well. Mom and Dad, I love you very much.

Thank you all: it has been a wonderful honor.

New Google Toy

2006-05-13T19:55:00.000-04:00

Slate pointed me to Andrew Sullivan's post on the new Google trends analysis feature.

Rather than for such heady investigations as the consequences of repression on sexual desire-

Langston Hughes comes to mind: Or does it explode?

-I looked up a sartorial term with considerable Old South connotations.

I did go, and it was a blast

2006-05-11T00:17:00.000-04:00

I wanted to hear more stories from newspaper publisher Jimmy Tayoun. But I was also happy to see David Oh, who ran a few years back for City Council, and is now serving (in addition to his regular job as a lawyer) as the republican leader of the 3rd Ward.

This could be a blast

2006-05-10T06:41:00.000-04:00

Check it out, I may go tonight and listen for war stories of Philadelphia Ward Leaders.

Also, it looks like a new law may take some of the more egregious polling places here in Philly out of service.

"All Done" & "Notes on Cleaning My Bathtub"

2006-05-10T05:30:00.000-04:00

So Monday I handed in my exam for Antitrust, and as I announced to the Deans standing around, I really did not know how I felt.

It is a passing strange emotion to know that not only is the work done for this semester, but it is done forever.

Susie (for whom congratulations are in order!) seems to have been hit with a similar feeling. And it looks like some Columbia folks finished up, too!

I went to the main bookstore to pick up my gown, and then I went, as I did regularly for 3 1/2 years, to the Law School Bookstore and drank an iced coffee and read the New York Times. The subway took me home, and then I took a nap. Around 2 AM I woke up and went out for some House of Chen.

Today I bought cleaning supplies, because my apartment is a wreck, and I want it halfway presentable when my parents come up next week.

I discovered that I don't know how to get my bathtub clean. Well, I know how to get it clean enough for me, but I discovered that getting it sparkling was harder than I thought (I had figured I could just use a sponge and leave the everyday shower-cleaning stuff on longer than usual. But time and a soft sponge didn't make any progress.) So I tried the "scrubbing bubbles," Formula 409 with Bleach, and finally Soft Scrub and a non-abrasive scouring pad.

The spray-on foam was useless. The 409 with Bleach turned most stuff white, but there was still this noticable residue. The Soft Scrub and scouring pad, plus my labor, did eventually clear most everything away, but it took me close to an hour!

If it hadn't worked, I'd have hauled out the Comet, and then considered Brasso.

(Out of curiosity I just looked it up, and the scouring agent Brasso uses is quartz. Which means that it wouldn't just remove grime, it would start removing the fiberglass itself-in addition to whatever the solvent would do.)

Fixing a False Economy

2006-05-08T14:36:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm still writing the exam, but check out this post about one man's attempt to actually improve the lot of workers.

A couple of pictures

2006-05-07T19:35:00.000-04:00

Pot of nasturtium flowers (they are normally turned round facing the sun.)

And, after sharply cutting back a basil plant that had gone wildly to seed, I dumped a lot of tiny sweet marjoram seeds into the pot. they've formed a bright green bed that will have to be significantly chopped at once they start to grow.

This weekend is not terribly satisfying

2006-05-07T15:15:00.000-04:00

One more day, and then it's complete!

Until I meet with the Dean next Monday about the graduation speech. And Bar Bri next tuesday. And all of the cleaning I've put off during the exam period.

Rejected first lines for the speech include:

Now I can tell you what I really think...

So, yeah, last night I got so wasted...

I'd like to say a few words in defense of the 2nd Amendment

Hey, before I begin, I really need a job; anybody out there need a guy?

Is there anyone in the room who has not accepted Christ?

My last 4 hour exam...tonight

2006-05-04T13:22:00.000-04:00

Tonight I get to take the Securities Regulation Exam, and then tomorrow it's back up to school to check out a 74-hour exam for Antitrust. The 74 hour exam gets clocked in, and clocked out, so it doesn't have to be done at school. Instead I'll simply eat sleep and sweat antitrust for the weekend.

So the real live end of school is getting closer all the time.

Oh US Airways, will you never learn

2006-05-03T16:59:00.000-04:00

Check out this post.

Unfailingly polite, but incompetent.

Pictures

2006-05-03T01:05:00.001-04:00

This Thursday is my exam for Securities Regulation. But since I've been getting all hot and bothered asking myself "what, exactly, is an offer? And how is it really connected to conditioning the market?" I've decided to cool off and give the readers what they really want...pictures of plants.

First (above), a nice shot of a tree planted by the TreeVitalize partnership. A formerly empty stretch of sidewalk now looks much nicer.

Second, a shot closer to home: my lavender, stonecrop, and strawberries to the right.

I am particularly thrilled that the strawberry plant is doing so well. The plant is quite attractive, and just now is displaying its third bloom. And the first bloom, from last week, has already given way to the start of a small green strawberry! I've made sure that every two weeks the strawberry gets an extra push of fertilizer, (I gave it a hit of miracle grow today, as a matter of fact,) and intend to make sure that it gets a good supply of water. I am hoping to have the first strawberry of the growing season before Graduation (May 18). That would be most fantastic.

There's an Election Coming Up

2006-04-29T15:12:00.000-04:00

The Committee of Seventy, an indispensible non-partisan guide to Philadelphia politics, has the details on a ballot measure we'll be seeing on the May 16, 2006 Primary Election ballot.

As you may recall, there's been some suggestion of corruption in Philadelphia.

If enacted, this measure directs the Mayor to appoint, subject to Council's approval, a 5 member Board of Ethics, with guaranteed funding of at least $1,000,000 for the first two years.

I'm also curious as to whether the local ward committee members have any plans for fundraisers before the primary.

I blame the Bee Gees

2006-04-28T21:22:00.000-04:00

Tonight I wanted to go to Johnny Rockets for dinner. I picked up a newspaper around the corner ($1.25 for the Wall Street Journal?) and then stood at the front waiting to be seated.

Unfortunately, "Stayin' Alive" was playing. At Johnny Rockets, there are some songs that, alas, the waitstaff must dance to.

The problem was that appearantly I showed up just as the song was starting.

You may not recall this, but "Stayin' Alive" runs for about 8 minutes. When you're standing there, waiting for someone to take you to a seat, eight minutes is a long time.

Long enough, in fact, that I gave up.

So now I'm walking down South Street again, thinking about where to eat.

I take a fateful right turn, and wind up at The Famous 4th Street Deli.

I'd seen the place for many years, but appearantly they've only begun serving in the evenings in the last year--hence I'd never eaten there.

The food, the decor, and the service were all swell. But if you feel guilty about leaving food on your plate, be advised that the brobdingnagian portions mean that you'll be carrying a lot of food home.

For the Philadelphia Inquirer's restauarant critic Craig LaBan's review, here.

Circadian...

2006-04-28T13:59:00.000-04:00

...just one of the many forms of rhythm I don't have.

Scanning my links, the U&PU Blawg pointed me off to a cool blog on sleep research. (Or, perhaps more properly, chronobiology.)

Jonah Goldberg has a good idea

2006-04-27T12:55:00.000-04:00

Let the Iraqis vote about us.

Psst. The next big thing will be...

2006-04-27T04:11:00.000-04:00

High Dynamic Range Displays.

Instead of one big backlight, lots of smaller, white LED backlights that are controlled as a matrix along with the LCD panel. Result is a huge jump in the contrast ratio between black and white on the image.

Looks cool as all get out.

International Law Programs at Temple Recognized

2006-04-27T03:49:00.000-04:00

It's one of the reasons I came to Temple in the first place. Nice to see that they got to issue a press release and crow a little about the international law curriculum.

Hedging Real Estate Risk

2006-04-27T02:16:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, as I was wandering around in an exam-prep haze, I picked up a copy of the Financial Times ($) to read with my meal at the South Street Diner.

I read the article on the dearth of LBOs, and the one about the developing a taste for the stock of super high calorie burger purveyers. But it took until today for me to read the article on Housing Options "Hedge around your home" written by Doug Cameron.

My parents have had to move frequently. And yet, because they have had to move according to the dictates of the Department of Defense, they had little opportunity to hold on to a particular piece of real estate in order to get the best price. That is, frequently they had to sell into a soft market, and frequently had to buy at a premium.

One problem with selling a house is that the price will eventually swing along nicely with the long-term-average for the area, but any particular house, being sold at any particular time, could go for more or for less. The real estate market suffers from an information defect relative to, say stock, because every combination of house and land is considered unique in the whole world. With a stock, you know that if someone, anywhere, just bought it for price x, then you can probably sell it for price x yourself: the individual shares are identical in the bundle of rights they convey to the holder. This leads to excellent reliability in reported prices for shares, while estimates for "how much is my house worth" will vary wildly.

Now, what I've always wanted is the ability to purchase a contract to protect yourself against declines in the price of your home. Say that, for instance, you bought your house for $100,000 dollars. Wouldn't it be nice to get someone to promise that, if you sell your house two years from now, if you sell it for less than $100,000, that they will pay the difference. In other words, if you wound up selling your house in two years in a soft market for $93,000 the holder of the contract would send you a check for $7000 dollars.

Now, you might ask, why would anyone take the trade? Simple, because you would have to give them money for the protection today. (In my example, let's call that fee $1,000--real financial types could estimate the real amount.) And, if the house isn't sold, or is sold at anything above $100,000, the homeowner doesn't get a single cent from the contract.

Now, as it turns out, the system announced in the FT Article is going to be more complex (and frankly, I don't have the time right now to figure out all the details.) From what I can tell, it will use an index based off of housing sales for particular markets, but the underlying idea is the same.

Quoting FT:

A similar shorting strategy would allow homeowners planning to move within a limited time to lock in the current value of their property, with the contract paying out the difference, or at least part of the difference, if house prices decline before their planned move.

Trading should start next month, and here's the link and the brochure (pdf) from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Outlining

2006-04-27T00:04:00.000-04:00

Outlining Criminal Procedure. Mmm.

Is this exam material easy, or am I just so completely clueless it just seems straightforward?

Honor Code Violations

2006-04-26T11:46:00.000-04:00

For virtually the entire time I've been at law school, we've had no reported honor code violations. It's made being an Honor Code representative very easy. But in the past 3 weeks we've gotten 2 notices from the Dean of violators.

We aren't given the names, but these folks have done stupid stuff: one person spent too much time in a free-slot exam. Three folks found an electronic copy of a paper, and then submitted it as their own (i.e. they stole someone's paper.)

Just in case anyone ever reads this who is thinking of going to law school, know this: cheating in law school is exceptionally serious business.

Because so much depends upon the trustworthiness of lawyers, the profession is extremely sensitive about anything in your past suggesting dishonesty.

Forget your grade for the course, that'll be an F: four months of hard work, gone.

The problem is that to be a lawyer, you must pass the bar, and the bar requires both the skills of being a lawyer (the stuff tested on the bar exam) AND good character.

While I can understand the pressure of law school, and it's possible to make a mistake and still be a good person, academic dishonesty makes me especially angry for a more personal reason.

Cheaters all harbor a common rationalization: everybody does it.

Well, you know what, not everybody does it.

I haven't.

Indeed, almost all of students do what they're supposed to, and accept that sometimes that means getting a worse grade, or working harder than they'd like to get the grades they're hoping for.

Law school grading is competitive: everyone is on a curve.

Cheaters are filthy little thieves of honest students' grades.

Strawberry

2006-04-25T20:39:00.000-04:00

When the strawberry plant grows a bit, I may yank the nasturtiums from the borders (or I may simply make sure they grow over the sides.) That bloom is the promise of fruit to come.

How to Procrastinate

2006-04-23T16:06:00.000-04:00

The last programming course I had was based on Pascal back in 1994 at CMU. Prior to that were two high school programming courses (interpreted BASIC on Apple IIs), and a crash introduction to C at the Tennessee Governor's School for the Sciences in the summer of 1990.

Friday I bought Beginning Programming with Java For Dummies (2nd. Ed.)

Since it's an introductory book, most of the examples are focused on using text input and output. And guess what, using text input and output it all looks suspiciously like C from 1990.

The biggest difference I've seen so far is the depth of the API and the huge jump in power in the development tools. I just downloaded a copy of NetBeans IDE 5.0, after watching a demo, and it looks really cool.

There are just times in life when only an "if" statement will do.

I wish I had a macro lens

2006-04-23T06:16:00.000-04:00

Because if I did have a macro lens, this picture would be much clearer. And you could see all the cool frilly bits. As it is, you can get a sense of the color, and that's about it.

The Sacrifices of Law School

2006-04-22T17:06:00.000-04:00

When I read Bill's post about watching the buggy races at Carnegie Mellon's Spring Carnival, I was remained yet again of one of the non-obvious sacrifices that law school requires from me.

The only reason I'm not in Pittsburgh this weekend, visiting all the wonderful people there, is because of law school.

But that sacrifice, though painful, is fairly straightforward. I don't get to see my friends or watch the races, but its part of the work necessary to obtain a law degree.

But there's another sacrifice, too. After all, my friends have to miss me, too. And if my presence could have brought them even a little joy, then that sacrifice is one they have made without any say in the matter.

And, worse, they don't get a JD out of it.

I've been thinking about how to say all this at Commencement.

Our family, and our friends, have given up a part of us, a natural and perfectly right claim to our time and attention, so that we students may pursue our dreams.

The End of School

2006-04-22T14:34:00.000-04:00

Most of the time, as I zip through my daily routine, my mind is elsewhere.

I'll be reading, or contemplating problems, or praying, or just talking on a cell-phone. But this Thursday I tried to take special care to be aware of the day, since it was the last like it I may ever have.

First, when I woke up, I didn't rush. I didn't have to, I couldn't sleep past 7:30 anyway. I reckon it was the excitement: the last day of school. It's only been four years, but I don't remember what my last day at Pitt was like. I can't remember which classes ended the final day.

You know, it occurs to me, the University of Pittsburgh has a much earlier graduation than most other schools. I wonder-I just checked my diploma-the diploma date for Pitt, and thus the graduation was April 27, 2002. So the night of my first exam (Criminal procedure) will be the same day that I graduated from Pitt.

My last day of school was a gorgeous spring day, with the cherry trees doubled-over with blooms, flowers everywhere poked up, and abundant sunshine.

After work, I drank my usual iced coffee and read the New York Times at the bookstore.

And then the classes. First antitrust, in K2B (that's Klein Hall, room 2b.) And then Securities Regulation.

Not much fanfare. For the most part I guess the need to prepare for exams, and the bar, takes some of the enthusiasm out of celebrating.

But at 7:30, Professor Porrata-Doria took a moment to note if there were any graduating students in the class. It's a smaller class, but I think four folks raised their hands. (It's the last scheduled class hour for an evening student-we don't have friday classes.)

After that, a trip to the Draught Horse, and then the subway back home.