The Dangers of Itunes

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?

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

(Thanks NRO.)

A new picture of blooming action

Live Music in my Neighborhood

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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"

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

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

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

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

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

Check out this post.

Unfailingly polite, but incompetent.